Blogs

Government

• Gordon Brown will slap down David Cameron's plan to impose strict personal allowances on tax-free air travel as little better than feel-good politics which do not address global warming at the vital level of coordinated international action. On the eve of tomorrow's publication of the Climate Change bill, the chancellor will use a speech to the Green Alliance to demand a "new world order" that can address the need for urgent cuts in carbon emissions in the same way that the Make Poverty History campaign put pressure on institutions such as the UN, EU and G8.

Good news from the Energy Saving Trust's website:

"A new carbon reduction method for diesel vehicles is set to be demonstrated on Ford's fleet of vehicles in the near future....To be trialed on Ford's Power Stroke diesel vehicles, the technology is hoped to reduce carbon emissions and increase engine torque."

Fantastic. But...

"Ford is set to unveil its 6.4-litre Power Stroke engine in its new F-Series pickup next year, which is set to be the company's cleanest ever diesel."

6.4 litres!!! If that's their idea of clean, I want to see what a really dirty Ford pickup looks like. Much like their current fleet, I suppose, which tells you how badly run and behind the times they have got.

I've got an idea. If you want to save energy and/or carbon, don't run a truck with a 6.4-litre engine.

I've added a link to the Not Proud of Britain (But Would Like To Be) blog, simply for this comment on the Bloggers4Labour blog. It is one of the most intelligent observations that I have seen on the false economics of the Government's road-pricing scheme. Does the Government really think that people sit in rush-hour traffic for the hell of it, and that all they need is a financial incentive to get them to drop off the kids or go to work at a different time? It's not difficult to spot the flaw in the plan, is it? Headmaster/mistress and boss may have something to say about it. Snafu sums it up superbly in the language of economists. What a pity a blogger has a better grasp of economics than the large number of academic pseudo-economists who have come out in support of road-pricing simply because it looks superficially like a market.

Last night's Dispatches report on the Great Global Warming Swindle brought some welcome balance to the climate-change debate. Not because the programme itself was balanced - it was completely one-sided in favour of the sceptics - but because the other side of the argument (the alarmists) has been given almost all of the air-time for the past few years. We are constantly told by politicians, publicists and much of the media that there is scientific consensus, that the debate is over, and that it is somehow morally wrong to question the science. Well, there is clearly not consensus, the debate is not over, and suppressing debate is a whole lot more morally contemptible than trying to raise it (stand up and take a bow, all you Royal Society representatives, for your ignoble role in the effort to suppress debate).

Having said that, some climate-change sceptics are as inclined to grasp any evidence as complete refutation of global-warming theory, as the alarmists are inclined to interpret any data as further evidence to support their beliefs. So in the interests of balance, here is a link to the best-informed article I could find that provided counter-arguments to those in the programme.

It's as if there are no problems left in this country and our MPs can now start to squabble over the petty and inconsequential. Watch out, the PC brigade are taking over and their leader is Jack Straw. The man being touted as our next Chancellor has decided to come out with this: "Male pronouns are used on their own in contexts where a reference to women and men is intended, and...words such as 'chairman' are used for offices capable of being held by either gender. Many believe that this practice tends to reinforce historic gender stereotypes, and presents an obstacle to clearer understanding for those unfamiliar with the convention." Many believe, do they Jack? I imagine even more couldn't give a monkeys. Meg Munn, minister for women, has taken the ill-founded assumptions one step further "It really is outdated to have language which refers to 'he' when it means women as well. Most people would see this as a normal, sensible way forward." Most people? Sensible way forward?

Charles N. Steele wrote a funny little comment on Hot Coffee Girl's blog a while back, about not defining oneself as a "non-smoker". Recent encounters with various pseudo-intellectual movements defining themselves as post-this or post-that got me to thinking that the prefix "post-" probably deserves similar contempt for defining oneself not in terms of what one is but in terms of what one is not.

There is a debate going on at Charles's site about a strange concept called post-science. Though much of the argument is esoteric, I recommend it to you for the entertainment value of the claims of the post-science spokesman (and of the websites that he points to), and as an illustration of the difficulty of reasoning with people who consciously reject rationality, and of where such a rejection gets you to.

The Tax Payers' Alliance has exposed one of the reasons why our council taxes are rising well above inflation every year - to pay big bosses. The number of local authority staff earning more than £100,000 jumped from 429 in 2005 to 578 last year, an increase of 35 per cent. Peter Gilroy, the chief executive of Kent, had the highest salary at £229,999.

Government

• The government is preparing to publish "a clear programme for further reforms" of public services. At Thursday's cabinet meeting the prime minister introduced the work of one of six policy reviews set up last October. The reviews, which looked at areas including criminal justice and the environment, are intended to guide ministers and departments as they devise future policy. The prime minister's official spokesman said the reviews would start being published this month.
• Heritage Protection for the 21st century - Tessa Jowell publishes Government white paper that proposes a 'simpler and more efficient system'.
  

It comes as little surprise that the public sector tendering process is not only costing the tax payer money but putting off contractors even applying for contracts in the first place making the process less competitive and poor value for money. This has become a particular problem with private finance procurements. The NOA has criticised the PFI tendering process saying that that NHS trusts and authorities are spending 75 per cent more than expected on external consultants and that many contracts are uncompetitive and involve only one bidder.

Government

• John Reid has announced new measures to prevent the employment of illegal immigrants. The enforcement strategy includes a 'watch list' of illegal immigrants to alert agencies if someone applies for services to which they are not entitled, and workplace enforcement teams to identify employers of illegal immigrants. There will also be schemes to use immigration data to ensure migrants pay for hospital care.
• The minimum wage will rise 17p to £5.52 an hour from October, the government has announced. Trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling said the increase, recommended by the independent Low Pay Commission, would mean the minimum wage had gone up by almost 30 per cent more than inflation since 1999.
• New small zero carbon 'eco-towns' built on brownfield land could lead the way in cutting carbon emissions and building affordable homes, Housing Minister Yvette Cooper said.
  

The hypocrisy of this government over the green debate continues. Whilst we are being taxed from the skies, off the roads and out of business the government is actually increasing its CO₂ outputs. The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) criticises ministers and senior civil servants for failing to set the right example. The report analyses the performance of 21 government departments and agencies against targets on all aspects of green behaviour. It says: "No department can make a reasonable claim to have met the requirements of all the targets assessed." The report found that most departments are using energy less efficiently compared to previous years and that, on average, they generate more waste. Most were way off track to meet the target of reducing carbon emissions by 12.5% on 2000 levels by 2010.

Rather like yesterday's post about Gordon Brown and the Treasury, the attacks I am giving the NHS at the moment aren't borne out of partisan views or a fundamental opposition to the idea of free health. I believe it is very important that access for all to an efficient and effective health system is one of the most important aspects of a civilised and modern society. However, the days when the public purse can pay for the NHS alone and we can trust the Government (be it Labour or Tory) to manage and run the service efficiently and effectively are clearly over. The damage being done by refusing to enter real debate and worrying about a complete overhaul is far worse than the alternatives. And it's not just me or a few that think this, it is a view backed up by those who really know - those doctors and nurses who have to put up with a substandard environment every day.

Government

• The Government was forced to climb down and announce an immediate review of the new system for selecting junior doctors for training. The Medical Training Application Service has united doctors young and old into a revolt so powerful that it has forced the Department of Health into retreat. The service is supposed to handle applications for higher medical training, sifting them by a computer-based system to produce shortlists of candidates suitable for interview. About 30,000 junior doctors are competing for 22,000 training places. The British Medical Association and a pressure group, Remedy UK, have denounced the system as unfair.

Government  

• Communities Minister Phil Woolas offered grants totalling more than £4.3 million to 343 organisations to promote a common sense of citizenship. Ministers have set out the challenge for all living in a multicultural Britain of learning to celebrate our shared heritage while doing more to understand our individual differences. The announcement recommends funding groups with practical solutions to build capacity among faith communities to support inter faith work. The announcement follows bids from more than 1,200 organisations to the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund. This is the second round of a £13.8 million fund to help organisations promote community cohesion and shared citizenship at a local community level.
• Plans to split up the Home Office could undermine attempts to improve Britain's national security apparatus, a report has warned. A study released by Demos on Tuesday concluded that home secretary John Reid's proposals for a security ministry and a separate justice department are "counter-intuitive" and could be "counter-productive". It also called for a national strategic vision which can co-ordinate the work of all government departments.
• Nine out of ten people support the idea of staying in education or training until the age of 18 - with the strongest support coming from grandparents - according to research published today by Education Secretary Alan Johnson. In a speech to the Sector Skills Development Agency Mr Johnson highlighted the research which shows public support for extending compulsory education.
• Greater clarity is needed on the government's plans to overhaul the post office network, MPs have said.A report from the Commons trade and industry committee questioned whether a proper analysis of the needs of the network had been undertaken. The current 14,263 is viewed as unsustainable by ministers, and trade secretary Alistair Darling has announced plans to close thousands of branches.
• Ministers and civil servants need take a more strategic view of policy and be more honest about future challenges, a report has claimed. MPs have called for parliament to receive regular reports of long-term policy thinking, a greater role for department heads in strategic planning, and better training for civil servants. The report from the Commons public administration committee - based on evidence from ministers, civil servants and experts - has been published as the government's policy review and process comes to a close.
• A new drive to cut long waits across the country for hearing services, was announced by Health Minister, Ivan Lewis. Improving Access to Audiology Services in England is published today and was developed in close consultation with a range of organisations, including the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID).
• Public Health Minister Caroline Flint today announced that the Government is to fund a major study looking at why some gay men appear to be taking more risks with their sexual health in recent years. The results of the study will help the NHS and gay men's health organisations with their work to promote safer sex amongst the most at risk groups and assist with improvements to sexual health services for gay men.

Conservatives  

Government

• Gordon Brown has lifted the tax burden to breaking point and must slash public spending or risk plunging Britain's national accounts dangerously into the red, the International Monetary Fund warned. The alarm was sounded after the level of taxes reached its highest since the mid-1980s. The IMF urged the Chancellor to cut spending and to make "disciplined choices" in this summer's Comprehensive Spending Review. For the first time, the Washington-based institution said explicitly that it would be perilous to increase taxes any further, without driving away businesses and putting more pressure on households. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=PIR5RBYPYVW11QFIQMGCFFOAVCBQUIV0?xml=/news/2007/03/06/ntax06.xml
• Motorists could find themselves facing a ceiling on the amount of carbon they are allowed to emit under proposals being considered in Whitehall. One option would see drivers buying and selling their personal carbon allowances if the Government succeeds in persuading the European Union to extend the emissions trading scheme to the roads. The idea was floated in a speech by David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, last night. Addressing an audience in Cambridge he said: "We need to consider whether surface transport could become part of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme." http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/ncarbon06.xml
• Young children are failing to get a good education in half the nursery and primary classes for three to five year olds, school inspectors warn in a report. They are making insufficient progress in language and literacy, the most able are not being challenged and boys are already falling behind girls, says Ofsted. Girls are achieving rapidly by engaging in creative activities but in too many classes boys are allowed to play with equipment or chase each other in "raiding" games. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/03/06/neducate06.xml

Conservatives

Government  

• The Government presented a package of actions to deliver the step change needed to ensure that supply chains and public services will be increasingly low carbon, low waste and water efficient, respect biodiversity and deliver wider sustainable development goals. The UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan, allied to the Treasury's recent "Transforming Government Procurement" report, forms the key response to the business-led Task Force report.  The Action Plan puts in place clear lines of accountabilities and reporting, and develops plans to raise the standards and status of procurement practice in Government which will strengthen delivery of these targets. Alongside the Action Plan, Government is also publishing an improved set of mandatory environmental product standards, that will ensure Departments procure the most sustainable commodities.  
• Jack Straw has said his proposal for a hybrid House of Lords can command a consensus among MPs. Ahead of the debate and votes in the Commons this week on the make-up of the second chamber, the leader of House has appealed for supporters of reform to compromise with each other. In an article for this week's House magazine, he said MPs must not risk a repeat of the process in 2003 when no one option commanded majority of support.  
• The home secretary has announced new funding for a series of anti-domestic violence initiatives. John Reid unveiled nearly £2m of cash for 40 multi-agency risk assessment conferences (MARACs) to continue their work and for a further 60 to be set up by March next year. The conferences involve local police, probation education, health and housing services sharing information and working with the voluntary sector on individual cases. In a pilot project for the scheme in Cardiff the level of reported repeat victimisation dropped from 32 per cent to less than 10 per cent in two years.  

Conservatives  

The attacks on Gordon Brown's high taxation, high spending polices are becoming more and more frequent on this website. It it not the intention of picking losers to target individuals nor is it partisan. However, it is of course more likely that attacks will be made towards the Government as they are the ones in power actually making and implementing policy. It is also not without good reason that this high level of scrutiny and criticism is directed at the Treasury at the moment. The International Monetary Fund share the view that Brown's policies are unsustainable and have issued a warning - one that Mr Brown will do well to heed.

The production of ethanol from corn as a replacement/supplement for petrol is coming under increased attack from environmentalists. This month's Ecologist and today's Independent both led with a destructive assessment of its merits.

I do not claim to know whether ethanol is a good or bad solution to our energy problems. But I do know that George Bush and Tony Blair don't know, and neither do Zac Goldsmith (editor of The Ecologist) and Simon Kelner (editor-in-chief of The Independent). Because they are trying to establish the case by claim, counter-claim and posturing, little light is shed on the issue. And because no mechanism exists that simply values carbon equally from all its sources, we have no way of discovering in a market the reality that is being obfuscated in discussion. As usual, sweeping generalisations ("this technology is good/bad regardless") that ignore changing circumstances are a good sign that people are busy picking losers rather than allowing the most efficient and appropriate solutions for the circumstances to emerge and evolve.

Sometimes the debates seem intended to confuse, not illuminate. Perhaps this is the real objective. For an alternative take on the ethanol debate in America and people's motivations in presenting their arguments, have a look at the What's That Smell? site. The author's hostility to a local development has produced a scathing analysis of the process by which politicians and lobbyists adopt and promote losers for their own interests. Just remember that the other side - opponents of ethanol - have their own agenda too.

Regional Agencies, aka Quangos, are costing the tax payer £360m a year to run, double the level of five years ago. The FT reports that the typical cost for each region is put at £23m for the regional development agency, £3m for the regional assembly and £14m for government offices, which act as Whitehall's representatives on issues such as education and transport. Adding in the regional cost of other state bodies, such as the Learning Skills Council and the Environment Agency, takes the annual administrative cost to £200m for each region or £1.8bn for England as a whole. £1.8bn for an extra tier of government.

And back to an old favourite. The NHS and IT systems.