UKAJI April 2021 round-up

UKAJI April 2021 round-up

Here is UKAJI’s round-up of important administrative justice related news, events and publications for April 2021. If you have anything to add to this round-up or any future round-ups, please contact Lee Marsons on lm17598@essex.ac.uk.

Publications and articles:

• Joe Whelan, Welfare, Deservingness and the Logic of Poverty: Who deserves?
• Naomi Creutzfeldt, Social welfare law advice provision during the pandemic in England and Wales: a conceptual framework.
• Suzanne Fitzpatrick and Liz Davies, The “ideal” homelessness law: balancing “rights centred” and “professional centred” social policy.
• Toddi Steelman, Branda Nowell, Anne-Lise Velez and Ryan Scott, Pathways of Representation in Network Governance: Evidence from Multi-Jurisdictional Disasters.
•  Valentina Mele, Nicola Bellé and Maria Cucciniello, Thanks, but no thanks. Preferences towards teleworking colleagues in public organizations.
•  Martin Baekgaard, Kim Sass Mikkelsen, Jonas Krogh Madsen and Julian Christensen, Reducing Compliance Demands in Government Benefit Programs Improves the Psychological Well-Being of Target Group Members.
•  Robert Ressler, Pamela Paxton, Kristopher Velasco, Lilla Pivnick, Inbar Weiss and Johannes Eichstaedt, NonProfits: A Public Policy Tool for the Promotion of Community Subjective Well-Being.
•  K Jurée Capers and Candis Smith, Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration: Assessing the Link Between Passive and Active Representation for Foreign-Born Clients.
• Gillian Mulvale and Glenn Robert, Engaging Vulnerable Populations in the Co-Production of Public Services.
• Hoai-Anh Nguyen Dang, Aila Khan, Anh-Tuan Doan and Nicole Ibbett, The Social Impact of Green Innovation: Towards a Conceptual Framework.
• Ju Won Chung and Yujin Choi, What Influences Collaborative Relationships between Central and Local Governments? Empirical Evidence from South Korea.
• Lena Brogaard and Ole Helby Petersen, Privatization of Public Services: A Systematic Review of Quality Differences between Public and Private Daycare Providers.
• Victoria Cluley, Nicola Gate and Zoe Radnor, Using Situated Interviews to Engage Frail Older People in the Co-production of Improved Emergency Healthcare.
• Julia Amann and Joanna Sleigh,  Too Vulnerable to Involve? Challenges of Engaging Vulnerable Groups in the Co-production of Public Services through Research.
• Sarah Warner, Prudence Brown and Lorraine Cherney,  Public Values in Pluralistic and Complex Settings – Are Agonistic Ideas the Answer?.
• Gillian Mulvale, Ashleigh Miatello, Jenn Green, Maxwell Tran, Christina Roussakis and Alison Mulvale, A  COMPASS for Navigating Relationships in Co-Production Processes Involving Vulnerable Populations.
• Line Margrethe Jenhaug,  Suggestions for Developing Public Service Logic through a Study of Interactive Value Formation.
• Anat Gofen, Gabriela Lotta and Marcelo Marchesini da Costa, Working through the fog of a pandemic: Street‐level policy entrepreneurship in times of crises.
• Martin Sievert,  A Replication of “Representative Bureaucracy and the Willingness to Coproduce”.
•  Daniel Schiff, Kaylyn Jackson Schiff and Patrick Pierson, Assessing public value failure in government adoption of artificial intelligence.
•  Christopher Hood and Barbara Maria Piotrowska, Who Loves Input Controls? What Happened to ‘Outputs Not Inputs’ in UK Public Financial Management, and Why?.
•  Johan Berlin, Magnus Jansson, David Karlsson and Eric Carlström, Involuntary backsourcing in the public sector: From conflict to collaboration.
• Christine Prokop and Markus Tepe, Talk or type? The effect of digital interfaces on citizens’ satisfaction with standardized public services.
•  Dag Magne Berge and Harald Torsteinsen, Corporatization in local government: Promoting cultural differentiation and hybridity?.
• Frank Hendricks,  Key values for democratic governance innovation: Two traditions and a synthesis.

Ombuds affairs:

• The PHSO is to routinely make its casework decisions available publicly on a new website. The website name will be decisions.ombudsman.org.uk and is available here. Caroline Dobbing, Senior Digital Communications Manager, posted a blog on the development here.
• The LGSCO determined that Medway Council left a teenager to live in a tent for two months after his family was left homeless during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The LGSCO determined that a grammar school in Bromley should offer a fresh admissions appeals to a teenager and review the way that the school deals with appeals generally. This follows a determination that the school had made a number of significant errors, including lack of notification in writing about the opportunity for appeal and failure to be told in writing of the outcome of the admissions decision.
• The Independent National Whistleblowing Officer for the NHS in Scotland was launched on 1 April.
• The SPSO did not lay any decisions before the Scottish Parliament in April.
• The NIPSO is now operating a telephone service between the hours of 09:00 and 13:00 Monday to Friday.
• The Housing Ombudsman appointed a new Resident Panel designed to provide insight into the experiences of social housing residents. Initially the panel will have 100 members and its website is available here.
• The Housing Ombudsman launched a call for evidence in relation to its thematic investigation in damp and mould in social housing. This is the Ombudsman’s first thematic call for evidence following the publication of its Systemic Framework, designed to identify systematic issues highlighted by individual cases.
• The Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces released an update on its backlog of complaints.
• The new Services Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces released a blog on her work since taking office in February 2021.

Regulators and inspectorates:

• The Regulator of Social Housing released a series of regulatory judgments, decisions, and assessments.
• HM Inspectorate of Constabulary released a report concluding that, in general, police forces had responded to the circumstances of the coronavirus pandemic well, despite some excesses.
• HM Inspectorate of Constabulary released its proposed policing inspection programme and framework for 2021-22.
• The Justice Minister for Northern Ireland, Naomi Long, commissioned HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to review the actions of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to the funeral of Bobby Storey, a former Provisional IRA volunteer.
• HM Inspectorate of Constabulary released a report concluding that the Metropolitan Police Service had broadly acted appropriately in relation to its policing of a vigil held in Clapham Common to commemorate the death of Sarah Everard.
• HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate released its business plan for 2021-22.
• HM Inspectorate of Prisons released its business plan for 2021-22.

Westminster affairs:

• Parliament was prorogued on 29 April 2021.
• The Chairman of Ways and Means and the senior Deputy Lord Speaker launched a consultation on parliamentary procedure in relation to Hybrid Bills.
• The Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee wrote to the Minister for Disabled People asking what action the government was taking in relation to delays to Workplace Capability Assessments (WCAs).
• The European Statutory Instruments Committee published a report in relation to The Crime (International Cooperation) Act 2003 (Freezing Order) (England and Wales and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 and The Aviation Safety (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2021.
• The Joint Committee on Human Rights released a report into the use of fixed penalty notices during the coronavirus pandemic.
• On 27 April, there was a general debate in Westminster Hall on the effectiveness of asylum accommodation and the dispersal scheme in providing support for asylum seekers.
• The European Statutory Instruments Committee published a report in relation to The Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Motor Fuel Emissions (Miscellaneous Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021; The Climate and Energy (Revocation) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021; The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021; The Capital Requirements Regulation (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021; The Recognition of Professional Qualifications (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021; and The Union Civil Protection Mechanism (Revocation) (EU Exit) Regulations 2021.
• The International Trade Committee held an evidence session on the level playing field commitments in the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, available here.
• The Justice Committee launched an inquiry into mental health in prisons to close on 19 May.
• The House of Commons approved motions to strengthen the standards system of the House, following several reports of the Committee on Standards.
• On 22 April, the House of Commons held a general debate on the 8^th report of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee concerning government transparency and accountability during the coronavirus pandemic.
• There was a general debate in Westminster Hall on the online abuse of elected female representatives.
• The Procedure Committee held an evidence session on legislative consent motions and how to promote cooperation between committees across legislatures.
• The European Statutory Instruments Committee’s temporary standing order was amended to include within its remit the power to sift statutory instruments arising from the EU (Future Relationship) Act 2020.
• The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee took evidence on the work of the Advisory Committee on the Business Appointment Rules from the Chair of the advisory body, Lord Pickles. The body provides advice in relation to appointments taken by former ministers and senior Crown servants.
• The European Scrutiny Committee released a report into the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol and parliamentary scrutiny of decisions taken under it.
• The House of Lords held a debate on a trade agreement between the UK and Turkey.
• The House of Lords Liaison Committee produced a report entitled Tackling Financial Exclusion: A country that works for everyone?
• Lord McFall of Alcluith was elected as Lord Speaker.
• The Covid-19 Committee held an evidence session related to the long-term impact of coronavirus on parents and families.
• The House of Lords established a new European Affairs Committee and a Sub-Committee on the Northern Ireland Protocol.
• The Covid-19 Committee produced a report on health and employment rights post-pandemic entitled Beyond Digital: Planning for a Hybrid World
• The House of Lords Procedures and Privileges Committee produced updated guidance on hybrid proceedings.
• The House of Lords Conduct Committee upheld an appeal by Lady Tongue against the finding of the Commissioner for Standards that she had bullied a member of the public through a strongly-worded letter.
• The following Westminster Acts of Parliament received Royal Assent: the National Security and Investment Act 2021; the Fire Safety Act 2021;  the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Act 2021; the Financial Services Act 2021; the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021; the Education (Guidance about Costs of School Uniforms) Act 2021; the Botulinum Toxin and Cosmetic Fillers (Children) Act 2021; the Prisons (Substance Testing) Act 2021; the Domestic Abuse Act 2021; the Education and Training (Welfare of Children) Act 2021; the British Library Board (Power to Borrow) Act 2021; the Forensic Science Regulator Act 2021; the Non-Domestic Rating (Public Lavatories) Act 2021; the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021; the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021; and the Trade Act 2021.

Official reports, appointments, and policy papers:

• The Government Equalities Office created a G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council.
• The Home Office consultation into the New Plan for Immigration closed on 6 May.
• The Ministry of Justice released a Code of Practice for Victims of Crime in England and Wales, setting out the minimum standards that relevant organisations must provide to victims of crime.
• The Home Office released updated guidance in relation to the National Referral Mechanism for victims of modern slavery.
• The Home Office released guidance for caseworkers deciding applications under the EU Settlement Scheme.
• The Home Office released promotional material and an information pack for the partners of those who may benefit from the Windrush Compensation Scheme.
• Julia Mulligan was appointed as Chair of the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales.
• Professor Martin Levermore was appointed as new Windrush independent adviser.
• Former Chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, Roy Wilsher, was appointed as Expert Advisor on Fire and Rescue Service Reform.
• The Home Office released the quarterly statistics for the National Referral Mechanism, designed to protect victims of modern slavery and human trafficking.
• The National Audit Office released its framework for reviewing the efficiency and effectiveness of major programmes.
• The Welsh Auditor General released a report on the provision of discretionary services provided by local government.
• The Welsh Auditor General released a report on the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the coronavirus pandemic.
• The Health Secretary gave a speech on transforming the UK into a “life sciences super power”.
• The Department for Health released its ethical framework for social care during the coronavirus pandemic.
• The Ministry of Justice released the quarterly statistics for tribunals.
• Gabriella Bettiga was reappointed as a member of the Tribunal Procedure Committee.
• The Ministry of Justice held a virtual event in relation to legal services provided between the UK and Africa.
• The Ministry of Justice released updated guidance on the duty to refer under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 as it applies to prisons and probation services.
• The Ministry of Justice is holding a consultation on sections 6 to 11 of the Justice and Security Act 2013 in relation to closed material procedures.

Independent reports:

• The Women’s Budget Group produced a briefing on differential gendered access to public services during the coronavirus pandemic.
• British Future released a briefing on public attitudes to the coronavirus pandemic, including willingness to receive a vaccine and to adopt Covid vaccine certification.
• Equally Ours released a briefing in response to the report of the Commission on Racial and Ethnic Disparities.