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In the News

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Still, it should make for a quicker negotiation period as rUK then keeps ALL the UK assets

Following the warnings from academic Prof Christine Bell of Edinburgh University that “if the remainder of the UK keeps the name and status of the UK under international law it keeps its liabilities for the debt”, Finance Secretary John Swinney has published an analysis of the implications such an approach by the UK Government would have for debt payments for the rest of the UK.

 The paper shows that if the UK Government put itself in a position of having to accept all UK debts – which it has already accepted legal liability for – the rUK would be responsible for ‘up to an additional £130bn of debt’.

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Tackling the Paper Heavy Office – Free White Paper

Tackling the Paper Heavy Office – Free White Paper

Does any of the following sound familiar?

Your workplace is paper heavy, you are surrounded by documents: on desks, in drawers and in filing cabinets. Every day the printers and photocopiers churn out more.

All this paper is taking up valuable office space and leaving your information vulnerable to damage and loss. You probably store most of the information you no longer need somewhere onsite. You are no longer exactly sure what’s in all those archived folders gathering dust and cobwebs in the basement, let alone what’s floating around the workplace. If you need access to documents, it may take you days, if not weeks, to find the right records.
 
If this scenario resembles your workplace, then your business could be putting itself at risk of data loss, damage or exposure that could lead to inefficiency, loss of reputation, along with a significant fine from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

This free guide is the first in a set of four comprehensive and insightful handbooks helping your organisation make the transition from paper heavy to paper light.

Click here to download your free copy now.

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Making the oil flow for longer while also encouraging a greener alternative

The British economy could receive a potential £200bn boost over the next 20 years, through the recovery of an additional 3-4bn barrels of North Sea oil & gas, according to a report commissioned by the UK Government and published last week.

 In addition, Energy & Climate Change Secretary, Edward Davey, announced the signing of a £m deal with Shell to develop the next stage of their Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS) project on a gas-fired power station – a world first in low-carbon projects.

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The sad fact is that it is often ‘organised’ by the parents / other ‘senior’ family members

The Education Secretary, Michael Gove, made a statement after meeting with Fahma Mohamed last week, which confirmed all schools will receive guidance on keeping children safe from Female Genital Mutilation.  The guidance will be sent out by Easter and it will specifically include material that will enable everyone working with young people to tackle female genital mutilation.

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Time for sensitivity

Bereaved loved ones will be put at the heart of the coroner system, Justice Minister, Simon Hughes, said last week as he launched a new guide for people who have to become involved with inquests.  The new ‘Guide to Coroner Services’ explains simply to bereaved people how the inquest process works, what they should expect to experience, what standards of service they should receive from those involved, how to find help and what to do if they were not satisfied by the service.

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Did you see anything?

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is investigating an incident in Brighton involving police, following which a woman died in hospital.  The incident took place in the late afternoon of Monday 17 February 2014 in the Kemp Town area of Brighton.  The IPCC is appealing for anyone who was in the area of Lavender Street and Malthouse Court who witnessed interaction between police and a woman with a small dog and a man on a fold-up bicycle to contact them.

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And, on the 7th day, you can (hopefully) ‘rest’ assured ‘all will be complete’

The Current Account Switch Service (7-Day Switch) is intended to assure that the process of current account switching for UK consumers is completed seamlessly in 7 working days.  It is designed to make it easier & faster for consumers to switch their bank accounts.  The switch rules mean the responsibility for switching outgoing & incoming payments lies with the new bank and not the customer.  The service is underpinned by the Current Account Switch Guarantee.

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Take note NHS!

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published its updated privacy impact assessments code of practice to ‘help organisations respect people’s privacy when changing the way they handle people’s information’.  The code explains the privacy issues that organisations should consider when planning projects that use personal information, including the need to consult with stakeholders, identify privacy risks and address these risks in the final project plan. 

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But will GCHQ be given the ‘key’?

The Cabinet Office has developed a new encryption service, Inter Provider Encryption Domain (IPED), in partnership with leading industry specialists.  This means that RESTRICTED information at Impact Level 3 (IL3) can be safely shared across the Public Services Network (PSN).  This builds on the existing PSN services which currently operate at the lower security level of IL2 (PROTECT).

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Some financial relief at last

Farmers whose businesses have been directly affected by flooding are now able to access £10m of government support Farming Minister, George Eustice, has announced.

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Preserving our industrial heritage

The PRISM Fund, which helps to support the acquisition & conservation of heritage objects from the fields of science, technology, industry & medicine, has now re-opened for & Wales acquire or conserve thousands of objects of industrial or scientific importance.  It was established in 1973 in response to the growing concern that technological change was resulting in the loss of much of Britain's industrial heritage.  The PRISM Fund can offer grants of up to £20,000, or 90% of the total project costs.

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Before the ‘Last Post’ sounds for the old comrades

Second World War veterans who are planning to attend commemorations to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in June 2014 are being asked to contact the Royal British Legion to make sure they can gain entry to the sites they wish to visit.  Due to the high profile nature of D-Day 70 there will be security restrictions in place in Normandy, and accreditation is required for many of the events during the anniversary period. 

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 Please note that previously published newsletters can be accessed from the Newsletter Archive

General News

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Additional Consultations:  Readers should be aware that many consultations are never publicised with a press release, so do not appear in either the email alerts or Wired - GOV Plus.  Many of these consultations (& subsequent conclusions) can be found at the following links:

 

Guidance Notes and Best Practice Guides

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General Reports and Other Publications

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EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.

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Charity and Voluntary Sector

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Industry News

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Forthcoming Event

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