More than three million households in Britain have rubbish bins equipped with "waste stealth tax" technology, it was claimed last night. Ahead of today's publication of the Government's national waste strategy, a survey revealed that 68 town halls have spent millions of pounds buying bins with microchips.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/24/nchip24.xml
A judge yesterday described the new online doctors' recruitment scheme as a flawed system with disastrous consequences. Remedy UK, a junior doctors' group, lost their High Court attempt to have changes to the controversial Medical Training Application Service (MTAS) declared unlawful.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/24/ndocs24.xml
Manchester will unveil tomorrow a £3 billion plan to become the first place in Britain to charge drivers for the distance they travel on congested roads. Everyone who drives into the city centre will have to pay a deposit for an electric tag which must be placed inside the windscreen.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1832281.ece
The Government set out its vision for the future of energy supply yesterday and insisted that nuclear must remain part of the mix. The twin threats of power shortages in a decade’s time and climate change mean Britain must embrace the nuclear option, said Alistair Darling, the Trade and Industry Secretary.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1832356.ece
The first of a new generation of nuclear plants should be built in southern England on existing reactor sites, according to a study that also warns ministers that tens of millions of pounds may have to be spent on flood defences and sea walls.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1c9ccb2c-096d-11dc-a349-000b5df10621.html
Public bodies will receive guidelines on how to deal with frivolous and vexatious requests for data, the Information Commissioner has announced. Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner, said that mischievous and pointless demands under the Freedom of Information act are wasting taxpayers’ money.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/24/nfoi123.xml