Suchergebnisse

AN AMAZING SPEECH ABOUT LOCAL GOVERNMENT WAS DELIVERED IN JULY 1982 TO THE SOCIETY OF LOCAL AUTHORITY CHIEF EXECUTIVES. IT WAS AN ADDRESS BY MR. LEON BRITTAN, CHIEF SECRETARY TO THE TREASURY.1 HE PROVIDED AN INSIGHT INTO TREASURY THINKING AND THE ATTITUDE ADOPTED BY THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT SINCE 1979. HE ATTACKED LOCAL GOVERNMENT FOR OVERSPENDING, WHICH WAS ALLEGED TO BE DAMAGING THE HEALTH OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY. HE ASSERTED THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT, BY REFUSING TO STICK TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT'S TARGETS FOR EXPENDITURE, HAD BROKEN A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, AND THAT, IF IT DID NOT CONFORM IN THE FUTURE AND ACCEPT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT'S RIGHT TO GIVE EFFECTIVE GUIDANCE, THE QUESTION WOULD HAVE TO BE ASKED" IS THE CONVENTIONAL WISDOM STILL RIGHT IN ASSUMING THAT LOCAL AUTONOMY OVER PRIORITIES AND ADMINISTRATION OF SERVICES NECESSARILY IMPLIES COMPLETE FREEDOM ULTIMATELY TO DETERMINE LEVELS OF EXPENDITURE BY SETTING THE LEVEL OF RATES WITHOUT ANY LIMITATION WHATSOEVER?" HE WAS THUS THREATENING AN EFFECTIVE ENND TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, SINCE OUR SYSTEM OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN BASED ON THE RIGHT AND THE DUTY OF A LOCAL AUTHORITY TO DECIDE ON THE LEVEL OF ITS EXPENDITURE, IF FINANCED FROM ITS OWN LOCAL TAX, THE RATES-A DECISION FOR WHICH IT IS ACCOUNTABLE TO ITS OWN LOCAL ELECTORATE.

Social and political policy, human activities, and environmental change affect the ways in which microbial communities assemble and interact with people. These factors determine how different social groups are exposed to beneficial and/or harmful microorganisms, meaning microbial exposure has an important socioecological justice context. Therefore, greater consideration of microbial exposure and social equity in research, planning, and policy is imperative. Here, we identify 20 research questions considered fundamentally important to promoting equitable exposure to beneficial microorganisms, along with safeguarding resilient societies and ecosystems. The 20 research questions we identified span seven broad themes, including the following: (i) sociocultural interactions; (ii) Indigenous community health and well-being; (iii) humans, urban ecosystems, and environmental processes; (iv) human psychology and mental health; (v) microbiomes and infectious diseases; (vi) human health and food security; and (vii) microbiome-related planning, policy, and outreach. Our goal was to summarize this growing field and to stimulate impactful research avenues while providing focus for funders and policymakers.