Defence Committee questions Minister following the NATO Brussels Summit
Link: Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Defence, gives evidence
Source: Parliamentary News
Press release: UK-France space agreement delivers device to ocean satellite
A device built in the UK by Honeywell, which will form a vital part of the mission to make the first global survey of the world’s surface waters and oceans, has been delivered to Thales Alenia Space in France.
The Surface Water and Ocean Topography, or SWOT, mission is led by CNES (the French Space Agency) and NASA with support from the UK Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. The UK Space Agency and CNES signed a joint statement in January 2018 during the UK-France Summit in Sandhurst to step up co-operation in space, building on 2014’s Brize-Norton framework arrangement.
The warming of Earth’s climate may profoundly alter the movement of freshwater resources from lakes to rivers to reservoirs, resulting in significant societal impact. The SWOT satellite will use radar technology to measure the features of oceans, coastlines, rivers and lakes across the globe to improve understanding of changes over time and their impact on farming, industry and human populations.
The UK-built device, known as a duplexer, is a vital component that routes radar signals around the satellite and can transmit at a power of 1,500W – a level never before seen in this kind of device.
Speaking in Brussels at the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites Plenary, UK Space Agency Director of Growth Catherine Mealing-Jones said:
Satellites play a major role in understanding our home – planet Earth. Using great British technology, the SWOT mission is a great example of how satellites can take measurements of our environment from the unique vantage point of space, in this case, giving us the first global survey of one of our most precious resources – water. The UK and France are leading space powers in Europe and the delivery of the duplexer for the SWOT mission is a significant milestone in our partnership, which continues to go from strength to strength.
It will now be integrated into a Radio-Frequency Unit by Thales Alenia Space before NASA engineers add it to their KaRin instrument developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. The satellite is due to launch 2021.
CNES is supplying the RFU (Radio-Frequency Unit), which is co-funded with the UK Space Agency UKSA. As well as the duplexer, Thales Alenia Space is developing the ‘hyperbox’ in Toulouse which will create the radar pulse and receive radar echoes.
Hailing this new milestone, CNES President Jean-Yves Le Gall said:
This new step forward for the SWOT mission is a product of the close relationship between our space agencies and industries. The joint statement signed by CNES and UKSA in 2018 during the UK-France Summit in Sandhurst is being effectively applied and France and the United Kingdom are pursuing their successful space cooperation.
The UK and France are also teaming up on the MicroCarb programme to monitor and map sources and sinks of carbon gases, as well as supporting the implementation of a Space Climate Observatory, which was set out in the Paris Declaration on Climate Change.
This week is Green Great Britain Week, which is showcasing the leading role of the UK’s academic and business communities in tackling climate change while generating economic growth.
Green GB Week celebrates the tenth anniversary of the UK’s ground-breaking Climate Change Act. The UK has played a leading role in delivering clean growth – growing the economy by more than two thirds while reducing emissions by over 40% since 1990.
Clean growth is central to the Government’s modern Industrial Strategy, and Green GB Week includes 100 events across the country promoting the opportunities from clean growth and raising awareness of how businesses and the public can contribute to tackling climate change.
The UK and France are also teaming up on the MicroCarb programme to monitor and map sources and sinks of carbon gases, as well as supporting the implementation of a Space Climate Observatory, which was set out in the Paris Declaration on Climate Change.
Link: Press release: UK-France space agreement delivers device to ocean satellite
Source: Gov Press Releases
HSE proud to fly Suffrage Flag over Buxton laboratory
Britain’s regulator for workplace health and safety celebrated 100 years of votes for women by flying the women’s Suffrage Flag over its world leading laboratory in Buxton.
Link: HSE proud to fly Suffrage Flag over Buxton laboratory
Source: Health and Safety
The Environmental Noise (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2018
These Regulations amend the Environmental Noise (England) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/2238) to implement Commission Directive (EU) 2015/996 establishing common noise assessment methods according to Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ No L 168, 1.7.2015, p 1).
Link: The Environmental Noise (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
NI social care provision examined
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee hears from charities and representatives of social workers
Link: NI social care provision examined
Source: Parliamentary News
Government officials and Lead Non-Executive questioned
Exiting the European Union Committee discusses Government capability to deliver Brexit
Link: Government officials and Lead Non-Executive questioned
Source: Parliamentary News
Cold Weather Payments
A Bill to require the Secretary of State to report annually on the representativeness in respect of relevant postcode districts of weather stations designated for the purpose of calculating cold weather payments and to conduct a study of alternative methods of calculating cold weather in each postcode district; and for connected purposes.
Link: Cold Weather Payments
Source: Public Bills
Press release: Lower Thames Crossing opens its doors at first of sixty public events
People who live, work and travel across Kent, Thurrock, Essex and beyond are being invited to shape plans for Britain’s biggest road tunnel as Highways England hosts the first of 60 public engagement events on the multi-billion pound Lower Thames Crossing project today (Tuesday 16 October).
A consultation was launched last week into updated proposals for the project, a new 14.5 mile road linking the M2 in Kent with the M25 in Essex, including a 2.4 mile tunnel under the river. Starting this week, the project team are taking to the road to meet local people, explain the plans and answer questions.
Today’s event, at Orsett in Essex is one of 25 public information events being held over the coming weeks, along with pop up stalls and visits by the team’s mobile visitor centre to various locations across Essex, Thurrock and Kent.
Businesses and organisations from across the region have welcomed the plans, which will nearly double road capacity across the Thames while halving some journey times at the existing Dartford Crossing, where traffic will be reduced by almost a quarter.
Highways England Project Director for the Lower Thames Crossing, Tim Jones, said:
The Lower Thames Crossing will be among the biggest and most complex new roads ever built in the UK, and we are providing a wide range of information about the project, its impacts and benefits. We want to help people understand the proposals and have their say to help shape the plans. These events are an excellent opportunity to do just that.
People will be able to see the changes we’ve made since the preferred route was announced last year, and how we’ve responded to the feedback we’ve received. And of course they will be able to put questions directly to members of the project team. I encourage anyone with an interest to come along to one of our events to make sure their voice is heard in this once-in-a-generation opportunity for Britain’s roads.
Councils and business and industry groups from across the region have reiterated support for the project as the consultation gets underway.
Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, said:
We fully support the proposal for an additional crossing and investment in the wider road network. A Lower Thames Crossing will not only reduce congestion on the Dartford Crossing, but it will also bring with it economic benefits to both sides of the river; it will bring more visitors into the south-east and would benefit commuters.
Medway is fast becoming known as the new economic powerhouse for the south-east, and although we already have great transport connections, such as a high speed rail service into central London, a new crossing will be a major catalyst to drive further economic development.
We will be submitting a response to Highways England’s consultation and would encourage residents and businesses to attend a consultation event to find out more about the proposal and how the crossing would affect them, as well as provide their feedback.
Cllr Peter Fleming, Leader of Sevenoaks District Council, said:
“The importance to the Sevenoaks District of the Lower Thames Crossing cannot be underestimated. The potential reduction in HGV movements both in and through the District and the subsequent reductions in congestion and improvement in air quality are just some of the benefits that will accrue our communities and businesses after the crossing is delivered.”
Cllr Roy Whitehead, leader of Chelmsford City Council said:
Chelmsford City Council welcomes the opportunity to comment on Highways England’s latest consultation on the Lower Thames Crossing. Providing another strategic crossing of the River Thames is crucial in relieving the existing congested bottleneck at the Dartford Crossing and will provide a catalyst for further economic growth in Chelmsford and across Essex.
Cllr Teresa O’Neill OBE, leader of the London Borough of Bexley said:
The Thames Gateway is poised to help the country and the capital prosper and grow. Transport infrastructure – including river crossings – it essential for this to happen, so I welcome this consultation and the prospect of investment in this important project.
Christian Brodie, Chair of the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), said:
This marks the important next step for this urgently needed and game changing project which will help us drive forward the economy of the South East. I would urge every business to back this vital investment in infrastructure and participate in the consultation.
Denise Rossiter, Chief Executive Officer of Essex Chambers of Commerce, said:
We are extremely pleased that this important Consultation has been launched for a ten-week period. Essex Chambers have strongly supported the need for a Lower Thames Crossing from the very start. The time now is for businesses to have their say and we would encourage you to visit the Lower Thames Crossing website to learn more about this fantastic project that will help Essex prosper economically, logistically and be a global leader.
Jo James, Chief Executive Officer of Kent Chambers of Commerce, said:
The Lower Thames Crossing will open up new opportunities, enabling businesses across Kent and the wider South East to achieve their growth potential and will have a significant impact on our future prosperity.
As the ten-week consultation opens, I would strongly urge businesses to put their views forward by responding to the consultation.
Malcolm Bingham, the Freight Transport Association’s Head of Road Network Policy, said:
FTA, which represents more than 17,000 logistics businesses, urges government to press ahead with construction of the Lower Thames Crossing as soon as possible to ease congestion and improve road capacity in this area. Traffic congestion at the Dartford Crossing is already unbearably high and it is predicted to return to pre-Dart Charge levels by 2020. The M2/M25 route is a vital cog in the country’s freight machine and it must continue to work as smoothly as possible to ensure that British companies can trade without delays both domestically and internationally.
Richard Christian, Head of Policy and Communications, Port of Dover, said:
The UK’s reliance upon continued frictionless trade at the Port of Dover has been accepted at the heart of Government. So has the need to preserve it. For a port handling £122bn or 17 per cent of the UK’s trade in goods, and with half of that trade moving beyond London to keep factories busy and shops full in the Midlands and the North, the Lower Thames Crossing is an investment in the long-term economic success of the UK as a whole. The Port continues to press hard for a Government commitment to other complementary strategic investments such as the dualling of the A2 to Dover which, together with the Lower Thames Crossing, will help protect jobs and livelihoods, keep traffic flowing and prices low for British consumers.
Glyn Jones, Chief Executive Officer, Stobart Aviation, said:
Stobart Group is proud to support this visionary and important infrastructure project. It will make a major contribution to sustainable growth and significantly enhance mobility for both people and goods across the river. We look forward to working with colleagues in the Lower Thames Crossing team to help deliver this transformational scheme.
Since the preferred route announcement by Transport Minister Chris Grayling MP in April 2017, changes were made to reflect feedback including:
- making the whole route three lanes, not two
- introducing a new rest and service area west of East Tilbury
- a new design for the Tilbury junction, removing the proposed Tilbury link road to reduce traffic on the local road network
- extending the tunnel so the tunnel entrance in Kent is 600 metres further south to reduce the visual impact and protect access to a community church
- lowering road by five to six metres in places to reduce its visual impact
- moving the road 80 metres further east where is passes Chadwell St Mary to increase the distance from residential properties
All information is also available on the consultation page.
The consultation period runs until Thursday 20 December.
General enquiries
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Media enquiries
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.
Link: Press release: Lower Thames Crossing opens its doors at first of sixty public events
Source: Gov Press Releases
Press release: UK House Price Index for August 2018
The August data shows:
- on average, house prices have risen by 0.2% since July 2018
- an annual price rise of 3.2%, which makes the average property in the UK valued at £232,797
England
In England, the August data shows house prices have risen on average by 0.2% since July 2018. The annual price rise of 2.9% takes the average property value to £249,748.
The regional data for England indicates that:
- the East Midlands experienced the greatest monthly price rise, up by 1.5%
- the East of England saw the most significant monthly price fall, down by 1.1%
- house prices in London fell by 0.2% in the year to August 2018
Price change by region for England
| Region | Average price August 2018 | Monthly change % since July 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | £194,718 | 1.5 |
| East of England | £292,107 | -1.1 |
| London | £486,304 | -0.5 |
| North East | £133,538 | 1.4 |
| North West | £163,487 | 0.0 |
| South East | £329,264 | 0.1 |
| South West | £257,659 | -0.4 |
| West Midlands | £199,000 | 0.5 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £163,964 | 1.2 |
Repossession sales by volume for England
The lowest number of repossession sales in June 2018 was in the East of England.
The highest number of repossession sales in June 2018 was in the North West.
| Repossession sales | June 2018 |
|---|---|
| East Midlands | 39 |
| East of England | 14 |
| London | 42 |
| North East | 75 |
| North West | 121 |
| South East | 53 |
| South West | 47 |
| West Midlands | 51 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 100 |
| England | 542 |
Average price by property type for England
| Property type | August 2018 | August 2017 | Difference % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £375,773 | £363,088 | 3.5 |
| Semi-detached | £234,174 | £223,857 | 4.6 |
| Terraced | £202,162 | £196,312 | 3.0 |
| Flat/maisonette | £230,459 | £230,443 | 0.0 |
| All | £249,748 | £242,628 | 2.9 |
Funding and buyer status for England
| Transaction type | Average price August 2018 | Annual price change % since August 2017 | Monthly price change % since July 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | £234,912 | 2.8 | 0.1 |
| Mortgage | £257,227 | 3.0 | 0.2 |
| First-time buyer | £209,745 | 2.7 | 0.3 |
| Former owner occupier | £283,215 | 3.1 | 0.0 |
Building status for England
| Building status* | Average price June 2018 | Annual price change % since June 2017 | Monthly price change % since May 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New build | £307,553 | 6.6 | 2.1 |
| Existing resold property | £241,647 | 2.8 | 0.6 |
*Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
London
London shows, on average, house prices have fallen by 0.5% since July 2018. An annual price fall of 0.2% takes the average property value to £486,304.
Average price by property type for London
| Property type | August 2018 | August 2017 | Difference % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £907,317 | £904,655 | 0.3 |
| Semi-detached | £590,981 | £579,880 | 1.9 |
| Terraced | £506,845 | £501,173 | 1.1 |
| Flat/maisonette | £426,856 | £432,209 | -1.2 |
| All | £486,304 | £487,085 | -0.2 |
Funding and buyer status for London
| Transaction type | Average price August 2018 | Annual price change % since August 2017 | Monthly price change % since July 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | £509,986 | -0.4 | -0.9 |
| Mortgage | £479,068 | 0.0 | -0.4 |
| First-time buyer | £425,299 | -0.4 | -0.5 |
| Former owner occupier | £548,993 | 0.1 | -0.5 |
Building status for London
| Building status* | Average price June 2018 | Annual price change % since June 2017 | Monthly price change % since May 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New build | £504,305 | 4.1 | 1.5 |
| Existing resold property | £479,739 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
*Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
Wales
Wales shows, on average, house prices have risen by 1.9% since July 2018. An annual price rise of 6.2% takes the average property value to £162,374.
There were 57 repossession sales for Wales in June 2018.
Average price by property type for Wales
| Property type | August 2018 | August 2017 | Difference % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detached | £241,030 | £229,969 | 4.8 |
| Semi-detached | £157,283 | £146,810 | 7.1 |
| Terraced | £126,861 | £118,292 | 7.2 |
| Flat/maisonette | £117,111 | £111,972 | 4.6 |
| All | £162,374 | £152,859 | 6.2 |
Funding and buyer status for Wales
| Transaction type | Average price August 2018 | Annual price change % since August 2017 | Monthly price change % since July 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash | £156,605 | 4.9 | 1.2 |
| Mortgage | £165,809 | 7.0 | 2.3 |
| First-time buyer | £140,634 | 6.5 | 2.3 |
| Former owner occupier | £187,598 | 6.0 | 1.4 |
Building status for Wales
| Building status* | Average price June 2018 | Annual price change % since June 2017 | Monthly price change % since May 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New build | £212,007 | 10.2 | 3.4 |
| Existing resold property | £153,947 | 4.2 | 1.3 |
*Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
UK house prices rose by 3.2% in the year to August 2018, down from 3.4% in the year to July 2018.
The UK Property Transaction Statistics for August 2018 showed that on a seasonally adjusted basis, the number of transactions on residential properties with a value of £40,000 or greater was 99,120. This is 2.6% lower compared to a year ago. Between July and August 2018, transactions increased by 1.3%.
House prices grew fastest in the East Midlands region increasing by 6.5% in the year to August 2018, followed by the West Midlands region which increased by 5.1% over the year. House prices in London fell by 0.2% in the year to August 2018. Annual growth in London house prices has been around zero for the last 6 months.
See the economic statement.
Notes to editors
- The UK House Price Index (HPI) is published on the second or third Wednesday of each month with Northern Ireland figures updated quarterly. The September 2018 UK HPI will be published at 9.30am on Wednesday 14 November 2018. See calendar of release dates.
- We have made some changes to improve the accuracy of the UK HPI. We are not publishing average price and percentage change for new builds and existing resold property as done previously because there are not currently enough new build transactions to provide a reliable result. This means that in this month’s UK HPI reports, new builds and existing resold property are reported in line with the sales volumes currently available.
- The UK HPI revision period has been extended to 13 months, following a review of the revision policy (see Revisions to the UK HPI data). This ensures the data used is more comprehensive.
- Sales volume data is also available by property status (new build and existing property) and funding status (cash and mortgage) in our downloadable data tables. Transactions involving the creation of a new register, such as new builds, are more complex and require more time to process. Read revisions to the UK HPI data.
- Revision tables have been introduced for England and Wales within the downloadable data. Tables will be available in csv format. See about the UK HPI for more information.
- Data for the UK HPI is provided by HM Land Registry, Registers of Scotland, Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and the Valuation Office Agency.
- The UK HPI is calculated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. It applies a hedonic regression model that uses the various sources of data on property price, in particular HM Land Registry’s Price Paid Dataset, and attributes to produce estimates of the change in house prices each month. Find out more about the methodology used from the ONS and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency.
- The UK Property Transaction statisticsare taken from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) monthly estimates of the number of residential and non-residential property transactions in the UK and its constituent countries. The number of property transactions in the UK is highly seasonal, with more activity in the summer months and less in the winter. This regular annual pattern can sometimes mask the underlying movements and trends in the data series so HMRC also presents the UK aggregate transaction figures on a seasonally adjusted basis. Adjustments are made for both the time of year and the construction of the calendar, including corrections for the position of Easter and the number of trading days in a particular month.
- UK HPI seasonally adjusted series are calculated at regional and national levels only. See data tables.
- The first estimate for new build average price (April 2016 report) was based on a small sample which can cause volatility. A three-month moving average has been applied to the latest estimate to remove some of this volatility.
- Work has been taking place since 2014 to develop a single, official HPI that reflects the final transaction price for sales of residential property in the UK. Using the geometric mean, it covers purchases at market value for owner-occupation and buy-to-let, excluding those purchases not at market value (such as re-mortgages), where the ‘price’ represents a valuation.
- Information on residential property transactions for England and Wales, collected as part of the official registration process, is provided by HM Land Registry for properties that are sold for full market value.
- The HM Land Registry dataset contains the sale price of the property, the date when the sale was completed, full address details, the type of property (detached, semi-detached, terraced or flat), if it is a newly built property or an established residential building and a variable to indicate if the property has been purchased as a financed transaction (using a mortgage) or as a non-financed transaction (cash purchase).
- Repossession sales data is based on the number of transactions lodged with HM Land Registry by lenders exercising their power of sale.
- For England, this is shown as volumes of repossession sales recorded by Government Office Region. For Wales, there is a headline figure for the number of repossession sales recorded in Wales.
- The data can be downloaded as a .csv file. Repossession sales data prior to April 2016 is not available. Find out more information about repossession sales.
- Background tables of the raw and cleansed aggregated data, in Excel and CSV formats, are also published monthly although Northern Ireland is on a quarterly basis. They are available for free use and re-use under the Open Government Licence.
- HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales.
- HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.
- HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles showing evidence of ownership for some 85% of the land mass of England and Wales.
- For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry
- Follow us on Twitter @HMLandRegistry, our blog, LinkedIn and Facebook.
Contact
Press Office
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ
Email
HMLRPressOffice@landregistry.gov.uk
Phone (Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm)
0300 006 3349 or 0300 006 7543
Mobile (6pm to 8.30am, all weekend and public holidays)
07864 689 344
Link: Press release: UK House Price Index for August 2018
Source: Gov Press Releases
Dangerous dogs legislation fails to protect the public
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee publishes controlling dangerous dogs report
Link: Dangerous dogs legislation fails to protect the public
Source: Parliamentary News