Whitehall briefing w/b 04/03/13
Thursday 7th March 2013
1659 – DfE – Working with primary schools is key to getting disadvantaged young people into university: latest research.
1229 – DEFRA – Defra's Strategic Policy Statement & Social and Environmental Guidance to Ofwat was laid in Parliament this morning.
1229 – MoD – The Welsh Cavalry swap Scimitars for jungle boots.
1102 – DEFRA – Farming minister David Heath chats to 'Meet the farming minister' winners about farming entrance criteria, rebranding, and more.
1045 – Watch Justine Greening speaking live at 11.15am on how UK aid is working to support girls and women.
1037 – PM – David Cameron will deliver his economy speech in West Yorkshire at midday and will welcome BT's announcement of 1,000 new jobs.
1006 – MoJ – The first transforming youth custody kicks off soon. Good representation from education, secure and voluntary sectors.
0815 – Home Office – Theresa May in Brussels for EU JHA Council.
Wednesday 6th March 2013
1255 – OFT – The Office of Fair Trading finds payday lending sector grew from approx £900 million in 2008 to £2.0-£2.2 billion in 2011/12.
1037 – DWP – Stephen Duckworth of Capita talks to the Guardian about their role in the new PIP assessments.
1004 – OFT – Office of Fair Trading acts against leading payday lenders and proposes to refer the sector to the Competition Commission.
0946 – National Audit Office – Public Accounts Committee hearing today on "Tackling tax credits error and fraud".
0730 – OFWAT- Water companies should treat the interests of customers as at least as important as those of shareholders, according to Jonson Cox, the recently appointed Chairman of the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat).
0017 – FCO – Foreign Secretary William Hague offers condolences to the family of Hugo Chavez, and the Venezuelan people.
Tuesday 5th March 2013
1650 – DfE – Schools not closing the gap will need to draw up action plans, says Department for Education.
1644 – FCO – Here's the story of one of our Foreign Office women working to prevent forced marriage.
1314 – DfE – Children and young people with special educational needs to benefit from new legal health duty.
1301 – DWP – Iain Duncan Smith on migrant entitlement to benefits: We are looking at strengthening application of Habitual Residence Test. We're looking to ensure protections are as robust as they can be. We have been working closely with European counterparts. Under Universal Credit we'll ensure accurate statistics on claimants’ nationality are collected.
1232 – HMRC – The Treasury wins award from Princes Trust.
1230 – UK Parliament – Frank Field MP is to ask the Urgent Question on Romanians and Bulgarians drawing benefits at 12.30pm.
1228 – MoD – There will also be a Statement this afternoon by Defence Secretary Philip Hammond on the Army basing plan.
1154 – FCO – First Arctic Star medals already in production.
1154 – FCO – UK infantry unit completes Afghanistan training.
1130 – FCO – Common Chamber sits from 11.30am today starting with Foreign Office questions.
1058 – Home Office – Theresa May: "Violence against women and girls is utterly unacceptable. That may seem to be a statement of the obvious – but unfortunately, the obvious is not accepted by everyone." Learn more about what is being done by the Home Secretary to tackle VAWG here.
1029 – HMRC – The Property Sales Campaign, aimed at those selling homes in the UK or abroad, where Capital Gains Tax (CGT) should be paid on any profits made, will target second home sales. This includes, for example, properties people have sold that were given to them, and the sale of holiday homes.
0948 – HMRC – Chancellor of the Exchequer in Brussels today for EU ECOFIN Council.
0930 – Health Committee – The committee questions NHS Chief Exec David Nichoson on report of Mid Staffs NHS Trust Public Inquiry.
0820 – Public Accounts Committee – Public Accounts Committee releases report on restructuring the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
0756 – FCO – The Official Report of the urgent question on Syria is now available.
Monday 4th March 2013
1641 – MoD – £226 million training facilities announced for new RAF transport planes.
1556 – BIS – Funding opportunity: What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth – from ESRC. Workshop for potential bidders 18 March 2013.
You can learn more about the ESRC, a politics.co.uk Opinion Former, here.
1555 – HMRC – Our transparency data is now being published on Gov.uk.
1527 – DWP – Iain Duncan Smith: JCP advisers will play their part helping troubled families get into work and to turn their lives around.
1526 – DWP – A new drive to get troubled families into work is to be spearheaded by 150 specialist Jobcentre Plus advisers.
1520 – HMRC – VAT Notes 1 2013 has been published and is available here.
1159 – MoD – Submarine HMS Ambush commissioned into the Royal Navy.
1109 – MoD – Defence Secretary visits Royal Marines commandos in Norway.
1032 – OFGEM – Read about our new strategy for the next RIIO-ED1 (electricity distribution) price control.
1031 – FCO – William Hague is in Mali today meeting the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister.
1015 – DFID – Justine Greening speaks to Amnesty UK on violence against girls and women.
1013 – DECC – Energy and Climate Change Committee publishes report on 'Building New Nuclear: the challenges ahead.'
1008 – DEFRA – If They're Gone, the campaign to save endangered species, is launched by Owen Paterson.
1000 – Cabinet Office – New network launched: What Works is a product of civil service reform and open public services programmes, led by Open Public Services with ESRC, and other partners.
0946 – BIS – Permanent Secretary Martin Donnelley gives interview to Civil Service World on industrial strategy, red tape, and more.
0846 – DCLG – A three-year scheme aiming to turn around the lives of 120,000 of England's most troubled families is succeeding, the government says.
0828 – FCO – Alistair Burt opens 1st British-Algerian Energy Forum with Minister Benyounes and Amb Martyn Roper.
0815 – DFID – Lynne Featherstone MP demands action to stop violence against women and girls (VAW or VAWG) at the UN's CSW57 meetings this week.
0814 – Home Office – New laws planned to crack down on rogue firms who supply printing equipment to identity fraudsters, including producers of counterfeit credit cards.
0719 – FC0 – Minister Alistair Burt works to bring more English to Algeria. The minister visits InTuition and says he is "delighted we're re-opening British Council's centre".
