General News

MO: From spring 2011, the Met Office in partnership with the Royal Meteorological Society and supported by the Department of Education will launch – WOW- the Weather Observations Website for weather observers across the UK.  It is hoped that the website will encourage further growth in the UK's amateur weather observing community, and help educate children about the weather.  It is also hoped that this will become the UK's largest source of weather observations.  
Press release ~ Register your interest in contributing to WOW ~ Global observations
 
IPCC: The Independent Police Complaints Commission has identified serious inconsistencies, which are significantly impacting on the effectiveness of the Automatic Number Plate recognition systems nationally. The finding comes following an investigation into how Cleveland Police, Durham Constabulary and North Yorkshire Police responded to intelligence from the ANPR system about the movements of Peter Chapman (33) who murdered 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall on 25 October 2009.
Press release
 
Newswire – RoSPA: A mother whose child died after becoming tangled in a blind cord is urging community groups to help distribute thousands of safety kits to young families across England. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is inviting all organisations that have an interest in the welfare of young children to apply for a FREE share of more than 50,000Make It Safe bundles.  
 
Each organisation can have up to 500 of the packs (request packs by emailing: jtrobridge@rospa.com), while members of the public can still apply for a free pack by visiting: www.rospa.com/about/currentcampaigns/blindcords/apply/.

In return for free materials, RoSPA asks that each participating group fills in a simple evaluation form.  
Press release  ~ Blind Cord Safety Campaign
 
MoD: The Army has started building work on a new residential recovery centre to help injured soldiers. Construction of the new Personnel Recovery Centre in Colchester marks a significant milestone in a programme launched exactly a year ago to give wounded, injured & sick soldiers additional care & support to help them successfully return to duties or transition into civilian life.
 
The Army Recovery Capability (ARC) takes soldiers and other members of the Armed Forces from the point of injury or illness, through to their return to duty or into a supported civilian life, in partnership with Help for Heroes & the Royal British Legion, as well as other Service charities & Government Departments.
Press release ~ Photos and related links
 
CLG: With little over a month to put yourself forward as a councillor in this year's local elections, Local Government Minister Grant Shapps has been joined by councillors past & present to urge more people to consider standing.  Councils have varying dates from which people can apply to be a councillor but all applications must be received by 4 April 2011.
 
People interested in putting themselves forward should consider whether a local political party best represents their views and speak to them about how to stand.  Councils will also provide advice and further details & contacts can be found at the Government supported website www.beacouncillor.org.uk.
Press release
 
HO: A women's website last week revealed that more than half of people polled know a female friend that has experienced domestic abuse. The poll by www.ivillage.co.uk has revealed that 53% of people surveyed know a victim of domestic violence and 54% said they would be very likely to intervene to help the victim. 
 
Overall in the UK, more than one in four women will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Victims of domestic violence or those who know someone at risk should contact the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247. Call 999 if in immediate danger.
Press release ~ Related iVillage articles
 
NA: The Archive Awareness Campaign has uncovered some Valentine's treasures.
Press release ~ View the online exhibition ~ Archive Awareness Campaign ~ The Glamorgan Archives
 
DirectgovProduct placement will be allowed in UK TV programmes for the first time from 28 February 2011. To let viewers know if a TV programme contains product placement, a special logo has been designed and all UK TV programmes that contain product placement will have to show this logo. However, product placement will be banned in all children’s & news programmes and in UK-produced current affairs, consumer affairs and religious programmes.
Press release ~ Ofcom
 
DCMS: The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) have announced the complete sports competition schedule (including the times & venues for over 640 sessions, across more than 300 events, 39 disciplines & 26 sports), and ticket prices, for the London 2012 Olympic Games.  It will help you plan your Games experience and ensure you're prepared when Olympic Games tickets go on sale on 15 March 2011.  The 6-week application window closes at 11.59pm on 26 April.
Press release ~ Register your interest in tickets ~ Ticket prices and schedule
 
ScotGov: Around 2,000 primary school pupils across Scotland will take part in specially created 'food & farming' education days this year thanks to an expanded grant scheme announced yesterday by Richard Lochhead. The Rural Affairs Secretary also revealed that 12 schools will receive funding to help them host special Farmers' Market events, building on the success of a scheme launched last year.
 
Educating children about the importance of our food chain is one of the key areas highlighted in the Scottish Government's national food and drink policy Recipe for Success which recognises that some young people do not understand how their food is produced, how it is cooked and how the choices they make about food affect their health & impact on the environment.
Press release ~ Royal Highland Education Trust ~ Recipe for Success ~ Eco-schools
 
Wired – CABLegal aid cuts will ‘lead to a catastrophic reduction in the amount of help available to vulnerable people with complex legal problems and will impact on the capacity of the Citizens Advice Bureau network to maintain services at a time of growing need’ Citizens Advice warned recently. As part of a package to reduce the legal aid budget by £350m, legal aid will no longer be available for most social welfare law advice, and already stringent eligibility criteria will be tightened further.
 
Citizens Advice is supporting the Justice for All Campaign which calls for adequate funding for Legal Aid to be maintained to ensure that people are treated fairly under the law no matter who they are, how much money they have or where they live.
Press release ~ www.citizensadvice.org.uk ~ www.justice-for-all.org.uk
 
PCS: The PCS union reports that PM David Cameron has heaped praise on a government agency facing abolition for its role in getting our economy ‘back on its feet’. He was speaking to a prestigious midlands business awards ceremony where Advantage West Midlands, the Regional Development Agency, had just picked up the top prize.
 
Last summer Cameron’s government announced the abolition of England’s 9 RDAs, saying they would be replaced with ‘local enterprise partnerships’ by 2012An article on the Advantage WM website, reporting news of the award, quotes the agency’s chief executive Mick Laverty as saying that ‘independent evaluation has shown that for every £1 invested by Advantage, £8.14 is generated for the region’s economy’.
Press release ~ Watch Cameron's video message on YouTube
 
MoD: The creation of a new organisation to manage Defence property has been announced by Defence Secretary, Dr Liam Fox. The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), (subject to Trade Union consultation), will bring together all those working on estate & infrastructure activity across the Ministry of Defence.  It will deliver better strategic management of the military estate as well as savings of £1.2bn over the first 4 yearsalone.
 
This is the first such change delivered by the Defence Reform Unit under Lord Levene, designed to radically overhaul the structure of the MoD without reducing the effectiveness or reliability of the services delivered.
Press release ~ Photos and related links
 
FSAAconbury Sprouts has recalled its Organic Mixed Sprouts and Organic Rainbow Salad with a ‘use by’ date of 19 February 2011, because the products are contaminated with salmonella.  Salmonella is a bacterium that can cause food poisoning.  The Food Standards Agency has issued a Product Recall Information Notice.
Press release ~ Aconbury Sprouts Ltd recalls one batch of its own-brand Organic Mixed Sprouts and Organic Rainbow Salad due to salmonella
 
PCS: The government should call an immediate halt to plans to close 10 of the UK's 19 coastguard stations and cut almost half their staff, the PCS union says after a committee of MPs announced it wants to look into the issue in detail.
 
The Commons Transport Select Committee, which has already questioned the Maritime and Coastguard Agency over its plans, yesterday announced a full inquiry into the government’s proposals for ‘modernising the coastguard’. 

Earlier this month,
PCS called on the MCA to run a live test of its planned new centralised control system to prove the cuts will not cost lives.  This simulation could be carried out using data for any time of year.
Press release & additional links
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