Design a computer system for a video hire shop Essay

I have noticed that keeping customer records on paper can be time consuming and neither practical or easy to use. The aim of this project is to create a database for a company or an organization; I have chosen Vinnie’s videos. My database will include customer information to make organization and customer relations simpler; the new system will be more practical. An electronic database will make life easier as it will be superior to a card filling system and will save time and money. A computer system is better than the old card filing method for many reasons. Example, searches can be carried out instantly rather than many manual records being waded through, customer information for a hundred people can be copied almost instantly to a standard letter. Vinny will be able to keep customer information lists, detailing contact information, stats on the customers videos, lists of regular jobs that need to be performed i. e. check who has videos out; in order that notices can be sent using mail merge. This will help Vinny keep up to data and on top of customer relations and business. A search function for my database will make it simple for letters detailing special offers which are customer specific to be sent out easily. After considering the pros and cons of the two systems I have decided that it is definitely more practical to use a computer system over a card filling system. Strengths and Weaknesses of current system: Vinny currently has a very primitive filling system, It has a lot weaknesses. It takes a long time to find records, as they are stored in a filling cabinet. When editing a record you must remove the entire card and rewrite it, it is time consuming to add new records. To re-sort the records would take a very long time as it would obviously have to be done manually. To search for information is also time consuming, especially if you are looking for a number of customers with similar records for some purpose. However the database is comprehensive and does contain all the records needed. What I need to do is design and makes a new database with all the information from the old one transferred into it. There are also a number of programs that I could consider using, they are Microsoft word, Microsoft excel or Microsoft access. I will need to use a database creation package like MS Access, Fox Pro, DBASE II or IV or Borland Database Explorer to create my database tables, queries, forms, reports and macros easily and also program them with the Visual Basic programming script to make my database into a professional running program. According to the user requirements MS Access is the best one also because it is mostly familiar to people. I will need a word processing package like MS Word, Notepad, WordPad and Word Perfect. MS Word is the best one to use because you can use word art and insert pictures or print screens into the document and also is mostly used by people. Hardware needed: I need a computer that can run Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word just in case I need to use the mail merge. For this I will use a QWERTY keyboard for the manual input of data and the commands for the computer. I will need a mouse or trackball to design the database forms, to navigate the GUI of the OS and to move copy and paste data. I will need to use a 31/2 inch floppy disk and drive or a CDRW disk and drive in order to save my database and to make backups of my database. I will only use a CDRW if the database exceeds 1. 38-1. 44 MB. CDRW’s can hold from 500-700 MB of information. I will need a printer to print out the design of my database of for word documentation of the database. The system should have at least 300 MHZ hard drive speed, and 5 GB memory, it should have at least a 128 MB RAM. Problem1: a system management to put the videos in order Form of output: a database Information to be output: video title, video director, main actor, year released, length and genre, how many copies are available and how many are on loan. Data needed to produce the output: video title, video director, main actor, year released, length and genre, which will be provided by Vinny. Desired outcomes and performance criteria: It has to be sorted so you can see a certain type of genre or year. Testing: To see if all the correct records are in the right query. Problem 2: needs a system to store all the members’ names and addresses Form of output: a database Information to be output: name, address, user number, telephone. Data needed to produce the output: name, address, user number, telephone. This is provided by Vinny. Desired outcomes and performance criteria: member’s details available so we can contact them if needed. Testing: not needed Problem 3: I don’t have a system to see who has what video checked out and who has videos that are over due. Form of output: database Information to be output: name, user number, video rented, date taken out, date due back Data needed to produce the output: name, user number, video rented, date taken out, date due back. This will be provided by Vinny, anyone that rents a new video will be entered into the database. Desired outcomes and performance criteria: a list to see which videos are on loan. When somebody rents a video out all I want to have to do is click on the film name and type their name in. The rental time allowance will be 3 days and automatically entered Testing: see if the people who have taken a video out have a book due on the database Analysis of Strategies for Backup and Security. The system will be backed up on CD-RW’s daily and on hard disk drives and a server. The database will have an encrypted modification password and it will be write-protected so it cannot be deleted. If a staff member needs to access the database to modify it, then a staff password is needed. It will not open until the password is correct Information Flow Error Checking To ensure that the information is correct the staff will send the members an invoice with their details they have inputted and attached is another form to fill in the correct information and then collect it and update the database. For the videos the staff will do daily checks on the database to see any obscure looking information in the database and will edit this info by getting the video and re-entering the video data again. Or the staff will do two copies of information identical to each other because the information will be inputted twice and if they are not identical then one or the other or both are changed with the correct information. Skills The user is a competent pc user and will not need any sort of training, he would like it to be user friendly though, so if any new staff join, it will be easy to pick up.

Social Protest Essay

The kid was taller and more built, Michael could have easily punched the officer one time and that one time could have sent the officer flying. Tamari was a 12 year old boy who was shot in a span of 1 HTH 0 2 seconds by a police officer. The reason? Tamari was complained by a fellow neighbor Of him owning a pellet gun. A pellet gun is not harmful and can be purchased for 20 dollars. All of the SE are different stories of how young black guys were shot and killed, but yet all tie up into on e big thing. They were treated unfairly and racial profiling was probably used.Racial profiling is a main problem in Minnesota because it contravenes the 14 the amendment, distracts law enforcement, and it prevents communities from w irking with the law enforcement. This problem could be resolved if the police force can recruit be utter police officers who are well taught about racial identity. All 2 My first reason on why racial profiling is a main problem in Minnesota is that t contravenes the 14 th amendment. The 14th amendment was ratified in July 9, 1868 , and it states that no state may â€Å"deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection o the laws. Racial profiling means a standard of unequal protection. Blacks and even LATA no's are most likely to be searched by police officers and are less likely to be treated as libidinal g citizens, but this is opposite for the whites. Blacks are treated unfairly for no apparent reason. This is unfair for Blacks and Latino because this problem causes internal segregation between n them and the police officers. My second reason on why racial profiling is a main problem in Minnesota is the at it distracts law enforcement. The law enforcement are generally seen as responseSiebel people who protect citizens from criminals, but what I have noticed in the past few years I n the current society is that police officers are being charged of â€Å"racial profiling' due to their today police work. If the police officers hav e â€Å"too many† law enforcement interaction ins with minorities, it shows that the police officers are not going where the crime is, but because they are racist. What I mean when I say â€Å"too many' is that officers keep arresting people with color for small petty things. Blacks are being harassed for no apparent reason. Ay that the police force are racist because they don't think before they do.P Alice officers judge minorities who are usually Africanizing. Mr.. Chris referring to a story that Rage once told him said, † Rage was walking down the street with his broth err one day when a police officer told them why are you walking down the street? † This was very r assist of the police officer because first of all he kept harassing them. The police officer jumped I not conclusions and thought they were just kids that were up to no good. He didn't even realize e that up ahead All 3 there mom was on the same street. She was a bit faster than her own sons w ho w ere being slow. Knot know why the police officer had a problem with this. Do they not have s errors crime work to do? In their spare time why can't they stop doing absurd things? Did the pool ice officer not realize it was broad daylight? The sad part of this was that Rage and his broth her were heading to their uncle's funeral and they had to come across a foolish police. My third and final reason on why racial profiling is a main problem in Imines tot is that it prevents communities from working with law enforcement. If a specific race is arrested instantly, then communities may not work with police officers.Why should t hey work with police officers if even the police officers themselves are the one who are judge Eng them? An example of this is the incident that happened in North Minneapolis last Mont h. A young black resident of North Minneapolis was out and about in his community and was k knocking on doors to encourage his fellow neighbors to vote for this year's election. The young bal ace man did this because he didn't have the opportunity to vote because of his past criminal AC divinities, but the young black man was changing for the better. Mayor Hodges and the young b lack man took a selfish together of them pointing at each other.A TV report misguided the info urination and blurred the black man's face and this he was wearing. The police officers we re angry at Hodges because apparently she was â€Å"flashing' a North gang sign. This shows t hat the police officers and the TV reporters were racial profiling because they were racist. The eye jumped into conclusions and didn't see what good the young black man was doing for his community. So in conclusion, racial profiling is a main problem in Minnesota because it co intervenes he 14th amendment, distracts law enforcement, and it prevents communities s from working with the law enforcement.The problem could be resolved if the the police officers are taught that Alai racial profiling is wrong. Police officers should have a sense that they are not n control. They can't overpass the law. When a police officer is being recruited he should have lessons taught to him. In every 3 months the officer is inspected on his performance. Also police e officers should first see what the problem is and not just conclude things. To stop all deaths police officers must wear cameras on them. The cameras must be on all time, so that if a black GU y is shot we can have evidence on what happened.

Lanier Corporation Operates on a Calendar

Lanier Corporation operates on a calendar-year basis. It begins the annual budgeting process in late August when the president establishes targets for the total dollar sales and net income before taxes for the next year. The sales target is given first to the marketing department. The marketing manager formulates a sales budget by product line in both units and dollars. From this budget, sales quotas by product line in units and dollars are established for each of the corporation’s sales districts. The marketing manager also estimates the cost of the marketing activities to support the target sales volume and prepares a tentative marketing expense budget. The executive vice president uses the sales and profit targets, the sales budget by product line, and the tentative marketing expense budget to determine the dollar amounts that can be devoted to manufacturing and corporate office expense. The executive vice president prepares the budget for corporate expenses. She then forwards to the production department the product-line sales budget in units and the total dollar amount that can be devoted to manufacturing. The production manager meets with the factory managers to develop a manufacturing plan that will produce the required units when needed within the cost constraints set by the executive vice president. The budgeting process usually comes to a halt at this point because the production department does not consider the financial resources allocated to be adequate. When this standstill occurs, the vice president to finance, the executive vice president, the marketing manager, and the production manager meet together to determine the final budget for each of the areas.This normally results in a modest increase in the total amount available for manufacturing costs and cuts in the marketing expense and corporate office expense budgets. The total sales and net income figures proposed by the president are seldom changed. Although the participants are seldom pleased with the compromise, these budgets are final. Each executive then develops a new detailed budget for the operations in his or her area. None of the areas has achieved its budget in recent years. Sales often run below the target. When budgeted sales are not achieved, each area is expected to cut costs so that the president’s profit target can be met. However, the profit target is seldom met because costs are not cut enough. In fact, costs often run above the original budget in all functional areas (marketing, production, and corporate office). The president is disturbed that Lanier has not been able to meet the sales and profit targets. He hired a consultant with considerable experience with companies in Lanier’s industry. The consultant reviewed the budgets for the past 4 years. He concluded that the product line sales budgets were reasonable and that the cost and expense budgets were adequate for the budgeted sales and production levels.

Consumer and Commercial Relationship in the UK Sale of Goods Act Dissertation

Consumer and Commercial Relationship in the UK Sale of Goods Act - Dissertation Example Much has been decided based on the jurisdictional framework of cases and its surroundings, the arguments put forth by It is often seen that where case deliberations could hinge on, perhaps a wildcard or a substantive piece of argument that has perhaps, eluded the most brilliant of legal maneuverings and arguments, by either the defense or appellant counsel. Or it could also be in terms of certain crucial elements in the case that one party has missed and the other has used. The section which we propose to deliberate, viz. Section 14 has been a controversial one, more so, since it has fuelled more speculative thinking that it has laid to rest, and also because it has been acquiescent to major elucidation and explanations, depending upon the perspectives of the Jury and judges. Perhaps more than anything else, the aspects that matter relates to whether the strictest interpretation could provide and dispense justice- in terms of monetary compensation and damages to the aggrieved, and the need for recompense, on the part of the defendant, in commensuration with the extent, and level of a misdemeanor committed. And whether the best course of justice could possibly be pursued and met by adopting judicial stands and legal proclivity. While the hallowed institution of law cannot be used to perpetuate and enforce furtherance of commercial interests of one party at the disadvantage of another, simultaneously, it also needs to be seen that one party does not suffer detriment at the expense of another. Again the aspect of satisfactory quality is also a matter of heated debate. For one thing, only transactions regarding goods and services could come within the purview of Sale of Goods Act and thus be eligible for restitution should the need arise, for another, the term satisfactory quality is also subject to various meaning and interpretations, taking cognizance of the aspects surrounding it. This it is quite possible

Critical Success Contextual Factors among SMEs in Saudi Arabia Essay

Critical Success Contextual Factors among SMEs in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example The intention of this study is Saudi Arabia, one of the richest Arab countries. Albeit geographically small compared to Russia and the United States, the country easily bested the two cold war super powers in terms of oil production with an estimated 10.5 billion barrels per day (bbl) for 2010 estimates. Oil is a very important commodity for the global market and it is very critical to move the economy of essentially all countries. Yet, despite this seemingly huge advantage, the country pales is not among the leading economies of the world. This is mainly due to the fact that aside from its huge oil deposits, the country is void of other natural resources. Still, among its peers in the Arab world, Saudi Arabia is among the richest nations. The country is a sprawling land of about 2.15 million square kilometres hosting about 25.7 million inhabitants. It is a Muslim country and monarchy is its form of government. Interestingly though, among the population of the country, about 7 millio n are foreigners working in the country. However, aside from the oil companies, major companies hold the bulk of businesses in the country. Recently though, Saudi entrepreneurs are picking up the pace and are steadily becoming a force for economic growth for the country. This is very important because for so long now, the country’s economy has greatly relied on oil revenues which, being a natural resource, is strongly influenced by the government despite the existence of foreign business partners. 1.1.1 SMEs in Saudi Arabia It is important though that these SMEs step up in Saudi Arabia. It is noteworthy to recognize the strong growth of these different entrepreneurs which now accounts to about 93% of the total enterprises in the country. It is lamentable though that despite of this, the sector’s contribution to job generation is a mere 24.7 percent. Although these are small and medium scale enterprises employing only a handful of employees (59 and below for small while 60 to 99 for medium), it is important for the country to be able to get more out of these budding entrepreneurs in order to give more jobs to the Saudis (info provided

Leadership Effectiveness, Leadership Style and Employee Readiness Essay

Leadership Effectiveness, Leadership Style and Employee Readiness - Essay Example In SLT, leadership effectiveness is thought to be enhanced if "a manager uses the style of leadership that best matches the readiness, ability and willingness of subordinates and that a good match between leadership style and subordinate readiness leads to a higher level of subordinate satisfaction and performance." (Chen & Silverthorne, 2005, pp.280-288). The focus of this article was primarily to thoroughly view, discuss, and advise on the topic of proper leadership. The matter of how truly crucial good leadership is (in the workplace) and how the actions of the leader(s) affect the overall outcome is a major point of discussion in the article, with Chen and Silverthorne's main precept being that as the level of follower readiness increases, so will that of the leader, and that "a leader's task and behaviors interact with subordinate readiness to significantly influence leader effectiveness, which is defined as the extent to which a follower demonstrates the ability and willingness to accomplish a specific task." (Chen & Silverthorne, 2005, pp.280-288). In other words, the way a leader behaves and interacts and the methods he uses with employees incredibly affect the ability and will... In other words, the way a leader behaves and interacts and the methods he uses with employees incredibly affect the ability and willingness the employees (or 'followers') will have to accomplish specific tasks. What are Three Major Findings we can Draw From This Article The first and perhaps most significant finding which can be drawn after a review of this article is that of how incredibly crucial proper leadership is. It is the leaders who make the greatest impact, whether physically, emotionally, or efficiently; it has been said that leaders "have a strong influence on employee and organizational outcomes." (Vries et al, 1998, pp.486-501). One of the main sources of job stress has been linked to the organizational climate and staff attitude created by the leadership style of supervisors and managers in the workplace. It is for reasons such as this that Chen and Silverthorne wrote this article; leadership is a critical subject matter in regards to efficient and positive results. Another finding is that of employee satisfaction and how important a factor it is in the overall scheme of things. "It has long been believed that employee satisfaction increases employee performance and productivity and satisfaction and performance are correlated." (Lucas, 1999, pp.774-778). Voluntary turnover occurs when an employee terminates the employment relationship themselves. In 2001, Price found that most turnover is voluntary and is, therefore, potentially avoidable and controllable, costly, and disruptive to an organization. (pp.353-508). Whether particularly regarding poor job feedback, job dissatisfaction, unmet job expectations, performance

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS REVIEW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS REVIEW - Essay Example All of a sudden, international marketing is a vital skill and knowledge for a company to have. By means of the rapid progression of information technology, as we all know, the detachment almost does not exist anymore. All intercontinental corporations have to expand international marketing strategies. so, to understand international marketing improved, a detailed understanding of the a variety of stages that a business undergoes to turn into a intercontinental business is required. Basically, there are 4 stages that a business goes during before it finally becomes a intercontinental business. These 4 stages are Domestic, International, Multinational and international. The 5th stage may be termed as Transnational. In the domestic stage of a business, the only target market of the business exists in the home country. It can be said that the whole vision of the world for the company is limited to the home country. In this stage of growth the orientation of the business is ethnocentric. The 21st century has made the cosmetic surgery business very profitable. No doubt, television reality shows have put a spin on the process by targeting daily people and marketing it as an alteration or a new beginning kind of experience. Cosmetic events can be surgical and non-surgical. Surgical methods comprise facelifts and liposuction, and are performed in a surgeon's office-based ability, an outpatient surgery center, or a hospital. It's typically done on an outpatient basis, but a few surgeons may hospitalize patients for a day when using all-purpose anesthesia. Non-surgical events include Botox injections as well as Laser Resurfacing, typically performed in a surgeon's workplace in less than an hour. Three major reasons for having a cosmetic process are changing an innate trait for instance a "nose job," the second reason is to turn back time and reduce the effects of aging, and lastly body contouring for instance liposuction as well as a breast lift. Another reason would be h aving a mutilation due to an accident or a birth defect. Marketing Role Definition: Marketing is the mainly influential weapon obtainable to a business; though, marketing is frequently confused by means of sales and advertising. It is noted that commerce need to appreciate that marketing is much more than that. Marketing, in fact, has a variety of roltes in a firm or business; initially, it connects the commerce with its target market, it provides the main link among the business and its customers. Secondly, as marketing center on the needs and needs of customers, it gives a trade direction and helps it to direct in a changing environment. Thirdly, it offers the information the commerce needs in order to modify direction or regulate its tactics by providing latest products or changing obtainable products. Fourthly, marketing helps to organize how a business can finest use its resources to please customers and attain profit targets, yet the marketing plan can really be seen as the 'blueprint' for a business's future success. The intention of this paper is to show the rising demands of cosmetic procedures, as well as how the supply is being met in dissimilar ways than just the doctor's office. First I will explain the

Business Investors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Investors - Essay Example The aim is actually to create a balance of money in circulation i-e bringing money supply and demand in equilibrium to accomplish business growth and economic stability. Secondly, Fed changes the Reserve ratio which means the percentage of commercial bank deposit liabilities required as reserves. And third is the change of discount rate which is the interest rate the Fed charges on loans to banks and thrifts. (McConnell and Brue, 2002) Fed uses a â€Å"tight monetary policy† when an economy observes inflation (increasing trend in prices). Here I assume that it is a demand-pull inflation which means that Aggregate demand is excessive relative to the economy’s full employment level of real output. It is actually the spending that has resulted in inflation. Fed then reduces the money supply by open-market purchases, increase the reserves ration and the discount rates. Banks will in turn stop issuing new loans as old loans are paid back. Higher interest rate discourages investment, reduce aggregate demand and refrain this inflationary trend. A typical business cycle has four stages which include peak, recession, trough and economic recovery. A â€Å"Peak† is observed when the economy reaches a temporary maximum point. Here, the economy is at full employment level and the output is at or very closer to economy’s capacity. Then, the peak is followed by an economic decline called as â€Å"Recession†. The total output produced, trade, prices, employment and income generated by an economy contracts and it observes a negative growth. The next stage is known as â€Å"Trough† where output and employment reaches a â€Å"temporary minimum†. The Fed in order to cope with this situation introduces an â€Å"easy monetary policy† which aims to increase money supply by pumping more money in the economy, lower reserves ration and discount rates. Investment is encouraged because of reduction in interest rates, aggregate demand increases and

Energy Sources Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Energy Sources - Essay Example Surprisingly enough, the number of supporters of this source of energy was still high among the American participants of the McRumours forum that discussed the pros/cons of the nuclear energy use a few days after the Fukushima disaster.Apart from financial benefits, it is often said that nuclear power is environmentally friendly. For example, Steven Kerekesfrom the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute believes that nuclear power generation plays a prominent role in the reduction of carbon emissions around the world. However, the arguments in favor of the nuclear energy use seem lame if one considers the arguments against it.The financial benefits are evidently outweighed by health risks associated with dealing with nuclear power waste and meltdown. While a generation of power seems relatively clean if compared to fossil fuels, the by-products need to be stored for hundreds of years in secluded facilities, some of which are situated â€Å"deep inside the mountains†. Given the fact tha t high-level radioactive waste has to be kept for hundreds of thousands of years till it is recognized safe to be released into the environment, opponents of nuclear waste rightfully contend that in reality there does not exist a place in the world which is truly safe. Indeed, as Jim Riccio, Nuclear Energy Campaign Director for Greenpeace, says â€Å"nothing you put the waste in will last longer than the waste itself, so burying it basically acquiesces to the fact that it will eventually leak†¦.just like every other radioactive dump site.†... participants of the McRumours forum that discussed the pros/cons of the nuclear energy use a few days after the Fukushima disaster (â€Å"McRumors Forum†, 2011, [online]).Apart from financial benefits, it is often said that nuclear power is environmentally friendly. For example, Steven Kerekesfrom the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute believes that nuclear power generation plays a prominent role in reduction of carbon emissions around the world. It does not affect the climate, therefore it is quite clean and safe, Kerekes said in his interview to Earth Techling back in 2010 (DeFreitas, 2010, [online]). However, the arguments in favor of the nuclear energy use seem lame if one considers the arguments against it.The financial benefits are evidently outweighed by health risks associated with dealing with nuclear power waste and meltdown. While generation of power seems relatively clean if compared to fossil fuels, the byproducts need to be stored for hundreds of years in secluded fac ilities, some of which are situated â€Å"deep inside the mountains† (â€Å"Nuclear Power: Risks and Rewards†, 2012, [online]). Given the fact that high-level radioactive waste has to be kept for hundreds of thousands of years till it is recognized safe to be released into the environment, opponents of nuclear waste rightfully contend that in reality there does not exist a place in the world which is truly safe. Indeed, as Jim Riccio, Nuclear Energy Campaign Director for Greenpeace, says â€Å"nothing you put the waste in will last longer than the waste itself, so burying it basically acquiesces to the fact that it will eventually leak†¦.just like every other radioactive dump site.† (DeFreitas, 2010, [online]). Apart from this, the aftermaths of nuclear accidents that occasionally happen throughout

A literature review of Genetically Modified crops Dissertation

A literature review of Genetically Modified crops - Dissertation Example In 2008, GM crops were planted on almost 9% of the available farming land in different parts of the world (James 2008). According to The World Health Organization or WHO, genetically modi?ed organisms are â€Å"derived from organisms whose genetic material (DNA) has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally, e.g. through the introduction of a gene from a different organism. Currently available GM foods stem mostly from plants, but in the future foods derived from GM microorganisms or GM animals are likely to be introduced on the market. Most existing genetically modified crops have been developed to improve yield, through the introduction of resistance to plant diseases or of increased tolerance of herbicides† (WHO 2013). The technology used for creating GM organisms allows selective genes to be relocated from one organism into another of the same species, and between species that are non-related. Such processes are used for creating genetically modi?ed plants, whic h in turn produce GM food crops. The crop characteristics marked as desired for GM crops and aimed by genetic engineering are from those that are targeted by processes followed during conventional breeding. However, genetic engineering gives scope for direct transfer of genetic codes across different species owing to which characters that were earlier difficult to breed through natural processes, is now created easily under controlled conditions. Currently there are three types of traits clearly distinguished in GM crops. These comprise of the first-generation GM crops displaying vast improvements in agronomic characters, as for example, better resistance to diseases and parasites. Second-generation GM crops tend to show improved quality characteristics, as for example, increased levels of nutrient contents in the resulting food products. Third-generation crops tend to show characters with special productivity aimed at industrial or medicinal purposes (von Braun 2007). The potential benefits of GM crops are diverse. In the current context, that shows decreasing natural resources, it is important to maintain an increase in productivity values within worldwide agriculture for ensuring enough food availability and raw materials for a persistently increasing population (von Braun 2007). Various environmental benefits are also associated with GM crops. Besides these, technologies associated with the new seed technology have played significant role for increasing rural income and alleviating poverty levels in developing countries (Fan et al. 2005). Furthermore, GM crops that have greater nutritional values would help in the improvement of overall consumer health (Unnevehr et al. 2007). Despite these potential benefits, the creation and use of GM crops have raised strong opposition, especially in parts of Europe, while also spreading over to other countries through media messages, trade regulations, and activism by the various antibiotech groups (Paarlberg 2008). The primary issues concern potential health and environmental hazards, while reservations are also expressed on the possible negative social ramifications (Altieri 2001). As for example, many of the activists feel that rampant use of GM technology in the developing nations could result in undermining the traditional agricultural practice that is based on knowledge setups. With rising privatization in the arena of researches related to crop improvement and

Behaviour and Individual Differences Case Study Essay

Behaviour and Individual Differences Case Study - Essay Example 139). The commission on Warnock report highlighted the necessity to introduce support facilities that would enhance education for special needs students (Cox 1985, p.31). Among the recommendations of the report was the requirement to identify students with special needs, at an early age. The commission emphasized on the use of applicable and relevant strategies to address the concerns of SEN students (Dash 2006, p.21). The report also proposed the necessity to attend to every SEN student on an individual basis. This would replace the traditional trend that featured practitioners attending SEN students based on categories and groups with nearly similar needs and complications. The existence of individual and behavioral differences among learners in their early years, in any learning environment, is an indisputable reality that practitioners experience. This necessitates an extensive and inclusive mechanism for analyzing the activity and performance level of SEN students. Practitioners should adopt methods to enhance initial identification and assessment of the existence of any individual needs that students may have. Practitioners apply diverse methods of early identification and assessment of the presence of students’ individual needs in most learning environments. ... Through the assistance of coordinators, SEN students receive special support. SENCO coordinators can recommend the assistance of other professionals as educational psychologists. SEN assessment programs constitute part of the responsibility of SENCO coordinators to identify early learners with individual needs. The program is in stages and involves the role of the teachers in addressing the needs of the early learners. The EYFS profile is a contemporary method that practitioners use in to identify and assess the existence of individual needs among learners in their early years. EYFS profile is a statutory outline that defines various standards as the benchmark requirements for all learners in their early years should acquire (Beckley, Elvidge & Hendry 2009, p.3). Early education providers should meet the benchmark standards as a means of ensuring comprehensive education of children and their proper development. Fulfillment of all the standards set in the EYFS profile is helpful in pr oviding children with a proper foundation for commendable progress through their educational life in whole system (Palaiologou 2013, p.21). Practitioners may apply the EYFS profile as a method to identify and assess the existence of individual needs in students. EYFS aims to reduce the goals of early learning for students and simplify the system (Wheeler & Connor 2009, p.5). If a practitioner ascertains that a child has difficulties in attaining the requirements set in the EYFS profile, the child most probably has individual needs. The profile also ensures healthy development among young children in three main pillars. It emphasizes on communication and language development among children in

Chocolate Market Essay Example for Free

Chocolate Market Essay Discover the latest market trends and uncover sources of future market growth for the Chocolate Confectionery industry in United Kingdom with research from Euromonitors team of in-country analysts. Find hidden opportunities in the most current research data available, understand competitive threats with our detailed market analysis, and plan your corporate strategy with our expert qualitative analysis and growth projections. If youre in the Chocolate Confectionery industry in United Kingdom, our research will save you time and money while empowering you to make informed, profitable decisions. The Chocolate Confectionery in United Kingdom market research report includes: * Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends * Detailed segmentation of international and local products * Historic volumes and values, company and brand market shares * Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth * Robust and transparent market research methodology, conducted in-country Our market research reports answer questions such as: * What is the market size of Chocolate Confectionery in United Kingdom? * What are the major brands in United Kingdom? * What are market opportunities for health and wellness minded dark chocolate? * What are market opportunities for ethically sourced chocolate? * How might increasingly volatile cocoa bean commodity prices impact retail prices and sales performance? Sample Analysis * Chocolate confectionery sales are expected to grow by 6% in value and 1% in volume terms in 2011. The industry continues to be affected by food price inflation that includes rising prices for ingredients such as cocoa, milk and sugar. The value growth for the category stems mainly from unit price increases of 5% to  £8.80 per kg. The unrest in the Ivory Coast is also seen as a reason for fluctuating cocoa prices; however other sources such as Ghana tend to compensate for supply deficiency from the Ivory Coast. * Cadbury UK Ltd continued to lead chocolate confectionery in 2010, accounting for 31% of value sales. The acquisition by Kraft Foods Inc, in February 2010, did not seem to hinder retail sales of Cadbury UK Ltd’s brands. In September 2010, the company announced the launch of Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss. The new chocolate is a tablet targeted at women. The launch was supported by a  £2.2 million advertising campaign. The company also continued its revamp of old favourites to maintain the retro trend it started with the revival of Wispa. It repackaged its Starbar and Picnic countlines in November 2010. The company trialled cardboard boxes for its Cadbury’s Roses during Christmas 2010; however it has confirmed that it is not going to revamp the packaging fully to cardboard as tin boxes for Cadbury’s Roses are seen as a Christmas tradition. * Chocolate confectionery is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4% in constant value terms and 1% in volume terms over the forecast period. Consumers will continue to eat chocolate confectionery products as a treat and will choose chocolate to indulge. With both the government and consumers cautious about obesity in the UK, low calories and portion-controlled offerings will be welcomed by the marketplace.

The World Of Tambun Theme Park

The World Of Tambun Theme Park In this research, I have selected the Lost World of Tambun a theme park of my choice. The Lost World of Tambun is an action-packed, exciting adventure with the most thrilling rides and attractions in Ipoh, Malaysia. Located in the historic town of Ipoh, in the middle of the North-South corridor in Perak, this place is not just a man made water theme park with beautiful Mayan architecture, gargoyles, and water canals, but is surrounded by 400-million-year-old natural limestone hills which offers a unique breathtaking view. The World of Tambun is built by Sunway Group in 2006 at a cost of RM60 million, this theme park is well-designed with many unique features. It has many different playgrounds and is certainly an added attraction to the popular Sunway Lagoon theme park in Kuala Lumpur. Five main elements that make up this world of adventure are the Water Park, the Amusement Park, Lost World Hot Springs, the Tiger Valley and the Lost World Petting Zoo. It is a perfect escapade for family and city slickers who want to have a short break away from the city and enjoy the outdoor elements from man made beaches, to hot water springs, theme park rides; both wet and dry, a tiger valley where you get to see the wild beast roam freely, and beyond that jungle trekking, caving and tunneling activities. Answer Water Park Begin the journey at River Beach Garden, a landscaped beach with waterfalls surrounded by 20 feet twin waterfalls with two rivers flowing into the pool. For a start, grab a float for a single person or two, and jump into Adventure River, Asias longest man-made river ride with a wave generator in the water park section. Besides, refresh with a musical shower at the Musical Body Wash before heading to the Sandy Bay for an intense game of volleyball with friends and family or perhaps, for a relaxing soak in the sun. Next, get ready for a wet world of fun in the kids-only zone, Explorabay, specifically designed children. Explorabay boasts special smaller slides and a large, wet, interactive play area with giant tipping buckets, water canons, spraying elephants, water curtains and fountains. Designed for more-thrill seeking adults and teenagers, the Cliff Racer injects a boost of adrenaline when your mine cart flies, Indiana Jones style straight down the speed-coaster at maximum speed! In addition, do not miss going on the Tube Raiders, longest inflatable tube ride in Malaysia! Amusement Park Enjoy the scenery while you dry off on the Dragon Flights ride, as you get swung in the air in this thrilling swing-chair ride; before you sail on over to the Stormrider, a pirate boat which will swing you 180 degrees for some knee-knocking, spine-tingling excitement. Besides, get your little ones to cool down after playing explorer at the water park, on the Perak Parade carousel; and go on the Giddy Galleon for a perfect family ride away from the water. In addition, make sure you go on the Adventure Express; where you can sit back and let this ancient locomotive take you and your family on a journey past majestic ruins, surging waters and wild tigers; giving you a quick tour of the Lost World of Tambuns other attractions. Lost World Hot Springs Spa Afer a day of excitement, immerse yourself in the source of pure relaxation in our Lost World Hot Springs. The 100% natural mineral hot springs is clean and fresh as the water flows through the pool continuously from the main source and is then channeled to the nearby Kopisan River. Containing healthy minerals such as Calcium Carbonate, Sodium, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Sulphate, Chloride and Iron, the Hot Springs are heavenly for those looking for a healthy retreat. This addition includes many elements which are catered for everyone: giving them the ultimate relaxation experience. The elements include Infinity Pool, Lost World Steam Cave, Foot Spa, Crystal Spa, Top of the World Pool, The Geyser of Tambun, Crystal Pool and Saphiras Bistro. Infinity Pool It is specially designed as a true spa and can accommdate up to 300 people at once and is surrounded by the serene and calming sounds of the volcanic waterfall. Lost World Steam Cave The Lost World Steam Cave is great for those looking for a respite after long stressful days. The steam cave acts as a sauna promotes the action of sweating where the toxins and waste are expelled through the pores on the epidermis leaving the dermis clean and refreshed. The high temperature also prmotes blood circulation. Foot Spa Foot Spa in the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa has reflexology pebbles fitted to the floor. Visitors can walk on the pebbles while enjoying the hot springs water soothing their feet. Crystal Spa Crystal Spa is a spa facilities where visitors can enjoy body therapy at a nominal charge. There are three huts located here, named as a Sapphire, Topaz and Amethyst. The spa offers Aromatherapy Massage and Head Shoulder Massage. Within the privacy and comfort of your own massage hut, you will be pampered and treated to an invigorating massage of your choice and feel rejuvenated from inside out. Top of the World Pool Top of the World Pool is a jacuzzi pool that allows a full range of therapeutic hydro-massage for muscles, joints and pressure points. It is advisable for guest who are suffering from muscle, neck, shoulder and back pain. Athletes recovering from sports injuries are encouraged to take a dip in this pool because it could help to speed up the recovery. Besides, the heat from the hot springs water ease joint movement for guest suffering from arthritis. Saphiras Bistro To further enhance the experience in the Lost World Hot Springs Spa, a swim-up dining outlet known as Saphiras Bistro has been built to cater for visitors seeking for some bites to whet their appetites. This bistro boasts a healthy selection of food and bevarages such as Salmon Fillet, Chicken Stew, Open Sandwiches, Western Style Curry and Salads Saphiras Special. Tiger Valley Meet Sultan, Raima, Putra, Jazz and Azian; Lost World of Tambunà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s very own Siberian tigers. One of the unique attractions here is the Tiger Valley where you get to see the wild animals roam freely in their enclosure, and perform stunts during feeding time. There are a total of eight tigers, formerly circus animals abandoned by their owners, when they could not afford to fly them back, and were subsequently adopted by the theme park and now given the best possible care by experienced trainers. Lost World Petting Zoo Take walk on the wild side at the Petting Zoo, where you will be able to get personal with just some of the zoo favorites such as Ruby the raccoon, Nia the Python and Wira the Green Macaw. Take some time to walk through the different areas, where you would be able to feed, touch and experience animals in their natural habitats. Besides, the Petting Zoo allows the public to touch, feel, feed and play with the animals; giving those looking for a more personal encounter, a closer perspective. It features a large variety of exotic animals in an environment created as close to nature as possible and apart from being a fun activity that families can do together, it also serves as a nature education platform for schools and tourists. Kids can look forward to having an enjoyable time petting and playing with rabbits, guinea pigs, tortoises, African Dwarf Goats and Deer and adorable primates such as the white-eared marmosets, black-eared marmosets and macaques. In addition, the large aviary h ouses over 500 birds from 18 species with all-time favourites such as cockatoos, mandarin ducks and peacocks. The Serpentarium features a host of slithering reptiles such as the reticulated pythons, mangrove snake and the Giant Monitor Lizard. To keep the memory for a long time, kids and adults alike can pose for pictures with the ferret, wallaby, Sugar Glider, and Blue-Gold Macaw and the Giant Iguana at the Rock Canopy. Adventure For The Eco-Enthusiast Make your way, jungle trekking through the deep limestone hill forests of the Lost World of Tambun. Witness and explore the unique flora and fauna, get up close and personal with wild animals and experience the beauty of its waterfalls and mysterious caves. Delve deeper into the caves for a one three exploration of the Gua Datok, a cave dating back to 400 million years; with naturist guides as they expose magnificent history and the formations of the stalagmites and stalactites. For the younger thrill seekers who wants a taste of the action there is a smaller cave called Gua Anak Datok, located at near the feet of Gua Datok. Opt for the three-hour cave exploration experience at the Six Mile Tunnel. Eco-enthusiasts are guided by experienced guides through the 700 meter long cave tunnel; walking through knee-deep mud, swimming across a shallow pool, before continuing to walk through chest-deep water inside the tunnel. Stay close to nature and camp overnight. Share adventures with friends and family over a bonfire at any one of the two camping sites at the Lost World of Tambun the Needle Village, the Riverside Village; where you indulge in bonding activities such as lake kayaking, rafting, teambuilding sessions, as well as themed dinners. If you are looking for a more relaxed break, hop on board the Tambun River Cruise at a mere RM6 per person. Sit back and take it all in as the cruise sails you through the picturesque bends of the Tambun River. Once youve sailed through the Tambun river, take control and take the lead by paddling around in the Lost World of Tambuns Koi Pond in one of the swan-designed paddle boats. Whether you opt for a partner, or go solo in the paddle boats, be sure to feed the Koi fish following you around! Food and Beverage The Ipoh White coffee is love at first sip! Made only from the finest selections of Liberica, Robusta and Arabica quality beans, the coffee is skillfully roasted to perfection by Ipohs old, legendary masters. If coffee is not your cup of tea, try Lost World of Tambuns Roasted Rice Tea. A traditionally unique cuppa, the Roasted Rice Tea reflects the authentic flavors of a recipe that has been handed down through many ancestral generations. For those seeking any other reason to sample the Lost World of Tambuns Roasted Rice Tea, the tea touts a list of health benefits which include soothing sore throats, cooling down body temperatures and alleviating fevers. The park is opened from Monday to Fridays from 11am to 6pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm, and during school and public holidays from 10am to 6pm. The park is closed every Tuesday except during Malaysian school and public holidays. The park rates are RM30.00 per adult, RM24.00 for children below 12, and free of charge for children below 90cm in height. Group packages are also available with minimum number of 30 persons advance booking is required. The Lost of Tambun is premier tourist destination for the region by the launch of its largest investment project which covers the tourism, real estate, hospitality, entertainment, leisure and retail sectors. The Lost World of Tambun is the best water theme park within the northern region because it offers various elements such as Water Park, Amusement, Hot Springs Spa, Tiger Valley and Petting Zoo that attract visitors from local and tourists from other countries. Besides, the Lost World of Tambun is the only water theme park with natural hot spring in Malaysia that can accommodate more than 10,000 people. Key attractions also include the action-packed dry and wet adventure rides as well as a range of eco-adventures. Furthermore, the Lost World of Tambun has received many pretigious awards for its excellent innovation, visual appeal, quality, branding and the uniqueness as a water theme park. For instance, the Lost World of Tambun has been awarded Winner of the 2008/2009 Innovative Tourist Attraction Award by Tourism Malaysia. Moreover, it has a large parking place and other park facilities such as prayer rooms, locker, tube towel hire service, shower and changing rooms including for disabled, fully qualified lifeguards, fully equipped and staffed first aid station, hut areas and seating, bicycle hiring, security guard and ample parking space. Future expansion to be made for example; expanding the theme for the building of hotels. Besides, monorail system to be introduced for an overall transportation for both visitors and staffs. The Lost of Tambun can boost their sales and profits by offering family packages and extending their business time. Besides, they can organize party relevant to the theme park. In addition, they can invite international performers as a part of advertisement to attract more people to visit their theme park. A part for that, free water toys can be provided for children and special range to be offered for senior citizen. One way to promote their business to a global scale is to advertise their business through travel and tours agency by putting what they have in packages. Besides, online promotion also helps them to promote their products and build closer customer relationships. They should also get foreigner investment to let them open a branch in their country. In addition, they can deal with large foreigner companies through international conferences and events. Conclusion In conclusion, the Lost World of Tambun certainly offers a unique experience beyond the thrills and spills of a theme park, with the opportunity of being in the heart of nature to witness something wonderful and irreplaceable. Thus, constant facilities upgrade must be performed from time to time. Besides, they need to keep on changing to follow up the current customer needs and wants. In addition, customer should be informed about the latest news and happenings such as the launching of new products in their theme park. The heart of each business lies in the hands of its customers. Therefore, the companys ability to establish and maintain a strong and firm customer base is essential for its growth and survival. All customers come into the customer situation with differing needs and wants. Thus, it is very important for a company to understand customer needs and wants to ensure the repeat customer. The one unseen bonus is that it actually costs less to service repeat customers because their expectations levels are established and they know the role they are to play. Final customer needs and wants are always the key to the success in a business.

UK Migrant Workers: History and Policies

UK Migrant Workers: History and Policies Introduction There has been a large increase in the number of migrant workers in the UK in recent years (McKay, Craw Chopra, 2006). These increases have been spurred on by globalisation, the gaps opening in the UK labour market and legislative changes that provide many and varied methods for coming to the UK. While many migrant workers move into highly skilled jobs, there are also a significant number who carry out low-paid, low-skilled jobs in the UK. The pay and conditions in these jobs has become the focus of much interest, especially in the wake of the shocking deaths of 23 migrant workers harvesting cockles at Morecambe Bay. This essay, therefore, critically examines the history of migration and current policies, the ways in which migrant workers have been exploited, health and safety risks they face and legal protections that have been put in place. History of migration and migration policies The history of migration into and out of the UK is well established (Sriskandarajah Drew, 2006). In the past the result of this movement has been that people have generally left the country: usually heading for Australia, New Zealand Canada. Then, more recently, people increasingly moved out of the UK to Spain and France. It wasnt until the 1980s that the UK became a country which had a net influx of migrants (Sriskandarajah, Cooley Kornblatt, 2007). Net immigration reached its highpoint in the UK in 2004 at 222,600; a year later it fell back by around 40,000. There were a number of actors that caused this change. Dobson et al. (2001) explain that one reason for this change to net immigration was that the highly skilled could command better wages and obtain an improved lifestyle in the UK. In addition there was also a large increase in the number of asylum applications at this time (Home Office 2006). Further, with the addition of new member states to the EU, there was increasing m igration with 605,375 people successfully registering to work in the UK from these new member states (Home Office, 2007). Despite the net immigration to the UK, many do not intend to stay permanently. Spencer, Ruhs, Anderson and Rogaly (2007) found that only one-quarter of those immigrating from East and Central Europe intended to stay permanently. Others again, can be considered irregular migrants. These are people who have come to the UK without the correct authority. Pinkerton, McLaughlan and Salt (2004) estimate there could have been as many as 430,000 illegal immigrants in the UK in 2001. This number has been questioned, however, by Dorling (2007) who suggests this figure might incorrectly include US military personnel stationed here, and others, thereby artificially inflating the numbers. Whatever the true level of migrants in the UK, both legal and illegal, there have been clear changes in immigration policies over the last few decades. Laws regarding migration into the UK have also changed rapidly and a large variety of different ways of entering the UK have been developed (Dench, Hurstfield, Hill Akroyd, 2006). A recent Home Office report finds that there about 50 different methods for people migrating to the UK for both work and study (Home Office, 2005). Five schemes are identified as particularly important by Dench et al. (2006). The first of these is the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme (SAWS). This was introduced to allow workers living outside the European Economic Area (EEA) to work in the UK carrying out seasonal work in the agricultural industry. Under this scheme 16,250 people each year who are over the age of 18 and in full-time education are allowed to enter the UK for a period of six months to carry out mainly unskilled work. This includes picking and packing of crops and the handling of livestock. The regulations allow that workers may move employers in that period to take into account the variability in the harvest. Workers are supposed to be paid the minimum wage and provide accommodation, for which they are allowed to charge  £27 a week. A second scheme is the Worker Registration Scheme (WRS) which applies to people from the eight Accession States (those that have just joined the EU). In order to prevent mass immigration and the immediate claiming of benefits, workers moving to the UK are required to register, and only once they have worked without a break for 12 months are they entitled to full benefits and other rights. A third scheme is the Sectors Based Scheme (SBS) which is designed to allow workers to enter the UK to do a casual or short-term job. This only applies to two particular sectors: food manufacturing and hospitality although it has since been withdrawn from hospitality because of abuse (Home Office, 2005). A third scheme is the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP) which is designed to allow highly skilled workers to enter the UK. The Home Office (2005) report states that many migrants entering the UK under this scheme are doctors or are working in the area of health. A fifth category, and the large st method of entry, is through business and commercial work permits. Broadly, this allows companies to recruit from outside the UK if they are unable to fill a position with a UK national, or it allows them to move individuals between countries within the same company. Motives for migration At the highest level of analysis one of the main reasons for immigration is globalisation. Globalisation refers to a number of forces which includes the increased connections between knowledge centres, easier access to communications, easier and cheaper travel and an increased flow of labour (Somerville, 2007). Generally, then, there is much greater integration across large economic areas such as Europe. It has been argued that one of the defining signs of globalisation is immigration (Castles Miller, 2003). Somerville (2007) argues, therefore, that one of the major factors at the heart of globalisation and so migration is economics. As economic pressures change in the UK, so do the types of jobs for which immigration occurs. Salt and Millar (2006) show that in 2005 the industry in which most work permits were issued was health and medical services (26.1%). This was followed by computer services and management and business administration (18.1% and 11.8% respectively). Migrants are, therefore, clearly responding to the particular needs that the UK economy presents to them more readily than those already in the UK. This effect has been amplified by the fact that the UK has seen a period of uninterrupted growth of the economy from the mid-1990s until recent years. Thus there are considerable macroeconomic effects affecting the increased levels of migration into the UK. These types of findings are also reflected in equivalent microeconomic phenomena. Blauw (2002) has examined the reasons why employers have a tendency to use migrant workers. Blauw (2002) found that while employers tended to look first in the UK labour market, if they couldnt fill the positions they had available they began their search amongst migrant workers. Research carried out in Northern Ireland by Bell, Jarman and Lefebvre (2004) found that migrants were required in particular to fill both skilled and unskilled gaps in the labour market. It has also been found that migrant workers are often seen by employers as being ‘better workers. Reed (2005), for example, investigated migrant workers in the food manufacturing industry. It was found that the use of migrant workers had decreased the amount of sickness leave as well as the turnover of employees. Many of these findings were backed up by research into employers of migrant workers by Dench et al. (2006). They also found that in the agricultural industry domestic workers simply did not apply for the jobs that required filling, while in the hotels and catering industry domestic workers were not prepared to work the flexible hours that were required for the job. Dench et al. (2006) points out that it is natural to assume that perhaps employers were not trying very hard to fill their jobs with domestic workers, given that migrant workers frequently provide cheaper labour. This idea, though, was strongly denied by employers who claimed that they had made extensive efforts to recruit domestic workers, but without success. Some employers in the agricultural sector reported that when they tried to recruit from the Jobcentre, potential employees would come for an interview just so that they could prove they had been for an interview, so that could claim benefits. Other employers in the same sector explained that domestic workers would often quit after only a few days work. On the other hand migrant workers often worked hard and stayed in the job. Some similar results were seen in the hotels and catering sector. The approach to their work that domestic workers showed was very low compared to the dedication that migrant workers displayed. The amount of skill required for the job was also an important factor for employers (Dench et al., 2006). A good example was in the construction industry where employers especially valued Polish workers who were highly motivated and could fill the gap in skills that were seen in the industry. A similar picture in relation to skills was also seen in other industries. In the Finance and Accountancy sector employers complained that they couldnt get workers with the right qualifications. As a result they had agencies who would search globally for the right candidates. Overall, though, employers understood that the reason that they recruited migrants was that the same amount of money meant more to them than it did to domestic workers. Of course not all employers accepted migrant labour, some said they were unsure exactly what standards foreign workers were trained up to, and others thought that their lack of fluency in English was a problem (Dench et al., 2006). Despite this, many employers saw considerable advantages in employing migrant workers. Migrant workers were much more reliable and likely to show up for work than domestic workers some employers even had to remind workers to take their annual holiday. Employers also saw much lower levels of turnover with migrant workers. This was probably influenced by the fact that those registered on the WRS have to reregister if they move their employer. Further, employers reported that migrant workers were much more hard-working than domestic workers. This meant they were often prepared to work longer hours and were enthusiastic about doing overtime. Although not mentioned by many employers it was also clearly a factor that migrant workers were more likely to be satis fied working for the minimum wage than domestic workers. Similar findings for why migrant workers are employed are also revealed by McKay et al. (2006). There are also considerable incentives from the migrant workers perspectives to come to the UK for work. Unsurprisingly one of the main motivations is the availability of work and the lack of work in their country of origin. Research conducted by Norfolk County Council and YMCA Norfolk (2005) found migrant workers were primarily motivated by the relatively high rates of pay in the UK compared to their country of origin. Many were particularly interested in learning English, especially those who were from countries that had recently joined the EU. Exploitation of migrant workers The motives for migration in terms of globalisation and its specific effects on the labour market clearly set up a situation in which exploitation is a possibility. A recent Trades Union Congress (2007a) report looked at whether migration hurts migrants. They conclude that despite the advantages for employers and the immediate advantages perceived by some migrant workers, there are also significant problems faced both at the macro- and microlevels. The World Bank (2005), for example, has examined the effects on worldwide economics of the international flow of labour. This finds that migrant workers themselves are certainly better off working outside their own country, however, migrants who stay in the same country actually do worse over the long-term. Looking more specifically at the situation in the UK, though, reveals a much more mixed picture about the question of migrant workers. A variety of studies have attempted to look at the actual working conditions of migrant workers. A report from the Health and Safety Executive has looked closely at the types of risks to which migrant workers are exposed in the workplace (McKay et al., 2006). These authors point out that some previous evidence suggests that migrant workers face significant levels of exploitation in the workplace. Lawrence (2004), for example, has pointed to how the food industry has used migrant workers in order to drive down costs and increase productivity. There have also been a series of high profile cases in which migrant workers have been injured at work. In the worst of these at Morecambe Bay in 2004, 23 Chinese workers lost their lives while picking cockles when they were caught in rising tides. Evidence from the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004), though, suggests the abuses of migrant workers are more systematic. They provide evidence from a number of different sectors about the conditions under which migrant workers are employed. In the care home sector it has been found that many well-qualified workers from other countries, such as nurses, have been promised work of a similar level in the UK but end up in positions that are significantly below their level, such as carrying out cleaning or other menial tasks. Employers will also frequently hold onto the migrant workers passport so as to be able to intimidate them. As a result of this sort of intimidation, many migrant workers report finding it difficult to make any kind of complaint against their employer as they are reliant on the money earned to send back home to their families. Consequently there is unlikely to be any change in the migrant workers position. Within the cleaning sector, the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) report that there are a number of ways that migrant workers have been exploited. They report on migrant workers who have been recruited to clean motorway service stations for  £600 a month, of which  £200 is deducted for living costs of a shared room in a house. These workers did not receive a contract of employment, a National Insurance number or a payslip. The Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) also report on the recruitment of foreign nationals at universities in the UK who are given cleaning jobs after being told they will be paid in arrears then they are simply not paid at all. Within the hospitality sector more abuses have been seen. Again, the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) report that workers are hired for cleaning or working in restaurants but are not given National Insurance numbers, or contracts, and are paid below the National Minimum Wage. In the agricultural industry, the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) report that migrant workers negotiate with ‘gangmasters who present themselves as employment agencies. Workers frequently face very poor accommodation as part of the agreement for which they pay relatively high rates from their wages considering the accommodation provided. The Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) have received complaints on a number of common themes. These include very low rates of pay, no provision of payslips, non-payment of National Insurance contributions, very poor accommodation that is often overcrowded and the risk of dismissal from the job without going through the proper procedures. The findings of the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) were also echoed by Dench et al., (2006). These authors found reports of many of the same problems, as well as stories that some gangmasters in East Anglia were only paying migrant workers  £1 per hour. This was done legally be paying the minimum wage but then claiming back a huge proportion for accommodation. Migrant workers are not just taken advantage of by employers. There are reports of some people charging migrants for the privilege of finding them accommodation and work. Considering the reports from the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) and other anecdotal evidence, it seems likely that migrant workers well-being would be significantly affected by their working conditions. Shields and Price (2003) examined the psychosocial well-being of migrant workers in the UK in relation to different labour market outcomes. They found, perhaps unsurprisingly given the evidence reviewed so far, that the health of the badly treated migrant worke rs is particularly poor. In addition they have significantly lower levels of psychological well-being. Health and safety risks of migrants Considering the many reported disadvantages which migrant workers face in the workplace, it is useful to examine the risks to which they are exposed. McKay et al. (2006) carried out a study of 200 migrant workers who were interviewed across five different areas in both England and Wales. One of the aims of the study was to assess whether migrant workers were placed at any greater risk than other workers who were of domestic origin. McKay et al. (2006) point out that one of the key issues in health and safety is the provision of training. One-third of those who were interviewed in this study indicated that they had not received any training. There was, however, a considerable difference depending on the sector in which people worked. Those who worked in the public sector were significantly more likely to receive training than those who worked elsewhere. It was thought that private sector employers attitudes were that once migrant workers had obtained certification they would leave for better jobs. Clearly one of the problems in training is language. Shellekens and Smith (2004) found that communication was made particularly difficult through the use of slang and technical terms. Some employers did provide instructions in different languages but these translations were not always reliable, or were reliably read by migrant workers. Training was also limited in the sense that while there was sometimes induction training, there was unlikely to be any ongoing training. There was also considerable confusion about who was responsible for providing the health and safety training in the first place. For example in cases where migrant workers were employed by an agency, respondents to the research were unclear whose responsibility the training was. Overall McKay et al. (2006) argue that migrant workers are likely to be at a disadvantage in terms of adequate training in their jobs compared to other workers. Consequently it is understandable that around half of the migrant workers McKay et al. (2006) interviewed had no knowledge of health and safety procedures in their workplace. In terms of equipment there was some confusion uncovered in the study about whether adequate protection was provided migrant workers often claimed they werent given full equipment while employers claimed they did provide it. A similar level of contradictory messages was received when migrant workers and employers were asked about the number of accidents that occurred in the workplace. A quarter of migrant worker respondents indicated that they had suffered or witnessed an accident a relatively high proportion (McKay et al., 2006). Many also said that accident were not reported for fear of endangering their jobs. On the other hand, employers stated that accidents were rare and that all accidents, even the most minor, were reported and recorded. Employers did say, though, that they knew migrant workers were brought up in a culture of blame and so would be unlikely to report accidents. Despite the confusing picture, McKay et al. (2006) conclude that levels of accidents are probably higher amongst migrant workers. This is partly due to the fact that employers who agreed to be interviewed were probably more likely to have good procedures in place along with the fact that migrant workers who have experienced problems are also more likely to come forward for the interviews. This might partly explain the gap in reporting. The general welfare of workers was also examined by McKay et al. (2006) who looked at the temperature of working conditions, the breaks, noise and chemicals. They found, again, that there was confusion over breaks with employers generally saying that breaks were allowed, while migrant workers saying that they often werent or at least that their pay was docked if they did take a break. Similar differences were seen on the question of temperature many migrant workers worked in the extremes of temperature. For noise and chemicals there were few differences seen between migrant and other workers. Other types of complaints about working confirmed the findings of the Citizens Advice Bureau (2004) report: that migrant workers work long hours and often did not have written terms of employment. As a result of these findings the Trades Union Congress (2007b) have made a number of recommendations to improve the working conditions of migrant workers. They argue that all accidents should be reported, that there should be sufficient provision of first aid and welfare, that the correct protective equipment should be provided along with adequate training and information. This training and information should be accessible and therefore translated into the relevant language should this be required. Finally the TUC recommends that migrant workers should join a trade union so as proper support and organisation can be provided. Legal protection for migrant workers Since migrant workers are so susceptible to exploitation it is natural to ask what legal protection is in place to improve their working conditions. Since, as McKay et al. (2006) point out, migrant workers are amongst the most vulnerable, they certainly require extra protection. One particular problem identified by McKay et al. (2006) is the behaviour of some ‘gangmasters and how it has been addressed by extra legal protection. A gangmaster is someone who is responsible for the payment and supervision of a whole group of workers. While some gangmasters behave properly, others have been identified as the cause of serious problems. Anderson and Rogaly (2005) have found that the employment relationship can be seriously confused in the case where migrants are employed through gangmasters. Surveys of gangmasters have found that only 10% of them follow the law on employment and 40% were breaking the law in at least six different ways (Lawrence, 2004). To attempt to combat some of these problems the Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 introduced extra protection for those working in the fisheries and agricultural sectors. This purported to introduce the criminal offence of contracting with gangmasters who had not followed the proper licensing procedures. These licensing procedures are an attempt to check agencies and gangmasters follow the proper employment procedures such as reaching the relevant health and safety standards. The Act has been severely criticised, however, as since it came into force the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has been very slow to draw up the regulations. Also, since the regulations have been drawn up it has become clear that the original powers of the Act have been significantly reduced (Davies Freedland, 2007). One of the clearest ways in which this legal protection is limited is that it simply doesnt cover the vast majority of migrant workers, who work in industries other than agriculture or fisheries. But even in the industries that it does cover, there is a level of scepticism about whether it will make a huge impact (McKay et al., 2006). Employers pointed out that the actual standards required in the licensing were relatively low and that much more stringent measures need to be put in place. The coverage of the system across the country also appears to be patchy. There was evidence that gangmasters had moved from one part of the country to another in order to avoid regulation. In addition, many felt that the audit itself didnt look too closely into the actual past working practices of the gangmasters and agencies themselves. Finally, there were also questions about how well these new laws would be enforced. Conclusion The motives for migration appear to be strong in the current labour market situation: globalisation, skill shortages and the sheer availability of certain jobs in the UK mean that migrant workers are in demand. Changes to immigration policies have meant that there are now a variety of schemes available for migrant workers to come to the UK. Overall the point should be made that the effect of migration on both the host and home countries is probably positive. Unfortunately it has become clear, due to recent studies, that a significant proportion of migrant workers, particularly those working in low-paid, low-skilled occupations, are being exploited. This exploitation appears to run right from the simple bending of rules to the complete flouting of standard UK employment practices. Both Health and Safety and TUC investigations have uncovered serious shortcomings in the treatment of migrant workers. New rules have been introduced by Gangmasters (Licensing) Act 2004 to try and curb the i llegal practices of gangmasters and agencies. Despite this, and despite the young age of the legislation, these rules have been roundly criticised for failing to provide adequate protection for migrant workers. Not least of these criticism is that the legislation doesnt cover the majority of migrant workers. Clearly much greater levels of regulation are required to protect those migrant workers who are at the highest risk of being exploited in the UK labour market. Brexit: Causes and Consequences Brexit: Causes and Consequences On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in an event dubbed â€Å"Brexit† (Britain + exit). This paper will explore the events leading up to the vote, the reasons for and against Britain leaving the EU, the immediate and long-term fallout, the steps to implementation, and the current discussions regarding implementation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First, recognizing the distinction between the Euro Currency and the European Union is important. The European Union is an economic and political partnership that began after WWII with six founding members to foster economic co-operation. The EU has steadily grown to 28 countries. The idea was that countries that trade together are less likely to go to war with each other. The Treaty on the European Union states that any European country can apply for membership if it respects the democratic values of the EU and is committed to promoting these values. Countries wishing to join must have stable institutions guaranteeing democracy, a functioning market economy, and the ability to take on and implement effectively the obligations of membership. Financial and transitional arrangements for new members must be negotiated. The EU has its own currency, the Euro, which is used by 19 of the member countries (Wheeler, 2017).   The Euro was adopted in 1999 and is now the second most traded currency after the United States dollar. Some sovereign states that are not part of the EU have also adopted the Euro, as well as many territories, departments, and states of Euro-zone countries.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Brexit campaign kicked off in 2015, when a pledge was activated to hold a referendum, or public vote, on the UK’s membership of the EU. David Cameron made this promise under immense pressure from â€Å"Eurosceptics† and when the Conservative political party appeared to be losing votes to the UK Independence Party. Cameron then toured EU capitals seeking to renegotiate the terms of Britain’s membership, vowing to campaign to keep Britain a part of the EU. When Britain went to vote, all polls indicated that the UK would remain in the EU (Financial Times: Brexit timeline).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There were many reasons for and against leaving the EU. In 2016, Britain paid in over  £13.1 billion to the EU budget, but also received  £4.5 billion worth of spending. Determining whether the  £8.6 billion net contribution is worth the other advantages of EU membership can be difficult. The EU is a single market, meaning no tariffs are imposed on imports and exports between the 28 members. The UK currently conducts more than 50% of its trades with other members of the EU. Britain also benefits from trade deals between the EU and other world powers. Leaving the EU causes them to lose some of that negotiating power. Following Brexit, the UK could seek membership of the European Free Trade Area, which includes the 28 members of the EU plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. However, joining the Free Trade Area means that the UK would remain bound by almost all EU regulations, while losing their input on those regulations. Open Europe conducted a study which found that the worst-case scenario is that the UK economy loses 2.2% of its total GDP by 2030. They also found that GDP could increase by 1.6% if a free trade deal can be negotiated. Supporters of Brexit think that it would be in the best interest of other European countries to re-establish free trade. However, opponents believe that the EU would want to discourage further exits by making life hard for Britain (Brexit).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For proponents of Brexit, sovereignty was seen as a major reason to leave the EU. Few disagree that EU membership involves giving up control over its own affairs. Those that advocated for remaining in the EU said that leaving would weaken the UK’s position by taking away the power to influence events in an increasingly complex and interdependent world (Riley, 2016). British politician Douglas Carswell wrote that, â€Å"The European Union has lost control, and is unable to respond. Being part of the EU means that we can be outvoted by the Euro block on economic matters†¦The safest thing we can do is vote to take back control,† (Carswell, 2015). He goes on to add that the UK could spend more on their own priorities, such as scientific research, if they left the EU. Carswell also writes that the UK could be a greater influence for free trade and cooperation as part of the World Trade Organization. Immigration is another topic of discussion. Under EU law, the UK cannot prevent anyone from another EU member state from immigrating to the UK. Britons benefit from the ability to live and work in any of the 27 other member countries. Consequently, there has been a large increase in immigration into the UK. While the recent pace of immigration has led to concerns with housing and service provision, the overall outcome has been positive. Some believe that immigration should be cut and control of the borders should be regained. A decrease in immigration would mean more jobs for the people who remain, but with a current unemployment rate of around 4.5%, the UK does not appear to be suffering in this manner. Those that support staying in the EU estimated that there are three million jobs linked to trade with the EU. If trade and investment falls following Brexit, some of these jobs would undoubtedly be lost (Brexit). However, it is not clear exactly how many of these jobs are dependent on the UK being a part of the European Union. On the flip side, if trade were to rise after Brexit, new jobs would likely be created. A writer for the London School of Economics said that limiting freedom of movement between EU countries discourages the â€Å"brightest and the best† from coming to Britain, and it reduces the pool of potential candidates for jobs (Brexit). Security was another point of contention. Those is favor of Brexit argued that remaining in the EU is leaving the door open to terrorist attacks, because the open border does not allow them to know who is entering and exiting the country. However, several senior military figures argued that the EU is an â€Å"increasingly important pillar of our security† especially in light of instability in the Middle East and Russia. Michael Fallon, Defense Secretary, said that they needed the collective power of the EU to work together on counter-terrorism. However, Colonel Richard Kemp, former head of the international terrorism team at the Cabinet Office, said that it was absurd to assume that the EU would put citizens at risk by reducing cooperation (Brexit).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Despite strong arguments both for and against Brexit, the referendum to decide the future of the UK as part of the EU was held on Thursday, June 23, 2016. Over 30 million people voted, for a turnout of 71.8% of the voting eligible population. The UK voted to leave the EU by a vote of 51.9% to 48.1%. Across the UK, there were significant differences in the percentage of the population voting to leave. Scotland and Northern Ireland voted to remain in the EU by votes of 62% to 38% and 55.8% to 44.2%, respectively. England and Wales voted to leave the EU with votes to leave tallying 53.4% and 52.5% (Wheeler).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The vote on Brexit came with political consequences. The day after losing the referendum, David Cameron resigned as Prime Minister. Theresa May, the former home secretary, took over, becoming Prime Minister without facing a full Conservative leadership contest after the key players from the â€Å"Leave† side withdrew from consideration. May was against Brexit during the referendum campaign but is now in favor of it because the British people voted for it. Her position is that â€Å"Brexit means Brexit†, and she began the process of leaving the UK on March 29, 2017 when she invoked Article 50, a plan for any country that wishes to leave the EU. Article 50 was created in 2009 as part of the Treaty of Lisbon, becoming the first formal mechanism for a country to leave the EU. This short, five-paragraph article spells out that any member state deciding to quit the EU must notify the European Council and negotiate its withdrawal with the EU. Countries wishing to leave have two years to reach an agreement and cannot participate in EU internal discussions about its departure (Wheeler).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Article 50 process lasts two years. Accordingly, the intention is that the UK will leave the EU on March 29, 2019, two years from the date that May began the process. This date can be extended if all 28 members agree, however currently all sides are focusing on this date as the key one. EU law still stands in the UK until it is no longer a member. There is currently uncertainty about how final the break will be on this date. Many prominent figures support a transition period of up to three years to allow a smooth implementation. Although all ties could technically be cut on this date, May and others would like to avoid such a â€Å"cold turkey† exit where current regulations on things like trade and travel ends overnight, as this could harm the economy (Wheeler). In a speech in Florence, May confirmed her government will pursue an implementation of around two years after the formal point of departure scheduled for March 2019. Under her deal, relations between Britain and the EU would remain similar as before, with the UK contributing to the EU budget to settle its divorce bill, and remaining within the single market until 2021 (Theresa).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Along with political consequences, Brexit also had several economic consequences. David Cameron and many other figures who wanted to stay in the EU predicted an immediate economic crisis if the UK voted to leave. They were partially correct; the pound slumped the day after the referendum and remains about 10% lower against the dollar and 15% down against the euro. However, the UK economy was estimated to have grown 1.8% in 2016 and has continued to grow at almost the same rate in 2017. The drop in value of the pound means that exports should get a boost as UK goods will be cheaper, but imported goods will get more expensive (United). Inflation has risen since the vote to stand currently at approximately 4%, but unemployment has also continued to fall to a 42-year low of 4.3%. House prices have fallen from 9.4% in June 2016 to 5% in August 2017 (Wheeler).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pensions, savings, investments, and mortgages are also affected by Brexit. The UK has a â€Å"triple lock† for state pensions, which is an agreement by which pensions increase by the highest of the level of earnings, inflation, or 2.5% each year. Cameron said this policy would likely be threatened by a UK exit, and May had proposed ditching the 2.5% part of the law. However, as part of the post-election deal with the Democratic Unionist Party, the triple lock remains guaranteed. Any expats who rely on UK income, like pensions, will be impacted by currency changes. Additionally, more than a million pensioners living in Spain are currently being paid annual cost of living rises by the UK government. There is considerable concern regarding whether this policy will continue (Connington, 2017).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Savings rates dropped to record lows following the vote, partially driven by the Bank of England’s decision to halve Bank Rate in August 2016. Other factors also played in to the drop, including investors who feared instability and sought a safe haven in government bonds. Prices were pushed up and their yield was consequently decreased. Pessimism in the immediate aftermath of the referendum has subsided and savings rates have begun to bounce back. However, it is expected that rates will remain volatile until Brexit talks are settled and it can be determined what policies will be in effect. The Brexit referendum also impacted mortgage rates. Experts were wrong, however. While it was predicted that rates would initially rise following the vote, they actually fell. Again, this was partly due to the cut of the Bank Rate. It was also caused by increased competition in the mortgage market. Towards the end of 2016, rates began to creep back up, and this pattern of gradual increases is predicted to continue (Dyson, 2016).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The UK and EU negotiating teams met for the first time on June 19, 2017. They meet face-to-face for four days each month in Brussels to try to reach an agreement on the rights of UK and EU citizens after Brexit, a figure for the amount of money the UK will pay upon leaving, and what will happen to the Northern Ireland border. These negotiations are complex, as it is complicated to unpick 43 years of treaties and agreements. The UK team is led by David Davis, a veteran Conservative MP who is Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union. On the EU side, Michel Barnier, a former French foreign minister and EU commissioner, is leading the charge (Wheeler). Since this has never been done before, a great deal will have to be improvised as the negotiations continue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Barnier has not been hesitant to remind the UK side that the â€Å"clock is ticking† on the negotiations. EU summits in March and June 2018 will be important in the process, but the real time crunch is expected to come in the fall of 2018. If a deal is to be approved by Parliament, the European Parliament, and the EU states, it will need to be agreed upon by this point to meet the Article 50 deadline. 72% of the EU states will have to vote in favor of the deal for it to pass. Although the UK could leave before March 2019 if an agreement is reached sooner, that is highly unlikely at this stage. May says leaving the EU with no deal in place is preferred to signing a bad one (Wheeler). If Brexit occurs with no agreement on trade, the UK would operate under World Trade Organization rules.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One main topic of discussion in the negotiations is the type of trade deal the UK will have with the UK following Brexit. Studies by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research suggest that leaving the single market could cause a long-term reduction in UK trade with Europe between 22% and 30%, unless they sign exactly the same free trade deal they have currently. Many in the EU have made it clear that they do not support this. This significant drop in trade reflects the purpose of the single market as reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers within the EU. The government believes that a portion of the trade impact can be offset by creating new free trade deals with countries outside of the EU, but that could take a while (Wheeler). The other major problem involving trade is immigration and labor mobility. Internationally operated businesses often require moving key staff in and out of the country seamlessly, and certain sectors such as agriculture and food preparation rely on thousands of EU workers. This issue is one that would be particularly impacted by a â€Å"cliff-edge† exit and would greatly benefit from transitional arrangements. While it has yet to be agreed upon for sure, at this time, it seems that all EU nationals lawfully living in the UK for at least five years will apply for â€Å"settled status† and be able to bring over spouses and children. Any deal on future legal status and rights must also be reciprocal and give certainty to the 1.2 million expats living elsewhere in Europe. Barnier has demanded more clarity and ambition from the UK government, saying that this proposal does not go far enough and he wants the same level of protection citizens have under current EU law. May has said one of her key takeaways from the Leave vote is that the British people want a reduction in immigration. She would like the net migration, or difference between the amount of people entering and leaving the country, to reach a â€Å"sustainable† level of below 100,000 per year. The rate of increase in population has slowed since the vote, largely driven by an increase in emigration from the UK by citizens of many East and Central European countries (Wheeler). Another very important facet of the Brexit negotiation is how to avoid a â€Å"hard† border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic, who have been living mostly in peace since the Good Friday Agreement twenty years ago. The invisible land border has been crucial to economic development and has been of huge symbolic importance. Neither side wants Brexit to result in new barriers, but the UK government has not yet produced a realistic proposal on how to avoid physical border controls. The EU worries that leaving this border unpoliced creates a conduit for goods to flow illegally between the UK and the EU via Ireland (Financial Times: Brexit risks). The final contentious topic of discussion is how much the UK will owe the EU for its exit. Barnier wants the UK to cover their liabilities and budgetary commitments. A Commission spokesman likened it to still needing to pay your tab even if you leave the bar. The â€Å"divorce bill† could include pension payments to EU officials, guarantees on loans such as the bailout of Ireland, and spending on infrastructure agreed on but yet to be financed. The EU wants Britain to respect the obligations resulting from the entire period of their membership, referencing the seven-year budget period that runs through 2020. The estimates as to how much this bill could end up totaling range from 5 billion pounds to over 100 billion euros. Once Britain leaves, the EU will have to fill a void in its budget of about 10 billion euros, which could mean increasing contributions from the remaining 27 members, cutting spending, or finding alternative revenue sources (Kennedy, 2017). Ideally, this issue would have been addressed first, but the British preferred to address everything at the same time so trade-offs and compromises could be made. This approach is part of the reason why little headway has been made.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Two more current issues are affecting the talks surrounding implementation. The UK government’s EU Withdrawal Bill, formerly known as the Great Repeal Bill, reached committee stage in the House of Commons in November 2017. This bill aims to ensure that European law will no longer apply in the UK following Brexit, by repealing the 1972 European Communities Act. Any existing EU legislation will be carried over into domestic UK law to help with a smooth transition. This bill will be one of the largest legislative projects ever undertaken in the UK, presenting a unique challenge because the body of EU law is found in many different places and in many different forms. Many UK laws will also no longer work upon exit, since they refer to institutions of the EU. Since not all of this can be accomplished through the repeal bill, the government plans to create powers to correct statute where necessary, without full Parliamentary scrutiny (Wheeler). The passing of this bill is further complicated by the ongoing negotiations with the EU.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Another new development affecting Brexit is growing evidence that thousands of fake accounts may have been used to influence the Brexit vote. Britain’s intelligence watchdog is facing demands to examine whether Russians interfered. Academics in the UK have found that at least 419 Twitter accounts operating from the Kremlin-linked Russian Internet Research Agency tweeted about Brexit. Additionally, thousands of other Russian twitter accounts posted more than 45,000 times about Brexit during last year’s referendum, in a span of just 48 hours. Approximately 13,000 accounts that tweeted about Brexit during the campaign disappeared after the vote. Theresa May has declined to say whether she believes Russia had interfered, supporting the position that there is no evidence yet. Putin also has denied Russia’s role, saying the day after the vote that, â€Å"We closely followed the voting but never sought to influence it,† (Booth, 2017). The impacts of the Withdrawal Bill and possible Russian intervention have yet to be seen, but will definitely affect the proceedings of the talks surrounding implementation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The year and a half following the Brexit vote has been a contentious time in the UK. The full economic impact is unknown, and markets will likely be volatile as discussions continue and Brexit plays out fully. It is yet to be seen exactly when and how the UK will exit the European Union. Further complicating the exit date is May’s promise that Members of Parliament will vote at the end of the two year process to approve whatever deal is agreed to. They could potentially vote to send the UK back to renegotiate. Andy deal that is made also must be approved by the European Parliament. With so much uncertainty regarding the politics, economics, and other implications of Brexit, discussion on this topic is far from over. Once a deal is finally agreed to, it will impact the UK and the EU for years to come. References Booth, R., & Hern, A. (2017, November 15). Intelligence watchdog urged to look at Russian influence on Brexit vote. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/nov/15/intelligence-watchdog-urged-to-look-at-russian-influence-on-brexit-vote Brexit: What are the pros and cons of leaving the EU. (n.d.). Retrieved from:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.theweek.co.uk/brexit-0 Carswell, D. (2015, October 09). Douglas Carswell: Why Im backing Vote Leave in the EU referendum. Retrieved from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/eureferendum/11922172/Douglas-    Carswell-Why-Im-backing-Vote-Leave-in-the-EU-referendum.html Connington, J. (2017, March 10). ​​​How Brexit will affect your money: investments, currency and more. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/investing/isas/brexit-will-affect-money-investments-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   currency/ Dyson, R. E. (2016, June 24). Brexit: ​how will your savings and mortgages be affected? Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/personal-banking/savings/brexit-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   outcome-what-it-means-for-savings/ Financial Times: Brexit risks destabilizing Irelands fragile peace. (n.d.). Retrieved from     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   https://www.ft.com/content/046ce872-c30a-11e7-b2bb-322b2cb39656 Financial Times: Brexit timeline: key dates in UKs divorce with EU. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ft.com/content/64e7f218-4ad4-11e7-919a-1e14ce4af89b Kennedy, S. (2017, July 14). Explaining Brexits Costs and Whether Britain Will Pay Up.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Retrieved from https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-14/brexit-s-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   costs-and-whether-britain-will-pay-up-quicktake-q-a Riley-Smith, B. (2016, June 16). Leave or Remain in the EU? The arguments for and against Brexit. Retrieved from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/16/leave-or-remain-in-the-eu-the-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   arguments-for-and-against-brexit/ Theresa May Seeks 2-Year Brexit Implementation Period. (n.d.). Retrieved from     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://time.com/4952988/britain-theresa-may-brexit-two-years-implementation-   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   period/ United Kingdom. (n.d.). Retrieved from   https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/gbr/ What are the key issues for the Brexit negotiations? (2017, March 29). Retrieved from     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-39196315 Wheeler, A. H. (2017, November 13). Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the EU. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887