Press releases

Week 5

Ministry of Justice

   who                             what                                                                                                   
All Britons may now be informed of their legal rights in their own language, if arrested abroad.
        when                    where  
Negotiations are now taking place in Brussels.


                                                                           why
The language barrier can make a criminal investigation all the more intimidating. The Government's intention is to safeguard and promote civil liberties - beyond those outside our front door.


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Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke, announced the decision to parliament today and said:


‘The Government has decided to opt in to the Directive on the right to information in criminal proceedings.  The Directive meets the criteria set out in the Coalition Agreement with regard to EU justice and home affairs measures.


‘The Government will approach forthcoming legislation in the area of criminal justice on a case by case basis, with a view to maximising our country’s security, protecting Britain’s civil liberties and preserving the integrity of our criminal justice system.’


Highway's Agency


                                                                      what
Archaeological remains dating back to the Ice age, along with Roman and Iron age have been found in the
                                 where
area between Newark and Widmerpool.


                                                                      why
The discovery was made during a Highways Agency scheme to upgrade the A46 between Newark and Widmerpool.


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A46 Highways Agency project manager, Geoff Bethel , said:


"As the A46 follows the route of the old Roman road, we expected to uncover a number of artefacts from Roman Britain and we were not disappointed; but to uncover such rare flint tools dating back to the end of the Ice Age was very exciting.


"We worked very closely with English Heritage, our contractor and the archaeology teams to make sure the road route design avoided the important areas of archaeology during construction."


National Trust


      who                        what             when                      where
All Britons are to receive a bonus this spring, as the National Trust are opening its doors for free on the weekend of 20-21 March 2010.


                                                                           why
The move follows the Trust's aim to offer everyone in the country the opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and discover the outdoors.


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Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust said:

“This is the perfect excuse to discover what’s on your doorstep, perhaps re-visit somewhere you pass regularly or explore somewhere totally new.”
 
“However people decide to use our ‘Bonus Time’ gift; from taking a stroll in some of the most glorious gardens our country has to offer, to walking our dramatic coastline and breathing in the unforgettable views, we can promise it will be time well spent.”




Association of Local Government


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 Councillors claim to of saved £230 million last year as a result of latest technology used to manage
                                                                                              where
services for both pensioners and the igeneration, a new report shows.


                                                                  why
The various technology used allows bin men to be more efficient, gives the public the correct bus times and keeps them informed about roadworks and planning applications. All in all, making a better community for us all to live in.


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Councillor David Parsons, chairman of the Local Government Association’s Improvement Board, said:


“Whether it’s bin men working smarter, fewer phone calls to inquiry centres, freeing up staff from time-consuming checks or reducing parking ticket machine maintenance costs, making the most of modern technology and data sharing has seen huge cash savings across the country.


“This is money which can be ploughed into vital frontline services on which millions of people rely each year, and is yet another example of councils striving to be more efficient to make their stretched budgets go as far as possible.


“As well as financial savings, tapping into gadgetry has led to better communication with all members of society, young and old, and raised awareness of the services councils offer and how to get the most from them.


“It is estimated such technology and information sharing could potentially save councils up to £372 million by 2014/15. In this climate of strained budgets, councils must strive to keep reaching more residents and improving services ever more creatively, and look at more ways of working together to make these big savings.”