Policy Alert 12th October 2012
AGMA
For more information go to http://www.agma.gov.uk
Children & Young People
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg backs innovative NEET programme
Communities
Eric Pickles: Troubled families programme on track
Greater freedom for local councils to prevent unauthorised traveller sites
Multi-million pound boost will help buyers onto the housing ladder
World War I Heroes - battlefield tours mean children will remember them
National Gardening Leave
Economy
£60m small business scheme launched through Regional Growth Fund
Third year of Council tax freeze announced
Francis Maude visits Liverpool to see Civil Service successes
Equality
Commission launches free careers education resource for schools
Environment & Sustainability
Green deal Green light
Helping you teach the weather
Health & Wellbeing
Change to no-smoking signs regulations
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Improvement
Consultation & Responses
£250 million energy intensive industries package consultation now open
Events & Conferences
Book now for this free session -Hidden Efficiencies in existing GIS assets and data.
AGMA
For more information go to http://www.agma.gov.uk
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Children & Young People
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg backs innovative NEET programme ThinkForward
intervenes early to give struggling students the skills they need to make a successful move
from education into work. Developed by the Private Equity Foundation, ThinkForward
intends to build on a successful pilot and reduce the number of NEET young people in the
Shoreditch area of London, which has a child poverty rate of 75 per cent, by 50 per cent by
2016. The future aim is to roll-out the programme to all schools with high levels of
disadvantage or low-achieving young people.
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Communities
Eric Pickles: Troubled families programme on track Over 40,000 claims have been made for
up-front 'attachment fees' worth over £100million as part of the groundbreaking payment-byresults programme. This means that - working with local authorities and other agencies - the
Department for Communities and Local Government remains on schedule to meet the Prime
Minister's pledge to turn around the lives of 120,000 troubled families by 2015.
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Greater freedom for local councils to prevent unauthorised traveller sites under new
proposals that have been announced councils will be given greater freedom to choose when
to use 'Temporary Stop Notices' in relation to caravans which are used as main residences
and are in breach of planning control backed up with the potential for heavy fines.
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Multi-million pound boost will help buyers onto the housing ladder The hugely popular
FirstBuy scheme reduces the amount of deposit first-time buyers have to find by offering an
equity loan of up to 20 per cent provided by the Government and developers.
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World War I Heroes - battlefield tours mean children will remember them a new flagship
scheme to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I (WWI) and give thousands
of schoolchildren the opportunity to visit the Great War battlefields.
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National Gardening Leave- Why Britain would be better off if we all spent less time at the
office.
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Economy
£60m small business scheme launched through Regional Growth Fund The Community
Development Finance Association (CDFA) will receive £30 million from the Government’s
Regional Growth Fund (RGF) which has been matched with a further £30 million by the Cooperative Bank and Unity Trust Bank to provide lending to small, micro and social
enterprises.
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Third year of Council tax freeze announced The Government will set aside an extra £450
million to help freeze council tax bills in England. The support for local authorities means
that taxpayers living in an average Band D home in England could save up to £72 on a five
per cent rise in council tax.
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Francis Maude visits Liverpool to see Civil Service successes MyCSP Ltd, the first central
Government mutual joint venture it administers the Civil Service pension scheme. It span
out of the public sector in April this year to become a business of which the employees own
a 25% stake, giving them representation at board level and a share in profits. The other
business is the Government Procurement Service, which has changed the way Government
spends money on goods and services.
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Equality
Commission launches free careers education resource for schools
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Environment & Sustainability
Green Deal Green light Birmingham is the first local authority in the country to appoint a
delivery partner for the Green Deal.
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Helping you teach the weather The Met Office has a full range of educational web-based
resources available, which have been tailored to complement school curriculums.
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Health & Wellbeing
Change to no-smoking signs regulations Since 1 October, at least 1 legible no-smoking
sign must still be displayed but owners and managers are now free to decide the size,
design and location of the signs.
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Consultation & Responses
£250 million energy intensive industries package consultation now open Lasting for 11
weeks, the consultation will be used to gather views on proposals for the multi-million
pound package, which aims to reduce the impact of energy and climate change policies on
the cost of electricity for energy intensive industries. Industry and other interested parties
are encouraged to comment on the proposals.
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Events & Conferences
Book now for this free session Hidden Efficiencies in existing GIS assets and data means
that further efficiency savings and service improvements can be made in most local
authorities.
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Kalsoom Iqbal
Policy Officer
Corporate Services-Performance & Transformation
12th October 2012
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