Donald Trump is famous for his attacks on journalists and the media. He has banned critical reporters from official events, threatened them with lawsuits, and branded mainstream outlets the “enemy of the people”. Since last year, the US has dropped ten notches on the World Press Freedom Index. Now in 55th place, the country trails far behind many European and other democracies.
It is ironic, then, that vice president J.D. Vance dashed to the Munich Security Conference last week to scold Europeans for their supposed failings on free speech and democracy.
Speaking to European leaders, Vance fretted: “The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor.” Rather, it is “the threat from within”. This rehashing of tropes about “the enemy within” forms part of a Trumpist vocabulary borrowed from the most sinister 20th century autocracies.
One of Vance’s key claims for the decline of free speech in Europe left many UK observers dumbfounded. He rebuked the Scottish government for sending out letters in October 2024 cautioning citizens that, in his words, “even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law”.
Vance was referring to Scotland’s Safe Access Zones Act, which prohibits protesters from gathering within 200 metres of clinics that perform abortions. Yet his accusation teaches volumes about Trumpism. To call it distorted would be diplomatic: it is a bold-faced lie. The Scottish government has confirmed that letters sent to residents near safe access zones did not instruct people to stop praying in the privacy of their homes.
However, the letters did advise against conduct such as displaying anti-abortion posters or banners, or protesting on their property in ways that might be seen or heard within proximity of the clinics, or might encourage such activity in those areas.
The Scottish law echoes similar laws in other democracies, including severalUS states. Yes, the right to protest is essential to democratic societies, but these societies have always accepted that protesters must not harass or threaten citizens going about their everyday business, let alone when seeking essential services such as medical appointments.
Admittedly, “buffer zones” around abortion clinics cannot and need not extend so far as to impede protesters’ freedoms of expression, so a debate about the precise reach of the Scottish law can and should take place. However, as observed in England and Wales, zones have not generally been drawn with excessively broad perimeters.
Clearly, Vance’s eyes were more fixed on his own future presidential bid, playing more to religious fundamentalists back home than to anyone who might seriously care about free expression. His 18-minute speech invoked God three times, and “prayer” nine times, while saying nothing about the main issue for which delegates had gathered: Russia’s unprovoked onslaught on Ukraine.
Curiously, Vance whispered not a word of criticism about UK government crackdowns on the kinds of protests that, in the US, Trump most fears, such as protests against specific government policies and practices.
I should not have to point out that anti-abortionists in Scotland remain entirely free to proclaim their opinions, in public and in print, alongside countless other types of political expression. Such expression has long been recognised as protected under UK law, and enshrined in the Human Rights Act.
The only impact of Scotland’s new law is to prevent residents living within 200 metres of such clinics from displaying placards or holding events that would target women visiting such facilities. Admittedly, someone “only standing and praying” nearby a clinic may present a borderline case – but well within bounds that can be assessed through our democratic processes, the very processes that Trump loyalists increasingly disdain.
We can debate the rights and wrongs of the Scottish law, but any suggestion that it seriously abridges free speech – when compared to the kinds of incursions Trump himself wages – would be farcical.
Admittedly, while Scotland rightly protects its medical facilities, some people will ask whether a law can legitimately reach so far as to regulate the opinions that people wish to display in their windows and gardens. In recent years, many UK homes have flown Ukrainian or Palestinian flags from their homes, which some neighbours may find inappropriate. Yet British law protects their rights to do so.
Clearly then, we can have meaningful debates about how far free expression in the home extends, but nothing in what Trump officials have said or done on their home turf suggests that this is their real concern.
Free speech in retreat?
As it happens, Vance was not totally wrong when he mused: “In Britain and across Europe, free speech, I fear, is in retreat.” For years, Hungarians have faced relentless attacks on free speech under Viktor Orbán – the autocrat whom Trump followers, including Vance himself, have so often praised.
On several occasions in The Conversation and elsewhere, I have advocated free speech and I have every intention to continue doing so. I am also willing to concede that, despite Trump’s compulsive attacks on free speech, his supporters have raised some valid concerns about the stifling of opinion on the left.
Abortion exemplifies the type of issue that sparks widespread ethical controversies. Any democracy must ensure that speakers on all sides have safe means of expressing their views in the public arena. Everyone in today’s democracies could use a few lessons in free speech – and the Trump team tops the list.
Eric Heinze has received past funding from the European Union.
English isn’t the first language of over 20% of pupils in schools in England, and this proportion is rising. The children in this group who also have special educational needs or disabilities may be falling through the cracks, missing out on support that would help them succeed.
My recent research analysed data from 2.5 million English primary school pupils. The findings show that bilingual learners with special educational needs especially struggle with reading. They trail behind both their peers without special educational needs, and other children with special educational needs who speak English as their first language.
When a pupil has a special educational need such as specific learning difficulties or autism, their language hurdles can make it harder to see the real cause of their challenges. Sometimes, a child’s limited English masks a disability. Other times, disabilities may be confused with language problems. This confusion can delay the help they need.
Reading is particularly a problem because strong vocabulary and language-processing skills are needed, and the extra task of learning English can slow them down in this area. Maths may rely less on advanced English, so the gap is often smaller in that subject.
Research suggests that if bilingual pupils with special educational needs get strong support in the early years, they can catch up significantly.
The right support
One useful method is data-based decision-making. This means teachers and special needs coordinators regularly track progress in reading, writing or maths. For example, teachers might assess oral reading fluency or brief writing samples to measure progress. By spotting which pupils are falling behind, they can provide small-group tutoring, phonics help or targeted vocabulary lessons.
Pupils also benefit from clear, structured lessons that focus on reading and writing. They may also need extra time to practise and may learn better if the same vocabulary is taught in different ways, such as through games or acting.
In addition, research shows that when teachers use examples or stories that reflect different languages and cultures, pupils stay more engaged. This “culturally responsive” teaching boosts children’s language skills.
For example, a case study on culturally responsive teaching for bilingual learners with disabilities has shown that connecting lessons to students’ own cultural and linguistic backgrounds can boost both their language skills and their reading comprehension.
The teacher in the study combined explicit instruction – such as teaching vocabulary or grammar – with discussions in small groups that drew on experiences from the students’ own lives. Her pupils saw significant improvements in literacy that underscores how culturally responsive methods can help bilingual children succeed.
Room for improvement
Another way to improve the situation for these children would be better assessments of whether they need additional support.
My research with colleagues has found that most bilingual pupils in England are not assessed for dyslexia in their first language, which can mask their true skills and needs. If schools allow pupils to be tested in their home language, or at least use bilingual materials, they can get a clearer picture of each pupil’s progress.
Funding for specialised training is also needed. Schools need resources to hire or develop experts who understand both language learning and disabilities. Educational psychologists, for instance, or English-as-a-second-language teachers with expertise in special educational needs, can provide this much needed support.
Ofsted inspectors should also check how schools use regular progress monitoring data to adjust teaching for bilingual pupils with special educational needs. If data use becomes a core part of good practice, more schools may be inspired to invest in it.
The evidence shows many bilingual learners with special educational needs can catch up, or even surpass their peers, if they receive the right support early on. Yet too often, these children are seen only as “language learners,” with their disabilities overlooked, or they are treated as having a disability, while their language needs get ignored.
We already know strategies that work. By using detailed progress tracking, culturally responsive teaching, and targeted language instruction, schools can close the gap and make sure bilingual pupils with special educational needs and disabilities do not fall behind.
Johny Daniel 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.
Scottish Green MSP Gillian Mackay has condemned anti-choice protests taking place today outside the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow, with the first arrest reported under the Safe Access Zones legislation.
Ms Mackay introduced the bill that secured 200 metre wide safe access zones, or buffer zones, around abortion service providers to stop the intimidating anti-choice protests that have taken place across Scotland.
The Daily Record has also reported that US anti-choice campaign group 40 Days for Life have listed protests in Glasgow starting next month.
“The protests that have taken place outside Queen Elizabeth have been utterly shameful and I am grateful to Police Scotland for acting so quickly.
“This kind of intimidation has no place in a modern or progressive Scotland. Everybody deserves to have access to healthcare without harassment. That is why I introduced my Act, and why these disgraceful protests are now illegal.
“We know the awful impact that these protests have had. Some of the testimonies from women who have had to endure them have been heartbreaking.
“I urge 40 Days For Life and anyone else who is planning to protest in a safe access zone to think again, as they will be stopped and there will be consequences.”
Ms Mackay added:
“It’s no coincidence that this has happened so soon after JD Vance and his supporters have spread toxic misinformation about Scotland, it is vital that we stand up for reproductive rights and against those who are working to undermine them.”
An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: “Dyce Academy remains closed to pupils and staff following a fire overnight.
“Council officers and the headteacher have not yet been able to gain access to the school building to fully assess the extent of the damage. They have been advised that the fire damage appears to be contained to a small number of rooms, however they expect there to be extensive smoke and water damage, and a need for repair work required before pupils and staff can return to the building.
“In order to fully assess and address the damage, and to ensure that utilities are fully operational, Council officers are working on the assumption that the school will be closed for the remainder of this week (Thursday 20 and Friday 21 February). The situation will be reviewed tomorrow (Thursday 20 February). The headteacher will provide a formal update to parents, carers and school staff on the situation on Friday morning. All options to facilitate pupils’ learning from Monday are being considered.
“School Google Classrooms will be fully operational on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 February, and work will be posted to allow for online learning activities over these two days. Overview information will also be shared on Year Group Classrooms. Learners will be able to access this from their school Chromebook, or from their own devices using the online app or via the school website.”
Edinburgh Libraries have held the official launch of a new recycling programme aimed at promoting sustainability and digital reuse across the city.
The service secured £23,000 in funding from the Public Library Improvement Fund, awarded by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which supports innovative initiatives in areas such as digital upskilling, sustainability, and inclusivity.
This funding will allow Edinburgh Libraries to collaborate with Edinburgh Remakery to introduce Tech Donation Boxes to 15 libraries, these boxes will provide Edinburgh residents with an easy, welcoming, and accessible way to donate their old devices. Donated tech devices will be repaired and reused when possible or responsibly recycled when necessary, contributing to a circular economy and reducing electronic waste.
The programme was officially launched at Craigmillar Library last night (Tuesday 18 February), where attendees were introduced to the project and had the chance to participate in various activities, including a Making Jewellery with Recycled Materials workshop (featuring old computer parts, circuit boards, and more), a Climate Fresk Quiz, and an exhibition showcasing children’s crafts made from recycled materials.
Councillor Val Walker, Culture and Communities Convener said:
In 2023 Edinburgh Remakery tech boxes were hosted within two libraries –Central Library and Wester Hailes Library. The response from the public was fantastic, and the library service was successful in securing an award from Edinburgh Remakery for the high volume of donations received. Thanks to this new funding, we’re able to extend our partnership with the Edinburgh Remakery, working across 15 public libraries to host Tech Donation Boxes and expand the role of our libraries in promoting sustainability throughout the city.
Elaine Brown, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Remakery, said:
At Edinburgh Remakery, we are passionate about giving old tech a second life, and this partnership with Edinburgh Libraries is a fantastic step towards a more sustainable and digitally inclusive city. By making tech donation easy and accessible, we are not only reducing electronic waste but also ensuring that more people can benefit from refurbished devices. Together, we are creating a future where waste is minimised, and resources are maximised for the benefit of our community.
On Jan. 30 to Feb. 2 for the first time, The World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities convened in St. Lucia.
The Honorable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of St. Lucia, opening the scientific sessions.
The event was hosted by the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and the Connecticut Imhotep NMA Society. The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering at UConn was also a sponsor of the event. The World Congress was the brainchild of Dr. Cato T. Laurencin at UConn who also served as chair of the meeting. Additional sponsors of the event included the National Medical Association, the St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association, the W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute, and the government of St. Lucia. The scientific sessions were opened by The Honorable Philip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of St. Lucia.
“This event was a huge milestone and brought the world’s experts on racial and ethnic disparities together,” shared UConn’s University Professor Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, CEO of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering at UConn School of Medicine.
“UConn had a great presence at the first-ever World Congress,” applauds Laurencin.
Invited speakers from UConn School of Medicine included Dr. Biree Andemariam, professor of medicine, who directs the highly successful New England Sickle Cell Institute and Connecticut Bleeding Disorders Center at UConn Health. She spoke about the need for breaking down more barriers for sickle cell disease patients worldwide and shared the success of the innovative Institute she founded in 2009 which has grown to care for the majority of adult at sickle cell patients in Connecticut.
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin
“The Congress gave me a unique opportunity to learn from the greatest cross-disciplinary minds whose work dissects the pervasive influence of racialized societal frameworks on global health outcomes,” shared Andemariam, the American Red Cross Endowed Chair at UConn School of Medicine.
Helen Wu, Ph.D. from UConn’s medical school was also an invited speaker. She is associate professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Public Health Sciences and is part of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering at UConn. She shared her work helping create healthier communities via successful initiatives like UConn’s JUMP (Just Us Moving Program) which is a sustainable community engagement approach to lifestyle changes. The program of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute for Regenerative Engineering educates the community on the importance of increased physical activity.
“At the first World Congress on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities we were like a big family gathering. People who are in health disparities research and practice are passionate about what we do,” shared Wu. “The Congress fostered new alliances between practitioners and researchers in the field of health disparities research and policy reform.”
Dr. Cato T. Laurencin leading a panel discussion at the World Congress.
Other invited speakers with a UConn connection included UConn Health Board of Directors member Dr. Kenneth Alleyne, an orthopaedic surgeon with Eastern Orthopedics who spoke about the benefits of community health workers empowering communities; Raja Staggers-Hakim, Ph.D., assistant professor in UConn’s Department of Sociology discussed racism trauma health theory; and Dierdre Cooper Owens, Ph.D., associate professor of History and Africana Studies at UConn shared the history of the Black birthing crisis.
The proceedings of the meeting will be published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.
Learn more about the inauguralWorld Congress on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities.
OTTAWA – On Monday, February 24, 2025, Toni Gravelle, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada, will speak at the Bank of England Annual Research Conference.
Topic
Managing the Central Bank’s Balance Sheet in a Period of Quantitative Tightening
Time
8:15 (Eastern Time)
Place
London, UK.
Lock-Up
There will be no media lock-up for this event.
Distribution
The Deputy Governor’s remarks will not be published.
Media Availability
There will be no media availability for this event.
Audience Q&A
There will be no audience Q&A period.
Webcast
There will be no Bank of Canada webcast for this event.
Note
Media wishing to watch the Bank of England live stream can request access by emailing their full name, job title and company at .
BOSTON – Two men have been arrested for allegedly conspiring to distribute cocaine.
Erick Sandoval-Perez, 43, a Guatemalan national living in Malden, was charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Christhian Castillo, 32, also of Malden, was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine and conspiracy to commit that offense. Sandoval-Perez and Castillo had initial appearances and a detention hearing in federal court in Worcester, and were ordered held pending further proceedings.
Sandoval-Perez and Castillo allegedly worked together to sell cocaine on several occasions to an undercover law enforcement officer. On Feb. 12, 2025, Sandoval-Perez allegedly arranged to sell a kilogram of cocaine to an undercover. Castillo was arrested when he allegedly handed the kilogram of cocaine to the undercover, and Sandoval-Perez was arrested nearby.
According to court records, Sandoval-Perez, is a Guatemalan national who was previously deported from the United States and allegedly re-entered illegally.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The charges of distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 or more grams of cocaine, and conspiracy to commit that offense, carry a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, supervised release of at least four years and a fine of up to $5,000,000. Sandoval-Perez is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of an imposed sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Chief Ryan Malatos of the Leominster Police Department; and Chief Brian W. Coyne of the Clinton Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Malden Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scottish Secretary welcomes £43.5m boost for sustainable packaging firm that will encourage growth, creating jobs and prosperity
The National Wealth Fund has made its first investment in Scotland since its transformation to help boost growth as part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change.
The NWF is committing £43.5m in direct equity for sustainable packaging company Pulpex, which is to build its first commercial-scale manufacturing facility near Glasgow. A further £10m co-investment is coming from the Scottish National Investment Bank with an additional boost coming from existing investors to take the total funds behind the firm to £62m.
The company has developed a unique fibre-based bottle as an alternative to glass and plastic. The product is manufactured from sustainably-sourced wood pulp and designed to be recycled in the same way as paper or card in normal household recycling streams. Its patented technology results in a recyclable and biodegradable end-product with a lower carbon impact than current glass or plastic packaging.
Pulpex’s Glasgow plant, which will produce 50 million bottles per year and create the UK’s first fibre bottle supply chain, will create 35 new jobs in Scotland.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
Our Plan for Change is about going further and faster to kickstart economic growth so working people have more money in their pockets. That’s why we established the National Wealth Fund which in the last six months has fuelled 8,600 jobs and unlocked £1.6 billion of private investment in the industries that turbocharge growth in our economy. This latest NWF investment is welcome news, creating jobs, sustainable growth and opportunity in Scotland.
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said:
I’m delighted to see this first investment in Scotland from the new National Wealth Fund. Boosting business is a cornerstone of our Plan for Change and will create jobs and opportunities to raise living standards.
Just last month, we announced that Glasgow had been chosen as one of four areas where the UK Government will develop investment pipelines and this new Pulpex facility, to be built on the outskirts of the city, is a prime example of how supporting regional growth will benefit people right across the UK. The firm’s innovative bottling solution will aid the decarbonisation of our packaging industry and help accelerate our Net Zero goals as we drive delivery of clean power by 2030.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:
“This investment by the Scottish National Investment Bank will build on Glasgow’s rich history of innovation and deliver more green jobs for the future. To drive investment into Scotland, we have allocated £200 million to the Bank for the next financial year. The Bank has a strong track record of success and has generated more than £1.4 billion of private sector investment since opening for business in 2020.”
The investment announced today will enable the construction of Pulpex’s first manufacturing facility to reach commercial-scale capacity. The financing will help create the conditions for growth in both Scotland and the wider alternative packaging sector.
A move from plastic and glass to paper packaging will enable a step change in decarbonising the packaging industry and its efforts to increase the recycling rates of consumer goods, with the material benefiting from the highest recycling rates and most sophisticated infrastructure compared to other packaging alternatives.
In the UK alone, over 38.5 million plastic bottles are used every day, with around 16 million ending up in landfill, being burnt, or littering the environment and waterways, according to Water UK. The UK’s 25 Year Environment Plan aims to double resource productivity and eliminate all avoidable waste, including plastic, by 2050. This means investments in economically viable and ready-to-go options like Pulpex are critical interventions for the future sustainability of the consumer goods industry.
John Flint, National Wealth Fund CEO, said:
“We need to recycle more and unlock the growth potential of the circular economy. That requires sophisticated, long-term investment, both in infrastructure and packaging innovation. Exciting technological advancements like Pulpex are a great example of that potential, but they need catalytic investment to scale and commercialise. Through financing Pulpex’s new facility in Glasgow, we will help remove barriers to future investment from private capital and lay the foundations for further growth.”
Scott Winston, Pulpex, said:
“Thanks to the National Wealth Fund, the Scottish National Investment Bank, our Pulpex team and to our stakeholders for their continued support. This investment will drive the decarbonisation of the packaging sector using leading edge Material Bioscience to ensure this much-needed alternative to glass and plastic will deliver its ambition. Accelerated by the incredible business ecosystem that flourishes within Glasgow, this will be a visible shining star demonstrating the scalability of Pulpex technology for partners to adopt globally.”
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ashtrom Renewable Energy, a global independent power producer and renewable energy developer and subsidiary of Ashtrom Group, has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to sell electricity to the municipality of San Antonio, Texas through CPS Energy, the city’s local utility company.
According to the signed agreement, CPS Energy (Aa2 Moody’s) will purchase approximately 70% of the electricity produced by the project, along with purchasing green certificates (RECs), for a period of 20 years at a predetermined fixed price. Under the agreement, Ashtrom has committed to achieve the commercial operation of the El Patrimonio project by the second half of 2027. The remaining electricity produced by the project is expected to be sold within Texas’s open electricity market. The project will produce electricity equivalent to the annual consumption for about 37,500 households.
“We are proud to announce a significant collaboration and the signing of an important agreement with CPS Energy, the largest municipal utility company in the U.S.,” said Yitsik Mermelstein, CEO of Ashtrom Renewable Energy. “The agreement is not only an expression of our great partnership with CPS Energy, but also a central pillar in realizing our strategic vision to expand renewable energy activities in the country. This step strengthens our position as a leading player in the industry and is a significant milestone in the company’s growth journey.”
El Patrimonio is Ashtrom’s second solar project in Texas, marking a key achievement for the company that further deepens its presence in the ERCOT market. The completion of the PPA is expected to accelerate the project’s development and construction processes. The solar project is expected to be constructed in Bexar County, Texas, with a planned capacity of approximately 150 megawatts (AC).
In addition to delivering electricity to San Antonio, the El Patrimonio project will support the local economy and community through educational activities. Ashtrom will establish an annual scholarship program, offer field tours of the El Patrimonio site for local students, and host job fairs on-site. Through these efforts, Ashtrom aims to enhance community knowledge of renewable energy and the role people can play in its future.
About Ashtrom Renewable Energy
Ashtrom Renewable Energy is delivering clean energy at scale. We build best-in-class renewable energy projects in the United States and around the globe. With a hands-on, risk-informed approach that emphasizes strategic and cost-effective execution, the company is an independent power producer (IPP) led by a team of energy experts with decades of experience in solar and wind siting, development, construction, financing, and operation. Ashtrom Renewable Energy leverages the financial stability and culture of excellence cultivated by Ashtrom Group (TASE: ASHG), a leading infrastructure, construction, and real estate development company with a 60-year legacy of success. With a development pipeline of ~1.8 GWdc in the U.S. and ~2.5 GWdc worldwide, Ashtrom Renewable Energy is poised to rapidly scale its development and investment activities in the U.S. market for the long term. Learn more about Ashtrom Renewable Energy at https://www.ashtromrenewableenergy.co.il/en
About Ashtrom Group Ashtrom is one of Israel’s leading construction and real estate companies whose shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange 90 index The group operates in several operating sectors: Construction and infrastructure contracting in Israel – including, inter alia, residential and infrastructural contract constructions; Franchise – participation in tenders and executing planning, operations and financing activities for large-scale infrastructure and residential projects; Housing entrepreneurship in Israel, through Ashdar, a subsidiary that is a leader and among the oldest companies in the field; Investment and entrepreneurial real estate, through Ashtrom Properties, a subsidiary operating in Israel, Germany and England, holding and managing shopping malls and commercial centers, office buildings and employment centers, industrial structures and more; Industries – mainly manufacturing, marketing and selling raw materials to the construction industry and importing and marketing finishing products for the construction industry; Construction and infrastructures contracting abroad, as well as residential real estate development in the U.S. and Europe – performed by Ashtrom International; Renewable energy – investment in wind, solar, storage and other energy related projects in Israel and worldwide. Ashtrom Group chairperson is Mr. Rami Nussbaum, and the group’s CEO is Mr. Gil Gueron.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Crawford, Professor of Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Leeds, and Chair in Policing and Social Justice, University of York
The UK government has doubled the additional funding for neighbourhood policing in England and Wales to £200 million. This is to support its commitment to putting 13,000 new police officers on the streets.
High-profile cases and scandals have eroded trust in police in the UK. According to some metrics, it is at its lowest level in 20 years. But the key to repairing it could be through neighbourhood policing. After all, this is where most people’s interactions with police happen.
The government clearly understands this, hence the extra funding – but how do we make sure that the new recruits are delivering a good policing service?
My colleagues and I within the Vulnerability & Policing Futures Research Centre (University of York and University of Leeds) have recently published research that shows police are failing to meet the public’s minimum standards of service delivery.
With Professor Ben Bradford, we developed a framework for a “minimum policing standard”. This is a list of things that members of the public, when asked, think the police should simply be able to do as a minimum standard under normal circumstances.
We asked focus groups around the country – a total of 93 people – to identify what “good” or “effective” policing meant to them. Members of the public felt very strongly that, at minimum, police should be responsive, fair and respectful, as well as engaged and visibly present.
Interestingly, people were more concerned with how policing is conducted, the quality of the treatment people receive, and the relationship between the police and the communities they serve, than with particular outcomes.
The three areas that our respondents thought were most important to the minimum standard were:
Response: the way police respond to calls for service, follow up and address crime.
Behaviour and treatment: the ways officers and the police as an organisation treat individuals and communities.
Presence and engagement of police in neighbourhoods.
How are the police doing?
We then conducted a nationally representative survey of 1,484 respondents across Britain, and found that they viewed police to be failing across all three areas.
Less than 30% of people were confident that police are open and transparent with the decisions they make, prioritise the crimes most affecting the respondents’ community, and provide adequate follow-up after a crime has been committed.
While a majority of our respondents had confidence that police would treat people with respect, less than half thought that police were good role models, or that they built good relationships with the community or with young people. However, the public still retained significant trust in the idea of “the police” as a whole – which gives me and my colleagues hope that things can improve.
The government’s efforts to reverse declining confidence in police focus on three aspects: internal reform, fighting crime and revitalising neighbourhood policing. Though all of these are important, our research suggests that the last is the most vital.
Trust in police has consequences for crime too. Research shows that people are more likely to report crime and cooperate with investigations when they feel that the police are fair and respectful.
Declining officer numbers and experience
Between 2010 and 2018, police officer numbers declined from 143,734 to 122,405 across England and Wales, an overall loss of over 21,000 officers. Since 2019, this has increased back up to 147,746 by March 2024. But it means that we now have a police workforce that is both younger and less experienced. In March 2024, more than one in three police officers had less than five years’ service.
The Home Office said that the additional £100 million in funding “reflects the scale of the challenges that many forces face” in building out their neighbourhood policing teams. This funding is to help them reach the aim of putting those extra 13,000 officers on the street by 2029.
But these new recruits will again be inexperienced, and may not have developed the appropriate social, interpersonal and problem-solving skills to ensure that standards are met in all instances. This could lead to mistakes that set public confidence and trust in policing back further.
One way to address this would be to limit the range of social problems that police are expected to respond to. Too often, the police are called upon to manage a host of social ills and vulnerable people. They are often filling gaps left by the withdrawal of other public and third sector services, such as mental health services, exacerbated by austerity.
Yet there has been little critical assessment of what problems the state is asking the police to solve, and whether the police are really the best suited to solve them. Greater clarity about the limited role of the police would help avoid raising unrealistic expectations, and focus attention on the minimum standards that people want from local policing.
Our research suggests that if police meet a minimum standard in their neighbourhood interactions with the public (the small things), then the public will be more likely to trust police to be fair and trustworthy when it comes to big and complex things like serious organised crime, counter-terrorism and violent offending.
Adam Crawford receives funding from ESRC, Centre Grant number: ES/W002248/1.
He is a member of the Police Science Council, a publicly appointed committee that is one of the Scientific Advisory Councils of the UK government, which provides independent advice to the National Police Chiefs’ Council in the UK on science, technology, analysis and research matters relevant to policing policy and operations.
Source: The Conversation – UK – By Gleb Redko, PhD Researcher in Punk, Brutalism & Psychogeography, School of Architecture Art & Design, University of Portsmouth
With ten Oscar nominations, The Brutalist has reignited the debate over the legacy of brutalism. The polarising architectural style was shaped by post-war hopes for a better future. But it was also, as historian Adrian Forty argues in his book Concrete and Culture (2012), an “expression of melancholy, the work of a civilisation that had all but destroyed itself in the second world war”.
The fictional architect at centre of The Brutalist, László Tóth, is an Austro-Hungarian modernist and concentration-camp survivor who moves to America to rebuild his life. His designs, described as “machines”, are inspired by the trauma of camps like Buchenwald and Dachau.
Emerging from the rubble of the second world war, brutalism became an architectural response to devastation and the pressing need for urban renewal. The destruction caused by the Blitz provided architects with opportunities to design environments reflecting the ideals of the new welfare state: equality, accessibility and functionality for the collective good.
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This ethical foundation aimed to address the social needs of the post-war era, particularly in housing, education and public welfare infrastructure. Notable examples of the style include the Barbican estate and Southbank Centre in London.
Architectural critic Reyner Banham, who coined the term brutalism in his 1966 work Brutalism: Ethic or Aesthetic, argued that the movement was more than an aesthetic choice. He championed the work of Alison and Peter Smithson, young British architects who played a crucial role in shaping brutalism through projects like Robin Hood Gardens in London’s Tower Hamlets. For Banham, brutalism was an ethical stance and a form of “radical philosophy” aiming to address the social needs of the post-war era.
The brutalist style has, however, often been criticsed for what many perceived to be its unappealing, “ugly” aesthetic and alienating qualities. In 1988, King Charles famously compared the National Theatre in London to a nuclear plant, encapsulating the public’s mixed reactions. Similarly the situationists (a French anti-capitalist art movement) denounced brutalist housing estates as “machines for living”. They saw them as oppressive structures that stifled human connection.
The perception of brutalism is highly dependent on context. In warmer climates like Marseille in France, the play of sunlight on raw concrete gave structures a sculptural quality. In the UK’s wet climate, however, exposed concrete weathered quickly, making buildings appear grey and neglected.
Yet for brutalist architects, this was never just about aesthetics. They saw their designs as expressions of honesty and social progress, rejecting ornamentation in favour of raw, functional materials that symbolised a new egalitarian society. The very qualities that critics saw as oppressive were, to its proponents, what made brutalism a radical and hopeful architecture.
Rebellion and reclamation
Despite their ethical intentions, brutalist buildings often appeared to have an alienating impact on their residents. In his book Making Dystopia (2018), architectural historian James Stevens Curl discusses the Canada Estate in Bermondsey, London, built in 1964, where tenants expressed their disaffection for the environment through acts of vandalism.
By the 1970s, the optimism surrounding modernist and brutalist projects had begun to collapse, both figuratively and literally. One of the most infamous moments symbolising this failure was the Ronan Point disaster in 1968. A gas explosion on the 18th floor of this newly built tower block in east London caused a partial collapse. Four people were killed and serious concerns were raised about the safety and quality of post-war high-rise housing.
This tragedy pushed the Clash’s Joe Strummer to write one of the band’s most notable songs, London’s Burning, in 1976. In the late 1970s and 1980s, punks splattered brutalist architecture with graffiti slogans echoing situationist critiques of modern urban life.
Some referenced punk band names or song lyrics, showing how punk didn’t just adopt the attitude of the situationists but also their language and tactics. Jamie Reid, the architect of the Sex Pistols’ aesthetic, often used images of brutalist structures as a stark backdrop to his punk visuals.
The punk movement reinterpreted the failure of brutalism not just as an architectural problem but as a broader societal collapse, highlighting issues of alienation, neglect and the erosion of post-war utopian ideals.
Yet, in recent years, the brutalist aesthetic has found a new audience. Online communities, such as Reddit’s 1.5 million-member r/EvilBuildings reflect on buildings and surroundings captured by community members and the impressions these structures leave. Brutalist buildings frequently top the list.
This renewed interest highlights the complex legacy of a style that was once widely criticised but continues to captivate a broader audience beyond architects.
Brutalism’s dual legacy, a movement intended to create community but often seen as alienating, continues to shape debates in architecture and urban planning. The controversial nature of this style is evident in the demolition of prominent structures like the Smithsons’ Robin Hood Gardens (2018), the Tricorn Centre in Portsmouth (2004), and the currently ongoing demolition of Cumbernauld town centre in central Scotland.
These demolitions highlight both brutalism’s polarised reception and the public reassessment of its value. These spaces are more than just concrete. They are sites of memory, rebellion, and ongoing cultural significance, continuously shaping and being shaped by the society around them.
Gleb Redko 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.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Latest information and actions from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academies, schools, colleges, local authorities and further education providers.
Climate action must benefit all of Scotland, says First Minister.
First Minister John Swinney has vowed that he will take a collaborative approach to tackling the climate and nature emergency, and that the transition to net zero ‘will abandon no community’.
Addressing key climate stakeholders at the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, the First Minister said that despite the many examples of government supported actions and projects that are contributing to a more climate resilient Scotland, there is much more to be done.
He also called once again on the UK Government to at least match the Scottish Government’s investment in securing a future for the Grangemouth refinery.
The First Minister said:
“This transition will abandon no community. The importance of safeguarding jobs and livelihoods has never been more stark than in the immediacy of the situation at Grangemouth.
“If we are going to ensure a future for the site, opportunities for its highly skilled workforce, investment is needed now. That is why yesterday, I announced that the Scottish Government will amend the 2025-26 Budget at this late stage to allocate an additional £25 million for a Just Transition Fund for Grangemouth.
“Today, I urge the UK Government to at least match our funding – and to use the powers they have to go further. If this is a Government for the United Kingdom, then Scotland should be getting its fair share of UK-wide investments.”
The First Minister added:
“If we are to persuade people to back climate action wholeheartedly, we must speak not only of the costs and challenges – which there will be – but also demonstrate clear and direct household and community benefits where these are possible. Tangible benefits at home, in terms of more jobs, lower energy bills, and new economic opportunities, delivering also tangible benefits for the planet.
“My approach to Government has always been collaboration, which is why I want this to be the start of an ongoing conversation, with a focus on action, on delivery. I believe that we can only make the progress, and map out the next necessary steps on our climate journey, by bringing together local and central Government, agencies, stakeholders, trade unions, community organisations, and the wider public.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on the expansion of the OpenSAFELY data platform.
Prof Andrew Morris, Director of HDR UK, said:
“OpenSAFELY is an excellent example of what is possible when we get health data right with the confidence of patients, the public and health professionals. Access to comprehensive GP data across all of England is a great step forward for safe and approved research. GP data offers greater breadth and depth than hospital data, providing a detailed picture of people’s health over time. Many common conditions, like arthritis, depression and back pain are mostly managed by GPs, so this data is vital for research that can improve care for millions.
“The OpenSAFELY platform is one that proved its worth during the pandemic, giving us much needed knowledge about COVID-19. It permits researchers to work with the information the data provides – while preventing them from accessing the data itself. Now by moving beyond COVID-19, researchers will be able to uncover groundbreaking insights that can improve the health and well-being of countless individuals. Significant challenges remain – the system is still evolving, with much work still to be done. But as OpenSAFELY and other initiatives show, the UK has both the skills and the will to make it work.
“The UK has long been a global leader in health data research. But to stay ahead, we must make coordinated investments in secure data infrastructure if data driven research is to power improvements in patient care, public health, NHS efficiency, clinical trials and enable medical discovery. This includes secure data sharing with flagship programmes such as Our Future Health, UK Biobank and Genomics England.”
Professor Sir Rory Collins, Principal Investigator and CEO of UK Biobank, said:
“The expansion of OpenSAFELY should be welcomed as it enhances an innovative and useful tool for health researchers working on GP data. However, the most significant leaps in scientific discovery will come from comparing many different types of data simultaneously, and at scale. For example, the 20,000 researchers who use UK Biobank can analyse over 10,000 variables on many of our 500,000 volunteers, with whole genome sequencing being just one of those.
“It is this ability to study the genetic, imaging, lifestyle, secondary and – soon – primary care data in combination that is so vital for research. That’s why we’ve seen over 14,000 peer-reviewed papers published using UK Biobank data, including developments that should lead to better diagnostics and treatments for conditions such as diabetes, dementia and heart disease.
“GP data is a critical national asset, and both researchers and patients will benefit from this expansion. The next step is adding consented GP data to larger datasets, and we at UK Biobank are delighted to be working with NHS England to add the de-identified primary care data of our 500,000 volunteers.”
Prof Sheila Bird, Honorary Professor, University of Edinburgh’s College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine; and Visiting Senior Fellow at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, University of Cambridge, said:
“Dr. (now Professor) Ben Goldacre, a physician by profession, was first to receive the Royal Statistical Society’s Award for Statistical Excellence in Journalism for his Bad Science column in the Guardian.
“Professor Goldacre, who authored the Goldacre Review in 2022 [1] is against Bad Science. But he is staunchly for properly-approved record-linkages which respect patient confidentiality: and his team at OpenSafely have worked, during SARS-CoV-2 and since, to deliver just that. The delivery is a work in progress, as the excellent video about OpenSafely makes clear. Hence, my comment is about elements of enhanced delivery.
“First, as the Royal Statistical Society has argued for since swine-flu in 2009/10, the public – and OpenSafely – need legislation to end the late registration of fact-of-death in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Only in Scotland, in our dis-United Kingdom, is fact-of-death registered, by law, within 8 days of death having been ascertained. OpenSafely for E&W urgently needs prompt and proper registration of fact-of-death which – for inquest deaths – is delayed by months or years [2].
“Second, since one of five deaths aged 5-44 years in E&W is not registered for at least 6 months [2], ending the late registration of deaths is essential if we are to learn by OpenSafely’s research how to prevent or reduce premature mortality such as deaths due to suicide or addictions.
“Third, analysts – including biostatisticians such as I – need to know in more detail about the random generators that OpenSafely uses for creating its pseudo-data, on which, as a biostatistician, I would develop and test my analysis routines. In particular, real data are often more complex in structure than statistical approximations to them in terms of their distribution (eg lognormal distribution assumed but the actual ln-data are not normally-distributed) or correlation structure. Analysts typically need to check assumptions on real data but may be writing checking-code based on approximations. For the checking-code to be incisive enough, analysts may need to understand in some detail the “random generation” processes.
“Fourthly, enhancements to OpenSafely may lead to important evolution in how some data are recorded by general practitioners. For example, when Gao et al. used record-linkage within Scotland’s safe-haven to analyse the methadone-specific death-rate and other opioid-related deaths in Scotland’s Methadone Client Cohort (2009-2015)[4], we found that the available data were quantity of methadone prescribed (not daily-dose) and reimbursement date (not prescription end-date) because those quantities were the data needed to audit the reimbursement of pharmacists[5]. By contrast, guidelines on safe prescribing of methadone are written in terms of daily-dose!
“Finally, the precautions built-into OpenSafely may mean that patients who registered objection to the use of their GP-data by care.data or the subsequent attempted grab during SARS-CoV-2 (which also failed) may wish to re-consider their objection. How does one do so?
Bird SM. Editorial: Counting the dead properly and promptly. Journal of the Royal Statistics Society Series A 2013; 176: 815 – 817.
Bird SM. End late registration of fact-of-death in England and Wales. Lancet 2015: 385: 1830 – 1831.
Bird SM. Everyone counts – so count everyone in England and Wales. Lancet 2016: 387: 25 – 26. Gao L, Robertson JR,
Bird SM. Scotland’s 2009-2015 methadone-prescription cohort: quintiles for daily-dose of prescribed methadone and risk of methadone-specific death. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 2020; accepted 12 June 2020; https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.14432.
This was announced at an SMC Press Briefing, and was accompanied by a funding announcement from Wellcome. The embargo lifted at 11:30am on Wednesday 19th February.
Declared interests:
Prof Andrew Morris “Andrew Morris is Director of Health Data Research UK, the national institute for health data science; is Professor of Medicine and Vice Principal at the University of Edinburgh; is President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, has minority (
Prof Sir Rory Collins “I am CEO and PI of UK Biobank, which is a Charitable Company established as a Joint Venture by the MRC and Wellcome. I have been in that role since September 2005, seconded 60%FTE from the University of Oxford where I am Head of the Nuffield Department of Population Health (which, along with other research organisations globally, benefits from using the UK Biobank – without any preferential access – for health-related research that is in the public interest).”
Prof Sheila Bird “has 30-years of experience of confidential record-linkage; & leads for Royal Statistical Society on need for legislation to end late registration of fact-of-death in E&W and Northern Ireland.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in The Lancet Public Health looks at life expectancy changes across 20 European countries from 1990-2020.
Prof Jennifer Dowd, Professor of Demography and Population Health, University of Oxford, said:
Does the press release accurately reflect the science?
“While accurate overall, the press release at times oversimplifies and overstates the conclusions of the paper, including the press release title: “We are no longer living longer.” The paper looks at mortality trends from 1990-2021 and finds slowing improvements in life expectancy in the decade prior to COVID–but improvements still mean we are living longer. Life expectancy declined due to COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, but this is likely a temporary shock and doesn’t mean we will die sooner than our parents and grandparents, as implied. The press release also states that food, physical activity, and obesity are largely to blame for these trends, but this overstates what we can confidently say about these causes.”
Is this good quality research? Are the conclusions backed up by solid data?
“This is good quality research, especially in the standard estimation of life expectancy trends and the causes of death contributing to these trends. The part of the analysis that tries to attribute slower mortality improvements to specific risk factors such as cholesterol, hypertension, and “dietary risks” is on shakier ground. The estimates used for this part of the analysis were based on different data and analysis that are not discussed in detail here. The estimation of how risk factors such as diet causally impact mortality is methodologically very challenging, and there is a lot of uncertainty about any single estimate. In addition, the population-representative data on the prevalence and trends of these risk factors across all the countries is not readily available. Putting these two sources of uncertainty together means it is very difficult to attribute country-level life expectancy trends to specific risk factors with high confidence. The “under the hood” part of how these estimates are produced is largely glossed over in the paper, but they are presented as established facts.”
How does this work fit with the existing evidence?
Have the authors accounted for confounders? Are there important limitations to be aware of?
“The portion of the paper attributing life expectancy changes to specific risk factors like diet and physical activity is based on other analyses that are highly vulnerable to bias due to confounding. The conclusions for this portion of the analysis should be tempered.”
What are the implications in the real world? Is there any overspeculation?
“We are seeing slowdowns in life expectancy improvements after decades of often rapid gains. But even slow improvements mean we are living longer on average. Slowing improvements may be a warning sign of things to come, so we need to continue tracking these trends. This paper makes strong statements about the specific risk factors responsible for slowing life expectancy improvements, including obesity, high cholesterol, and “occupational risks.” While these risk factors are no doubt important for health, we can’t say with certainty how each one contributes to these trends.”
How confident can we be as to the causes of the decline in life expectancy in England?
“The reported decline in life expectancy in England was only during COVID. Prior to that there were slower improvements in life expectancy compared to the previous period and compared to other countries. There is not broad agreement on the cause of these slowdowns, as it is difficult to directly test mechanisms such as austerity cuts. We have good evidence that the slower improvements were largely attributable to slowing improvements in cardiovascular disease, as well as some increases in external cause mortality such as drug deaths at younger ages and midlife. For more thorough examinations, please see paper here and here.”
Could these trends be potentially linked to current state of NHS/ waiting lists? Also could the use of weight-loss drugs potentially help reverse this trend if they tackle rising obesity rates?
“Challenges with the NHS are one potential contributor to mortality trends in England, but the size of their contribution is not well established. These trends likely reflect much longer-term trends in risk factors such as obesity that accumulate over time. Since the obesity epidemic is now many decades old, more people are entering midlife and older age having been obese for a long time, which could be contributing to these trends. There is cautious optimism that the new GLP-1 class of diabetes and weight-loss drugs could be a game-changer for treating obesity have some long-term benefits for life expectancy, though more evidence is needed to confirm this.”
Dr Yize Wan, NIHR Clinical Lecturer in Intensive Care Medicine & Anaesthesia, William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI), Queen Mary University London (QMUL), said:
“The reasons for these findings are complex and likely to be a combination of both individual risk factors from health behaviours and the need to improve access and delivery of healthcare systems. This study has highlighted the importance of addressing modifiable risk factors and preventing and not just treating long-term disease. It would be important to see if these trends are seen across the whole population or whether people from more socioeconomically deprived or different ethnic backgrounds are disproportionally affected. Particularly as we know that socioeconomically and ethnically disadvantaged population groups are more likely to be exposed to common risk factors such as poor diet and low physical activity as well as have more limited access to healthcare.”
Prof Tom Sanders, Professor emeritus of Nutrition and Dietetics, King’s College London (KCL), said:
“This is a useful analysis of changes in life expectancy across Europe since 2011 compared with the period 1990-2011. Prior to this life expectancy had increased by about 11 years compared with 1960s for a variety of reasons particularly better control of high blood pressure, blood pressure and immunisation against flu as well as lifestyle changes (smoking cessation and better diet) including increased prosperity. This study shows overall across the 20 countries there was an improvement in life expectancy increased from 1990 up to 2011 by on average 0.23 years but this rate of improvement slowed to 0.15 years between 2011 and 2019. The UK, France and Germany showed bigger declines in life-expectancy compared to the Nordic countries.
“It is important to recognise that the demographics of the European population have changed markedly in some countries such as the UK, France and Germany because of increased migration compared to Nordic countries. In the UK, the population growth had been due to migration often from countries where life expectancy is much lower.
“The authors attribute the small decline in life-expectancy to increasing prevalence of obesity particularly in younger and middle-aged adults. While, obesity is likely to contribute to decreased life expectancy in future generations, the prevalence was not particularly high in the older generation, who accounted for most of the deaths in the period 2011-2019.”
‘Changing life expectancy in European countries 1990–2021: a subanalysis of causes and risk factors from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021’by Nicholas Steel et al. was published in The Lancet Public Health at 23:30 UK time Tuesday 18th February 2025.
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00009-X
Declared interests
Dr Yize Wan: I have no declarations of interest.
Prof Jennifer Dowd: No conflicts.
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry to examine ongoing regulatory concerns regarding the trustees’ management and administration of Zlotchiv (charity register number 1181876).
The charity, which is a charitable incorporated organisation, awards grants for the advancement of Jewish faith and education as well as for the relief of those in need.
Zlotchiv’s trustees have failed to meaningfully engage and cooperate with the Commission about regulatory concerns, which has resulted in the regulator escalating a compliance case to a statutory inquiry.
The Commission’s concerns are about irregularities in the charity’s financial management, including a series of bounced cheques from the charity’s bank account alongside payments, which appear to be related party payments, that were not disclosed by the charity in its annual returns.
Trustees are expected to act in the best interests of the charity and properly manage any conflicts of interest between the charity and other parties. They must also provide accurate information annually to the Commission, which in this case includes a trustees’ annual report, accounts and external scrutiny report.
The inquiry will examine if the trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of the administration, governance and management of the charity, with particular regard to:
the charity’s financial management, including the charity’s viability, the extent of any related party transactions and unauthorised trustee personal benefit
the trustees’ compliance with the charity’s governing document
the extent to which any failings or weaknesses identified in the administration of the charity are a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees
The scope of the inquiry may be extended if additional regulatory issues emerge during the Commission’s investigation.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its ambition is to be an expert regulator that is fair, balanced, and independent so that charity can thrive. This ambition will help to create and sustain an environment where charities further build public trust and ultimately fulfil their essential role in enhancing lives and strengthening society. Find out more: About us – The Charity Commission – GOV.UK
On 6 January 2025, the Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into the charity under section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 as a result of its regulatory concerns that there is or has been misconduct and/or mismanagement in the administration of the charity.
A statutory inquiry is a legal power enabling the Commission to formally investigate matters of regulatory concern within a charity and to use protective powers for the benefit of the charity and its beneficiaries, assets, or reputation.
An inquiry will investigate and establish the facts of the case so that the Commission can determine the extent of any misconduct and/or mismanagement; the extent of the risk to the charity, its work, property, beneficiaries, employees or volunteers; and decide what action is needed to resolve the concerns.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A paper published in Nature Medicine looks at the contribution of genetic and lifestyle factors to risk of premature death, ageing, and age-related diseases.
Prof Felicity Gavins, Professor of Pharmacology at Brunel University of London, and Royal Society Wolfson Fellow, said:
“This is an exciting study. The fact that most of the risk factors identified are modifiable highlights an enormous opportunity for prevention. By addressing social inequalities, promoting healthy behaviours and reducing harmful exposures, we can really make a meaningful difference in reducing age-related diseases and premature mortality.
“However, some caution is needed. This is an observational study, so further research is needed to confirm causal relationships, especially before any long-term policy changes are made. Furthermore, targeted interventions will be essential to translating these findings into real-world impact.”
Dr Stephen Burgess, Group Leader at the MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, said:
“This is a large and detailed investigation into the predictors of major causes of mortality in a UK-based population. It provides further demonstration supporting previous research that, in the majority of cases, our genes do not determine our future. There are exceptions, including rare conditions that are caused by a single genetic variation. But for the majority of conditions that Western people die from, disease risk is more strongly attributable to modifiable risk factors and our wider environment, as shaped by our upbringing and choices. Genetics can load the dice, but it is up to us how we play our hand.
“A limitation of the work is that it does not highlight particular risk factors, nor can it make specific causal claims about what would happen if we changed our risk factors and environment.”
Prof Frances Flinter, Emeritus Professor of Clinical Genetics, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust; and Member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, said:
“This is a very impressive, thorough and detailed analysis of a vast amount of genetic and non-genetic data from the UK Biobank. The authors compare the relative contributions to ageing and premature mortality of genetic susceptibility markers (polygenic risk scores) and environmental factors, which they refer to as the ‘exposome’ (including alcohol, diet, smoking, housing, type of heating, weight in childhood etc).
“Overall, polygenic risk scores (PRS) for twenty-two major diseases explained less than 2% of additional variation in mortality, whereas the exposome explained 17%. In particular, the exposome explained a greater proportion of the variation than polygenic risk scores for the incidence of disease of the lung, heart and liver, whereas polygenic risk scores explained a greater proportion of the variation than the exposome for dementia and breast, prostate and colorectal cancers.
“The risk of premature mortality was lower in Black, Asian and ethnicities other than white, even after adjustment for socio-demographic deprivation factors, which is currently unexplained.
“With so much focus on genetic determinism these days, it is good to be reminded of the significance of environmental contributions to health, particularly as the risk factors are known and many can be modified.”
Prof Ilaria Bellantuono, Professor in Musculoskeletal Ageing; and Co-Director of The Healthy Lifespan Institute, University of Sheffield, said:
“This important study comprehensively confirms what smaller studies have suggested: multiple socioeconomic and environmental factors significantly influence the risk of developing age-related diseases. More critically, it highlights that health is shaped by multiple interacting factors. This has important policy implications, meaning that policies targeting only one or two of these factors will have limited impact on extending healthspan. The findings support the need for an integrated, multi-faceted approach to prevention and to identify the most influential domains for intervention (smoking, socioeconomic status and deprivation, physical activity, sleep and mental and physical wellness including tiredness, as well as early life exposures including height and body size at 10 years and maternal smoking around birth).
“The study is rigorously conducted and transparently acknowledges its limitations, which are inevitable in research of this nature.”
Dr Julian Mutz, King’s Prize Research Fellow at the Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London, said:
“The study by Argentieri, van Duijn, and colleagues sought to tease apart the relative contributions of environmental exposures (termed the “exposome”) and genetic risk on biological ageing and premature mortality.
“The authors analysed data from the UK Biobank, a unique resource with a wealth of information on sociodemographic characteristics, health records, genetics and biomarker data from half a million UK residents.
“They employed a complex analytical design to identify environmental exposures that were independently associated with biological ageing (defined using a proteomic ageing clock that they developed in a previous high-profile study) and mortality, while minimising the risk of reverse causation, confounding and correlation between exposures. The approach is elegant, though certain assumptions warrant caution. For example, the finding that many exposures independently associated with mortality (e.g., diet or mental health) were not associated with the proteomic ageing clock (or had an association in the opposite direction) does not necessarily mean that these exposures do not impact ageing biology.
“Key findings from the study were that a higher income, Asian or Black ethnic background, higher levels of physical activity and living with a partner were associated with lower mortality risk and a protein-predicted age younger than chronological age. Smoking, living in council housing (reflecting socio-economic status) and the frequency of feeling tired were associated with higher mortality risk and a protein-predicted age older than chronological age.
“Each of the 25 independent exposures that the authors identified was associated with incident diseases and ageing biomarkers.
“To investigate the relative contribution of the environmental exposures compared to genetics, the authors calculated polygenic scores for 22 diseases. Polygenic scores aggregate the small effects of many common genetic variants to estimate an individual’s predisposition to specific traits or diseases. However, there are several caveats to this approach: first, polygenic scores only capture part of the genetic risk; and second, many environmental exposures also have a genetic component. The broad headline of the press release that “environmental factors affect health and ageing more than our genes” should be viewed in light of these limitations.
“One of the most interesting findings from this study is the comparison of the contributions of chronological age and sex (both non-modifiable risk factors), environmental exposures and polygenic scores across several disease endpoints. For example, for certain diseases (e.g., dementia), genetics appears to be more important.
“A key implication of the study is that there is a broad range of modifiable risk factors that could be targeted to reduce the risk of premature mortality and age-related disease. How successful this will be remains to be seen. We already know much about the health-promoting effects of lifestyle interventions, such as physical activity and smoking cessation, but a significant intention–behaviour gap remains.
“The authors have, for the most part, carefully highlighted that the observed associations may not be causal.”
Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, Open University, said:
“This new study involves a large dataset, using data from almost half a million participants in the UK Biobank, data on 164 different environmental exposures (using ‘exposure’ in the broad epidemiologists’ sense, from smoking and intake of various foods, to how plump they were at age 10, to their ethnicity) and (for some of them) genetic and blood measures too. It’s big data, and the researchers use some big-data methods.
“The aim was to quantify the contributions of environmental exposures and genetics to aging and premature mortality, taking into account many aspects of people’s environment rather than concentrating on a few risk factors determined in advance.
“The results are interesting, and I think they do support the researchers’ view that we can learn more by looking at many environmental exposures together rather than trying to pick them off one (or a few) at a time. However, there are some important limitations (as the researchers make clear).
“It would be easy to dismiss this new research by saying that all they have really found is that, if you want to be healthy in old age, you need to give up smoking, do some exercise and not be poor, and we already knew that. But that’s not (in my view) the important finding at all. The important finding is that you get more by looking at more aspects of the environment, if you have enough good data to do that – but that needs careful statistical analysis, including aspects that this study could not do itself. However I think there are good reasons not to pay too much attention to the exact numerical results in the paper, for reasons I’ll come to.
“This is an observational study – the UK Biobank researchers did not choose how the participants acted, but only observed and recorded what they said and did. Like all observational studies, the findings are about correlations and associations, not about cause and effect. The statistical methods used by the researchers can’t determine whether the associations between exposures and ill health and mortality, that they observed, are there because the exposures cause the ill health and mortality. They might, or they might not.
“The way the researchers filtered out exposures that might have showed up as associated with ill health only because they were correlated with other exposures, or because the exposure was actually caused by ill health (reverse causation, as it’s called), does to some extent make it a bit more likely that the associations they mainly report on are ones of cause and effect – but they certainly can’t confirm that they are cause and effect. The researchers say, in their conclusion, that their results indicate that interventions based on environmental exposures are possibly (my emphasis) the best starting point for improving age-related health, but they add that “future causal modelling [that is, research that specifically looks at cause and effect, which uses different methodology] will be needed to study specific exposures of interest.”
“In view of these issues about cause, it’s unfortunate that the press release uses a lot of language that implies the associations are indeed reflecting cause and effect. They talk about the impact of environmental factors on mortality and aging. If something isn’t causing the ill health, ‘impact’ is the wrong word – if you change a factor that is correlated with ill health but doesn’t cause it, you won’t change the level of ill health.
“And when the release says that environmental factors explained 17% of the variation in risk of death, compared to less than 2% for genetic predisposition, this is presenting a misleading picture of what is reported in the research paper. The paper talks about additional mortality variation (in addition to the variation explained by age and biological sex, which are the most important factors, unsurprisingly, along with smoking). And in this context, statisticians are using ‘variation explained’ to mean something statistically technical that has nothing direct to do with cause and effect, even though it sounds as if it does.
“There are other important limitations. The UK Biobank population isn’t typical of the general UK population. And the exposures were all measured at only one time point, when people first entered the UK Biobank study. Therefore, even though the UK Biobank is a major study that goes on through time, these findings can’t, for instance, look at the impact on ill health if someone gives up smoking, or becomes wealthier, or changes what they eat. The researchers emphasise the importance of studying what leads to ill health across the life course, not just at one or a few time points, but like most studies using UK Biobank data, they could not actually do that in this study, beyond looking at some things that participants said about their childhood when they entered the study.
“There is no implication that the 25 independent environmental factors that were identified in this research are the most important environmental factors, or the only important ones. The filtering process that removed factors that might have been correlated to strongly with other factors, or might have been liable to reverse causation, may have removed some that were in fact important to health. (I’m not saying that they should not have been removed, in the light of the overall aims of this study – just that removing them could have led to something being missed.)
“And obviously the researchers could only take into account environmental exposures that were recorded in the UK Biobank data, and that’s not everything. The early life exposures, mentioned in the press release and the paper as being important, were actually recorded alongside all the others when people entered the study, so based on what they recalled, and not actually followed up over time.
“Ideally in a study like that using a big and complicated data set, researchers would model the data statistically using just part of the data set, and then check with the rest of the data set whether the findings hold and are not just a statistical fluke. These researchers did that, splitting the data on English UK Biobank participants into two and checking the results from one half on the other half, and then checking several aspects of the statistical modelling by validating the results on data from UK Biobank participants in Scotland and Wales. That’s good, but not ideal, because the Scottish and Welsh participants are likely to be too similar to the English participants to give an independent enough validation.
“It’s interesting that the research paper says that they sought to validate the findings using a different study based in Rotterdam, which would have been much better than the Scottish and Welsh UK Biobank data. But they could not do that because the Rotterdam study did not have enough recorded environmental exposures that matched those in the UK Biobank. They point out that this is likely to be a more widespread problem, because there’s no standard way across different studies of this kind to choose which exposures to record, or how to define them.
“I have to say that I personally wouldn’t pay too much attention to any of the exact figures on associations that are given in the paper. That’s partly because of the limitations I’ve mentioned (and the researchers give more limitations in the paper). But it’s mainly because the data set is big and complicated, and the statistical methods used involved many stages and are complicated. The researchers had to make a long series of choices on which data to analyse and how to analyse it. Another team of researchers would not have made the same choices in each case. That doesn’t mean that this team is wrong and another team would be right – just that there often isn’t a clear best choice to be made. And other choices would have led to different findings, in terms of the detailed numbers at least.
“Statisticians sometimes refer to the series of choices of how to analyse a data set, not entirely seriously, as ‘researcher degrees of freedom’. This study has a lot of researcher degrees of freedom. The researchers did check out some of their choices by carrying out sensitivity analyses, but that doesn’t get near to dealing with every choice they had to make. If time and money were no object, it would be very interesting to see what a different research team made of the same data – but in the real world, that’s not going to happen.
“One final point about the press release. It says that 23 of the 25 independent environmental factors, identified in the research as contributing to the association between environmental exposure and ill health, ‘are modifiable’. The research paper says only that they are potentially modifiable. This sounds like a nit-pick, and maybe it is – but look at the factors (in Figure 2d in the paper, which shows the 25 along with age and biological sex). Smoking is modifiable, even if it can be hard for individuals to make that modification. But for some of the others it’s not easy to see what the modification might be. How do you modify things so that you are living with a partner, if you currently aren’t? (Living with a partner is associated with better health.) How do you modify how often you feel fed up, or how often you feel unenthusiastic? These potential modifications could maybe be done, but saying they are ‘modifiable’ is too much of a simplification. And it’s certainly important to understand that modifying some of them would be possible only by changes in society – it’s not just a question of individuals choosing what to do. (It also bears repeating that this study, because of the issues about cause and effect, can’t actually tell us with any certainty whether modifying these facts would actually change health anyway.)”
Dr Divyangana Rakesh, Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, said:
“This study makes clear just how much our environment shapes aging and mortality, and it is not surprising that environmental risk often outweighs genetic risk. The authors used a rigorous approach to show that while genetics play a role in specific diseases, our environment – from socioeconomic status to lifestyle factors – shapes overall health trajectories in powerful ways. We see this in developmental research as well, where environmental factors, including socioeconomic status and deprivation, play a crucial role in shaping children’s outcomes. Findings like these reinforce the urgent need to address environmental determinants of health if we want to support healthy development and aging for everyone.”
Prof Joyce Harper, Head of the Reproductive Science and Society Group, UCL Institute for Women’s Health, UCL, said:
“This extensive study systematically examined environmental factors linked to aging using data from the UK Biobank. The researchers conducted an exposome-wide analysis of all-cause mortality in a cohort of 492,567 individuals and investigated how these exposures influenced a proteomic age clock. Their findings identified 25 independent environmental factors associated with both mortality risk and proteomic aging.
“It is so great to see this brilliant study from Oxford Population Health. In today’s society, so many are trying to get a quick fix to improve health and longevity, but this study and others are showing the importance of our lifestyle and environment on healthy aging. It is the first study to show how the combined effect of individual exposures affects us through the life course. I hope people are listening.”
‘Integrating the environmental and genetic architectures of aging and mortality’ byM. Austin Argentieriet al.was published in Nature Medicine at 10.00am UK time on Wednesday 19 February 2025.
DOI: 10.1038/s41591-024-03483-9
Declared interests
Prof Felicity Gavins: “No conflicts.”
Prof Frances Flinter: “No CoI.”
Prof Ilaria Bellantuono: “I am funded by the Michael J Fox Foundation, Dunhill Medical Trust. I co-lead UkAgeNet (https://ukagenet.co.uk/ ) and I am co-director of the Healthy Lifespan Institute.”
Dr Julian Mutz: “I report no conflicts.”
Prof Kevin McConway: “Previously a Trustee of the SMC and a member of its Advisory Committee.”
Dr Divyangana Rakesh: “I have no conflicts of interest to declare.”
Prof Joyce Harper: “No conflicts. I am writing a book on health and happiness over 50 but I do not think that conflicts.”
For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.
A campaign to increase awareness of tenants’ rights was launched today by Housing Minister Paul McLennan. This includes information about where renters can to go to access help and advice.
Tenants in Scotland have some of the strongest rights in the UK which include:
the right to ask for a review of a rent increase and for landlords to give the correct notice period before increasing rent
protection from illegal evictions or being asked to leave a property without proper notice
the right to a rented home that is maintained to an acceptable standard.
Speaking on his visit to Citizens Advice Scotland in Edinburgh, Mr McLennan said:
“People who rent their homes in Scotland already have strong rights when it comes to rent rises, maintenance and repairs and evictions. This campaign is important to make sure we increase awareness of these rights.
“We also want to highlight the end of the temporary change to rent adjudication on 31 March. This was put in place to support the transition back to market rent following the temporary cap on rents under the Cost of Living Act.
“Under existing legislation most private tenants continue to have the right to seek a review of a rent increase and I would encourage any tenant who is concerned about this to apply.
“We’re also taking forward measures in the Housing Bill to address the need for longer term action on rent control and strengthen tenants’ rights where it’s needed.”
“A safe, secure home is foundational to people’s lives. We see thousands of people coming to our local bureaux seeking advice because they are struggling to afford their rent, as well as landlords who need support.
“The Scottish CAB network is here to help with free confidential advice for anyone who needs it. We need to see a rented sector that works for everyone, where everyone knows their rights and responsibilities, and clear information and access to redress when things go wrong.
“Scotland deserves a rented sector that works for everyone, so that more people can stay in their homes.”
New Materials and Methods for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage: Repurposing the Economic Future of the North Sea (MHYSTIC) will see existing energy asset and skills used to develop a suite of innovations that will boost the UK’s hydrogen distribution network.A project that will help establish a sustainable distribution network of hydrogen in Scotland and across the UK has got underway at the University of Aberdeen.
Led by a team of researchers at the University of Aberdeen with expertise in chemical, mechanical and materials engineering along with economic analysis for field applications in geological settings, the MHYSTIC project is one of 10 selected by the UK-HyRES Flexible Fund to advance hydrogen and alternative liquid fuels technologies.
The projects represent a broad spectrum of groundbreaking research, each aligned with the mission to accelerate the UK’s hydrogen transition and drive impactful scientific innovation. Collectively, nearly £3 million in funding has been awarded, enabling pioneering studies across multiple institutions and disciplines.
New Materials and Methods for Hydrogen Transportation and Storage: Repurposing the Economic Future of the North Sea (MHYSTIC) will see existing energy asset and skills used to develop a suite of innovations that will boost the UK’s hydrogen distribution network.
With support from international collaborators at the Lithuanian Energy Institute, industry partners including Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group, ABL Group, the European Marine Energy Centre, the Net Zero Technology Centre, John Lawrie Group, Statera Energy and Dräger Ltd will also play a crucial role in developing and disseminating outputs from the project.
The characterisation methods and models will reveal detailed mechanisms of H2 adsorption and material failure at a granular level, which will result in stepwise advances in knowledge with high academic impact and will help implement hydrogen economies in Scotland and the UK.” Project lead Dr Alfonso Martinez-Felipe
“MHYSTIC is one of the only 10 projects funded in this first round of applications and will have research, commercial and societal impacts by transferring its innovations to productive actors involved in the project,” explained project lead Dr Alfonso Martinez-Felipe from the University’s School of Engineering.
“The characterisation methods and models will reveal detailed mechanisms of H2 adsorption and material failure at a granular level, which will result in stepwise advances in knowledge with high academic impact and will help implement hydrogen economies in Scotland and the UK.”
Dr Martinez-Felipe is joined by colleagues Dr Amin Sharifi, Dr M. Amir Siddiq, Dr Marcin Kapitaniak and Dr Mehmet Kartal, all from the School of Engineering; and Professor John Underhill, Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Energy Transition at the University of Aberdeen.
“Being the smallest molecule, hydrogen is prone to leakage. It also embrittles steel,” said Professor Underhill. “Consequently, it’s essential to find new materials for hydrogen’s safe and secure storage and transportation if it is to play a role in the energy transition, something this research will address.”
UK-HyRES aims to define and tackle the research challenges blocking the wider use of low carbon fuels in the UK – funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The project is expected to run for 2.5 years.
Dundee City Council is undertaking a widespread programme to plant trees in city greenspaces replacing those affected by recent storms.
This year, 6500 whips are to be planted at mostly storm-damaged areas including Templeton Woods and Camperdown Park, following the impact of Storm Éowyn and other recent weather-related events.
The native species trees have been acquired through funding from charity Trees for Cities and, so far this year, over 2000 have been planted with the help of over one hundred volunteers.
Climate, Environment & Biodiversity Convener Cllr Heather Anderson said: “Trees are so special and it’s always distressing when we lose trees to storms. However, this is a great initiative involving the whole community and hopefully these new plantings will thrive, and everyone involved will check on their growth over the coming years.”
An event also took place recently at the city’s Baxter Park which saw the re-planting of same species trees through funding support from Trees for Cities. This initiative will see twenty trees planted at Baxter Park this year, with plans for a further twenty-three in 2026.
Cllr Heather Anderson added: “Sadly, Baxter Park lost several of its grand trees in the storms of the last few years. Some of these were part of the original planting when the park was first created and gifted to the people of Dundee by the Baxter family away back in 1863.
“With support from Trees for Cities, the Council’s Countryside Ranger Service have worked with the Forestry Section to support the community to undertake this planting to regenerate the tree coverage in this much-loved park.
“Scouts and parents from 7th Scout Group Dundee planted the first tree, with support from Stobswell Forum and the Friends of Baxter Park. It’s been a truly collaborative effort.”
More tree planting events will be taking place throughout 2025 with some open to volunteers from the public to take part. The details of upcoming plantings can be found on the Dundee Countryside Ranger Service’s Facebook page.
The UK HPI shows house price changes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Tom Curtis/Shutterstock.com
The December data shows:
on average, house prices have fallen by 0.1% since November 2024
there has been an annual price rise of 4.6% which makes the average property in the UK valued at £268,000
England
In England the December data shows, on average, house prices have not changed since November 2024. The annual price rise of 4.3% takes the average property value to £291,000.
The regional data for England indicates that:
East of England experienced the most significant monthly increase with a movement of 0.6%
Yorkshire and the Humber saw the greatest monthly price fall, with a fall of -0.8%
the North East experienced the greatest annual price rise, up by 6.7%
London saw the lowest annual price growth, at 0%
Price change by region for England
Region
Average price December 2024
Annual change % since December 2023
Monthly change % since November 2024
East Midlands
£242,000
5.3
0.5
East of England
£340,000
4.4
0.6
London
£549,000
0
-0.3
North East
£161,000
6.7
0.5
North West
£211,000
5.4
-0.4
South East
£384,000
4.4
0.6
South West
£306,000
3.8
-0.3
West Midlands
£244,000
4.2
-0.4
Yorkshire and the Humber
£204,000
5.9
-0.8
Repossession sales by volume for England
The lowest number of repossession sales in October 2024 was in East of England.
The highest number of repossession sales in October 2024 was in the North East.
Repossession sales
October 2024
East Midlands
6
East of England
0
London
11
North East
13
North West
21
South East
8
South West
2
West Midlands
5
Yorkshire and the Humber
11
England
77
Average price by property type for England
Property type
December 2024
December 2023
Difference %
Detached
£472,000
£451,000
4.7
Semi-detached
£286,000
£271,000
5.4
Terraced
£240,000
£229,000
4.6
Flat/maisonette
£225,000
£222,000
1.6
All
£291,000
£279,000
4.3
Funding and buyer status for England
Transaction type
Average price December 2024
Annual price change % since December 2023
Monthly price change % since November 2024
Cash
£277,000
3.7
0
Mortgage
£296,000
4.5
0
First-time buyer
£244,000
4.5
-0.3
Former owner occupier
£352,000
1.8
-0.3
Building status for England
Building status*
Average price October 2024
Annual price change % since October 2023
Monthly price change % since Setpember 2024
New build
£420,000
17.7
-1.4
Existing resold property
£285,000
1.8
-0.3
*Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
London
London shows, on average, house prices decreased by 0.3% since November 2024. House prices have shown no annual change meaning the average price of a property is £549,000.
Average price by property type for London
Property type
December 2024
December 2023
Difference %
Detached
£1,110,000
£1,113,000
-0.3
Semi-detached
£691,000
£681,000
1.6
Terraced
£617,000
£609,000
1.3
Flat/maisonette
£440,000
£445,000
-1.3
All
£549,000
£549,000
0
Funding and buyer status for London
Transaction type
Average price December 2024
Annual price change % since December 2023
Monthly price change % since November 2024
Cash
£580,000
-2.
-0.5
Mortgage
£543,000
0.8
-0.2
First-time buyer
£473,000
0.2
-0.4
Former owner occupier
£677,000
-0.4
-0.1
Building status for London
Building status*
Average price October 2024
Annual price change % since October 2023
Monthly price change % since September 2024
New build
£566,000
13.4
-4.1
Existing resold property
£553,000
-0.9
-2.9
*Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
Wales
Wales shows, on average, house prices fell by 0.5% since November 2024. An annual price increase of 3% takes the average property value to £208,000
There were 4 repossession sales for Wales in October 2024.
Average price by property type for Wales
Property type
December 2024
December 2023
Difference %
Detached
£325,000
£319,000
1.9
Semi-detached
£206,000
£199,000
3.6
Terraced
£166,000
£160,000
3.6
Flat/maisonette
£132,000
£129,000
2.3
All
£208,000
£202,000
3
Funding and buyer status for Wales
Transaction type
Average price December 2024
Annual price change % since December 2023
Monthly price change % since November 2024
Cash
£207,000
2.3
-1
Mortgage
£209,000
3.4
-0.3
First-time buyer
£179,000
3.5
-0.6
Former owner occupier
£248,000
2.4
-0.4
Building status for Wales
Building status*
Average price October 2024
Annual price change % since October 2023
Monthly price change % since September 2024
New build
£362,000
20.5
-0.4
Existing resold property
£206,000
2.4
0.6
*Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.
UK house prices
UK house prices rose by 4.6% in the year to December 2024, up from the revised estimate of 3.9% in the 12 months to November 2024. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, average house prices in the UK decreased by 0.1% between November 2024 and December 2024, compared with a decease 0.8% from the same period 12 months ago (November and December 2023).
The UK Property Transactions Statistics showed that in December 2024, on a seasonally adjusted basis, the estimated number of transactions of residential properties with a value of £40,000 or greater was 96,000. This is 18.7% higher than a year ago (December 2023). Between November 2024 and December 24, UK transactions increased by 2.9% on a seasonally adjusted basis.
House price monthly increase was highest in the East of England where prices increased by 0.6% in the year to December 2024. The highest annual growth was in the the North East, where prices increased by 6.7% in the year to December 2024.
The UK HPI is based on completed housing transactions. Typically, a house purchase can take 6 to 8 weeks to reach completion. As with other indicators in the housing market, which typically fluctuate from month to month, it is important not to put too much weight on one month’s set of house price data.
We publish the UK House Price Index (HPI) on the second or third Wednesday of each month with Northern Ireland figures updated quarterly. We will publish the January 2025 UK HPI at 9:30am on Wednesday 26 March 2025. See calendar of release dates.
We have made some changes to improve the accuracy of the UK HPI. We are not publishing average price and percentage change for new builds and existing resold property as done previously because there are not currently enough new build transactions to provide a reliable result. This means that in this month’s UK HPI reports, new builds and existing resold property are reported in line with the sales volumes currently available.
The UK HPI revision period has been extended to 13 months, following a review of the revision policy (see calculating the UK HPI section 4.4). This ensures the data used is more comprehensive.
Sales volume data is available by property status (new build and existing property) and funding status (cash and mortgage) in our downloadable data tables. Transactions that require us to create a new register, such as new builds, are more complex and require more time to process. Read revisions to the UK HPI data.
Revision tables are available for England and Wales within the downloadable data in CSV format. See about the UK HPI for more information.
HM Land Registry, Registers of Scotland, Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and the Valuation Office Agency supply data for the UK HPI.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency calculate the UK HPI. It applies a hedonic regression model that uses the various sources of data on property price, including HM Land Registry’s Price Paid Dataset, and attributes to produce estimates of the change in house prices each month. Find out more about the methodology used from the ONS and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency.
We take the UK Property Transaction statistics from the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) monthly estimates of the number of residential and non-residential property transactions in the UK and its constituent countries. The number of property transactions in the UK is highly seasonal, with more activity in the summer months and less in the winter. This regular annual pattern can sometimes mask the underlying movements and trends in the data series. HMRC presents the UK aggregate transaction figures on a seasonally adjusted basis. We make adjustments for both the time of year and the construction of the calendar, including corrections for the position of Easter and the number of trading days in a particular month.
UK HPI seasonally adjusted series are calculated at regional and national levels only. See data tables.
The first estimate for new build average price (April 2016 report) was based on a small sample which can cause volatility. A three-month moving average has been applied to the latest estimate to remove some of this volatility.
The UK HPI reflects the final transaction price for sales of residential property. Using the geometric mean, it covers purchases at market value for owner-occupation and buy-to-let, excluding those purchases not at market value (such as re-mortgages), where the ‘price’ represents a valuation.
HM Land Registry provides information on residential property transactions for England and Wales, collected as part of the official registration process for properties that are sold for full market value.
The HM Land Registry dataset contains the sale price of the property, the date when the sale was completed, full address details, the type of property (detached, semi-detached, terraced or flat), if it is a newly built property or an established residential building and a variable to indicate if the property has been purchased as a financed transaction (using a mortgage) or as a non-financed transaction (cash purchase).
Repossession sales data is based on the number of transactions lodged with HM Land Registry by lenders exercising their power of sale.
For England, we show repossession sales volume recorded by government office region. For Wales, we provide repossession sales volume for the number of repossession sales.
Repossession sales data is available from April 2016 in CSV format. Find out more information about repossession sales.
We publish CSV files of the raw and cleansed aggregated data every month for England, Scotland and Wales. We publish Northern Ireland data on a quarterly basis. They are available for free use and re-use under the Open Government Licence.
HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. Its vision is: “A world-leading property market as part of a thriving economy and a sustainable future.”
HM Land Registry’s purpose is: “We protect your land ownership and provide services and data that underpin an efficient and informed property market.”
HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership valued at £8 trillion, enabling over £1 trillion worth of personal and commercial lending to be secured against property across England and Wales. The Land Register contains more than 26.5 million titles showing evidence of ownership for more than 89% of the land mass of England and Wales.
This letter confirms the business rates multipliers for 2025 to 2026 and includes local authority guidance for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Scheme for 2025 to 2026 and Film Studio Relief guidance.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Landmark study to investigate long-term health effects of vaping on young people’s health and wellbeing, alongside wider influences on adolescent health.
Groundbreaking research will investigate the long-term health effects of vaping on children, supporting major plans to tackle youth vaping and create a smoke free generation.
The £62 million research project into adolescent health, funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will track 100,000 young people aged 8-18 years over a decade, collecting data on behaviour, biology and health records to understand what affects young people’s health and wellbeing, including the impact of vaping.
While vaping is less harmful than smoking and can be a useful tool to help adult smokers quit, youth vaping has skyrocketed in recent years, with a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds having tried it.
The research coincides with the world-leading Tobacco and Vapes Bill which will clamp down on youth vaping by limiting flavours, packaging, and displays deliberately designed to appeal to children.
The study is one of three sets of research being commissioned by the government, alongside the launch of England’s first ever public health marketing campaign to educate children on vaping harms.
The long-term health impacts of youth vaping are not fully known, and this comprehensive approach will provide the most detailed picture yet, giving health carers and policymakers the robust evidence they need to protect the next generation from the potential health risks.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton, said:
We know that vaping can be a useful tool to quit smoking, but it’s crucial we have clear evidence on the long-term health harms, especially for young people.
This landmark series of studies, combined with our first nationwide youth vaping campaign, will help drive evidence-based, decisive action to protect our children’s future.
Through bold preventative measures, such as the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, this government will deliver on our Plan for Change to build healthier lives and save our broken NHS.
Prof Lucy Chappell, NIHR CEO and Chief Scientific Adviser to DHSC said:
With vaping on the rise among young people, it is crucial that we develop a solid evidence base to better understand its health impacts, and help ensure we protect and support the next generation.
By investing in important research such as this we give young people, parents, and policymakers the knowledge they need to make informed decisions and safeguard long-term health.
Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive at Asthma + Lung UK, said:
The number of non-smokers, particularly young people, taking up vaping is extremely worrying. The long-term impact of vaping on the lungs isn’t yet known, so research into its effect on young people, is really important.
It is already known that vaping can cause inflammation in the airways, and people with asthma have told us that vapes can trigger their condition. Vaping could put developing lungs at risk, while exposure to nicotine – also contained in vapes – can damage developing brains. This is why young people should be stopped from taking up vaping in the first place.
The upcoming legislation, restricting vape flavours and packaging that appeal directly to young people, is an important step in tackling youth vaping along with a ban on cheap disposable vapes. Alongside this, arming young people with the facts about the dangers of vaping and how it affects their health with campaigns like Love Your Lungs, is absolutely vital.
Funded through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR), the second set of groundbreaking research will see University College London (UCL) produce yearly updates capturing the latest vaping research from both the UK and international sources.
Separately, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) will conduct the most comprehensive analysis of youth vaping studies to date, also funded by NIHR.
These landmark studies will ensure healthcare workers can be kept at the cutting edge of the latest evidence and insights.
At the same time, the government is rolling out its first-ever nationwide campaign to inform young people about the hidden health dangers of vaping.
The campaign, Love Your Lungs, exposes the harms of vaping and nicotine addiction, highlighting that with their lungs and brains still developing, young people are more vulnerable to health risks.
Aimed at 13 – 18-year-olds, the campaign will roll out primarily on social media, using influencers to speak directly to its younger audience.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which contains ambitious plans to protect children from vaping, is currently making its way through Parliament. The Bill will also introduce a ban on the advertising and sponsorship of vapes and bolster enforcement to prevent underage and illicit sales.
From 1 June 2025, under separate environmental legislation, disposable vapes will be banned, reducing the availability and appeal of vapes to young people.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill forms part of the government’s Plan for Change, focusing on the crucial role prevention can take in cutting waiting lists and making the NHS fit for future.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Financial markets will be modernised to drive capital market competitiveness and deliver growth – the priority of the government’s Plan for Change.
Chancellor hosts senior representatives of investment banking and asset management sectors in No11 to hone Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy.
Meeting comes as government goes further and faster to drive economic growth through the Plan for Change by speeding up settlement of securities trading, such as buying and selling shares.
Change brings the UK in line with best-in-class international markets such as the US, strengthens capital markets competitiveness, and cut costs for investors.
The government, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England support the industry recommendation to move to T+1 settlement in UK markets by 11 October 2027 and call on industry to engage with the recommendations and start their planning as soon as possible.
In a meeting with the country’s top bankers, the Chancellor set out a plan to speed up settlement of securities trades which will make the UK’s capital markets more competitive to drive economic growth through the Plan for Change and put more money into people’s pockets.
The top brass from JP Morgan, Blackrock, Abrdn, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citi, Fidelity, and Schroders were welcomed into No11 Downing Street for breakfast this morning, as part of ongoing engagement with industry to hone the Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy – one of the eight key growth sectors identified in the Modern Industrial Strategy.
Rachel Reeves spoke about the importance of going further and faster to drive growth and revealed that the Government had accepted all recommendations made by the Accelerated Settlement Technical Group – confirming that the UK will move to a ‘T+1’ standard for settling securities trades from 11 October 2027.
The change means that a typical securities trade, such as buying and selling shares, would be settled the day after it is agreed – instead of the current two-day standard. Faster settlement will support economic growth by putting the UK at the forefront of modernised, highly efficient and automated capital markets, bringing the UK into line with key international markets such as the US and reducing costs for investors by limiting risks when making trades.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:
I am determined to go further and faster to drive growth and put more money into people’s pockets through our Plan for Change. Speeding up the settlement of trades makes our financial markets more efficient and internationally competitive.
Chief Executive Officer of the Financial Conduct Authority, Nikhil Rathi said:
We highlighted how the move to T+1 will make our markets more efficient and support growth in our recent letter to the Prime Minister. We will support industry as they move to T+1 and expect firms to engage and plan early.
Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey said:
Shortening the UK securities settlement cycle to T+1 will bring important financial stability benefits from reduced counterparty credit risk in financial markets. It is important that firms and settlement infrastructures have robust plans for an orderly transition in October 2027. As part of this effort, the Bank looks forward to continuing dialogue with regulators in other markets which are pursuing similar changes.
The government has accepted all the recommendations made by the Accelerated Settlement Technical Group, which has created a detailed implementation plan to ensure a smooth transition to T+1, and confirmed that it will bring forward legislation to implement the change, including setting the date to move to the new standard.
Terms of Reference have been published for the next phase of the project, which will continue to be led by the industry taskforce with Andrew Douglas as chair and HMT, the FCA and the Bank as observers. Industry chairs from the EU and Switzerland have also been invited to observe the UK industry taskforce to encourage alignment across Europe.
The taskforce will oversee and manage implementation of the recommendations up until T+1 is successfully implemented, and for a short period afterwards to evaluate the short-term impacts.
The government, the Financial Conduct Authority and the Bank of England support the industry recommendation to move to T+1 settlement in UK markets by 11 October 2027 and call on the industry to engage with the recommendations and start their planning as soon as possible.
Notes to editors
Stakeholder commentary:
Tiina Lee, Chief Executive Officer of Citi UK said:
We welcome the move to a T+1 settlement cycle in UK markets and appreciate the hard work in achieving the alignment of timelines with the EU. Based on Citi’s experience with global investors, coordinated market reforms are critical to the growth and competitiveness of the UK. We look forward to working with other industry participants to ensure a smooth transition in October 2027.
Conor Hillery, Deputy CEO & Head of Investment Banking in EMEA, JP Morgan, said:
We welcome the Chancellor’s continued dialogue with UK financial services on its role in facilitating growth, which requires the right policy and regulatory framework. This move to a modern T+1 settlement cycle will contribute to keeping London as a competitive financial centre, so we support the government’s efforts to make it happen.
Clare Woodman, Head of EMEA and CEO of Morgan Stanley said:
We welcome the UK Government’s commitment to move to a T+1 settlement cycle in October 2027. The shift to a shorter settlement cycle will generate market efficiencies supporting the competitiveness of UK markets.
Additional notes:
The Accelerated Settlement Taskforce recommended that the UK should move to T+1 by the end of 2027. The Technical Group was set up to recommend a detailed implementation plan, including determining the detailed technical and operational changes needed to move to T+1 as well as recommending a precise implementation date.
The Bank will support the relevant financial market infrastructures (FMIs) it supervises during the transition to T+1. It will discuss with relevant FMIs their preparedness for T+1 settlement and will encourage them to take appropriate implementation action.
The businesses in attendance at the meeting in No11 were: JP Morgan; Blackrock; Abrdn; Morgan Stanley; Goldman Sachs; City; Fidelity; Schroders. Pictures will be uploaded to HM Treasury’s Flickr.
Flamingo Land has been accused of “shifting the goalposts and using “distortion and disinformation” in its desperate bid to build a garish and widely opposed mega-resort on the shores of Loch Lomond.
The application for a sprawling tourist resort on the southern shore of Loch Lomond at Balloch was unanimously rejected by the National Park’s board.
This came after 155,000 people lodged their objections through a long-running campaign led by Scottish Green MSP Ross Greer. Objections also came in from the Woodland Trust, Ramblers Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and environmental watchdog SEPA.
The appeal has been slammed as “desperate” by Mr Greer, who has submitted a detailed response accusing the developer of distorting facts, shifting goalposts and making false assertions.
“Flamingo Land’s appeal is based on distortion and disinformation. They are trying to shift the goalposts, bend the truth and misrepresent their own proposals. It is a desperate attempt to overturn the unanimous decision by the Park board to reject their application.
“Our campaign to save Loch Lomond from Flamingo Land’s destructive proposals secured a record 155,000 objections. The National Park’s own expert planning officers even opposed it, as did Scotland’s national environment watchdog, SEPA and the Community Council.
“The fact that Flamingo Land have come back with this outright nonsense shows the contempt they have for Balloch and Loch Lomond.
“They have spent a decade trying to exhaust the community into submission, but they have lost at every step. I urge the Scottish Government to reject these catastrophic plans and end this sorry saga.”
As Mr Greer documents in his objection, Flamingo Land’s appeal includes a number of errors and distortions:
Flamingo Land claims the National Park could have insisted the overall scale of the application be reduced. It is their responsibility as the applicant to reduce the size of their application, if that is what they think is necessary. Over the course of almost a decade they haven’t done this, they have just moved the pieces around the map. At no point during the planning hearing did they suggest a reduction in scale. Under planning law the Scottish Government must make a decision based on what Flamingo Land actually submitted, not a theoretical smaller application which they didn’t submit but seem to be suggesting now.
They are trying to use National Planning Framework policies on housing to argue in their favour, but this isn’t a housing development, it’s a tourist resort. Ross Greer’s submission states that this claim is outright misleading.
They claim the National Park’s assessment of the resort’s economic impact was ‘neutral’ when the Park report actually said ‘The scale of the development proposed with the identified risk of flooding, and reduction in the extent of woodland, is not compatable [sic] development in view of the National Park’s environment and economy.’
They are trying to claim an exemption from the flooding concerns which were fundamental to the National Park board’s rejection of their application, but still haven’t done the “further flood risk work” which SEPA say is required
They failed to update their Environmental Impact Assessment to reflect the (inadequate) flood mitigation proposals already included in the application. These mitigations would require groundwork in areas where their own testing found contamination close to the surface, creating a new risk.
Flamingo Land’s plans included two hotels, a waterpark, over 100 woodland lodges, 370 parking spaces, a monorail, shops, restaurants and more on the proposed site at Balloch. Their own assessment shows that this would result in over 250 additional car journeys per hour on local roads at peak times.
Headline: First festival to commence pill testing trial in NSW
Published: 19 February 2025
Released by: Minister for Health
The Minns Labor Government has announced Yours and Owls Festival on 1 and 2 March will be the first music festival to participate in New South Wales pill testing trial.
Illicit drugs remain illegal in NSW. The NSW Government reiterates that there will always be risks involved when consuming these substances and this announcement is not an endorsement of illicit drug use.
However, the trial is designed to help people make safer choices by connecting them with qualified health staff who can provide harm reduction advice.
The free and anonymous service allows festival goers to bring a small sample of substances they intend to consume to be analysed by qualified health staff to test for purity, potency and adulterants.
The pill testing service will be staffed by peer workers, health workers and analysts who will clearly communicate the limitations of drug checking to festival goers.
People will never be advised that a drug is safe to use. They’ll be advised that all drug use carries risks, and that the only way to avoid this risk is to not consume drugs.
Where needed, staff at the service can provide patrons with referral to health and welfare services available at the event or in the community.
NSW Health and NSW Police are working closely with festival organisers and other stakeholders to ensure safe and effective implementation of the trial at these events.
The trial will operate alongside other harm reduction and medical services at the participating festivals.
The trial will run for 12 months and will be independently evaluated. The government is working with other festivals on their prospective participation.
The trial comes after the Government’s Drug Summit concluded in early December. The Drug Summit co-chairs provided interim advice recommending a trial of music festival-based drug testing.
Further information on the NSW Drug Checking trial can be found here.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:
“Let me be clear, no level of illicit drug use is safe and pill testing services do not provide a guarantee of safety. There will always be risks involved when consuming these substances.
“However, this trial has been designed to provide people with the necessary information to make more informed decisions about drug use, with the goal of reducing drug-related harm and saving lives.
“Illicit drug use remains illegal in NSW. These services will not be made available to suppliers and police will continue to target them.”
Quotes attributable to Ben Tillman, Yours and Owls:
“We enthusiastically welcome this move by the NSW Government. Pill testing is something we have been fighting for, for some time now.
“While Yours and Owls maintains a zero-tolerance policy to illegal drugs, we are realists and see the abstinence-only approach as unhelpful. Pill Testing is not a panacea. However, it is a proven harm minimisation strategy that has been successfully implemented in many countries overseas for the past twenty or so years.
“Ultimately, we ask individuals to take responsibility for themselves and their decision-making to ensure they have a great time safely.
“We also encourage anyone who finds themselves or their mates in trouble to seek medical assistance immediately; there will be no judgment, you won’t get into trouble, patrons need to remember their safety and that of their mates is the most important thing.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Frank den Hartog, Professor of Information Systems, Research Chair in Critical Infrastructure, University of Canberra
DOGE employees – tech billionaire Elon Musk and his affiliates – have been granted access to sensitive personal and financial data, as well as other data critical for national security. This has created a national and international outcry, and serious concerns have been raised about data security, privacy and potential influence.
A group of 14 state attorneys-general attempted to have DOGE’s access to certain federal systems restricted, but a judge has denied the request.
Questions of trust
What are the deeper reasons behind this outcry? After all, Musk is far from the first businessman to gain political power.
There is, of course, US President Donald Trump himself, alongside many more on both sides of politics. Most of them kept running their businesses at arm’s length and went back to them after a stint in Washington.
So why are so many people alarmed now, but not before? The key word here is trust. Surveys suggest many people don’t trust Musk with this kind of access.
Does that mean we trusted the others? The foundation of modern cyber security is not to trust anything or anybody in the first place.
So while a lack of trust in Musk is one reason for disquiet, another is a lack of trust in the current state of cyber security in US government systems and procedures. And for good reason.
An insider threat
The situation in the US raises the spectre of what cyber experts call an “insider threat”. These concern cyber security incidents caused by people who have authorised access to systems and data.
Cyber security relies on controlling the so-called “CIA triad” of confidentiality, integrity and availability. Insider threats can compromise all three.
Authentication and subsequent authorisation of access has traditionally been an important measure to prevent cyber incidents from occurring. But apparently, that is not sufficient any more.
Perhaps the most famous insider incident in history is Edward Snowden’s leak of classified documents from the US National Security Agency in 2013. Australia too has had its share of insider breaches – the 2000 Maroochy Shire attack is still a textbook example.
Musk and his DOGE colleagues have now become insiders.
How to reduce the risk of insider threat
There are plenty of strategies organisations can follow to reduce the risk of insider threats:
more rigorous vetting of employees
giving users only the bare minimum access and privileges they need
continuously auditing who has access to what, and restricting access immediately when needed
authenticating and authorising users every time they access a different system or file (this is part of what is called a “zero trust architecture”)
monitoring for unusual behaviour regarding insiders accessing systems and files
developing and nurturing a cyber-aware culture in the organisation.
In government systems, the public should be able to trust these procedures are being rigorously applied. However, when it comes to Musk and DOGE, it seems they are not. And that’s where the core of the problem lies.
Clearances and a lack of care
DOGE employees without security clearance reportedly have access to classified systems which would normally be considered quite sensitive.
However, even security clearances offer no iron-clad guarantees.
Security clearances assume someone can be trusted based on their past. But past performance can never guarantee the future.
In the US, obtaining and holding a security clearance has become a status symbol. A clearance may also be a golden ticket to high-paying jobs and power, and hence subject to politics rather than independent judgement.
And it seems little care has been taken to keep users’ access and privileges to a minimum.
You might think DOGE’s employees, tasked with seeking out inefficiency, would only need read-only access to the US government IT systems. However, at least one of them temporarily had “write” access to the systems of the treasury, according to reports, enabling him to alter code controlling trillions in federal spending.
It all comes down to trust
Even if all possible access control and vetting procedures are in place and working perfectly, there will always be the problem of how to declassify information.
Or to put it another way: how do you make somebody forget everything they knew when their clearance or access is revoked or downgraded?
What Musk has seen, he can never unsee. And there is only so much that can be done to prevent this knowledge from leaking.
Even if all procedures to protect against insider threats are followed perfectly (and they aren’t), nothing is 100% secure.
We would still need a certain level of public trust that the obtained data and information would be dealt with responsibly. Has trust in Musk and his affiliates reached that level?
According to recent polling, public opinion is still divided.
Frank den Hartog is the Cisco Research Chair in Critical Infrastructure at the University of Canberra. He is an Adjunct Fellow at the University of New South Wales.
Abu Barkat Ullah is a steering committee member for the Canberra Cyber Hub and has received several research grants from Australian government and private organisations.
Released by: Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, Minister for Regional NSW
The Minns Government is providing Aboriginal businesses and organisations with business investment, skills development and training opportunities that will help them attract new customers, expand their operations and plan and prepare for the future.
A total of 42 Aboriginal businesses and organisations will receive a share of $5.6 million to invest in business mentoring and coaching, upskilling and training, the development of strategic business plans and governance frameworks and purchasing assets to expand operations.
The Aboriginal business sector in regional NSW is growing and access to training, development, and investment is vital for the success of both Aboriginal organisations and communities.
Dharra Jerky and Secret Harvest in Dubbo, Booma Food Group in Cessnock, Binjang Tea in Wellington, Deniliquin’s Barka Treats, and Native Botanical Brewery and Dream Builders on Country in the Central Coast are among the businesses who will boost production and pursue larger market opportunities through this funding.
The NSW Government is dedicated to closing the gap by removing barriers that hinder access to business training, mentoring and capital investment for Aboriginal people in regional NSW.
These growth opportunities have been made possible by $1.29 million from the NSW Government’s Regional Aboriginal Partnerships Program Round 2 and $4.33 million from the Regional Development Trust’s Aboriginal Economic Development Package.
According to a 2022 NSW Treasury report there are some 737 NSW Indigenous businesses registered with the Aboriginal procurement organisation, Supply Nation, the most of any state or territory.
Median annual revenue for these businesses is $303,000, with each employing a median full-time equivalent staff of 3.8.
Minister for Regional New South Wales Tara Moriarty said:
“Aboriginal businesses and organisations in regional NSW have a unique connection to land, culture and community, with traditional knowledge and cultural practices integrated into their businesses.
“Not only do Aboriginal businesses and organisations contribute to the regional local economies, but they also contribute to environmental sustainability and cultural development in regional communities.
“Getting the best training and resources into these regions is the first step in bridging skills gaps, supporting sustainable growth and creating jobs.”
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:
“The Minns Government is strongly committed to supporting Aboriginal-owned businesses and organisations to continue to grow and develop.
“By giving regional Aboriginal communities the tools they need we can help boost local economies now and into the future, promoting long term success.”
CEO of the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Deb Barwick said:
“Access to tailored mentoring, training and business development opportunities will allow Aboriginal businesses to strengthen their operations and expand their reach.
“Supporting the growth of Aboriginal businesses in regional NSW drives economic development and creates lasting, meaningful opportunities for local communities.
“This funding ensures Aboriginal businesses are equipped with the tools to build their capacity, improve governance and unlock their full potential.”
Aboriginal business Dharra Jerky founder Hayden Williams said:
“I started making jerky as a hobby about six years ago and I have been proud to watch it begin to bloom into something much bigger.
“This support is giving me a great opportunity to upgrade my equipment so I can take my small business to the next level.”
Proponent
Project name
Location
Yurruungga Aboriginal Corporation
Governance Enhancement Initiative for Yurruungga Aboriginal Corporation
Bellingen Shire Council
Gathangga Wakulda Aboriginal Corporation
Growing Atanga Wakulda
Port Macquarie-hastings Council
Djiyagan Dhanbaan Incorporation
Nyiirun Djiyagan Wakulda, Women’s Festival
Port Macquarie-hastings Council
Walhallow Local Aboriginal Land Council
Walhallow Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Business Capacity Building
Liverpool Plains Shire Council
Barka Treats
Dog Food Production Enhancement
Edward River Council
Bunyah Local Aboriginal Land Council
Bunyah LALC Guulabaa Cafe Enterprise Equipment
Port Macquarie-hastings Council
Binjang Tea
Binjang Tea Capacity Building: Fostering Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Business Growth
Dubbo Regional Council
Native Botanical Brewery
Native Botanical Brewery’s “Pops Country” Initiative: Cultivating Indigenous Heritage from Bush to Brewery
Central Coast Council
BS Ellis and ML Ellis
Business diversification and capacity uplift
Eurobodalla Shire Council
Strong Movement
The Athlete Performance and Conditioning Enhancement Program
Tamworth Regional Council
LORE AUSTRALIA PTY LTD
Develop a business plan to grow and expand LORE Australia
Bellingen Shire Council
Bugalwan Indigenous Corporation
Ma Banyahr
Central Coast Council
Strong Spirit Services Ltd
Strong Spirit Cultural Pathways Program
Port Macquarie-hastings Council
Aboriginal Advancement Alliance Trading As Acadiam
Buzz Bus Activating Communities Road Trip – engaging, aligning and pathways to local jobs
Cessnock City Council
Mingaan Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation
Mingaan Wiradjuri Aboriginal Corporation Website upgrade with booking platform
Lithgow City Council
Bangguri Gadhu Cultural Tours
Bermagui Survival Day
Bega Valley Shire Council
Bara Barang Corporation Ltd
Dream Builders On Country : Raspberry Fields Business Planning
Central Coast Council
Dharra Jerky
Expanding Indigenous-Owned Dharra Jerky: Strengthening Manufacturing, Retail, and Wholesale Operations for Regional Growth
Dubbo Regional Council
Red Chief Local Aboriginal Land Council
Red Chief Aboriginal Cultural Tourism Business Planning Initiative
Gunnedah Shire Council
Integr8y
Integr8y – Building Capacity for Aboriginal Business Growth through Tender and Grant Writing Expertise: A Strategic Approach to Securing Contracts and Economic Empowerment
Tamworth Regional Council
Brennan Cultural Enterprise Pty Ltd T/A Waagayamba Consultants
Igniting Growth: Empowering Aboriginal Businesses with Virtual Support and Mentoring
Clarence Valley Council
Mara-Mara Community Incorporated
Renovations To Mara-Mara Community Incorporated
Tamworth Regional Council
JA Berry & DJ Carney t/as Cafe2823
Cafe2823 Courtyard & Function Area
Narromine Shire Council
Euraba Paper Aboriginal Corporation
Euraba Paper Company upgrade project
Moree Plains Shire Council
Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative Limited
Community Capacity Development Project: Building Governance and Enterprise Development opportunities
Mid North Coast and North Western LALC regions
Secret Harvest Pty Ltd
Skin Care Manufacturing
Dubbo Regional Council
Twofold Aboriginal Corporation
Twofold Solar Energy System – Off Grid Solar System to supply campground and other buildings on site
Bega Valley Shire Council
Unkya Local Aboriginal Land Council
Gumbaynggirr Keeping Place – Completion & Activation Project
Nambucca Valley Council
Jaanymili Bawrrungga Aboriginal Corporation
Gumbaynggirr Native Seedling Enterprise: Cultivating Growth and Sustainability
Nambucca Valley Council
Native Botanical Brewery
Native Botanical Brewery Expansion Wambelong Creek Coffee “Bush to Brewery” initiative
Central Coast Council
Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council
Winjirra Events
Lake Macquarie City Council
Booma Food Group Pty Ltd
Booma Food Biz Growth
Cessnock City Council
Waminda South Coast Women’s Health & Wellbeing Aboriginal Corporation
Headline: Minns Labor Government cracking down on relationships between prison staff and inmates
Published: 19 February 2025
Released by: Minister for Corrections
The Minns Labor Government has changed the law to make it easier to convict prison staff who have sexual relationships with inmates.
Under the change, all sexual relationships between prison staff and inmates will be illegal, with staff facing criminal liability, including a potential prison sentence.
The Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 passed the NSW Parliament last nightand removes a requirement to prove that a sexual relationship between a member of staff and an inmate poses a risk to the safety and security of the prison.
The strengthening of the misconduct offence was recommended by the Special Commission of Inquiry into Offending by Former Officer Wayne Astill at Dillwynia Correctional Centre.
The inquiry found multiple failings in the management and culture at Dillwynia Correctional Centre and across the Corrective Services NSW system.
The Minns Labor Government accepted all 31 recommendations of the Inquiry, in full or in principle, as a commitment to lifting standards and restoring confidence in our prisons and improving safety for both staff and inmates.
The change is one of a number of amendments introduced in the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Amendment Bill 2024 to strengthen processes, enhance transparency, and improve Corrective Services NSW’s operations.
The Government is rebuilding trust in the NSW corrective services system through:
Installing hundreds of new CCTV cameras and a network-wide capacity to store and access footage for at least 90 days so that serious matters can be reviewed.
Establishing a new Sexual Misconduct Reporting Line and new advocacy service to ensure inmates can voice concerns.
All uniformed staff at Dillwynia Correctional Centre who work with inmates now have body-worn cameras.
Mandatory training for all new Corrective Services staff working in female correctional centres.
Corrective Services NSW has been elevated to a stand-alone agency directly accountable to the Minister and the Government.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Corrections Anoulack Chanthivong:
“Corrective Services staff engaging in sexual conduct with inmates is utterly unacceptable and a total abuse of authority, which is why it is now a crime in any circumstance.
“Such behaviour indicates a deplorable abuse of the staff’s position and a breach of their duty of care to the inmate.
“While the majority of our Corrective Services staff do the right thing, for those that don’t, the days of receiving a slap on the wrist are over.
“We have provided $30 million for priority reforms so far in response to the Astill Inquiry, including setting up a sexual misconduct line to provide a free and confidential avenue for inmates to report illegal behaviour.
“We’ve also increased the number of CCTV cameras in our prisons and boosted our capacity to store and access footage for at least 90 days, to enable serious matters to be reviewed more effectively.”