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We evaluate the effect of innovation support programmes on output innovation by SMEs in traditional manufacturing industry. This focus is motivated by a definition of traditional manufacturing industry that includes capacity for innovation, and by evidence of its continued importance in EU employment. We conducted a survey in seven EU regions to generate the data needed to estimate pre-published switching models by means of the copula approach, from which we derived treatment effects on a wide range of innovation outputs. We find that for participants the estimated effects of innovation support programmes are positive, typically increasing the probability of innovation and of its commercial success by around 15 per cent. Yet we also find that a greater return on public investment could have been secured by supporting firms chosen at random from the population of innovating traditional sector SMEs. These findings indicate the effectiveness of innovation support programmes while suggesting reform of their selection procedures.

Ambient air pollution is a long-standing and significant public health issue. The aim of this review is to systematically examine the peer-reviewed evidence on social inequalities and ambient air pollution in the World Health Organization European Region. Articles published between 2010 and 2017 were analyzed in the review. In total 31 articles were included in the review. There is good evidence from ecological studies that higher deprivation indices and low economic position are usually linked with higher levels of pollutants such as particulate matter (particulate matter under 2.5 and 10 microns in diameter, PM2.5, PM10) and oxides of nitrogen (e.g., NO2, and NOx). There is also evidence that ethnic minorities experience a mixed exposure in comparison to the majority population being sometimes higher and sometimes lower depending on the ethnic minority under consideration. The studies using data at the individual level in this review are mainly focused on pregnant women or new mothers, in these studies deprivation and ethnicity are more likely to be linked to higher exposures of poor air quality. Therefore, there is evidence in this review that the burden of higher pollutants falls disproportionally on different social groups.

We evaluate the effect of innovation support programs on output innovation by small and medium enterprises in traditional manufacturing industry. This focus is motivated by a definition of traditional manufacturing industry that includes capacity for innovation, and by evidence of its continued importance in European Union employment. We conducted a survey in seven European Union regions to generate the data needed to estimate pre-published switching models by means of the copula approach, from which we derived treatment effects on a wide range of innovation outputs. We find that for participants the estimated effects of innovation support programs are positive, typically increasing the probability of innovation and of its commercial success by around 15%. Yet, we also find that a greater return on public investment could have been secured by supporting firms chosen at random from the population of innovating traditional sector small and medium enterprises. These findings indicate the effectiveness of innovation support programs while suggesting reform of their selection procedures.

Key developments within the Ceramics sector in North Staffordshire in 2013. \ud \ud Includes:\ud An interview with Rachel Bishop - Chief Designer at Moorcroft\ud Latest developments at Middleport Pottery under the Princes regeneration Trust\ud Details of the upcoming British Ceramics Biennial.

An introduction to the film industry and services available in Staffordshire

Hintergrund: Einflüsse des regionalen sozioökonomischen Status auf die Gesundheit der Bevölkerung wurden bisher in Deutschland im Vergleich zu angelsächsischen Ländern relativ wenig untersucht. Das Ziel dieser Analyse bestand darin, unter Verwendung des neugebildeten Bayerischen[for full text, please go to the a.m. URL], Mainz//2011; 56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie (gmds), 6. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Epidemiologie (DGEpi)

This project (with its outputs) aims to provide a robust evidence base at the sub-regional level to enable the Environment Agency to deliver aspects of Creating a Better Place (the corporate strategy) that relate to Better Quality of Life issues. Specifically it details the level of\ud environmental inequalities experienced by different groups in South Yorkshire. The outputs of the project could also be used to initiate a dialogue with local communities in South Yorkshire about the quality of their environment and therefore supports Defra’s ‘Improving Poor Environment programme’.\ud \ud This work should also be of interest to local authorities, environmental organisations, regeneration agencies and the voluntary sector who are engaging with agendas of sustainable development, social inclusion, health and ‘environmental justice’.\ud \ud Populations in South Yorkshire were classified using the Index of Multiple Deprivation at the individual household level. The most deprived population is classified as those who live in the lowest ten per cent of areas nationally. Using a Geographical Information System the population\ud living near to a range of environmental factors was analysed. Statistics on rural urban populations, clustering of sites and the multiple impact of different environmental factors are also included. The outputs of the project allow South Yorkshire to be mapped forenvironmental inequalities at the most detailed level possible and as such hotspots or\ud locations for area based interventions can be identified.

The overall aim of this research project was to consider the extent to which communities of people in Scotland living at different levels of deprivation also live in proximity to factors affecting environmental quality. The presumption is often made that there is coincidence between poor environmental quality and deprived communities in Scotland. This project sought to develop an evidence base to explore this presumption and to help inform future policy directions.\ud \ud The project involved a review of past research in the environmental equity field; a scoping and evaluation of data sets; and an analysis of 8 environmental topics against patterns of multiple deprivation throughout Scotland.\ud \ud For each of the 8 environmental topics analysis was undertaken against the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004. Use was also made of spatially precise household location data in order to estimate populations in proximity to environmental features. Patterns of clustering and differences between urban and rural populations were also examined where relevant.

In order to undertake the modelling of major accident hazard events the HSE needs to estimate the\ud numbers of people potentially at risk from such events, particularly when societal rather than individual\ud risk is of concern. To-date, however, the data used on the spatial distribution of populations at risk has\ud been highly generalised. This project has developed a sophisticated methodology for producing a\ud national population database, drawing on multiple data sets and including populations located within\ud residential, workplace, retail, transport and leisure land uses and within communal establishments\ud involving particularly sensitive populations (such as schools and hospitals). The final database has a\ud greater coverage of population types and a better level of spatial resolution than any others that\ud currently exist. It has a flexible and user-friendly interface, which provides for many different potential\ud uses by HSE and other Government Bodies and Departments.

This report describes work completed under Environment Agency R&D Project E2-\ud 067/1 on Environmental Quality and Social Deprivation Data Analysis. The aim of the \ud research was to 'improve the Environment Agency's understanding of the relationship \ud between environmental quality and social deprivation in order to inform the \ud Environment Agency's policy position on environmental quality'. The objectives of the \ud study were to: \ud \ud 1. Evaluate existing data and research for the relationship between environmental \ud quality – with particularly reference to the Agency's environmental priorities \ud (e.g. air and water quality, flooding) and social deprivation (as measured by the \ud Index of Multiple Deprivation); \ud \ud 2. Identify gaps in the current evidence base, which restrict the development of an \ud Agency policy on environmental equality; \ud \ud 3. Critically appraise the existing methodology used by the Environment Agency \ud to explore the extent to which environmental conditions vary across socially \ud deprived wards (as identified by the Index of Multiple Deprivation); \ud \ud 4. Identify the value of, and priorities for, more detailed quantitative analysis of \ud environmental data sets and propose appropriate methodologies for conducting \ud this analysis; \ud \ud 5. Conduct statistical analysis of data sets associated with areas for which the \ud Environment Agency has regulatory responsibility and those relating to \ud deprivation; and \ud \ud 6. Make appropriate recommendations for Agency policy responses and further \ud research.

Deprived communities suffer the worst air quality, and are more likely to live on tidal floodplains and near to polluting industrial sites, according to new research by the Environment Agency. The analysis used the Government’s Index of Multiple Deprivation and data on air quality, flooding and facilities regulated by the Agency under Integrated Pollution Control (IPC) systems, to examine the relationship between environmental quality and social deprivation.

Under proposed new legislation it is intended that Mode A registered premises holding between 200­\ud 250kg net of shop good (HT4) fireworks will have to maintain a 5 metre separation distance to third\ud party buildings and 2.5 metres to footpaths and roads. In order to investigate the extent of any\ud problems for existing premises in complying with this requirement, a sample of Mode A premises\ud storing HT4 fireworks was selected from across 39 local authorities. This sample was deliberately\ud focused towards the type of premises expected to hold between 200-250kg of fireworks and to\ud potentially have problems with complying with the separation distance requirement (wholesalers and\ud distributors rather than shops or supermarkets). The owners of each of these premises were contacted\ud by telephone to obtain information on fireworks storage and separation distances. For the 102\ud premises for which information could be obtained, 23 were found to hold below 200kg of fireworks and\ud do therefore not need a separation distance. Of the remaining 79 premises, 76% had existing\ud separation greater than that required; 10% could comply with the separation distance after moving their\ud existing store or reducing inventories; and 14% (11 sites) had a problem with compliance that the\ud owners felt could not be satisfactorily resolved. This data indicates that some registered premises will\ud have a problem with the proposed separation distances that the owners consider will adversely affect\ud their operations. This is only a relatively small proportion of a sample deliberately biased towards the\ud type of premises expected to have separation distance problems. The significance of this regulatory\ud impact in the context of the proposed legislation therefore needs to be carefully evaluated.\ud This report and the work it describes were funded by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Its\ud contents, including any opinions and/or conclusions expressed, are those of the authors alone and do\ud not necessarily reflect HSE policy.

Recent geographical and sociological research has focused on analysing the environmental equity and justice dimensions of the distribution of pollution and risk. In the US, where most of this research has taken place, studies have shown that ethnic minority and poor communities bear a disproportionate burden of environmental risk, leading to accusations of environmental racism and deliberate targeting of marginal communities in siting decisions. Little attention has been given to these issues in the UK. This paper reports on a preliminary study examining the ethnic characteristics of census wards containing a particular category of technological risk known as 'major accident hazards'. The ethnic characteristics of wards with and without major accident hazard sites are analysed at national and regional scales. This reveals some evidence of a disproportionate siting of major accident hazard sites in wards with higher Asian populations. However it is stressed that these results provide no more than a preliminary indication of a pattern of distribution to be investigated further and that there are a number of significant limitations with the analysis undertaken including the size of spatial unit utilised, the lack of differentiation between major accident hazard sites and the need to examine the relationship between ethnicity and other socio-economic variables. No definitive conclusions can be drawn at this stage as to the validity, significance or cause of the apparent bias in site locations.

Environmental conditions are a major determinant of health and well-being but are not distributed\ud equally across the WHO European Region. Higher levels of environmental risk are often found in\ud disadvantaged population subgroups, leading to a need for targeted environmental and intersectoral\ud action to protect these groups and achieve environmental justice.\ud \ud This resource package aims to generate awareness of the concept of environmental health inequalities and to support action against disparities in exposure to environmental risks at the national and subnational levels. It sets out the various dimensions of environmental health inequality; presents relevant methods and approaches for monitoring and assessment; and suggests ways to use this evidence for action. It also provides information on a range of tools and guidance documents that may be helpful for national and local actors tackling environmental inequalities and striving to improve health and health equity.\ud \ud The publication is also available on this website in English and Russian\ud http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/environment-and-health/health-impact-assessment/publications/2019/environmental-health-inequalities-resource-package

Key messages for the overall report Environmental health inequalities in Europe: second assessment report.

Status\ud Energy poverty data show some of the widest inequities and inequalities in the environmental literature, as well as some of the most widespread. Across the WHO European Region tens of millions of people are directly affected by energy poverty, which has a direct link to negative health impacts.\ud \ud Trend\ud The overall problem of energy poverty has been slightly reduced for both poor and non-poor income groups, but inequality remains strong in Europe.