Press Releases
Press Releases from the Policy Exchange team across a range of topics and policy departments.
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Recent Press Releases
New report: Nearly a quarter of all school children in London are exposed to illegal and harmful levels of air pollution
Nearly 25% of all school children in London and 44% of the Capital’s workforce are exposed to levels of air pollution that exceed legal and healthy limits. A new report, Up in the Air, by leading think tank Policy Exchange and King’s College London, analyses data from over 100 air quality monitoring sites across London. It shows the most polluted parts of the Capital currently have levels of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) nearly four times the legal limit. The research finds that 12.5% of the total area of the Capital currently exceeds the legal limit for NO2, and that deprived parts of London are more likely to be affected.
Policy Exchange responds to the government’s “energy policy reset”
Responding to Amber Rudd’s “energy policy reset”, Policy Exchange Head of Environment & Energy Richard Howard backs the government’s broad approach, but calls for DECC to consider extra, complementary ways of meeting our future energy needs than simply building new gas power stations.
Cutting Whitehall contractors could save £1billion, says think tank
A new report by leading think tank Policy Exchange finds that after a period of restraint, the amount of money Government departments spend on external contractors has risen significantly, nearing pre-2010 levels. In 2014/15, Government departments spent £1.01 billion, up from £610 million in 2011/12. In 2009/10, the amount spent on off payroll staff was £1.5 billion.
Think tank calls for a bonfire of the energy quangos at the Spending Review
A new report by leading think tank Policy Exchange highlights the complex network of organisations that govern energy policy, regulations and rules. The paper find there are over 30 bodies responsible for the delivery of energy policy, the management of industry codes of practice and the operation of the energy system. The cost of these organisations is estimated at over £600million a year.
Take money from universities to support technical education, says Policy Exchange
New report calls on BIS to redirect £500m from universities grant funding into Further Education to boost higher level professional and technical education. Further Education should be put on a par with Higher Education with the expansion of student loans to students going to FE, as well as the introduction of maintenance support.
Onshore wind costs set to reduce dramatically making it ‘subsidy free’ by 2020
Policy Exchange says new low cost onshore wind projects should be allowed to proceed as part of the government’s drive to decarbonise at least cost .
Fine schools for students who fail GCSE Maths and English
Secondary schools should cover the costs of some or all their students who fail to get a C in GCSE English or maths and end up transferring from the school to a Further Education (FE) College to take their resits.
Helping commuters travel 20 minutes further could open up 10,000 more job opportunities
In a third of local authorities that make up the eight city regions no major employment sites (defined by having 5,000 or more jobs) are within a twenty minute commute by public transport and 80% of these Local Authorities have an unemployment rate above the national average.
Policy Exchange teams up with King’s College London on major new study on how to tackle air pollution in the Capital
Two of the leading research organisations in the country today announced a partnership to produce a major new study into policies to improve air quality in London. Policy Exchange, the UK’s leading think tank, which has a track record of producing ideas that have impacted the policy debate, will join forces with King’s College London’s Environmental Research Group, one of the global experts in air quality science.
Household energy bills have risen by £120 due to ill thought through energy and climate policies
Policy Exchange argues that policymakers should prioritise “affordability, affordability, affordability” by beefing up consumer oversight of policy decisions. The average household energy bill has risen by £120 over the past five years purely due to ill thought through energy and climate policies which fail to put affordability at the heart of policymaking.
