General News

OS: Sir Ranulph Fiennes last week honoured a 6-year-old climber at The Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show.
Often called the world’s greatest living explorer, Sir Ranulph met Tom Fryers, who is the youngest person ever to climb all 214 summits in the Wainwright Guides to the Lake District.
 
Tom undertook the climbs to raise money for Community Action Nepal and the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital in Sheffield, where he was treated as a baby . He has climbed over 150,000 feet and walked over 480 miles in pursuit of his goal and raised over £5,500.
Press release ~ The Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show ~ Tom's Community Action Nepal Page ~ Community Action Nepal
 
BERR: The UK Atomic Energy Authority has announced it intends to offer for sale its commercial arm, UKAEA Limited.  The UK Atomic Energy Authority is wholly owned by the UK Government.
 
The UK Atomic Energy Authority is seeking a purchaser for up to 100% of the issued share capital of UKAEA Limited, which provides nuclear decommissioning, waste management and site environmental remediation services and nuclear new build support services under contract both in the UK and overseas.  The Government has indicated that it would consider retaining a stake in UKAEA Limited.
Press release ~ UK Atomic Energy Authority
 
DIUS: The National Weights and Measures Laboratory has changed its name to the National Measurement Office from 1 April 2009The move reflects the fact that the NMO will expand to assume responsibility for the National Measurement System with the Unit responsible transferring from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS).
 
The National Measurement Office will continue to be an Executive Agency of DIUS and will be responsible for all aspects of the national measurement system, which includes investment in the UK's scientific measurement infrastructure and policy on national legal measurement.
Press release ~ National Measurement Office ~ National Measurement System
 
OS: Further support to help route lorry drivers using satnavs has been announced recently with the release of new ‘steep road’ information from Ordnance Survey.  The mapping agency, which provides road network data to the satnav industry, is the only organisation to have mapped the location of every steep road gradient in the country.  
 
The steep hill data complements the existing information on road weight, width & height limits that Ordnance Survey first published in 2006.  An HGV specific satnav relying on both sets of data would not only be able to route efficiently, but could also avoid sending drivers down unsuitable roads.
Press release ~ Ordnance Survey ~ Freight Transport Association (FTA)
 
TfLLondon Underground and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) have launched a photo competition (closes 31 May 2009) to encourage Londoners to use the Tube to discover the Capital’s rich & varied bird life.  42 bird species have been recorded on London Underground property in recent years with an even greater number living in a surprising variety of habitats just a short stroll from the Tube.

Birds should be snapped within a 5 minute walk of a Tube station with entries judged according to their relevance to the theme, originality and quality of the photography.  Prizes include an annual pass to RSPB reserves, a family pass to the London Transport Museum and bird-related goodies including books and bird feeders.  Winners will be notified in July.
Press release ~ Upload photos here ~ TfL – Mind the Bird ~ London Biodiversity Partnership ~ TfL and the Environment ~ RSPB in London
 
ESRC: Over the past decade the growth in Business Schools has created a global market for well trained staff who are already in short supply.  In the UK, approximately 450 academics are recruited into business schools annually.  But it’s not enough to keep pace with increasing student demand for business education.

Through a new Fellowship scheme, the Economic and Social Research Council, together with funding from the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies, a charitable trust, will provide financial support for talented individuals in their early to mid-career stage who have 5 to 15 years’ experience after completing an undergraduate degree.
 
A new website has been launched to provide a one-stop-shop for information about the new Fellowships, training activities and career pathways. The aim is that cohorts of Fellows coming into academic management and business studies will be able to network and learn from each other as they progress.
Press release ~ Management and Business Development Fellowship Scheme ~ Research Development Gateway ~ Society for the Advancement of Management Studies
 
NE: Woodlands, countryside & parks have become out of bounds to a generation of ‘cotton wool kids’ with fewer than 10% playing in such places, according to new research results revealed by Natural England. In addition, 24% of children said they visit a patch of nature near their home on a weekly basis, compared with over half of adults (53%) who visited a local nature patch weekly when they were young.
 
The survey was produced to mark the launch of Natural England’s ‘One Million Children Outdoors’ programme, which aims to encourage more children to visit places such as nature reserves and environmentally friendly farms.
 
The programme, which aims to introduce 1m children to the natural world over the next 3 years, was launched at the Natural History Museum's wildlife garden, together with a new family guide to British wildlife - The Bumper Book of Nature.
 
British Wildlife Photography Awards (BWPA) - The inaugural BWPA is launching its ‘Call for Entries’ lasting until Friday 31 July 2009.  Natural England is sponsoring one of the seven categories, ‘Wildlife in Your Locality’ and one of the 2 Awards for young people (School and Youth Community Award).
Press release ~ The Bumper Book of Nature ~ Natural England’s Childhood and Nature survey ~ One Million Children Outdoors ~ BWPA
 
BERR: A new streamlined process for resolving disciplinary & grievance issues has come into effect.  The central aim of this is to reduce the number of people going to employment tribunals and simplify the system for dealing with workplace disputes.
 
Employees & employers will be able to call the Acas helpline for impartial & confidential advice on the options available for resolving workplace problems.  They will also be able to access a free early conciliation service for certain types of cases, with the aim to reduce the need for people to enter into full tribunal procedures.
Press release ~ Directgov: Resolving workplace disputes ~ Business Link: Disciplinary problems, disputes and grievances ~ Taking a dispute to the Employment Tribunal after 6 April 2009 – Guidance on which legal provisions will apply ~ Acas: New workplace problem-solving process ~ Acas: Code of Practice 1 - Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures
 
BERR: A new Office for Life Sciences (OLS) has been created to address key issues affecting the pharmaceutical, medical biotech and devices sectors. The OLS is tasked (by the end of July 2009) with taking action to make a real difference to the operating environment for life sciences companies by working across Government to address a range of key issues, including those raised in The Review and Refresh of Bioscience 2015.
 
Working with Departments responsible for these areas, the ‘virtual Office’ will co-ordinate national policy, undertaking work to build a sustainable and integrated life sciences industry in the future.  It will look at what steps can be taken to improve access to finance for SMEs and to stimulate investment in the life sciences industry.
 
It will also be considering how the NHS can be more effective as a champion of innovation, possible ways of getting medicines onto the market faster, how the UK can become a more attractive base for clinical trials, and effectively market the industry globally.
Press release ~ Office for Life Sciences (OLS) ~ The Review and Refresh of Bioscience 2015 ~ Bioscience 2015 ~ Bioscience Innovation and Growth Team (BIGT)
 
DWP: The creation of a statutory tower crane registration scheme to improve tower crane safety & public confidence in their safety has been announced. It has been agreed alongside a package of measures to improve tower crane safety and is likely to be in place by April 2010. A voluntary system will precede the statutory scheme and should be in operation later this year.
Press release ~ The role of the Health and Safety Commission and the Health and Safety Executive in regulating workplace health and safety (see page 35) ~ Strategic Forum for Construction
 
BERR: Debt collectors have agreed with Government to give 30 days' breathing space to borrowers struggling to repay debts. The new 30-day rule, agreed with the Credit Service Association (CSA), which represents debt collection agencies, will start once an accredited debt advisor has been appointed.  
 
In addition CSA members will be required to inform borrowers of the availability of accredited advisory services.  Accredited debt advisors include: Citizens' Advice Bureaux, Advice UK, The Consumer Credit Counselling Service
 
The new 30-day rule is being written into the CSA's existing code of practice which governs their 300 members. It means that debt collection agencies will not contact debtors to pursue debts for 30 days once they have been informed that an accredited debt advisor has taken on the case.  This will allow an accredited debt advisor to negotiate with creditors and the collection agency so that a plan for repaying the debt can be agreed.
Press release ~ BERR - Over-Indebtedness ~ Credit Service Association (CSA) ~ Citizens' Advice Bureaux ~ Advice UK ~ The Consumer Credit Counselling Service
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