March 9th, 2010
Every dog owner in the UK would have to take out insurance against their pet attacking someone under government proposals to tackle dangerous breeds. Police and local councils could also get new powers to force the owners of dangerous dogs to muzzle them or even get them neutered.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Implementing Local Animal Health and Welfare Provision: Education, Enforcement and Partnership” will provide participants with the opportunity to discuss local measures in animal health and welfare provision.
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March 5th, 2010
“Active Lifestyle Coaches” are to be deployed in over 1,000 schools as part of a new programme designed to get inactive children on the move. Teaching assistants and parents will be trained to deliver alternative activities such as break dancing and cheerleading in an effort to make good on the Government’s five hour offer. Critics have labelled the scheme as “gimmicky nonsense”.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Inspiring Young People to Play Sport: Finding Funding, Widening Participation, Improving Lives” will provide participants with the opportunity to consider if moving away from traditional sports is the best way to tackle inactivity amongst young people.
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March 4th, 2010
Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Schools Minister Diana Johnson recently published plans to implement all the recommendations in Brian Lamb’s landmark review on special educational needs.
This action plan will help create a higher skilled workforce able to respond to children’s needs; more accessible information and advice for parents; and stronger accountability and redress when children do not get the support they need.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Special Educational Needs: Improving Parental Confidence and Outcomes for Children and Young People” will provide participants with the opportunity to consider the issue of SEN provision and the government’s response.
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March 2nd, 2010
Drug advisers are to review the effects of cocaine, amid concerns youngsters increasingly take it in the mistaken belief it is “relatively safe”. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs says the five-fold increase in the proportion of users since 1996 is “deeply concerning”. Its head, Prof Les Iversen, told Home Secretary Alan Johnson the drug should remain Class A and was “very harmful”.
Participants at a forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Working Together to Tackle Drugs” on the 25th March will have the opportunity to examine the progress of the 10 year drug strategy and consider the latest government measures in the fight against drugs.
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March 1st, 2010
Gordon Brown has directed police forces to put more officers on the beat in an effort to increase the public’s confidence in law and order.
The prime minister said it was not “acceptable” to miss the government targets of having neighbourhood police teams on patrol for at least 80 per cent of the time.
Brown also warned local authorities and police forces not to cut budgets for front-line law enforcement.
Particpants at a forthcoming Westminster Briefing Conference entitled “Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships: 2010 and Beyond” will spend the day discussing current developments affecting CDRPs. Examining the issues that affect their day to day work, delegates will look at the future for CDRPs in 2010 and beyond
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February 26th, 2010
Figures published by the Citizens Advice Bureaux have revealed an unprecedented demand for debt and benefit information, with almost 17,000 new financial problems being reported every day. The 2008/09 statistics show that debt and benefit issues combined now account for over 60% of the CAB workload, confirming fears that the impact of the recession is still keenly felt by many UK families.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Improving Financial Capability During Difficult Times: Making Money Clear for Everyone” will provide participants with the opportunity to discuss how those in need of support can be helped to deal with financial concerns.
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February 23rd, 2010
A government proposal to charge people with fixed phone lines 50p per month to help fund ultra-fast broadband has been condemned as “unfair” by MPs. MPs attack planned broadband tax. The cross-party Business Innovation and Skills Committee said most of those who would pay the tax would not benefit from the faster broadband service.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “IT Skills for Everyone: Ensuring Young People, Adults & the Elderly Take Advantage of the Internet” will provide participants with the opportunity to debate current and future Government thinking with regard to enabling internet access for all.
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February 19th, 2010
Financial institutions that have been “propped up” by the taxpayer should be doing more to help the 7 million people in England that can not access loans, overdrafts and credit cards, according to a body of third sector organizations. The Better Banking Campaign has called for the introduction of incentives and obligations to ensure services are offered to those who are currently excluded.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Improving Financial Capability During Difficult Times: Making Money Clear for Everyone” will provide participants with the opportunity to debate the merits of providing off-the-peg services to the financially excluded.
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February 18th, 2010
Councils will struggle to cope with the financial challenge posed by England’s ageing population, a watchdog says. The Audit Commission said the £9bn a year social care bill will double by 2026 if current practices continue.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Caring for Older People: New Approaches to Provision and Support” on 29th June will provide participants with the opportunity to consider new funding and care pathways for older people.
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February 16th, 2010
The government has published its long-awaited Families and Relationships Green Paper’ which sets out how the Government can support all families, help to prevent and resolve marriage and relationship breakdown, support and recognise dads and grandparents, improve flexible working for families, and give more targeted support to families in need.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Putting Families First: Delivering Effective Services Locally”, taking place on 15th June, will provide participants with the opportunity to consider services for families locally and the support required.
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February 16th, 2010
Credit card interest rates are at their highest level for 12 years despite the Bank of England’s historically low base rate, analysis has revealed. Loan experts accused banks and credit card companies of “cashing in” on struggling borrowers after lenders were forced to cut back on late payment fees and missold credit insurance policies.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Improving Financial Capability During Difficult Times: Making Money Clear for Everyone” will provide participants with the opportunity to consider how the government aims to tackle the challenge of financial capability in economically uncertain times.
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February 9th, 2010
More than 820,000 people in the UK suffer from dementia, significantly higher than previous estimates. A recent Alzheimer’s Research Trust reports found that the cost to the economy is £23bn a year, twice as much as cancer but gets a fraction of the funding.
A forthcoming Policy and Practice Briefing entitled ‘’The National Dementia Strategy One Year On – Local Responses to Dementia Care” on 10th March will provide participants with the opportunity to consider how the Government is tackling the issue through reviewing the Dementia Strategy a year after its launch, considering what has been achieved, and what more needs to be done to ensure the highest standards of dementia care.
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February 5th, 2010
Social housing tenants under financial pressure were given a helping hand by the Government yesterday, as Housing Minister John Healey MP announced that councils will halve guideline rent increases for 2010-11. However, this “good deal” for council tenants will not yet be passed onto RSL tenants, with Mr Healy revealing that a date had still to be set for implementing rent convergence between housing associations and councils.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Preventing Rent Arrears & Evictions: Establishing Early Support that Helps Tenants & Landlords” will provide delegates with a timely opportunity to examine other measures that can be used to help social housing tenants avoid rent arrears and eviction.
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February 4th, 2010
A plan to halve the number of smokers in England over the next 10 years has been recently unveiled by ministers. Smokers’ lobby group Forest criticised the proposals for eroding people’s ability to make lifestyle choices. Health charity Ash said that while it supported the plans in principle, there was a need for more detail and stronger pledges.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “A Smokefree Future: New Approaches to Tobacco Reduction, Protection and Support” will provide delegates with a timely opportunity to examine the newly launched strategy and it’s implications in lowering smoking rates amongst young and old.
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February 2nd, 2010
The Pope has urged Catholic bishops in England and Wales to fight the UK’s Equality Bill with “missionary zeal”. Pope Benedict XVI said the legislation “violates natural law” and could end the right of the Catholic Church to ban gay people from senior positions. Gay rights charity Stonewall condemned the Pope’s comments, saying equality had to apply to everyone.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing Conference entitled “The Equality Act – Ensuring Compliance to Deliver a Fairer Society For All” will provide delegates with a timely opportunity to examine the Equality Act and what it means for the equality and diversity landscape.
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January 29th, 2010
A study published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has found that one in five young people from the most disadvantaged areas now continue their studies at higher education level, compared to a figure of one in eight recorded in the mid-1990’s. However, a HEFCE spokesperson admitted that participation differences between the most advantaged and least advantaged “remain very large.”
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Changing Careers Education: Information, Advice and Guidance That Motivates All Young People, will provide participants with the opportunity to consider how to sustain and build on the progress made in ensuring fairer access to higher education.
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January 26th, 2010
From yesterday every young person who is unemployed for six months will be guaranteed the offer of a job, training or work experience, supported by up to 470,000 opportunities over the next 15 months through the Government’s Young Person’s Guarantee.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing Conference entitled “Tackling Youth Unemployment: Creating Jobs and Building Skills for Young People” will provide participants with the opportunity to consider the impact of the Guarantee on jobseekers, employment service providers and skills bodies, as well as investigating the success of recent job creation initiatives.
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January 22nd, 2010
Harriet Harman has highlighted class as the most important factor in affecting life chances. Referring to a government-commissioned report out next week, Ms Harman said that the present government was best equipped to tackle inequality that “carries from one generation to the next”.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing Conference entitled “Changing Careers Education: Information, Advice and Guidance That Motivates All Young People” will provide participants with the opportunity to consider how to effectively support disadvantaged children in making vital education and career choices that can help to erode inequality.
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January 21st, 2010
The Office for National Statistics has reported a fall in the number of people claiming unemployment benefit, news described by the Guardian as a pre-election gift for Gordon Brown. Meanwhile the Independent reports that the figures disguise the hidden jobless and the eight million “economically inactive” people.
There are warnings from some experts of “a lost generation” of young people who are finding it difficult break into the workforce.
A forthcoming Westminster Briefing Conference entitled “Tackling Youth Unemployment: Creating Jobs and Building Skills for Young People” will provide participants with the opportunity to consider the current policy and best practice to ensure that career and training opportunities are made available to young people.
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