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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
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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)
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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)
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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
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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].
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