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Nottingham City Council Policy Digest dDdbriefing Issue No. 15: September 2008 Introduction Welcome to Issue 15 of the monthly Policy Digests, covering national policy developments in September 2008 of interest to the local government sector. September’s news has been dominated by the economic situation, especially in housing and banking sectors, overshadowing the Party conferences. This Digest covers some of the policy announcements from the Party conferences, the latest consultations and the Cabinet reshuffle. Policy Alerts published Comprehensive Area Assessment - Joint Inspectorate Proposals for Consultation ‘No one written off – reforming welfare to reward responsibility’ National news National Indicators for Local Authorities and Local Authority Partnerships: Consultation on the deferred indicators The Delayed Indicators' Consultation provides Local Authorities and partners the opportunity to comment on the technical definitions of 13 deferred and revised indicators due for introduction in 2009. For more information, please contact Gary Dawes in the Performance Improvement Team, x 91 54406 Consultation on 'Regional Competitiveness & State of the Regions' This Consultation has been launched to determine how useful the publication is to its readers and to obtain feedback and suggestions on how it can be improved. Giving more people a say in local spending: Participatory Budgeting - a national strategy This strategy sets out an overview of how the government will work towards the ambition for Participatory Budgeting to be used in every local authority area by 2012. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/participatorybudgetingstrategy For more information please contact Tony Kirkham, Resources, on x 91 58506 Consultation on including efficiency information with Council Tax Demand Notices We are seeking local government views for including efficiency information on the face of council tax demand notices and accompanying council tax leaflets. The aim of the proposals is to highlight for each household the efficiency achievement of local government and putting that achievement into context. Subject to consultation, we will require specific efficiency information on and/or alongside council tax demand notices. Any changes that relate to the council tax notices for 2009-10 will come into force by 31 December 2008. http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/counciltaxefficiencyinformation For more information, please contact Simon Tovey, Resources, x 91 58165 Community crime fighters In light of the Casey Review the Home Office has announced plans to invest £5million to fund new 'community crime fighters'. These 3,600 volunteers will be members of the public who are already involved in helping their communities, but who want to be trained for more advanced work acting as a link between the public and the police. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/aboutus/news/millions-community-crime-fight More details on this to follow Please contact Emma Orrock, Community Safety Executive Coordinator, on x 91 58789 for further information. Round up Graham Allen MP launched Good Parents, Great Kids, Better Citizens, a book coauthored with Iain Duncan-Smith Conferences Conference season has now finished and there were announcements by all parties relating to local government issues: Labour As part of the £5m to be given over by Labour to a variety of measures aimed at improving communities, which includes the ‘Community Crime Fighters’ mentioned above, initiatives to divert young people away from gangs will also be established – Nottinghamshire has been announced as one of the ten trial areas. Conservative George Osborne, Shadow Chancellor, announced that the Conservatives would freeze council tax for two years if elected. The Conservatives also announced plans to allow the 400 top-performing state schools to become independent academies and to release those who wish to set up their own schools from Local Authority involvement. Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats approved plans for "people's bills", where the six most-signed petitions are given a hearing in Parliament. Liberal Democrat education spokesman David Laws pledged that the Lib Dems would abolish the current national curriculum for England and replace it with a slimmed-down document, as used in Sweden. Lib Dem Treasury spokesman Jeremy Browne has denied any core objection to private finance initiative projects but has misgivings about their potential use to manipulate accounts. Delegates also criticised the government's plans to build "eco-towns", instead voting for construction to take place on brownfield sites wherever possible. Liberal Democrats also called for local authorities and other social landlords to have more powers to borrow against their assets, so that they can buy up more repossessed or empty homes, easing the housing crisis. Cabinet Re-shuffle Following the Party Conferences, Gordon Brown announced a re-shuffle of largely lower-tier ministers and the formation of a new Department of Energy and Climate Change. This was followed swiftly by David Cameron and Nick Clegg, primarily in response to the new department. The Cabinets now stand as follows: Labour Alistair Darling: Chancellor of the Exchequer (unchanged) David Miliband Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (unchanged) Jack Straw: Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor (unchanged) Jacqui Smith: Secretary of State for the Home Department (unchanged) Alan Johnson: Secretary of State for Health (unchanged) Peter Mandelson Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (former EU Trade Commissioner) Page 2 of 5 Hilary Benn: Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (unchanged) Douglas Alexander: Secretary of State for International Development John Hutton: Secretary of State for Defence (from BERR) Harriet Harman: Leader of the House of Commons (and Lord Privy Seal) Minister for Women and Equality (unchanged) Hazel Blears: Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (unchanged) Geoff Hoon: Secretary of State for Transport (from Chief Whip) Ed Balls: MP Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (unchanged) Ed Miliband: Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (from Cabinet Office) James Purnell: Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (unchanged) Tony McNulty: Minister of State for Work & Pensions, Minister for London, attending Cabinet (former Home Office) Baroness Royall of Blaisdon: Leader of the House of Lords (and Lord President of the Council) (former Deputy Chief Whip) Andy Burnham: Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (unchanged) John Denham: Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills (unchanged) Yvette Cooper: Chief Secretary to the Treasury (unchanged) Margaret Beckett: Housing Minister, Cabinet Enforcer (former Foreign Secretary, promoted from back benches) Stephen Carter: Minister for Communications, Media and Broadcasting (former Prime Minister’s Strategist) Nick Brown: Chief Whip (from Deputy Chief Whip) Liam Byrne: Minister of State, Cabinet Office, Cabinet attendee (from Home Office) Caroline Flint: Minister for Europe, Foreign Office (from DCLG. Attends Cabinet when remit is discussed.) Jim Murphy: Secretary of State for Scotland (from FCO as Europe Minister) Paul Murphy: Secretary of State for Wales Shaun Woodward: Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Out: Ruth Kelly: Secretary of State for Transport Des Browne: Secretary of State for Defence Conservatives The Conservatives reshuffle was primarily in response to the creation of the Department for Energy and Climate Change. George Osborne: Shadow Chancellor (unchanged) William Hague: Shadow Foreign Secretary (unchanged) Nick Herbert: Shadow Secretary of State for Justice (unchanged) Dominic Grieve: Shadow Home Secretary (unchanged) Andrew Lansley: Shadow Secretary of State for Health (unchanged) Alan Duncan: Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise (unchanged) Page 3 of 5 Peter Ainsworth: Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary (unchanged) Andrew Mitchell: Shadow International Development Secretary (unchanged) Liam Fox: Shadow Secretary of State for Defence (unchanged) Teresa May: Party Chairman and Shadow Leader of the House of Commons (unchanged) Eric Pickles: Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary (unchanged) Theresa Villiers: Shadow Transport Secretary (unchanged) Michael Gove: Shadow Education: Children Schools and Families (unchanged) Greg Clarke: Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (from Charities, Social Enterprise and Volunteering) Chris Grayling: Shadow Work & Pensions Secretary (unchanged) Lord Strathclyde: Shadow Leader of the House of Lords (unchanged) Jeremy Hunt: Shadow Culture, Media and Sport Secretary (unchanged) David Willetts: Shadow Education: Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary (unchanged) Philip Hammond: Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury (unchanged) Patrick McLoughlin: Chief Whip (unchanged) Francis Maude: Shadow Cabinet Office Minister (unchanged) Dame Neville-Jones: Security (unchanged) Oliver Letwin: Policy Review (unchanged) Cheryl Gillan: Shadow Welsh Secretary David Mundell: Shadow Scottish Secretary Owen Paterson: Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats also completed a minor re-shuffle in response to the creation of the new Department. All posts remain unchanged unless specified. Vince Cable: Treasury Spokesman and Deputy Leader Ed Davey: Foreign Affairs Chris Huhne: Home Affairs Norman Lamb: Health John Thurso: Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (from Back Benches) Tim Farron: Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (from Back Benches) Michael Moore: International Development Nick Harvey: Defense Simon Hughes: Commons Leader and Party President Julia Goldsworthy: Communities and Local Government Spokesperson Norman Baker: Transport David Laws: Education: Children, Schools and Families Spokesman Steve Webb: Energy and Climate Change (former DEFRA spokesman) Jenny Willott: Work and Pensions Lord McNally: Shadow Leader of the House of Lords Don Foster: Culture, Media and Sport Spokesperson Page 4 of 5 Stephen Williams: Innovation, Universities and Skills Jeremy Browne: Chief Secretary to the Treasury Spokesman Sarah Teather: Shadow Housing Minister (former BERR spokesperson) Paul Burstow: Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael: Spokesperson for Northern Ireland/Scotland Roger Williams: Spokesperson for Wales All Policy Alerts and Policy Digests are available on www.nomadplus.org.uk or on the City Council intranet – just search under ‘national policy updates’. Please send any feedback on this to Alice Coleman, Partnership Policy Team, Tel 0115 915 4191, or email [email protected]. Page 5 of 5