Officers to patrol Merseyrail for another 5 years

MERSEYTRAVEL is extending its sponsorship of 6 Police Community Support Officers to patrol the Merseyrail network for another 5 years.  The officers, under the control of British Transport Police, play a vital role in promoting and maintaining the safety of the network as well as providing a reassuring presence for the travelling public.  Merseytravel is backing their continued efforts to drive down crime and anti-social behaviour on the network.

Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, said:- ”We are extremely pleased with the work done by the officers. The vast majority of journeys on public transport throughout Merseyside are made without incident but we are determined to clamp down hard on the very small anti-social element.  The Community Support Officers are playing a valuable role in helping us achieve that.”

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel said:- “We were the first transport organisation outside of London to support and recruit Community Support Officers on trains and it has paid dividends. It is important people feel safe on the public transport network and the PCSOs are a good visual presence and deterrent.”

Chief Superintendent Martyn Ripley of BTP added:- “We are delighted that Merseytravel have agreed to extend this funding for a further 5 years. PCSOs provide a highly visible presence on the network, which is key to addressing problems of low-level disorder and anti social behaviour.  The officers carry out high visibility patrols on various routes and are an important link to railway staff and the public.

Their presence increases our awareness of local problems and issues affecting the railway. PCSOs are also playing a key role in BTP’s new neighbourhood policing programme in the Merseyside area.  To date these officers have been a real success story and the renewed funding shows that Merseytravel are a making a real commitment to reducing crime and anti social behaviour on the rail network.”

Freeze excise duty on beer and help pubs under pressure

THE Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has called on Chancellor Gordon Brown to freeze or cut excise duty on beer and cider in the 2007 budget to lessen the burden on an already pressurised pub industry.  A new prices survey carried out by CAMRA’s 197 branches across the UK has shown that the average price of a pint of real ale has risen by 4.61% in the last year to an average of £2.34 from £2.22. The average price of a pint of lager has risen by 4.67% to £2.57 from £2.45.  CAMRA says any rise in excise duty on beer will result in a price hike that is likely to drive people from pubs, meaning a hit to government coffers.

CAMRA Chief Executive Mike Benner said:- “Gordon Brown has the opportunity to either throw pubs a lifeline or stamp on their fingers.  The pub industry is already under tremendous pressure. We are currently seeing record pub closures of 56 a month and an upcoming smoking ban that will be a difficult transitional period.  A rise in taxes will translate to increased prices, therefore reducing demand from consumers which could have a negative impact on government revenue. A freeze in tax would be a boost to Britain’s national drink, the consumer, and the hundreds of thousands of people the industry employs.”

Key findings from the prices survey:-

· The average price of real ale rose by 10p (4.61%) to £2.34.

· The average price of lager rose by 12p (4.67%) to £2.57.

· The cheapest region in the UK is the North West, where a pint of real ale costs £2.04. However this year is the first time the price in this region has risen over £2.

· The most expensive region is London, where a pint of real ale costs £2.57.

· Real ale prices for small (micro) breweries rose by 4.83% to £2.29. Real ale prices for medium sized independent brewers beers rose by 4.14% to an average of £2.41, and real ale prices for global and national brewers beers rose by 3.79% to £2.28

Mike Benner added:- “It is fascinating to see from this survey that locally produced, high-quality real ale is such great value for money when compared with bland, mass-produced lager.  Last year beer prices grew in line with inflation, but in the difficult time ahead the right decision from the Chancellor will make all the difference. We hope Gordon Brown will make his last budget a good one for British pubs”

Organisations unlikely to ‘weather the storm’

MANY organisations in the North West admit they are failing to prepare for disruption, despite recording a dramatic increase in the level of upheaval caused by extreme weather conditions and high levels of people and skills loss. According to research by the Chartered Management Institute, organisations in the North West are ‘blowing hot and cold’ when it comes to business continuity – they pay lip service to the importance of planning for disaster, but fail to make business resilience a reality.

The 2007 Business Continuity Management Survey, supported by the Cabinet Office and Continuity Forum, reveals that 37% of organisations in the North West were affected by extreme weather conditions in the 12 months to January 2007, an increase from less than 1 in 10, the previous year. 17% of organisations in the area claimed it caused ‘significant disruption’, but the worst affected areas were Wales, where 21% reported significant disruption, closely followed by Scotland and the South East (both 18%).  21% of managers in the North West also said their organisation’s productivity had suffered due to a ‘loss of skills’ over the past year. 26% blamed health and safety incidents for business disruption and 31% focused on the impact caused by ‘loss of people’, the highest proportion since the question was first asked, in 2003.

Managers identified traditional areas as most likely to impact on future costs and revenue. IT was cited by 77%, followed by loss of telecommunications (65%) and loss of access to sites (60%). However, reflecting concerns expressed in the recent Leitch Review of Skills, managers also highlighted fears over ‘loss of people’ (61%) and skills (68%).

Jo Causon, director, marketing and corporate affairs, at the Chartered Management Institute, says:- “Protecting an organisation’s infrastructure is, of course, vital to its sustainability. However, technology is nothing without the people who can use it and unless organisations balance the need to safeguard buildings with the need to secure their workforce, any attempt at business continuity management will remain unfinished and inadequate.”

The research also uncovered an alarming level of complacency amongst employers in the North West. Although 78% believe business continuity is viewed as important by their senior management team, the number whose organisations have a business continuity plan (BCP) covering critical areas is much lower (52%). Amongst medium- and small-sized organisations levels of preparation are lower still (42% and 34%, respectively).  Even where BCPs exist, many organisations in the region fail to balance levels of protection with what they perceive are key threats to business. For example, only 38% of BCPs focus on reputation, even though 49% perceive ‘damage to brand’ as a major threat.  Encouragingly, half of those respondents in the North West with a BCP report that they rehearse plans at least once a year. 37% do nothing with the plans that have been developed and 15% fail to act on the shortcomings they identify.

Bruce Mann, director of Civil Contingencies at the Cabinet Office, says:- “The report reveals a situation where there is still much work to be done. Events from the Carlisle floods to the London bombings and Buncefield explosion have clearly shown the vast range of impacts that emergencies can have. Yet despite these, there are still too many organisations with insufficient business continuity plans in place.”

In the context of these fears and the continued threat of a ‘flu pandemic, managers were asked if their employer had plans in place to cater for excessive staff loss, due to illness. Encouragingly, 58% of organisations in the North West have plans in place for a ‘flu pandemic, but organisations are still failing to fully consider the impact of additional parent-worker absences - a factor demonstrated recently when almost 1,000 schools were forced to close because of snow. The research found that 74% of respondents suggest that increased levels of absences would result from school/ childcare closures during a pandemic, but only 20% suggest their organisation’s plan is sufficient to cope.

The research also makes it clear that organisations in the North West are failing to make adequate provision for immediate business continuity. Despite many fearing the impact of loss of access to their site, 45% said their organisation is ready for remote working ‘to a great extent’ even though 56% have access to alternative work sites.  58% also report that their organisations outsource facilities or services, but only 22% demand business continuity management (BCM) from all business critical suppliers. Where BCPs are sought, 48% admit they are satisfied with a statement from the supplier, 34% will examine the BCP, but only 17% are involved in the development of supplier BCPs.

John Sharp, policy and development director at the Continuity Forum, says:- “Successful business continuity planning is a 2-way process. Organisations need to demonstrate their commitment to BCM to key stakeholders internally and externally, but at the same time should encourage suppliers to do the same. Failure to do so will lead to major business disruption as inadequate plans are exposed at the time they are needed most.”