WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
| First it was home ‘every day’ consumption of wine, now its ‘drugs’ |
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The issue of drug misuse in older people is being systematically ignored according to a report published by the Big Lottery Fund. The report produced by the Substance Misuse and Ageing Research Team at the University of Bedfordshire, shows that while most indicators of drug use are decreasing in young people, both illicit drug use and medication addiction is a growing problem for older people across the UK. The report also indicated that while older people respond well to treatment for drug problems and they are half as likely to drop out of treatment as younger people, they tend to be ignored by treatment services which are geared towards younger people with some not even accepting referrals for older people. |
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| Have Hedge funds and ‘corporate raiders’ moved into the charity sector? |
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According to Unite, the union, ‘new swingeing cuts to pay, and changes to policies and procedures governing working conditions at housing charity St Mungo’s Broadway have prompted a strike ballot of more than 500 workers’. The source of staff discontent is, according to Unite regional officer Nicky Marcus, ‘a bizarre coup d’état’ which ‘has seen Broadway, a ‘struggling’ organisation of 200 employees making year on year deficits merging with the highly successful 1,000- strong St Mungo’s and to all intents and purposes taking it over completely’. According to Unite, the ‘merger’ has resulted in 4 of the 7 new executive team, including the chief executive and the director of HR, coming from Broadway. The new executive team have imposed sweeping changes to workers' terms and conditions without consulting or negotiating with the union. Nicky Marcus alleges that the new bosses had given themselves the customary massive pay hikes, including £30,000 for the new chief executive Howard Sinclair. |
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| Somehow it never seems to get cheaper |
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The CMA has published measures it expects to increase competition in the car insurance market and reduce the cost of premiums for drivers. The measures are included in the final report of its investigation, conducted by an independent panel of members, into the private motor insurance market. |
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| Are we more than just a number? |
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GOV.UK Verify is the new way for citizens to prove who they are online, so they can use government services safely. |
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| Government suppliers must be compliant |
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From 1 October 2014, all suppliers must be compliant with the new Cyber Essentials controls if bidding for government contracts which involve handling of sensitive & personal information and provision of certain technical products and services. |
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| Are you vulnerable? |
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The Information Commissioner’s Office is urging organisations & individuals to make sure that their IT systems are up-to-date. The warning comes after the identification of a flaw, referred to by the researchers who discovered it as Shellshock, which has been found in a software component called Bash. Bash is a part of many Linux systems, as well as the OS X operating system used by Apple Macs. The flaw potentially allows any computer with the vulnerability to be taken control of remotely. Security updates are currently being rolled out to fix this problem and it is important that those vulnerable to the flaw apply any available updates as soon as practically possible. |
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| Morally maybe, but not legally, a ‘rip-off’ |
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Spanish law requiring airlines to carry checked-in baggage without a surcharge, infringes EU law. However in a judgment last week, the Court of Justice replies that EU law precludes legislation, such as the Spanish law, that requires air carriers to carry, in all circumstances, not only the passenger but also baggage checked in by him for the price of the plane ticket, without any price supplement. The Court holds that the price to be paid for the carriage of baggage checked-in by air passengers is not an unavoidable and foreseeable item of the price of the air service, but may be, within the meaning of EU law, an optional price supplement in respect of a complementary service. |
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| End of the road for travel planning website |
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Transport Direct website closes on 30 September 2014. As the DfT has found that equivalent travel information services are now widely available online from several other sources. These provide information such as:
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| Volunteer Groups deserve recognition |
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The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service is the most prestigious award for volunteer groups across the UK to recognise their outstanding work in local communities. You can nominate any group of 2 or more people that has participated in voluntary work for more than 3 years. Nominate a volunteer group for the 2015 Award by 30 September 2014. |
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| Nominate a Welsh ‘hero’ |
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With a month to go until nominations close for next year’s St David Awards, one of last year’s winners has spoken of how the experience has boosted her self-esteem and given her confidence in herself as a role-model for others. The awards were established to recognise the great deeds & contributions made by people from all walks of life for Wales. For further information on how to nominate, visit www.stdavidawards.org.uk before 28 October 2014. |
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| Legislators need to ‘pick up’ on this loophole |
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Plans to relax taxi laws could put children at greater risk of sexual exploitation, councils are warning. Currently, anyone using a minicab can travel safe in the knowledge that the only person legally allowed to drive the car will have been through a rigorous council vetting process, including criminal records and medical history checks. New Government proposals within the Deregulation Bill, set to return to the House of Lords next month, will mean minicab licence holders will be able to allow other people to drive their vehicle when they are off-duty without any of those checks being carried out. |
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More news, opinions, documents, claims & counter-claims; As we seem to be moving straight from the Scottish referendum to a wider UK constitutional debate, we will publish related information on this issue here in future newsletters. |
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