Government Business 31.05
The new government has already got to work with a host of announcements, plans and changes affecting housing, energy, public sector pay and more.
In this issue of Government Business, we’ll have a look at the results of the election and what the new government is promising.
The Fire Industry Association explains why training is imperative, the Property Care Association investigates the issue of invasive bamboos and we also have a feature looking at tree maintenance.
It may seem early, but the British Christmas Tree Growers Association explains how Christmas trees bring visitors to towns and villages and Visit Essex will highlight some venues for Christmas events.
When it comes to recruitment and retainment, the Gift Card and Voucher Association sets out why flexibility and personalisation are key elements of employee benefits schemes in the public sector.
In the Government Technology supplement, Crown Commercial Services provides an update on the Procurement Act and Socitm explains what makes a connected place and how they are already in action.
techUK will investigate ways to win the public’s trust when it comes to digitalisation and ISACA will look at how to protect against cyber attacks in the public sector.
Polly Jones, editor
Government Business 31.04
Labour are back in power after 14 years. Keir Starmer has entered Number 10 with a long to-do list, which includes but is not limited to the cost-of-living crisis, immigration, the NHS backlog, housing and a lack of faith in politics.
The Conservatives suffered their worst defeat in their parliamentary history, losing 251 seats, but still leaving them the official opposition. The Liberal Democrats came in third winning 71 seats. While Reform UK polled third when looking at the actual number of votes, this only translated into five seats – one more than the Green Party and Plaid Cymru. The SNP, Sinn Féin and Independents all returned more MPs, despite the SNP losing the majority of their seats.
This issue of Government Business covers several topics that will be on the agenda of the new government. We investigate simplifying recycling as well as some innovative energy projects that are reducing the carbon emissions of public buildings.
With the Euros almost over and the Olympics and Paralympics coming up, we look at how local and central government can reduce the barriers for people to be more active. The Association of Play Industries discusses the value of playgrounds and the Arboricultural Association will look at the importance of trees and tree care.
There’s features from the British Pest Control Association, the British Sign and Graphics Association and the International Stress Management Association. The British Institute of Cleaning Science will discuss the importance of training in cleaning and the Water Hygiene Centre will give an explainer on Legionella.
This issue also includes the relaunch of Government Technology (p.71), with features from TechUK, Socitm and Crown Commercial Service.
Government Business 31.03
The recent local council and mayoral elections saw widespread losses for the Conservatives across the country. With Sadiq Khan winning an historic third term as London Mayor, Labour, The Lib Dems, Greens and independents made gains across the country.
With the government recently announcing new recycling plans, we’ve got a case study on Sherbourne Recycling and the National Association of Wheeled Bin Washers explains commercial bin cleaning for local authorities.
The British Pyrotechnic Association sets out how local authorities can organise firework displays and the Met Office talks about how they work with organisations to make long-term decisions when it comes to the weather.
In our social housing special, the Property Care Association discusses property flood resilience; the FPA looks at external cladding systems; and the Glass and Glazing Federation gives some top tips on looking after windows.
Polly Jones, editor
Government Business 31.02
This week's budget included changes to taxes for short-term lets, an extension to the Household Support Fund and funds for building projects. While some of the announcements were welcomed, there were as ever, criticism for areas that were missed out or plans that don't go far enough.
With the first signs of spring already here, in this issue, the Property Care Association looks at new emerging threats in the field of invasive non-native species.
We've got an article from the Heat Pump Association, exploring how local government can play a role in the transition to low-carbon heating.
The Fire Protection Association discusses the fundamentals of protecting buildings through fire risk assessments and techUK sets out its mission to champion digital ambition and empower councils to leverage technology effectively.
We've also got features looking at road maintenance, frameworks and the transport trends of the future.
Polly Jones, editor
Government Business 31.01
2024 marks 30 years of Government Business and this special issue looks back at three decades of the magazine. Since its launch in 1994, Government Business has seen eight prime ministers, seven general elections, the Brexit referendum and subsequent withdrawal from the EU, a pandemic, a new monarch and much more in between.
When speaking to people about the last 30 years, a few key events stood out: the introduction of council tax, restructuring of local government, the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent austerity, the pandemic and the series of high-profile events and political crises towards the second half of 2022.
With a general election coming up, we're expecting our 31st year to be a busy one.
The 30th anniversary special edition includes features on storage for waste management and how to prevent fly tipping.
The PCA look at damp and mould in homes and the NADC explore how to keep drains in a good condition.
We've also got the Business Sprinkler Alliance on the importance of maintaining sprinklers and the Asphalt Industry Alliance on funding for local roads, as well as explainers on the Technology Products & Associated Services 2 and the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act.
Don't forget to take part in the 30th anniversary quiz, which can be found here. All the answers are in the magazine.
Polly Jones, editor
Public Sector Buyers' Guide 2024
2024 procurement
The Procurement Act has brought widespread changes to public sector buying, with the intention to make procurement simpler and more effective
With an as yet unplanned general election coming up, 2024 is set to bring some uncertainties. Though, given the experience of the last few years, this is nothing new for those in the public sector. What is certain though, is that services still need to be delivered.
We’ve put together this Buyers’ Guide with features from top associations covering some of the key areas of public sector procurement, and local and central government services. The guide features articles on IT & Cybersecurity, Energy, Facilities Management, Waste Management, Fire Safety, Recruitment and more.
Polly Jones, editor
Government Business 30.06
This issue of Government Business comes off the back of a big couple of weeks of reshuffles and Autumn Budgets.
In this GB, we have a large focus on waste management, with articles from the Chartered Institute of Wastes Management and The National Association of Wheeled Bin Washers.
In Energy, the UK Green Building Council discusses energy procurement to meet net zero targets and reduce emissions.
The Fire Industry Association looks at fire safety best practice for 2024, the Legionella Control Association investigates the risk of Legionella in public buildings and the National Pest Technicians’ Association discusses methods to help ensure effective and efficient pest management.
Polly Jones, editor
Government Business 30.05
The hot government news at the moment is the withdrawal of net zero policies by the prime minister. Despite the roll back, and some criticism, the target to reach Net Zero by 2050 remains in place – a target that Sunak still believes can be met.
As we come to the end of summer, in this issue of Government Business, we take a look at some of the seasonal issues affecting local authorities - invasive plants, damp and mould and road maintenance.
With new fire safety regulations coming into force in October, we explain what the changes mean for local authorities.
UKATA assesses some of the risks and solutions for asbestos in social housing, the NFDC explains how levelling up needs demolition and the MRS looks at how to use AI in research.
We’ve also got framework explainers and event previews.
Polly Jones, editor
Smart City Business Sept 2023
Smart city technology is only growing and there are almost endless possibilities for its utilisation.
This issue of Smart City Business looks at what smart technologies London has implemented to tackle problems around the city.
We also look at Nottingham City Council's EV charging hub and how local authorities around the country are switching to EVs for their bin collections.
Finally, Michael Kolatchev and Lina Kolesnikova look at some of the potential threats faced by smart cities and what can be done to address these.
Polly Jones, editor
Government Business 30.04
The Conservatives recently lost two by-elections on the same day, with both victors overturning previously massive Conservative majorities. The results seem to show a swing in public opinion away from the Conservatives. However, the Tories are keen to highlight the narrow victory in Uxbridge as a sign that they still have support, and that voters (particularly in London) are reluctant to switch to Labour.
In this issue, the FIA explains the impact of the Building Safety Act 2022 on local authorities in terms of fire safety and what this means for Responsible Persons.
The Property Care Association investigates damp and mould in social housing and we look at how Manchester have improved their recycling rates thanks to improvements at their waste recycling centres.
We take a detailed look at carbon reduction in procurement and in particular the Carbon reduction plans of CCS listed suppliers.
We will also preview some of the events you can look forward to towards the end of the year and investigate CCS's non-clinical staffing framework.
