News story: New talent joins British Transport Police Authority Board

New appointments to the body that oversees the specialist rail police force in Britain.

The body that oversees the specialist rail police force in Britain is to be further strengthened by the appointment of a new deputy chair and 5 new board members, the Department for Transport has announced.

Mark Phillips, who has been a board member of the British Transport Police Authority since 2013, has been appointed as the new deputy chair. He is also currently Chief Executive Officer at the Rail Safety and Standards Board and has previously worked at Network Rail as Regional Director for Anglia and as Deputy Managing Director for the Greater Anglia franchise.

In addition experienced businessman William Gallagher, chartered accountant Shrinivas Honap, experienced strategist Jeremy Mayhew, retired chief constable Martin Richards and human resources expert Beverley Shears have been appointed as new members of the BTPA Board.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

We are delivering the biggest rail modernisation programme for more than a century to improve services and provide passengers with faster and more comfortable trains. British Transport Police will play a major role in delivering our vision for a growing and sustainable railway. I am confident the newly-refreshed team will provide the strategic direction the force needs to offer even better value to the rail industry and the taxpayer while fighting crime, reducing disruption and keeping the network safe for passengers and rail staff alike.

The new deputy chair took up his role in November 2016 and the new members will be taking up their roles in January 2017.



Official Statistics: European Forest Accounts: UK 2014 data

This release contains data on stocks and flows of wooded land and timber and economic data on UK forestry to be submitted to Eurostat for the production of EU statistics on forestry. It replaces the previous Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting for Forestry.



Vice President & Chairman, Rajya Sabha condoles the passing away of Shri Ramdas Agrawal

The Vice President of India and the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has condoled the passing away of former member of the Rajya Sabha,



News story: UK Space Agency funds satellite solutions for developing countries

The UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme (IPP), is a five-year, £152 million programme designed to partner UK space expertise with governments and organisations in emerging and developing economies around the world to deliver a sustainable, economic or societal benefit. Satellite data will be used to tackle problems such as flooding, drought, and deforestation.

The 21 chosen projects help provide solutions for local issues in countries across Africa, Asia and Central and South America. They include providing communications in remote areas for education and health provision, improving maritime safety for small fishing vessels in South Africa and Madagascar and reducing illegal logging in Guatemala.

The IPP focuses on using the UK Space sector’s research and innovation strengths to deliver practical and measurable effects to end-users in developing countries. As GCRF forms part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) ring-fenced budget, the new IPP programme is fully ODA compliant.

Funded from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF), the IPP forms part of the UK’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) ring-fenced budget. They projects underwent a rigorous selection process to ensure that they met strict requirements for ODA and UN sustainability goals. The UK Space Agency part funds IPP projects with a proportion of the cost shared by the programme applicants to ensure cost effectiveness and value for money.

View the whole list of IPP funded case studies.

The IPP will make a second call for applications later this year, with an opportunity for new projects to secure funding.

Case study: Ecometrica, Edinburgh

Forests2020

Grant: £14.3 million Target country: Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Ghana and Kenya

This project addresses critical gaps in current forest monitoring systems by providing a sustained and effective forest monitoring system capable of measuring forest change and providing information on the risks and drivers of forest loss. The project focusses on Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Ghana and Kenya. It will use publically available Earth Observation optical data and commercial LIDAR/radar products as well as set up in-country capacity building EO monitoring stations.

Case study: exactEarth Europe Ltd (eEE) Harwell, Oxfordhsire

sOuth Africa Safety Initiative for Small vessels Operational Take-Up (OASIS-TU)

Grant: £1.1 million Target country: South Africa, Madagascar Following on from their IPSP project, this project will install 1,500 transponders across the most at-risk artisanal fishing boats in South Africa. exactEarth will use their constellation of ‘Automatic Identification System’ monitoring satellites to track these boats in partnership with the South African Maritime Safety Authority; and this will ensure a more effective rescue approach for the small boats and reduce the current high loss of life in this sector.



News story: Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appoints new Chair of National Museums Liverpool (NML)

Sir David Henshaw has been appointed by the Secretary of State as Chair of NML for a term of four years from the 13 February 2017

Born and educated in Liverpool, Sir David went on to obtain a degree in Public Administration and then a Master’s Degree in Social Sciences at the University of Birmingham (INLOGOV).

He has had an extensive career in the public sector with Chief Executive roles at Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (1989-1999) and Liverpool City Council (1999-2006). During his time at Liverpool he was part of the core team which secured the successful bid to be European Capital of Culture 2008, managed the Council in developing Liverpool One, and saw Liverpool recognised as Council of the year.

He led a major review of Child Support and the Child Support Agency for central government (2006-2007) and was also involved in the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit Capability Review programme of central government departments.

Sir David has also held a number of senior roles in the NHS. He has held positions as Interim Chair at University Hospitals of Morecombe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (2012-2013), at Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust (2013-2014), at St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (since 2016). Sir David was Chair of the North West Strategic Health Authority (2006-2011) and has been Chair of Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust since 2010, leading the Board in the building of the new hospital. He was knighted in 2004 and is an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University, a Fellow of Liverpool University, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an Honorary Doctor at Sheffield Hallam University.

The NML Chair role is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the OCPA Code of Practice. It is a requirement of the Code that political activity by those appointed is declared. Sir David has declared no political activity.