‘National’ Archives
Government releases latest ideas on new planning powers
New planning powers giving communities the ability to shape the character of their neighbourhood were published for consultation today by the government. Neighbourhood Planning will for the first time give communities a real voice in deciding the look and feel of development in their area. The new powers being introduced in the Localism Bill [...]
New report calls for radical reform of council services
The New Local Government Network (NLGN) has calleds for radical reform of council services including transport, waste and libraries. The call follows new analysis reveals that the cost of issuing a book can be so high that in some cases it might be cheaper to buy each borrower a new copy. As citizen demands change and cuts start to bite, [...]
Compulsory audit powers needed for local government, the NHS and the private sector, says Information Commissioner
Powers to conduct compulsory data protection audits in local government, the health service and the private sector are needed to ensure compliance with the law . the Information Commissioner said today at the 10th annual data protection compliance conference in London. The Information commissioner Christopher Graham at the 10th annual data [...]
Government axes the appointment of Shadow Mayors
Government plans to require England's largest 11 city councils including Manchester to appoint "shadow mayors" in advance of local referendums on whether to turn their council leaders into executive mayors are to be deleted from the Localism Bill. Junior local government minister Baroness Hanham announced the change of plan, which would [...]
Big Society back on the agenda as government prepares to bring in white paper
The Big Society could be back on the agenda according to a report in this morning's Sunday Times. The paper says that The ‛big society bill’ will be circulated to ministers this week and represents an historic change to the way public services are run. The bill will give individuals cash budgets to buy services for themselves rather than [...]
Parents’ behaviour ‘can influence teen drinking says major survey
Children who see their parents drunk are twice as likely to regularly get drunk themselves according to a major survey out today. The research, conducted by Ipsos MORI for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation of early teen drinking patterns in England released today finds that drinking escalates to a worrying extent during teenage years. The [...]
Worst performing primaries to be turned into academy schools
The education secretary Michael Gove has announced that the countries weakest primary schools are to be placed under new management by the beginning of the next school year. The schools will be converted in academies and are those that have, for five years, fallen below the government's "minimum floor standard" That standard is less than [...]
Five million are annoyed by their neighbours says report
More than five million people in the country were annoyed by their neighbours, but a quarter fail to take any action, according to research by the consumer Group Which. The report says that noise was the most complained about irritant, with around three in five people getting angry about voices, arguing, blaring music and TVs. Richard Lloyd, [...]
Unemployment on the increase in the North West
Official Government figures from the Office of National Statistics out this morning have revealed that the unemployment rate in the North West has registered the biggest rise of any region in the country in the three months to April. The numbers out of work rose by 13,000 to 277,000, or 8.1 per cent of the working population. The number of [...]
UK’s inflation stays at two and a half year high
Inflation in Britain held at a two and a half year high in May as rising food prices balanced a drop in travel costs, providing little comfort for the Bank of England which expects inflation to hit 5 percent later this year. The Office for National Statistics said consumer prices rose 0.2 percent last month, keeping the annual inflation rate at [...]