Welcome back to Engage from Delib. Our theme this month is public safety, and we’ll be spotlighting some reassuring customer activities — on topics ranging from local police strategies to regional cybersecurity, and even international nuclear safety!
At all levels of government, public bodies use citizen engagement to double-check and gather feedback on policies that save people’s lives. Everyone has a part to play, and viewpoints that are worth listening to.
Customer insights and inspiration:
Europe’s Energy Sector Body Reviews Cybersecurity Risks
After months of intensifying conflict in Europe and the Middle East, the cybersecurity risk to the European energy sector has never been higher.
ENTSO-E represents 40 electricity transmission operators in Europe, extending beyond the EU’s borders to the UK and Ukraine. Their role is to keep the grid safe, setting standardised rules for risk assessment, so that disasters don’t spill across borders and lead to power cuts or high energy prices.
In November, they opened a Citizen Space consultation on the operational security of the continent’s electricity grid. This looks at three levels where cyber-attacks could feasibly occur: a European Union-wide risk assessment, regional risk assessments, and the risk assessment for individual member states. They want to know if their methodologies meet EU policy, and to hear about emerging dangers that might not be included on their current list of threats.
Wales Prioritises Safer Reservoirs Due to Climate Concerns
The UK has an excellent reservoir safety record, with no deaths since strict laws were passed in the 1930s. However, history shows the stakes are high: the 1925 Dolgarrog disaster killed 16 people, and in 2019, Toddbrook Reservoir forced 1,500 evacuations when cracks were discovered.
Wales has around 400 registered reservoirs — with an average age of over 110 years, and over half designated as “high-risk” — which poses a flood risk to 220,000 people, vital infrastructure, and natural ecosystems.
After months of unusually high rainfall, Natural Resources Wales is now reviewing its reservoir safety laws and engaging experts in the field. Their consultation asks reservoir owners, engineers, and the public what they think of modernised safety standards, and how interventions can be escalated. This will keep lives and communities safe, and ensure the resilience of reservoirs for generations.
Reservoir safety policy is a devolved issue in the UK, but responses will be shared with the Westminster government to support a consistent approach in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Greater Manchester Invites Residents to Co-Create Police and Crime Plan
Police and Crime Plans are created at the county level every 5 years — setting the agenda on local policing needs, priorities, and where resources will be directed to fight crime.
Usually, it’s up to a Police and Crime Commissioner to create these plans, but in Greater Manchester, it works a little differently. As a combined authority, their devolution settlement means responsibility falls to Mayor Andy Burnham. Covering 2.85 million residents, it’s an incredibly diverse part of the country, with a strong nightlife and business sector, as well as some areas of extreme deprivation.
As such, their consultation has a very wide scope, and the driving force behind it is the idea of ‘policing by consent’. This means local people (and especially victims of crime), should know what police are doing in their neighbourhoods; whereas Andy Burnham should know what the community expects to see done better.
If you want to know more about the ways government is building public trust in police forces, you might like our article on police community engagement.
Australia Reshapes Safety Standards for Radioactive Materials
Global standards for nuclear safety are set (and regularly updated) by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but not without the help of their member states.
The Australian Government recently consulted industry experts to gather feedback on a new guide for how to safely package nuclear material. But don’t worry — no one is expecting a radiation leak any time soon! They just want to know how packaging should be inspected and maintained after it’s been kept in storage for a long time.
Responses will be forwarded to the IAEA Secretariat, and they’re hoping feedback will shape the final version so it’s simple to understand and reflects the consensus among specialists in the field.
The Cayman Islands Strengthens Protections for Children and the Elderly
The Cayman Islands Government is seeking feedback from advocacy groups, legal experts, social services professionals, and the public as part of a trio of consultations.
The Children (Amendment) Bill focuses on child safety, with a new round of reporting and safeguarding training for professionals, as well as a ‘Voice of the Child’ promise that children’s perspectives will be considered when decisions are made on their future. This would bring domestic law in line with UN standards, but it’s a tricky balance to get right in cases where neglect and abuse have occurred.
Meanwhile, the Older Persons (Amendment) Bill extends stronger protections to the elderly, with a new tribunal system for whistleblowers and intervention requests. Finally, the Adoption Bill aims to crack down on the scourge of child trafficking. For instance, it recommends stricter record-keeping and vetting for intercountry adoptions — all without the process grinding to a standstill.
Together, these laws will help keep vulnerable people safe without making lives harder for carers or prospective parents. Consultation lets the government hear concerns they may not have considered, which is absolutely necessary in cases where the individual is at risk.
For more guidance, see our blueprint for discussing sensitive topics in consultations.
Industry and legislative news:
High-Speed Rail Talk Gathers Steam in North of England
Last October, PM Rishi Sunak scrapped the northern leg of England’s HS2 rail project — meaning high-speed services would only run between London and Birmingham. Since then, the combined authority mayors of Manchester and Birmingham have led a fightback to win an alternative arrangement and better connect their regions.
According to the Financial Times, plans have been mooted to build a new 80km section of track to connect HS2 with Northern Powerhouse Rail. An independent review by private consortium Arup found this could add up to £70bn to the regional economy, at 60-75% of the original cost.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has confirmed she will meet with the two metro mayors, with an update expected in the coming weeks. If plans go ahead, it would mark a significant shift toward spatial infrastructure planning in the UK, and could be the next step to a devolved planning settlement for combined authorities — as floated in the Labour manifesto.
Labour Unveils its New Deal for Working People
The UK government has begun consulting on an Employment Rights Bill, another flagship Labour manifesto promise, which they claim represents “the biggest upgrade in employment rights for a generation”.
At a glance, the main proposals are to ban zero-hours contracts, improve access to Statutory Sick Pay, reform trade union legislation, and crack down on fire-and-rehire practices. Consultations for these topics are underway until the 2nd December 2024, with more dialogue expected next year.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC) called the proposals a “potential gamechanger” and, if implemented in full, genuinely transformative for working people. Meanwhile, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned that the plans may worsen industrial relations and admin costs for businesses, piling on pressure after an already-damaging budget. Members of the public, including workers and business owners, are warmly encouraged to share their views in the ongoing consultations.
