General News (Archive)

MoD:  International Chemical Weapons Demilitarisation Conference – (Preparation for the new Service accommodation charging system ~ Defence Secretary attends Asia Security Summit ~ MoD:  1 Royal Gurkha Rifles in Brunei has received a visit from UK Defence Secretary ~ Shaping research themes under the European Common Security and Defence Policy in 2017-2019 ~ MAA External Audit Panel report 2014 (MEAP 14) ~ Global Coalition of nations unite to defeat terrorist organisation ISIL ~ MOD invests £80m in new Helicopter simulator equipment ~ Funding to develop a new analytics platform for defence ~ Mr Fallon praises French relationship ahead of joint exercise)

NHS England:  Music & health make for a perfect harmony – (NHS England:  Mental health taskforce receives huge response ~ National Voices meet the challenge of health & social care ~ Huge response to mental health taskforce survey ~ Helping young people deal with the stigma of mental ill health ~ Celebrating the work of volunteers - NHS England ~ NHS England:  There are almost 100 entries for this year’s Kate Granger Compassionate Care Awards ~ The 2015 Heatwave Plan for England has now taken effect, and the Met Office will be issuing Heatwave Alerts from 1 June to 15 September 2015 ~ Tributes paid to nation’s unsung health & care service volunteers ~ National maternity review making good progress – Baroness Julia Cumberlege)

NHS Confederation response to the announcement on simplifying waiting times – (NHS Confederation:  Welsh Health Survey results ~ Be honest about the NHS - and we will change it for the better, say NHS leaders)

Monitor:  Provisional view on community care changes in Devon – (Regulator to investigate finances at Essex teaching hospital ~ Investigation launched into long waits at Shropshire orthopaedic hospital ~ Commissioners, including NHS England and local clinical commissioning groups, should help patients choose their GP surgery, according to Monitor ~ Essex to benefit from success regime ~ New measures to help NHS foundation trusts adopt best financial practice and reduce excessive spending on agency staff & management consultants)

CQC to begin work on assessing use of resources in NHS hospitals – (CQC gets set for the annual Care Home Open Day event being held on Friday 19th June ~ CQC inspectors publish reports on 40 more GP practices)

King’s Fund:  Social care at a crossroads - response to the ADASS budget survey ~ Survey ~ LGA Responds to ADASS Budget survey 2015)

Ofgem's response to National Grid's announcement on Additional Reserve Capacity for Winter 15/16 – (From October 2015 energy suppliers must tell customers if their cheapest deal is marketed under a different brand)

DWP:  Universal Credit now available at 15 more Jobcentres)

ACE:  Darren Henley delivers speech on libraries as new investment announced ~ Socitm:  Funding to enable free wi-fi access in public libraries in England – (Youth Dance England’s Young Creatives programme supports choreographers to develop their talent)

Socitm:  Intranets - is now the time to engage?

English Heritage:  Wellington at Walmer

WWF:  Tackling climate change - investors can play a key role

TfL seeks partners for future charging infrastructure

PC&PE:  Nominations open for select committee Chairs

STFC:  £313m Boost For UK Big Data Research

ScotGov:  Regeneration fund open for applicants – (Rise in the minimum wage rate for agricultural workers has been proposed by the Scottish Agricultural Wages Board (SAWB) ~ Gaming goes to the theatre)

WAG:  Tower of London Poppies - Welsh host venues wanted – (New £6m residential development planned for SA1 - leaving just 4 housing sites for sale ~ Survey shows improvement in Wales’ health)

Wales Audit Office:  Newport Council showing improvement in some key areas

NIA:  Speaker to participate in event to mark Battle of Messines - Parade is organised by the International School for Peace Studies)

TfL:  New staff uniform to help boost customer service – (Major improvements to cut congestion at a busy junction at Malden Rushett in Kingston have now been completed ~ New pocket Tube map by London-based Argentinian Pablo Bronstein ~ Take part in the Capital’s summer of cycling)

Environment Agency is playing an active role in this month's Magna Carta anniversary celebrations – (EA: Follow-up visits made after clamp-down on illegal scrap metal operators)

FSA publishes Strategic Plan for food we can trust

Trade union membership is as valued as ever, says TUC – (Weakening workers’ rights in the EU is playing with fire, warns TUC)

Met Office:  New UK LiDAR network to detect volcanic ash

HMRC urges everyone to renew their tax credits early & online ahead of the deadline in July

DVLA:  80th anniversary of the driving test

UNICEF:  Getting every child back to learning in South Sudan – (Nepal Earthquake: Race against time to get children back to school)

techUK : Voting is now open for Computer Weekly's fourth annual 'Most Influential Woman in UK IT' Awards – (Shoothill: using Twitter to visualise flood data)

Innovate UK:  Enter the £10m Longitude Prize

DfE:  School rebuilds - start of £19.8m construction celebrated

LGA:  Councils respond to Taxpayers' Alliance report into local authority assets

HO:  Border Force cutter in Mediterranean migrant rescue mission to save over 100 people

Natural England:  Dartmoor's ponies play an important role in the mix of grazing animals that maintain the landscape of Dartmoor

BCS calls on organisations to set a culture for diversity - Research shows that organisations with a diverse workforce are more profitable, innovative and productive

CCS:  New agreement has been launched to help public sector organisations fulfil their media monitoring & evaluation needs

How Lambeth Council undertakes effective know your citizen (KYC) / ID checks to prevent fraud