WIREDGOV NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
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Two related items on the future development of drones |
techUK has responded to the government consultation on future drone regulation and the Home Office considers potential practical uses of drones. techUK says drones can & will be revolutionary for the UK and should be viewed as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution alongside other technologies defining our future such as AI/Machine Learning, robotics, autonomous vehicles, cloud services, Blockchain, the Internet Of Things, immersive technologies, biotech and ultrafast connectivity. A recent report from PwC indicates drones could be worth £42bn to the UK economy by 2030 and we’re seeing more & more enterprises & public sector bodies taking advantage. They are almost an essential for engineering firms and the user cases are only growing, as can be seen from a conference earlier in the year. Meanwhile the Home Office comments that a new fleet of robots & drones designed to test for chemical agents, provide 3D mapping and identify casualties have been put through their paces by troops, police officers and scientists for the first time. Tests of the cutting-edge multi-£m project, co-funded by the MoD and the Home Office, included robots that can ‘read’ & climb stairs and miniature drones weighing less than a bar of soap which could soon come into service to rapidly assess hazardous scenes. The aim of the ground-breaking research, named Project Minerva, is to reduce the risk to emergency services and front-line troops attending incidents or operations involving hazardous chemical or biological materials. The recent trials, which took place at Gloucestershire Fire Service College, saw concept drones & robots thrown into simulated contaminated scenarios in both UK homeland and battlefield environments. The technology was tested against the speed & accuracy of human response teams supported by specialist DSTL scientists, the military, police and fire services. |
Researched Links: |
techUK: Making drones take flight in the UK UK tests life-saving chemical detection robots & drones Working towards the ubiquity of UPRNs and USRNs Drones and the emergency services Government consulting on future drone regulation Drones, robots and automobiles – a data journey Extra powers to prevent the misuse of drones Ensuring aviation safety and safe use of drones: Council signs off on EASA reform British Army set to redefine warfare with joint Autonomous Warrior Drone Futures: How the UK can lead from the front Foreign Secretary calls on Tech Sector to help Endangered Species New drone laws bring added protection for passengers Dr Liam Fox launches global investment drive, bringing more than £30bn to the UK Exercise Tempest tests the Environment Agency flood response ahead of winter Crackdown on drugs, drones and mobile phones in prisons New squad formed to tackle drone threat to prisons Africa’s first humanitarian drone testing corridor launched in Malawi by Government and UNICEF Keeping ‘control’ of AI & how will it be used? Improper use could potentially kill hundreds near airports Great fun, BUT are you ‘Legal’ The EU Drone Policy |
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There are good reasons why they were introduced |
Figures published last week show that ‘routine child vaccinations’ coverage declined for 9 of the 12 routine vaccinations in England compared to the previous year. Coverage for the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine for children reaching their second birthday fell to 91.2% in England in 2017-18 compared to 91.6% in 2016-17, according to the NHS Digital report, Childhood Vaccination Coverage Statistics. This is the fourth consecutive year that MMR coverage has decreased. The World Health Organisation (WHO) target is 95%. Coverage for this vaccine fell in 6 of the 9 English regions. The report shows coverage for the 5-in-1 vaccine at 12 months has fallen from 94.7% in 2012-13 to 93.1% in 2017-18. It is the fifth successive year coverage for the vaccine for diphtheria, whooping cough (pertussis), tetanus, polio and Hib disease has fallen in children aged 12 months. For all 13 routine vaccinations for which this report provides figures, the North East had the highest coverage and London had the lowest. |
Researched Links: |
NHS Digital: Coverage declines in 9 of the 12 routine child vaccinations and increases in one LGA: New university students urged to get meningitis vaccine New flu vaccine available this winter for those aged 65 and over |
Editor’s choice of other Health, Social care & Homelessness related items of note: |
We must listen to NHS staff, says NHS Confederation in response to BMA report WAG: NHS staff to benefit from new pay deal Pause in creating’ tax avoiding’ NHS subsidiary companies welcomed by Unite NICE: Patients with high-risk skin cancer have new treatment option LGA: Strain on unpaid carers putting adult social care at increased risk of collapse |
Basically the present situation is a ‘load of rubbish’ |
A BBC survey last week highlighted the various rules councils have for whether households can & cannot recycle certain plastics. The survey found that there are 39 different rules applied by councils over what plastics can and cannot be recycled. It shows that 99% of councils will recycle plastic bottles and around 75% will recycle margarine tubs, while only 10% councils will recycle plant pots and around 1% will recycle polystyrene trays – underlining the need for a national scheme as recommended in the UK’s first ever National Infrastructure Assessment. Social research undertaken for the National Infrastructure Commissions also highlighted how households find this confusing and frustrating. To make recycling easier to do the National Infrastructure Assessment, published in July, recommended that there be clear labelling of packaging to show whether it is, or is not, recyclable. It also recommended the implementation of national recycling rules by 2025. |
Researched Links: |
NIC: National scheme would ‘help boost recycling rates’ But how do we remove existing plastic pollution? Plastic bag sales in 'big seven' supermarkets down 86% since 5p charge Ordnance Survey turns first ever Be Plastic Clever 10k run ‘100% biodegradable’ Low Level Waste Repository joins fight to combat pollution on our beaches Single-use plastics: New EU rules to reduce marine litter Nine in 10 shoppers in England now using their own carrier bags, research reveals Plastic tubs & trays | Recycle Now How is Plastic Packaging Recycled? - Recycle More Recycling Yogurt Pots : Recycling.co.uk – Recycling centre locator ... Plastic food pots and trays are often unrecyclable, say councils - BBC ... |
SME Supplier Locator update... | ||
UK Government and public sector spend with SME’s is continually on the increase and by 2020, it is the stated intent of Cabinet Office that £1 of every £3 spent on government contracts goes to SME’s. Against this ambitious backdrop, the WiredGov Supplier Locator service has been developed specifically to embrace the SME Agenda and provide the ideal platform for SME’s to promote their services, solutions, accreditation and success stories directly to our ever increasing audience across all government and public sector verticals and Tier 1 suppliers. Recent arrivals to the SME Supplier Locator service include:
Click here to find out more. |
This should be your first bit of ‘coursework’ |
Students going / returning to university this autumn and renting a home for the first time don’t have to put up with rogue landlords, thanks to government rules. When things go wrong with rented properties, students have the right to get them fixed – and the government has published How To Rent guides to help out. Government legislation protects students and their money from rogue landlords & agents. And new laws coming into force on 1 October 2018, around the time when a new term starts, will mean landlords must provide adequate size bedrooms and sufficient rubbish bins. Students should click on the MHCLG PR link below to find out the Six things students should know on move-in day. As well as this, new regulations taking effect from 01 April 2019 will keep renters’ money safe by only allowing letting agents that join a government-approved client money protection scheme to handle their money. Students should also use the How to rent a safe home checklists on Gov.uk. |
Researched Links: |
MHCLG: Savvy students know their renting rights |
Editorial commentary; Some questions to ‘Remoaners’ and the SNP to inform voters before a Second Referendum |
It seems that virtually all the ‘demands for information now’ are coming from those who wish to stop a successful Brexit, but the mainstream media ought to be asking for ‘answers from Remainers’ as well, such as; To the SNP;
To ‘Remoaners’;
To both the SNP and Remoaners;
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Other Related Links: |
Edit. Comnt: Some ‘more positive’ aspects of Brexit Edit. Comnt.; Some ‘more positive’ aspects of Brexit BfB: A Narrow Focus on EU Trade restricts Global Opportunities by Robert Bates |
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