Defra and the Devolved Administrations have reappointed Professor Michael Davies to the Adaptation Committee of the Climate Change Committee.

The Adaptation Committee is comprised of experts in the fields of climate change impacts, science, environmental economics, conservation, public health and business. It provides independent, expert advice on preparing for and adapting to climate change.

Whilst this reappointment is not regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, it has been made in line with the guidance set out in the Ministerial Governance Code for Public Appointments. It will run from 1 February 2021.

Commenting on Professor Davies’ reappointment, Adaptation Committee Chair Baroness Brown of Cambridge said:

Mike has been an excellent appointment to the Committee. His background in buildings, planning, cities and public health, including heat, ventilation and air quality, is central to the adaptation challenges the UK faces with all of our building stock as the climate warms.

Commenting on his reappointment, Professor Davies said:

I am delighted to be able to continue as a member of the Adaptation Committee. The Committee undertakes vital work in addressing the pressing need to prepare for a changing climate.

The Board of the Adaptation Committee is currently one member short as it prepares to recruit a successor for Professor Dame Georgina Mace, who joined the Adaptation Committee in 2018 to lead its work assessing the impacts of climate change and adaptation responses in the UK’s natural environment. Defra and the CCC have paid their respects to Dame Georgina, who sadly passed away last year.

The Adaptation Committee has appointed Professor Kate Jones as interim Expert Advisor until the full recruitment campaign is run.

Biographical details

Professor Michael Davies

Professor Michael Davies is Professor of Building Physics and Environment at the UCL Institute for Environmental Design and Engineering (IEDE) and Director of the Complex Built Environment Systems Group at UCL For over a decade he has led an extensive programme of research, founded on close collaboration with researchers from health and other disciplines, which has sought to understand the complex relationship between the built environment and human well-being.

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. Adaptation Sub-Committee members receive £550 per day based on a time commitment of up to three days per month.

The Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body created under the Climate Change Act (2008). It is publicly known as the Adaptation Committee (AC) of the Climate Change Committee. The AC is jointly sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Northern Ireland Executive, the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government. Further information about the CCC is available on the CCC website.

The Board for the Adaptation Committee comprises a Chairperson and five members. Currently the board is one member short as it prepares to recruit a successor to Professor Dame Georgina Mace.

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation working with industry partner Landmarc Support Services and Highlands based contractor Compass Building and Construction Services, opened a new £2.3-million kitchen and dining facility at Cameron Barracks, a military training camp located on the eastern outskirts of Inverness in Scotland.

Cameron Barracks is a key site for exercising troops in the Scottish Highlands accommodating around 335 troops at one time, with additional day trainees also using the site. The kitchen and dining facilities can feed the whole camp within an hour.

The new facility replaces a temporary portacabin-style kitchen extension which was installed in the early 1990s. The new brick-built extension includes a repaint of the existing dining area, a complete internal refurbishment of the kitchen with brand-new catering equipment, additional storage areas and toilets for troops, and welfare facilities for kitchen staff.

The bricks and slate for the new facility were specially made to satisfy Local Planning Authority requirements because Cameron Barracks is a listed site, meaning it is of special architectural or historic interest. Bat boxes were also installed during construction because the Barracks is home to several bat roosts.

During the construction phase of the project as many as 35 tradespeople were on site, all managed in line with the Scottish Government’s guidance on safe working during the COVID pandemic. Materials and goods were also sourced locally where they were available.

Bob Phillips, DIO’s Regional Training Contract & Infrastructure Manager for the Scotland and Northern Ireland Training Estate, said:

DIO supports our armed forces by providing what they need to live, work and train.

Cameron Barracks is considered by the Armed Forces as their gateway to the Scottish Highlands and has been categorised as a core site in ‘Army 2025’, the army’s plan for future capacity over the next 25 years. The location is essential for dealing with all priority military units’ pre-operational training. This new state-of-the-art kitchen and dining facility will enable us to support the activities of training troops for many years to come.

Ronnie Shields, Project Manager, Landmarc Support Services said:

As DIO’s industry partner for the delivery of services across the National Defence Training Estate, we’re proud to have been part of a project that is helping to provide the best training experience for our armed forces. This is a superb facility that will significantly improve the welfare of troops using the camp to train.

The project was delivered on time and under budget and was achieved by close partnership working with DIO and Compass building and construction services. The new facility has a DREAM Rating of ‘Excellent’ which we are extremely proud of.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Brandon Lewis CBE MP, has announced the appointment of William Gamble to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland.

Mr Gamble will take up the appointment with effect from 1 February 2021.

Mr Gamble now works as a Strategy Consultant following his retirement as a senior civil servant in the Northern Ireland Civil Service. During his civil service career, he held roles including Head of Good Relations & Reconciliation Division in the Office of the First and deputy First Minister, and Director of Regional Planning and Transportation in the Department for Regional Development.

Mr Gamble has previously held a number of board and trustee appointments, including membership of the board of the International Fund for Ireland, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland, and the Community Relations Council.

Background

The Parades Commission for Northern Ireland was established in 1997 and took on its full powers in 1998 through the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998. The Commission operates as a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office.

Under the terms of the Act, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for making appointments to the Parades Commission. The appointments are made in accordance with paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 of the Act.

Further information on the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland can be found at: https://www.paradescommission.org/

Terms of Appointment

• This position is part-time for a period ending on 31 December 2023.
• The position of member receives a fixed annual remuneration of £22,000.
• The position of member receives a fixed annual remuneration of £22,000.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

Mr Gamble has declared that he has not been politically active in the last five years.

Regulation

The Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA) regulates appointments to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland.

Statutory Requirements

The Secretary of State makes appointments to the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland in accordance with the Public Processions (Northern Ireland) Act 1998.

Norwegian Air Resources UK Limited entered creditors voluntary liquidation on 29 January 2021.

David Pike, Mike Pink and Stuart Irwin of KPMG LLP have been appointed Joint Liquidators of Norwegian Air Resources UK Limited.

If you’ve been dismissed

If you’ve been dismissed, you may be entitled to redundancy and other related payments from the Insolvency Service.

Who is eligible

If you worked for Norwegian Air Resources UK Limited under an employment contract, you are eligible to apply for redundancy and other payments. You cannot apply until after you have been dismissed.

Workers and self-employed contractors who provided services to Norwegian Air Resources UK Limited are not eligible to apply. Instead, these individuals should contact the Joint Liquidators at NorwegianEmployeesUK@KPMG.co.uk to register as creditors.

How to apply

The Joint Liquidators will provide details about how to apply and will also give you a case reference number (begins CN). Once you have this information you can apply online.

Our factsheet contains full instructions about how to apply and important information for completing your application.

Paying your claim

Some payments are quicker to process than others. In order to ensure we get money to you as quickly as possible we will pay each element as soon as it is ready. This means you are likely to receive multiple payments from us.

We use the information you provide in your application to make sure we pay you the correct amount, so it’s very important you complete your application as accurately as possible.

We expect all payments (redundancy pay, holiday pay and arrears of pay) to be made within 6 weeks of receiving your complete application and information from the administrator. We will contact you if we need any further information from you to pay your claim.

To allow us to deal with everyone’s application as quickly as possible, please do not contact us to check the status of your application until after the 6 weeks have passed.

Getting help with your application for redundancy payments

The Joint Liquidators have appointed Evolve IS Limited to assist you with any questions you may have about your claim. Evolve IS Limited can be contacted on 0121 827 9282, or by email at norwegian@evolveis.uk.

Further information about the redundancy payments process can be found on GOV.UK.

Other support available after redundancy

DWP provides guidance about finding a new job, understanding what benefits you can claim and useful sources of information.