Council officers have been urged to look at every pound they spend to ensure it is benefiting local people. The Communities and Local Government Secretary, John Denham, told members of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy that the days when councils could claim every problem could be answered by a cheque from Whitehall were over.

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More action is needed to tackle child poverty in Wales, according to new research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. It says the Welsh Assembly Government needs a more coherent and up-to-date approach to deal with the problem.

Read more on STUDY SETS OUT ACTION NEEDED TO TACKLE WELSH CHILD POVERTY…

By Jeremy Wight

Health, wellbeing and attainment are closely bound up with each other and all three have to be promoted at the same time. Poverty of aspiration underlies failures in areas such as teenage pregnancy, drugs and alcohol. The National Healthy Schools Programme, which tackles all these issues, is celebrating its tenth anniversary year. It has become well-established as one of the country’s most widely embraced non-statutory government initiatives in schools.

Read more on CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF HEALTHIER LIVING AND LEARNING…