General News

BERR: The ‘12 most enterprising places in the country’ have been announced as the finalists of this year's Enterprising Britain competition, by the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. They include a centre using carnival arts to transform lives; one of the largest, most successful bioscience business incubators in Europe; and a charity tackling deprivation in one of Northern Ireland's most divided areas.
 
The 12 projects that have been short listed were nominated by each of the nine Regional Development Agencies and three Devolved Administrations, and will compete against each other at the UK final in October to be crowned the national winner of Enterprising Britain 2008.  The winner will then represent the UK in the European Enterprise Awards later this year.
Press release ~ Enterprising Britain ~ European Enterprise Awards ~ Enterprising Britain 2007 winner - North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone
 
FDA: An attack by Northern Ireland Culture, Arts and Leisure minister Edwin Poots accusing Stormont civil servants of working to block the building of a sports stadium at the Maze has been condemned as ‘cowardly & unacceptable’ by the FDA, representing civil servants in the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
 
Jonathan Baume, general secretary of the FDA, said:  “Mr Poots’ attack on his civil servants is cowardly and unacceptable.  This is a sensitive and expensive project, and ministers – and the public - must be satisfied about the business case and value for money before proceeding.  The role of civil servants is to provide advice to ministers and to ensure that they are fully aware of all of the realities.  We recognise that Mr Poots has a strong constituency interest in pursuing this project, but this attack seems more about internal politics within the DUP”.
Press release ~ Related news item ~ Poots dropped as culture minister
 
CIOB: The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is set to finalise an agreement with the Institute of International Engineering Project Management (IIEPM) at Tsinghua University Beijing, and The Research Centre for International Construction Economics and Management (RCICEM) in ChongqingUniversity, to deliver training programmes aimed at giving experienced construction professionals in China the necessary skills & training to develop as a modern construction or project management professional operating in China at national & international levels.
Press release ~ Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) ~ Institute of International Engineering Project Management (IIEPM)
 
CEL: A new improvement body dedicated to the development of the further education & skills sector was officially named on Tuesday 10 June 2008.  The new organisation will be known as the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS).

The name was announced at the first summer conference being hosted jointly by the Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) and the Quality Improvement Agency for Lifelong Learning (QIA).  LSIS will bring together the work of CEL and QIA to support leadership development and excellence in the sector.
Press release ~ Centre for Excellence ~ Summer conferences
 
SESport England has published a new strategy to get more people playing & enjoying sport and to help those with talent get to the very top.  It will also reduce bureaucracy by combining its multiple funding streams into a single pot of funding for NGBs and will be consulting on a new & more streamlined method of funding wider community projects.
 
The strategy commits Sport England to deliver on a series of targets by 2012/13:
* one million more people doing more sport
* a 25% reduction in the number of 16 year olds who drop out of five key sports
* improved talent development systems in at least 25 sports
* a measurable increase in people’s satisfaction with their experience of sport
* a major contribution to the delivery of the five hour sports offer for children and young people
Press release ~ Sport England 2008-2011 - Executive Summary ~ Sport England ~ Youth Sport Trust
 
MoD: The Ministry of Defence has announced plans for a new form of national recognition to honour the families of troops who die on operations or as a result of terrorism. The decision to commission a memorial scroll and an emblem to wear has been taken by the Chiefs of Staff to recognise families' losses and honour the sacrifice of their loved ones.
 
Detailed consideration will now be given to the design & production of the scroll and emblem.  The views of loved ones will be considered as a part of this process and further details will be announced later this year. All Service Personnel killed on duty or as a result of terrorist action since the Second World War are honoured at the new Armed Forces Memorial at the National Arboretum Staffordshire.
Press release ~ Armed Forces Memorial Appeal ~ The National Memorial Arboretum ~ Memorial Plaque and scroll from WW1 ~ Imperial War Museum – Background to Scheme ~ Military Honours and Awards ~ Commonwealth War Graves Commission  ~ Royal British Legion
 
NSG: The National School of Government and the University of Warwick are inviting applications (closing date Monday June 30)for a funded ESRC CASE PhD studentship concerned with the development of national political leadership in the UK.
 
Part of a wider strategic collaboration between the Institute of Governance and Public Management at Warwick and the National School, it will involve a ‘mapping’ of the kinds of leadership development interventions & experiences considered valuable, as perceived by politicians & other informed commentators and as shown in relevant data.
Press release ~ Developing National Political Leadership: Capabilities, Contexts and Challenges ~ National School of Government ~ Institute of Governance and Public Management at Warwick
 
WAG: At the international 4th annual e-Crime Wales summit last week, Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said that small businesses in Wales are particularly vulnerable to internet fraud.  The latest research from the Welsh Assembly Government shows that 1 in 10 Welsh businesses have been affected by e-Crime.  It also revealed that two out of every three SMEs do not have an IT policy.

WAG actions include:
* The creation of an e-Crime Wales Manifesto and Action Plan for Wales.
* The development of an e-Crime support programme, which will provide access to resources & guidance.
* A dedicated Welsh Assembly Government e-Crime Unit.
* Cross agency collaboration, with a central coordinating Sergeant with a dedicated officer in each police force.
Press release ~ e-Crime Wales ~ e-Crime Wales Manifesto and Action Plan for Wales ~ WAG – e-crime
 
DfT: 50 lives a year could be saved by new motorcycle helmet safety ratings for 56 of the most popular full face helmets on the market, after testing & publication by SHARP - the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme. Head injuries occur in 80% of all motorcyclist fatalities and in 70% of these the head injury is the most serious.
 
The SHARP tests - which award ratings of between one and five stars - showed that the safety performance of helmets can vary by as much as 70%.  All helmets must meet minimum legal safety standards, but the SHARP scheme uses a wider range of tests to provide riders with more information on how much protection a helmet can provide in a crash.  The objective advice will help riders to choose the safest helmet suitable for them.
Press release ~ SHARP - the Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme ~ Motorcycle Instructor information ~ Bikesafe - Motorcycle Rider Safety ~ DfT - Motorcycling
 
HO: The City of Cambridge has played host to the second in a series of road shows organised by the Home office to help tackle honour-based violence. The Government already supports victims of honour-based violence through a new national helpline for victims, partly funded by the Government and run by charity Karma NirvanaFurther road shows will take place in coming weeks & months in Birmingham, Manchester, York, Cardiff and London.
Press release ~ Details of road shows ~ Home Office/Foreign Office Forced Marriage Unit ~ Karma Nirvana ~ Tackling Violence Action Plan ~ The Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007Survivors Handbook ~ What is Forced marriage? ~ Iranian & Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation
 
DfT: Residents of Dartford and Thurrock will benefit from discounts at the Dartford Crossing. Under the discount scheme local residents will be entitled to 50 free crossings per year on payment of a £10 annual administration fee.  Thereafter crossings will cost 20p each.  
 
Separate discounts are available to anyone who chooses to pay using a "DART-Tag".  Car drivers with a "DART-Tag" will be able to use the crossing for £1, whereas those paying cash will in future pay £1.50.
Press release ~ Summary of responses to consultation
 
OS: Leading representatives from across the public sector have met recently to discuss how the Atlantis Initiative is helping Britain combat flood risk in the 21st century.  High on the agenda was the emergence of the Environment Agency’s Detailed River Network and the availability of Ordnance Survey topography & height data which is critical for flood planning.

Run jointly by Ordnance Survey, British Geological Survey, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Agency, Met Office and UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO), Atlantis seeks to provide a consistent and joined-up approach to tackling flooding.
Press release ~ Atlantis Initiative ~ Environment Agency - Flooding ~ Ordnance Survey topography layer
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