scholarly journals Understanding the costs and challenges of the digital divide through UK council services

2021 ◽  
pp. 016555152110406
Author(s):  
Morgan Harvey ◽  
David P Hastings ◽  
Gobinda Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Customer Support ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Digital Exclusion ◽  
The Uk

This study investigates the issue of digital exclusion resulting from the digitisation of government and council services within the United Kingdom. An initial analysis of customer support log data from a council in a large UK city helped identify the most commonly queried services and modes of support. The main findings are based on qualitative analysis of 10 interviews, structured around the results from the log analysis, conducted with front-line staff members at the central library of the same council. The study identifies a range of issues associated with the provision of e-government services and the subsequent under-utilisation by the public, including poor design, issues with effective access and the level of digital literacy among end users. The study also proposes the concept of the ‘digital carer’, a friend or family member who is relied upon by users unable to interact with e-government services themselves. The findings of this study have implications for the way in which these services are designed and delivered and point to the need for further work that can contribute to the UK digital economy by facilitating better access to e-government services and reduce digital exclusion, especially for elderly and marginalised users.

scholarly journals Can Political Trust Help to Explain Elite Policy Support and Public Behaviour in Times of Crisis? Evidence from the United Kingdom at the Height of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic

2020 ◽  
pp. 003232172098090
Author(s):  
James Weinberg
Keyword(s):  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Interpersonal Relations ◽  
Political Trust ◽  
Policy Coordination ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
The Public ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
Policy Success ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk

Trust between representatives and citizens is regarded as central to effective governance in times of peace and uncertainty. This article tests that assumption by engaging elite and mass perspectives to provide a 360-degree appraisal of vertical and horizontal policy coordination in a crisis scenario. Specifically, a multi-dimensional conception of political trust, anchored in psychological studies of interpersonal relations, is operationalised in the context of the United Kingdom’s response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. Detailed analysis of data collected from 1045 members of the public and more than 250 elected politicians suggests that particular facets of political trust and distrust may have contributed to levels of mass behavioural compliance and elite policy support in the UK at the height of the COVID-19 crisis. These findings help to evaluate policy success during a unique and challenging moment while contributing theoretically and methodologically to broader studies of political trust and governance.

Papers please: Predictive factors for national and international COVID-19 immunity and vaccination passport uptake as determined by representative surveys (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Michael Garrett ◽  
Joshua Paul White ◽  
Simon Dennis ◽  
Stephan Lewandowsky ◽  
Cheng-Ta Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Factors ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
National Accounts ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
Effective Policy ◽  
Generalized Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
The Uk

BACKGROUND In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries are introducing digital passports that allow citizens to return to normal activities if they were previously infected with (immunity passport) or vaccinated against (vaccination passport) SARS-CoV-2. To be effective, policy decision makers must know whether immunity and vaccination passports will be widely accepted by the public, and under what conditions? This study focuses attention on immunity passports, as these may prove useful in countries both with and without an existing COVID-19 vaccination program, however, our general findings also extend to vaccination passports. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess attitudes towards the introduction of immunity passports in six countries, and determine what social, personal, and contextual factors predicted their support. METHODS We collected online representative samples across six countries – Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom – from April to May of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, and assessed attitudes and support for the introduction of immunity passports. RESULTS Immunity passport support was moderate-to-low, ranging from 51% in the UK and Germany, 47% in Australia and Spain, 46% in Taiwan, and 22% in Japan. Bayesian generalized linear mixed effects modelling controlling assessed predictive factors for immunity passport support across countries. International results showed neoliberal world views, personal concern and perceived virus severity, the fairness of immunity passports, and willingness to become infected to gain an immunity passport, were all predictive factors of immunity passport support. By contrast, gender (woman), immunity passport concern, and risk of harm to society predicted a decrease in support for immunity passports. Minor differences in predictive factors were found between countries and results were modelled separately to provide national accounts of these data. CONCLUSIONS Our research suggests that support for immunity passports is predicted by the personal benefits and social risks they confer. These findings generalized across six countries and may also prove informative for the introduction of vaccination passports, helping policy makers to introduce effective COVID-19 passport policies in these six countries and around the world.

User Help and Service Navigation Features in Government Web Sites

2011 ◽  
pp. 2643-2656
Author(s):  
Genie N.L. Stowers
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
Web Sites ◽  
Web Site ◽  
Government Structure ◽  
The Public ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Government Web Sites ◽  
Web Developers ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

This article examines the user help and service navigation features in government Web sites and compares them across levels of government. These features are critical to ensuring that users unfamiliar with government are able to successfully and easily access e-government services and information. The research finds clear patterns in the use of similar help and navigation features across governments, leading to a conclusion that these features are diffusing in the public sector Web development field. The article concludes by stating that Web developers should work to overcome a second digital divide, one of a lack of knowledge of Web site organization and government structure. Users need to be actively assisted to find information by Web developers.

Guidelines for Fixed Wing Air Ambulance Flights

1985 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-297
Author(s):  
R.J. Fairhurst ◽  
Captain D. Antrobus
Keyword(s):  
International Travel ◽  
Insurance Companies ◽  
Air Ambulances ◽  
Air Ambulance ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Legal Implications ◽  
Medical Transport ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Seriously Ill

The easy availability of small aircraft for charter, has been accompanied by increasing willingness on the part of insurance companies to pay the costs for the use of these air ambulances. Operators of aircraft in the United Kingdom and Europe were becoming increasingly worried about the moral, medical and legal implications of carrying seriously ill or injured passengers. In late 1980 the UK Air Taxi Operators Association (ATOA) began to formulate Guidelines for air ambulance operations, and in 1981 these were incorporated into the studies of the same subject by the International Business Aircraft Association (IBAA), Europe. This paper presents the Guidelines adopted by the ATOA and ratified by IBAA Europe. The Guidelines are designed not to hamper the development of aeormedical rescue, but to bring it within a proper medical aeronautical framework for the safety of the patients, and medical and aircraft crews.During the last 30 years development of the international travel market in Europe has resulted in many patients becoming ill or suffering injuries many miles from their own home. In the past these people would have remained in a local hospital and received treatment by the locally available facilities. There has been a revolution in the technology of medical transport, providing skills and equipment which allows the most seriously injured people to be transported over long distances. The public demand has pressed insurance companies to offer as part of travel packages the possiblity of medical repatriation. The number of new serious medical cases abroad reported to Europ Assistance in London, rose from 736 in 1978 to a projected 3,500 in 1983.

scholarly journals Papers please: Predictive factors for the uptake of national and international COVID-19 immunity and vaccination passports

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Michael Garrett ◽  
Joshua Paul White ◽  
Simon Dennis ◽  
Stephan Lewandowsky ◽  
Cheng-Ta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Predictive Factors ◽  
Policy Decision ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Effective Policy ◽  
Generalized Linear Mixed Effects ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Representative Samples

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries are introducing digital passports that allow citizens to return to normal activities if they were previously infected with (immunity passport) or vaccinated against (vaccination passport) SARS-CoV-2. To be effective, policy decision makers must know whether immunity and vaccination passports will be widely accepted by the public, and under what conditions? We collected representative samples across six countries – Australia, Japan, Taiwan, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom – during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic to assess attitudes towards the introduction of immunity passports. Immunity passport support was moderate-to-low, ranging from 51% in the UK and Germany, down to 22% in Japan. Bayesian generalized linear mixed effects modelling controlling for each country showed neoliberal world views, personal concern and perceived virus severity, the fairness of immunity passports, and willingness to become infected to gain an immunity passport, were all predictive factors of immunity passport support. By contrast, gender (woman), immunity passport concern, and risk of harm to society predicted a decrease in support for immunity passports. Minor differences in predictive factors were found between countries. These findings will help policy makers introduce effective immunity passport policies in these six countries and around the world.

scholarly journals Analysis of Data Use Registers published by health data custodians in the UK

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nada Karrar ◽  
Shahriar Kabir Khan ◽  
Sinduja Manohar ◽  
Paola Quattroni ◽  
David Seymour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Care ◽  
Data Use ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Health Data ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Public Record ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Research Alliance

Transparency of how health and social care data is used by researchers is crucial to building public trust. We define 'data use registers' as a public record of data an organisation has shared with other individuals or organisations for the purpose of research, innovation and service evaluation, and are used by some data custodians across the United Kingdom to increase transparency of data use. They typically contain information about the type of data being shared, the purpose, date of approval and name of organisation or individual using (or receiving) the data. However, information published lacks standardisation across organisations. Registers do not yet have a consistent approach and are often incomplete, updated infrequently and not accessible to the public. In this paper, we present an empirical analysis of existing data use registers in the UK and investigate accessibility, content, format and frequency of updates across health data organisations. This analysis will inform future recommendations for a data use register standard that will be published by the UK Health Data Research Alliance.

‘Someone should have just asked me what was wrong’

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Loucks ◽  
Tânia Loureiro
Keyword(s):  
Current Debate ◽  
Family Impact ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
Significant Positive Change ◽  
Justice Process ◽  
Criminal Justice Process ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

This chapter explores the current debate in Scotland into the attempt to introduce Child & Family Impact Assessments (C&FIA) at key stages in the criminal justice process. It compares this to current international practice in taking the impact of a parent’s imprisonment on children into account, then questions what further improvements could be made. Like the rest of the United Kingdom, Scotland has fallen short of incorporation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into domestic law. However, the Children & Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 places a duty on the public sector to report what they are doing to realise the rights set out in the UNCRC, and discussion of full incorporation remains live (arguably more so than in other parts of the UK). Scotland thus seems to be teetering on the edge of significant positive change regarding support for children with imprisoned parents.

Factors driving the development of healthcare waste management in the United Kingdom over the past 60 years

2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 362-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
William K. Townend ◽  
Christopher Cheeseman ◽  
Jen Edgar ◽  
Terry Tudor
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Political Action ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Healthcare Waste ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Healthcare Waste Management ◽  
The Uk

Since the creation of the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom in 1948 there have been significant changes in the way waste materials produced by healthcare facilities have been managed due to a number of environmental, legal and social drivers. This paper reviews the key changes in legislation and healthcare waste management that have occurred in the UK between 1948 and the present time. It investigates reasons for the changes and how the problems associated with healthcare wastes have been addressed. The reaction of the public to offensive disposal practices taking place locally required political action by the UK government and subsequently by the European legislature. The relatively new UK industry of hazardous healthcare waste management has developed rapidly over the past 25 years in response to significant changes in healthcare practices. The growth in knowledge and appreciation of environmental issues has also been fundamental to the development of this industry. Legislation emanating from Europe is now responsible for driving change to UK healthcare waste management. This paper examines the drivers that have caused the healthcare waste management to move forward in the 60 years since the NHS was formed. It demonstrates that the situation has moved from a position where there was no overall strategy to the current situation where there is a strong regulatory framework but still no national strategy. The reasons for this situation are examined and based upon the experience gained; suggestions are made for the benefit of countries with systems for healthcare waste management still in the early stages of development or without any provisions at all.

‘Positive direct rule’: economic policy

No Solution ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.C. Aveyard
Keyword(s):  
Economic Policy ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Great Britain ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Labour Government ◽  
The Public ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Positive Direct

This chapter looks at economic policy in Northern Ireland in the context of severe economic difficulties experienced by the UK as a whole. It shows how the Labour government sought to shield Northern Ireland from economic realities because of the conflict, increasing public expenditure and desperately seeking industrial investment. The level of desperation in this endeavour is illustrated through examples such as Harland & Wolff’s shipyards and the DeLorean Motor Company. The experience of the 1970s, and particularly under the Labour government, set the pattern for the following decades with a steadily increasing subvention from the rest of the United Kingdom and a growing dependence on the public sector, all at a time when the opposite trend took place in Great Britain.

Commercial Arrangements for Co-Generation in the UK and USA

1987 ◽  
Vol 201 (4) ◽  
pp. 259-265
Author(s):  
D L Tolley ◽  
G J Fowler
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
The United States ◽  
Combined Heat And Power ◽  
Public Utilities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

This paper examines the impact of the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act (PURPA) in the United States and the Energy Act 1983 in the United Kingdom on the nature of the purchase tariffs for co-generators and combined heat and power (CHP) plant, and considers the reasons why the prospects for investment by private generators might be enhanced in the United States.

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