Pulse.Assent

• leading academic highlights the power of sport in transforming lives of young offenders
• community partnerships to support the development of sport and physical activity in custody
• offenders engaging in structured programmes learn self-discipline, team work and leadership and communication skills – all crucial for a successful life on the outside

The review, authored by Professor Rosie Meek, was commissioned to identify best practice across the estate and highlights the vital role that sport can play in rehabilitation and reducing reoffending.

In addition to Professor Meek’s review, the Ministry of Justice has also published its response which highlights the steps that will be taken to boost sporting provision in prison.

Many of the sporting programmes currently delivered across the youth estate help offenders to get vocational qualifications and provide them with tangible employment prospects on release.

There are already some positive examples of community projects working with young people:

• at Wetherby YOI, Leeds Rhinos are providing training sessions, offering life coaching and mentors to support vulnerable young people
• Manchester United, Everton and Fulham Football Clubs also support education programmes working with young people at risk of offending in the community
• Saracens offer coaching qualifications at Feltham YOI

The review highlights how engaging in structured programmes can help to teach offenders self-discipline, team work and leadership – crucial skills for a successful and crime-free life in the community.

Team sport was shown to improve mental and physical health, helping young people with often complex behavioural issues to change their attitudes and lifestyles.

Justice Minister Edward Argar said:

I’m grateful to Professor Rosie Meek for her important work on this review, and to my predecessor for commissioning it.

This review rightly highlights that sport can help to reduce violence, improve wellbeing and have a positive impact on rehabilitation. I want sport and physical activity to be a key part of life custody and I welcome the findings of this review.

During my visits across the youth estate, I have been inspired by the passion and dedication of staff, and of the external organisations we partner with, already delivering sports programmes and helping to change the lives of young people.

We know that sport on its own does not provide all the answers, but it is a central pillar for helping young offenders to build skills which will ultimately reducing reoffending and help them to turn their backs on crime for good.

Professor Rosie Meek, Royal Holloway University of London, said:

I am delighted to have carried out this review and am pleased to have the backing of the Ministry of Justice for this important work.

I strongly believe that sport can be a powerful tool in reducing reoffending and improving the lives of people in custody, which is why I was so pleased be asked to carry out this review.

There is already evidence that sport can have a positive impact on people in custody and I hope that the recommendations outlined in the review will help to improve the lives of people in our justice system.

The sports review was carried out by leading academic Professor Meek, in partnership with the National Alliance of Sport and Clinks, who support voluntary organisations that work with offenders and their families.

Note to editors

Professor Rosie Meek is a chartered psychologist, founding Head of the Law School and Director of the Prisons Research Group at Royal Holloway University of London, UK. She is a Fulbright Distinguished Scholar and was author of the 2014 book Sport in Prison: Exploring the Role of Physical Activity in Correctional Settings (Routledge).

In data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today (Friday 10 August), UK exports to the world rose by £26 billion – an increase of 4.4% compared to the same time last year.

The country’s renowned service sector continues to thrive with exports up 2.2% to a record high of £278 billion, increasing the service surplus to £112 billion.

Goods exports also rose strongly by 6.3% to £343 billion.

On an annual basis, exports continue to grow faster than imports for the 11th consecutive month with the overall trade deficit narrowing by £6 billion from £31 billion to £25 billion in the year to June 2018.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox MP said:

Today’s trade figures show demand for UK goods and services is continuing to grow, as overall exports rose to £621 billion – up 4.4% on this time last year – and the trade deficit continued to narrow by £6 billion over the last 12 months.

As we open consultations for future trade relationships with key global markets around the world, we’re seeing a shift in the UK where we’re moving towards selling more than we buy, with exports increasing faster than imports.

My international economic department will continue work with companies across the country to ensure they’re making the most of global opportunities.

Separate figures released by the ONS last month showed UK exports of goods and services to non-EU countries amounted to around £342 billion in 2017, showing the worldwide demand for British goods and services remains.

Exports to EU countries were around £274 billion in 2017.

The fastest growing export market for the UK since 2010 was Oman, with exports increasing by 354% to £3 billion. This was followed by Macedonia (FYROM) with UK trade growing by 318% to £1 billion and then Kazakhstan which was up by 210% to £2 billion.

Further information

• latest ONS statistics UK trade: June 2018
• ONS Balance of payments, UK: January to March 2018
• fastest growing markets only includes countries with more than £1 billion in value in 2017 and excludes Crown Dependencies and Gibraltar

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

I would like to warmly congratulate Michelle Bachelet on her appointment as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

The UK strongly supports the Office of the High Commissioner in its efforts to promote and protect human rights throughout the world, and to strengthen the ability of the UN system as a whole to respond to human rights situations of concern.

Michelle Bachelet has extensive experience of the UN, and a long history of working to promote human rights, including as the founding Executive Director of UN Women. We wish her every success and look forward to working with her.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein for the invaluable contributions he has made in his role as High Commissioner, speaking up tirelessly for the victims of human rights abuses, and holding nations that commit serious and systematic violations against their citizens to account.

Further information

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

Over the last seven months, Highways England has been carrying out a major junction improvement at Barton Hill near York to improve safety and visibility for road users. As part of this £2.8m scheme which completed on Friday, sections of the hedgerow, a number of trees and stone from an old water culvert had to be removed.

But rather than throwing these items away Highways England and its contractor A-one+ have given them a new lease of life by working closely with Jonathan and Julian Curtoys, the owners of Sloemotion.

Highways England project manager Russell Mclean said:

We saved as much of the hedgerow as possible but sections of the hedge had to be removed. The sloe berries used to produce the gin grow on hedgerows, so it seemed like the perfect solution to donate the hedge to this local sloe gin producing firm.

We were able to reduce the amount hedgerow we needed to remove by altering some of the scheme’s drainage and this work will also help to prevent flooding in the area. Some logs from the trees were also donated to Castle Howard stately home to be used as chippings in the ground.

Cabinetmaker and artist Mark Bennett, of the Woodlark in Malton, was also brought on board. He will be taking part of an Oak tree which was removed from the site and transforming it into a bar for Sloemotion. The remainder of the tree will be used to create bat and bird boxes, which will be placed near to the A64.

Mark will also be using some of the removed hedgerows to create innovative displays for the gin company’s products and hand cut stone from the culvert will be used to adorn the company’s new buildings near Barton-le-Willows.

Russell added:

Our work to improve safety at the junction will benefit over 9,000 drivers a day. We have converted the crossroads to a staggered junction by realigning Mains Lane, extended the culvert to allow the carriageway to be widened, constructed 200m of new road and realigned 600m of the A64. We have also relocated a bus stop, an emergency telephone and a pedestrian crossing.

While we were doing this we upgraded and extended an otter fence to prevent them coming onto the A64. And we have reinstalled an old milepost and will be replacing a historic road sign that has been refurbished.

Jonathan Curtoys, Managing Director of Sloemotion, said the junction improvements will benefit his employees who use the junction.

The changes will certainly have a positive benefit for drivers but then to also donating the hedgerow, the stones and timber to local businesses it feels like something is being given back to the community. I commend Highways England and A-one+ for this – it has been a pleasure working with them over the last seven months.

Mark Bennett of The Woodlark added:

It’s great that we can use what would otherwise have gone to waste and give something back to the environment such as the bird and bat boxes.

Later this year replacement hedgerows will be planted.

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 independent expert screening committee has recommended that bowel cancer screening in England should in future start 10 years earlier at age 50.

Currently, men and women, aged 60 to 74, are invited for bowel screening and are sent a home test kit every 2 years to provide stool samples.

Following a comprehensive review of the evidence, the committee recommends that screening should be offered from aged 50 to 74 using the faecal immunochemical home test kit (FIT).

The evidence shows that screening people at a younger age would enable more bowel cancers to be picked up at an earlier stage, where treatment is likely to be more effective and survival chances improved.

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, and Public Health Minister, Steve Brine, have today agreed the recommendations. NHS England and Public Health England will now consider how to transition towards lowering the screening age as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

FIT is a new test due to be rolled out into the national bowel screening programme in the autumn and will initially be offered every 2 years to men and women at the current age range of 60 to 74. FIT is easier to use than the current test and is more accurate in detecting potential cancers. The latest recommendations will not delay the roll out of FIT, which is a priority.

The current bowel screening programme has a complementary procedure, bowel scope, also known as flexible sigmoidoscopy, which is a one-off test offered to men and women at 55. The committee recommends maintaining bowel scope screening in England, where it is currently rolled out until FIT is offered to the same age group.

Professor Anne Mackie, Director of Screening at Public Health England, said:

The risk of bowel cancer rises steeply from around age 50 to 54 and rates are significantly higher among males than females. Starting screening ten years earlier at 50 will help spot more abnormalities at an early stage that could develop into bowel cancer if not detected.

The committee recognises that this change will take time but wants the FIT test to be offered to all aged 60 and over as soon as possible, and options considered for a roll out plan where screening can be offered at 55 and eventually to all aged 50 – ensuring we have the best bowel screening programme possible.

Public Health Minister, Steve Brine said:

We are determined to make our cancer survival rates the best in the world. With the roll out of FIT as a new bowel screening test from the autumn – a much more convenient and reliable test – we have a real opportunity to reshape our bowel screening programme and potentially detect the stages of bowel cancer much earlier.

We are now considering opportunities and taking expert advice on how a sustainable, optimal bowel cancer screening programme starting at age 50 can work in the future.

Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, said:

These important recommendations will be carefully considered in the NHS Long Term Plan, which will set out ambitious improvements in cancer prevention and care for the decade ahead.

The committee also looked at screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a group of lung conditions, including emphysema, that cause breathing difficulties. It recommended that screening should not be offered for a number of reasons, including a lack of evidence that the impact of screening for COPD would have on smoking cessation.

As part of a regular review process, these recommendations will be looked at again in 3 years – or earlier if significant new evidence becomes available.

The latest screening recommendations were made at the UK NSC’s meeting on 29 June 2018, the minutes of which are published today (10 August 2018).

Background

This press release is issued on behalf of the UK NSC, an independent organisation, by Public Health England.

1. The UK National Screening Committee is independent of, but supported by, Public Health England.
2. Detailed summaries of the recommendations for all of the conditions mentioned can be found online.
3. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. We do this through world-leading science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and providing specialist public health services. We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, and a distinct organisation with operational autonomy. We provide government, local government, the NHS, Parliament, industry and the public with evidence-based professional, scientific expertise and support. Follow us on Twitter: @PHE_uk and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.