How to redact documents easily using the Apple Mac Preview App

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Sometimes, it is necessary to redact documents before sending them out, and many offices resort to printing out the document and getting busy with a black marker pen, before copying or scanning in the document.

However, if you have an Apple Mac, then the in-built Preview app has a redaction tool which is really easy to use.

Simply open your document in Preview, click Tools >> Redact and then select the text or image you wish to redact. Save and then close the document, and that’s it.

Once you have closed the document, the redaction cannot be undone.

Watch the Doorkeepers Virtual Tour

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During the 2022 House Services Fair in July, many staffers were able to go on a Doorkeepers guided tour of the Palace. However, if you didn’t manage to go on one of the tours, you can now view a virtual tour on the intranet, guided by Deputy Principal Doorkeeper Ross Carlin.

You must have a parliamentary network account in order to be able to view this video, which lasts just over 11 minutes.

See the video here: https://web.microsoftstream.com/video/d16125ac-59fd-4453-a772-de8adc673faa?list=studio

Peers for the Planet

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Peers for the Planet was launched in January 2020 to bring together members of the House of Lords who want to put a response to critical environmental threats at the top of the political agenda.  It works across political groups and will last for a fixed term of ten years which will be decisive in determining the extent to which we are able to address the twin threats of climate change and biodiversity loss.

The UK House of Lords has significant power as a second chamber to both initiate and alter legislation and to use its global standing to partner with other Parliaments around the world.

Peers for the Planet exists in the form of a Parliamentary Group as well as a separate non-profit organisation. The Group will focus on a number of key activities under three core themes:

  • A domestic focus to place action on climate change and biodiversity loss at the top of the political agenda;
  • Partnerships with civil society and particularly youth groups;
  • International partnerships with other Parliaments, governments, cross-governmental actors and international businesses.

The group is seeking to expedite progress towards a just transition towards an affordable, zero-carbon, sustainable economy and society.

Visit the Peers for the Planet website here: https://www.peersfortheplanet.org/

Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Peers4Planet

ParliOUT named as one of the UK’s ‘Awesome Networks’

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ParliOUT, the Workplace Equality Network (WEN) in support of LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual, and questioning) people in Parliament, has been named as one of the UK’s ‘Awesome Networks’ by Inclusive Networks. This is the second accolade within five months that ParliOUT has been awarded.

Inclusive Networks is a hub for celebrating diversity and inclusion and has named 40 network groups of all types and from all sectors for its inaugural awards. The awards aim to celebrate the positive impact of network groups such as ParliOUT and also to thank those people who coordinate the networks, often in addition to their day jobs.

Jenny Radcliffe and Martin Smith, Co-Chairs of the ParliOUT Workplace Equality Network said:

“We are absolutely delighted that ParliOUT has been named as one of the inaugural Awesome Networks! The ParliOUT Committee are passionate about supporting LGBTIQ people and allies in Parliament, and we are working to make LGBTIQ role models more visible and accessible across the organisation. We also provide a welcoming social forum and informal support network. Thank you very much to anyone that nominated us.”

In October 2014 ParliOUT was also named as the Best Employee Network by Pink News.

About ParliOUT

ParliOUT provides a welcoming social forum and informal support network for people from across Parliament. Alongside Parliament’s other Workplace Equality Networks (ParliREACH, Parliagender and ParliAble), ParliOUT strives to create a supportive and inclusive working environment by providing support, guidance, educational and networking opportunities to all staff and Members of both Houses of Parliament.

Since the Network was founded in December 2010 it has hosted many different events from film screenings to guest speaker events on subjects as diverse as Coming Out at Work through to Transgender People in the Workplace. ParliOUT also launched its own advice and guidance service which can offer confidential advice to anyone working in Parliament regardless of sexual orientation or job role. In the last 12 months, they have launched their Twitter channel and facilitated a leadership programme for LGBT people.

More information on ParliOUT can be found here: http://bit.ly/1vOQBP9

Stonewall Workplace Equality Index 2015

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The House of Commons has received its result in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index for 2015 and we are delighted to inform you that we have risen 29 places to rank 126th out of 397 participating employers.

The Workplace Equality Index is an effective way to measure efforts to tackle discrimination and create an inclusive workplace for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees. Since 2005, more than 800 major employers have taken part in the Index using Stonewall’s criteria as a model for good practice. Stonewall revises the Index criteria every three years.

ParliOUT members are thanked for completing the anonymous survey, as well as their contribution to making parliament a more inclusive employer and service provider. We still have a lot of work to do but this proves that we continue to move in the right direction.

Anne Foster, Head of Diversity and Inclusion.

Using Google Alerts

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Google Alerts‘ are a simple way to monitor the Internet for subjects in which you have a particular interest. For example, you might like to know whenever your MP’s name appears online, or a certain topic arises in conjunction with their name.

Google Alerts lets you set up a search which will then email you whenever your chosen search terms appear online. You can choose to be emailed as-it-happens, once a day or once a week.

You may need to tweek your search terms at first, particularly if you search on a common name, for example ‘John Smith’, by adding the constituency name, or telling it not to return results containing particular trigger words. So for example, your initial search could be:

“John Smith” parliament

but if there’s an MP called John Smith, say in Australia, you could then amend the search to read

“John Smith” parliament -Australia

and so on.

You can set up as many alerts as you like, and can customise them by choosing in which languages it searches and where in the world you want the results to come from.

Have a look at the Google Alerts page for more information: http://www.google.co.uk/alerts