Latest news with #contingencyplans
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Low water levels pose challenge for dragon boat festival in Stratford, Ont.
CTV's Karis Mapp explains why organizers for a major dragon boat festival in Stratford are making contingency plans one month ahead of the event.
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Insolvency specialists appointed to step up planning for Thames Water in case company collapses
MINISTERS have appointed insolvency specialists to step up planning for Thames Water in case the troubled company collapses. Environment Secretary Steve Reed signed off the appointment of FTI Consulting to act as an administrator in case Britain's largest water company fails to secure funding from lenders. Contingency plans could see the firm placed into a special administration regime, meaning it would be put into an insolvency process. A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said: 'The Government will always act in the national interest on these issues. "The company remains financially stable, but we have stepped up our preparations and stand ready for all eventualities, including applying for a special administration regime if that were to become necessary.' Thames Water, which has 16million customers, remains locked in talks over a rescue funding deal with a number of senior creditors. In June, private equity firm KKR pulled out of plans to inject around £4billion into the financially-stricken company in a bid to keep it afloat. Thames chairman Sir Adrian Montague recently said the firm was still in 'crisis mode' as it seeks to avoid special administration measures. A company spokeswoman said: 'Our focus remains on a holistic and fundamental recapitalisation. "Constructive discussions with our many stakeholders continue.' 1 WORK SLUMP UNEMPLOYMENT remains at a four-year high as job vacancies fall, figures show. Some 4.7 per cent of Brits were without work in the three months to June, the same as the quarter before. Meanwhile, job openings fell by 44,000 to 718,000 in the three months to July, the lowest since April 2021. Liz McKeown, of the Office for National Statistics, said the job losses were 'concentrated in hospitality and retail'. TAKING NOTES LLOYDS customers will soon be able to deposit cash into their account through their app while popping to the shops. The bank is adding a barcode feature to the software which, from August 26, will let customers scan in up to £300 a day in notes and coins, up to a £600 monthly maximum. It can be done at more than 30,000 locations with a PayPoint. Lloyds is the first major UK bank to offer the service. ENTAIN NET BETS BOOTY LADBROKES and Coral owner Entain cashed in on an online betting surge as the men's football Club World Cup and Wimbledon reeled in the punters. The sports betting giant reported total net gaming revenues – money pocketed after paying out winnings – of £2.6billion for the first six months of the year, excluding its operations in the US. That was six per cent up on last year. Entain said horse racing interest surged, with Royal Ascot and the Epsom Derby among the most bet-on competitions. The Women's Euros also did well.
BBC News
01-08-2025
- Health
- BBC News
NRS Healthcare: Call for back-up plan as wheelchair company set to go bust
The chairman of Stormont's health committee has called for contingency plans to be put in place as a company supplying wheelchairs to the health service in Northern Ireland is on the brink of going Healthcare is contracted by the Department of Health (DoH) to provide wheelchairs to patients being discharged from hospital or requiring assistance in their BBC understands it is expected to run out of cash by the end of the DoH said it was "developing contingencies" to support people. Philip McGuigan, a Sinn Féin MLA who chairs the health committee, told BBC News NI he was "concerned" at reports of the company being on the "brink of collapse"."I have written to the health minister to establish the Department of Health's reliance on this company and to ask if a contingency plan is in place, patient safety and wellbeing must be paramount."NRS Healthcare said it was "exploring all options to safeguard services and protect the communities who rely on them". The company employs about 1,500 people across the UK and is based in Leicestershire, it finds and supplies a wide range of equipment from wheelchairs and hoists to hospital beds and pendants which monitor a site in Lisburn, the company also maintains and repairs Healthcare's accounts say it suffered a costly cyber attack last year and it is also understood to have been losing money on some of its contracts with other firms, it will have been juggling the impact of inflation and rising costs, including employer's national insurance. In a statement, the DoH said "contingencies are being developed" in order to support these services, and officials are "considering how best to ensure service users continue to receive high-quality care".
Forbes
30-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Harvard Develops Backup Plans For International Students Amid Uncertainty
Harvard University is developing contingency plans to ensure international students can continue ... More their studies even if they cannot come to campus this fall. Harvard University has developed backup plans to educate its international students in case they are unable to return to campus this fall. A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's attempt to disable Harvard's ability to enroll international students, but the administration recently said it was appealing that decision, according to The New York Times. The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) announced two options for international students who may face travel or visa restrictions. One choice is to study via a fully online program with up to three in-person convenings held in cities around the world. The second option, available to returning students, is to finish their degrees at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. 'With these contingency plans in place, HKS will be able to continue to provide a world-class public policy education to all of our students, even if they cannot make it to our campus this year,' HKS dean Jeremy M. Weinstein said in a statement, according to Harvard Magazine. The student population at HKS is 59% international. Before the federal judge's action to block the administration's action against Harvard, Harvard president Alan Garber said in a June 5 update to the school community that, while awaiting legal resolution, 'contingency plans are being developed to ensure that international students and scholars can continue to pursue their work at Harvard this summer and through the coming academic year.' One of those plans is being designed by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where international students make up about 40% of enrollment. According to reporting from Harvard Magazine, the school plans to expand online options beyond the two online master's degrees that are currently offered. The school is also developing non-degree offerings to help global public health workers build skills in areas like genomics and health systems operations. These programs could help mitigate financial constraints as the school faces cuts to federal research grants. Despite these actions to support international students, the HKS announced layoffs, according to radio station WBUR, due to federal funding cuts to research, a potential rise in the endowment tax and the possible curtailment of international student enrollments. 'This is an extremely difficult moment, and one that we did everything possible to avoid,' HKS's Weinstein said, according to WBUR, in an email to faculty and staff. 'I am truly sorry that we need to take this step.' The Chan School had announced layoffs in April, according to the student-run newspaper the Harvard Crimson, due to funding cuts by the administration.
