The Week, 5 April 2019
Reformer of the week
Ellie Reeves MP, who made the case for community-based sentencing to ease the over-crowded prison system and provide more effective rehabilitation.
Quotes
“Gone are the days when prison only existed to punish offenders. A progressive and modern justice system must be there to rehabilitate offenders and satisfy the public that sentences work.”
“The Government’s EdTech strategy highlights some exciting opportunities for teachers to harness technology that allows them to dedicate their energies to the substance of education: effective teaching of the curriculum that produces great outcomes for pupils.”
Chris Jones, Director of Corporate Strategy, Ofsted
Good week for
Universal Credit Claimants
The DWP announced a new ‘help to claim’ service that would be provide free, impartial and confidential advice for citizens applying for Universal Credit. This is to be delivered by Citizen’s Advice and Citizen’s Advice Scotland.
Teachers and Ed-Tech
Damian Hinds MP launched a new strategy for education technology in schools with a focus on reducing teacher workload. Last year, Reform published a report on how Ed-Tech could close the attainment gap.
Bad week for
The NHS Long-Term Plan
A report has questioned the NHS's capacity to deliver aims set out in the Long-Term Plan due to “worrying disparities” in performance of individual trusts and CCGs, major staff shortages and no clarity over funding for adult social care and public health and education.
Productivity
New data revealed productivity continues to be disappointing in the UK, falling by 0.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2018.
Reforms week
This week, Reform held an event led by Baroness Fairhead CBE, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, Department for International Trade, on promoting British exports through better a partnership between Government and industry. This event was held in partnership with Barclays.
Rose Lasko-Skinner, Researcher at Reform, authored a blog and Dr Joshua Pritchard, Researcher at Reform, spoke at an event at Westminster Business Forum, summarising the key findings of a report published last week ‘Please Procure Responsibly: The State of Public Service Commissioning’.