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The purpose of this paper is to suggest that property investors should engage with governments to influence outcomes. Global collaboration is required from the real estate investment community, working closely with governments and legislators, to provide a clear road map to zero carbon emissions. Covid-19 has shown how quickly governments around the world can react with draconian responses, including widespread lockdowns, when faced with an existential threat. What bigger existential threat is there than climate change?

Personal viewpoint from general research.

Three pillars of likely government and legislative interventions are identified; namely, increased and enhanced energy regulation and carbon pricing to force a rapid switch to green energy sources for buildings; an enhanced role for Energy Performance Certificates, standardised methodologies and strict enforcement; and mandatory reporting of financial and physical climate risks based on the Financial Stability Board’s Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. It is suggested that property investors should now engage with governments to influence outcomes.

Personal viewpoint to encourage greater involvement of the real estate investment community in governmental and regulatory decision making.

The paper examines the anatomy of manufacturing change in the regions by focusing on the political economy of restructuring in the North East region. The broad context of change in the manufacturing sector in the regions at the national level is outlined. The remainder of the paper deals with the issues in more detail through examining the recent experience of the North East region. The paper argues that the somewhat ad‐hoc mixture of market‐led and ‘neo‐interventionism’ of UK government policy toward the manufacturing sector has had particular effects on the nature of restructuring in the regions which has constrained the framework within which industrial adjustment and regional renewal could be undertaken.

A survey of investment in new production technology and specific AMT techniques in larger UK firms are described. Though the majority of the responding firms were in the manufacturing sector, some were not. Interestingly, some of these considered that they had invested substantially in new production technology. Companies were also questioned about which factors they considered most important in making investment decisions. These showed an unexpected emphasis on the importance of “intangible” factors. Responses were analysed separately for manufacturing companies belonging to process industries and those classified as belonging to “general manufacturing”. As might have been expected, companies in the latter category had invested more heavily in AMT techniques. However, process industry companies had also invested significantly. Around two‐thirds of companies in the general manufacturing category reported difficulties in assessing the benefits of AMT investment. About a quarter of process industries companies had experienced similar difficulties. However, few companies appeared to have altered their investment appraisal systems to treat AMT investments any differently to ordinary ones, despite the literature that suggests that this may be necessary.

A point repeatedly brought forward for the defence, or at all events for the purpose of mitigating the fine, in adulteration cases, is the statement that defendant's goods have been analysed on former occasions and have been found genuine. As illustrating the slight value of analyses of previous samples may be taken the average laudatory analyses on patent or proprietary foods, drinks, or medicine. The manufacturer calculates—and calculates rightly—that the general public will believe that the published analysis of a particular specimen which had been submitted to the analytical expert by the manufacturer himself, guarantees all the samples on the market to be equally pure. History has repeatedly proved that in 99 cases out of 100 the goods found on the market fall below the quality indicated by the published analyses. Not long ago a case bearing on this matter was tried in court, where samples of cocoa supplied by the wholesale firm were distributed; but, when the retailer tried to sell the bulk of the consignment, he had repeated complaints from his customers that the samples were a very much better article than what he was then supplying. He summoned the wholesale dealer and won his case. But what guarantee have the general public of the quality of any manufacturer's goods—unless the Control System as instituted in Great Britain is accepted and applied ? Inasmuch as any manufacturer who joins the firms under the British Analytical Control thereby undertakes to keep all his samples up to the requisite standard; as his goods thenceforth bear the Control stamp; and as any purchaser can at any time submit a sample bought on the open market to the analytical experts of the British Analytical Control, free of any charge, to ascertain if the sample is up to the published and requisite standard, it is plain that a condition of things is created which not only protects the public from being cheated, but also acts most beneficially for these firms which are not afraid to supply a genuine article. The public are much more willing to buy an absolutely guaranteed article, of which each sample must be kept up to the previous high quality, rather than one which was good while it was being introduced, but as soon as it became well known fell off in quality and continued to live on its reputation alone.

Asks whether cost benefits from TQM can be substantiated, and what period of time is needed for them to impact on business performance. Presents the results of a recent survey which aimed to discover how the cost benefits of TQM programmes were measured by companies. Reveals that experienced companies measure success through improved Customer service (reductions in errors in process and service).

Investigates the increasing popularity of the video as a medium for TQM Training. Debates the advantages and disadvantages of using case studies as the subject matter of these Training videos. Reviews the better products on the market and highlights the fact that videos alone do not constitute an adequate Training programme, they must be backed up by a total quality strategy and by other resources. Concludes that videos should not be used as an easy way out of TQM Training, but that used correctly they can be a fast and effective way of spreading the quality message.

Examines the implementation of profit sharing and employee ownership schemes, uses some case examples to show how the popularity of these concepts has grown over the years. Presents the results of recent research on top management views of such schemes, which show a high percentage of managers in favour of them in order to encourage employee involvement and commitment. Looks at the gains and benefits that may follow as a result of these schemes, but also warns that there may be problems too if the schemes are not properly thought out.

The pattern of food prosecutions in more recent times has remained relatively unchanged. Most have been taken under Section 2, Food and Drugs Act, 1955, even for foods which have obviously been unfit for human consumption. The Section because of its wider application has distinct procedural advantages. A few local authorities routinely use Section 8 successfully; it probably depends upon a more liberal interpretation and understanding by local justices. The five‐year study of food prosecutions, (BFJ 1971, 73, 39), separated them into a number of well‐defined groups and showed that those for the presence of foreign material were the majority and remained fairly constant throughout the period; mouldy foods increased during the five years and then remained steady as the second largest single group. The foods most commonly affected and the foreign matter commonly present could be seen; neither changed much during the period of the survey.

This paper traces the development of World Wide Web Robots and provides an overview of their main functions and workings. The focus is on search robots and illustrations will be drawn from two major search engines: AltaVista and Excite. In the concluding section, prblems associated with the use of Web Robots and their implications for electronic publishing will be examined.

Computer production management systems are far more common than they were even five years ago, as a result of reductions in the costs of computer hardware and the growing use of package software by both large and small firms. However, there are still many problems associated with such computer systems. Though the symptoms are somewhat different depending on whether we are concerned with large or small companies, the root cause is the same: a lack of any clear philosophy of what production management systems do and how they should be designed. In addition companies face a need to integrate hardware from many different suppliers and the ability to do this would also be helpful to smaller firms. At the moment such integration is difficult to carry out.