Jun262017

News story: Update on procurement for non-levy paying employers

HM Government

In April 2017, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) paused the procurement for apprenticeship training provision for non-levy-paying employers.

The competition was markedly oversubscribed and the Department for Education (DfE) and the ESFA concluded that it did not achieve the right balance between stability of provision, promoting competition and choice for employers. Together, DfE and ESFA have since reviewed their approach to determine how best to support these objectives.

As a result, the ESFA has decided to cancel the current procurement exercise and has confirmed that it will launch a new procurement at the end of July.

The new procurement will be designed to achieve the best value for employers, providers and apprentices in the move to a fully employer-led system. More details on the process and deadlines will be finalised and announced shortly.

The ESFA has also confirmed that the register of apprenticeship training providers will not re-open for new applications, while the new procurement exercise is open.

To provide further clarity and certainty for training providers with existing contracts the following steps will also be taken:

  1. Within the next week, the ESFA will respond to providers who have made business cases to adjust the amount of funding they were awarded in the contract extensions. Where credible evidence has been presented, the ESFA will look to adjust the allocations.

  2. The ESFA will bring forward the first performance management point from August to July. This will be in order to review current delivery and consider whether additional funding can be made available where there is clear evidence of unmet demand from employers. More details on the timing for this will follow shortly.

This will not affect training provision for existing learners.

Jun262017

Green Party responds to Environment Plan delay

Green Party

26 June 2017

The Green Party has responded to news the Government’s 25-Year Environment Plan is not guaranteed to be published this year. [1]

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“This is another example of the recklessness that comes with Gove’s appointment as Environment Secretary. He is clearly intent on playing fast and loose with the environment at a time when we need a safe pair of hands.

“The 25-Year Environment Plan is already long overdue and yet another delay compounds concerns that Gove will slash environmental protections and make the environment subservient to his wider political agenda. The Plan must be published as a matter of urgency. The need for a new Environment Protection Act is also clearly greater than ever.”

Notes:

  1. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/michael-gove-25-year-environment-plan-delay-government-climate-change-brexit-a7807781.html

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Jun262017

Greens respond to claim the NHS is ‘running on fumes'

Green Party

26 June 2017

*Co-leader Jonathan Bartley: “No other party appears to be engaging with the magnitude of the problem”

The Green Party has renewed its call for investment in the NHS and the end of privatisation following comments by the British Medical Association that the NHS is ‘running on fumes’ [1].

Jonathan Bartley, Green Party co-leader, said:

“Jeremy Hunt must listen to staff and patients on the frontline who are experiencing day in and day out the effects of a two pronged attack on our health service in the form of chronic underinvestment and privatisation. Attempts to further privatise our health service in an illusory quest for greater ‘efficiency savings’ are clearly counterproductive. There is also a clear alternative to starving the NHS of funding it so desperately needs. These are political choices, and there are other options.

“The NHS is indeed running on fumes, and no other party appears to be engaging with the magnitude of the problem. It is time not just to fill up the tank again, but replace the engine with one fit for the modern era.

“The Green Party is also the only party proposing to properly fill the funding gap and would invest more money year on year than any other party. This includes scrapping Trident renewal which alone would give the NHS the kiss of life it desperately needs, providing an extra £3.6bn every year which would pay for 85,000 nurses, midwives and other healthcare professionals. But as well as reversing privatisation and reinstating a publicly run NHS, we should give patients, staff and others at the frontline a greater voice and control in running of our health service.”                                                    

Notes:

  1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-40401311

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Jun262017

If you can’t go Superfast yet – let us know

Welsh Government

Over 645,000 premises in Wales can already access superfast broadband thanks to Superfast Cymru, and by the end of the year this figure is expected to reach 690,000.  

From 2018 the Welsh Government will be working on how to reach the final few per cent of premises without access to superfast broadband. So that this work is as accurate as possible it needs to hear from those not yet connected.

A list of potential premises has been published and is open for comments until July 13. An interactive map can help residents and businesses check if they are already included on the list. The Welsh Government also wants to hear from communities who have an interest in driving their own solutions.

Minister for Skills and Science Julie James said: 

“With over eight out of ten premises in Wales now able to access superfast broadband, the situation has improved greatly. This compares with just over half in 2014. This progress has been largely thanks to Superfast Cymru which is continuing to the end of this year.

“However, we are now at the stage where we are looking at the final few percent of premises not covered by the Superfast Cymru rollout or by the telecommunications companies’ own plans. So that the work we carry out from 2018 onwards is as effective as possible we need those without access to superfast broadband to let us know and take part in the consultation.

“The consultation will help us to further refine the list of unconnected premises. The more response we receive, the more comprehensive the list will be.

“If there are communities that have an interest in driving their own solutions, I want to hear from them.

“This is your chance to influence what happens with the final few per cent of premises in Wales who are not yet able to access superfast broadband.”  

The consultation is available on: https://consultations.gov.wales/consultations/next-generation-access-broadband.