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The term 'left behind' has become common currency since the 2016 UK referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU). It is often used to describe areas of the country that have missed out on the economic prosperity from which others have benefited. Generally, however, the term tends to be loosely defined and applied. This paper describes research which hazards a more precise definition and a mapping of areas that might be accurately referred to as 'left behind', acknowledging that the phenomenon has a social and cultural, as well as an economic dimension. The research described in this paper was commissioned by Local Trust from OCSI. A new Community Needs Index (CNI) was developed for the project. This new index identifies wards in England that lack civic infrastructure (places for people to meet, green space and recreational opportunities), connectivity — physical and digital — and community engagement. The 206 wards which the research identifies as perhaps the most 'left behind' are both in the top 10 per cent of this new CNI and in the bottom, or most deprived, 10 per cent of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). The research finds that 'left behind' wards are concentrated in post-industrial and coastal areas, often housing estates on the peripheries of towns and cities. The residents of these areas have markedly worse socio-economic outcomes compared to those living in similarly deprived areas; they have fewer job opportunities, lower levels of educational attainment and poorer health. The research indicates the multidimensional nature of the problems in these neighbourhoods and suggests the value and importance of civic infrastructure, connectivity and community engagement as a protective factor which helps to guard against them becoming too entrenched or severe. Our experience of delivering the Big Local programme, and our assessment of the evidence from past local area initiatives, is that flexible, community-led solutions which build community confidence and capacity, and which create connections to opportunities in the wider geographical area, are key to improving 'left behind' areas and the quality of life of the people living in them. We argue, based on the evidence, that new government investment in neighbourhood regeneration is urgently needed. This should take the form of long-term funding focused on building hard and soft civic assets. It is our view that only through this approach will sustainable positive change be created in the areas that most need it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a descriptive analysis of the impact of tuition fee increases in England on the full‐degree mobility of undergraduate students from the European Union. First, we investigated whether the increase in tuition fees reduced the number of EU students in English higher education institutions. Our analysis shows that, on average, English universities suffered a sudden drop in EU enrolments in 2012/13 but recovered and then expanded their pre‐2012 enrolment levels in subsequent academic years. We observe that those English universities regarded as less prestigious experienced the sharpest decline and took longer to recover their pre‐2012 numbers. Second, we examined how changes in enrolment are associated with EU countries' macro‐level characteristics, using the push‐pull model framework. While there was a significant decrease in the number of students from Northern and Western European countries attending English universities after 2012, the tuition fee increase did not impact the number of students coming from Southern Europe. We found an association between EU countries' youth employment rates and higher education system characteristics with changes in enrolment in English universities. By examining the effect of changes in the tuition fee policy on international student mobility, our research provides new evidence on how tuition fee policies might change the behaviour of students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Comparative Maritime Law / Poredbeno Pomorsko Pravo is the property of Jadranski zavod HAZU and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new skills-based immigration system, with a preference for the highly-skilled, is central to UK policy debates in the Brexit context, arguably responding to majority public opinion on migration. Through qualitative fieldwork with British, Polish and Romanian citizens living in two local authorities in England, this paper shows what participants understand by 'low-skilled' and how there is broad support of those who 'contribute', but are 'controlled' at the same time. Migrants' narratives of downskilling also illustrate why the category of 'low-skilled' migration needs to be seen through a more critical lens in research and policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2008, the EU Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP-AHA) set a target of an increase of two healthy life years by 2020. More recently, in 2018, the UK Government set a target to "ensure people can enjoy at least 5 extra healthy, independent years of life by 2035, while narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and poorest". This paper reviews the progress the EU member states have made towards meeting this target, and what the UK can learn from their experiences. I conclude that, although the EU target is likely to be reached, the gap in healthy life years between the member states has increased. Past trends in and projections of disability-free life expectancy in England suggest that it will be difficult to achieve an increase of five healthy and independent years of life by 2035. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kwartalnik Neofilologiczny is the property of Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Risk-based governance is argued by many to hold the promise of a more rational and efficient state, by making explicit the limitations of state interventions and focusing finite resources on those targets where probable damage is greatest. This paper challenges the assumption that risk-based governance has the potential for universal and uniform application, by comparing contemporary flood management in Germany and England. On first inspection, flooding appears to be a paradigmatic case of risk colonizing European policy discourses, with the traditional notion of flood defense giving way to flood risk management in the context of climate change, increasingly frequent flood disasters, political and cost pressures on flood protection, and publicly available European-wide flood assessments. Drawing on in-depth empirical research, this paper shows how the role, and even the definition, of 'risk' is institutionally shaped, and how the respective institutional environments of German and English flood management practices impede and promote risk colonization. In particular, the use and conceptualizations of risk in governance are variously promoted, filtered, or constrained by the administrative procedures, structures, and political expectations embedded within flood management and wider polities of each country. The findings of this research are important for the design and implementation of supranational policies and regulations that endorse risk-based approaches, such as the recent EU Flood Directive, as well as scholarly debate as to how to legitimately define the limits of governance in the face of uncertainty and accountability pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on data generated in a recently completed qualitative study in a northern, English city, this paper explores the everyday social encounters of Accession 8 (A8) migrants who entered the UK following the expansion of the European Union in 2004. A number of options from permanent residence in another Member State on the one hand, to more fleeting circulatory and multiple short-term moves on the other, now exist for these new European citizens. The relatively short-term and temporary residence of some A8 migrants calls into question the focus of much UK government policy, which emphasises the need for migrants to integrate into diverse yet cohesive communities. Against this backdrop, the aim of this paper is two-fold. First, it considers the somewhat different character of A8 migration (encompassing a spectrum from permanency to temporariness) and what this means for routine experiences of mixing between new migrants and established host communities. Second, the paper explores such interactions in terms of 'everyday encounters' in both neighbourhood and work spaces and asks whether such spatio-temporal practices and experiences enhance or inhibit the building of 'good relations' in a multicultural city. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the energy efficiency of the building sector is regarded as a key mitigation response to climate change in the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU). The building sector represents the largest source of relatively quick and inexpensive CO2 emission reductions of any economic sector. Realising this potential also provides additional economic benefits, particularly in terms of increased energy security. This paper examines the implementation of the EU's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) in England and Wales. It questions the potential effectiveness of the EPBD to deliver substantial emission reductions based upon shortcomings of the two main regulatory tools within the EPBD framework. The paper also draws from literature on the 'behavioural barrier' to energy efficiency that suggests that emission reductions will be unlikely in the absence of widespread change in the way in which energy is currently used by building occupants. The analysis is timely because transitioning this sector to low to zero carbon is regarded as integral to meeting emission reduction targets set for 2020 and 2050, and protecting against the risk of severe shortages in energy supply. The potential effectiveness of the EPBD is also significant because it is representative of the forefront of regulatory techniques to address a problem of the magnitude of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how male Polish builders in London construct themselves relationally to English builders as they negotiate their place within the labour hierarchies of the building site and in the London labour market. This is based on semi-structured interviews and participant photographs taken by Polish migrants arriving in the aftermath of the European Union expansion in May 2004, and now working in building sites across London. These buildings sites are mundane elements of a global city which employ transnational labour, and where differences between Polish and English builders become significant discursive tools of survival in a competitive labour market. The paper illustrates how Polish workers mark themselves as “superior” to English builders through the versatility of their embodied skills, work ethic, artistic qualities, and finesse in their social interactions on the building site. This paper thus provides new ways of understanding the meanings of work and the complexity of identity politics within the spaces of low-paid manual work in a global city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper initially explores the concept and process of ‘securitisation’ by referring to the current academic debate. It then considers the concrete impact of this process on contemporary police structures and policing trends. The paper argues that issues of global security have influenced policing change at the European level; led to the formation of a new police agency, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), at the national level; and are evidenced in the national community safety plan and central political determination of policing priorities at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patient and public involvement (PPI) is a requirement for UK health and social care research funding. Evidence for how best to implement PPI in research programmes, such as National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaborations for Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRCs), remains limited. This paper reports findings from an action research (AR) project called IMPRESS, which aims to strengthen PPI within CLAHRC East of England (EoE). IMPRESS combines AR with Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) to explore PPI within diverse case study projects, identifying actions to implement, test and refine to further embed PPI. Methods: We purposively selected CLAHRC EoE case study projects for in-depth analysis of PPI using NPT. Data were generated from project PPI documentation, semi-structured qualitative interviews with researchers and PPI contributors and focus groups. Transcripts and documents were subjected to abductive thematic analysis and triangulation within case. Systematic across case comparison of themes was undertaken with findings and implications refined through stakeholder consultation. Results: We interviewed 24 researchers and 13 PPI contributors and analysed 28 documents from 10 case studies. Three focus groups were held: two with researchers (n = 4 and n = 6) and one with PPI contributors (n = 5). Findings detail to what extent projects made sense of PPI, bought in to PPI, operationalised PPI and appraised it, thus identifying barriers and enablers to fully embedded PPI. Conclusion: Combining NPT with AR allows us to assess the embeddedness of PPI within projects and programme, to inform specific local action and report broader conceptual lessons for PPI knowledge and practice informing the development of an action framework for embedding PPI in research programmes. To embed PPI within similar programmes teams, professionals, disciplines and institutions should be recognised as variably networked into existing PPI support. Further focus and research is needed on sharing PPI learning and supporting innovation in PPI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the centrality of regions in social movements, politics and public administration, here we aim to quantitatively study regional identity, cross-region communication and sentiment. This paper presents a new methodology to study social interaction within and between social-geographic regions, and then applies the methodology to a case study of England and Wales. We use a social network, built from geo-located Twitter data, to identify contiguous geographical regions with a shared social identity and then investigate patterns of communication within and between them. In contrast to other approaches (e.g. using phone call data records or online friendship networks), use of Twitter data provides message contents as well as social connections. This allows us to investigate not only the volume of communication between locations, but also the sentiment and vocabulary used in the messages. For example, our case study shows: a significant dialect difference between England and Wales; that regions tend to be more positive about themselves than about others, with the South being more ‘self-regarding’ than the North; and that people talk politics much more between regions than within. This study demonstrates how social media can be used to quantify regional identity and inter-region communications and sentiment, exposing these previously hard-to-observe geographic concepts to analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthworms are primary candidates for national soil health monitoring as they are ecosystem engineers that benefit both food production and ecosystem services associated with soil security. Supporting farmers to monitor soil health could help to achieve the policy aspiration of sustainable soils by 2030 in England; however, little is known about how to overcome participation barriers, appropriate methodologies (practical, cost-effective, usefulness) or training needs. This paper presents the results from a pilot #60minworms study which mobilised farmers to assess over >1300 ha farmland soils in spring 2018. The results interpretation framework is based on the presence of earthworms from each of the three ecological groups at each observation (20 x 20 cm x 20 cm pit) and spatially across a field (10 soil pits). Results showed that most fields have basic earthworm presence and abundance, but 42% fields may be over-worked as indicated by absence/rarity of epigeic and/or anecic earthworms. Tillage had a negative impact (p < 0.05) on earthworm populations and organic matter management did not mitigate tillage impacts. In terms of farmer participation, Twitter and Farmers Weekly magazine were highly effective channels for recruitment. Direct feedback from participants included excellent scores in trust, value and satisfaction of the protocol (e.g. 100% would do the test again) and 57% would use their worm survey results to change their soil management practices. A key training need in terms of earthworm identification skills was reported. The trade-off between data quality, participation rates and fieldwork costs suggests there is potential to streamline the protocol further to #30minworms (5 pits), incurring farmer fieldwork costs of approximately £1.48 ha-1. At national scales, £14 million pounds across 4.7 M ha-1 in fieldwork costs per survey could be saved by farmer participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Town and parish councils are the English government bodies closest to local people. Hierarchically, they are subordinate to both national and higher tier local governments (unitary, county and borough/district councils). Town councillors represent approximately 11,000,000 people; one-fifth of the population of England. Their mainly small towns will be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union ('Brexit'). To what extent is not known, but councillors will have roles to play in determining how their towns respond. This paper presents and discusses the views of 156 respondents to an online survey, some of whom were also interviewed. Councillors, town clerks, academics, and interested individuals with policy and practical experience of the sector contributed. Although respondents ' views differ (eg, as to whether town councils should have more powers), most believe they will have to do more. Indeed, they want to do more, especially in relation to planning, housing and transport. They are, however, uncertain about how to achieve their aims, given the constraints of time and resources on a mainly volunteer body, their partial dependence on higher-tier authorities, and the need for, as some strongly believe, effective monitoring of standards, performance, transparency, and accountability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between global, regional and local influences on adult literacy policy and practice in the UK through a discourse analysis of policy-related texts. The analysis is framed by theoretical perspectives from literacy studies and socio-material theory. The paper identifies a number of specific features in the UK literacy policy environment that have mediated the influence of transnational agencies such as UNESCO, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union. It argues for the importance of understanding adult literacy policy as part of a wider constellation of discourses and governance practices and shows how textual representations of literacy and literacy learners are powerful constituents of the policy field. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Public procurement has a significant impact on economic development in regions and localities. Previous research in the UK has focused on variations in government spending across regions, the effects of competitive tendering processes and EU State Aid rules on regional economies. Empirical studies of procurement at the level of local authorities have received less attention. Increasing pressure to be ‘efficient and effective’ in use of public resources can contradict the need to support local communities, particularly through a period of economic downturn. Until recently, there has been a paucity of relevant data at a local level to examine the impacts of procurement. This paper analyses the combined patterns of spend of eight Local Authorities in the County of Cumbria in North West England. The characteristics of the supply base are investigated using a two-stage survey of businesses that secure local authority contracts. Results show the characteristics of suppliers and their level of dependency on local authority contracts. Managers’ evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of contracting with the public sector are also analysed. The findings suggest that many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Cumbria rely upon local authority contracts for business stability. The interviews confirm the vulnerability of SMEs to the current trend towards more formal approaches to public procurement and the use of a narrow definition of ‘value for money’. The paper concludes by considering the implications of the findings for the extent to which local authorities have retained a capacity to act to support local economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enlargement of the European Union (EU) in May 2004 produced a very significant wave of immigration to the United Kingdom that is likely to continue to impact its labour market in forthcoming years. Polish migrants were by far the largest cohort of the new entrants. This paper complements previous work that has begun to establish the characteristics and labour market performance of migrants from the new member states who have entered the United Kingdom. This paper uses a unique micro-level data base to investigate the labour market evolution of Polish migrants in the UK labour market. We find that in the first UK job returns to human capital were negligible. However, for the current job an extra year of education increases the weekly gross wage by 3.2 per cent. There is evidence of a gender differential in pay in both jobs and that older workers are paid more than their younger counterparts but this effect becomes insignificant in the current job. We find that hours worked is a significant factor in wage determination. However, the influence of hours worked on wages declined by approximately 38 per cent between the first and current job. Results from multinomial logit models suggest that over-time there is some 'match' between the occupational groupings that these workers were attached to in Poland and the United Kingdom. We also find evidence that the use of employment agencies by some of these workers increases the likelihood of employment in skilled manual and non-manual occupations. Workers who have had supervisory responsibility in the United Kingdom are more likely to be in professional or intermediate occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Effective implementation is crucial to the success of public policy. This paper focuses on the implementation of the EU Drinking Water Directive (80/778/EEC) in England and Wales and the Republic of Ireland. It demonstrates that the consumer can both positively and negatively affect implementation. It is concluded that, if water providers and regulators wish to improve their ability to shape and effectively implement water policy, they must engage with the consumer in a more informative and educational manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structure Plan appraisal reports provide valuable insights into the appraisal practices of English county councils. This paper presents the findings of an examination of evidence of the inclusion of a number of key good practice appraisal elements within 40 Structure Plan appraisal reports. The results are used to provide an assessment of the 'process quality' of Structure Plan appraisal practice since 1995. The methodological requirements of the European SEA Directive, which will soon apply to Structure Plans, provide a useful context for discussing the results of this study. The perspectives of relevant experts concerning good practice appraisal techniques are used as a further benchmark from which to draw conclusions. The results of the examination suggest that the process quality of Structure Plan appraisals falls short of meeting the methodological requirements of the Directive, and of experts, perspectives of good practice appraisal procedures. Several reasons are proposed to explain this situation, centring on the political nature of decision making in this sector. Although based around an examination of Structure Plan appraisal reports, the results of this study provide insights relevant to the appraisal of strategic planning documents more generally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic energy efficiency policy is potentially a means for reducing residential energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and expenses for households in energy poverty. It has often been presented as an eco-social exemplar, for example in the European Union's Green Deal. The European Commission regards domestic energy efficiency improvements as the primary means for addressing energy poverty notwithstanding the 2022/23 energy crisis. However, the case for domestic energy efficiency improvement as a tool for achieving simultaneously social and environmental goals is often assumed rather than demonstrated. This article uses Mandelli's eco-social trilemma heuristic and the symbolic politics literature to surface the tensions involved in such processes, focusing on policy efforts in the England between 1997 and 2023 as a case study. England is a good case to consider because it has been regarded as a leader of energy poverty mitigation and its policy approach is similar to the European Commission's. The article details the main policy instruments used in England, assesses outputs and outcomes using official statistics, government and independent policy evaluations and the secondary literature, and details the main problems encountered in achieving environmental/social synergies. Based on this analysis, the article argues that English domestic energy efficiency policy has generally constituted a symbolic eco-social policy, particularly on the social side and since 2010. Highlighted by the 2022/23 energy crisis, domestic energy efficiency policy is best regarded as one component of a policy toolkit for reducing energy poverty, which at the least should also include targeted social protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debates have persisted about the character of the East–West population flows that followed the EU expansions. Some of the discussions surround the extent to which the mobility has been temporal and hence how likely these migrants are to settle permanently or to stay for long periods in host countries. This paper enhances the understanding of such issues through examining survey data on 700 Polish recent migrants in seven English and Welsh towns and supplemented by an analysis of qualitative data. Three categories of migrants are initially identified on the basis of their intentions of stay in the UK. Multinomial logit models are then estimated to examine the characteristics of individuals in each category to establish the factors that influence migration strategies and changes in plans. Results indicate that although standard socio-economic characteristics tend to be insignificant, migration strategies and changes in intentions are affected by migrant's view of whether their job matches their expectations, the time of entry into the UK and remittances. Analysis of the qualitative information reinforces some of the key findings and also indicates the importance of migrants' ability to reference their experiences in two settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of functional economic areas and their relationship to governance has been attracting considerable attention. New forms of sub-regional governance have emerged that have been interpreted in a variety of ways. Within this context, a different approach to multiscalar governance linked to economic space is emerging at a European level in relation to the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty. This is embedding the principles of subsidiarity/territorial cohesion within member-states, and with sub-state scales of working being promulgated. This paper adds to existing discussions of city-regionalism by providing an alternative—yet fundamental—insight into these reform constructs within England in its relations with the EU. It explores: the role of economic spaces in the genealogy of rescaling tendencies; their co-option of governance as a ‘strategic’ mechanism for growth; and the emergent geo-politics associated with new sub-state governance structures and their effectiveness as intended ‘transitionary’ arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of International Public Administration Review / Mednarodna Revija za Javno Upravo is the property of University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Public Administration and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper describes the use of the EU Leonardo Program to arrange a visit of a team of Slovenian Mental Health Professionals to the UK to learn the basic tenets of Community Mental Health. The project is described, as are a number of methods by which the Learning Experience was Assessed. The results of this program are interpreted in terms of theory of Adult Learning. It was found that the Leonardo EU program was useful in teaching Community Mental Health.

Abstract: Recent decades have seen sustainable development emerging as a core concern of European Union (EU) policy. In order to consider how policies can contribute more positively to the goals of sustainable development, major EU policies must undergo an assessment of their potential economic, environmental and social impacts. Within the agri-environment sector, this is reflected in the increasing requirement for EU Members States to monitor and evaluate the socio-economic as well as the environmental and agricultural impacts of their agri-environment programmes. Whilst some research has looked at the more easily quantifiable economic impacts of agri-environment schemes (AES), there is a paucity of research exploring the social dimensions. In this paper, four areas where social impacts of AES can be assessed are suggested: namely impact on on-farm employment; income security; human capital through skills and training development; and social capital development through extension of knowledge networks and flows. These areas are explored in detail using the results of a survey of Environmental Stewardship schemes in England. The results show that the level of social benefit is differentiated by scheme and farm type. The more demanding Higher Level Stewardship schemes help to develop human capital and increase networks, and dairy farmers in particularly have extended their advisory networks in order to participate in AES. The paper concludes that through the exploration of the social impact of AES it may be possible to identify ways to more closely link social and environmental stewardship objectives and thereby contribute to sustainable agriculture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many academics ask 'How can I use my research to influence policy?'. In this paper, we draw on our first-hand experience as social researchers for the British Government to advise how academics can create and communicate research with policymakers. Specifically, we describe methods of communicating research to policymakers in relation to research we undertook to listen to farmers about their priorities for a new agricultural policy for England following the exit of the UK from the European Union. The main purpose of this research was to ensure farmers' voices were included in policy development and therefore communication of the research to policymakers was key. We reflect on the effectiveness of the communication methods we employed and summarise our learnings into four practical recommendations: (1) make research relevant to policymakers; (2) invest time to develop and maintain relationships with policymakers; (3) utilise 'windows of opportunity'; and (4) adapt presentation and communication styles to the audience. We consider that employing these recommendations will help to improve how evidence is communicated between academia and government and therefore the influence of evidence in decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a new regulatory framework for the management of water bodies throughout the European Union. The Directive introduces new principles, importantly shifting policy towards Integrated Water Resource Management, and a more holistic approach to water quality comprising both ecological and chemical status. Owing to the emphasis the Directive places on it, monitoring plays an integral part in its success. In this paper the implications of implementing the WFD on monitoring requirements are reviewed and compared to previous arrangements in England and Wales. This paper demonstrates the challenge associated with making the transition from established monitoring networks to those that support a more integrated approach to water management. The need for integration of monitoring using ecological elements, the use of risk in the design of monitoring programmes, the collection of monitoring data to inform decision making and the active engagement with stakeholders are highlighted as some of the challenges of such a transition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Social work is generally regarded as an essentially .local activity. but it is increasingly acknowledged that European and international trends have a bearing on development of national services and practices. This extends to the mobility of social workers themselves and England has experienced a steady growth in the recruitment of .international social workers. who were born and qualified elsewhere. This is a generally under-researched area but the authors have drawn on literature in the wider field of labour migration and also secondary data and anecdotal evidence to present some facts and ideas about recruitment as it applies to social workers from European Union (EU) member states in particular. International social workers come to England from a large number and wide range of countries. However, the balance has been shifting between recruitment predominantly from the US and Commonwealth countries to a greater number from EU states. The current characteristics of international (particularly EU) social work recruitment are outlined in this paper and reasons related to both (national) demand and (international) supply are suggested. It is proposed that reasons are related to changes and conditions in the EU; to the national Government's efforts to curb immigration; and to the particular characteristics of social work employment in England, particularly in child protection work. Some of the implications for European social workers of working in England are explored and it is concluded that there is a need for comparative and transnational research in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In April 1999, academics from the Systems Department at the Open University in UK devised a matrix for assessing third-level systems students-the matrix was based upon systemic practitioner behaviours taught in the course. It was based upon earlier methods that sought to understand and assess student progress based upon evidence of changing behavioural traits rather than the expression of learned responses or 'right' answers. This was the beginning of the being, engaging, contextualizing and managing (BECM) matrix. The European Union-funded research project called Policy Influence of Indicators (POINT) made use of BECM as part of a process for exploring ways in which groups make use of indicators in several domains. This paper tells the story of how BECM was used in the POINT project to gain an understanding of group behaviour by observation of four segregated but linked qualities. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Start of the main construction phase of the Brenner Base Tunnel / Startschuss für die Hauptbauphase des Brenner Basistunnels Construction and finance contract for the new trunk line in Munich / Bau- und Finanzierungsvertrag für die neue Stammstrecke in München Crossrail awards remaining tunnelling contracts / Crossrail vergibt ausstehende Tunnelbau-Lose Aker Wirth to build two telescopic shield machines for the Koralm Tunnel / Aker Wirth baut zwei Teleskopschildmaschinen für den Koralmtunnel Contract for the operational ventilation of the Gotthard Base Tunnel awarded / Werkvertrag für Betriebslüftung des Gotthard-Basistunnels vergeben Investigation tunnel for the Garmisch-Partenkirchen bypass / Erkundungsstollen für die Umgehung von Garmisch-Partenkirchen Call for papers - Themes for the next issues of Geomechanics and Tunnelling / Themen für die nächsten Ausgaben der 'Geomechanics and Tunnelling' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper summarises the experience concerning electricity and natural gas in the UK and the European Union since the 1980s with a view to drawing lessons for potential liberalisation and the introduction of competition into the England and Wales water industry. The paper suggests that the main lesson from energy sector experience is the requirement is to develop upstream competition in the supply of bulk water both to retail supply companies and to large industrial consumers. The pattern of water supply and demand in England and Wales is that there are excess supplies in the North and West and supply shortages in the South and East. In consequence, provided that there is sufficient interconnection capacity within and between regions, there should be major potential gains from trade both in bulk water supplies as well as in trade of abstraction licences. Such trade can offer potentially sizeable environmental benefits in terms of water sustainability as well as in short and long-term efficiency benefits to consumers. The paper concludes with recommendations for some experiments with abstraction licence and bulk water trading, e.g. in the South East of England. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Environmental innovation is a much discussed, highly prized yet often elusive objective of governance programmes. Despite this, there have been relatively few studies of the everyday realities of achieving innovation on the ground. Addressing this gap, the paper takes a specific example of how the EU's Urban Wastewater Directive sparks a pursuit of new environmental standards in wastewater practices in the north of England. We argue that to encourage innovation, we must first appreciate its contingent and complex character. We do this by adopting an approach to innovation influenced by actor-network theory and conceive of it as being a highly contingent process of 'translation' through which actors' interests and identities, their practices, even the Directive itself are re-represented and re-ordered through the construction of new actor-networks. From such a perspective, governance of the water sector is shown to be a highly contested, unpredictable business shaped by situationally specific negotiations and compromises. Crucially, our case study reveals the importance of organizations performing 'intermediary' roles: facilitating the production of knowledge and re-ordering of relations between actors. Working at the interfaces between a range of actors and the Directive, intermediaries become integral to the ways in which objects and practices are translated and innovation realized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental regulators around the world are seeking out new ways to regulate polluting industries that can deliver higher levels of environmental protection without increasing overall cost. Integrated regulation has been shown to offer many advantages over traditional single-media approaches and this has led to its widespread uptake across the European Union (EU). The United Kingdom (UK) is seen as a leader in the field, having been progressing towards full integration for over 15 years. This paper seeks to share some of the experiences gained by the Environment Agency for England and Wales, with others struggling with the complex policy, technical and legal issues that will be encountered along the way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is potentially the most significant piece of water management legislation to be developed by the European Union (EU) in the last forty years. Whilst water legislation is already regarded by many people as the 'gold plating' of EU environmental policy, many of the previous regulations and policies have focussed on specific point and non-point source water quality problems and have stipulated stringent standards to be achieved within specified time limits. In sharp contrast, the WFD aims to establish a planning and management framework for sustainable use of water and the ecological restoration of entire river systems, many of which do not fit neatly within the political or administrative boundaries of the Member States. Public participation in planning and management decisions is a key aspect of the WFD. This paper describes the specific requirements of the WFD for public participation and examines their implementation in the Ribble basin in North West England. The Ribble is part of a EU river basin network designed to test the WFD implementation guidelines issued by the European Commission. Particular challenges associated with engaging stakeholders in WFD implementation are highlighted and recommendations for future practice are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article considers the provision of modern foreign languages (MFL) in England since the 1970s in the context of wider curricular change and also taking into account Europe-wide developments in MFL. It charts the changes implemented over almost three decades to England's National Curriculum for MFL at secondary level (from ages 11 to 16) and highlights the significant role – particularly before 2010 – of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools (HMI) in evaluating curricular innovation and support for MFL teacher development. Perennial issues over this period include: the range of languages studied; the gender bias in the uptake of MFL; the low uptake of MFL after the age of 14; use of the target language and the role of grammar. The article highlights the limitations for MFL in England resulting from restricted time allocations; the lack of coherence and continuity in policy implementation; and the recent loss of support infrastructure for MFL teachers. Finally, the author reflects on the UK's participation in Council of Europe and European Union projects and the extent to which MFL in England has been influenced by these. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Brexit, the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, has offered the UK government a unique opportunity to fundamentally reform agricultural policy. In England, the new policy—called Environmental Land Management—will reward farmers for activities that produce environmental public goods, such as clean air and water and a thriving wildlife, and prevent environmental hazards. It could lead to the biggest changes in land management since the end of World War II. This photo essay and the process of making it contributes to a better understanding of how farmers feel about the changes underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In assigning responsibility for obesity prevention a distinction may be drawn between who is responsible for the rise in obesity prevalence ('backward-looking responsibility'), and who is responsible for reducing it ('forward-looking responsibility'). Methods: We study how the two aspects of responsibility figure in the obesity policies of WHO (European Region), the EU and the Department of Health (England). Results: Responsibility for the emergence and reduction of obesity is assigned to both individuals and other actors to different degrees in the policies, combining an individual and a systemic view. The policies assign backward-looking responsibility to individuals, the social environment, the authorities and businesses. When it comes to forward-looking responsibility, individuals are expected to play a central role in reducing and preventing obesity, but other actors are also urged to act. WHO assigns to individuals the lowest degree of backward- and forward-looking responsibility, and the Department of Health (England) assigns them the highest degree of responsibility. Discussion: Differences in the assignment of backward- and above all forward-looking responsibility could be explained to some extent by the different roles of the three authorities making the plans. WHO is a UN agency with health as its goal, the EU is a liberal economic union with optimization of the internal European market as an important task, and England, as an independent sovereign country, has its own economic responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and aims: Estimating ‘return on investment’ (ROI) from smoking cessation interventions requires reach and effectiveness parameters for interventions for use in economic models such as the EQUIPT ROI tool ( http://roi.equipt.eu). This paper describes the derivation of these parameter estimates for England that can be adapted to create ROI models for use by other countries. Methods: Estimates were derived for interventions in terms of their reach and effectiveness in: (1) promoting quit attempts and (2) improving the success of quit attempts (abstinence for at least 12 months). The sources were systematic reviews of efficacy supplemented by individual effectiveness evaluations and national surveys. Findings: Quit attempt rates were estimated to be increased by the following percentages (with reach in parentheses): 20% by tax increases raising the cost of smoking 5% above the cost of living index (100%); 10% by enforced comprehensive indoor public smoking bans (100%); 3% by mass media campaigns achieving 400 gross rating points (100%); 40% by brief opportunistic physician advice (21%); and 110% by use of a licensed nicotine product to reduce cigarette consumption (12%). Quit success rates were estimated to be increased by the following ratios: 60% by single‐form nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) (5%); 114% by NRT patch plus a faster‐acting NRT (2%);124% by prescribed varenicline (5%); 60% by bupropion (1%); 100% by nortriptyline (0%), 10) 298% by cytisine (0%); 40% by individual face‐to‐face behavioural support (2%); 37% by telephone support (0.5%); 88% by group behavioural support (1%); 63% by text messaging (0.5%); and 19% by printed self‐help materials (1%). There was insufficient evidence to obtain reliable, country‐specific estimates for interventions such as websites, smartphone applications and e‐cigarettes. Conclusions: Tax increases, indoor smoking bans, brief opportunistic physician advice and use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking reduction can all increase population quit attempt rates. Quit success rates can be increased by provision of NRT, varenicline, bupropion, nortriptyline, cytisine and behavioural support delivered through a variety of modalities. Parameter estimates for the effectiveness and reach of these interventions can contribute to return on investment estimates in support of national or regional policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention toward climate adaptation has been growing among governments over the past decade. In the European Union (EU) alone, nine countries have national plans for adaptation (with more in preparation), there are some 30 sub-national plans, and every Member State has policies to address adaptation. Given the recent attention given toward this subject a question that arises is: can climate change adaptation be considered a policy field? As a unit of analysis, policy fields are widely studied in the social sciences. However, the definition of policy fields such as environmental policy or agricultural policy is taken for granted. Oddly for such a common concept, very little attention is paid to what policy fields are in and of themselves or how they can be identified. Given these shortcomings, this article first attempts to fill this gap by theoretically defining what a policy field is by identifying and assigning their characteristics and dynamics. Based upon a literature review, it shows that policy fields are three-dimensional entities comprised of substantive authority, institutional order, and substantive expertise. The second task of this article is to apply this definition to adaptation policy activity in England and determine whether adaptation can be considered a policy field there. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood risks are increasing and available funding is reducing, posing professionals with the need to change practices. 'Active learning' can help to develop the capacity to accept different perspectives on risk and performance and to use alternative innovatory responses. Breaking the entrapment of traditional approaches requires cultural change in the organisations and the individuals involved. Learning Alliances can help to do this. In Yorkshire ( England), a common forum for learning and action in relation to flood and water management has evolved into Learning and Action Alliances ( LAAs). These alliances, which are essential components of three European Union INTERREG IVB projects, have national, regional and local dimensions. Internationally, these and partner LAAs, are being utilised to engender transnational learning. Experience from the establishment and operation of these LAAs is presented and it is concluded that there is no single blueprint for an ideal LAA. Nor is their establishment and operation straightforward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper examines the impact of removing the restrictions remaining in EU/US bilateral air service agreements, the major one relating to the air services between the US and the UK. These are dismantled under Stage I of the EU/US Open Skies agreement, which will automatically fall unless progress is made on the Stage II issues, especially reform of the US ownership and control rules. Previous evaluations of the likely impact of lifting these restrictions are reviewed, especially in relation to passengers and fares between the US and London. Such evaluations look optimistic given preliminary plans for the first summer season. Reasons why airlines prefer Heathrow to Gatwick are discussed before comparing US/London air service capacity for June 2008 with the previous June, with indications for a 5% increase in overall seat capacity and an 8% increase in flights. A net increase of seven daily flights is planned from Heathrow and Gatwick, not far in excess of normal market growth and no new non-stop routes will be introduced that had not already been operated from either UK airport. These changes are analysed in terms of US and UK airline responses, taking into account slot availability and cost. The seat capacity share of US carriers from both Heathrow and Gatwick advances by just over 2 percentage points to 40%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This essay is based on a paper presented at the Conference on Legal Founda- tions of International Monetary Stability, held in London (GB), 27-28 April 2006, which was held to celebrate Dr Rosa Lastra's book with the same title (Oxford University Press, 2006). Professor Smits analyses the asymmetry between economic and monetary union from a legal perspective. The author concludes that there is more scope for policy coordination among the EU States in spite of the basic distinction between the two elements of Economic and Monetary Union in the EU, under which Member States remain largely competent to pursue their own economic policies even when a single monetary policy is conducted at Community level. He explores the possible contents of more aligned economic policies, notably on free movement of persons, education, energy and public health. He ends with a few considerations on economic policy choices and the furtherance of happiness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increasing pressure from the European Union to meet recycling and recovery targets, (e. G. The packaging waste, waste electronic equipment and landfill directives), both the Irish and England''s governments’ policy on waste management is changing to meet these pressures, with major emphasis upon the management of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW). In particular, the EU landfill directive requires reductions in the rate of biodegradable waste going to landfill to 35% by 2016. The objective of this paper is to examine how Ireland plans to meet this challenge and to compare the Irish strategy to that being adopted in England. The approach in England is driven by a clear understanding that the practice in the late 1990s was unlikely to ensure compliance with EU targets by the set dates. England has therefore developed a discrete, programme (Waste Implementation Programme) to drive a new approach, based on rigorous science and international best practice, which includes a Demonstrator Programme for new technologies. The dynamic, high cost, large scale programme in England stands in sharp contrast to that for Ireland and only future, detailed analysis of outcomes will be able to evaluate the cost effectiveness of each. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The planning system in England has recently undergone revision. At the same time local planning authorities are being required to implement new government initiatives, reviews and recently enacted EU legislation. All these changes are bringing in new ways of working for local authorities and sending the English planning system into a period of flux. Drawing on recent research the authors consider whether there is the capacity in terms of skills within local planning authorities in England for them to deliver the outcomes required by these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction on 1 January 1999 of the single European currency, the euro has become the official currency in the eleven participating countries of the European Union (EU). The increasing popularity of the euro as a pegging currency reflects the internationalisation of the euro. In this paper the techniques of zero-non-zero (ZWZ) patterned vector autoregressive modelling are utilized to examine two issues associated with the euro. First, "Granger causality" is employed to examine the causal linkages between the euro exchange rate, the euro area money supply and the gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the euro area. Secondly, the article examines the hypothesis that the euro has become a major influence on international stock markets by testing for the causal relationships between movements in the euro exchange rate, the English pound exchange rate and the London stock market index.

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The past decade has been a dynamic one for biodiversity offsetting policy. Efforts to incorporate offsetting into the Convention on Biological Diversity as a compliance mechanism did not succeed. The expansion of offsetting outside of the Natura 2000 network in the European Union (EU), which looked all but inevitable in the early 2010s, was withdrawn in the face of unexpectedly strong opposition from environmental groups and the business sector. Highly publicised offsetting programmes in some EU countries have had mixed outcomes, and many observers describe offsetting as a failed policy. And yet four years of interviews and policy analysis in Brussels, Spain, and England suggest that reports of offsetting's death may be exaggerated. While the possibility of an overarching EU Directive aimed at harmonising offsetting policy and practice across the region's countries seems unlikely, in Spain, offsetting has returned to the national policy arena via adoption as an implementation tool within the national Green Infrastructure Strategy. Offsetting in England persists in a handful of counties as a locally situated development strategy, and seems to have returned at the national level despite its spectacular flame‐out in 2014. This is not, after all, a high‐profile failure of neoliberal environmental policy. Rather, we see offsetting's persistence as a result of policy refugia: the retreat to small but amenable jurisdictions where offsetting policies can wait out inclement policy conditions and then emerge to recolonise the policy landscape when conditions improve. Highly publicised offsetting programmes in some EU countries have had mixed outcomes, and many observers describe offsetting as a failed policy. However, our analysis of offset policy development in the EU, Spain, and England suggests that offsetting has not failed but persists as a result of policy refugia: it has retreated to small but amenable jurisdictions from which it can emerge to recolonise the policy landscape as conditions improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]