A 5-million pound contract to support the development of an expert carers programme, has been awarded to a constorium including the Expert Patient Programme and carers’ organisations. They will develop a programme to give carers the skills to take contol over their own health and that of the people they look after.
The consortium brings together the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Carers UK, Crossroads and Partners UK with the Expert Patient Programme. 

An inquiry has begun in Scotland into the provision of housing in rural areas. It will look at a range of issues, including why, in certain country areas, homes are beyond the financial reach of those who need them most.
Members of the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Environment Committee are seeking evidence from interested parties from now until early April. 

ICT managers in central government see efficiency as the most important factor in their spending decisions over the next few years, according to a report from Kable, a provider of public sector ICT research. The profile of ICT spend in the years 2010 -2011 shows that efficiency is likely to surpass service levels and budgetary factors in influencing the spend.