** 'Cold Society? Improving the UK's strategy for coping with the cold' **
Date(s) - 04/03/2013
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Location:
British Library Conference Centre
A British Library and Strategic Society Centre public debate about excess winter deaths and the cost of cold-related illness.
As winter draws to a close, the countdown begins until the Office for National Statistics publishes its annual estimate of ‘excess winter deaths’ – usually around 25,000 pensioners each year.
These deaths, and the cost of cold-related illness to the NHS – estimated to be £1.36 billion a year in England – are widely acknowledged to be unnecessary and preventable, particularly given the outcomes achieved in countries much colder than the UK.
Four government departments deploy policies directed at the effect of cold weather on the population: DH, DECC, DCLG and – spending by far the most – DWP.
However, it is still far from clear that the UK has an effective, adequate and joined up strategy for dealing with the effects of cold.
This event will therefore explore:
Are excess winter deaths and cold-related illness a problem of public health, low incomes, fuel poverty, poor home insulation or human behaviour?
Is government policy in this area effective or targeted?
As the biggest item of public spending in this area, what proportion of Winter Fuel Payments is spent on keeping warm? What would be the effect of scrapping Winter Fuel Payments on household fuel spending?
What is the scope for more joined-up policy interventions and choices?
Speakers at this event include:
Reg Platt, Research Fellow, Institute for Public Policy Research
Cormac O’Dea, Senior Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies
James Lloyd, Director, Strategic Society Centre
Traditional tax incentives for retirement saving in Britain include tax relief on contributions and special tax treatment for retirement accounts. However, recent changes have lowered the annual and lifetime contribution allowances significantly. There is a debate around whether tax incentives or default saving options better encourage retirement saving. While tax incentives aim to increase savings rates, the savings must come from reduced consumption rather than shifting funds between accounts. Evaluating the effectiveness of tax incentives requires considering whether savings responses are positively impacted by higher net returns.
This document discusses measures for comparing welfare spending across countries. It introduces common macro-level measures like social spending as a percentage of GDP and per capita. Different currencies, price levels, and population sizes require adjustment. While simple to measure, welfare spending alone does not capture differences in social rights or the strength of welfare states. Comparing countries requires carefully interpreting the appropriate measures and understanding their limitations.
Saving Behaviour, Expectations and Future Financial HardshipEesti Pank
The document discusses research investigating how saving behaviors, including the amount saved and likelihood of saving, have changed over time in the UK. It uses data from the British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society survey to analyze factors influencing individual saving rates among employed individuals aged 25-59 from 1991-2013/14. The research finds that financial optimism and income level impact the probability and amount of monthly saving, with those with lower incomes or who are not financially optimistic being less likely to save larger amounts.
capital (income) taxation and pension system reformGRAPE
The paper studies the interaction between capital (income) taxation and pension system reform in the context of rising longevity. In an economy with idiosyncratic income shocks and uncertainty about life duration, defined benefit pension plans with redistribution (similar to the current US pension system) provide some insurance against these risks. The existing view in the literature states that the current pension system in the US introduces distortions to labor supply decisions and reduces capital accumulation, but reducing this distortion by the means of introducing (partially) funded defined contribution system involves loss of insurance and transitory fiscal gap, which dominate the benefits of reform. Prior financed the transitory costs of the reform by taxing consumption. We show that in the context of longevity, capital income taxation provides a superior alternative: welfare gains are sufficient to outweigh the loss of insurance and transitory funding costs. Our approach builds on optimal taxation literature: taxes should be levied on the least responsive tax base, and growing life expectancy raises incentives for capital accumulation. Further, higher risk exposure amplifies incentives for precautionary savings. These two mechanisms -- the rising longevity and the stronger precautionary motive -- make capital accumulation relatively less responsive to the tax hikes, thus reducing the dead-weight loss from increased taxation. In the long run, privatizing social security permits lower taxation, thus boosting capital income gains, accelerating capital accumulation, and economic progress. We reconcile our results with the earlier literature. We also study the political economy context and show that political support for capital income taxation is feasible.
Stimulating old-age savings under incomplete rationalityGRAPE
1) Government-subsidized voluntary old-age saving schemes reduce poverty and increase welfare compared to raising payroll taxes or reducing pension benefits alone under incomplete rationality.
2) However, the subsidies disproportionately benefit households who need them least.
3) While capital accumulation increases overall, crowd-out of private savings is large, limiting macroeconomic gains.
Aviva's biannual UK Family Finances report (December 2014) reveals that:
> UK parents of 0-5s juggle earnings with childcare expenses
> 1 in 10 families using childcare for 0-5s say lower earner takes home nothing after childcare / work costs are paid
> Lower earner typically brings home just £243 after childcare / work costs are paid
> One in three families using childcare for 0-5s turn to grandparents
> Working parents are being hamstrung by childcare costs, with thousands effectively working for nothing, Aviva can reveal.
The company’s Winter 2014 Family Finances Report also reveals that one in 10 families paying childcare costs for youngsters aged 0-5, effectively see one earner bring home nothing from his or her job after childcare and work costs are taken into account.
Similarly one in four families in this position has one parent who brings home less than £100 a month after costs.
Find out more in the full report.
Infographics and quotagraphics to accompany this report are available on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/avivaplc/
#FamilyFinances
The Aviva Family Finances Report July 2013Aviva plc
The document is a report on modern UK family finances from July 2013. It finds that the typical UK family's monthly income was just under a record high at £2,108. While overall expenses fell slightly, one-parent families still saw their costs rise. Savings habits improved overall with fewer families saving nothing, though single parents remained least able to save.
Efficiency versus insurance: The role for capital income taxation in social s...GRAPE
We study the interactions between capital income tax and social security in the context of longevity. On the one hand, taxing capital income gains reduces capital accumulation and slows down economic progress. On the other hand, increasing life expectancy raises incentives for capital accumulation, which makes capital relatively less responsive to the tax hikes. Under longevity, reforming social security from a defined benefit system to a defined contribution system limits the extent of fiscal imbalance in the long run, thus further raising efficiency.
The existing view in the literature states that the insurance motive dominates the efficiency gains when evaluating the welfare effects of social security reform with stochastic income shocks. We show, under plausible calibration of the US economy, that the efficiency gain resulting from the interaction of social security and capital income taxation in the context of longevity provide welfare gains sufficient to outweigh the loss of insurance. By analyzing a variety of fiscal closures, we reconcile our result with the earlier literature. We also study the political economy context and show that political support for capital income taxation is feasible.
Traditional tax incentives for retirement saving in Britain include tax relief on contributions and special tax treatment for retirement accounts. However, recent changes have lowered the annual and lifetime contribution allowances significantly. There is a debate around whether tax incentives or default saving options better encourage retirement saving. While tax incentives aim to increase savings rates, the savings must come from reduced consumption rather than shifting funds between accounts. Evaluating the effectiveness of tax incentives requires considering whether savings responses are positively impacted by higher net returns.
This document discusses measures for comparing welfare spending across countries. It introduces common macro-level measures like social spending as a percentage of GDP and per capita. Different currencies, price levels, and population sizes require adjustment. While simple to measure, welfare spending alone does not capture differences in social rights or the strength of welfare states. Comparing countries requires carefully interpreting the appropriate measures and understanding their limitations.
Saving Behaviour, Expectations and Future Financial HardshipEesti Pank
The document discusses research investigating how saving behaviors, including the amount saved and likelihood of saving, have changed over time in the UK. It uses data from the British Household Panel Survey and Understanding Society survey to analyze factors influencing individual saving rates among employed individuals aged 25-59 from 1991-2013/14. The research finds that financial optimism and income level impact the probability and amount of monthly saving, with those with lower incomes or who are not financially optimistic being less likely to save larger amounts.
capital (income) taxation and pension system reformGRAPE
The paper studies the interaction between capital (income) taxation and pension system reform in the context of rising longevity. In an economy with idiosyncratic income shocks and uncertainty about life duration, defined benefit pension plans with redistribution (similar to the current US pension system) provide some insurance against these risks. The existing view in the literature states that the current pension system in the US introduces distortions to labor supply decisions and reduces capital accumulation, but reducing this distortion by the means of introducing (partially) funded defined contribution system involves loss of insurance and transitory fiscal gap, which dominate the benefits of reform. Prior financed the transitory costs of the reform by taxing consumption. We show that in the context of longevity, capital income taxation provides a superior alternative: welfare gains are sufficient to outweigh the loss of insurance and transitory funding costs. Our approach builds on optimal taxation literature: taxes should be levied on the least responsive tax base, and growing life expectancy raises incentives for capital accumulation. Further, higher risk exposure amplifies incentives for precautionary savings. These two mechanisms -- the rising longevity and the stronger precautionary motive -- make capital accumulation relatively less responsive to the tax hikes, thus reducing the dead-weight loss from increased taxation. In the long run, privatizing social security permits lower taxation, thus boosting capital income gains, accelerating capital accumulation, and economic progress. We reconcile our results with the earlier literature. We also study the political economy context and show that political support for capital income taxation is feasible.
Stimulating old-age savings under incomplete rationalityGRAPE
1) Government-subsidized voluntary old-age saving schemes reduce poverty and increase welfare compared to raising payroll taxes or reducing pension benefits alone under incomplete rationality.
2) However, the subsidies disproportionately benefit households who need them least.
3) While capital accumulation increases overall, crowd-out of private savings is large, limiting macroeconomic gains.
Aviva's biannual UK Family Finances report (December 2014) reveals that:
> UK parents of 0-5s juggle earnings with childcare expenses
> 1 in 10 families using childcare for 0-5s say lower earner takes home nothing after childcare / work costs are paid
> Lower earner typically brings home just £243 after childcare / work costs are paid
> One in three families using childcare for 0-5s turn to grandparents
> Working parents are being hamstrung by childcare costs, with thousands effectively working for nothing, Aviva can reveal.
The company’s Winter 2014 Family Finances Report also reveals that one in 10 families paying childcare costs for youngsters aged 0-5, effectively see one earner bring home nothing from his or her job after childcare and work costs are taken into account.
Similarly one in four families in this position has one parent who brings home less than £100 a month after costs.
Find out more in the full report.
Infographics and quotagraphics to accompany this report are available on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/avivaplc/
#FamilyFinances
The Aviva Family Finances Report July 2013Aviva plc
The document is a report on modern UK family finances from July 2013. It finds that the typical UK family's monthly income was just under a record high at £2,108. While overall expenses fell slightly, one-parent families still saw their costs rise. Savings habits improved overall with fewer families saving nothing, though single parents remained least able to save.
Efficiency versus insurance: The role for capital income taxation in social s...GRAPE
We study the interactions between capital income tax and social security in the context of longevity. On the one hand, taxing capital income gains reduces capital accumulation and slows down economic progress. On the other hand, increasing life expectancy raises incentives for capital accumulation, which makes capital relatively less responsive to the tax hikes. Under longevity, reforming social security from a defined benefit system to a defined contribution system limits the extent of fiscal imbalance in the long run, thus further raising efficiency.
The existing view in the literature states that the insurance motive dominates the efficiency gains when evaluating the welfare effects of social security reform with stochastic income shocks. We show, under plausible calibration of the US economy, that the efficiency gain resulting from the interaction of social security and capital income taxation in the context of longevity provide welfare gains sufficient to outweigh the loss of insurance. By analyzing a variety of fiscal closures, we reconcile our result with the earlier literature. We also study the political economy context and show that political support for capital income taxation is feasible.
Slides from British Library and Strategic Society Centre joint debate, which took place on Monday November 26th, 2012 at the British Library Conference Centre.
Speakers at the event comprised:
Carl Emmerson, Deputy Director, IFS
José Iparraguirre, Chief Economist, Age UK
James Lloyd, Director, Strategic Society Centre
This document discusses planning in organizations. It defines planning as defining goals, strategies, and coordinating activities to achieve goals. Planning provides direction, reduces uncertainty, establishes goals, and minimizes waste. There are different types of goals like financial, strategic, stated, and real goals. Approaches to goal setting include traditional top-down and MBO which involves collaborative goal setting. Plans outline how to achieve goals and come in forms like strategic, operational, short-term, long-term, specific, directional, single-use, and standing plans. Environmental uncertainty, organizational level, and future commitments impact planning.
The document discusses the potential benefits of adopting a "one budget" approach that fully integrates health and social care budgets in the UK. Key points include:
- Integrating budgets could end cost-shifting between health and social care, incentivize preventative social care, and allow services to be commissioned based on integrated outcomes rather than artificial divisions.
- Challenges include ensuring resources aren't just pulled back to hospitals, determining personal budgets under a single system, and adapting regulations for integrated providers.
- Health and wellbeing boards could provide local governance structures but may require primary legislation to fully implement a single budget approach.
Help to Buy schemes aim to increase access to mortgage financing and boost the housing market. However, economic theory and evidence suggest they may primarily benefit existing homeowners and drive up house prices, while doing little for first-time buyers. Supply constraints from strict planning are a major underlying cause of high UK house prices. International experience shows subsidies are ineffective and risky; governments should instead focus on reforming planning to increase housing supply.
Keep calm and carry on? Policy, psychology and the effects of 'economic war'Strategic Society Centre
1. The document discusses the psychological and health impacts of economic hardship and unemployment during periods of recession.
2. Past research has found that unemployment can significantly damage mental health and increase mortality risk, though the impacts may depend on context such as availability of social services.
3. Governments must prepare policies to help citizens cope with stress, support retraining, and curb rising inequality in order to minimize harm during economic downturns.
Slides from an APPG on Social Care public debate, in association with the Strategic Society Centre.
Date and time: 16.30-18.30, June 26th 2012
Location: Committee Room 18, House of Commons
Speakers at this event comprised:
James Lloyd, Director, The Strategic Society Centre
Paul Johnson, Director, IFS
Anita Charlesworth, Chief Economist, Nuffield Trust and former Director of Public Spending, HM Treasury
Caroline Abrahams, Director of External Affairs, Age UK
The document appears to be a crossword puzzle containing common English past tense and past participle verbs. The crossword grid is labeled with numbers across the top and down the side with 27 squares to be filled. Common English verbs are listed below the grid that could be used to complete the crossword puzzle in their simple past or past participle forms.
October 29th, 2013
A public debate on the new radicalism emerging in UK housing policy.
Speakers at this event will include:
Ruth Davison, Director, Policy and External Affairs, National Housing Federation
Josh Miller, Senior Economist, RICS
Toby Lloyd, Head of Policy, Shelter
Matt Griffith, PricedOut
Chair: James Lloyd, Director, Strategic Society Centre
Twitter: #specialmeasures
“Build more homes” has become a universal political maxim, but few expect the UK’s housing shortage will be fixed during the next decade.
However, more stakeholders are now abandoning the notion that housing policy can be left to market forces, and a growing interest is observable in radical, unorthodox policy interventions to address the effects of housing under-supply on both households and the economy.
Recent examples of such ‘special measures’ proposed include:
A ‘cap’ on annual house increases;
Rent controls in the private rented sector;
A ban on new-build homes being sold to private landlords.
Politicians also appear more willing to consider unconventional positions: both the London Mayor and Leader of the Opposition have floated “use it or lose it” rules for undeveloped land.
Amid signs the public are also less inclined to view rising property prices as a good thing, the conditions now appear to be in place for manifestos in the 2015 general election to adopt the most radical policies on housing seen in decades.
This public debate will take stock of the new radicalism in debate on how public policy should respond to the effects of the housing shortage, and ask:
What are the key effects of housing under-supply for households and the economy? What policy responses are possible?
Why are we seeing new interest in unorthodox housing policy interventions now?
What are the lessons from overseas when governments have tried unorthodox measures?
How can we ensure that the new ideas and ‘special measures’ proposed are given a strategic direction and focus?
This document summarizes a discussion on raising pension contribution rates in the UK. It discusses how longevity has increased the ratio of time spent in retirement to time spent working. To achieve adequate retirement incomes, both high participation rates in pensions as well as adequate contribution rates are needed. Currently, reforms have focused on participation rates, but contribution rates of 8% of earnings may not be enough. Raising contribution rates could involve increasing regulations on minimum contributions, improving education, using incentives, or nudges like automatically increasing contribution rates over time. Both employee and employer contribution rates may need to increase, but this requires balancing adequacy with preventing increased opt-outs.
Throttling is an irreversible process where a fluid loses pressure as it passes through a restriction. It occurs in situations like fluid flowing through a partially opened valve, a very small opening, or a porous plug. During throttling, there is negligible work transfer and heat transfer due to the small pressure differences and short device length. As a result, throttling is an isenthalpic process where the enthalpy of the fluid remains constant.
This document discusses planning in organizations. It defines planning as defining goals, strategies, and coordinating activities to achieve goals. Planning provides direction, reduces uncertainty, establishes goals, and minimizes waste. There are different types of goals like financial, strategic, stated, and real goals. Approaches to goal setting include traditional top-down and MBO which involves collaborative goal setting. Plans outline how to achieve goals and come in forms like strategic, operational, short-term, long-term, specific, directional, single-use, and standing plans. Environmental uncertainty, organizational level, and future commitments impact planning.
Digital literacy is becoming increasingly important as technology and media rapidly change how people access information and communicate. Teachers need to incorporate digital literacy skills into classrooms to help students succeed. Some strategies for teaching digital literacy include using classroom blogs for students to read and write online, creating video blogs to showcase projects and lessons, and setting up wikis for collaborative writing. These tools help develop skills like using technology, analyzing online content, and communicating digitally.
The document discusses the principles and parameters framework for language acquisition proposed by Chomsky and Lasnik. It explains that universal grammar consists of a finite set of principles common to all languages and a finite set of parameters that determine variation between languages. Children acquire language by learning the parameter settings of their native language based on innate linguistic principles. The document provides examples of parameters like head directionality and the pro-drop parameter. It also discusses how phrase structure rules and lexical subcategorization frames realize principles within syntactic structure.
Compound words are formed by combining two or more lexemes into a single word. There are several types of compound words including noun compounds, verb compounds, and adjective compounds. Compound words can be identified by their meaning, stress pattern, and subclasses like endocentric, exocentric, copulative, and appositional compounds. The process of compounding allows for unlimited combinations of words in the English language.
Problems and issues in curriculum developmentNaeem Ashraf
This document discusses problems and issues in curriculum development. It notes that both problems and issues cause debate and conflict, with problems typically having clear solutions and issues dividing people. Developing an effective curriculum involves hard work and consideration of philosophical, psychological, social, and economic factors. Curriculum planning is further complicated in dynamic societies by disagreements over goals and approaches. Societal changes and ideological dilemmas also indirectly impact the curriculum development process. The document then outlines specific factors that affect curriculum development in Pakistan, including a lack of coordination, economic challenges, political interference, inadequate evaluation, societal disapproval, an overly urbanized focus, shortages of teaching materials and training, and teacher reluctance to change.
Problems and issues in curriculum development and factors affecting curriculu...Naeem Ashraf
The document discusses problems and issues in curriculum development. It defines education and curriculum, explaining that curriculum is the set of experiences that help children become adults. Developing curriculum involves addressing problems like lack of sequencing between stages, economic constraints, political interference, inadequate evaluation, and curricula being more suited to urban areas. Factors affecting curriculum development in Pakistan include economic problems, political interference, inadequate evaluation, curricula not suiting rural communities, lack of teaching materials, insufficient teacher training, teacher reluctance to change, and lack of commitment to a national philosophy in education.
This document discusses the concept of curriculum change and the factors that drive it. It provides information on:
- The constant nature of change and how it leads to improvement through technological advancement and increasing knowledge.
- Key drivers of curriculum change including community needs, technology, political influences, and complexity from various stakeholder demands.
- Features of successful change including it being an ongoing process that requires support from individuals.
- Types of curriculum changes and strategies for implementing changes.
- The need to develop curriculum change through cooperative goal-setting and problem-solving approaches while maintaining open communication.
This paper examines social transfers in kind (STiK) in Finland and the UK using microdata. It finds that STiK represent 31.3% and 23.6% of disposable income in Finland and the UK respectively based on national accounts, but microdata only captures 51.5% and 70% of STiK. The paper also finds that including STiK significantly reduces income inequality and poverty rates in both countries. However, the results for Finland may be impacted by underreporting of STiK in the microdata. Key issues discussed include whether to value health STiK based on actual consumption or an insurance approach.
This document discusses two papers about measuring and accounting for in-kind government benefits (social transfers in kind or STIK) at micro and macro levels. The OECD paper presents illustrative calculations of STIK distribution across income quintiles for 10 countries. The ABS paper focuses on how the Australian Bureau of Statistics constructs official statistics on STIK and reconciles micro and macro measures. Both papers use an "insurance approach" to allocate STIK by characteristics like age, education level, and health status. The discussant comments on strengths and limitations of the methods and calls for more work to improve cross-country comparisons and understand what drives differences in STIK distribution.
Presentation slides from the ILC-UK 'What is retirmeent really like?' launch event on the 1st December 2015.
Building on ILC-UK’s extensive work on older consumers and on retirement income, this major research report assesses the differences between theory or popular belief about retirement and the reality of it.
The report considers how spending varies during old age and challenges pre-existing stereotypes about retired life which can be misleading and may contribute to poor planning or unrealistic expectations. This report, which incorporates new quantitative analysis and the feedback from 3 expert focus groups, will explore the role for policymakers and industry in helping us retire well.
Slides from British Library and Strategic Society Centre joint debate, which took place on Monday November 26th, 2012 at the British Library Conference Centre.
Speakers at the event comprised:
Carl Emmerson, Deputy Director, IFS
José Iparraguirre, Chief Economist, Age UK
James Lloyd, Director, Strategic Society Centre
This document discusses planning in organizations. It defines planning as defining goals, strategies, and coordinating activities to achieve goals. Planning provides direction, reduces uncertainty, establishes goals, and minimizes waste. There are different types of goals like financial, strategic, stated, and real goals. Approaches to goal setting include traditional top-down and MBO which involves collaborative goal setting. Plans outline how to achieve goals and come in forms like strategic, operational, short-term, long-term, specific, directional, single-use, and standing plans. Environmental uncertainty, organizational level, and future commitments impact planning.
The document discusses the potential benefits of adopting a "one budget" approach that fully integrates health and social care budgets in the UK. Key points include:
- Integrating budgets could end cost-shifting between health and social care, incentivize preventative social care, and allow services to be commissioned based on integrated outcomes rather than artificial divisions.
- Challenges include ensuring resources aren't just pulled back to hospitals, determining personal budgets under a single system, and adapting regulations for integrated providers.
- Health and wellbeing boards could provide local governance structures but may require primary legislation to fully implement a single budget approach.
Help to Buy schemes aim to increase access to mortgage financing and boost the housing market. However, economic theory and evidence suggest they may primarily benefit existing homeowners and drive up house prices, while doing little for first-time buyers. Supply constraints from strict planning are a major underlying cause of high UK house prices. International experience shows subsidies are ineffective and risky; governments should instead focus on reforming planning to increase housing supply.
Keep calm and carry on? Policy, psychology and the effects of 'economic war'Strategic Society Centre
1. The document discusses the psychological and health impacts of economic hardship and unemployment during periods of recession.
2. Past research has found that unemployment can significantly damage mental health and increase mortality risk, though the impacts may depend on context such as availability of social services.
3. Governments must prepare policies to help citizens cope with stress, support retraining, and curb rising inequality in order to minimize harm during economic downturns.
Slides from an APPG on Social Care public debate, in association with the Strategic Society Centre.
Date and time: 16.30-18.30, June 26th 2012
Location: Committee Room 18, House of Commons
Speakers at this event comprised:
James Lloyd, Director, The Strategic Society Centre
Paul Johnson, Director, IFS
Anita Charlesworth, Chief Economist, Nuffield Trust and former Director of Public Spending, HM Treasury
Caroline Abrahams, Director of External Affairs, Age UK
The document appears to be a crossword puzzle containing common English past tense and past participle verbs. The crossword grid is labeled with numbers across the top and down the side with 27 squares to be filled. Common English verbs are listed below the grid that could be used to complete the crossword puzzle in their simple past or past participle forms.
October 29th, 2013
A public debate on the new radicalism emerging in UK housing policy.
Speakers at this event will include:
Ruth Davison, Director, Policy and External Affairs, National Housing Federation
Josh Miller, Senior Economist, RICS
Toby Lloyd, Head of Policy, Shelter
Matt Griffith, PricedOut
Chair: James Lloyd, Director, Strategic Society Centre
Twitter: #specialmeasures
“Build more homes” has become a universal political maxim, but few expect the UK’s housing shortage will be fixed during the next decade.
However, more stakeholders are now abandoning the notion that housing policy can be left to market forces, and a growing interest is observable in radical, unorthodox policy interventions to address the effects of housing under-supply on both households and the economy.
Recent examples of such ‘special measures’ proposed include:
A ‘cap’ on annual house increases;
Rent controls in the private rented sector;
A ban on new-build homes being sold to private landlords.
Politicians also appear more willing to consider unconventional positions: both the London Mayor and Leader of the Opposition have floated “use it or lose it” rules for undeveloped land.
Amid signs the public are also less inclined to view rising property prices as a good thing, the conditions now appear to be in place for manifestos in the 2015 general election to adopt the most radical policies on housing seen in decades.
This public debate will take stock of the new radicalism in debate on how public policy should respond to the effects of the housing shortage, and ask:
What are the key effects of housing under-supply for households and the economy? What policy responses are possible?
Why are we seeing new interest in unorthodox housing policy interventions now?
What are the lessons from overseas when governments have tried unorthodox measures?
How can we ensure that the new ideas and ‘special measures’ proposed are given a strategic direction and focus?
This document summarizes a discussion on raising pension contribution rates in the UK. It discusses how longevity has increased the ratio of time spent in retirement to time spent working. To achieve adequate retirement incomes, both high participation rates in pensions as well as adequate contribution rates are needed. Currently, reforms have focused on participation rates, but contribution rates of 8% of earnings may not be enough. Raising contribution rates could involve increasing regulations on minimum contributions, improving education, using incentives, or nudges like automatically increasing contribution rates over time. Both employee and employer contribution rates may need to increase, but this requires balancing adequacy with preventing increased opt-outs.
Throttling is an irreversible process where a fluid loses pressure as it passes through a restriction. It occurs in situations like fluid flowing through a partially opened valve, a very small opening, or a porous plug. During throttling, there is negligible work transfer and heat transfer due to the small pressure differences and short device length. As a result, throttling is an isenthalpic process where the enthalpy of the fluid remains constant.
This document discusses planning in organizations. It defines planning as defining goals, strategies, and coordinating activities to achieve goals. Planning provides direction, reduces uncertainty, establishes goals, and minimizes waste. There are different types of goals like financial, strategic, stated, and real goals. Approaches to goal setting include traditional top-down and MBO which involves collaborative goal setting. Plans outline how to achieve goals and come in forms like strategic, operational, short-term, long-term, specific, directional, single-use, and standing plans. Environmental uncertainty, organizational level, and future commitments impact planning.
Digital literacy is becoming increasingly important as technology and media rapidly change how people access information and communicate. Teachers need to incorporate digital literacy skills into classrooms to help students succeed. Some strategies for teaching digital literacy include using classroom blogs for students to read and write online, creating video blogs to showcase projects and lessons, and setting up wikis for collaborative writing. These tools help develop skills like using technology, analyzing online content, and communicating digitally.
The document discusses the principles and parameters framework for language acquisition proposed by Chomsky and Lasnik. It explains that universal grammar consists of a finite set of principles common to all languages and a finite set of parameters that determine variation between languages. Children acquire language by learning the parameter settings of their native language based on innate linguistic principles. The document provides examples of parameters like head directionality and the pro-drop parameter. It also discusses how phrase structure rules and lexical subcategorization frames realize principles within syntactic structure.
Compound words are formed by combining two or more lexemes into a single word. There are several types of compound words including noun compounds, verb compounds, and adjective compounds. Compound words can be identified by their meaning, stress pattern, and subclasses like endocentric, exocentric, copulative, and appositional compounds. The process of compounding allows for unlimited combinations of words in the English language.
Problems and issues in curriculum developmentNaeem Ashraf
This document discusses problems and issues in curriculum development. It notes that both problems and issues cause debate and conflict, with problems typically having clear solutions and issues dividing people. Developing an effective curriculum involves hard work and consideration of philosophical, psychological, social, and economic factors. Curriculum planning is further complicated in dynamic societies by disagreements over goals and approaches. Societal changes and ideological dilemmas also indirectly impact the curriculum development process. The document then outlines specific factors that affect curriculum development in Pakistan, including a lack of coordination, economic challenges, political interference, inadequate evaluation, societal disapproval, an overly urbanized focus, shortages of teaching materials and training, and teacher reluctance to change.
Problems and issues in curriculum development and factors affecting curriculu...Naeem Ashraf
The document discusses problems and issues in curriculum development. It defines education and curriculum, explaining that curriculum is the set of experiences that help children become adults. Developing curriculum involves addressing problems like lack of sequencing between stages, economic constraints, political interference, inadequate evaluation, and curricula being more suited to urban areas. Factors affecting curriculum development in Pakistan include economic problems, political interference, inadequate evaluation, curricula not suiting rural communities, lack of teaching materials, insufficient teacher training, teacher reluctance to change, and lack of commitment to a national philosophy in education.
This document discusses the concept of curriculum change and the factors that drive it. It provides information on:
- The constant nature of change and how it leads to improvement through technological advancement and increasing knowledge.
- Key drivers of curriculum change including community needs, technology, political influences, and complexity from various stakeholder demands.
- Features of successful change including it being an ongoing process that requires support from individuals.
- Types of curriculum changes and strategies for implementing changes.
- The need to develop curriculum change through cooperative goal-setting and problem-solving approaches while maintaining open communication.
This paper examines social transfers in kind (STiK) in Finland and the UK using microdata. It finds that STiK represent 31.3% and 23.6% of disposable income in Finland and the UK respectively based on national accounts, but microdata only captures 51.5% and 70% of STiK. The paper also finds that including STiK significantly reduces income inequality and poverty rates in both countries. However, the results for Finland may be impacted by underreporting of STiK in the microdata. Key issues discussed include whether to value health STiK based on actual consumption or an insurance approach.
This document discusses two papers about measuring and accounting for in-kind government benefits (social transfers in kind or STIK) at micro and macro levels. The OECD paper presents illustrative calculations of STIK distribution across income quintiles for 10 countries. The ABS paper focuses on how the Australian Bureau of Statistics constructs official statistics on STIK and reconciles micro and macro measures. Both papers use an "insurance approach" to allocate STIK by characteristics like age, education level, and health status. The discussant comments on strengths and limitations of the methods and calls for more work to improve cross-country comparisons and understand what drives differences in STIK distribution.
Presentation slides from the ILC-UK 'What is retirmeent really like?' launch event on the 1st December 2015.
Building on ILC-UK’s extensive work on older consumers and on retirement income, this major research report assesses the differences between theory or popular belief about retirement and the reality of it.
The report considers how spending varies during old age and challenges pre-existing stereotypes about retired life which can be misleading and may contribute to poor planning or unrealistic expectations. This report, which incorporates new quantitative analysis and the feedback from 3 expert focus groups, will explore the role for policymakers and industry in helping us retire well.
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3. Excess winter deaths
!
Excess winter mortality!
ONS standard definition: December to March!
Number of deaths in this period minus average
of preceding and following period!
Around 25,000 excess winter deaths a year in
England and Wales!
Fluctuations year to year!
Excess winter deaths are preventable!
4. Who dies because of the cold?
!
2011-12: ! !!
10,700 men and 13,300 women!
!
For 2010-11: !
Age 0-64: !3,630 deaths!
Age 65-74: !3,050 deaths!
Age 75-84: !7,350 deaths!
Age 85+: ! !12,040 deaths!
!
5. Why do people die?
!
ONS data: !
!
Respiratory diseases: ! ! ! ! ! !10,110!
Circulatory diseases ! ! ! ! ! !6,850!
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease:!4,110!
Injury and poisoning: ! ! ! ! ! !500!
!
!
6. Who is at risk?
!
DH Cold Weather Plan identifies those who are: !
!
• Over 75 years old;!
• Otherwise ‘frail’ older people;!
• Have pre-existing chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, stroke
or transient ischaemic attack (TIA), asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease (COPD) or diabetes; mental ill-health that reduces individual’s
ability to self-care; dementia; !
• Assessed as being at risk of, or has had, recurrent falls; !
• Housebound or otherwise low mobility; !
• Living in deprived circumstances; !
• Living in houses with mould; !
• Fuel-poor (needing to spend 10% or more of household income on heating
the home); !
• Older people who live alone and do not have additional social services
support. !
!
!
7. Excess winter deaths in context
!
Prevalence varies among countries: typically
lower in Scandinavia!
!
Link with income or socio-economic
characteristics is inconclusive: age, health
and housing factors can be more important.!
!
!
8. Cost of cold to the Exchequer
!
DH 2009 estimate using historic data: £850
million annual cost to the NHS in England of
cold-related conditions.!
Age UK 2012 updated estimate: £1.36 billion. !
Context: cost of an older person staying in
hospital for one week is estimated to be
£1,750–£2,100. !
!
!
9. Which government departments
are involved?
!
Four implement relevant policies:!
!
Department for Communities and Local Government!
Department for Energy and Climate Change!
Department of Health!
Department for Work and Pensions!
!
However, no department has cross-departmental
coordinating or leading role.!
!
!
10. How are these problems framed in
policy debate?
!
An income poverty problem – “people don’t have
enough money to stay warm”;!
A fuel poverty problem – “poor home insulation and
rising energy costs push people into poverty or
causing them to ‘under-consume’ heating”;!
A home insulation problem – “people get cold
because of poor quality housing”;!
A public health problem – “people don’t know how
to stay healthy or warm in cold weather”;!
11. How are the problems framed?
!
A behavioural problem – “people get cold because
they are afraid to turn the heating on, don’t wrap
themselves up, and other poor behavioural
responses to the cold”;!
An energy market competition problem – “there
isn’t enough competition in the energy market to
ensure affordable heating for households”;!
A consumer behaviour problem – “people don’t
shop around for the cheapest energy tariffs so end
up becoming cold”.!
!
!
12. What have policy interventions
focused on?
!
Affordability of heating!
– Winter Fuel Payments (DWP);!
– Cold Weather Payments (DWP);!
Changing household and public services
behaviour in response to the cold!
– The Cold Weather Plan (DH);!
General public health interventions!
– Seasonal flu vaccination programme (DH);!
– Public Health Outcomes Framework (DH, DCLG);!
13. What policy interventions have
been deployed?
!
Home insulation!
– The Green Deal (DECC);!
– Energy Company Obligation (DECC);!
– Code for Sustainable Homes (DCLG);!
– Warm Front Programme (DECC);!
– Home Energy Conservation Act (DCLG);!
Generalised attempts to address the effects of
the cold:!
– Warm Homes, Healthy People funds (DH).!
14. But the scandal of excess winter
deaths continues
!
Is government policy in this area effective or
targeted?!
!
What is the scope for more joined-up policy
interventions and choices?!
25. Improving the UK’s strategy
for coping with the cold:
The energy perspective
Reg Platt
March 2013
26. A challenging context:
Energy bills are rising
Average dual fuel bill (£)
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
Committee
0 on Climate
2004 2011 (weather adjusted) Change 2012
27. A challenging context:
Energy bills are rising
Average dual fuel bill (£)
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
Committee
0 on Climate
2004 2011 (weather adjusted) 2020 Change 2012
28. A challenging context:
Energy bills are rising
Average dual fuel bill (£)
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
Committee
0 on Climate
2004 2011 (weather 2020 - without energy 2020 - with energy
adjusted) efficiency measures efficiency measures) Change 2012
30. 3 potential policy responses
1. Tariff/market reform
– Older people and vulnerable groups tend to switch less and not
be on cheapest tariffs, i.e. direct debit/online
– Government is implementing IPPR’s recommendation to limit
the number of tariffs suppliers can offer
• Platt 2012 The True Cost of Energy
– Collective switching is a useful innovation but with limited
scope to reduce bills
– Wider action to increase competition also needed
32. Energy efficiency policy:
Green Deal:
• Households install energy efficiency measures at no up-
front cost and pay for them through a levy on their
energy bills.
• Levy attached to property rather than householder.
Energy Company Obligation:
• Energy companies provide subsidies to support
installation of high cost energy efficiency measures for all
households and any type of measure for fuel poor.
• Results in increases to energy bills.
33. Energy efficiency policy:
Green Deal:
• Confidence in policy to deliver is low
Energy Company Obligation:
• Funding provision is woefully inadequate.
– Just 125,000 to 250,000 households removed from fuel poverty
by 2023
• Millions who don’t receive measures pushed further
into fuel poverty. Outcomes worse if costs are high.
• Targeting of provision is very poor
35. Priorities for reform and joining up
policy to reduce fuel poverty, winter
deaths and cold-related illness:
• Increase funding for energy efficiency
• Improve targeting of resources, i.e. identifying at-risk
households
• Reduce the costs of policy delivery / remove policy costs
from energy bills
37. What do we want to achieve?
!
Excess winter deaths!
1. Lowest prevalence among comparable
countries!
2. Eliminate completely!
Cold-related illness!
1. Reduce prevalence!
2. Eliminate cost to the NHS!
38. How?
!
Household behaviour: changes in cold-
related behaviour!
Household cold weather responses!
Home insulation!
Cost of heating!
!
All focused on high-risk groups.!
39. Winter Fuel Payments
!
Much maligned: cost the Exchequer £2 billion+ each year!
!
But, identifiable and measurable effect on fuel expenditure. !
!
Focused on changing household behaviour and reducing cost of
heating!
!
Evidence: WFPs are effective in increasing pensioner
expenditure on fuel.!
!
Labelling cash payments = behavioural economics intervention.!
40. Winter Fuel Payments
!
What would scrapping WFPs do to pensioner
expenditure on fuel?!
!
What would be the public health effect of
scrapping WFPs?!
!
Would means testing WFPs be significantly
different?!
41. Winter Fuel Payments
!
Other alternatives: reconfigure WFPs!
!
Change age threshold !
Change value for different age groups!
Convert to taxable income!
Target by health condition!
Reclassify as part of State Pension for public
accounting purposes!
!
42. Winter Fuel Payments
!
Other alternatives: get more VFM from WFP
system!
!
Annual public health campaign to coincide with
payment!
Change name!
Rolling opt-in programme as ‘soft-conditionality’
to change behaviour and collect information!
!
!
44. Improved targeting
!
Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) +
Health and Wellbeing Boards (HWBs) potential
role in targeting at risk groups for:!
!
Green Deal assessments!
Tariff switching support!
Information and awareness campaigns!
Other measures!
!
45. Other measures
!
CCGs and HWBs target at risk groups with: !
!
Automatic tariff switching!
Free home insulation under the Energy
Company Obligation!
Free energy during Level 3 and 4 Cold
Weather spells!
!
46. Conclusion
!
Significant scope for improved targeting +
joined up policy!
!
WFPs could have improved role!
Need to join up HWBs with energy market
and energy efficiency policy!
!
47. Are excess winter deaths and cold-related illness a
problem of public health, low incomes, fuel poverty, poor
home insulation or human behaviour?!
!
Is government policy in this area effective or targeted?!
!
As the biggest item of public spending in this area, what
proportion of Winter Fuel Payments is spent on keeping
warm? What would be the effect of scrapping Winter
Fuel Payments on household fuel spending?!
!
What is the scope for more joined-up policy interventions
and choices?!
!