Sure Start making good progress
The Sure Start programme was launched in 1998 to help give every child the best start in life - particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds - by bringing together early education, childcare, health and family support services.
While the first 800 centres were located in the most deprived areas, the Government has since pledged to create a children's centre for every community by 2010, committing £3.2bn until 2008.
Political party financing in UK is “unstable”
Political parties are key institutions in any system of representative democracy.
In this Report, the Constitutional Affairs Committee finds that the present system of party financing in the UK is “unstable”.
£1.8bn spent on public sector consulting
In 2005-06, central government spent £1.8 billion on consulting, while an estimated £2.8 billion public sector funding in total was spent on consultants. This Report examines the use of consultants in central government during 2005-06.
Tackling child poverty
critical for CSA reform
The Child Support Agency (CSA) was established on the
principle that, when parents neglect their responsibilities, the Government
must safeguard children’s interests.
However, the performance of the CSA
has largely been found to be unacceptable, with the current system often
working against parents and with significant numbers of children not getting
the maintenance they need.
15m mail items lost, stolen or damaged a year
In March 2006, Royal Mail accepted a new quality of service and price control regime proposed by Postcomm, the regulator of mail services in the UK. The new arrangements run from April 2006 to March 2010.
In addition to allowing Royal Mail to raise the price of first- and second-class stamps, Royal Mail also has new quality of service targets and associated financial incentives aimed at improving mail services.
Proposals to reform private pensions
It is estimated that around seven million people are currently not saving enough to support themselves in retirement.
UK aviation industry
environmental obligations
Following on from the Government's Transport White Paper
‘The
Future of Air Transport’ (Cm 6046), published in December 2003, this report
details the progress to deliver a sustainable air transport policy across the
UK to the year 2030.
The White Paper proposed:
- A new runway
at Stansted
- Development of Heathrow, including a further runway and
additional terminal capacity has been supported
- Options for two new
runways at Gatwick and a second runway at Luton are not supported
- Proposed additional runway at Edinburgh airport as well as substantial
terminal
- Development at Glasgow Airport development of a new central
Scotland airport
- Increased capacity at Manchester and Liverpool an
additional runway at Birmingham.
NHS plans investment and reform
The Department of Health releases its Autumn Performance Report 2006. The Report looks at progress made in the Department’s commitments to delivering better public services, examining public service agreements and analysing targets.
Investing in Britain’s potential: Pre-Budget Report
2006
‘Investing in Britain’s potential: Building our long-term
future’ is the Treasury’s 2006 Pre-Budget Report.
The Report presents
updated assessments and forecasts of the economy and public finances, describes
how the Government's policies are helping to deliver its long-term goals and
details reforms the Government is considering for Budget 2007 and on which it
will be consulting in the months ahead.
Tax obligations for
newly registered businesses
This NAO report examines opportunities for Her Majesty’s
Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to improve on the help they offer to new
businesses.
Around 700,000 new businesses start up each year, all
required to register with HMRC for various liable taxes. For example, if a
business takes on employees, they will need to pay PAYE and if the business has
a turnover exceeding £61,000, they then become liable for VAT.
55% of Anti-Social
Behaviour Orders breached
Anti-social behaviour encompasses a broad range of
behaviours including nuisance behaviour, intimidation, and vandalism.
This Report by the Comptroller and Auditor General examines the work of the
Home Office's Anti-Social Behaviour Unit, a small policy unit created to enact
measures set out in the
Together
and Respect antisocial behaviour action plans, and considers the progress
made.
Government to invest in Trident and nuclear capability
Since 1956, the Trident nuclear-powered submarines have contributed to the UK’s military defences.
In this White Paper, the Government reaffirms its commitment to maintaining Britain's independent nuclear capability – proposals include investing in a new generation of ballistic missile-carrying submarines and extending the life of the Trident D5 missile.
Reducing EU regulations could benefit
businesses
The Davidson Review focuses on the implementation of
European legislation in the UK. It was commissioned as part of the Government's
commitment to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens on the private, public and
voluntary sectors.
Barker calls for shake-up of planning laws
The Barker Review finds that the planning system affects
our quality of life, from the quality of the urban environment to our homes,
our jobs and our access to the countryside.
The purpose of Barker Review
was to consider how, in the context of globalisation and planning reforms,
planning laws can revised to deliver economic growth while ensuring sustainable
development.
UK’s skills base will "lag behind" by 2020
The Leitch Review was commissioned by the Treasury to
consider the UK’s long-term skills needs.
Despite improvements over the last decade in school standards and graduate
numbers, the UK’s skills base is found lacking, holding back productivity,
growth and social justice.
The Eddington Transport Study, the case for action
The UK transport system currently supports 61 billion journeys a year.
It is already clear that some parts of the system are under severe strain and significant transport challenges are looming.
This Study demonstrates that the performance of the UK’s transport networks will be crucial to sustained productivity and competitiveness.
Gowers Review on importance of intellectual property
This Report examines the importance of intellectual property (IP) - ranging from patents, copyright and design to trade marks.
Transforming service delivery across Government
The focus of the Varney Review is how to save the government, citizens and businesses time and money by looking at potentially integrating front-line service delivery.
As technology revolutionizes the way the service sector interacts with customers, a gap is develops between the public and private service sectors.
New single fund for health research proposed
The Cooksey Review proposes a structure for funding health research, with the objective of obtaining maximum benefit and eliminating duplication of effort.
The Review found that the UK is at risk of failing to reap the full economic, health and social benefits of public investment in health research, with two key gaps in the translation of health research:
- Translating ideas from basic and clinical research into the development of new products and approaches to treatment of disease and illness
- Implementing those new products and approaches into clinical practice.