NewzIntel.com

Category: Great Britain

  • MIL-OSI Global: William Wordsworth’s last home is up for sale – returning it to a private residence would be a loss for the UK’s cultural heritage

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Amy Wilcockson, Research assistant, University of Glasgow

    Until recently, fans of William Wordsworth could visit his final home, Rydal Mount and Gardens, nestled in the heart of England’s green and beautiful Lake District. Renowned as one of the most prominent British poets, the works of Wordsworth (1770-1850) include what is widely regarded as the most famous poem in the English language, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.

    So it’s not surprising that his immaculately maintained house and gardens, with breathtaking views of Lake Windermere and Rydal Water, once attracted 45,000 visitors a year.

    However, rising costs, a fall in visitor numbers to 20,000 or fewer per year, and the residual effects of the pandemic have placed the future of the museum in question.

    The current owners have put Rydal Mount on the market for the first time since 1969 for £2.5 million – meaning this important piece of literary heritage, depending on who buys it, could become closed to the public.

    The house was bought by Mary Henderson, Wordsworth’s great-great-granddaughter, in 1969 and opened as a writer’s house museum a year later.

    Rydal Mount was originally a small 16th-century cottage. By 1813, there was enough room for Wordsworth, his wife Mary and three surviving children, plus Wordsworth’s sister-in-law Sara and sister Dorothy – author of the Grasmere Journal, which detailed the household’s life.

    Leaving the cramped conditions of the more famous Dove Cottage behind them, it was at Rydal Mount that Wordsworth truly settled, building a “writing hut” and extensively landscaping the grounds to his own design.

    This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

    Next to Rydal Mount is Dora’s Field, which also has literary significance. Here, the poet is believed to have planted 1,847 daffodils to mark his daughter Dora’s memory, following her death from tuberculosis aged 42. These daffodils still bloom every spring.

    While living at Rydal Mount, Wordsworth revised his epic “The Prelude” and wrote many other popular poems. This too is the house where he died in 1850. It was only when Mary died in 1859 that the family’s tenancy of the house came to an end.

    Visitors get to step into the house where all this happened and see a wealth of rare objects, including a rare portrait of Dorothy and Wordsworth’s letter to Queen Victoria refusing the job of Poet Laureate (which he later accepted).

    Owning England’s heritage

    Visitors go to literary museums to experience the “spirit of the place”, to “encounter” the author and absorb some of their creativity. One recent visitor to Rydal Mount was so disappointed not to meet Wordsworth personally that they wrote a disparaging review, telling of their confusion that the poet “wasn’t in” and “when [they] asked when he would be home, all [they] got was blank stares.”

    Wordworth is so closely connected to the Lake District that marketing strategies have used him to promote the area since the 1800s. Rydal Mount has had an integral role in maintaining these traditions. The estate agent’s advert is keen to stress the “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of England’s heritage” and the “superb gardens … designed by Wordsworth himself”.

    In selling the museum as it is, there is a real risk that Rydal Mount could become a private home lost to the public eye – much like Greta Hall, the home of Wordsworth’s fellow poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge, which has long been privately owned.

    Prospective closure is not uncommon for smaller museums in 2025. A recent report noted that three in five small museums fear closure because of declining revenue and footfall. 2020 was the 250th anniversary of Wordsworth’s birth and should have been a bumper year of events and tourism for the Lake District. Instead, the pandemic ravaged the celebrations and left tourist attractions in financial peril that many have not recovered from.

    William Wordsworth lived at Rydal Mount for 37 years and died there.
    Wikimedia, CC BY

    Critics will argue that even if Rydal Mount does close, there are still three more Wordsworth homes open to visitors (Dove Cottage, the favourite of tourist guides, Wordsworth House and Garden, and Allan Bank). Even Wordsworth’s old school is a museum.

    The closure of Rydal Mount would inevitably boost these other sites’ visitor numbers – particularly Dove Cottage, which is on the same (albeit long) road as Rydal Mount. And the condition of Wordsworth’s last home could potentially be improved by a private owner with ample funds to upkeep the house.

    However, it is also true that public appreciation of museums remains high, with 89% of adults in a 2024 YouGov survey advocating for their importance to UK culture, and 54% registering disappointment if their local museum were to close.

    While the British Museum has experienced its highest visitor numbers since 2015, more needs to be done to save regional museums and writer’s house museums from closure. The sale of Rydal Mount into private hands may prove a severe loss to literary history, leaving the Lake District much the poorer for it.

    Amy Wilcockson 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. William Wordsworth’s last home is up for sale – returning it to a private residence would be a loss for the UK’s cultural heritage – https://theconversation.com/william-wordsworths-last-home-is-up-for-sale-returning-it-to-a-private-residence-would-be-a-loss-for-the-uks-cultural-heritage-253561

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Is the risk of brain injury from contact sports being overstated by the media?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christian Yates, Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Biology, University of Bath

    PeopleImages/Shutterstock

    More and more people are worried about the long-term effects of contact sports on the brain. In football (soccer), studies have found that repeatedly heading the ball can lead to memory problems and an increased risk of serious brain diseases. This has led to rules limiting heading the ball in youth leagues and calls to protect professional players in similar ways.

    In American football, research shows a high number of former players have a brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This has prompted the National Football League (NFL) to change some rules and introduce better safety equipment.

    Rugby, a sport known for its hard collisions, is also becoming more aware of head injuries. As a result, new rules require players to rest after a concussion – and there are stricter rules about preventing head contact during games.

    Some older players are taking legal action because of the brain injuries they suffered. Lawyers are representing over 500 former players from both rugby union and rugby league, claiming that repetitive head impacts during their careers caused long-lasting brain damage.

    The lawyers argue that the sports’ governing bodies failed to protect these former players from the effects of blows to the head.

    A recent BBC article said that “almost two-thirds of the claimants in a concussion lawsuit against rugby league authorities” had symptoms of CTE. Two-thirds is a lot, but is it really that surprising?

    It’s important to remember that the players in this lawsuit are a self-selecting sample. These people have been chosen for inclusion in the class action lawsuit precisely because they have evidence of brain damage. We should expect a high prevalence of conditions like CTE in this sample. So we must be careful not to infer something about all rugby players that is not supported by the data.

    However, perhaps the BBC article is not so troubling, since the condition for selection – that the players were part of the lawsuit – is clearly stated. More problematic are articles in which the conditions for the selection of the studied sample are not so clearly laid out.

    Another BBC article, published in 2023, summarised the results of studies investigating the prevalence of CTE in the brains of deceased rugby players. It reported that “68% of the brains had traces of the brain condition CTE”. This might suggest to readers that CTE is very common among all rugby players.

    In American football, the problem appears to be even more prevalent. In 2017, the BBC ran an article with the headline: Brain disease affects 99% of NFL players in study. The piece led with the sentence: “A study of American football players’ brains has found that 99% of professional NFL athletes tested had a disease associated with head injuries.”

    This sounds extremely alarming and might lead readers to surmise that nearly all professional NFL players will develop CTE. The study also surveyed the brains of college and high-school students, concluding: “Of the 202 total players, 87% were found to have traces of CTE,” giving the impression that most American football players at all levels might expect to develop CTE.

    Selection bias

    CTE research is difficult because the disease can only be diagnosed by examining samples of a patient’s brain tissue after their death. Consequently, for the NFL study, researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine, who conducted the research, drew their sample from the VA Boston Healthcare System’s “brain bank”.

    The bank, established to better understand the long-term effects of repetitive head trauma, holds hundreds of donated brains potentially damaged through sporting or military activities.

    And herein lies the problem. Many of the brains held in the bank were donated by families who suspected that their loved ones had CTE. The study hugely overrepresented players who were likely to have CTE in comparison to the general American football-playing population.

    To their credit, the scientists who conducted this research were at pains to point out their sample was not representative and should not be used to draw population-level conclusions.

    In particular, the conclusion that many sports fans reading the headlines will have come to – that a huge proportion of American football players will suffer from CTE – is not supported by the study. Somehow, that message got lost between the research article and the media’s reporting of it.

    The eye-catching statistics about the prevalence of CTE in rugby players, derived from a study at the University of Glasgow, are the result of a similar misrepresentation of the underlying research. In this case, the brains that were analysed came from three brain banks (from Scotland, the US and Australia).

    All of these repositories take donations of brains from people who were more likely to have suffered from neurological conditions, and so are unlikely to be representative of the underlying population of ruby players.

    The weight of evidence linking repetitive blows to the head to brain harm (particularly to CTE) is growing stronger. Studies comparing footballers to the general population show the increase in neurological conditions among football players is probably not a statistical fluke.

    However, if we seek to truly understand the risks of undertaking these contact sports, loved by billions, then we need to look beyond the startling headlines. Selection bias, caused by a disparity in the reasons why brains are donated for study, means it’s not enough just to sample from the brains we have available in order to establish an estimate of the prevalence of such diseases.

    Instead, we need to understand who is missing from the studied population, and use that information to infer how a potentially biased sample might cause the statistics we read in the headlines to be unrepresentative.

    Christian Yates 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. Is the risk of brain injury from contact sports being overstated by the media? – https://theconversation.com/is-the-risk-of-brain-injury-from-contact-sports-being-overstated-by-the-media-253378

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: When farmers and scientists collaborate, biodiversity and agriculture can thrive – here’s how

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Charles Masquelier, Associate Professor in Sociology, University of Exeter

    The Burren mountains, Ireland. Pusteflower9024/Shutterstock

    The Burren region of County Clare, Ireland, is famous for its distinctive limestone habitat, coastal landscape, rich wildlife and unusual archaeology. Several hundred farmers also manage livestock on this land.

    As social scientists, we’ve been investigating how farmers engage with environmental management and biodiversity renewal in England and Scotland because there is an ongoing nature crisis, with accelerating species extinctions, loss of habitat and harmful pollution.

    Our findings show that giving farmers greater opportunities to draw on their knowledge and experiences encourages better environmental results than conventional farming incentives.

    Many environmental campaigners, including author and Guardian columnist George Monbiot, don’t see farming as a way to help solve the biodiversity crisis.

    But one EU-funded initiative, the BurrenLife project, has revolutionised how farmers and scientists collaborate by tackling reluctance or wariness and shifting mindsets through the practice of “conservation farming”. This developed into an “agri-environment” (nature-friendly farming) initiative called the Burren Life programme which incentivises farmers in Ireland to prioritise nature by boosting endangered bird populations or restoring specific habitats.

    Most (70%) of UK land is used for agriculture. Therefore success in tackling the biodiversity crisis depends on the active involvement of farmers.

    From the 1980s successive UK governments have paid farmers to restore nature and mitigate the effects of climate change in the form of voluntary agri-environment schemes. These schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive, provide financial incentives for farmers to help restore biodiversity by, for example, planting flower-rich hay meadows.

    But despite the billions of pounds invested and significant uptake by farmers, biodiversity continues to decline and more work needs to be done to improve farmers’ participation.

    Research suggests that the lack of effectiveness of those schemes is influenced by their limited capacity to inspire long-term changes in farming practices.

    The clash between local knowledge and scientific expertise concerns us. Existing agri-environment schemes are prescriptive with limited options for farmers. This, combined with polarisation between farmers and conservationists about rewilding for example, means that local knowledge of farmers tends to be excluded from environmental decisions.

    While conservation scientists hold essential knowledge for tackling the biodiversity crisis, farmers know their land best. Often this knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. Historically, however, agri-environmental management in the UK has operated on the basis of prescriptions informed by scientific expertise that don’t consider the land characteristics or specific context of particular farms.

    Wildflower strips along the edges of field provide valuable habitat for pollinators such as bees.
    yanikap/Shutterstock

    By joining an agri-environment scheme, farmers are expected to take actions such as planting crops that can manage soil erosion and improve soil health, or managing hedgerows, which can act as wildlife highways. While farmers can choose which actions to take, such payment-by-action schemes don’t offer much scope to adapt environmental solutions to their knowledge of the land.

    Crucially, the lack of consistent monitoring provides farmers with few opportunities to report back on the success or failure of actions they have taken to recover nature. According to our research, farmers often feel their valuable on-the-ground knowledge is being ignored.

    Unusually, the Burren Life programme relies on environmental targets that are co-designed by scientists and farmers. The co-design process involves farmer and adviser jointly walking the farm. Farmers explain what they’d willingly do to improve the condition of the land. The adviser then maps the activities they think will bring environmental benefits and devises an environmental plan accordingly.

    Every year, farmers are given the opportunity to decide what they’d like to do. The presence of a local office of advisers means that support for management decisions is always available and feedback aimed at improving their environmental plan is consistently encouraged. Farmers are also involved in the monitoring of other farmers’ actions.

    Secrets of success

    Our research undertaken as part of the Renew project, which aims to develop solutions for biodiversity renewal in the UK, shows a strong appetite in the English uplands for the kind of flexible, farmer-centred, results-based approach promoted by the Burren Life programme.

    The Burren Life programme was highly successful in many respects. It delivered major improvements in habitat quality and fostered long-term behaviour change among participating farmers.

    It incentivised farmers to take ownership of their actions for nature conservation and restoration. They were encouraged to share their local knowledge through farm visits, annual programme reviews, feedback opportunities and monitoring exercises. That local knowledge could then be considered alongside scientific expertise by people making management decisions. The Burren Life programme effectively reconciled the farming perspective with the scientific one, in the form of conservation farming.

    It has delivered impressive value for money. The total amount spent on the Burren Life programme totalled €12.3 million (£10.3 million). Over ten years, this has resulted in habitat and landscape improvements worth €32.8 million.

    Despite its success, several Burren farmers still regard environmental programmes as antithetical to farming so co-creation is a key step in inspiring people to get involved in projects like these. And replicating conservation farming beyond the Burren will require a tailored approach that considers the environmental and cultural characteristics of each countryside community.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Charles Masquelier receives funding from the government-funded body know as UKRI. This funding is for the RENEW project, which adopts a ‘people-in-nature’ approach to biodiversity renewal across the UK.

    Carolyn Petersen receives UKRI funding as part of the RENEW project, which adopts a ‘people-in-nature’ approach to biodiversity renewal across the UK. She is also involved in a Defra-funded evaluation of Local Nature Recovery Strategies in England.

    Matt Lobley receives UKRI funding as part of the RENEW project and us involved in evaluations of Defra Environmental Land Management schemes

    – ref. When farmers and scientists collaborate, biodiversity and agriculture can thrive – here’s how – https://theconversation.com/when-farmers-and-scientists-collaborate-biodiversity-and-agriculture-can-thrive-heres-how-250333

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: CNB ends the first phase of its monetary policy review with an international workshop and will now start work on developing a new forecasting model

    Source: Czech National Bank

    The first phase of the review of the CNB’s monetary policy analytical and modelling framework has been completed successfully. The CNB brought this phase to a close today with an international workshop attended by top foreign economists led by Claudio Borio, the former Head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements. In the next step, the central bank will develop a new forecasting model to supplement its existing tools. It will also put into practice other recommendations made by domestic and foreign experts who have evaluated the CNB’s past monetary policy. The aim is to enhance the CNB’s analytical and modelling framework so that, among other things, it can better withstand the current environment of unexpected economic shocks.

    The CNB is now entering the second phase of its monetary policy review. This will build on the first phase, which the CNB began by having its analytical and modelling framework assessed independently for the first time ever. Based on the experts’ recommendations, it then strengthened the role of research in the Research and Statistics Department and made other organisational changes to prepare the CNB for the key period ahead. At an international workshop in Prague today, CNB representatives presented the steps taken so far and the outlook for the future. They also discussed the way forward with leading foreign economists with experience of monetary policy reviews in other countries.

    “Looking ahead, the toughest challenges for monetary policy regimes may well be still to come. For one, the political environment is becoming less conducive to a stability-oriented monetary policy. Over time, a dangerous expectations gap has been developing between what monetary policy can deliver and what it is expected to deliver. But inflation targeting regimes cannot afford to stay still,” said Claudio Borio, the former Head of the Monetary and Economic Department at the Bank for International Settlements, who also attended the CNB workshop.

    In the second phase, the CNB will put into practice the recommendations contained in the assessments prepared by expert teams led by Professor John Muellbauer from the University of Oxford, Roman Šustek from Queen Mary University of London and Professor Martin Mandel and Associate Professor Karel Brůna from the Prague University of Economics and Business. These assessments identified deficiencies in the CNB’s current modelling framework and emphasised the need to strengthen the role of economic research at the central bank and to increase the emphasis on the use of available data sources. “Theories and models are valuable to a central bank only to the extent that they facilitate an informed and sufficiently comprehensive debate – one that helps us understand the evolving economic story in the short, medium and long run,” said CNB Deputy Governor Jan Frait. In his opinion, the reviews have shown that the CNB’s current tools cannot fulfil this role to the full.

    “We need analyses that are not only technically accurate, but also sensitive to economic, social and political realities – analyses that reflect emotions as well as facts and figures. To achieve this, we should be open to different points of view, be prepared to reassess our positions when major changes occur, and invest in people who are able to come up with new approaches and ideas based on knowledge of cutting-edge economic research,” added Deputy Governor Frait.

    The main innovation will be an alternative macroeconomic forecasting model to be developed by the Research and Statistics Department at the CNB. The Department was established on 1 January 2025 through the merger of the Economic Research Division of the Monetary Department and the Financial Research Division of the Financial Stability Department with the then Statistics and Data Support Department. “The CNB is currently an outlier internationally. Most other central banks rely on two or more models for monetary policy purposes, whereas we currently use only one central DSGE model. Where a central bank does have a single model, with few exceptions, it is not a DSGE one,” said CNB Deputy Governor Eva Zamrazilová, giving one of the reasons for supplementing the central DSGE model with another powerful forecasting tool.

    The Czech National Bank expects the initial results of the development of the alternative model to emerge before the end of this year. However, according to Eva Zamrazilová, it could take two to three years to complete the entire process, including testing and validation of the proper functioning of the new tool. “We don’t want to rush anything. We will put the emphasis on top quality, not speed, because this is a major step as regards Czech monetary policy,” added Deputy Governor Zamrazilová.

    In addition to the development of an alternative model, the monetary policy review will be reflected in practice on other levels, such as research. According to Bank Board member Jan Kubíček, the expert assessments have not only identified problem areas in the existing modelling framework, but are also an illuminating source of inspiration for the future development of the CNB. “Major advancements have been made around the world in the field of analytical instruments. The monetary policy review gives us an opportunity to take them and use them to our advantage,” said Jan Kubíček, adding that via the CNB, all individuals and companies in the Czech Republic stand to benefit from the results of the monetary policy review in the future.

    Jakub Holas
    Director, Communications Division

    Programme

    9.00 Opening Remarks
    Aleš Michl, Governor, Czech National Bank
    9.05 Keynote Speech: Adjusting Inflation Targeting Frameworks
    Claudio Borio, former Head of Monetary and Economic Department, Bank for International Settlements
    10.05 Panel Discussion: Analytical and Forecasting Frameworks for Inflation Targeting: Lessons Learned
    Chair: Eva Zamrazilová, Deputy Governor, Czech National Bank
    Panellists:
    Óscar Arce, Director General Economics, European Central Bank
    Huw Pill, Chief Economist, Bank of England
    Jan Kubíček, Board Member, Czech National Bank
    11.45 Panel Discussion: Chair: Jan Frait, Deputy Governor, Czech National Bank
    Panellists:
    John Muellbauer, Nuffield College, Oxford University & INET, Oxford
    Roman Šustek, Queen Mary University of London & Centre for Macroeconomics (LSE)
    Jakub Matějů, Deputy Executive Director, Monetary Department, Czech National Bank

    Related links

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Puma’s final flypast27 Mar 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Royal Air Force

    The flight was organised to honour its remarkable service.

    On 26 March RAF Benson waved off Puma helicopters for the last time as they embarked on their farewell flight around the UK. The Puma helicopter has been the work horse of the Royal Air Force for over five decades.

    Introduced into service in 1971, the Puma quickly became a key asset, known for its agility, speed, and versatility. Over the years, it has been deployed in various Operations and humanitarian missions.

    In recent history it has seen service in Kenya 2009 to 2011 where they supported UK exercises and in Afghanistan 2015 to 2021. It has also provided support in the Caribbean as a part of Operation RUMAN after Hurricane Irma in September 2017. During COVID it took part in Operation RESCRIPT in 2020, providing vital aid to those in need. Up until March 2025, it has been involved in enduring operations in Cyprus and Brunei.

    “This flight route is via various locations of significance.

    “Each place reflects the rich history and contributions that the Puma has made during its time in service. The aircraft has been a cornerstone of global Defence Operations for more than five decades. We want to celebrate its contribution to supporting our people around the world over the past 54 years.”

    Wing Commander Nick Monahan
    Officer Commanding 33 Squadron & Puma Force Commander

    To name a few, the Farewell Tour took the Puma to several key locations:

    • RAF Benson: The home base for the Puma fleet, RAF Benson, has been the heart of operations and training for these helicopters. The farewell flight’s first and final stop was a tribute to the countless hours of service and training conducted here.
    • Northern Ireland: The Puma played a crucial role during the Troubles, providing essential support and transport. The visit to Northern Ireland was a poignant reminder of the helicopter’s contributions to peacekeeping efforts.
    • Kensington Palace: To honour Prince Michael of Kent’s distinguished connection to RAF Benson and the Puma fleet.
    • Cranwell, Halton, Honington, Shawbury and Stanta training area: All sights of significance for the Aircrew that have intertwined history with the Helicopter.
    • Boscombe Down and Airbus Kidlington: Sites for significance for the maintenance and operational capabilities of the fleet.

    As the helicopter flew over these historic sites, it symbolised the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter for the RAF. The Puma’s drawdown marks the transition to newer technologies, but its legacy will continue to inspire future generations of aviators. For those who have flown and engineered her for over 50 years this is a poignant moment and a chance to reflect on their dedication and service.

    The farewell flight was not just a goodbye but a celebration of the Puma’s remarkable journey and the countless lives it touched and saved over its distinguished career.

    “We recognise and celebrate the dedication of everyone who has served on or supported Puma operations over the last five decades”

    Wing Commander Alice Tierney
    Station Commander, RAF Benson

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Libraries take another step in digital transformation with Wi-Fi printing

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Tuesday, 1st April 2025

    Wi-Fi printing is now available in libraries across Stoke-on-Trent – making it easier for residents to access printing facilities.

    The city council was awarded £300,000 from the Libraries Improvement Fund, which is funded via Arts Council England, and part of this project has involved improving the printing facilities across the city’s six libraries.

    There were 248,276 visits to the libraries in the years 2023/24 and the council is now on track to achieve its target of 250,000 this financial year. Improving library facilities is an important step forward in helping the city’s residents make full use of the library spaces they are using daily.

    By having Wi-Fi printing, users will now be able to print from their own device instead of relying on computer libraries and documents will be available to collect from any library.

    Customer experience will be easier and quicker and it will be a source of support for people who do not have access to printing at home.

    Councillor Alastair Watson, cabinet member for financial sustainability and corporate services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “I am pleased to see these improvements to our library printing facilities come to fruition thanks to this grant funding.

    “By installing Wi-Fi printing, it forms part of our digital transformation by providing extra support to those without printing at home, whilst freeing up staff time, so they assist customers who struggle with I.T. I hope residents make good use of these facilities and keep enjoying the library space.”

    Wi-Fi printing in libraries will be available from Tuesday, 1 April 2025. Library staff are on hand to support anyone that needs assistance.

    Any customer wanting to access Wi-Fi from home printing can visit www.stoke.gov.uk/printatyourlibrary. Customers then sign in using their library card details. Once logged in they can book to use a computer in a library or send their documents to print in any Stoke-on-Trent library.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government urged to act as Scotland goes wrong way on fuel poverty

    Source: Scottish Greens

    01 Apr 2025 Climate

    The SNP must recommit to the Heat in Buildings Bill to ensure warmer, greener homes and cut bills.

    More in Climate

    The Scottish Government must re-commit to its Heat in Buildings Bill and focus on improving the energy efficiency of our homes and changing to clean heating systems, says Scottish Green Co-leader Patrick Harvie.

    Mr Harvie’s comments come amidst speculation that the Bill, which was originally scheduled to be introduced last November, is to be watered down or dropped entirely. This follows a Ministerial statement on fuel poverty that showed Scotland is going in the wrong direction.

    Mr Harvie said:

    “The cost of living crisis hasn’t gone away, with the UK Government cutting social security and the Scottish Government approving rent hikes. This would have been a great time to show real leadership in cutting energy bills. But that leadership is sadly lacking.

    “The Statement on fuel poverty shows that Scotland is moving in the wrong direction. The Minister recognises that the energy crisis of recent years and the rise in fuel poverty are directly driven by volatile fossil fuel prices.

    “Yet this Statement is coming just two days before the SNP are expected to dilute, delay or even scrap the Heat in Buildings Bill, which is the only serious proposal they had to end Scotland’s over-reliance on gas for heating.

    “The Greens have long tried to push the Government to go further and faster on fuel poverty and green heating. Even if they had taken the actions we called for back in 2009, when the budget fell because of their lack of ambition on energy efficiency, people would have been better protected from the recent price hikes.

    “For a brief period, the SNP seemed to accept that failure on both fuel poverty and climate change meant they had to go further and faster. Now, they are admitting that fuel poverty is on the rise, but at the same time actually slowing down the action that’s needed.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: “Labour’s recent leaflet boasting about deporting more people than the Tories is sickening”

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    by Green Party

    Responding to Labour’s recent leaflet about how they’ve delivered “the four biggest deportation flights in UK history” Green Party Co-Leader, Carla Denyer said,

    “Labour’s recent leaflet boasting about deporting more people than the Tories is sickening.

    “Labour are failing to provide safe and legal routes into the UK while seemingly revelling in turning people’s lives upside down.

    “Any claim the Labour Party may have once had to be a party of compassion or principle has well and truly gone.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Installation of Covid Memorial art trail gets underway

    Source: Scotland – City of Edinburgh

    Work is now underway on the creation of a Covid memorial art trail in the Wardie Bay area of Edinburgh, designed to honour the experiences and resilience of the local community during the pandemic.

    The art trail along McKelvie Parade is intended to arouse curiosity and invite those using the space to pause and be present.

    The project, funded entirely by the Scottish Government and Greenspace Scotland through the Remembering Together initiative, is part of a national effort to reflect the diverse impacts of Covid across Scotland’s 32 local authorities. Across Scotland, local communities have engaged with commissioned artists and creative organisations to develop unique memorials that capture the collective and individual experiences of the pandemic.

    For Edinburgh, Greenspace Scotland has been working in collaboration with artist Skye Loneragan, supported by Artlink and the City of Edinburgh Council. The project has explored experiences of the pandemic, with the goal of highlighting the challenges faced by disabled people, while also celebrating their resilience and potential.

    Culture and Communities Convener Val Walker, said:

    Creating this Covid memorial pathway in Wardie Bay is an important step in acknowledging the shared experiences and challenges faced by our communities during the pandemic. This project provides a meaningful space for reflection for us all, and particularly for individuals with learning disabilities and their carers, who were disproportionately affected. Through collaboration with local artists and community groups, we are ensuring that these voices are not only heard but commemorated. This pathway will stand as a testament to the resilience, compassion, and strength shown by all during those difficult times.

    During Phase 1 of the project Skye, supported by artist Stewart Ennis collaborated with participants from the Maple Project and Lung Ha Theatre and reached out to the wider community through public interventions on the Granton Western Breakwater (Wardie Jetty). Participants were invited to share their memories, thoughts, and feelings about the pandemic and to develop ideas around how we process loss and create spaces for people to come together and reflect.

    The creative process focused on making sure the final art trail design was relevant, inclusive, and reflective of the varied experiences of the community. Concepts that emerged during the engagement phase include themes such as “getting away from it all but having somewhere to come back to,” “the tidal flow of the pandemic,” and “making hard things soft and rough things smooth.”

    The art trail at McKelvie Parade is a combination of several interventions along the route that arouse curiosity and invite those using the space to pause and be present. Art pieces have been created to reflect the tidal flow of the pandemic and include Leith West breakwater stones inscribed with words people told artists they would gift themselves if there were another pandemic (cash, giggles, music). The trail is book-ended by halved stone boulders placed apart and includes a smoothed patch of stone seawall with the invitation ‘Lean on me’, poetry at the entrance to the Bay, a Someone Missing bench co-created with a wheelchair user who described feeling held if there were grooves in the pavement, and a Something Missing Half with 2m distanced Stone seed. The trail includes twin milestone plaques that describe Time as a Feeling, and Distance as a relationship to friends and family.

    Lead artist Skye Loneragan said:

    Processing loss is so important. Covid often kept us (and still keeps many of us), at a distance with those we loved and might have been losing, or parts of ourselves we lost, or something and somewhere we love and might be unable to reach. This project deliberately seeks to work with people whose experiences are often excluded and I am always interested in how we can nurture our collective sanity, together, our interconnected well-being, through the huge diversity of life experiences that make up what is.

    Construction is expected to be complete by Friday 4 April.
     
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sir Martyn Oliver’s speech at the Guildhall

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments 2

    Speech

    Sir Martyn Oliver’s speech at the Guildhall

    Martyn Oliver, Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, spoke to educational leaders from the City of London and further afield. He talked about the importance of education and how Ofsted’s inspection improvement proposals will drive ever higher standards for children.

    Thank you. It’s really wonderful to be here in the City, and to be talking about education.

    The square mile in which we stand has contributed so much to our nation’s history, values, and of course our economy.

    The power of education

    But, even that mighty influence, pales in comparison to the power of education. I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear that from a former teacher, headteacher, and the Ofsted Chief Inspector.

    In a world of difficult choices, or trade-offs and compromises, education is one of those rare things that can solve so many problems whilst causing no new ones.

    The journey towards any target, milestone, or mission that a government, any government, can set, will be made quicker and easier through education. There are no silver bullets however, but education is probably the closest thing we have.

    It can contribute to rising growth, and falling unemployment. To reducing crime, and to increasing opportunities. To more innovation and to cutting emissions. To greater happiness and to less deprivation. To a stronger health service and less inequality. To a fairer society and a more secure nation.

    I could go on for the whole speech! But you hopefully get the idea!

    In short, education can help us achieve almost every goal we have for our young people, our society, and our country.

    Difficult choices

    But as I’ve said, we do live in a time of difficult choices. When every single penny has to be carefully considered and justified, even if there were silver bullets, there just simply isn’t enough silver.

    But it’s also important to say that just throwing more money at education is not the answer. Any money needs to be carefully targeted and justified. It needs to go where it will make the biggest difference. Where it will help the most children and particularly the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. Where it will make sure that the most able, whatever their background, can soar. And where those who need it the most will get that help.

    So, it’s not just about more money, and it can’t be.

    Ofsted’s new proposals

    That’s the context in which Ofsted is proposing a whole new approach to inspection.

    So, we have built a system to drive ever higher and rising standards for children. To deliver better information for parents to help inform choices and engage them in their children’s education. To help governors and boards, authorities and trusts, to support and guide improvement. To deliver better information to government so they can make choices about where they assign resources and support. And to reduce pressure on all those working in education so they can get on with their vital work.

    So that’s the ambition and the context in which we have designed our proposals. We want a better system, that improves the education of all children, with all the myriad benefits that that brings.

    I believe our proposals will do this in a number of ways.

    Focus on what matters

    Firstly, we are focusing on the things that really matters to a good education. We have proposed a number of evaluation areas, of different things that we will look at on inspection. And these are informed by what we know, what my experience informs me, will make a difference to a child’s education, and by what we heard from parents and children in our biggest ever survey last year, the Big Listen.

    This includes maintaining our strong focus on curriculum, on the substance of learning. It includes the achievements and the personal development of children. It includes the leadership of the school or educational provider, and how they develop their teachers and staff.

    It includes making sure children are prepared for their next step, not least for working life. Obviously, there are many purposes of education, and being ready for work is not the only one, but it is a very important part and we will not shy away from that.

    So, our inspections will specifically look at careers programmes in secondary schools. We want to see impartial advice from well-trained staff, engagement with employers, colleges and universities, and opportunities for work-experience.

    On that note, we recently had, in Ofsted, a year 12 student on work experience for a week in our London office. She experienced a wide range of activities in our communications team. She actually helped me write this speech, and I encouraged her to do so. She told us how exciting it was to work within a professional office, meet people and see the variety of jobs which keep Ofsted running. Opportunities like this show students the outcomes of hard work, what working life is like, while also giving them ideas for future careers. They are invaluable and it was fantastic to support it from the employer side as well as in schools.

    Returning to our inspections, they will also include the vital topics of behaviour and of attendance. We’re proposing, for the first time, to look at these areas separately to really get into the detail. Obviously, a school with better behaviour is more likely to have better attendance, but there is a lot more to it than that, and we want to identify what’s working and what’s not. And we want to empower schools to tackle the problems that they have in a way that works for them. Autonomy and innovation will be recognised and supported.

    We want to avoid the problem where one issue, bullying for example, causes a sort of ‘double jeopardy’ situation where it has a knock-on impact on grades in other areas. Let me give you an example, an issue about bullying could impact leadership and management, safeguarding, the quality of education, specifically the curriculum, personal development and behaviour and attitudes. But it is entirely possible that it was a behavioural management issue alone and it should be treated as such. So, as much as possible, we want to isolate our areas and shine a laser like focus on just them.

    Our proposals also include a new evaluation area for inclusion. This is something I’m particularly proud of. I’ve always said that if you get it right for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children, you get it right for everyone. And we now have the data at Ofsted to back that up.

    Schools that get it right for children with SEND, children who are young carers, children in poverty, children facing an educational or personal setback, they’re not doing it at the expense of the other children. That’s just not how it works. So, Ofsted will recognise schools doing great work for all children through our inclusion evaluation area and by threading inclusion through all our other areas too.

    And by reporting on each individual area, not on overall effectiveness or aggregated sub judgements, we hope to paint a far clearer picture of a school. To recognise what they do well and what they could do better. Because no school is perfect, and no school is without merit. Great schools can still have weaknesses, and poor schools can still do things really well. We will recognise this complexity, and respect the intelligence of those reading our reports to understand this.

    By maintaining this focus on what matters, and by reporting on it in detail, we hope to drive ever higher standards in education. And we hope to make sure that, as standards rise, no child is left behind. No child’s potential is wasted. They only get one childhood, and they deserve every chance and opportunity.

    Built around existing standards

    As well as making sure we focus on what really matters, to children, to parents, and to the best possible education, we want to make sure that we’re not asking schools to do anything beyond what is already expected and asked of them. We don’t want leaders or teachers to be doing anything just for us, anything ‘for Ofsted’. If you’re doing the right things for your children, then you’re already doing the right things ‘for Ofsted’. Now, Ofsted has been saying this for years, but I know some of you may still be sceptical. But with this new approach, we have done all that we can to make it as clear and unambiguous as possible.

    We have built the entire toolkit, all the documents setting out clearly what we look for, on the existing professional standards teachers and leaders should be working to. On the qualified teacher standards, on the statutory and non-statutory guidance, which already set out what schools should be doing. I hope, if you take a look, you will see nothing in there that a good school, a great school leader isn’t already doing, or at least aspires to be doing.

    Let me give you an example, the Qualified Teacher Professional standards currently asks teachers to:

    “Demonstrate good subject and curriculum knowledge [and] have a secure knowledge of the relevant subject(s) and curriculum areas, foster and maintain pupils’ interest in the subject, and address misunderstandings.”

    That’s the qualified teacher standards that teachers in England should work to. So, Ofsted is going to ask:

    “Teachers explain new content clearly, connecting new information with what pupils already know and/or introducing new content and concepts in a meaningful context. Teachers revisit important content and concepts regularly so that pupils learn them securely and remember them. Teachers check pupils’ understanding systematically, identifying and remedying any gaps or misconceptions. They give effective feedback that supports pupils to improve.”

    And this is also true for any other type of educational provision. I’ve mainly talked about schools today, because I know that’s the background of many of you in the audience. But almost everything I’ve mentioned also applies to nurseries, to childminders and to further education providers and colleges. To all the education provision we inspect. About 92,000 institutions.

    We have proposed toolkits for each type of provision, tailored to what they do, to the age of their children, and to the relevant existing professional standards that they work to.

    Again, I hope this will drive higher standards in education. It will make it clearer than we ever have, that schools shouldn’t be doing anything just for the days that our inspectors come in. They shouldn’t be spending a single minute or penny on anything that isn’t in the best interests of their, your, children. That’s what we want to see. That’s all.

    And if we get this right, it will relieve pressure on teachers and leaders. By basing our standards around everything you should already be doing, and by spelling this out clearly, I hope we can eliminate some of these myths, some of the guesswork, and some of the confusion about what you should be doing. Children aren’t best served by stressed teachers, and educational standards aren’t improved when schools can’t recruit or retain the high-quality staff they need. So Ofsted wants to do its bit to help, and to again drive higher standards.

    Recognise those going above and beyond

    So, we are proposing to recognise when schools are meeting the standards expected of them through our new ‘secure’ grade. And I know there are some who want us to stop there and to say, this school has met the required standard, and that’s good enough.

    But I don’t want to just say ‘that’s good enough.’ I don’t think parents want to hear that. And I don’t think leaders and governors, like many of you, really want to say that either. I don’t think that sort of model benefits children, helps parents, or drives higher standards.

    So, we are proposing to have two additional grades above ‘secure.’ We are proposing a ‘strong’ grade, for those not just meeting the core standards but going beyond them. Schools will achieve this in areas where they’re really excelling for their children.

    And then we are proposing a new top grade of ‘exemplary.’ This will be for truly exceptional practice. For a school or other provider doing something that we believe is worthy of national recognition, that others can learn from or be inspired by.

    I believe, through these grades, we will encourage schools to always seek to improve. We will give parents a far more detailed picture of a school’s strengths and the areas to work on. And we will highlight practice that schools could look to, to inform their own improvement journeys.

    Once again, I believe this will drive higher standards in education, and all of the benefits that brings.

    Recognise uniqueness

    Of course, every school is unique. Every set of circumstances is unique. And every set of challenges is also unique. And we will recognise this too. Our proposals will do much more to recognise the context in which a school is operating.

    Because it is important to recognise what a school is achieving both in spite of and because of the picture around them, the community that they are a part of, the resources and relationships that they can draw on.

    Because a school does not operate in a bubble. The quality of the feeder nurseries or primary schools has an impact. The quality of the secondary school and the colleges has an impact. The support they get from the local authority or trust, the corporation or the liveries, their governors and their PTA, has an impact. The level of education, the relative incomes, and the languages spoken by their community has an impact. The engagement of the parents and carers has an impact. The amount of support available locally for pupils with SEND has an impact. The availability of high-quality teachers and staff in the area has an impact too.

    We will consider all of this and more. To recognise what a school has been able to achieve in that context, to place accountability for successes and weaknesses in the right place, and to highlight examples of great practice against the toughest backdrops.

    Again, through proper and proportional accountability, we hope to drive higher standards for all children, in all areas.

    Help to guide government

    We also want to help to guide government, to better target their support, their resources, and their interventions.

    To make sure that the right people and institutions are recognised for their success. And make sure improvements are targeting the root of the problem, not the just the symptoms.

    For example, think about a secondary school with poor attendance. Obviously, that might be something government wants to offer support to the school to improve. But if all of the local primaries also have poor attendance, if the school is actually doing a bit better than other local secondaries, well then the picture changes.

    If a primary school has lower than desired outcomes for their children, that obviously needs rectifying. But if many of their children are arriving unprepared for school, with little or no experience reading, perhaps not even potty trained, again the picture changes.

    If a school is struggling with behaviour, then government support, behaviour experts and other interventions could be the answer. But if the local area has problems with gangs, or very few activities and resources for children, or limited support from the local authority, again the picture changes.

    Of course, we cannot and will not lower standards. We must and we will expect the best for all children. But I believe our proposals will allow us to follow the threads, get to the root of the problem, and help government target limited resources where they will have the biggest impact. We again hope to drive higher standards for all.

    Conclusion

    I hope that I have given you a flavour of the content but also the ambition of our proposals. To focus on what matters. To make sure schools are able to dedicate everything to their children. To recognise those going beyond. To recognise every unique school in their context. And to make sure, no minute, pound, or resource is spent in the wrong place or on the wrong problem.

    But I hope you will also help us make these proposals that I’ve just outlined even better. There are some fantastic educators in this room, and many more who recognise the transformative power of education. So please take part in our consultation. It’s open until 28th April and it’s available on our website.

    But I hope you have also seen the ambition that we have and that I have for education in this country.

    In many ways, it is already remarkable. It is already something we can be proud of as a nation. Something we should thank everyone, and I thank you, for working in education.

    We are outperforming many other countries, in many ways. But we can always do better. We should never stop striving to do better. Especially for the most disadvantaged and vulnerable. That’s an area where we can and must do better.

    Our children deserve that. Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £302m for further education colleges to fix dilapidated buildings

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    £302m for further education colleges to fix dilapidated buildings

    FE college groups across England will receive a share of £302m to fix, maintain and improve their buildings under government’s Plan for Change

    Leaky roofs, broken windows and dilapidated buildings at further education colleges across England will be repaired thanks to a £302m government cash injection announced today (1 April), ensuring they can continue to break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

    The funding, which was announced by the Chancellor in the Budget in October, is the first condition allocation for FE colleges in two years, demonstrating the government’s commitment to investing in the next generation by fixing, maintaining and improving college buildings.

    This will also ensure FE Colleges are able to attract and retain learners, helping to boost the economy.

    The government has listened to feedback from the sector, and for the first time is giving FE colleges the discretion and flexibility to decide how the funding should be spent – recognising providers are best placed to determine their own priorities to improve the condition and prevent the deterioration of their estate. 

    Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

    Further education colleges are at the heart of our mission to grow the economy and train the next generation of skilled workers under our Plan for Change.

    But the college estate we inherited is simply not fit for purpose. Today’s funding addresses these issues, allowing colleges to focus on what they do best: breaking down barriers to opportunity and inspiring the workforce of the future.

    Colleges in Greater Manchester and Leeds will also benefit from a £20m boost to capacity funding for 16-19 year olds to address a shortage of places.

    The funding will create much needed places across the two areas, ensuring more learners will be able to access crucial skills training

    Among those to benefit will be Calderdale College in West Yorkshire, which will use the capital funding to expand its much-needed capacity in construction and professional trades workshops. The funding will also support the creation of an additional classroom within Mill Studios, the College’s state-of-the-art digital and creative centre.

    Andrew Harrison, Vice Principal for Corporate Services at Calderdale College, said:

    We welcome this investment from the Government’s Autumn budget, which will enable us to further enhance the experience for our students. This follows the success of our recent £7.5 million transformation project, completed in August 2024, which focused on refurbishing our ageing estate.

    As well as modernising our facilities, the project significantly improved our energy efficiency, cutting costs by 40% and making a major step forward in our carbon reduction edits.

    This follows the Chancellor’s announcement of £100 million of new investment to further build capacity in the construction sector, establishing ten new Technical Excellence Colleges. This is part of a £625m investment that will help to train up to 60,000 more engineers, electricians and builders by 2029.

    The government continues to improve post-16 education, with changes to English and maths requirements that will see up to 10,000 more apprentices qualify each year in key sectors, and new shorter apprenticeships announced during National Apprenticeship Week. Changes to end point assessments will also mean it is even easier for businesses and providers to support getting people into the workforce. 

    Last year the Education Secretary announced new Construction Skills Hubs, funded by industry, which will also speed up the training of construction workers crucial to supporting the government’s homebuilding drive. 

    DfE media enquiries

    Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Amnesty Media Awards 2025: Finalists and host announced

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Full list of finalists across 10 categories announced

    Jolyon Rubinstein announced as host

    ‘It’s an honour to host the Amnesty International Media Awards 2025. Especially in what will be the final year before journalists are officially designated as enemies of the state – what a send-off!’ – Jolyon Rubinstein

    Amnesty International UK has announced the full list of finalists for the 2025 Amnesty Media Awards today.

    The 10 awards categories celebrate outstanding human rights journalism over the past year and applaud the courage and determination of journalists who have shone a light on human rights issues in their work.

    Each category was judged by a panel of prestigious journalists and media workers, including Ayshah Tull (Channel 4 News), Paul Murphy (Financial Times), Stuart Ramsay (Sky News), Lindsey Hilsum (Channel 4 News), Alex Crawford (Sky News), Claire Newell (Daily Telegraph), Catherine Philp (The Times) and Ollie Stone-Lee (BBC Radio 4).

    Amnesty International is also pleased to announce actor, writer and director Jolyon Rubinstein as the host for the Amnesty Media Awards 2025 award ceremony – taking place at the BFI Southbank on Wednesday 4 June 2025 – where the winners will be revealed. The ceremony will also be live-streamed.

    Jolyon said:

    “It’s an honour to host the Amnesty International Media Awards 2025. Especially in what will be the final year before journalists are officially designated as enemies of the state – what a send-off! But with protests banned, billionaires calling the shots, and international law in tatters, what’s left to talk about? Don’t worry, though—under my stewardship, any award speech veering into ‘politically correct wokery’ will be swiftly cut off, and I promise I’ll mansplain and bluster my way through the night, blissfully unaware of what’s really going on, as only a white man can. How very 2025 of me!”

    FULL LIST OF FINALISTS

    Broadcast Feature

    BBC Current Affairs for BBC Two

    ·       Dead Calm: Killing in the Med?

    BBC News & Current Affairs, NI

    ·       Spotlight: I Am Not OK

    Channel 4

    ·       Kill Zone: Inside Gaza

    Channel 4

    ·       The Cranes Call

    Broadcast Investigation

    Airwars

    ·       The Killings They Tweeted

    BBC Eye Investigations

    ·       Settlements Above the Law

    BBC Scotland / BBC Two

    ·       Slavery at Sea

    Channel 4 News

    ·       Tortured and Abused at Sde Teiman

    Broadcast News

    Channel 4 News

    ·       Settlers in the West Bank: A Year on the Frontline

    ITV News / ITN

    ·       The White Flag

    Sky News

    ·       Sky News investigates Hind Rajab’s killing

    The Guardian

    ·       Inside the war on kush: The drug ‘mixed with human bones’ taking over Sierra Leone

    The Gaby Rado Award for New Journalist

    Aidan Tulloch

    ·       The Times

    Misbah Khan

    ·       The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

    Ornella Mutoni

    ·       The Guardian

    Sophie Neiman

    ·       New Internationalist

    Nations and Regions

    BBC Northern Ireland

    ·       Spotlight: Katie – Coerced and Killed

    BBC Northern Ireland / BBC Sounds

    ·       Assume Nothing: Murder at the Stables

    The Ferret

    ·       Saving lives in Toronto’s toxic drug crisis

    UTV

    ·       Fighting For Care

    Photojournalism

    Alixandra Fazzina

    ·       The Financial Times

    Hugh Kinsella Cunningham

    ·       The Telegraph Magazine

    Kiana Hayeri

    ·       The Guardian

    Tommy Trenchard

    ·       Geographical Magazine

    Radio & Podcasts

    BBC News

    ·       Locked Up and Abused at School – Britain’s ‘Calming Room’ Scandal

    BBC Radio 4

    ·       Our Whole Life is a Secret

    ITN / ITV News

    ·       The Trapped

    Novel & Wondery

    ·       Kill List

    Written Feature

    BBC News

    ·       Gaza Medics

    Financial Times

    ·       How extremist settlers in the West Bank became the law

    Financial Times

    ·       The Smuggler’s Daughter and Other Tales From The Gulf of Aden

    The Economist’s 1843 Magazine

    ·       Life and death in Putin’s gulag

    The Guardian & Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism

    ·       ‘An incredible loss for Palestine’: Israeli offensive takes deadly toll on journalists

    Written Investigation

    SourceMaterial

    ·       ‘Don’t look back or we’ll shoot’

    The Guardian

    ·       The IPP scandal

    The Guardian

    ·       The brutal truth behind Italy’s migrant reduction: beatings and rape by EU-funded forces in Tunisia

    The Independent

    ·       Russia told Ukrainians with disabilities they were visiting the seaside – but they were kidnapped and disappeared

    Written News

    Big Issue

    ·       Refugees still flee war-torn Ukraine every single day. This is what their journey to safety is like

    Financial Times

    ·       FT investigation finds Ukrainian children on Russian adoption sites

    The Guardian

    ·       Mazyouna’s face was ‘ripped off’ when a rocket hit her home. Israel has refused to allow her evacuation

    The Telegraph

    ·       Children pull skulls from mass graves in Syrian killing field

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Labour ‘delete’ Plaid calls to implement a child payment to tackle child poverty

    Source: Party of Wales

    Welsh Government statistics published this week show that child poverty has risen by 2% to 31% in Wales, the highest rise of all UK nations. However, ahead of a Plaid Cymru debate in the Senedd on April 2nd 2025, where they will call on the Welsh Government to implement a child payment, the

    Labour Welsh Government have deleted the calls in their amendment to the original motion.

    Instead, the Welsh Government have focused once again on a ‘commitment…to engage with the Scottish Government to better understand the Scottish Child Payment and how it operates’ despite this having been a matter of discussion for a number of years in Wales.

    Plaid Cymru Social Justice spokesperson Sioned Williams has criticised the Government’s decision to delete the call, accusing Labour of ‘stalling’ and ‘refusing to take direct action on tackling child poverty’ calling it out as a ‘national stain’.

    This comes in the same week as the UK Labour Government announcement to cut almost £5 billion in welfare spending, a decision that will push a further 50,000 children into poverty across England and Wales.

    Plaid Cymru announced a direct child payment to tackle child poverty in their Spring Conference in Llandudno last week. The payment will ‘boost support by putting money in the pockets of those struggling’.

    A similar scheme in Scotland has had a transformative impact on child poverty, helping Scotland become the only nation in the UK where child poverty levels are expected to decrease.

    Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Social Justice, Sioned Williams MS, said:

    “Labour are failing our children and young people as the Government’s own figures released this week show.  Not only is child poverty growing in Wales, but it is growing at the fastest rate of all UK nations. This is the result of 25 years of Labour inaction in getting to grips with the national stain that is child poverty.

    “Their choice to ‘delete’ Plaid Cymru’s calls to implement a child payment is just another example of their refusal to take direct action on tackling child poverty. How long will Labour be content to talk around the issue when the actions needed are known and proven.

    “Plaid Cymru has real, ambitious, tangible solutions to tackle child poverty. In Government we will take action to support the 31% of children that are currently growing up in poverty, living in households which are struggling to make ends meet, by implementing a child payment.

    “While Labour are happy to stall, Plaid Cymru will act. While Labour chooses to cut almost £5 billion in support to the most vulnerable, Plaid Cymru look to boost support by putting money in the pockets of those struggling. While Labour are happy continuing with the status quo, Plaid Cymru offer a fresh start.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens react to ‘Awful April’ price hikes

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    / by Green Party

    Reacting to large price hikes that kick in today at the start of what has been dubbed ‘awful April’, co-leader of the Green party, Carla Denyer, said: 

    “Energy bills up to nearly £2000 a year. Water bills up by 31% in some areas. Basic food prices keep rising – the list goes on. People aren’t fooling around when they say today is the start of “Awful April”. Especially awful for single parents who we know will be hit hardest by these price hikes. 

    “These spiralling costs come on the back of axing winter fuel payments for pensioners, refusing to remove the two-child benefit cap and cutting benefits for the sick and disabled. 

    “These are political choices. Rather than making the poorest and most vulnerable in society bear the brunt of the cost of living crisis, Labour could have chosen instead to tax a tiny percentage of the wealth of multi-millionaires and billionaires. They’ve made a choice, to take money off the old, ill and disabled. 

    “Labour have again and again made the wrong choices, which has left many of the poorest households at breaking point.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Limekiln Wind Farm, Scotland: Boralex’s First Production Site in the United Kingdom Now Operational

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EDINBURGH, United Kingdom, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Boralex inc. (“Boralex” or the “Company”) (TSX: BLX) is pleased to announce that the Limekiln Wind Farm and all its turbines are operational. Limekiln Wind Farm, located near Thurso in Caithness, is the Corporation’s flagship project in Scotland and its first operational site in the United Kingdom, with an installed capacity of 106 MW.

    “I am extremely proud of the Boralex team, whose expertise and dedication over the past few years have enabled us to reach this historic milestone for the company today,” said Patrick Decostre, President and CEO. “The UK is a key geography in achieving our growth and diversification objectives, and the operation of Limekiln Wind Farm enables us to strengthen our strategic position in the UK, while contributing to the global energy transition.”

    “The operational phase announced today is a major step towards achieving our ambition of increasing our portfolio of ready-to-build and operational renewable energy assets in the UK, a market with high development potential, to 1 GW by 2030,” said Nicolas Wolff, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Europe. “It is also the result of valuable consultation work with local communities carried out by our teams, who have been present on the ground since the very first stages of the project.”

    Limekiln Wind Farm consists of 24 Vestas V136-4.5MW wind turbines, measuring 150m to the tip of the blade. Apart from zero-carbon electricity, the wind farm will also deliver a full package of social, economic and environmental benefits, including biodiversity enhancements such as a native species planting scheme and a peat restoration programme, as well as a Community Benefit Fund of over £500,000 annually for the life of the project.

    This project benefits from a government-backed 15-year Contract for Difference (CfD) that will start in April 2028. Boralex has entered into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Statkraft, one of the leading PPA providers in the UK, to cover the period between commissioning of the wind farm, and the beginning of the CfD.

    In addition, the project offers local employment opportunities: the site’s operation would support at least 8 direct jobs and around 50 indirect jobs. Lastly, the wind farm will provide sufficient electricity to meet the needs of around 100,000 British homes every year, based on the average generation mix of UK power sources.

    For more information, please visit the Limekiln Wind Farm page on our website.

    Boralex accelerates its development in the United Kingdom

    The operation of Limekiln Wind Farm comes at a time of strong growth for Boralex in the UK. Since 2023, the Company has expanded its team from 10 to 23 renewable energy professionals and aims to recruit more than a dozen new employees by the end of the year in all departments. Two major milestones were reached in the past year, with the closing of financing and the signing of the Corporate PPA for Limekiln Wind Farm. Boralex also acquired the Sallachy (wind – up to 50 MW) and Clashindarroch Extension (wind – 145 MW and storage – 50 MW) projects. Boralex opened a new office in Ringwood, in the south of England, in January 2025, allowing it to continue its growth in this region and in Wales.

    Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements based on current expectations, within the meaning of securities legislation. Boralex would like to point out that, by their very nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties such that its results or the measure it adopts could differ materially from those indicated by or underlying these statements, or could have an impact on the degree of realization of a particular forward-looking statement. Unless otherwise specified by the Company, the forward-looking statements do not take into account the possible impact on its activities, transactions, non-recurring items or other exceptional items announced or occurring after the statements are made. There can be no assurance as to the materialization of the results, performance or achievements as expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Unless required to do so under applicable securities legislation, Boralex management does not assume any obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events or other changes.

    About Boralex

    At Boralex, we have been providing affordable renewable energy accessible to everyone for over 30 years. As a leader in the Canadian market and France’s largest independent producer of onshore wind power, we also have development activities and production facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom. Over the past five years, our installed capacity has more than doubled to over 3.1 GW. Our pipeline of projects and growth path total over 8 GW in wind, solar and electricity storage projects. We develop those projects guided by our values and our corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach. Through profitable and sustainable growth, Boralex is actively participating in the fight against global warming. Thanks to our fearlessness, our discipline, our expertise and our diversity, we continue to be an industry leader. Boralex’s shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BLX.

    For more information, visit boralex.com or sedarplus.com. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn.

    For more information

    MEDIA INVESTOR RELATIONS
    Camille Laventure
    Senior Advisor, Public Affairs and External Communications

    Boralex Inc.

    438 883-8580
    camille.laventure@boralex.com

    		 Stéphane Milot
    Vice President, Investor Relations and Financial Planning and Analysis

    Boralex Inc.

    514 213-1045
    stephane.milot@boralex.com
       
    MEDIA – UNITED KINGDOM  
    Marlies Koutstaal
    Communications Manager

    Boralex United Kingdom

    07876 341561
    marlies.koutsaal@boralex.com

    		  
       

    Source: Boralex inc.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7d9ca4d0-9894-41e3-9bb7-e3a68e59e4b5

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Acorn Farm’s New Gate Lodge Garden officially opens

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Acorn Farm’s New Gate Lodge Garden officially opens

    1 April 2025

    Spring has certainly sprung in the new Acorn Farm Gate Lodge Garden located at the St Columb’s Park Gate Lodge which has been officially opened by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr.

    The new garden is part of the ambitious Acorn Farm Project, a partnership project supported by funding from The National Lottery Community Fund’s, Climate Action Fund and the UK Government.

    Mayor Barr was joined by pupils from St Anne’s Primary School in Derry, who had the opportunity to learn about the importance of seed planting and growing cycles, and taste the benefits of the freshly harvested food.

    The new space has been created to connect local communities, families, households and food producers with sustainable food practices, healthy eating and climate-friendly learning. It will help facilitate elements of the Acorn Farm’s wider engagement programme through events, workshops and guided visits.

    The Acorn Farm project is delivered by a partnership team consisting of Derry City and Strabane District Council, The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, The Conservation Volunteers, Developing Healthy Communities and Community Garden Support.

    Officially opening the gardens, Mayor Barr said they provided a beautiful learning space for all ages. “I am thrilled to be here today and to see the next stage in the development of the Acorn Farm project. There is a fantastic array of produce already being grown, and local people can draw on the expertise from local horticulturists and other experienced growers. Congratulations to everyone involved in realising this wonderful new green space.”

    Paul Sweeney, Northen Ireland Chair of The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “I am delighted to be at the Gate Lodge Gardens today for the official opening and to see the progress made so far in the Acorn Farm Project, which has been supported by over £2 million of National Lottery funding.

    “A priority of The National Lottery Community Fund’s strategy to 2030 is to support communities in becoming environmentally sustainable. Innovative and ambitious projects like Acorn Farm are a fantastic example of our funding being put into action by communities, by creating a movement and helping develop more sustainable and responsible ways of sourcing and producing food.

    “Well done to everyone involved in developing this community hub which will boost mental health, encourage physical activity and build stronger community connections.”

    Shauna Kelpie, Community Foundation for Northern Ireland said: “What we see here today is the culmination of outstanding collaboration between partner organisations committed to improving the lives of local people and our environment through access to more sustainable food choices. This project kick starts so many ‘green focused’ activities and will be life changing for so many families now and into the future.”

    The total funding investment pot of £6.2m in capital infrastructure (UK Government and Derry City and Strabane District Council) and over £2m (National Lottery Community Fund’s Climate Action Fund) in skills-based engagement programmes, is assisting local people to take climate action through food choice and make the link between sustainable food and better health outcomes for this generation and future ones.

    Find out more about the project at https://acornfarmni.com/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Council Charitable Trusts award over £100,000 to schools and community groups

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    At the recently held meeting of the Educational Trusts Sub Committee, the trustees made awards of over £105,000 to a wide variety of individuals and organisations from The Highland Council Charitable Trusts.  The awards ranged from a few hundred pounds to £10,000.

    Applications for the next round of awards to support students going to college and university are now open from 1 April until 15 August 2025, with awards made in September 2025.  For further information and to submit an application, please visit: Highland Council Charitable Trusts.

    Educational Trusts Sub Committee Chair, Cllr Drew Millar said: “Following the modernisation of the educational trust funds, the trustees were delighted to approve a wide range of applications.  These included supporting young people to travel and further their educational experiences, supporting sports clubs and other educational organisations across the Highlands, and grants for local community activities.  We look forward to approving a variety of bursaries and scholarships in September for those embarking on college and university courses.” 

    Notable awards include funding to support Inverness City Youth Pipe Band to travel to Spain and Skye Youth Pipe Band to visit Italy, to take part in cultural events and represent the Highlands. 

    Inverness City Youth Pipe Band Chair, Andy Hamilton said: “It is a great honour to be invited to Teba in Southern Spain, where we will meet with traditional musicians from the local area.  We are looking forward to leading the procession through the town to the castle.  The funding of £5,000 will ensure that band members will not be excluded due to cost thanks to Inverness-shire Educational Trust supporting our young people.”

    Plockton High School have received funding for the Am Bata boat building project.  Headteacher, Jo Scott-Moncrieff said: “For sixteen years we have provided a boatbuilding experience for young people which provides a service to the local community by building and repairing boats using traditional methods and materials, preserving skills which have been handed down for generations, while also preparing participating senior pupils for the world of work and life after leaving school.  Boatbuilding at Plockton High School is well-established and highly regarded for the unique experience it offers and the specialist skills which young people develop through their participation.  The school community are grateful to the Gairloch and Plockton Educational Trust for supporting our project.”

    Many schools throughout the council area will shortly receive funding for special prizes in line with bequestors’ wishes from as far back as the nineteenth century.  These include the Mackintosh Farr Fund of 1862, which is incorporated into the Inverness Royal Academy Endowment Trust.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government to introduce legislation to block new sentencing guidelines

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Government to introduce legislation to block new sentencing guidelines

    The government will introduce new legislation to stop Sentencing Council’s guidelines coming into effect

    • The Lord Chancellor will today introduce legislation to stop guidelines coming into effect that single out differential treatment of ethnic minority offenders in sentencing
    • Parliament will debate the legislation, and it will become law as quickly as possible

    New sentencing guidelines that would mean differential treatment for different races and religions will be blocked under new legislation set to be introduced today, the Lord Chancellor has announced.

    The government will work with Parliament to fast-track this legislation, which will clarify that guidance relating to sentencing reports should not single out specific cohorts for differential treatment when it comes to ordering Pre-Sentencing Reports, which help judges make decisions on sentencing.

    This follows formal objections raised by the Lord Chancellor to the Sentencing Council regarding sections of the guidelines due to come into effect on 1 April.

    The Lord Chancellor, Shabana Mahmood said: 

    These guidelines create a justice system where outcomes could be influenced by race, culture or religion.

    This differential treatment is unacceptable – equality before the law is the backbone of public confidence in our justice system.

    I will change the law to ensure fairness for all in our courts, and I’m grateful to the Sentencing Council for delaying implementation while Parliament considers the Bill.

    The Sentencing Guidelines (Pre-sentence Reports) Bill will be introduced into the House of Commons tomorrow, and the Government will seek to get Royal Assent as quickly as possible.  

    Further Information

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Support for people in priority groups to buy a house

    Source: Scottish Government

    Home ownership scheme reopens.

    A scheme to help people in priority groups buy a home on the open market has reopened for applications.

    The Open Market Shared Equity Scheme will be available to people across Scotland who can’t afford the full price of a home from groups which include social renters, disabled people, people aged 60 and over, members of the armed forces and veterans.

    Applicants can apply for between 60% and 90% of the property’s value without having to purchase it in full, with the Scottish Government owning the remaining share.

    Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

    “The cost of living crisis, high energy prices, inflation and interest rates make it increasingly difficult for some people to buy their own home.

    “We want to give people in the priority groups the same opportunity as other buyers to own their home and I would encourage anyone looking to buy a home to apply to the scheme.

    “Giving more people the chance to buy an affordable home also plays a crucial role in reducing homelessness and eradicating child poverty in Scotland.”

    Background

    Applications to the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme can be made on the Link Housing website.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leeds welcomes announcement of £10m funding to help meet rising demand for further education places

    Source: City of Leeds

    Leeds City Council has today welcomed the announcement of £10m of central government funding to help provide additional places for further education (FE) students across the city. 

    The Department for Education has confirmed the grant funding will be awarded directly to Leeds City Council to create more learning spaces within post-16 education settings to accommodate the significant increase in the number of mainstream students aged 16 to 19, from 2025-2026.

    Like other major cities across England, Leeds has seen a demographic increase in 16-18-year-olds over the last three years, leading to a projected gap in the number of FE places available across the city.

    The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has estimated the population of 16, 17 and 18-year-olds will continue to rise until 2030, levelling out at just under 30,000.

    Since 2023, the council has been working extensively with partners across Leeds to address the need for provision, resulting in 900 new post-16 places created to meet shortfalls in areas of greatest need.  

    This new £10m grant will now support the development of further capacity within the city.

    Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for children and families, said: “Leeds is an incredible city for people of all ages to learn and further their education, with a range of nationally-recognised colleges and institutions providing many learning, training and apprenticeship opportunities.

    “The pressures we face are not unique to Leeds, with all core cities nationally grappling with similar challenges, but we remain committed to finding a solution.

    “To that end, we have made great strides so far to address the pressing need for further places, working closely with FE providers, community stakeholders and the Department for Education.  

    “This £10m additional funding is a major boost in helping us to provide the physical spaces and learning environments needed to enable more students to continue their education and enjoy the best possible opportunities here in Leeds.”

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Immigration Advice Authority appoints new Non-Executive Directors

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Immigration Advice Authority appoints new Non-Executive Directors

    Six Non-Executive Directors have been appointed for a three-year term to support the IAA’s work.

    John Tuckett, Immigration Services Commissioner, has appointed Eni Bankole-Race, Susan Giles, Caroline Hattersley, Stephen McMahon, Julie Parker and Mike Venables as Non-Executive Directors for the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA).

    The newly appointed non-executive members will serve a three-year term, bringing their expertise to key governance bodies within the IAA. Susan Giles and Mike Venables will join the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC), while Eni Bankole Rice, Caroline Hattersley, and Stephen McMahon will join the Advisory Board. Julie Parker will contribute to both ARAC and the Advisory Board. 

    In these roles, they will provide independent advice, support, and scrutiny, helping to advance the IAA’s new vision and strengthen the regulation of immigration advice and services across the UK.

    They join existing Non-Executive Director, Simon Smith, Chair of the Advisory Board and ARAC.

    John Tuckett, Immigration Services Commissioner, said:

    I am delighted to welcome our new Non-Executive Directors to the IAA. Their expertise and independent insight will be invaluable in strengthening our governance, enhancing our regulatory approach, and ensuring that we continue to protect the public by upholding high standards in immigration advice and services.

    Their support will be instrumental as we drive forward our ambitious new vision to improve regulation and better serve those seeking reliable immigration advice across the UK.

    Eni Bankole-Race

    Eni is an organisational strategist with experience across the public, private, and voluntary sectors. A former Inter-Agency Coordinator for the UK Asylum Support Programme, she is now an independent researcher and visiting lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire. She has held various advisory and trustee roles, including as a Lay Assessor for the Advisory Committee on Clinical Impact Awards. Eni holds a law degree and is a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute. 

    Susan Giles

    Susan is a highly experienced governance professional.  Currently a Director of Corporate Governance and Company Secretary for a large NHS Trust, Susan has over 20 years’ corporate governance and risk management experience in the NHS.  She also has significant experience in the voluntary sector and currently Chairs South Liverpool Domestic Abuse Service and is a Trustee of both North West Cancer Research and Thrive Social Housing. Susan is also the appointed Independent Person for Standards for York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and a Joint Audit Committee member for Cumbria Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.  

    Caroline Hattersley MEd MIoD

    Caroline is CEO of Relate London, North, East and Essex, with over 25 years’ experience in leadership, safeguarding, and mental health. She has worked for the British Red Cross, the National Autistic Society, and Providence Row and is a recognised expert in trauma, autism, and sexual violence. Caroline chairs The Gestalt Centre, serves as a trustee for PACT, and Chair of Caritas Westminster’s’ Safe in Faith Initiative. She is also an ambassador for Widowed and Young.

    Stephen McMahon CBE

    Stephen served in the British Army for over 36 years, holding senior operational and strategic roles across the Middle East, Balkans, Afghanistan, and Africa. He was Assistant Chief of Defence Staff for Military Strategy and Global Engagement and later a senior mentor at the Royal College of Defence Studies. Now Executive Director of VIBSA Ltd, he provides strategic advice to the public and private sectors. He also serves as His Majesty’s Honorary Ordnance Officer at the Tower of London.

    Julie Parker

    Julie is a skilled non-executive director with extensive finance and governance expertise. She has served as Director of Resources and Finance in multiple London boroughs and has held key audit committee roles, including at Arts Council England. Currently, she is a non-executive director at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust and a board member of Estuary Housing Association. 

    Mike Venables OBE

    Mike is an experienced non-executive, trustee, and consultant with expertise in governance, finance, risk management, and strategy. A former senior civil servant at the Ministry of Defence, he has held senior finance, policy, and legal roles, working internationally in Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Croatia, and on peace negotiations in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Thurrock Council: Letter to Denise Murray appointing her as Finance Commissioner

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Correspondence

    Thurrock Council: Letter to Denise Murray appointing her as Finance Commissioner

    A copy of the letter to Denise Murray, regarding the Secretary of State’s decision to appoint her as the Finance Commissioner at Thurrock Council.

    Applies to England

    Documents

    Thurrock Council: Letter to Denise Murray appointing her as Finance Commissioner

    PDF, 210 KB, 3 pages

    Details

    Copy of the letter from James Blythe, Deputy Director, Local Government Stewardship and Intervention, at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to Denise Murray, confirming the Secretary of State’s decision to appoint her as the Finance Commissioner to Thurrock Council until 1 September 2025.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    Sign up for emails or print this page

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Election Diary: Dutton flags intervention in what he sees as ‘woke’ education, but how much could he actually do?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Peter Dutton came perilously close to a DOGE moment on Monday night, when he was asked about getting the “woke” agendas out of the education system.
    Noting the Commonwealth government “doesn’t own or run a school”, Dutton told a Sky audience in Brisbane that people wondered why there was “a department of thousands and thousands of people in Canberra called the Education Department”.

    Unsurprisingly, he dodged when pushed by the press pack on Tuesday on whether the education bureaucrats would be in for the chop under his public service cuts. It’s a fair bet quite a few would be.

    “We’ve said we would take waste out of the federal budget and put it back into frontline services.” he said,

    He’s indicating overall budget funding for health and education would not be cut.

    But that didn’t stop Treasurer Jim Chalmers from declaring Dutton had “threatened cuts to school funding which was right from the DOGE playbook.

    “This is DOGE-y Dutton, taking his cues and policies straight from the US in a way that will make Australians worse off.”

    Importantly, Dutton is signalling a potentially very interventionist approach on education.

    The feds mightn’t run the schools, but they provide much of the wherewithal to pay for them, and “we can condition that funding,” the opposition leader said.

    “We should be saying to states and […] to those that are receiving that funding that we want our kids to be taught […] what it is they need to take on as they face the challenges of the world and not to be guided into some sort of an agenda that’s come out of universities.

    “And I think there’s a lot of work to do.”

    A Dutton government would face some problems trying to work through funding.

    The Albanese government recently completed its round of school funding agreements with the states. It attached broad conditions to them, around getting back to the fundamentals and ensuring kids don’t fall behind or, if they do, they are helped to catch up.

    Would the Liberals want to try to reopen the funding agreements? New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania have not just heads of agreement with the Commonwealth but bilateral agreements, covering implementation. It might be easier to make changes for Victoria and Western Australia, which don’t yet have the bilateral implementation agreements. But it would be a fraught exercise.

    There’s a more general point. This route takes a government only so far. Even when states sign up, it can be hard to keep them to the conditions.

    Schools expert Ben Jensen, CEO of the education research and consulting group Learning First, says a federal government’s main levers are through the national curriculum, NAPLAN assessments, and (via the universities) teacher training.

    The most obvious is the national curriculum. Opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson has said, “One of the big problems is our national curriculum and we simply need to fix it.” That curriculum, incidentally, was signed off under the former Coalition government exactly three years ago by the acting education minister Stuart Robert.

    A Dutton government could redo it but that would involve working with the states. Anyway, the states can go their own way regardless of the national curriculum. Victoria and NSW currently run their own curriculum’s.

    All in all, imposing its priorities on the schools system might be a good deal harder than it sounds for a Dutton government.

    The universities would clearly be in Dutton’s sights, and there is more scope for intervention here.

    The Coalition believes the universities have got the balance wrong between foreign and domestic students. Henderson told this year’s Universities Australia conference, “For too long, universities have relied on a business model which yielded them eye watering revenues which are not sustainable or in line with expectations of the Australian community”.

    “We will deliver a tougher student cap than what is proposed by the government focused on excessive numbers of foreign students in metropolitan cities, particularly Melbourne and Sydney where two thirds of foreign students live and study.”

    A Dutton government would also restore a much broader right for the minister to intervene on research funding decisions.

    And it would require universities to implement an activist approach to combatting antisemitism.

    The experience of the former Liberal government on higher education provides a salutary tale for a future one. Under the Abbott government, education minister Christopher Pyne had an ambitious plan for tertiary reform, centred on fee deregulation, but it crashed when it faced the obstacle of the Senate.

    In 2020 the Morrison government did get through its Job-Ready Graduates legislation to alter fees. This is now recognised as highly flawed. Henderson has said the Coalition’s position on the scheme hasn’t changed but it would review it “in line with what our legislation said we would do”. It would be extremely surprising if such a review didn’t recommend a rework.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Election Diary: Dutton flags intervention in what he sees as ‘woke’ education, but how much could he actually do? – https://theconversation.com/election-diary-dutton-flags-intervention-in-what-he-sees-as-woke-education-but-how-much-could-he-actually-do-253116

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Promoting local produce

    Source: Scottish Government

    £100,000 funding for Regional Food Fund.

    Encouraging small businesses to thrive and foster collaboration amongst producers and food groups to promote local produce.

    The Scottish Government is providing £100,000 funding for the sixth round of the Scotland Food & Drink Partnership’s Regional Food Fund.

    Grants of up to £5,000 are available to Scottish food business for projects aimed at elevating Scotland’s food and drink industry, enhancing food tourism and showcasing the best local produce the country has to offer.

    Since 2021, the Scottish Government has provided over £500,000 to the fund, which has supported 104 collaborative projects, varying from creative artwork to increase customer numbers, new equipment and regional marketing campaigns.

    Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: 

    “Scotland’s food and drink industry is worth £15 billion to the Scottish economy; it is one of the country’s largest employers and is already well-recognised and established across the world.  

    “However, we realise how vital engaging with regional markets is in achieving our industry strategy and growth ambitions for the next ten years. That’s why, through remarkable initiatives like the Regional Food Fund, we are providing small projects the opportunity to promote and showcase their regional goods.  

    “This funding enables businesses to raise awareness of locally available produce to communities and showcase some of Scotland’s most exciting food and drink ventures.”

    Head of Regional Food at Scotland Food & Drink, Fiona Richmond said: 

    “As the Regional Food Fund enters its sixth round, we look forward to reviewing a diverse range of applications. Over the years, the fund has supported everything from food and drink festivals and campaigns to collaborative initiatives showcasing the journey from field to fork. This highlights the strength of the desire for local produce and the growing food tourism scene in Scotland.  

    “The fund encourages regional collaboration and celebrates unique food and drink stories that continue to nurture and elevate Scotland’s thriving food culture, making it a renowned destination for food experiences.” 

    Background 

    Applications for the sixth round of the fund are now open on the Scotland Food & Drink website. The closing date for applications is 17:00 on 30 April 2025.

    All application guidance and application forms are available on the Scotland Food & Drink website, along with previous successful applicants and success stories.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Workers in Northern Ireland set for pay rise with new National Minimum Wage rates

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Workers in Northern Ireland set for pay rise with new National Minimum Wage rates

    The new rates come into effect from today (Tuesday, 1 April)

    • National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage increase will put more money in the pockets of up to 170,000 of the lowest paid workers in Northern Ireland.
    • Real-terms pay rise will boost wages by £1,400 per year for an eligible full-time worker.
    • New rates put more money back into the pockets of working people, boost living standards and kickstart growth as part of the Plan for Change.

    Up to 170,000 workers in Northern Ireland will today (Tuesday 1 April) receive a pay rise as the new National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates take effect. 

    Full-time workers on the National Living Wage will see a real-terms pay increase of £1,400 per year, helping to provide families with better financial stability, improve living standards and kickstart growth as part of the Plan for Change.

    This uplift will deliver security for working people and ease the pressure on their day-to-day finances. It also allows for further workers to potentially benefit from positive spill-over impacts including possible wage increases for those already earning more than the legal minimum.

    Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, said:

    Today’s increase to the National Minimum and Living Wages will put more money in the pockets of up to 170,000 working people right across Northern Ireland.

    This increase in incomes will help growth as part of our Plan for Change, boost living standards and provide more financial security.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    We promised to make low pay a thing of the past. Now, as part of our Plan to Make Work Pay and the biggest upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, we are delivering that.

    Low pay is not only bad for workers, it prevents them from spending on our high streets and allowing local businesses to achieve their full potential.

    By ensuring that everyone gets a fair wage for the hours they work, we’re delivering the financial stability needed to kick-start economic growth and ensure our country is fit for the future.

    Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders said: 

    Hard work deserves to be rewarded and this Government’s Plan to Make Work Pay is making that a reality.

    We’re raising the floor for workers from the North Coast to Newry, putting more money into their pockets and delivering the increased living standards needed to kickstart economic growth across Northern Ireland.

    The full increases from 1 April 2025 are:

    • National Living Wage (21+) has increased 6.7%, from £11.44 to £12.21 per hour
    • National Minimum Wage (18-20) has a record increase of 16.2%, from £8.60 to £10 per hour
    • National Minimum Wage (under 18) has increased 18%, to £7.55 per hour
    • Apprentice Rate has the largest increase of 18%, from £6.40 to £7.55 per hour
    • Accommodation Offset of £10.66 per day

    This UK Government is unashamedly pro-worker which is why this year is the first where the Low Pay Commission, the body which recommends wage rates, was instructed to include the cost of living and inflation in its assessment. 

    On top of this the Employment Rights Bill, a key pillar in the Plan to Make Work Pay, will release an additional £600 a year to some of the lowest paid workers. This will ensure that these workers receive an uplift to wages that delivers better quality of life. 

    Workers in Northern Ireland have earned this pay rise and they need to make sure they get it. Visit gov.uk/checkyourpay to check if you are eligible.

    ENDS

    Notes to Editors

    • The Accommodation Offset is the maximum daily amount which an employer can charge without it amounting to a reduction of pay for National Minimum Wage purposes.
    • Workers and employers in Northern Ireland can contact the Labour Relations Agency helpline on 03300 555 300 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or their website: www.lra.org.uk.
    • The apprenticeship rate, and for 16- to 17-year-olds rises from £6.40 per hour to £7.55 per hour.
    • The UK government will be running a campaign from the 1st of April aimed at workers and businesses to remind them about the changes. Workers are being encouraged to check their pay, to ensure they aren’t underpaid. Employers are reminded to update their payroll.
    • Workers should check their pay and have a conversation with their employer if they don’t see a pay increase to ensure they receive the correct rate. They can also speak to Acas for further advice if required.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lawrence Tallon begins role as new MHRA CEO

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Lawrence Tallon begins role as new MHRA CEO

    Lawrence Tallon today (1 April 2025) begins his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

    Lawrence brings a strong focus on patient safety, innovation and partnership working, which have been central to his previous roles including as Deputy Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust since March 2020.

    Lawrence said: “I am delighted to be joining the MHRA, which plays a vital role in ensuring people across the UK and the NHS have access to safe and effective medicines and medical devices.

    “My priorities are patient safety, improving patient access to new medicines and medical devices through risk-proportionate regulation, innovation and growth, and building partnerships in the UK and internationally.”

    Lawrence has also been Managing Director of the Shelford Group, which represents some of England’s leading NHS teaching hospitals. This experience has given him valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing modern healthcare and life science systems.

    Prior to this he served as Director of Strategy, Planning and Performance at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and worked within the Department of Health and Social Care alongside ministers and NHS leaders.

    Lawrence succeeds Dr June Raine DBE, who is retiring after leading the MHRA since 2019, having steered the agency through the COVID-19 pandemic and the UK’s exit from the European Union.

    Lawrence was announced as the new MHRA CEO in March 2025 by the Department of Health and Social Care.

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Payslip boost for millions as new minimum wage rates take effect

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Payslip boost for millions as new minimum wage rates take effect

    Over 3 million eligible workers set for a pay rise of up to £1,400 a year as new National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates take effect.

    • Pay rise worth an extra £1,400 per year for an eligible full-time worker delivered from today.
    • New rates put more money back into the pockets of working people, boosting productivity and ending low pay.
    • More money to be spent in Britain’s high streets, kickstarting growth as part of the Plan for Change.

    Eligible full-time workers are set for a pay boost of up to £117 from this month thanks to the Government’s increase in the National Living Wage, which comes into effect today. 

    The move – which delivers the Government’s pledge to increase living standards in the Plan for Change – will put more money straight into working people’s pockets.  

    Thanks to the decision made in the Autumn Budget, the uplift means more money can be spent on the high street to boost the local economy and help kickstart economic growth – the Government’s central mission in its Plan for Change.  

    The changes will also see a pay boost for Britain’s young people – with the National Minimum Wage for younger workers and apprentices seeing a record cash increase. 

    This is the first step towards removing the unfair minimum wage age-bands that see a 21-year-old getting paid more than a 20-year-old for doing the same job. 

    Already, the UK is second in the G7 in terms of the minimum wage relative to average wages for a full-time worker – ahead of the US, Germany and Japan. This makes it one of the most financially secure countries in the world for workers. 

    Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:  

    This pay rise for over 3 million of the lowest paid workers was a priority for this government and means we’re already giving hard working people more money in their pockets and a proper wage increase worth over twice the rate of inflation. 

    These changes are part of our Plan for Change – to raise living standards for people across the county, including apprentices and young people, giving them more job security and the huge pay boost they deserve too. 

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

    In the last Parliament, living standards were the worst on record and sky-high inflation was crushing working people’s finances.

    Today we have raised the national minimum and living wages, meaning the lowest paid will receive an annual pay boost of up to £2,500 – something that wouldn’t have happened without my Budget last year.

    Making work pay is good for workers, will strengthen businesses’ workforces, and will grow our economy for years to come. It’s a key milestone on my number one mission to get more money in people’s pockets as we deliver our Plan for Change.

    Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:  

    We promised to make low pay a thing of the past. Now, as part of our Plan for Change and the biggest upgrade to worker’s rights in a generation, we are delivering that. 

    Low pay is not only bad for workers, it prevents them from spending on our high streets and allowing local businesses to achieve their full potential.  

    By ensuring that everyone gets a fair wage for the hours they work, we’re delivering the financial stability needed to kick-start economic growth and ensure our country is fit for the future.

    The Government is spending billions to support people suffering with the cost of living pressure that were inherited by the previous administration. This includes:  

    • £7.8 billion on State Pension spending, in line with the Triple Lock commitment so pensioners don’t get left behind
    • £3 billion to freeze the fuel duty – to help Britain’s drivers
    • £1 billion, including Barnett impact, to extend the Household Support Fund in England and Discretionary Housing Payments in England and Wales in 2025-2026
    • £460 million on Warm Homes – to help the poorest households heath their homes
    • £25 million boost for the carers allowance to better support people caring for a loved one.

    This is on top of the additional £7.8bn that the government is spending in 25/26 to protect the value of the state pension and to reflect changes in the population. 

    The Government is clear that the mission to grow the economy and raise living standards is a top priority and a strong economy can only be built when people have financial security whilst in work. 

    Recent research from ReWAGE and the University of Warwick shows that low pay can lead to mental health issues including depression, meaning more lost days and crippling productivity, leaving employers carrying the cost burden as well increasing costs to public services such as the NHS. 

    By putting more money into the pockets of the lowest paid, this increases workers’ financial security instead offering stability to help increase staff retention and lowering recruitment costs for businesses in the long run.   

    This uplift is an essential part of the Government’s plan for long-term national renewal and growth. 

    To ensure workers get the fairest deal, this rise is also the first that has taken into account the cost of living and inflation. 

    The uplift sits alongside the Employment Rights Bill, the most significant upgrade to workers’ rights in a generation, and commitments to improve economic stability, get Britain building again, kickstart a skills revolution and bring forward a modern industrial strategy, and a plan to tackle inactivity.   

    The Government recognises that businesses will need more support next year. Ahead of permanently lowering tax rates for high street retail, hospitality, and leisure (RHL) from 2026/27, we have prevented the current RHL relief from ending this April, extending it for one year to ensure that over 250,000 RHL properties see a full 40 per cent reduction on their liability, and we have frozen the small business multiplier. 

    Julian Richer, founder of both retailer Richer Sounds and the Good Business Charter said: 

    One of the best ways to increase living standards and productivity in the UK is to put more money straight into people’s pockets with a National Minimum Wage increase that can be spent in shops and the economy to boost growth.  

    From this increase we can expect to see employee morale, productivity and retention all going up and hopefully will benefit millions of workers. 

    TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: 

    This increase in the national minimum wage will make a real difference to the lowest paid in this country and setting out a path to end the outdated and unfair youth rates will give young workers a boost up and down the country. 

    More money in working people’s pockets means more spend on our high streets – that’s good for workers and good for local economies. 

    Debbie Crosbie, CEO, Nationwide said: 

    The Government’s Plan for Change is a welcome and clear plan for growing the economy, strengthening businesses and supporting employees.  

    Eliminating low pay will make sure that everyone shares in the progress the country makes.  

    Nationwide has long championed the national minimum and living wage and we welcome this focus on improving living standards and boosting productivity.

    Peter Jelkelby, Chief Executive and Chief Sustainability Officer, IKEA UK and Ireland said: 

    People are at the heart of IKEA’s success, and we recognise the challenges they face from inflationary pressures and rises in the cost of living.  

    Businesses rely on a skilled, engaged and committed workforce, so ensuring that wages reflect the cost of living is the right route to providing that.

    Centrica Group Chief Executive, Chris O’Shea, said:  

    A strong, sustainable economy needs wages that rise in line with productivity and needs to ensure people can live well.  

    As a Real Living Wage employer, we applaud this uplift in the National Minimum Wage for the millions of workers who will power the country’s economic growth. Government and business need to work together to drive prosperity to ensure workers get their fair share and to reduce inequality and raising living standards. 

    With the right policy choices—particularly in our energy sector—we have a vital opportunity to unlock billions of pounds of investment, boost growth and productivity, while creating thousands more well-paid jobs across the UK.

    Danielle Harmer, Chief People Officer, Aviva said: 

    We’re proud to be a real Living Wage Employer in the UK, including for our contractors and suppliers who work on our sites.  

    Supporting our colleagues to thrive is good for them, our business, and our customers.

    Nicola Ryan, Director of Colleague Support at One+All in Greater Manchester, said:  

     
    “We are very pleased with the increase to the National Minimum and Living Wage.

    “This is great news for the millions of lower paid workers, as we know far too many working parents and their children are in poverty.

    “We know that employees who have less financial stress do a much better job which leads to higher productivity and customer satisfaction.”

    Notes to editors:   

    • The changes from 1 April mean:
    • The National Living Wage for those aged 21 and over will rise from £11.44 per hour to £12.21 per hour.
    • The National Minimum Wage for 18- to 20-year-olds rises from £8.60 to £10.00 per hour.
    • The apprenticeship rate, and for 16- to 17-year-olds rises from £6.40 per hour to £7.55 per hour.
    • If someone is concerned that they’re not being paid the correct wage, they should speak to their employer. If the problem is not resolved, they can contact Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) by phoning 0300 123 1122, or complain to HMRC in confidence using the link www.gov.uk/minimum-wage-complaint. HMRC looks into every single complaint.
    • You can report possible underpayment of the National Minimum Wage to the ACAS Helpline and also online to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC):
    • https://www.gov.uk/pay-and-work-rights
    • https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pay-and-work-rights-complaints
    • Workers and employers in Northern Ireland can contact the Labour Relations Agency helpline on 03300 555 300 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or their website: www.lra.org.uk.
    • As of 2023, the UK had the second highest minimum wage bite of the G7 countries, that is the ratio of the minimum wage relative to median wages for a full-time worker. The OECD estimate that the bite of the minimum wage in the UK was around 60%, behind France (62%), and ahead of Germany (52%), Canada (50%), Japan (46%) and the USA (26%).

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Victim Observers – National roll-out on 1 April 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Victim Observers – National roll-out on 1 April 2025

    As of today, victim observation of oral hearings will be rolled out across all regions of England and Wales.

    The Parole Board is committed to treating victims and survivors with humanity and respect.   

    We are pleased to confirm that today the ability for victims and survivors to apply to observe a Parole Board oral hearing will be rolled out nationally, across England and Wales, after a robust pilot in two probation regions. 

    Since the pilot launched in late 2022, 59 hearings were observed by victims and survivors. The pilot has allowed us to develop the approach with our stakeholders based on the victim experience.  

    Victims and survivors across England and Wales will now have the important right to apply to the Parole Board to observe a private oral hearing.  We greatly value victim and survivor participation in the parole process though we recognise that it has the potential to be daunting and can be a difficult process to navigate. The opportunity to observe a parole hearing provides victims and survivors with access to vital information about the prisoner and how parole panels assess their risk.  

    Cecilia French, CEO of the Parole Board said: 

    “I understand just how important access to information is to victims and survivors. This is a crucial step towards achieving this and will play a part in our wider objective of achieving greater transparency of parole, while ensuring the process remains fair and effective”. 

    The Parole Board is an independent body that carries out risk assessments on prisoners to determine whether they can be safely released into the community. Over 300 independent Parole Board members, who are experts in risk assessment, make these decisions. Although panels are keenly interested in the impact of the offence on the victims and/or survivors, they legally play no role in the punitive element of a sentence. Our role is not to determine whether the punishment imposed by the court is appropriate; our sole focus is to assess risk of reoffending which may cause serious harm.  

    It is hoped by providing victims and survivors with the opportunity to observe parole proceedings, they will have a greater understanding of our remit and why we make the decisions that we do. Additionally, we hope that they will be reassured by how robust the process is, and how seriously the Parole Board carries out its role of protecting the public.    

    It is important to us that victims and survivors are aware of their rights. The following page summarises Our Commitment to Victims of Crime including how victims and survivors can apply to observe a private oral hearing. In Spring of this year we will be launching a new leaflet and video to assist victims and survivors to understand what they are entitled to and how they can access those entitlements.  

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens hail free ferry travel for young islanders

    Source: Scottish Greens

    01 Apr 2025 Transport

    Free travel will open up our island communities.

    More in Transport

    Scottish Green MSP Ariane Burgess has hailed the introduction of the Green policy of free inter-island ferry travel for young Islanders, which begins today.

    The scheme, which was originally announced by the then Green Minister Patrick Harvie in 2023, will allow everyone under 22 living on Orkney, Shetland or the Outer Hebrides to access free inter-island travel as foot passengers in their local authority.

    Ms Burgess said:

    “This is an important change and one which was pushed for by the Scottish Greens. It will open up our communities for young people and allow them to explore and appreciate the islands around them.

    “The rising cost of living is felt particularly harshly by islanders, who will often have higher bills and costs. Steps like this are a simple and important way to support families and young people and to offset some of the extra costs they already face.

    “Young people already receive free bus travel in Scotland thanks to Scottish Greens, which is one of the proudest achievements of devolution in terms of promoting public transport and saving people money. Young islanders deserve those same benefits.

    “Ferries are a vital lifeline. By providing affordable and reliable services we can ensure young people feel more able to continue living in their communities while offering them greater freedom and opportunities.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New cyber laws to safeguard UK economy and secure long-term growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    New cyber laws to safeguard UK economy and secure long-term growth

    The government sets out the scope and ambition of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill for the first time today.

    New cyber laws to safeguard UK economy and secure long-term growth.

    • Plans set out to bolster UK’s online defences, protect the public and safeguard growth – the central pillar of the UK government’s Plan for Change. 
    • New measures will boost protection of supply chains and critical national services, including IT service providers and suppliers. 
    • Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to be introduced later this year to face down growing range of online threats.

    Hospitals and energy suppliers are set to boost their cyber defences under the new Cyber Security Bill, protecting public services and safeguarding growth as government delivers its Plan for Change.

    This will ensure firms providing essential IT services to public services and the wider economy are no longer an easy target for cyber criminals. 1,000 service providers will fall into scope of measures expected to be introduced later this year.

    The move forms part of the government’s drive to secure Britain’s future through the Plan for Change, delivering security and renewal by strengthening our critical infrastructure. It will give the British public, businesses and investors greater confidence in digital services – supporting the government’s mission to kickstart economic growth.

    Cyber threats cost the UK economy almost £22 billion a year between 2015 and 2019 and cause significant disruption to the British public and businesses. Last summer’s attack on Synnovis – a provider of pathology services to the NHS – cost an estimated £32.7 million and saw thousands of missed appointments for patients. Figures also show a hypothetical cyber-attack focused on key energy services in the South East of England could wipe over £49 billion from the wider UK economy.

    Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, said:

    Economic growth is the cornerstone of our Plan for Change, and ensuring the security of the vital services which will deliver that growth is non-negotiable.

    Attempts to disrupt our way of life and attack our digital economy are only gathering pace, and we will not stand by as these incidents hold our future prosperity hostage. 

    The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, will help make the UK’s digital economy one of the most secure in the world – giving us the power to protect our services, our supply chains, and our citizens – the first and most important job of any government.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and create real risks for our health service if we do not act now to put the right protections in place.

    We are building an NHS that is fit for the future. This bill will boost the NHS’s resilience against cyber threats, secure sensitive patient data and make sure life-saving appointments are not missed as we deliver our Plan for Change.

    The government is also exploring additional measures to make sure it can respond effectively to new cyber threats and take rapid action where needed to protect the UK’s national security. This includes giving the Technology Secretary powers to direct regulated organisations to shore up their cyber defences – putting the UK in the strongest possible footing to defend against new and existing threats.

    Another potential avenue may include new protections for more than 200 data centres – bolstering the defences of one of the main drivers of economic growth and innovation, including through AI. Data centres process mountains of data which they need to churn out new products which have become commonplace everywhere from banking and online shopping to booking holidays and staying in touch with friends and family. The government will now consider the best route to deliver these additional measures.       

    In the year to September 2024, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) managed 430 cyber incidents, with 89 of these being classed as nationally significant – a rate of almost two every week. The most recent iteration of the Cyber Security Breaches Survey also highlights 50% of British businesses suffering a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months, with more than 7 million incidents being reported in 2024. 

    To face down this threat, the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill will ensure the vital infrastructure and digital services the country relies on are more secure than ever, as the government sets out its legislative ambitions for the first time today.

    Richard Horne, NCSC CEO, said:

    The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is a landmark moment that will ensure we can improve the cyber defences of the critical services on which we rely every day, such as water, power and healthcare.

    It is a pivotal step toward stronger, more dynamic regulation, one that not only keeps up with emerging threats but also makes it as challenging as possible for our adversaries.

    By bolstering their cyber defences and engaging with the NCSC’s guidance and tools, such as Cyber Assessment Framework, Cyber Essentials, and Avctive Cyber Defence, organisations of all sizes will be better prepared to meet the increasingly sophisticated challenges.

    While the legislation will arm the UK with the cyber defences it needs to meet the challenges of today, it also includes measures to ensure a swift response to new threats which emerge in the future. To do this, the Technology Secretary will be given powers to update the regulatory framework to keep pace with the ever-changing cyber landscape.

    Confirmed in last year’s King’s Speech, today marks the first time the government has shared full details on its plans for the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which will be introduced to Parliament this year. 

    The legislative proposals follow other government recent action to boost UK cyber security, including a new, world-leading AI cyber security standard to protect AI systems, a new international coalition to boost cyber skills and the Cyber Local programme to support the UK’s rapidly growing £13.2 billion cyber security industry, which has created 6,600 new jobs in the past year.

    Further Information

    A full copy of the policy statement containing details of the measures in the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill policy statement will be published today.

    Figures on the economic impact of a hypothetical cyber incident targeting the South East’s energy structure (PDF) by the University of Cambridge. 

    If the proposals are adopted:

    • More organisations and suppliers will need to meet robust cyber security requirements, including data centres, Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and critical suppliers. This means third-party suppliers will need to boost their cyber security in areas such as risk assessment to minimise the possible impact of cyber- attacks, while also beefing up their data protection and network security defences. 
    • Regulators will have more tools to improve cyber security and resilience in the areas they regulate, with companies required to report more incidents to help build a stronger picture of cyber threats and weaknesses in our online defences. 
    • The government would have greater flexibility to update regulatory frameworks when needed, to respond swiftly to changing threats and technological advancement. This could include extending the framework to new sectors or updating security requirements.

    DSIT media enquiries

    Email press@dsit.gov.uk

    Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6pm 020 7215 3000

    Updates to this page

    Published 1 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –