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Small businesses, social enterprises and charities running public services for local authorities will have to lobby with individual advice if they want to hire staff on wages which differ from their colleagues earned in the public sector.

The Cabinet Office yesterday scrapped a code which determines revenues and benefits of staff join companies supplying the central Government and agency services under contract. Existing staff is generally transferred by virtue of TUPE rules what is called the public service and retain their salaries, pensions and existing benefits.

However, local authorities, including police and fire services are free to continue the practice of forcing entrepreneurs to hire new employees to conditions that are coded "on the whole, not less favourable than those transferred employees" private.

Francis Maude, the Minister of the Cabinet Office, said at the national level code "have done little to protect personnel just to deter employers responsible for providing public service contracts."

"Small organizations were particularly hard hit", he said. "We should not be made more difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary organizations to succeed on the market of the public service."

The code is replaced by a "principle of the use of good practice" that the Cabinet Office said "freedom of employers to provide terms for staff that are motivating and affordable".

Contracts are also exempt agreed between the NHS and the trade unions in the Department of health to change action plan.

New contracts will not contain the code, but officials will have to negotiate with unions if they want to change the terms of any existing contract.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: "this Government is committed to localism, including local authorities should be able to pursue policies that they deem appropriate to the workforce engaged in the delivery of public services.

"Ministers are considering the implications for the future of the 'Best Value local code" and consult with employers and local trade unions if necessary.

Employers ' organizations welcomed the decision to remove the code, but Union leaders stated that it would begin a "race to the bottom" in the wages and conditions.

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Richard Horwood, former CEO of Trinity Mirror Television, spoke about Nicholas Shott - Lazard banker, carry out a review of the Government on the commercial viability of local television United Kingdom for Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of culture.

This week Mr. Horwood will be a formal proposal review involving a single chain television available on multiple platforms and by combining local and national programming and advertising.

The idea is to create a national framework for programming with the ability to "opt" national schedule in some cities in favour of local programs and advertisements.

Mr. Horwood, who has worked with Kelvin MacKenzie on live!, said local programming ranging from new television event and entertainment and is generally available in a quarter of a million homes.

"The local word had the connotation of snowy images", he said. "This is not what we are talking about.Entertainment formats, such as the X factor would operate bien.Le X factor starts locally [City auditions] and is only disseminated nationally. ?

There was considerable scepticism in recent months if the vision of Mr. Hunt for a national network of local television channels is commercially viable.

However, Mr. said Horwood held talks "very positive" with commercial actors, including British traditional local media, some international actors and houses capital privés.Une source of capital investment private, who refused to be named, said that he had seen the model "seemed interesting.

Mr. chott studied other proposals but Mr. Horwood refers to one of the préférées.Cependant options, it is understood a concern held by Mr. Chott team is that geographical spectrum suggested by Mr. Horwood to carry the channel is not sufficient to cover parts of the country.Bristol and a number of rural areas will not be covered.

Mr. Horwood said Sunday Telegraph his team has spent the last six months, planning of the new cha?ne.Il has a team of 12 basic and brought to a television consultancy leader and a number of media and advertising executives and directors.

He said there are also interviews with local news groups who would be willing to provide content for television in exchange for a slice of the advertising revenue. ""We have some teams of sale sale on the local market, but they work hand-in-glove with our media locaux.Nous partners are trying to address local media partners", he added.

It says that success of the canal is the possibility of selling advertising nationally, despite the provision of local programming. "We talked to brands and media buyers and they like this model because they can obtain the balance, they were never able to do before, national and local platforms.

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Called the Local Committee of TV network, it will review the options to create a network for new channels, which are a project for pets of Jeremy Hunt, the Secretary of culture centre.

Mr. Dyke project is one of the few signs of life in the commercial sector of proposals for Mr. Hunt, Mr. Hunt wants to obtain a permit before the Olympic Games in 2012.

Mr. Dyke Committee will include Pat Loughrey, former Director of BBC Nations and regions and Mike Southgate, a former head of the BBC resources.Daniel Cass, Chief Executive of local TV licence holder six TV and DSL Howell, former Director of life television programs will also be joining the group.

Mr. Hunt is a champion of local television since it overshadowed culture brief in opposition .since as a Minister, he received support from David Cameron for the project and highlighted its potential for the control of local politicians as crucial for "great society" agenda Cameron M..

Mr. Hunt has also appointed banker Nicholas Shott make interim Mr. Chott faisabilité.Rapport last month study cast doubt on the commercial viability of the proposals, and suggested that a large national sponsor may be required.

However, Mr. Hunt indicated seek to give first locations in on-screen guides electronic television channels broadcast local news programs.

In were hastily BBC week last licence fee settlement, Mr. Hunt also obtained a commitment from 25 million pounds of society to assist in capital funding for up to 20 local stations in 2013-2014, with a promise to the BBC to spend 5 m ￡ content purchase year for them.

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Local Enterprise partnerships may be supported by experts employed by the Department of enterprise trade to manage investments and exports drive, said the Minister.

Testify at a Board of communes on the Government's plans to replace eight of the nine French regional development agencies with up to 58 companies local partnerships (LEPs), Mark Prisk, the Minister, stated strategic oversight of investment activities happen in areas of Whitehall.

However, UK Trade & Investment, trade promotion agency would be its existing trade and foreign investment staff available from PrP.

"You can have a national organization with strong roots of United Kingdom," he told MEPs in the Committee. "This means having a presence in these communities."

UKTI has approximately 300 consulting business based English regions, often located in the same place with regional agencies. Their functions are carried out by separate development in Scotland, from the North and Wales Ireland agencies. But at present it is that foreign investment specialists located in London and the foreign embassies and consulates.

Mr. Prisk declared with the UKTI budget always in doubt - "they don't have a budget immediately", he said - Whitehall Wednesday, expenditure review would clarify what are were available, whereas a growth policy document will outline plans of the Government for the PrP.

Separately, M. Prisk admitted to members that the process of replacing regional organizations with local groups composed of local authorities and business leaders was "complex" and looked at some disagreements between these groups on local priorities.He said: "There will be some quarrels in some parts of the country,".but he added that some Sara submissions evaluated by officials were strong and those acting as "Scouts", showing the still disagree on what could be done. " "I think that these disputes will begin to fade," he said.

PRI's beginning is announced in time to start bidding for project funding regional growth fund ￡ billion in December, Mr. Prisk informed officials Committee.

He said that the PRI also receive funding direct from Whitehall departments to provide certain services such as support for the entreprises.Il would be fired on core funding. ""We are trying to detail what we can and cannot finance", he said.

Mr. Prisk added that active Agency existing development, such as land and buildings and commitments could be dealt with on a "case by case basis" in the discussion with local business partners.

Where VR has not declared that training is a priority, M. Prisk envisaged local further education colleges and meet the needs of local employers in training, he added. ""The two sit very well together," he said.

UKTI, which will be supervised by the former HSBC Chairman Stephen Green joined the Government as Minister of trade in the new year, said he helped companies 25,000 claimed and last year generate broadcasts ￡ economy.

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Reuters

Exporters have cancelled major contracts of drought-hit Black Sea wheat to Bangladesh, signalling the need for Asian millers to scramble for supplies from other key growers like Australia.

Russia banned grain exports on Thursday last week as the worst drought on record ravaged crops across the Black Sea region, boosting the Chicago Board of Trade front-month wheat contract up 66 per cent from a low of $US4.25 in June.

Chicago wheat futures fell nearly three per cent on Monday, extending their losses to around 10 per cent in two sessions, but traders say the the impact of the Russian ban has not been fully felt and the market faces wide swings in prices.

"We see more deals being cancelled as nothing can be done about it," said one Singapore-based trading manager. "People have no choice but to go for Australian wheat as the US is still more expensive due to higher freight costs."

Australian cash prices firm

Other Asian buyers signed deals for supplies of Black Sea wheat at around $US200-$US240 a tonne in May and June, including cost and freight (C&F). but prices have climbed to $US270-$US290 a tonne and concern is growing on commitments already made.

Traders have estimated up to one million tonnes of wheat cargoes to Asia could be affected by Russia’s decision to ban grain exports.

Mills in Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia use cheaper Black Sea wheat and blend it with higher quality US and Australian grains. Feed millers have also been snapping up cargoes of feed quality wheat from Ukraine this year.

Australian cash wheat prices have strengthening in last few weeks on prospects of buyers seeking more supplies.

Australian prime wheat is quoted around $US320 to $US340 a tonne, C&F to Southeast Asia, compared with $US280 to $US300 a few weeks ago.

"We’ve also got some of the north Asian buyers coming into the market this week for their routine tender programmes," said Tom Puddy, head of grain trading at Western Australian grain firm CBH Group.

"We are expecting about 100,000 tonnes going to north Asia from Australia this week."

Chicago Board of Trade wheat for September delivery dropped 2.7 per cent to $US7.06 a bushel by 1843 AEST, adding to the 7.6 per cent fall on Friday.

Influential US investor Jim Rogers, who appeared in Reuters forums, said he was bullish on agricultural commodities.

"I expect agriculture to continue to do well for several years, no matter what happens to the world," he said.

"the Russian drought itself will not lead to a food crisis, but we are going to have other similar problems because agriculture has been so depressed for three decades."

Russia’s wheat crop may fall to as low as 43 million tonnes this year from 61.7 million tonnes in 2009 after a severe drought has destroyed many grain producing regions, leading agricultural analysts SovEcon said on Monday.

Australia, which is expected to produce a bumper crop at the end of this year, is also facing a threat of dry weather in Western Australia.

Dry weather is prompting analysts to cut estimates for the 2009/10 wheat harvest in Western Australia, the top grain exporting state with a 40 per cent share, adding to global concerns about lower supplies.

Local wheat suppliers to fill Russian void

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