Tackling bullying behaviour
Over the past few decades there has been an increasing
awareness of bullying and the effect it has on the educational and social
achievements of children and young people.
Eradicating child poverty by 2020
This strategy document from the Department for Work and
Pensions
'Working
for Children' (Cm. 7067) sets out proposed measures to help achieve the
Government's target of eradicating child poverty by 2020. It is based on the
principle that improving employment opportunities for parents is the most
sustainable route out of poverty for themselves and their children.
Better targeting of low cost home ownership scheme
needed
An imbalance between the demand and supply of housing in
recent years has resulted in increasing numbers of people finding it difficult
to afford to buy their own home, with only 36% of new households being able to
afford to buy in 2005 compared to 46% in the late 1980s.
New deadline for restoration of devolved government
in Northern Ireland
This Act of Parliament
‘Northern
Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2007’ modifies the ‘Northern Ireland
(St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006’.
Implementation of the Single Payment Scheme
examined
The EU Single Payment Scheme replaced 11 previous subsidies
to farmers based on agricultural production with one payment for land
management. The European Commission gave some discretion to Member States over
how to implement the scheme, and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), which is
responsible for administering the scheme in England, opted for the dynamic
hybrid model which incorporates elements of previous entitlement and new
regionalised area payments based on a flat rate per hectare.
This Report
from the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
'The
Rural Payments Agency and the Implementation of the Single Payment Scheme' (HC
107) examines the way in which the scheme has been implemented.
Brown’s 11th Budget: Prosperity for Families
The Budget sets out the Government's plans for taxation,
public spending and economic growth for the coming year.
Two new Council Tax bands proposed
The
'Lyons
Inquiry into Local Government' examines the function of local government
and considers the case for changes to the present system of local government
funding in England.
Citizenship curriculum to focus on identity,
diversity and belonging
In light of the recommendations of the Crick report on
citizenship education published in September 1998, the subject was introduced
into the school curriculum in 2002, on a compulsory basis for secondary schools
and as part of the non-statutory framework for primary schools.
The
Committee's report
‘Citizenship
education’ (HC 147 2006-07) assesses the progress made during the last
four years to deliver quality citizenship programmes and examines the barriers
that exist to its successful implementation.
School leaving age could rise to 18
It is estimated that 11% of 16 to 18-year-olds in England
are currently not in education, training or work.
This Green Paper
‘Raising
Expectations: Staying in education and training post-16‘ (Cm 7065
2006-07) from the Department for Education and Skills examines the case for
raising the school leaving age in England to 18 by 2013.
Reducing carbon emissions: legislation
proposed
This is consultation document
‘Draft
Climate Change Bill’ (Cm 7040) presents the draft text of the Climate
Change Bill, draft explanatory notes and regulatory impact assessment for
pre-legislative scrutiny and public consultation.
New marine legislation required
The UK Government is committed to introducing a new
framework for the seas through a Marine Bill. This White Paper
‘A
Sea Change: A Marine Bill White Paper’(Cm. 7047) explains why new
legislation is required.
New out of hours care ‘shambolic’
Approximately nine million patients receive urgent primary
out-of-hours care in England.
In April 2004, the Department of Health
gave GPs the chance to opt out of providing this service and transfer
responsibility to the Primary Care Trust.
UK minimum wage to rise to £5.52
In this report,
'National
Minimum Wage' (Cm. 7056), the Low Pay Commission recommends a 3.2% increase
in the minimum wage for adults to £5.52 in October 2007, which is a moderate
increase compared with the past two years.
Future of UK's strategic nuclear deterrent
This report from the House of Commons Defence Committee
'Future
of UK's strategic nuclear deterrent' (HC 225-I) analyses the findings and
conclusions of the Government white paper
'The
Future of the United Kingdom's Nuclear Deterrent' (Cm 6994), which
recommended the renewal of the Trident system and sought for a decision to be
made in 2007 as delay would imperil the UK’s security.
Seaside tourism to combat deprivation
This report from the House of Commons Communities and Local
Government Committee‘Coastal
Towns’ (HC 351) examines the diversity of coastal towns: the Committee
believes there are specific areas where action is needed to ensure coastal
towns are not neglected.
School meals take-up to be encouraged
The public sector in England spends around £2 billion per
year on food and catering services, including in schools, hospitals and armed
forces bases.
Travel insurance policies “do not meet
needs”
Around 20 million consumers purchase travel insurance each
year. This Report from the House of Commons Treasury Committee
‘Are
you covered? Travel insurance and its regulation’ (HC 50-I) examines the
way such travel insurance is sold and regulated.
Discrimination ban welcomed
The Government intends to use its powers in Part 3 of the
Equality Act 2006 to make regulations prohibiting discrimination on the grounds
of sexual orientation in the provision of goods, facilities and services in
education and in the exercise of public functions.
Health professionals should "revalidate" fitness to
practice
This White Paper
'Trust,
Assurance and Safety: The Regulation of Health Professionals in the 21st
Century' (Cm. 7013) sets out a programme of reform to the UK's system for
the regulation of health professionals.
NHS, armed forces and prison officers’ pay
reviewed
These Reports review the salaries of the armed forces,
senior civil servants, prison offers and health professionals, including
doctors, dentists and nurses.
Recommendations set out in these Reports
are applicable from 1 April 2007.