EU Justice Sub-Committee takes evidence on Tuesday 13 November at 10.45am
Link: Minister and Intellectual Property Director questioned on Brexit impact
Source: Parliamentary News
Transport Committee visits Bristol to hear about health of bus services
The first public evidence session outside of Westminster, the Committee will visit Bristol where they are holding an evidence session on the health of the bus market.
Link: Transport Committee visits Bristol to hear about health of bus services
Source: Parliamentary News
Press release: Explosive start for triple decker roundabout
Highways experts aiming to transform journeys on a vital part of the road network in North Tyneside had to go back to the classroom and delve into their history books as they started work on the multi-million pound scheme, it was revealed today.
Work on the £75m scheme to improve the A19 Coast Road roundabout is just months away from completion but starting work on site was far from simple as engineers had to check out the region’s war history.
As the region joins the nation in preparing to mark Armistice Day, Highways England has explained the meticulous work which had to be carried out before the project got off the ground.
Highways England’s project manager Julie Alexander said:
Safety is our number one priority and so before we start any project we have to carry out various vital types of work to ensure the ultimate improvement will be safe for everyone using it.
Our work on the A19 involved detailed investigation into the bomb activity on the site. This showed that 2 high explosive bombs fell in the middle of the site during a raid on 30 April 1942 when six were dropped by a single aircraft.
Thankfully no unexploded bombs remained on site so we could proceed. Armistice Day is a chance for us to remember the members of the armed forces who died in the line of duty and the impact it had on the people involved.
Over 70 years ago, long before the A19 Coast Road roundabout was built, the Luftwaffe, the German Air Force, started a sustained aerial attack on British cities targeting docks, industrial premises, power stations and airfields.
Strategic bombing during World War II saw the extensive use of both high explosive and incendiary bombs, although anti-personnel bombs and parachute mines were also used.
Tyneside in the North East was subjected to observation flights by the Luftwaffe in 1939 as they built up evidence of potential targets.
During WWII there were 250 air raid alerts in the region, with the first bombs falling in July 1940. The heaviest raids took place in 1941 and 1942.
In Tynemouth where Highways England is building the North East’s first triple decker roundabout there were 31 air raids which destroyed 447 houses with a further 1,659 properties damaged.
Records show that 2 high explosive bombs fell on the central part of the A19 Coast Road site but both are recorded as having exploded.
The A19 Coast Road scheme will see an extra layer added to the junction and back in August 80,000 cubic metres of soil was finally removed, enough to fill 32 Olympic sized swimming pools.
There are just four months left on the £75m scheme with improvements to the 1,175 metres of cycleway and an extra 247 metres will be created, gantries to be installed and the roundabout completely resurfaced left to complete.
The new road which will reduce congestion, improve journey time reliability for the 35,400 vehicles expected to use it on average a day and expected to improve safety and reduce collisions.
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.
Link: Press release: Explosive start for triple decker roundabout
Source: Gov Press Releases
Lords committee recommends longest suspension of a member in recent parliamentary history
The House of Lords Privileges and Conduct Committee has today recommended that Lord Lester of Herne Hill be suspended from the House of Lords until June 2022 following a finding from the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards that he breached the Lords Code of Conduct.
Link: Lords committee recommends longest suspension of a member in recent parliamentary history
Source: Parliamentary News
Press release: Highways England awards design contract to shape North West roads
The Design Services contract for motorways and major A roads in Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire is worth £49.7 million, will run for up to 5 years and has been awarded to Amey Consulting as part of Highways England’s Asset Delivery operating model.
The contract, which starts in April 2019, will see Amey Consulting carrying out the designs of structures, drains, barriers, signs, landscaping, lighting, traffic signals and other features across the North West’s 260 miles of motorway and 50 miles of major A road.
Highways England’s Executive Director of Operations, Nick Harris, said:
This contract will enable Highways England to deliver schemes which will improve both journeys for our customer and the condition of the road network. We are delighted to award this contract to Amey Consulting and look forward to establishing a successful, long-term relationship with them.
Amey’s Chief Executive Andy Milner, said:
Collaboration is at the core of Amey Consulting’s approach, and working closely with Highways England and the Asset Delivery Community, we look forward to delivering long-lasting benefits for the communities of the North West.
The Design Services contract is the second of the Asset Delivery suite of contracts to be awarded in the Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and South Lancashire area. In October Amey were awarded the £325 million Asset Delivery Maintenance and Response contract which will run for up to 15 years. The Construction Works Framework is due to be awarded in the coming months.
Highways England will be working with all the successful contractors to ensure that they are ready to begin delivering key services from April 2019.
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.
Link: Press release: Highways England awards design contract to shape North West roads
Source: Gov Press Releases
Press release: Report 18/2018: Runaway hand trolley at Ramsbottom
Summary
At around 11:15 hrs on Thursday 15 March 2018 a hand trolley, loaded with approximately 0.5 tonnes of ballast, ran away from a group of track workers near to Ramsbottom station on the East Lancashire Railway. The trolley derailed when it struck a wooden level crossing gate. The gate was pushed into a road which was open to road traffic.
There were no injuries, although the level crossing gate was damaged.
The immediate cause of the runaway was that the trolley was not fitted with any brakes and was deployed on a gradient without the introduction of any mitigation or safeguard against it running away.
The unbraked trolley was almost certainly available for use because it had been donated to the East Lancashire Railway, which did not have any processes in place to manage donations, and no controls in place for use of trolleys during track maintenance. Additionally, there were no constraints on the use of such trolleys on the railway, nor any competence and training requirements for their operators.
There was no assessment of the risks of using the trolley, either generically or for the specific task on the day, and there was no formal training or briefing of the operators on the day.
The underlying factors were inadequate management systems in the Permanent Way department and, probably, a lack of Safety Management System compliance audits.
Recommendations
The RAIB has made three recommendations as a result of this investigation. The first is made to the Heritage Railway Association and relates to it issuing guidance to its members on limiting the use of trolleys not fitted with fail-safe brakes, and fully assessing the risks where they are to be used. The other two are made to East Lancashire Railway; the first relates to the provision of suitable working procedures in the Permanent Way department, and the other to the implementation of an effective audit process.
The RAIB has also identified three learning points. These relate to the importance of undertaking planned audit and compliance activities; being clear about how vehicles and trolleys are to be controlled before they are deployed; and considering the safety risks associated with assets that are acquired through donations.
Notes to editors
- 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.
- 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.
- For media enquiries, please call 01932 440015.
Newsdate: 12 November 2018
Link: Press release: Report 18/2018: Runaway hand trolley at Ramsbottom
Source: Gov Press Releases
The Technical and Further Education Act 2017 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2018
These Regulations bring into force certain provisions of the Technical and Further Education Act 2017 (c. 19) (“the 2017 Act”). These are the fourth commencement regulations made under the 2017 Act.
Link: The Technical and Further Education Act 2017 (Commencement No. 4) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
The Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010 (Consequential Amendment of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2018
The Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010 (“the 2010 Act”) applies where an insured person incurs a liability to another (“the third party”) and is or becomes insolvent (or within circumstances similar to insolvency) and therefore a “relevant person” within the meaning of the 2010 Act (see sections 4 to 7 of the 2010 Act). In such circumstances, the 2010 Act transfers the rights of the relevant person under the insurance contract to the third party, so that the third party can enforce those rights directly against the insurer, rather than the proceeds of the insurance policy being treated as the assets of the insured for distribution to creditors in the insolvency.
Link: The Third Parties (Rights Against Insurers) Act 2010 (Consequential Amendment of Companies Act 2006) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk
Press release: Alun Cairns calls on Welsh schools to sign up to new UK aid backed programme to connect schools with African, Asian and Middle Eastern classrooms
Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will visit Heronsbridge School in Bridgend later today (Monday 12 November) to encourage more schools in Wales to sign up to the UK aid backed Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme, which launched in England in September.
The scheme, which is co-funded by The Department for International Development (DFID) and the British Council, unites pupils in the UK with school children around the world to build friendships and increase awareness and understanding of global issues.
The programme aims to connect more than three million primary and secondary school pupils in the UK with schools in countries across Africa, Asia and the Middle East. It will also train 60,000 teachers and school leaders in the UK and developing countries to equip pupils with the knowledge and skills to live and work in a global economy.
Heronsbridge is one of a growing number of Welsh schools already taking part in the programme, and has existing links to schools in Tanzania where teachers and pupils regularly take part in exchanges and share work on topics including culture, rights and responsibilities and the environment.
Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:
The UK Government Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme is a valuable way for children here in Wales to gain a broader view of the world at an early age, learning more about the issues affecting countries in all corners of the globe. It is also an opportunity for schools around the world to benefit from the support and knowledge of British teachers.
I urge primary schools and secondary schools across Wales to sign up to take part in such a meaningful scheme operating in a vast global network.
The Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme is part of an initiative that introduces the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals to students and teachers in the UK and around the world. The Goals are designed to deliver a more sustainable future for all and include tackling hunger, providing clean water and affordable clean energy. Research has shown that ‘school linking’ can increase the quality of teaching and learning in the schools involved, improving both pupil engagement and teacher motivation.
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:
The Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning programme is a win for the UK and a win for the developing world.
The programme will build deep and meaningful partnerships between schools and communities in the UK and countries all over the world.
I have already heard heart-warming stories of how children taking part have come to realise just how much they have in common, and how much they have learned from each other, building lasting friendships.
Director of British Council Wales, Jenny Scott, said:
Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning provides young people with an opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to thrive in an increasingly global society. The partnership between Heronsbridge School and schools in Africa shows the huge impact these connections can have on pupils, teachers and the local community. We hope schools across Wales will sign up to take part.
Link: Press release: Alun Cairns calls on Welsh schools to sign up to new UK aid backed programme to connect schools with African, Asian and Middle Eastern classrooms
Source: Gov Press Releases
Press release: Foreign Secretary travels to the Gulf to push for end to Yemen bloodshed
In the Gulf he will meet King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Yemeni Vice President Ali Mohsen and Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al Yamani. The Foreign Secretary is seeking to build support among international, and particularly regional, partners for new action in the UN Security Council to bolster the UN-led peace process, following his meeting with UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths at the end of October.
The Foreign Secretary will be the first UK Minister to visit Saudi Arabia since the murder of Jamal Khashoggi one month ago. He will use his meetings to make clear the importance of Saudi Arabia cooperating with Turkey to conduct a full and credible investigation into Mr Khashoggi’s death. This will build on talks that the Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Simon McDonald, also had this weekend in Saudi Arabia with King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir.
While in the UAE the Foreign Secretary will also raise the ongoing consular case of Matthew Hedges.
Speaking ahead of his visit Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:
The human cost of war in Yemen is incalculable: with millions displaced, famine and disease rife and years of bloodshed, the only solution is now a political decision to set aside arms and pursue peace. Britain has a unique position, both as pen-holder at the UN Security Council and as a key influencer in the region, so today I am travelling to the Gulf to demand that all sides commit to this process.
We are witnessing a man-made humanitarian catastrophe on our watch: now is the window to make a difference, and to get behind both the UN peace process and current UK efforts in the Security Council.
In addition, he will call on the Saudi authorities to do more to deliver justice and accountability for the Khashoggi family:
The international community remain united in horror and outrage at the brutal murder of Jamal Khashoggi one month ago. It is clearly unacceptable that the full circumstances behind his murder still remain unclear. We encourage the Saudi authorities to co-operate fully with the Turkish investigation into his death, so that we deliver justice for his family and the watching world.
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Link: Press release: Foreign Secretary travels to the Gulf to push for end to Yemen bloodshed
Source: Gov Press Releases