General News

WAG: Jocelyn Davies AM, Deputy Minister for Housing, recently met some of the first people to move into new social housing bought with some of the £42m funding, aimed at helping to boost the economy.  In December 2008, Ms Davies announced that the Strategic Capital Investment Fund (SCIF) money would be available for Housing Associations to buy unsold homes and plots from private contractors.
 
The money has been given to Local Authorities to create up to 500 new affordable homes.  The funding allows Housing Associations to increase the number of affordable homes and inject liquidity into the construction industry. Cadwyn Housing Association used some of its money to help purchase two properties at Whitworth Square housing estate in Whitchurch, Cardiff from Bellway homes adding to its existing stock on the estate.
Press release ~ Cadwyn Housing Association ~ WAG - Housing
 
Defra: Farmers will have more opportunities to discuss their views, ideas and concerns with Defra staff at this year's Livestock Market roadshow. The UK-wide tour, which began on 13 March 2009 in Hexham and Exeter, will consist of visits to more than 80 markets throughout the year, giving farmers the chance to talk directly to government representatives about areas that affect the industry.
 
The topics farmers are likely to raise at the markets are as diverse as Bluetongue, electronic identification of sheep, nitrates, bovine TB, Classical Swine Fever; Avian Influenza and the impact of climate change on agriculture.
Press release ~ Official schedule of the Livestock Market roadshow ~ Defra – Animal health & welfare
 
STFC: Two months before the release of Hollywood’s adaptation of Dan Brown’s best-selling science fiction novel ‘Angels and Demons’, hundreds of A-level students have been to see the ‘real’ science from CERN (the world’s largest particle physics laboratory, based in Geneva) where part of the movie was filmed.
 
The 16-18 year olds came to the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC’s) Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) last week for the annual ‘Particle Physics Masterclass’.  The sessions, designed to encourage more students to move into a career in science, involve students from as many as 40 schools across the South East.  Across the world, as many as 600 schools take part in classes like these.
Press release ~ Particle Physics Masterclass ~ STFC
 
WAG: Health Minister Edwina Hart last week approved plans to bring ‘hotel services’ staff at Neath Port Talbot Hospital back into NHS employment.  The staff, who provide services from cleaning to catering, moved to a private company when the Private Finance Initiative-funded hospital opened in 2002.
 
The One Wales document commits the Welsh Assembly Government to end competitive tendering for NHS cleaning contracts and eliminate the use of the private sector in the NHS. These 250 support staff at the hospital will now be in line with others at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University NHS Trust providing the same services.
Press release ~ One Wales document ~ WAG – Health and Social care ~ NHS Wales
 
ScotGov: Universities are being invited to bid for funding for a pilot scheme which will provide support for up to 150 part-time post-graduate students in Scotland. The scheme will help PG students undertake courses during the downturn which support the Government's economic priority sectors - the creative industries, energy, financial & business services, food & drink, life sciences and tourism or the 2 public sector priority areas health and education.
 
In addition, the Scottish Government aims to treble & expand the Career Development Loans (CDLs) scheme in Scotland.  This will increase the number of learners able to benefit from CDLs in Scotland from around 1,200 each year to up to 3,600 by 2010-11. It will increase the maximum loan available from £8,000 to £10,000 and enable students to use this to cover up to 100% of their course fees, compared to 80% at present.
 
Invites for bids will be sent to all Scottish universities in mid March with a submission deadline of the end of April.
Press release ~ Career Development Loans (CDLs) scheme ~ The Scottish Economic Recovery Programme ~ Scottish Funding Council's Skills Committee ~ ScotGov – Universities and Colleges
 
NA: More than 100,000 records of overseas births, baptisms, marriages, deaths and burials of British subjects, including those onboard ships, have been added to the searchable online service at BMDRegisters.  These newly added records were previously only viewable on microfilm as the RG 33 series.
 
Overseas births, marriages and deaths are an often overlooked resource accounting for over a million entries for British subjects. The material relates mostly to the 19th and 20th centuries, but includes some for the 17th century concerning the English congregation at The Hague.
Press release
 
PCS: The PCS union has expressed its deep opposition to Lord Mandelson's decision to outsource the delivery of a new helpline for vulnerable workers experiencing employment rights violations. The unified helpline was a key recommendation of last year’s BERR Vulnerable Workers Enforcement Forum, but the forum did not recommend that the new hotline be outsourced. 
 
TUC general secretary, Brendan Barber, said:  “I am deeply disappointed that yet again the Government is turning to the private sector to deliver a crucial public function.  The most vulnerable workers need real support and advice and this helpline could have been effectively delivered by dedicated public servants."
Press release ~ Vulnerable Workers Enforcement Forum
 
ScotGovRemember to re-use your carrier bags: that's the simple message behind a new campaign from the Scottish Government and Scottish retailers.  With Scotland using 1bn carrier bags a year and Scottish local authorities spending £385m a year dealing with waste, the campaign aims to help stores halve the amount of bags they hand out.
 
The Climate Change Bill, which was introduced on 4 December 2009, includes a provision that would allow Scottish Ministers to make legislation requiring retailers to charge for bags.
Press release ~ ScotGov: Carrier bags campaign - case studies ~ Scottish Grocer's Federation ~ Scottish Retail Consortium ~ Waste Aware Scotland ~ Go Greener ~ Valuing Our Environment
 
VSO: As her first public action in office, VSO’s first female Chief Executive Marg Mayne is spearheading the charity’s demand for the UN to establish a new women’s agency.  This International Women’s Day (8 March 2009), she called on Gordon Brown to put pressure on leaders of UN member states to establish an agency with the responsibility, authority and resources to end discrimination against women.
 
The current UN system is failing women because the responsibility for improving their situation is divided across a number of small, poorly-funded and badly-coordinated bodies that lack power or influence and have little operational capacity on the ground.
 
Next month, the UN Secretariat will present General Assembly members with a paper outlining a number of options for a new agency and will be asked to make a decision in September.
Press release ~ VSO ~ UNIFEM ~ Division for the Advancement of Women ~ INSTRAW ~ OSAGI
 
PCSPCS members working in the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) are specifically & directly affected by the government’s proposed Apprenticeships, skills, children and learning Bill. PCS has particular concerns regarding staff transfer arrangements outlined in Schedule 7 of the Bill as, in its current form it makes no reference to COSOP or TUPE and offers no assurances in relation LSC staff’s continuity of service or protections in relation to terms and conditions on transfer.
 
PCS is asking people to email their MP urging them to demand that Learning and Skills Council staff receive the protections they deserve.
Press release ~ Apprenticeships, skills, children and learning Bill
 
OSOrdnance Survey is urging children to take their mums for a walk this Mother’s Day (22 March) following a survey (carried out by OS as part of its work with Fitter Families) showing that family members are the perfect partner for an afternoon walk.
 
For ideas on where to take your mum for a walk, visit the Ordnance Survey EXPLORE website, where users have created and shared their favourite routes.  There are over 400 walks of various lengths & difficulty across the country, so there’s bound to be one to suit every family.
Press release ~ Fitter Families
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