Unions at Alcoa to Hold Global Week of Action

Unions around the world at Alcoa will hold a global week of action in mid-September. They will demand that the aluminum company provide fair wages, uphold high health and safety standards and respect workers’ fundamental right to organize into union.

The global week of action was called by the Global Network of Unions at Alcoa. This is a network that includes participation from unions representing thousands of Alcoa employees in over a dozen countries.

Alcoa is the world’s largest producer of primary aluminum.

During the global week of action, workers at Alcoa production sites around the world are participating by holding solidarity events, wearing stickers, circulating flyers and taking other locally appropriate actions.

The Global Network of Unions at Alcoa last met in May. At this meeting, participants recognized that many of the unions will negotiate a new wage agreement with Alcoa over the coming year. They also identified concerns about health and safety at some Alcoa worksites.

The meeting included participation from workers at Alcoa’s aluminum casting site in Hampton, Virginia, USA. They informed the Network about how Alcoa has illegally fought against attempts by Alcoa’s employees in Hampton to join the United Steelworkers.

I

Osborne 'passionate' about HS2

George Osborne has said he is "passionate" about the multi-billion pound HS2 high-speed rail project because it will help bridge the economic gap between the North and South.

George Osborne said HS2 would 'change the economic geography' of the UK (HS2/PA)

The Chancellor said the project was about "changing the economic geography" of Britain to make sure the North and the Midlands benefit from an economic recovery.

Mr Osborne would not be drawn on whether spending on HS2 could rise higher than the £42 billion budget, insisting contingency costs had been built in to plans.

He told BBC 1's Andrew Marr Show: "We have set the budget for £42 billion for the construction costs. That includes, by the way, a big contingency.

"As we demonstrated with the Olympic Games, we can deliver these big projects actually sometimes under budget."

He went on: "I think we have got a good budget, which has got a very big contingency in it, we've set a budget.

"I'm passionate about this project because time and again, we have this debate in our country about how we're going to bring the gap between north and south together, about how we're going to make sure that our growth is not just based on the City of London.

"High Speed 2 is about changing the economic geography of this country, making sure the North and the Midlands benefit from the recovery as well."

Mr Osborne's comments came in the wake of high-profile calls in recent weeks for the project to be scrapped.

The Institute of Directors, Institute for Economic Affairs and former Labour chancellor Alistair Darling have all called for HS2 to be scrapped, while former Labour industry secretary Lord Mandelson has expressed reservations.

Ex Prisons Boss, Sir Martin Narey, Says No One Cared About Suicides

The former director general of the Prison Service, Sir Martin Narey, has spoken of his frustration in trying to make reforms to stop suicides in jails - claiming "nobody gave a toss".

Sir Martin, who later became chief executive of the children's charity Barnardo's and is now the Government's adoption adviser, told The Independent of his devastation at the death of 19-year-old Zahid Mubarek at the hands of his racist psychopath cellmate Robert Stewart in Feltham Prison in March 2000.

"It was a catastrophe," said Sir Martin, who later offered his resignation over the murder and is widely respected for his time in charge. "It captured a little bit of what sort of a place Feltham was," he added. "Do you know, 594 people killed themselves on my watch; 19 of them were children. And nobody gave a toss."

Sir Martin said the Prison Officers Association "resisted any balance in terms of making things better for the young people" there. But the body's former chairman, Andy Darken, said Sir Martin was "entirely wrong".
Archie Bland, Indpendent, Friday 30 August 2013

West Midlands CPS pair jailed for £1m taxi fares scam

West Midlands CPS pair jailed for £1m taxi fares scam

Tahir Mahmood and Lisa Burrows "operated as a team" and defrauded the CPS of more than £1m

Continue reading the main story

Related Stories

• CPS pair admit £1m taxi fares scam
• CPS staff in court for £1m fraud

A former Crown Prosecution Service finance manager and her partner have been jailed for making bogus expenses claims worth more than £1m.

Lisa Burrows, 41, and Tahir Mahmood, 50, a taxi driver who also worked for the CPS, admitted producing invoices for a fictitious taxi firm.

Burrows, from Oldbury, and Mahmood, from Hodge Hill, Birmingham admitted conspiracy to defraud.

They were jailed for six years each at Birmingham Crown Court.

The pair, who were arrested in February, admitted the name of their bogus firm, B&M Taxis, stood for Burrows and Mahmood.

Holidays and handbags

The court heard they "operated as a team" to defraud the CPS of £4,000 a week over five years by lodging claims for non-existent taxi journeys.

Burrows and Mahmood - who met in an internet chat room - used the proceeds of the fraud to fund holidays to Dubai and New York, as well as splashing out on designer handbags, clothing and jewellery, the court heard.

Continue reading the main story

“

Start Quote

Mahmood withdrew nearly £1m in cash over five years, most of which is still unaccounted for”

Brian DeanProsecutor

Mahmood told police he had used £20,000 as a deposit to buy a house and once spent £10,000 during a week on holiday.

Prosecutor Brian Dean said Burrows, who earned £24,000 as a regional finance manager at the CPS offices in Birmingham, embarked on the fraud in 2008 shortly after meeting Mahmood.

She realised the CPS spent considerable sums on taxis and later got the taxi driver a job as an apprentice with the CPS.

"She then decided, along with Mr Mahmood, to exploit that by making false claims for non-existent journeys," he said.

"Mahmood played a full and significant role in the conspiracy in the initial planning of the fraud.

"He withdrew nearly £1m in cash over five years, most of which is still unaccounted for."

Burrows submitted bogus invoices for a total of £1,021,475 between early 2008 and February 2013, the court heard.

She paid more than £320,000 of cash into her bank account and claimed it was Mahmood who had suggested the fraud, the court heard.

'Eroded public confidence'

At an earlier hearing, the court was told Mahmood opened bank accounts using a different surname to facilitate the fraud.

Detailed investigations into the fraud, which went unnoticed despite four annual audits, failed to trace more than £660,000 of stolen public funds, the court heard.

Judge William Davis QC said: "It was you, Burrows, who created and then authorised the payment of the bogus invoices. You knew how the system worked.

"The fact that the fraud involved the CPS and was committed by a senior member of that service - the body responsible for bringing criminals to justice - will have affected and eroded public confidence.

"It is difficult to imagine a more serious fraud of its type."

Brown Moses Blog - The Hackgate Files: A Quiet Word In Your Northern And Shell-Like....

Brown Moses Blog - The Hackgate Files: A Quiet Word In Your Northern And Shell-Like....: The latest from my regular contributor. January 12th 2012 was Northern and Shell day at the Leveson inquiry. Northern and Shell is the par...

Rolf Harris Charged With 13 Sex Offences

. Rolf Harris Charged With 13 Sex Offences Lawyers Used Leveson to Prevent Reporting   Rolf Harris was charged with 13 sex offences today: nine counts of sexual assault and four of making indecent images of a child. Guido had the scoop on him being questioned back in January and again arrested in March. As a result Rolf’s lawyers Harbottle & Lewis tried to use Leveson to prevent reporting of his arrest. They disingenuously claimed news of arrest was conjecture.Chilling... Parliament is debating Syria this afternoon. Students of hypocrisy will find it interesting to read what Labour MPs who voted for Iraq have been sayingthough. Gordon Brown is not present of course. Diane Abbott is threatening to quit if Ed backs war, the only place you can see her anti-war protest outside Downing Street is here. Watch what Nigel Farage thinks on Syria and see why Downing Street are calling Miliband a "f***ing c***". Here is your handy cut out and keep guide to the Middle East. In other news, Tower Hamlets council has given £64,000 of taxpayers' money to Unite and Tory councillors have blown £5,000 of your cash on cutting their own tax bills. What was the white powder that turned up in MPs' offices over the summer? Who is the mystery undercover reporter who allegedly had sex with the target of her sting? Finally, find out who says Tom Watson is a "large man with a fondness for double lunches"...   Advertisement   Week's Most Read Stories This week 96,766 visitors visited 288,764 times viewing 489,111 pages. The top stories in order of popularity were: Indy Falls For Onion Spoof Number 10: Miliband is a "F***ing C***" Coulson's Mobile Phone Conversation Intercepted No Excuse For MPs Claiming Recall Travel on Expenses Stay Classy, Spain Mystery Undercover Reporter 'Had Sex With Sting Target' Diane Abbott Downing Street Anti-War Protest You're either in front of Guido, or behind...   To advertise in this Guidogram or on the blog contact our representatives MessageSpace on 020 7608 1140 or if you prefer email via sales@messagespace.co.uk.

Boycott tops 2,500 signatures Juliet Stevenson gets on board

Boycott tops 2,500 signatures

Juliet Stevenson gets on board

More than 2,500 people and groups have now signed up to our boycott of Intercontinental hotels.

Our campaign was given another boost when actress Juliet Stevenson (right), whose credits include Truly, Madly, Deeply,Bend It Like Beckham and many other stage and screen productions, joined the boycott.

Juliet, a long-time supporter of Tibetan freedom said: "I was deeply shocked to hear how abuses in Tibet will be exacerbated by the Intercontinental hotel in Lhasa.

"I am happy to support Free Tibet's boycott of Intercontinental."

Take action

Despite the ongoing injustice, repression and torture in Tibet, Intercontinental Hotels Group is naming its luxury hotel, the “Lhasa Paradise”. This gifts priceless PR to the occupying Chinese regime.

Join the boycott against Intercontinental

If you've already joined the boycott, forward this email to your friends and ask them to get on board.

 .

Fonterra resumes operations in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — New Zealand diary giant Fonterra said Wednesday that it has resumed operations in Sri Lanka after temporarily closing its plant out of concern for the safety of its staff.

Operations in Colombo were temporarily halted to ensure the safety of about 755 employees after members and supporters of a government-allied political party held a protest near Fonterra's office, accusing the company of selling tainted milk.

I am now confident that our people are safe and the business is ready to resume operations and continue selling high quality dairy nutrition to Sri Lankan people," said Fonterra Chief Executive Theo Spierings in a statement posted on the company's web site.

Fonterra recalled infant formula earlier this month after announcing it discovered the presence of botulism bacteria in some of its products. The company has since retested the product and found it free of the bacteria.

Two weeks ago, a nurses' trade union won a court order forcing Fonterra to suspend sales and advertising of its products after Sri Lanka's Health Ministry said tests showed that some imported Fonterra milk products contained traces of the agricultural chemical dicyandiamide.

Health authorities asked Fonterra to recall the tainted batches from the market. The company says it complied.

The court lifted the suspension Friday.

We Must Measure the Consequences of Intervening in Syria Posted: 29/08/2013 00:00

We are all angry and upset at the terrible pictures of the atrocity in Syria. Poison gas is a cowardly and inhumane weapon. Its use against civilians is especially despicable. Instinctively we all want to punish the perpetrators and ensure there will be no repeat of this mass slaughter.

That's the emotional reaction. The rational one is to measure the consequences of our using force in the Syrian Civil War. Force begets more force. A civil war with evil fanatics on both sides could quickly escalate into a regional war and a world war. There are many interests involved including the Al Nusra branch of Al Qaeda on the insurgents side, the divided rule of President Assad and his brother plus the nations of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Israel, China and the neighbouring Arab states.

No one can predict with certainty the consequences of the use of force by the UK or the US. Hague repeats that the UK should punch above our weight. That means spending above our interests and dying beyond our responsibilities. Not since the Vietnam War has the UK behaved as an independent state. Harold Wilson avoided involvement in that futile war. Parliament should reach our own national decision and not again act as an appendage of the United States.

An attack by US/UK on Damascus should be named the war of Obama's blushes. Foolishly he drew a red line. It's been crossed and he retaliates with bombs to avoid accusations of weakness. That's his problem not ours.

Tony Blair has blundered into the debate with one of the signature war-cries of the Peace Envoy. What is required from him now is a prolonged period of silence and invisibility. The delayed Chilcot Report will prove his folly.

In 2003 Blair rallied the Commons with rhetoric and fear. 139 Labour MPs defied a three line whip. All are grateful that they did. About 50 Labour MPs were bullied, bribed or bamboozled into abstaining or voting for war. Most bitterly regret their vote. In 2006 when only two UK soldiers had been killed in combat in Afghanistan we invaded Helmand in the hope that not a shot would be fired. Now the death toll is 440.

These are indelible memories for MPs. Trust in official reassurances has gone. This time all MPs will be circumspect before they throw petrol on a new inferno.

There is another invisible pressure for perpetual war. Staggering evidence has emerged of the reach of the tentacles of the US Defense contractors. The disgraced General Petraeus, when he was the top US commander in Afghanistan, allowed lobbyists Frederick and Kimberly Kagan unique access to secret information and private meetings. The married couple used these privileges to advocate substantive changes in the US war plan. The Kagans repeatedly campaigned against peace initiatives to serve the commercial interests of their paymasters. Although they were always at the elbow of Petraeus, they were not paid by the Government or the Military. Their income came from the US Defense contractors. This is lobbying at its most pernicious. Petraeus allowed the Kagans to help draft his reports to the US government. The resultant decisions lengthened the conflict and increased the total of NATO and Afghan casualties killed.

Capitalising on a surge of emotion to write your page in history is a frequent political stunt. All premiers get turned on when war beckons. They adopt a Napoleonic posture, polish up the Churchillian rhetoric and strut in the Commons as the saviours of the world.

The result of recent PM decisions in Iraq and Helmand is the loss of 623 UK soldiers lives. Hell of a price to pay for prime ministerial vanity.

Cheryl Gillan, Ex-Cabinet Minister, Warns Syria Attack Could Be An 'Absolute Disaster

One of David Cameron's former cabinet colleagues has warned his move to launch military strikes against Syria could lead to "absolute disaster".

Speaking to The Huffington Post UK on Wednesday on the eve of a high-stakes Commons vote that would authorise retaliation against the Assad regime for the alleged use of chemical weapons, Cheryl Gillan said she would did not want to repeat the mistake of Iraq and was "suspicious" of the case for war.

Gillan served as Cameron's Welsh secretary until September 2012 when she lost her job in government at the reshuffle.

"I voted for the Iraq war after I listened to Tony Blair, he turned out to be leading us all up the garden path. I don't want to do that again," she said.

"I very much worry we haven't got the provenance on these chemical attacks. I am just horrified as anyone. I just feel the helplessness of anyone being attacked by chemical weapons. I don't want to diminish that, but we have to make sure who launched that attack and why."

Gillan added: "What will be the unintended consequences? What will be the diplomatic consequences? What will be the fall out as far as other countries are concerned? I'm worried we are embarking on a line which could lead to absolute disaster."

On Tuesday Cameron announced he was recalling parliament on Thursday to give MPs a debate and vote on any action as he had previously promised to do. The fact parliament was due to return on Monday anyway has increased suspicions the UK and US intend to launch strikes before the end of this week.

"There are too many unknown quantities," Gillan said. "I am worried because parliament has been recalled two days before it was due to come back anyway. This indicates to me the Americans have already committed and we are getting in their as fast as possible to support our allies.

"If you were thinking about it from the prime minister's perspective; if he's given some sort of commitment to the Americans … he had also promised that parliament would have a vote on it, he would want to sticks to his word.

Asked if her view was shared by other Conservative MPs, the veteran Chesham and Amersham MP, who served as a shadow Foreign Office minister when William Hague was Tory leader, said:"I don't think mine will be very different to many of my colleagues."

A significant number of backbench Conservative MPs have frequently expressed deep concern about any move to intervene militarily in Syria - and the prime minister is unlikely to be able to rely on all his MPs to support him in tomorrow's vote.

Earlier this year 81 Tories signed a letter to Downing Street demanding they be given the right to veto any military action.

Gillan said failing to have a proper Commons debate and vote would have looked "very bad particularly in the light of what happened in Iraq".

She also pointed out that the Chilcot Inquiry, which is examining the run-up to the 2003 invasion, has still not reported back.

"We don't even have the final position into Iraq," she said. "Call me cynical but whenTony Blair came out in support [of intervention in Syria] I started to have another look at it."

Gillan said she had been "utterly convinced" by Blair's arguments in favour of the Iraq War at the time and put aside party politics believing a "British prime minister would never ever let us have the opportunity to launch military action without it being based on sure foundations."

She added: "I'm older and wiser now, I'm a lot more suspicious."

On Tuesday a YouGov poll for The Sun showed 50% of Britons oppose attacking Assad's regime with long range missiles from ships, while just a quarter are in favour of it.

Gillan said the legacy of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were partially responsible for voters' caution.

"I think people in the country have instincts. And I think the instincts of the British people at the moment are really cautious and not to intervene," she said. "I think Iraq and Afghanistan have blunted the appetite for the UK to be the policeman of the world. And I think peoples instinct is still super cautious towards any intervention directly by the UK."

Cameron announced this morning that Britain will put a resolution to the United Nations Security Council later on Wednesday "authorising necessary measures to protect civilians" in Syria. The prime minister announced the move on his Twitter feed on Wednesday morning. "We've always said we want the UN Security Council to live up to its responsibilities on Syria. Today they have an opportunity to do that," he said. The resolution is highly unlikely to pass as Russia and China will block it.

Update from BIHR: sign the ECHR birthday card and join us on Tour

Dear colleague,

 

You signed up to attend the BIHR open course on Healthcare and Human Rights in February. I wanted to let you know about a couple of other BIHR free events / activities you could get involved in. I’d also be really grateful if you could share these with your colleagues and contacts.

 

60^th anniversary of ECHR

 

The 3 September 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) coming into force. At BIHR we think this is something to celebrate.

 

We are co-ordinating a Birthday Card to the ECHR, which is attached. The Birthday Card is open for signature from individuals and organisations (or both!). We will be delivering the Birthday Card to the Council of Europe. The birthday card will be open for signature until Monday 2^nd at midday. To sign, just reply to this email, or see the ‘ECHR at 60’ page of our website where you will also find a selection of special 60th anniversary resources and other exciting activities we have planned.

 

 

Human Rights Tour visits Wolverhampton!

 

BIHR is hosting a series of free-to-attend events on human rights as part of our annual Human Rights Tour. BIHR will be visiting 17 towns and cities across the UK, hosting events in partnership with a range of voluntary and public sector partners. Each event will explore why you need human rights and why human rights need you (including an update on the current political debates on human rights in the UK).

 

The Tour will visit Wolverhampton on 18 September. It would be great to see you there. For more information (including other dates and locations) and to book your place, please visit our website http://www.bihr.org.uk/events/the-human-rights-tour-2013-4

 

I hope to see you there!

 

Many thanks and best wishes,

Helen

 

****************

Helen Wildbore

Human Rights Officer

British Institute of Human Rights

School of Law

Queen Mary, University of London 

Mile End Road

London, E1 4NS

Direct line:  0207 882 5851

Main:  0207 882 5850

 

Not the right sort of guide in Sri Lanka

Not the right sort of guide in Sri Lanka

There is a problem with unlicensed tour guides in Sri Lanka. – Photo from The Islan

Sri Lanka must quickly resolve its tour guide issues, as the country’s tourism industry grows.

VETERAN tour guide lecturer Joe Livera, who is also the incumbent president of the Sri Lanka Institute of National Tour Guide Lecturers (SLINGL), discusses the many facets of the tour guide industry and issues faced by tour guide lecturers.

Some of the issues are not only detrimental to the guide lecturers alone, but the industry at large. They have to be resolved as soon as possible as the country is heading for a new era in tourism with more demands.

There has been an increased number of unlicensed tour guides operating in the country. This trend, according to general prevailing notion within the industry, doesn’t augur well for tourism. How do the authorities find this situation and what action has been taken to arrest it?

The issue of unlicensed and unauthorised guides including the so-called "beach boys" had been there for a long period. The current fears of increasing trend seemed to be owing to the people realising that the numbers have grown to such a level that its further growth would definitely harm the industry to a great extent. The statistical records indicate that there are 400-500 persons who come under this category. But surely there are more and the number is on the increase.

There are instances of unlicensed and unauthorised guides cheating, duping and taking advantage of tourists. They are notorious for indiscipline and improper conduct. Many tourists have complained of this situation. The authorities must do their own share in saving the industry by making it mandatory for tour guides to have a valid licence and that no person without it be allowed to operate as tour guides.

How would you describe the role of police in this situation?

(The) Police have no powers. Only an assistant director of the Tourism Development Authority has authority to make an arrest. The police could only escort such or higher-ranking officers. This is a loophole in the net of law. We think it's high time the laws be amended to give more powers to police so that they would act.

What about the foreign tour operators who don’t possess a licence but accompany tour groups?

According to regulations, no foreign tour operator is allowed to travel with a tour group without a local guide lecturer. Yet these regulations are overlooked by some travel agents. They do so for various reasons. We think that this has to be stopped.

There are many complaints against foreign tour operators. The age-old laws have given no power to law enforcement officers to arrest them. This again shows the need for amending the laws relevant to the industry.

What is your assessment of the Tourist Police? Do you think they do a proper job? Are they prepared to meet the demands of a burgeoning tourism industry?

The Tourist Police lack the required numbers and trained personnel to provide the services which are expected from them. There had been some gory incidents of tourists being harassed in the recent past. There were worse incidents.

But the Tourist Police is unable to give assurance that there would be no repetition of such unfortunate incidents. Touts continue to exploit tourists under the very eyes of police. Not that all officials are bad but the general perception about the Tourist Police in the industry is very low.

There had been narratives from victims that on many occasions, those who committed a crime or acted against tourists had been armed to their teeth and some even carried sophisticated guns. But the policemen standing nearby had not even a hand gun.

Political involvements have forced the police to not act during many occasions. Tourists do not come to see the antics of local politicians, but in some instances they have been compelled to do so as we do not have a strong Tourist Police.

The government, which has promised in many policy manifestos to make the country a top tourist destination in the world, should think about it.

The so called "Beach Boys" are also a part of our society. How could they be turned (into) more useful citizens?

We have conducted regular programmes, seminars and workshops to educate them. Some have to be rehabilitated. Those programmes have been quite successful. For example, most of these Beach Boys could speak several languages. For them to be successful, all they need is proper guidance.

There are complaints from national tour guide lecturers that certain travel agents are depriving them of their due commissions. There are complaints of guide lecturers being ill-treated. Are they true?

Yes, we have observed that some travel agents engaged in this practice. Some are well-organised. Some of them pay the commissions to companies but not to the guide lecturers.

There is a monopoly and it is on the increase. The travel agents designate the shops where the tourists should be taken and even the tourists have no choice and are forced (to) buy what they want from shops designated by the travel agents and the commission is sent to them, depriving the guides of their legitimate commissions.

Some hotels don’t provide rooms to guide lecturers like in the past and they are forced to seek accommodation elsewhere or guest houses designated by them.

There had been occasions where some hotels housed guide lecturers in places lesser in comfort and facilities than the accommodation facilities provided to the tourists. It is wrong. According to the guidelines and regulations laid down by the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA), a guide lecturer accompanying a group of seven should be provided accommodation in the same hotel. The regulation has been made in view of the fact that most of the tourists feel at home and secure with a guide lecturer being around.

We have taken up these issues with the SLTDA. Its chairman Bhaswara Gunaratne has pledged to address the issues. – The Island, Sri Lanka/Asia .

Garden Court Chambers - Immigration Law Bulletin

Garden Court Chambers - Immigration Law Bulletin - Issue 338

Ignaoua, R (Application of) v SSHD [2013] EWHC 2512 (Admin)

It is the clear Parliamentary intention of s.15 of the Justice and Security Act 2013, that where a person has been excluded from the United Kingdom on grounds of the public good, in reliance on information which in the Secretary of State's opinion should not be made public for national security or similar reasons, a challenge to the exclusion direction must be advanced in the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) if the Secretary of State has certified the direction. Therefore, as SIAC is the only avenue for such challenges, the Secretary of State can certify exclusion directions made before commencement of the legislation and can terminate existing judicial review proceedings in which these directions are being challenged.

For the full judgment, click here . . . .

C1 & Ors v SSHD (Rev 2) [2013] EWHC 2415 (Admin)

Anthony Thornton QC, sitting as a deputy High Court Judge, held that a refusal by the Secretary of State for the Home Department to accept the claimant mother and daughter's resettlement in the United Kingdom as mandate refugees was unlawful and perverse. The Secretary of State had misapplied her mandate refugee policy by taking into account irrelevant considerations and failing to take into account relevant considerations. There was a lack of reasoning in her decision and it was neither structured nor compliant with the policy.

For the full judgment, click here . . . .

Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens (PRCBC

Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens (PRCBC)

Since the beginning of this year, we have been working on a project to register children as British.

The importance of citizenship for those who are able to obtain it is highlighted by the Secretary of State on page 6 of the MNl form guide, which points out that:

 "Citizenship is a "significant life event". Apart from allowing a child to apply for a British Citizen passport, British citizenship gives them the opportunity to participate more fully in the life of their local community as they grow up." When a minor registers as a British citizen(s)he obtains all the advantages of citizenship, including access to housing and legal help, social benefits and the right to remain in Britain. S/he also enjoys all rights as a citizen of the European Union.

What it is: Many children are eligible to register as British citizens, but do not do so, for various reasons. We aim to support the increase in the number of children who register as British citizens.

Why do we do it: When a minor registers as a British citizen (s)he obtains all the advantages of citizenship, including access to housing and legal help, social benefits and the right to remain in Britain. At its worst, a child who is not registered is at risk of being deported, often to a country s/he has barely lived in and knows nothing about.

What we do:

* We run monthly surgery slots for legally more complex cases:

* We do legal casework which is carried out by the project's solicitor, Solange Valdez, who works for Ealing Law Centre (sponsor of the project);

* We support and refer cases to other firms of solicitors or advice agencies;

* We train those working with children such as Social Services, voluntary organizations and other agencies;

* We work to find means of addressing the affordability of the application registration fee which currently costs £673 pounds for one child.

* We work to get the word out about the possibility of registration for eligible children;

Who we are: The founder and supervising solicitor is Solange Valdez, and the project coordinator is Carol Bohmer, LL.M., Ph.D. The project is sponsored by Ealing Law Centre.

How are we funded: The project has no current funding and it operates entirely on a pro bono basis by the project coordinators and more recently with the support of Ealing Law Centre and other organizations working with children.

Why should you get involved: The work of the project is an important way to work for social change in Britain by integrating children into our society.

How you can help: By supporting the aims and objectives of the project, by referring possible cases to us for evaluation, and by giving a donation or by sponsoring a child's payment of the UKBA application registration fee.

If you wish to donate to the project: Cheques can be made payable to Ealing Law Centre and sent to Solange Valdez, PRCBC, c/o Ealing Law Centre, 210 Northfield

Business Executive pay and bonuses Royal Mail chief Moya Greene bemoans 'broken' pay-setting for bosses

The Royal Mail has been headed by Moya Greene since the summer of 2010. Photograph: Jenny Matthews /Alamy

Pay-setting in government-backed companies is "hopelessly broken", according to Royal Mail's £1.5m-a-year chief executive, who in an unguarded email also criticised a "highly politicised" atmosphere surrounding corporate governance.

Moya Greene's candid communication was sent to a member of the public who had voiced concern about her being offered a £250,000 housing allowance, and who shared it with the Guardian.

The postal chief also complained about what she called the aggravating role of the media as she sought to explain why the lucrative perk had been offered to her, and why she had decided to hand it back.

In her email, which Royal Mail confirmed was genuine, Greene, a Canadian, said she was "deeply offended" by the criticism that had come her way over pay and benefits. She added that she was unimpressed with the amount of time it had taken ministers and civil servants to settle her remuneration.

"I took on a company in grave difficulty," she wrote. "I was here for a full 15 months before officials and/or ministers deigned to explain the exact basis upon which I would be paid. I had long resigned my previous position.

"The actual practise [sic] for setting and applying agreed compensation arrangements for [chief executive officers] in commercial companies involving government shareholding is hopelessly broken here," she wrote on 5 August.

Greene, a former civil servant and businesswoman in Canada who took over at Royal Mail in the summer of 2010, has been steering the formerly loss-making 497-year-old service towards an expected privatisation. The Communication Workers Union said in August her pay was "imitating private-sector excess" after a Royal Mail report showed she received a 33% rise last year to bring her pay, including pension contributions, to £1.47m.

The business secretary, Vince Cable, had also expressed his concern about the relocation payment, which Royal Mail's independent remuneration committee of non-executive directors approved. After Cable's comments, Greene offered to hand back the money, which, she wrote, had been offered "in good faith".

In her email, Greene added: "The climate for executives and their abilty [sic] to manage in the UK remains highly politicised, all aggravated by a press corp whose general traits have been well set out by Mr. Justice Levinson [sic]."

But she also robustly defended her track record. With her at the helm, Royal Mail moved from losing money in 2010-11 to generating £334m of cash in 2012-13. She wrote: "In Royal Mail as a commercial company with a public mission we have a long way to go … but it is certainly more stable now … able to offer thousands of people, 150,000 in fact, good jobs with salaries and benefits far superior to that available elsewhere in our intensely competitive industry."

Royal Mail declined to comment on "individual correspondence" but stressed that there was no breakdown in confidence with the government. It said Royal Mail "has enjoyed tremendous support from government on many issues", and the organisation was "very grateful to ministers and their colleagues for their past support and continued assistance".

Defending the original decision to provide a relocation allowance, Royal Mail said this had been provided in "exceptional circumstances" to take into account the difference in house prices between Britain and Canada. It added: "The chief executive was not involved in the decision and has voluntarily offered to return this assistance. The remuneration committee has accepted this offer."

Royal Mail added that under Greene's leadership, the company had been transformed and that it no longer had the "going-concern" financial issues that were a factor at the time of her appointment.