Alan Wood was the Chair of the Youth Custody Improvement Board (YCIB), which was set up to explore and report on the current state of the youth custodial estate, and recommend how the system could be improved, particularly focusing on current risks to… read more
The reappointment to the Acas Council of the 4 members has been confirmed today (21 April 2017) by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Acas provides free and impartial information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law. It supports good relationships between employers and employees which underpin business success.
The Acas Council sets the strategic direction, policies and priorities for the organisation, and makes sure that the organisation meets its agreed strategic objectives and targets. It consists of the Chair and 11 employer, trade union and independent members, appointed by the Secretary of State.
Sir Brendan Barber, Chair of the Acas Council said:
I am delighted that the Acas Council will continue to benefit from my colleagues’ invaluable experience in the field of employment relations. They play an essential role as independent and impartial workplace experts.
I look forward to working with them for another 3 years strengthening our reputation as Britain’s number one employment relations service for businesses and employees.
Jane McNeill is a member and former Head of Old Square Chambers, a leading employment set of chambers. She has been involved in many important and test cases in the fields of employment and discrimination law, including the part-time workers’ pensions (Preston) litigation, the test cases in the Supreme Court and Court of Justice of the European Union concerning the calculation of holiday pay (Williams v BA) and the equal pay litigation.
She has acted for individuals, groups of individuals and NHS Trusts in cases at first instance and appellate level involving whistleblowing and the interpretation and implementation of disciplinary processes and procedures.
She has been a Queen’s Counsel since 2002, a fee-paid Employment Judge since 2000 and has sat as a Recorder in the County Court since 2006. She is an accredited and practising mediator.
Mike is Director of Human Resources for the Canal & River Trust, prior to that he was vice president of Labour Relations for Asda.
Mike began his career with Shell as a graduate trainee working in both the UK and Australia, before progressing on to senior HR positions with British Airways, GNER and the BBC. He has held non-executive positions for Manchester Airport Group (MAG), Community Integrated Care (CIC) and York Archaeological Trust (YAT). He is a graduate of Leicester University and a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA).
Neil Carberry is Director for Employment, Skills and Public Services at the CBI, a role he has held since February 2011. Neil has worked at the CBI for the past decade on a wide range of business issues, including employment, employee relations, pay, education, skills and public service reform.
He is a member of the CBI’s Management Board. Before joining the CBI, Neil worked in consultancy on HR issues for financial services firms. He is a member of the Low Pay Commission, which makes recommendations about the level of the UK’s National Minimum Wage. He has an MSc in Industrial Relations from the London School of Economics and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. He is the Chair of BusinessEurope’s Employment Working Group.
Paul Nowak was appointed Assistant General Secretary of the TUC in February 2013, and was subsequently confirmed as Deputy General Secretary by the TUC General Council in February 2016.
He has responsibility for a number of key policy areas including public services and transport, and for the TUC’s organisation in the English regions and Wales, union organising, inter-union relations and the organisation of the TUC’s annual Congress.
These reappointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
read moreAs Saint George’s Day approaches this weekend, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has celebrated the international demand for quintessential English food and drink around the world.
From strawberries and cream to cheddar cheese and gin – staple products of any English summer party – are proving popular internationally.
This comes as the Department for International Trade has sought to open up new markets to UK producers, launching its new ‘integrated export hub’ where companies large and small can find live export opportunities along with free advice and support to get exporting.
Right now, there are almost 200 live opportunities for food and drink exporters including opportunities as far-afield from China to India and the Middle East.
International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said:
As we celebrate St George’s day, it’s clear that many other countries around the world will also be enjoying delicious and typically English food and drink.
From the Middle East to China, products are in demand and more and more producers are making sure they make the most of these opportunities as part of a Global Britain.
Some classic English food and drink exports include:
Strawberries and cream has long been a favourite refreshing summer treat, enjoyed at classic sporting events like the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and at picnics across the country. Its not just the English enjoying a summer strawberry, as last year £900,000 worth of the classic fruit were exported abroad.
Other classics like cheddar cheese are also finding a growing following, with exports at over £229 million. One current opportunity for cheddar manufacturers is in Indonesia, while a premium food seller in India has already seen 71 applications from UK producers through DIT.
With the huge growth in English Gin distilleries in recent years, its little surprise that ‘mother’s ruin’ is also finding a global following and UK gin exports stood at £474,000 last year. The department also has opportunities for any gin producers to go global, with live opportunities for distribution in Greece and QingDao city in China – home to over 9 million people.
The Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice has announced the appointment of Dr Helen Phillips as the interim Chair and reappointment of David Eveleigh and Marina Gibbs as members of the Legal Services Board (LSB).
Dr Helen Phillips’ appointment runs from 1 May until a new Chair is appointed and able to start. The reappointment of David Eveleigh and Marina Gibbs are from 1 April 2017 until 31 March 2020.
Dr Phillips was appointed to LSB on 9 March 2015 for 3 years. Appointed Interim Chair from 1 May 2017 she previously chaired LSB’s Remuneration and Nomination Committee.
Helen is also the Chair of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, a member of the Sheffield Business School Advisory Board, and a Director of the Governing Body of Mount St Mary’s College. Helen’s earlier career was primarily as a regulator, and most recently as a board director of a regulated utility, Yorkshire Water, where she was responsible for networks and customer service, and Chair of Loop Customer Management Ltd, a Kelda Group subsidiary.
Prior to this she was Chief Executive and Board Member at Natural England and held a variety of roles in the Environment Agency.
Pursuant to paragraph 3.1 of the new Governance Code on Public Appointments, the Lord Chancellor sought the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s approval to exempt from the Code of Practice the appointment of the interim Chair of LSB to cover a short interregnum.
The re-appointments to the LSB are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
read moreSpeaking in Washington, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, confirmed that the government has received £20.4 billion since it began selling its stake in Lloyds in 2013, which includes both sales and dividends.
Market conditions withstanding, the government also expects to exit its remaining shareholding of less than 2% in the coming months.
The Chancellor, Philip Hammond said:
Recovering all of the money taxpayers injected into Lloyds marks a significant milestone in our plan to build an economy that works for everyone.
While it was right to step in with support during the financial crisis, the government should not be in the business of owning banks in the long term. The right place for them is in the private sector and I’m pleased to be able to say we are approaching the point at which we will sell our final shares in Lloyds Bank.
In September 2013, the government began to sell its shares in Lloyds Banking Group through an Accelerated Bookbuild (ABB) worth £3.2 billion. ABBs involve selling a large block of shares to institutional investors overnight. A second ABB worth £4.2 billion took place in March 2014.
A further £9.2 billion of Lloyds Banking Group shares were sold through a trading plan between December 2014 and June 2016. A trading plan drip feeds shares into the market on a daily basis, over an extended period of time. In October 2016, the Chancellor launched a second trading plan. So far, it has raised over £3.4 billion. In addition, the government has received dividend payments totalling £0.4bn from Lloyds.
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