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The problems with Reform UK's immigration policy
No full textReform UK’s policy on irregular immigration of “detect, detain, deport” has been widely criticised on legal and moral grounds. But Alan Manning looks at the practical difficulties with enacting this policy and finds that they will be highly costly, involve sending money to authoritarian regimes, and have uncertain results
Reducing distance friction via digital taxation - the Piraeus case
No full textFocusing on the Port of Piraeus as a case of institutional innovation, this study explores how digital taxation reforms can diminish 'distance friction in maritime trade. By integrating Greek myDATA e-invoicing system with the ICISnet Customs single-window, a pre-clearance process markedly accelerates procedural flows and augments institutional trust in Port of Piraeus. Analytically, the study situates these outcomes within a Technology Organization Environment framework and a theory of institution-to-process-to-efficiency. The findings demonstrate that although initial friction may arise, sustained system stabilization delivers amplified efficiency, especially in transshipment hub contexts like Piraeus. Building on these insights, the paper proposes a cohesive strategy combining system-level enhancements. The strategies include UID pre-clearance benchmarks, frequent performance metrics, and crisis playbooks. This integrated model significantly advances digital Customs integration and offers a scalable road map for countries aiming for resilient and efficient port systems, even if the countries are outside the EU. Finally, several limitations are put forward to be studied in the future
Fiscal rules, escape clauses, and credit markets: evidence from financial crises
No full textThis paper investigates whether escape clauses in fiscal rules mitigate the negative effects of financial crises on domestic credit markets. Using a dynamic panel of 56 countries from 1985 to 2015, we estimate the impact of escape clauses on both domestic bank credit and sovereign bond spreads during crises. Our results show that escape clauses significantly soften the contraction in credit and reduce sovereign borrowing costs when crises occur. In contrast, discretionary fiscal deviations—those not supported by legal clauses—fail to produce similar benefits. These findings suggest that institutionalized fiscal flexibility plays a stabilizing role in periods of financial distress by supporting market confidence and access to finance. To our knowledge, this is among the first empirical studies to assess the role of escape clauses during idiosyncratic banking crises
Varieties of memory, varieties of reconstruction, varieties of memory trace
No full textThe biological world is rich in variation, both in bodies and in minds. A particularly clear case is memory, where traditional taxonomies increasingly face challenges capturing the full extent of variation. Meanwhile, a central debate within philosophy of memory has focused on whether episodic memory requires memory traces, given the role of simulation in episodic remembering. Do other forms of memory involve traces and simulation in the same way as episodic memory, and if they do, does this undermine episodic memory’s claim to be a natural kind? Trace minimalist approaches see the role of simulation in memory retrieval as a means of extracting a rich, reliable yet fallible representation from a trace storing compressed information. This insight can be generalised to a broader class of theories, Minimal Trace Minimalism. Within this broader class, ‘Trace Pluralist’ theories suggest, surprisingly, that the basic computation of compressed storage and potentially fallible reconstruction shows up not just in episodic memory, but equally in paradigmatic cases of semantic memory. This motivates replacing the episodic/semantic distinction with a richer, more systematic array of categories, and reevaluating our understanding of semantic memory and related notions such as belief
Brazilian conditional cash transfer programme’s impact on youth human capital outcomes: the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort
No full textIntroduction: Brazil’s Bolsa Família Programme (BFP) is one of the largest conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes globally. This study evaluated the impact of BFP during childhood on human capital outcomes at age 18. Methods: We analysed data from 2743 participants in the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort. BFP participation was assessed at ages 6 and 11, and outcomes at age 18 included grade repetition, being neither in school nor working, criminal behaviour, tobacco use, binge drinking and drug use. To address selection bias, we used Propensity Score Matching to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT). Results: No significant effects of BFP participation at ages 6 or 11 were observed for most outcomes: not studying or working (ATT 0.01; 95% CI −0.04 to 0.06), tobacco use (ATT −0.03; 95% CI −0.10 to 0.05), binge drinking (ATT −0.05; 95% CI −0.15 to 0.05), violent crime (ATT 0.00; 95% CI −0.08 to 0.07) or any crime (ATT −0.06; 95% CI −0.14 to 0.03). Weak evidence suggested reductions in non-violent crime (ATT −0.04; 95% CI −0.09 to 0.01; p=0.072) and drug use (ATT −0.07; 95% CI −0.17 to 0.02; p=0.075), but a possible increase in grade repetition (ATT 0.07; 95% CI −0.02 to 0.16; p=0.097). Analyses of BFP receipt at only one time point showed no effects, indicating that longer exposure may be necessary for impact. Conclusions: Participation in the BFP during childhood was not associated with significant improvements in most human capital outcomes at age 18. Nonetheless, potential reductions in drug use and non-violent crime, and the complex relationship with school performance, warrant further investigation into the long-term and multidimensional effects of CCTs. These results are specific to the Pelotas cohort and may not be generalisable to different geographical settings within Brazil
Kuwaiti EV owners’ experience and recommendations for mass adoption for the world’s EV laggard
No full textAs of the end of 2024, there are only about 781 electric vehicles (EV) on the streets of Kuwait, ranking it at about the 0.03 percentile of the total car population and as the country with the lowest EVitization worldwide. In this study, we explore the reasons behind this ultra-low adoption rate from a variety of standpoints: 1. from a qualitative perspective based on deep interviews with 10 existing EV owners in Kuwait; 2. from the perspective of marketing and of capital and operational expenses by gathering the latest data from the common database of Kuwaiti automobile dealers; 3. from the perspective of governmental incentives and infrastructural development; and 4. from the technical perspective on how EVs perform in extreme heat conditions, such as those in Kuwait. From these four perspectives, we gather several reasons for the ultra-low adoption rate, and we provide a variety of possible solutions that are likely to increase the rate at which Kuwaiti residents replace their internal combustion engine automobiles with electric vehicles and, thus, lower their carbon footprint, which is one of the highest in the world
A Delphi study on valuing DNA sequencing in oncology: a European stakeholder developed framework for assessing next generation sequencing and comprehensive genomic profiling diagnostics
No full textBackground Advanced genomic technologies like Next Generation Sequencing and Comprehensive Genomic Profiling are pivotal for the prevention, management and treatment of cancer by identifying crucial genetic markers. However, their adoption in Europe is inconsistent, partly due to the lack of a validated approach to assessing their value. Methods A multi-phase mixed-methods approach was implemented, integrating a systematic review and multi-stakeholder consensus-generating Delphi exercise to derive a comprehensive set of value criteria and arrive at a value assessment framework. This value assessment framework adapted an existing Latin American-focused diagnostic framework to the European context. The Delphi included representatives from the broader stakeholder community (patient advocacy, industry, decision-makers, health technology assessment, regulators, academia, and physicians). Over four rounds, participants refined and rated the significance of these criteria in the context of the assessment of the specified technologies in oncology, particularly for reimbursement decisions. Responses were analysed in terms of stability and level of consensus in order to generate a final value assessment framework. Findings 34 individuals participated in all rounds of the Delphi exercise. The final value assessment framework includes 8 distinct value criteria, including: clinical impact; test performance and quality; quality of scientific evidence; non-clinical impact; impact on health system integration, organisation and delivery of care; economic aspects; ethical and governance concerns; and health system priorities. Within these criteria, a total of 27 distinct sub-criteria were identified, 23 of which had consensus as ‘important’ or ‘very important’ in assessing value. Interpretation The resultant value assessment framework is validated by a wide range of key European stakeholders and enables systematic assessment of Next Generation Sequencing and Comprehensive Genomic Profiling technologies used in oncology diagnostics within the European setting. The framework includes aspects that are not adequately considered in current health technology assessment and goes beyond existing value assessment frameworks through the inclusion of newer criteria such as data governance concerns. Funding Funding was provided by the Precision Cancer Consortium with an unrestricted educational grant