The Scottish Parliament Information Centre published this briefing yesterday. It provides background information on Scotland’s relationship with China, a summary of the Scottish Government’s plan for engagement with China and information on the key differences between the Government’s plan and the previous Scottish Executive’s China strategy.
“The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has had a presence in China since 2003. According to the SQA (2008) “the main focus has been on expanding the awarding of Scottish qualifications in China and raising understanding of Chinese language in Scotland.” The SQA works to achieve this aim by delivering Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) in China [...] In evidence provided to the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee, the SQA state that just over half of all Chinese students who achieve an HND will progress to a university abroad. Of these about 57% attended a university in the United Kingdom in 2006. In 2007 this figure rose to 77%.”
The House of Lords Select Committee on Economic Affairs issued this document yesterday. It examines the cost of non-renewable energy sources.
“The British economy will increasingly feel the impact of the Government’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions, including targets for greater use of energy from renewable sources. The Government describes its targets for renewables as challenging; others have suggested they are unachievable. In any event, the effort to meet them will come at a cost and, if not properly managed, risks distracting attention from other means of reducing emissions.”
As promised yesterday, here’s the Pre-Budget Report 2008.
Borrow now and pay later seems to be the state of play. Is that not how we got into bother in the first place? What do I know? I’m only a humble librarian.
Here’s what the Beeb thinks: Gamble! Gamble! This is beginning to sound more like an episode of Bullseye every day: Ok Alistair, listen to Tony…101 or more with 6 darts and the economy recovers; non-dart-player to throw first.
Hopefully we won’t have to suffer the “Look what you could have won” moment.
The House of Commons Business and Enterprise Committee issued this document last week which examines Companies House. Companies House has two main functions: the incorporation, dissolution and restoration of limited companies; and the maintenance of a register of company details, annual reports and accounts which it makes available for public inspection.
“An underlying theme of this Report is the need for Companies House to do more to explain the limitations of the information it holds. Many users may not realise that Companies House’s role is simply to publish information provided by companies themselves and may have unrealistically high expectations of the reliability of information available through a government website.”
Money makes the world go around the world go around the world go around, a mark a yen a buck or a pound, it makes the world go round! (Written before the Euro, obviously).
Much speculation over the weekend over Mr Darling’s pre-budget report (which will appear on these pages soon!) – what’ll he do to save us from ourselves? Will he lower VAT? Will he raise the stamp-duty threshold? Will he make bars of gold bullion appear magically from his trouser pockets? We’ll find out later today. We also discovered that it snows in winter in the north of Scotland! Who’d a thunk it? It looks as if the famous high street name of Woolworths is in bother too. Shame. Where else can you get sweeties, toys, televisions, potato peelers and waterproof sealant all under one roof? What’s that you say? Tesco? Oh right. And Asda? Oh right.
Football: mixed fortunes again for the Fantastic Four: St Mirren were controversially on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline, Hamilton snatched a draw from the jaws of victory, Queens lost to bottom boys Clyde, and Ayr put four past East Fife. In other sports, Scottish Rugby got a little bit of pride back thanks to a 41-0 trouncing of Canada, and in fighting Ricky Hatton beat Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas.
The Scottish Government issued these statistics today. The latest set of prison population projections show that the daily prison population in Scotland is projected to increase from an annual average of 7,700 over 2008-09, rising to 9,600 by 2017-18. These projections take into account recent trends in the prison population, including the latest available data for the first eight months of 2008.
“Developments, particularly in relation to alternatives to custody, may also impact on the sentencing practice and affect the prison population in the longer term. In particular, the Prison Commission has made strong recommendations regarding greater use of alternatives to custody. If these are implemented, the observed trends in sentencing behaviour will alter in future, and this will have to be taken into account in future prison population projections.”
The Law Commission for England and Wales issued this report today. It outlines their recommendations for updating English law on bribery.
“Bribery has been contrary to the law at least since Magna Carta declared, “We will sell to no man … either justice or right”. Most people have an intuitive sense of what “bribery” is. However, it has proved hard to define in law. The current law is both out-dated and in some instances unfit for purpose.”
Rumours are unfounded that it is being published in brown paper bags and distributed in service station car parks.
The interim report by Professor Martin Cave into competition and innovation in water markets was published by yesterday. The report, commissioned by DEFRA, sets out Professor Cave’s recommended measures for increasing retail competition in the water industry which could benefit customers and the economy by up to £600 million over the next 30 years and deliver considerable environmental and service improvements.
“The Review believes that further competition, together with regulation, could play an increasingly important role in meeting these challenges and opportunities. In particular, competition, coupled with measures to take full account of the social and environmental costs of water use, could do much to address environmental impacts as they arise and mitigate the effects of climate change.”
The Joint Future Thinking Taskforce on Universities was set up in November 2007. Its remit was to consider:
- how to optimise and shape the contribution which the Scottish university sector can make during the next 20 years to the Scottish economy, to Scottish culture and society, and to the political priorities of the Scottish Government
- what opportunities can be created and what barriers will need to be overcome to achieve that
- what resources will be needed and how they will be provided
The successful conclusion of the Taskforce’s work was marked this month by the publication of four documents. Fiona Hyslop, the Education and Lifelong Learning Secretary, confirmed that Scotland’s universities will play a key role in helping the country recover from the current economic downturn.
The Organ Donation Taskforce issued this report today: “The Potential Impact of an Opt Out Systemfor Organ Donation in the UK”. The report provides an in-depth examination of this complex question. The Taskforce has had discussions and engagement with academics, health professionals, members of the public, organ recipients, families of donors and faith leaders and the report reflects the wide range of views heard.
“There are not enough donated organs to save people’s lives in the UK. Although over 3,000 people in the UK received an organ transplant in 2007/08, another 1,000 died after having waited in vain on the waiting list, which currently numbers over 8,000 people. This figure does not reflect the true extent of need: many who could have their lives transformed by a transplant never even reach the waiting list. Need is, at minimum, 50% more than is currently available. It is a desperate situation.”
