19 September 2008
The new chair of the Local Government Association, Margaret Eaton, has welcomed the first council takeover of a post office to save it from closure. Station Way Post Office in Buckhurst Hill officially reopened for business on September 13 after being taken over by Essex County Council. 'It is a huge step in the right direction that Essex County Council has demonstrated the innovation and initiative to help save some of the vital services that had been earmarked for closure by the Post Office,' said Eaton.
Lord Carter of Coles is to be the first chair of the new Co-operation and Competition Panel, the body designed to ensure that competition between the NHS and independent sector providers for NHS-funded services is fair and transparent. The panel will advise strategic health authorities and the Department of Health, and (for compliance issues) regulator Monitor, on resolving disputes relating to competition for NHS-funded services. It will have specific responsibility for considering complaints over issues associated with the procurement of clinical services, advertising and promotion, and the merger or acquisition of health care providers where an NHS body is involved.
Transport minister Rosie Winterton has called on motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, highway authorities and road organisations to take part in the biggest review of British road signs for 40 years. The Department for Transport said the review would ensure that traffic signs kept pace with the latest technology, helped to cut congestion and emissions, and kept traffic moving safely and efficiently. Winterton said: 'It is vital we help motorists, cyclists and pedestrians understand how to use our roads — improving road safety and helping reduce congestion and CO2 — without cluttering our streets with unnecessary signs.'
Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf county borough councils have signed an infrastructure deal with Capita Symonds. The £75m joint venture will deliver highways, transportation, engineering, construction, environmental and related projects across the local authorities and the rest of South Wales. The 15-year partnership will form a new joint company, Capita Glamorgan Consultancy, which aims to deliver significant savings and to create more than 130 jobs in the next five years. The partnership will operate under the Welsh Assembly Government's Making the Connections strategy and subsequent Beecham Review for improvements in public services.
A north London councillor has resigned after it emerged he had moved 5,200 miles away to Arizona. Philip Thompson, 26, received his London Borough of Camden allowance despite moving to the US to study US politics. A Liberal Democrat spokesman said Thompson, who resigned as a councillor on September 12, had been testing whether he could carry on his town hall work. The council's LibDem leader, Russell Eagling, said: 'Philip spent the start of the course deciding whether he could continue with his council casework while undertaking a PhD. He decided this would not be possible.'
The Ministry of Justice has appointed a new deputy permanent secretary and director general for its corporate performance group. Carolyn Downs, who will take up her new role early in 2009, is currently chief executive of Shropshire County Council. Suma Chakrabarti, Ministry of Justice permanent secretary, said: 'This is a key role for the Ministry of Justice and, given Carolyn's past success and experience, I know she will perform very well.'
PFsep2008
