Policy Connect

The Accessible Transport Policy Commission and Policy Connect are pleased to note the appointment of Cllr Tracey Rawlins as the first ever Disability Advocate for Greater Manchester’s Bee Network Committee.     Cllr Rawlins’ new role comes after Greater Manchester Combined Authority signed the Commission’s #AccessibleTransportCharter, which included a commitment to the appointment of an advocate role to key #Transport decision-making bodies. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has pledged to place "accessibility at the heart of every decision made to improve public transport and active travel in Greater Manchester".   Welcoming the decision, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, Chair of the Accessible Transport Policy Commission, emphasised that “this will make Greater Manchester a far better and more accessible place for disabled people to live and thrive. I call on other local and regional authorities across the UK to follow Greater Manchester’s example”.     More information about how Cllr Rawlins and the Bee Network Committee intend to deliver an inclusive and accessible public transport and active travel network in #GreaterManchester can be found here: https://lnkd.in/eSimtuQq.    The Accessible Transport Policy Commission’s #AccessibleTransportCharter: https://lnkd.in/emYT3G7F. The Accessible Transport Policy Commission is part of the Motability Foundation funded National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat) and works to remove barriers to transport for disabled people across the UK.

Policy Connect and the All-Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group were pleased to host parliamentarians, business leaders, and industry stakeholders yesterday for a Winter Manufacturing Reception with Make UK.     Lord Karan Bilimoria chaired an afternoon session of networking and speeches that celebrated the resilience of the UK’s #Manufacturing sector and its potential to create secure employment, drive innovation, and deliver economic growth in a stable, collaborative partnership with government.     Thanks to all who attended and our excellent speakers, Lord Karan Bilimoria, Antonia Bance MP, Lord Richard Harrington, Stephen Phipson CBE (CEO, Make UK), and Claudia Jaksch, MBA (CEO, Policy Connect).     Read the Manufacturing Commission’s latest report, #UpskillingIndustry, here: https://lnkd.in/e8jjbD_f. 

Policy Connect were delighted to be joined by the Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh CBE MP, for a discussion in Parliament on the new Government’s approach to the circular economy.     Tristan Osborne MP, new chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Sustainable Resource Group, chaired a session which feartured important conversation about how the Government can incentivise upstream #Waste prevention, support innovative #Reuse and reapair schemes, and create jobs in the #CircularEconomy.     Thanks to Dr. Roz Savage MBE MP for her insightful contributions, and our range of participating stakeholders from across industry, academia, and the third sector.  

The All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group convened industry stakeholders yesterday afternoon to discuss progress since passage of the 2022 Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms Regulations.    The parliamentary roundtable was hosted by Paul Davies MP, with contributors discussing challenges in enforcing alarms regulations in rented #Housing, the disparity of regulations within the UK, and the availability of substandard #CarbonMonoxide alarms for purchase.     Thanks to all who attended and our excellent presenters, Alasdair Mcclenahan (Justice for Tenants) and Daniel Bennett (Safelincs).

Policy Connect are collaborating with UCISA to host a parliamentary policy symposium on the procurement of technology and IT services in #HigherEducation.    Lauren Edwards MP and Lord Philip Norton will chair the symposium, providing a platform for sector stakeholders to discuss innovative #Procurement strategies that can enhance the delivery of #Technology services, ensuring they can meet the evolving needs of students and staff.     The session will feature contributions from James Crooks (Durham University), Mel Gomes (Royal Holloway, University of London), and Dr. Robert Moore (Leeds Beckett University).     Spaces remain available to attend and if interested, please contact Alyson Hwang (alyson.hwang@policyconnect.org.uk).     More information is available here: https://lnkd.in/eCeuPFeB. 

Tomorrow afternoon, Policy Connect are partnering with Make UK to host #Manufacturing businesses from across the country for a winter parliamentary reception that will celebrate the sectors importance to the UK economy.     Ahead of the reception, Policy Connect’s Rob Allen has reviewed the Government’s #IndustrialStrategy Green Paper, arguing that a renewed focus on #Skills is key to ensuring an Industrial Strategy drives job creation, sector expansion, and economic growth.     Read Rob’s article here: https://lnkd.in/enuiK7YB. 

“Drug-resistant infections cost the NHS £1 billion annually. Reducing underdosing of IV antibiotics ensures safe effective care is delivered to achieve the best patient outcomes and reduces drug resistant infections whilst driving down unnecessary costs”.    Policy Connect’s Jasmin Adebisi, and Ruth Dando, Head of Nursing for Critical Care and Theatres at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, have contributed to Mediaplanet UK & IE’s ‘AMR and Infectious Diseases’ campaign by exploring the increasingly significant deficits in #Healthcare efficiencies emerging from underdosing of #IVAntibiotics.    With drug-resistant infections proving increasingly costly to the #NHS, Jasmin and Ruth outline the importance of healthcare providers adopting line flushing protocols to ensure full doses of medications are delivered.      Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/deRquNu6. 

As temperatures tumbled across the UK this week, many households will have turned on their heating appliances for the first time this winter. With the urge to discard #Ventilation in favour of warmth, a hidden danger arises - #CarbonMonoxide poisoning.     In this article for #CarbonMonoxideAwarenessWeek, Policy Connect’s Lavanya R. provides key tips for remaining #COSafe this winter and outlines the case for policy action to strengthen protections around carbon monoxide exposure.    Read Lavanya’s article here: https://lnkd.in/eUrAGHPJ. 

CALL FOR EVIDENCE: Industry professionals, academics, and members of civil society are invited to share their insights on the skills that citizens and employers need to thrive in the age of AI.     ‘Skills in the Age of AI’ is a new inquiry from Policy Connect that will explore the evolving landscape of citizen and workforce #Skills in an era increasingly shaped by #AI, and make recommendations to the Government on how AI can help elevate the #DigitalLiteracy of the workforce and public.     The deadline for submission of evidence is 20 December 2024, 11:59PM. More information about the call for evidence and the submission document can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/ew65jyGT.     Find out more about ‘Skills in the Age of AI’: https://lnkd.in/evtvPuvu. 

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Mary Creagh CBE MP, will be delivering the keynote speech at Policy Connect’s event on the future of #SustainableResources policy in Parliament next week.     After the release of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Sustainable Resources’ #UnpackingTheCircularEconomy report last year, the session will focus on how the new Government can advance the #CircularEconomy through reusable packaging.     The event will be chaired by Tristan Osborne MP, and feature contributions from Adam Jogee MP, Dr. Roz Savage MBE MP, and more.     If you're interested in this event, please contact Katy Haigh (katy.haigh@policyconnect.org.uk).     Read #UnpackingTheCircularEconomy here: https://lnkd.in/eSUzSXyC.