Publications
Nov
2009
Tuesday 3rd November, 2009
A Future For Politics: Ways to reform our political system
Edited by Tim Finch and Carey Oppenheim, ippr
In this short volume of essays, the leading think tanks debate the pros and cons of a range of approaches to putting democracy in the United Kingdom on a firmer footing. It features contributions from CentreForum, Demos, the Fabian Society, ippr, Policy Exchange and Reform.
Neil O'Brien, Director of Policy Exchange writes in his article In search of reform, not gimmicks :
"I think the key issues to tackle are the UK's overly strong party system and the drift of power in the hands of bodies that are not accountable. So for that reason it is not so much constitutional reform that is needed as political reform. We need to weaken the party system and put power in the hands of those the public feel they can influence."
Oct
2009
Thursday 29th October, 2009
Poverty of Ambition: why we need a new approach to tackling child poverty
By Peter Saunders
Edited by Natalie Evans
In 1999, Tony Blair committed the Government to abolishing child poverty by 2020. In 2006, the Conservative opposition endorsed this aim, and in 2009 the Government introduced a Child Poverty Bill which requires all future governments to meet four child poverty targets.
It is difficult to criticise these targets, for nobody wants to object to policies intended to rescue children from poverty. But the way the Government is defining and measuring poverty is badly flawed, and the new Bill has more to do with redistributing incomes and increasing welfare payments than with tackling the underlying causes of child poverty.
This Research Note recommends that the current child poverty targets should be replaced and the Child Poverty Bill withdrawn. We are not, however, arguing that the Government should abandon its broader concern to improve child wellbeing and the causes of poverty.
If you would like a hard copy of this research note for £4 + £1p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk
Thursday 1st October, 2009
Tax and Spending: Views of the British Public
By Neil O'Brien
This report surveyed a 3,000 strong sample of the British population on their attitudes towards multiple aspects of tax and spending, including:
• The balance of tax and spending
• Attitudes to different tax rises
• Attitudes to current tax levels
• Support for higher or lower pay in the public sector
• Support for cuts by specific programme
• Rules to control government borrowing
The report also conducted a comparison with the British Social Attitudes survey, finding significant attitude changes since the last BSA survey in 2007.
Sep
2009
Monday 28th September, 2009
Science Fiction? Uncovering the real level of science skills at school and university
Written by Anna Fazackerley and Tom Richmond
Britain will need more science skills if it is to prosper. According to the CBI a staggering 92% of firms across all sectors require people with science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills, but more than 59% are experiencing problems finding them.
The Government has repeatedly claimed that the numbers of pupils studying STEM subjects is going up. However, this is misleading as the school population has also increased considerably since 1997, meaning that we cannot derive any accurate measure of how popular STEM subjects are from raw numbers.
Our report debunks the Government's claims about the performance and take-up of science subjects at every level – GCSE, A Level and degree. Instead, misleading figures and lowered standards were found to behind many of the apparent ‘improvements’, with the result that British businesses now face a critical skills shortage.
If you would like a hard copy of this research note for £4 + £1p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk
Monday 21st September, 2009
Innovation and Industry: The Role of Government
Written by John Willman and Martin Smith
Edited by Natalie Evans
There is widespread agreement that the UK needs to boost manufacturing at a time when the financial services industry is unlikely to sustain recent growth rates.
There is, equally, a consensus that that it can do this only by moving up the value chain into advanced manufacturing and high technology products.
This Research Note makes a series of recommendations for improving the tax system, access to finance, public procurement and regulation.
If you would like a hard copy of this research note for £4 + £1p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk
Tuesday 1st September, 2009
Delivering a 21st Century Infrastructure for Britain
Written by Dieter Helm, James Wardlaw and Ben Caldecott
Our latest report estimates that in order to renew and replace much of Britain’s tired infrastructure, around £500 billion will need to be spent by 2020 to improve Britain’s competiveness, stimulate economic growth and meet the challenge of climate change.
Given the current size of accumulated Government debt, the report recommends that as much infrastructure investment as possible should be undertaken off Government balance sheet and by the private sector.
If you would like a hard copy of this report priced at £10 + £3p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk
Aug
2009
Friday 21st August, 2009
Lasting Change or Passing Fad? Problem Solving Justice in England and Wales
Edited by Ben Ullmann
Recently, Governments have sought to address the public’s concerns about crime by importing an innovative crime-fighting strategy from the US known as “problem-solving” justice. This is the idea that the justice system should do more than simply process cases – it should actively seek to aid victims, change the behaviour of offenders, and improve public safety in our neighbourhoods.
This report seeks to identify strategies that reformers can utilise to spread problem-solving justice as broadly as possible in a time of shrinking resources.
If you would like a hard copy of this report priced at £10 + £3p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk
Tuesday 18th August, 2009
Educating Rita? A model to address inadequate state support for part-time students
Written by Anna Fazakerley, Professor Claire Callender, Julian Chant and David Wilkinson
One of the greatest and most glossed-over injustices in the English higher education system is the fact that part-time undergraduate students, who are older and from less traditional academic backgrounds, have a much worse deal than their full-time counterparts.
Despite making up nearly a third of undergraduates, part-time students get a fraction of the financial support received by full-time students. They have to pay their fees up front, they can’t take out a Government-supported loan, and their chances of securing any financial support are slim.
Educating Rita recommends that the Government must invest £33 million to begin tackling the chronic underfunding of part-time students who currently receive a fraction of the support given to their younger full-time counterparts.
The report also proposes a partial solution to the crisis erupting this week over student places. With a boom in full-time university applications, but a drastic shortage of places, tens of thousands of eligible students will be unable to find a place when A-level results are published on Thursday.
If you would like a hard copy of this research note for £4 + £1p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk
Jul
2009
Wednesday 22nd July, 2009
Green skies thinking: Promoting the development and commercialisation of sustainable bio-jet fuels
By Ben Caldecott and Sean Tooze
Our report recommends the wide-scale deployment of sustainable bio-jet fuels which would result in emission reductions worth £37.41 billion in the UK between 2020 and 2050, as well as making a significant contribution to meeting the UK’s 2050 emission reduction target. We also set out how the UK can become a world leader in this important suite of technologies.
Green Skies Thinking recommends the setting of achievable and enforceable targets for replacing standard kerosene jet fuel with bio-jet fuel from 2020, through the implementation of an EU-wide Sustainable Bio-jet Fuel Blending Mandate. This would result in reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK and EU aviation sectors of 15% in 2020 and 60% in 2050 relative to current predictions.
Please download the research note for more of our recommendations.
If you would like a hard copy of this research note for £4 + £1p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk
Monday 20th July, 2009
A Wasted Opportunity: Getting the most out of Britain's Bins
Written by Professor Chris Coggins and Robert McIlveen
Edited by Ben Caldecott
Our latest report recommends the radical overhaul of the UK's waste system to reduce the cost on households, improve recycling rates, increase local authority efficiency and expand the proportion of the UK's energy needs met through waste.
A Wasted Opportunity notes that Britain still sends more than half its waste to landfill sites, and 15.5 million tonnes of household rubbish were buried and left to rot in 2007/8. The UK also fares badly in comparision with its European counterparts.
If you would like a hard copy of this report priced at £10 + £3p&p then please email: janet.batterbee@policyexchange.org.uk
