Category: Gov Press Releases

Following Cardiff City’s home Championship match with Millwall at Cardiff City Stadium, gates will open at the Principality Stadium for Anthony Joshua’s world heavyweight title fight with Carlos Takam in front of a sell-out 75,000-strong crowd.

And with rail services to Cardiff affected by electrification work on the day, Highways England is anticipating increased traffic volumes at the Severn Crossings and on the strategic road network.

Gareth Price, south west emergency planning officer for Highways England, said:

We have placed roadside messages well in advance of the event but we would like to remind road users to plan ahead. Roads leading to Cardiff are likely to be busy, particularly the M4 westbound, M49 and M5.

Our aim is to keep the Highways England network running while keeping sports fans and other road users safe and informed, and on the day we advise people to check our traffic and travel information channels, set off early and allow plenty of time.

Highways England provides live traffic information via its website.

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.

The Queen has been pleased to approve that the honour of Knighthood or Damehood be conferred upon Simon James Bryan, Q.C., Akhlaq Ur-Rahman Choudhury, Q.C., Jonathan Lionel Cohen, Q.C., Julian Nicholas Goose, Q.C., Gwynneth Frances Knowles, Q.C., Julian Bernard Knowles, Q.C., Peter Richard Lane, Jane Clare Moulder, Matthew James Nicklin Q.C., Martin Benedict Spencer, Q.C., David Basil Williams, Q.C., and Amanda Louise Yip, Q.C. on their appointment as Justices of the High Court.

Background

Simon James Bryan, was called to the Bar (L) in 1988 and took Silk in 2006. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009, a Deputy High Court Judge in 2013 and Chief Justice of the Falkland Islands in 2015.

Akhlaq Ur-Rahman Choudhury was called to the Bar (I) in 1992 and took Silk in 2015. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009 and as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2016.

Jonathan Lionel Cohen was called to the Bar (L) in 1974 and took Silk in 1997. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1993, as a Recorder in 1997 and as a fee-paid Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber in 2000 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2005.

His Honour Judge Julian Nicholas Goose was called to the Bar (L) in 1984 and took Silk in 2002. He was appointed as an Assistant Recorder in 1999, as a Recorder in 2000. He was authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2010 and appointed as a Senior Circuit Judge in 2013.

Gwynneth Frances Knowles was called to the Bar (G) in 1993 and took Silk in 2011. She was appointed as a fee-paid Tribunal Judge of the First-tier Tribunal, Health, Education and Social Care Chamber in 2007, as a salaried Judge of the Upper Tribunal, Administrative Appeals Chamber in 2014 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2016.

Julian Bernard Knowles was called to the Bar (I) in 1994 and took Silk in 2011. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009 and as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.

Tribunal Judge Peter Richard Lane was admitted as a Solicitor in 1985. He was appointed as a fee-paid Immigration Adjudicator in 1996, as a salaried Immigration Adjudicator in 2001, as a Vice President of the Immigration Appeal Tribunal in 2003 (becoming a Senior Immigration Judge in 2005 and a Judge of the Upper Tribunal in 2008), as a legal member of the Special Immigration Appeals Commission in 2005 and as President of the General Regulatory Chamber in 2014. He is authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge.

Jane Clare Moulder was admitted as a Solicitor in 1984. She was appointed as a Recorder in 2010, she was authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2013 and appointed as a Specialist Circuit Judge in 2015.

Matthew James Nicklin was called to the Bar (L) in 1993 and took Silk in 2013. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2009 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.

Martin Benedict Spencer was called to the Bar (I) in 1979 and took Silk in 2003. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2001 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.

David Basil Williams was called to the Bar (I) in 1990 and took Silk in 2013. He was appointed as a Recorder in 2016 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2017.

Amanda Louise Yip was called to the Bar (G) in 1991 and took Silk in 2011. She was appointed as a Recorder in 2008 and authorised to sit as a Deputy High Court Judge in 2013.

Speaking following the Security Council vote, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

We are deeply disappointed that the mandate for the UN Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), which is impartial and independent, has not been renewed.

Last year the JIM found that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons against its people on no fewer than three occasions. The JIM will be reporting in the coming days on responsibility for a further two chemical weapons attacks, including in Khan Sheikhoun in April.

Russia’s veto at the UN Security Council means that in a month the JIM will cease to exist. It will no longer be able to do its work to investigate who is responsible for use of chemical weapons in Syria. The veto suggests that the Syrian regime has something to hide and risks letting both Asad forces and Daesh off the hook for these heinous crimes. In 2013, Russia said it had secured Syria’s agreement to destroy all its chemical weapons. Since then, the JIM has found the Syrian regime used chemical weapons three times. Russia’s response is not to redouble its efforts to ensure disarmament, but to shut down the investigation.

While we are deeply disappointed, the United Kingdom will not let Russia’s actions stop us from working with international partners to seek justice for victims and to prevent the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

The company’s Chief Executive, Mark Thurston, said:

When I joined the organisation earlier this year we faced a number of issues that needed to be addressed, particularly around our administrative controls and mechanisms on redundancies agreed by the company, as highlighted by the recent NAO report into High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd’s annual accounts.

Steve has been absolutely critical in identifying the ways to rectify those issues and make sure they do not happen again.

But, having done that, I respect Steve’s decision that now is the right time for him to move on. I would like to thank him for all he has done for the company in this formative period. His honourable decision will enable me to build the executive team for the next phase of the project.

Steve Allen said:

HS2 is a hugely important project for the future of Britain and it has been a great privilege to have been part of the process of putting in place the foundation stones for its successful delivery.

The weaknesses highlighted by the NAO report resulted in both the HS2 Executive and Board being misinformed about the status of critical approvals for redundancies. Those assurances were given by teams for which I was responsible and, obviously, I regret that.

So, whilst we are now putting in place the measures to strengthen financial governance systems and to provide robust financial stewardship for the company, I believe it will be appropriate for me to move on.

Education Secretary Justine Greening addressed an audience of 4,000 teachers today (Tuesday 24 October) and urged them to work with her to give every child the same opportunity to fulfil their ambition.

In a speech at the Teach First conference at Wembley Arena, Justine Greening set out plans to help pupils from all backgrounds reach their full potential and highlighted the pivotal role teachers have to play in boosting social mobility.

She also used the speech to provide further detail on two new initiatives aimed at ensuring schools can recruit and retain the very best teachers, building on the government’s wider programme of support. She announced:

• the 25 areas across England, which include Bradford, Derby and Salford, selected to run a pilot programme to reimburse student loan repayments for modern foreign languages and science teachers in the early years of their careers.

• two new projects that will receive a share of the £75 million Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund. These projects will help provide tailored training opportunities for teachers on both managing challenging pupil behaviour and developing leadership, so they can make the most of their talent in the classroom.

Education Secretary Justine Greening said:

I want to make sure that everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their ambitions, regardless of where they are growing up or their background. It’s great news that there are 1.8 million more children in schools rated good or outstanding than there were in 2010 and the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers is narrowing.

But we know there is more to do – particularly in parts of the country that are at risk of falling behind. Our 12 Opportunity Areas are central to this. Working together with schools, councils, local businesses and other organisations, this programme is looking at ways to give all children the best start in life.

Great teachers help unlock children’s talents and Teach First is already playing a key role by recruiting top graduates with the potential to become excellent teachers in some of our most challenging schools. I look forward to continuing to work with them to broaden horizons for all young people.

These announcements follow the recent confirmation of a number of measures to recruit and retain more great teachers, including a new phased maths bursary and a £30 million investment to provide tailored support to some of the schools facing the most significant recruitment and retention challenges.

Teach First CEO, Russell Hobby, also spoke at the event and urged the teaching profession to “go further, working alongside schools, the government, businesses and communities – with a collective will to create a country where the opportunities are available for all”.

The two projects that will receive a share of the £75 million Teaching and Leadership Innovation Fund are Tom Bennett Training and EdisonLearning.

Jerry Baker, Managing Director EdisonLearning on behalf of EdisonLearning and NAHT said:

We are delighted that the success of the NAHT Aspire Programme has been recognised in the award of the TLIF contract. We look forward to continuing this success with the TLIF schools and building new Aspire networks across the country over the next two years.

Tom Bennett, Director of Tom Bennett Training, said:

Good behaviour is fundamental to every outcome we value in education: academic outcomes, social skills, employability, citizenship, creativity, critical thinking, and more. Teachers and leaders can make a huge difference by creating fantastic cultures in their rooms and schools where learning, civility and community are valued.

Our training offers school staff the tools to do exactly that, in ways that have been tested in some of the best schools in the UK and beyond.

The local authorities covered by the student loan reimbursement pilot are: Barnsley; Blackpool; Bracknell Forest; Bradford; Cambridgeshire; Derby; Derbyshire; Doncaster; Halton; Knowsley; Luton; Middlesbrough; Norfolk; North East Lincolnshire; North Yorkshire; Northamptonshire; Northumberland; Oldham; Peterborough; Portsmouth; Salford; Sefton; St. Helens; Stoke-on-Trent; and Suffolk.

Around 800 modern foreign language and 1,700 science teachers a year will be eligible for this pilot scheme. For a teacher on £29,000, the new student loan repayments pilot and the increased student loan repayment threshold of £25,000 will mean £720 cash in pocket. This is the equivalent of an approximate £1,000 increase in salary.

Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and the landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman have been selected to design the UK’s new Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

After an international competition, with 92 entries in total and ten finalists, Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad Architects and Gustafson Porter + Bowman were selected unanimously as the winning team, by a jury including the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Mayor of London, the Chief Rabbi, experts from architecture, art and design, and both first and second generation Holocaust survivors.

The design team will be led by British architect, Sir David Adjaye, who is known for creating sensitive yet compelling designs. His recent work includes the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington D.C. and the Idea Stores in London’s Tower Hamlets.

Located next to the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, the new UK Holocaust Memorial will honour the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in the Holocaust, and all other victims of Nazi persecution, including Roma, gay and disabled people.

Its co-located Learning Centre will contextualise the memorial above and use the stories and facts of the Holocaust to explore anti-Semitism, extremism, Islamophobia, racism, homophobia and other forms of hatred and prejudice in society today. From its location next to Parliament, it will ask questions about the role of society and its institutions in encouraging respect for others and preventing hatred.

The jury praised the winning team’s proposal to create “a living place, not just a monument to something of the past” and the desire to create an immersive journey for the visitor who would enter a memorial embedded in the land. The jury found the proposal deftly resolved an essential challenge of the brief: being visually arresting (“highly visible from near and far”) yet showing sensitivity to its location and context. The concept was found to have clear potential to be developed into an iconic memorial and intriguing educational experience, attracting visitors from the UK and beyond to learn and reflect.

The winning concept is at an early design stage. It will now undergo further development through discussion with Holocaust experts, survivors and other victim groups, and local residents, Westminster City Council, Historic England, Royal Parks and other statutory consultees. As part of this process, the United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation will also work closely with other organisations and experts on the contents and approach of the co-located Learning Centre.

The jury also awarded honourable mentions to two teams – heneghan peng architects and Sven Anderson, and Diamond Schmitt Architects.

Description of the winning concept

Design concept

The winning design concept was inspired by research into the site, Victoria Tower Gardens, next to the Houses of Parliament, with Sir David Adjaye describing the location as a “park of Britain’s conscience”. The memorial links with the statue of Emmeline Pankhurst, the Burghers of Calais and the Buxton Memorial: all four recognising injustice and the need to oppose it.

In order to keep the park as a park and to maintain the green space, the team placed its Holocaust Memorial at the far southern end of the gardens, embedded in the land. Accordingly, a visitor approaching the memorial would see a subtle grass landform with only the tips of the memorial’s fins “bristling in the distance”, its intriguing design giving a sense that something is happening underground and encouraging people to find out more.

The design concept takes visitors on a journey that culminates in confronting the 23 tall bronze fins of the memorial, the spaces in between representing the 22 countries in which Jewish communities were destroyed during the Holocaust. Entering the memorial would be a sensory experience. While the outside and inside space emphasises collective gathering, the 23 bronze fins require the visitor to enter in an isolated, solitary way, each pathway planned as a different experience. Each path eventually leads down into the Threshold – a generous hall which acts as a place of contemplation and transition into the Learning Centre below ground. The Learning Centre includes a “hall of testimonies” and a “Contemplation Court”: a silent, reflective space with eight bronze panels. On leaving the memorial, the circulation route ensures visitors will emerge to see the classic uninterrupted view of Parliament – and the reality of democracy.

Sir Peter Bazalgette, Chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation and the competition jury, said:

We were privileged to see submissions from some of the best teams in architecture, art and design today. On behalf of the jury, I would like to thank all teams for their impressive submissions.

The jury was unanimous in awarding this competition to Sir David Adjaye and his highly skilled and passionate team. Their ability to use architecture to create an emotionally powerful experience, their understanding of the complexity of the Holocaust and their desire to create a living place as well as a respectful memorial to the past and its surroundings, will combine to create a new national landmark for generations to come.

We look forward to working with them on this nationally significant project: a statement by the British people that our nation will remember those who suffered, and that we will always strive for a better future.

Sir David Adjaye, speaking on behalf of Adjaye Associates, Ron Arad and Gustafson Porter + Bowman said:

The complexity of the Holocaust story, including the British context, is a series of layers that have become hidden by time. Our approach to the project has been to reveal these layers and not let them remain buried under history. To do so, we wanted to create a living place, not just a monument to something of the past. We wanted to orchestrate an experience that reminds us of the fragility and constant strife for a more equitable world.

We are deeply honoured to have been given the opportunity to tell these stories to the nation through a National Memorial and Learning Centre. It is critical these highly important and emotive historical touchpoints are explored, so that future generations are able to experience, learn, reflect and act.

Ben Helfgott, MBE President, 45 Aid Society, Holocaust Survivors and President HMDT, British Olympic Weightlifter and jury member said:

I have spent each and every day since I was liberated in 1945 remembering my family and friends, and all of the victims of the Holocaust who were murdered by the Nazis. With fellow survivors in the 45 Aid Society, and with our children and grandchildren, I have sought to tell and retell the painful history accurately and in context, and to make sure we use the tragic experience to fight for justice and the rule of law, and to spread the message of tolerance.

I am very proud of my involvement in the many key Holocaust education projects in the UK over recent decades, none more so than this vital UK national Memorial and Learning Centre in its uniquely significant location next to the Mother of Parliaments.

As we – the youngest survivors – pass on the baton of Remembrance, we are delighted to see this wonderful design team deliver a Memorial and Learning Centre which will resonate for generations.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and jury member, Sajid Javid, said:

Congratulations to Sir David Adjaye and his team on this stunning, inspiring, sobering concept for the UK’s new Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. Constructed right in the heart of our democracy, it will be a lasting tribute both to those who died and to those who survived.

Through this project, we stand up as a nation; we stand together regardless of our religion, race or background; and we stand against ignorance and bigotry. The new Learning Centre will not only remind us of mankind’s capacity for darkness, through the story of the Holocaust and other genocides – crucially, it will also remind us of our incredible capacity for good.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:

Congratulations to Sir David Adjaye and his team on an exceptional winning design for the UK’s Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. The standard of entries were incredibly strong, but David’s stood out for its beauty and sensitivity.

This unique and immersive memorial is not just for Londoners, but for the whole UK. It will ensure the horrors of the Holocaust are never forgotten and will stand as a powerful reminder to future generations about the fragility of peace. I look forward to working with the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation as the project develops.

Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said:

The question of how we will memorialise the Holocaust in the years to come, in a society which will no longer be able to rely on first-hand testimony of survivors, is one that should occupy the mind of every one of us. Today, the British nation has taken an important and historic step in offering our answer to that question.

The outstanding winning concept will provide an entry point for a greater national understanding of the Holocaust and its contemporary relevance. This timely memorial will encourage and inspire peaceful coexistence and tolerance and will lead to a better appreciation of what can happen when hatred is allowed to develop unchecked.

Sarah Weir, Chief Executive of the Design Council, said:

It was a privilege to be a part of the judging panel for such an extraordinarily important and influential project. The quality of the entries was extremely high and the expertise of the winning team exemplified all that is best about British design creativity and talent, for which we are renowned.

The bold and sensitive collaboration between architecture, landscape architecture, art and design from such a multi-faceted and award winning team truly captured our attention. But also the seriousness with which the team approached the brief and the responsibility they saw they had to carry the messages from this terrible history on to the generations to come. Sir David Adjaye described the core of their concept during the interviews as being ‘architecture as emotion’. That powerful and resonant core is one I very much look forward to seeing develop and come to fruition for all of us to experience.

Ed Balls, who was a member of the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission and is now a member of the Holocaust Memorial Foundation Board, said:

What better way to show that we will not tolerate hatred than our new Holocaust Memorial, right next to our Parliament. There is no location more fitting to honour the victims of one of humanity’s greatest tragedies than side-by-side with one of humanity’s oldest democracies. No better way to strengthen education initiatives up and down the country.

Today we stand up as a nation and say to each other, and to the world, that there is no place for hate in our society. There is no better gift we can pass to future generations than the knowledge of where hatred, unchecked, can lead.

Paul Williams OBE, Stanton Williams Architects.

Firstly, I would like to congratulate David Adjaye and his team on being awarded this hugely significant, and emotionally charged commission. A commission requiring not only sensitivity to the subject matter, but also the surrounding landscape and adjacency to Parliament.

The team’s proposals for a ‘sensory experience’ were expressed passionately and convincingly in their presentation. This core objective from the concept designs must sit at the heart of the development stage that will now start in discussion with stakeholders as the project moves forward.

Honourable mentions

The jury awarded heneghan peng architects and Sven Anderson an honourable mention for an original and engaging design that brought the testimony and voices of survivors to the foreground. The team’s triangular sunken courtyard was imagined as an ‘ear’ that listened up to Parliament and down to the memorial – the stone walls punctured with a series of small apertures containing wooden blocks which emitted the voices of survivor testimony. The team intended the memorial to be a place to hold the testimonies “with nothing in between to create a heightened sense of listening, pause and reflection”.

The jury also awarded an honourable mention to Diamond Schmitt Architects for an elegant, restrained design and an impressively rigorous and detailed approach. Centred on the idea of a journey from light to dark and dark to light, the memorial created a void in the gardens intended to symbolise loss and absence. The elliptic walls of the memorial were inscribed with the names of the concentration camps, and the six million victims commemorated through a series of ingots impressed into the cast-iron structure, a reference to Britain’s manufacturing history.

During the competition, which was managed by Malcolm Reading Consultants, the ten shortlisted designs were displayed online and in various exhibitions across the UK, including a three week exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Consultation events were also held with Holocaust survivors, the Roma community and education experts.

The final design will be subject to planning approval. Subject to the planning process, the Memorial and Learning Centre are due for completion by 2021.

The jury consisted of:

• Sir Peter Bazalgette (Chair)
• Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, Communities and Local Government Secretary
• Rt Hon Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London
• Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis
• Samantha Cohen, Assistant Private Secretary to The Queen
• Charlotte Cohen, Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission Youth Commissioner
• Alice Greenwald, President and CEO National September 11 Memorial and Museum
• Ben Helfgott, MBE President 45 Aid Society, Holocaust Survivors and President HMDT, British Olympic Weightlifter
• Natasha Kaplinsky OBE, Broadcaster
• The Lord Daniel Finkelstein OBE, Journalist
• Dame Julia Peyton-Jones DBE, Former Director of Serpentine Gallery
• Sarah Weir OBE, CEO of Design Council
• Paul Williams OBE, Stanton Williams Architects.

The jury was advised by Competition Director, Malcolm Reading.

With cross-party support, the Government has committed £50 million for the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation to take forward the recommendations of the Commission. In addition to the government funding, the Foundation will fundraise additional contributions to deliver the National Memorial and Learning Centre and its broader educational objectives.

Reflections

As the Chief Medical Officer and experts around the world warn of a ‘post-antibiotic apocalypse’ and ‘the end of modern medicine’, Public Health England launches a major new campaign to help ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’.

The campaign warns people that taking antibiotics when they are not needed puts them at risk of a more severe or longer infection, and urges people to take their doctor’s advice on antibiotics.

Public Health England’s ESPAUR report reveals that as antibiotic resistance grows, the options for treatment decrease. Worryingly, 4 in 10 patients with an E.coli bloodstream infection in England cannot be treated with the most commonly used antibiotic in hospitals.

Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections, such as meningitis, pneumonia and sepsis, but they are frequently being used to treat illnesses, such as coughs, earache and sore throats that can get better by themselves.

Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you really need them. It is estimated that at least 5,000 deaths are caused every year in England because antibiotics no longer work for some infections and this figure is set to rise with experts predicting that in just over 30 years antibiotic resistance will kill more people than cancer and diabetes combined.

The ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign urges the public to always trust their doctor, nurse or pharmacist’s advice as to when they need antibiotics and if they are prescribed, take antibiotics as directed and never save them for later use or share them with others. The campaign also provides effective self-care advice to help individuals and their families feel better if they are not prescribed antibiotics.

Professor Paul Cosford, Medical Director at Public Health England, comments:

Antibiotic resistance is not a distant threat, but is in fact one of the most dangerous global crises facing the modern world today. Taking antibiotics when you don’t need them puts you and your family at risk of developing infections which in turn cannot be easily treated with antibiotics. Without urgent action from all of us, common infections, minor injuries and routine operations will become much riskier. PHE’s ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign helps to explain the risks of antibiotic resistance to the public. It is important for people to understand that if they are feeling under the weather and see their GP or a nurse, antibiotics may not be prescribed if they are not effective for their condition, but they should expect to have a full discussion about how to manage their symptoms.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer, comments:

Without effective antibiotics, minor infections could become deadly and many medical advances could be at risk; surgery, chemotherapy and caesareans could become simply too dangerous. But reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics can help us stay ahead of superbugs. The public has a critical role to play and can help by taking collective action. I welcome the launch of the ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign, and remember that antibiotics are not always needed so always take your doctor’s advice.

Health Minister Steve Brine said:

Following on from the global Call to Action conference held this month, we are asking people to help so we can make sure antibiotics keep working. This government is firmly committed to combatting drug resistant infections and refuses to allow modern medicine to grind to a halt – simple steps can make a huge difference.

Dr Chris Van Tulleken, TV and of infectious diseases doctor at University College London Hospitals, comments:

As an infectious diseases doctor, I see first-hand what happens if antibiotics don’t work – and it’s scary. Antibiotics are not just vital for treating serious bacterial infections, they’re needed to help with other treatments like chemotherapy. Antibiotic resistance is a problem that will affect every one of us, so we all have a role to play. As GPs we are often asked to prescribe antibiotics by patients who think that they will cure all their ills. The reality is that antibiotics are not always needed so you shouldn’t expect to be prescribed them by your doctor or nurse. Always take their advice and remember that your pharmacist can recommend medicines to help with your symptoms or pain.

Public Health England’s new campaign is part of a wider cross-government strategy, involving the agricultural, pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, which tackles the threat of antibiotic resistance by increasing supply and reducing inappropriate demand.

To help keep this precious resource in the fight against infections working, the public are asked to play their part and urged to always take their doctor, nurse or pharmacist’s advice on antibiotics.

For further information on antibiotics, their uses and the risk of resistance, search ‘NHS Antibiotics’ online.

Background

1. The campaign will run from Monday 23 October across England for 8 weeks and will be supported with advertising, partnerships with local pharmacies and GP surgeries, and social media.
2. Additional data from Public Health England’s ESPAUR report illustrates:
   • four in 10 patients with an E.coli bloodstream infection in England cannot be treated with the commonest antibiotic (co-amoxiclav) used in hospitals; in addition, almost 1 in 5 of these bacteria were resistant to at least 1 of 5 other key antibiotics
   • of the 1 million antibiotic resistant bacteria causing urinary tract infections identified in NHS laboratories in 2016, trimethoprim resistance was very common (37%) but the current recommended first line treatment, nitrofurantoin, remains effective (3%)
   • between 2012 and 2016, antibiotic prescribing reduced by 5%, when measured as defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day
   • the number of antibiotic prescriptions dispensed in General Practice decreased by 13% between 2012 and 2016 (-2% from 2015 to 2016)
   • dental practices dispensed 1 in 5 fewer prescriptions in 2016 compared to 2012 and more than 99% of prescribed antibiotics were in accordance with dental treatment guidelines
   • hospital prescribing has increased year on year, but has reduced use of the last resort antibiotics (piperacillin/tazobactam and carbapenems) by 4% between 2015 and 2016
3. Self-care advice provided by the ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign in leaflets and materials distributed in GP surgeries and pharmacies across England includes:
   • ask your pharmacist to recommend medicines to help with symptoms or pain
   • get plenty of rest
   • drink enough fluids to avoid feeling thirsty
   • use paracetamol if you or your child are uncomfortable as a result of fever – which is a sign of the body fighting infection, and normally gets better by itself in most cases
   • use tissues for your nose and wash your hands frequently to avoid spreading your infection to family and friends
4. If you or your child has any of these symptoms, are getting worse or are sicker than you would expect (even if your or their temperature falls), trust your instincts and seek medical advice urgently from NHS 111 or your GP.
   If a child under the age of 5 has any of symptoms 1 to 3, go to A&E immediately or call 999:
   • if your skin is very cold or has a strange colour, or you develop an unusual rash
   • if you feel confused or have slurred speech or are very drowsy
   • if you have difficulty breathing; signs can include:
     • breathing quickly
     • turning blue around the lips and the skin below the mouth
     • skin between or above the ribs getting sucked or pulled in with every breath
     • if you develop a severe headache and are sick
     • if you develop chest pain
     • if you have difficulty swallowing or are drooling
     • if you cough up blood
     • if you are feeling a lot worse
5. You can download all campaign assets including the TV advert and campaign imagery.
6. The campaign is part of a wider cross-government strategy to help preserve antibiotics. The government’s UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 to 2018 set out aims to improve the knowledge and understanding of AMR, conserve and steward the effectiveness of existing treatments, and stimulate the development of new antibiotics, diagnostics and novel therapies. In July 2014, the Prime Minister announced a review of antimicrobial resistance chaired by the economist Jim O’Neill. The subsequent report, published in 2016, recommended a number of actions to be taken globally to manage the rise of antimicrobial resistance, including public awareness campaigns.
7. PHE’s ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign targets the general public and is aligned Antibiotic Guardian which urges healthcare professionals and engaged members of the public to take one of a number of pledges to help personal and organisational commitment to preserve antibiotics.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Greg Clark, has today (24 October 2017) appointed Fiona Dickie as Deputy Pubs Code Adjudicator (DPCA) who will support the Pubs Code Adjudicator, Paul Newby, in enforcing the Pubs Code.

Pubs Code Adjudicator Paul Newby said:

I am delighted to welcome Fiona Dickie to the team. Fiona’s 12 years’ judicial experience, including in complex and high-value cases, will be the perfect foundation to her role as Deputy Pubs Code Adjudicator. I look forward to working with her to improve conditions for tied tenants up and down the country.

Deputy Pubs Code Adjudicator Fiona Dickie said:

I am very proud to be appointed as Deputy Pubs Code Adjudicator. I look forward to using my legal background to offer a just and proportionate resolution to disputes, and to ensuring compliance with the Code to support a fair, thriving pubs industry and the local communities they serve. I encourage all interested parties to work with the Pubs Code Adjudicator.

Margot James, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Small Business, Consumers and Corporate Responsibility, said:

The Pubs Code helps thousands of tied tenants across the country to secure a better deal and Fiona’s role will further strengthen this vital work.

Her extensive legal knowledge, dispute resolution skills and experience of complex cases will be invaluable assets in her new role.

Fiona Dickie will take up her role on 1 November 2017, working 4 days per week. She will be based in Birmingham.

Notes to editors

1. Fiona Dickie was called to the Bar in 1993. She has been a Vice President of the Valuation Tribunal for England since July 2009, and was appointed Judge of First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) in 2013 (after serving as a Lawyer Chairman of its predecessor tribunal from 2006). She was accredited as a Civil Mediator by the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Group in 2005. She was also appointed as a Road User Charging Adjudicator (RUCA) in 2004, and appointed as an Examiner of the Court in 2004.
2. This appointment is made in accordance with the code of practice for the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA). The appointment is made for an initial term of 2 years.
3. The Pubs Code regulates the relationship between all businesses owning 500 or more tied pubs in England and Wales and their tied tenants. The Deputy Pubs Code Adjudicator will support the Pubs Code Adjudicator and will have the same powers as the Adjudicator to arbitrate individual disputes about breaches of the Pubs Code (including disputes on rent and market rent only options), investigate suspected systemic breaches of the Code more widely across the sector, provide advice and guidance about the Code and report on unfair business practices.
4. The Statutory Pubs Code was introduced in May 2016. In the first year the Pubs Code Adjudicator has accepted 156 cases for arbitration and made 48 arbitration awards. Anyone with a stake in the pub business is encouraged to work with the Pubs Code Adjudicator and Deputy Pubs Code Adjudicator to raise the profile of the Code and improve relationships across the industry.