Practitioners have expressed scepticism about the likelihood of engaging the public in neighbourhood renewal. They feel that the topic is seen as dull and that, in general, the public is not interested. About half of the local strategic partnerships in the 88 most deprived areas in England had no communications strategy for their neighbourhood renewal work up to March this year. 

All Primary Care Trusts will this week receive their share of the extra ten million pounds for specialist palliative care unveiled by the Health Secretary last month.Public Health Minister Hazel Blears told a Help the Hospices conference the funding has now been allocated on a capitation basis and PCTs had been given clear instructions on how it should be spent. The trusts will have to work with local Cancer Networks, the voluntary sector and statutory partners, as well as patients and carers. 

Local councils and other agencies are being urged to play their part in the crackdown on anti-social behaviour. The Home Office Minister, John Denham, made the call when he unveiled new joint guidance on the use of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts.He said they were powerful tools which had been radically overhauled to be made more effective and efficient and he called on all agencies to make more use of the orders.