A charity has been fined after a member of the public lost her leg when she became trapped under a lorry carrying a fairground ride.
Link: Charity fined after injuries to member of the public
Source: Health and Safety
Press release: Environment Agency bags award at Inland Waterways Association’s Festival of Water
A prestigious 55-year-old trophy has been presented to Environment Agency staff as thanks for their hard work in helping boaters make the most of Anglian waterways this summer.
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) made the gesture at their Festival of Water at St Neots as the Environment Agency welcomed hundreds of boats and thousands of visitors to the River Great Ouse over the bank holiday weekend.
Since 1963, the Best Working Boat award has been presented to working vessels, and this year it went to two EA boats – the Ouse II Know and Ouseabout.
Irven Forbes, the Environment Agency’s Anglian waterways manager, said:
We’re delighted with this recognition of our teams’ hard work to maintain our waterways for people and wildlife.
This summer, the hot, dry weather presented some challenges like weed growth, fallen trees and lower levels on some of our navigations, so we’re extremely pleased to have made a contribution to a very successful festival.
We’ve had so many great comments from visitors about the Great Ouse and the River Nene – it’s given us a real boost to help people enjoy them while getting closer to nature.
The IWA award recognises the efforts of the team over many months to make sure boaters had smooth sailing on the region’s waterways.
Just days before the event, for example, it was all hands on deck to make sure a broken lock didn’t hamper visitors reaching the festivities.
Hemingford Lock on the River Great Ouse suffered a mechanical failure – the drive shaft had separated, meaning the lock couldn’t be operated even by hand. Getting the lock up and running again as soon as possible became a priority, and the team dropped everything to repair it in under 48 hours.
And over the previous months, EA teams really pushed the boat out to make sure Anglian waterways were in tip-top condition for both local boaters and visitors to enjoy.
This included refurbishing 8 of the region’s busiest locks used by around 7,000 boaters every year, revamping 10 landings, clearing a number of large fallen trees, de-shoaling on the rivers Great Ouse and Nene, and spending an extra £60k on de-silting the tidal Great Ouse at Denver, Salters Lode and the Old Bedford on top of the regular annual de-silting and weed-clearance.
To make it easier for boats to navigate, teams also made half a dozen passes to clear duckweed from the Old West channel – work that must be done carefully in hot summer conditions to avoid having a negative impact on the environment and wildlife.
The work is part of the Environment Agency’s £2.5m investment in the 353 miles of navigable Anglian waterways, protecting them for the future as an important part of the nation’s rich heritage and beauty, and recognising all they contribute to our environment, health and wellbeing and economy.
The festival also saw the IWA, Lincolnshire County Council and the Environment Agency launch a new initiative – the Boston to Peterborough Wetland Corridor, which will see all three organisations working in partnership to progress a wetland corridor from the Black Sluice at Boston to the River Nene near Peterborough.
The proposal would bring a huge boost to Anglian waterways with new recreational access for boaters, cyclists, fishermen and walkers, a significant section of wetland habitat for flora and fauna, and economic opportunities for local communities – especially in connection with the proposed Bedford to Milton Keynes waterway park, a new 16 mile link from the Grand Union Canal in Milton Keynes to the River Great Ouse in Bedford.
You can find more information on Anglian Waterways here.
Link: Press release: Environment Agency bags award at Inland Waterways Association’s Festival of Water
Source: Environment Agency
Press release: Salisbury Attack: Joint Statement by Leaders of France, Germany, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom
We, the leaders of France, Germany, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reiterate our outrage at the use of a chemical nerve agent, known as Novichok, in Salisbury on 4 March. We welcome the progress made in the investigation into the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, and take note of the attempted murder charges brought yesterday against two suspects. We commend the work of the UK Police and all those involved in this investigation.
We also note the UK’s analysis, independently verified by the OPCW, that the exact same chemical nerve agent was used in the poisoning of Dawn Sturgess and Charles Rowley as was used in the poisoning of the Skripals. We urge Russia to provide full disclosure of its Novichok programme to the OPCW. And we encourage those with information about the attack in Salisbury on 4 March, as well as the further poisoning in Amesbury, to come forward to the UK authorities.
We have full confidence in the British assessment that the two suspects were officers from the Russian military intelligence service, also known as the GRU, and that this operation was almost certainly approved at a senior government level. We have already taken action together to disrupt the activities of the GRU through the largest ever collective expulsion of undeclared intelligence officers. Yesterday’s announcement further strengthens our intent to continue to disrupt together the hostile activities of foreign intelligence networks on our territories, uphold the prohibition of chemical weapons, protect our citizens and defend ourselves from all forms of malign state activity directed against us and our societies.
Link: Press release: Salisbury Attack: Joint Statement by Leaders of France, Germany, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom
Source: Gov Press Releases
Press release: Prevention must be the heart of the NHS long-term plan
Public Health England (PHE) say the NHS can ensure we all enjoy old age in good health by prioritising the prevention of smoking, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity in the new long-term plan.
Smoking
The NHS long-term plan should commit to achieving a smokefree society by 2030 and a population prevalence of less than 5%.
Smoking should no longer be seen as a lifestyle choice, it is an addiction that warrants medical treatment. Everyone who smokes must be offered the support they need to quit and NHS trusts should be instructed to step up their efforts in establishing a smokefree NHS by 2020.
Reducing smoking rates is the single biggest thing we can do to improve the nation’s health. It will reduce CVD, respiratory conditions and cancer, meaning people can live longer in better health. And it will save the NHS up to £890 million a year.
Since the launch of the tobacco control plan and awareness campaigns like Stoptober smoking rates in England have dropped. We are currently on track to have as few as 8.5% of smokers in England by 2030, but we cannot become complacent. To stagnate or risk even a slight increase will have a profound effect on health.
CVD
CVD is the leading cause of disability and death in the UK. Yet an estimated 50 to 80% of CVD cases are preventable.
PHE says the long-term plan could save 250 to 500 lives each year across England by prioritising the identification of people who are at risk of developing CVD. Better detection and management of high blood pressure, high cholesterol and atrial fibrillation could prevent more than 9,000 heart attacks and at least 14,000 strokes from happening in the next 3 years.
High blood pressure continues to be the biggest single known risk factor for CVD and the third for premature death. It also reinforces health inequalities, with people from the most deprived areas in England 30% more likely to have high blood pressure.
Almost 7 million people have benefitted from the NHS Health Check since 2013. It is one of the biggest prevention programmes in the world and the long-term plan must continue to encourage its uptake and follow-up if we are to reap the benefits. The NHS should also work to normalise the conversations we have about blood pressure, striving for a nation where everyone can recall their blood pressure numbers as easily as their pin number.
’##Obesity
We are facing an obesity crisis. One in 3 children leave primary school overweight or obese and new figures show the levels of severe obesity in children aged 10 to 11 are higher than ever before. The childhood obesity plan has a commitment to halve the rate of childhood obesity by 2030.
The NHS long-term plan should build upon this to target adult obesity. One way to achieve this is by increasing weight management support provided.
Making it routine for people to have their body mass index (BMI) measured and recorded in primary care and pharmacy settings will provide an opportunity for healthcare professionals to give advice, promoting national guidance on diet and physical activity.
The NHS long-term plan should also renew our commitment to the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NDDP). Type 2 diabetes, for which obesity is a key driver, is a major contributor to kidney failure, heart attack, and stroke. It costs the NHS around £8.8 billion every year.
The NDDP currently covers around 100,000 people. PHE wants the long-term plan to build on this success.
Duncan Selbie, chief executive of PHE said:
With the right long-term plan in place we can remove smoking from England, halve childhood obesity and the number of avoidable deaths from cardiovascular disease.
These 3 priorities are where the NHS and PHE should focus efforts. It is not that other priorities won’t matter, but these will need to matter most.
Successful delivery will require action from every part of civil society. We must pull together to use our resources and we must engage the public directly in the choices they are making about their own health and wellbeing.
Our population is aging, living longer in ill health and stubborn inequalities persist. For patients and the sustainability of the NHS we must increase our efforts to prevent illness instead of waiting to treat it.
Speaking at NHS Expo today, Thursday 6 September 2018, Duncan Selbie will say previous plans (such as the Five Year Forward View) have made good progress, but they have not delivered the promised radical upgrade in prevention.
He will call for more decisive action in the new long-term plan, saying there is an urgent need to prevent – not just treat – ill health, and the time has come to be ruthless in our prioritisation and investment in preventative strategies.
Public Health England press office
Background
Read Duncan Selbie’s blog ‘Prevention and the NHS long-term plan: 3 ways we can save more lives.’
Link: Press release: Prevention must be the heart of the NHS long-term plan
Source: Gov Press Releases
Press release: New figures show rise in Welsh goods exports
New data published today by UK Government shows that goods exports have risen in Wales and across the UK. The figures show an increase in exports from Wales by 4.2% to £16.6bn, compared to the previous quarter.
Welcoming the positive figures, Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:
Yet again, Wales is punching above its weight in the global export market, proving that opportunities can also lie in markets outside of the European Union, due to the demand that exists for our products and services.
But there are still many opportunities not being realised, and the UK Government’s new Export Strategy aims to address this. It sets out a UK-wide ambition to raise our exports as a proportion of GDP from 30% to 35%, putting us towards the top of the G7. To achieve this, it proposes a new range of measures to help support Welsh companies on the world stage, giving them the practical, promotional and financial support they need to export.
The positive figures come following Alun Cairns’ recent visit to South Africa where he joined the Prime Minister and a delegation of UK businesses for a key trade and investment mission.
Today, he joins International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP at the Board of Trade meeting in Coventry where his focus will be on promoting cross border links between Wales and the Midlands Engine.
Today’s meeting follows the announcement that the Board of Trade baton will be passed to Wales later this year where prominent figures from business and politics from all over the UK will convene in Swansea in November to recognise local companies with Board of Trade Awards (BOFTAs). The National Trade Academy Programme will also run a Welsh business showcase.
In Coventry, Dr Fox is set to announce that three new High Potential Opportunities areas – in Leicestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire – will be promoted to investors around the world, in an estimated multi-billion pound boost to the UK economy.
The scheme, coordinated by the Department for International Trade, identifies opportunities to attract foreign direct investment into emerging sectors, regions and clusters – creating new jobs and growth in every corner of the UK.
Alun Cairns added:
Through the Board of Trade, the UK Government celebrates exceptional businesses who are making great strides in innovation, creating jobs and strengthening their local economies, whilst championing free trade.
Welsh exports continue to grow year on year, and the Board of Trade will replicate the UK Government support and recognition demonstrated in the Midlands when the meeting arrives in Swansea later this year.
Whilst in Coventry, Dr Fox will also announce a second international trade summer school, to run in summer 2019. This follows the success of this year’s National Trade Academy Programme summer school. Applications will open in February.
Finally, Dr Fox will award nine BOFTAs, or Board of Trade Awards, to Midlands companies for their excellence in international trade, demonstrating innovation, creativity and entrepreneurialism.
Further information:
Export figures
The figures show an increase in exports from all nations of the UK:
- Exports of goods from England increased by 4.3% to £244.8bn;
- In Scotland, goods exports increased by 7% to £28.8bn;
- In Wales, goods exports increased by 4.2% to £16.6bn;
- In Northern Ireland, goods exports increased by 0.8% to £8.5bn;
- Read the HMRC figures in full
- The Export Strategy sets out how the government will support businesses of all sizes to make the most of the opportunities presented by markets around the world.
- It presents a streamlined and targeted offer for businesses of all sizes, set to raise productivity, boost wages and protect employment across the UK.
Board of Trade
The Department for International Trade (DIT) works directly with companies in 60 countries around the world. Last year, DIT supported 1,682 investment projects which created or safeguarded 81,206 jobs in the UK.
The UK Government’s Board of Trade brings together prominent figures from business and politics from each part of the UK, including representatives from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
You can read more about the Board of Trade meeting in Coventry on DIT’s website.
Link: Press release: New figures show rise in Welsh goods exports
Source: Gov Press Releases
Press release: New figures show goods exports rise across the UK
The sustained rise in exports will be welcomed by British firms who continue to find success in markets around the world.
In the year to June 2018, the overall value of UK trade in goods exports increased by 5.4% (compared with the same period last year). And the overall value of imports increased by 3.3%.
The figures show an increase in exports from all nations of the UK in the year ending June 2018:
Exports of goods from England increased by 4.3% to £244.8bn;
In Scotland, goods exports increased by 7% to £28.8bn;
In Wales, goods exports increased by 4.2% to £16.6bn;
In Northern Ireland, goods exports increased by 0.8% to £8.5bn;
The positive figures come shortly after the launch of the Government’s Export Strategy which set a new ambition to increase exports as a proportion of UK GDP to 35%.
International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox MP said:
“The continued rise in exports across the country is fantastic news for Britain – driving job creation and prosperity across the UK. Our firms should look at these figures and be confident about the opportunities they have to grow their business overseas.
“People around the world want to buy British and, with the launch of our new Export Strategy, my international economic department has set out an offer for all businesses to ensure they are able to make the most of the global opportunities this presents.”
The HMRC figures continue to build a positive picture of UK exporting following statistics published last month by the ONS which show an increase in exports of both goods and services, as well as a trade deficit that continues to narrow.
To ensure that the positive trend continues, Dr Liam Fox will also launch a new taskforce to accelerate the government’s Global Britain agenda today at a meeting of the Board of Trade in Coventry.
Link: Press release: New figures show goods exports rise across the UK
Source: Gov Press Releases
Organisations must continue to improve transparency and accountability as ICO survey shows most UK citizens still don’t trust organisations with their data
The Information Commissioner is reminding organisations to be transparent with people’s personal information, after a survey revealed trust and confidence in how organisations handle personal data is still low, despite an improvement across sectors.
Link: Organisations must continue to improve transparency and accountability as ICO survey shows most UK citizens still don’t trust organisations with their data
Source: ICO .org.uk
The Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2018
These Rules amend the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (SI 1998/3132) for four purposes.
Link: The Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 3) Rules 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire (Fire and Rescue Authority) Order 2018
This Order makes provision (see article 3) for the creation of a new fire and rescue authority under section 4A of the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 (c. 21) for the areas of the City of York Council and North Yorkshire County Council. The person who is for the time being the police and crime commissioner for North Yorkshire is to be for the time being that new fire and rescue authority. The new authority will be known as the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Fire and Rescue Authority. The North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority is abolished by article 12 of the Order.
Link: The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for North Yorkshire (Fire and Rescue Authority) Order 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
Press release: Winning bids to drive millions of investment into Midlands
As the Board of Trade meets in Coventry today (Thursday 6 September), International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP will announce 3 new High Potential Opportunities (HPO) areas.
The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) global network – based in 177 cities around the world – will now contact investors to promote the opportunities and attract top global investment into the Midlands.
The scheme, coordinated by DIT, identifies opportunities to attract foreign direct investment into emerging sectors, regions and clusters – creating new jobs and growth in every corner of the UK.
The recent round of successful HPO bids will see:
- Leamington Spa’s gaming industry in Warwickshire bolstered
- Leicestershire’s leading space sector strengthened through satellite production and earth observation technologies
- greater opportunities for Worcestershire technology companies to increase and innovate their data security capabilities
The High Potential Opportunities Scheme is part of the International Trade Secretary’s drive to secure new investment into the Midlands. Earlier this year, Dr Fox announced more than £30 billion worth of investment-ready projects, of which nearly £11 billion are in the Midlands.
International Trade Secretary and President of the Board of Trade Dr Liam Fox MP said:
The High Potential Opportunities scheme will deliver growth where it is most needed, ensuring that the benefits of global investment are felt in every part of the UK. I am delighted to be able to announce that Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Worcestershire have all been successful in their bids.
My international economic department is very much looking forward to working with local partners, including the Local Enterprise Partnerships, on securing the right investment for these exciting opportunities.
DIT works directly with companies in 60 countries around the world. Last year, DIT supported 1,682 investment projects which created or safeguarded 81,206 jobs in the UK. Of this, 196 investment projects were supported across the Midlands, safeguarding 298 local jobs.
Whilst in Coventry, Dr Fox will also announce a second international trade summer school, to run in summer 2019. This follows the success of this year’s National Trade Academy Programme summer school. Applications will open in February 2019.
Finally, Dr Fox will award 9 Board of Trade Awards (BOFTAs), to Midlands companies for their excellence in international trade, demonstrating innovation, creativity and entrepreneurialism.
The BOFTA winners are:
- innovative clothing company worn by NASA astronauts – Armadillo Merino
- specialist international SEO knowledge provider – Hallam Internet
- medical firm Morningside Pharmaceuticals
- manufacturer of gripping aids the Active Hands Group
- health and beauty business Body Care Brand Development
- crime response service provider Arquebus Solutions
- incinerator manufacturer Addfield Environmental Systems
- forensic, cyber and criminal intelligence company Forensic Pathways
- additive technology firm Addmaster
Link: Press release: Winning bids to drive millions of investment into Midlands
Source: Gov Press Releases