Jul52017

News story: CMA to introduce market investigation changes

HM Government

Market investigations are powerful tools that can bring in major changes to make markets work better for consumers and businesses.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) committed, in its Annual Plan, to review the way it conducts them. It took account of experience since market investigations were introduced in the Enterprise Act 2002, as well as legislative changes that came into force in 2014, reducing their time limit from 2 years to 18 months.

Andrea Coscelli, CMA Acting Chief Executive, said:

We believe these changes will enable us to carry out our market investigations more quickly, without reducing their effectiveness. They will preserve a fair and robust process and independence of decision-making throughout, which is central to the regime.

Having considered comments received, we remain convinced that earlier discussion of potential remedies will allow a fuller discussion with all parties involved and bring real benefits in ensuring the most effective measures possible to make markets work better for consumers and businesses.

Having consulted on these proposals during March to May, the CMA is making the following changes to streamline its existing processes and ensure it meets the shorter statutory timescale:

  • Assessing potential remedies to improve the market at an earlier stage in the investigation – following consultation it has clarified various aspects, in particular that updated thinking on potential remedies could be included in working papers (as suggested by some respondents) and that in most cases the CMA is unlikely to start detailed work designing potential remedies at an early stage, but our approach will be tailored depending on the specifics of the case.
  • Reducing the number of formal publication and consultation stages – removing the Updated Issues Statement, and combining provisional findings and provisional remedies into a single Provisional Decision Report.
  • Earlier interaction with stakeholders during the investigation, including holding hearings sooner in the process.
  • Allowing market studies (a shorter look at the market which can precede market investigations) to carry out preparatory work when they are likely to lead to a full investigation.
  • Introducing the option for the CMA board to give an advisory steer on the scope of the market investigation, which is run by an independent group of CMA panel members.

The document responding to the comments received and the resulting changes in the CMA’s published guidance, are available on the consultation page.

Jul52017

£4.2m to boost teaching of Welsh

Welsh Government

A new one-year pilot sabbatical scheme for primary teachers to develop their Welsh-language skills will be delivered. This new pilot will be added to the range of courses currently delivered across Wales.

Additional money will also be provided to Regional Education consortia to undertake a programme of work which will include mapping the Welsh language skills of the workforce; mentoring and school-to-school support; and providing a programme of Welsh language professional learning for practitioners.

The full allocations are as follows:

£1,200,000 to support the provision and expansion of the national sabbatical scheme

A new one-year pilot sabbatical scheme course for primary teachers to develop their Welsh-language skills will be delivered. As part of the full-time course, teachers will be released from school to significantly develop their Welsh-language skills, reflecting the increased expectations that will be placed on all schools as part of the introduction the Welsh language continuum.

£600,000 to improve Welsh language skills of learners through informal opportunities

A programme of support will be developed to help English-medium schools to improve learners’ Welsh language skills to ensure that children and young people have more opportunities to use their Welsh language skills in an authentic and constructive way beyond Welsh language lessons.

£50,000 to attract Welsh-medium graduates

We recognise there is a need to recruit more graduates into teaching in the Welsh-medium sector and to teach Welsh as a subject. A campaign, in conjunction with key stakeholders will be developed with a view to targeting undergraduates to go into teaching. This funding will be directed to the Discover Teaching campaign.

£2,055,000 for education consortia to support professional learning for Welsh language and Welsh-medium practitioners

Each regional education consortium will receive an allocation to support the professional development of practitioners’ Welsh language skills and teaching pedagogy.

Consortia will be required to undertake a programme of work which includes mapping the Welsh language skills of the workforce; identifying practitioners to take part in the Sabbatical scheme; mentoring and school-to-school support; sharing effective practice, and providing a programme of Welsh language professional learning for practitioners.

£200,000 to be allocated to undertake research

There is a need for research to ensure a sound evidence base for the proposed language continuum and effective pedagogy for teaching the language. 

This money will deliver a programme of research and evaluation to support Welsh in education and to develop capacity to promote a vibrant research culture in the areas of Welsh-medium education and language acquisition.

Education Secretary Kirsty Williams said:

“Developing a teaching workforce to teach Welsh and deliver education through the medium of Welsh is essential in creating more Welsh speakers and will be a priority over the next five years.

“This means planning to support the development of teachers and assistants and expanding the sabbatical scheme and other professional learning opportunities for the present workforce. Well crafted and delivered professional development is important because it delivers benefits to the individual, their profession and the public.

“ This investment aligns with our proposals for new teaching standards in Wales which will provide opportunities for teachers to develop their skills throughout their career to meet the needs of the education system. ”

Jul52017

The Union Finance Minister (FM) Shri Arun Jaitley holds a bilateral discussion with the Finance Minister of Japan, Mr Taro Aso; calls upon Japanese companies to set up facilities in India

India

The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley highlighted the initiatives under Make in India and called upon Japanese companies to set up facilities in India for manufacture of rolling stock for the metro rail projects during the bilateral discussion with the Finance Minister of Japan, Mr Taro Aso. Both the Ministers noted the growing synergy between India and Japan and committed themselves towards working closely to further expand India-Japan bilateral economic cooperation.

Jul52017

The Union Finance Minister (FM) Shri Arun Jaitley asks the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to set up a regional hub in New Delhi for the South Asia region to meet growing aspirations of the people

India

The Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley asked the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to set up a regional hub in New Delhi for the South Asia region in order to keep pace with the growing aspirations of the people and to expedite the process of project preparation and delivery for India and other countries in the region.

Jul52017

The Conservative Government’s underfunding and neglect of the health service is causing misery for patients and making it harder to access routine NHS treatments – Ashworth

Labour

Jonathan Ashworth MP, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, responding to a new British Medical Journal report revealing a new wave of NHS postcode rationing, said:

“The Conservative Government’s underfunding and neglect of the health service is causing misery for patients and making it harder to access routine NHS treatments.

“This new BMJ research reveals that thousands more patients are being turned down for treatment every year. Across the country services which were previously easily available are now being rationed because of the Tory funding squeeze.

“Behind every one of these statistics is a patient and their family waiting longer in pain and suffering because of this Government’s scandalous undermining of the NHS.

“Only Labour has a plan to give the NHS the funding it needs so that patients across the country can get quick access to the treatments and medical support that they need.”