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Press release: New proposed measures announced ahead of salmon consultation

The Environment Agency is proposing new measures to protect salmon stocks across England and in the Border Esk, which are currently among the lowest on record.

The 2015 national salmon stock assessment indicated that salmon stocks in many rivers across England had failed to meet their minimum safe levels. The 2016 assessment showed this trend continued and the new measures proposed are based on this assessment.

The proposals come after an initial EA consultation last year to understand how the better management of salmon fishing in England and the Border Esk can reduce the impact on salmon numbers. The responses to that consultation helped inform these proposals and build an understanding of the likely impacts for managing salmon fishing in the future.

The Environment Agency is now proposing the following measures to protect salmon stocks in England Fisheries and on the Border Esk:

  1. Stop the taking of salmon from the majority of net fisheries by 2019. Other nations have closed their net fisheries; the evidence shows we should too.
  2. For rivers with the lowest salmon stocks, a mandatory requirement to return all salmon caught. This reflects the need for both net and rod fishermen to help us protect Salmon stocks.
  3. Voluntary catch and release targets for all other rivers.
  4. Restriction on the number, size and type of hooks that can be used when fishing.

Kevin Austin, Environment Agency’s Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment said:

We are not suggesting these proposals lightly and have consulted widely with those affected. However we need to take action now in order to give as many of the salmon that make it back to our rivers as possible a chance to spawn successfully.

The reasons for decline of salmon are complex and there is no single solution; reducing the catch of salmon can only partly contribute to the recovery of salmon stocks. We continue to work closely with water companies and other to improve water quality and low flows on salmon rivers. We are also investing and working in partnership to improve fish passage on schemes up and down the country.

It is only through continuing to take concerted action, and through the co-operation of others, that we will successfully protect this iconic species for future generations.

Reducing the taking of salmon by rods and nets is only one part of the Environment Agency’s larger programme called the ‘Salmon Five Point Approach’. The Salmon Five Point Approach has been jointly developed and committed to by a wide range of partners which include Government, Atlantic Salmon Trust, Angling Trust, River Trusts, Association of River Trusts and the Institute of Fisheries Management.

It sets out the actions to address the key pressures that affect the different life stages of salmon. The priorities are:

  1. Improve marine survival
  2. Further reduce exploitation by nets and rods
  3. Remove barriers to migration and enhance habitat
  4. Safeguard sufficient flows
  5. Maximise spawning success by improving water quality

You can find out more about the Salmon Five Point Approach.

We will formally advertise the proposed byelaws to protect Salmon will be published on GOV.UK in late February 2018, and all those wishing to may respond either online or via letter.

Notes to Editors:

  1. The most vulnerable rivers will be the rivers classed as “At Risk” as predicted by 2021. These are: the Tees, Stour, Yealm, Plym, Ribble, Wyre, Lune Crake, Calder and Derwent
  2. Voluntary catch and release levels at rivers classed “probably at Risk” will be required to be greater than 90%
  3. Voluntary catch and release levels should be encouraged on rivers classed as ‘Probably not at Risk’
  4. Other countries that have closed salmon net fisheries include, Eire, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Faroese fisheries
  5. 2015 national salmon stock assessment
  6. 2016 national salmon stock assessment

Link: Press release: New proposed measures announced ahead of salmon consultation
Source: Environment Agency

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The Accounts and Audit (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 / Rheoliadau Cyfrifon ac Archwilio (Cymru) (Diwygio) 2018

These Regulations are made under sections 39 and 58(2) of the Public Audit (Wales) Act 2004 (“the 2004 Act”) and amend the Accounts and Audit (Wales) Regulations 2014 (“the 2014 Regulations”).

Mae’r Rheoliadau hyn wedi eu gwneud o dan adrannau 39 a 58(2) o Ddeddf Archwilio Cyhoeddus (Cymru) 2004 (“Deddf 2004”) ac maent yn diwygio Rheoliadau Cyfrifon ac Archwilio (Cymru) 2014 (“Rheoliadau 2014”).

Link:

The Accounts and Audit (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018 / Rheoliadau Cyfrifon ac Archwilio (Cymru) (Diwygio) 2018

Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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The Tax Collection and Management (Reimbursement Arrangements) (Wales) Regulations 2018 / Rheoliadau Casglu a Rheoli Trethi (Trefniadau Talu’n Ôl) (Cymru) 2018

These Regulations describe the provisions that must be included in reimbursement arrangements made by a person making a claim under section 63 (claim for relief for overpaid tax) of the Tax Collection and Management (Wales) Act 2016 (“the Act”). They come into force on 1 April 2018.

Mae’r Rheoliadau hyn yn disgrifio’r darpariaethau y mae’n rhaid eu cynnwys mewn trefniadau talu’n ôl a wneir gan berson sy’n gwneud hawliad o dan adran 63 (hawlio rhyddhad rhag treth a ordalwyd) o Ddeddf Casglu a Rheoli Trethi (Cymru) 2016 (“y Ddeddf”). Deuant i rym ar 1 Ebrill 2018.

Link:

The Tax Collection and Management (Reimbursement Arrangements) (Wales) Regulations 2018 / Rheoliadau Casglu a Rheoli Trethi (Trefniadau Talu’n Ôl) (Cymru) 2018

Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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Press release: Grading under review for First Priority Housing Association Limited

The Regulator of Social Housing reports that First Priority Housing Association Limited’s grading is currently under review.

The regulator notifies that First Priority Housing Association Limited has fewer than 1,000 homes and therefore does not have a current published regulatory judgement in accordance with our established procedures. The outcome of the investigation will be confirmed in a regulatory notice, once completed.

The regulator is currently investigating a matter which may impact on First Priority’s compliance with the Governance and Financial Viability Standard.

The GUR list is available on the website.

Further information

  1. The regulatory framework can also be found on the website.
  2. The regulation of social housing is the responsibility of the Regulation Committee, a statutory committee of the Homes and Communities Agency. The organisation refers to itself as the Regulator of Social Housing in undertaking the functions of the Regulation Committee. Homes England is the trading name of the HCA’s non-regulation functions.
  3. The regulator’s purpose is to promote a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver homes that meet a range of needs. It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing on governance, financial viability and value for money that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also sets consumer standards and may take action if these standards are breached and there is a significant risk of serious detriment to tenants or potential tenants.

For more information visit the RSH website.

Our media enquiries page has contact details for journalists.

For general queries to RSH, please email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk or call 0300 124 5225.

Link: Press release: Grading under review for First Priority Housing Association Limited
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Call for evidence to help improve air quality launched

Householders and businesses are being asked for their views on proposals to cut harmful emissions caused by the burning of dirtier fuels.

A call for evidence on the use of house coal, smokeless coal, manufactured solid fuels and wet wood used for heating homes has today been launched to help the government reduce harmful emissions of soot and smoke, as action continues to improve air quality.

The government is considering a range of options to tackle these emissions, these include:

  • Encouraging consumers to switch from house coal by only allowing the sale of low sulphur smokeless alternatives
  • switching from wet wood to dry wood
  • the introduction of sulphur limits for all smokeless solid fuels
  • and new powers for local authorities to take action for persistent smoke offences where local amenity is harmed
  • The government is not considering banning domestic burning, and is not seeking to prevent the use or installation of wood-burning stoves

The call for evidence will inform our understanding of what impact these measures could have if introduced.

While we are keen to encourage consumers to switch to cleaner wood burning, which will directly benefit them in their homes and improve the local environment, the government is not considering banning domestic burning. Many households have installed wood-burning stoves, and we are not seeking to prevent their use or installation.

While air quality in the UK has improved significantly in recent decades, with reductions in emissions of all of the key pollutants, domestic burning of house coal (the typical black fuel), smokeless solid fuels (smokeless coal, for example, or manufactured solid fuels which are made from coal and other ingredients) and wood are the single largest contributors of harmful particulate matter (PM) emissions, accounting for around 40% of total UK PM2.5 emissions in 2015. In fact, a wood burning stove can emit more PM than a diesel HGV or passenger car.

The tiny particles in smoke can enter the bloodstream and have been found in internal organs risking long term health issues as well as having more immediate impacts in some people such as breathing problems or asthma attacks.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

We all have a role to play in improving the air we breathe. Many of us enjoy a cosy fire in our homes, but burning dirtier fuel has a real impact on the quality of air for our family and friends around us.

We must be mindful that pollution is about more than just transport. Poor air quality affects public health, the economy, and the environment, which is why we are determined to do more. However, if we make the switch to burning cleaner domestic fuel, we can continue to enjoy burning wood and smokeless coal in stoves and fires in our homes.

Many consumers are unaware of the impact on their health or the environment from burning solid fuels, or indeed which are the cleanest fuels to buy. That is why the government is already working with industry to raise consumer awareness of the benefits of cleaner fuels, such as ‘Ready to Burn’ wood, where a logo clearly identifies wood that is certified as clean and ready to burn.

Consumers can already take action by buying the most efficient stove, using high quality fuel and regularly servicing their appliance.

Last year the government confirmed it would end the sale of all new conventional petrol and diesel cars by 2040 as part of a £3.5billion plan to tackle nitrogen dioxide emissions. The UK Plan for Tackling Roadside Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations produced by Defra and the Department for Transport, outlined how councils with the worst levels of air pollution at busy road junctions and hotspots must take robust action.

The call for evidence will feed into the government’s Clean Air Strategy, which will be published for consultation in 2018. This will further address wider sources of air pollution.

Link: Press release: Call for evidence to help improve air quality launched
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Report 02/2018: Child nearly falling through a missing toilet floor, South Devon Railway

180130_R022018_South_Devon_Railway

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Summary

At around 13:15 hrs on Thursday 22 June 2017, a mother and her three-year-old child were travelling on a South Devon Railway train from Totnes (Riverside) to Buckfastleigh. Shortly after leaving Staverton station, while the train was travelling at about 20 mph (32 km/h), the child left his seat and went towards a toilet on the train, followed by his mother walking a short distance behind.

The child entered the toilet, and as the door opened and the child stepped through it, he fell forward because the floor was missing in the compartment he had entered. A more serious accident was only prevented by the quick reaction of the mother who grabbed the child’s arm and prevented him falling through the opening and onto the track below. The child suffered minor bruising, and both mother and child were shocked. The accident was reported immediately to the railway company, but the RAIB was not advised of what had happened until 25 June 2017.

In April 2017 the South Devon Railway had carried out a repair to this carriage. The location of the repair was difficult to gain access to and required the floor of the toilet cubicle to be removed. The railway’s management decided that the door would be secured and notices placed on the door, allowing the carriage to enter service with the toilet floor missing. The RAIB found that the method of securing the door was inadequate, so that over time the door became less secure to the extent it was possible for the child to open it. The risk associated with the absence of the toilet floor was not sufficiently appreciated nor adequately managed after the carriage was allowed to enter service. The RAIB also found that the South Devon Railway had no formal competence management assessment for staff involved in carriage maintenance. Both of these factors led to no-one detecting that the door had become unsecure.

The RAIB observed during the investigation that the South Devon Railway’s maintenance regime did not identify the extent of the deteriorating condition of the carriage structure, and the railway’s fitness to run process was not being correctly applied.

Recommendations

The RAIB has made one recommendation to the South Devon Railway to commission an independent review of the actions it has taken since the accident to address the deficiencies in its processes.

The RAIB believes that the investigation has also identified an important lesson likely to be applicable to other heritage railways, about applying appropriate standards for vehicle maintenance, to ensure that the examination regime which they have in place will identify the foreseeable deterioration of vehicles, before it reaches a stage that may affect safety.

Simon French, Chief Inspector of Rail Accidents said:

Britain’s heritage railways carry over 9 million passengers every year. People are travelling for pleasure, and they don’t expect any nasty surprises during their journey. When a mother, enjoying a happy day out with a small child, is suddenly faced with a life-threatening hazard, it is important to find out what went wrong. A door opened – and she had to grab hold of her little boy to stop him falling through a gaping hole in the floor of the carriage.

Operating even a small railway involves dealing with significant risks. Carriages built sixty or more years ago need looking after to keep them both clean and welcoming, and safe for passengers to ride in. Maintenance involves inspecting the condition of the vehicle, including the hidden parts that are hard to get at, at regular, appropriate intervals. It needs to be properly planned, and backed up with prompt action when something needs fixing.

In this case, the railway company took out the toilet floor, to get at and fix a leaking brake pipe. The engineers found a lot of previously undetected rust and rot, that was going to have to be dealt with. It seemed like a good idea to seal up the toilet door until the whole carriage could be got into the workshops for overhaul, but that was not easy to do securely, and the door came open.

Our investigation found that the railway’s safety management system was not operating properly, and had not been reviewed for many years. A flawed management structure contributed to poor decision-making. Staff were expected to do jobs which they were not really qualified for. We have recommended an independent review of how the railway manages the safety of its operations. I hope that the rest of the Heritage Railway sector will also look carefully at this report, and take action to make sure that the same thing cannot happen on their railways.

Notes to editors

  1. The sole purpose of RAIB investigations is to prevent future accidents and incidents and improve railway safety. RAIB does not establish blame, liability or carry out prosecutions.
  2. RAIB operates, as far as possible, in an open and transparent manner. While our investigations are completely independent of the railway industry, we do maintain close liaison with railway companies and if we discover matters that may affect the safety of the railway, we make sure that information about them is circulated to the right people as soon as possible, and certainly long before publication of our final report.
  3. For media enquiries, please call 01932 440015.

Newsdate: 30 January 2018


Link: Press release: Report 02/2018: Child nearly falling through a missing toilet floor, South Devon Railway
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: HS2 begins search for rail systems track and mechanical & electrical contractors

The circa £1.55 billion track and overhead catenary system (OCS) package will oversee HS2’s construction and its dynamic testing phase, linking the whole system and trains before handing it over to the operator for the line’s trial running phase.

Aspects of the track and OCS contract include delivery of critical elements of the railway’s infrastructure, covering its overhead catenary ‘power’ system from which high speed trains will draw down power, and 180 miles of track along which they will travel at speeds of up to 360kph (225mph).

The contract also incorporates construction work within stations and in tunnels including the provision of engineering trains to link worksites along the route. It also covers design integration and co-ordination with other railway systems, civil engineering and station construction contractors.

The second part of today’s pre-qualification questionnaire (PQQ) publication is for the circa £330 million contract for the tunnel and lineside mechanical & electrical and tunnel ventilation works. It covers the design, installation, testing and commissioning of HS2 safety equipment including tunnel ventilation fans, lighting, handrails, fire safety equipment and tunnel alarm systems.

HS2 Ltd chief executive, Mark Thurston, said:

We’re looking for the smartest, most cost effective solutions that the industry has to offer through these contracts, which form part of the overall railway system for HS2.

These 2 essential contracts are fundamental to HS2 operating safely, reliably and efficiently for the millions of people who will use and come to depend on it. Once complete, HS2 will transform rail travel in the UK, providing extra capacity and improved connectivity between our major cities and act as a catalyst for growth across the UK.

HS2 services will connect over 25 destinations and 30 million people across the UK. Trains will serve existing city centre stations in places like Glasgow and Liverpool, as well as brand new purpose-built stations in Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, and the East Midlands.

Press and media enquiries

The press and media enquiries line is for accredited journalists only

Link: Press release: HS2 begins search for rail systems track and mechanical & electrical contractors
Source: Gov Press Releases

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The A55 Trunk Road (Westbound Carriageway between Junction 24 (Faenol Interchange) and Junction 23 (Llanddulas), Conwy County Borough) (Temporary Prohibition of Vehicles, Cyclists and Pedestrians) Order 2017 / Gorchymyn Cefnffordd yr A55 (Y Gerbytffordd tua’r Gorllewin rhwng Cyffordd 24 (Cyfnewidfa’r Faenol) a Chyffordd 23 (Llanddulas), Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) (Gwahardd Cerbydau, Beicwyr a Cherddwyr Dros Dro) 2017

Link:

The A55 Trunk Road (Westbound Carriageway between Junction 24 (Faenol Interchange) and Junction 23 (Llanddulas), Conwy County Borough) (Temporary Prohibition of Vehicles, Cyclists and Pedestrians) Order 2017 / Gorchymyn Cefnffordd yr A55 (Y Gerbytffordd tua’r Gorllewin rhwng Cyffordd 24 (Cyfnewidfa’r Faenol) a Chyffordd 23 (Llanddulas), Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) (Gwahardd Cerbydau, Beicwyr a Cherddwyr Dros Dro) 2017

Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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The Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018 (Commencement and Saving Provisions) Order 2018 / Gorchymyn Deddf Diddymu’r Hawl i Brynu a Hawliau Cysylltiedig (Cymru) 2018 (Cychwyn a Darpariaethau Arbed) 2018

Link:

The Abolition of the Right to Buy and Associated Rights (Wales) Act 2018 (Commencement and Saving Provisions) Order 2018 / Gorchymyn Deddf Diddymu’r Hawl i Brynu a Hawliau Cysylltiedig (Cymru) 2018 (Cychwyn a Darpariaethau Arbed) 2018

Source: Legislation .gov.uk