NewzIntel.com

Category: European Union

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint statement following St Peter’s Street incident

    Source: City of Derby

    Joint statement from Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts, Police and Crime Commissioner for Derbyshire, and Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council:

    Like everyone else we were appalled to see yesterday’s incident in St Peter’s Street. We cannot tolerate this kind of criminal behaviour in our city and would urge anyone with information to assist the police in their ongoing investigation.

    Derby City Council and partners in the private and public sectors are investing in our city centre. We believe in Derby. Our aim is to make our city a welcoming and vibrant place to live, work and visit, and we won’t let the criminal activity of a minority detract from this.

    Many positive things are happening in Derby, and this has to be backed up by action that reassures the public and makes them feel safe in our city. We fully support the police in their investigation into this crime.

    We’re committed to working in partnership for the benefit of the public. Police patrols are increasing in the city centre following yesterday’s incident, during which the window of a Pawnbrokers was smashed by three suspects. There has been an increased police presence over the last few weeks, with more in-depth monitoring of CCTV and targeting known offenders. The Council’s Public Protection Officers patrol the city centre, offering a presence that both supports the police and reassures the public.

    There is a team of neighbourhood officers for the City Centre, who are working with businesses and the local community to address concerns and provide a visible presence. Shopwatch is continuing to be used to share information across businesses.

    Thousands of people visit Derby’s city centre safely every day, and we won’t let the actions of a few undermine this.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Defra Secretary of State at Water UK Reception

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Speech

    Defra Secretary of State at Water UK Reception

    Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs delivered a speech at the UK Water Reception hosted at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre

    This is a moment for Government and industry to join together to unlock the potential of our water sector and grow our economy in every region of this country.

    We need water for economic growth.

    Communities can’t function without it. Water is essential for every household and business across the country. We need it to grow the food that feeds our families. To build 1.5 million new homes, hospitals, schools and roads. To cool power stations that supply our electricity and the data centres to run our IT systems. 

    Water flows through our breathtaking countryside, boosting our tourism and leisure industries.

    The public were not aware at the time of the last general election, this country was facing water rationing within ten years.  There was not enough water to meet the growing demands of our population. As David just said, no new reservoirs had been built in 30 years.

    Water infrastructure was outdated and crumbling. Leaking pipes wasted valuable water supplies. Record levels of sewage polluted our waterways.

    [Political section removed]

    In just one year, we’ve introduced tough new measures to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. Including ringfencing customers’ money so it can only be spent on what it was intended for: upgrading and improving water infrastructure.

    Our Water Special Measures Bill became law in February, giving the regulators new powers to hold water companies to account.

     And Sir Jon Cunliffe, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, will soon complete the biggest review of the water sector in a generation to ensure we have a robust regulatory framework to clean up our waterways, build the infrastructure we need for a reliable water supply, and restore public confidence in this vital economic sector.

    He will publish his full findings next week, and the Government response will follow quickly afterwards.

    This strong action has laid the groundwork for the sector to move forward.

    Today is the start of a new partnership between the water sector and government.

    Turning the page on the past to begin a new chapter of growth and opportunity.

    The water sector is a priority for economic growth.

    We’ve worked together and secured £104 billion pounds of private sector investment in the water sector over the next five years.

    That’s the biggest private sector investment into our water sector in its entire history, and the second biggest investment in any part of the economy over the lifetime of this parliament – and getting this investment right matters.

    It will build and upgrade infrastructure in every region of the country – cutting sewage in half by 2030 and cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas.

    So, parents don’t have to worry about letting their children splash about in the water. So, we can experience the majesty of national treasures like Lake Windermere. Or enjoy a moment of calm by going for a swim in nature.

    It will fund nine new reservoirs and nine large-scale water transfer schemes, and reduce leaks from water pipes.

    So families – like those in Guildford –   don’t have to rely on bottled water when their water supply is disrupted. So businesses don’t lose profits when they’re forced to shut because the taps have run dry. So farmers can keep growing food in the face of increasingly unstable and unpredictable weather patterns.

    This vast investment will fuel economic growth.

    Over the next 5 years, it will create 30 thousand good, well-paid jobs in every corner of the country.

    Jobs that are rooted in the communities they serve.

    Money to upgrade roads, schools and hospitals. Encouraging businesses to invest in the area. Attracting more visitors to support rural tourism.

    This investment will make sure we can build 1.5 million homes this Parliament, construct major infrastructure projects to support the green energy transition, and power new industries such as data centres that can unlock the UK’s AI potential.

    This is what we mean when we talk about the Government’s Plan for Change.

    We must work together to make sure that £104 billion is spent in the best way to secure the improvements we want to see, and in the timescales we want to see them.

    Earlier this year, my colleague the Water Minister Emma Hardy and I toured the country to see how this investment will be spent.

    Around Cambridge, one of the UK’s fastest growing economies, investment in water infrastructure will support 4500 new homes, community facilities such as schools and leisure centres, and office and laboratory space in the city centre.

    On the River Avon, Wessex Water are investing £35 million pounds to expand the Saltford Water Recycling Plant, increasing their wastewater treatment capacity by 40% to meet rising demand, and creating local jobs near Bath.

    And in Hampshire, work’s begun on the Havant Thicket Reservoir, the first reservoir to be built in the South East since the 1970s and when it’s full, this will supply water to around 160,000 people and, during construction, it will generate more than £10 million a year to the South East economy,  with construction jobs and apprenticeships.

    We need to get spades in the ground in every region.

    I’ve set up a Water Delivery Taskforce to bring together Government, regulators, and water industry representatives, to ensure water companies complete their planned investments on time and on budget – providing value for money for customers.    

    The Taskforce will make sure we have the water, wastewater and drainage needed for the new developments and infrastructure that will drive long-term economic growth.

    Energy and Utility Skills estimate 43,000 people will be needed to take up jobs in the water industry over the next five years.

    That’s good, skilled, well paid jobs such as bioresources technicians, hydraulics specialists, engineers, construction workers, and surveyors.

    It’s imperative we have the skilled workforce in place.

    Because without it, all this investment will not be possible.

    That’s why we’re here today. To work together to ensure the industry and supply chain have the capacity to meet our shared ambitions for a successful, growing water sector underpinning a successful, growing economy.

    This demands a whole Government approach.

    Torsten Bell, the Minister for Pensions, and Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, will both be here today, will give more details on how we plan to do this via our employment and skills programmes.

    And I’m delighted that later today I’ll sign our ‘Water Skills Pledge’ with Alison McGovern, the Minister for Employment – affirming our commitment to ensuring the water sector has the skills and workforce it needs to succeed.

    We will work together to show people that a career in the water industry and its supply chain is something they can be proud of for a lifetime.

    Something that gives you new skills, exciting challenges and can set you up for life – wherever in this country you live.

    These are jobs that make a difference. Making sure people have a reliable, clean water supply, protecting our food security, cleaning up our waterways – and stimulating economic growth in every part of the country to raise living standards and wages and improve people’s lives.

    This is a fresh start, a moment to build new partnerships and set the direction for the water sector of the future.

    We are working together to bring about the change that people in this country voted for last year. It’s an exciting time for the water industry, and I’m proud to stand alongside you as we chart the journey forwards to success.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ver Meadows Caravan Park – information for affected residents

    Source: St Albans City and District

    St Albans City and District Council

    Address: Civic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL1 3JE, England 
    Sat Nav: For Sat Nav users, please use AL1 3LD to locate the Council Offices
    Please bring a reusable cup for your water or hot drink to save waste.
    Help planning your journey

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK promotes agricultural cooperation with the Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    World news story

    UK promotes agricultural cooperation with the Guatemalan Ministry of Agriculture

    British Ambassador, Juliana Correa, held a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Food, María Fernanda Rivera, to strengthen collaboration in smart agriculture, biotechnology, and sustainable rural development.

    During the meeting, opportunities to promote British offerings in the agri-tech sector were discussed, including solutions in fertilizers, seeds, machinery, animal genetics, and technologies for water conservation and waste management. The interest of British companies in entering the Guatemalan market was highlighted, as well as the need to facilitate regulatory processes for biotech products. 

    The Embassy also highlighted the work of the UK Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), which supports initiatives in Petén and the Trifinio region for biodiversity conservation, community development, and climate change adaptation. The importance of strengthening MAGA’s technical assistance in areas such as beekeeping, agroforestry systems, and value chains like cocoa was emphasized. 

    The meeting reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to the sustainable development of the Guatemalan agricultural sector, promoting strategic alliances, technological innovation, and comprehensive solutions to environmental and productive challenges.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rachel Reeves Mansion House 2025 speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    Rachel Reeves Mansion House 2025 speech

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves delivered her second Mansion House speech on the evening of Tuesday 15 July 2025.

    Lord Mayor, Governor, Ladies and Gentlemen.

    My thanks go to the City of London Corporation for hosting us here this evening…

    …and to the Lord Mayor for his address…

    …as well as to the Economic Secretary to the Treasury for all her hard work.

    It is a year since my party was elected to office…

    …and year since I was appointed as Chancellor of the Exchequer.

    Recently, on a visit to a primary school, a young girl asked me –

    “if you could have any job in the world, what would it be?”

    Given the events of the last few weeks, I suspect many of you would have sympathised if I had said –

     “anything but the Chancellor.”

    But I didn’t.

    Because I am proud to stand here tonight and address you for a second time at Mansion House…

    …as the Chancellor of Exchequer.

    This evening, I want to talk about the progress we have made over the past year:

    Restoring stability;

    Securing investment;

    And delivering reform.

    And I want to talk about the future:

    The economy that we are building;

    The opportunities that we are seizing;

    And the prosperity that we together are creating.

    In my Mais lecture last year, I talked about how a resilient economy must be built on security.

    And the importance of that security has been brought into sharp focus in recent months.

    As the world changes before our eyes, and global economies are becoming more uncertain.

    The job of a responsible government is not just to watch this change –  

    We must step up, not step back.

    We must build a dynamic economy on strong and secure foundations…

    …where success is not limited to a handful of sectors, a few people, or certain parts of the country…

    …but where the rewards of hard work are shared…

    …harnessing the contribution of every part of Britain.

    This is the foundation of an economy and a country that is more active and more confident…

    …where people and business look to the future and talk about hope…

    …talk about opportunity…

    …assured of their own capability, and of the ability of our country to boldly face the challenges ahead…

    …and certain in the prize when they succeed:

    Of higher wages and higher living standards;

    The renewal of Britain in every home and every high street.

    To put it simply: a Britain that is better off.

    The financial services sector is critical to my ambitions for our country.

    It is one of the largest and most successful sectors in the UK…

    …worth around 10% of total economic output…

    …and supporting 1.2 million jobs in clusters right around the UK:

    In Cardiff, and Belfast and Edinburgh where we have growing Fintechs;

    In Manchester, where BNY have their new Angel Square hub;

    And in London, the financial centre of the world.

    And financial services is also critical in people’s everyday lives:

    Whether that’s a couple looking to buy their first home;

    A budding entrepreneur wanting to start  their first business;

    Or people getting more out of the money they’re putting aside for the future.  

    And that’s what these plans, that I will set out tonight, will deliver.

    Growth must be built on a platform of economic stability.

    When we came into office…

    …it was our government, this government, that restored Britain’s reputation as a beacon of stability by putting the public finances back on a firm footing…

    …getting debt on a downward path, while investing prudently alongside business.

    That was – and still is – the right choice…

    …because there is nothing progressive – [political redaction] – about a government that simply spends more and more each year on debt interest, instead of on the priorities of ordinary working people.

    And fiscal stability is a choice that reflects economic reality.

    National debt remains at its highest level since the 1960s…

    …and globally, the cost of borrowing has increased in recent years.

    This is not the inheritance that I would have chosen…

    …but it is the reality.

    And that is why the Prime Minister, and I and this government are remain committed to our non-negotiable fiscal rules.

    The stability that we have restored is already delivering:

    Four cuts in interest rates by the Bank of England since the General Election, reducing the cost of mortgages and business lending;

    [political redaction]

    And investment is returning to our economy.

    At the Spending Review, I set out £120 billion of public investment over the next five years…

    …and last month, the Prime Minister confirmed that the UK has attracted £120 billion of private investment – in just the last 12 months.

    In a globally competitive market…

    …firms all over the world are choosing to invest in Britain…

    …as one of the best places to start up, to scale up and to list:

    The FTSE is at an all-time high, today, for the first time ever, breaking 9000 points;

    London is home to the deepest equity capital market in Europe;

    It is the third biggest venture capital market globally;

    And the London Stock Exchange is the most international in the world…

    …with the FTSE soon to include shares listed not just in sterling but also in dollars and in euros.

    Last year, to ensure the UK remains competitive, we made significant changes to the listing regime…

    …for example, relaxing dual class share rules to give founders flexibility to pursue their growth ambitions.

    The FCA have today published their final Prospectus Rules…

    …simplifying the listing and capital raising processes for firms of all sizes.

    And, as I committed to last year at Mansion House, we are delivering PISCES…

    …a brand-new type of stock exchange for private company share trading…

    …with the first trading events due to take place later this year.

    And I am announcing a new Listings Taskforce with the Office for Investment…

    …to attract the best businesses in the world to IPO here in London.

    But we must do more to ensure that British savers benefit from the success of growing British businesses.

    Last year at Mansion House, I set out an overhaul of our pensions system…

    …and the Pension Schemes Bill, led by my colleague the Pensions Minister, will be signed into law in the next few months.

    The creation of Defined Contribution and Local Government Pension Scheme megafunds…

    …will mean larger and more powerful pots of funding invested productively across the country.

    Pension funds, and this government, are united in our determination to deliver higher returns for savers and more investment in the economy.

    That is why, since last year, funds covering the majority of the Defined Contribution market have committed to the Mansion House Accord…

    …pledging to invest at least 10% of their main funds into private assets such as infrastructure and growth markets…

    … with at least half of that going into UK projects.

    And I would also like to congratulate the Lord Mayor on his employer pension pledge…

    I am delighted, Lord Mayor, to see businesses such as Tesco, First Group and Octopus making this commitment…

    …and like you Lord Mayor I look forward to seeing more companies joining up.

    The UK economy is enhanced by its outward-facing approach…

    …and this year we have built on that with our new trade deals:             

    A trade deal with the United States, where we were the first country to sign a deal so that British businesses are better protected against tariffs, and where we have worked with our G7 colleagues to avert new taxes.

    I’m pleased to welcome US Securities and Exchange Commissioner Hester Peirce here tonight…

    …who is driving forward proposals for greater digital collaboration between our two financial centres. Thank you for being here.

    And a trade deal with the European Union, where our strategic partnership will slash red tape and reduce costs for business…

    …as well as providing a platform to further deepen our relationship in future.

    And I am pleased to welcome the European Union’s Financial Services Commissioner Maria Luis Albuquerque.

    Maria Luis, we met earlier today to discuss our continued cooperation on financial services, and I look forward to working more closely with you.

    And a trade deal with India, with whom our recent FTA agreement will give us the best trading relationship of any country in the world with India.

    And we have concluded the first Economic and Financial Dialogue with China in six years.

    And we are implementing the Berne Financial Services Agreement with Switzerland too.

    At the G20 in South Africa later this week I will continue the call I made at the IMF Spring meetings –

    …for countries to come together to tackle trade imbalances and drive growth…

    …underpinned by stronger multilateral institutions.

    I look forward to hearing more on this from the Governor in his address…

    …and I would like to congratulate him on his recent appointment as Chair of the Financial Stability Board…

    …a testament to both Andrew and this government’s commitment to international standards.

    Britain is open for business;

    Open for trade;

    Open for investment.

    And that’s why we must be willing to change how we do things to stay competitive in that global economy.

    We have ripped up the planning rules;

    We have swept away regulations;

    We have published our industrial strategy;

    And today we can go further, by announcing the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy…

    …including my Leeds Reforms…

    …named after one of the UK’s great hubs for financial services…

    …and the city that I have been proud to represent as a Member of Parliament for fifteen years.

    These are the most wide-ranging package of reforms to financial services regulation in more than a decade.

    At Mansion House last year, I said we must regulate for growth and not just for risk…

    …and we are delivering on that commitment…

    …while continuing to protect financial stability…

    …so that the benefits of a thriving and growing financial services sector can be realised for people all over Britain.

    Let me set out the details of that package in four parts:

    First, I am rolling back regulation that has gone too far in seeking to eliminate risk;

    Second, I am delivering targeted changes in the areas where the UK already has particular strengths;

    Third, I am making changes to capital requirements to unlock more productive capital;

    And fourth, I am introducing measures to boost retail investment so that more savers can reap the benefits of UK economic success.

    I will begin with the biggest reforms.

    As I promised last year, I am delivering the most significant reform to the Financial Ombudsman Service since its inception…

    …including proposing to limit for ten years for claims.

    This will speed up the time it takes for consumers to get redress for their complaints…

    … returning it to its original purpose as a simple, impartial arbitration service…

    …and ensuring that it no longer acts as a quasi-regulator.

    And I welcome the announcement today, made by the Financial Ombudsman Service that will reduce the interest rate it applies before a decision from 8% to base rate plus 1%.

    I am introducing new targets for the FCA and PRA to cut times on authorisations and approvals…

    …and I have tasked the FCA with assessing the impact of the Consumer Duty and whether it unduly effects wholesale activity…

    …to ensure that regulators are really regulating for growth.

    And I am streamlining the Senior Managers and Certification Regime…

    …reducing the burdens it imposes on firms by 50%…

    …and slashing approval timelines…

    …so you can bring in talent to your business more quickly.

    My next set of reforms provide targeted regulatory support to the areas where the UK does already have a comparative advantage.

    For insurance – where Britain is the destination of choice for underwriting complex, specialised and high-value risk…

    …I am introducing a new competitive framework for captive insurance.

    For asset management – where the UK is the world’s second largest centre…

    …I am futureproofing the regulatory regime and will publish draft legislation in early 2026.

    For sustainable finance, I am determined to focus our efforts on policies that matter most to our world-leading sector and support investment in the transition…

    …so, after consultation and consideration, I have decided not to pursue a green taxonomy…

    …but instead work with regulators through the Transition Finance Council to capitalise on the £200 billion opportunity of the global transition to net zero.

    And for Fintech – where almost half of Europe’s Fintech’s are already based here in the UK…

    …the PRA and FCA are launching a scale-up unit to support innovative firms to grow in the UK, including in our world-leading payments system.

    And I will drive forward developments in blockchain technology…

    …including tokenised securities and stablecoins…

    …and an ambitious design for a new digital gilt instrument…

    …so that UK financial services can be at the forefront of digital asset innovation.

    And because I believe the UK is the best place in the world for financial services…

    …today I’ve announced the Office for Investment’s new concierge service.

    Launching by October this year, it will provide a tailored service to companies considering setting up and expanding in the UK…

    …and I am grateful to Chris Hayward from the City of London Corporation, for his work to drive this forward.

    Thank you Chris.

    Now, let me turn to the changes I am making to capital requirements…

    …to allow UK banks to do more lending and release more capital for investment into our infrastructure and into our businesses.

    First, I am supporting the Bank of England’s decision to raise the asset threshold for MREL requirements to between £25 and £40 billion.

    This will benefit the challenger banks and bring increased competition and innovation to the market…

    …and support those businesses to expand their footprint here in the UK.

    Second, I am confirming our approach to Basel 3.1…

    …implementing lower capital requirements for domestically focussed banks from January 2027…

    …while preserving flexibility on our approach for international banks to ensure the UK always remains competitive while aligning with international standards.

    Third, I have committed to meaningful reform of the UK’s ringfencing regime…

    …recognising that now is the time to go further in tackling inefficiency and boosting growth…

    …while retaining the aspects of the regime that support financial stability and protect consumer deposits.

    And fourth, following the new, growth focussed remit letter I sent in November…

    …I welcome the Financial Policy Committee’s announcement that it will review the overall level of bank capital needed for UK financial stability…

    …reporting back to me by the end of this year.

    The review will inform the work the Treasury is taking forward with the Bank…

    …to ensure the prudential framework strikes the optimal balance to deliver resilience, growth and competitiveness.

    And I welcome the recent changes the Financial Policy Committee has announced to the loan-to-income limit on mortgage lending…

    …which the PRA and FCA are implementing immediately…

    …that means tens of thousands more people could be able to get a mortgage in the next year alone…

    …with Nationwide already offering its ‘Helping Hand’ mortgage to more first time-buyers…

    …supporting alone an additional 10,000 each year.

    And my thanks to Dame Debbie Crosbie for her leadership.

    My final set of reforms are focussed on boosting savings investment.

    I recognise the potential for ISA reform to improve returns for savers…

    …and access capital for UK businesses.

    I have confirmed that Long-Term Asset Funds can be included in stocks and shares ISAs…

    …allowing long-term ISA investors to benefit from this innovative product.

    And I will continue to consider further changes to ISAs…

    …engaging widely in the coming months…

    …and recognising that despite the differing views on the right approach…

    …we are united in wanting better outcomes for both UK savers and for the UK economy.

    For too long, we have presented investment in too negative a light…

    …quick to warn people of the risks, without giving proper weight to the benefits…

    …and our tangled system of financial advice and guidance…

    …has meant people cannot get the right support to make decisions for themselves. 

    That is why we are working with the FCA to introduce a brand-new type of targeted support for consumers ahead of the new financial year.

    And I also welcome the campaign to promote the benefits of retail investment which will launch next April…

    …and the action to look at our current approach to risk warnings – and that will report back in January…

    …and I’m grateful to Chris Cummings of the Investment Association for spearheading both of those initiatives.

    Thank you very much Chris.

    Today, I have placed financial services at the heart of this government’s growth mission…

    …recognising that Britain cannot succeed and meet its growth ambitions…

    …without a financial sector that is fighting fit and thriving.

    The reforms I have set out this evening are the next chapter in how I intend to support this growth…

    …and I thank Gwyneth Nurse and her brilliant team at the Treasury for all of their hard work on this package.

    I knew that Gwyneth would get the biggest clap …

    I am also pleased to have been able to work in lockstep with our regulators…

    …and I want to extend my thanks both to Nikhil Rathi and Sam Woods for their innovation and the work they have done in response to my updated remit letters last year.

    Thank you Nikhil and thank you Sam.

    We have been bold in regulating for growth in financial services…

    …and I have been clear on the benefits that that will drive…

    …with a ripple effect felt right across all sectors of our economy…

    …putting pounds in the pockets of working people.

    Getting better deals on their mortgages…

    better returns on their savings

    and more jobs paying good wages across our country

    As I look ahead…

    …it is clear that we must do more.

    In too many areas, regulation still acts as a boot on the neck of businesses…

    …choking off the enterprise and innovation that is the lifeblood of economic growth.

    Regulators in other sectors must take up the call I make this evening…

    …not to bend to the temptation of excessive caution…

    …but to boldly regulate for growth…

    …in the service of prosperity for our whole country.

    I’m really proud of how far we have come in the last year as government and as a country.

    I know that the changes that we have made will reform and transform our economy and our country.

    And I know that you will waste no time in seizing the opportunities that lie ahead:

    To build a stronger economy;

    To deliver the renewal of Britain;

    And to make working people in all parts of Britain better off.

    Thank you very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Defra Secretary of State at UK Water Reception

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Defra Secretary of State at UK Water Reception

    Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs delivered a speech at the UK Water Reception hosted at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre

    This is a moment for Government and industry to join together to unlock the potential of our water sector and grow our economy in every region of this country.

    We need water for economic growth.

    Communities can’t function without it. Water is essential for every household and business across the country. We need it to grow the food that feeds our families. To build 1.5 million new homes, hospitals, schools and roads. To cool power stations that supply our electricity and the data centres to run our IT systems. 

    Water flows through our breathtaking countryside, boosting our tourism and leisure industries.

    The public were not aware at the time of the last general election, this country was facing water rationing within ten years.  There was not enough water to meet the growing demands of our population. As David just said, no new reservoirs had been built in 30 years.

    Water infrastructure was outdated and crumbling. Leaking pipes wasted valuable water supplies. Record levels of sewage polluted our waterways.

    [Political section removed]

    In just one year, we’ve introduced tough new measures to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas. Including ringfencing customers’ money so it can only be spent on what it was intended for: upgrading and improving water infrastructure.

    Our Water Special Measures Bill became law in February, giving the regulators new powers to hold water companies to account.

     And Sir Jon Cunliffe, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England, will soon complete the biggest review of the water sector in a generation to ensure we have a robust regulatory framework to clean up our waterways, build the infrastructure we need for a reliable water supply, and restore public confidence in this vital economic sector.

    He will publish his full findings next week, and the Government response will follow quickly afterwards.

    This strong action has laid the groundwork for the sector to move forward.

    Today is the start of a new partnership between the water sector and government.

    Turning the page on the past to begin a new chapter of growth and opportunity.

    The water sector is a priority for economic growth.

    We’ve worked together and secured £104 billion pounds of private sector investment in the water sector over the next five years.

    That’s the biggest private sector investment into our water sector in its entire history, and the second biggest investment in any part of the economy over the lifetime of this parliament – and getting this investment right matters.

    It will build and upgrade infrastructure in every region of the country – cutting sewage in half by 2030 and cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas.

    So, parents don’t have to worry about letting their children splash about in the water. So, we can experience the majesty of national treasures like Lake Windermere. Or enjoy a moment of calm by going for a swim in nature.

    It will fund nine new reservoirs and nine large-scale water transfer schemes, and reduce leaks from water pipes.

    So families – like those in Guildford –   don’t have to rely on bottled water when their water supply is disrupted. So businesses don’t lose profits when they’re forced to shut because the taps have run dry. So farmers can keep growing food in the face of increasingly unstable and unpredictable weather patterns.

    This vast investment will fuel economic growth.

    Over the next 5 years, it will create 30 thousand good, well-paid jobs in every corner of the country.

    Jobs that are rooted in the communities they serve.

    Money to upgrade roads, schools and hospitals. Encouraging businesses to invest in the area. Attracting more visitors to support rural tourism.

    This investment will make sure we can build 1.5 million homes this Parliament, construct major infrastructure projects to support the green energy transition, and power new industries such as data centres that can unlock the UK’s AI potential.

    This is what we mean when we talk about the Government’s Plan for Change.

    We must work together to make sure that £104 billion is spent in the best way to secure the improvements we want to see, and in the timescales we want to see them.

    Earlier this year, my colleague the Water Minister Emma Hardy and I toured the country to see how this investment will be spent.

    Around Cambridge, one of the UK’s fastest growing economies, investment in water infrastructure will support 4500 new homes, community facilities such as schools and leisure centres, and office and laboratory space in the city centre.

    On the River Avon, Wessex Water are investing £35 million pounds to expand the Saltford Water Recycling Plant, increasing their wastewater treatment capacity by 40% to meet rising demand, and creating local jobs near Bath.

    And in Hampshire, work’s begun on the Havant Thicket Reservoir, the first reservoir to be built in the South East since the 1970s and when it’s full, this will supply water to around 160,000 people and, during construction, it will generate more than £10 million a year to the South East economy,  with construction jobs and apprenticeships.

    We need to get spades in the ground in every region.

    I’ve set up a Water Delivery Taskforce to bring together Government, regulators, and water industry representatives, to ensure water companies complete their planned investments on time and on budget – providing value for money for customers.    

    The Taskforce will make sure we have the water, wastewater and drainage needed for the new developments and infrastructure that will drive long-term economic growth.

    Energy and Utility Skills estimate 43,000 people will be needed to take up jobs in the water industry over the next five years.

    That’s good, skilled, well paid jobs such as bioresources technicians, hydraulics specialists, engineers, construction workers, and surveyors.

    It’s imperative we have the skilled workforce in place.

    Because without it, all this investment will not be possible.

    That’s why we’re here today. To work together to ensure the industry and supply chain have the capacity to meet our shared ambitions for a successful, growing water sector underpinning a successful, growing economy.

    This demands a whole Government approach.

    Torsten Bell, the Minister for Pensions, and Baroness Jacqui Smith, Minister for Skills, will both be here today, will give more details on how we plan to do this via our employment and skills programmes.

    And I’m delighted that later today I’ll sign our ‘Water Skills Pledge’ with Alison McGovern, the Minister for Employment – affirming our commitment to ensuring the water sector has the skills and workforce it needs to succeed.

    We will work together to show people that a career in the water industry and its supply chain is something they can be proud of for a lifetime.

    Something that gives you new skills, exciting challenges and can set you up for life – wherever in this country you live.

    These are jobs that make a difference. Making sure people have a reliable, clean water supply, protecting our food security, cleaning up our waterways – and stimulating economic growth in every part of the country to raise living standards and wages and improve people’s lives.

    This is a fresh start, a moment to build new partnerships and set the direction for the water sector of the future.

    We are working together to bring about the change that people in this country voted for last year. It’s an exciting time for the water industry, and I’m proud to stand alongside you as we chart the journey forwards to success.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How to approach going to the cinema like a philosopher

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alain Guillemain, PhD Candidate in Philosophy, Deakin University

    Philosophy is the study of fundamental questions about reality, knowledge, and values. One “does philosophy” when they respond to such questions in ways that engage critical thought and inquiry.

    Many of us will often respond philosophically to the world around us without even realising it. We may do this, for instance, when we reflect on various aspects of culture and the arts.

    But does going to the cinema really amount to doing philosophy? While you may have never thought about it this way, this is exactly what one famous French philosopher named Gilles Deleuze (1925–95) argued.

    Deleuze’s movement-image

    Deleuze presents a philosophical approach to cinema that treats films not merely as entertainment, but as a medium for thinking and creating philosophical concepts.

    This creation of philosophical concepts is what he and his collaborator, Felix Guattari, prize as “doing philosophy” in their 1991 book What is Philosophy?.

    For Deleuze and Guattari, the creation of concepts is not entirely mental. It is an embodied process that involves engaging the senses – which is what cinema demands of both filmmakers and viewers. To that end, filmmakers and film viewers can both be seen as special kinds of philosophers.

    Deleuze suggests cinema is not simply leisure or culture. In his 1983 book Cinema 1: The Movement-Image, he highlights how cinema is a philosophical practice made possible though “movement-images” – cinematic images which can actively shape our perception and experience of the world.

    Great film directors can create concepts through movement-images, just as great philosophers do so through language.

    Good cinema demands viewers engage using all their senses, resulting in an embodied experience.
    Kumiko Shimizu/Unsplash

    Deleuze identified three categories of movement-images: perception-images, affection-images and action-images.

    The perception-image frames the world from a particular point of view, usually to establish context for an action. For example, at the start of a scene, the camera might pan across the contents of a room before resting on the protagonist.

    The affection-image is the cinematic expression of pure emotion. Affection-images can evoke empathy, such as when we see a character’s face overcome with sadness in a close-up. These images usually sit between perception and action images.

    The action-image embodies action and reaction within a defined situation, and usually links perception and affection images. In the horror genre, this may be the “jump scare” that suddenly reveals a killer, after a long buildup of tension.

    Deleuze’s time-image

    In his 1985 book Cinema 2: The Time-Image, Deleuze extends his film philosophy from that of movement-images to include time-images.

    The time-image is one where the experience of time is prioritised over narrative. For instance, a time-image may make use of long takes, empty spaces and irrational cuts to depict time directly onscreen, rather than represent time through props.

    Through masterfully crafting movement-images and time-images, directors can (knowingly or unwittingly) create the opportunity for audiences to think about philosophical concepts and themes.

    For example, in the trailer for Get Out (2017), director Jordan Peele uses a range of movement-images and time-images to convey the concepts of racism, trauma, social isolation and social stratification.

    Multiple closeups of main character Chris Washington’s face looking alarmed produce affection-images (a type of movement-image) that engage the viewer’s emotions.

    Peele also strategically uses time-images to intensify the themes being conveyed, such as when Rose’s mother clinks the spoon on the teacup, both moving Chris back in time and freezing him in real time.

    For Deleuze, it is these embodied, affective experiences that are the fundamental conditions for thought. By allowing the film to be sensed and felt, and by transmuting these feelings into the domain of thought, the cinemagoer can become philosophically engaged.

    Repetition is another element that can bear philosophical fruits, according to Deleuze. The more one repeats a film, whether by re-watching, or repeating certain sequences, the more they allow themselves to be affected by it in different ways. This opens up different avenues for thought.

    How to engage philosophically with films

    Cinemagoers need not be familiar with Deleuze’s ideas to engage philosophically with a film. The only thing required is an openness to the film. But if you do want to consciously approach your next viewing like a philosopher, you might consider the following steps:

    1. Feel as you watch. Open yourself up and allow cinematic moments to affect you on an emotional and bodily level, even if this is unpleasant or uncomfortable.

    2. Allow for multiple interpretations. Resist the temptation to fall into black and white thinking about which characters are “good” or “bad”. Remain open to different readings of the film.

    3. Reflect on what you felt. Allow what you experienced in your body guide your thoughts afterwards. For instance, if you experienced shock, rage, or confusion, ask yourself why.

    4. Gently arrive at some conclusions based on your multiple readings of the film. Allow for perspectives that both contribute to and challenge your worldview.

    5. Consider watching the film again, and repeating the above steps. This will likely help you feel and think new things that further enhance your understanding of the film, and your worldview.

    Ruari Elkington has received funding from The Queensland Government Dept of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI), Screen Queensland, The Embassy of France in Australia and Cinema Association Australasia

    Alain Guillemain does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How to approach going to the cinema like a philosopher – https://theconversation.com/how-to-approach-going-to-the-cinema-like-a-philosopher-259277

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Young Futures Hubs to launch offering vulnerable young people lifeline

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Young Futures Hubs to launch offering vulnerable young people lifeline

    Vulnerable young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs, violence or knife crime will be given the help they need when the first Young Futures Hubs get up and running later this year. 

    • First wave of Government’s Young Futures Hubs to launch later this year
    • The new hubs will bring together vital community-focused services under one roof to help teenagers who face being dragged into violence and at risk of mental health challenges
    • Latest step in the Government’s pledge to halve knife crime and open up opportunity for all, part of the Plan for Change

    Vulnerable young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs, violence or knife crime will be given the help they need when the first Young Futures Hubs get up and running later this year. 

    Sitting at the heart of the Government’s Plan for Change, these hubs will help create opportunity for all and keep our streets safe. They will bring together vital local services in the local community, providing support ranging from well-being and mental health to careers advice. 

    The hubs will help all teenagers thrive, in particular, those who face being dragged into criminal gangs or young people at risk of mental health challenges.

    Backed by a £2m cash injection eight hubs will launch this year, targeted in areas with high levels of knife crime and antisocial behaviour and offer a lifeline to vulnerable young people. It is expected that 50 Young Future Hubs will be launched over the next four years.

    The Prime Minister set out these plans while attending a summit hosted by His Majesty The King at St James’s Palace and attended by Idris Elba OBE to discuss youth opportunity. Members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, set up at Downing Street last year, also attended the event. 

    The event was an opportunity to discuss what more must be done to offer community-led support to young people, in particular those who are vulnerable, stopping them from taking the wrong path.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    “My government was elected on a pledge to tackle knife crime, and we have hit the ground running by banning dangerous weapons and bringing in laws to clamp down on illegal online sales. 

    “We are determined to do more to prevent vulnerable young people from turning to violence in the first place and open greater opportunities. As part of the Plan for Change, we will open up Young Futures Hubs across to country to stop teenagers from being dragged into crime and find a better future.”  

    To make sure young people get the help they need, before getting caught up in criminal activity, the Government will also pilot new multi-agency Prevention Partnership Panels to proactively identify and refer vulnerable teenagers – who may currently be falling through the net – to a range of different support services much earlier, including the Young Futures Hubs. More than twenty panels will be up and running in the coming months, across the areas of the country that collectively account for more than 80% knife crime, with many more to follow.

    This is the latest measure taken by the government to cut knife crime and keep our streets safe, part of its Plan for Change. 

    Since coming into office last year, the Government has brought forward the strongest controls on dangerous knives, implementing bans on zombie-style knives and ninja swords and announced plans to toughen up online sales, including sanctions for tech executives who fail to remove illegal knife crime content from their platforms.

    In September, the Prime Minister also launched the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, bringing together campaign groups, families of people who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted and community leaders. 

    The Prime Minister will reconvene this group later in the year to update on the progress the Government has made during its first year in office.

    Home Secretary Yvette Cooper:

    “Knife crime devastates families and communities across the country, and too many young lives have already been lost. That’s why we’ve set out an unprecedented mission to halve knife crime in a decade and why we are working tirelessly with our coalition to tackle the scourge of serious violence on our streets. 

    “We are bringing in some of the toughest measures to date, curbing access to weapons being sold online and getting them off the streets, but we also need to make sure that the right prevention structures are in place to stop young people being drawn into violent crime in the first place. 

    “Today’s Youth Opportunities Summit is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when government, communities, and campaigners come together with a shared purpose.”

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

    “Too many young people are being let down – left without the support they need when they should be building bright futures. Young Futures Hubs will help change that, providing mental health support, mentoring, careers guidance, and activities that help young people thrive, ensuring no one is left behind.

    “This is our Plan for Change in action – clearing barriers to opportunity while creating safer streets. With our National Youth Strategy coming later this year, we’re putting young people back in the driving seat of their own futures, offering the support they deserve with the opportunities they need.”

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: StromEase 25 mg/ml Eye Drops, Solution for Dogs and Cats – SPC change

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    StromEase 25 mg/ml Eye Drops, Solution for Dogs and Cats – SPC change

    Change to the information provided on adverse events in the Summary of Product Characteristics for StromEase 25 mg/ml Eye Drops, Solution for Dogs and Cats.

    Following monitoring of pharmacovigilance data, the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for StromEase 25 mg/ml Eye Drops, Solution for Dogs and Cats has been updated.

    Section 4.6 has been amended to clarify that irritation or inflammation of the eye and/or its adnexa have been reported in very rare cases, especially blinking of the eyelids or even closure of the eye, eye redness or conjunctival oedema, particularly in dogs.

    The frequency of adverse reactions is defined using the following convention:

    • very common (more than 1 in 10 animals treated displaying adverse reaction(s))

    • common (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 100 animals treated)

    • uncommon (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 1,000 animals treated)

    • rare (more than 1 but less than 10 animals in 10,000 animals treated)

    • very rare (less than 1 animal in 10,000 animals treated, including isolated reports).

    Any veterinary medicinal product which is authorised for marketing in the United Kingdom will have its Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) available on our Product Information Database.

    No medicine is 100% risk free, the SPC includes information on what adverse events have been known to occur following administration of a particular product, these can be found in either section Adverse events (3.6) or Adverse reactions (4.6).

    All updates to SPCs other than template changes, are published in the medicine updates section of VMD Connect.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cannock Road resurfacing to start next week

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Crews will be busy in Cannock Road from Thursday 24 July with work taking place at night, between 7pm and 5am, to minimise traffic disruption.

    The first section will be resurfaced from the Stafford Street junction to Nine Elms, along with fresh road markings. It is expected to be finished by Friday 8 August, weather permitting.

    The Park Lane junction of Cannock Road will be resurfaced and relined between 7pm and 5am, from Monday 11 August to Friday 15 August.

    It follows improvements made to roads across the city in recent weeks with more to come. The council has also made a commitment to repair more than 7,500 potholes this year.

    Councillor Qaiser Azeem, City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “We know Cannock Road needs resurfacing and that work will be taking place soon giving this main route into the city a much needed facelift.

    “Fixing roads and tackling potholes is a priority for the council and we have a programme of work being put into action.

    “Like councils up and down the country, we can’t do everything all at once.

    “The Local Government Association estimated the backlog of road repairs stands at about £17 billion and could take more than a decade to fix.

    “In Wolverhampton we are following a data led, informed strategy to identify where improvements can have the greatest impact, reducing the need for urgent repairs on our roads in the long run.”

    The council is responsible for maintaining 480 miles of roads and nearly 800 miles of footpaths.

    Highways maintenance is funded through the council’s £9.7 million capital programme for 2025 to 2026.

    Earlier this year the council also welcomed an extra £2 million from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) to help fix even more potholes.

    You can search your road via Causeway one.network to see updates on planned work, road closures and traffic diversions.

    Report a pothole by downloading our Love Clean Streets app at Report a pothole or via the website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The pros and cons of a Universal Basic Income in London

    Source: Mayor of London

    The Basic Income Earth Network, an advocacy organisation, defines a basic income as “a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-test or work requirement.”1

    There is currently one active Universal Basic Income (UBI) trial in the UK: the Welsh Government commissioned a 3-year trial running from July 2022, involving 500 care leavers receiving a monthly payment of £1,600.2

    The London Assembly Economy, Culture and Skills Committee will meet tomorrow to understand the benefits and drawbacks associated with a Universal Basic Income (UBI) in London, and evaluate how far a UBI would be effective in addressing some of the most acute problems faced by Londoners.

    The two panels are split to hear from one set of guests that are supportive of the idea of UBI, with the second panel made up of guests who take a more sceptical view.

    The guests are:

    Panel 1:

    • Professor Elliott Johnson, Vice Chancellor’s Fellow in Public Policy, Northumbria University
    • Dr Otto Lehto, Postdoctoral Researcher, New York University
    • Professor Guy Standing, Professorial Research Associate, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
    • Dr Will Stronge, Chief Executive, The Autonomy Institute

    Panel 2:

    • Anna Coote, Principal Fellow, New Economics Foundation
    • Dr Joe Chrisp, Research Associate, Institute of Policy Research, University of Bath
    • Professor David Piachaud, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy, London School of Economics
    • Dr Matthew Thompson, Lecturer in Urban Studies, University College London, University of London

    The meeting will take place on Wednesday 25 June 2025 from 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

    Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

    The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

    Follow us @LondonAssembly.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Coming up next week at the London Assembly W/C 30 June

    Source: Mayor of London

    PUBLIC MEETINGS

    Tuesday 1 July

    New London Fire Commissioner

    Fire Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am

    On his first day as London Fire Commissioner, Jonathan Smith will answer questions from the Fire Committee.

    The Committee will ask the Commissioner about what his plans are for the London Fire Brigade, as he starts his new role, and how he intends to deliver a modern and effective fire service for London. The guests are:

    Panel 1: 10-10.45

    • Steve Hamm, CEO, Institution of Fire Engineers
    • Professor José Torero, Professor of Civil Engineering and Head of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at University College London, Grenfell Tower Inquiry (GTI) expert witness
    • Suzanne McCarthy, Chair, Fire Standards Board

    Panel 2: 11-11.45

    • Martin Forde KC, Independent Chair, LFB Advisory Panel on Culture
    • Dave Shek, Executive Council Member for London, Fire Brigades Union
    • Deborah Riviere-Williams, Chair Unison, LFB Unison Branch

    Panel 3: LFC & DMF 12-12.45

    • Jonathan Smith, London Fire Commissioner (as of July 1 20205)
    • Jules Pipe CBE, Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and the Fire Service

    MEDIA CONTACT: Josh Hunt on 07763 252 310 / [email protected]

    Wednesday 2 July

    Neighbourhood policing

    Police and Crime Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am

    37 per cent of young people said their trust in the police had decreased over the last year, according to a 2024 survey.

    The Police and Crime Committee will meet to begin its investigation into neighbourhood policing, specifically looking at the effectiveness of how the teams engage and maintain relationships with young people. The guests are:

    • Carly Adams Elias, Director of Practice, Safer London
    • Rhys Barfoot, Youth Involvement Manager, London Youth
    • Katya Moran, Director, Youth Justice Legal Centre
    • Shelli Green, Team Leader, Prevention & Diversion Team, Young Hackney

    MEDIA CONTACT: Tony Smyth on 07763 251 727 / [email protected]

    Wednesday 2 July

    Men’s mental health

    Health Committee – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 2pm

    As part of its investigation into men’s mental health, the Health Committee will hear from guests who have lived experience of challenges with mental health. The guests are:

    Panel 1: 14:00 – 15:25

    • Guests with lived experience

    Panel 2: 15:30 – 17:00

    • Dr Tom Coffey OBE, Mayoral Health Advisor
    • Dan Barrett, Director, Thrive LDN & Good Thinking, and Co-Director, PHI-UK Population Mental Health Consortium
    • Karen Bonner MBE, Regional Chief Nurse, NHS England (London region)
    • Dr Billy Boland, Regional Clinical Director for Mental Health, NHS England (London region)

    MEDIA CONTACT: Alison Bell on 07887 832 918 / [email protected]

    Thursday 3 July

    Transport for London & Oxford St Mayoral Development Area

    All Assembly meeting – The Chamber, City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, 10am

    Assembly Members will ask how Transport for London (TfL) is delivering for London, and what its priorities and challenges are for 2025/26.  The guests are:

    • Sir Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, in his capacity as Chair of Transport for London (TfL)
    • Andy Lord, Commissioner of TfL

    From 1pm, the Assembly will consider the Mayor’s proposal to designate a Mayoral Development Area (MDA) for Oxford Street, and whether or not to reject the proposal.  Guests to be confirmed.

    MEDIA CONTACT: Alison Bell on 07887 832 918 / [email protected]

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cabinet approve Altius Real Estate as delivery partner for Huguenot House | Westminster City Council

    Source: City of Westminster

    Westminster City Council’s Cabinet has agreed to appoint Altius Real Estate (‘Altius’), and its contractor partner Erith, as a delivery partner for Huguenot House – a building which is located between Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus.

    Subject to a five-day call-in period, Altius will begin the design development before undertaking public consultation and then submitting a planning application.

    Huguenot House is an early 1960s design with flats, offices, cinema and a car park. Options for the future of Huguenot House have been under consideration since 2017, and in March 2021, the decision was taken that the preferred option was to redevelop the building. Future plans will deliver significant improvements to residents and the wider community, providing a better environment for people to live, work and visit the area.

    The principle of appointing a delivery partner was considered and agreed by Cabinet on 18 September 2023. Since November 2023, Westminster City Council has been looking for a partner that met various requirements including:

    • Significant experience of delivering well designed buildings with high-quality homes and facilities
    • Reprovision of affordable homes, the cinema and office space
    • Delivering wide ranging community benefits aligned to the needs of the community
    • Maximising local employment, training and skills
    • Commitments to involving the local community in the development of the design

    Altius was selected as the preferred bidder as it met and exceeded all these criteria, with a project team that includes architecture studio Foster+Partners. Its proposals for Huguenot House involve new homes including a greater number of affordable homes, community assets including a garden, plus a cinema, hotel and offices.

    Cllr David Boothroyd, Westminster City Council Cabinet Member for Finance and Council Reform, said: 

    “The redevelopment of Huguenot House represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform a key site in the heart of the West End.  

    “Altius has demonstrated a clear commitment to delivering high-quality homes, including much-needed affordable housing in our city, alongside vibrant community spaces and a reimagined public realm. This is about creating a place that works for residents, businesses, and visitors alike and we will ensure local people and existing residents remain at the heart of the process through continued engagement and consultation.”

    On-site businesses, residents and leaseholders have been kept updated on plans as they have progressed and Westminster City Council is committed to continuing this engagement going forward. The Cabinet heard directly from a residents’ representative at the meeting and answered their questions.

    Secure tenants and resident leaseholders have a right to return to the new development should they choose, and will be supported throughout whilst they temporarily live away from the site.  The council is committed to working closely with residents and to discussing all options and entitlements, including support for costs associated with moving.  Residents also have access to advice from an independent advisor.

    Further details are available here: https://www.westminster.gov.uk/huguenot-house

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New statue set to honour the women of Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery industry

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Tuesday, 15th July 2025

    A new statue is set to give long-overdue recognition to the women who shaped Stoke-on-Trent’s world-famous ceramics industry.

    Plans to commission the city’s first statue honouring the women’s historic contribution will go before the city council’s cabinet on Tuesday 22 July.

    At the start of the 20th century, women made up nearly half of the workforce in the local pottery industry. Yet their roles were often overlooked, underpaid and undervalued – with men taking on the most skilled and lucrative positions.

    Women played a vital part the creation of ceramic products that were exported around the world – helping secure the city’s global reputation and ultimately, its city status in 1925.

    The statue would be installed outside The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery – where the ‘Steel Man’ statue is currently located.

    Under the proposals, Steel Man would be loaned to Goodwin PLC, returning to the foundry in Hanley where it was originally cast almost 50 years ago. In return, Goodwin would fund and commission the new bronze statue.

    Steel Man was created by artist Colin Melbourne in 1974, commissioned by the Shelton Steel Action Committee. It would remain on public display at its new home – clearly visible from the main road.

    The new statue forms part of the city’s wider Centenary celebrations, marking 100 years since the city was officially granted its status in 1925.

    Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This is about giving recognition to a part of our history that has too often gone unrecognised.

    “Women were often the backbone of the ceramics industry – decorating and finishing some of the world’s most iconic pottery, often without the recognition or pay that men received.

    “For every Clarice Cliff or Susie Cooper, there were hundreds of women whose names we don’t recognise but whose skill and labour made this city what it is. This new statue is a proud, permanent tribute to their work and their place in our history.

    “I’m also pleased that there are plans for Steel Man to return home to the foundry where it was originally cast. It’s a proud symbol of our industrial heritage and it will continue to tell that story in a new setting.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Charity partnership for mattress reuse

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    A new mattress reuse service is now helping to tackle this waste. Residents can drop off unwanted mattresses in one of two designated containers at Friarton Recycling Centre in Perth. These are collected by PUSH, a local charity that supports young people who face barriers to employment. 

    Each mattress is thoroughly cleaned and sanitised by trained staff at PUSH’s warehouse in Friarton, before being sold at affordable prices in the PUSH Reuse Shop at 52-60 South Street, Perth. 

    Free home collections are also available: please call PUSH on 01738 270615 to book. 

    To help us ensure safety and quality, donated mattresses must: 

    By donating or buying a mattress from PUSH, you’re helping reduce waste and supporting local young people into meaningful training and employment. 

    “We’re proud to offer clean, professionally sanitised mattresses at affordable prices,” said PUSH CEO, Catriona Palombo. “Demand for low-cost mattresses has always been high, and now we can meet that need with confidence, knowing each one has been thoroughly processed by our trained team. When you buy from PUSH, you’re not just supporting reuse — you’re helping to create real training and employment opportunities for local young people facing barriers to work.” 

    Convener of the Council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, Councillor Richard Watters said: ‘This new reuse service is a great step forward in the Council’s net-zero ambitions. By donating a mattress you are giving it a second life, saving valuable resources from being sent to Energy from Waste and supporting a long-established local charity in PUSH.”   

    Head of Resource Management at Zero Waste Scotland, Stuart Murray commented: “Zero Waste Scotland is delighted to champion mattress reuse in Perth and Kinross, thanks to the Recycling Improvement Fund- a Scottish Government fund designed to help Local Authorities improve recycling services and infrastructure.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Maritime Museum volunteers launch stories of Aberdeen-built ships

    Source: Scotland – City of Aberdeen

    To coincide with the Festival of the Sea (12-27 July) Aberdeen Maritime Museum volunteers have recorded a selection of stories relating to ships built in Aberdeen and the city’s maritime history. Visitors can listen to the stories on the Bloomberg Connects free digital guide to the Museum. 

    Donald Alexander, Colin Heling, Richard Leavett and Finlay McKichan regularly volunteer their time with the Aberdeen-built Ships project. This database holds records of the 3,000 ships built in Aberdeen at the shipyards of Alexander Hall & Co, John Lewis and Sons, Hall, Russel & Co, and Walter Hood & Co. Many of the Aberdeen-built Ships volunteers have worked in the city’s maritime industries and they all share a passion for maritime history. This direct knowledge and experience benefits the understanding of the collection of objects, plans, films and photographs cared for by Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums.  

    On the Bloomberg Connects digital guide, the volunteers highlight a number of objects and themes around the Museum, including

    • Objects relating to the clipper ship Thermopylae, built in Aberdeen in 1868 by Walter Hood & Co. This was the age of the ‘Tea Races’ when fast clipper ships raced to be the first back to Britain with a cargo of tea. The Cutty Sark was one of Thermopylae’s rivals. Twice they raced each other from China. On both occasions Thermopylae reached the British ports first.
       
    • The propellor and a model of the Arctic steam yacht Fox. The  Fox was built for the landowner Sir Richard Sutton of Nottinghamshire (1798 – 1855). After Sutton’s death the vessel was bought in 1857 by subscription at Aberdeen by Lady Jane Franklin in order to mount an expedition to discover the fate of her husband, Sir John Franklin and his expedition team, who had gone missing in the north of Canada.         
       
    • The bell cast for the RMS St Helena, the last ship to be built at the Hall, Russel yard.

    The Aberdeen-built ships database contains extensive information about the vessels including technical details, stories discovered from original sources, data from the Lloyd’s Register of Shipping, newspaper accounts and information passed to the volunteers by relatives and researchers. It also contains information about some vessels which, although not built in the city, were associated with it through ownership, operation, or reconstruction.

    Finlay McKichan, Aberdeen-built Ships volunteer, said, “Volunteering for the Aberdeen-built Ships Project gives me the opportunity to follow up on my interest in shipping with research which, through the website, may be read by enthusiasts and genealogists across the world.”

    Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said, “The Aberdeen-built Ships database is a remarkable record of Aberdeen’s rich maritime heritage which has been added to over the past 25 years thanks to the dedication of volunteers. We are incredibly grateful for all the knowledge and expertise the volunteers bring to the understanding of the collection. We look forward to sharing their insights with visitors on the Bloomberg Connects digital guide.”

    Explore the Aberdeen-built Ships database at
    Aberdeen-built Ships | Aberdeen City Council

    The free Bloomberg Connects art and culture app can be downloaded at bloombergconnects.org

    The Maritime Museum will be open until 8pm on Saturday 19, Sunday 20 and Monday 21 July during the Tall Ships Races Aberdeen. Admission is free and donations are welcome. For visiting information go to www.aagm.co.uk

    Festival of the Sea 12 – 27 July
    From sports camps to singing and storytelling, theatre and dancing to sea dragons and coastal discovery tours, and from exhibitions and creative writing to watercolour workshops, there’s something for all ages to discover and enjoy during the Festival of the Sea. For details of what’s on go to https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/services/leisure-culture-and-parks/major-events-aberdeen/festival-sea-2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Manchester Council appoints senior policy and reform lead

    Source: City of Manchester

    The Council has appointed Sarah Broad as the new Director of Policy, Performance and Reform following a highly competitive recruitment process this week.

    The position plays a key role in supporting the next chapter of Manchester’s success as one of the fastest growing cities in Europe – and a vital engine of growth for the UK, attracting major international business and investment.

    Sarah will lead improvements to the quality and efficiency of services across the city, delivering culture change and inspiring innovation, and will embed a data and evidence-led approach to decision making.

    The role will help drive the Our Manchester strategy – the vision for the city – over the next decade through key policy and strategic initiatives to address challenges facing our residents.

    Sarah will work closely with the Leader, Chief Executive, and Deputy Chief Executive, and lead strategic partnerships across the city, Greater Manchester, and nationally.

    With close to 20 years of local government and public sector experience, Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to this role. And having worked as Deputy Director of Adult Social Services at Manchester City Council since 2020, she understands intimately some of the challenges facing Manchester people and has led nationally recognised service change and transformation. Her deep understanding of the challenges facing Manchester residents will be invaluable in her new position.

    Previously, Sarah has worked as Strategic Lead for Reform and Innovation – reporting directly into a former Director of Policy, Performance and Reform – and previously in programme, partnership and commissioning roles at GM Active, Co-operatives UK and in two London Borough councils, as well as in an advisory role at Auckland Council in New Zealand.

    Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “It’s an exciting time for Manchester and this role is highly influential in the direction of travel and vision of our city. We want Manchester to be a place where all our residents can be supported to share in our success – and at a time when we are seeing huge confidence in Manchester and significant growth, this position will play an important role in the city’s future.”

    Tom Stannard, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, said: “I look forward to working closely with Sarah in the coming months and years with a shared vision to make sure our residents have what they need to succeed in the future, supported by great services and ambitious programmes.

    “Sarah will play a pivotal role in delivering the Our Manchester strategy—the city’s long-term vision—over the next decade. Here work will focus on key policy and strategic initiatives aimed at tackling the challenges facing residents, including reducing inequalities, narrowing the economic and skills gap, and creating a fairer city where all Manchester people can thrive. This will also include prioritising the development of a public service reform programme for the next decade, building on the Council’s long-standing commitment to early intervention, prevention, and integrated services.”

    Sarah said: “I have spent a large part of my career in Manchester and the wider region and I am passionate about delivering for the people of this city. Manchester is brimming with confidence and I look forward to supporting the city’s ongoing success – while also tackling head on some of the key challenges facing our residents.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Plea from Manchester health chiefs: Let’s not go back for the future. Why we have to keep Victorian diseases in the past

    Source: City of Manchester

    Don’t let history repeat itself, says Manchester’s public health team, as they urge parents and carers to take action now to stop preventable Victorian diseases like Measles and typhoid return

    Their plea comes as schools prepare for summer and families are set to travel for their holidays – which also increases the possibility for picking up or spreading diseases in unvaccinated people.

    In particular, cases of measles are starting to increase across the country. There was no vaccination available during the Victorian era, which meant rapid spread of the disease and the mortality rate was high from associated complications like pneumonia.

    Without today’s knowledge and approach they were frequently limited to using soaps and oils. “We can’t go back to the past for the future,” says Dr Cordelle Ofori, Manchester’s Director of Public Health. “In Manchester we want everyone to have the chance to have as much protection as possible and take up our free vaccinations offer.

    “It’s totally understandable that parents or carers want as much detail as possible about the vaccinations, so please do ask any questions from your doctor or pharmacist, or health champions in your areas. NHS-trained health champions are local people, who live near you and are able to ask questions to medical teams on your behalf.”

    Cllr Thomas Robinson, Manchester City Council’s Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care, continues: “It’s never too late to come forward for the MMR vaccination – and if you do not know if you or your family have had it, please ask your GP. Where there is no record of having had the vaccinations, it is better to have them to be on the safe side.”

    As part of a preventative stance, Manchester is writing to all parents or carers of school-age children to give them more details on vaccinations and other travel advice.

    They are also sending it with a link to a bespoke guide for Manchester on how the body can be affected by certain diseases when people are not vaccinated. The booklet can be downloaded here: https://www.manchesterlco.org/childhood-vaccinations/

    This is so that parents can act quickly now through free vaccinations with their GP and also so that they are ready for when schools return in September.  Key travel advice for parents or carers ahead of the holidays has a focus on Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) – all of which were prevalent in Victorian times.

    Hepatitis A This affects your liver. You can catch it from dirty water or food, or from someone who has it. Your child might:

    • Feel very hot and tired
    • Feel sick
    • Have yellow eyes or skin
    • Have dark urine
    • Have a sore tummy

    For more detail: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-a/

    Typhoid This affects your whole body and can be very dangerous. Your child might:

    • Feel very hot
    • Have a headache
    • Have sore muscles
    • Have loose stools or constipation

    For more detail: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/typhoid-fever/

    Measles This spreads very easily from person to person. It can be very dangerous for young children and can even cause brain swelling. Your child might:

    • Have a runny nose
    • Sneeze and cough
    • Have red, sore eyes
    • Feel very hot
    • Have red-brown spots on their skin

    For more detail: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/measles/  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Abbey Park receives Green Flag award

    Source: City of Leicester

    Abbey Park has been awarded the prestigious Green Flag award, which recognises its high standards.

    Issued to Abbey Park every year since 1997 for its well-managed grounds and inviting atmosphere, the Green Flag award is given to parks and green areas that represent the ideal space for the public to visit: clean, welcoming and environmentally sustainable. This year, the park was ‘mystery shopped’ for the award, which means that it was assessed without informing Abbey Park staff.

    Each potential Green Flag park is assessed on factors such as its safety, cleanliness and sustainability, as well as how they encourage wildlife and how they get volunteers and the wider community involved in the park.  Abbey Park impressed the judges in each of these criteria, with its sensory garden (pictured) offering a quiet space for mindfulness and relaxation, and its Friendship Garden and lavender maze providing areas bursting with nature, which can be enjoyed by all.

    A huge effort has been made to encourage wildlife, in the use of peat-free bark mulch, planting for pollinators and many areas of longer grass.

    Visitors have a wide array of opportunities for a free day out, especially those with children; the park offers a kids’ play area, tennis courts and table tennis, and a Pets’ Corner with birds, rabbits and goats.  There are wooden sculptures throughout the park, with a new sculpture recently carved from a tree trunk, in the shape of a seat.

    For more information about Abbey Park, visit leicester.gov.uk/parks

    (Ends)

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayors Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham confirm increased 50,000 capacity for National League play-off final

    Source: Mayor of London

    The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham have confirmed that capacity for Sunday’s National League play-off final at Wembley Stadium between Oldham Athletic and Southend United has increased from 40,000 to 50,000.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Caroline Russell AM letter on protecting trans-inclusive public toilets after Supreme Court ruling

    Source: Mayor of London

    Responding to the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Equality Act, Green Party London Assembly Member Caroline Russell has written a letter. Caroline Russell has long campaigned for improved access to public toilets, and the letter reflects her continued commitment to inclusive and accessible facilities for all.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Oral Statement on Afghan data breach

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Oral statement to Parliament

    Oral Statement on Afghan data breach

    Statement on a significant data protection breach from February 2022, relating to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy. 

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a statement on a significant data protection breach from February 2022, relating to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.  This led to the High Court granting an unprecedented superinjunction. And the previous government establishing a secret Afghan resettlement route. 

    Today, I am announcing to the House a change in government policy. I am closing this resettlement route; I’m disclosing the data loss and confirm that the Court Order was lifted at 12 noon today. Members of the House, including you Mr Speaker, have been subject to this superinjunction. It is unprecedented.  

    And to be clear, the Court has always recognised the parliamentary privilege of proceedings in this House and Ministers decided not to tell Parliamentarians at an earlier stage about the data incident, as the widespread publicity would increase the risk of the Taleban obtaining the dataset. 

    But, as Parliamentarians – and as Government Ministers – it has been deeply uncomfortable to be constrained in reporting to this House. 

    And I am grateful today to be able to disclose the details to Parliament. 

    And I trust you, Mr Speaker – and Members – will bear with me, if I take the time to ensure the House now has the fullest information possible, something I discussed with you Mr Speaker, yesterday.   

    Mr Speaker, the facts are as follows… 

    In February 2022… ten months after the Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, introduced the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and six months after the fall of Kabul a Defence official emailed an ARAP caseworking file outside of authorised government systems. 

    ARAP as the House knows is the resettlement scheme that this country established for Afghan citizens who worked for or with UK Armed Forces over the combat years of Afghanistan. 

    Both in Opposition – and in Government – we have backed this scheme and I know ARAP has had full support from across this House.  

    Now this official mistakenly believed they were sending the names of 150 applicants. 

    However, the spreadsheet in fact contained personal information associated to 18 714 Afghan who had applied to either the Ex Gratia or ARAP scheme on or before 7 January 2022. 

    It contained names and contact details of applicants – and some instances, information relating to the applicants’ family members.  

    In a small number of cases Mr Speaker, the names of Members of Parliament, senior military officers and government officials were noted as supporting the application. 

    This was a serious departmental error. 

    It was in clear breach of strict data protection protocols. 

    And it was one of many data losses relating to the ARAP scheme during this period.  

    Previous Government Ministers first became aware of the data loss in mid-August 2023 – 18 months after the incident. They became aware of the loss when personal details of nine individuals from the dataset appeared online. 

    Action was taken to ensure they were swiftly removed, an internal investigation was conducted and the incident was reported to both the Metropolitan Police and the Information Commissioner. 

    The Met deemed that no criminal investigation was necessary. 

    And the Information Commissioner has continued to work with the department throughout. 

    However, journalists were almost immediately aware of the breach and the previous administration applied to the High Court for an injunction to prevent the data loss becoming public. 

    The Judge deemed the risk warranted going further and on 1 September 2023, granted a superinjunction, which prevented disclosure of the very existence of the injunction. 

    Mr Speaker, that superinjunction has been in place for nearly two years, during which time 8 media organisations and their journalists have been served to prohibit any reporting. 

    And no government wishes to withhold information from the British public, from parliamentarians or the press in this manner. 

    In Autumn 2023, previous Ministers started work on establishing a new settlement scheme specifically designed for people in the compromised dataset who were not eligible for ARAP, not eligible for ARAP but judged to be at the highest risk of reprisals by the Taleban. 

    It is known as the Afghanistan Response Route (ARR). It was covered by the superinjunction. 

    The then-Government initially established the ARR to resettle a target cohort of around 200 principals but in early 2024, a combination of the Minister’s decisions on the scheme’s policy design and the court’s views had broadened this category to nearly 3,000 principals. 

    I want to provide assurance Mr Speaker – both to the House and the British public – that all individuals relocated under the Afghanistan Response Route, ARAP or the Home Office’s ACRS undergo strict national security checks before being able to enter our country. 

    And the full number of Afghan arrivals under all schemes have been reported in the regular Home Office statistics, meaning they are already counted in existing migration figures. 

    As Shadow Defence Secretary, I was initially briefed on the ARR by James Heappey – former Armed Forces Minister – on 12 December 2023; and issued with the super injunction at the start of the meeting.  

    Other Members of the present Cabinet were only informed of the evidence of the data breach, the operation of the ARR, and the existence of the super injunction on taking office after the General Election. 

    By this time, the ARR scheme was fully established and in operation. By this time it was nearly two and a half years since the data loss.  

    I have felt deeply concerned about the lack of transparency to parliament and the public.  

    I felt it only right to reassess the decision-making criteria for the ARR. 

    So, we began straightway to take a hard look at the policy complexities, costs, risks, court hearings and the range of Afghan relocation schemes being run across government. 

    Cabinet colleagues endorsed the need for new insights in the scheme in the Autumn last year while the scheme kept running. 

    In December 2024, I announced a streamlining of the range of government schemes we inherited into the Afghan Resettlement Programme, to better establish  

    value for money, establish a single set of time-limited entitlements and support to get families resettled. 

    And I would on behalf of the House, Mr Speaker, like to thank our colleagues in local government, without whom this unified resettlement programme would simply not have been possible. 

    And at the beginning of this year, I commissioned Paul Rimmer – a former senior civil servant and ex-Deputy Director of Chief of Defence Intelligence – to conduct an independent review.  

    This Review was concluded and reported to Ministers last month. 

    Today, I am releasing a public version of the Rimmer Review and I am placing a copy of the report in the Library of the House. 

    I am very grateful to him for his work.  

    Mr Speaker, despite brutal human rights abuses in Afghanistan, the Rimmer Review notes the passage of time – nearly four years after the fall of Kabul – and concludes… 

    First and I quote.. there is little evidence of intent by the Taleban to conduct a campaign of retribution against former officials… 

    Second…those who pose a challenge to the Taleban rule now are at greater risk of a reaction from the regime… 

    Three… and the wealth of data inherited from the former Government by the Taleban would already enable them to target individuals if they wish to do so which means fourthly he concludes, and I quote it is “highly unlikely” that merely being on the spreadsheet would be the piece of information enabling or prompting the Taleban to act. 

    However, Rimmer is clear – he stresses the uncertainty in any judgments… and he does not rule out any risk. Yet he concludes given this updated context, the current policy we inherited appears an “extremely significant intervention” to address the potentially limited net additional risk the incident likely presents. 

    Mr Speaker, the Rimmer Review is a very significant, but not the sole element in the Government’s decision to change policy, to change policy to close the ARR and to ensure that the Court Order is lifted today. 

    Policy concerns about proportionality, about public accountability, about cost and about fairness were also important factors to the Government. 

    And this was not a decision taken lightly.  

    It follows a lengthy process, including the Rimmer review, detailed ministerial discussions, and repeated consultations with legal advisors.  

    And just as I have changed government policy in light of the Rimmer Review, so the High Court today in light of the Rimmer Review ruled that there is no tenable basis for the continuation of the superinjunction. 

    Mr Speaker, to date, around 900 ARR principals are in Britain or in transit, with 3 600 family members at the cost of £400 million. 

    From today, there will be no new ARR offers of relocation to Britain.  

    From today the route is now closed. 

    However, we will honour the 600 invitations already made to any named person still in Afghanistan and their immediate family.  

    When this nation makes a promise, we should keep it. 

    Today, Mr Speaker, I am also restoring full accountability for the government’s Afghanistan relocations schemes to Parliament. 

    And I would expect select committees to hold us to account now, through in-depth inquiries. 

    Let me turn now if I may, to the practical action we have taken, as a result of this policy change and in preparation for the Court’s lifting of the superinjunction today. 

    Mr Speaker, my first concern has been to notify as many as possible affected by the data incident, and provide them with further advice. 

    The MOD has done this this morning, although I have to say to this House it has not been possible to contact every individual on the dataset due to its incomplete and out-of-date information. 

    Anyone who may be concerned can head to our new dedicated gov.uk website wherein they will find: 

    … more information about the data loss incident… 

    … further security guidance… 

    … a self-checker tool which will inform them whether their application has been affected … 

    … and contact steps for the dedicated Information Services Centre, which the MOD has established. 

    Mr Speaker, this serious data incident should never have happened. 

    It may have occurred 3 years ago under the previous government… 

    But to all those whose information was compromised, I offer a sincere apology today on behalf of the British government. 

    And I trust the Shadow Defence Secretary – as a former Defence Minister – will join me in this.   

    Mr Speaker, to date, 36 000 Afghans have been accepted by Britain through the range of relocation schemes. 

    Britain has honoured the duty we owe to those who worked and fought alongside our troops in Afghanistan.  

    The British people have welcomed them to our country, and in turn this is their chance to rebuild their lives the chance to contribute to – and share in – the prosperity of our great country.  

    However, none of these relocation schemes can carry on in perpetuity, nor were they conceived to do so. 

    That’s why, on 1 July, we announced that we would no longer accept new applicants to ARAP. 

    However, I will reiterate the commitment we made then to process every outstanding ARAP application and relocate those who may prove eligible.  

    And we will complete our commitment to the continuing the review of the Triples. 

    Mr Speaker, I recognise my statement will prompt many questions.  

    I would have wanted to settle these matters sooner – because full accountability to Parliament and freedom of the press matter deeply to me… 

    They are fundamental to our British way of life. 

    However, lives may have been at stake… 

    And I’ve spent many hours thinking about this decision – thinking about the safety of and the lives of people I will never meet – in a far off land in which 457 of our servicemen and women lost their lives. 

    So this weighs heavily on me – and it’s why no government could take such decisions lightly, without sound grounds and hard deliberation. 

    During this last year, we have conducted and have now completed this work. 

    And I commend this statement to this House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: PBK Miner opens a new era of XRP mining: Increase your daily stable income with the cryptocurrency XRP

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, United Kingdom, July 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PBK Miner, a leader in renewable energy cloud mining, has announced the launch of new mining contracts that allow users to start mining Bitcoin with Ripple (XRP) and other cryptocurrencies. 

    There was a huge surge in the prices of XRP due to the extreme involvement of whales, as the whales held more than 1 million XRP the price rose to $2.75. PBK Miner a revolutionizing mining platform that operates on renewable energy has announced a new mining contract for XRP, that will allow users to mine the Bitcoin by using XRP and many other cryptocurrencies. The easy, convenient and renewable energy based crypto mining of PBK allows its users to earn up to $6,998 every day without any complex knowledge and system. 

    For More Details visit the official website of PBK Miner and download the app to start mining.

    Future of Cloud Mining with renewable energy:
    Renewable energy resources like Solar and wind are used as energy source for mining farms, that reduce the cost of mining significantly. PBK Miner not only utilizes the renewable energy for mining but also feeds the surplus energy to the national grid, making the greener future possible.

    New Cloud Mining Contracts, Higher ROI, Zero Hassle: 
    The newly created mining contracts for XRP are suitable for everyone, weather a person who is new or an experienced person. There are a variety of contracts available from where you can choose according to what suits you best. The minimum contract price is $10.

    Its outstanding features include:
    •Get $10 instant bonus immediately after signing up. (One-click sign up).
    •Daily payouts with higher returns.
    •No additional service fees or management fees.
    •Supports multiple cryptocurrencies including BTC, ETH, XRP, USDT, etc.
    •Affiliate program referral bonusses up to $30,000.
    •Guaranteed 100% uptime and 24×7 customer service support.

    How to get started
    1. Register: Create an account on the PBK Miner platform in a few minutes.
    2. Choose a mining contract: Choose between different investment plans based on your budget and income goals.
    3. Start mining and earn money every day: From the second day on, your income will grow as your passive income is consumed.

    Exclusive access to XRP mining opportunities
    The latest update to PBK Miner introduces a mining model based on Ripple (XRP), allowing users to mine Bitcoin directly using XRP. This opens up a new avenue for XRP holders looking to diversify their income streams and maximize returns.

    Join the Passive Income Revolution
    With over 8.5 million users and more than 100 mining farms worldwide, PBK Miner continues to lead the cloud mining industry with cutting-edge technology and sustainable energy practices. The platform’s latest product provides an easy way to accumulate cryptocurrency wealth, allowing everyone to participate in mining.

    In Conclusion:
    PBK Miner is a company engaged in technical services and abides by local laws and regulations. PBK Miner provides a simple and profitable cloud mining method. PBK Miner’s platform allows you to easily maximize your profits.

    Start increasing your income with PBK Miner’s hassle-free cloud mining solution.
    For more details, please visit PBK Miner official website:

    https://pbkminer.com

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or a trading recommendation. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and may result in loss of funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence, including consulting a professional financial advisor, before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities.

    Media Contact:
    Alison Evans
    PBK Miner
    info@pbkminer.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rethinking London’s future: Zoë Garbett AM response to the Mayor’s London Plan consultation

    Source: Mayor of London

    In response to the Mayor’s publication of the London Plan consultation, Zoë Garbett AM has released a bold set of planning proposals aimed at reshaping the current London Plan to confront the city’s worsening housing emergency and environmental challenges.

    In a city riddled with deep inequality and rising poverty, Garbett’s response sets out a clear call for change.

    Drawing from the experiences and voices of London’s grassroot organisations and campaigners, community leaders, housing justice organisers, disability rights groups and policy experts, this response is rooted in listening to what Londoners really want, and how we can create a city that works for everyone.

    Key proposals in the report include:

    • Social housing must be central to development – not treated as an afterthought or burden – with barriers to its delivery removed.
    • The Green Belt must be protected, not sacrificed in favour of short-term, profit driven schemes that erode London’s much needed green spaces and wildlife.
    • A reversal of the growth-at-all costs mentality with a renewed focus on the principle of good growth.
    • Well-connected transport networks should be the default standard across London.
    • Recognising the importance of ‘emerging heritage’ where we can protect culturally significant spaces created by London’s older and newer diaspora communities – spaces that are too often overlooked or under threat.
    • Valuing and protecting London’s ‘real-life economy’ made up of market stall traders, independent retailers and creators who are embedded in our communities.

    Addressing the need for the consultation, Zoë Garbett, Green Party London Assembly Member said:

    “Each day, London becomes more and more unequal and the divide between those with power and those without grows wider.

    “Private developers are marching through London’s communities unchecked, tearing down places of cultural importance and bulldozing over our green spaces, with the interest of Londoners so far down their priority list.

    “With every tower that rises, their bottom lines come first, while the majority of Londoners are pushed out, priced out and ignored.

    “This cannot continue. We desperately need a radical shift in how we think about land, housing, our green spaces and who London is really for.

    “Our city’s future can’t be decided behind closed doors, it has to be created with the people who live here.

    “I’m looking forward to seeing how the Mayor responds to the recommendations proposed.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Zoë Garbett AM responds to the Mayor’s green belt proposal: This won’t solve London’s housing crisis

    Source: Mayor of London

    In response to the Mayor’s recent announcement to build on the green belt, Green Party London Assembly Member Zoë Garbett said:

    “The Mayor’s green belt proposal talks about affordable homes, but that’s just developer-speak for housing that’s still out of reach for most people. There’s no guarantee of 100% social housing in this plan, just vague promises dressed up as affordability.

    “If we’re serious about fixing this crisis right now, we need to be honest about what actually works. That means freezing Right to Buy to stop the loss of desperately needed social homes. It means cracking down on long-term empty homes, with thousands of properties left unoccupied while families are forced to sleep in temporary accommodation. It means regulating Airbnb-style short lets that are hollowing out communities and driving up rents. And it means implementing rent controls so we can break this cycle of unaffordability and take back control of our housing.

    “While the Mayor drags his feet and banks on developers to fix the housing crisis, across London, homelessness is on the rise, people are being pushed into precarious and dangerous living situations, primary schools are closing and communities are being torn apart as more and more people are being priced out of their neighbourhoods. We are far beyond a housing crisis. The system is completely broken.

    “Yet instead of tackling the root causes, we’re being sold the false promise that building on the green belt will somehow solve our city’s housing crisis.

    “This project will just recreate the same broken housing model that’s left so many Londoners struggling – high rents, empty homes and landlords buying up more social housing.

    “Not only will this fail to solve London’s housing crisis, but it’s also a devastating blow to the environment and our green spaces, especially during a climate emergency. Not exactly what you’d expect from the self-declared ‘greenest Mayor’ ever.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Violence and lost revenue: Fare evasion and its impact on TfL

    Source: Mayor of London

    Transport for London (TfL) has estimated that the lost revenue caused by fare evasion in 2023/24 was “more than £130m”.1

    A TfL report also found that fare evasion and payment disputes are the cause of around half of all incidents of violence and aggression towards its staff.

    Tomorrow, the London Assembly Transport Committee will ask what TfL is doing to tackle fare evasion and learn more about the impact it has on staff.

    The guests are:

    Panel 1: 10am – 11.30am

    • Jared Wood – London Transport Regional Organiser, RMT
    • Michael Roberts – Chief Executive, London TravelWatch

    Panel 2: 11.30am – 1pm

    • Siwan Hayward OBE – Director of Security, Policing and Enforcement, TfL
    • Jonathan Gronow – Analysis Manager, TfL

    The meeting will take place on Tuesday 8 July at 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

    Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

    The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

    Follow us @LondonAssembly.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: How can London benefit from devolution?

    Source: Mayor of London

    Tomorrow, as part of its investigation into London’s place in the Government’s proposed devolution reforms, the GLA Oversight Committee will build on its examination of London’s current devolution settlement.

    This meeting will consider priority areas for London in any new devolution settlement and assess the opportunities available to London through the English Devolution White Paper and the proposed devolution framework in the English Devolution Bill.  The following areas will be covered:

    • Opportunities for London in the English Devolution White Paper
    • Decision making and coordination with London boroughs
    • Integrated Settlement
    • Fiscal devolution
    • Potential new powers and amendments to the GLA Act
    • Scrutiny arrangements

    The guests are:

    Panel 1 – approx. 11:00am – 12:05pm

    • Cllr Claire Holland – Chair of London Councils
    • Professor Tony Travers – Professor in Practice and Associate Dean of the LSE School of Public Policy

    Panel 2 – approx. 12:10pm – 1:00pm

    • Richard Watts – Deputy Chief of Staff to the Mayor of London

    The meeting will take place on Wednesday 9 July from 10am, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

    Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

    The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

    Follow us @LondonAssembly.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australia’s census is getting a stress test – keeping it going is good for everyone

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liz Allen, Demographer, POLIS Centre for Social Policy Research, Australian National University

    GoldPanter/Shutterstock

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics will roll out a large-scale census test next month.

    About 60,000 households will take part across the country to stress test the bureau’s collection processes and IT systems, ahead of next year’s full scale census. The survey questions change little, if at all, between the dry run and the census proper.

    The population count will offer Australians an opportunity to reflect on who we are and the stories we share.

    It comes at a time when traditional censuses are coming under threat worldwide.

    Dying days of census

    Census plays a significant part of the story of humanity. Jesus was born in a stable because a census ordered by Caesar Augusta had brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem.

    They have changed down the centuries. But some things remain the same: the data collected is crucial for taxation, political representation and socio-economic indicators.

    But national head counts are costly and cause enormous headaches for governments.

    Vintage census television ad.

    In other countries, censuses are being killed off, replaced with information compiled by other means, such as administrative government data and population surveys. Think of the overseas versions of Medicare, Centrelink and the Tax Office.

    National statistical offices in the United Kingdom and New Zealand have both flagged the end of traditional censuses

    The UK Office of National Statistics had been preparing for census replacement since 2011, only backtracking after a public backlash.

    Devastating under-enumeration of Maori New Zealanders in 2013 and 2018 meant administrative data was needed to supplement the 2023 NZ census. National data agency, Stats NZ, has now called it quits on traditional census altogether.

    Funding cuts in Canada saw dual short- and long-form questionnaires which resulted in the partial collection of crucial socio-economic data akin to a sample survey. Statistics Canada now uses administrative and survey data to help meet its official statistics program.

    Do we still need the census?

    Replacing the census was floated a decade ago when dwindling government funding saw the Australian Bureau of Statistics struggling to “keep the lights on”.

    Worried after 2016’s “censusfail”, the agency sought to ensure legislatively required data could be achieved even in the absence of a census. The bureau collected population and housing data using experimental administrative data, proving a national census isn’t necessarily needed for population estimates.

    Costs associated with running a five-yearly head count and the decline in the social licence to collect such data are routinely used as justifications for replacing the census. Why conduct a wartime-like undertaking when you don’t have to?

    The threat to the traditional census comes as no surprise to data scientists. Data is now ubiquitous, covering nearly every aspect of our lives – loyalty rewards, public transport cards and even frequent flyer points.

    But there’s so much heavy lifting only a census can do and it’s crucial to helping Australia understand its diverse population.

    More than just numbers

    Data helps contextualise our lives.

    Data made me feel less alone as a young person. I could see I wasn’t the only person doing it tough. Poverty wasn’t my fault, rather a wider structural problem politicians and policymakers failed to understand.

    Being missed by the 1996 census as a homeless teen drives me to ensure Australia’s national census snapshot reflects the needs of the country.

    Data holds powerful truths and has the capability to heal through information. Who we are, how and where we live, our commonalities and differences, and what might come next.

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics is finding increasingly creative ways to communicate and bring Australians along for the ride.

    Its outreach through social media makes data more accessible and fun.

    The paraphernalia promoting previous censuses make it clear how much the agency is invested in ensuring complete coverage of all people. A significant departure from the stuffy practices of national statistical offices overseas.

    Small solar powered census-at-school calculators have been given to pupils to help increase awareness among linguistically diverse communities. This is recognition children complete the census questionnaire in some families.

    Desks of cards gifted to homeless people sleeping rough attests to the bureau’s dedication to ensuring all people are counted, no matter where or how they live

    Behind The News’s take on the census.

    More inclusive family photograph

    But it hasn’t always been plain sailing for the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

    Last year’s unprecedented government interference in the independent conduct of the bureau resulted in proposed questions on sexuality and gender diversity being dumped from the 2026 census.

    Scheduled testing was cancelled and related printed materials were likely pulped.

    A public outcry forced a government back down with the sorry saga clearly demonstrating a myriad of critical data cannot be collected by other means.

    The upcoming census family photograph will be more inclusive – Australians will have the opportunity to have their gender identity and sexual orientation reflected in the tally.

    Family ancestry information will be broadened, and the questionnaire itself will better reflect Australian households overall.

    The alternative to a census is a private, behind-closed-doors collation of personal information by government.

    The good news is Australia’s census is alive and well and keeping up with the times.

    Liz Allen worked as a graduate at the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2006. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council for work examining grandparenting in Australia. Liz is a member of the National Foundation of Australian Women Social Policy Committee.

    – ref. Australia’s census is getting a stress test – keeping it going is good for everyone – https://theconversation.com/australias-census-is-getting-a-stress-test-keeping-it-going-is-good-for-everyone-261077

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Londoners want an Assembly with more bite

    Source: Mayor of London

    66% of Londoners believe London Assembly powers should be
    strengthened or maintained if the office of the Mayor were given more devolved powers.

    In a YouGov survey commissioned by the GLA Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into London’s place in the Government’s proposed devolution reforms, Londoners answered questions about the powers of the Mayor of London and the cross-party London Assembly.

    When asked whether the London Assembly should get more or fewer powers if the office of the Mayor were to be given more devolved powers, a total of 66% of Londoners considered the Assembly’s position should be either maintained or increased – with 36% believing the London Assembly should get more powers and 30% thinking the role should stay the same. Only 5% think that the Assembly should have fewer powers.

    If the office of the Mayor of London were given more control over taxes raised in London, 41% of Londoners expressed support for the office of the Mayor of London to have control over a tourism levy (a potential tax on overnight stays or a surcharge on visitor attractions for overseas visitors).

    In terms of potential future devolved powers, regulating private rented accommodation (26%), NHS services (25%), and the criminal justice system and policing (25%) were three of the areas in which Londoners expressed strongest support for the office of the Mayor of London receiving more devolved powers, if they had to choose.

    Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee, Bassam Mahfouz AM, said:

    “As a world-leading global city, we’re looking at the question of devolution for London through the binoculars of how it compares to cities across the globe and how they exercise their powers.

    “This survey was our chance to hear directly from Londoners—and the message was clear. There’s considerable support for stronger powers, not just for the Office of Mayor, but also for the Assembly to hold them to account.

    “In addition to that, there was strong backing for some sort of tourism levy, just like other top destinations.

    “But most importantly, Londoners want to see the Office of the Mayor empowered to deliver on the issues that clearly matter to them, including regulation of the private rented sector and over the criminal justice system and policing.

    “All of this will feed into our report into how London’s powers could shape up over the next 25 years, which will be published once the investigation has been completed.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Zoë Garbett response to the UK Supreme Court gender ruling

    Source: Mayor of London

    In response to the recent UK Supreme Court ruling, I want to express my unequivocal support and solidarity with the trans community in London.  

    Prior to this ruling, trans people already faced stark inequality. 57 per cent of trans people avoid going to the doctor when unwell, many have reported being denied same-gender officers during police searches, which can be invasive and distressing, and trans people often face discrimination when seeking housing and employment.  

    This shameful ruling works to further marginalise and exclude trans people, using the Supreme Court judgment as a tool to deny people access to basic facilities and vital services.  

    The fact that no trans organisations were represented at the Supreme Court ruling is extremely concerning. Many trans organisations and individuals have reported that the hearing was set up in a hostile way that discouraged their participation. How can we listen to a ruling that purposefully excluded the most marginalised group in our society in a decision that directly affects them?  

    Regardless of the various interpretations of the ruling, the message is clear – trans people are under attack.  

    Since the ruling, I, along with many fellow London Assembly Members, have received numerous emails from concerned constituents, anxious about the growing normalisation of transphobia and how this new judgment will impact their daily lives.  

    Disappointingly, the Mayor has remained silent, but now more than ever, in the face of vicious attacks and growing hostility, the Mayor must make a clear and public commitment to protect the rights and safety of all trans people.  

    As the Prime Minister publicly denies trans identities as he refutes his earlier statement from 2022 that “trans women are women”, and confidence in public bodies is justifiably shaken, London’s trans community deserves a Mayor actively advocating for their dignity, including the public bodies overseen by the Mayor. He has the power to ensure they do not implement harmful policies in light of this ruling; any decent Mayor would use this power to defend marginalised people under assault. 

    London is a city that attracts millions around the world, and it should be a welcoming and safe place for both trans visitors and trans Londoners alike.  

    I believe this ruling is discriminatory and could give people the license to push their bigotry and hate, but that doesn’t mean we have to go along with it. We don’t have to accept this interpretation of what gender is or isn’t, and we absolutely can and should resist it. 

    Zoë Garbett 

    Green Party London Assembly Member 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –