Obituary of Tony Nicklinson in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
Wednesday, 8 August 2012
Thursday, 26 July 2012
Three police forces reconsider G4S contracts
Representatives from the police forces of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire met on Monday to reconsider the proposed outsourcing of administration services to the company G4S. Administration functions included in the proposals are Human Resources, Information Technology and Legal Services but do not include any core policing functions.
This development was against the backdrop of recent events in relation to the Olympics, where concerns have been raised over the ability of G4S to deliver on its contracts. Lincolnshire has been the first police force in the UK to implement the controversial outsourcing of police adminstration to G4S, formerly known as Group 4. The continuation of that contract is also now in question.
A joint statement issued by the working group, composed of twelve members, four from each of the three police authorities, said:
"The Bedfordshire Hertfordshire Cambridgeshire Joint Working Group met today (Monday) to consider a report from the three chief constables, in which they raised concerns regarding the ability of the Lincolnshire/G4S contract to meet the specific needs of the BCH strategic alliance for the delivery of organisational support services."
Monday's meeting decided that further work would be required to examine the situation and that the Joint Working Group will deliver a report with their conclusions in mid-August.
The statement continued:
"If the Lincolnshire/G4S contract did not prove suitable, informed by the outline business case, a recommendation would be brought to police authorities to progress the bespoke procurement of a commercial provider to deliver organisational support services. This would be allow incoming Police and Crime Commissioners to consider this approach post November."
When asked why the administration services could not be retained inhouse, and thus avoid outsourcing to an external private company altogether, the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, Alfred Hitchcock, replied:
"A number of options are being considered on how we can deliver the best service to the people of Bedfordshire whilst meeting the 20% cut in Central Government Funding. We remain committed to fighting crime and protecting the public, and this work will enable the incoming Police and Crime Commissioner to make a decision which delivers the best possible service for the people of Bedfordshire."
'Back office' failures at G4S
The chairman of Hertfordshire Police UNISON, Steph Raddings, said:
"Among the departments Hertfordshire Constabulary is looking to outsource are HR, training, administration, procurement and logistics. This is despite G4S itself giving the best example of how severely 'front line' provision is impacted when 'back office' functions fail.
"We believe it is the failure in these functions that has led to G4S being unable to supply and maintain its 'front line' security guards. If these functions fail once police support services are outsourced to G4S, who will cover the thin blue line?"
by Marcus Williamson
Freelance Journalist
26 July 2012
[Please credit the author if you use this article as a source of information for your own writing or broadcasting]
This development was against the backdrop of recent events in relation to the Olympics, where concerns have been raised over the ability of G4S to deliver on its contracts. Lincolnshire has been the first police force in the UK to implement the controversial outsourcing of police adminstration to G4S, formerly known as Group 4. The continuation of that contract is also now in question.
A joint statement issued by the working group, composed of twelve members, four from each of the three police authorities, said:
"The Bedfordshire Hertfordshire Cambridgeshire Joint Working Group met today (Monday) to consider a report from the three chief constables, in which they raised concerns regarding the ability of the Lincolnshire/G4S contract to meet the specific needs of the BCH strategic alliance for the delivery of organisational support services."
Monday's meeting decided that further work would be required to examine the situation and that the Joint Working Group will deliver a report with their conclusions in mid-August.
The statement continued:
"If the Lincolnshire/G4S contract did not prove suitable, informed by the outline business case, a recommendation would be brought to police authorities to progress the bespoke procurement of a commercial provider to deliver organisational support services. This would be allow incoming Police and Crime Commissioners to consider this approach post November."
When asked why the administration services could not be retained inhouse, and thus avoid outsourcing to an external private company altogether, the Chief Constable of Bedfordshire Police, Alfred Hitchcock, replied:
"A number of options are being considered on how we can deliver the best service to the people of Bedfordshire whilst meeting the 20% cut in Central Government Funding. We remain committed to fighting crime and protecting the public, and this work will enable the incoming Police and Crime Commissioner to make a decision which delivers the best possible service for the people of Bedfordshire."
'Back office' failures at G4S
The chairman of Hertfordshire Police UNISON, Steph Raddings, said:
"Among the departments Hertfordshire Constabulary is looking to outsource are HR, training, administration, procurement and logistics. This is despite G4S itself giving the best example of how severely 'front line' provision is impacted when 'back office' functions fail.
"We believe it is the failure in these functions that has led to G4S being unable to supply and maintain its 'front line' security guards. If these functions fail once police support services are outsourced to G4S, who will cover the thin blue line?"
by Marcus Williamson
Freelance Journalist
26 July 2012
[Please credit the author if you use this article as a source of information for your own writing or broadcasting]
Wednesday, 25 July 2012
Sally Ride: The first American woman in space
Obituary of Sally Ride in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Tuesday, 24 July 2012
Cornwall gets a raw deal on the railways
Cornwall gets a raw deal on the railways in Falmouth People by Marcus Williamson
Monday, 23 July 2012
Big Alan is watching you… on YouView
Big Alan is watching you… on YouView in The Independent by Martin Hickman
Thursday, 12 July 2012
Eva Rausing: Philanthropist and heiress who struggled against drug addiction
Obituary of Eva Rausing in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Sergio Pininfarina: Car designer hailed for his classic Ferrari marques
Obituary of Sergio Pininfarina in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Friday, 29 June 2012
Phillip Tobias: Anthropologist who discovered Homo habilis and fought against apartheid
Obituary of Phillip Tobias in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Thursday, 28 June 2012
Nora Ephron: Screenwriter and author who became the doyenne of Hollywood romantic comedies
Obituary of Nora Ephron in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
Mary Fedden: Painter hailed late in her career for her landscapes and still lifes
Obituary of Mary Fedden in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Monday, 25 June 2012
LeRoy Neiman: Artist whose brash style was perfect for the sports subjects he loved to paint
Obituary of LeRoy Neiman in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Gitta Sereny: Writer best known for her books on Mary Bell and Albert Speer
Obituary of Gitta Sereny in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Monday, 18 June 2012
Success for the Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival and RNLI
Success for the Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival and RNLI in Falmouth People by Marcus Williamson
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Teofilo Stevenson: Boxer regarded as the greatest never to fight for money
Obituary of Teofilo Stevenson in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Monday, 11 June 2012
TEPCO sets date for AGM amidst lawsuit, bailout and questions in Parliament
Denies AGM access to the media
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the troubled operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, has revealed the date of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and stated that it will not admit members of the media into the meeting.
The TEPCO 2012 AGM will be held from 10:00am on Wednesday 27 June at the First Gymnasium of the Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, according to an e-mail received from TEPCO Corporate Communications. Spokesperson Mayumi Yoshida explained "Media is not allowed to get inside the meeting, though we will guide media to a certain area to take photos around the entrance."
The 2011 AGM was the scene of angry verbal confrontations between executives and shareholders, as nearly 9000 people packed into the meeting hall and demonstrators gathered outside. A shareholder motion for TEPCO to abandon nuclear energy was defeated at that meeting.
Losses
TEPCO reported an annual loss of US$15 billion (1.25 trillion yen) prior to the 2011 AGM and a US$10 billion (782 billion yen) loss for year to 31 March 2012. All of the 54 nuclear reactors in Japan are currently shut down and 80,000 people who were living close to the Fukushima plant have had to leave their homes.
Criminal Complaint
1300 people have today filed a criminal complaint against the TEPCO chairman and 32 other executives, according to a report in the Japan Daily Press (11 June). The complaint, lodged with the Fukushima District Public Prosecutors Office, alleges that the company executives failed to prepare countermeasures for earthquakes or tsunamis and did not properly warn the population about the spread of radiation.
Bailout
On 9 May TEPCO received a 1 trillion yen (US $12.5 billion) bailout from the Japanese government, in return for a controlling stake. The cash injection was necessary to avoid a collapse of the company. The shares will be held by a new body, the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund.
Questions in Parliament
On Friday last week the former president of TEPCO, Masataka Shimizu, faced a government-appointed panel to answer questions about his conduct during the Fukushima incident. In response to questions about a planned total evacuation of the site, he told panel members that TEPCO had "at no stage considered a complete pullout".
by Marcus Williamson
Freelance Journalist
11 June 2012
[Please credit the author if you use this article as a source of information for your own writing or broadcasting]
Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the troubled operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, has revealed the date of its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and stated that it will not admit members of the media into the meeting.
The TEPCO 2012 AGM will be held from 10:00am on Wednesday 27 June at the First Gymnasium of the Yoyogi National Stadium in Tokyo, according to an e-mail received from TEPCO Corporate Communications. Spokesperson Mayumi Yoshida explained "Media is not allowed to get inside the meeting, though we will guide media to a certain area to take photos around the entrance."
The 2011 AGM was the scene of angry verbal confrontations between executives and shareholders, as nearly 9000 people packed into the meeting hall and demonstrators gathered outside. A shareholder motion for TEPCO to abandon nuclear energy was defeated at that meeting.
Losses
TEPCO reported an annual loss of US$15 billion (1.25 trillion yen) prior to the 2011 AGM and a US$10 billion (782 billion yen) loss for year to 31 March 2012. All of the 54 nuclear reactors in Japan are currently shut down and 80,000 people who were living close to the Fukushima plant have had to leave their homes.
Criminal Complaint
1300 people have today filed a criminal complaint against the TEPCO chairman and 32 other executives, according to a report in the Japan Daily Press (11 June). The complaint, lodged with the Fukushima District Public Prosecutors Office, alleges that the company executives failed to prepare countermeasures for earthquakes or tsunamis and did not properly warn the population about the spread of radiation.
Bailout
On 9 May TEPCO received a 1 trillion yen (US $12.5 billion) bailout from the Japanese government, in return for a controlling stake. The cash injection was necessary to avoid a collapse of the company. The shares will be held by a new body, the Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund.
Questions in Parliament
On Friday last week the former president of TEPCO, Masataka Shimizu, faced a government-appointed panel to answer questions about his conduct during the Fukushima incident. In response to questions about a planned total evacuation of the site, he told panel members that TEPCO had "at no stage considered a complete pullout".
by Marcus Williamson
Freelance Journalist
11 June 2012
[Please credit the author if you use this article as a source of information for your own writing or broadcasting]
Friday, 18 May 2012
Joyce Redman: Actress best known as the lusty servant in 'Tom Jones'
Obituary of Joyce Redman in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Cornwall Council members reject Stadium for Cornwall role
Cornwall Council members reject Stadium for Cornwall role in Falmouth People by Marcus Williamson
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