The government claims in its first annual report on the project, that its ‘Excellence in the Cities’ programme is delivering improvements in education.Publicnet Briefing reported yesterday (Wednesday, January 24), that another of the Government’s projects to drive up education standards - the Education Action Zones - could be sidelined in a second Labour term.
The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) is welcoming plans to modernise the system of benefits surrounding children.Its study into the proposal shows that it should deliver Government objectives aimed at directing maximum support to children in poverty.
From April, children will be supported through the tax and benefit system by four different mechanisms: income support, the working families’ tax credit, and the new children’s tax credit.
Horton SThe International Journal of Public Sector Management, (UK), 2000 Vol 13 No 4. Start page: 354. No of pages: 15
Investigates the extent of competency-based management in the British civil service based on a survey of civil service departments. Reports the widespread use of competency frameworks but the lack of a common framework, the introduction tending to be fragmented and ad hoc. Also states that it would appear to be difficult to develop competency frameworks.
The bulk of money from the Children’s Fund is, as expected, to be targeted at areas of greatest deprivation.Forty areas across England will benefit from the first 380 million of a 450 million pound three year fund announced in the last spending review. Once again the aim is to encourage public and voluntary sector agencies to join-up to fill the gaps in current provision, this time with local councils taking the lead.
New research from a left-leaning think tank suggests that the private sector has failed to play a full partnership role in supporting the Government’s Education Action Zones (EAZs) initiative.Introduced in 1997, EAZs were promoted as a radical way of tackling low levels of educational attainment in some of Britain’s most deprived areas.
The leading accountancy body for public services is surveying finance directors working for councils on the impact of the Local Government Act 2000.The new legislation creates new arrangements for the management of authorities, in particular handing more decision-making to councillors.
CIPFA is concerned that the new act may create short term difficulties and tensions as new arrangements are worked out.
Research intended to inform the Government’s immigration policy has shown that migrants contribute to the country’s economic growth, do not damage the employment prospects of existing residents, and make a significant social and cultural contribution to the UK.The research, which is some of the first research into the impact of migration in the UK, follows a call last year from the Immigration Minister, Barbara Roche, to see a debate on the issue.
Following a run-in with the DTI over export schemes, the Channel Four political satirist Mark Thomas put in a standard ’subject access’ request to the DTI and received a batch of more or less abusive emails revealing officials had attempted to “starve him of information”.Under the 1998 Act, which came into force in March 2000, anyone seeking to request an organisation to disclose any personal information held on them can do so, although ‘data controllers’ are entitled to charge a fee of up to 10 pounds for the information.
Lack of leadership, sometimes at the top of forces, but more frequently at the basic command unit level is limiting progress to better community and race relations. This is the conclusion from three reports published by the Home Office. Nearly all the 43 police forces have community and race relation strategies, or are developing a strategy, but the existence of the document does not necessarily lead to change.
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