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Press release: People are spending more time outside in the natural environment than ever before

New national statistics published today by Natural England show that more people than ever before are visiting and spending time in the natural environment.

The proportion of adults visiting nature at least once a week has increased from 54 per cent in 2010 to 62 per cent in 2018.

Natural England’s Monitoring of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) report also found that this trend could be seen across population groups, including groups where levels of participation have historically been lower.

This year’s report further found the proportion of people living in England’s most deprived areas visiting the natural environment at least once a week has increased by 13 per cent from 38 per cent in 2009/10 to 51 per cent in 2017/18.

This year’s report also found:

  • In 2017/18 health and exercise was the main motivation for spending time in the natural environment (reported for over half of all visits).
  • In 2017/18, 86% people were concerned about damage to the natural environment. Choosing to walk instead of taking the car is on the up (reported by 48 per cent of people in 2017/18 compared with 40% in 2009/10) but other pro-environmental behaviours remain predominantly static (such as volunteering for environment or conservation causes which has remained at 5 per cent over the last nine years).
  • Despite high levels of concern, only a third of people think they are likely to make future lifestyle changes to protect the environment.

The government’s 25 Year Environment Plan aims to connect more people with the environment to improve health and wellbeing and encourage them to take action to improve the natural world.

Principal Specialist for People and the Environment at Natural England, Rose O’Neill, said:

Over the last nine years there has been a real change in how people think about and experience the natural world.

It is great that more people than ever before, from across all sections of society, are spending increasing amounts of time enjoying the natural environment.

Research has also shown that one of the main motivations for people engaging with the natural environment is the benefits to health and wellbeing, underlining the important role of nature in everyday lives.

The MENE survey is funded by Natural England, with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The MENE survey was first commissioned in 2009 and has provided a wealth of evidence relating to outdoor recreation, behaviour and attitudes. The biggest long-running survey of its kind in the world allows us to track changes over time and provides a valuable insight into how people use and relate to the natural environment.

Natural England uses the research to understand how people use, enjoy and are motivated to protect the natural environment and to help monitor changes in use of the natural environment over time.

Link: Press release: People are spending more time outside in the natural environment than ever before
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Grants for creating woodland available all year round

From today, it will be easier for landowners to access generous grants for creating new woodland, Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey has announced.

Applications are now being accepted for the latest round of the Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation Grant – a scheme which provides up to £6,800 per hectare to help farmers, foresters and landowners tap into the environmental and financial benefits of tree planting.

In a drive to encourage more projects to come forward and give applicants longer to prepare, the funding will now be available twelve months a year – replacing a previously time-limited application window.

The extension supports the government’s commitment to plant 11 million trees, which will provide habitats for wildlife, help to prevent flood risk and reduce carbon in our atmosphere.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

By planting more trees and creating new woodlands, landowners in England can help to protect and enhance the environment now and for future generations.

I look forward to seeing as many applications as possible come forward in support of our continued drive to grow woodland cover.

Richard Greenhous, Forestry Commission director of forest services, said:

By making it easier to apply for generous grant support we are ensuring that we deliver on the Government’s and the forestry sector’s ambitions to plant millions more trees across the country.

We look forward to hearing from applicants who want to reap the economic, environmental and social benefits of sustainable woodland creation.

The Countryside Stewardship Woodland Creation Grant is a Defra scheme delivered by the Forestry Commission and is a capital grant, where applicants can apply for one-off payments for the trees which will be planted and associated infrastructure.

The government has made a number of improvements to the scheme, including streamlining the application process and improving guidance for landowners looking to capitalise on the environmental and economic benefits offered.

This scheme forms part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to grow woodland cover, alongside the publication of our ambitious 25 Year Environment Plan, funding towards the creation of a vast Northern Forest from Liverpool to Hull, and the appointment of a Tree Champion to drive forward commitments around tree planting and conservation.

Link: Press release: Grants for creating woodland available all year round
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Health supplement company closed for taking advantage of customers

Vivid Lifestyle Ltd (Vivid) was incorporated in July 2013 and its’ registered office was in Hounslow, West London.

The company started business in 2014, selling nutritional supplement tablets wholly to UK customers before broadening its operations to international markets. By 2017, the majority of its sales were to customers in Australia and New Zealand.

Vivid enjoyed significant turnover, reaching over £1 million in 2017, with a gross profit margin of 91.4%, and sat in the centre of a multi-national trading operation, co-ordinating the activities of a telesales centre in India and a distribution centre in Reading.

Following complaints, however, the Insolvency Service launched an investigation into the Vivid’s activities and petitioned to the courts to wind up the company.

The court heard that Vivid’s customers, which included a significant proportion of elderly and vulnerable patients, were misled as to the worth and likely effects of the tablets sold to them at huge mark ups.

Vivid employed highly pressurised and persistent sales practices and techniques, including telesales callers making false claims to be qualified to give medical advice.

The court also heard that Vivid appeared to have abused customers bank and credit card information. Customers were charged for items they did not order, were told they had not paid for items when they had and were charged for repeat sales which they had not requested. In some cases, customers simply paid in order to be rid of the callers.

Vivid was wound up by the High Court Business and Property Courts in Manchester on 29 August 2018 and at the hearing, for which no company representatives were present, District Judge Matharu said she found Vivid’s manner of procuring business and payment “quite disgusting”.

She continued:

there is layer upon layer of taking advantage of those most least able or prepared to deal with the nature of the communications.

DJ Matharu said that the company “must be stopped”, and duly made an order that the company be placed into compulsory liquidation with the Official Receiver appointed as Liquidator.

Investigation Supervisor Irshard Mohammed, of the Insolvency Service, said:

The Insolvency Service has taken action against a significant number of companies selling everyday vitamin tablets to the elderly and infirm as a cure for whatever ails them. We will continue to do so.

Members of the public should be wary of anyone calling them, or their elderly or vulnerable friends or relatives, looking to sell them expensive medicines over the telephone.

Notes to editors

The petition to wind up the company was presented in the High Court of Justice Business and Property Courts in Manchester, on 25th July 2018, under the provisions of section 124A of the Insolvency Act 1986 following confidential enquiries by Company Investigations under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985, as amended. A Winding Up Order was made against Vivid Lifestyle Ltd at the hearing on 29th August 2018.

Vivid Lifestyle Ltd was incorporated on 15 July 2013 with the Company Registration Number 08610085. Its Registered Office on 29 August 2018 was 3 Foundry Mews Hounslow, P O Box 631, London, United Kingdom, TW3 9UB.

Since 2016, in addition to Vivid, the Insolvency Service has wound up nine other health supplement companies in the public interest after they scammed people, often the elderly and vulnerable, into unnecessarily buying their products.

All enquiries concerning the affairs of the companies should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, 4 Abbey Orchard Street, London, SW1P 2HT. Telephone: 0207 637 1110; piu.or@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk.

Company Investigations, part of the Insolvency Service, uses powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Further information about live company investigations is available on GOV.UK.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.
The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

Press Office

The Insolvency Service


4 Abbey Orchard Street
London
SW1P 2HT

This service is for journalists only. For any other queries, please contact the Insolvency Enquiry line on 0300 678 0015.

For all media enquiries outside normal working hours, please contact the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Press Office on 020 7215 1000.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

Link: Press release: Health supplement company closed for taking advantage of customers
Source: Gov Press Releases

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The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations Order of Council 2018

This Order approves the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2018 (“the Regulations”) made by the Council of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (“RCVS”) under section 11 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (c. 36) on 14th June 2018. Those Regulations substitute Part 4 of the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) Regulations 2014 (“the 2014 Regulations”) (as set out in the Schedule to the Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) Regulations Order of Council 2014 (S.I. 2014/3493)).

Link: The Veterinary Surgeons and Veterinary Practitioners (Registration) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations Order of Council 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk