General News
STFC: The quest for abundant safe & clean energy is one of the most important challenges facing mankind and the HiPER (High Power laser for Energy Research), a European research project led by the UK, will hopefully harness nature’s prime energy source – Fusion – and take the ‘proof of principle’ forwards to demonstrate a credible path to laser driven fusion as a commercial energy production source and offer a broad based science research facility.
The HiPER laser will also have a major impact on a wide range of fundamental science topics – enabling researchers to study here on Earth some of the most extreme conditions in the Universe.
Press release ~ European High Power Laser Energy Research Facility (HiPER) ~ Science and Technology Facilities Council – Energy Research Programme ~ PETAL laser facility
LLUK: Lifelong Learning UK and the Standards Council for Community Learning and Development in Scotland have announced they are to formally work together over the next three years. They have committed to this by signing a Memorandum of Understanding that sets out the agenda for collaboration between the two organisations over the next three years until 2011. The memorandum provides a framework within which the two organisations can work in partnership.
Press release ~ Lifelong Learning UK ~ Standards Council for Community Learning and Development in Scotland
HC: In the Healthcare Commission’s sixth annual NHS Staff Survey, more than 250,000 NHS staff will be asked their views. This year new questions have been added to gain more information about things staff say matter most to them, such as whether they feel they are supported to do a good job and whether they have the opportunity to improve the way they work.
The Commission encourages staff in all sectors & roles in the NHS to take the opportunity to give their views. It will report on the findings of the survey, including national trends, early next year. It will also use the survey data to assess trusts in the annual health check, which gives ratings to every NHS trust in England.
NA: The National Archives is working with findmypast.com to scan & place online, by 2011, two important series of records:
* WO 97 (Royal Hospital Chelsea: Soldiers Service Documents 1760-1913)
* WO 96 (War Office: Militia Attestation Papers 1806-1915).
Scanning has started with the WO 97 series. Scanning of the WO 96 series is not due to start until May 2010; all WO 96 records will remain fully accessible until then.
DH: Revalidation for all doctors has moved a step closer as the Chief Medical Officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, confirmed the formation of the implementation team for England and £1m of funding to support them.
The team comprises a panel of senior doctors who will provide professionally informed leadership, support & advice to the NHS, patients and doctors representatives for the design & delivery of the process, ensuring that all doctors meet the standards expected of them.
Press release ~ GMC - Licensing and revalidation ~ Medical Revalidation - Principles and Next Steps ~ Consultation on the introduction of Responsible officers (closes 24 October 2008) ~ Good doctors, safer patients ~ White Paper 'Trust, assurance and safety: the regulation of health professionals' ~ DH - Professional regulation ~ DH - Responsible officer
LDcic: Local Land Charges Departments are once again asked to submit entries in the 2009 LandDataLocalLand Charges Industry Awards. Two awards categories are open for entry:
* The Marketing Innovation category
* Special Tribute Award for the Local Land Charges Officer of the Year
Nominations for Local Land Charges Officer of The Year can be made online. Voting closes on Friday 31 October 2008, with the winners being announced at the Land Data Local Land Charges Awards Ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Bristol, on 28 January 2009.
ScotGov: Tesco is to pioneer 'reverse vending' in 9 of its Scottish stores in a bid to help the Scottish Government create a zero waste society. The rollout of the automated machines - which provide a reward to users for recycling their bottles & cans - will start in January 2009, with more planned if the scheme succeeds.
The reverse vending machines use spectrometry and photography to identify what an object is made of before assigning it to the relevant bin, which means that recycling the waste is easier. The unit saves fuel too as it reduces the number of vehicle journeys required to empty it by shredding & compacting the waste.
The announcement came on the same day that new ScotGov recycling figures show a 3.3% improvement from the previous year.
Press release ~ SEPA – Landfill Allowance Scheme ~ Reverse Vending Systems ~ Waste Aware Scotland news item ~ Increase III - recycling funding 2008 ~ ScotGov - Waste ~ Consultation Paper on Potential Legislative Measures to Implement Zero Waste (now closed) ~ Ten Steps to a Greener Scotland ~ Climate Change Bill ~ Love Food Hate Waste Scotland ~ Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) - Scotland ~ Household Waste Prevention Action Plan (Scotland) ~ Scottish Waste Awareness Group (SWAG)
CD: With recent failures in the travel industry leaving thousands stranded and many more out of pocket, Consumer Direct is offering advice to travellers wishing to protect themselves when booking winter breaks or next year's summer holiday.
It is urging people to do their homework before booking, as the level of protection available can depend on the:
* type of holiday being bought
* method of payment being used
* terms of any travel insurance policy
Be aware that some websites where you select different elements of your holiday and make a single payment may not be considered a 'package' holiday and may not provide sufficient protection. In addition, the ATOL scheme or some form of bond or travel insurance probably won’t apply to flights that are bought directly from an airline. Also,you may have to book and pay for another trip and then claim the costs back from the insurer.
LLUK: Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) is responsible for the most significant collection of workforce data in the FE college sector in England. Known as the Staff Individualised Record (SIR) data collection, it provides a comprehensive overview of the profile of all staff working in FE colleges since 2001/02 and contains individualised data on demographics characteristics, qualifications, location, pay and other factors.
LLUK, in collaboration with data partner, Texuna Technologies, has now developed & launched a new, user friendly and interactive online system for collecting this year's SIR data (2007/2008). The system is now open for colleges to submit their data returns and will remain open until 1 November 2008.
Press release ~ SIR section of the LLUK website ~ Interactive online system for collecting SIR data (2007/2008)
OGC bs: OGCbuying.solutions claims that its new Recruitment Services arrangements - EU-compliant, pre-tendered, one-stop-shop framework agreements - will save ‘buyers’ time, money and worry by providing access to a range of rigorously-evaluated and carefully-chosen suppliers, who are experts in their fields.
The framework agreement, organised by Buying Solutions' Professional Services category, provides services in two areas:
* The first, Specialists, sources high-quality individuals for niche-area job roles such as IT, Accountancy and Project Management.
* The second, Large Volume, handles large-scale recruitment needs on behalf of customers, dealing with diverse job roles from junior to senior levels at various locations around the country.
PCS: A trade union recognition agreement between PCS and the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) was signed last week by PCS general secretary, Mark Serwotka and the GLA's Chief Executive Officer, Ian Livsey.
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority was established in 2005 following the Morecambe Bay cockle pickers’ drowning tragedy and it regulates gangmasters providing labour to farms, fisheries and food processing sites. The authority aims to protect casual, seasonal and migrant workers from exploitation & abuse by issuing licences to gangmasters, through the enforcement of the licence terms and by ensuring that all workers are employed by licensed gangmasters.
UK IPO: The IP competition for Company Programme Students (closes 10 April 2009), which aims to inspire young people to become the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, has been launched. The competition is open to all (and only) Young Enterprise Company Programme Students.
The winning company will receive a cheque for £500 and a trophy to be presented at the Young Enterprise UK Celebration Dinner in London next year. There are also prizes on offer for the winners from the 12 Young Enterprise Regions.
NA: To mark the 90th anniversary of the Armistice, The National Archives has launched a season of podcasts of personal stories from those who served in the First World War. Voices of the Armistice will bring the horrors & glories of war to life as never before, as listeners are taken from mobilisation to the Treaty of Versailles, in the words of people who were there.
The series begins with the tragic story of Britain's first casualty, who died of pneumonia in England while working gruelling 20-hour days to prepare for the mobilisation of troops. Other podcasts will give terrifying first-hand accounts of gas attacks, life as a prisoner of war and the appalling conditions endured in the trenches.
OGC bs: OGCbuying.solutions and Becta have launched a new collaborative deal under which a wide range of software will be available to schools and other educational institutions. The new arrangements came into effect on 9 October 2008 and replace the previous successful Becta software licensing framework agreement.
They will provide education sector customers with a quick, EU-compliant route to procure software. Both proprietary & open source options will be available to meet customers' specific needs and they will also be able to access a range of supporting services including purchasing advice, software sourcing, technical support, training and licence management.
Press release ~ Becta ~ Framework Details ~ Supplier Details
Press release ~ Becta ~ Framework Details ~ Supplier Details
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