These Regulations amend the provisions governing the making of funeral payments from the Social Fund.
Link: The Social Fund Funeral Expenses Amendment Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
Press release: International Development Secretary in Somalia: “The UK averted famine last year, but the job is not yet done”
The International Development Secretary has travelled to Somalia, where she saw how the UK is tackling both the causes and consequences of instability, including how UK aid is saving lives and helping those impacted by extreme drought.
This was Ms Mordaunt’s first visit to Somalia as International Development Secretary.
During the visit, Ms Mordaunt saw how life-saving water, food and healthcare provided by DFID helped avert famine in 2017, in the face of devastating drought across East Africa.
She was also told about the extreme and challenging climate conditions, which the country will continue to face in 2018. Low levels of forecasted rain threaten crops and livestock, leaving half the Somali population hungry and at risk of disease. Without sustained relief and recovery there is a real risk of famine in the near future.
The International Development Secretary said:
The devastating consequences of drought in Somalia remain a major concern. The UK led the global effort to avert famine last year, but the country is facing further difficult conditions in 2018. The job is not yet done.
I am very clear that this is not just Somalia’s problem. The whole world is less safe when instability, poverty and extreme weather triggered by climate change are left to feed extremism and mass migration.
This is why the work we are doing here is so important, from British troops helping develop Somali forces, to world-class diplomats delivering a peaceful future and aid workers providing life-saving water and food. This is why the international community also needs to step up their support to Somalia before more innocent lives are lost.
Ms Mordaunt pledged an additional £21 million for immediate lifesaving aid in Somalia, which will include:
- Screening and treatment for 130,000 children at risk of life-threatening acute malnutrition
- Providing nutrition support for over 300,000 vulnerable people including with cash support
- Maintaining access to water and improved sanitation for over 155,000 people
- Food security and livelihoods support to approximately 40,000 beneficiaries
- Vaccinations for 12.5 million goats against respiratory tract diseases, benefitting over 2 million farmers
Ms Mordaunt met with Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre and members of his Government during the visit.
In a meeting with Peter de Clercq, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Somalia, she also learned how NGOs and other agencies effectively pooled their resources last year to tackle the debilitating drought. The UN Drought Operations Coordination Centre established in February 2017 played a crucial role in tackling the effects of a fourth bad harvest in a row.
She also learned during the trip about the progress made on vital reforms agreed at last year’s landmark Somalia Conference in London; including finding a political settlement, supporting economic recovery and building stability to reduce the risk of violent extremism, which is keeping the UK safe at home. She discussed with civil society and private sector representatives ways to empower youth, women and marginalised groups, including disabled people, in the restoration of democracy and building a more inclusive economy.
Ms Mordaunt’s visit follows a two-day trip to Kenya where she saw the UK working in partnership with the government to break down barriers to trade and encourage economic growth, allowing British companies to harness the untapped potential Africa presents for business after Brexit.
Notes to Editors
In 2017, UK aid was first on the scene with life-saving water, food and healthcare after widespread drought across East Africa, saving many thousands of lives. We provided a total of £170 million humanitarian funding, which included providing over 1 million people with access to safe drinking water, and over 1.5 million people with emergency food assistance.
In addition to this £21 million, a further £40 million will be provided as planned in 2018 to sustain the relief and recovery effort, totalling £61 million already planned for the 2018 response.
Somalia is one of the world’s smallest and poorest economies. Driving Somalia’s economic recovery to support livelihoods and create jobs will be essential for building peace, stability and sustainable development.
General media queries
Email
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Link: Press release: International Development Secretary in Somalia: “The UK averted famine last year, but the job is not yet done”
Source: Gov Press Releases
News story: Human skull found by dog walker sheds light on Somerset’s history
An important historical find has been made in Somerset when a Langport dog walker found a well-preserved human skull.
Roger Evans of Newtown found the skull along the banks of the River Sowy in March 2017. The skull was reported to the police and analysed. After several months the results revealed it belonged to a woman aged 45 or older during the late Iron Age (380-190BC) – several centuries before the first Roman invasion of Britain.
The discovery hinted there may be more clues in the area, so in December the Environment Agency reduced water levels where the remains were found so South West Heritage Trust and the agency’s own archeologist could investigate.
No other human remains were found, but the archaeologists discovered that the skull lay close to a series of round, timber posts driven deep into the river bed. These may be the remnant of a causeway or raised walkway and more posts could still survive hidden in the mud. Radio carbon dating of the posts is being carried out to see if they and the skull are of the same date. Further groups of posts were seen further down the channel, suggesting other prehistoric wooden structures are present nearby.
The Environment Agency returned water levels to normal to provide a measure of protection to the timber posts and any other archaeological remains still in the channel.
Stephen Dean, Environment Agency archaeologist, said:
The chance discovery on the banks of the River Sowy has shone fresh light on Somerset’s hidden history. It has already added valuable information to the Somerset Historic Environment Record and reinforced our connections with the South West Heritage Trust.
The Environment Agency’s future work on the River Sowy, carried out on behalf of the Somerset Rivers Authority, will be informed by past discoveries such as these and will look to capture more of the area’s rich historical and archaeological story.
The discovery of the Sowy Skull is also a poignant reminder that, in looking to the future, the work we do must be informed by an understanding and respect for Somerset’s rich cultural and natural heritage. Only by understanding this heritage can we hope to leave it a condition fit for generations to come.
Analysis by a human bone expert showed that the female skull suffered considerably from gum disease and tooth loss. Her diet included coarse material, which had unevenly worn her remaining teeth, and resulted in severe osteoarthritis in the joint of her right jaw. She had also suffered at least one episode of chronic illness or nutritional stress during childhood. The woman’s head appears to have been deliberately removed at, or shortly after death.
Richard Brunning, the South West Heritage Trust archaeologist, said:
Severed heads are not an unusual discovery for the Iron Age, but the placement of the skull in a wetland beside a wooden structure is very rare, possibly reflecting a practice of making ritual offerings in watery environments.
Notes to editors:
The South West Heritage Trust is an independent charity committed to protecting and celebrating Somerset and Devon’s rich heritage. As well as the widely-praised Museum of Somerset and the redeveloped Somerset Rural Life Museum, in Glastonbury, the Trust manages state-of-the-art facilities in Taunton and Exeter to care for the extraordinary archive collections of the two counties. The Trust also provides essential advice about the historic environment and manages historic sites. Visit www.swheritage.org.uk/.
Archeologists first delved into the wetlands between Burtle, Westhay and close to Glastonbury in the nineteenth century. In the Neolithic and Bronze Age. Farmers made wooden trackways to cross the wetlands of the Levels and Moors area, and also occasionally deposited valuable objects and human remains in the shallow waters. By the Iron Age, some settlements were actually made in the wetland – the Glastonbury and Meare Lake Villages – which could only be reached by dug-out canoes.
Work commissioned by the Environment Agency at Steart Marshes at the mouth of the River Parrett has shown the presence of Iron Age farming communities on the Steart peninsula. Studies there, and further along the Parrett, have shown that the floodplain was constantly changing in response to sea level rise, climate change, and human activity.
A community excavation by the South West Heritage Trust on the nearby ‘island’ of hard geology in the floodplain at Aller, discovered Iron Age defences and numerous circular pits for storing grain. The island may have acted as a defensive refuge from attacks and would have overlooked the wetlands where the skull was deposited.
Link: News story: Human skull found by dog walker sheds light on Somerset’s history
Source: Environment Agency
Press release: December 2017 Transaction Data
In December:
- HM Land Registry completed more than 1,266,640 applications to change or query the Land Register
- the South East topped the table of regional applications with 287,649
The transaction data shows HM Land Registry completed 1,266,641 applications in December compared with 1,774,223 in November and 1,271,984 last December, of which:
- 319,721 were applications to update existing titles compared with 411,092 in November
- 551,427 were applications to obtain an official copy of a register compared with 834,546 in November
- 197,327 were official searches compared with 238,129 in November
- 26,377 were postal applications from non-account holders, compared with 30,948 in November
Applications by region and country
| Region and country | October applications | November applications | December applications |
|---|---|---|---|
| South East | 407,148 | 408,756 | 287,649 |
| Greater London | 329,865 | 339,086 | 250,636 |
| North West | 195,045 | 200,475 | 139,168 |
| South West | 168,802 | 173,351 | 124,681 |
| West Midlands | 145,121 | 152,816 | 107,079 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 135,347 | 135,373 | 98,017 |
| East Midlands | 120,689 | 125,846 | 90,239 |
| Wales | 80,938 | 82,646 | 58,854 |
| North | 82,710 | 81,197 | 56,648 |
| East Anglia | 74,202 | 74,499 | 53,549 |
| Isles of Scilly | 106 | 92 | 79 |
| England and Wales (not assigned) | 95 | 86 | 42 |
| Total | 1,740,068 | 1,774,223 | 1,266,641 |
Top 5 local authority areas
| Top 5 local authority areas | October applications | Top 5 local authority areas | November applications | Top 5 local authority areas | December applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | 26,232 | Birmingham | 27,715 | Birmingham | 19,714 |
| City of Westminster | 24,087 | City of Westminster | 23,565 | City of Westminster | 17,977 |
| Leeds | 19,895 | Leeds | 20,137 | Leeds | 14,262 |
| Manchester | 17,810 | Cornwall | 18,823 | Manchester | 13,384 |
| Cornwall | 17,794 | Manchester | 18,542 | Cornwall | 13,332 |
Top 5 customers
| Top 5 customers | October applications | Top 5 customers | November applications | Top 5 customers | December applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enact | 48,058 | Enact | 49,360 | Enact | 36,313 |
| O’Neill Patient | 24,610 | Optima Legal Services | 25,532 | Optima Legal Services | 19,826 |
| Optima Legal Services | 23,721 | O’Neill Patient | 24,260 | O’Neill Patient | 19,764 |
| Eversheds LLP | 20,980 | TM Group (UK) Ltd | 19,701 | HBOS PLC | 16,649 |
| Barclays Bank PLC | 19,123 | HBOS PLC | 19,315 | TM Group (UK) Ltd | 16,444 |
Access the full dataset on data.gov.uk.
Notes to editors
- Transaction Data is published on the 15th working day of each month. The January Transaction Data will be published at 11am on Wednesday 21 February 2018 at HM Land Registry Monthly Property Transaction Data.
- The monthly Transaction Data showing how many applications for new titles, leases, splitting titles, updating existing titles, official copies of the register and searches were completed, reflects the volume of applications lodged by customers using an HM Land Registry account number on their application form.
- Completed applications in England and Wales shown by region and by local authority include postal applications as well as those sent electronically.
- Transaction Data excludes: pending applications, bankruptcy applications, bulk applications and discharge applications (to remove a charge, for example, a mortgage, from the register).
- Transactions for value are applications lodged involving a transfer of ownership for value. For an explanation of other terms used, see abbreviations used in the Transaction Data.
- Most searches carried out by a solicitor or conveyancer are to protect the purchase and/or mortgage. For example, a search will give the buyer priority for an application to HM Land Registry to register the purchase of the property. This can give an indication of market activity.
- Reasonable skill and care is used in the provision of the data. We strive to ensure that the data is as accurate as possible but cannot guarantee that it is free from error. We cannot guarantee our data is fit for your intended purpose or use.
- Transaction Data is available free of charge for use and re-use under the Open Government Licence (OGL). The licence allows public bodies to make their data available for re-use.
- If you use or publish the Transaction Data, you must add the following attribution statement: Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2018. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
- 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 gov.uk/land-registry
- Follow us on:
- Twitter @HMLandRegistry
- our blog
Contact
Senior Press Officer
Marion Shelley
Head Office
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ
Press Officer
Paula Dorman
Head Office
Trafalgar House
1 Bedford Park
Croydon
CR0 2AQ
Email
paula.dorman@landregistry.gov.uk
Telephone
0300 0063349
Press Office
Link: Press release: December 2017 Transaction Data
Source: Gov Press Releases
Press release: Matthew Rycroft joins DFID today as our new Permanent Secretary.
Matthew Rycroft joins DFID today as our new Permanent Secretary.
On welcoming Matthew, the Secretary of State said:
It’s fantastic to have Matthew starting as DFID’s new Permanent Secretary today – he brings to the role a deep dedication to international development, a truly global perspective and an understanding of how Britain’s security and prosperity depends upon our aid commitment.
On joining DFID, Matthew Rycroft said:
I am delighted to be joining DFID as your Permanent Secretary at this important time. DFID has a fantastic reputation and a crucial mission: to eradicate poverty.
I believe in aid and also in international development more broadly. As the UK leaves the EU, we need to consider our strategic direction. I want us to think of ourselves as central to the British Government’s work, building partnerships to protect our country from long term threats, creating long term opportunities and promoting the UK around the world.
I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible in my first weeks. Please tell me what you are proud of and what you would like to change.
General media queries
Email
mediateam@dfid.gov.uk
Telephone
020 7023 0600
Follow the DFID Media office on Twitter – @DFID_Press
Link: Press release: Matthew Rycroft joins DFID today as our new Permanent Secretary.
Source: Gov Press Releases
News story: Boston Barrier tidal flood defence construction begins
Floods Minister Thérèse Coffey has marked the start of works on the £100 million Boston Barrier flood defence, breaking ground on an Environment Agency scheme that will protect 14,000 homes and businesses from tidal flooding.
Work is already underway to dredge more than 5,000 cubic metres of silt from the Boston Haven to make way for construction. Over the coming months, 2,000 tonnes of steel sheeting – weighing as much as 280 elephants – will be put in place to strengthen the riverbanks in preparation for the barrier.
Floods Minister Thérèse Coffey said:
This Government investment will make sure Boston is one of the best protected towns on the east coast and I am proud to be putting the first spade in the ground on this project.
The Boston Barrier is part of our plan to invest £229 million over the next four years to make sure the risk of flooding to 49,000 homes and businesses in Lincolnshire is significantly reduced.
It is expected that works will be complete by the end of 2020, and will make Boston one of the best-protected areas from tidal flooding outside of London.
The scheme will feature a moveable gate across the River Witham together with a new control building to operate the barrier, new flood defence walls on both banks and a replacement gate across the entrance to the existing Port of Boston wet dock.
Toby Willison, Executive Director of Operations at the Environment Agency, said:
This state-of-the-art defence will help protect Boston’s communities and businesses from the kind of flooding the town experienced in December 2013.
It’s yet another example of the brilliant work our teams are doing up and down the country to better protect people from flooding, and recently we’ve reached a milestone of an extra 100,000 homes protected.
The barrier’s 25-metre wide hydraulic-powered gate, when not in use, will lay flat on the riverbed out of sight, but will be raised to close off the River Witham when flooding is expected, preventing high tides on the North Sea from raising river levels in the town.
Boston has a long history of tidal flooding, most recently in December 2013 when more than 800 properties flooded across 55 streets. Flooding also occurred in 1953 and 1978.
The Environment Agency is investing £2.6 billion of government funding in more than 1,500 flood defences to protect homes and businesses across the country by 2021.
Everyone has a responsibility to take steps to protect themselves from flooding, such as knowing your risk, signing up for free flood warnings and making a floodplan in advance. Call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or visit www.gov.uk/flood for more information.
Link: News story: Boston Barrier tidal flood defence construction begins
Source: Environment Agency
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Wimbledon) Regulations 2018
Link: The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Wimbledon) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Cheltenham Festival) Regulations 2018
Link: The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Cheltenham Festival) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Stonehenge) Regulations 2018
Link: The Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Stonehenge) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
Press release: Industrial Strategy boost for UK medicines with £70 million of funding to help develop new treatments
- Funding through Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) will support projects including new manufacturing centres to speed up the production of medicine and new virtual reality projects to help patient recovery
- Landmark speech also confirms plans to map UK’s research infrastructure to ensure UK remains at the cutting edge
New Science Minister Sam Gyimah will announce £70 million of funding to create new manufacturing centres to help speed up the development of new medicines during a visit to Imperial College London today (Monday 22 January).
The money forms part of the government’s commitment to build a country fit for the future through a stronger economy and fairer society. It will create innovative new medical solutions, including using virtual reality to aid rehabilitation and investing in digital speech therapy solutions for stroke and brain injuries. The government’s investment in high tech medical research will in turn boost jobs, enhance the NHS and ensure better care for people when they are unwell.
During his visit to Imperial College London, the minister is expected to see how new, innovative technology is being developed to help patients.
He will be shown a cartoon-like robot which can improve learning and emotional understanding in children with autism. Because of their programming, robots are precise in displaying the same facial expressions and gestures in every interaction. Researchers believe this consistency may be the key to helping young children with autism to learn the different facial expressions and gestures people use to display their emotions.
The minister is also likely to see some AI facial-recognition research which could be used to help elderly people by detecting the onset of depression, or in security systems to recognise visitors to dementia sufferers’ homes as doctors, nurses or relatives.
As part of a day of Industrial Strategy activity, Sam Gyimah will also speak at the Royal Society where he will announce the start of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Research and Innovation Infrastructure Roadmap Programme, which will comprehensively map UK research and innovation infrastructure, showcasing our abilities whilst identifying any gaps in infrastructure that we can address to boost the sector.
The Infrastructure Roadmap will be the first major piece of work that UKRI will undertake, and is expected to be finished in 2019 and will feature:
- Large scientific facilities and major equipment
- Collections, archives and scientific data
- E-infrastructures such as data and computing systems
- Communications networks
Universities and Science Minister Sam Gyimah said:
Through our ambitious, modern Industrial Strategy we want to unlock the innovations that will help people live better, longer lives by developing the medicines of the future. This investment will not only support high-value, highly-skilled jobs but will develop lifesaving treatments that could change lives across the UK.
We want to improve the way we make medicines and we are determined to capitalise on our research and innovation infrastructure, which is why today I am launching the start of the UKRI Research and Innovation Infrastructure Roadmap Programme.
From RRS Discovery to the UK Biobank and the Diamond Light Source to the UK Data Archive, this country is world renowned for its research and innovation infrastructure. Now, for the first time, we will map this to enable us to showcase our capabilities around the world and identify future opportunities.
Chief Executive designate of UK Research and Innovation, Sir Mark Walport said:
One of UK Research and Innovation’s key tasks is to make sure that the UK’s businesses and researchers are ready and able to seize the opportunity presented by the Industrial Strategy. So I’m very pleased that alongside today’s substantial investment in leading edge healthcare manufacturing technology, we are also starting the process to map out the UK’s nationally and internationally important research and innovation infrastructure. This will enable us to make sure we are getting the absolute best out the infrastructure we already have, and identify what else we will need to stay competitive in the next 10-15 years.
Healthcare Challenge
Through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF), the government is investing £181 million through the Leading Edge Healthcare and the Digital Health Technology Catalyst over 4 years in the areas of advanced therapies, medicines and vaccines development and manufacturing, alongside an estimated £250 million of private funding from industry.
The fund should return a value of £1 billion to the UK economy, support high-value, highly-skilled manufacturing, and increase productivity.
Nearly £50 million of this funding has been allocated to further the manufacture of medicines, ensuring that the right drugs and treatments reach patients.
The funding for the ISCF Leading Edge Healthcare Challenge allocation is made up of:
- £21 million for Advanced Therapies Treatment Centres
- £15 million for Medicines Manufacturing collaborative research and development round 1 competition
- £8 million for Digital Health Catalyst round 1
- £5.6 million for Viral vector production for Cell and Gene Therapy
- £8 million for Digital Health Technology Catalyst round 2 – funding competition opens 15 February 2018
- £10 million for the Medicines Manufacturing challenge round 2 – funding opens 12 March 2018
Commenting on the funding, Health and Social Care Minister Lord O’Shaughnessy said:
NHS patients want to know that they can get the most innovative and effective treatments as quickly as possible, and that’s what our investments will make happen.
Whether it is new cancer treatments, digital health technologies, or tools to help diagnose illness earlier, the Government is partnering with industry to deliver the life-changing and life-saving treatments as quickly as anywhere in the world.
The projects announced as part of the ISCF Leading Edge Healthcare Challenge will not only improve accessibility and production of medicines, it will further reaffirm the UK’s position as being world-leading in research and development, which is a central to the Industrial Strategy.
Link: Press release: Industrial Strategy boost for UK medicines with £70 million of funding to help develop new treatments
Source: Gov Press Releases