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Annual Reports
CIOB: Results from the Chartered Institute of Building’s (CIOB) third annual skills survey show that the industry is still suffering a skills shortage despite the recession and downturn in construction demand. 77% of respondents believe there is a skills shortage in construction and 78% of those feel that the loss of skills will hinder the industry’s recovery when the economy improves.
Respondents felt that the skills shortage is largely due to companies being unable to afford to employ their workers. 54% of respondents state that their company has had to make redundancies, and 14% expect redundancies to occur.
The results show that only 12% of respondents are aware of their companies recruiting more graduates and only 1% are recruiting the same number of graduates as before, while only 37% are sure their companies are still employing apprentices.
CEOP: 346 children have been safeguarded in the last 3 years, the UK's national centre for tackling the sexual abuse of children - the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre – has claimed. 139 were safeguarded in the last 12 months while over 700 suspected offenders have been arrested since the organisation was launched in April 2006. 334 suspected offenders were arrested in the last year alone.
The figures - published in the organisation's Annual Review for 2008/09 and covering work specifically involving CEOP teams - shows a year-on-year increase as more young children are safeguarded from circumstances of horrific abuse.
Press release ~ Annual Review for 2008/09 ~ Byron Review Action Plan ~ Byron Review report – Safer Children in a Digital World ~ Staying Safe Action Plan ~ Thinkuknow - 8-10 - CyberCafe ~ Thinkuknow ~ Home Office - Child Protection ~ ICO pages for young people
DH: NHS Chief Executive David Nicholson launched his third annual report at the annual NHS Chief Executive's Conference, saying that ‘while the NHS had delivered what it said it would over the year, it had to go further and faster to improve the quality of services for patients’.
The NHS has 11% growth in funding over the next 2 years, which will be locked in on recurring basis, but would need to prepare for leaner times after that. This meant the NHS would need to deliver efficiency savings in the order of £15bn over the three years after 2011.
Press release ~ Chief Executive's annual report on NHS performance during the financial year 2008/09
NE: To mark International Biodiversity Day 2009 last Friday, Natural England has published a major report identifying the potential for a number of non-native animal species to increase in number in England and become invasive.
Non-native species pose one of the biggest threats to England’s natural biodiversity and ecosystems. Of 161 species evaluated, 84 were categorised as medium to high risk in terms of the likelihood of their becoming invasive and the disruption they could have on our natural environment and native wildlife.
A number of non-native species are already established in England and in many cases - like American mink, Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam – they have become invasive and have wiped out native competitors.
By commissioning the report, Natural England is hoping to identify potential problem species, so that early action can be taken to prevent their spread. The partnership project to eradicate an infestation of rats on Lundy Island – enabling the rare Manx shearwater to raise chicks again - shows what can be done when targeted concerted action is taken.
Press release ~ International Biodiversity Day 2009 ~ GN Non-native Species Secretariat ~ Defra - Non-native species ~ Forest Research - Protecting trees ~ WAG – Biodiversity Partnership ~ UK Biodiversity Action Plan Website ~ Cornwall Knotweed Forum ~ A Cost-Benefit analysis of introducing the non-native species signal crayfish ~ European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy (EPBRS) ~ Forestry Commission Grey Squirrel website ~ Audit of non-native species in England ~ Biodiversity Scotland website ~ Working with the grain of nature: a biodiversity strategy for England ~ NAO: Protecting England and Wales from plant pests and diseases ~ Invasive Non-native Species – Scottish Executive ~ Horticultural Code of Practice ~ Biodiversity Scotland website
TfL: The number of people killed and seriously injured (KSI) on London’s roads fell by 7% in 2008, according to Transport for London’s (TfL) annual road casualty statistics. This means 258 fewer people were killed or seriously injured than in 2007.
In the last year emphasis has been placed on cycle safety and raising awareness of cyclists among other road users. 15,000 special 'fresnal' lenses to improve the visibility of lorry drivers are being issued, and another 5,000 await distribution, and TfL are working with the Metropolitan Police to run cycle safety awareness days for HGV drivers and cyclists.
The TfL’s latest advertising campaign is aimed at encouraging road safety amongst the Capital’s teenagers. The new ‘Don’t let your friendship die on the road’ theme is based on the insight that friendship is one of the most important things in young people’s lives. Stark posters show young actors who appear to be lying against a wall, however a second glance reveals them to be actually lying on the road as a result of a road collision.
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