Trends, Recent Developments, "Feeding in" and "Feeding out": a study of national policies

Under 'Key Trends' (3.) and 'Key policy and legislative developments' (4.), we review recent trends and report on some of the main policies which have emerged since the publication of the latest version of the National Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion. The remainder of the report is devoted to an assessment of the UK's implementation report on the National Reform Programme (NRP). This was published (quietly) in September 2007, but was supplemented by an updating letter in October following the PreBudget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) which contained the most significant recent policy proposals. The UK has again called its report 'Jobs and Growth', rather than the more usual EU phrase 'Growth and Jobs'. We focus on issues of concern in the implementation report.