General News
During these operations they became aware of a growing number of young people using fake ID - that had been bought via internet sites - and are now taking measures to tackle the issue. Inspector Paul Hepworth of Bradford North NPT said: “We will be issuing off licenses with packs that clearly explain which sorts of ID are legitimate and should be accepted and which types of ID are fake and should be refused”.
Press release ~ West Yorkshire Police - Neighbourhood Policing ~ CitizenCard Proof of Age
HSE: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is promoting ladder safety messages through a 'ladder exchange' which aims to remove 4,000 'dodgy' ladders from workplaces in Great Britain. Every month nearly 100 people fall off a ladder at work and suffer serious injuries costing the economy £60 million each year..
Over the next 12 weeks, small businesses will get the chance to get their ladders checked and, where necessary, trade them in for new ones at a discounted price. HSE is working in close association with Local Authorities, ladder manufacturers and retailers to address the safety issues around access equipment with employers and ladder users.
Press release ~ Ladder exchange ~ HSE – Falls from height ~ The Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as amended) - A brief guide ~ Safe use of ladder and stepladders - an employers guide ~ Top tips for ladder safety
MoJ: Plans to allow the reuse of burial grounds have been given the go-ahead to provide space for burials in the coming years. The plans have been announced at the same time as survey shows that there is approximately an average of 30 years left before space runs out in burial grounds in England and Wales.
In some urban areas, the time is less. In London the average is 12 years of useable space left. Each year approximately 500,000 people die and, while most of them are cremated, around 150,000 people are buried.
The plans open the door to local authorities reusing graves, but only where they are over 100 years old and the permission of the family has been sought.
Press release ~ 'Burial law and policy in the 21st century: the way forward' ~ Burial grounds: the results of a survey of burial grounds in England and Wales ~ MoJ Burials
TfL: Lorry, bus and coach operators are being urged to act before the London Low Emission Zone commences next year. The Zone aims to reduce traffic pollution and improve the health & quality of life of Londoners by encouraging operators of large diesel vehicles to clean up their fleets.
From 4 February 2007diesel-engined lorries over 12 tonnes will be required to meet specified emissions standards and those vehicles that fail to meet this standard face a daily charge. In force 24/7/365, the zone will cover most of Greater London
UK and European owners & operators need to check which vehicles will be affected & when. In order to ensure their vehicles meet the specific emissions standards, UK-registered owners can use the vehicle compliance checker and, if they find their vehicles to be non-compliant, take the necessary action
Press release ~ London Low Emission Zone ~ Vehicle compliance checker ~ Transport for London: Emissions Standards ~ Mayor's Transport Strategy ~ Air Quality Strategy ~ LEZ information
Scottish Executive: Audit Scotland has been invited by the Government to review the procedures used to forecast costs for the proposed Edinburgh tram and airport rail link projects. Audit Scotland will report by 20 June and Ministers will consider the report & set out their position to Parliament before the summer recess.
Press release ~ Audit Scotland ~ Project Brief ~ Scottish Executive - Transport ~ Transform Scotland
A special branded Roadshow bus will visit Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and each of the nine regions within England, ending its journey in Stoke Mandeville on 29 August, marking five years to go to the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
The Roadshow’s theme is ‘Join In’, encouraging sports participation, particularly amongst young people and coaching. At each of its 27 stops in a ten-week tour of the UK, the Roadshow will offer taster sessions in a range of traditional & exciting new sports for visitors to try. Professional sports advisors will also be on hand to encourage visitors to find out more about sporting clubs and facilities in each location.
The Roadshow will also contain a National Lottery ‘Dream Statistics’ zone, to enable visitors to see how their statistics – including height, weight, and muscle power– might make them suited to different sports.
Press release ~ London 2012 ~ London 2012 Brand website ~ London 2012: Work in Progress blog ~ 2006 Roadshow
CRC: Together with NALC, the Commission for rural Communities are once again offering Parish & Town Councils the opportunity to share the good work they are doing to support their rural communities and win up to £1,000! The closing date is 15 June 2007 for this year's awards.
The council doesn't have to be running a project itself, nor does the work have to be groundbreaking to be best practice, as long as it works in your community & the actions of the council have helped the project to succeed.
Press release ~ Commission for Rural Communities ~ National Association of Local Councils
MoD: The military has partnered with key players from across the defence, IT and communication industries of fifteen different countries to hold the largest, international virtual war game. The Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID) virtually tests ground breaking future military technology.
CWID is being run between the 4th and the 22nd June 2007 at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) site at Portsdown West, Fareham.
Press release ~ CWID website ~ Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) ~ Dstl’s Battle Laboratory ~ Network Enabled Capability (NEC) ~ Combined Federated Battle Laboratory network
