Westminster Briefing

Councils urged to cut street clutter

Guy Evans-Tipping — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:47:17 +0000

Councils will today be urged to get rid of unnecessary signs, railings and advertising hoardings in a bid to make streets tidier and less confusing for motorists and pedestrians.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles and Transport Secretary Philip Hammond are concerned that the character of the country’s urban spaces is being damaged and have written to councils leaders calling on them to reduce the number of signs and other ‘street clutter’.

The future of transport at the local level will be discussed at a 2nd November Westminster Briefing Conference entitled Local Transport Under the New Government.

To view more details about this event please click here

NHS spends more than £300m on consultancy services

Guy Evans-Tipping — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:01:23 +0000

NHS trusts in England spent more than £300m on external consultancy services last year, figures show. The money was used to pay for advice on a range of issues, from legal contracts to human resources and media work.

The government’s health White Paper, released last month, includes measures to abolish SHAs and PCTs and replace them with GP-led consortiums. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said he was “staggered by the scale of the expenditure”, adding that he had asked PCTs and SHAs to reduce their management costs by 46% over the next four years.

Westminster Briefing’s forthcoming “Transforming the NHS Summit” will provide delegates with an invaluable opportunity to understand the implications of the changes and discuss how such a transition can be effectively managed.

For further details please click here

Scramble for University Places Begins

Guy Evans-Tipping — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:51:59 +0000

Almost 200,000 students are hoping to gain last-minute places at university, following yesterday’s record A-level results.

However, with only 18,000 course spaces available, experts are warning that many talented young people could miss out on the chance to move into higher education. Professor Les Ebdon, of university think tank Million+, said it would be a “tragic waste of talent” if thousands of applicants were left without places.

Westminster Briefing’s forthcoming Participation in Higher Education Conference, featuring a keynote speech from Lord Browne of Madingely, will provide an opportunity for delegates to understand how fair and wider access to university will be maintained in light of the Browne Review.

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Smoking ban in cars carrying children backed by majority of public

Guy Evans-Tipping — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:00:43 +0000

Three-quarters of Britons want smoking in cars carrying children to be banned, according to a poll. Many doctors already support such a ban. Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of General Practitioners, last week caused controversy when he said that parents who smoked in front of their young children were “committing a form of child abuse”.

A forthcoming Westminster Briefing on the 14th December entitled “A Smokefree Future: New Approaches to Tobacco Reduction, Protection and Support” will provide participants with the opportunity to consider the coalition Government’s current thinking and future initiatives to tackle smoking in society.

To view further details please click here

Housing & Planning

Guy Evans-Tipping — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:28:02 +0000

September

Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour across the Housing Sector – 16th

October

Maximising the Use of Empty Homes – 12th
The Equality Act and Employers: Addressing New Workplace Challenges - 12th

November

Supporting Homeowners Through Tough Times – 2nd
Preventing Rent Arrears & Evictions – 3rd
The Future for Financial Inclusion – 4th
Working in a New Equality and Diversity Landscape – The Equality Act and Beyond – 9th
Transforming the Planning System – 10th

December

Social Housing Conference 2010 – 9th

Passenger Group Calls on Government to Cap January Fare Rise

Guy Evans-Tipping — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 08:19:19 +0000

Ashwin Kumar, Passenger Focus rail director, said yesterday: “In the past, the average fare rise has masked increases on some routes of 10 or 11 per cent. We hope the Government continues to limit train companies’ flexibility so passengers on some routes don’t face double digit rises”.

The future of transport at the local level will be discussed at a 2nd November Westminster Briefing Conference entitled Local Transport Under the New Government.

To view more details about this event please click here

Early Help for Homeowners is Vital, Says Pickles

Guy Evans-Tipping — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 11:48:14 +0000

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has reacted to research showing that thousands of people are being forced to give up their homes due to financial difficulties, by stressing that households with debt problems must take early advice.

The message came on the day that national debt charity the CCCS warned that a rise in repossessions during the next 12 months is likely.

A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Supporting Homeowners Through Tough Times: Providing Accessible Advice & Finance, Preventing Repossessions,” will explore how RSLs, local authorities, advice agencies and lenders can work together to help households in arrears.

For further details click here

Fears over £65bn ‘NHS mortgage’

Guy Evans-Tipping — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:00:10 +0000

The NHS in England faces a total bill of £65bn for new hospitals built under the private finance initiative (PFI). The so-called “NHS mortgage” means that for some trusts annual repayments take up more than 10% of their turnover. Economists said the fees, which rise each year, would make it harder to achieve savings while doctors said they would mean less money for patient care. But the government said the 103 schemes were providing value for money.

A forthcoming Westminster Briefing Summit entitled “Transforming the NHS Summit 2010: Building a 21st Century Health Service” will provide participants with the opportunity to consider the ongoing and future changes within the NHS to ensure that it can do more with less but still deliver quality healthcare.

To view further details please click here

£2 Billion to be Cut from MoJ Budget

Guy Evans-Tipping — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 09:28:25 +0000

An announcement to MOJ staff has revealed that around £2 billion of the MoJ’s £9 billion budget will be cut.

The PCS Union responded by warning that about 15,000 of the MoJ’s 80,000 staff could be at risk of losing their jobs.

Changes to the Criminal Justice Sstem will be discussed at a 18th November Conference entitled Rehabilitating Offenders and Reducing Reoffending Under the New Government.

To view further details please click here

Extent of ageing population shown on Age Map

Guy Evans-Tipping — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:01:42 +0000

Almost a quarter of the UK population will be aged over 65 in 20 years’ time, rising to over 40% in some areas of the country, government figures revealed today. Ministers published an Age Map they said showed that the country had a “real silver lining” and “graphically illustrated” how an ageing population would need more public finances.

A forthcoming Westminster Briefing entitled “Caring for Older People: New Approaches to Provision, Funding and Support” on 8th September will provide participants with the opportunity to consider the implications of an ageing society and the way ahead for delivering better care older people.

To view further details please click here