The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) announces the appointment of Alison White and Ian Wilson as non-executive directors on 1st September 2019.

Alison is an experienced Non-Executive Director and Chair, who works with a range of public sector organisations undergoing transition and change. Her executive background is in business. Having qualified as an accountant and MBA, she led operations and commercial business for the Royal Mail Group and then for the next five years, a range of businesses in turnaround as an interim Chief Executive. Alison’s portfolio of public appointments include her role as Chair of the General Osteopathic Council, Chair of the Architects Registration Board and Lead Non-Executive Director for the Wales Office. Her skills mean she blends strong strategic, financial and commercial skills, with professional expertise in corporate governance, risk management, stakeholder engagement, board accountability, proportionate regulation and the transformation of organisational performance. Alison will chair GAD’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Ian is a Chartered Accountant and was previously the Director of Business Services at Network Rail where he was responsible for the delivery of shared services across the organisation. Prior to joining Network Rail in 2013, Ian worked in the global IT industry with Hewlett Packard for more than 20 years where he held a number of senior international finance and business services roles. His other roles currently include being Chair of EDS UK Pension Funds since November 2017, non-executive director with the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Business Services Risk and Assurance Committee since May 2018 and Non-Executive Director with BPDTS Limited since June 2018.

Commenting on the appointments Martin Clarke, Government Actuary, said: “GAD has a highly capable group of talented actuaries who are dedicated to public service. I am delighted about these recent appointments to our Management Board and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. I look forward to their contributions in improving the department’s capability and value for money.”

Martin Clarke, Government Actuary

Notes:

Alison and Ian will replace Angela Marshall and Louise Redmond who were both appointed as non-executive directors in September 2013 on 3-year appointments. These were both renewed for a further 3 years in 2016. Alison and Ian will join Geoffrey Podger who has been Chair of GAD’s Management Board since November 2015, also on a 3-year appointment, which was renewed for a further 3 years in 2018.

Standing within Stoke Park is one of Bristol’s more prominent landmarks, The Dower House.

The imposing, 1760-built Dower House retains some of its original 16th Century features and its striking yellow appearance makes it a familiar landmark within Stoke Park, which spans either side of the M32.

The 270-acre landscape, however, is now listed on Historic England’s national ‘at risk’ register.

And as part of Bristol City Council’s Conservation Management Plan, and supported by Historic England, Highways England is funding and implementing a scheme to reduce the impacts of the M32 on the historic landscape.

The cultural heritage scheme will involve the planting of hedging and trees to screen the M32, as well as installing new livestock fencing to protect it from grazing, a new stone track to improve pedestrian and farmer access, drainage within the M32 underpass to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists, and stabilising the historic Tomb of Horatii monument.

The work is taking place alongside the reinstatement of grazing on the historic landscape, which is supported by Defra under a Countryside Stewardship agreement.

Highways England route manager Sean Walsh said:

Highways England is delighted to be partnering with Bristol City Council to realise this important cultural heritage project.

Our designated funds programme was developed so that we can invest in projects beyond our traditional road build and maintenance, and this is a glowing example of how this funding can have a positive impact on people and communities.

The work will enhance the landscape for local communities and the planting will also provide visual screening from the M32 which divides the Stoke Park landscape.

The historic landscape is a significant public open space in Bristol with a complex mosaic of open parkland, limestone grassland, ancient and ornamental woods, scrub habitats and historic ponds which support several species of breeding bird such as the reed warbler and reed bunting.

Deputy Mayor Asher Craig:

Stoke Park Estate is nationally important, the best surviving example of work by the influential mid-18th century astronomer, Thomas Wright.

Bristol City Council and the local communities value this distinctive city gateway landscape, and in parallel with projects in partnership with Historic England, Natural England and the University of the West of England, we welcome the opportunity to work with Highways England to reduce some of the impacts of the motorway along its immediate boundary.

The scheme has received £127,000 from Highways England’s Designated Funds, and will be completed by the end of March 2020.

The Government allocated £675 million of funds to Highways England over a five-year spending period covering 2015 to 2020 – a series of ring-fenced funds designated to address a range of issues including Environment, Cycling, Safety and Integration, Air Quality and Innovation.

The Highways England Environmental Designated Fund of £225m has been set up to improve the environmental performance of the Strategic Road Network. It is to be used for projects that are ‘beyond business as usual’ which will help achieve benefits for one, or preferably a combination of areas including: cultural heritage, biodiversity, landscape, flooding and water quality, carbon emissions and noise pollution.

Elsewhere in the South West, designated funding is also helping Highways England to support Stroud District Canal and the Cotswold Canal Trust in a £4 million project to restore a section of the Cotswold Canal near M5 Junction 13, assisting Cornwall Council to deliver a number of cycling, habitat and heritage projects alongside the A30 and supporting Sustrans to deliver a number of cycling initiatives around the new M49 junction scheme at Avonmouth.

For more information regarding Highways England Designated Funds, go to the website.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Secretary of State Rory Stewart today launched a report on the UK’s progress towards the Global Goals (also known as the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs).

The UK played a key role in the creation of the Global Goals, aimed at making the world a fairer, healthier, safer and more prosperous place for everyone, everywhere by 2030. The UK is responsible for achieving them here in the UK and contributing to the Goals in developing countries.

The report published today sets out how government, business, civil society and the public across the UK are making the Goals a reality, here at home, and around the world, and will outline challenges that remain to reach these ambitious targets by 2030. The UK will present these findings to the United Nations in July.

Secretary of State Rory Stewart launched the UK’s progress report – also known as the Voluntary National Review – at Torriano Primary School in Camden, north London today.

Speaking at the event, he said:

This amazing primary school in London is arranged completely around the Global Goals, in other words the children here are studying a normal curriculum but they’re doing it by thinking about poverty, by thinking about water quality by thinking about air quality and by thinking about their fundamental rights and the interests of the planet.

The United Kingdom’s Voluntary National Review is an opportunity for us to reflect – not just on what we do abroad in international development but how we conduct ourselves at home.

And learn through doing it and share with countries, from Malawi right the way through to Indonesia, what we’ve learnt in how to deal with climate, how to deal with water quality and how to deal with the real challenges that face not just us but every country on earth.

This is a message directed at all British nationals participating in the upcoming music festivals Neversea in July and UNTOLD in August. Preparing for foreign travel and staying safe abroad should be done in a timely manner.

Please see below for useful information ahead of the festivals:

Drugs

Make sure you’re hydrated in hot weather and know your limits. We recommend that you don’t get involved with drugs in anyway. The Romanian authorities treat all drug-related offences very seriously. The penalties are severe, and if you are convicted you can expect a prison sentence. We can support you if you have been arrested or are in detention. We can’t get you out of prison. We can also provide details of local lawyers, but can’t provide legal advice.

Belongings/valuables

Keep your passports and other valuables in a safe place. Make sure you know whom to contact if you need to obtain emergency credit cards and replacement cheques if they are stolen. Beware of bag and mobile snatchers. If you happen to lose or have anything stolen, you should report it to the local police immediately. We can offer support if you are a victim of crime but we can’t investigate crimes.

Medical insurance

Don’t forget your medical insurance so that you are fully covered for any medical treatment/evacuation that you may need. Before leaving the UK, remember to get your free European Health Insurance card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical insurance, but provides you with state provided medical treatment. The EHIC card does not cover medical repatriation, ongoing medical treatment or non-urgent treatment. We can help if you are hospitalized but we can’t pay your hospital bills. We can also provide details of local interpreters, doctors and funeral directors if needed.

Travel insurance

Before leaving the UK, make sure you are fully covered for everything that you would like to do. Remember to specify Romania in your insurance cover. Read the travel advice for Romania before you travel.

Passports

If your passport is lost or stolen, we advise you to report this to the local police immediately. If you have a copy of your passport details, this will make applying for an emergency travel document easier for you. If you are in need of an emergency travel document, you will have to pay a fee for this. Apply for an emergency travel document and follow the steps. We can’t issue full validity passports or negotiate the visa processes of another country.

Funds

RON (Romanian Leu) is the normal currency for everyday transactions in Romania. If you need to exchange currencies, don’t attempt to change money on the street. Instead, you should change money through official exchange offices or banks. Western Union money transfer or MoneyGram are available in case of lost or stolen funds. We can offer advice on transferring funds. Unfortunately, we can’t pay bills or give you money from public funds.

Visas

As a British citizen, you don’t need a visa to enter Romania. British nationals who enter Romania have the right to stay for a period of 3 months from date of entry. If you would like to stay longer in Romania, you can apply for a registration certificate from the Romanian Office for Immigration as either an employee, self-employed, self-supported or as a student.

Bucharest.Consular@fco.gov.uk

Or visit us at @BritishEmbassyBucharest on Facebook or @ukinromania on Twitter

Published 7 June 2019
Last updated 27 June 2019 + show all updates