04 July 2008
The long-term growth in household energy consumption is beginning to reverse, with energy efficiency in the home improving by 19% between 1990 and 2004, according to a National Audit Office report on July 2. The report, Programmes to reduce household energy consumption, says that a typical UK household could save 30% of its energy bills if it adopted available measures, which currently cost taxpayers around £2.6bn a year. Auditor general Tim Burr said: 'If targets are to be met, departments need to improve their understanding of how programmes are working in real homes.'
The foundation trusts' regulator Monitor has announced that four new trusts have achieved foundation status, taking the total to 103. Pennine Care; Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys; Sheffield Health and Social Care; and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health trusts made the grade on June 27. Health minister Ben Bradshaw said: 'We expect over 50% of all acute and mental health trusts to become foundation trusts in this financial year. This tipping point proves that foundation trusts have been a popular success.'
Only 40% of public expenditure projects surveyed by Audit Scotland were completed within initial cost estimates, the spending watchdog has disclosed. A report published on June 23 says the Scottish Government and the Parliament should be given better information before decisions are made on whether major public construction projects should go ahead. The report, Review of major capital projects in Scotland, gives the results of what is the first systematic review of major public sector capital projects north of the border. The Scottish Government is spending about £4.7bn, or about £1,000 per person in Scotland, on projects such as roads, railways, prisons and hospitals. This figure is due to rise to £10.5bn over the next three years.
The CBI business lobby and the Local Government Association have agreed a two-year programme to improve service delivery. Improving the strategic commissioning of public services says that the two sectors have too often 'worked in a fractious, difficult and highly contractual operating environment'. LGA chair Sir Simon Milton said: 'The principles we have set out for commissioning services will help councils, business and the voluntary and community sectors meet the needs of the people they serve.'
The Northern Ireland Public Accounts Committee has strongly criticised the Departments of Culture, Arts and Leisure and of Education and Learning over the now defunct Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland, which was found to have misappropriated public funds from a European Union scheme. The committee found that the departments had been 'weak and ineffective' in their oversight of the association and its officials, and had shown poor judgement and an unwillingness to resolve problems when investigations revealed that the funds were being siphoned off.
A £19m scheme has been launched by councils in southwest and mid-Wales to support existing and new businesses. Almost 2,000 grants of up to £5,000 are being offered, supported by £8.9m of European Union funding in depressed areas such as Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Swansea. Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said on June 30: 'This is the first local authority-led scheme to be approved under the new Convergence programme and it is the first of many I expect to be coming through.'
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