A sharp decline in employee absence in the private sector has seen the gap between public and private sector absence widen from 2.6 days per employee per year to 3.3 days.
Read more on GAP BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR ABSENCE WIDENS…
By Peter Bradwell
This report from Demos argues that British universities will lose their leading international standing unless they become much more radical in their use of new technology.
British universities occupy four of the top ten world rankings and the UK is one of the top destinations for international students. But The Edgeless University suggests that a slowness to adopt new models of learning will damage this competitive edge.
The blanket ban on temporary development in coastal areas subject to erosion is to be lifted for non housing developments. Lifting the ban will bring economic benefits and boost the tourist industry, creating a better balance between economic prosperity and adaptation to coastal change.
Read more on GREEN LIGHT FOR TIME RESTRICTED DEVELOPMENT IN COASTAL AREAS…
Telecare, equipment and services that support people in their own homes, can help to meet demands from a rapidly rising elderly population and ever increasing costs. A report from the University of Leeds and the Bow Group argues that telecare provides a crucial opportunity to help save the UK health and social care system. The report claims that the time for the universal, mainstreamed approach to telecare is now.
Read more on CALL FOR GREATER USE OF TELECARE TO PLUG THE AGEING GAP…
This programme is now available to view on egovtv.tv, the online television channel for public service modernisation. It reviews Birmingham City Council’s Business Transformation agenda which has achieved cash savings of £384 million and speeded up payment of invoices with 95% paid on time. The Council adopted a joint venture approach with Capita to form Service Birmingham.
The voice of the third sector is not being heard in shaping communities at regional level. The ipprnorth think tank has called for Government action to give the sector greater influence.
Read more on CALL FOR THIRD SECTOR TO SHARE IN SHAPING COMMUNITIES…
This paper from the New Local Government Network argues that dramatic cuts in public services could be avoided by giving councils new power to balance their budget over three years rather than one.
Read more on IN THE BALANCE: GRANTING COUNCILS NEW FINANCIAL FLEXIBILITIES…
Pledges by the two main political parties on National Health Service spending are likely to lead to cuts elsewhere or increases in tax according to detailed analysis published today by the King’s Fund and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. They say commitments made by Labour and the Conservative not to cut NHS spending in real terms from 2011 onwards would inevitably lead to hard decisions.
Read more on ANALYSIS SHOWS IMPACT ON OTHER DEPARTMENTS OF NHS SPENDING PLEDGES…
Seventeen community projects across England are to be the first to benefit from a new partnership between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The schemes are designed to cut carbon emissions and to develop local clean energy sources.
Read more on MORE COMMUNITY PROJECTS GET CLIMATE CHANGE CHALLENGE FUNDING…
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