UKIP Defence Spokesman Bill Etheridge has slammed a decision by politicians to force the Army to cut £10bn from the defence budget over the next decade calling it “irresponsible and illogical.” Mr Etheridge said the decision to make the Army … read more
The statement put out today by the European Union setting out their guidelines for negotiating with the UK over the next two years is “bound to create more division amongst EU nations”, said Paul Nuttall, the UKIP Leader today. “By … read more
Sir David Norgrove has been appointed by Her Majesty the Queen as the new Chair of the UK Statistics Authority.
He has a long-standing record as a public servant and user of statistics, having previously served as Chair of the Low Pay Commission (2009 to 2016) and the Pensions Regulator (2005 to 2010).
Welcoming the appointment, Ben Gummer, Minister for the Cabinet Office said:
Sir David will make an exceptional Chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Having chaired the Low Pay Commission and the Pensions Regulator, he has an exemplary record and one which will stand him in good stead as Chair of the UK Statistics Authority.
I would also like to extend my thanks to Sir Andrew Dilnot for his excellent work over the last five years and wish him well in his future endeavours.
The appointment was the subject of an open recruitment exercise following the Code of Practice set out by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments, a pre-appointment hearing with the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, and approval by Parliament.
Sir David will take up the post on 1 April 2017, for a renewable five year term. He does not hold any other ministerial appointments.
The UK Statistics Authority was established on 1 April 2008 by the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007, with a statutory objective to promote and safeguard the production and publication of official statistics that serve the public good.
Sir David Norgrove is an external member and Deputy Chair of Oxford University Council. He has been a trustee and Deputy Chair of the British Museum, and chaired the Low Pay Commission from 2009 to 2016, the Pensions Regulator from its inception in 2005 until 2010, Risk First from 2012 to 2015 and Amnesty International Charitable Trust from 2008 to 2014. He chaired a Government review of the family justice system in 2010 and 2011 and subsequently served as Deputy Chair of the Family Justice Board, having chaired it from its inception in 2012 until 2016.
David began his career as an economist at the Treasury and worked in a Chicago bank before becoming Private Secretary to the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. He spent 16 years with Marks & Spencer and became a member of the Board there. David was knighted in the 2016 New Year Honours for services to the low paid and to family justice.
The role has a time commitment of 2 days a week and remuneration of £57,000 per annum.
read moreIn consultation with industry and other partners, a Marine Licensing Fees Review has been undertaken for the first time since 2010 with the intention of developing an updated, suitable system for marine licensing fees and charges in Wales.
The new fees model introduces, for the first time, a tiered approach, with a mix of fixed fees and hourly charges, a change from the previous model of universal fixed fees. The new approach enables cost recovery to be achieved more accurately and fairly.
Application fees are set proportionately against the services being provided. Fixed fee bands of £600 (Band 1) and £1,920 (Band 2) will apply for what are considered small scale and routine activities, respectively. There will also be an hourly rate charge of £120 per hour (Band 3) for the most complex work packages. In these cases customers will be quoted costs upfront and kept regularly informed on costs.
The new fees have been set by the Welsh Government and will be charged by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the marine licensing authority in Wales.
A wider provision of pre-application services will be provided by NRW, including dedicated and bespoke pre-application discussion and support, as well as the review of draft environmental statements. This is designed to achieve a better service to customers and realise efficiencies in the process.
NRW will implement a programme of continuous improvement for marine licensing and the fees will be reviewed regularly. The existing Marine Licensing Stakeholder Group will also hold regular meetings share information and get feedback from industry representatives.
The Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths said:
read more“I am pleased to confirm we are launching what we consider to be a robust, fair and transparent regime of marine licensing fees and associated charges.
“The marine industry is vitally important to Wales. We worked closely with them when reviewing the fees regime and I am sure they will join us and Natural Resources Wales in welcoming this new system.”
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has been presented with an award for its commitment to staff wellbeing by the mental health charity Mind.
The FCO was one of 29 organisations to be named in Mind’s new Workplace Wellbeing Index, launched this week.
The Index is a new benchmark for best policy and practice and has been designed to celebrate the good work employers are doing to promote and support positive mental health.
The FCO was presented with Bronze level accreditation, reflecting the work it does to support its staff in the UK and overseas – including many who regularly deal with traumatic situations, helping British families and individuals when they have been victim to violent crimes or suffered tragedies.
Specific support networks, including trained mental health first aiders, have been created as part of this work. Recent activities to strengthen this approach have included creating wellbeing rooms, sharing best practice through blogs and supporting activities linked to Mental Health Awareness Week and National Work Life Week.
Speaking about the award Sir Simon McDonald, the Foreign Office’s Permanent Under-Secretary, said:
Our staff do a phenomenal job around the world, often in difficult circumstances, and it is vital that we look after their health and wellbeing. It is something we are very committed to and we see many benefits from, both for individuals and the whole organisation.
We are delighted our work to promote good mental health and wellbeing have been recognised by Mind.
Emma Mamo, Head of Workplace Wellbeing at Mind, said:
In the last few years, we’ve seen employers make great strides when it comes to tackling stress and supporting the mental wellbeing of their staff, including those with a diagnosed mental health problem. We’re delighted to recognise and celebrate employers making mental health a priority for their organisation through our Workplace Wellbeing Index. In our first year, we’ve seen good practice right across the board, from each and every one of the thirty pioneering employers to take part. The Awards event provided an opportunity to recognise those forward-thinking employers who are working hard to promote good mental health and wellbeing among their workforce.
Notes to editors:
For more information about Mind and the Workplace Wellbeing Index visit www.mind.org.uk