Podcasts about passport office

Mike and Keith react to the latest provincial data regarding violent chronic offenders. How are passport offices holding up amidst the PSAC strike? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joint control center Ukrainian passport office Allotment gardens Brothel death ** Please check out the show notes for the links to our sources. Donate: https://www.berlinbriefing.de/donate/ Twitter: @berlinbriefing Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BerlinBriefing/ Mastodon: https://podcasts.social/@berlinbriefing/ Mail: berlinbriefing@gmail.com

Security officers at Heathrow and Passport Office staff are both taking industrial action in pursuit of pay claims. My message: don't panic.This podcast is free, as is my weekly newsletter, which you can get every Friday by signing up here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Education is Life Itself. The host for this show is Chang Wang. The guest is Meredith McQuaid. A fourth generation descendant of immigrants, Meredith McQuaid received her B.A., M.A., and J.D. from the University of Minnesota. In 2007, she became the first person to hold the title of Associate Vice President and Dean of International Programs at the University. There were many other 'firsts' in her tenure including creating the first positions in the country for directors of internationalizing the curriculum, and international health, safety, and compliance; and the first position dedicated to mental health in study abroad. She helped launch the University's first office abroad (Beijing), the Immigration Response Team, the International Programs Council, and the Passport Office. Her impact was felt nationally and internationally through her professional organization engagement, including president of NAFSA: Association of International Educators; board member and committee chair of the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA); etc. The ThinkTech YouTube Playlist for this show is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQpkwcNJny6m0sDYgbpbsi65EHVp8ynG8 Please visit our ThinkTech website at https://thinktechhawaii.com and see our Think Tech Advisories at https://thinktechadvisories.blogspot.com.

In this episode we take a look into the process a woman went through in 2022 to get a British Passport for her daughter after deciding not to register the “birth” with the General Register Office.  At first glance, this would seem impossible, and the Passport Office time and again made it seemingly impossible without their created document, the birth certificate.  As we work through her story she explains why she decided against registering the “birth” and the process she decided to create and follow.This woman knew exactly what she wanted, looked for and found the information and knowledge she required, created a support network, created some of her own paperwork and then stood her ground and kept working towards her goal. 8 months later she received the passport and has travelled without incident.The question and answers, and the paperwork can be found here:https://fortheloveoftruth.co.uk/2023/02/04/ep-286-getting-a-passport-without-getting-a-birth-certificate/To learn more about the Birth Certificate Fraud: https://fortheloveoftruth.co.uk/resources/Scroll down to The Birth certificate fraudTo support my work:https://fortheloveoftruth.co.uk/support-me/Monero address:41hRm6kgZfF14qw31vWrerS888eCfQd8A7Ktp2FYpvXNRFcfdCNjiZU7mMG5zPP4Dr5D2DPGBPPmrPyDnPvMUNHe2FCA1n3-Are you nutritionally deficient?If you want to buy Clive's Natural Health Essentials and join The Secret Health Club which gives you access to very rich detailed (and censored) content please use this affiliate link: https://clivedecarle.ositracker.com/239640/11489Bioresonance therapyWe are immersed in invisible frequencies, many of which are damaging to our bodies.To learn more about bioresonance:https://alternativeprinciplesforhealth.info/ep-255-bio-resonance-therapy/To learn more about the Bio-Medis Trinity device you can visit their website. This is an affiliate link:https://biomedis.global/ref/adrian/Podcast: https://fortheloveoftruth.co.uk/podcast/ orhttps://fortheloveoftruth.buzzsprout.com/Make sure to sign up for my newsletter so you never miss any new content and offers: https://fortheloveoftruth.co.uk/newsletter-signup/My book:I have written a book on health and well-being. Nothing mainstream in here, just things I've observed and worked out that have helped me and others who have used the ideas.You can read more about it here:http://alternativeprinciplesforhealth.info/—Drinking distilled water is one of the best things you can do for your health. To buy a distiller via our affiliate link:https://www.makewaterpure.co.uk/?cmid=THVmWlZFWFJYRVk9&afid=YVJqdUJQMWI2Tms9&ats=YXErRWFBS3hCd1E9Support the show

The Federal Government has opened a new passport office in the Alimosho area of Lagos State. Interior Minister Raul Aregbesola explained that it is part of a move to address the shortage gap” in passport processing. He says Applications have been increasing every year at an unprecedented rate, due to the tendency of many Nigerians wanting to travel outside the country & those who want to use it as means of identification.This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/4090160/advertisement

Mark had quite the time at the passport office yesterday! We find out when we'll die. Where do you stand on wearing PJ's multiple nights in a row!? All this and more on The Mark and Jess Replay!

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ cab.clickify(); }); Original Podcast with clickable words https://tinyurl.com/2gm9bca6 Contact: irishlingos@gmail.com North Passport Office re-claiming. Oifig Pasanna ó thuaidh á éileamh an athuair. Demands are being made again to open a passport office in Northern Ireland due to the large number of people from the north who want to get an Irish passport. Tá éilimh á ndéanamh arís oifig pasanna a oscailt i dTuaisceart Éireann mar gheall ar an líon mór daoine ó thuaidh atá ag iarraidh pas de chuid na hÉireann a fháil. The Passport Office in Dublin is not sending passports by post to the North at the moment due to the industrial action taken by Royal Mail last month which is delaying the post. Níl Oifig na bPasanna i mBaile Átha Cliath ag seoladh pasanna ar an bposta go dtí an Tuaisceart faoi láthair mar gheall ar an ngníomh tionsclaíoch a ghlac Royal Mail an mhí seo caite atá ag cur moill ar an bposta. The demand for Irish passport applications from England and the Six Counties has risen significantly in recent years. Tá an t- éileamh ar iarratais ar phas na hÉireann as Sasana agus as na Sé Chondae ardaithe go suntasach le bliantaí beaga anuas. Last year over 100,000 applications were made, a record number, more than double the number before Brexit. Anuraidh déanadh os cionn 100,000 iarratas, an líon is mó riamh, níos mó ná dhá oiread an líon roimh Brexit. But for a month now the Passport Office in Dublin has not been sending any new passports or any related documents to Northern Ireland or Great Britain. Ach le mí anois níl Oifig na bPasanna i mBaile Átha Cliath ag seoladh aon phas úr ná aon cháipéis a bhaineann leis go Tuaisceart Éireann ná go dtí an Bhreatain Mhór. They say this is due to the industrial action taking place in the Royal Mail. Deir siad gur de bharr an ghníomh tionsclaíoch atá ar bun san Royal Mail é sin. Royal Mail workers went on strike for 10 days before Christmas. Chaith lucht oibre an Royal Mail 10 lá ar stailc roimh an Nollaig. The SDLP and Sinn Féin have long been asking the Government in Dublin to open a passport office in the North. Is fada an SDLP agus Sinn Féin ag iarraidh ar an Rialtas i mBaile Átha Cliath oifig pasanna a oscailt sa Tuaisceart. In a statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs, it is said that they are constantly reviewing the situation and in contact with Royal Mail and the Post Office regarding the delay that still exists in the mail from the north. I ráiteas ón Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha, deirtear go bhfuil siad go síor ag déanamh athbhreithniú ar an scéal agus i dteagmháil le Royal Mail agus an Post maidir leis an moill atá go fóill ar an bposta ó thuaidh. In case of urgency they say that a passport can be collected from the office in Dublin or arrangements can be made to post it to an address in the Republic. I gcás práinne deir siad gur féidir pas a bhailiú ón oifig i mBaile Átha Cliath nó socraithe a dhéanamh é a chur ar an bposta chuig seoladh sa bPoblacht.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ cab.clickify(); }); Original Podcast with clickable words https://tinyurl.com/2485wz3w Contact: irishlingos@gmail.com A million passports issued and people leaving with the air of life again. Milliún pas eisithe agus daoine ag imeacht le haer an tsaoil arís. One million Irish passports have been issued so far this year. Tá milliún pas Éireannach eisithe go dtí seo i mbliana. Never before have so many passports been issued in a year, let alone ten months, says the Department of Foreign Affairs. Níor eisíodh an oiread pasanna riamh in imeacht bliana, gan trácht ar dheich mí, a deir an Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha. 634,000 passports were issued last year, which is a relatively low number compared to the 935,000 issued in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. Is 634,000 pas a eisíodh anuraidh, sin líon réasúnta íseal i gcomórtas leis na 935,000 a eisíodh in 2019 roimh an bpaindéim covid 19. The Department of Foreign Affairs says the surge in demand since the lifting of Covid restrictions is responsible for the significant rise in passport applications this year. Deir an Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha gurb é an t-ardú ar éileamh ó cuireadh deireadh le srianta Covid is siocair leis an ardú suntasach ar iarratais ar phasanna i mbliana. It is said that the ties of customs that existed during the pandemic have now been removed from people and they are eager to leave with the air of life again! The Passport Office has revealed that they have introduced new policies and more staff to ensure that there will not be the same delay in issuing passports as at the beginning of the year. Tá ceangail na ngnás a bhí ann i rith na paindéime bainte de dhaoine anois agus tá fonn orthu imeacht le haer an tsaoil arís, a deirtear! Tá sé tugtha le fios ag Oifig na bPasanna go bhfuil beartais nua agus breis foirne tugtha isteach acu lena chinntiú nach mbeidh an mhoill chéanna feasta ar phasanna a eisiúint agus a bhí i dtús na bliana. Currently, it is said, people are waiting ten working days for their passport, if it is a renewal. Faoi láthair, a deirtear, is deich lá oibre atá daoine ag fanacht lena bpas, más athnuachan atá i gceist. The wait for people applying for a passport for the first time is 20 working days. 20 lá oibre an fanacht atá ar dhaoine atá ag cur isteach ar phas den chéad uair. That's because these requests go through more security checks. Sin mar gheall go gcaitear níos mó seiceálacha slándála a dhéanamh ar na hiarratais seo. It was 40 days at the beginning of the year. 40 lá a bhí ann i dtús na bliana. Applying online is easier, faster and cheaper, advises the Passport Office. Is fusa, is tapúla agus is saoire iarratas ar líne a dhéanamh, a chomhairlíonn Oifig na bPasanna.

MP Taylor Bachrach says delays are costing his constituents

Ch1: Indigenous residential school survivors and their families in B.C., not traveling to see the Pope during his visit, will be able to gather at three locations across the province. Guest:  Rachel Ann Snow, Indigenous Legal Advocate. Ch2: A heatwave is expected to hit the lower mainland and while many of us have the options on how to stay cool, the reality is many don't have the same resources. Guest.: Sara Blyth, Advocate for the DTES and Executive Director for the Overdose Prevention Society. Ch3: On Saturday, the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a global health emergency Guest: Dr. Brian Conway, medical director of the Vancouver Infectious Diseases Centre. Ch4: Passports have been a hard thing to come by as of late but a new passport option in BC is coming. Guest: Karina Gould, MP for Burlington | Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Yesterday I gave evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee on how the present passport palaver is hurting prospective travellers.I told them how, in the last century, the Passport Office at times of stress would give people an extra six months or year on their passport, for free and instantly, on the spot. Now it seems that idea could be reborn.Of course, this podcast is free, much like my newsletter that you can have arrive in your inbox every Friday. Sign up at https://www.independent.co.uk/newsletters See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Join Dave and Faisal on More Than Money as they talk to Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development about how the government is addressing the long lines for passports.  Another interest rate increase. Will this continue to happen and by how much? Kevin Page, President and CEO of The Institute of Fiscal Studies and Democracy gives his perspective on the impact to Canadians.

Complaints to the Passport Office have increased almost fivefold this year with travellers in many cases experiencing delays in processing their applications. Andrea was joined by a caller who in touch with the show to discuss the issues she has had with applying for a first time passport for her three year old daughter.

Even government officials aren't exempt from passport delays! John Aldag, Liberal MP for Cloverdale - Langley City describes his 18 hour wait at a lower mainland passport office. 

Welcome to Rebel Roundup, ladies, and gentlemen — and the rest of you — in which we look back at some of the very best commentaries of the week by your favourite Rebels. I'm your host, David Menzies. Say, do you need to renew your passport? Then pack a sandwich and maybe even a tent, because your friendly neighbourhood passport office now resembles a realm that makes Hell look like a 5-star resort. Alexa Lavoie visited a chaotic Montreal passport office recently, where the lineup was so big that people were actually camping out overnight! Alexa has all the details… So, Seneca College and York University in Toronto share the same postal code, yet Seneca demands its students be vax'd in order to attend classes and graduation ceremonies whereas York does not. Why? Tabitha Peters will join me to try and unravel this latest COVID mystery… And letters; we get your letters; we get your letters every minute of every day. And I'll share some of your responses about my report on Recipe Unlimited, a Vaughan, Ontario foodservice leviathan that isn't so keen on flying the Canadian flag these days, Dominion Day be damned. Yep, yet another uber-woke institution has declared war on the Maple Leaf. Those are your Rebels now let's round them up…

A child left in car is a tragedy that can happen to anyone... How long can the government lie to us about issues at the passport office?...A teacher has stopped giving out grades. Great idea, or lazy teaching?...And Dave Trafford shares more about the Kids Help Phone expanding languages to support new young Canadians.

A warning from police about an increase in weapons at nightclubs and bars. Cayman scores some insights at the point Zero Delegation in Switzerland. Helpful advice from the Passport Office on being prepared this hurricane season. #rcnews #radiocayman #caymanislands #radiocaymannews --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/rcnews/message

There have been massive queues at passport offices around the country in recent weeks. Some people have been left waiting eight weeks for their passport. Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tim Watts, says Passport Office workers are staying back late and new staff are being recruited to ease the strain, but current wait times are "unacceptable". See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It comes as wait times at the Passport Office in Collins Street balloon, with some waiting up to eight hours in recent days. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A system failure has caused chaos at the Sydney passport office, leaving many waiting even longer for answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A system failure has caused chaos at the Sydney passport office, leaving many waiting even longer for answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Halle Baker waited for seven hours yesterday, only to be told she'd need to pay a $225 priority fee. She lodged her passport application more than six weeks ago. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chief executive of the Tourism and Transport Forum, Margy Osmond, says while the demand is "unprecedented" Australia is not the only country experiencing lengthy passport waits. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hundreds of people stood in queues outside the Passport Office in Sydney's CBD today, waiting for updates on their passport applications or to collect their new passports. Many of the people waiting say they applied for a passport more than two months ago.

Australians are spending hours on the phone to the Passport Office, only to have their line disconnected. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Me on Telegram https://t.me/realCanadaPoli Me on Rumble https://rumble.com/user/CanadaPoli Me on Odyssey https://odysee.com/@CanadaPoli:f Me on Bitchute https://www.bitchute.com/channel/l55JBxrgT3Hf/ Me on Twitch https://www.twitch.tv/canadapoli Me on Periscope https://www.pscp.tv/MarkParalovos/1vOGwkzNPdLGB Headlines and More! https://canadareport.co/ Intro Song https://www.instagram.com/p/CULMhYJD8jH/ Lies introhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvLNNKJP2QA Discussion Based https://speakingmoistly.co/ Miss Reddit? https://diggit.me Me on Twitter Tweets by MarkParalovos Podcast https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Ihhe33job6uxmjrrws4znzl4eq4 Who Am I? home Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act ... Read More The post 960 Elon Musk Gets Red Pilled, Justice Reform in Canada and Passport Office Calls Police on Crowd appeared first on CanadaPoli.

Search and download for free our amazing complete database of amazing sounds and special effects herehttps://www.tale-teller.club/free-sfxNo sign up needed, immediate downloads.Check out our own story www.tale-teller.club/immersionauthentic-sfx #game_audio #gaming_tools #loops #reels #shorts #youtube #tiktok #sound #soundeffects #specialeffects #free #logicpro #taleteller #taletellerclub #soundrecordings #ASMR #recordings #studio #creators #creatortools #soundtracks #postedit #freedownloads #audio #audiotools #audiorecording #podcaster #podcasttools #gamedesigners #musicians #filmmakers #juicysounds #free-lessons #digital-music-school #digi-mus #ads #advertising #voiceover #vocals #taletellers #taletellerclub #soundscape #sound_designer #audio_tricks #loopmaster #juicy_loops #loopscatalogue #cubase #garageband #royalty_free #Greatdownloads #no-copyright #free_stuff #instagram_tools #facebook_video #Online_library #immersive #immersion #make_believe #story #stortellers #storytelling, #nocatch #100%free #moods #ambient #trance #ambient #imovie#music #musicpodcasts #musician #composer #digitalmusic #arranger #performer #how_to_create_soundtracks #soundtracks_fo_film, #classical #classicallytrained #contemporarymusic #recordingartists #††ç #TTC #entertainers, #apple_loops_ alternative #ringtone #ringtone_samples #create_ringtones#Live_backing_tracks #tale_teller_club #sarnia #sarnia-de-la-mare #pro_tools #makemovies, #howto #learn #learnfilmmaking #filmschool #video_art #filmsecrets #specialeffects #freetools #logicprofree #taleteller #taletellerclub #soundrecordings #ASMR #recordings #studio #creators #creatortools #soundtracks #postedit #freedownloads #audio #audiotools #audiorecording #podcaster #podcasttools #gamedesigners #musicians #filmmakers #juicysounds #free-lessons #digital-music-school #moody #mood_creation #petrifying_sounds #funny_sounds #games #game #gaming #online_filmschool #create_tension #synth #processed #electronic #electronic_sfx

The government is threatening to privatise the Passport Office (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-61233206). This makes no sense if efficiency or improved service is the goal. I explain why.

Her Majesty's Passport Office is suffering huge delays following Brexit and the pandemic.Now amid the cost-of-living squeeze, the prime minister is threatening to privatise the service if bosses can't get a grip on the backlog.Passport Office phone lines are jammed, and even its £142-a-go fast-track website has crashed - so holidaymakers are understandably getting very nervous their travel documents will be returned in time.So what is the solution for getting the service back on an even keel?The Evening Standard's deputy political editor, David Bond, joins the Leader to discuss the latest. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Boris threatens to privatise passport & DVLA offices, and sharia law in our jails.

Betty's Bio:Elizabeth “Betty” Stevens is of counsel at Poarch Thompson Law.  Ms. Stevens received her J.D. magna cum laude from George Mason School of Law, and a B.S. in the Arabic Languages from Georgetown University.  Ms. Stevens is an active member of the Federal Bar Association and is a past Chair of the FBA's Immigration Law Section.  In that capacity, she assisted in drafting and refining the FBA's Article I immigration court proposal.From 2008 to December 2016, Ms. Stevens served as an Assistant Director with the Office of Immigration Litigation's (OIL) District Court Section.  Before her promotion to Assistant Director, Ms. Stevens worked on all phases of litigation in the U.S. Courts, including the defense of petitions for review in the courts of appeals, class action defense, and individual cases in litigation.  Before she joined OIL in 2005, Ms. Stevens served as a law clerk for the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Arlington Immigration Court, and the Board of Immigration Appeals.  She has also worked in the U.S. Embassy consular sections in Greece and Ethiopia, the U.S. Passport Office, and several private immigration law firms.  Betty's email: bstevens4115@gmail.comLinks!Learn all about Betty and Poach Thompson LawTranscript of Betty's testimony before CongressImmigration Law Section of the Federal Bar AssociationFBA Immigration Law Section Article 1 initiative*Sponsors and friends of the podcast!Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A.Immigration, serious injury, and business lawyers serving clients in Florida, California, and all over the world for over 40 years.Docketwise"Modern immigration software & case management"Want to become a patron?Click here to check out our Patreon Page!CONTACT INFORMATIONEmail: kgregg@kktplaw.comFacebook: @immigrationreviewInstagram: @immigrationreviewTwitter: @immreviewLearn about your host!More episodes!Case notes!Top 15 immigration podcast in the U.S.!DISCLAIMER:Immigration Review® is a podcast made available for educational purposes only. It does not provide legal advice. Rather, it offers general information and insights from publicly available immigration cases. By accessing and listening to the podcast, you understand that there is no attorney-client relationship between you and the host. The podcast should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a licensed attorney in your state.MUSIC CREDITS:"Loopster," "Bass Vibes," "Chill Wave," and "Funk Game Loop" Kevin MacLeod - Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/immigrationreview)

Sara was in weekly contact with the Passport Office but still had to cancel a doctor's appointment in Spain over delays and paperwork. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Fianna Fail Councillor Paul Taylor said that over the past number of weeks he has been approached by a number of constituents who are frustrated with delays in getting their passport application processed. If they need an emergency passport people from this region have to travel to Dublin or Cork to the passport office to avail of the emergency service

Are we losing our respect and compassion when it comes to funerals? Delays at the Passport Office as a tsunami of applications are expected. Mandatory retirements in worker's contracts. Michael O'Doherty – Founder of Bio Energy Healing joined Fran in studio. Eating disorders and how food intolerance could play a big part.

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://afghannewswire.com/2021/12/26/kabul-passport-office-suspended-its-activities-indefinitely/

This episode is also available as a blog post: http://afghannewswire.com/2021/11/16/special-report-from-the-kabul-passport-office/

A Guardian investigation has revealed that a scheme allowing foreign nationals to purchase citizenship in Vanuatu saw more than 2,000 people granted “golden passports” – and with it visa-free access to the EU and UK – in 2020. Among them are senior political figures from around the world, as well as several convicted and alleged criminals. While such citizenship schemes are not illegal or unusual, some experts have warned that this system could create a backdoor for criminals to enter the EU, and may encourage illegal operations in the broader Pacific area. Pacific Editor Kate Lyons and freelance reporter Euan Ward speak to Laura Murphy-Oates about how this passport scheme works and how it could be exploited

Brian O'Connell reports

Laura Stevens:   Hello and welcome to the Government Digital Service podcast. My name is Laura Stevens and I'm a Creative Content Producer here at GDS.   For this month's episode, we're going to be taking a look at GOV.UK Pay. GOV.UK Pay is the government's payment platform, letting service teams across the public sector take payments quickly and securely.   It's hit a few milestones this year as it's now used in more than 400 services in around 150 organisations. These services include applying for a Blue Badge, sending money to someone in prison and further afield in many British embassies around the world as part of the apply for an emergency travel document service.    And since it started in 2015, GOV.UK Pay has processed more than 10 million payments to the total value of more than £537 million. And today, we're going to hear from users of GOV.UK Pay from central and local government, and we're also talking to Miriam and Steve from the GOV.UK Pay Team to hear about the product, its features and where it's going next.   So welcome, Miriam and Steve. Please could you both introduce yourselves and what you do on GOV.UK Pay. Miriam, first, please.   Miriam Raines:  Hi, I'm Miriam Raines. I am a Product Manager on GOV.UK Pay.   Steve Messer:  And hello, I'm Steve Messer. I'm also a Product Manager on GOV.UK Pay.    Laura Stevens:  I gave a brief introduction to GOV.UK Pay at the start, but I was hoping that you could both maybe explain a bit more about what it is and how it helps service teams across the public sector. So could you describe a bit more about the product, please?   Steve Messer:  So the GOV.UK Pay is like a part of the Government as a Platform programme. And the basic idea behind that is that service teams across government and local government have to do a bunch of the same stuff in order to move users through transactional services. So loads of people have to pay for things inside of a service, people have to apply for things, they have to receive emails - that kind of stuff.   And there was an idea a while ago to turn those common problems and solve them with like components, common components. And that's where the products from Government as a Platform come from.   Miriam Raines:  And there's sort of 2 parts to Pay: there's the bit that the paying user would see and they're one of our key groups of users. So these are the payment pages that will ask for your card details and give you sort of helpful guidance and helpful error messages, make it really easy to pay, they're really accessible, they're designed in line with the Service Standard and Design System and they're intended to be really easy to use and we're really regularly user testing those to give a sort of consistent, trusted, experienced for users who are paying online across the public sector.   And then there's the other part of Pay, which is for our other group of users, which is sort of public sector workers. So that is civil servants in central government and arm’s length bodies, it is police teams, it's finance people or digital teams in local government or the NHS. And this allows you to set up and manage your services, to take payments to really easily see what money you've had come in and make, issue refunds and track cases and applications and transactions.    Again, very much designed to be as simple to use as possible. We don't want to make this something that needs like a whole lot of training. We want to be really intuitive.    Laura Stevens: Ok, so how does GOV.UK Pay work with a service?   Miriam Raines:  So you can plug Pay into your service. So if you've already got an existing online service, you-your users are on that service, they're paying for their licence, they're paying for, they're, they're making their application. At the point in which they're ready to pay, they're transferred over to Pay, it should look really seamless for that user, and it doesn't feel like jolting that they're going somewhere unexpected. That user can then really easily pay and is redirected back to that service. So that's when we do it in a sort of fully automated, integrated way.   And we've also got options for teams that don't have digital services to really be able to take payments online instead of taking payments via a cheque or expecting someone to call up and pay over the phone, which we know can be time consuming, it could be quite expensive to handle those, you're much more restricted on the hours that you're able to manage those payments. So we've got those 2, those 2 options for different users.    Laura Stevens:  And can you describe some of the services it's been used in?    Miriam Raines:  Yeah, we've got sort of a whole range of services. We've got some really big central government services right through to, so you mentioned, ours, we're open to local government, to NHS and police forces as well. So at sort of big central government level, we work with DVLA, we work with the Passport Office, so if you're making a digital application for passport, you'd be paying on GOV.UK Pay. We work some national services like Blue Badge. So we support a, lots of local authorities to handle Blue Badge payments. Right down to some really like small services that don't see a lot of transactions: we can have like yacht racing certificates. If you want to pay for an image of Field Marshal Montgomery at the National Archives, you can pay for that using Pay. It's quite, quite a variety. It's absolutely fascinating seeing all the things that government handles money for.  Laura Stevens:  So you mentioned there how some of the people who use it are from health and also from local government and central government, and I’ve got here as a brief history, we started off in 2015 with central government departments, then opened up to local government in 2017 and then in 2018 the health sector started using GOV.UK Pay.    But I also wanted to talk about some of the successes that have happened this year, 'cause this year has been a big year for GOV.UK Pay. I see from Steve's weeknotes - every week there seems to be a new headline. So I just wondered if you could just take me through some of the highlights from this year in GOV.UK Pay.   Steve Messer:  Yep. So I think it was a couple of weeks ago, so maybe mid-October when we had our 400th service go live, which was a good milestone. I think compared to last year, there were, I think there was something around about 100 live services. So we've seen a massive increase over the last 12 months, which is fantastic. It's good to see that the product is being used and talked about, but you know, it does mean that we have to work a bit harder now. So many more needs coming up, but that's fine, that's what we're here for.    I think we've also just before then, so I think it was around about September, we passed a milestone in the value of payments that we've taken and we've now taken well over £500 million from users and passed that on to government departments. So you know half a billion pounds moving through the product is quite a big milestone because you know, a lot of people on the team remember when the first quid went through.   But it's also it's, it's, it's exciting to see the benefits that it can generate as well. So in our economic model, we know that it can save service teams, tens of thousands of pounds in procurement costs and the time that's associated with that.    Miriam Raines:  I think we've also seen, we've able to sort of respond quickly when teams have needed to get set up with services that related to sort of COVID support. You know we are one small part of that massive thing that those services are handling, but if we can make just even the payments bit of it that bit easier and take that burden off the team when they've got all these other things to work on and get people set up really quickly, that's felt really valuable.   Steve Messer:  There was another episode just after the lockdown got lifted as well where like, no-one was applying for fishing licences because everyone was inside obviously. And then all of a sudden the, the, the break of the stay at home order was announced and people could go fishing again. And the number of fishing licence applications went from 0 to up to something like 2,000 per minute or something like that, within an hour. And it was just, it was fascinating to watch the dashboard just go, 'bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep' and you know things start happening. It was, it was a very cool.    Laura Stevens: And yes Steve, you actually set that up very nicely as well, because we're now going to hear from the Environment Agency and they are talking about fishing, so you've clearly got some friends over there. ----- Haroon Tariq:  I’m Haroon Tariq. I'm the Delivery Manager for the I Want to Fish Team, who are responsible for digital service that enables anglers to purchase fishing licences and submit catch returns.     Laura Stevens:  Can you tell me a bit more about what the service provides?     Haroon Tariq:  So the I Want to Fish Team looks after the service, which allows anglers to buy fishing licences which are legally required by law and also to submit catch returns, which basically means that if you go fishing for salmon and sea trout fishing, then we need to know where you fished, where you've caught, et cetera. So that's what I help look after.     Laura Stevens:  And so I wanted to just give our listeners some context for this service for anyone who doesn't regularly fish, and because the numbers involved are quite big, aren't they? I've got here a million licences are purchased a year.   Haroon Tariq:  That's right, yeah, so so about kind of a million licences get purchased a year. I mean, just to give some context, in England alone, angling is worth 1.4 billion and supports at least 27,000 jobs. Angling is increasingly being used to address mental and physical health, social inclusion, which are key issues in society, especially pertinent in recent times with the COVID-19 pandemic.    Laura Stevens:  And can you describe what the licence is? Is it something that's on your phone? Is it a physical licence or how does that work?    Haroon Tariq:  So the licence is basically provided via you get an email confirmation and you will typically get a paper card with that licence as well. And that is something that we're looking to review going forward, so watch this space! But at the moment, it's a legal requirement. If you get caught fishing in England or Wales and you don't have a fishing licence, then it is a prosecutable offence. So it is very important that anglers do have a fishing licence.    Laura Stevens:  And how does GOV.UK Pay work with this service?   Haroon Tariq:  So GOV.UK Pay is our kind of payment services platform. So we use it to process online card payments for fishing licences. We are one of the larger volume services that use Pay. So we process between 2 to 5000 transactions per day.   Laura Stevens:  And you mentioned it earlier, and also from my research you mentioned about how more people are fishing now with coronavirus with the lockdown when it lifted over summer.   So from my research, I’ve seen that when lockdown lifted in summer, there was a huge increase in people who wanted to fish, 6x in fact an increase with a peak of 1,575 applications per hour after the ease of restrictions, when there had been no higher than 252 applications per hour in the previous 30 days. So how did GOV.UK Pay help you process these?   Haroon Tariq:  So when lockdown restrictions eased, licences sales are shot through the roof and the service suitably with the additional load of anglers purchasing licences over a short period of time. This is made really easy due to the close collaboration between our internal teams at I Want to Fish and the GOV.UK Pay teams, making enhancements to service to cope with the surge in demand for fishing licences.    GOV.UK Pay was very good in working with us to understand in terms of the potential spike in peak of kind of people buying fishing licences. So effectively, we made the systems even more resilient than they already were. So they are very resilient anyway, just to kind of try and support that additional surge in demand.    And I'm pleased to report that it did work really well. As you've quoted in some of your figures there, sales figures for fishing licences kind of hit the roof when Boris did kinda ease exercise restrictions back at the beginning of the summer. So, yes, it was very well kind of work together and it worked well for us.   Laura Stevens:  And so what features does the Environment Agency make use of GOV.UK Pay in both now with coronavirus, but also all the time?    Haroon Tariq:  So I think one of the key benefits of working with GOV.UK Pay as a kind of payment services provider is that it allows us to benefit from platform enhancement. So what I mean by that is as the platform evolves and iterates, then we can kind of gain benefit from that.    So one of those examples is the recent card masking feature, which basically masks the card payment details when they’re entered. One of the other features that kind of is out of the box that we use is the transaction reporting, so we can review kind of transaction volumes and look to kind of forecast any potential peaks, such as you've mentioned, in light of Covid and exercise restrictions being eased.   One of the other features that I quite like is that if there are any production instances that occur on the service, we have the access to a live issue monitoring alert system, which allows us to track what those are, keep abreast of any updates and help us kind of predict any volumes going forward.      Laura Stevens:  And looking forward with the future of your service, how can GOV.UK Pay help you with that?    Haroon Tariq:  So we've got lots of exciting stuff coming up on the service for us, on I Want to Fish, which you'll have to wait and see. But GOV.UK Pay is our kind of payment platform provider as it kind of continues to try and add enhancements on the service. We will look to kind of gain the benefit from those as we move forward.    So I've already mentioned about the card masking feature. I'm sure there will be other benefits such as this that will look to glean and take forward. So I think that's one of the key things for us, is having a payment service provider that can iterate and move forward and kind of give us the benefit without us having to kind of spend time and research and money in that area. So with the GOV.UK Pay Team, it's very good. We've worked well together and look forward to working for in the future.     Laura Stevens:  And I'll be playing this back to the GOV.UK Pay Team during the podcast, is there anything you'd want to say to them? Anything, any requests you want to put in for any of these new features?    Haroon Tariq:  Firstly to say thank you, we've kind of created a really good partnership with all the people that we work with, with the team and very much going to continue the good work. We've got some exciting stuff coming up. We're looking at different payment methods, which we're going to be working with GOV.UK Pay going forward on. So watch this space, but for now thank you.  ---------- Steve Messer:  That's just really nice - it's so lov-lovely to hear. That was wonderful.    Miriam Raines:  One, one thing I thought was really good and really interesting to hear about that sort of idea of partnership. I think we really do try and work very closely in partnership with our services. We sort of regularly talking to services about how they're finding it, you know what's working well, what's not working well, and really involve all of our users in shaping that future roadmap. So when we're talking about releasing new features and make sure that functionality is available, and really just sort of like upgrades that get sort of passed through to the teams without them having to do any sort of additional work - all of those things that we build in our roadmap are really based on these conversations with users that come out of the, the feedback we get from them and trying to understand their needs and expand the way that Pay can support that.    Steve Messer:  Yeah, that's, that's the cool thing, really, and that's, I think that's one of the reasons I get up in the morning as a Product Manager, is that the job is never done. There's always more to be doing. So whilst we've created a product which allows government to take card payments pretty easily and simply and then manage those, there's always going to be some other problem around the corner that people need solved. And as you hear from Haroon there, they're sort of looking at other payment methods in the future. Things that were interesting to explore with people and looking at the moment.   Laura Stevens:  And Miriam, to quote your words back at you, you along with Mark Buckley, blogged about the use of GaaP products with Coronavirus, and in there you said “some services needed to stop taking cheques or reduce reliance on call centres as offices close and call centres have fewer staff. GOV.UK Pay has been able to help these services start taking payments within a day and keep important services running.” So what I wanted to do is I want to play a clip from Home Office who, like the Environment Agency, are a long established user of GOV.UK Pay to hear about their journey with GOV.UK Pay.  ------ Lisa Lowton: Yeah, so it's Lisa Lowton. I'm from the Home Office and I am the Head Functional Lead for our ERP solution - and the ERP solution being the Enterprise Resource Planning Tool that we, we look after all of our HR and finance activities.   Laura Stevens:  Lisa, I know you've worked in the Civil Service for quite a long time, particularly in finance and project work, could you just give us a brief description of your career?    Lisa Lowton:  Yeah, sure. So my career started, I was an accountant in the private sector and decided I wanted to change. And an advert came up to work in the Home Office as an Immigration Caseworker - so that's where I started.   Done a number of years as an Operational Caseworker and then moved into the project space. And that slowly moved me then back into finance and looking at ERP [Enterprise resource planning] systems again.    Laura Stevens:  And as well as obviously being in the Civil Service for while, you've also been involved with GOV.UK Pay for a while I believe since its inception back in 2015 with, under Till Wirth at the time, the then Product Manager. So can you tell me how you used the GOV.UK Pay over the years?   Lisa Lowton:  Yeah sure. So, yeah, I met Till 5 years ago it was, at a Civil Service conference down in London, when we were allowed to travel at that point. So, so Till and I met when he was doing a stall and he was talking through payments and, and how things were going to be done in one place for government, and, and I kind of really enjoyed speaking with Till and I was quite interested.    It was literally by chance that about 4 or 5 months later, where I was working at the time, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), decided to look at developing a product in-house and that would mean an element of payments that would be taken - so straightaway Till came to mind. So that literally was the-the start of the journey really.    So that was the DBS Basic Disclosure Service and they use all 3 of the GDS products - so Verify, Notify and Pay. So we were the first ones to go live with that. And it took around 2 years and it went live in January ‘18. And Gov.Pay was obviously a key element of that. So it was really nice to see from inception, them conversations in Civil Service Live to then actually it rolling out into that service - so that was where it started.    Laura Stevens:  And more recently, I know coronavirus has, like for many of us, pretty much all of us, have forced you to change some of the way you take payments on services. So can you explain a bit more about this service and how GOV.UK Pay has helped you with that shift?    Lisa Lowton:  So we were looking at the, the pay portal to move all our invoice payments to. So, so currently our card payments were, are taken through another provider, and they're kind of a shared service centre as such, and, and card payments are actually took through manual card terminals, which was, obviously means the-the agents having to obviously be in the office at the time, and also the number of issues that the guys faced with their manual card terminals including lack of, lack of Wi-Fi, that type of thing was-was also an issue.    So we were already looking to move the service to Pay. It was just by chance that COVID came along and meant that there was a real risk that the, the guys in Wales potentially might not be able to be in the office, which meant that we would, we would then have a bit of a gap as to how we would take payments for invoices that needed to be paid over that period, and who, who, people prefer to pay by card as well. So so that was the opportunity that we had.    And therefore we-we had a conversation with your development team as to look how we could use a payment link in that situation. We put it through our internal governance - our DDaT [Digital, Data and Technology] governance - who were really supportive of us in-in getting this up and running. And it took around about 5 weeks and we managed to, to get it up and running to be able to provide that as, as a backup service should, should the team in Newport not be able to be in the office.   Laura Stevens:  And you mentioned payment links there, and I know this is a feature that's been really helpful to you. Could you explain a bit more about what a payment link is and how it helped you?    Lisa Lowton:  Yes, sure. So as I spoke about before the, the COVID response was how, how are we able to give customers the way to make a payment without having to, to call the call centre for example, or where the call centre can't take that payment.   So the payment link was,was really handy so that we were able to put on, counter the IVR - so the telephone solution, where we can say, you know, we can't take a payment right now so if you go to this GOV.UK and, and provide that information, and also we've put it on a number of, or we are about to put it on a number of potentially e-ma, at the bottom of emails that, that go out from the shared service centre, as well as the, the kind of the longer term view of putting it on the back of an invoice, and also on some of the, the penalties, which is also where we need to add that payment linked to as well.     So just on the payment linked functionality - really easy to set up, very quick. Obviously the, we had some thinking internally as to how we make sure people provide the right information, because at this point, weren't quite sure how, how the data would come in. And so, so that was really easy to set up. And there was, you know, we did some internal reviews and to be able to make the changes like we did so quickly, I think there was absolutely astonishment because normally when you make changes on any type of, of portal, it normally takes a number of weeks, a number of months, and normal has a pound sign on it.    And that wasn't the case. It was all, it was all at our fingertips and we were able to change it there and then in the sessions that we were having with the internal business colleagues as well. So that, that was really good.     So we've been going for 5 months now, and again, this is not been advertised anywhere specific, this was only set-up for the, for people who weren't able to make a payment when they called up - to date we've had just under £200,000 of, kind of, revenue coming in. So which is great, which, which has come through a portal that would never existed 5 months ago.   So, so we've got to remember kind of you know, some of our customers you know don't want to, don't want to pay, you know some of these are penalties, and, you know, like any, anything like that, you, you potentially do struggle to, to get the income in. But it does show either how easy the solution is and how people are, the usability of it is really good. Because therefore, you know, we've got that promise to pay and you know, over 90%, which is, which is superb.    Laura Stevens: And what other features have you used?   Lisa Lowton: I guess one of the advantages of going to GOV.Pay was that obviously as the payments industry develops, GOV.Pay are absolutely there at, at the frontend of this. And a recent example, well maybe not that recent but you know, 12 months ago when Apple and Google Pay we're, we're very much kind of hot on the heels of, of how people want to pay. That was something that, as part of where I spoke about before the Disclosure and Barring Service, Basic Service, that's something that we wanted to use. Again it gives people the opportunity to you know, more, more opportunity to pay through however they want to pay.   I was really surprised, I don’t know why I was surprised, it was just a really good example of the where you guys had built the technology, and all I did was click a switch and that was it. And then my customers were then able to pay by Apple and Google Pay. And, and that for me was a real key benefit because it was something similar that we were looking at in another area of the service, which potentially would have cost that organisation quite a lot of money. So that is, that is something that I'll always remember that first kind of, I suppose it's an enhancement as such, of how that work was done you know, in GDS and we were all able to benefit from it. And that's something that I want to kind of make sure that people are aware of these types of things and the benefits of moving to GOV.UK Pay.    Laura Stevens:  And when I'm playing this clip back to the GOV.UK Pay Team, is there anything you'd want to say to them, or any requests you have or anything else?    Lisa Lowton:  Ooh..so, so firstly it is a massive thank you. And I guess it's, it's just what I suppose, you know, when I think about how, how can we make this service better, we've got to get the word out there. So things like this podcast, you know other, other advertisements that we can do, that I can do as a department to try and sell this service will only help longer term, and will also mean that you know the guys back in the GDS office, or in the, or in their living room or wherever they are now, understand that the important job that they do for central government.    It's very easy for people in the back office not to understand the impact of, of the front line. And I can give you an example really, a quite recent example of conversations that we're having with our colleagues at the border who want to be able to make sure they've got access to see information 24 hours a day, you know, our operation does not close down in the Home Office, it absolutely stays open 24 hours a day.    And we are now working with them and using the Pay, using the Pay portal to provide them some information to which they, they're over the moon with. We're still early days. But just, you know, just for me to hear these guys tell me the impact of having this information 24 hours a day was, was quite emotional if, if I'm being honest, and sometimes people like ourselves and people in GDS might not see that front end impact, but it absolutely does, it does make a difference. And we need to make sure that we always keep that in mind - is that why we're doing it.     --------   Miriam Raines:  I'm pretty happy to hear Lisa's happy. Lisa's been such a great advocate for Pay, and you know, as she said we've been working with her you know, for the last 5 years through various, through her various jobs that have taken her to different parts of central government. As Pay has grown and changed and been thinking about the new things that we can offer, and hopefully you know, sounds like she's had some benefits from, from using us and from the things we've been able to add, but we've also gained hugely from like getting her insight into what it is like to be a finance person in central government. Like how, how can that work better, what are the problems they've got, what are the things that we can help with to make that easier. So she's been really great with her time sort of sharing that information with us.    Steve Messer:  So that's one of the things that really excites me, is thinking about these different scenarios that people are in when they do need to pay government. So they might be on their way to work, on the bus using their phone, and they don't really want to like have the hassle of sort of going through a government service really. They have to do it. But knowing that they can just like coming along to GOV.UK, go to a service, fill in a form, use Pay to pay us, and then get on with the rest of their life quickly, simply and easily, I think is the value of what we do.   I sort of did actually wonder what are the different devices you can use to pay government on? Because not everyone has access to the latest smartphone or a laptop or a computer or that sort of thing. So I had a bit of a play using some devices that might be more common that are a bit easier to get hold of, like a really old Kindle. So it's nice to know that you know anyone, no matter their digital access or requirements, they should be able to just pay government and get on with their life.   Laura Stevens:  Any other devices or just the Kindle? I know we've had, we've heard before that GOV.UK's been accessed by a PlayStation, services have been used on that as well.    Steve Messer:  Yeah, PlayStations, games consoles, I've used it on a TV as well, that's like quite common. People have smart TVs but might not have a smartphone. So you can use it on that. I don't know what else I've tried it on. That's it - I need to try it on the very first Web browser and see if it works on there, I'm hoping it does. That's a bit of time travelling if you do that, it's quite fun.   Laura Stevens:  And yes, and before we hear from our final clip, which is from Surrey County Council, I wanted to talk about local government. And I wanted to talk about the collaborative project with local authorities and the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government or MHCLG. Could you tell me a bit more about that, what it was and what you found out about it?    Miriam Raines:  So, yeah, MHCLG had set up the Local Digital Collaboration Unit and GDS has been working very closely with them to support that. They had a fund that local authorities could apply for to help solve common problems. And so local authorities could form groups, partnerships with other local authorities looking at the same problem, apply for money to investigate that either at sort of a discovery level or sort of alpha level if they'd already done some work on this in the past.    And there were a group of local authorities led by North East Lincolnshire that included a few other local authorities of different sizes and different sort of geographic places around the country, who wanted to look at how they could make GOV.UK Pay easier to use and make it more sort of widespread within local government. They saw there was an opportunity there, but they wanted to understand you know, why wasn’t it necessarily being used more, how could they check that it was meeting the needs of local government as well as central government and sort of understanding the case for using Pay. So we worked with them January 2019. And it was really, really interesting.   We travelled round to lots of different local authorities. We watched finance teams and caseworkers sort of doing their jobs, what the tools they were using at the moment. Try to understand what the current payment platforms that they use, what were sort of good things about that, what were the pain points around that, how Pay might be able to address it now with the functionality we had at the time and what things you might need to do to enhance Pay. So again, basing our future roadmap entirely on the feedback that we've got from users, making it much easier to use and thinking about some specific issues for local, for local government as well. And I think it's been really beneficial so we've been able to do some of the changes that we looked at.    Steve Messer:  Yeah, that would be great actually, if everyone could go to our website and look at the roadmap and just let us know if something's not on there or definitely let us know if something's on there and you're excited about it. This kind of feedback is what helps us make Pay and make it work for people.   Laura Stevens:  And now we're going to hear from a local government user from Surrey County Council.  ------- David Farquharson:  So my name's David Farqharson and I work at Surrey County Council and I'm a Developer who works in our integration team, which is a team that is specifically concerned with system integration. And part of that integration is the online payment solution.   Laura Stevens: Could you tell me how you came across GOV.UK Pay?   David Farquharson: Yes. So my first exposure to GOV.UK Pay was when we implemented our Blue Badge scheme. And as part of that, there's a payment that has to be made.    We implemented a government solution as part of the end-to-end system, incorporated the GOV.UK Pay platform for online payments and the GOV.UK Notify for the messages and notifications. So that was my first exposure to it.    And as we implemented it, I was quite impressed by what it was offering. And so decided to do an assessment of whether it would be a solution that we could look at for the whole council online payment strategy.    Laura Stevens:  So yes, Surrey came across GOV.UK Pay through the Blue Badge. I also wanted to ask about how GOV.UK Pay helped Surrey County Council during coronavirus. On a blog post on the GDS Blog there was a quote from Surrey County Council talking about a service that was set up in one day using GOV.UK Pay.    David Farquharson:  Yes. I mean, we had a particular example where we needed to take for COVID-19, we needed to take payments for a crisis fund. So it was a sort of fund set up where people could donate money to help people that were in immediate problems due to the COVID-19 issue. And as a result, we needed to get something up as quick as possible, to start taking that money. And so we used the payment links function that is provided by GOV.UK Pay, which is extremely quick way of getting up a payment page and taking those payments online. So that was the particular one that we were probably talking about.    But since COVID-19, we've already set up a number of additional live services, some using the payment links and some using more sort of in-depth integration.    Laura Stevens: And so what features does GOV.UK Pay have that make it helpful to you as somebody working in local government?    David Farquharson:  The GOV.UK Pay platform underpinned fully by the accessible rest APIs [application programming interfaces], which enable developers and local authorities like ourselves to build custom add-ons and to access data and information from the system and embed it in some of our external applications. And also allows us to do things like journaling for our ledger, by accessing the APIs. And the documentation of support for developers is excellent - it's accessible on the website so if anyone went to your website and looked, there's a documentation section and it's excellent on the APIs and how to use them. In fact, on the whole on the whole admin site and how to integrate it, it's very good for that. And the support both online from the call logging system and telephone supports has also been very good and responsive to our needs.    We've also actually been in personal discussion with some developers from your team, and they're very willing to speak to us and listen to our requirements. And we've actually, in conjunction with them, requested some additions and amendments that they have actually now developed and put live.    Another major advantage is how quickly it is to set up a test service on the admin site, it literally takes minutes. You can start, your developers can start carrying out some initial developments and proof of concepts very quickly. So we were able to do that. And it fits in with an agile development approach as well. So you can quickly get something out very quickly, show your, your customers so they immediately get an idea of what it is they're going to be getting.    We've touched on the payment feature, but again, that's a very nice feature. If you are looking at taking online payments that you don't need to integrate with another system and are fairly simple in their nature, you can set that up literally in a day, you could have something up and have a new URL that you can put out for people to take to make online payments.    We also found that each service set up, so we at Surrey, we've got 50 plus payment services that take online payments and that's growing all the time as well. So each one of these we call a different service. So they could be completely different things from highways to education to music tuition. So a lot of different services involved. And each of those is set up as a separate service in the GOV.UK Pay admin site. And you can then control the security and the access to those services. If you will use the admin site and using the admin site for your users, you can control the use of security so that they only see the service they're responsible for. And so in the council where we've got a very disparate level of services and of users, that's was very useful to us.   So, I mean, that's just an example of the advantages. But that’s why we’ve changed our whole strategy, which is to move over to the GOV.UK Pay platform.   Laura Stevens:  If GOV.UK Pay didn't exist, how would that have impacted your work at Surrey?   David Farquharson: We possibly would have had to have built a similar thing ourselves.    So it's probably saved us a lot of our own in-house development work, but would also have been specific to Surrey County Council and one of the things we're looking at with this is the hope that this might lead to more of a standardised local government approach as well. We've been in talks to local authorities because then we can share our experiences. We can look for joint improvements rather than working independently and developing separate solutions. And I think there is a benefit in terms of costs going forward for local authorities to do that.    Laura Stevens:  If any of our listeners are from local government and want to know a bit more, how would they get in touch with you?   David Farquharson:  If anyone wanted to follow up on any of the comments I've made or ask us how at Surrey we've approached some of these issues, I'll be more than happy to talk about that. I think the easiest would be to contact me on my work email address, which is david.farquharson, which I better spell F for Freddie a r q u h a r s o n. S for sugar, s o n. At Surreycc.gov.uk [david.farquharson@surreycc.gov.uk]    So just drop me an email and I'll either get back in the email or I can contact the person that's I’d be more than happy to do it. ---------   Miriam Raines:  Surrey have been such good supporters of, of Pay and we've, it's good to hear they were saying we've worked really closely with them: we've done like a couple of really useful research sessions with them. And yes, as you mentioned, we were able to release some changes pretty recently based on feedback that they'd given us. And yeah, that's really, it's just really positive.    Laura Stevens:  And would you say there, where, what David was talking about the sort of experience of GOV.UK Pay - is that typical for a local government user of GOV.UK Pay?   Miriam Raines:  Yeah. So it's actually interesting, we've got some local government users who do sort of split everything out so they've got a different service in Pay for every different type of transaction and then they can really carefully manage the nuances sort of each of those services and who's got access to it - and in some ways that can make sort of, if it works for their process, it can make finance and reconciliation easier. And that was one of the things that we were doing research with Surrey about.    There are other teams where they just have one service in Pay, and they run absolutely every single thing through it. They've got other ways of handling reconciliation and they like to sort of just, keep, keep it quite simple with their sort of interaction with with Pay. So it will depend on how teams use it.   Laura Stevens:  I was thinking about how GOV.UK Pay will develop next. So we've talked a lot about the various features since it's launched and there seems like there's been lots of things added and has adapted with different users, different features. So what are you thinking about looking forward in the, in your roadmap? What's, what's on the horizon?    Steve Messer:  So there's quite a few things, because the payments industry has changed quite a lot since the internet came along. You know it's not only online payments that have been enabled. Some exciting - if I can say that, regulation, exciting regulation, does it exist? Yes - exciting regulation went through in 2017 I think, which is open banking regulation. And this, what this does is it sort of opens up the way that you can transact with services by using your bank account.   Previously it would have been like quite expensive to build these kinds of things, but now there is a way for any kind of online service to integrate with an open banking solution and then provide information from your bank account to that service. And also to, to send money as well. So there’s quite exciting opportunities there where for people who don't have access to a card maybe could pay by bank account, which in most scenarios is quicker and might be simpler for them.   I think we also want to be looking at how we can make it cheaper for government services to use GOV.UK Pay. We are pretty competitive and we work with the market rather than against the market, which means that you know services can save a lot of money. But again, there are ways that we can really reduce these transaction costs and make it quicker and easier for service teams to convince their governance to start using Pay.    Miriam Raines:  And sort of related to that, we've also been working very closely with Government Finance Function and Government Shared Services. So we're looking at what their aims and ambitions are for sort of better efficiency or sort of automation in those processes in government. And then we looking at how Pay can sort of support that, how we can be the vehicle to enable them to roll out these new sort of finance standards or data standards and make it easier to have that sort of that same technology used and reused across, across government. So that's really, that's really interesting - and Lisa has been very helpful in that. She's been very involved from Home Office as well.    Laura Stevens:  And I guess out of all those plans, what excites you both the most coming up in the next few months to work on GOV.UK Pay?   Steve Messer:  I'm quite excited about so, we do offer a Welsh language service for our services. And so if you're a Welsh language speaker, you can go from start to finish with a completely Welsh journey until Pay sends you an email confirming your payment - that's the only bit we haven't done yet. So I'm quite excited to work on that because it means I get to use the people I live with as a test group because they all speak Welsh. It might make the Christmas dinner quite interesting.   Miriam Raines:  Steve's learning Welsh, so Steve can practice too.    Steve Messer:  Yeah, I can show myself up in how poor I am at my Welsh.   Miriam Raines:  I think we've been thinking about, I don't know if I'm allowed to get excited about invoicing, but I think I might be excited about invoicing. One of the things that Lisa was talking about in her service was they're using Pay for invoices. And definitely we have teams that are using Pay in that way, they might be using our API integration, more likely they're using that payment links functionality. But there's a lot of ways that we could probably make that better and tailor it a bit more to how people share invoices, receive invoices, want to check the invoices have been paid.   So I think there's some work there that we can do because that can be quite expensive to handle in government, it can be quite manual, it can be a bit awkward for users: lot of time they might have to make, you know call up and pay over the phone or something. So we're looking at how we could do that. So that's pretty something we might look at in the, in the New Year.    Laura Stevens:  Fab. And if I've been listening and I want to find out more or I want to get in touch with you, how is best to do so?    Steve Messer:  So probably go to our website, which is payments.service.gov.uk. There you'll be able to find information on what Pay is, how to get started, our roadmap that shows you what we're working on now, next and things that we're exploring. It also has a page that can allow you to get in touch with us. You can contact the support team or get in touch with us to tell us about anything you're excited about.    Laura Stevens:  So yes, thank you both and thank you to all our guests for coming on the podcast today. This is actually my last episode as I'm moving onto a new role in GDS so it's been great to leave on a, such a great product. And you can listen to all the episodes of the Government Digital Service Podcast on Apple Music, Spotify and other major podcast platforms. And the transcripts are available on PodBean. So thank you again both.    Miriam Raines:  Thanks, Laura.    Steve Messer:  Thank you. That was great.

आगरा स्मार्ट न्यूज़ के इस एपिसोड में सुनिए: प्रदूषण ने साधा स्वास्थ पर निशाना। पास्पोर्ट ऑफ़िस में सिर्फ़ चुनिंदा लोगों का आगमन। घटते तापमान के साथ बढ़ सकते हैं कोरोना केसेस।

Alison Pritchard: Hello and welcome to this month's episode of the Government Digital Service Podcast. I'm Alison Pritchard, the Director General at GDS - before taking up appointment at the ONS [Office for National Statistics] as its Deputy National Statistician and Director General for Data Capability.    So I'm delighted that, although I'm moving, I'll still be part of the wider digital and data transformation agenda through ONS’s digital and data services, and our work on data governance boards.    GDS is responsible for the digital transformation of government. As part of that, we’ve set a vision for digital government to be joined up, trusted and responsive to user needs. We're focussing on 5 pillars to get that done, one of which is data - the focus of this podcast.    Government holds considerable volumes of data in a myriad of places. But often this data is inconsistent, incomplete or just unusable. If the government is going to realise the benefits data can bring, we'll need to fix the foundations. And one way of doing this is by focussing on data standards.    GDS is leading a new authority, the Data Standards Authority (DSA), that focuses on making data shareable and accessible across government services. The metadata standards and guidance we published in August were our first deliverable. They cover what information should be recorded when sharing data across government - for example in spreadsheets - to assure it's standardised and easy to use. It's a step in quality assuring how government data is shared. Our focus on standards is one part of the bigger picture around better managing data to assure better policy outcomes and deliver more joined-up services to citizens.    That's all from me. I'll now hand over to Vanessa Schneider, the podcast host, who will be speaking to technical leads from GDS and ONS about how we take this work forward. Enjoy the discussion.    Vanessa Schneider:  Thank you Alison. As Alison said, I’m Vanessa Schneider, Senior Channels and Community Manager at GDS and your host today. Joining me are Rosalie Marshall and Tomas Sanchez. Rosalie, let's start with you. Can you please introduce yourself and what you do?   Rosalie Marshall: I'm Rosalie. I'm the Technical Lead for the Government Data Standards Authority. That involves a lot of recruitment, looking and getting work streams off the ground relating to data standards, and just looking at the data standards landscape in detail.   Vanessa Schneider:  Thank you, Rosalie. Tomas, could you please introduce yourself?    Tomas Sanchez: Yes. So I'm Tomas. I'm the Chief Data Architect for ONS [Office for National Statistics]. And I'm responsible for a bunch of things related to data architecture and data management. So one of those things is the ONS Data Strategy. And amongst the various things that my division in ONS does is best practices around data.    One of the things that we work on is data standardisation. So apart from that, I'm also quite keen, and responsible to talking to various departments across government about all the things that we do with the aim of, you know, being on the same page of best practises and so on. And this is how we got in touch with the Data Standards Authority and other streams in central government.   Vanessa Schneider:  You mentioned that your area covers data standards in government. What does that entail?   Tomas Sanchez: So basically, the whole point of standardisation is to make sure that everybody uses the same things, particularly related to data. And it is, it is good that ONS is trying to do this. But we cannot do this by ourselves. Doing this in a coordinated way through, sort of, central authority like the DSA is very helpful.    While ONS has its own standards, to do what we need to do in ONS, there is, we need to agree amongst the different departments of what it is that we are trying to standardise, and the scoping of this and what things we’re doing first and we are doing second and so on is part of what the DSA is about.   Vanessa Schneider: Rosalie, so you work as part of the DSA. How do you work together with Tomas on this issue?   Rosalie Marshall: So, yes. So this is a joint actually endeavour between the Government Digital Service and ONS. So we're actually partnering up on the Data Standards Authority. So while we are at the central point in GDS, we are working very closely with ONS and actually a number of our team members will sit within ONS.    The good thing about being virtual is that we've really been able to work very tightly together and department lines haven't played much of a part.   Vanessa Schneider: So, as Rosalie mentioned, the Data Standards Authority is very new. Would you mind sharing with the listeners how it came about? What kicked it all off?    Rosalie Marshall:  So the Data Standards Authority was kicked off about roughly at what was probably just over a year ago now in terms of idea. So that was done by DCMS, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports, who at that point looked after data policy for government and they worked with a number of departments on this bid, including, it was mainly actually GDS and ONS. So we've been working together now for a while on what this should look like. And since March, it's become a reality.   Tomas Sanchez So when I joined ONS in 2017, apart from looking internally at the office to see what we should do internally for better practices in terms of data management, we also thought that it was very important to look across government and see what other people are doing so we can learn from others and hopefully maybe others can learn from us eventually.    One of the things that we did is setting up the Cross-government Data Architecture Community, which was just a community of practitioners around data architecture and data management, which of course included data standardisation, amongst other things. Apart from this community, we also got involved in a number of forums in central government, looking at data and data usage and data infrastructure and other things, such as, for example, the Data Leaders Network. And it was within these conversations within central government that we got in touch with DCMS and GDS, who were also thinking about how to work on data foundations and data infrastructure for government to enhance data sharing, data interoperability, and just how to use data better in government.    And it was that way that the idea of creating a central authority in charge of fixing one of the fundamental problems of data, which data standardisation tends to be. So as Rosalie mentioned, we worked quite a long time with them for various reasons. Listeners might remember that there was supposed to be a spending review in 2019, which never happened. So that gave us a lot of time to think about how to go, how to, how to do this. And eventually we did put a bid for the budget this year, earlier this year.    And then that's how the Data Standards Authority got funded and the rest is history obviously.   Vanessa Schneider:  So looking to the future of the DSA, what are your immediate next goals? I know that you've put out pieces of guidance, for instance.   Rosalie Marshall: So the big ones are, we've got an API catalogue that is trying to, it's not a workstream that is actually setting a standard in data, but it's helping us with our journey on standards because we need transparency of where data exchange is taking place.    I think it's important that we mention that, you know, we are looking at data flow as a priority. There's a lot that you can do within departments in terms of governance. But really, we're looking at that boundary and the data exchange that is happening between departments and how we can improve that.   So as a first off, you know, we are getting the API catalogue into a service or product that is really worthwhile for departments to use. We want to make sure that there's a lot more uptake of that catalogue on there to increase transparency of development taking place, but also so we can understand the standards that are being used by APIs. So that's one workstream.   So one of the big work streams that we got off the ground is relating to metadata standards. And that was a very entry level piece of, very entry level standard, in some ways. We're recommending that we follow schema.org and Dublin Core and also csv on the web. So that's a recommendation that we are now working with departments further along on their metadata journeys. We got a workshop coming up on the 2nd October that we'd like as many people to join as possible to understand where everyone's at.   We're also looking at standards in relation to file formats and doing some work there. And then I think there's 2 areas which probably Tomas is best placed to talk about and that’s around what we're thinking about at least. So it's it's probably too early days, but at least we can share some of the thinking that we're doing around some of the identifiers and also data types as well.   Tomas Sanchez: So Rosalie, mentioned about identifiers, I think the overall concept is that something that we call reference data that people might know with different names, like master data or code list or typologies etc. So there are multiple names of, for those.   But essentially the idea from this is that there are lists of items or entities that people refer to all the time. So we think there are datasets, for example, many datasets contain address information. So the idea is, so there is only one valid list of all the addresses in the country. So if we will have a reference set of addresses that everybody can refer to, then it will be easier to link datasets amongst themselves that are talking about those addresses, right?   And you can make the same case for other types of things, like the standard classifications or lists of businesses or things like that, which government departments refer to all the time to do their work, but that there is not one version of the truth for the whole government just because we didn't get to do that yet together.    And I think that is basically the foundations of making sure that we can link data sets across government more easily. And of course, part of that as Rosalie was mentioning is that you need to have a unique identifier for each one of these addresses or these entities. Right. So this is definitely something that we need to look at as part of the standardising data, but reference data as a whole is, as I said, a key piece of the puzzle to standardise data across government.   The other thing that Rosalie mentioned there is data types. So obviously if we are sharing data across departments, which is of a specific type, for example, a date. So if we maintain different standards for dates, so we record the data for different ways for dates, then when we get data from other departments, then we have to transform that into a format that we can use internally. And that transformation, maybe dates doesn't sound very complex, but you have to do this for more complex data - types of data. Then it becomes quite time consuming.    So if we get to manage to standardise data types and then departments are able to adopt this. Again, we are not only helping them on their work, they have to do for themselves so they don't have to think about what to use. So we provide guidance of what data type standards they can use. But also when we get to share data, then we already have the same format that we are using internally. So it's much easier to process.   Vanessa Schneider:  The term metadata has cropped a few times now. Can you explain what kind of data that is please?   Tomas Sanchez:  So when people ask me, what metadata is, I always think about, you know, everybody knows libraries. People have used libraries. You go to the library, you have a lot of books in a lot of shelves, and you have to find the book that you are looking for. So the books themselves are the content, are the data. Right. But we need to find a way of finding things efficiently. If we had every book indexed in a different way and we stored different type of information for each book, it would be very difficult to do it.   But as we all have been in libraries, we know that you have a catalogue where you go and then you have the title of the book and the author of the book you can search for either you can search for date or you can search for other thing. So that information that we are storing about the book, which is the content, that's what is metadata, so it’s information about the data itself. Right. So. So all the data centre are not books is exactly the same thing. We have to find a consistent way of describing the data so that we can catalogue it better.   Vanessa Schneider:  Rosalie, would you mind explaining to the listeners what an API is? I hear that's a challenging question.    Rosalie Marshall:  It is a challenging question just because everyone has a different answer. So an API is just another one of our lovely acronyms that we have in government. It stands for application programming interface, so, and that kinda tells you what it is, it’s the interface for your application. APIs come up in talking about data exchange.    The way I guess you can kind of start to understand it, I think I started to understand it when someone talked to me about an API being like a restaurant menu. It tells you what’s on, what you can have, from an application. So, you know, if your, an API will talk about all the different features within an application that you need to be aware of in order to interact with that.    Vanessa Schneider:I understand that you're also expecting to set standards for memorandums of understandings, also known as MoUs. Can you please explain a bit more about what that means?    Rosalie Marshall: So in terms of the MoUs, so they are, you know, those and data-sharing agreements are formed within the public sector when data exchange is being passed from one entity to another. And the difficulty with the landscape at the moment is that the MoUs and data-sharing agreements take lots of different forms, cover lots of different areas.    And it's quite a big undertaking when forming these because legal teams often need to be involved. And there's obviously a lot to think about when we're working on a data-sharing agreement.   So it's just really bringing standards to this area so that we can improve efficiency in data-sharing and make it easier for those who want to consume data, particularly on local authorities I think. You know there’s, local authorities are not a big API developers at the moment, but they consume a huge amount of government data from all, all over government and loads of departments. So for them, it's a big undertaking when it comes to MoUs. So actually kind of simplifying the process and all, all conforming to a certain standard and template is a good way forward. So that's something that we're starting to look at.   Vanessa Schneider:  So, you've touched on a couple of topics, such as the identifiers and transparency, and it seems like ethics are quite an important component of that. I know that in 2018 there was a Data Ethics Framework that was published.    Rosalie Marshall:  The Data Ethics Framework is not a piece that’s happening in the Data Standards Authority. But it's obviously something that we need to be aware of and tapped into.   We are updating a number of different pieces of guidance, for example, at the moment, we're redrafting Point 10 of the Technology Code of Practice, which relates to data. And, you know, we're also updating the government API standards. And so we're working on new guidance and standards as part of the DSA.    And obviously something that we need to be aware of when doing that is the Data Ethics Framework, which is a framework that sets out principles for how data should be shared in the public sector and really builds on the Civil Service Code in some ways, so it builds on the idea of managing data with integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality. So it's just, I mean, there's probably other people who can give you better summaries. But, yeah, it's important to be aware of when writing any guidance on data.   Vanessa Schneider: I was just wondering, Rosalie, if you knew of a success that government has had where we've started standardising data.    Rosalie Marshall: Yes. So there are a number of different successes that we could point to. I mean, there's I think, the API standards were one area that has been very successful in terms of setting central government standards and having other departments follow them. So the API standards were launched in 2018 and have been iterated with the API and data exchange community. But we know that a lot of departments are following these standards and are building their API strategies around them.    The reason why it's important to follow the API standards are for consistency in terms of API development, but also in terms of better data flow because of following the data standards that exist. You know, we refer to the ISO date standard, for example, in the API standards.    It also ensures that APIs are developed securely, that transfer can happen in the right way. And that versioning again, is clear. So, as I said, there are benefits.   There's also benefits in terms of findability for following these standards, in terms of people moving around development teams and having the right skills, knowing what skills you need for API development.    So that's one example of where we've been successful in setting government standards relating to data centrally.    There's also examples of government using data where it's a positive experience. And I think that's really around moving to the delivery of whole services. So rather than a citizen having to interact with one department for a particular service, they can just think about interacting with the service and you know, the numbers of departments that help support that service isn't something they need to know about.    So, for example, one of the services that has been on the transformation towards being a whole service is that of the Blue Badge scheme, which is managed by the Department for Transport [DfT] and is a scheme that gives those with disabilities access to restricted parking areas.    So, you know, previously local authorities had to kind of manage the eligibility for this scheme. And, you know, they would have many applications, some that wouldn't be successful. I think they received kind of, around 2,500 applications a month that they had to deal with. But, and then there were obviously lots of different data exchanges that happened with the Department for Transport and local councils, before a Blue Badge could be given to the applicant.   But now a Blue Badge user goes to GOV.UK to have their eligibility confirmed. And then an API seamlessly links the customer back to the local council’s case management system for the application process. Once approved, another API links back to the central system, to store the record, and then at this point, the Blue Badge is produced and sent to the customer centrally by DfT. So it's a lot of a smoother system.    And I guess what's next is integration through APIs with some of the other departments that are involved in Blue Badges like DWP [Department for Work and Pensions], which has to produce the letter of eligibility. A citizen needs that to upload onto GOV.UK and like the Passport Office, where you need to provide a picture of you and proof of your identity. So, you know, there's still a way to go on a service like that, but it shows the direction in which, you know, where government services are heading.    Vanessa Schneider:  Thank you, Rosalie. Tomas, I was wondering what kind of challenges do you foresee in establishing data standards across government? I assume with the ONS you interface with a lot of departments providing data. Do you have any idea?   Tomas Sanchez:  So indeed, we do interface with a lot of departments. Obviously doing this at ONS’s scale, and doing this at a government scale is quite a different thing.   But I think definitely the area that's probably going to be a challenge is the governance in the sense that we put guidelines of how people, how other departments can approach standardisation, but making sure that people actually or departments actually follow the system, that is is, it is a different thing. Right?   So obviously, how to approach this is a delicate thing. Obviously, departments want to continue doing their job without having interference in terms of how they have to do their job.    But we in central government believe that doing this, following certain standards is in the end more beneficial for the government as a whole. And we need to try to put something in there to make sure that these guidelines are adopted. So how exactly to do that? How to incentivise departments to actually do this? I think it's going to be quite a tough challenge.    Vanessa Schneider:  Would that kind of enforcement lie with the DSA or is it something that can be incentivised in another way do you think?   Tomas Sanchez: I wouldn't like to call it enforcement, incentivising is, is a better word. I think there are different ways of doing it. You think about GDS is already doing this with the IT and digital in different ways. Probably the best way of approaching it is using the existing mechanisms and include the data standardisation within those. So hopefully we can exist, we can reuse existing things without having to add new layers of complexity to how certain things are incentivised.    Vanessa Schneider:  I can tell that you're both very passionate about data and making sure that government has usable data and is able to share data with each other to make it services better for citizens. I was wondering, where does that come from?   Rosalie Marshall: Personally, like, you know, you'd have lots of circumstances in your life. And I guess some people have more interactions with the state than others. You know, depending on your health, you know, whether you have kids.   And I guess, like, I've probably had a fair amount. So it comes from just understanding that frustration of another organisation having data about me that might not be accurate or that, or them not having it at all. And I'm wondering why that is. You know, I've had 2 kids on the NHS system. It was frustrating to me, for example, that the hospital didn't have any of the records that I’d had my first child with. And there was no way to get those records. So I then started creating my own records and holding all the data myself.    And there's so many examples that I've gone through. And I'm sure you know, there's so many people in this boat and it's just wanting to fix things and wanting to make data work for the end user.    But also, as a civil servant, I see silos and it's sometimes frustrating when you realise that, you know, through no fault of an individual, because this is just as we know, this is the system that needs improving, it's not one organisation or individual. We just need to fix this. So, so if we can create standards that everyone can use and that's why we're focusing on international, on open standards, because those are the ones that can cross boundaries and that, you know, it's not just going to be working in one department, but it will help join up both central and local and the wider public sector.    Vanessa Schneider:  Thank you. Tomas, is there maybe a service that you hope you are able to change through the standardisation of data?   Tomas Sanchez:  So I think data is such at the core of everything that not only government, but every organisation in this country does, that having a right way of standardising the data and making the data clear so everybody can understand it better will basically, virtually benefit, not just the organisations themselves that are doing the services, but also the users of those services.   And if we think about government and we see government as an organisation which provides services to the users based on data that actually government collects from the users themselves. Then you need to have some opportunity to enhance that service. And that's exactly what we want to do.   Vanessa Schneider:  Rosalie, any thoughts?    Rosalie Marshall: I think, you know, yeah, I would agree with Tomas. I think there’s a lot of priority areas that that need improvement, for example, social care. You know, I talked about delivering whole services for users and things like the Blue Badge scheme, which is, which I see as very important.    But there's also, you know, bringing, you know, the social care, those departments that are involved there and allowing them to share data to help those who are vulnerable. There's also a lot, you know, in terms of the environment where, you know, sharing data between the energy sector and you know Ofgem and some of the big energy companies, there's a huge amount there that we could do with improved data standards as well.    So I think there's so many things that we can make better in public life with data if it's done right. And so, yeah, just I mean, I can’t pick one area really.    Vanessa Schneider:  That was unfair of me. I'll give you that. You mentioned it earlier, there was a way for listeners to get involved, if I'm not mistaken. Could you please remind us what that opportunity was?    Rosalie Marshall: There’s quite a lot of ways people can get in touch. There's a number of workshops that are coming up that we'd really like cross-government engagement on and attendance.    So we've got an API catalogue workshop for the API community. We also have a metadata workshop coming up on the 2nd October for those who are working in metadata and we're planning to blog a lot more about the work that we're doing. So we invite people to comment on those blogs and get in touch if they want to talk to us. We're also looking at having an open repo on GitHub to help share some of our work and invite feedback on that as well. So, yeah, we're hoping to make it really easy to contact us. And we do have an email address as well that people can write to, which is data-standards-authority@digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk. So that’s also open to everyone to use.   Vanessa Schneider:  Thanks, Rosalie. It's not the easiest one to spell out, but we'll make sure to include it in our show notes.    I really appreciate you giving me your time so that we could record this episode. Thank you so much to all of our guests for coming on today. You can listen to all the episodes of the Government Digital Service Podcast on Apple Music, Spotify and all other major podcast platforms. The transcripts are available on Podbean.   Goodbye.    Tomas Sanchez:  Thank you, bye.    Rosalie Marshall Thanks so much for having us. Bye.  

लखनऊ स्मार्ट न्यूज़ के इस एपिसोड में सुनिए, हुसैन गंज फ्लाईओवर से शहर में ट्रैफिक के संकट से राहत मिलेगी। | शहर में पूर्ण रूप से स्मार्ट शहरों के लिए विकास कार्य। पासपोर्ट कार्यालय सप्ताह भर हिंदी दिवस मनाता है।

Rhys gets a telling off by the Passport Office (kind of) while Charlotte tries to convince him of the merits of Halloween. She fails. We also talk about fading friendships and wallow in losing friends after University. Don't trust anyone folks!

HAPPY NATIONAL TATTOO DAY! Join us as we celebrate getting inked and heart shapes that say "Mom"! Today we're celebrating with comedian, engineer in biotech, and tattoo owner and enthusiast Nicki Fuchs (Twitter: @nfewks / Instagram: @nfewks)!! LET'S PARTY!! Find Holiday Party online – Patreon: patreon,com/HOLIDAYPARTY Twitter: @HOLIDAYPARTYPOD / Instagram: HOLIDAYPARTYPODCAST / Facebook: @HOLIDAYPARTYPODCAST / HOLIDAYPARTYPODCAST.COM Find Alyssa – Twitter: @alyssapants / Instagram: lettertalkpodcast / alyssapants.com Find Disa – Twitter: @cinnamonenemy / Spotify: open.spotify.com/user/1243777842  SHOW NOTES History + fun facts about the holiday First, let’s define what a tattoo is, for those listeners who may not be familiar with the term. According to Wikipedia, a tattoo “is a form of body modification where a design is made by inserting ink, dyes and pigments, either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin (the layer between the epidermis and subcutaneous tissues) to change the pigment.” Tattoos generally fall into three broad categories: purely decorative (or no specific meaning); symbolic (with a specific meaning pertinent to the wearer); pictorial (a depiction of a specific person or item) Tattoos may also be used for identification purposes such as ear tattoos on livestock, tattoos denoting that a domestic animal (such as a cat or dog) has been sterilized, or you know, good old fashioned concentration camp style The word “tattoo,” or tattow as it was stated in the 18th century, is derived from the Samoan word for “tatau” meaning “to strike.” Before the word was imported to the western world, the practice of tattooing was described as painting, scarring, or staining. The American Academy of Dermatology distinguishes five types of tattoos: amateur tattoos, professional tattoos (both via traditional methods and modern tattoo machines), cosmetic tattoos (or “permanent makeup”), traumatic tattoos, and medical tattoos Traumatic tattoos, also known as “natural tattoos,” occur when a substance such as asphalt or gunpowder is rubbed into a wound as the result of an accident or other trauma. For example, coal miners may develop characteristic tattoos from coal dust getting into wounds. Another example is an amalgam tattoo, which occurs when amalgam particles (a liquid mercury and metal alloy mixture used in dentistry to fill cavities) are implanted into the soft tissues of the mouth during filling placement and removal Accidental tattoos can also be the result of deliberate or accidental stabbing with a pencil or pen, leaving graphite or ink in the skin Medical tattoos are used to ensure that instruments are properly located for repeated application of radiotherapy and for the areola in some forms of breast reconstruction. They may also convey medical information about the wearer, such as blood group or a medical condition. Medical tattoos may also be used in skin tones to cover vitiligo, a skin pigmentation disorder SS blood group tattoos (Blutgruppentatowierung) were worn by members of the Waffen-SS in Nazi Germany during WWII to identify their wearer’s blood type. After the war, this evidence of belonging to the Waffen-SS lead to arrest and prosecution, so a number of ex-Waffen-SS would shoot themselves through the arm, removing the tattoo and leaving scars like the ones resulting from pox inoculation, making the removal less obvious Tattoos may also serve as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, amulets and talismans, protection, and as punishment, like the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts People also choose to be tattooed for artistic, cosmetic, sentimental/memorial, religious, and magical reasons, or to symbolize their belonging to or identification with particular groups, including criminal gangs or a particular ethnic or law-abiding subculture Tattoos have been and are still used for the purposes of identification, and people have also been forcibly tattooed for this reason.  During the Holocaust, an infamous Nazi practice was to forcibly tattoo concentration camp inmates with identification numbers, a practice that began in the fall of 1941.  Of the Nazi camps, only Auschwitz put tattoos on inmates. The tattoo was the prisoner’s camp number, sometimes with a special symbol added. For example, Jews would sometimes receive a triangle, and Romani received the letter “Z” to denote the German word Zigeuner or “Gypsy.”  As early as the Zhou dynasty, which lasted from 1046-256 BC, Chinese authorities would enforce facial tattoos as a punishment for some crimes or to mark prisoners or slaves The Roman Empire would tattoo gladiators and slaves. Exported slaves would receive a tattoo with the words “tax paid,” and it was also common to tattoo “Stop me, I’m a runaway” on their foreheads The practice came to an end when Emperor Constantine the Great came to power. He heavily promoted the Christian church, and banned facial tattooing around AD 330 due to the Biblical strictures against the practice. The Second Council of Nicaea banned all body markings as a pagan practice in AD 787 During the period of early contact between Europeans and the Maori, the Maori would hunt and decapitate each other for their moko tattoos, which they then traded for European items such as axes and firearms. “Moko tattoos were facial designs worn to indicate lineage, social position, and status within the tribe. The tattoo art was a sacred marker of identity among the Maori and also referred to as a vehicle for storing one’s tapu, or spiritual being, in the afterlife.” Forensic pathologists occasionally use tattoos to identify burned, putrefied, or mutilated bodies. As we mentioned earlier, tattoo pigment lies encapsulated deep in the skin, so tattoos aren’t easily destroyed even when the skin is burned Tattoos may also be used on animals, such as cats, dogs, show animals, thoroughbred horses, and livestock. Tattooing in these cases may serve for purposes of identification, ownership, or to signify that the animal has been surgically sterilized Cosmetic tattooing, sometimes called permanent makeup, is the use of tattoos to enhance eyebrows, lips, eyes, or even moles, typically using natural colors.  Placing artistic designs over surgical scarring is a growing trend, particularly over mastectomy scarring. Rather than received reconstruction surgery following a mastectomy, many women choose to tattoo over the scar tissue instead, as a truly personal way of regaining control over their post-cancer bodies As an artform, tattooing has been practiced globally since at least Neolithic times, as evidenced by mummified preserved skin. The oldest discovery of tattooed human skin was found on the body of Otzi the Iceman, dating to about 3250 BC. Otzi had 61 carbon-ink tattoos consisting of 19 groups of lines simple dots and lines on his lower spine, left wrist, behind his right knee and on his ankles. It’s been argued that the tattoos were a form of healing because of their placement, though other explanations are plausible The oldest figurative (derived from real object sources, or representational) tattoos in the world were discovered in 2018 on two mummies from Egypt which are dated between 3351 and 3017 BC Other tattooed mummies have been recovered from 49 archaeological sites, including in Greenland, Alaska, Siberia, Mongolia, western China, Egypt, Sudan, the Philippines, and the Andes. The earliest possible evidence for tattooing in Europe actually appears on ancient art from the Upper Paleolithic period as incised designs on the bodies of humanoid figurines. One example is the ivory Lowenmench (“Lion-Man”) figurine from the Aurignacian culture, which dates to about 40K years ago and features a series of parallel lines on its left shoulder. This figurine also happens to be the oldest-known uncontested example of both zoomorphic sculpture and figurative art Ancient tattooing was most widely practiced among the Austronesian people (Southeast Asia, Oceania, East Africa). It was one of the early technologies developed by the Proto-Austronesians in Taiwan and coastal South China prior to at least 1500 BC It may have originally associated with headhunting, and employed the characteristic skin-puncturing technique, using a small mallet and a piercing implement made from Citrus thorns, fish bone, bone, and oyster shells The oldest known physical evidence of tattooing in North America was made through the discovery of a frozen, mummified Inuit female on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska who had tattoos on her skin. Radiocarbon determined that she lived sometime in the 16th century Early explorers to North America made lots of ethnographic observations about the Indigenous People they met. As they didn’t have a word for tattooing, they instead described the process as “pounce, prick, list, mark, and raze” to “stamp, paint, burn, and embroider.” In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, tattoos were as much about self-expression as they were about having a unique way to identify a sailor’s body should he be lost at sea or impressed (taking of military or naval force by compulsion) by the British Navy. The best source for early American tattoos is the protection papers issued following a 1796 congressional act to safeguard American seamen from impressment. These proto-passports catalogued tattoos alongside birthmarks, scars, race, and height. Using simple techniques and tools, tattoo artists in the early republic typically worked on board ships using anything available as pigments, even gunpowder and urine. Men marked their arms and hands with initials of themselves and loved ones, significant dates, symbols of the seafaring life, liberty poles, crucifixes, and other symbols.” It is commonly held that the modern popularity of tattooing stems from Captain James Cook’s three voyages to the South Pacific in the late 19th century. The dissemination of the texts and images from them brought more awareness about tattooing, however, tattooing has been consistently present in Western society from the modern period stretching back to Ancient Greece.  Tattoo historian Anna Felicity Friedman suggests a couple reasons for the ‘Cook Myth,’ including that the modern words for the practice (“tattoo,” tatuaje,``''tatouage,``''Tatowierung,``''tatuagem”) derive from ‘tatau,’ which was introduced to European languages through Cook’s travels.  However, earlier European texts show that a variety of metaphorical terms for the practice were in use, including pricked/marked/engraved/decorated/punctured/stained/embroidered. The growing print culture at the time of Cook’s voyages may have increased the visibility of tattooing despite its prior existence in the West New York City is largely considered the birthplace of modern tattoos, since the first recorded professional tattoo artist in the US was a German immigrant, Martin Hildebrandt, who opened a shop in NYC in 1846. He quickly became popular during the Civil War among soldiers and sailors of both Union and Confederate militaries In 1891, New York tattooer Samuel O’Reilly patented the first electric tattoo machine, which was a modification of Thomas Edison’s electric pen Some of the earliest appearances of tattoos on women during this period were in the circus. Other than their faces, hands, necks, and other readily visible areas, these “Tattooed Ladies” were covered in ink. The earliest women would claim tales of captivity in order to draw crowds, claiming to have been taken hostage by Native Americans that forcibly tattooed them as a form of torture, though those stories were eventually replaced with narratives of the women’s personal liberation and freedom. The last tattooed lady was out of business by the 1990s The percentage of fashionable NYC women who were tattooed at the turn of the century has been estimated at around 75%. Popular designs were butterflies, flowers, and dragons Tattoos were an early way that women took control of their own bodies When Social Security numbers were introduced in the 1930s, it became a trend to get your numbers tattoos on your arms, chest, or back to make them easier to remember A Tattoo Renaissance began in the late 1950s and was greatly influenced by artists such as Lyle Tuttle, Cliff Raven, Don Nolan, Zeke Owens, Spider Webb, and none other than our fave, Don Ed Hardy  In 1961, however, this renaissance experienced a temporary setback, at least in New York City, as a hepatitis outbreak prompted the health department to ban tattooing, leading tattoo artists to either move their shops out of the city or work out of their apartments This ban wasn’t lifted until 1997 by Mayor Rudy Giuliani According to National Day Calendar, the holiday has been observed since 2016, but the source and founder are currently unknown Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, also recognizes the holiday. In recognition of the 2016 holiday, they released a series of findings on the country’s perceptions and attitudes towards tattoos as an artform. The survey was conducted in December 2015, polling 3,020 adults online They found that 73% of Americans believe that at least some tattoos are art (a graph breakdown by age and whether all or some tattoos are art can be found below the sources in the shownotes) 27% of Americans have at least one tattoo. 15% have one, 12% have more than one There is no significant difference between genders on the likelihood of having a tattoo (27% of men vs. 25% of women, respectively). Men are more likely to have just one tattoo (17% vs 12%), women are more likely to have multiple (13% vs. 10%) Americans with full-time jobs are the most likely to have at least one tattoo (34%), compared to those who work part-time (26%), are unemployed (27%), or retired (9%) I got the following statistics from historyoftattoos.net and the article, “Tattoo Statistics: 23 Facts You Won’t Regret Reading,” from creditdonkey.com, published in June 2015: 40% of American households report having at least one person with a tattoo. This is a significant increase from 1999, when about 21% of households did so 22% of millennials aged 18-24 report having at least one tattoo 30% of millennials aged 25-29 report having tattoos, and 38% of adults aged 30-39 are tattooed Nearly 30% of 40-49 years olds, 11% of seniors between 50-64, and just 5% of seniors 65 and older report having tattoos Women are more likely to have their ankle or upper back tattooed (27% and 25%, respectively), while men overwhelmingly choose getting inked on their arm (75%) Tattooing is a $3billion industry, at least as of 2015 As of 2013, there were at least 21K tattoo shops operating nationwide The number grows by one every day Miami boasts the highest number of tattoo parlors per capita, with about 24 shops for every 100K people Salina, Kansas has the fewest, with just one tattoo parlor that serves all of its 47K residents, which is a per capita rate of about 2 per 100K (this is inaccurate as of 2019--I found four tattoo parlors listed in the Salinas area, bringing the per capita rate to 8 per 100K) The most expensive “tattoo” is a temporary one composed of 612 half-carat diamonds individually adhered to the skin in a floral pattern, and costs $924K. It was created by Shimansky, a luxury store based in South Africa Average tattoo prices range from $45 for smaller ones to $150 for larger pieces The term “tattoo” became the #1 searched term on the Internet in 2002 31% of those that have tattoos feel that tattoos made them sexy, 29% feel that it made them (or shows them as) rebellious, while 5% feel that a tattoo shows them as intelligent The most searched language as an inspiration for tattoos is Japanese When looking to get a tattoo, 49% of those polled considered the reputation of the tattoo artist or studio as a most important factor, 43% needed a tattoo with personal meaning, and 8% considered priced as a most important factor 32% of people with tattoos claim that they are addicted to getting inked 69% of people don’t see people with tattoos any more or less deviant than people without tattoos 10% of Americans who have at least one tattoo say they don’t like them Somewhere between 17 and 25% of tattooed people regret their decision. Men are more likely than women to have second thoughts. The most often cited reason for regret is “It’s a name of another person.” 5% of Americans have cover-up tattoos The average cost to remove a tattoo is around $588 Tattoo removal is booming, with a yearly revenue in the ballpark of $80 million Earliest tattoo inks were made of carbon and ash If a tattoo ink has metals there is a rare chance that it will become hot during an MRI The current world record holder in number of tattoos is Gregory Paul McLaren, AKA Lucky Diamond Rich, whose skin is 100% covered with tattoos, including the insides of his eyelids, mouth, ears, and foreskin. He’s held the title since 2006 Britain’s most tattooed man, King of Ink Land King Body Art The Extreme Ink-Ite (born Matthew Whelan) currently has over 90% of his body covered.  In 2013, the Passport Office refused to issue him a passport, claiming that his unusual name doesn’t fit their policies, however he successfully challenged the UK Government and obtained his passport in 2014 On July 1st, 2019, he whined to The Daily Star that he’s having trouble finding love Key quotes: “A lot of women are put off by my tattoos or it makes them really curious. I’m a bit like Marmite so you either like them or you don’t. I’ve had about 15-20 relationships in my life and have definitely got more attention since I got my tattoos. But since my last relationship ended two years ago I haven’t had anything serious. I’m nearly 40 so I would like to settle down and have a family. But at the same time I understand that the way I look might create an issue for some people. A lot of women are really shallow and only go for guys with Love Island-type bodies. Then I get other women who are just interested in me because of my tattoos.” He has also dyed his eyes black and had his nipples removed to allow for a smoother canvas. He also has a huge labret gauge, a subdermal piercing in his forehead, carved “teeth marks” in his ears, and split his tongue in half George C. Reiger Jr. has special permission from Disney to have tattoos of some of their copyrighted material, and specifically Disney characters. He has over 1000 Disney tattoos, including all 101 Dalmatians  SOURCES https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattoo https://authoritytattoo.com/history-of-tattoos/ https://medium.com/daliaresearch/who-has-the-most-tattoos-its-not-who-you-d-expect-1d5ffff660f8 https://www.creditdonkey.com/tattoo-statistics.html http://www.historyoftattoos.net/ http://www.historyoftattoos.net/tattoo-facts/tattoo-statistics/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tattooing http://time.com/4645964/tattoo-history/ https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-tattoo-day-july-17/ https://www.checkiday.com/a3686928f7e2e9f083f5305e64bd3054/national-tattoo-day https://www.facebook.com/National-Tattoo-Day-117291474977030/ https://www.americansforthearts.org/news-room/press-releases/americans-for-the-arts-recognizes-national-tattoo-day https://www.tattoodo.com/a/2014/12/14-facts-about-tattoos/ https://www.thefactsite.com/tattoo-facts/ https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/788973/britains-most-tattooed-man-king-inkland-body-art-women-dating-birmingham

In Episode 79, Lee shares a simple tip for staying cool while taking a shower in hot weather. Yes, this is a problem with city living. LOL. Not everyone has central HVAC! This tip leads Lee onto another tip for keeping cool - just wet a washcloth with extremely hot water, ring it out, and rub it on your face and neck! While sharing this cool-down trick, it gets Lee going down the rabbit hole of Japanese restaurants and what faux pas to avoid when being given a rolled wet towel at the table. In Japanese, this hot hand towel is called "oshibori" (oh-she-bow-ree). Don't make this mistake!!! Shout-Outs: This episode's shout-out goes to Soncereia at the U.S. Passport Office. She made the renewal process so seamless and pleasant - thank you!!! And of course, Lee's shout-out led her down Passport Road and some more tips - for getting a passport! Listen to find out what you need to know about getting a passport - or why you should renew or get one. If you're in Lexington, KY on July 6th, stop by and say hi at the Pivot Brewing Company. That's where Lee will be - at the Lexington Podcasters meetup. Please share the show with at least two other people and show them how to subscribe. (Thank you!) If you've wondered how to support Lee and the show, why not treat her to a cup of coffee - or a salad! Click here to support the show : ) Mentions/Resources: - Lexington (KY) Podcasters Meetup: Saturday, July 6th, 2019, 2PM-4PM. Click here to RSVP! - Asian American Podcasters Association - JOIN! - Pivot Brewing Company, 1400 Delaware Ave., Lexington, KY  40505 https://www.pivotbrewingcompany.com - U.S. Passport Office: https://passports.state.gov/ - She Podcasts Live, October 11-13, 2019, Atlanta, GA. www.ShePodcastsLive.com - Lee's kid's sports podcast: http://www.SebzWorldOfSports.com - Lee's OTHER podcast: http://www.PractiMama.com - Lee keeps it real with practical parenting tips! - CityBikeCoach.com. Learn. Ride. Better. The House of Life NYC, a division of WLEE Media, LLC, is available at Apple Casts/iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher and your favorite podcast app. (Lee is working on the issue with iHeart Radio.) Leave your comments and questions via voice for Lee at www.HouseOfLifeNYC.com - or call or email Lee at: lee @ wleefm.com or (212) 6 5 5 - 9 8 4 0. Lee can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Guest: Julia Law – Lead Customer Experience Manager, Customer Experience Team, Her Majesty’s Passport Office Her Majesty’s Passport Office is embedding a more customer centric culture, moving ownership away from ‘the organisation’ to individuals. All staff understand that they must take personal responsibility for the service customers receive and that it is not just the responsibility of a faceless customer service team.  The Customer Champion Network consists of genuinely customer focused staff who are motivated to look for ways to improve customer experience at every stage of the process.  They help ensure that customers are listened to and their feedback is acted on. They encourage continuous improvement - looking for opportunities for more efficient ways of working; supporting and helping drive through necessary changes for the benefit of the customer.  They provide support for each other, working with a non-hierarchical approach to convert customer feedback into appropriate actions for improvement.  The Champions talk about their sense of pride in their work and their motivation to deliver for customers.  They prove that happy staff make happy customers. Engaging with Customer Champions has improved the customer experience – once again HMPO are the top performing public sector organisation in the Institute of Customer Service, UK Customer Satisfaction Index. Host: Jo Moffatt

We speak to Sinn Féin senator Niall Ó Donnghaile who is leading the campaign.

We go to the passport office and Nidhi tells of Xena getting her first Bark Box and a trip to the bank.Host: Marco TimpanoCo Host: Nidhi KhannaProducers: Drumcast ProductionsTheme Music: Royalty Free: Bass Walker, Kevin MacLeodThe Insomnia Project mundane conversation to help you drift into a state of slumber. Not every episode will bring you to sleep but our goal is to at the very least get you to a relaxed state. Please do not operate heavy machinery while listening to our podcast.Follow along the conversation without really being interested; if you don't get to the end because you fall asleep, well you paid us the biggest compliment. Want to get extra Insomnia Project content?Go to our Patreon page:www.patreon.com/theinsomniaprojectFor information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We all know how important it is to exercise regularly to stay healthy and alert. Audio workouts and accessible gadgets are making it easier than ever for blind people to stay active. But where to start? Respected technology author Anna Dresner has written a new book for National Braille Press to get you started, entitled “Ten Thousand Steps, Cane Not Included”. Jonathan Mosen speaks to Anna about her writing in general, and this book in particular.You can purchase a copy of the book by visiting http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/10KSTEPS.htmlWhether you're blind or sighted, applying for a passport is a laborious process, requiring you to provide photos and numerous details. In Canada, if you want the Passport Office to assist you because you don't have, or choose not to rely on, sighted friends or family, you're out of luck. Canadian Press journalist Michelle McQuigge tells Jonathan about the controversy, and talks about it in the wider context o [...]

We all know how important it is to exercise regularly to stay healthy and alert. Audio workouts and accessible gadgets are making it easier than ever for blind people to stay active. But where to start? Respected technology author Anna Dresner has written a new book for National Braille Press to get you started, entitled “Ten Thousand Steps, Cane Not Included”. Jonathan Mosen speaks to Anna about her writing in general, and this book in particular. You can purchase a copy of the book by visiting http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/10KSTEPS.html Whether you’re blind or sighted, applying for a passport is a laborious process, requiring you to provide photos and numerous details. In Canada, if you want the Passport Office to assist you because you don’t have, or choose not to rely on, sighted friends or family, you’re out of luck. Canadian Press journalist Michelle McQuigge tells Jonathan about the controversy, and talks about it in the wider context o [...]

Karen Donachie, Research Director at Engage for Success seconded from the Passport Office where she is an Enterprise Architect. Karen Donachie has been seconded into the Engage for Success movement from Her Majesty’s Passport Office where she has covered many roles from learning and development to design and implementation of new passport operating systems. As Research Director for the movement she is focusing on ways to encourage the sharing of experience and knowledge among our sub groups and special interest groups. In addition Karen is working with Cathy Brown to put into place the Wicked Thinkers piece, a key part of the Engage for Success vision for 2015 and beyond. Join us as we discuss how we are facilitating the sharing of experience and knowledge within the Engage for Success movement. Host: Jo Moffatt

This is a report on the Afghan passport system, which now generates e-passport so customs officers can use biometrics to check the identity of the holder. The footage includes sound bites from the boss of the passport office in Kabul and various shots of people waiting to get passport. The previous non-electronic system left a lot of room for corruption, with people paying to have more than one passport. For a year and a half now, Afghan citizens have been able to apply for e-passports, which provide biometric data that can be used to identify the holder. The new system has made it harder for criminals and insurgents to travel. This version includes graphics or voiceover.

In the summer of 1996 I presented a series on CBC Radio’s Island Morning program, produced by Ann Thurlow, called Consumed by Technology. I’ve managed to recover the audio of the episodes, along with the “show notes” and transcripts, from The Internet Archive and I’m posting each episode here for posterity. This fourth episode of Consumed by Technology focused access to information; it aired on July 30, 1996. Karen Mair was the host. It used to be that in rural communities on Prince Edward Island, the local telephone operator was the “central clearinghouse” for all types of information. If you wanted to know what the hymns were for church on Sunday, or whether Mrs. MacIsaac had given birth yet or what the price of apples at the general store was, you’d just pick up the phone and ask. The last rural telephone operator left service almost 20 years ago, but the idea of a “central clearinghouse” for information is still alive and well. Show Notes These are the original links that I released with the episode; each is a link to the Internet Archive’s cache of the site at the time. The Numbers Canadian Social Insurance Number Disclosure Regulations Special Joint Subcommittee Studying State and Commercial Use of Social Security Numbers for Transactional Identification How to get a Second Social Security Number Government and Privacy Federal Information Commissioner Federal Privacy Commissioner Privacy Protection across Canada Information For Sale ServiceOntario Kiosks Internet Department of Motor Vehicles Sherlock International Research Bureau Transcript INTRO: It used to be that in rural communities on Prince Edward Island, the local telephone operator was the “central clearinghouse” for all types of information. If you wanted to know what the hymns were for church on Sunday, or whether Mrs. MacIsaac had given birth yet or what the price of apples at the general store was, you’d just pick up the phone and ask. The last rural telephone operator left service almost 20 years ago, but the idea of a “central clearinghouse” for information is still alive and well. For another in the series “Consumed by Technology,” Peter Rukavina joins me now to talk about this, and to tell us what he found out when he asked the question “What have they got on me?” QUESTION: So the operators are all gone, but their spirit lives on? ANSWER: Well, perhaps a vague shadow of their spirit, a distant cousin, you might say… As you suggested, in days gone by, rural telephone operators played a central role in community life as the chief “keepers of information. “ After telephones came along, pretty well anything important that had to be communicated had to pass through the local telephone exchange. This meant that the operators had a pretty good handle on everyone’s life and goings on, and so if you wanted to know something, there was a good chance the local operator would either know themselves, or could tell you who did. In their own way, they were pretty powerful people in their communities. Today, telephone operators are gone, but what has lived on is the notion that having a central clearinghouse for information makes you a pretty powerful person. In this “wired world,” the place that information gets stored — the clearinghouse — is not in the minds of telephone operators, but in databases in computers. And so today, it’s really the person with the fastest computers and the best databases that holds the most power. Now with all of that in mind, I decided to set out to answer the question “What have they got on me?” I was curious to know how much information about me and my everyday life is sitting out there in the computers of the world, what it’s used for, and who can get access to it. QUESTION: Well… what did you find out? ANSWER: I started by sitting down with a piece of paper and listing out all of the businesses and organizations and governments that I knew had a file on me. I started with things like my driver’s license, my bank accounts, my Social Insurance Number, the credit bureau and continued on to things like the local video store, my Internet provider, and all of the magazines that I subscribe to. And on and on. Now I don’t tend to get surprised about much when it comes to information and technology, but I must say that I was overwhelmed by the size of this list when I was done… in 10 or 15 minutes I came up with almost 50 places that had some sort of information about me in their files. And those were just the places I knew about. Once I had this long list in hand, I decided to zero in on a couple of the items, make some phone calls, and see what more I could find out about exactly how and what was being recorded about me. I started with my driver’s license, which I figured was a good place to start because it has a reputation as being a sort of “universal card” — people ask for it when you want to rent cars or videos or sign up for a cheque cashing card at the grocery store. I assumed that if someone had my driver’s license number they could just phone the driver’s license people in the government and find out where I lived and what kind of car I owned and whether I’d run over anybody lately. QUESTION: And were you right? Well, actually, no. Much to my surprise, when I talked to the Highway Safety people in the Department of Transportation and Public Works I was told that driver’s license information is absolutely, positively confidential. The only people who could get at it were them, me, and the police. I asked them why, if this was the case, people still asked for my driver’s license number when I signed up for things that had nothing to do with driving. They had no idea. If it was useful to others, they said, it certainly wasn’t because of anything they were doing. Now, as I said, this all came as something of a surprise to me; I’d always thought driver’s license information was public. And then I found out why I’d always thought this. Being an Ontario boy, I got on the phone to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. I never actually did get to talk to a real live person, but I was told by the talking computer that answered the phone that if I sent them $12.00 and an Ontario driver’s license number, they would send me what they call a “Driver Record Search,” which lists the name and address and three years worth of accident and speeding ticket information for the person with that license. And if I lived in Ontario, I could do the same thing simply by walking up to something called a “Service Ontario” machine where I could slip in my credit card, and get the goods on as many people as I could afford. QUESTION: They’re obviously a little more liberal with their information in Ontario… what about closer to home in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia? ANSWER: Again, it seems to depend on where you are. The person I talked to at the Nova Scotia Department of Consumer Services gave me pretty much the same answer as I got from Prince Edward Island: driver’s license information is not public. They seemed shocked that I would even ask. In New Brunswick, however, the Motor Vehicles Branch told me that if I sent $8.00 to their office in Fredericton, I could get the driver record of any New Brunswick driver and I wouldn’t even need their driver’s license number, just their name. I was curious to see what the American take on driver’s license information was, so I headed out on the Internet so see what I could find out. I did a search for the phrase “obtain driver’s license information” and, wouldn’t you know, that first thing that popped up was an business calling itself the “Internet Department of Motor Vehicles.” Just by filling out a form right there online, giving them a state and a name, for some states a driver’s license number, and my credit card number, for $20.00 they would email or fax me back any driver record, for any driver, anywhere in the United States. QUESTION: So it seems that we might be ahead of the pack here on the Island when it comes to protecting people’s privacy… ANSWER: Well of course some people would suggest that we’re actually behind the pack… again, it depends on who you talk to. In fact that brings up one of the Big Issues that surround keeping information about people on file, and that’s the question of who owns the information. Is, for example, my driver’s license file my property or the government’s? Now you might think that someone having access to your driver’s license file isn’t such a big deal. But what if that someone is an insurance company that turns you down because you got into an accident 5 years ago that wasn’t really your fault. Or a local car dealer who just happens to have a deal on the latest model of the car you’re driving now — in your colour! The point is that it’s hard to foresee what others might do with information about you. The situation becomes somewhat more complicated if you start looking at the issue not just of one government database or another being public, but the potential power of several of those databases combined. This is really where the telephone operators got their power: not from just knowing that Mr. Jones wasn’t at home on Sunday night because he wasn’t there to accept a long distance call, but also knowing that he used to be married to a mysterious woman from Toronto, a woman reported to be seen in Charlottetown on Sunday morning. Computer people call this “the power of systems integration.” QUESTION: So it’s not knowing all the little bits of information as much as having them all collected together… ANSWER: Exactly. Now if I continue down my list and just look at the branches of government who have files on me, I see Revenue Canada with a complete record of what I earn and what I spend in my business, the Passport Office with a record of my comings and goings in and out of the country, the Customs Office with information on what packages I’ve received from outside the country. The Department of the Environment knows what size my septic tank is, the Land Office knows what my house is worth. If I owned a dog, I’d need a license and that a record of that license would be in somebody’s computer. Now although I don’t really consider it anyone’s business but my own whether I own a dog or not, or what the size of my septic tank is, I’m not too concerned that information like that “gets out.” Imagine, however, if all of these databases were, effectively, “One Big Database.” What if it was possible to go up to a machine in the mall, slip in a credit card, and for 10 or 15 bucks find out everything that government knows about any person: where they live, how long they’ve been there, what they earn, who they’re married to… whatever. Now I should hasten to add that this is, in fact, not the case at least right now. There isn’t, at least yet, “One Big Database” of government information and, in fact, government’s have been quite strict about how they share their information with other governments. But the potential is certainly there for this sharing to happen. Take the example in Ontario where the provincial government is trying to get access to federal government files to help them track down people not making child support payments. This is another one of those instances where the basic issues themselves aren’t really that new — governments have been keeping track of us for years — but the power that computers bring to the task of collating and sorting and distributing this information changes the dynamic of the issue so much that we all have be a little more vigilant about keeping an eye on what governments are doing with information about us because they can do so much more now than ever before. QUESTION: Now that’s government information, what about information that businesses keep on file about us? ANSWER: I’m reminded of a call that my friend Leslie Niblett got when she was living in El Paso, Texas for a time. A woman from Houston whose name was also Leslie Niblett phoned her up, out of the blue, one day in the midst of a hunt for the Leslie Niblett that was making her life hell. It seems that some other n’er-do-well Leslie Niblett in Texas had skipped out on making their JC Penny Department Store card payments and that this fact had been incorrectly noted on the Houston Leslie Niblett’s credit file. She was now trying to buy a house, and was being turned down for a mortgage because of this. Her only solution was to call every Leslie Niblett in Texas until she found the one who was making her life so difficult. Lord knows if she ever did find her, and even if she did, what she could have said… I’ll be back next week to talk about how this could have happened, how it could happen to you, and generally about how businesses can use the information they have about us to sell more stuff. EXTRO: Peter Rukavina operates Digital Island in Kingston, PEI… he’ll be back next week with another in the series “Consumed by Technology.”