NAO: More costly but half the time & 75% less labour - The National Audit Office has released a report showing the potential for modern methods of construction to provide good quality homes quickly & efficiently. The NAO also provides guidance on identifying & managing the risks associated with modern methods of construction.
The NAO found that the use of modern methods of construction, rather than more established techniques, should make it possible to build up to four times as many homes with the same amount of on-site labour.
The NAO also found using modern methods of construction can reduce on-site construction time by up to half and that building performance can be at least as good as with traditional building methods.
This has major implications, as work for the London Olympics, coupled with government policy to build more homes (plus the recently announced Terminal 2 re-build at Heathrow), will place increasing demands on the existing pool of skilled labour, especially in
The report is supported by more detailed background material that includes a set of sample project plans, showing how plans need to be tailored to gain maximum benefit from modern methods of construction.
Press release ~ Using modern methods of construction to build homes more quickly and efficiently: Full Report (1.6Mb) ~ Executive Summary ~ Supporting Files ~ CABE report on Modern Housing (scroll down to Industry News section) ~ Registered Social Landlords ~ ODPM - £60,000 home ~ English Partnerships ~ Building Skills survey
Home Office: A sad irony - Proposals to reduce crime and tackle terrorism through innovative use of science & research have been published in the Home Office’s Science and Innovation Strategy 2005-08, which sets out the way in which the Government claims it will, through science and technology, effectively reduce crime & the fear of crime, tackle terrorism and manage UK borders.
Ironically the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) announced the launch of a body armour database and forum on
Press release ~ Science and Innovation Strategy 2005-08 ~ Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) ~ Body armour database
DCMS: Feeling lucky? Then have your say - Tessa Jowell has announced that, for the first time, the Government is to consult (closes end of February 2006) the public on what kind of arts, film, heritage and sporting projects should receive Lottery funding.
The responses will be used to help the Government decide in, June 2006, how Lottery money should be shared after 2009 and whether the Government should change the policies affecting how the money is spent.
Press release ~ Consultation document ~ DCMS Lottery website ~ Consultation website
LSDA: Education in the Workplace - The LSDA has published a report from a research project carried out by the Institute for Employment Studies - funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) - to identify the ”drivers” and “facilitators” that motivate both employers and employees to get involved in education & training in the workplace.
There is no single factor that acts as an obstacle to workplace learning, the research concludes, but there are a number of barriers that, when combined, are significant. Negative views of education, lack of confidence, the fear of being stigmatised and lack of awareness of opportunities are all barriers to learning experienced by employees with poor educational attainments.
Researchers found many examples of facilitators - specific actions that make it easier for employers and employees to get involved in learning activities at work.
Press release ~ Learning at work: strategies for widening adult participation in learning below Level 2 via the workplace ~ Learning and Skills Council ~ Institute for Employment Studies (IES) ~ National Employer Training Programme ~ Investors in People ~ Employer Training Pilots ~ National Employer Training Programme, Train to Gain ~ Tesco’s Learning Centre ~ NHSU (National Health Service University) Learning Accounts ~ Skillscentre:mk ~ Read On Write Away (ROWA!) ~ Blackburn with Darwen Taxi Drivers’ Scheme
DH: And the smoke signals say - The results of the consultations around smoking and health care associated infections, which contributed to the Health Bill, have been published on the Department of Health website. Over 57,000 responses were received on the smokefree element of the Health Bill and nearly 90% of these responses welcomed proposals for legislation on smoke-free public places and workplaces.
The government claims that the measures in the Health Bill will mean that 99% of the workforce will be guaranteed a completely smoke free workplace, compared with 51% today. The legislation will now be introduced in the summer of 2007 and there will be a review at the end of three years.
The government says they are currently working with stakeholders on a definition of ’prepare & serve food’ for licensed premises, as well as on what is the best method to prohibit smoking in the bar area in those non-smoking premises where smoking will continue, including discrete smoking rooms or areas to protect staff.
Press release ~ Responses to the consultation on the smokefree elements of the Health Improvement and Protection Bill ~ Health Bill ~ White paper: Choosing Health: making healthier choices easier
Shape the Future will start young people on a journey, making connections between the issues they face and the solutions engineering & technology can provide. And, to help them on their way, it will signpost opportunities for them to do one more thing – such as joining a Young Engineers club at their school or another similar initiative, participating in a classroom discussion or even just logging onto a website for more information.
Press release ~ Shape the Future ~ The Royal Academy of Engineering ~ Digest of Statistics ~ Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) Mapping Review ~ Public attitudes to science and engineering ~ London’s Science Museum
TfL: Scrooge takes a holiday - Transport for
Press release ~ Congestion Charge website ~ Traffic Alerts service ~ See the traffic at locations across London
CMI: Frustrated decision-making - Senior managers in the
Key findings include:
· Lack of support: 40% of senior managers have taken a decision against their better judgement in the past six months. Reasons cited for this include undue pressure from colleagues (20%) and lack of time (15%).
· Considered confidence: 90% are confident about their own decision-making abilities, but many recognise the need to consult others, with 78% consulting their team and 48% with stakeholders.
· Personality profile: Asked what characteristics make good decision-makers, the top three answers given were experience (50%), logical thinking (47%) and objectivity (45%). Interestingly 39%) also suggested that active listening is vital.
The Chartered Management Institute is issuing guidance about the art of decision-making and Top tips include:
· Remain objective: decisions impact on those around you, so consider the effects on colleagues or team members before making your mind up.
· Take your time: too many people believe that they have to make up their mind quickly.
· Communicate your decision: outline clearly what you expect from people.
Full article ~ Chartered Management Institute ~ The Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory – Decision making ~ The Society for Judgment and Decision Making ~ Decision making styles ~ Decision making tools on the web ~ Devolving decision making: 1- Delivering better public services ~ Scottish Executive – Guide to collective decision making ~ CASP and evidence-based practice ~ Risk taking ~ HSE – Risk management ~ Involving young people in local authority decision-making
Have we learnt any lessons? – The one ‘certainty’ of Children’s services provision over the past few decades seems to have been (unfortunately) a frequent repetition of the mantra ‘We have all learnt lessons from this tragedy’ at the conclusion of every public inquiry into the most recent tragedy.
Yet time & time again over the years, it appears that the same problems of faulty procedures and poor supervision are revealed as being at the heart of each new tragedy.
For those wanting to avoid that situation, on 8 December there is a conference being run - Child Protection In The UK After Bichard And The Children Act 2004 - which can help you discover how the Bichard Report and Children Act 2004 aim to transform children’s services in the UK and what the future is for child protection.
Highlights include learning how to overcome the cultural tensions between different agencies, looking at the challenges to achieving a true information sharing culture between agencies and creating your Local Safeguarding Children Boards (hear the plans of the DfES and the people who are doing it at ground level).
Defra: Potato Brown Rot has been
found in potatoes of the variety Lady
Rosetta being grown in Nottinghamshire after being sampled by the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate as
part of the routine monitoring programme for potato ring rot and brown rot.
Press release ~ Defra
Brown rot website ~ Central Science Laboratory ~ Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate ~ EPPO datasheet
Defra: Defra has opened a second call for
research proposals under its Waste and
Resources Research Programme worth approximately £4m. The selection of research topics include
managing biowaste, recycling, residual waste in landfill, improving landfill
conditions and identifying market opportunities from
waste.
The deadline
for expression of interests is 12 January 2006, and the Department would be particularly keen to
see partnership working between different sectors in the waste community - for
example between practitioners, universities and other research
organisations.
Press release ~ Competition pack (scroll down) ~ Defra Waste Research Programme
Defra: Egg and
poultry producers will get the chance to ask avian flu experts questions about
disease prevention and the government’s contingency plans, during a series of
free open
meetings over the next few days.
Organised by ADAS on behalf
of Defra, experts in disease prevention & control, health protection and
contingency planning will be on hand to answer questions at the series of free
events.
It is hoped to run further meetings at different
locations
in the New Year, depending on demand
and the level of disease risk at the time.
Press release ~ ADAS ~
Defra Avian Flu website ~ British Free Range Egg
Producers’ Association ~ British Egg Industry Council ~ British Poultry
Council ~ National Farmers Union
HSE: New health & safety qualifications
aimed at people working in farming have been recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
(QCA). A Health and Safety Executive initiative, vocational qualifications
(VQs) for health & safety in agriculture are the first such qualifications
designed specifically for the farming industry and will pave the way for a new
generation of training courses to tackle the industry’s poor health &
safety record.
Last year 47
people were killed in farm-related accidents, and many more suffered serious
injury or ill health. In the last five years 231 people have died, including
nine children under the age of sixteen.
Press release ~ HSE
Farming Accidents ~ Qualifications and Curriculum
Authority (QCA) ~ Lantra
Awards ~ NPTC
Home Office: Crime Concern, the national crime reduction
agency, has taken over the challenge of ‘driving forward’ Positive Futures and will undertake its
management from January 2006
until March 2008. Positive
Futures is a sport & activity-based early intervention programme that aims
to have a positive influence on participants’ substance misuse, physical
activity and offending behaviour.
Press release ~ Positive Futures ~ Crime
Concern ~ Sport England
British
Library: The British Library’s recently-launched
online document supply service, British
Library Direct, has just signed up its 5,000th registered user, just five
months after going live in June.
The service, which provides complete
resource-discovery-to-delivery access to millions of research articles in the
Library’s collections, now serves customers in some 138 countries ranging from
Press release ~ The British Library ~ British Library
Direct
MOD: The Ministry
of Defence is to invest £366M into educating its Service and civilian
personnel, under a new contract with
The contract will provide a coherent focus for all
management, technology and leadership education and training for the
The previous Academic Provider contract runs until July
2006 and formal delivery under the new contract begins in August
2006 with the new academic year starting in September 2006. The contract will run for 22
years.
DH: Some older
and disabled people across
Thirteen pilot sites across
Press release ~ Office for Disability
Issues ~ National centre for independent living ~ Independent Living
Institute ~ Independent Living Funds ~ ADSS Disabilities
Committee ~ Care Services
Improvement Partnership (CSIP) ~ Coalition on
Charging ~ DWP Research Report No.137 - Independent living in later life:
a literature review ~ Oxford Institute for
Ageing ~ Supporting People
website
ODPM: The ODPM has
published revised plans to give statutory functions
to the Fire & Rescue Authorities to provide for certain key types of
non-fire emergencies including:
·
decontamination of people following the release of chemical, biological,
radiological or nuclear (CBRN) substances;
·
search
and rescue of people in collapsed structures;
·
freeing
of people trapped by non-road transport wreckages; and
·
freeing
of people trapped by major flooding.
An Emergencies
Order is planned to be laid before Parliament in 2006, coming into force in
Spring 2007 using New Dimension resources
Press
release ~ Government response to the consultation ~ Fire and
Rescue Services Act 2004 ~ ODPM
Civilian Resilience website ~ ODPM
Fire and Rescue website ~ New
Dimension Programme
DTI: An
improved method for diagnosing breast cancer, recycling waste materials into
new products and an advanced system for detecting potential bio-terrorism
threats to the
Press release ~ Overview of successful projects and details of grant
recipients ~ Government’s ten-year Science and Innovation Investment
Framework
GC:
The Gambling Commission (GC) – the new
independent watchdog for gambling in
Among the
issues it addresses are the measures the Commission should take to keep crime
out of gambling and those that gambling operators should take to protect
vulnerable people.
Press release ~ Consultation documents
HC: The Healthcare Commission (HC) has launched a broad-ranging
plan to improve services for people with learning disabilities. People with a learning disability
are those people who have a significantly reduced ability to understand new or
complex information and to learn new skills and/or a reduced ability to cope
independently.
The plan,
which is out for consultation (closes 31 January, 2006), proposes a series of measures to improve the
health & healthcare of this potentially vulnerable group of people and it
follows the Commission’s announcement last month of a national audit into
learning disability services.
Press release ~ Consultation on the Healthcare Commission’s Learning Disability Strategy
~ White paper: Valuing People: a new
strategy for learning disability for the 21st century (2001) ~
Commission for Social
Care Inspection ~ Valuing People support team ~ Health Inspectorate Wales ~ Learning Disabilities
Links
WAVE (
Press release ~ WAVE (Wales: A Vibrant Economy) - Strategic Framework for Economic Development ~ WDA ~ WTB ~ ELWA ~ WGPlus Special Report on Wales
DTI: Helping
consumers to understand how credit card cheques work is at the heart of a new
DTI consultation (closes
The transactions can be subject to different terms
& conditions than those of the allied credit card, so consumers could be
paying more in interest & penalty charges than they realise when they write
a credit card cheque.
Press release ~ Consultation on credit card cheques ~ DTI Consumer Credit Act 1974 website ~ Consumer Credit
Bill ~ Revised Banking Code guidance ~ APACS Best Practice Guidelines on credit card
cheques
DCA: Proposals to help streamline the family courts and improve
the allocation of cases to the most appropriate level of judiciary by
integrating the work of the Family Proceedings Courts and county courts have
been outlined by Family Justice Minister Baroness Ashton.
Views are being sought on a variety of issues in
separate consultations with different closing dates.
Press release ~ Consultation paper on specialisation of family
magistrates (Closes 10 February 2006) ~ Consultation paper on authorisation of magistrates to sit and
preside in the family and youth courts (closes 13
February 2006) ~ HMCS document Management
proposals to develop a unified family service ~ Closed consultation document, A Single Civil Court? plus resulting report ~ Linked consultation: Focusing judicial resources appropriately (Closes
DfES: Ruth Kelly
has unveiled new guidance for schools and other education establishments, Local
Authorities, the CPS and the Police, on arrangements to speed up the process of
dealing with allegations of abuse against teachers & support
staff.
It spells out, for the first time, standard
procedures that will apply in all local authorities in
Press release ~ New guidance ~ Local Safeguarding Children Boards ~ 5
year strategy for Children and Learners ~ National Association Schoolmaster Union of Women
Teachers ~ Teachernet ~ Employers’ organisation guidance ~ Parents Centre ~ Trainees facing allegations
LSDA: A new guide from the Learning and Skills Development Agency
aptly titled ‘I don’t want to sue anyone
… I just want to get a life’, explains how to ensure that the legal rights
of disabled learners to education are exercised safely, through inclusive risk
management.
It stresses
the need to ensure that concerns about health & safety do not get in the
way of providing an inclusive education and fills an information gap, providing
advice on how to deal with these conflicting obligations and setting out
five steps to successful risk
assessment.
Press release ~ I don’t want to sue anyone … I just want to get a life
~ Other LSDA
publications on DDA ~ DirectGov – Education for Disabled ~ Disability Rights
Commission
Home Office: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate has just published its
annual report. The role of the
Inspectorate is to monitor compliance with the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, which regulates the use
of animals in experiments and other scientific procedures.
The
Government claims it is firmly committed to the 3 Rs - replacing
animals from scientific procedures wherever possible, refining procedures
involving animals and reducing the number of animals used - and improving
animal welfare. In May 2004 the
Government set up the National Centre
for the Reduction, Refinement and Replacement of Animals in Research (The
NC3Rs).
Press release ~ 2004 Annual Report ~ Animals (Scientific Procedures)
Inspectorate ~ <
FONT color=#800080>Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 ~ The 3 ‘Rs’ ~ Ethical review process ~ National
Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in
Research ~ Royal
Society – Animals in research ~ Association
of Medical Research Charities ~ National
Office of Animal Health ~ Fund for the replacement of animals in medical
experiments ~ Sense about Science ~ The case
against using animals
DH: In the National Social Inclusion
Units first annual report, Health Minister Rosie Winterton is claiming that
significant progress has been made one year on from the publication of the
Social Exclusion Units report - Mental Health and Social Exclusion – which called for action to
reduce & remove the barriers to employment, mainstream services and
community participation for those with mental health problems.
Press release ~ NSIP’s First Annual
report ~ Mental Health and
Social Exclusion (VLF 151 pages)~ Learning
and Skills Council ~ National Social Exclusion Programme ~ National Institute for
Adult Continuing Education ~ National Institute for
Mental Health (England) ~ Shift website ~ Health, Work and
Wellbeing Strategy ~ From Here to
Equality: A Strategic Plan to Tackle Stigma &
Discrimination on Mental Health Grounds -
2004-2009
DTI: Using
technology to address key challenges, such as traffic congestion and network
security are the key aims of the Technology Strategy, set out in the first annual report of the
Technology Strategy Board, as it aims to position the
Supporting the annual report is a new business
engagement document ‘A Call to Action’
I>, designed to inform and engage business in the process. The document
outlines the TSBs vision & strategy for driving
Press release ~ Annual
report and Call to Action
(scroll down) - 5-Year Programme Creating Wealth from Knowledge
DTI: A new report
from the Council for Science and
Technology (CST) says that privacy, accountability and trust are the key to making
the most of personal data and that the use of personal data by
Government offers enormous benefits with the potential to create more efficient
and accessible public services, the report advised Government.
The report recommended that this be done on an
incremental basis making sure that, as data sharing increases, it is
accompanied by parallel changes in policies and processes.
Press release ~ <
I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">’Better use of
personal data in an information-rich society - opportunities and
risks ~ Research into the use of personal datasets held by public
sector bodies ~ Council for Science and Technology (CST) ~ DCA Data
Sharing website ~ Transformational Government - Enabled by Technology ~
The key issues - a local authority
perspective
DWP: The DWP has published a report on carer’s aspirations &
decisions around work & retirement that found that there was a complex
interplay of factors which influenced carers’ decisions about work, retirement
and care-giving.
Press release ~ Full report (229 pages) ~ Summary version ~ Directgov Carer’s website ~ Carer’s Allowance ~ Carersonline
Website
DWP: The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council
(IIAC), the independent body which advises the Secretary of State for
Social Security on the Industrial
Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) scheme, has published two ‘position
papers’:
’Silica-related Renal and Connective Tissue Diseases’ – A review of the body of research
which is suggestive of a link between exposure to silica and renal disease,
including autoimmune rheumatic conditions.
’Sporting Injuries’ - a review to examine whether there is evidence to support the
inclusion of medical conditions that may arise as a consequence of being
engaged in professional sporting occupations.
Press release ~ Press release ~ Position
Paper on Sporting Injuries ~ Position
Paper on Silica-related Renal and Connective Tissue Diseases ~ IIAC
website
National Statistics: A new report published by the Office
for National Statistics - Focus on Older
People - paints a detailed picture of the people aged 50 & over in the
UK today. It includes information
on their characteristics, lifestyles and experiences, placing particular
emphasis on changes with age.
There were
20 million people aged 50 and over in the
Press release ~ Focus on Older People
NAO /
FCO: The FCO has made significant improvements in the
consular service it provides, but further progress is needed to deliver a
service which meets the changing needs of Britons overseas, according to a
National Audit Office report.
Every year
the FCO’s consular staff deal with 3.5 million enquiries and handle 85,000 new
cases requiring the most acute support. Over the last 30 months the FCO’s Rapid-Deployment
teams set up to deal with emergencies involving British nationals have deployed
15 times - an unprecedented number.
NAO Press release ~ FCO Press release ~ The Foreign and Commonwealth Office - Consular
Services to British Nationals: Full
Report (1.7Mb) ~ Executive Summary ~ Addendum to National Audit Office Report on Consular
Services ~ International Review of Consular Services
(1.50Mb) ~ Joint findings on lessons to be learned from the handling of the
response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami ~ Zito Trust ~ FCO Risk Management
framework ~ FCO Travel advice by
Country ~ FCO ‘Know before you go campaign’
I>
NAO: The National Audit Office’s annual report on the top 20
defence equipment projects shows that, in the last year, the forecast cost has
actually decreased by £700 million, but on average each project has been
delayed by two and a half months.
The decrease
in the forecast cost is mainly due to changing requirements or reducing the quantity or capability of
the equipment. The most significant decreases of this kind are
for Future Joint Combat Aircraft where the MOD has removed provisions for extra
capabilities such as for weapons that were due to be added later. It also found
a more cost effective Helmet Mounted Display System and the combination of
these and other measures led to a reduction of £428 million.
Press release ~ MOD: Major Projects Report 2005 - Full Report (1Mb) ~ Executive Summary ~ Project Summary Sheets (1.2Mb) ~ Directorate for
broadening Smart Acquisition ~ Defence Procurement
Agency
ODPM: The ODPM claims that its ten-year £2
billion regeneration programme - New
Deal for Communities (NDC) - is "proving effective" in engaging residents
and changing attitudes towards the local community.
A report,
from the Centre for Regional Economic
and Social Research (CRESR), provides a national evaluation of the early
years of the NDC programme from 2001 to 2005 and it concludes that NDCs have
made progress through a wide range of projects, ranging from major housing
refurbishment initiatives and youth inclusion schemes to community crime
teams.
Press release ~ New Deal for Communities: An Interim Evaluation 2005 ~
Neighbourhood Renewal Unit website ~ NDC evaluation website ~ Centre for
Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) ~ New
Deal for Communities programme
ODPM: For some disadvantaged young adults the
move from dependent adolescent to independent adult can be risky. Improving the
lives of these people especially those in their early 20s - an often
’invisible’ age group - is the focus of new government
action.
A report
launched from the Social Exclusion
Unit, outlines new cross-government action to help young adults (aged
16-25) with complex needs - such as homelessness, drug misuse and mental health
problems. The new action is intended to give disadvantaged young adults the
opportunity to break out of a downward cycle of social exclusion and make a
successful start to adult life.
Press release ~ Transitions: Young Adults with Complex Lives ~ Connexions – Tackling NEETs ~ Foyer Federation
~ Prince’s Trust ’Team’
Programme ~ Fairbridge ~ Connexions
~ Jobcentre Plus ~ CAMHS ~ DH - Mental Health services ~ Give us a chance website ~ National Treatment
Agency ~ National Offender Management Service ~
HSE: The Health
& Safety Commission (HSC) has published its 10th progress report
on recommendations made following Public Inquiries into the Southall &
Ladbroke Grove rail incidents and Joint Inquiry into Train Protection
Systems. This will be the last
progress report published by HSC before the transfer of rail safety regulatory
responsibilities to the Office of Rail
Regulation (ORR).
Defra: New targets just announced by
Defra, the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Executive mean that more
packaging waste will be recycled in the coming 5 years.
As well as
announcing new targets, Defra has confirmed a number of additional changes to
the regulations which include a proposal to obligate franchisors, pub operating
businesses and other businesses with similar business agreements ("licensors")
for the packaging supplied to sub-threshold franchisees, licensees or tenants
as part of an agreement between the two parties.
FSA: The Financial Services Authority
is encouraging senior management at regulated firms to begin preparing for the
implementation of the EU’s Markets in
Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID), which is likely to come into force
on
The FSA has
published two documents: Planning for MiFID, a factual
document which provides a short guide highlighting the key areas and also the
International Regulatory Outlook
(IRO) which analyses regulatory change that is being driven by European and
other international initiatives and its likely effects on UK financial
services.
Press release – Planning for MiFID ~ International Regulatory Outlook (IRO) ~ FSA
Website
CC: The
Charity Commission (CC) is highlighting the fact that ChildLine is set to join with the NSPCC to provide a stronger, more
effective service to children in the latest example of collaborative
working. The Charity Commission
has been supporting this type of development as part of its major new focus on
partnerships & collaborative working in the charity sector.
HMRC: VAT Business Brief 21/05
Contents:
1. VAT:
Clarification of the treatment of Foreign Exchange Transactions
(Forex)
2. VAT:
Liability of credit and debit card handling services - High Court decision in
the case of Bookit Ltd
3. VAT: Further
clarification of the VAT position of share issues following the ECJ decision in
Kretztechnik
Press release ~ Business Briefs 2005 (it
sometimes takes time to appear here)
Pensions Regulator: The Pensions Regulator has published
guidance for multi-employer schemes, outlining actions that need to be taken in
the event of an employer withdrawing from such a scheme.
The
regulators guidance sets out how, and in what circumstances employers can
apply for a withdrawal arrangement, focussing on what will be required from
employers and what the regulator will consider in granting
approval.
The
regulator plans to collect feedback on the guidance and revise it in the New Year.
Unison: “We would fight any
attempts to impose a wage freeze,” UNISON warned in the wake of Gordon Brown’s call for
public-sector pay rises to be pegged at 2% – slightly below the current rate of
inflation.
Inflation has been running at more than the
government’s 2% target for four consecutive months, although the government
points out it began to fall in October.
Mr Brown said this showed that the rise in
inflation was largely due to the temporary impact of higher oil prices, though
he makes no mention of rapidly increasing gas prices.
But he still called on the public-sector pay
review bodies to keep pay awards at around 2%, arguing this would help stop the
temporary rise in inflation becoming permanent.
UNISON has subitted evidence to the health
service pay review body over the last two months to back its claim for a
"substantial" pay rise.
Full article ~ UNISONs Pay Zone ~ Find Your
payscale ~ HM Treasury -
Submission of evidence to public sector Pay Review
Bodies
Venue: Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, Warwickshire CV8 2LZ UK
Organiser: IIPSEC 2006 – International IP
in Security Exhibition & Conference (IIPSEC)
2006
Following the recent
terror attacks in the
Aimed at both the industry & end-user it features hardware & software solutions for a wide range of security and building management applications, which are intended to reduce infrastructure costs & facilitate data sharing by bringing together management systems onto a common platform, with the added benefits of increased flexibility & scalability and improved return on investment.
The International Association for Biometrics
(or iAfB) will also be presenting at IIPSEC. The organisation provides a forum for the European and wider
international Biometrics Community to promote the development &
implementation of Biometric technologies, standards and applications.
·
Networked Surveillance (CCTV)
·
Digital / Network Video Recording
·
Voice & Video over IP
·
Biometrics & Recognition
·
Wireless / Satellite Transmission
Further details ~ International
Association for Biometrics (or iAfB) ~ Home Office CCTV website ~ Watching Them,
Watching Us ~ MPS CCTV webpage ~ CCTV and the Data Protection Act ~ Automatic Gait
Recognition for Human ID at a Distance ~ Biometric
passports ~ Security@Work ~ DTI Information security overview ~ DTI Security Best Practice
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