Greater effort needs to be made to end fuel poverty according to the Energy Minister, Brian Wilson. He has called for more resources to be invested in tackling the problem and said this would not only bring a significant improvement to the nation’s health, but would result in long term savings to the NHS.The minister welcomed government figures showing a dramatic fall in the numbers of households in fuel poverty, but called for more action so the problem could be wiped out. Every winter about 30,000 deaths are attributed to cold weather, with many thousands more people estimated to be suffering ill health because of a combination of poorly insulated homes, and inadequate heating. The cost to the health sector has been estimated at about a billion pounds a year.

Read more on MINISTER CALLS ON HEALTH SECTOR TO HELP END FUEL POVERTY…

The Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England is today launching a major campaign on the Government’s Sustainable Communities Plan. The Communities not Concrete campaign aims to ensure that proposals for communities and housing, especially in the suggested South East Growth Areas, are delivered in a way that boosts urban renewal, protects the countryside, and improves, rather than undermines, people’s quality of life.The CPRE has written to all of its members in the proposed South East Growth Areas and is asking them and other people to write to their MPs to raise concerns about the potential impact on the countryside of development on the scale proposed.

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By Simon Lee and Richard WoodwardThis article focuses on the implementation of the Blair governments’ agenda for the delivery of public services in England. A distinctive approach to policy is identified which has effectively nationalized the implementation process in England. This has been achieved by a move from negotiated discretion towards centralized prescription in resource allocation by the Treasury; the construction of a ‘new centre’ for joined-up and integrated policy-making; and the application of the principle of ‘earned autonomy’ to the delivery of public services’ reform. Devolution has been confined to the delegation of responsibility for delivering services within a centrally-defined national framework.

Read more on IMPLEMENTING THE THIRD WAY: DELIVERY UNDER THE BLAIR GOVERNMENT…