WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
More on the Summer Budget |
Latest announcements, comments & ‘protests’. |
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Summer Finance Bill 2015 legislates new tax changes HM Treasury: National Living Wage - women and those based outside London to be biggest winners LGA: National living wage to cost councils £1bn a year by 2020/21 ScotGov: UK Budget ‘encourages inequality’ techUK: Summer Budget 2015: Carbon taxes Implications for data centres |
Many public sector organisations rely on cryptographic keys and digital certificates as the foundation of trust in our modern, digital world. Yet many aren’t aware of the security risk that unprotected keys and certificates pose. WiredGov, in association with Venafi, is looking for your opinions on how organisations are planning to protect keys and certificates to help prevent compromises and business outages. Click here for your chance to win. |
But will it ‘sour’ joint efforts to increase productivity? |
The government has introduced new reforms to strengthen strike laws, ‘ensuring the right to strike is fairly balanced with the right of people to be able to go about their daily lives and work’. The Trade Union Bill will introduce:
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BIS: New legislation to make strike laws fair for working people Trade Union Bill will shift the balance of power in the workplace, warns TUC |
True pay equality will also only be achieved when both sexes retire at 65/67! |
There are now more women-led businesses than ever before, a record number of women in work, and the gender pay gap is at an all-time low - but the PM says there is more to do. |
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10 DS: PM - My one nation government will close the gender pay gap CBI responds to GPG announcement EHRC comments on Government announcement on closing the GPG HMT: National Living Wage - women and those based outside London to be biggest winners Welsh women lead the way as employment hits near-record high 10 DS: Villiers: Women can drive Northern Ireland economic recovery UKCES: Government boost to help low paid workers progress in their careers £11m EU-backed project to promote gender equality in Wales’ workplaces By investing in women, you invest in business |
Encouraging an e-future |
UK cities & businesses are being encouraged to apply for a £10m fund in a competition that will revolutionise the way the Internet of Things (IoT) benefits citizens by offering environmental improvements, economic opportunities, and more efficient & effective delivery of services such as transport, healthcare & energy. Projects must be collaborative and led by a local authority or local enterprise partnership (or an equivalent body outside England). Projects should involve at least 1 local authority, 1 local enterprise partnership and several businesses. Deadline for registration is at noon on 23 September 2015, with the deadline for applications at noon on 30 September 2015. |
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DCMS: £10m Internet of Things competition for UK cities launched BCS encourages students to be part of the digital revolution |
Prevention is far better than a cure which (unfortunately) does not always succeed |
As previously announced, the meningitis B vaccine will be introduced to the routine childhood vaccination programme in Wales, from September 2015. The vaccination will be given in 3 doses at the age of two, four and 12 months, with all babies in Wales who are aged two months when the vaccine is introduced being eligible for the jab. There will be a catch-up programme for those children born between May 1 & June 30, 2015. |
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New meningitis vaccines to be introduced in Wales Meningitis B vaccine to be made available to all babies in Wales DH: New programmes to protect against meningitis and septicaemia |
STILL at Risk? |
CQC safeguarding & hospital inspection teams have both carried out a review of services in Rotherham, including the effectiveness of the safeguarding arrangements health services for looked after children. Both teams found improvements must be made in child safeguarding and that some agencies still do not understand their roles or responsibilities in this area. Contraceptive & sexual health services in particular and these partners can play a potentially critical role in identifying children at risk. |
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CQC: Review of health services in Rotherham ‘Root & Branch’ reform is so difficult to achieve despite the best of intentions Somehow the term ‘The Great & the Good’ no longer seems to be appropriate for our ‘Civic Leaders’ Not surprising crime figures fall if reports of crimes are ignored! |
A bitter pill for most |
PHE have called on parents & families to cut sugary drinks from their children’s daily diet, after independent nutrition experts say the country consumes too much sugar, leading to major health consequences. The SACN final report on carbohydrates & health recommends a significant cut to the amount of sugars people consume as part of their daily calorie intake - halved from 10% to 5%. The report also recommends that consumption of sugar sweetened drinks is minimised and fibre increased. |
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PHE urges parents to cut sugary drinks from children’s diets IEA: A sugar tax would hit the poor the hardest IEA: A government clamp-down on sugar would have harmful effects |
The new way ‘smoking’ can damage your health |
A nationwide safety alert is being issued by fire authorities after a ‘highly disturbing’ spate of fires caused by dodgy e-cigarette chargers which explode. The LGA fears that these are the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and many cases go unreported. The LGA has called for e-cigarette manufacturers to do more to warn of the dangers. |
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Do we know what we are eating? |
A new UK Virtual Food Authenticity Network has been launched this week for those involved in food authenticity testing. Members can register for news alerts and will be provided with a forum for discussion, or to ask questions about food testing, and to share information on methods & new techniques. The network is a Defra initiative set up in response to the recommendations made by the Elliott Review into the Integrity & Assurance of Food Supply Networks. The Network will raise awareness of the tools available to check for mislabelling & food fraud and ensure that the UK has a resilient network of laboratories with fit-for-purpose testing to check for food authenticity. |
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Defra: Government Chemist staff behind Virtual Food Authenticity Network |
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More news, opinions, documents, claims & counter-claims; |
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ScotGov: English votes for English laws WAG: Landmark Bill paves the way for first Welsh taxes in 800 years |