General News

ScotGov: The East Mingulay proposal, which is approximately 13 kilometres east of the island of Mingulay in the Outer Hebrides and features the rare & fragile coral reef lophelia pertusa, has been approved by Scottish Ministers as a Special Area of Conservation. The proposal will now be submitted to the European Commission for inclusion in the European Union-wide 'Natura' network of protected areas.
Press release & links
 
BSBuying Solutions have announced the availability of the Local Government Software Application Solutions framework agreement, which provides an efficient & cost effective route to purchase software that supports the activities of local government such as planning or social care.
Press release & links
 
Socitm: An audit for Socitm of 603 public sector websites, including the main sites of all local authorities and 170 other public service organisations, including fire, police, housing and PTEs has shown that ‘all but 6 of them have cookies that will require them to take action to comply with the new legislation that came into force on 26 May 2011’.
 
The new law requires website owners to provide their visitors with an opportunity to give their consent to having cookies downloaded on to their computers or mobile devices.  The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), which is responsible for enforcing the new law in the UK, has allowed all organisations one year to make the necessary changes – although complaints about serious breaches will be investigated during this period.
Press release & links
 
MoD: A soldier who lost both his legs following an explosion in Helmand province in 2009 has been given the keys to his new wheelchair-accessible home, thanks to a host of military support services.
Press release & links
 
MO: The Met Office, in collaboration with the Universities ofBristol and Cambridge, is launching an online weather game to ‘investigate how we respond to different representations of probabilities, particularly for use in presenting weather forecasts’.
 
The weather game project (led by Liz Stephens from the University of Bristol) will run for one month and aims to be the largest and most comprehensive study into the understanding of how weather probabilities are communicated.  It takes approximately 5 minutes to complete.
Press release & links
 
MoD: A group of soldiers whose task it is to clear routes in Helmand province of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) recently emerged from their Mastiff armoured vehicle unscathed when a device exploded underneath it
 
The vehicle sustained some damage, but, thanks to the armour and design of the Mastiff, it was only minor, and after a further assessment by the team of the route, the patrol continued with their journey. Part of the Mastiff's resilience towards mine explosions comes from the fact that its hull is V-shaped, as opposed to flat, which pushes the force of any explosion outwards.
Press release & links
 
SocitmSocitm Insight has announced changes in the way in which council websites will be assessed for the Better connected 2012 report.
Press release & links
 
IfL: The Institute for Learning (IfL) has welcomed this year's GCSE pass rate of 69.8% at grades A* to C, and the increase in A & A* grades awarded, up to 23.2% from 22.6% of entries last year.
Press release & links

ACE: Textiles, stained glass & ceramics will be placed under the limelight in a new television series.  Handmade In Britain is a collaboration between the BBC and the Victoria and Albert Museum. To be broadcast on BBC4 this autumn, the series will also investigate the crafts of metalwork & woodwork, as well as ceramics, stained glass and textiles, often seen in stately homes, churches and palaces throughout the UK.
Press release & links
 
ICB: The Independent Commission on Banking will publish its Final Report on its website and via the London Stock Exchange’s Regulatory News Service at 7am BST on Monday 12 September 2011..
Press release & links
 
LSN:  The Learning and Skills Networkis recruiting a national team of freelance associates to work on projects to support the setting up of Academies and Free Schools.
Press release & links
 
FSA: As a precaution, Asda is recalling all date codes of 6 Asda Chosen By You drinks due to the possible risk of choking associated with the sports caps on the bottles.  There is a possibility that the white shutter cap could become loose.  The Food Standards Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.
Press release & links
 
FSAMarks & Spencer has withdrawn two date codes of its roast potatoes, because they contain gluten, wheat & milk that is not mentioned on the label., because they that is not mentioned on the label.
Press release & links
 
EA: Recently the Environment Agency released its list of the10 most improved rivers. A river that once ran black with coal is now an international match fishing destination.  Another so polluted that it was described as ‘an affront to a civilised society’ is now a home for salmon, otters & water voles.  And a London river that was officially declared a sewer in the 1960s has become one of the best urban fisheries in the country.
Press release & links
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