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Articles from Roy Rowlands | Selfgrowth.com
- Academic study says 600,000 could lose incapacity benefit - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2011 from Roy RowlandsAn independent report into the reforms of incapacity benefits suggests 600,000 will be “pushed out” of the system altogether, with the headline total of 2.6m people set to be cut by nearly 1m by 2014. Researchers from the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research Centre at Sheffield ...
Views: 385 - Job market recovery predicted to be ‘painful’ - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2011 from Roy RowlandsEmployers are reducing recruitment levels and employment prospects have fallen since the previous quarter, according to a report on the labour market by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. The Institute surveyed 1,000 employers across the private and public sectors and found ...
Views: 529 - Measures needed to increase Commons diversity - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2011 from Roy RowlandsA think tank has urged the House of Commons to consider diversity measures to increase the range of candidates who attempt to become MPs. Out of 650 MPs, just 27 are from ethnic minorities, and one fifth are female. The Institute for Government suggests this is less to do with selection ...
Views: 493 - US concerns over Olympic security - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2011 from Roy RowlandsTensions are rising over the level of security that will be provided at the London Olympics, with the US voicing repeated concerns over the number of personnel who will be present. The Guardian newspaper learned that the US is intending to send 1,000 of its own security agents, including 500 ...
Views: 606 - 15 minute strike ‘daft’ - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2011 from Roy RowlandsUnions have labelled Francis Maude’s suggestion of a 15 minute ‘token action’ instead of a full day on strike as ‘daft’ and a ‘PR gimmick’. Public sector workers have voted for industrial action to be held on November 30, and over three million workers could take part in the strike. A ...
Views: 573 - Abellio executive team announced for Greater Anglia - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsAbellio Greater Anglia Ltd has announced the new executive team for the franchise, beginning on February 5. Ruud Haket, who has led the bid and mobilisation team, will be appointed as the managing director. Additional executive positions are: Andrew Goodrum as customer services director; Adam ...
Views: 694 - Ambulance services call for clarity on commissioning - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2011 from Roy RowlandsThe Government must “urgently clarify” commissioning arrangements for rural ambulance services, the network representing the trusts involved has said. In a new report, the NHS Confederation’s Ambulance Service Network welcomes the move from time targets to outcomes, but says the current ...
Views: 399 - Atkins report suggests HS2 alternative - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsHS2 offers a lower return on investment than alternatives, a new report suggests. The DfT commissioned engineering firm Atkins to appraise a set of strategic alternatives to the Government’s proposed HS2. The report concludes that ‘51m’, an alternative which would improve the capacity on the ...
Views: 518 - Blackburn – Bolton line improvements considered - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsMPs are calling for improvements to the Blackburn to Bolton train service, with suggestions to double the track to increase capacity and increase hourly daytime services to every half hour. In a debate in the House of Commons, Blackburn’s Labour MP Jack Straw and Conservative Darwen and ...
Views: 498 - BMA Northern Ireland calls for minimum pricing - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2011 from Roy RowlandsDoctors in Northern Ireland have called for action to combat alcohol misuse during this year’s Alcohol Awareness Week. In the face of alcohol’s huge costs to society and the health service, the BMA is advocating tough measures to reduce the consequences of alcohol abuse. Excess drinking costs ...
Views: 548 - Bombardier wins €17.7m maintenance contract - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2011 from Roy RowlandsScotRail has awarded Bombardier a €17.7m (£15.2m) contract to provide operational support and spare supply for the Class 170 Turbostar fleet. This extends an existing agreement to November 2014. The contract, worth £15.2m, will see bogie overhauls supplied via Bombardier’s Crewe CRO facility ...
Views: 676 - Bridge repair project begins - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsA bridge in Manchester city centre is to be repaired by Network Rail. The bridge carries the through rail lines between Piccadilly and Oxford Road stations over London Road. Concrete was applied 50 years ago to extend the life of the bridge, but now further repairs are necessary. The work ...
Views: 457 - Brighton consultation for station improvements - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsStation improvements in Brighton are being considered by councillors, following a public consultation. Over 1,200 people expressed their views on improving the area, and 75% criticised the poor quality of pedestrian facilities available. Southern Rail is investigating the possibility of ...
Views: 450 - Bury St Edmunds station upgrade complete - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsThe £150,000 project to revamp Bury St Edmunds is finished with its official opening to the public today, conducted by the Mayor of St Edmundsbury, Cllr Chris Spicer. National Express East Anglia (NXEA) conducted the upgrade as part of the Department for Transport’s Access for All ...
Views: 534 - Calls to fund Northern Hub - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsMPs from both Labour and the Conservatives are calling on the Government to fund the £500m Northern Hub proposals. The project aims to cut journey times, ease overcrowding and create jobs across the area, as well as helping to reduce the North- South divide. Some rail improvements have ...
Views: 528 - Cancers being diagnosed faster, research shows - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2011 from Roy RowlandsDiagnosis times for cancer are down, new data shows, especially for bowel, oesophageal and pancreatic cancers. Of six cancers examined by researchers, bowel cancer showed the biggest improvement, with it now being found on average 75 days after a patient first visits their GP with symptoms to ...
Views: 436 - Car parking charges increased at Southeastern stations - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsSoutheastern has been accused of ‘ripping off’ passengers by increasing car parking charges on top of the fare increases introduced earlier this month. The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA) union argues that this is just another way to raise prices, even though regulated fare ...
Views: 469 - Care homes call for more nurses - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2012 from Roy RowlandsEnglish care homes are struggling to meet their residents’ needs, according to new research by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN). Nursing accounts for around three-quarters of the care provided in care homes, including tasks from washing and feeding to dementia care and using heart ...
Views: 609 - Changes to capital project delivery announced - by Submitted on Nov 15, 2011 from Roy RowlandsNetwork Rail has announced changes to the way it delivers capital projects, with the implementation of ‘Project Dime’, which aims to deliver better value for money. The McNulty report published earlier this year suggests that 10-20% efficiencies are needed in the capital investment programme. ...
Views: 628 - Circle completes take-over deal at Hinchingbrooke - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2011 from Roy RowlandsDespite months of delays, the Government has now signed off on the Circle takeover at Hinchingbrooke hospital in Huntingdonshire. Managers at Hinchingbrooke Healthcare NHS Trust said today: “This is not privatisation.” Circle was named as ‘preferred provider’ to become the first private ...
Views: 457 - Consultation on potential health trust merger of two NHS trusts begins - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2011 from Roy RowlandsConsultation with hospital staff and health watchdogs has begun around the potential merger of North West London Hospitals NHS Trust and Ealing Hospital NHS Trust. The boards of the two NHS trusts approved the outline business case for merging the two organisations at board meetings held last ...
Views: 448 - Council freeze on care home payments ruled illegal - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2011 from Roy RowlandsA High Court decision on council payments of elderly care fees could have huge implications across the country. A judge ruled that Sefton council in Merseyside acted illegally when it froze payments to a residential care homes two years ago. Most English councils will now have to review ...
Views: 449 - Councils no longer prevented from enhanced CRB checks - by Submitted on Jan 23, 2012 from Roy RowlandsThe Government has reconsidered its position on enhanced CRB check requests for councils licensing drivers of taxis and minicabs. The Local Government Association (LGA) and Transport for London have been lobbying for Government to change its position on the issue. In London, 10% of all ...
Views: 424 - Criminal sanctions increase for assaults on NHS staff - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2011 from Roy RowlandsNHS Protect has released figures today showing that sanctions taken against people who assault NHS staff have increased by almost a quarter on last year, despite a 19% decrease in the number of reported physical assaults. 1,397 criminal sanctions were applied following 18,060 reported ...
Views: 452 - DDRF hears of ‘massive’ opportunities for suppliers - by Submitted on Nov 04, 2011 from Roy RowlandsSir Roy McNulty told delegates at the DDRF annual conference that the way the railways are now run is “absolutely not common sense” as rail workers and unions protested outside the meeting against his recommendations, which they say will mean job cuts and a worse service for passengers. They ...
Views: 374 - Dental access improved in Yorkshire - by Submitted on Mar 15, 2012 from Roy RowlandsMore than 10,000 new NHS dental places will be made available in York and North Yorkshire, it has been announced. NHS North Yorkshire and York is investing £5m in improving services and cutting the numbers of patients waiting for treatment. The primary care trust said nearly 11,000 ...
Views: 656 - Fatigue guidance published for rail workers - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsThe ORR has issued revised guidance for rail companies concerning the management of fatigue among staff. The RAIB estimates fatigue was a factor in 111 rail industry accidents and incidents between 200 and 2010. The guidance suggests fatigue controls are relevant to all workers who are ...
Views: 463 - Framework for EU negotiations agreed - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2011 from Roy RowlandsFramework for EU negotiations agreed Britain will sign up to a revision of the Lisbon treaty to underpin stricter new fiscal rules for the Eurozone, in exchange for an examination of the impact of the European working time directive, which currently imposes a 48-hour week on workers across ...
Views: 561 - Freightliner Ltd and MSC (UK) Ltd renew contract - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsFreightliner Ltd and MSC (UK) Ltd have renewed their contract, increasing the railed container volumes to the North West. The contract is an expansion of the existing service, moving 30,000 container moves per year and will remove an additional 6,000 lorry journeys per year from the road ...
Views: 585 - Future plans for NHS Wales revealed - by Submitted on Nov 03, 2011 from Roy RowlandsThe Welsh health minister, Lesley Griffiths, will explain Labour’s plans for the future of NHS Wales today, in a statement to AMs. The local health boards are in the process of finalising proposals for reorganising services before plans are reviewed by the National Clinical Forum. ...
Views: 486 - Genomics initiative launches for cancer research - by Submitted on Nov 21, 2011 from Roy RowlandsGenomics initiative launches for cancer research Cancer Research UK has launched the Genomics Initiative, a collection of nine high tech gene projects which aim to identify genetic faults to highlight people at the greatest risk of cancer, choose the best treatments and to start developing ...
Views: 540 - Government anti-gang plans revealed - by Submitted on Nov 03, 2011 from Roy RowlandsThe Government’s new anti-gang plans seek to intervene in the lives of young people at risk of becoming members, and help those already involved in gangs to escape. The Department for Work and Pensions aims to tackle 120,000 problem families in England and Wales, with the introduction of ...
Views: 436 - Head teachers vote to strike over pensions - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2011 from Roy RowlandsThe National Association of Head Teachers has come out strongly in favour of strike action on the ‘day of action’ on November 30, with 75.8% voting in favour on a 53.6% turnout. The union’s general secretary, Russell Hobby, said: “I have spoken at length to many school leaders and not one ...
Views: 369 - Hospitals top energy efficiency league - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2011 from Roy RowlandsFour NHS trusts have come joint top of a league of more than 2,000 organisations for energy efficiency performance. Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital, labelled it a “tremendous achievement”. The other three ...
Views: 435 - Howard Smith to speak at Infrarail - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsHoward Smith, chief operating officer of London Rail at Transport for London, will make a keynote presentation at Infrarail 2012 on May 2. Smith, who sits on RTM’s editorial board, will join transport minister Theresa Villiers and Simon Kirby, director of investment projects for Network Rail, ...
Views: 532 - HS2 approved – with minor route alterations - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsThe high-speed rail link between Birmingham and London has been officially approved by Government, Transport Secretary Justine Greening announced today, and will proceed to the next legislative stages. The first phase of HS2 should be completed with services ready to begin by 2026, with the ...
Views: 519 - HS2 could ‘unite the nation’ – Greening - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsThe Government has managed to cut the cost of phase one of HS2, despite extra tunneling and other mitigation measures. The construction cost of phase one, London to Birmingham, which got the go-ahead from Transport Secretary Justine Greening, has been cut by around £400m to £16.3bn, despite ...
Views: 506 - IEP fleet commercial close delayed until May - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsThe final sign-off on the details on the IEP fleet to replace the HSTs on the GWML and ECML has been further delayed by the Department for Transport, according to the December Structural Reform Plan, published on the Number 10 website. Procurement for the Intercity Express Programme was ...
Views: 596 - Kirkgate station transformation confirmed - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsThe Wakefield Kirkgate station regeneration project has been confirmed with £1.5m funding from the Station Commercial Project Facility Fund and Network Rail. The work would include removing a redundant spine wall and replacing canopies at the station. If consent is secured, work will begin in ...
Views: 495 - Localism Bill to become law - by Submitted on Nov 10, 2011 from Roy RowlandsThe Localism Bill has cleared Parliament and is on its way to Royal Assent. There were have been changes from the original intentions on councillors’ standards, the mayoral provisions, sustainable development and financial incentives on planning, and fixed-term tenancies in social housing. ...
Views: 392 - MHRA consultation launched & NHS managers could face removal - by Submitted on Oct 28, 2011 from Roy RowlandsMHRA consultation launched The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launched a formal public consultation on the consolidation of UK medicines legislation, to simplify and clarify the law for regulating medicine. Draft regulations will be tested to ensure they are ...
Views: 441 - Midwives could leave NHS if pension age rises - by Submitted on Nov 16, 2011 from Roy RowlandsChanges to NHS pensions could prompt many midwives to leave the health service, a survey by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) suggests. The results, published today, show that 46% of those questioned would consider leaving the NHS if the pension age increases to 68. The threat of redundancy ...
Views: 556 - Minister sells house near HS2 before approval - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsWelsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan has defended selling her home, located near to the HS2 route, two months before the Government approved the project. Her house in Amersham was sold in November, after being on the market since about June 2010. The house is about 500 yards from where the proposed ...
Views: 452 - More than 800 signal boxes to become redundant - by Submitted on Nov 11, 2011 from Roy RowlandsNetwork Rail has given more details about its plans to concentrate signalling operations in just 14 rail operating centres over the next 15-30 years, to save £250m a year, cut delay times and enable more trains to be run on the network. More than 800 signal boxes would become redundant, and a ...
Views: 922 - Mothers on low incomes receiving poor maternity care - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2011 from Roy RowlandsMaternity services need improvement, especially for people on low incomes, according to a new survey of 1,391 mothers conducted by Netmums and the Royal College of Midwives (RCM). The results showed that three-quarters of poor pregnant women were not attending antenatal classes. For those ...
Views: 510 - MPs recommend Bank of England reform - by Submitted on Nov 08, 2011 from Roy RowlandsThe Commons Treasury Select Committee wants Parliament to be able to veto the appointment of Bank of England governors, for them to serve single eight-year terms, and for the governance of the Bank to be radically modernised. The ‘Court’ – the board of the Bank – should have 12 members down ...
Views: 426 - N. Ireland could implement minimum pricing - by Submitted on Nov 03, 2011 from Roy RowlandsThe Scottish Health Secretary has announced a new bill to set minimum pricing for units of alcohol in Scotland, which is also being considered in Northern Ireland. An exact price per unit of alcohol is expected early next year, and may have changed from the previous price suggested of 45p. ...
Views: 464 - Network Rail and Passenger Focus publish WCML objectives - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsHS2 could free up space for faster and more frequent trains on the West Coast Main Line, according to a new report published by Network Rail and Passenger Focus. An improved level of service could be possible due to extra capacity and the availability of 125mph trains. This could help ease ...
Views: 462 - Network Rail devolution complete from today - by Submitted on Nov 14, 2011 from Roy RowlandsNetwork Rail has been split up into separate geographic business units with their own route managing directors from today, to allow devolved investment decisions to be made concerning tracks and stations. This move aims to align these decisions more closely to local passenger needs. In ...
Views: 331 - Network Rail launches internship scheme - by Submitted on Jan 26, 2012 from Roy RowlandsA cross-industry internship scheme is being launched by Network Rail to help up to 100 graduates gain local experience in the rail industry. 27 companies are taking part to provide ‘Track and Train’ for students. The 18-month scheme will take place in three parts, with one month at Network ...
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