Packed with information
The Government begun the trial of its home information packs today although the key industry bodies have withdrawn their support. The trials are run by the home pack providers' trade association and the Government has provided £4 million of…
Enrol here for workplace hazard course...
The HSE announced today (03 November 2006) the new workplace hazard awareness course and qualifications for young people. According to the the Chief Executive of HSE it is a "great example of how HSE, government and industry can work…
Cooking (the EEC) with Gas
Some of the easiest carbon savings that could be made are to be found in our houses. Britain's houses are famously inefficient, belching heat (and therefore carbon) into the sky. Though the government believes it can tax people into…
Picking winners
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) today announced that the Technology Strategy Board will become independent and it will take over the funding of the £178m Technology Programme next year. The new board will fund industry R&D…
Threat to privacy
The Guardian writes on its front page on how personal medical records are to be uploaded regardless of patients' wishes to a central national database which can be accessed by a huge number of NHS staff and from where the information can be…
Good intentions?
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has revealed that it wants to cut its "conduct of business" rulebook, which covers the advertising and marketing of financial products, and the provision of information and advice to clients, from 70…
The Companies Bill strikes again
Margaret Hodge, the Minister currently responsible for probably the longest Bill in British history, The Companies Bill, has done it again. With no warning, business is now to be expected to publish details of their supply chain. What on…
The England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery Initiative
The what? You really couldn't make it up. According to a Government press release today, there are apparently there are now thirty-nine dedicated "Catchment Sensitive Farming Officers". I'm sure they are doing a grand job, preventing…
When does a child become an adult?
David Cameron has suggested reforming the laws on minimum age limits. In many ways, not before time. It is clearly a nonsense that 17 year olds can own a gun but have to wait to 18 to buy fireworks. But he also says that he would like…
More cohesion or less coherence?
So peers have decided that head teachers will be required to promote "community cohesion" and that this will be assessed by inspectors (Guardian). Schools work best where teachers are left to get on with the business of running schools, not…
What is John Prescott For?
So John Prescott has been sent on a "pointless mission" to represent Britain in the Far East (Telegraph, 25th October). The claimed cost of £10,000 is the least of our worries. We should be worrying more about what he is up to while he is…