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FSCS: The Financial Services Compensation Scheme is trying to reduce the impact on claimants of the current postal strikes (for details of the likely disruption please visit the Royal Mail website).  If you had a fixed term bond with Icesave or London Scottish Bank that is due to mature during the planned strike, and you are concerned about delays in receiving your compensation cheque from FSCS, please contact their customer service team by phone on: 0207 892 7300 or 0800 678 1100. Or by email: enquiries@fscs.org.uk
Press release ~ FSCS ~ Royal Mail
 
DCMS: Collaborations between UK and Moroccan film-makers are set to increase after both countries signed up to a package of incentives which will hopefully encourage co-production projects and boost both nations’ film industries.  
 
It is expected to come into force in the first half of 2010, after it has been formally ratified by the Moroccan Government. Any UK filmmaker who wants to work with a Moroccan producer under the treaty will have access to a range of benefits including tax breaks, sources of funding and practical support.
Press release ~ UK Film Council
 
NE: The famous plateau of Kinder Scout has been officially declared a National Nature Reserve (NNR) by Natural England.  Owned & managed by the National Trust, Kinder comprises around 700 hectares of various upland habitats, including blanket bog & sub-alpine dwarf shrub heath and also supports several upland breeding birds, notably species of birds of prey & waders, curlew and ring ouzel.  
 
Assessments will be made of the potential to restore damaged habitat areas, including the regeneration of bog mosses, which are fundamental to the long-term process of peat creation and carbon storage. Kinder is among the most popular upland areas in England for walkers and holds a special affection as the site of the famous 1932 Mass Trespass - the catalyst for the creation of our National Parks.
Press release ~ Natural England - National Nature Reserves (NNR) ~ Sites of Special Scientific Interest ~ Kinder Scout National Nature Reserve ~ National Trust website ~ 1932 - Kinder Scout mass trespass
 
LLUK: A new Professional Development Award (PDA) in Youth Work SCQF Level 6 has been launched in Scotland.  The Scottish Qualifications Authority, Lifelong Learning UK Scotland and other stakeholders worked together to produce a qualification based on the National Occupational Standard (NOS) in Youth Work.
 
The award will allow new recruits, who may have little or no experience of youth work, to develop the knowledge & skills needed to show their competence against the NOS.  It will also prepare candidates for progression to SVQs (Scottish Vocational Qualifications) when working in the sector.  The award is suitable for part or full time staff, sessional workers and volunteers.
 
It will also allow those currently working within the Community Learning & Development (CLD) sector (with no formal qualifications) to improve on their professional practice, keep-up-to-date with legislation and develop best practice within their own working environment.  In addition, each of the component Units of the PDA can also be delivered individually for CPD purposes.
Press release ~ National Occupational Standard (NOS) in Youth Work ~ SQA: PDA in Youth Work
 
ACEArts Council England has launched its new website. A pioneering interactive map and smart search engine will help users search everything from arts listings to funded organisations or regional offices, by entering their location or postcode. Profiles of Arts Council funded organisations and their work will feature streamed audio & video content, while an ‘Eligibility wizard’ will enable potential ‘Grants for the arts applicants’ to find out whether they are eligible for funding.
Press release ~ New ACE website

EH: English Heritage has unveiled its design for the new proposed visitor centre for Stonehenge. The designs were revealed as a planning application for the visitor centre was made to Wiltshire Council (who will now undertake further public consultation as part of the formal planning process).  The new centre will be located at Airman’s Corner, 1.5 miles west from the monument and will not be visible from it.
 
It is designed to be sensitive to its surroundings and to the significance of the monument.  The exhibitions, café, shop & toilets will be housed in a pair of single-storey areas – one glass, the other timber-enclosed - sitting beneath a gently undulating roof.  The centre will be linked to the Stones by a low-key transit system and will be fully accessible to disabled visitors.
Press release ~ EH: Stonehenge Visitor Centre ~ Wiltshire Council Council
 
BIS: Up to 1.5m adult social care workers currently working in England will be able to improve their skills as the National Skills Academy for Social Care has been launched. Backed by over £6m of Government funding, it will also train some of the estimated future 1m highly skilled care workers needed to care for our ageing population.  
 
The Skills Academy has already introduced a National Management Trainee Scheme to attract some of the executives of the future into the adult social care workforce.  This scheme, with a pilot of 20 graduates is the first of its kind for social care.  The 1-year course is hosted by 20 employers across England and is designed for current graduates from a range of disciplines.  
 
The NSA also plans to increase take-up of apprenticeships at both foundation and advanced levels for young people and adults and to drive up numbers of adults qualified to at least NVQ level 2 and level 3.
Press release ~ National Skills Academy (NSA) for Social Care ~ National Skills Academy Network
 
TfLTransport for London (TfL) has announced that it has agreed to continue subsidising the Thames Clipper river service between The O2 in Greenwich and Woolwich Arsenal.  The deal, which will be jointly funded by TfL and Greenwich Council, is worth £269,000 over 4 years.  It means that the current levels of service between the QEII and Woolwich Arsenal pier will be maintained.  The original funding contract ended in January 2009, but the new deal will secure the river service until 2013.
Press release ~ Thames Clipper river service ~ TfL: London River Services
 
DH: Patients can now rate & compare GP practices on a new online comparison service.  Similar to the hospital comparison service launched over the summer, the tool will make it easier to find key information in one place, such as opening times & additional facilities offered by the GP practice.  Patients will also be able to read other people’s comments about:
* How easy it is to get an appointment
* How highly they would recommend the GP practice
* How well patients are treated by staff
* If patients felt they were involved in decisions about their care
 
Last month, the Government announced its intention to abolish GP boundaries within the next year, meaning patients will be able to register with a GP practice of their choice.  Under current arrangements, GP practices have catchment areas and tend only to accept patients who live within those areas.
Press release ~ Comment on a GP Practice
 
Newswire - CABE: A record number of 36 housing schemes have qualified for a Building for Life standard this year, up by a third from last year.  Building for Life is the national standard for well-designed homes & neighbourhoods.  Schemes were judged against the 20 Building for Life criteria, which embody CABE and the Home Builder Federation’s vision of functional, attractive and sustainable housing. 
Press release ~ Building for Life website ~ Home Builders Federation ~ CABE
 
DCMS: The Queen has decided that November 8 shall be observed as Remembrance Sunday, and the Secretary of State, on behalf of the Cabinet, is making the necessary arrangements for the ceremony at the Cenotaph.  The customary Two Minutes' Silence will be observed from 11.00 am.
Press release
 
Defra: Movements of fish into, out of & within 2 fisheries have been restricted, following the confirmation of Koi Herpesvirus disease at sites in Kent & West Sussex.  The outbreaks are not related. Cefas, acting on behalf of Defra, has issued a confirmed designation to each site prohibiting the movement of fish. There are no implications for human health.
Press release ~ Koi Herpesvirus (KHV) Disease: Garden Ponds and Aquaria ~ Koi Herpesvirus (KHV) Disease ~ eFish Business ~ Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) ~ Testing Service
 
MonitorMonitor, the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts, has used its formal powers of intervention to appoint - with immediate effect - an Interim Chair at Heatherwood & Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.  In July 2009, Monitor found the Trust to be in significant breach of the terms of their Authorisation as a result of a rapid decline in their financial and operational performance.
Press release ~ Formal notice of interventions (click on ‘Formal Intervention’ button)
 
DH: Sir Ian Kennedy has set out the areas he will consider in his review of NHS services for children, looking at how to build on recent progress and ensure lasting improvements in quality & outcomes for children. The Chief Executive of the NHS, David Nicholson, has commissioned Sir Ian to explore the cultural obstacles that can stand in the way of sustained improvement in the provision of care for children and to consider what can be done to develop the NHS’ contribution to safeguarding children.
Press release ~ DH – Children’s Services
 
DfT: The Government is to protect the route of a potential future Crossrail extension from Abbey Wood to Gravesend in Kent. The scheme’s plans currently terminate at Abbey Wood, but while no decision or commitment to extend it further to Gravesend & Hoo Junction has been made, safeguarding provides additional protection against future developments on the route.
 
Crossrail (due to open in 2017) will run 118 km from Maidenhead & Heathrow in the west, through new twin-bore 21 km tunnels under central London to Shenfield & Abbey Wood in the east.  It will bring an additional 1.5m people within 60 minutes commuting distance of London's key business districts.  
Press release ~ DfT – Crossrail Act ~ Previous closed consultation ~ Crossrail Ltd (CRL)
 
STFC: A magnetic charge can behave & interact just like an electric charge in some materials, according to new research conducted at STFC’s ISIS facility and led by the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) which could lead to a reassessment of current magnetism theories, as well as significant technological advances.
 
The research proves the existence of atom-sized ‘magnetic charges’ that behave and interact just like more familiar electric charges.  It also demonstrates a perfect symmetry between electricity & magnetism – a phenomenon dubbed ‘magnetricity' by the authors from the LCN and the Science and Technology Facility Council’s ISIS Neutron and Muon Source.
Press release ~ London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN) ~ STFC’s ISIS Neutron and Muon Source ~ UCL (University College London) ~ ISIS Second Target Station Project ~ Science and Technology Facilities Council
 
TfLTransport for London (TfL) has welcomed an announcement by Sadiq Khan MP that the Government has approved the introduction of a roadworks permit scheme in London.  TfL & 18 borough councils across London have been working on a London wide permit scheme, which was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) for approval.
 
Under the scheme utility companies who want to dig up roads will have to apply for a permit before they can begin.  Permitting will enable TfL and the London boroughs to proactively plan & coordinate the timing of works, providing greater opportunities for utility companies to carry out works at the same time, helping to reduce disruption to road users.
 Press release ~ Co-ordination of Street Works and Works for Road Purposes and Related Matters ~ Street Work Qualifications Register (SWQR) ~ The New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 (NRSWA) ~ Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA) ~ HAUC(UK) ~ Department for Transport - Street works Regulations ~ The Traffic Management Permit Scheme (England) Regulations 2007 ~ London Permit Scheme - For Road Works and Street Works
 
DCMS: Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe MP, has announced a start date of 14 December 2009 for UK Anti-Doping (UKAD), the UK’s first stand-alone anti-doping body, to assume responsibility for the UK’s national anti-doping programme.
 
Based at Cockspur Street in central London, the new agency will be headed by Chair David Kenworthy, and Chief Executive Andy Parkinson, who will be supported by an experienced senior team, the recruitment of which is currently being finalised.
 
Also announced were two new initiatives planned to be operational in early 2010 a ‘Drug Cheats’ hotline and an Athlete Committee.  The confidential telephone line will act as an outlet for anyone with information on doping or supply of banned substances in sport.  The Athlete Committee will help UKAD form closer relationships with the athlete community and better understand how best to support athletes in the future.
Press release ~ UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) ~ Closed consultation on establishing a modernised UK Anti-Doping Organisation
 
HMRC: A record 83,000 scam emails offering fake tax refunds were reported to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in September 2009.  The online attacks, known as ‘phishing’, have continued this month, with an unprecedented 10,000 reports of the fraud made to HMRC on one day alone.
 
The scam email tells the recipient they are due a tax refund and then asks for bank account or credit card details.  Anyone who gives these details to the fraudsters risks their bank accounts being emptied and credit cards maxed to their limit.  The latest version of this scam originates from various different websites, which operate for 20 minutes before changing their domain name.
 
John Harrison, Head of HMRC Customer Contact Online, said:  We only contact customers who are due a refund in writing by post.  We never use emails, telephone calls or external companies in these circumstances.  I would strongly encourage anyone receiving such an email not to open it, send it to us for investigation at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk and then delete it from their computer.”
Press release ~ HMRC related scam examples ~ HMRC security ~ Get Safe Online
 
HO: The £4m Community Cashback scheme gives local people a direct say on how criminal assets are spent in the fight against crime & antisocial behaviour.  The new scheme is funded by cash & assets seized from criminals.
 
More than 45,000 votes were received from members of the public for 1,225 community projects via a dedicated website, neighbourhood policing meetings and through Citizens’ Panels.  A total of 269 projects will receive a share of the fund with work now beginning on the first projects.
Press release ~ Community Cashback ~ Local Criminal Justice Boards ~ Police Incentives Allocations
 
NA: A collection of early Irish maps (c.1558 – c.1610) from the 'State Papers Ireland' has been made available online by The National Archives.  The stunning collection comprises more than 70 different maps, which are among the earliest cartographic representations of Ireland, depicting plantations, fortifications and townships during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I.
 
Rose Mitchell, Map Specialist at The National Archives, said: “These maps were drawn at a time when the English were colonising or ‘planting’ Ireland.  By transferring land ownership from the native Irish to English settlers, the English were trying to increase the loyalty of Ireland to the English crown”. To celebrate the launch of the digitised collection, The National Archives is offering a free download of the barony map of Tullyhaw, County Cavan from DocumentsOnline.
Press release
 
PCS: 850 PCS members working for Fujitsu have begun a ballot on industrial action in support of the union’s campaign to save jobs, pay & pensions in the company.  The decision to ballot follows Fujitsu’s announcement that they are cutting 1,200 in the UK.
 
PCS members provide IT support to essential government services including taxes, defence and driving licences.  The PCS ballot closes on 29 October with the result announced shortly after.
Press release ~ PCS ~ Fujitsu snares Treasury IT services deal
 
ScotGov: The H1N1 vaccination programme will begin in Scotland on 21 October 2009. Further details on the plans, which will be phased in over the next few weeks, were announced by Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing Nicola Sturgeon, who also revealed that the majority of the vaccine will be administered in a single dose.  Children under the age of 10 and in the ‘at risk group’ will require two doses.
Press release ~ Information on the vaccination programme and at risk groups
 
FSAAsda has withdrawn some packs of its 2 Pack Cream Slice, because they have been incorrectly packaged and may contain 2 Pack Custard Slice.  This means the product is a possible health risk for anyone with an allergy to egg.  The Agency has issued an Allergy Alert and if you are allergic to egg you are advised not to eat this product.
Press release ~ ASDA recalls its 2 pack cream slice due to incorrect allergen labelling information ~ Allergy UK  ~ Anaphylaxis Campaign ~  Asda ~ FSA: Food allergy and intolerance