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In the News

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EU News:  The countdown to a UK referendum has begun as EC outlines timetable for proposed Treaty Changes - The European Commission has adopted a Blueprint for a deep & genuine Economic & Monetary Union, which ‘provides a vision for a strong and stable architecture in the financial, fiscal, economic and political domains’.

The Blueprint sets out the ‘path to a deep & genuine EMU’, which involves incremental measures taken over the short, medium & longer term.  Part of the agenda can be delivered on the basis of the current Treaties, though part of it requires Treaty change.
DCMS:  If you don’t fancy paying £250 for a hard copy, but want to make up your own mind - The Leveson Inquiry has published its report into the culture, practices & ethics of the media.
LC:  Consultation on the ‘bit’ Leveson did not cover in detail in his report - In a new consultation opening the Law Commission is asking ‘whether the existing law on contempt of court continues to work effectively in light of the challenges posed by new media and the way these are used by the mainstream press and, increasingly, by citizen journalists’.  The law governing contempt and what can be published when proceedings are active was written long before the widespread use of the internet.  

A number of recent, well-publicised cases have highlighted serious shortcomings in the existing law.  In this consultation, the Commission raises questions about the law’s ability to protect the administration of justice by balancing the right to publish with the right of the defendant to a fair trial.   The consultation closes on 28 February 2013.
HO:  Turning the ‘hunters’ into the ‘hunted’ - 2 new laws came into force on the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.  They are part of a package of new government support to prevent domestic & sexual violence. The new laws - that carry a maximum prison sentence of 5 years - will provide extra protection for victims and help bring more stalkers to justice.

The Crime Prevention Minister also announced a package of extra support to tackle violence against women & girls.  This includes:
* a £150,000 fund for Domestic Homicide Reviews to help prevent future domestic violence tragedies
* the launch of a new declaration against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
* an additional £50,000 funding to support frontline agencies tackling FGM
* the re-launch of the Teenage Rape Prevention Campaign aimed at changing attitudes
* 5 new short videos telling the moving stories of victims of violence against women
ASI:  The ‘bottle lines’ are being drawn up - With a consultation on minimum alcohol pricing imminent, the Adam Smith Institute has released a report showing that the evidence base for minimum alcohol pricing is, to all intents & purposes, non-existent. 

The report explains that most of the estimated health outcomes, used to justify calls for a minimum alcohol pricing of 40p or 50p per unit, have come from a ‘single, flawed computer model’.
Press release ~ The Minimal Evidence for Minimum Pricing: The fatal flaws in the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model ~ Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model ~ LGA: Minimum pricing needs to be part of a wider strategy ~ HO: Alcohol consultation launched (closes on 6 February 2013) ~ See also ‘NICE:  At least with over-eating much of the ‘damage’ is self-evident’ published in Newsletter Archive for 26/11/2012 (6th item)

DECC:  As usual it is the public who will pay for it - An Energy Bill to power low-carbon economic growth, to protect consumers, and to keep the lights on has been introduced to Parliament.  The Bill sets out reforms to the design of the electricity market that will ‘kick-start a renaissance in construction of low-carbon energy infrastructure and in low-carbon manufacturing supply-chains’.
MoD:  Better for military to ‘Jaw, Jaw’ rather move straight to ‘War, War’ - Members of the Military Stabilisation Support Group (MSSG) have completed a 2-week exercise in Kenya to test a new concept in upstream conflict prevention.  Upstream conflict prevention seeks to understand & respond to the underlying causes of conflict & instability before they result in violence.
ICO:  Calling time on marketers 'inspired' by a Monty Python song - The Information Commissioner’s Office has served monetary penalties totalling £440,000 on two owners of a marketing company, which has plagued the public with millions of unlawful spam texts over the past 3 years.

This is the first time that the ICO has used its power to issue a monetary penalty for a serious breach of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) since these powers were approved in January 2012.  

The ICO is also currently considering issuing penalties to 3 other companies believed to be acting in breach of the regulations as the office continues its crackdown on the illegal marketing industry.
Demos:  New thoughts on measuring poverty and helping low income 'working families' - Think-tank Demos has launched a pioneering new model for measuring poverty.  A new report identifies 5 distinct ‘child poverty types’ based on analysis that illustrate the everyday experiences of poverty.

Analysis shows 1 in 3 low-income families are ‘grafters’, blighted by unemployment and low wages more than social problems.  Demos calls for government to adopt robust evidence-based approach in new poverty consultation and improve local data to help local authorities support families.

Thought Paper: Lean Data Governance in the Public Sector - In a series of reports, based on the outcomes of recent audits carried out across central government, local government and the NHS, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has once again expressed its key concerns over public sector Data Governance. Furthermore, during 2011/12 the ICO has regularly issued 6-figure penalties and fines to public bodies who have fallen foul of Data Protection, FOI and data compliance obligations.

A recent paper explores the principles behind Lean Data Governance and how it may be the right option for your organisation, helping to eliminate wasteful data governance activity, improve compliance and promote efficiencies.


Outlining the Lean Data Governance approach and demonstrating the considerations at each step of implementation, this paper provides essential guidance for:

  • Individual units responsible for data management
  • Managers with responsibility for data and information management processes
  • Organisations that are implementing or have already implemented traditional Lean at an enterprise level
  • Organisations that have no immediate intention of Lean implementation at an enterprise level but need to review their data governance programm

Click here to download your free copy of ‘Lean Data Governance Machine’.


Please note that previously published newsletters can be accessed from the Newsletter Archive

General News

OFT: The OFT has written to 100 leading price comparison websites asking them to ensure they are providing clear information to consumers, after a review published recently by the OFT suggested that some sites could do more to improve trust amongst the public.
 
In order to help consumers make the best use of price comparison sites, and to assist those who do not currently use them, the OFT has joined forces with other government departments, sector regulators and consumer groups to develop 6 'top tips' (see press release). It has also released 2 new information films which can be viewed on the OFT's YouTube channel.
 
OFT: The Office of Fair Trading has launched a new campaign to help patients understand more about their rights when visiting the dentist. The 'Right to Smile' campaign, which is supported by the British Dental Association, private dentistry providers and a number of consumer groups, has been launched to help patients make informed decisions, understand more about their entitlements to NHS treatment, and know what their options are if things go wrong.
 
Defra: A further case of the tree disease Chalara, also known as ash dieback, has been confirmed in woodland in East Sussex. Following the urgent survey to seek out traces of the disease in our woods and forests, East Sussex is the eleventh county in England where Chalara has been discovered; the other counties are Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, West Sussex, Berkshire, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and Northumberland.
 
DCMS: A group of young athletes from the UK have been given the chance to compete in the host nation for the next summer Olympics. The young swimmers, volleyball players and beach volleyball players took part in the Brazilian School Games in Cuiaba.
 
It follows the School Games finals in London in May, when 17 athletes from Brazil came to the UK to compete, taking home 5 gold medals. Some of the UK athletes are also getting the chance to train at venues in Rio de Janeiro – where the 2016 Games will be held – including the Maria Lenk Aquatic Park.
 
CBI: The CBI recently commented on the childcare funding announcement for two-year-olds by the Department for Education.
 
CQC: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has launched a raft of new digital improvements including an email alert service, an information sharing CQC Widget and improved historical information on care homes.
 
HPA: According to latest Health Protection Agency (HPA) figures there were 6,280 new HIV diagnoses in 2011, taking the total number of people living with HIV in the UK to around 96,000.  Published in National HIV Testing Week, the data show although late HIV diagnoses dropped slightly in 2011 (47%, from 50% in 2010), a quarter of people with HIV remained unaware of their status.
 
TFL: Crossrail, the new state-of-the-art railway that will cut journey times across London, has launched a new initiative to address future construction skills shortages.  

From next year graduates will have the chance to join the biggest construction project in Europe and help transform rail transport in the Capital.  The first successful applicants will take part in a 2-year programme undertaking a series of training & work placements to gain a range of experience.

Policy Statements and Initiatives

CLG: Communities Minister, Don Foster, has announced the opening of bidding for a share of £300m.  The funding will bring thousands of additional empty homes back into use across England.   Under the scheme 5,000 empty / derelict, properties will be refurbished and put back onto the market over the next 3 years. Bidding guidance will shortly be published on the Homes and Communities Agency’s website for registered providers and at Grants admin for community & voluntary groups.
 
Ministers are also considering future measures to bring not just homes but empty buildings generally back into use including making it easier to convert commercial into residential property and making more use of space above shops as homes.
 
ScotGov: NHS Scotland is being mandated to use workload & workforce planning tools which have been designed to ensure that hospitals & communities have the right numbers & mix of nursing staff. The evidence based tools, which take into account professional judgement and local care standards, are already being used in some areas, but will be made mandatory in all health board areas from next year.
 
WAG: More than 1 in 3 people in Wales don’t understand the eligibility rules for Blue Badge disability parking, new figures reveal.   In some cases this has led to unpleasant remarks being aimed at legitimate users of the Blue Badge accessible parking spaces. 35% of those questioned said they believed the spaces were only provided for vehicles carrying a wheelchair user. 
 
In fact they are reserved for a wide range of people with mobility problems, including those with less obvious disabilities such as severe sight impairment, heart or lung conditions or a prosthetic limb that make it difficult for them to walk even short distances. The Welsh Government released the figures as part of its ‘Space Invaders’ campaign to promote the new-style, more secure, Blue Badge and to deter ineligible motorists tempted to abuse the scheme.
 
BIS: Business Secretary Vince Cable has declared the UK Green Investment Bank plc (UK GIB) officially open for business. 
 
DECC: Energy & Climate Secretary, Edward Davey has outlined new plans to tackle deforestation as part of the UK’s international climate change commitments. The Government has set out plans for working with the private sector & rainforest countries so that the timber & foodstuffs we buy do not cause deforestation.  The new plan addresses the economic & commercial drivers of deforestation by working with the private sector for more sustainable supply chains for these products & foodstuffs. 
 
DH:  Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, recently ordered a review to assess the merits of an ‘OFSTED style’ system of ratings for hospitals & care homes. The review will look at the way in which a new ratings system could help end the ‘crisis in standards of care’ that exists in parts of the health & social care system.  It will look in particular at how information about services can be communicated to the public and how this information can be used to drive up standards across the system.
 
WAG: Environment Minister, John Griffiths, has announced that the Welsh Government has now vaccinated over 1,400 badgers in the Intensive Action Area.

Consultations

WAG: Minister for Local Government & Communities, Carl Sargeant, has launched a White Paper for consultation on the Welsh Government’s legislative proposals aimed at ending violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence in Wales. Domestic abuse, alone, is estimated to have a financial cost in Wales of over £800m a year.
 
The proposals in the White Paper send a clear message that early intervention is necessary to prevent not only the huge financial burden on public services but also reduce the devastating emotional and physical impact on victims. The consultation closes on 22 February 2013.
 
WAG: Environment Minister, John Griffiths has set out his vision for a Wales that is free from fly-tipping. The Minister was speaking at a joint conference hosted by the Welsh Government and the Fly-tipping Action Wales partnership which explored the actions that can be taken to stamp out fly-tipping in Wales.
 
During the conference the Minister launched a new consultation that considered how fly–tipping should be dealt with in the future. The Welsh Government’s existing strategy in conjunction with the Fly-tipping Action Wales partnership comes to an end in 2012. The consultation closes on 28 February 2013.
 
FSA: A call for evidence on EU regulations on animal health & welfare and food safety in the UK has been published by the Defra and the Food Standards Agency. Interested parties from across the UK are asked to provide evidence on how EU powers to act, or competences, affect the UK.  Areas covered are animal health, animal welfare, food safety, feed safety, food labelling and compositional standards.
 
Please send your written evidence by 28 February 2013.   A report of the animal health & welfare and food safety review will be published in summer 2013.
 
WAG: New duties requiring the Welsh Government and bodies like local authorities & the NHS to do more to improve public health could be introduced under new legislation to create a healthier population & reduce health inequalities.
 
Health Minister, Lesley Griffiths, has launched a Green Paper to gather views about whether the Welsh Government should introduce a Bill to improve the health of the people of Wales. The consultation closes on 20 February 2013.
 
DECC: Proposals to dramatically reduce electricity demand across the whole UK economy were published by the Government last week. The consultation closes on 31 January 2013.
 
DfE: Children’s minister Edward Timpson has published consultation proposals to allow Ofsted to share the names & addresses of children’s homes on their register with the police, the Department for Education and the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. The consultation will end on the 10 January 2013.
 
It is essential that children’s data is fully protected.  To support this, a joint protocol will be developed with Ofsted, the Association of Chief Police Officers, CEOP and others setting out the rules around how information will be shared, by whom & when.  Details of this will be outlined in due course.
 
NICE: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has opened a public consultation on its preliminary recommendations on the NHS use of the drug, pirfenidone (known commercially as Esbriet). The draft guidance assesses whether it should be recommended for use in people who have the lung condition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
 
Those wishing to comment on NICE's draft recommendations have until 5pm on Wednesday 19 December 2012 to do so.  NICE's independent committee will meet again in January to review the comments received.  NICE then expects to publish its final guidance for the NHS in April 2013.
 
OFT: The OFT is seeking comments on its Annual Plan 2013-14 consultation, published alongside its Strategic Assessment of Risks to UK Consumers and Markets. The consultation closes on 6 February 2013.
 
LC: In a new consultation opening the Law Commission is asking ‘whether the existing law on contempt of court continues to work effectively in light of the challenges posed by new media and the way these are used by the mainstream press and, increasingly, by citizen journalists’. 

The Commission raises questions about the law’s ability to protect the administration of justice by balancing the right to publish with the right of the defendant to a fair trial – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.
 
FCO: Minister for Europe, David Lidington, has issued a Statement on the Balance of Competencies Review: Foreign Policy Report.   The FCO has also published its Call for Evidence on the foreign policy aspects of the Review – See ‘In the News’ section for more information. 

HMT:  The government has published its Call for Evidence on the Balance of Competencies Review: Taxation   – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.

Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

TNA: The National Archives has published a new Records collection policy, which is a refresh of their previous Acquisition & Disposition Strategy and sets out which records they will & will not collect from public records bodies, when they will collect them and where they will be held.
 
They are also reviewing all of their guidance on appraisal & selection, in line with the new policy.  They will invite feedback from the public on Operational Selection Policies (OSPs), which are applicable to individual departments & agencies, or to records relating to a cross-departmental theme.
 
FRC: The Financial Reporting Council has issued FRS100 Application of Financial Reporting Requirementsand FRS 101 Reduced Disclosure Framework. These new standards are issued as part of the FRC’s fundamental reform of existing accounting standards.  The standards will be applicable to all companies & entities in the UK & Republic of Ireland, other than listed groups.  They will be effective from 1 January 2015, but may be adopted early.
 
FRS 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland will complete the suite of new financial reporting standards.   The FRC expects to issue FRS 102 early in 2013.
 
EHRC: The Equality & Human Rights Commission has recently launched a new guide for older people, their families & friends in England & Wales.  It provides an easy to understand guide to home care & human rights. 

’Your rights to home care’ aims to empower older people so they know they are entitled  to a home care service that respects their human rights, however funded, and what to do if those rights are at risk.  The guide follows the launch of the Commission’s ‘Close to Home’ inquiry report 1 year ago, which showed that many older people are reluctant to complain about inadequate care.
 
Socitm: Strategic sourcing of ICT services offers less risk & more benefits than simple outsourcing contracts, says Socitm's latest pocket guide, launched at the Socitm conference last week.   ‘Planting the Flag: pocket guide 4 - strategic sourcing’ sets out the case for strategic sourcing and outlines the critical steps needed to make it happen.
 
The guide is published at a time when a catalogue of failed outsourcing deals and instances of major services being brought back in-house, show how much the public sector still has to learn about procuring & managing wholesale outsourcing.
 
NICE: In England in 2010, 26% of adults and 16% of children between the ages of 2 & 15 were obese. By 2050, it is expected that more than half the adult population in England & a quarter of children will be obese. 

As well as reducing life expectancy by an average of 9 years, estimates suggesting overweight & obesity now costs the NHS £5.1bn p.a. and could rise by an additional £1.9bn per year if current trends continue.
 
To help tackle the problem, NICE has published a new pathway which sets out how local communities, with support from local organisations & networks can prevent overweight and obesity. NICE has produced a costing report & a costing template to help put this guidance into practice.
 
DWP: For the first time, the 300,000 families undergoing separation every year in Britain will be able to get free online advice tailored to their needs. The Government has launched an easy-to-use web app, called ‘Sorting out Separation’, featuring an innovative & interactive tool, which offers parents personalised advice and shows where they can access further support.
 
It covers everything from how to avoid a separation to coping with the emotional impact of breaking up, accessing legal or housing support and arranging child maintenance.  The web app will be hosted by a range of leading family websites, starting with the likes of Relate, National Family Mediation, Mumsnet, Dad.info, Gransnet and Wikivorce.
 
NO: Councils have to take responsibility for their bailiffs’ actions and ensure complaints are handled properly, according to the Local Government Ombudsman. The LGO has published a report outlining issues arising from complaints about bailiff action on behalf of councils.

The report focuses on cases that have resulted in injustice to the individuals concerned, showing what can go wrong and just how serious the injustice can be.  The report suggests how councils and their agents can avoid others suffering in a similar way.
 
TUC: The TUC has welcomed the new code of conduct on communicating information about charges in defined contribution (DC) schemes to employers, published by the pensions industry. As part of automatic enrolment many employers are required to set up a workplace pension scheme for the first time.  Under the new code, providers & advisers will be required to tell companies how their staff will be affected by charges taken out of individual pension pots.
 
NE: Over this week, Natural England will be contacting Environmental Stewardship customers and owners of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with advice on how they can help combat ash dieback disease (Chalara fraxinea).  Natural England is also providing important advice on how to protect agri-environment payments should the disease be found in young trees planted as part of an Environmental Stewardship scheme.

Annual Reports

AG: The Attorney General has published HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate’s report on the Serious Fraud Office.   The inspection found significant process failures & other weaknesses, which the agency needs to address to improve performance.  

The Inspectorate also identifies strengths, for example in analysis & presentation of evidence.  The report makes 8 recommendations, all of which the new Director, David Green, has accepted.
 
WAO: Earlier this year, the Wales Audit Office released a detailed report into NHS finances in Wales.  This update report shows that NHS bodies have struggled to manage within their current resource limits in the first half of the year.
 
PC&PE: Government's lack of willingness to clarify & open up process for award – and forfeiture – of honours doing nothing to restore public confidence.   In The Honours System: Further Report published recently, the Commons Public Administration Committee (PASC) rejects the government’s response to its recent report on the honours system. 
 
The main report, The Honours System (published on 29 August 2012) set out the reforms the Committee considers necessary to increase public confidence that honours are awarded to the most deserving recipients and that the honours system is open & fair to all.
 
Ofsted: Strong leadership at every level is critical if England wants to have a world class education & skills system, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills said last week. Launching his first Annual Report, Sir Michael Wilshaw said that leadership in schools, in colleges and in local authorities was ‘key to driving up standards and ensuring all young people get the good education they deserve’.
 
JRF: The extent of in-work poverty was ‘laid bare’ in a new Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) report last week, which highlights the insecurity faced by millions of working people. The annual Monitoring Poverty report, written by the New Policy Institute (NPI), highlights the dynamic nature of poverty, caused in the main by people moving in & out of jobs, and an underemployed workforce.
 
TUC: TUC General Secretary, Brendan Barber, has commented on new official figures published last week which show that over 3m people are under-employed across the UK.
 
TUC: There was a sharp divide in the positions taken by fund managers last year, with a small number backing 85% of company resolutions and a small minority supporting 25% or less, according to the latest TUC Fund Manager Voting survey published last week.
 
Remuneration remains the issue most likely to be opposed by investors, though bank remuneration reports actually received strong support. The survey shows encouraging progress in the public disclosure of fund managers' voting records, with 26 of the 28 survey respondents now making at least some voting data publicly available.
 
IFS: In this week’s Autumn Statement the Chancellor may have to abandon one of his fiscal targets – that debt should be falling in 2015–16.  He may also need to announce yet more spending cuts or tax increases for the next parliament in order to continue to meet his other fiscal target.
 
This is the headline conclusion of a new report by researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which adjusts the Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR’s) March 2012 forecasts for the economy and the public finances in the light of new developments over the last few months.
 
DCMS: Playing fields throughout the country are being protected thanks to Sport England’s role in the planning process, figures have revealed. Local councils have to consult the organisation about proposed developments that would affect a sports field. Sport England figures show 94% of the 1,460 completed planning applications they were involved in during 2010-11 resulted in better or safeguarded sports provision.
 
HO: More action on gang & youth violence has been announced a year after riots devastated the UK. The government has published an update on the Ending Gang and Youth Violence report detailing progress and setting out the next steps.
 
DWP: The Government figures show that at least 56% of the Work Programme scheme’s earliest participants have come off benefits, with 19% spending at least 6 consecutive months off benefits. Industry analysis of the programme shows the taxpayer pays significantly less for each participant on the Work Programme than under previous schemes, like the Future New Deal, where providers were paid up front regardless of whether they delivered results.
 
FSA: The Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) has published its 2011 annual report.
 
PC&PE: The Environmental Audit Committee has published the report of its inquiry into Measuring Well-being & Sustainable Development: Sustainable Development Indicators.  The Government should reconsider its proposal to drop the 'environmental equality' Sustainable Development Indicator and review each of the other proposed SDIs to see how they might capture the range of values for how they affect people’s lives, not just the average.
 
NHS Confed: NHS Chief Executive, Mike Farrar says King’s Fund report on health policy under the coalition government is ‘a fair & reasonable report card on the NHS performance and it is important to acknowledge successes to patients and staff’. 

General Reports and Other Publications

CBI: A new CBI report calls on recently elected Police & Crime Commissioners to work with independent providers to help them meet budgetary demands, improve service efficiency, and free up more warranted officers to be on the frontline.
 
A force for the future: transforming policing through partnership also calls on Police Commissioners to leverage economies of scale in their procurement by purchasing products, or by sharing services, at a regional or national level.  The report highlights that there are still 6,600 police officers performing back office functions, like HR, finance, procurement, and ICT, which could be carried out by the independent sector.
 
HL: Many homeless people are being failed by the government’s flagship Work Programme says a new report from Crisis, Homeless Link and St Mungo’s, with the charities calling for urgent reform. The Programme’s Not Working draws upon surveys & interviews conducted by the 3 homelessness charities.
 
The report calls for Jobcentre Plus staff to identify & assess claimants who are homeless more effectively and provide a better standard of service for them, including through working with charities that already have specialist experience and successful track records of helping homeless people back into work.
 
NO: Bristol City Council granted planning permission for an illuminated sign without notifying a woman living nearby or considering the effect on her residential amenity, finds Local Government Ombudsman, Dr Jane Martin. The Ombudsman finds maladministration causing injustice.
 
ScotGov: A report has been published recently to improve medical assessments for children who have been a victim of abuse.   The report, led by a group of experts, provides recommendations around the quality & training of health staff, accountability of services & standards of record keeping for medical examinations and collecting evidence. The improvements will reduce delays in examinations and ensure that they are carried out by suitably trained professionals.
 
NAO: The board of Peterborough and Stamford NHS Trust failed to recognize in 2007 that a PFI scheme to build a new hospital, Peterborough City Hospital, would place considerable strain on its finances for years to come.

According to a report by the National Audit Office, the then board compounded the decision to proceed with the scheme, which it could not afford, with a failure to monitor other changes affecting its income & costs between 2007 & 2011. The result was that the Trust faced a very large, recurrent deficit once the new hospital opened.
 
WAG: Deputy Minister for Skills Jeff Cuthbert has received the final report of the Review of Qualifications for 14 to 19-year-olds. The independent Review was commissioned in September 2011 to consider how the Welsh Government can achieve the vision of qualifications that are understood & valued and meet the needs of our young people and the Welsh economy. The Review was prompted by a number of concerns about the complexity of the current system and the extent to which it is understood, and the relevance, value & rigour of some qualifications.  
 
BIS: Entrepreneur & educator Doug Richard has published his independent report on the future of apprenticeships. In his independent report he calls on the government to improve the quality of apprenticeships and make them more focused on the needs of employers.
 
PC&PE: In a recent report, the House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee says that Air Passenger Duty on short haul flights - which make up 98.5% of all flights to Northern Ireland - remains a major stumbling block to rebalancing the NI economy and must be scrapped on all flights to NI from Great Britain and on all flights from NI.  There are no realistic alternatives to air travel - especially for business travel - into & out of Northern Ireland. 
 
IFS: A third of those approaching retirement report finding it impossible even to hazard a guess as to how much income they will receive from their private pensions.  This is true of nearly 40% of those with defined contribution (DC) pensions. That is one of the main findings of a new report published by researchers at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
 
NHS Confed: Interim director of the Mental Health Network, Paddy Cooney, says a joint approach to delivering a range of support services is the right way to ensure high quality mental health care.
 
IoE: Digital technologies in the classroom must go hand in hand with innovative & structured teaching to have a true impact on educational achievements, research from the Institute of Education, London, and The University of Nottingham has shown.
 
In the last 5 years, UK schools have spent more than £1bn on everything from interactive whiteboards to laptops & tablets, but the study found that buying in the latest technology was no guarantee to raising pupil attainment.
 
CIPD: A new model of values-based leadership needs to be developed across the public sector if the twin objectives of reducing spending & providing more customer-focused services are to be met.  That’s according to new research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Public Sector People Managers’ Association (PPMA), exploring how chief executives and HR directors in a range of local service organisations are leading efforts to transform service delivery in line with the Government’s localism agenda.
 
ESRC: The use of technology in the classroom is nothing new, but Topcliffe Primary School in Birmingham is breaking new ground by using technology to help pupils with autism communicate more effectively. 

The school, which teaches around 30 children with various levels of autism, was 1 of 4 schools across UK, which participated in the ECHOES research project, jointly funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) from universities across the UK to explore how technology can make a difference in the classroom. 

Legislation / Legal

PC&PE: The Joint Committee on the Draft Enhanced Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Bill has published its report.  "Lack of clarity about purpose of draft legislation” says Committee
 
PC&PE: The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) has published a Report on the Crime & Courts Bill.  The Committee expresses concern about the lack of clarity in the Bill introduced by the power to confer counter-terrorism functions on the National Crime Agency, since the need for this has not been demonstrated and the intended review of current counter-terrorism policing structures in England & Wales has not yet been carried out.
 
The Committee is also concerned about provisions for the NCA to be exempt from freedom of information legislation and for Agency officials with operational powers to be forbidden from taking strike action – even before current negotiations with trades unions for a voluntary no-strike agreement have been concluded.
 
WAG: A Bill that aims to improve democratic processes concerning local government, and in particular the operation of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales, has been laid before the National Assembly for Wales. The Bill follows the findings of the Mathias Review of the Commission’s electoral review process, published in June 2011, and will reform the structure & functions of the Commission.  
 
ScotGov: New legislation will support better job chances for college leavers and ensure more students from poor backgrounds go to university. The Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill, published last week, is intended to ‘drive forward regionalisation of colleges, the most fundamental change to the sector for two decades’.  Regionalisation will eventually support efficiencies of £50m annually, improve governance and ensure courses are better aligned to employer need.
 
ScotGov: A second Protection Order has been issued in Scotland to protect a victim of forced marriage. Since November 2011, Scottish courts have had the power to issue the orders, which offer increased protection for individuals who are affected by forced marriage.
 
The news comes as a new awareness drive begins to make sure that men as well as women in Scotland know how to seek help over the threat of forced marriage.   A third of all calls to the Scottish Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline in the last year were from men.
 
FSA: The Food Standards Agency has recently removed all remaining Chernobyl sheep control legislation in Wales.  The controls had been put in place due to raised levels of radioactivity, following the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.
 
ScotGov: The first Crofting Register has been launched to give crofters legal certainty over their crofts. The register is part of the modernisation of crofting the Scottish Government has undertaken as part of the Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. This has also included launching the majority-elected Crofting Commission which aims to meet the needs of crofting & crofters in the 21st century.
 
EHRC: The Equality & Human Rights Commission is going to the UK's Supreme Court, to fight a ruling against a disabled air passenger which could see airlines get away with breaking the law by discriminating against disabled travellers.
 
HO: 2 new laws have come into force on the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. They are part of a package of new government support to prevent domestic & sexual violence. The new laws - that carry a maximum prison sentence of 5 years - will provide extra protection for victims and help bring more stalkers to justice – See ‘In the News’ section for more information

EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.

EU News: The Schengen area of free movement allows more than 400m EU citizens from 26 European countries and an increasing number of non-EU citizens, to travel without internal border controls.  Recently the Commission adopted its second Schengen 'health check', a biannual overview on the functioning of the Schengen area.
 
EU News: A Decision to modernise & improve EURES, the pan-EU job search network, has been adopted by the European Commission.  The Decision will help to increase mobility of workers across Member States and pave the way for a true European labour market.  

The EURES reform aims to make it easier for jobseekers to contact employers looking for particular skills, to focus on sectors and occupations with skills shortages and to support targeted mobility schemes for young people.
 
EU News: In addition to developing wider cybersecurity strategies for Europe, the European Commission takes concrete actions to tackle cyber security risks and pools resources with national governments, industry, universities & NGOs, to develop innovative technologies to improve cybersecurity.
 
From 2013 to 2020, the European Commission has earmarked €400m is to support key enabling & industrial technologies such as cyber security, privacy and trust technologies, and an additional €450m is earmarked for 'Secure Societies' research which includes aspects of cybersecurity.
 
EU News: Credit rating agencies will have to obey additional rules on sovereign debt ratings, including 3 set dates per year for issuing them, under a deal agreed by Parliament, the Council and the Commission last week.  Cross-ownership of agencies and the entities that they rate will be limited to prevent conflicts of interest and agency mergers will be restricted to boost competition.
 
EU News: Recently, the European Commission outlined a series of actions to tackle marketing scams, such as those of misleading directory companies.  The aim is to better protect businesses, professionals and NGOs across Europe from dishonest traders who do not play by the rules and use misleading marketing practices, such as sending out forms asking businesses to update details in their directories, seemingly for free, and then charging them annual fees.
 
NE: Wet weather is having a serious impact across large parts of the country and in addition to the well-publicised floods & transport disruption, many farmers & farm businesses are also facing extremely difficult conditions.
 
To help them, Natural England is continuing to make derogations to Environmental Stewardship schemes available.   This involves temporarily lifting some of the land management requirements that normally apply under Environmental Stewardship options, so that farmers & growers have more flexibility to deal with the impact of the wet weather. 
 
EU News: The European Commission has recently launched a public portal allowing citizens & businesses to access up to date information on the advancement of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) through satellite-based dynamic maps, facts, figures & various audio-visual and interactive elements.  In practice, it will allow users to see the live development of the TEN-T network in the region of their interest.
 
EU News: The European Commission has ‘kicked off’ the second annual cycle of the Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP) 2013 with the publication of the Alert Mechanism Report (AMR).  

The report calls for in-depth reviews of developments related to the accumulation & unwinding of macroeconomic imbalances in 14 EU Member States: Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden and the UK.
 
EU News: The European Commission recently put forward a proposal for an Environment Action Programme (EAP) to guide EU environment policy up to 2020.  

Coming shortly after its recommendations for short term growth see IP/12/1274, which emphasise the need for ensuring not just the growth of today, but also tomorrow, the Commission has now made proposals ‘aimed at protecting nature, stimulating sustainable growth, creating new jobs and setting Europe on a path to prosperity and health within the limits of the planet’.
 
FSA: A call for evidence on EU regulations on animal health & welfare and food safety in the UK has been published by Defra  and the Food Standards Agency – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
 
FCO: Minister for Europe, David Lidington, has issued a Statement on the Balance of Competencies Review: Foreign Policy Report.   The FCO has also published its Call for Evidence on the foreign policy aspects of the Review – See ‘In the News’ section for more information.

Charity and Voluntary Sector

CAB: As the new payday lending customer charter is launched, Citizens Advice Bureaux across the country are releasing new figures demonstrating a worrying increase in the number of serious debt cases relating to payday loans. The Citizens Advice service has seen a 10-fold increase in the proportion of clients receiving casework help with multiple debts which included a payday loan debt in the last 4 years.
 
DCMS: Cultural organisations – particularly outside of the capital – have been given a series of practical measures to improve fundraising in a report published last week.   Philanthropy Beyond London is the second in a series of 3 independent studies commissioned by Government looking at new ways of boosting arts philanthropy.  The first report, on legacy giving, was published earlier this month.
 
The report makes 19 recommendations, including the introduction of “friends” schemes and for CEOs to make fundraising leadership one of their key priorities.

Business and Other Briefings

BIS: Successful bids from Round 1 of the Government’s £125 million Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) are projected to create or safeguard over 2,160 jobs supported by approximately £80m of joint public & private sector investment. 

The investments will finance & strengthen 11 manufacturing supply chain projects across the automotive, aerospace & chemical sectors – key areas of the Government’s Industrial Strategy.
 
BIS: Mid-sized companies & business schools are compromising growth by not working closer together, according to an independent report published recently. 

The Business Schools Task Force report recognises that there is a lot of good work already being done, but issues a call to action to help mid-sized companies more – firms that have been described as the “muscles” of the economy, by Business Minister Michael Fallon.
 
CO: As part of its industrial strategy, the Government will share more details of future projects & contracts transparently with industry to stimulate growth and help businesses forward plan, Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude announced last week.  Four new industry sectors added to the procurement pipelines increase the value of published opportunities to up to £84bn.
 
The latest data is accompanied by 2 assessments published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills looking at how future capability requirements could be met though developing skills, increasing apprenticeships & training
 
EU News: Recently, the European Commission outlined a series of actions to tackle marketing scams, such as those of misleading directory companies. The aim is to better protect businesses, professionals and NGOs across Europe from dishonest traders who do not play by the rules and use misleading marketing practices – See ‘EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc’ diction for more information

Industry News

BIS: British firms were being urged to explore new trade opportunities with Russia  at a 3-day trade mission to the UK’s fastest growing major export market last week. Trade & Investment Minister Lord Green and CBI Director-General John Cridland lead a mission of 25 mid-sized businesses to help to strengthen business ties and offer a potential boost to UK exports.
 
GPS: The Government Procurement Service are ‘delighted to announce that our Crown Hotel Programme, delivered through Redfern Travel, has won the best cost saving initiative at the inaugural Engage travel awards.   

Redfern, one of the 2 travel management companies on the Central Government Travel Management Services contract, received the award following the implementation of a cross government accommodation programme across the UK.  The CH Programme combines a diverse range of requirements and uses aggregated volume to achieve the best possible rates in the marketplace against a standard set of terms & conditions.

Forthcoming Event

ACE: The Arts Marketing Association and Audience Agency are hosting a programme of workshops & surgeries  from November 2012 until Spring 2013 to help arts & culture organisations develop their audiences. 
 
This is part of a 3-year programme the Arts Council has commissioned to collate, share & implement best practice in audience development & marketing across the sector. The commission is part of Audience focus, a £7.5m programme ACE are investing in until March 2015 to ensure that more people are able to experience and be inspired by arts & culture.

The programme is designed to help funded organisations understand, retain & grow their audiences. See press release for links to book for the 3 workshops taking place in 2012.
 
TNA: On 15 January 2013 The National Archives are launching their Writer of the Month with a special afternoon seminar, Mining the Archives: a beginner's guide to using historical records.  Aimed at writers & aspiring writers, the masterclass aims to demystify the process of using archives for research & publishing.
 
Records specialists from TNA will discuss how to research subjects & people, with lots of practical tips, online resources and suggestions for your own research.  Their in-house publishing team will talk about the benefits of working in partnership with TNA and explain how you can publish your writing with them.  You'll also hear guidance on how to put together a book proposal for submission.

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