Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3
News story
AUKUS partnership strengthened with Prime Minister appointing new Special Representative
Sir Stephen Lovegrove appointed as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS.
Britain will maximise the benefits of AUKUS and unlock more opportunities across the historic partnership, following the Prime Minister appointing Sir Stephen Lovegrove as his Special Representative on AUKUS today.
AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership between the UK and two of its oldest and closest partners, Australia and the United States. It will enable Australia to field a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in the Indo Pacific; strengthen the defence industrial bases of both the UK and the US; and accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge technologies by all three countries. The AUKUS submarine programme is set to generate 7,000 additional British jobs, supporting the government’s Plan for Change to kickstart economic growth.
Sir Stephen will support the Defence Secretary and the National Security Adviser to drive the AUKUS programme forward. He brings a wealth of experience, having served as National Security Adviser at the time of the AUKUS announcement in 2021, the Prime Minister’s Defence Industrial Adviser, and as the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence.
Last year, the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary commissioned Sir Stephen to conduct a Review of the UK’s progress against its core commitments under AUKUS, identifying barriers to success, and setting out recommendations on how to unlock further areas of opportunity, both nationally and with the US and Australia. Sir Stephen presented his findings to the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary earlier this year. His report will be shared with US and Australian partners and a public version released in due course.
Defence Secretary, John Healey said:
AUKUS is a historic partnership which reinforces peace and stability across the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific, and will also provide thousands of highly skilled jobs and investment in communities across the UK. It shows how defence can be an engine for growth across our three nations while keeping us secure at home, and strong abroad.
Sir Stephen is fully committed to ensuring the UK plays a leading role within AUKUS and holds widely respected national security experience.
I am very grateful to him for taking up this appointment and look forward to working closely with him and our partners in the US and Australia as we take the AUKUS partnership to new heights.
Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS, Sir Stephen Lovegrove, said:
When the AUKUS partnership was announced in 2021 it was regarded, rightly, as the most significant capability collaboration since the Mutual Defence Agreement of 1958.
Since then, the strategic relevance of AUKUS has only increased. It is a uniquely powerful partnership which will develop and deliver cutting-edge capabilities, help to revitalise Britain’s defence industrial base and provide sustained employment for thousands of people across the UK, US and Australia.
I am delighted to accept the role as the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on AUKUS and I look forward to starting work immediately to help maximise the potential of this vital partnership.
Sir Stephen will begin his role as Special Representative tomorrow. He is travelling to Washington DC this week to present his Review findings to the US government and will then travel to Canberra to share findings with the Australian government after the conclusion of the Australian federal election.
The AUKUS partnership is supporting more unified defence and industrial collaboration, better information and technology sharing and greater resilience. The development of SSN-AUKUS and new cutting-edge military technologies under AUKUS Pillar’s One and Two will help grow the UK’s industrial base and improve the enabling environment. It represents a multi-billion-pound investment into UK industry, supporting thousands of new British jobs.
REVERE, Mass. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended an illegally present Guatemalan national charged with assault and battery family member and assault and battery on a child with injury. Officers with ICE Boston arrested Cosme De Leon-Barrios, 46, in Revere, Jan. 27.
“Cosme De Leon-Barrios is charged with brutally assaulting a child with an injury in our Massachusetts community,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “He represents a significant threat to the residents of New England that ICE Boston will not tolerate. We stand committed to our mission of prioritizing public safety by arresting and removing illegal alien threats to our neighbors.”
De Leon-Barrios illegally entered the United States on an unknown date, at an unknown location, and without being inspected, admitted, or paroled by a U.S. immigration official.
Officers with the Revere Police Department arrested De Leon-Barrios, Jan. 27, and charged him with assault and battery family member and assault and battery on a child with injury.
Officers with ICE Boston arrested De Leon-Barrios following his release from local custody. De Leon-Barrios remains in ICE custody.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
Learn more about ICE’s mission to increase public safety in our communities on X: @EROBoston
Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council, said:
“I was deeply concerned to hear about the stabbing in Blackbird Leys over the weekend. My thoughts are with the young person who was injured and with their loved ones at what must be a frightening and painful time.
“I have been in touch with Thames Valley Police and will continue to work closely with them and other partners to understand what happened and how we can respond together.
“Blackbird Leys is a strong and proud community, and I know many people locally will be feeling unsettled. I support the use of the Section 60 order and additional patrols as a short-term measure to help keep residents safe while police continue their investigations.
“I want to reassure residents that the Council is working alongside the police, youth workers and communities to ensure a visible presence and support for young people and families in the area.
“If you have any information that could help the police, please report it to Thames Valley Police or anonymously via Crimestoppers. We must all come together to tackle the causes of violence and keep our communities safe for everyone.”
If you have any information about the incident in Blackbird Leys on 6 April (incident reference 1366), please contact Thames Valley Police by calling 101 or via their website. You can also report anonymously via Crimestoppers.
UK Government must “meet the moment” with decisive action.
First Minister John Swinney has called for a new package of support for industry from the UK Government in the face of global economic uncertainty.
As financial markets react to global events, Mr Swinney has called on the Prime Minister and the Chancellor to change their fiscal rules and commit to a package of investment to support business, workers and consumers.
The First Minister said:
“We are currently enduring a time of global financial and economic uncertainty and volatility. But while we are not immune to global trends, we can be confident in the strength of Scotland’s economy
“Indeed, throughout my time in the United States since last week, there has been a clear confidence in Scotland as a place to do business and as a destination for investment.
“However, the global economy is clearly going through a time of upheaval and it is vital that we see strong action to meet the moment, support Scottish industry and ensure workers and consumers are protected.
“My government will continue to do everything in our power to do that, but given where powers over the economy sit, this will require clear, determined and decisive action from the UK Government.
“The old economic orthodoxies of Westminster will not be enough to meet a moment of real global challenge. The UK Government cannot meet this global uncertainty with austerity – we need to see a new approach which provides investment and support for industry as we are seeing in countries like Spain.
“It is now obvious that the era in which the UK Government’s fiscal rules were set is over. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor must accept that new reality, end their outdated commitment to the fiscal rules and deliver serious investment to support industry.
“And in the face of this economic volatility, the last move any serious government would implement is a tax on jobs. The increase in employer’s national insurance contributions was always the wrong move – but the Prime Minister should not risk further economic damage by making it more difficult for business to take on or keep staff. The Chancellor should abandon the national insurance hike immediately.
“The events of the last few days require truly bold action from the Prime Minister. He cannot simply respond to an unprecedented situation by continuing with a plan set in completely different circumstances and which already looks doomed to failure.”
Paula Radcliffe’s Families on Track relay event is returning to Silksworth on Sunday 13 April from 1pm.
Families are being invited to join in this fun family fitness event at Silksworth Sports Complex on the recently refurbished Silksworth Athletics Track. As a group, families need to complete the 8k (8,000 meters) of continuous running loops of various distances from 200m, 400m and 800m. Families can choose any combination of loops but must run a combined total of 8k. These loops are run individually before running the final stretch to the finish line all together.
Each team can be between three to five people, of which at least one must be under 16 and at least one over 18.
The relay event will give the whole family a chance to be active together, no matter their fitness level. This will be the first event to take place on the recently refurbished Silksworth Athletics Track which received £230,000 worth of funding from Everyone Active last November.
The event takes place on a closed running track and will be a safe and fun event. Everyone who completes the event will receive a medal, t-shirt and goodie bag.
After the run, families can extend their day of fun and fitness and participate in a range of rugby skills delivered by Active Sunderland and partners. This will take place on the 3G pitches near the athletics track. Anyone can take part no matter your age or ability and even without any experience of rugby. This is part of a Community Rugby programme delivered in the city in advance of Sunderland hosting the opening game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup on Friday 22 August at the Stadium of Light.
Come along and take part in some rugby themed games and try something new between 2pm and 4pm.
Councillor Beth Jones, Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “It is fantastic to see this event taking place and bringing families together for a fun day of exercise and sport.
“Paula Radcliffe’s Families on Track event is always so popular, it’s great to see it come back on our newly refurbished athletics track. And the free rugby skills sessions following are a good opportunity for residents to learn the sport and try something new ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup this summer.
“I’d like to encourage families to come and take part in this brilliant fun family fitness afternoon.”
Ian Bradgate, contract manager for Everyone Active said: “We are really looking forward to welcoming families from the local community to this fantastic event. This is a great opportunity to showcase our state-of-the-art athletics track to people of all ages and abilities, and we encourage everyone to get involved.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Two studies published in JAMA Neurology look at diabetes drugs and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Comments on both studies:
Prof Atticus Hainsworth, Professor of Cerebrovascular Disease, St George’s, University of London, said:
“These two studies have looked at drug prescribing databases, to assess whether diabetic medications impact on risk of Alzheimer’s, vascular and other dementia types. The findings are intriguing, even though they are somewhat contradictory. But nothing can substitute for a prospective, hypothesis-testing experiment, which in this context means a prospective clinical trial.”
Prof Mark Evans, University Professor of Diabetic Medicine & Honorary Consultant Physician, Institute of Metabolic Science & Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, said:
Background:
“It is increasingly apparent that there is an association between diabetes and increased risk of dementia. Although it is not clear how this association is mediated (and whether this is to do with elevated blood glucose from diabetes or a broader effect of diabetes for example on the circulation or inflammation pathways), the obvious pragmatic question arising is whether or not treating diabetes with glucose lowering therapies can reduce risk of dementia and importantly whether certain types of glucose lowering therapy are particularly effective.
“Newer glucose lowering treatments used in (type 2) diabetes seem to carry additional health benefits beyond just glucose lowering. For example, treatments that act via signalling at the GLP-1 receptor or by blocking SGLT glucose transporter channels have been shown to carry broader protective effects for the heart and kidneys.
“Some data already exist to suggest that these agents may also have brain-protective effects against the development of dementia. The evidence to date has largely fallen into two different types. Firstly, examining clinical trials of glucose lowering therapies where usually dementia is not the primary focus but in the clinical trials, investigators will document all health changes including a new diagnosis or change in dementia or cognition. Secondly, examining large real-world datasets for the association between diabetes, different types of therapy and a clinical record of dementia.
These two papers:
“These two papers cover each of these areas respectively. Seminer2et al have performed an analysis of clinical trials broadly similar to ones previously reported. They found that glucose-lowering therapies in general were not significantly associated with a reduction in dementia, although when comparing different types of therapy, GLP-1R targeted drugs but not those acting on SGLT channels were associated with a reduction in dementia. There are cautions arising from these data and the authors have acknowledge these appropriately. Overall, the absolute rates of dementia reported in the studies contributing to their analysis were relatively low which thus reduces the ability for this type of analysis to identify differences. There may be a number of reasons for this, for example the clinical trials were not designed to look in detail for possible changes in dementia.
“The other paper from Tang1 et al was a real-world analysis. Consistent with previous data, this did seem to show less dementia in those using either GLP-1R agonists or SGLT2 inhibitors. The authors were aware of the limitations of observational data. In other words, it may be that the type of person receiving these agents was different from the type of person prescribed other glucose lowering therapies. As an example, one obvious potential confounder from their paper was that the groups receiving GLP 1 agonist or SGLT inhibitor therapy were younger than the comparison groups.
General Reflection:
“Overall these papers whet the appetite for two large clinical trials (EVOKE and EVOKE+) that will complete towards the end of this year. These were specifically designed to look at whether semaglutide, a GLP 1 receptor agonist, can reduce progression of Alzheimer’s dementia and may give us a more definitive answer, at least for GLP 1 receptor agonist treatment.”
Prof David Strain, Associate Professor in Cardiometabolic Health, and a clinical geriatrician, University of Exeter, said:
“Living with diabetes is associated with twice the rate of decline towards both vascular and Alzheimer’s Type dementia. Although long-term high blood sugar is recognised to be warm contributor to this, there are many others including genetics, the body’s ability to produce insulin, episodes of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) and inflammation. For years, the best way of preventing this was to attempt to keep the sugar in the “goldilocks zone“ that is not too high but not too low.
“GLP-1 receptor antagonists (such as semaglutide and dulaglutide) and SGLT-2 inhibitors (such as dapagliflozin and empagliflozin) have been demonstrated to control the sugar, and also reduce the inflammation (a key driver of Alzheimer’s disease) and reduce vascular risk (a key driver of vascular dementia) more than would be expected by the sugar control alone. It is therefore no surprise that these data show a lower risk of dementia in people who receive them as part of her routine care.
“We must be cautious how we interpret these data though. Firstly, there were very small numbers of events in the randomised control trials and these were not fully validated so there is a possibility that there were many other cases of dementia missed, indeed that patients reported as having Alzheimer’s type dementia may have had other problems. In the database study, we can never be certain of other unmeasured factors that influenced the doctor to prescribe one medication over another. These may also have had an impact on whether a person would progress to dementia or not.
“It is also important to say this is talking about the risk of dementia in people with diabetes. We have recently seen benefit of the GLP-1 RAs for cardiovascular health in people who do not have diabetes, likewise the SGLT 2 inhibitors are regularly used in other conditions. Today’s studies will need to be replicated prospectively, in people with and without diabetes such as the work we are performing at the University of Exeter, to determine if we can help reduce the progression towards dementia in many more people in the country.”
Prof Naveed Sattar, Professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine/Honorary Consultant, University of Glasgow, said:
“These two papers on potential for GLP-1RA medicines to lower dementia risk are somewhat encouraging but they are FAR from definitive, given the design of one is observational and the numbers of people with dementia in the trial meta-analyses were incredibly small, leading to limited power. Hence, we need to await the results of ongoing randomised trials in this area before drawing sensible conclusions. There is optimism GLP-1RAs (and related medicines) may lower future dementia risk, however, given they favourably impact multiple diseases (cardiovascular, hypertension, kidney and diabetes) known to increase dementia risk, it might be that it is having a lower risk of stroke /heart disease and diabetes that actually then is linked to a lower risk of dementia. Hopefully, far more robust trial evidence – needed before any clinical implications are drawn – should be forthcoming in the near future.”
Dr Ivan Koychev, Clinical Reader in Neuropsychiatry and Consultant Neuropsychiatrist, Imperial College London and Central North West London NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“Both papers are of good quality. Tang et al is a large epidemiological study; the limitation comes from the fact that such designs limit the ability to draw conclusions about causality. Seminer et al look at clinical trial data where dementia and cognitive effects were not the primary targets of the studies. Therefore, it is possible that some of these effects were missed or over-reported due to the opportunistic nature of the data collection.
“The two studies add to a growing and remarkably consistent body of evidence that GLP1 receptor agonists associate with a reduction in dementia incidence. The Seminer et al paper is significant as it shows that GLP-1 RAs outperform SGLT-2 inhibitors in clinical trial settings. This suggests that the dementia protection effects are not due to glucose control mechanisms. Instead, inflammation and cerebrovascular effects are likely involved. Overall, these data support the urgent exploration of GLP1 RAs as a preventative treatment in people at risk for dementia.”
Prof Tara Spires-Jones, Director of the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Group Leader in the UK Dementia Research Institute, and President of the British Neuroscience Association said:
“The study by Tang1 and colleagues examined data from over 90,000 people with diabetes to determine whether treatment with two different glucose lowering drugs were associated with risk of developing dementia. Both glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RAs) and
sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor (SGLT2is) drugs were associated with reduced risk of developing dementia over 8 years from starting treatment compared to people taking other glucose lowering treatments. There was no difference in risk between people taking the GLP-1Ras and SGLT2is. This is a strong study that adds to the growing data suggesting that diabetes increases risk for developing dementia.
“The paper from Seminer2 and colleagues examined data from 26 clinical trials to determine whether glucose lowering treatments were associated with developing dementia. They observed that GLP-1Ras but not but not SGLT2is were associated with a reduction in dementia in these trials.
“Together, these data are encouraging for the potential of using GLP-1Ras to lower dementia risk in people with diabetes, but even within these 2 strong studies, there are slightly conflicting results over SGLT2is highlighting the need for further research. It is important to note that these drugs do have side effects and that they are not guaranteed to prevent dementia. The studies had important limitations including a relatively short follow up time. Future work will be important to understand how risk factors like diabetes and obesity increase risk of dementia to develop effective treatments and prevention strategies.”
Dr Emma Anderson, Principal Research Fellow and Associate Professor of Epidemiology in the Division of Psychiatry, UCL, said:
“Regarding the systematic review of glucose lowering therapies2, my comments are as follows:
“These results should be interpreted with caution for several reasons. Firstly, although an effect of GLP-1RAs was identified for all cause dementia, the heterogeneity in the studies included in this analysis was high (meaning that the studies included are not necessarily comparable, undermining the validity of the combined results). There was tentative evidence that this heterogeneity could have been explained, at least in part, by the proportion of women included in these studies.
“Secondly, there was no evidence of an effect of GLP-1RAs with either Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia; the two most common causes of dementia. Thus, overall, there is still a question around whether GLP-1RAs would actually reduce dementia risk.
“For the emulated target trial1, my comment is:
“This study should be interpreted with caution, as emulated target trials are as susceptible to confounding by indication bias as traditional observational epidemiology studies. This means that there is a possibility that the results they have observed are actually due to the underlying reason people are prescribed these glucose-lowering medications in the first place, rather than the medication itself. More robust study designs, which overcome this very important limitation, are needed before such conclusions can be made.”
Prof Masud Husain, Professor of Neurology & Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Oxford, said:
“For me, these new retrospective analyses suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists, particularly semaglutide, might reduce the risk of developing dementia in people with type 2 diabetes. But we need data from prospective trials to provide stronger evidence.
“The wider question of whether such drugs might also be protective against dementia in people who don’t have diabetes is a really intriguing one, and the focus of several ongoing clinical trials.”
Prof Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics, Open University, said:
“I’ll restrict myself to pointing out a few things about these two studies, which may well all be obvious. I’m writing as a statistician and did not spot any important statistical flaws – but I can’t comment on non-statistical aspects.
“Both studies are only in people who already had type 2 diabetes. I believe there’s been wider interest in whether GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs (GLP-1RAs), such as semaglutide (e.g. Ozempic or Wegovy) might reduce dementia risk, in people who are taking them for other reasons than having diabetes. These studies can’t directly tell us anything about that – though the wider context discussed in the linked editorial by Dr Diana Thiara does make some points about the wider context. That editorial is definitely worth reading to make sense of all this, in my view.
“At first sight it might look like a sort of contradiction that one1 of the studies (Tang et al.) found evidence of a decreased risk of certain dementias in people with type 2 diabetes taking either GLP-1RAs or drugs of another class (SGLT2is) used to lower glucose in people with type 2 diabetes, compared to people with type 2 diabetes taking other glucose-lowering drugs, while the other2 study (Seminer et al.) found no evidence that passed the usual statistical criteria that people with type 2 diabetes taking any of GLP-1RAs, SGLT2is, or another drug called pioglitazone did reduce all-cause dementia. It looks as if one is saying that, in people with type 2 diabetes, taking GLP-1RAs and SGLT2is is associated with reduced dementia risk, and the other is saying that it isn’t associated with reduced dementia risk. But there’s no contradiction, for the following reasons:
The Tang study1 has quite a complicated type of study design (target trial emulation), but that’s still a type of observational study and so cannot completely rule out the possibility that the differences it found in dementia risk are actually caused by something other than the drugs being taken. The Seminer study2 is a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials so doesn’t carry the same bias issues about cause and effect.
The comparator (control) treatments were different in the two studies. In the Tang study1, patients taking either GLP-1RAs or SGLT2is were compared with patients taking a different glucose-reducing drug. In the Seminer study2, patients taking the drugs were compared, in each of the RCTs they considered, with patients taking a placebo (that is, something with no active ingredients that otherwise is just like that drug under trial), so not a drug at all.
The two studies were considering different outcome measures. The Tang study1 considered only Alzheimer’s dementia and related dementias. The Seminer study2 included, as its primary outcome, dementia (of any type) or cognitive impairment.
“Therefore the two studies differ in terms of the treatments involved (taking the comparator, control, treatment into account), the type of study design, and the risk of bias. So direct comparison of their findings doesn’t make as much sense as you might think at first. Again, the Thiara editorial makes this all clearer, I think.
“Despite the overall finding of the Seminer2 meta-analysis that the three drug classes that it considered weren’t associated with a reduction in overall risk of dementia or cognitive impairment, on average, compared to controls taking a placebo, they found that GLP-1RAs (considered on their own, leaving out the other drug classes) were associated with a reduction in dementia risk.
“Tang found overall no difference between the risk of Alzheimer disease and related dementias between type 2 diabetes patients taking GLP-1RAs or SGLT2is, but it did find a lower risk in patients taking semaglutide compared to patients taking SGLT2is.
“Though both studies involved large numbers of patients overall, the number of patients who actually had a dementia diagnosis was pretty low, particularly for newer drugs, and the follow-up time was short, given how long it can take for dementias to develop. This is quite a big limitation.”
Dr Richard Oakley, Director of Research and Innovation, Alzheimer’s Society, said:
“Last year, the Lancet Commission in Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care – funded by Alzheimer’s Society – highlighted diabetes as one of 14 risk factors for dementia.
“Drugs that lower blood glucose are often used as part of diabetes treatment, and research has shown they might also be effective in reducing dementia risk.
“Whilst both of these studies found a link between GLP-1RAs and reduced dementia risk, only one found SGLT2is, another class of diabetes drug, were also associated with a reduced risk. More research is needed to properly understand how diabetes treatments may lower the risk of dementia, by tracking people for longer, especially as they get older.
“Alzheimer’s Society is interested to hear results from ongoing clinical trials of the GLP-1RA drug semaglutide for people with early Alzheimer’s disease, to learn whether these drugs can slow the course of the disease.”
Comments on just the Tang et al study:
Dr Leah Mursaleen, Head of Clinical Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
“This study1 used health records from nearly 400,000 people who had type 2 diabetes who were taking drugs called SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1RAs to control their condition. These drugs are usually taken to lower blood sugar levels in diabetes. The researchers compared these drugs with other standard medications used to manage diabetes to evaluate the risk of developing dementia.
“People who were taking the SGLT-2 inhibitors or GLP-1RA medications appeared to have a decreased risk of developing dementia compared with those taking other diabetes medicines.
“The results from this study support the growing evidence that GLP-1RA and SGLT-2 inhibitors medicines may be linked with a lower risk of developing dementia. We don’t know yet why these medicines may be protective, and will need more research to understand how they are affecting the brain.
“Clinical trials are already looking at the use of these types of drugs, including the EVOKE study, which is testing semaglutide (Ozempic) as a potential treatment for people with early Alzheimer’s.
“While the findings of this study are interesting, it’s important to consider whether any other factors might be influencing the results such as the severity of type 2 diabetes, health, income, and education.”
1: ‘GLP-1RA and SGLT2i Medications for Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias’ byHuilin Tanget al.was published in JAMA Neurology at 16:00 UK time on Monday 7 April 2025.
DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.0353
2: ‘Cardioprotective Glucose-Lowering Agents and Dementia Risk A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis’ byAllie Semineret al.was published in JAMA Neurology at 16:00 UK time on Monday 7 April 2025.
DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2025.0360
Declared interests
Prof Atticus Hainsworth: “I lead the Vascular Experimental Medicine team within DementiasPlatformUK:
Prof Mark Evans: “I have received personal fees from Medtronic, Ypsomed, Dexcom, Abbott, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, Zucara, Pila Pharma and research support from NovoNordisk, this includes a current PhD student who is funded by Novo Nordisk to examine the mechanisms underpinning the relationship between diabetes/ metabolic disease and dementia but does not include examining the effects of therapies. Abbott, Eli Lilly, Sanofi. The University of Cambridge has received salary support for MLE from the National Health Service in the East of England through the Clinical Academic Reserve.”
Prof David Strain: “I have received speaker fees from AstraZeneca (dapagliflozin) and Novo Nordisk (semaglutide). I lead the UK Stakeholders consensus document for the management of diabetes in older adults which the current UK guidelines are based.”
Prof Naveed Sattar “Has consulted for several companies that make diabetes medicines but also contributed to several lifestyle trials.
“For Novo Nordisk: have consulted for company in advisory boards but not on any of their weight loss drug trial committees; am on steering committee for ZEUS trial but this is not a weight loss trial product but anti-inflammatory. Do not have any shares either for any product in health etc.
“N.S. declares consulting fees and/or speaker honoraria from Abbott Laboratories, Afimmune, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Hanmi Pharmaceuticals, Janssen, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and Sanofi; and grant support paid to his university from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Novartis, and Roche Diagnostics.”
Dr Ivan Koychev: “IK has received speaker fees as well as an investigator initiated grant to explore the effects of semaglutide in people at risk for dementia from Novo Nordisk.”
Prof Tara Spires-Jones: “I have no conflicts with this study but have received payments for consulting, scientific talks, or collaborative research over the past 10 years from AbbVie, Sanofi, Merck, Scottish Brain Sciences, Jay Therapeutics, Cognition Therapeutics, Ono, and Eisai. I am also Charity trustee for the British Neuroscience Association and the Guarantors of Brain and serve as scientific advisor to several charities and non-profit institutions.”
Dr Emma Anderson: “I have no conflicts of interest.”
Prof Masud Husain: “I don’t have any conflicts of interest.”
Prof Kevin McConway: “Previously a Trustee of the SMC and a member of its Advisory Committee.”
Dr Richard Oakley: “No conflicts of interest to declare from Richard or the Society.”
Dr Leah Mursaleen: “Leah has no conflicts of interest to declare.”
The Safer Routes to School scheme near Manor Primary School includes school zone road markings, new signs, speed cushions, dropped kerbs at crossings and waiting/loading restrictions in Ettingshall Road and Foster Avenue.
A review of the location showed 2 collisions involving pedestrians at school drop off and pick up times in the last 3 years.
Councillor Qaiser Azeem, Cabinet Member for Transport and Green City at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “These measures are in response to calls for action at this location and follow consultation held on the proposals.
“It will improve safety by slowing traffic and ensuring roads near the school are kept free from vehicles parking dangerously.
“Creating a safer environment will encourage more families to walk to school improving healthy lifestyles, cutting carbon emissions and benefitting air quality.”
Work is due to begin on Wednesday 9 April and last about a week. Works prior to the school holidays will be carried out between 9.30am and 2.30pm.
Temporary 3 way traffic signals will be in place on Ettingshall Road on Friday 11 April and 14 April at the Foster Avenue and Nally Drive junctions.
Ettingshall Road will be closed on 15 April between the junctions of Nally Drive and Foster Avenue from 8am to 4.30pm with diversions in place and access to frontages maintained.
Ettingshall Road will also be closed on 16 and 17 April between the same junctions from 8am to 4.30pm with diversions in place and access to frontages maintained.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Scientists comment on the new Health Data Research Service, funded by the UK Government and the Wellcome Trust.
Understanding Patient Data,said:
“We welcome today’s announcement of a new health data research service, jointly funded by Wellcome and the UK government.
“The Health Data Research Service aims to create a secure single access point for existing datasets, streamlining the process for researchers and potentially speeding up life-saving medical breakthroughs.
“This is a valuable step towards implementing the Sudlow review recommendations and making better use of existing health data to support research, innovation, and improved health outcomes.
“At Understanding Patient Data, we’ve consistently seen that people are supportive of their data being used for public benefit — when there are clear safeguards in place, transparency about how decisions are made, and visible patient and public involvement in decision-making. The governance arrangements put in place for the health research service need to meet these expectations to ensure that public trust is earned and maintained.
“In light of ongoing financial pressures and substantial change to how the NHS is managed, continued investment in public engagement is more critical than ever. The health data research service has the opportunity to build strong foundations from the start: transparent governance, clear accountability, and a commitment to delivering measurable public benefit.”
Janet Valentine, Executive Director Innovation and Research Policy, ABPI said:
“The scale and ambition of the Prime Minister’s announcement today shows he understands the huge opportunity for the UK to be a global leader in clinical research, and that unlocking research access to health data and speeding up the set-up of clinical trials are fundamental to achieving that goal.
“Public and patient confidence in the responsible use of health data will be critical to the success of the service, which is why the government is right to work closely with a trusted partner like the Wellcome Trust.
“To make the most of this opportunity, it will be essential to build on the existing strengths and expertise within the UK health data system. It will also be vital that the pharmaceutical industry, as a major investor in research and development of innovative medicines, plays an integral role in the design and implementation of the new health data research service.”
The nature of this story means everyone quoted above could be perceived to have a stake in it. As such, they are implicit in each person’s affiliation.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave remarks at Jaguar Land Rover manufacturing site in the West Midlands.
Thank you Rachel and thank you Adrian.
And can I just say a big thank you to the entire workforce here. Some of you are here with us this afternoon. I just want to say thank you for showing us what you do. We have been able to see some of the skill and experience that you put into this incredible product, years and years in the making and the technology.
But thank you also for making us proud to be British, because as each car rolls off here, that is rolling off your production line. That is your commitment, your toil, your work, your professionalism. But it is then a product which you should be rightly proud of, and we are really proud of as a country.
I know how much you put into that, and I want you to know just how much we appreciate what you do.
Thank you for everyone for joining us this afternoon.
Jaguar Land Rover, our leading exporter of goods, employing thousands of people across the West Midlands and beyond.
That proud symbol of British engineering brilliance. And brilliance is the right word. It is our industrial heritage, but also in my strongly held view, it is our industrial future, not just our heritage.
My message to you is simple: these are challenging times, but we have chosen to come here because we are going to back you to the hilt.
I think it’s really significant that after the announcement on Wednesday, we had Adrian with us in Downing Street at 7 o’clock the next morning, and here we are on Monday, so read into that a statement of intent because it is a statement of intent about how important this is for you, for us and for the country.
As Rachel has said, there is no doubt about the challenge, but this is a moment for cool heads.
No one wins from a trade war.
But it is also a moment for urgency.
Because we have to rise, together as nation to the great challenge of our age, and it is the great challenge to renew Britain so that we are secure in this era of global instability.
Nobody is pretending that tariffs are good news. You know that better than anyone.
25% tariffs on automative exports. 10% on other goods.
That is a huge challenge to our future. The global economic consequences could be profound. But this moment has also made something very clear.
That this is not a passing phase. And just as we’ve seen with our national security and defence, particularly in relation to the war in Ukraine, now with our commerce and trade,
This is a changing and completely new world.
An era where old assumptions, long taken for granted, simply no longer apply.
Before the election – I called it an age of insecurity. And that is the right phrase. Insecurity. Because that’s how this is felt in the lives of working people. Insecurity and worry for builders, for carers, for nursers, for factory workers like people here in Coventry, working harder and harder for the pound in their pocket, yet watching this rising tide of insecurity threaten to sweep away the things we cherish in our communities.
Trust me – I know people will be feeling that right now.
But to those people, I say, we have your back.
This government will not just sit back and hope.
That is how politics has failed you in recent years.
Attempting to manage crises without fundamental change just leads to managed decline.
So no – we’re going to seize the possibilities.
Fight for the future. On defence spending, on AI, on clean British energy and on manufacturing, including car building.
Make those forces work for Britain. Rewire our economy and our state so that once again they serve the interests of working people.
This is why we are rewiring the state completely.
Ripping up the regulation that stops it being a force for good.
Building new homes, new towns, new infrastructure.
Accelerating the investment that will finally unlock the potential of every community.
And let me be really clear as well. Our future is in our hands.
And so of course – we will keep calm and fight for the best deal with the US and we have been discussing that intensely in the last few days.
But we’re also going to work with our key partners to reduce barriers to trade across the globe.
Accelerate trade deals with the rest of the world and champion the cause of free and open trade – right across the globe. And just like car building, that has always been our heritage – and we won’t turn our backs on it now.
And look, when it comes to the US, I will only strike a deal if it is in the national interest. If it is the right thing to do for our security. If it protects the pound in the pocket that working people, across our country, work so hard to earn for their family.
That is my priority. That is always my priority. Strength abroad – security and renewal at home.
And on that journey of renewal we take another step today with our car industry.
You know, there are people in this country who love to talk down our manufacturing. They say – we don’t make anything important anymore. ‘That’s not Britain’. Well – I would invite anyone who thinks like that to come here and see what you do in this factory.
Anyone who is talking down manufacturing. Come here to Jaguar Land Rover and see what you are doing and they wouldn’t say that again.
Because just as I’ve said, when we were going around earlier, what I saw made me proud.
And I hope that if I feel proud of what you are doing, you are entitled to feel proud of what you are doing.
This is British brilliance in the flesh.
You’re making cars here – but you’re also representing our country with each car as it departs. That’s the pride that always goes with making things.
And I’ve said it many times before, but I will say it again: my dad worked in a factory. He was an engineer. He made things with his hands. And he taught me as I was growing up, you should value the things that we make.
And that’s what brilliant about manufacturing. And manufacturing shapes the identity of a place. This place, and of a community and a country. And that’s how it gets in your blood.
Which is why electric vehicles are so important. Yes – of course it’s about the climate and you won’t hear me undermining the urgency of that cause.
But it’s also about taking the pride, the heritage, the identity of places like this and securing it for the future.
That’s what the previous government never understood. The link between manufacturing and who we are as a country.
But those days are over. They are finished. This is a government of industrial renewal.
Because my choice, in this volatile world is to back British brilliance.
I believe that British car companies should be at the forefront of the electric revolution. This is a race we belong in.
And so I think EV targets are a good thing.
They are good for the climate. Good for business certainty and investment. Good for British manufacturing.
But I accept – those targets have to work for British manufacturers.
And I don’t want British firms, like this one put in a position where you have to pay a hefty fine or buy credits from foreign EV companies.
So today – we’re going to introduce much more flexibility into EV mandates.
We’re going to help car companies based in Britain reach the targets in a way that supports growth.
We’re going to cut any fines – which I do not want or expect to see – by 20% and any money that is raised – would be invested directly back into support for the British car industry.
We’re also going to take action on hybrids because these cars make a massive difference to reducing emissions.
I mean, if you drive a Toyota Prius around town. Or, perhaps if you work here, a Range Rover you probably spend a lot of the time in electric mode. So I think for these vehicles a 2030 ban is too soon. So we’ll push that back to 2035 – for all hybrids. That’s a new step we are taking and a new announcement today.
And because we’re not ideological about how we cut carbon emissions, we’ll also make sure that cleaner, efficient, petrol cars sold before 2030 count towards your EV mandate. That will be good for British car manufacturers like this one.
As Rachel has said, we are also putting £2.3 billion pounds into the British car industry, giving people tax breaks worth hundreds of millions of pounds a year to help them switch to electric.
Improving charging infrastructure. That is a massive factor when people are thinking about switching and our approach means we are seeing a new public charging point popping up every half an hour.
Because this is the moment when we back British business and charge up the electric revolution.
British electric cars running off clean British power, made by British workers.
British cars for British workers!
And as you know by the way switching to electric can also save you up to £1100 a year so if we get this right it can help the cost of living as well.
But look – it’s not just our car industry we need to back.
In the coming days and weeks, we are going to use industrial policy to shelter British business from the storm.
Take our life sciences sector, another shining example of British brilliance. An absolutely pivotal part of our export economy. We’re going to back them, as well.
We’re going to rip up the red tape. Cut the stifling bureaucracy that slows down clinical trials. Now Britain used to be better at this but we’ve taken our foot off the pedal.
The latest data says it takes over 250 days to set up a clinical trial. I’m going to slash that to 150.
And on top of that, I can also announce – a new investment up to £600 million in a new Health Data Research Service. A welcome partnership with the Wellcome Trust strengthening the genome cluster in Cambridge.
Making sure that patient data in our NHS is unlocked for the public good. An opportunity for growth – but more importantly to save lives with cutting edge medicine and Britain is so good at this.
We saw that in the pandemic. And we now need to pick up the pace again. This country has never waited around for history to shape us. We have shaped history – and we will do so again now.
Take our future into our hands. Do everything necessary to defend our national interest.
Strengthen our alliances, increase our defence power, support our businesses, jobs and workers.
Rebuild, in defiance of a volatile world, our industrial strength.
That is the purpose of this Government. Security and renewal. The world may be changing but we are driving forward securing our future with a clear Plan for Change.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Prime Minister turbocharges medical research
Better and faster access to NHS data for researchers with gold standard security and privacy measures.
Latest in a series of pro-growth measures to build a strong, resilient economy with more well-paid jobs.
Changes will help make Britain the best country in the world for medical research, driving growth that puts more money in people’s pockets as part of the Plan for Change.
Next step in delivering the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and unlocking the potential of the Oxford‑Cambridge Growth Corridor.
The Prime Minister has today announced action to accelerate the discovery of life-saving drugs, improve patient care and make Britain the best place in the world for medical research.
The Government and the Wellcome Trust will invest up to £600 million to create a new Health Data Research Service. This will transform the access to NHS data by providing a secure single access point to national-scale datasets, slashing red tape for researchers.
Clinical trials will also be fast-tracked to accelerate the development of the medicines and therapies of the future, with the current time it takes to get a clinical trial set up cut to 150 days by March 2026 – where latest data collected in 2022 was over 250 days. This will be achieved by cutting bureaucracy and standardising contracts so time isn’t wasted on negotiating separate details across different NHS organisations, and ensuring transparency by publishing trust level data for the first time.
Through this new drive, patients will have improved access to new treatments and technologies. We already saw the power of health data during the pandemic and this will allow the NHS to make huge strides in patient care.
The changes are a major boost for the life sciences sector as the Government goes further and faster in delivering the Plan for Change and reshaping our economy in response to the new era of global insecurity.
They follow key steps to support the British car industry and form part of our modern Industrial Strategy, which includes life sciences. Full plans will be published alongside the Spending Review later this year.
Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said:
The new era of global insecurity requires a Government that steps up, not stands aside.
That is why we are going further and faster in reshaping our economy and delivering our Plan for Change.
Life sciences, like our brilliant car industry, is a great British success story.
The measures I am announcing today will turbo-charge medical research and deliver better patient care. I am determined to make Britain the best place in the world to invest in medical research.
That is not just good for patients and their families. It means growth that puts more money in working people’s pockets with more, better paid jobs.
Patient confidentiality will continue to be held to a gold standard with these changes – with rigorous security measures being in place, like anonymity and virtual locked rooms, to ensure no one’s health data is compromised.
The Health Data Research Service brings access to data for medical research into one secure and easy-to-use location, meaning a researcher doesn’t have to navigate different systems or make multiple applications for information for the same project.
This improvement – which will begin from the end of 2026 – will speed up the process and could set the UK on a path to cure cancer, dementia, and arthritis quicker, which will improve patient outcomes and help turbocharge the economy.
It follows the recent decision to scrap NHS England to do away with unnecessary bureaucracy and make government work better for people, patients, and the economy.
The new service will be housed at the Wellcome Genome Campus in Cambridgeshire, where Wellcome is building a range of new R&D lab and office spaces to expand the current campus’s capacity for innovative genomics and biodata companies.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Wes Streeting, said:
Our Plan for Change will unleash the unparalleled power of NHS data, catalysing our efforts to fix the broken health service.
We will unblock the barriers preventing our greatest scientists from safely accessing what they need to save patients’ lives – while keeping data secure.
This venture will drive vital investment into the UK and put us at the epicentre of breakthroughs in science.
If we can combine the care of the NHS with the ingenuity of our world-leading scientists, our health service could truly become the envy of the world.
Science Secretary, Peter Kyle, said:
Building an NHS fit for the future is central to this government’s Plan for Change. Ensuring our research community can access the data which will drive untold improvements for patients across the country is key to that ambition.
This is a service which has truly transformative potential – giving health experts access to the insights they need to drive forward more research and more clinical trials quicker than ever before.
Protecting the data and anonymity of patients is non-negotiable. That’s why we’re also putting robust protections in place to make sure the incredible benefits we will all receive from this service will never come at a personal cost.
Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, said:
Improving health for future patients and future generations depends on medical research, and that depends on data.
Bringing health data together will allow scientists to understand diseases, to prevent them and to develop new treatments more quickly and more effectively to improve future health.
John-Arne Røttingen, Chief Executive of Wellcome, said:
There is so much more we could learn from health data in this country by joining it up better.
The new service will give researchers a way to easily harness the data held across different parts of the NHS. The simpler it is to analyse data or identify patients to join clinical trials, the more quickly we can improve our understanding of illness and develop new treatments.
Providing a single, secure service for approved researchers will take away the significant overhead associated of locating, accessing and comparing disparate datasets. It will create opportunities for patients to access new treatments through trials that would otherwise have been hard to arrange or conduct.
We’re pleased to be providing our support to help establish the new service quickly. This public-philanthropic partnership will put public trust in the use of health data at the heart of its approach.
Dr Vin Diwakar, National Director of Transformation at NHS England, said:
We’ve seen over the past few years the vital role that research plays in improving healthcare – from the rollout of the Covid vaccine to the development of new cancer treatments – and this new service will transform how that research is carried out.
The Health Data Research Service will remove the complexities of accessing data through multiple systems while making sure the very highest security and privacy measures remain in place, including using secure data environments to protect patient confidentiality and ensure NHS data doesn’t leave NHS IT systems.
We’ll continue to seek feedback from the public as we develop the service and will only allow access to NHS data where there is likely to be a direct benefit to NHS patients – so that health researchers can get the data they need faster, and patients can benefit from advances in treatments much sooner.
Executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, Dr Ian Walker, said:
This is a welcome and much-needed investment from the government. The information held within NHS data could help to improve our understanding of diseases like cancer and contribute to the creation of effective new treatments.
Despite its huge potential, access to this data has long been a significant challenge for the research sector, and anything that unleashes the power of NHS data, whilst protecting the security and anonymity of patients, will help enormously.
The UK can lead the world in data science for the benefits of patients both at home and abroad. It will be essential to consult with patients every step of the way.
STAKEHOLDER REACTION
Professor Cathie Sudlow, Former Chief Scientist and Strategic Advisor, Health Data Research UK, and author of the Sudlow Review: Uniting the UK’s Health Data: A Huge Opportunity for Society, said:
Today’s announcement of a Health Data Research Service, a central recommendation of my recently published review of the UK’s health data landscape, is a major step forward for UK health research. It has the potential to be a game-changer, by accelerating secure, trustworthy, data-driven research to improve patient care and public health for the tens of millions of people in this country and beyond.
The service should enable faster, more reliable access for approved researchers to the data needed to tackle society’s most pressing health research needs – to develop and test new approaches for preventing, diagnosing and treating health conditions such as cancer, dementia, heart disease, depression, arthritis and infectious outbreaks. It should support better studies, quicker answers for the health and care system and, ultimately, faster, better outcomes for patients and their families.
Turning this investment from the UK Government and Wellcome into something that delivers will demand focus, cooperation across multiple organisations, attention to detail and – crucially – ongoing, meaningful involvement of patients, public and health and care professionals. However, with the UK’s rich health data assets and strong life sciences and data science research capabilities, I am confident that we can make this work for everyone’s benefit.
Nicola Perrin, Chief Executive of the Association of Medical Research Charities, said:
The announcement of a Health Data Research Service is excellent news – for patients, for the NHS and for UK life sciences. Sustained, ringfenced funding – from the Government and Wellcome as a charitable funder – is the best way to unlock the power of NHS data to transform research and to improve health outcomes.
This partnership is exactly what is needed to help to ensure a trustworthy approach, and to build confidence among public, patients and healthcare professionals which will be so crucial for success. We look forward to engaging closely with the new HRDS as the plans develop, building on and consolidating the multiple initiatives that currently exist for data access.
Dame Cally Palmer, Chief Executive of The Royal Marsden, said:
I’ve seen first-hand how harnessing NHS data can accelerate and improve cancer research – so today’s news is hugely welcome for cancer patients and researchers alike.
By offering our world leading researchers a centralised, convenient and highly secure central hub for medical research, innovative and potentially life changing developments could become more likely, helping to transform cancer patient lives.
Emma Walmsley, Chief Executive Officer, GSK, said:
We welcome the ambition and urgency of today’s announcements on health data and clinical trials. The UK has unique potential to bring health data securely together with an NHS system that recognises the value of innovation, to accelerate and deliver the next generation of medicines and vaccines for patients. This offers value to society and to the economy. What matters now is execution at pace and we stand ready to support.
Hilary Evans-Newton, Chief Executive of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said:
This is a game-changing initiative that could drive faster progress for people with dementia and bring us closer to a cure. Better access to high-quality NHS data will help researchers understand the diseases behind dementia in greater detail, spot those at risk sooner, and develop effective new treatments more quickly.
The UK is home to some of the most detailed, nationwide, life-long health datasets in the world, with huge potential to transform how we prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat major health conditions. But right now, researchers face barriers that stop them unlocking this data’s full, life-saving power. By cutting red tape around data access and clinical trials, the UK can accelerate the development of new diagnostics and treatments, and become a magnet for global investment. Dementia is the nation’s biggest killer, and with no treatments currently available on the NHS that slow or stop the condition, this momentum couldn’t come at a more urgent time.
To make the new Health Data Research Service work, people affected by dementia must be at the heart of how the system is designed. With the right safeguards in place, trusted access to NHS data can be a powerful force for good – helping the UK lead the world in life sciences and transform the outlook for everyone affected by dementia in the UK.
Dr Samantha Walker, Director of Research and Innovation at Asthma + Lung UK, said:
The new health data service has the potential to make a huge difference to the health of the nation. Improved access to such a wealth of data is fantastic news for health research, and will help researchers better understand lung disease, which will affect 12 million people in the UK during their lifetime.
Decades-long underinvestment has left lung research on life support. But this new investment into data will help scientists better understand early development and progression of lung disease, ultimately leading to better diagnosis, treatment and management.
Every five minutes, someone in the UK dies a from lung condition. Urgent action is needed to increase investment into lung research to give everyone fighting for breath a future. Because breakthroughs can happen and when they do, they save lives. Our vision is a world where everyone has healthy lungs.
Professor James Leiper, Director of Research at the British Heart Foundation, said:
This investment in the huge potential of data science is a welcome and farsighted move.
Health data has the power to give us unparalleled insights into cardiovascular disease, and will supercharge research which promises to save lives in the years to come.
Ensuring cardiovascular researchers have simplified access to the wealth of data the NHS holds, while also ensuring security and patient confidentiality, will place the UK at the cutting edge of data science for health. We look forward to hearing further detail on plans in the coming months.
Jacob Lant, Chief Executive at National Voices, said:
As patients, our health records can fuel a revolution in medical research that will both help the NHS and ensure communities across the country get faster access to groundbreaking new treatments.
The Government’s new partnership with the Wellcome Trust can unlock this potential by offering scientists easier access to data, but crucially also giving the public concrete guarantees around data security and anonymity. This is vital to building the public trust needed to move forward and realise the full benefits of modern medical research.
Dr. Sam Barrell, CEO of LifeArc, said:
Rapid, transparent, and secure access to high-quality linked health data is essential for translation of research into tangible patient benefit. This is especially crucial for those with rare diseases, where large-scale data and international collaboration are vital.
Today’s funding announcement is a welcome signal to the sector that the UK is committed to making life science life changing, powered by health data.
Kieran Winterburn, Alzheimer’s Society’s Head of National Influencing, said:
Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. Research will beat dementia, but we need to make it a reality sooner – through more funding, more partnership working, better access to data and more people taking part in dementia research.
That’s why Alzheimer’s Society welcomes the Prime Minister’s announcement today that red tape will be slashed for researchers, with a new secure, single access point to NHS data. Dementia researchers can face gridlock with a lengthy and complex process to access NHS data, navigating through various systems to gather the information they need for vital population and clinical studies.
As well as improving access to existing data, we also need to see improvements in the recording, analysis and collation of health data generally. There’s a serious disconnect between the scale and urgency of dementia as a condition and the relative scarcity of existing data on it. Having more data on dementia published will be crucial to improving diagnosis, care, and service planning.
We’re so proud that Alzheimer’s Society-funded research 30 years ago led to the breakthroughs in disease-modifying treatments we’ve seen recently. Research we fund now, powered by better access to data, will be pivotal in unlocking more breakthroughs.
Dr Jeanette Dickson, Chair of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, said:
We know the UK can deliver high quality international practice-changing research and this tremendous initiative will enable our scientists to perform at their best by providing safe access to essential data – which in turn will improve care, speed up innovation and drive economic growth.
Anna Steere, Head of Understanding Patient Data, said:
This is a really welcome step toward improving how health data is used to speed up research and deliver public benefit. Research shows that people are generally supportive of their data being used in this way — but they want to see transparency, strong governance and security at the heart. We are pleased to see a commitment to working with patient groups in shaping how the service is designed and run. Getting this right from the outset is key to building lasting public confidence.
Professor Ford is also the Co-Founder and Director of the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank in Wales, said:
I am really delighted to hear of this recent announcement, which will bring a very substantial and much needed investment into the UK’s data infrastructure. The SAIL Databank looks forward to playing its part in making the new exciting vision a reality.
The National Data Guardian, Dr Nicola Byrne, said:
Access to data is essential for researchers and innovators to transform great ideas into real health improvements. With the right safeguards in place, the public is eager to see data used to drive new treatments, improve services, and tackle health inequalities.
To maintain the public’s trust, it’s crucial that data security, clear public benefits, and full transparency around data access and use remain at the forefront. I look forward to working with others to ensure the new Health Data Research Service meets these expectations, unlocking the power of data to benefit patients and the public alike.
Professor Andrew Morris, Director of Health Data Research UK, said:
As a doctor and researcher, the announcement of a Health Data Research Service is a day many of us have been waiting for. It is a big investment in the future health of the nation.
We have a rich abundance of health data in this country thanks to the NHS. The team at HDR UK demonstrated for the first time last year that UK wide studies harnessing data on 68M people is possible for public benefit. But the system remains slow and fragmented which means that safe and secure research using the data is delayed or prevented for months and years. This is stalling advances that could benefit millions of patients and is wasting taxpayers’ money and medical charity donations invested in research.
A Health Data Research Service was the main recommendation of the Sudlow Review, which offered a set of solutions to tackle these problems and for which Health Data Research UK provided the secretariat. So I am delighted that within a few months of publication.
Ending Violence against Women and Girls Conference Armagh City Hotel Armagh 31 March 2025 CREDIT: LiamMcArdle.com
“Violence against women and girls is a very serious challenge in our society – and one that affects everyone. It is a problem that is hidden in plain sight and every day impacts the lives of women and girls, in our schools, in our communities, and in our workplaces.
“Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council stand committed to challenging harmful attitudes towards women and girls, and to work to promote a culture of respect and equality. To create a community where women and girls are safe, respected, and empowered. So that every woman and girl can live with dignity, safety and freedom.”
This was the message from the Deputy Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Kyle Savage at a recent, hard-hitting conference addressing the serious issue of ending violence against women and girls.
Entitled ‘It’s In Your Hands’, the conference had around 200 attendees and featured a number of high profile speakers who covered topics including coercive control, partner violence, what a healthy relationship should look like and how we can educate everyone in our communities to prevent abuse and harm against women and girls.
There were also interactive sessions where those in attendance could really think about the impact that they can make – as individuals and organisations – to help make the borough a safer place for women and girls.
Speakers included Dr Ngozi Anyadike-Danes, a Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice at Ulster University, Marcella Leonard MBE and Noel McNally who bravely spoke about his daughter Natalie.
This event was organised by Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and funded by The Executive Office.
For more information on this issue please log onto https://www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/safeguarding/
Plans for new football and basketball facilities in Southwick to help tackle inequalities in access to sport are taking a step closer to being delivered.
The start of the construction phase of a Football Foundation PlayZone in Southwick, has been made possible thanks to Sunderland City Council securing a £198,076 grant from the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, £10,000 from North Sunderland Area Committee and £34,955 from the city’s Healthy City Fund.
The new multi-sport pitch will be one of more than 200 PlayZones to be delivered across the country, offering a wide range of opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to be active in a way that suits them and get involved in sport and physical activity.
This investment will support the development of brand-new facilities, as well as bringing back to life old facilities through refurbishment works. The PlayZone will also include smart -access technology and a booking system.
The PlayZone in Southwick will be managed by Southwick Neighbourhood Youth Project and will be open to the public to book seven days a week.
Ruth Walker, who operates the project, said: “This is an exciting development for the area, bringing a former games area back to use and making the area look great, it’s going to be fantastic. The new facility is for the local community to use, it’s going to make an enormous difference to getting our local community active as well as giving young people something positive to do.”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation said: “When it comes to tackling the greatest inequalities to becoming active, the Football Foundation knows a ‘one-size fits all’ approach doesn’t work. That’s why community engagement is at the heart of our PlayZones programme.
“As with all PlayZones, the new facility in Southwick has been shaped by the local community who’ll be able to step out onto the pitch and get active in a way that suits them.
“Thanks to the funding we receive from our partners – the Premier League, The FA and Government, the Foundation will be delivering over 200 PlayZones like this one across the country.”
Cllr Beth Jones Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Tourism at Sunderland City Council, said: “We are delighted to have been able to secure this funding from the Football Foundation to help regenerate a local community.
“The PlayZone represents our commitment to ensuring that sport, physical activity and play are central to the well-being of communities and that everyone can access safe and modern facilities. This space will not only enhance physical well-being but also serve as a gathering place for families and friends to develop new, positive experiences with sport, play and physical activity.”
The Scottish Government’s Housing Bill amendments do not go far enough in tackling sky high rents or supporting tenants, say the Scottish Greens.
The comments, from Green MSP Maggie Chapman, come as the government has published amendments to the upcoming Housing Bill that would allow rent increases to the level of the CPI annual rate of inflation plus 1%, up to a maximum increase of 6% in rent control areas.
There are no plans in place to provide protection for tenants since the government allowed protections introduced by the Scottish Greens to expire last week.
Ms Chapman said:
“The Housing Bill can and must be the biggest extension of renters rights since devolution, and should finally end the grip that the landlord lobby has on the rights and wellbeing of tenants.
“That is what was at the heart of the Bill that Patrick Harvie introduced when he was a Green Minister.
“I don’t believe that what the government is proposing goes far enough. It certainly doesn’t live up to the scale of the crisis that far too many are facing. They would see above inflation hikes even in areas where rents and living costs have been allowed to spiral out of control.
“We will be publishing proposals in the days ahead that will take a very different approach and will offer support and stability to people and families on the frontline of the housing emergency.
“Homes are for living in and not for squeezing every last penny of profit from. Everyone deserves a warm, comfortable and affordable place to call home, and it is crucial that the Housing Bill delivers that.”
Last week the Scottish Government allowed renter protections introduced by the Scottish Greens to expire, removing an effective cap on the worst rent hikes.
Ms Chapman added:
“By allowing renter protections to expire the Scottish Government has thrown people to the mercy of a broken market and rogue landlords who have proven that they cannot be trusted.
“There are few things that create as much anxiety and poverty as rip-off rents. Our parliament and our government needs to lead the way and make Scotland the best country it can be for renters rights.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Welsh food and drink delicacies earn protected status
Welsh gin, oysters and honey granted protected status under UK Geographical Indication schemes
Welsh gin, oysters and honey are to join the list of food and drink products granted protected geographical indication (PGI) status under the UK’s Geographical Indication schemes.
Dovey Native Botanical Gin, Pembrokeshire Native Oysters, Pembrokeshire Rock Oysters and Welsh Heather Honey have been formally recognised for their distinctive qualities and regional heritage, ensuring only authentic items meeting strict production standards and geographical requirements can be marketed under these protected names.
Welsh culinary tradition dates back centuries, with its food and drink deeply rooted in the nation’s landscape, culture, and history. From nutrient-rich waters producing exceptional seafood to vibrant heather moorlands ideal for honey production, Welsh producers have long crafted distinctive products shaped by local environments and passed-down expertise.
This recognition gives producers a valuable market advantage while preserving traditional production methods, protecting and championing local products while creating economic opportunity across all parts of the UK under the Government’s Plan for Change.
UK Government Minister for Food Security, Farming and Rural Affairs, Daniel Zeichner said:
The UK is home to a feast of flavours from every corner of the British Isles, and these new protections help celebrate the outstanding craftsmanship and heritage behind Welsh food and drink.
By giving these products unique status, we’re helping local businesses grow while ensuring consumers can enjoy authentic regional specialities for generations to come.
These additions join other popular Welsh products already recognised under the GI scheme, including Anglesey Sea Salt, Welsh Leeks, Traditional Welsh Cider and Single-malt Welsh Whisky, showcasing the rich culinary heritage of Wales.
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:
Dovey gin, Pembrokeshire oysters and Welsh honey are fantastic products and it’s right that they are being recognised as the high-quality, specialist items they are.
The GI scheme guarantees quality and excellence while celebrating our outstanding local Welsh produce and driving growth in this vital sector.
Wales’ Deputy First Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, who has responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, said:
This recognition strengthens Wales’ growing family of protected foods, showcases the extraordinary quality of our produce, and reflects our commitment to high-quality, sustainable food production.
From the mountains to the coast, Wales produces some of the UK’s most iconic foods, cultivated with care and tradition. Each GI product tells the story of our landscape, our producers’ expertise and our proud culinary heritage.
With these new registrations, the total number of UK GIs now reaches 97, representing premium produce from across all four nations of the United Kingdom.
The GI schemes support UK food and drink businesses by protecting the reputation of regional products, promoting traditional and agricultural activity while boosting growth in local economies.
Danny Cameron of Dovey Native Botanical Gin said:
Having GI Status is a good thing and helps to raise awareness of Botanical gin being provenance-based and produced to such a strict and high quality.
Gruffydd Rees of Gwenyn Gruffydd Ltd in Carmarthenshire said:
I am delighted that Welsh Heather Honey’s precise origin and characteristics have been recognised. The UK GI application process is long, and it is wonderful that Wales is the first UK nation to have a honey receive PGI status.
Jake Davies, Atlantic Edge Oysters, said:
Having a PGI Status will attract a broader audience and market who are more aware of GI products and will allow us to join the GI family which has a number of fantastic products.
Can your accent make you sound aggressive? Exeter City football manager Gary Caldwell thinks so – he blamed his Scottish accent for his being sent off the pitch for the second time this season.
After receiving a red card for his reaction after a late goal was disallowed for handball, Caldwell said: “I didn’t swear, I didn’t run, in my opinion I wasn’t aggressive. My accent and my Scottishness is aggressive, but yeah, I got sent off for that.”
Caldwell is not the first to feel his Scottish accent has led to him being treated unfairly. Scottish comedian Fern Brady described herself as “an intelligent woman trapped in a Scottish accent”. She says she became most aware of her accent when she moved to southern England and she felt people looked at her as if “a dog was barking at them”.
There are, of course, many different Scottish accents, even if previous research has found that English people tend to be very bad at identifying them as anything more precise than “Scottish”. But there is a stereotype that Scottish accents sound aggressive or at least tough.
It is no coincidence that swamp-dwelling Shrek has a Scottish accent. Producers can use an accent as shorthand to tell us the sort of person (or ogre) that a character is, in this case that Shrek is hardy and grouchy, but also warm and salt of the earth.
Many presume that Scottish accents sound harsh or, as they are often unfortunately characterised, gruff because of some inherent property: the throaty, fricative sound in loch, the striking glottal stop for “t” as in Fern Brady’s pronunciation of Scottish and the audible r’s in words like car.
None of these pronunciations are unique to Scottish accents. But you would certainly not hear them in standard southern British English, an accent rooted in south-east England which many perceive as prestigious or neutral.
In reality, the way we feel about an accent tells us less about its integral properties and much more about the stereotypes of the people who speak it.
In my research I have found that in south-east England, when reading aloud the same sentence, lower-working-class people were judged to be on average 14% less intelligent, 4% less friendly and 5% less trustworthy than upper-middle-class people.
People from ethnic minority backgrounds were evaluated as 5% less intelligent than white people, regardless of class. Accent prejudice is actually a smokescreen for other forms of prejudice.
The consequences of accent prejudice
We have no way of knowing, but perhaps if Caldwell spoke standard southern British English, he could have protested the disallowed goal without being sent off.
But – sorry, football fans – the decisions made based on a person’s accent can have much graver consequences than what team wins a match. A person’s accent can advantage or disadvantage them in several ways, including in job recruitment and the criminal justice system.
Research has found that speakers of standard southern British English are seen as more suitable candidates in mock job interviews to be a trainee solicitor than those who speak either multicultural London English or estuary English (both working-class southern accents).
They are also seen as less likely to commit various crimes, particularly compared to people from Liverpool or Bradford.
It is no coincidence that speakers of standard southern British English tend to be unscathed by accent bias. Research spanning 50 years has found that it is the British accent judged most favourably, especially as being prestigious. In contrast, the accents of urban industrialised areas in Britain tend to receive the harshest evaluations.
It is true that regional accents are sometimes (though not always) seen as chummy. But regional accents generally do not lead to a person being seen as competent, astute or like the people who you would want to run your business or your country – even if they would be a right laugh at the Christmas party.
Gender can also play a role in accent perception. If a female football manager – though there are currently none in English men’s professional football – with a Scottish accent had protested a referee’s decision, she would likely fare even worse than Caldwell. Women who speak with regional accents tend to be judged more harshly and labelled with more negative character traits than men.
For example, a 2020 study by linguist Roy Alderton found gender differences in how teenagers in southern England were judged based on their accent.
Regardless of gender, the teenagers with high rates of glottal stops in place of “t” were judged as sounding chavvy – a pejorative used to label someone thought to have low education and social class. The girl with high rates of glottal stops was additionally judged as annoying and uneducated, while the boy was thought to sound like a lad – not the most crushing insult for a teenage boy.
When a person is treated a certain way because of their accent, they are actually being treated this way because of their race, class, gender, where they are from or something else fundamental to who they are.
Caldwell suggested he needs to become more “Englified” because of the way he is judged based on his Scottish accent. Of course, that is not something he should have to do. No-one should have to change their accent and forsake who they are.
Instead, we should challenge in ourselves and others the judgements and decisions we make based on a person’s accent – what linguists call accentism. Acknowledging and tackling accentism is one part of creating a level playing field in football and all other walks of life.
Amanda Cole is affiliated with The Accentism Project which she runs along with Dr Rob Drummond to raise awareness and challenge accentism.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
New guide to research and innovation challenges for climate adaptation released
A new report identifying the research and innovation needed to support the UK to adapt effectively to climate change has been released.
Image of a bumblebee collecting pollen from a bluebell.
A new report identifying the research and innovation needed to support the UK to adapt effectively to climate change has been released today.
Developed by the Government Office for Science and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Framework (CARIF) outlines the research and innovation needed around climate adaptation.
CARIF is designed to make it easier for government, industry, and research communities to work together to tackle the challenges we face around adapting to climate change. The new framework is the first time the UK research needs across government and across sectors have been brought together in one place.
Environment Minister Emma Hardy said:
We are already seeing the impact of climate change and extreme weather on people’s lives, from transport disruption to flooding in people’s homes.
This is why, alongside our research into climate adaptation, we are exploring how we can set out stronger objectives to drive action to increase our preparedness for the impacts of climate change up to and beyond the next National Adaptation Programme in 2028.
Government Chief Scientific Adviser Professor Dame Angela McLean said:
We need new research to make the UK more resilient to climate change, and innovation to improve how effectively and affordably we ready systems for change. The UK has world-leading science capabilities which we can harness to ensure we are ready for future climate impacts.
We have spoken with academia, industry, UK government and the financial sector to produce this first Climate Adaptation Research and Innovation Framework. It aims to drive use of our science capabilities to address the climate adaptation challenge.
CARIF covers 11 sectors including nature, working land and seas, food security, water supply, energy, telecommunications and ICT, transport, town and cities and community preparedness/response, buildings, health, and business and finance.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Press release
Government and industry to train up ‘clean power army’
Government and industry to train up ‘clean power army’ of apprentice engineers, welders, and technicians.
Clean energy sector to create thousands of new apprenticeships as part of Plan for Change
Energy Secretary tells industry forum that a clean power army of engineers, welders and technicians will be required to deliver clean power by 2030, and that government will work with industry to build it, with Regional Skills Pilots in Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire, and Pembrokeshire
Work and Pensions Secretary says the government will “give this generation the tools they need to seize the opportunity that is the clean energy transition”
Young people will be trained to fill thousands of clean energy jobs and apprenticeships needed to deliver clean power by 2030 as part of the government’s Plan for Change to get Britain working and unlock growth.
The Energy Secretary has told industry, unions and trade bodies that the government will work with them to build a clean power army to hit ambitious targets for clean power by 2030 at a forum convened with the Work and Pensions Secretary today (Monday 7 April 2025).
The transition to clean power will create thousands of opportunities across the sector, from renewables to upgrading the UK’s grid infrastructure.
National Grid alone plans to support around 55,000 more jobs by the end of the decade and SSE Transmission plans are supporting a further 37,000 jobs, 17,500 of which would be in Scotland. Scottish Power’s SP Energy Networks plans to double its transmission workforce to create around 1,400 jobs and support a further 11,000 jobs across the UK – with all 3 plans subject to approvals by the regulator.
The government is driving forward with Regional Skills Pilot in the clean energy sector. Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire have all been identified as key growth regions for clean energy. Local partners will receive funding to identify the skills support that is needed in their area to deliver clean power by 2030, which will protect households and businesses from unstable fossil fuel markets for good.
Funding could go towards new training centres, courses or career advisers – supporting local people into opportunities in industries such as welding, electrical engineering, and construction.
The government is wasting no time in investing in good jobs for British industries, including thousands of new, skilled jobs being supported in the North East of England as contracts for the first carbon capture, usage and storage were signed in December, following a £21.7 billion commitment from the government to ensure the UK’s vision for CCUS becomes a reality. The government has also invested £55 million for port of Cromarty, to transform it into a major hub for the UK’s world-leading floating offshore wind industry, creating hundreds of skilled jobs and generating growth.
The latest CBI Economics figures show jobs supported by net zero sectors increased by 10% last year, with the average annual wage across the sector at £43,000 – £5,600 higher than the national average.
The push to support more clean energy jobs comes as the government delivers the most ambitious reforms of the UK’s energy system in a generation and record investment into homegrown clean energy projects.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:
The energy sector has always been a source of good, skilled, and unionised jobs for young people across the UK, providing secure, well-paid employment for life.
To meet our target to reach clean power by 2030, we need a clean power army of engineers, welders and technicians – giving thousands of young people the opportunity to play a vital role in tackling the climate crisis, increasing our energy security and boosting the economy to deliver our Plan for Change.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:
With almost a million young people neither earning nor learning it is vital that we give this generation the tools they need to seize the opportunity that is the clean energy transition.
Our plan to Get Britian Working will overhaul employment support, giving everyone the tools and skills they need to and build a stronger, more prosperous future for them and their families.
The government launched its Get Britain Working white paper late last year, outlining the biggest employment reforms in a generation and boost employment including reforming Jobcentres to create a genuinely public employment service so everyone can get personalised skills and employment support, as well as a Youth Guarantee ensuring every young person has the chance to earn or learn. Alongside government work to drive up employment and opportunities, the renewable sector will also continue to turbocharge the economy.
The government is working closely with employers to train up Britain’s young people to seize clean energy opportunities. Trade unions will also have an essential role in building the UK’s skilled energy workforce, with the government determined to drive world-class pay, terms, and conditions in the clean energy sector. The government is already driving better access and conditions for unions in the energy sector- since July EDF Renewables UK and Ireland have signed one of the first renewables industry recognition agreements with Prospect, Unite, GMB and UNISON.
The government has also launched Skills England and the Office for Clean Energy Jobs to bring together key partners to meet the skills needs of the next decade across all regions.
Opportunities are already being created through a number of schemes and initiatives to deliver training and skills for apprentices and workers transitioning from the fossil fuel sector, including innovative schemes such as the:
Skills Passport: This supports oil and gas workers to identify routes into several roles in offshore wind including construction and maintenance
Your Apprenticeship app: A new app designed by the government with extensive input from apprentices to provide easier access to essential tools, resources, and support to help apprentices to thrive in their qualification
Whilst driving up employment and opportunities, the renewable sector will also continue to turbocharge the economy.
CBI Economics analysis commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit shows that the net zero sector already contributes £83 billion annually to the UK economy, with further investment into projects predicted to grow this even further.
Government research has also revealed the extent in which apprenticeships can help drive this growth, with apprentices in England across the economy estimated to create £25 billion of economic growth over their lifetime.
Through investment and initiatives, the government will help build the pipeline of skilled workers needed to deliver clean power by 2030, which will unlock £40 billion of investment a year and reindustrialise Britain with thousands of good jobs across the country. This underscores the government’s commitment to deliver a jobs-rich clean energy transition, putting communities and trade unions at the heart of the UK’s clean energy future.
Notes to editors
Skills is a devolved policy area, and therefore the remit of Skills England and the Your Apprenticeship App will only cover England. However, Skills England will assess skills needs across the whole of the UK and DESNZ is working closely with the devolved governments on ensuring we have the skilled workforce for the clean energy transition, including through the Regional Skills Pilots.
The RIIO T3 business plans for the UK’s 3 electricity transmission companies are all subject to approval by the energy regulator Ofgem.
The fitness suite at Moorways Sports Village is set to be expanded to more than 200 stations as part of an exciting £327,000 project.
The centre, run by award-winning operator Everyone Active in partnership with Derby City Council, will increase the size of the gym to cover the majority of the second floor.
Once completed, Moorways will be home to one of the largest gyms in Everyone Active’s portfolio of more than 230 centres across the country.
Works are due to begin on Monday, April 21 and are scheduled to be completed by Friday, June 20. The improved gym will feature around 55 more stations, an increase of 38 per cent on the current set-up. It will include:
Brand new functional area including sled track
Brand new resistance and Hammer Strength plate-loaded machines
Booty Builder dual hip thrust bench
Brand new recovery area
Brand new additional treadmills
It is not anticipated that the works will cause any disruption, with members able to use all facilities as normal while upgrades are ongoing.
As part of the project, group fitness facilities will be relocated to the first floor, where the existing meeting rooms are being transformed into a brand-new multi-purpose studio.
Everyone Active’s general manager, Myles Hickman, said:
This fantastic project is hugely exciting news and we cannot wait to show the local community the new and improved gym on their doorstep.
The upgrades will enable us to accommodate more people, providing a wider range of state-of-the-art equipment which aligns with current fitness trends.
No matter what your age, interests or ability, the gym at Moorways and our helpful colleagues will enable you to achieve your perfect workout.
Councillor Ndukwe Onuoha, Derby City Council Cabinet Member for Streetpride, Public Safety and Leisure, said:
It’s wonderful to see how Moorways Sport Village is thriving. This exciting project to expand the fitness suite will enhance the gym experience for members and allow even more Derby citizens to boost their health and wellbeing.
The University of Connecticut and University of Rhode Island (URI) were jointly awarded a 5-year contract from General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) to provide regional workforce development support to the Maritime Industrial Base.
The ANCHOR (Advancing Naval Careers through Higher-ed Outreach and Research) grant was celebrated in a launch event at UConn Avery Point on April 3. Representatives from UConn, URI, GDEB, and local and state governments were present to support the extensive program.
The contract will support ongoing activities and drastically expand the work of the UConn-URI Navy STEM Coalition, which, since 2017, has developed a K-16 pipeline across southern New England to encourage both the skilled trades and engineering careers needed to build submarines.
The UConn-URI Navy STEM Coalition was established in 2017 through the leadership of Michael Accorsi at UConn and David Taggart at URI via funding from the Office of Naval Research. In 2021, the program was expanded under the current leadership of Alexandra Hain at UConn and Valerie Maier-Speredelozzi at URI, through a grant from the DoDSTEM National Defense Education Program. Hain and Maier-Speredelozzi will continue as the institutional leads of the contract.
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, whose Congressional district includes southeastern Connecticut, also attended Thursday.
UConn Engineering Dean JC Zhao addresses the audience. (Matthew Hodgkins/UConn Photo).
“There’s no question that shipyard workloads’ are going to continue well into the 2040s,” Courtney said. “That means the people that are going to be working the yards are in grade schools today… That’s really what is the genius about this whole initiative. It’s to get undergraduate engineering students into young classrooms, because that’s really where the magic is.”
U.S. Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) was unable to attend the event, but sent his regards for the UConn-URI Navy STEM Coalition via a letter recited that evening.
UConn and URI Engineering leadership were pleased by the partnership and the renewed contract.
“By working alongside URI and General Dynamics Electric Boat, we are not only advancing naval engineering and skilled trades but also inspiring a pipeline of talent to meet the demands of this vital sector,” said UConn Engineering Dean JC Zhao. “The coalition’s efforts will have a substantial impact on southern New England and beyond, ensuring that our students and workforce are equipped to lead in submarine production and innovation for decades to come.”
“The Eastern Connecticut and Rhode Island region – which includes two public flagship research universities, GDEB’s campuses in Groton and Quonset Point, and U.S. Navy operations in New London and Newport – is the undisputed global epicenter of submarine research, development and manufacturing,” said URI Engineering Dean Anthony Marchese. “For decades, UConn and URI have responded to the research and workforce development needs of our regional Maritime Industrial Base partners and we are proud to continue to fulfill that mission through the ANCHOR program.”
In the last three years, the coalition has steadily increased its presence across southern New England, engaging over 13,000 students in the fundamentals of naval science and engineering. The Navy STEM Coalition’s staff and engineering university student members have taught Connecticut and Rhode Island students the fundamentals of buoyancy, additive manufacturing, and the core trades essential to submarine production through over 75 regional classroom visits and more than 20 large-scale outreach events nationwide. The coalition has also engaged and trained dozens of teachers through programs ranging from day-long workshops to year-long residencies.
(Matthew Hodgkins/UConn Photo).
Maier-Speredelozzi said, “Inspiring undergraduates and K-12 students to pursue STEM careers is always rewarding, and we are excited to expand our outreach with K-12 teachers. When we work with teachers, we magnify the impact to include not only the students in their classes today, but also for years to come.”
Looking forward, the ANCHOR contract will enable the coalition to significantly increase activities in the region, including the development of multiple new summer programs at both campuses for K-12 students, undergraduate summer researchers, and pre-service teachers.
Thursday’s event also included the recognition of several URI and UConn students. The UConn winners included: Adeline Smith for the Naval Engineering Achievement Award, Jada Veracosa for the Navy STEM Excellence in Engineering Education Award, and Oliver MacKinnon for the Naval STEM Rising Star Award.
The URI winners included: Olivia Daniello for the Navy STEM Excellence in Education Award, Sam Miller for the Naval Engineering Achievement Award, Hope Kelley for the Naval STEM Rising Star Award, and Megan Gimple for the Naval STEM Graduate Student Award.
Regarding the growth of K-12 summer programming, Hain said, “Through targeted summer programs in engineering and skilled trades, we are committed to preparing students for careers in the submarine industrial base. By offering partial and full scholarships, along with free options, we’re dedicated to inspiring and equipping the next generation of talent, breaking down barriers to ensure that a skilled workforce is ready to meet the unique demands of submarine production and innovation.”
The coalition will also offer significant funding for those already working within the industrial base to come back to either UConn or URI for graduate school in a partnership with the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology, the premier fundamental research facility for submarine development in the region.
In expanding to support GDEB and the wider industrial base, the coalition will establish a comprehensive pipeline for submarine production from elementary education to graduate school, ensuring students in southern New England are supported in their path to building the future of the underwater fleet.
Leadership from UConn, URI, and GDEB with student award winners. (Matthew Hodgkins/UConn Photo).
“The UConn-URI Navy STEM Coalition recognizes the critical support from the ANCHOR contract, managed by General Dynamics Electric Boat and funded by the U.S. Navy through the Maritime Industrial Base Program, which enables continued investment in workforce development and STEM education,” said Erica Logan, the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base Deputy Director of Workforce.
With the United States Navy indicating that the Maritime Industrial Base will need over 150,000 new employees in the next decade to meet procurement demands, the submarine sector will be vibrant for decades to come. Once called “the Silicon Valley of undersea warfare” by former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, southern New England is set to see much of that growth, and thus is in vital need of the pipeline development GDEB and the coalition will be achieving through this partnership.
“The ANCHOR program demonstrates the power of public institutions investing in their local communities and their student body by leveraging the private sector of the Maritime Industrial Base,” said Sean Morrone, Electric Boat’s Manager of Supplier and Workforce Development. “Partnerships like this create a sustainable impact on the economic growth and community well-being of our region.”
Meeting the needs of the Maritime Industrial Base at this time requires innovative collaborations between industry, government, and academia, and the coalition is eager to continue inspiring the next generation to “build giants.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Inquiry into the Southport attack begins today
The Home Secretary announces the first phase of the Southport Inquiry starts today and appoints Rt Hon Sir Adrian Fulford as chair.
The Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper has announced that the first phase of the Southport Inquiry will start today.
The Home Secretary previously announced in January 2025 that an inquiry would be launched following the conviction of the perpetrator of the 2024 Southport attack, to examine what went wrong in this horrific case and how services should respond to fixated youth violence.
Sir Adrian Fulford has been appointed as the chair following consultation with the victims and families of those killed or affected by the attacks and plans to travel to meet them as a first priority.
This follows the Prime Minister’s commitment to leave no stone unturned in uncovering how this attack happened and to not let any institution of the state deflect from their failure.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper said:
The brutal murder of three young girls: Bebe, Elsie and Alice in Southport was an unimaginable tragedy – we owe it to their families, and all those affected on that terrible day to quickly understand what went wrong, answer difficult questions and do everything in our power to prevent something like this from happening again.
The Southport Inquiry will provide insights into any failings that allowed a young man with a previous history of violence, to commit this horrendous attack.
Sir Adrian Fulford will bring a wealth of legal and criminal justice expertise to this role, and I am pleased he has agreed to chair the inquiry.
The inquiry will be statutory. This follows representations made by families and victims of the attack and means the Inquiry has all the necessary legal powers to receive evidence and hear witness testimony effectively.
It will take place in 2 phases. The first will thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack and the events leading up to it. This will include examining an overall timeline of the perpetrator’s history and interactions with various public bodies including criminal justice, education, social care, and healthcare, as well as decision-making and information-sharing by local services and agencies.
The second is expected to examine the wider issues of children and young people being drawn into extreme violence.
Sir Adrian Fulford will bring an impartial and extensive legal background, particularly on issues relating to policing and the criminal justice system.
He is a retired Lord Justice of Appeal and former judge of the International Criminal Court 2003 to 2012. Previously, he was the Vice-President of the Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) in 2019 and was the first Investigatory Powers Commissioner between 2017 to 2019.
Brandywell becomes first Peace Pitch in the League of Ireland
7 April 2025
The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium has become the first ground in the League of Ireland to receive an international designation celebrating peace and reconciliation through football. The Peace Field initiative will see the Lone Moor Road stadium twinned with Flanders Peace Field in Mesen, Belgium – the site of the First World War Christmas Truces of 1914 when German, British and Allied soldiers played games of football during a break in fighting. The Brandywell has received the designation in recognition of The Life Hack Project in the Rath Mor Centre which aims to support young people to build and develop life skills that foster good relations, build confidence and relations and make them more employable. A plaque to commemorate the twinning, stating that all games on the pitch will be played in the spirit of the 1914 Christmas truces, was presented to representatives from The Life Hack Project, Derry City and Strabane District Council and Derry City Football Club before the weekend’s League of Ireland Premier Division home game against Cork City. The plaque will be displayed in the stadium and a duplicate will be erected at the Flanders Peace Pitch in Belgium alongside 76 other Peace Fields from six different continents across the world. Mayor of Derry and Strabane Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi Barr praised The Lifehack Project saying: “I am delighted the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium has received this international designation which pairs it with one of the most famous sports fields in world history. “It is just recognition for the key work The Life Hack Project do to improve the quality of life and employment prospects of our young people. “It also serves as a timely reminder of the reconciliatory impact sport can have by bringing people together through a shared passion for play.” Richie McRory, Lifehack Project Coordinator added: “Over the last three years young people from the Lifehack Project based in Creggan have engaged on a cross community and cross border basis with young people from a diverse range of backgrounds. “We have hosted and attended a number of football events that have encouraged inclusion, reconciliation and participation.
“Through these events we have developed a very positive relationship with Limestone United and become involved with the International Peace Field Project.
“We are very proud to receive the Peace Plaque on behalf of Derry City FC from our friends at Limestone UTD.
“We look forward to continued work and participation in the Peace Field Project.”
A spokesperson for Derry City Football Club added: “Derry City Football Club is truly honoured that the Ryan McBride Brandywell stadium has become the first in the league of Ireland to receive this international designation.
“Ironically, the club is currently undertaking a complete review of our underage and Academy structures.
“We absolutely share the goals of the city’s Lifehack Project and our City Council of supporting and developing the young people of the North West and beyond through sport.
“We are delighted to associate with the Flanders Peace Field in Mesen, the site of that iconic ‘Christmas Truce’ football game in 1914.
“As we also celebrate the opening of the Brandywell’s new North Stand this evening, Derry City FC is fully committed to doing everything we can to support the growth of sport in the region.”
While the Brandywell is the first League of Ireland stadium to receive Peace Pitch status, Limestone United on the North Belfast interface received the designation in 2023. Brian Casey, Limestone United, added: “The club were privileged to present the peace plaque to Derry City with our friends from the Lifehack project who do amazing work with young people from the Creggan area of the city.
“Lifehack participated in the opening of the Limestone United Peace pitch at Seaview Football grounds, the home of Crusaders FC, so it’s great to see another brilliant club having a Peace Pitch and contributing to building peace in our community.” Ernie Brennan, CEO of the Children’s Football Association added: “The Peace Field Project chimes with the city of human rights, it is all about the essence of play. “All children play without prejudice, when Allied and German soldiers stood up to shake hands, exchange gifts and play games on Christmas Day, 1914, the humanitarian act served to remind mankind that childhood is a time we all revert too, for love, peace and happiness.” For more information on the Children’s Football Alliance and the Peace Field Project visit https://www.childrensfootballalliance.com/peace-field-projects/
Sunderland venues are signing up to support breastfeeding mothers and their families through the Breastfeeding Friendly Sunderland Pledge.
Venues across the city are now proudly displaying the Breastfeeding Friendly Sunderland logo after signing up to be friendly and welcoming places for breastfeeding mothers. Cafes, restaurants, leisure centres and more have now joined this pledge, helping mothers feel comfortable and confident to breastfeed their babies when they’re out and about in the city.
Councillor Kelly Chequer, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities at Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re really excited about rolling out the Breastfeeding Friendly Sunderland Pledge, which is all about creating friendly and welcoming places for breastfeeding mams and families.
“This is a real step forward in making our city more supportive and welcoming for breastfeeding, one of the most natural things in the world with benefits for baby’s and mother’s health too.”
“Legally, women can breastfeed in any public space and when you see the Breastfeeding Friendly Sunderland logo, you know that the venue has staff and volunteers who support breastfeeding mothers and that there will be a clean and comfortable place to breastfeed in.
“We’re delighted that over 30 venues have already signed up to the pledge and we’re looking forward to seeing more signing up in the coming months, making it easier for breastfeeding mothers to get out and about and enjoy everything our city has to offer.”
Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits for both babies and mothers. It provides essential nutrients, strengthens the baby’s immune system, helps women recover after birth, and can even lower the risk of some cancers. Also, it’s eco-friendly and free.
Registered venues include Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens, Creative City Smart Hubs, Family Hubs, University of Sunderland, Everyone Active Centres, Sunderland City Council Registrars, local restaurants, cafes and community venues. Just look for the Breastfeeding Friendly Sunderland logo to find them.
The owner of Coffee 57 Michael Johnson said: “We are more than happy to support the initiative, and hope we play a part in making it a success.”
Tamsin Austin, Venue Director at The Fire Station, stated: “As an inclusive venue it’s important to us that we provide a safe and welcoming space for all, which includes mothers who wish to breastfeed their babies. We’re delighted to be part of Breastfeeding Friendly Sunderland to show our support for families in Sunderland and beyond.”
Amid the chaos of the tariff crisis and the dark clouds internationally, there is a potential silver lining for Australian mortgage holders.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Monday pointed out that the markets were expecting several cuts in Australia’s interest rates this year, including one next month. There has been one cut so far, in February.
“Markets are now expecting around four interest rate cuts in Australia this calendar year”, Chalmers told a news conference. There was even a “more than 50% expectation in the markets that the next Reserve Bank interest rate cut in May might be as big as 50 basis points”.
While saying he didn’t predict or pre-empt Reserve Bank decisions, Chalmers nevertheless highlighted what the markets are expecting.
The next meeting of the Reserve Bank is on May 19-20, so a cut would be after the May 3 election.
Chalmers said the “whole world” was trying to get their heads around the impacts of these “bad decisions” on tariffs.
Releasing updated Treasury modelling of the impact, Chalmers said it expected big hits to American growth and to Chinese growth, as well as a spike in American inflation.
“We expect more manageable impacts on the Australian economy but we still do expect Australian GDP to take a hit, and we expect there to be an impact on prices here as well”.
Chalmers stressed the uncertainty around the modelling and about the economic impacts more generally. “Clearly, a series of decisions are still to be taken around the world when it comes to how countries may or may not retaliate to the decisions taken and announced by President Trump”.
The Treasury modelling says: “The effects on the Australian economy are expected to be modest, however, some parts of the agriculture, energy, mining and durable manufacturing sectors will be more adversely affected than others”.
“Australia’s real GDP is estimated to decline by 0.1 per cent and inflation to increase by 0.2 percentage points in 2025 relative to a baseline scenario with no tariffs. Over the medium-term Australia’s GDP is permanently lower; while the effect on inflation is temporary.
“The direct effects of the United States tariff changes (from bilateral trade) are expected to be small.
“Most of Australia’s exposure to US tariffs comes from reduced demand for Australian exports from major trading partners including China, Japan, South Korea, and India.
“The indirect effects of US tariffs on Chinese demand accounts for almost 80 per cent of the total impact on Australian GDP.”
Government to promise $1 billion for mental health, with emphasis on youth
Returning to Labor’s core issue of health, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday will promise $1 billion for free mental health services that would fill gaps in the system.
This includes
$225 million for 31 new and upgraded Medicare Mental Health Centres
More than $200 million for 58 new, upgraded or expanded headspace services
$500 million for 20 Youth Specialist Care Centres for young people with complex needs, and
$90 million for more than 1,200 training places for mental health professionals and peer workers.
The government says the new network of Youth Specialist Care Centres would ensure young people in “the missing middle” received needed specialist help. It would mean those with complex mental health needs such as personality disorders, eating disorders and early psychosis would be able to ongoing and intensive care outside hospital.
Dog day for Dutton
Saying you got it wrong is never harder than in an election campaign. Peter Dutton bowed to the inevitable in dropping his plan to force Canberra public servants back into the office, but fronting the media for the mea culpa on Monday was painful.
“I have apologised for the decision we took in relation to work from home,” he said. He added, with false optimism, “Labor’s run this scare campaign and I think we bring an end to that today.”
It wasn’t the only pain of the day for the opposition leader, who needs – to borrow his own election slogan – to get his campaign “back on track”. The message from Newspoll, the poll many Liberals take most notice of, was bad. Labor had extended its lead in a week, from 51%-49% in two-party terms to 52%-48%. This is close to the result of the 2022 election, and can only alarm the Liberal campaigners.
Some Liberals, disappointed with the Coalition campaign so far, are recalling John Howard’s mantra: you can’t fatten the pig on market day. “There’s not much evidence the work has been done,” one says.
As of late Monday, Dutton had still not produced the modelling for his controversial gas reservation scheme, which has made it more difficult for candidates to explain the policy to voters.
On another front, the Liberals have also failed to do their work properly in vetting candidates. They’ve had to disendorse their candidate for the Sydney Labor seat of Whitlam, Ben Britton.
Previously Britton had said women should be removed from combat positions in the defence force. “Their hips are being destroyed because they can’t cope with the carrying of the heavy loads and the heavy impacts that’s required for doing combat-related jobs,” he said, among other comments attacking “diversity and equity quotas” for weakening Australia’s defence.
In previous elections, parties have had to remove candidates after previous embarrassing comments have turned up. Surely the Liberals would have learned to be scrupulous in vetting. But in the New South Wales Liberal organisation, it seems to take a long time for the messages to get through.
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Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Government to listen, learn and deliver as consultation on transformational welfare reforms begins
Welfare reforms must be shaped by and for disabled people, the Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said today [Monday 07 April], as the official consultation on the government’s proposals begins.
Publication of all accessible versions set to trigger the start of official consultation into welfare reforms announced by Work and Pensions Secretary.
Disabled people and those with health conditions are encouraged to have their say so their views are at the heart of the new system.
Reforms will fix the broken welfare system by giving people genuine support to unlock work and boost living standards as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
Welfare reforms must be shaped by and for disabled people, the Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said today [Monday 07 April], as the official consultation on the Government’s proposals begins.
It comes as the government commits to the establishment of ‘collaboration committees’ to further develop the reforms, bringing together groups of people for specific work areas to provide discussion, challenge, and make recommendations.
Announced on Tuesday 18 March, the proposed reforms will ensure that sick and disabled people have the same opportunities to work as anyone else, and will unlock work, boost living standards, and help grow the economy as part of the government’s Plan for Change.
They will also seek to overhaul the broken benefits system so it supports those who need it, while helping those who can work into jobs and delivering fairness to the taxpayer.
The Minister for Social Security and Disability is urging those likely to be affected by the changes – either individually or through disability charities and organisations – to have their say through the consultation, ensuring their views help shape the proposed changes.
Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said:
We inherited a broken welfare system, which incentivises ill-health, locks people out of work and isn’t fit for a future in which so many of us will face long-term health conditions.
We want a system that genuinely works for disabled people and those with health conditions, as well as the country and the economy, and we want to hear their views and voices at the heart of the new system.
I encourage people to engage so they can have their say as we listen, learn and deliver support which will help millions into work, put welfare spending on a more sustainable path, and unlock growth as part of our Plan for Change.
The 12-week consultation on reforms to health and disability support officially launches today with publication of all accessible versions of the Pathways to Work Green Paper.
The proposed reforms aim to support people into work, protect people who can never work and put the welfare system on a sustainable footing so that it can continue to support those in need now and into the future. One in three of us faces a long-term health condition, so we all need a system that can support us to stay in work or get back into work.
The measures are the latest step in the government’s drive to build a modern welfare system that helps people get jobs rather than creating unnecessary barriers, with ministers’ proposed plans set to:
Provide more tailored employment support for those who can work, breaking down barriers to opportunity.
Simplify the system and reduce unnecessary assessments, cutting bureaucracy and making it easier to navigate.
Improve the way financial support is assessed and delivered, ensuring it reaches those who need it most and that people using the system have a better experience and are treated with dignity and respect.
Build a more flexible approach that recognises the diverse needs of disabled people and those with long-term health conditions.
Without changes, it is forecast that the system could cost as much as £70 billion a year by the end of the decade and risk not being there for people when they need it in future.
Issues open for consultation include:
Supporting people to thrive with the new support offer.
Supporting employers and making work more accessible.
Reforming the structure of the health and disability benefits system.
These are part of the wider reforms that also include reintroducing reassessments for people on incapacity benefits who have the capability to work to ensure they have the right support and aren’t indefinitely written off, targeting Personal Independence Payments for those with higher needs, and rebalancing payment levels in Universal Credit.
Additional Information:
For more information and to have your say, please see the Pathways to Work – GOV.UK consultation page. The consultation closes on Friday 30 June 2025.
DWP intend to run a number of accessible virtual and face-to-face events on the Green Paper to hear from stakeholders, including disabled people and their representative organisations, directly. More information on these events and registration is advertised on the consultation pages on GOV.UK.
We are committing to the establishment of ‘collaboration committees’ to further develop our reforms. This means we will bring together groups of people for specific work areas who will meet to collaborate with civil servants and provide discussion, challenge, and recommendations. Each group will have a different mix of people including both those with lived experience of the policy area and other experts.
Through Wolverhampton Council’s housing framework, Morro Partnerships is currently developing 2 sites in Bushbury for new council homes – ‘Magic Gardens’ off Sandmere Rise and land off Old Fallings Crescent.
As part of its commitment to communities, members of Morro Partnerships’ new build team joined council volunteers and roped in members of D&R Contract Services Limited to redecorate the nearby Bushbury Triangle Resource Centre.
The centre on Stanley Road offers free community services and support to residents in need, with activities including children’s gardening clubs, free breakfasts and bingo. It also provides office space for other local organisations to run services, including homelessness support.
The building interior was showing signs of wear and tear – but has now been painted from top to bottom by the housing partners, using paint donated by Dulux.
Steve Harris, Bushbury Triangle Chair of Trustees, said: “We are really grateful as we couldn’t do it ourselves. It has vastly transformed the building which hadn’t been decorated in 25 years.
“Having a nicer environment will help us provide better services to the community and encourage people to use the centre.”
City of Wolverhampton Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Housing, Councillor Steve Evans, said: “Bushbury Triangle Resource Centre provides invaluable support and services to city residents and continues to grow in popularity.
“Their home needed a refresh and hats off to the staff from the council housing team and everyone else for volunteering their time to help, equipment and supplies to support this invaluable asset at the heart of the Bushbury community.
“When we select our council housing development partners, as well as demanding they deliver quality and sustainable homes for our residents, we expect them to provide wider benefits to the community.
“We have built a thriving working relationship with Morro Partnerships and I’m delighted they are supportive of our work to maintain well connected neighbourhoods.”
Morro Partnerships Head of Social Purpose, Abdul Mozzamdar, said: “Bushbury Triangle Resource Centre is an invaluable service for the local community, which I experienced firsthand when I visited the centre last November.
“The commitment from the volunteering residents is highly commendable, and it is a key example of true community spirit, which I feel should be emulated across all cities, towns and villages in England.
“Morro Partnerships has committed to supporting communities in which we work, live, and play, and this intervention highlights our commitment to make lasting changes for the community to enjoy for generations to come.
“A big thank you goes to D&R Contract Services Limited for their support in helping the community.”
Council was delighted to support cultural diversity and inclusion awareness events across Southern Regional College (SRC). In an increasingly interconnected world, students at the college immersed themselves in the vibrant tapestry of cultures that enrich Northern Ireland.
The events featured a dynamic mix of workshops, discussions and performances, all designed to showcase the rich diversity within local communities. Students had the opportunity to engage with key stakeholders from the Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP), Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Community Development and Good Relations Team, Victim Support NI and the Police Service for Northern Ireland (PSNI).
Artsekta, an award-winning social enterprise dedicated to transforming communities through shared creative experiences, brought the essence of global cultures to life with captivating dance performances from Mexico, China and India. These performances were followed by insightful talks on the traditions and heritage of these countries. Student Celine Maria Corhea also spoke on her Romanian roots and gave fellow students an insight into her heritage.
Victim Support NI and the PSNI addressed sensitive topics which included discrimination, prejudice and social challenges which continue to remain present within our communities. Discussions centred on how individuals can safely confront negativity and introduced students to various local support services available for those who witness or experience hate crime in their community.
Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough, Councillor Sarah Duffy, said; “ABC Council is delighted to work in partnership with SRC to support their cultural diversity and inclusion events. Communities across our borough are passionate about celebrating diversity, fostering inclusivity and working towards a shared and brighter future for all and we as a council are proud to play our part.”
Speaking on the events, Michael Availa from Victim Support NI commented; “With hate crime rising across NI, the Hate Crime Advocacy Service wants to ensure that SRC students are keenly aware of how to identify, report and seek support for hate incidents and that the community is resilient. Having worked with SRC over the last year, it is very clear that its students are ‘ahead of the curve’ on these issues and readily embrace diversity.”
The events at SRC’s Armagh and Lurgan campuses were funded by The Executive Office District Council’s Good Relations Action Plan and delivered in partnership with Artsekta, Victim Support, PCSP, the Community Development and Good Relations Team and SRC.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
News story
Value for money in pre-arranged financing for disasters
A GAD actuary has co-authored a guidance note to help countries and organisations assess value for money when using pre-arranged financing for disasters.
Credit: Shutterstock
Countries and organisations seek to set up financing ahead of disasters. This involves understanding which solution or product presents the best value for money (VfM).
This guidance note has been developed to help countries and organisations considering or using pre-arranged financing instruments through the process of assessing if a particular instrument or combination of instruments offers the best value for money.
Pre-arranged financing (PAF) is set up before a disaster and involves committing funding and preparing response plans before disasters occur. As financing is in place before a disaster, it ensures funding is available to reach affected people once an event occurs.
Assessing value for money
The report is drawn from the work of the Centre for Disaster Protection over the past 5 years, and is aimed at organisations or countries which are looking to:
set up new PAF instruments
improve the design of existing PAF instruments
understand the optimal combination of financial instruments needed to manage the risks they face
The report provides an overview of VfM analysis. It shows how it is a useful tool to inform decision making and demonstrate the potential effectiveness of new financial approaches compared to existing methods of financing disaster response. The report also presents a flexible 7-step framework for approaching VfM analysis in this context, supplemented by case studies and examples.
Credit: iStock Photo
Who’s it for?
The research sets out which organisations may benefit from undertaking VfM assessments in relation to PAF. They include:
national governments
donor agencies
humanitarian agencies and NGOs
risk finance providers
multilateral development banks / multi-donor funds
Process and content
GAD’s Head of Climate and Disaster Risk Georgi Bedenham co-authored the report. She said: “We developed a 7-step framework to encourage governments and organisations to consider a range of aspects of VfM. It is intended as a guide to support anyone designing, commissioning and conducting VfM assessments.
“We have also provided a useful set of guiding questions at each stage to help the reader work their way through the process.”
Acting on complaints, the council’s Trading Standards team and officers from Bilston Police targeted a premises in the city where the goods were believed to be on sale.
Thousands of illegal items were found in the shop itself as well as in a storeroom and a concealed staircase.
Officers found 13,680 illicit cigarettes, 3.1kg of banned hand rolling tobacco and 1,546 illicit disposable vapes. In addition, 12 banned novelty lighters were discovered along with 16 vials of an unidentified liquid, suspected to be nicotine.
If genuine, the retail value of the vapes seized is an estimated £15,000, the value of the cigarettes seized is around £9,918 and the value of the hand rolling tobacco would be an estimated £1,890.
Action is set to be taken against the owner of the premises where the material was seized while further investigations will be carried out to identify their suppliers.
Once investigations have been completed, the illegal cigarettes and tobacco will be handed over to a recycling scheme to be dealt with in an environmentally friendly way.
The seizures, which took place during an operation on 19 March, were carried out under 2 national Trading Standards initiatives, Operation CeCe and Operation Joseph.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “We are determined to clamp down on the availability of illicit products and are particularly concerned with illegal sales made to our younger residents.
“This operation forms part of our wider strategy in dealing with this issue and we will continue to carry out routine test purchases alongside targeted action days.
“I’d like to congratulate all those involved in this successful partnership operation, including our Trading Standards team and Bilston Police.”
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law.
“Having removed 19 million illegal cigarettes and 5,103kg of hand rolling tobacco in 2023 to 2024, Operation CeCe (a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC) has taken £27.2 million pounds worth of illicit tobacco off the market since the operation launched in 2021 and continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.”
Officers from our Trading Standards team have issued some warning signs to look out for when buying cigarettes and tobacco or vapes.
The telltale signs of illegal tobacco include unusual taste, cheap price, unusual packaging, spelling mistakes or incorrect logos. They may also have health warnings that may not be printed in English, might not display a picture, might not be printed on a white background and may have different sized lettering to usual.
Residents are advised to look out for the following when buying vapes:
The product must have a ‘warning’ diamond of not less than 10mm x 10mm containing an exclamation mark/skull and crossbones and the words Warning/Danger clearly visible on the packaging.
There is a requirement for a batch number or other means to identify the specific production of the product, to permit the tracing of the product should a safety issue be raised.
30% of the packaging must display the required warning “this product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance” on both the front and back surfaces of the unit pack.
Illicit vapes are often produced in China. Many illicit vapes have packaging clearly meant for the American/Californian market.
Perth and Kinross Council has completed an £800,000 streetscape improvement project in Perth, in response to concerns from residents.
People living in Pullar Terrace contacted the Council about a number of issues that were affecting the street. The land is owned by the Council’s Housing Revenue Account, so the Housing Service carried out a range of improvements including:
Improvements to drainage, which prevents flooding to front gardens during heavy spells of rain
Removing overgrown shrubs and trees which blocked out satellite and aerial signals
The replacement of a set of old outdoor stairs
Replacing a retaining wall that had started to bow
Improvements to a greenspace embankment, which has enhanced the look of the area and made it maintenance-free
Residents of Pullar Terrace were fully consulted before work began, and throughout the project.
Housing and Social Wellbeing Convener, Councillor Tom McEwan visited the street to see the improvement work. He said: “The completion of the project at Pullar Terrace underlines our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for our tenants and residents.
“We listened to their concerns and invested a significant amount of money to address them. The positive feedback we’ve received from tenants and residents about how the work has improved the street shows the importance of the community engagement we carried out through the process.
“The new drainage system, embankment and structural replacements have not only resolved immediate issues but also improved the overall look and functionality of the area. The project highlights how close partnership working between the Council and residents can lead to meaningful and lasting improvements.”
