Obituary of Valerie Eliot in The Independent by Marcus Williamson
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Wednesday, 31 October 2012
UK Government ignores Hitachi's record on nuclear safety
Undaunted by the lack of demand for nuclear reactor systems in its home country, Hitachi is now seeking to sell the systems abroad. In the UK the company aims to do this through the acquisition of Horizon Nuclear Power, a joint venture between E.On and RWE. Those companies announced in late March 2012 that they had abandonned nuclear new-build plans in the UK, citing a "combination of these strategic factors, together with the significant ongoing costs" and had put the business up for sale. Hitachi now plans to build new reactors in Wylfa (on Anglesey) and Oldbury (near Bristol).
The UK is seen as a target ripe for new nuclear development because of a coalition Government which portrays nuclear as a "low-carbon" option. David Cameron hailed Hitachi's announcement, saying "I warmly welcome Hitachi as a major new player in the UK energy sector" and talking of some 12,000 construction jobs which might be created short-term.
Importing disaster
The Fukushima nuclear disaster has left nearly 1000 square kilometres - an area the size of Manhattan - uninhabitable because of high radiation levels. The disaster has meant that there is now a moratorium on the building of new nuclear reactors in Japan. One of the reactor systems, whose failure has caused such widespread contamination, was built by the Japanese company Hitachi.
The nuclear reactors proposed for Wylfa and Oldbury are of the same type used at Fukushima. This is a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), based on a design by General Electric and available from a number of companies, including General Electric, Toshiba and Hitachi. The technology involves a reactor core which boils water, which turns to steam that is used to drive a turbine to make electricity. The same technology was used by reactors at both Chernobyl and Fukushima.
Cover-up culture
In March 2011 a Japanese whistle-blower revealed that there had been a cover-up of a manufacturing defect in the containment vessel for the Fukushima No. 4 reactor, made by Hitachi. The engineer, Mitsuhiko Tanaka, worked for Hitachi and was asked in 1974 to conceal a dent in the vessel caused by an error during the production process at the Babock-Hitachi foundry in Kure City. Tanaka devised a method to repair the damage, saving the company billions of yen in re-engineering costs but leaving the safety of the vessel potentially compromised.
He tried to tell the Japanese Trade Minstry about the cover-up in 1988 but officials refused to investigate and Hitachi denied the accusations. Tanaka told Bloomberg News last year "They said, if Hitachi says they didn’t do it, then there’s no problem. Companies don’t always tell the truth."
The question of waste
Forever hovering over the nuclear debate is the question of disposal of radioactive waste. Some seventy years after the first reactor was built, there is still no satisfactory solution for the disposal of the highly-radioactive waste materials produced. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estimates that the UK has produced some 5 million tonnes of nuclear waste and says in a 2010 report "Facilities for disposing of HLW [High Level Waste], ILW [Intermediate Level Waste] and LLW [Low Level Waste] unsuitable for near-surface disposal have yet to be developed – these wastes are currently stored."
by Marcus Williamson
Freelance Journalist
31 October 2012
[Please cite the name of the author if using material from this article in another publication, thank you]
The UK is seen as a target ripe for new nuclear development because of a coalition Government which portrays nuclear as a "low-carbon" option. David Cameron hailed Hitachi's announcement, saying "I warmly welcome Hitachi as a major new player in the UK energy sector" and talking of some 12,000 construction jobs which might be created short-term.
Importing disaster
The Fukushima nuclear disaster has left nearly 1000 square kilometres - an area the size of Manhattan - uninhabitable because of high radiation levels. The disaster has meant that there is now a moratorium on the building of new nuclear reactors in Japan. One of the reactor systems, whose failure has caused such widespread contamination, was built by the Japanese company Hitachi.
The nuclear reactors proposed for Wylfa and Oldbury are of the same type used at Fukushima. This is a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR), based on a design by General Electric and available from a number of companies, including General Electric, Toshiba and Hitachi. The technology involves a reactor core which boils water, which turns to steam that is used to drive a turbine to make electricity. The same technology was used by reactors at both Chernobyl and Fukushima.
Cover-up culture
In March 2011 a Japanese whistle-blower revealed that there had been a cover-up of a manufacturing defect in the containment vessel for the Fukushima No. 4 reactor, made by Hitachi. The engineer, Mitsuhiko Tanaka, worked for Hitachi and was asked in 1974 to conceal a dent in the vessel caused by an error during the production process at the Babock-Hitachi foundry in Kure City. Tanaka devised a method to repair the damage, saving the company billions of yen in re-engineering costs but leaving the safety of the vessel potentially compromised.
He tried to tell the Japanese Trade Minstry about the cover-up in 1988 but officials refused to investigate and Hitachi denied the accusations. Tanaka told Bloomberg News last year "They said, if Hitachi says they didn’t do it, then there’s no problem. Companies don’t always tell the truth."
The question of waste
Forever hovering over the nuclear debate is the question of disposal of radioactive waste. Some seventy years after the first reactor was built, there is still no satisfactory solution for the disposal of the highly-radioactive waste materials produced. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estimates that the UK has produced some 5 million tonnes of nuclear waste and says in a 2010 report "Facilities for disposing of HLW [High Level Waste], ILW [Intermediate Level Waste] and LLW [Low Level Waste] unsuitable for near-surface disposal have yet to be developed – these wastes are currently stored."
by Marcus Williamson
Freelance Journalist
31 October 2012
[Please cite the name of the author if using material from this article in another publication, thank you]
Monday, 29 October 2012
Friday, 26 October 2012
Monday, 15 October 2012
Friday, 12 October 2012
Tuesday, 9 October 2012
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Company director information is now free
Companies House has announced that it is now providing information about company directors at no cost.
The change, which takes place from 1 October 2012, means that obtaining a list of any company's directors is free on the Companies House website. For consumers and campaigners this will mean that getting access to company information will be easier and cheaper.
The new "zero" pricing is a result of improved operational efficiency within the organisation. A spokesperson at Companies House said:
"On 1 October 2012, Companies House will be reducing some of its fees. This is to ensure that our fees accurately reflect our costs. As a result of efficiencies made by Companies House, coupled with high volumes of customers using electronic services, cost savings are being passed on to customers in the form of reduced fees..."
Marcus Williamson, journalist and editor of the consumer information site www.ceoemail.com, said
"This is excellent news which will help consumers and campaigners to find out more about the companies they're dealing with. More openness and transparency, at no cost, is a benefit to everyone."
Company information can be accessed via the Companies House website WebCHeck system at http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk
Contact:
Marcus Williamson
ceoemail@connectotel.com
2 October 2012
The change, which takes place from 1 October 2012, means that obtaining a list of any company's directors is free on the Companies House website. For consumers and campaigners this will mean that getting access to company information will be easier and cheaper.
The new "zero" pricing is a result of improved operational efficiency within the organisation. A spokesperson at Companies House said:
"On 1 October 2012, Companies House will be reducing some of its fees. This is to ensure that our fees accurately reflect our costs. As a result of efficiencies made by Companies House, coupled with high volumes of customers using electronic services, cost savings are being passed on to customers in the form of reduced fees..."
Marcus Williamson, journalist and editor of the consumer information site www.ceoemail.com, said
"This is excellent news which will help consumers and campaigners to find out more about the companies they're dealing with. More openness and transparency, at no cost, is a benefit to everyone."
Company information can be accessed via the Companies House website WebCHeck system at http://wck2.companieshouse.gov.uk
Contact:
Marcus Williamson
ceoemail@connectotel.com
2 October 2012
Monday, 24 September 2012
Wednesday, 12 September 2012
Saturday, 8 September 2012
Thursday, 6 September 2012
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
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