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Author Archives: HM Government

News story: Prime Minister Appoints Sir Michael Hintze, Björn Savén, Sir Peter Stothard and Rachel Wang as Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery.

Sir Michael Hintze

Sir Michael is a businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder, chief executive and senior investment officer of CQS, a London-based global multi-strategy asset manager. Prior to establishing CQS, he worked at CSFB, Goldman Sachs and Salomon Brothers, having previously been an electrical design engineer and served as an army officer in the Australia.

In the charitable sector, The Hintze Family Charitable Foundation has provided funding to over 200 charities. Trinity Hospice, the Royal Naval and Royal Marines Charity, the University of Oxford Centre for Astrophysical Surveys, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Old Vic Theatre in London are among those charities which have received support. Michael is a Trustee of the Institute of Economic Affairs, Vice Patron of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity, and formally a Trustee of the National Gallery. Michael was made a Papal Knight (a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory) in 2005 and Knight Grand Cross in 2008. In 2009, he and his wife Dorothy received The Prince of Wales Award for Arts Philanthropy. In 2013, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia and in June 2013, Michael was awarded a knighthood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for his philanthropic services to the arts.

Michael holds a BSc in Physics and Pure Mathematics and a BEng in Electrical Engineering both from the University of Sydney. He also holds an MSc in Acoustics from the University of New South Wales, an MBA from Harvard Business School and received a DBA (honoris) from the University of New South Wales.

Björn Savén

Björn Savén is Chairman of IK Investment Partners Limited. He is also Chairman of IKARE as well as deputy Chairman of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in London. He was Chief Executive of IK Investment Partners since it started in 1989 until 2010. Previous corporate roles include twelve years with the Esselte Group (1976-1988) in Sweden, the UK and the USA as well as two years at Gulf Oil (1972-74). Mr Savén holds an MBA from Harvard Business School (1976) and a degree from Stockholm School of Economics (1972).

Björn has held various non-executive directorships including Nordea Bank, Orkla, Alfa-Laval (deputy Chairman), Konecranes (Chairman) and Vattenfall. He was deputy chairman of the Royal Swedish Engineering of Sciences Academy.

Björn currently he serves as a Trustee at Tommy’s (the UK pre-natal care charity) and at the Heart/Lung Foundation of Sweden. He holds honorary doctorates from the Stockholm School of Economics and Business (2010), the Swedish School of Economics and Business in Helsinki (1999), from the Institute of Technology at Lund University (2013) and from the Bulgarian Science Academy (2015) where he is also a fellow. Furthermore, he is an Honorary Fellow at Harris Manchester College at Oxford University where he also holds an M.A.

Sir Peter Stothard

Sir Peter Stothard is an author and former Editor of The Times (1992-2002) and the Times Literary Supplement (2002-16). He was Chair of Judges for the Man Booker Prize for fiction (2012) and holds the President’s Medal of the British Academy (2012). His books include the trilogy of diaries, On the Spartacus Road (2010), Alexandria (2013) and The Senecans (2016). He is an Honorary Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford.

Rachel Wang FRSA

Rachel Wang is an award-winning black British filmmaker with fifteen years experience producing digital content for museums and galleries. Rachel is the founder of Chocolate Films, a video production company based in Battersea where she oversees the production of factual content for a wide range of clients including National Gallery, TATE and Museum of London. Rachel is passionate about exploring portraiture and discovering human stories. She is currently spearheading the largest ever documentary series produced about a city; www.1000Londoners.com is an award-winning web series which comprises 1000 short video portraits of the most diverse range of people who identify themselves with the city. Rachel sits on the panel for Film London’s Film Hub, contributing to policy and strategy for promoting non-mainstream cinema. As a Freeman of the City, she is an active member of the Guild of Entrepreneurs. In July 2017 she is to be presented with an Honorary Degree in from Middlesex University’s Business School. Rachel studied at Bristol University and the College of Law, becoming SFA registered when she worked in the City as a Corporate Financier. Rachel is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice. It is a requirement of the Code that political activity by those appointed is declared. Björn Savén and Rachel Wang have declared that they have not carried out any political activity. Sir Peter Stothard has declared that he canvassed on behalf of the Hampstead and Kilburn Conservative Party candidate during the 2015 General Election. Sir Michael Hintze has declared that he has made recordable donations to the Conservative Party over the last five years – details of which can be obtained from the Electoral Commission website.

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News story: Public sector pay awards for 2017-18

Pay awards for armed forces, NHS staff and doctors and dentists set out by government.

The government has today (28 March 2017) set out the pay awards for armed forces, NHS Agenda for Change staff and doctors and dentists in line with the policy of an average 1% pay rise in 2016-17.

The government asked the following Pay Review Bodies to examine how an increase to base pay could be applied in line with the government’s policy of an average of 1% across the workforces:

  • Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body (AFPRB)
  • NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB)
  • Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB)

The government has accepted the recommendations for the armed forces, NHS Agenda for Change staff and doctors and dentists to receive an average of a 1% pay increase.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, David Gauke, said:

It is always important to recognise the amazing work undertaken every day by our armed forces, doctors and dentists and NHS staff. The settlement for these key workforces protects jobs and helps repair the public finances. The OBR has forecast that the current pay policy will protect approximately 200,000 jobs across the UK.

I am pleased that we are able to accept the recommendations of the independent pay review bodies, and I thank them for their work.

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News story: Cancer innovation challenge in Scotland: apply for funding

Organisations can apply for a share of £325,000 to find new ways of recording and integrating data on patient outcomes and experiences.

Up to £325,000 is available to fund the development of innovative technologies that find new ways of integrating data into Scotland-wide healthcare processes. The aim is to improve patient care.

These technologies should record and integrate cancer patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient reported experience measures (PREMs). This will:

  • improve experiences of treatment, care, and personal outcomes
  • explore the clinical and psychosocial impact of new and established cancer treatment
  • make better use of NHS resources by reducing waste and inefficient practices
  • speed up the adoption of new technologies into the NHS through efficient evaluation mechanisms
  • create high value research infrastructure with global reach

This competition has 2 phases. Up to £125,000 (including VAT) is available for phase 1, and up to £200,000 (including VAT) for Phase 2:

  • Phase 1: technical feasibility. Projects should last up to 3 months and range in size up to a total cost of £25,000
  • Phase 2: development and evaluation. Projects should last up to 6 months and range in size up to a total cost of £100,000
  • this competition opens on 31 March 2017
  • you must register before 15 May 2017
  • you must apply by 29 May 2017
  • there will be an information session for potential applicants on 19 April 2017 in Edinburgh (register by 10 April)
  • organisations can carry out the project on their own or work with others

This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition. The Data Lab – funded by the Scottish Funding CouncilDHI Scotland and Stratified Medicine Scotland will fund this competition.

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Press release: Improvements for drivers on M1 in East Midlands

Motorists using the M1 in the East Midlands are set to benefit from better, more reliable journeys as part of a £120m upgrade starting next week.

Highways England will be improving 7.5 miles of the vital route in a project which will make journeys faster and more reliable by providing a much needed extra lane in each direction, particularly around East Midlands Airport.

The work, which starts on 30 March, is part of a major government investment worth £15bn to build a modern and resilient road network.

Highways England project manager David Cooke said:

Drivers currently experience congestion and unreliable journey times at busy periods and traffic is predicted to increase, particularly with the growth expected at East Midlands Airport.

By upgrading this stretch of motorway, Highways England will reduce congestion and improve travel times and make journeys more reliable.

This work will also support the economy and boost economic growth within the region by improving traffic flow on the motorway reducing the cost of economic delay to commuters and business traffic.

The M1 is a strategic route that carries more than 130,000 vehicles per day between Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It will be upgraded to smart motorway between Diseworth (junction 23a) and Risley (junction 25).

The scheme will also introduce new CCTV cameras and electronic information signs and signals on gantries – these will show the variable mandatory speed limits and manage traffic flow and incidents.

Emergency refuge areas will also be installed throughout the length of the scheme with the installation of a reinforced barrier and hardened central reserve to further improve safety.

Between Diseworth and Kegworth (junction 24) the hard shoulder will be used at peak times, and between Kegworth and Risley it will be permanently converted to a fourth traffic lane.

The work is due for completion in winter 2018.

Elsewhere, motorists are also being reminded that there will be a contraflow in place on the M1 between junction 24 for Kegworth to A453/ A42 Finger Farm Roundabout (near East Midlands Airport) while development work starts on the East Midlands Gateway scheme.

For more information about the smart motorway upgrade, visit the scheme website.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

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