News Weighty problem nearing solution It’s of cial. A kilogram isn’t what it used to be. Currently de ned by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in terms of the mass of a platinum-iridium artefact stored in France, it has lost weight over time, and scientists are unsure exactly why. So NIST wants to replace this physical artefact with a more reproducible de nition for the kilogram, based on fundamental constants of nature: the Planck constant. The new NIST measurement of Planck’s constant is 6.626069934 x 10−34 kg∙m2/s, with an uncertainty of only 13 parts per billion. The institute’s previous measurement, published in 2016, had an uncertainty of 34 parts per billion. David Templeton, CTSI’s lead of cer for legal metrology, said: ‘The problem with the kilogram as a unit of measurement is that it is the last of the seven SI [international system] base units of measurement to be de ned by reference to a physical artefact – the international prototype kilogram (IPK). ‘Many copies of the IPK have been made over the years and disseminated to nation states to use as national standards. The UK, for example, has copy number 18. However, the problem with an artefact- based unit of measurement is that it is susceptible to variation over time, because of factors such as environmental conditions, wear and tear through use, or accidental damage.’ Having a constant weight is important because three other SI base units – the candela (luminous intensity), the ampere (electric current) and the mole (amount of substance) – and 17 derived units in the system are de ned by reference to the kilogram. Templeton added: ‘[This makes the kilogram’s] stability critically important to science, technology and commerce on which our everyday lives depend.’ The International Committee for Weights and Measures is meeting this summer to establish a global value by averaging the values calculated at NIST and other laboratories. In 2018, at the next General Conference on Weights and Measures, the scienti c community will draft a resolution to rede ne the kilogram based on this constant. online holiday booking protection welcomed Plans to give Britons who book their holidays online the same protection as consumers who buy package deals through a tour operator are moving forward. The protection applies if the firms they use go bust. MPs debated the second reading of the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) Bill in the House of Commons last month. Andy Allen, director at the UK EuropeanConsumerCentre,said: ‘The way consumers are buying their holidays is changing. They are now using the internet to “mix and match” the components of their holiday in a way that often falls outside the scope of the ATOL financial protection scheme – at present, the scheme only applies to sales made in the UK. ‘The Bill is intended to make it easier for UK businesses when selling air holidays across the EU, as they will be able to trade under the UK’s ATOL scheme rather than the regimes in each country to which they sell. ‘The measures are also intended to align the ATOL scheme with a revised EUPackageTravelDirective,which is due to be implemented in 2018. The Bill will enable the ATOL scheme to adapt to future trends, including changes that may be brought about as the UK leaves the EU.’ Bruce Treloar, CTSI lead officer for the travel and holiday industry, said: ‘I fully support the Bill as ATOL rules are adapted to ensure consumers’ protection in an ever-changing marketplace, which includes online bookings. ‘However, where consumers buy their holidays online from providers in the EU, they will not be able to rely on the levels of protection they take for grantedintheUK. ‘There is another level of protection, called a Linked Travel Arrangement, that is a very confusing concept for consumers who will have only a limited form of protection.’ Get in on the act Mandatory age verification to view online pornography, a crackdown on ticket bots, and new subtitling requirements for on-demand services are among the measures being tackled in the new Digital Economy Act. Work is now under way on: ● Introducing a new age-verification process for accessing online pornography ● Cracking down on ticket touts by making it an offence to misuse bot technology to buy tickets and sell them on at inflated prices ● Requiring catch-up TV and video-on-demand services to offer subtitling and audio description on their programmes ● Measures to improve digital connectivity UK-wide, including reducing costs for new infrastructure and simplifying planning rules The announcement comes as British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran cancelled 10,000 tickets for his concerts that were being sold at vastly inflated prices on resale websites. The star’s management said that tickets for his 2018 shows would be resold at face value on the official channels. CyBER FRAUD NEEDS URgENT RESPONSE, SAyS WATCHDOg Online fraud has been ‘overlooked’ by the government, the police and by business, according to the National Audit Of ce (NAO). In the year to 30 September 2016, the Of ce for National Statistics estimated that there were 1.9 million cyber-fraud incidents in England and Wales – 16 per cent of all estimated crime incidents. The growing problem needs ‘an urgent response’, said NAO head Sir Amyas Morse, who added that the Home Of ce (HO) – while not solely responsible for tackling the issue – was the only organisation that could oversee the system and lead change. The HO’s Joint Fraud Taskforce, which was launched in February 2016, was a positive step, he said, ‘but there is still much work to be done’. ‘At this stage, it is hard to judge that the response to online fraud is proportionate, ef cient or effective,’ he added. While educating consumers is sensible, government and industry still have a responsibility to protect citizens and businesses. The NAO found that the protection offered by banks varies, with some investing more than others in educating customers and improving their anti-fraud technology. The ways banks work together in responding to scams also needs to improve. The nature of online fraud makes it dif cult to prosecute criminals. In addition, there is a lack of data on how many fraudsters are prosecuted and the judicial outcomes for fraud offences. There are concerns about the sentences fraudsters receive. Although the government wants the police and the judiciary to make greater use of existing laws, the NAO found that stakeholders had mixed views on the adequacy of current legislation. The international and hidden nature of online fraud makes it dif cult to pursue criminals because of the need for international cooperation and an ability to take action across borders. PPI dominates in annual review Payment protection insurance (PPI) has dominated much of the Financial Ombudsman Service’s (FOS) activity, according to its latest annual review. FOS chairman Sir Nicholas Montagu KCB said: ‘We are still receiving new cases in the thousands each week – figures that are a big reduction from the peak of a few years ago, but which nevertheless represent a massive demand on the skill and attention of our people in reaching fair answers. Elsewhere, we have seen a discernible rise in the number of complaints about consumer credit.’ Caroline Wayman, chief ombudsman and chief executive, added: ‘The most striking story has been the rise in contact we’ve had from people having trouble with credit. We’ve seen around three times last year’s volume of complaints about payday loans. Over the same period – while the numbers involved are smaller – complaints about instalment loans and guarantor loans have risen by 318 per cent and 182 per cent respectively.’ one-stop financial advice shop wins support A total of 98 businesses and organisations responded to the government’s consultation document on creating a single financial-guidance body to offer advice to the public on debt, money and pensions. The majority were supportive of proposals for one service to replace the Money Advice Service (MAS), The Pensions Advisory Service (TPAS) and Pension Wise. The consultation closed in February 2017 and the Treasury has now published details of the responses. The government had proposed that any future body should only commission debt advice delivery from providers authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). However, responses said this would risk preventing the proposed body from working with key providers of debt advice, such as local authorities. So, this requirement has been amended to say the body should work with debt advice organisations that are either authorised by the FCA or exempt from needing such authorisation. Istock.com / djedzurA Istock.com / ImGorthAnd Istock.com / Alexlmx