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MoD: MoD gets creative with its ‘savings’ - Defence Minister Lord Drayson has welcomed a report by a committee of MPs into improvements MoD is making to the way it buys new equipment for the Armed Forces - but took issue with some comments in the committee's press notice regarding cost allocation.
Quoting extracts from the Committee of Public Accounts press statement:
Quoting extracts from the Committee of Public Accounts press statement:
'Fourteen projects have been reported as incurring no new delays in the last year. But the truth is that the Department’s track-record in managing these projects is pretty dire and it is too early to say whether its confidence is genuinely justified.
We are pleased to see efforts by the Department to control the costs of projects. But old habits die hard. More than half of the sum which the MOD has claimed to save has simply been loaded on to other budgets. We have no idea what cuts will have to be made to other activities of our Armed Forces as a result of this massaging of the figures.
£448 million of costs were either re-classified as expenditure in other procurement or support budgets or transferred to other budgets for corporate management. These re-allocations have achieved cost reductions for the individual projects but do not represent a saving to the Department as a whole. By transferring the costs elsewhere it may potentially have to forego activities which could otherwise have been provided’.
Lord Drayson, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, was responding to a report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee on the National Audit Office Major Projects Report 2006. The Ministry of Defence will respond fully to Parliament on the Report's recommendations and conclusions in due course.
We are pleased to see efforts by the Department to control the costs of projects. But old habits die hard. More than half of the sum which the MOD has claimed to save has simply been loaded on to other budgets. We have no idea what cuts will have to be made to other activities of our Armed Forces as a result of this massaging of the figures.
£448 million of costs were either re-classified as expenditure in other procurement or support budgets or transferred to other budgets for corporate management. These re-allocations have achieved cost reductions for the individual projects but do not represent a saving to the Department as a whole. By transferring the costs elsewhere it may potentially have to forego activities which could otherwise have been provided’.
Lord Drayson, Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, was responding to a report by the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee on the National Audit Office Major Projects Report 2006. The Ministry of Defence will respond fully to Parliament on the Report's recommendations and conclusions in due course.
MoD press release ~ PAC press release ~ Public Accounts Committee: Ministry of Defence Major Projects Report 2006 ~ National Audit Office: Major Projects Report 2006
DCSF: An integral part of the education system - Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faith school backers have unveiled a joint declaration and shared vision of schools with a religious character in 21st century England.
In 'Faith in the System,' the Government and religious groups providing schools "confirm our commitment to continue to work together and with schools with and without a religious character to improve the life chances of children, to build bridges to greater mutual trust and understanding and to contribute to a just and cohesive society."
The document also aims to dispel some of the common myths & misunderstanding around schools with a religious character and seeks to promote greater respect of the differences between different faiths and different types of schools.
Around a third of all maintained schools have a religious character - approximately 6,850 schools from a total of nearly 21,000. Around 600 are secondary schools with the remainder being primary schools. The great majority are Church of England and Roman Catholic.
DCSF: An integral part of the education system - Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faith school backers have unveiled a joint declaration and shared vision of schools with a religious character in 21st century England.
In 'Faith in the System,' the Government and religious groups providing schools "confirm our commitment to continue to work together and with schools with and without a religious character to improve the life chances of children, to build bridges to greater mutual trust and understanding and to contribute to a just and cohesive society."
The document also aims to dispel some of the common myths & misunderstanding around schools with a religious character and seeks to promote greater respect of the differences between different faiths and different types of schools.
Around a third of all maintained schools have a religious character - approximately 6,850 schools from a total of nearly 21,000. Around 600 are secondary schools with the remainder being primary schools. The great majority are Church of England and Roman Catholic.
Press release ~ Faith in the System ~ Admissions Code ~ DfES - Religious education in faith schools ~ Teachernet Faith Schools ~ Impact of Specialist and Faith Schools ~ Catholic Education Service ~ National Society for promoting religious education ~ Becoming Fit for Purpose ~ National Secular Society ~ Network of Sikh Organisations ~ I-Foundation
ScotGov: As the smoke clears the health benefits become evident - A study of nine Scottish hospitals has found a 17% fall in admissions for heart attacks in the first year after the smoking ban came into force. The figure is included in one of a series of research papers which was presented recently at an international conference discussing the impact of the smoking ban on Scotland's health, air quality and society.
The research is part of a national evaluation of the impact of Scotland's smokefree legislation which shows that the smoking ban has had an overwhelmingly positive effect.
Other findings of the evaluation included:
ScotGov: As the smoke clears the health benefits become evident - A study of nine Scottish hospitals has found a 17% fall in admissions for heart attacks in the first year after the smoking ban came into force. The figure is included in one of a series of research papers which was presented recently at an international conference discussing the impact of the smoking ban on Scotland's health, air quality and society.
The research is part of a national evaluation of the impact of Scotland's smokefree legislation which shows that the smoking ban has had an overwhelmingly positive effect.
Other findings of the evaluation included:
* a 39% reduction in second hand smoke exposure in 11-year-olds and in adult non-smokers
* an 86% reduction in secondhand smoke in bars
Press release ~ Smokefree conference ~ Scotland's smokefree legislation ~ Changes in exposure of adult non-smokers to secondhand smoke after implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland: national cross sectional survey ~ Smoking in the home after the smoke-free legislation in Scotland: qualitative study ~ Changes in child exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (CHETS) study after implementation of smoke-free legislation in Scotland: national cross sectional survey ~ Bar Workers' Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke: The Effect of Scottish Smoke-Free Legislation on Occupational Exposure ~ Health Scotland - Smoking ~ ASH Scotland
DIUS: Automatic shopping on the Horizon - The UK's first public discussion about the future of science and technology has found that many people would not mind strangers knowing what was in their fridge, if it meant that supermarkets could help them plan meals and automatically restock it to make grocery shopping a thing of the past.
The Sciencehorizons programme was the first public engagement exercise in the UK to focus on the potential future uses for science and technology, using a set of fictitious potential scenarios set from 2025. It involved a deliberative panel of 30 members of the public which met twice over two months for extended discussions and presentations from expert speakers on range of topics including climate change and cyber-security and genetic testing.
The other two strands of the programme included facilitated public meetings in science centres and community spaces & self-managed group discussions run by community bodies including schools, Women's Institutes and faith groups.
The discussions used a specially designed pack showing how life in 2025 could differ from today, which was based on a series of papers called Horizon Scans, written by expert scientists mapping out potential future technological developments. Along with the pack, an interactive web site was developed to stimulate discussion & debate.
DIUS: Automatic shopping on the Horizon - The UK's first public discussion about the future of science and technology has found that many people would not mind strangers knowing what was in their fridge, if it meant that supermarkets could help them plan meals and automatically restock it to make grocery shopping a thing of the past.
The Sciencehorizons programme was the first public engagement exercise in the UK to focus on the potential future uses for science and technology, using a set of fictitious potential scenarios set from 2025. It involved a deliberative panel of 30 members of the public which met twice over two months for extended discussions and presentations from expert speakers on range of topics including climate change and cyber-security and genetic testing.
The other two strands of the programme included facilitated public meetings in science centres and community spaces & self-managed group discussions run by community bodies including schools, Women's Institutes and faith groups.
The discussions used a specially designed pack showing how life in 2025 could differ from today, which was based on a series of papers called Horizon Scans, written by expert scientists mapping out potential future technological developments. Along with the pack, an interactive web site was developed to stimulate discussion & debate.
Press release ~ Science Horizons ~ Sciencewise – Funded Project ~ BA Festival of Science ~ DIUS ~ Universal Ethical Code for Scientists ~ Institute for the Future (IFTF) ~ Foresight ~ Delta Scan ~ Sigma Scan
MoD: An honest response or just a politician’s promise? - In response to the launch of the Royal British Legion's Honour the Covenant Campaign, the Armed Forces' Minister, Bob Ainsworth, said:
MoD: An honest response or just a politician’s promise? - In response to the launch of the Royal British Legion's Honour the Covenant Campaign, the Armed Forces' Minister, Bob Ainsworth, said:
"I welcome the Royal British Legion's campaign to generate debate about the covenant between the Nation and the Armed Forces. I will look in detail at the Royal British Legion's concerns and respond in full as soon as possible…………….. There are areas where we have already made significant progress, but we acknowledge that we must do more. These areas include mental healthcare for veterans, compensation, inquests and accommodation."
Press release ~ Honour the Covenant Campaign ~ Military Covenant ~ Armed Forces' Compensation Scheme ~ MoD - Managing the Defence Estate: Quality and sustainability ~ BBC video report ~ Project SLAM
DfT: Disabled get the blues over problems with parking - Transport Minister Rosie Winterton has recently announced a series of changes to update the Blue Badge disabled persons' parking scheme and hopefully make it tougher on fraud.
The changes, which come into force on 15 October 2007, include:
DfT: Disabled get the blues over problems with parking - Transport Minister Rosie Winterton has recently announced a series of changes to update the Blue Badge disabled persons' parking scheme and hopefully make it tougher on fraud.
The changes, which come into force on 15 October 2007, include:
* extending the scheme to children under two who, because of their specific medical conditions, need to travel with bulky medical equipment or be close to a vehicle for emergency medical treatment. This will include children who suffer from hip dysplasia
* amending the design of the badge, including the addition of a hologram, to help prevent fraud and aid enforcement
* extending the scheme to include people with severe disabilities in both arms who drive non-adapted vehicles regularly, but are unable to operate parking meters, such as people with Thalidomide-related disabilities
While the biggest single change is the introduction of an anti-fraud hologram to help prevent forgeries, in addition, as a result of the feedback from the consultation, the new badge will also include a gender specific serial number to aid parking enforcement and clearer information about the use & abuse of the scheme directly on the badge.
* amending the design of the badge, including the addition of a hologram, to help prevent fraud and aid enforcement
* extending the scheme to include people with severe disabilities in both arms who drive non-adapted vehicles regularly, but are unable to operate parking meters, such as people with Thalidomide-related disabilities
While the biggest single change is the introduction of an anti-fraud hologram to help prevent forgeries, in addition, as a result of the feedback from the consultation, the new badge will also include a gender specific serial number to aid parking enforcement and clearer information about the use & abuse of the scheme directly on the badge.
Press release ~ DfT Blue Badge web page ~ Guidance on enforcement ~ Directgov Blue Badge web page ~ Blue Badge Network ~ Traffic Management Act 2004 ~ Disability Now ~ DfT - Measures to tackle abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme
Ofsted: Room for improvement - The most successful pupil referral units (PRUs) are offering pupils a ‘second chance’ in mainstream education by setting them high expectations, offering them an interesting & relevant curriculum and focusing on improving their academic and personal development and confidence. But schools and local authorities need to do more to help PRUs reintegrate pupils into mainstream education.
In 2005/06 over half of the PRUs inspected nationally were judged good or outstanding, however in 2005/06 one in eight units was judged to be inadequate.
Inspectors visited 28 good or outstanding PRUs for a new Ofsted report - Pupil referral units: Establishing successful practice in pupil referral units and local authorities - to identify effective practice in the most successful units.
The report found that a clear sense of purpose and a strong working relationship with the local authority were key features of successful PRUs. Partnerships with a wide range of agencies also supported pupils and enriched their experiences.
Many PRUs face common problems that can affect their ability to provide children and young people with a good education. These include inadequate accommodation, pupils of different ages with diverse needs arriving in an unplanned way, limited numbers of specialist staff and difficulties in reintegrating pupils into mainstream schools.
Ofsted: Room for improvement - The most successful pupil referral units (PRUs) are offering pupils a ‘second chance’ in mainstream education by setting them high expectations, offering them an interesting & relevant curriculum and focusing on improving their academic and personal development and confidence. But schools and local authorities need to do more to help PRUs reintegrate pupils into mainstream education.
In 2005/06 over half of the PRUs inspected nationally were judged good or outstanding, however in 2005/06 one in eight units was judged to be inadequate.
Inspectors visited 28 good or outstanding PRUs for a new Ofsted report - Pupil referral units: Establishing successful practice in pupil referral units and local authorities - to identify effective practice in the most successful units.
The report found that a clear sense of purpose and a strong working relationship with the local authority were key features of successful PRUs. Partnerships with a wide range of agencies also supported pupils and enriched their experiences.
Many PRUs face common problems that can affect their ability to provide children and young people with a good education. These include inadequate accommodation, pupils of different ages with diverse needs arriving in an unplanned way, limited numbers of specialist staff and difficulties in reintegrating pupils into mainstream schools.
Inspectors found that the success of PRUs depends on their responses to these challenges and the support they receive from their local authority.
Press release ~ Establishing successful practice in pupil referral units and local authorities ~ DfES, Exclusions & Alternative Provision - Pupil Referral Units ~ PRU – legal aspects ~ Improving Behaviour and Attendance: Guidance on Exclusion from Schools and Pupil Referral Units
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General News
Home Office: 4,000 more unsolved rape & serious sex offence cases are to be reviewed as part of a £1m cold case project – Operation Advance. The project uses advances in DNA technology to re-analyse evidence from undetected cases committed up to 24 years ago and to compare the DNA profiles obtained against the National DNA Database (NDNAD) for possible matches.
Advance III will work with the Forensic Science Service (FSS) over the next six months to review around cases which date from 1991-1996. To date, the project has reviewed over 11,000 cases leading to the scientific re-analysis of 423 cases and 116 matches against the National DNA Database.
These have resulted in 30 convictions that together total sentences of over 150 years of imprisonment - in addition to four life sentences. A further seven cases are awaiting trial. Almost all of the offenders convicted so far have proved to be persistent & prolific violent criminals with offending histories that stretch from the present day, back over many years.
Press release ~ Operation Advance programme ~ Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) ~ Forensic Science Service DNA website ~ National DNA Database (NDNAD)
DH: NHS patients throughout England are being invited to take part in a multi-million pound medical project supported by the Department of Health, which will help find out much more about curing many life threatening and debilitating diseases.
UK Biobank is one of the biggest and most detailed public health research initiatives of our time, which will provide a valuable resource for research into a wide range of diseases including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, dementia, mental illness, Parkinson's disease, joint & dental disease and many other life threatening and debilitating conditions.
UK Biobank is recruiting 500,000 people aged 40-69. With their permission, it will track their health over the course of the next 30 years or more. Recruitment is by invitation and the opportunity to take part will be available to people of different areas of the country as assessment centres are rolled out over the next few years across England, Wales and Scotland.
MoD: The impressive new Armed Forces Memorial (AFM) will be dedicated on 12 October 2007. The names of almost 16,000 service men and women (regular & reserve) who have been killed on duty since the end of WWII are engraved on the vast Portland Stone walls.
3,000 tickets are now available for the families, friends and colleagues of those named to attend the ceremony, which will be attended by VIPs including senior members of the Royal Family. Tickets are available by downloading an application form or by ringing the ticket hotline 08457 725725.
The dedication is a ticket-only event and to enable as many of those named to be represented as possible, tickets will be allocated proportionally across the six decades with a maximum of two tickets per family.
The AFM will not be open to the public until 0900 on 29 October 2007.
Press release ~ Armed Forces Memorial Appeal ~ Commonwealth War Graves Commission ~ Royal British Legion ~ The National Memorial Arboretum
ScotGov: Ministers yesterday granted consent for a windfarm at Harestanes, capable of generating power for around 120,000 homes, but at the same time they refused consent for windfarm applications at Clashindarroch near Huntly (129 MW) and Calliacher near Aberfeldy (62 MW).
Clashindarroch would have potentially harmful impacts on Deveron Valley landscape.
Press release ~ ScotGov energy consents ~ ScotGov – Renewable energy ~ Scottish Renewables ~ Sustainable Development Commission UK (SDC) Scotland
BGS: The British Geological Survey recorded an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 Mw at 11:10 GMT on the 12th of September 2007. The earthquake was located near the coast of Southern Sumatra, Indonesia and a tsunami warning was issued for the region as an earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a tsunami that can strike coastlines throughout the area.
Reports from the area suggest that buildings were damaged and there has been a loss of power throughout the region, which is located approximately 1,000 km SE of the magnitude 9.2 Mw earthquake that occurred on 26 December 2004 and generated a tsunami, which killed in the region of 300,000 people.
Policy Statements and Initiatives
ScotGov: Plans to bring a national focus on
skills by bringing organisations together into a single skills body have been
announced in Scotland as part of a new skills strategy - Skills for
Scotland, A Lifelong Skills Strategy.
The development of a skills
strategy for Scotland was announced as part of the Scottish Government's first
100 days commitments by Ms Hyslop during an education debate in June and the
merger of Careers Scotland and Learndirect Scotland is the
first step towards creating a unified skills body.
Press release ~ Skills for
Scotland: A Lifelong Skills Strategy ~ Careers Scotland ~
Learndirect Scotland ~ Futureskill
s Scotland - Home ~ SSASCOT - Sector Skills
Alliance Scotland
DCSF: A major review into the provision of
services for children and young people with speech, language and communications
needs has been launched by Children, Schools and Families Secretary of State Ed
Balls and Health Secretary of State Alan Johnson.
It will advise the Government
on how the very best provision can be mirrored in all areas, so every young
person up to 19-years-old with speech & learning difficulties gets support
as early as possible. It will also advise on how local services can work
closer together so children get the support they need, when they need it.
It will report by
summer 2008 and the Government
will formally respond in due course.
BERR: Employment Relations Minister Pat McFadden
has announced 28 projects awarded grants worth a total of £2.8m from the
Union Modernisation Fund (UMF), which was set up two years ago to help
trade unions adapt to a changing labour market & modern workplaces and to
provide examples of best practice for other unions to follow. Last year a
first round of 35 projects worth £3m was awarded.
A range of bids have secured
funding under the second stage of the funding, including projects to:
* help adapt to increasing
diversity in the workplace (and address vulnerable worker issues)
* improve two-way
communications within unions
* support development of union
representatives to promote equality
* apply modern management
methods to unions
* develop the professional
competence of union officers
Leeds University Business
School will provide a final independent evaluation of the fund in late 2008.
DIUS: Skills Secretary John Denham has announced
a £35m fund to help 30,000 people a year in the workforce to gain new
skills. The Adult Learning Grant (ALG) is intended to give
eligible adults up to £30 a week to help improve their skills and
progress.
The ALG is a weekly grant
designed to help adults studying full-time with the costs of learning and it is
targeted at the 5.8 million people who are working and do not have a level 2
qualification. Individuals who are in receipt of 'out of work' benefits,
such as JSA, are not eligible for the programme.
The grant is income assessed
and pays up to £30 per week (around £1,000 a year) for full time
learners aged 19 and over who are studying for a first full Level 2 (5 GCSEs at
grades A* to C or an NVQ2 or its equivalent) or a first full Level 3 (2 A
levels or an NVQ3 or its equivalent) qualification. It is paid only
during term time for weeks when the learner is in attendance at college.
Consultations
NICE: Two pieces of draft safety solution
guidance, published by NICE, in collaboration with the National
Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), make important recommendations about the
prevention of pneumonia in mechanically ventilated patients and on how to
improve processes to ensure that any medication patients are taking prior to
admission to hospital is properly documented on admission.
The draft guidance, which is
out for public consultation until
10 October
2007, is the
first of its kind from NICE to make recommendations on cost-effective
interventions to prevent or mitigate patient harm in the NHS. Comments
received during this consultation will be reviewed at the next independent
advisory committee meeting. NICE expects to issue final guidance to the NHS in December 2007.
Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides
CLG: Social housing landlords have received new
guidance to help them measure their success in tackling anti-social
behaviour. The toolkit, developed by HouseMark and the Social
Landlords' Crime and Nuisance Group (SLCNG) for Communities and Local
Government, offers practical help & advice on collecting, interpreting and
using information.
It explains in easy to
understand terms, the information that landlords should collect on anti-social
behaviour in order to target their staff time and resources
effectively. It will also assist landlords in meeting the requirements of
the Respect Standard for Housing Management and encourage even more
landlords to sign up to the standard itself.
Press release ~ The Respect
Standard for Housing Management: A Performance Improvement Toolkit for
Landlords ~ HouseMark and the SLCNG workshops ~ Respect in communities
and neighbourhoods ~ Related publications (scroll
down) ~ Housing Corporation ~ Respect and
Housing Management – Using Good Neighbour Agreements ~ Social Landlords' Crime and
Nuisance Group (SLCNG) ~ Respect Standard for Housing
Management
Annual Reports
Defra: The Pesticide Residues Committee
(PRC) published their 2006 annual report at the BA Festival of
Science held at the University of York last week.
As well as detailing the
results of the monitoring programme the report provides information about the
role of the independent committee and their work throughout 2006. The
committee meet in York 4 times a year. Every year they hold an open
meeting where members of the public join them to discuss pesticide residues in
food.
The next PRC meeting on
31 October 2007 will be held
in York and will be open to
observers (although numbers are limited by the space
available). If you would like to attend then register your interest with
the secretariat.
General Reports and Other Publications
TfL: Transport for London has
published the results of a public consultation on route options for the
proposed CrossRiver Tram. The consultation
sought the views of local residents & businesses on various options for the
proposed 16.5 km route.
The proposed Cross River Tram
will be a high quality public transport link, running on-street between Euston
and Waterloo, with branches to Camden Town & King's Cross in the north and
Brixton & Peckham in the south.
A decision on the preferred
route will follow a technical review and assessment of whether funding will be
available. The review and further feasibility work will look at potential
passenger numbers, improvements in journey times, a review of depot and staged
implementation options, traffic & environmental impacts and the views on
route options expressed by the public and stakeholders.
DWP: The Department for Work and
Pensions has published Research report 454: Review of the advisory
services model, which reviews the new Advisory Services Model operational
in Jobcentre Plus offices. The report presents findings from qualitative
interviews with a range of Jobcentre Plus staff examining their views of the
new model.
CRC: The Commission for Rural
Communities has welcomed the publication of the Conservative Party’s
Quality of Life report, commenting that the chapter on rural life
‘rightly recognises that rural areas often require specific policies
to address issues like the dispersed nature of rural deprivation. The
proposal for ‘Localhold’ homes echoes the existing concept of
CommunityLand Trusts and it is exciting that these
ways of meeting local needs for affordable housing are being
explored.
However, we are
disappointed with the lack of support for council tax on second homes and the
opportunity that would be lost to fund affordable homes for local
people.
MoJ: Though HMP Sudbury was basically a safe
& purposeful prison, there were concerns about healthcare and some
resettlement work was disappointing, said Anne Owers, Chief Inspector of
Prisons, publishing the report of an unannounced inspection into the open
prison.
Some weaknesses in healthcare
provision required immediate action by the primary care trust. They
included unsafe clinical recording practices and insufficient mental health
support.
Resettlement work had not kept
pace with recent developments & best practice, particularly for
short-sentenced prisoners. Substance use work also needed further
development.
CEL: Research commissioned by the Centre for
Excellence in Leadership (CEL) has found that whilst further education
sector leaders understand the importance of sustainable development and believe
that the sector has a responsibility to help realise a more sustainable way of
life, many feel that they are on a steep learning curve.
CEL's research report -
Leadership for sustainability: Making sustainable development a reality for
leaders - was published at a consultation seminar last week. Two key
findings were that:
* distributed
leadership, self-awareness and adaptability in leadership
style are three of the key qualities for effective leadership for
sustainability
* sector leadership
development needs to encompass systems thinking, futures thinking and
management of uncertainty
Press release ~ Leadership for sustainability: Making sustainable development a reality for leaders ~ Leadership for sustainability: The sustainable development challenge for leaders in further education ~ Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) ~ Forum for the Future ~ Education for Sustainability Programme at London South Bank University (LSBU)
Legislation / Legal
ScotGov: The Scottish Government has announced
that it will work with Conservative MSP Jamie McGrigor to help him introduce a
Members bill for a National Register of Tartan. The MSP and the
Government will aim to have a Register set up by the spring 2008.
In the Parliamentary session
2006/07 Jamie McGrigor MSP tabled a Members' Bill for a publicly funded
national register to recognise, classify and authenticate tartans. This
attracted a good level of cross party support and Mr McGrigor agreed to
withdraw his Bill on the basis that the previous administration was supportive
of his proposal. In the summer, Minister for Enterprise Jim Mather
confirmed the Scottish Government supported the idea.
Press release ~ Scottish Register of Tartan Bill ~ Scottish Enterprise ~ Find
a Tartan ~ The Court of the Lord Lyon ~ Scottish
History: Tartan ~ Tartans Of
Scotland
ScotGov: The Scottish Government has published
the report of an independent review of the law & practice of disclosure
in criminal proceedings in Scotland. The review was
carried out by Lord Coulsfield, the retired High Court judge, on a personal
basis and the report contains his own analysis & conclusions.
The remit was ‘to
review the law and practice of disclosure of evidence and other relevant
material in criminal proceedings in Scotland, with a view to making
recommendations that will secure a system that is both practical and effective,
recognising the rights of the accused, the interests of victims and witnesses
and the wider interests of justice’.
Lord Coulsfield proposes that
there should be legislation, to clarify the legal requirements of disclosure
and to establish a mechanism for resolving the conflicts of interest which
arise when disclosure of important material might put witnesses or security
interests at risk.
EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
ScotGov: Minister for Public Health Shona Robison
has endorsed a 10-point
plan for the future of tobacco control in Europe. Closing
an international smoke-free conference in Edinburgh, Ms Robison gave her
backing to a statement produced by public health experts & researchers on
how Europe can continue to reduce smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke in
years to come.
The
'Edinburgh Statement' will
now be presented to the European Parliament for consideration for future
no-smoking policies across the EU. Some of the main points in the
statement are:
* That all 196 countries who
have signed up to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control are urged to
implement comprehensive smoke free legislation within five years
* The European Commission is
invited to produce a proposal on how legislative safeguards against second hand
smoke can be promoted in EU countries that have not introduced smokefree laws
* Governments are urged to act
on their responsibility to protect & discourage children and young people
from starting to smoke
This is the first
international treaty relating to health. To date, 196 countries have
signed up to it.
Press release ~ Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control ~ Towards a smokefree
society 2007 - Edinburgh ~ Clearing the Air
Scotland
ScotGov: Ullapool last weekend hosted the
seventh European Geopark Network Conference on 'Landscapes and
People: Earth Heritage, Culture and Economy'. The conference focused
on the role of Geoparks in Scotland and across Europe and aims to encourage
businesses, communities and young people to get involved in geopark activities
and developments.
Scotland has two geoparks in
Lochaber and North West Highlands:
* The North West Highland
Geopark was the first to be designated in Scotland in November 2004 and the
scenery includes mountains in Assynt such as Ben More, Suilven and Stac
Pollaidh.
* Lochaber, an area of
Scotland with an ancient and unique rock record, celebrated the accolade of
being chosen as Europe's newest Geopark in June 2007.
Business and Other Briefings
HM Treasury: The Thoresen Review, an
independent review set up by HM Treasury to look at how Generic Financial
Advice (GFA) can be provided, has announced that Consumer Direct,
in partnership with Citizens Advice Bureau, Cumbria County Council and
Agilisys, and A4e will operate GFA consumer pilots in the
North West, London, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire.
The pilots will test out a
range of options and evidence the review has gathered from a wide variety of
sources (including the responses to the review's call for evidence and consumer
focus groups) to see how GFA can best be provided.
The pilots will go live on
17 September, operated by Consumer
Direct and Citizens Advice Bureau and remain live until 17 December 2007. The results from the independent evaluation of the pilots
will be published in the final Thoresen
Review report in early
2008.
Press release ~ Thoresen Review ~ 'Financial
Capability: the Government's long-term approach' ~ Consumer Direct ~ Citizens Advice Bureau ~ Cumbria County Council ~ Agilisys ~ A4e
This Brief gives details of an
article : VAT: Tribunal concerning RBS Deutschland Holdings GmbH.
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