Press Release: 28th October 2008

28th Oct 2008: REGULATION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Regulation has been the flavour of the decade - in utilities, in health and now in banking as Governments around the world respond to the global financial crisis. It is timely that the Lunar Society's Annual Dinner will address the question: Lifting the burden of regulation — Who regulates the regulators? The man Tony Blair appointed Chairman of the Better regulation Task Force and who is now advising David Cameron - Sir David Arculus - will be the Guest Speaker. The 2008 Annual Dinner will be hosted by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Chauhdry Abdul Rashid in the Banqueting Suite of Birmingham's Council House at 1900 for 1930 on Tuesday 18 November 2008.

Sir David Arculus is a native of Birmingham. Born and bred of a city glass-making family, he was brought up in Solihull and went to school in Bromsgrove. he has chaired Severn Trent, O2, IPC Magazines and was Managing Director of Emap. He has served on numerous boards including Telefonica and Pearson. Sir David was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Birmingham City University. Having spent much of his life leading media companies, including serving as a BBC producer, he now chairs three private equity backed media companies.

Professor Deirdre Kelly, Chair of the Lunar Society, commented; "We are delighted to have Sir David Arculus as our speaker at the Annual Dinner. As the world deals with increasing regulation of everything we do, what better time to lift the lid on regulation and the regulators? Sir David's perspective on reducing regulatory burdens and ensuring monitoring and supervision of markets is effective, will be illuminating.

"Following our Climate Change Debate earlier this month, the 2008 Annual Dinner is further testimoney to the Lunar Society's capacity to broaden debate with insight from leading experts."

Sir David Arculus follows in the footsteps of previous Annual Dinner speakers including Trevor Phillips OBE, Chairman of the Commistion for Equality and Human Rights; the Rt Hon David Miliband MP, now Foreign Secretary and Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England. Further inforation on the 2008 Annual Dinner can be found at www.lunarsociety.org.uk/174

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Issue Date: 28th October 2008

Further information from
Tim Rudman or Kevin Johnson
Urban Communications Ltd
0121 237 6016
Tim Rudman: email tim@urbancomms.com mobile: 07976 403 546
Kevin Johnson: email kevin@urbancomms.com mobile: 07831 595 365

Note to Editors
The present-day Lunar Society provides a dynamic forum for its membership to influence change through focusing and informing debate, linking social, economic, scientific and cultural thinking and catalysing action on issues critical to the common good. Today's Lunar Society has several hundred members and includes leading practitioners from all walks of life in Birmingham and the wider region.