Remember, remember the fifth of November… the date free Family Hubs Terrific Tuesdays launch at the Potteries Centre.
The groups, run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Family Hubs team, will start on Tuesday 5 November in the Community Room on the lower mall of the Potteries Centre, Hanley, ST1 1PP.
Family Hubs offer bespoke advice and guidance to local communities, empowering families and offering opportunities for fun, education and support where needed.
They are running as part of a project being delivered with over £3.5 million of Government funding. Family Hubs are also an important part of the city council’s Family Matters programme, which provides families in the city with all the tips, advice and opportunities they need to thrive.
Councillor Sarah Hill, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “We want our Family Hubs programme to be easily accessible for families across the city. These new groups really support that aim as well as driving footfall into the city centre, supporting the local economy and businesses.
“Family Hubs are a really important part of our Family Matters programme, which is already helping to reduce the number of children in care after just nine months. Extra groups running from the Potteries Centre mean that more people can tap into the advice, guidance and fun on offer and have access to a wider range of services and activities.”
The new sessions build on the recent launch of Chell Heath Family Hub, which officially launched on Thursday 24 October, at the site of the former Stoke North Children’s Centre, Bishop Road, Chell Heath.
All of the groups running from the Potteries Centre are free to join and there is no need for residents to book. Sessions include:
Sensory fun for Babies, 9.30am – 11am A gentle, fun session with lights, music and learning through sensory experiences for babies 0 to 12 months.
Playful Parenting, 1pm – 2.30pm Bring your toddler along for some fun play. Learn about how you can support your child through play, create the best home learning environment and provide a strong base for future learning. For toddlers 1 – 4 years.
Make and take, 3.30pm – 4.30pm Have some crafty fun and make something to take home and treasure. For children aged 4 – 11 years.
Family Hubs are currently open in Tunstall, Normacot, Bentilee, Chell Heath and Shelton with other sites currently being developed. For 24/7 access to services, or for families that prefer to access online, the city council’s Digital Family Hub is available at https://familyhub.stoke.gov.uk/
Sheffield’s Music in the Round gathered the very best musical talent from across the city to take part in a production of Monster in the Maze, this weekend.
Music in the Round is the leading national producer of chamber music, with a year-round programme of hundreds of events for people of all ages.
Since 1984 they have been bringing people and music closer together through their friendly and informative style of ‘in the round’ performances.
This year, the Sheffield-based organisation turns 40, and to celebrate they brought together around 200 musicians from across the city to perform in a very special production of The Monster in the Maze.
Sheffield Music Hub – part of Sheffield City Council – were invited to be part of the production meaning children from all corners the city were given the opportunity to perform in the opera production alongside some of the city’s elite performers.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
GAD is to take part as a host board in the Boardroom Apprentice programme. Successful applicants will get a year-long learning and development placement.
Credit: Unsplash
Applications for the UK Boardroom Apprentice programme are now open. The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) is joining the UK Boardroom Apprentice programme as a host board, providing aspiring applicants with a safe seat at the table.
GAD Board Chair Les Philpott said: “GAD has signed up to this to provide some additional and alternative viewpoints and insights into our Board and access capabilities that support emerging risk areas such as AI and digital. This will also provide the opportunity for supporting the development of the individual.”
UK Boardroom Apprentice is a unique 12-month board learning, development and placement programme which enables those who would like to serve on a public or third sector board to learn and gain the experience that they need to take that step.
Programme renewed
Since its inception in 2017, the programme has seen 438 individuals across the UK embark on their Boardroom Apprentice journey.
Boardroom Apprentice founder Eileen Mullan said: “It was created to deliver diversity, create change, and realise aspirations.
“Our vision is simple – to bridge the gap between aspiration and reality. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to join a host board for a year to learn how they can bring fresh perspectives and diverse thinking to boardrooms across the UK.”
It is open to people aged 18 or over from all backgrounds and all abilities. The programme seeks to enable a wider diversity of individuals to play their part within boardrooms. It allows people without board experience to enhance their knowledge and understanding through in-depth learning and support.
Boardroom Apprentice prides itself on the support system in place for those taking part in the programme.
Credit: Unsplash
One year training programme
Upon being assigned a host board, Boardroom Apprentices are paired with a Board Buddy who helps with their progression throughout the 12-month experience. Apprentices are also provided with a suite of learning days.
Ms Mullan added: “I decided to create a programme that brings together 3 key elements – knowledge, experience and support.
“Over a 12-month window, Boardroom Apprentices will get practical board experience, learning days and support to fully equip them to serve on a board in the public or third sector in the future.
“Being a Boardroom Apprentice is a gift with the expectation that you give it back. It’s about preparing you for public service, which is about you playing your part.”
In encouraging people to apply, Fiona Dunsire, Government Actuary said: “If you are interested in contributing to the strategic direction and governance of the important work GAD does, we’d love to hear from you. We are especially interested in people who bring different skills and experience to our Board.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
2024 marks the 140th anniversary of the appointment of the first Official Receivers and a rich history of helping to keep the UK a safe place to do business
Official Receiver court dress on display in the Insolvency Service Stratford Office.
The first Official Receivers were appointed in 1884
Official Receivers originally conducted public examinations for every bankruptcy– now people can apply for bankruptcies online.
Next chapter for Official Receivers includes planned new technology to help streamline case management
The office of Official Receiver is 140 years old this year, marking a history that has evolved from administering personal bankruptcies to overseeing major company liquidations and securing Bankruptcy Restrictions against people who pose a threat to the public through financial wrongdoing.
The Insolvency Service has 16 Official Receivers based across 16 locations in England and Wales, who act as trustees in people’s bankruptcies and liquidate companies that have been wound up, with the backing of hundreds of support staff.
They also investigate the causes of insolvencies and can secure stringent restrictions against bankrupt people where there is evidence they have been dishonest or are to blame for their debts, to protect the public from possible future harm.
Sharon Lewis, Interim Director of Official Receiver Services at the Insolvency Service, said:
Our work makes an impact on people’s lives, whether that’s helping those with overwhelming debt to make a fresh start, safeguarding the public from financial wrongdoing or helping creditors get back money they’re owed.
We have always been at the heart of the UK’s world-leading insolvency regime and there is a real pride in our work and strong connection to our long history of service.
As we continue to take a more digital focus to support an insolvency regime that is fit for the 21st Century, we look forward to the next chapter in our story in helping to deliver economic confidence for the UK.
Official Receivers came into being following the Bankruptcy Act 1883 and the first cadre of 67 Official Receivers were appointed in 1884. Originally, the officials would conduct public examinations of bankrupts, and the Senior Official Receiver would appear at ceremonial occasions in formal court dress, including a sword and a bicorn hat.
Following rules introduced in 2016, people who choose to become bankrupt can now apply online rather than attend court. These changes reflect a move towards a more flexible service that recognises difficulties faced by people with overwhelming debt.
More planned changes to the service focus on new technology, including the introduction of a state-of-the-art case management system to help Official Receivers and their teams deliver a quicker, more efficient service for customers.
Official Receivers are supported by around 600 staff across the country, including teams of Deputy Official Receivers, examiners and case workers. The teams include a dedicated Public Interest Unit that deals with the most complex bankruptcy and liquidation cases, and a National Interest Case Executive that administers high-profile liquidations.
This year, Official Receivers have been appointed by the courts as liquidators of a number of high profile businesses.
Official Receivers in local offices have also dealt with cases including bankruptcies of high-profile individuals, and company insolvencies ranging from GP practices and dentists to funeral directors.
In 2023-4, Official Receivers also secured 134 Bankruptcy Restrictions – 93 of which were related to abuse of the Covid loan schemes. They also handled almost 11,000 new cases and returned almost £60million to creditors.
An Official Receiver:
Is a civil servant working in the Insolvency Service
Is an officer of the court
Acts as a liquidator of companies – winds down the affairs of companies and investigates the causes of the insolvency and the conduct of current and former directors.
Acts as a trustee in bankruptcy – someone who manages the bankruptcy. A bankrupt person’s assets transfer to the trustee who collects or sells them to make payments to creditors
Applies to court to extend the period prior to a bankrupt person receiving a discharge, if they have failed to cooperate with the Official Receiver in the bankruptcy
Secures bankruptcy restrictions orders against those who have acted dishonestly, or are to blame for their bankruptcy, to extend the restrictions imposed on them.
Thousands of people are expected at the St Albans Christmas Cracker – a free family-friendly event that kicks off the festive season.
The annual street festival takes place in the City Centre from noon until 6pm on Sunday 17 November with St Peter’s Street closed to traffic to create a safe and vibrant atmosphere.
Among the attractions will be live music, fairground rides, a Santa’s grotto, street entertainers and around 100 market stalls selling hot food, drinks and seasonal gifts.
Much of the family-friendly entertainment will be free with something to suit people of all ages and abilities.
Festive decorations and installations will be illuminated throughout the event and there will also guest appearances from some of this year’s Alban Arena pantomime, Cinderella.
The Christmas Cracker is organised by St Albans City and District Council, sponsored by St Albans City Centre BID and part-funded by the Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.
Attractions include:
The Main Stage: situated near the taxi rank, there will be live music and other entertainment throughout.
Rising Stars Performance Space: located by the Anthropologie shop, there will be music from young performers from across the District.
Santa’s Grotto: situated by the Alban Arena and run by the St Albans Rotary Club.
Create and Play Zones: free interactive festive activities for all at locations across the site, including festive decoration making, a football shoot-out and traditional wooden games.
Market Traders: around 100 stalls selling a vast range of novelty gifts, seasonal produce and mouth-watering street food.
Street Performers: walkabout entertainment and street theatre including a stilt-walking Christmas trees and elves riding around on reindeer.éé
British Sign Language Interpreters will be available at the activities throughout the day.
Councillor Anthony Rowlands, Lead for Events, said:
I am thrilled at the prospect of another St Albans Christmas Cracker.
This is a fantastic way to get the District’s festive season underway and always attracts thousands of people to the City Centre.
I urge our residents not to miss out on the fun as there is great entertainment, much of it free, for people of all ages.
The event also provides a boost to the local economy by bringing many extra visitors to the City Centre where they will use our shops, pubs, cafés and restaurants as well as the market stalls.
Vivien Cannon, Manager of St Albans City Centre BID, said:
Everything has been laid on for the whole community to come along and help launch the start of this wonderful Christmas season.
Our City Centre businesses invest in the City through sponsorship of the event. Everyone wants to make sure visitors enjoy browsing around the stalls and enjoy the festive entertainments. Most of all, our businesses send Christmas Greetings and the message to continue to shop locally this Christmas.
Charter Market
Another highlight of the festive season will be the additional December dates for the twice-weekly Charter Market.
The Market will take place every Thursday, Friday and Sunday, 9am to 3pm, in the fortnight leading up to Christmas Day as well as the usual Wednesdays and Saturdays.
There will be an extra day’s trading, too, on Tuesday 24 December.
Pantomime
Cinderella starts at the Alban Arena on Thursday 12 December and runs until Sunday 12 January
Its stars include EastEnder Samantha Womack, comics Bob Goulding and Ian Kirkby, and Union J singer George Shelley. Tickets are available to book here.
Pictures: top, scene from the 2023 event; bottom, Cinderella at the Alban Arena.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Home Secretary’s speech to the INTERPOL General Assembly in Glasgow on working together to deliver on government priorities.
Delivered on:
(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
Thank you very much, good morning. Thank you very much Mr President for your opening words. It is an enormous privilege and honour to welcome all of you here for the 92nd INTERPOL General Assembly.
And it’s a pleasure to welcome you to the magnificent and historic city of Glasgow – and let me thank our hosts for all the work that has gone into facilitating this hugely important event.
Can I thank the Interpol Secretary General, Juergen Stock for your years of service, leading this organisation’s vital work and we look forward to congratulating your successor tomorrow and for the future work that all of us need to do together.
At a time when networks of organised and serious crime span the world, it matters more than ever to have equally integrated and global networks of law enforcement agencies working together to fight crime, and to keep our communities safe.
The UK is proud to be at the heart of those efforts.
Every year, our INTERPOL bureau in the National Crime Agency sends out 20,000 requests to partners around the world, and every day, they manage more than 1,000 incoming messages.
And we see the impact of that cooperation here on our streets. Here on the streets, here in Glasgow.
Just 4 weeks ago, one of Britain’s most wanted men was jailed for leading a major drug gang responsible for importing tonnes of cocaine into this city in banana boxes from Ecuador– fuelling addiction and gang violence across Scotland.
Thanks to a joint operation between Police Scotland, and Dutch counterparts, the UK National Crime Agency, he was arrested in the Netherlands, extradited back to Scotland, and sentenced to 20 years in prison in Glasgow High Court.
International cooperation, work with INTERPOL, delivering results in real life. So to all those working with colleagues on similar operations in pursuit of our collective security – I want to say a heartfelt thank you.
Over the past century, the success of INTERPOL has been a testament to the critical importance of its mission, to the skill and professionalism of its members, and to the spirit of innovation that has evolved through decades of political, technological and social change.
But most importantly of all, INTERPOL’s success has been evidence of that enduring belief that, together, we are stronger.
Britain’s new government is committed to that principle, and – from fraud to drug-trafficking – we believe there are so many crimes and criminal networks which can only be tackled effectively through strong international policing cooperation.
And let me highlight just 2 areas where we want to see even stronger cooperation in the years to come. First, in tackling the global scourge of violence against women and girls and child sexual abuse.
The scale of which should continue to shame us all.
Britain’s new government has set a mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, but we know that cannot be achieved by working alone.
Perpetrators and predators across the world are being enabled and emboldened by new technologies, the use of which is growing at an alarming rate. The scale, complexity and severity of online abuse is increasing in every jurisdiction.
Tackling these tech-enabled harms is a central priority for the UK, and I am glad it will be one of the topics for discussion here this week.
We will only tackle these new threats through increased cooperation, and by committing to share not only the best intelligence but the best innovations to protect our children from harm.
And second, as you will hear shortly from our UK Prime Minister, we must also have a much stronger and more integrated global response to the organised immigration crime, which is growing around the world and profiting from human misery, putting lives at risk, undermining our border security, and destabilising our communities.
Here in the UK, our new Border Security Command is leading the fight against the criminal gangs who every week are crowding vulnerable people into flimsy dinghies on the coast of France, leaving dozens this year to drown or be crushed to death as they attempt to cross the Channel.
But we know those gangs operate not just on our shores, but all across Europe and beyond, a network of exploitation stretching around the globe
So we are also drawing up new agreements with our neighbours to strengthen law enforcement, disrupt supply chains, break the business models of the gangs and bring offenders to justice.
Because we know that the best way to strengthen UK border security is to work in partnership with other countries. Tackling the shared threats we all face, and preventing the growth of this transnational organised crime.
On this issue, and on so many others, the challenges we face may vary from nation to nation but the dangers are becoming ever more interlinked.
The lines between different threats are increasingly blurred.
And thanks to modern technology, the ability of crime groups to operate internationally has never been greater.
No single state can tackle these threats in isolation. International security and domestic security are two sides of the same coin.
That is why INTERPOL remains integral to public safety in every one of our countries.
That is why, under this government, Britain will always be an active partner and committed friend as we seek to make the world safer to all, and we thank all of you for being part of these efforts this week.
And we are fortunate to be led in our efforts in the UK by a Prime Minister who has spent many years leading national and international work to enforce the law, prosecute criminals and keep our communities safe.
So it is my great pleasure to introduce our Prime Minister Keir Starmer, to open up this Assembly today.
The ninth annual #MedSafetyWeek takes place this week, with regulators from 94 countries and 107 organisations taking part across the globe.
#MedSafetyWeek forms part of international efforts to raise awareness about the importance of reporting suspected side effects to national medicines regulatory authorities such as the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
This year’s campaign, which runs from 4 to 10 November, focuses on the importance of using medicines correctly to prevent side effects.
This means taking the right medicines, at the right time, in the right way and at the right dose, and carefully following instructions for use of medical devices. Following these steps can drastically reduce the risk of some side effects and safety issues.
When side effects do arise, this MedSafetyWeek, we ask that they are reported directly to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme and local reporting systems as soon as possible. Anyone can make a report: patients, parents, carers and healthcare professionals.
Reporting to the scheme allows the MHRA to not only identify new adverse effects but also gain more information about known adverse effects. This helps to improve the safety of medicines and healthcare products for all patients.
Safety concerns about medical devices, blood factor and immunoglobulin products, e-cigarettes and defective, low-quality or fake healthcare products should also be reported on the Yellow Card website.
This year’s MedSafetyWeek theme of ‘preventing side effects’ aligns with the third World Health Organization (WHO) Global Patient Safety Challenge: Medication Without Harm.
Preventable side effects contribute significantly to an increasing burden on patients and healthcare services, with studies consistently showing that between one third and a half may be potentially preventable.
Anticipating and managing side effects is key to reducing this burden and protecting patients from avoidable harm.
Please support #MedSafetyWeek by sharing, liking and reposting our social media posts:
In the UK, the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme is a critical source of information for us as the regulator to monitor the safety of healthcare products once they are on the market.
Importantly, Yellow Card reports can help to identify previously unknown side effects – or adverse drug reactions (ADRs) – and provide new safety knowledge to ensure risk is minimised.
Examples include a report of a three-month-old baby who was prescribed Gaviscon Infant to manage reflux and two days later had severe constipation.
MHRA experts investigated the report and found six other reports of constipation with Gaviscon Infant in children. The ages of the patients varied between two weeks and nine months, except for one child who was a one-year-old.
As the medicine is indicated for children aged one to two years, it appeared that in the vast majority of these cases the product had been prescribed by a healthcare professional in an unapproved patient age group.
It was decided that regulatory action was needed to make the product information clearer with the relevant warnings and precautions.
Yellow Card Biobank
The Yellow Card Biobank is an MHRA and Genomics England pilot project with the goal of increasing understanding of how a patients’ genetic makeup may increase their risk of side effects from prescribed medications.
The MHRA is currently looking for patients who have experienced severe skin reactions when taking allopurinol or severe bleeding when taking direct oral anticoagulants to join the study, before mid-January 2025.
If you or your patient have experienced a side effect to either of these drugs please complete a Yellow Card report. If you have any questions on the Biobank study, please email Yellowcardbiobank@mhra.gov.uk
A consultation has opened into proposed changes to the social housing allocations policy of St Albans City and District Council.
Anyone with an interest in housing in the District is urged to complete a short survey and give their views.
The Council has around 4,800 social rent homes and has the nomination rights to a further 1,200 housing association homes for people on the Housing Register.
Around 300 properties are let each year with new tenants being selected from the District’s Housing Register.
The Allocations Policy sets out how this process is undertaken and covers key issues such as the eligibility criteria for the Housing Register and how properties are allocated.
The overall aim of the Allocations Policy is to provide a framework for fair and effective allocation with priority given to those in greatest housing need.
Among the changes proposed is raising the maximum amount of household income of people allowed to be on the Housing Register.
This has been revised upwards since it was last agreed three years ago to take into account the impact of inflation.
Another proposal is to lower the age limit from 60 to 55 for applications for bungalows, provided the applicant can show a medical need such as reduced mobility.
Under the changes, an additional priority would be given to applicants transferring from a property with four or more bedrooms to a two-bedroom property. This is to increase the availability of larger homes and complements the existing policy whereby people downsizing from a three-bedroom to a one-bedroom get priority.
Councillor Jacqui Taylor, Chair of the Housing and Inclusion Committee, said:
These are significant changes which we are proposing so I would urge anyone involved with the District’s social housing to take part in the consultation.
We want to hear from tenants, people on our Housing Register and those with an interest in the issue to let us know their views. All feedback will be analysed before any decisions are made.
One key aim is to increase the availability of larger properties by making it easier for some of our tenants to downsize.
The consultation opens on Monday 4 November for six weeks and can be accessed here.
A report will be given to the Housing and Inclusion Committee on Monday 20 January when Councillors will decide whether to accept the changes.
The current Annual Gross Household Income Limits are £36,295 for a one-bedroom home which sould be updated to £46,686.20.
For a two-bedroom property the limit would be updated from £48,173 to £61,964.86; for a three-bedroom property, it would rise from £56,152 to £72,228.23; and for a property of four or more bedrooms, it would increase from £69,608 to £89,536.67.
Media contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council: 01727-919533
Create your own Glass Lantern Workshop at the Alley Theatre
4 November 2024
A five-week workshop in the Alley Theatre will allow participants to create their own handmade glass lantern under the guidance of sculptor and ceramic artist Leona Devine.
This workshop, starting on Wednesday 6th November, will involve painting and creating a bespoke lantern. Participants will have fun with fusion and will be introduced to a selection of materials and tools. Each stage will be demonstrated.
There are limited spaces for this fun and creative workshop running Wednesdays 6th 13th, 20th, 27th November and Wednesday 4th December at 11am each day. All abilities welcome. Cost is £60, to book visit www.alley-theatre.com or call the Alley Theatre Box Office on 028 71 384444.
Country sensation Claudia Buckley comes to the Alley Theatre
4 November 2024
The Alley Theatre is set to give country sensation, Claudia Buckley a very warm welcome on Thursday 7th November. Joining Claudia will be special guests Hugo Duncan and Shunie Crampsey
In two short years, Claudia Buckley has succeeded in establishing herself as one of Ireland’s most popular Country Music singers having had six Number One singles in the Country Charts in Ireland, and her recent self-penned single ‘Honey Bee’ made the top 10 in the Irish Pop Charts. Recently Claudia secured the title of ‘Female Vocalist of the Year for 2024’ at the Hot Country Music Awards, she is one of the youngest ever recipients of this special recognition.
The Athenry native, who is the daughter of country superstar Jimmy Buckley, is thankful for the passion she has for her craft and feels totally blessed to have landed this opportunity to not only record, but also perform live to audiences.
In 2019 a lifelong ambition was realised when she co-presented her own TV Show with her dad Jimmy Buckley on The Spotlight Satellite Channel. In the last year Claudia has performed on some of Ireland’s top TV shows including The Late Late Show, The Six O’ Clock Show, Up for the Match and BBC’s Keepin Er’ Country.
Claudia is currently working on her second studio album and cannot wait to embark on her tour all over Ireland and the UK to showcase some of her hits such as ‘Drinking with Dolly’, ‘Diane’ and some old favourites that she hopes everyone will love.
A night of toe-tapping country is guaranteed at the Strabane venue. Tickets are £25 and available on the Alley website www.alley-theatre.com or call 028 71 384444.
easyJet launch first flights to Liverpool and Edinburgh from City of Derry Airport
4 November 2024
easyJet, Northern Ireland’s largest airline, has this week launched the first flights on two new domestic routes from City of Derry Airport to Liverpool and Edinburgh.
The new twice-weekly services – providing customers in Northern Ireland even more convenient connections across the UK – took off for the first time today with both routes operating every Monday and Friday throughout the year.
To mark the occasion, the Airport surprised the inaugural departure and arrival passengers with an easyJet orange celebration where they were treated to complimentary drinks, refreshments and giveaways before setting off.
Special guests, the Mayor Derry City & Strabane District Council, Cllr Lilian Seenoi-Barr, Chief Executive at Visit Derry, Odhran Dunne, President of Derry Chamber of Commerce, Greg McCann, President of Causeway Chamber of Commerce, James Kilgore, and Chief Executive of Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce, Toni Forrester, joined the celebrations.
The new routes provide stronger domestic connectivity and serve increasing demand for flights between Northern Ireland and key cities across the UK.
Both Edinburgh and Liverpool are known for their rich history and wide range of cultural attractions, including museums, art galleries, theatres, and music venues. Edinburgh is famous for its festivals, while Liverpool is known for its music scene, particularly The Beatles.
Whether customers are looking for a city break, to visit friends and family, need a convenient business connection, or are connecting to onward destinations across Europe and beyond, easyJet offers great value fares and flights for business and leisure travellers alike.
Ali Gayward, easyJet’s UK Country Manager, said:
“We are thrilled to be celebrating the launch of our year-round operations from City of Derry Airport to Liverpool and Edinburgh today, and to be providing even more choice for our business and leisure customers alike.
“We are proud to be the largest airline in Northern Ireland offering great value fares and convenient connections for our customers here as, well as those across the UK looking to explore the fantastic experiences Northern Ireland has to offer.”
Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport stated:
“This is a special day for City of Derry Airport as easyJet takes off from the Northwest for the first time. This is a day that should be celebrated for the entire Northwest region. easyJet brings an undeniable level of brand credibility, customer confidence, not to mention great value fares for travellers across our catchment area.
“We are very pleased for the return of connectivity to Edinburgh and Liverpool for our local region as year-round services to these destinations have been in demand from both corporate and leisure travellers for some time, and the flight schedule for Monday’s and Friday’s offers ideal timings for business travel during the week and weekend breaks for the leisure market.
“The launch of easyJet services will be an additional economic driver for business investment in the Northwest and inbound travel and tourism, we are proud to be able to help grow and develop these sectors in our local area.”
easyJet is the largest airline in Northern Ireland, offering over 45 routes across Europe and North Africa.
Great value seats are available to book from £14.99* on easyJet.com and via the mobile app. To discover more about easyJet’s Northern Ireland network and to book, visit easyJet.com.
Mayor rallies troops as 25,000 Derry City fans expected in Aviva this Sunday
4 November 2024
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Lilian Seenoi-Barr, has issued a rallying call to the red and white army ahead of Derry City’s bid to win the FAI Cup this Sunday.
Ruaidhri Higgins’ side will take on Drogheda United in the Aviva Stadium showpiece with an estimated 25,000 Candystripes fans expected to make the trip to Dublin 4.
Mayor Barr has called on businesses and residents from all corners of the North West to get their flags and colours out this week. “The excitement and anticipation is palpable across the North West as Derry City bid to bring home the FAI Cup this Sunday,” she said. “It’s the ultimate Derry day out and I want to appeal to the public to do all you can this week to get behind the team and paint the town red and white.
“Get your homes, businesses, social media profiles and cars decked out for Derry and let’s have a record breaking support travelling to the Aviva for the final.”
The Mayor this week recorded a special video message at the Ryan McBride Brandywell for the fans and players and is changing her social media profile pictures in support of the team.
She has attended a number of home games this season and was at Friday night Derry’s final league game of the season against Shelbourne.
“In the games I’ve attended at the Brandywell, I have experienced first-hand the special relationship that exists between the team and the supporters of this wonderful football club,” she acknowledged. “The support of the fans is like having a 12th man on the pitch and can lift the players to new heights this weekend.
“I want to wish Ruaidhri and his players the best of luck as they finalise their preparations, it’s going to be an unforgettable occasion for everyone to enjoy so let’s pack out the Aviva and roar the team to victory on Sunday.”
Tickets for the final which has a 3pm kick off are available online at via Ticketmaster.
A link to choose tickets in the Derry City section is available on the Derry City Football Club website and the club’s social media pages.
The Official Partners sponsoring the UK’s Pavilion at COP29 are: AVEVA, Corporate Leaders Group, DP World, National Grid, Octopus Energy, SSE and Standard Chartered.
This year’s COP29 UK Pavilion Official Partners represent UK industry’s outstanding reputation for addressing climate change through enterprise and innovation.
Throughout the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, the UK Pavilion will host a series of events including panel talks, roundtable discussions and networking receptions. These will raise awareness of the best of British climate leadership and share insights on climate change from UK organisations, policy and business.
The funding by the UK Pavilion sponsors reduces cost to the taxpayer, while enabling official partners to demonstrate the vital role industry plays in progressing the climate agenda.
National Grid and SSE are returning as official partners from COP26 in Glasgow, COP27 in Sharm-El Sheikh and COP28 in Dubai, while Octopus Energy is returning from COP28 – showing the ongoing commitment of these companies to cutting emissions and accelerating towards net zero, and to working with the government on this important mission.
The UK government has also welcomed 4 new businesses to the COP29 sponsor portfolio: AVEVA, Corporate Leaders Group, DP World and Standard Chartered, resulting in the highest ever number of official partners at a COP summit.
COP29 runs from 11-22 November and the UK Pavilion will be open for the duration of the conference.
The sponsors
AVEVA
Headquartered in the UK, AVEVA is a global leader in industrial software, driving responsible use of the world’s resources. Over 25,000 enterprises in over 100 countries rely on AVEVA to help them deliver life’s essentials: safe and reliable energy, food, medicines, infrastructure and more. By connecting people with trusted information and AI-enriched insights, AVEVA enables teams to engineer efficiently and optimize operations, driving growth and sustainability. AVEVA attends COP29 with a wholehearted commitment to ensure that COP29 remains the key mechanism for driving collaborative progress on net zero. With the industrial sector contributing to a quarter of global emissions, AVEVA aims to demonstrate digitalization’s critical role in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors while enabling innovation in low-carbon paradigms that can support a just transition to a more sustainable future. Sponsoring the UK Pavilion is a key opportunity to collaborate with business, government and civil society leaders, supporting the transformation of UK economic interests to support COP objectives and accelerating the drive for net zero worldwide.
Caspar Herzberg, CEO, AVEVA:
As a UK-headquartered global leader in industrial intelligence software, AVEVA is proud to support the UK Pavilion at COP29. With industry responsible for a quarter of global emissions, industrial digitalisation is revolutionising decarbonisation strategies. Our work with more than 20,000 enterprises worldwide shows how cross-sector collaboration and untapped industrial data are driving breakthrough sustainability solutions. The UK continues to demonstrate leadership in sustainable industrial innovation, and alongside our government and industry partners, we’re committed to accelerating measurable action on our path to net zero.
Corporate Leaders Group UK
The UK Corporate Leaders Group (CLG UK) is a cross-sector, impact-driven business membership group that provides a strong corporate voice to support UK leadership for the transition to a climate neutral, nature positive and socially inclusive economy. CLG UK’s ongoing mission is to increase business and government leadership through a reinforcing virtuous cycle of increasing ambition and implementing action. It has convened and helped build consensus across the UK business community in support of the transition to competitive, climate-neutral, nature-positive and socially inclusive economies.
Beverley Cornaby, Director, UK Corporate Leaders Group:
The UK Corporate Leaders Group (CLG UK) is delighted to be sponsoring the UK Pavilion at COP29. The timing could not be more important, with the window of opportunity to transition to a clean future closing rapidly. CLG UK is urging governments to be decisive, provide clear policy frameworks and stay on course to meet net zero through strong delivery and implementation plans. To succeed, the UK government must bring business with it on its journey. That is where CLG UK is perfectly positioned to work with the UK Pavilion’s partners, businesses and change-makers to mobilise investment, technology and innovation to achieve our shared goals. We must work together to unlock the power of UK leadership, shift markets and economies, and maintain ambition for climate, nature and people.
DP World
DP World exists to make the world’s trade flow better, changing what’s possible for the customers and communities it serves globally. With a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 115,000 employees from 160 nationalities, spanning 78 countries on six continents, DP World is pushing trade further and faster towards a seamless supply chain that’s fit for the future. DP World is rapidly transforming and integrating its businesses – Ports and Terminals, Marine Services, Logistics and Technology – and uniting its global infrastructure with local expertise to create stronger, more efficient and sustainable end-to-end supply chain solutions that can change the way the world trades.
Rashid Abdulla, CEO & Managing Director, Europe:
DP World’s ambition is to streamline and sustain global trade while building a resilient, lower-carbon supply chain. At COP29 with the UK government, we will champion sustainable end-to-end solutions that address climate challenges head-on, playing our part in connecting stakeholders across sectors, promoting collaboration and creating shared value.
National Grid
National Grid plays a crucial role in connecting millions of people to the energy they use safely, reliably and efficiently. National Grid is pioneering ways to decarbonise the energy system; from building interconnectors to allow the UK to share clean energy with Europe, to investing in renewable energy generation in the United States.
Rhian Kelly, Chief Sustainability Officer, National Grid:
Collaboration across borders and the sharing of best practice is vital if the global ambition for a clean energy future is to be met. Energy networks are an important part of this, enabling clean, green energy to flow from where it’s generated to where it’s needed. National Grid is proud to support the UK Pavilion at COP29, and we look forward to sharing our experiences and learning more from the international community.
Octopus Energy
As a British-born company, Octopus Energy showcases how the UK is leading the world in green innovation, investing billions in clean technologies to drive meaningful change globally. With operations in 18 countries, and 54 million households running on its tech platform Kraken, Octopus is bringing cheaper power to millions of customers globally. Launched just eight years ago, Octopus is now the largest electricity supplier in the UK and one of the largest investors in renewables in Europe, managing a portfolio worth £7 billion. Its relentless focus on smart tech and innovations has unlocked the world’s largest virtual power plant and homes with zero energy bills, delivering clean solutions that save people money and power the world.
Zoisa North-Bond, CEO Octopus Energy Generation:
The UK is the vanguard of green innovation, brimming with the talent and technology needed to accelerate the global energy revolution – and COP is a great opportunity to showcase this. From microgrids to wind farms and EVs – the solutions to empower global communities and stop climate change are available today. By working with policymakers and industry leaders worldwide, we can make green energy accessible for all and drive the solutions that will power the world.
SSE
SSE is the UK and Ireland’s clean energy champion, investing over £20 billion into homegrown energy. Our purpose is to provide the energy needed today while building a better world of energy for tomorrow. We do this by developing, building, operating and investing in world-class electricity infrastructure that is vital to the clean energy transition. We were the first company in the world to develop a ‘just transition strategy’, aimed at ensuring the benefits of the clean energy transition are shared by workers and communities. SSE has aligned its business strategy to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing a powerful framework to guide the creation of shared value for shareholders and society.
Martin Pibworth, SSE Chief Commercial Officer:
At SSE, we’ve put delivering net zero at the heart of our strategy backed up with of a multi-billion-dollar investment programme focused on mission-critical clean energy infrastructure. COP29 provides the opportunity to speed up the pace of the transition working with a range of international partners to collectively deliver a global just transition.
Standard Chartered
Standard Chartered has an important role to play in supporting our clients, sectors and markets to accelerate the transition to a low carbon, climate resilient economy. We’re pleased to partner with the UK at COP29, creating a platform to bring together partners, stakeholders and decision makers to help deliver outcomes in support of the Paris Agreement. As a major financial hub, the UK has some of the deepest pools of internationally oriented capital and as a leading international cross-border bank, headquartered in the UK, Standard Chartered is uniquely positioned to mobilise this capital and investment towards our footprint markets across Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Marissa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer, Standard Chartered:
We’re pleased to partner with the UK at COP29 and will use this platform, alongside the full breadth of our sustainable finance expertise, to help scale finance and innovative solutions in support of the Paris Agreement. The UK has some of the deepest pools of internationally oriented capital and as a leading international cross-border bank, headquartered in the UK, Standard Chartered is uniquely positioned to mobilise this capital towards sustainable and inclusive growth across our footprint markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
Manchester will pay its respects during the annual Remembrance Sunday commemorations, turning our collective thoughts to the servicemen and women who gave their lives for this country.
Ahead of the 11am two minutes silence, a procession of veterans, military personnel and cadets will begin their march from John Dalton Street to the Cenotaph in St Peter’s Square at 10.25am, led by the Lancashire Artillery Volunteers Band and the Greater Manchester Police Band.
The Civic procession will depart from Mount Street at 10.40am for the Cenotaph, led by the Scots Guards Association Pipe Band.
Civic dignitaries, servicemen and women, service and ex-service organisations, faith leaders, emergency services and other uniformed organisations will be invited to pay their respects at the Cenotaph in St. Peter’s Square along with members of the public.
The service and two-minute silence will be held at 11am. The firing of a maroon* will mark the beginning and ending of the silence.
Traditional wreaths will be laid by the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester on behalf of His Majesty The King; The Lord Mayor of Manchester on behalf of the City; Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force; Reserve Forces represented by 103rd Regiment Royal Artillery; The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and 206 (NW) MMR; Royal British Legion on behalf of ex-service men and women; Manchester Consular Association on behalf of Commonwealth Allies; Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Young Faith Representatives.
At the end of the Service there will be a short march to Peter Street across St Peter’s Square.
Crowd control barriers will be removed at the end of the Service to allow members of the public the opportunity to place their tributes around the memorial.
Councillor Paul Andrews, Lord Mayor of Manchester, said: “Remembrance Sunday is a time for us all to reflect and honour the immeasurable sacrifices our servicemen and women have made both in times of war and peace.
“We pay tribute to the great strength and courage shown by the men and women currently serving as well as the veterans from conflicts gone by.
“We also take time to remember the fallen civilians – men, women and children – who have faced the horror of conflict. I am proud and privileged to marking this most solemn of occasion for everyone in Manchester.”
Liverpool City Council is set to phase in camera enforcement at six further locations around primary schools to improve safety and boost air quality.
Known as School Streets, this project involves introducing a range of measures on roads close to schools that will reduce or calm motorised traffic, aiming to not only keep children, parents and residents safer by reducing congestion, but also to improve air quality and encourage active travel.
Measures include restricting access to roads, or sections of roads, close to schools when pupils are being dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon.
Schools work in partnership with the council to implement the measures and four further schools will join the six primary schools in the city which are already part of the national initiative.
The six additional locations to be phased in from today, Monday 4 November, and the affected roads are:
St Clare’s Catholic Primary School – Whole of Garmoyle Close
St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School – Church Road (from Prescot Road to Selkirk Road)
St Cleopas C of E Primary School – Whole of Barclay Street
Christ the King Catholic Primary School – Whole of Fieldway and Meadway (Entire length from Wavertree Nook Road)
Rice Lane Primary school – Whole of Brockenhurst Road from Rice Lane will be added to the existing timed access restriction on Lynwood Road.
St Michaels in the Hamlet Community Primary School – Camera enforcement to be included Neilson Road from St Michael’s Road.
The times when the School Streets restrictions are in operation for all the above are from 8.15am to 9.15am and from 2.30pm to 3.30pm during term time.
Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will be used at these schools to support enforcement of the restrictions however exemptions can apply.
School staff or parents who have a Blue Badge, or who need to drop off or pick up a child with SEND, can ask the school to apply for a camera exemption permit.
People who live on a School Street or someone who is a carer or a Blue Badge holder who regularly visits a resident on a School Street can apply for an exemption via the council’s website.
Various School Street measures are already in place at: Mab Lane, Much Woolton Catholic, Greenbank, St Michael in the Hamlet, Rice Lane, and St Gregory’s. These projects have shown that School Streets are effective in improving air quality by reducing congestion around the school site.
Monday’s phasing in will help the Council achieve its objective of creating up to 50 School Streets over the next four years, as set out under Pillar 5 of the Council Plan – A well-connected, sustainable and accessible city. Earlier this year, consultations were carried out at 20 further schools and it is hoped that School Streets will be implemented at these in the next year.
Cllr Dan Barrington, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said: “After the success of the first School Streets, I’m so pleased that the Council is able to support further schools to make their communities safer.
“School Streets are a great example of the Council working with whole communities – schools, parents and residents who live near the schools – to make our environment safer and more pleasant for everyone.
“Schemes like School Streets succeed because the majority of people understand their value and pull together to make them work. I have every confidence that these new School Streets locations will bring improvements for everyone in the community.”
Simon O’Brien, Liverpool City Region’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “There is nothing more important than the health of our children. So clean air and a feeling of calm around our schools at drop off and pick up are vital to help the pupils grow and learn in a positive environment.
“Well done to Liverpool City Council for enabling more schools to achieve these aims.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Explanation of vote by David Riley OBE, UK Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the Conference on Disarmament, at the UN First Committee.
Location:
United Nations, New York
Delivered on:
(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
I am delivering the UK explanation of vote against the draft resolution L.39 ‘Nuclear War Effects and Scientific Research’.
We have always recognised that a nuclear war could have devastating consequences for humanity. This point is not new: it was written into the Preamble of the NPT in 1968, captured in the outcome document of the first Special Session on Disarmament in 1978, and reaffirmed many times since.
The international community has long been aware of the facts in this area.
The UK supports the use of scientific research, to keep at the forefront of minds, for future generations, the long-held knowledge of the devastating consequences of nuclear war, as set out in the NPT.
The UK has supported efforts to ensure this understanding continues.
Against this background of clearly established views on the effects of a nuclear war, we are not persuaded of the utility of an Independent Scientific Panel as proposed by the Resolution. Such a panel could not change our collective understanding of the horror of a nuclear war.
There is abundant scientific information and research available on this topic. A panel of the type proposed could not produce “new” evidence. It cannot advance us towards our collective long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons.
We also consider that the objectives of the Panel are ill-defined and ambiguous.
It is for these reasons that the UK was unable to support this Resolution.
Additionally, Madame Chair, this Resolution contains budgetary implications. In a year of multiple requests and constrained resources, we hope these costs can be met through voluntary contributions.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments
In this Technical Bulletin, GAD summarises various aspects of the Autumn Budget 2024. We focus on a selection of measures most closely linked to GAD’s work.
Credit: Shutterstock
The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) has produced a summary of various aspects of the Autumn Budget 2024. It focuses on a selection of the Budget measures most closely linked to GAD’s work.
Budget relevance to GAD
As a department which advises on financial risk, the implications of a new budget are important for GAD’s work and the clients we support. GAD provides actuarial solutions on a non-profit basis for the government and wider public sector using:
risk analysis
modelling
quality assurance and advice
data insights to identify trends and share insights
A significant proportion of our work is on aspects of public service pension schemes. These affect 15 million working and retired people including police, firefighters, teachers, civil servants, doctors and nurses.
Credit: Shutterstock
Our skills further support government departments and stakeholder initiatives. Examples of these include reports on Great Britain’s National Insurance fund and on the State Pension age.
Topics covered
The Autumn Budget 2024 covered a number of topics relevant for GAD, ranging from National Insurance to pensions, and from fiscal forecasts to investment in public services. Further details can be found in the GAD Technical Bulletin.
Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN at the UN Security Council meeting on non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
Location:
United Nations, New York
Delivered on:
(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)
The United Kingdom unequivocally condemns the DPRK’s latest intercontinental ballistic missile launch.
This was the longest launch ever conducted by the DPRK, lasting 86 minutes.
This is yet another egregious violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. It shows that the DPRK continues to advance its illegal nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes, posing a clear threat to global peace and security.
In 2024 alone, the DPRK has recklessly launched one failed satellite, two intermediate-range ballistic missiles, and at least 36 short-range ballistic missiles. The DPRK also attempted to launch one multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicle.
Year by year, the DPRK flaunts its growing nuclear capabilities. Yet still, some Council members prevent us from speaking out with one voice.
This strategy of silence has failed. It is time for us to act, to defend the global non-proliferation architecture, to uphold the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and to deliver on the mandate of this Council to address the most pressing threats to peace and security.
Colleagues, it is less than a week since we last discussed the DPRK’s flagrant violations of UN Security Council resolutions.
The Russian Foreign Minister alarmingly said that, “Applying the term denuclearisation to DPRK no longer makes any sense. This is off the table.”
This statement of fiction, alongside Russia’s veto of the 1718 Committee’s Panel of Experts earlier this year, has emboldened the DPRK to continue its unlawful behaviour knowing it has impunity from a permanent member of this Council.
I call on Russia, and all Members of this Council, to condemn this launch and restate their commitment to implementing all relevant Council resolutions.
I urge the DPRK to abandon its illegal nuclear and ballistic weapons programmes, which are diverting resources away from improving the lives of the DPRK’s people.
The UK is committed to securing peace on the Korean peninsula. We call on the DPRK to take up repeated offers from the United States and the Republic of Korea towards dialogue. Diplomacy is the only route to sustained peace on the peninsula.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has been urged to rule out the introduction of tuition fees under any future Scottish Labour government, following reports that the UK Labour government will hike fees for students in England to record levels.
Scottish Greens education spokesperson Ross Greer has urged Mr Sarwar to condemn the unfair decision and to instruct Scottish Labour MPs to vote against it.
“Tuition fees are a fundamentally unfair policy, saddling young people with decades of debt and financial anxiety that many will never pay off.
“We all benefit from a well-educated society where higher education is open to everyone, not just those that can afford it.
“England already has some of the highest university fees in the world, but Sir Keir Starmer and his Labour colleagues seem happy to repeat Nick Clegg’s mistakes with a whole new generation of students – raising fees beyond anything the Tories and Lib Dems introduced.
“Scottish Labour must explain whether their MPs support this hike and where it leaves their tuition policy for Scotland. Anas Sarwar should not only condemn this decision, he should show some leadership by instructing Scottish Labour MPs to oppose it. Most importantly though, he must rule out any attempt to inflict tuition fees on students in Scotland.
“TheScottish Greens will always stand up for students and oppose attempts by Labour or any other party to reintroduce tuition fees in Scotland.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The Environment Agency has prosecuted a Midlands company for failing to complete safety works on a Lancashire reservoir.
Ward’s reservoir near Belmont, Lancashire. Credit: Environment Agency
Midlands-based company fails to carry out safety recommendations at reservoir near Belmont
Enforcement notice required completion of safety works
The Environment Agency has prosecuted a Midlands company which failed to safely maintain Ward’s Reservoir in Lancashire, putting residents in nearby Belmont at risk.
At Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on 8 October 2024, Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited, of Old Marlbrook Quarry, Lydiate Ash, Bromsgrove, admitted failing to comply with an enforcement notice. This was issued under the Reservoirs Act 1975.
This required the company to complete essential maintenance and construction works in the interests of public safety. The company was ordered to pay fines and costs of £5,445.
Safety checks
The court heard that a notice was served on the company by the Environment Agency’s National Reservoir Safety Team in May 2021. This was to carry out safety measures under the supervision of a qualified civil engineer.
However, the company by October 2021 had failed to carry out the work and weekly safety checks by Environment Agency officers were started.
In June 2022, the Environment Agency intervened to protect public safety, commissioning contractors to inspect and free the outlet valve.
This allowed levels in the reservoir to be managed and maintained at 5.25 metres below the maximum top water level, significantly reducing its risk of failure.
In the continued absence of adequate management by the company the Environment Agency has since been conducting site visits and engineer safety checks.
The reservoir spillway which was not maintained. Credit: Environment Agency
Karl Hunter, Enforcement Advisor for the Environment Agency’s National Reservoir Safety Team, said:
The director and owners of Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited failed to respond to advice and enforcement notices to improve the unacceptable and unsafe condition.
This failure to comply came despite repeated site inspections and warnings from Environment Agency officers and independent expert engineers.
This caused unacceptable risks to local residents and businesses in the village of Belmont and surrounding areas downstream of the reservoir.
The owners of all Large Raised Reservoirs are regulated under the Reservoirs Act 1975 by the Environment Agency.
The Act requires owners to maintain their reservoirs in full compliance with safety recommendations, set periodically by independent reservoir engineers.
Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited took ownership of Ward’s Reservoir in 2019 and has consistently failed in its legal duty.
We will continue to work to tackle inadequate maintenance of reservoirs which puts lives at risk. We are committed to ensuring that reservoir safety standards are adhered to.
The charge:
That Blue Lagoon Heritage Limited, (Company number 07390323) by 29 July 2021 as undertaker of Wards (Blue Lagoon) Reservoir, had failed to comply with the requirements of a Notice.
This was made on the 20 May 2021 under Section 10(7)(b) of the Reservoirs Act 1975. This required safety measures to be put into effect at Wards (Blue Lagoon) Reservoir under the supervision of a qualified civil engineer by the 28 July 2021. Contrary to Section 22(1)(b) of the Reservoirs Act 1975.
Background Information
Reservoirs in England and Wales capable of holding more than 25,000 cubic metres of water must be registered with the Environment Agency.
The owners (‘Undertakers’) must comply fully with the requirements of the Reservoirs Act 1975.
The Act is designed to provide a regulatory framework for maintaining reservoir safety to prevent an uncontrolled release of water and risk to life.
People can report environmental incidents to our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or Crimestoppers anonymously and in confidence on 0800 555 111.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
From 28-30 October, charity regulators from eight nations gathered in the UK for a three-day meeting.
Representatives and Heads of Regulators from Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Singapore, in addition to an observing invitee from the United States, met to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern.
Regulators recognised the world is currently dealing with substantial challenges including evolving social environments with changing patterns of volunteering, climate change and more natural disasters, cost of living pressures driving higher demand for services and costs of running organisations, and the need to support populations through conflict not seen for a generation.
Regulators affirmed that given this current global context, the work of charities and not-for-profit organisations has never been more important. Charities and not-for-profit organisations have a long history of enabling society to adapt, improving the lives of millions globally, and supporting and enabling cohesion where there has been division. Working across sectors to find solutions to the world’s most challenging problems, they are fundamental to world class research, scientific endeavour and policy change that enables health, environmental and animal welfare issues to be advanced.
Regulators shared examples of how effective, expert regulation plays a fundamental part in allowing charities to thrive and allows the public to have trust and confidence in the work of charities. Our organisations each contribute to supporting and ensuring strong governance in charities, so that they deliver their charitable purpose for the benefit of all. Regulators have been delighted to advance our shared objectives at this meeting through the exchange of knowledge and best practice.
The meeting covered four key themes:
Charity registration and charitable status
Registration is the start of the journey for new charities and trustees, and at the core of each of our roles is making efficient, effective decisions to ensure genuine applicants can begin delivering their charitable purpose.
Regulators:
shared improvements to our respective processes for registration, acknowledging the constraints inherent in applying a legal test.
gained valuable insights from other jurisdictions approaches to improve the quality of applications from prospective charities
shared plans to digitise and improve registration services within jurisdictions
shared trends and case studies on those seeking to abuse charity status but were prevented from doing so
agreed, subject to national jurisdictions laws and restrictions, to improve data sharing to prevent cross border abuse of charity status via the registration process
agreed to explore how to enable simpler but robust registration services for those who work across borders
Digital, technology and data
Regulators are at different stages in their journeys of delivering new digital technologies, with a particular focus across each jurisdiction on using online services to enhance relationships with charity trustees, ensuring we provide charities with the best guidance and tools, as well as driving regulatory efficiency. Regulators discussed experiences in delivering recent innovations, and how charities in their jurisdiction responded, to inform each of our future plans.
Regulators:
agreed to share digital and technology plans to enable better cross jurisdiction co-operation and experience for charities and the public
agreed, subject to national laws and regulations, to share emerging trends, issues, impacts of technology on charities, charity regulation and policies to enable the benefits of technology to be exploited whilst mitigating risks and unintended consequences.
Communication, education and public trust
Regulators identified many commonalities in our approaches to using social media, events and guidance to secure greater engagement with charities, particularly those who are traditionally harder to reach or might have less knowledge.
Regulators:
identified several approaches that have been successfully applied in individual nations and have taken away from the meeting ideas as to how these could potentially be translated into new national initiatives.
welcomed the contribution such work programmes make in delivering our core remit to build public trust and confidence in charity, and in our own effectiveness.
Compliance
Regulators reviewed global trends in charity non-compliance, and how these have been addressed through use of regulatory powers. Discussion of recent domestic cases with international significance, allowed identification of issues in common, that might damage the vast majority of genuine, compliant charities.
With many charities and voluntary organisations working extensively across international borders, Regulators:
affirmed that, subject to national laws and regulations, we will continually share appropriate insight so we can each effectively tackle such risks, acting within our legislative frameworks.
affirmed, we each have a central role to play in supporting compliance with The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, to ensure the substantial amount of money that flows across borders to facilitate the vital work of the sector is safe and secure and charities may continue to deliver vital services to the world’s most vulnerable.
The group will be hosted by a different member when they next reconvene in the spring of 2026. Until then, Regulators will continue their online quarterly meetings to build on these positive discussions to ensure lessons continue to be shared and the international community of charity Regulators remains united.
Delegate List
David Holdsworth – Chief Executive, England & Wales
Orlando Fraser KC – Chair, England & Wales
Paul Latham – Director of Communications & Policy, England & Wales
Sue Woodward AM – Commissioner, Australia
Natasha Sekulic – Assistant Commissioner – General Counsel, Australia
Sharmila Khare – Director General, Charities Directorate, Canada
Madeleine Delaney – Chief Executive, Ireland
Geraldine McCarthy – Head of Communications, Ireland
GSC rolls out Action Plan following major traffic survey
Alderney’s General Services Committee at its meeting of November 1st unanimously agreed to implement a phased traffic improvement programme following comprehensive consultation and a public survey.
Survey responses covered issues such as parking, the number and size of vehicles, policing and abandoned vehicles. Proposals have been presented in consultation with the States Works Department and Bailiwick Law Enforcement.
Now GSC has approved short, medium and long-term plans which will be communicated to the public as they are rolled out.
Initial short-term action includes:
· Identifying areas for improved road markings and signage.
· Trial pedestrianisation of the lower end of Victoria Street (Les Roquettes to Ollivier Street junctions) on four consecutive Saturday mornings from December 14th to create a better shopping experience for residents and visitors. This will serve as a “soft opening” before an additional trial will take place during the island’s busier periods – the community will have the opportunity to feed back to the States.
· Continuation of Problem Orientated Policing (POP) instigated by local Police to educate the public on how traffic and parking missteps can be resolved with better understanding of the consequences.
· A proposed ‘Active Travel to Work’ campaign to include messages such as ‘Walk to Work Day’ and ‘Cycle to Work Week’ to discourage vehicle usage and town parking.
· Liaison with Alderney’s new Planning Officer to review parking space allocation at new developments.
· A review of recent requests for more disabled parking spaces will be submitted to GSC.
Meanwhile, disincentivising the import of large private vehicles is being implemented by the Policy and Finance Committee via the fees ordinance and by subsequent legislation.
Medium-term action agreed by GSC will look to address the problem of abandoned vehicles and the Committee will liaise with Bailiwick Law Enforcement to conduct average speed checks using recording devices in areas where the speed limit is less than 35mph, and use this data to consider installing physical deterrents to speeding.
In the longer term, proposals are being considered for a permit parking system for residents in order to distinguish between residents and consumers where there is a mix of commercial and residential properties in St Anne town. The permit system will seek to limit long-term parking in the inner and outer town areas to a maximum of 28 days, after which a vehicle would be considered abandoned.
The biggest concerns from the 267 survey responses, which represent 503+ driving licence holders and 405+ drivers of vehicles, were the increase in larger vehicles (73%) and the issue of abandoned vehicles (53%).
However, the figures indicate that a number of people who own more than one car per household park their vehicles both on their driveway and on public roads, contributing to congestion in St Anne’s residential streets.
The States has worked collaboratively with its associated partners to understand the community’s views and the Traffic Improvement Programme seeks to provide solutions to well evidenced issues through a manageable progressive programme.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Tuition fees to rise in line with inflation, helping put universities on a secure footing alongside inflation-linked lift to maintenance loans.
The government has today (4 November 2024) unveiled a significant package of measures to support students and stabilise the university sector.
Students facing cost of living pressures will be supported with an inflation-linked increase to maintenance loans, alongside new steps to boost access for disadvantaged learners.
The increase in cash-in-hand support of 3.1% will provide as much as £414 extra per year, to help students from the lowest income families.
Higher education providers’ financial sustainability will also be bolstered, after seven years of no increases to domestic tuition fee caps – meaning fees have not kept pace with inflation.
If a borrower’s income is below the repayment threshold, they aren’t required to make any repayments. And after 40 years any outstanding loan debt, including interest accrued, will be written off.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:
This government’s mission is to break down barriers to opportunity, which is why we are doing more to support students struggling with the cost of living despite the fiscal challenges our country faces.
The situation we have inherited means this government must take the tough decisions needed to put universities on a firmer financial footing so they can deliver more opportunity for students and growth for our economy.
Universities must deliver better value for money for students and taxpayers: that is why this investment must come with a major package of reforms so they can drive growth around the country and serve the communities they are rooted in.
In exchange for this additional investment students are being asked to make, the government is calling on universities to significantly step up work to boost access for disadvantaged students and break down barriers to opportunity.
Providers will be expected to play a stronger role in expanding access and improving outcomes for disadvantaged students, and the department for Education will announce a package of reforms in the coming months.
Recent data shows that the gap between disadvantaged students and their peers in progression to university by age 19 is the highest on record, and the Education Secretary has called on universities to do more to address this.
Graduates earn an average of £100,000 more over their lifetime than non-graduates, underlining the continued value of a university degree to employers and learners alike. But these statistics have shown that that too often background and personal circumstances are barriers to people getting on in life.
The increase in fees will mean providers can start to address systemic problems, with 40% forecasted to be in budget deficits, and help ease pressure on their finances. It also means providers can continue to deliver high quality education that boosts the life chances of those who choose this path, as well as protecting their status as engines of economic growth.
The move follows the Education Secretary’s immediate action this summer to refocus the Office for Students’ role, and ensure it more closely monitors financial sustainability to safeguard the future of higher education.
The Education Secretary has also announced today that maximum tuition fees for classroom-based foundation years courses will be reduced to £5,760 from the start of the 2025 to 2026 academic year. This will ensure that courses are delivered more efficiently and at lower costs to students.
The announcement follows last week’s update to plans for the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE), a transformation of the student finance system which will expand access to high-quality, flexible education and training for adults throughout their working lives.
After careful consideration the LLE will now launch in academic year 2026 to 2027, to ensure it meets the government’s ambitions to fill skill gaps and kickstart economic growth.
This will enable plans to be refined, help collaboration with Skills England to support the government’s industrial strategy, and give education providers the necessary time to prepare for this new system.
Further information on fees
The latest Q1 2026 RPIX forecast of 3.1% gives the following uplifts to fees and maintenance loans for 2025 to 2026.
Type
Fees 2024 to 2025
Fees for 2025 to 2026
Uplift
Full-time
£9,250
£9,535
£285
Part-time
£6,935
£7,145
£210
Accelerated
£11,100
£11,440
£340
Note: Figures rounded down to the nearest £5 – figures are higher amounts.
Student
Maintenance loans 2024 to 2025
Maintenance loans 2025 to 2026
Uplift
Home
£8,610
£8,877
£267
London
£13,348
£13,762
£414
Elsewhere
£10,227
£10,544
£317
Overseas
£11,713
£12,076
£363
Note: Figures for full-time students not eligible for benefits and part-time students (100% FTE). Figures rounded to nearest £1.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
A study published in JAMA Pediatrics looks at the association between screen time and autism diagnosis in children.
Prof Chris Ferguson, Professor of Psychology, Stetson University, said:
“The problem with this study is both straightforward and common. They report an effect size for screens and autism that is little different from zero. However, because the sample size is large, this becomes “statistically significant”. This is common for methodological noise in big sample studies. This should not be interpreted as evidence supporting the hypothesis. If this study was taken as suggesting that screen time is linked with autism, the public could be misinformed or misled. Put simply, there is no actual evidence here for a link between screen time and autism.
“Also, the authors claim previous research suggests an association between screen time and autism – this worries me as in my view the evidence base as a whole does not suggest this.”
Dr James L. Findon, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, King’s College London,said:
“While this study found an association between screentime before 2 years of age and being diagnosed with autism before 12, it does not suggest a causality. This is consistent with our understanding of the development of autism which is predominantly genetic. What the results show us is that autistic children are more likely to have higher screentime than their neurotypical peers. Screentime often gets bad press, but for many autistic children screentime can be beneficial. This might be because screentime helps them regulate their emotions and calms them during periods of sensory overload.”
Dr Rachel Moseley, Principal Academic in Psychology, Bournemouth University, said:
“While the authors have done a good job of controlling for variables which might explain the association, the study can in no way tell us anything about causation – that screentime causes a later autism diagnosis. The authors are actually appropriately tentative in their conclusions, where they highlight, rather, that behaviour related to screentime might instead be a useful indicator of differences in social-emotional development. Autism is a complex, heritable and brain-based difference which, categorically, cannot be caused by spending more or less time on screens.
Do the findings of this study address the reverse directionality of the association wherein autistic children may be more likely to spend time on screens rather than screentime leading to autism?
“No – the findings of this study cannot tell us anything about the direction of the relationship between being autistic and time spent on screens. Given my comment above, it is more likely that children who are already autistic but not yet diagnosed, and their parents, might be finding particular benefits of screen-time. Note that autism is quite rarely diagnosed before 2 years of age, but autistic children ARE still autistic and developing differently before that point. It might well be that within this different developmental trajectory, they find it easier to engage with screens, or find benefits from doing so. To warn parents away from screentime could actually be counterproductive, in this case – and there is certainly nothing which warrants scaring people that “screentime causing autism”. The authors come to a responsible and measured conclusion, which I hope will not be lost in the reporting.”
‘Screen Time Before 2 Years of Age and Risk of Autism at 12 Years of Age’ by Lin et al., 2024 was published in JAMA Pediatrics at 18:00 UK time on Monday 4th of November.
The AQMAs have been kept under regular monitoring since their introduction in 2006 and 2014 respectively. Those assessments have led to proposals which are now open to public comment.
In Perth, revisions to the city’s Air Quality Action Plan, first published in 2009, reflect both the progress on the original actions in the plan and the major changes that Perth as a place has undergone since that time. Public comment is being sought to determine which of the draft air quality improvement measures will be included in the finalised version of the new AQAP. More details are available online at the Consultation Hub and the consultation is open for six weeks from 4 November to 16 December 2024.
In addition, several drop-in sessions are being organised for anyone who would like to speak to staff from the Air Quality team before submitting their comments. Further details of these sessions will be announced as soon as possible.
For Crieff, a continued drop in the level of pollutants and air quality complying with national standards for five years in a row has led to the recommendation for lifting the town centre’s Air Quality Management Area, with air quality monitoring to continue and the associated Air Quality Action Plan measures remaining in place to help prevent any future rises in pollutants. Local residents and businesses will have the opportunity to give feedback on the revocation via email to EH@pkc.gov.uk between 4 November and 25 November 2024. A document detailing reasons for the recommended revocation is available from our Air Quality pages.
Convener of the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, Councillor Richard Watters said: “The purpose of introducing Air Quality Management Areas in Perth and Crieff has been to address a rise in air pollutants which adversely affect our local environment and the health of our communities. Ongoing monitoring and review of the AQMAs, together with recognition of changes in both locations, has now led to proposed changes for Perth’s Air Quality Action Plan, and the revocation of the AQMA in Crieff.
“I would encourage members of the public to take part in the consultation for Perth, and to provide feedback on Crieff – our aim is to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to maintain air quality standards for everyone who lives, works and visits the local area.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By C Raina MacIntyre, Professor of Global Biosecurity, NHMRC L3 Research Fellow, Head, Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney
The United States Department of Agriculture last week reported that a pig on a backyard farm in Oregon was infected with bird flu.
As the bird flu situation has evolved, we’ve heard about the A/H5N1 strain of the virus infecting a range of animals, including a variety of birds, wild animals and dairy cattle.
Fortunately, we haven’t seen any sustained spread between humans at this stage. But the detection of the virus in a pig marks a worrying development in the trajectory of this virus.
How did we get here?
The most concerning type of bird flu currently circulating is clade 2.3.4.4b of A/H5N1, a strain of influenza A.
Since 2020, A/H5N1 2.3.4.4b has spread to a vast range of birds, wild animals and farm animals that have never been infected with bird flu before.
While Europe is a hotspot for A/H5N1, attention is currently focused on the US. Dairy cattle were infected for the first time in 2024, with more than 400 herds affected across at least 14 US states.
Bird flu has enormous impacts on farming and commercial food production, because infected poultry flocks have to be culled, and infected cows can result in contaminated diary products. That said, pasteurisation should make milk safe to drink.
While farmers have suffered major losses due to H5N1 bird flu, it also has the potential to mutate to cause a human pandemic.
Birds and humans have different types of receptors in their respiratory tract that flu viruses attach to, like a lock (receptors) and key (virus). The attachment of the virus allows it to invade a cell and the body and cause illness. Avian flu viruses are adapted to birds, and spread easily among birds, but not in humans.
So far, human cases have mainly occurred in people who have been in close contact with infected farm animals or birds. In the US, most have been farm workers.
The concern is that the virus will mutate and adapt to humans. One of the key steps for this to happen would be a shift in the virus’ affinity from the bird receptors to those found in the human respiratory tract. In other words, if the virus’ “key” mutated to better fit with the human “lock”.
A recent study of a sample of A/H5N1 2.3.4.4b from an infected human had worrying findings, identifying mutations in the virus with the potential to increase transmission between human hosts.
Why are pigs a problem?
A human pandemic strain of influenza can arise in several ways. One involves close contact between humans and animals infected with their own specific flu viruses, creating opportunities for genetic mixing between avian and human viruses.
Pigs are the ideal genetic mixing vessel to generate a human pandemic influenza strain, because they have receptors in their respiratory tracts which both avian and human flu viruses can bind to.
This means pigs can be infected with a bird flu virus and a human flu virus at the same time. These viruses can exchange genetic material to mutate and become easily transmissible in humans.
In the recent case in Oregon, A/H5N1 was detected in a pig on a non-commercial farm after an outbreak occurred among the poultry housed on the same farm. This strain of A/H5N1 was from wild birds, not the one that is widespread in US dairy cows.
The infection of a pig is a warning. If the virus enters commercial piggeries, it would create a far greater level of risk of a pandemic, especially as the US goes into winter, when human seasonal flu starts to rise.
How can we mitigate the risk?
Surveillance is key to early detection of a possible pandemic. This includes comprehensive testing and reporting of infections in birds and animals, alongside financial compensation and support measures for farmers to encourage timely reporting.
Strengthening global influenza surveillance is crucial, as unusual spikes in pneumonia and severe respiratory illnesses could signal a human pandemic. Our EPIWATCH system looks for early warnings of such activity, which can speed up vaccine development.
If a cluster of human cases occurs, and influenza A is detected, further testing (called subtyping) is essential to ascertain whether it’s a seasonal strain, an avian strain from a spillover event, or a novel pandemic strain.
Early identification can prevent a pandemic. Any delay in identifying an emerging pandemic strain enables the virus to spread widely across international borders.
Australia’s first human case of A/H5N1 occurred in a child who acquired the infection while travelling in India, and was hospitalised with illness in March 2024. At the time, testing revealed Influenza A (which could be seasonal flu or avian flu), but subtyping to identify A/H5N1 was delayed.
This kind of delay can be costly if a human-transmissible A/H5N1 arises and is assumed to be seasonal flu because the test is positive for influenza A. Only about 5% of tests positive for influenza A are subtyped further in Australia and most countries.
In light of the current situation, there should be a low threshold for subtyping influenza A strains in humans. Rapid tests which can distinguish between seasonal and H5 influenza A are emerging, and should form part of governments’ pandemic preparedness.
A higher risk than ever before
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that the current risk posed by H5N1 to the general public remains low.
But with H5N1 now able to infect pigs, and showing worrying mutations for human adaptation, the level of risk has increased. Given the virus is so widespread in animals and birds, the statistical probability of a pandemic arising is higher than ever before.
The good news is, we are better prepared for an influenza pandemic than other pandemics, because vaccines can be made in the same way as seasonal flu vaccines. As soon as the genome of a pandemic influenza virus is known, the vaccines can be updated to match it.
Partially matched vaccines are already available, and some countries such as Finland are vaccinating high-risk farm workers.
C Raina MacIntyre receives funding from NHMRC (L3 Investigator grant and Centre for Research Excellence) and MRFF (Aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2 experimentally and in an intensive care setting) currently. She currently receives funding from Sanofi for research on influenza and pertussis. She is the director of EPIWATCH®️, which is a UNSW, Kirby Institute initiative. She has been an invited speaker at the 2024 Options for The Control of Influenza at four symposia organised by Moderna, Pfizer, Sanofi and Seqirus respectively.
Haley Stone receives funding from The Balvi Filantropic Fund. Haley Stone would like to acknowledge the support through a University International Postgraduate Award from the University of New South Wales.
Both major parties in Australia see a significant role for gas as the world shifts to clean energy in a bid to avert dangerous climate change.
The Albanese government says new sources of gas are needed to meet demand during the energy transition. And the Coalition, if elected, would expand gas use as it prepares for nuclear power.
Of course, some people argue that the grave threat of climate change means we should not burn any gas. Others say the strong growth in renewable energy generation and storage means Australia won’t need gas into the future.
So who is right? As I explain below, renewable energy is a huge part of the solution but doesn’t solve every problem. So keeping some gas-fired generators in the electricity mix, and using them only when necessary, is a sensible compromise.
Getting to grips with gas
There are almost 40 large natural gas-fired generators in Australia, and they are an important part of the National Electricity Market.
According to Open Electricity — a platform for tracking Australia’s electricity transition – the gas facilities generate around 4% of the electricity we consume and comprise about 17% of overall generation capacity.
The data also shows gas plants in Australia run at just 9% of their overall capacity, meaning they are idle much of the time. Some gas plants get used quite a lot, others only rarely. But when the plants are called on – during times of peak electricity use – their services are vital.
Overnight, our demand for electricity dips. But when we wake in the morning and start toasting bread and boiling kettles and the like, electricity demand picks up.
Demand eases off in the middle of the day as the sun rises high in the sky and Australia’s booming rooftop solar reaches its peak electricity output. But when the sun sets and rooftop solar is no longer producing, electricity use peaks. This early-evening demand creates a big challenge to the system.
That’s why we need technologies that can produce electricity at any time of day or night – and do it quickly. That’s where gas-fired generation – and other “dispatchable” forms of electricity – come in.
How do gas fired generators work?
Gas generators come in two main types.
An “open cycle generator”, also known as a Brayton cycle turbine, is essentially a jet engine. It combusts gas in a chamber to create enormous pressure that spins large fans. This drives a shaft that spins in the generator to produce electricity.
This technology is relatively cheap to build and can start up very quickly – but it’s also quite inefficient to operate. It uses a lot of expensive fuel, and creates a lot of waste heat.
The second type is known as a “combined cycle generator”. It also uses a Brayton cycle gas turbine. But it captures exhaust heat from the turbine and uses it to create steam, which in turn powers a second turbine (known as a Rankine cycle). This significantly increases the amount of electricity produced for the same amount of gas burned.
So while this technology is relatively efficient, it’s also more expensive to build and takes longer to ramp up and down.
Other types of gas generators exist, but they’re a relatively small part of Australia’s fleet.
A video explaining how gas turbines work.
Gas is not the only option
Gas plants are not the only facilities capable of firming up Australia’s electricity grid as the share of renewables increases.
Hydro power can also quickly ramp up to meet the evening peak. However the potential for building new conventional hydro in Australia is very limited due to the lack of large river systems and the significant environmental impact on rivers and surrounding areas.
Coal-fired generators have potential to ramp up production, but are generally not designed to do this every evening. Plus, Australia’s fleet of old coal plants is on a fast path to retirement.
To maintain the delicate balance of supply and demand, more will be required of gas and hydro, to produce electricity, and batteries and pumped hydro, to store it.
Pumped hydro works by using excess renewable energy to pump water up a hill. When electricity demand is high, the water is released and passes through a turbine, producing power.
The potential for pumped hydro energy storage in Australia is large, and some projects are likely to be economically viable. But the projects can face challenges, as demonstrated by delays and cost blowouts facing Snowy 2.0 in New South Wales.
Large-scale lithium-ion batteries are relatively easy to install. Many projects have been built or are in the pipeline. But batteries are not great for long-duration energy storage.
All this means gas-fired power generation is likely to have a future in Australia in coming decades.
The downsides of gas
Methane is the main component of natural gas. It’s also a potent contributor to global warming.
During natural gas production and transport, gas leaks inevitably occur. This is a problem for climate change.
So too is the carbon dioxide produced when the gas is burned to produce electricity.
To tackle climate change, we must dramatically reduce the amount of gas we use in our electricity system. Gas use should also be eliminated for heating and cooking in our homes and, where possible, in industry.
So where does that leave us?
Unfortunately, no perfect solution exists to Australia’s electricity supply-demand conundrum.
The most likely, most economic and most environmentally acceptable approach is to use a “portfolio” of technologies: lots of batteries and pumped hydro but also some gas.
Because to keep the system stable and reliable, we need some capacity that will mostly sit idle, getting used on only a few occasions. For that reason, the technologies should be relatively cheap to build and able to run for extended periods when wind and solar generation are abnormally low.
Gas-fired power – especially open cycle generators – meets that requirement. Pumped hydro and batteries do not.
The gas plants we keep in the grid will not often be used, and so will produce relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide.
Nuanced questions remain. What will it cost to keep a gas network operating to serve a fleet of gas generators that run only for a few days a year? Gas pipelines have to be kept pressurised, and the cost of running a gas extraction network for small demand may also be uneconomical.
Non-fossil options such as biogas, hydrogen or synthetically produced methane are possible longer term options. But they are also expensive. And new technologies – such as flow batteries, thermal energy storage and cryogenic energy storage – are on the horizon.
So, keeping some gas-fired generators on standby, and using them sparingly as needed, is a reasonable approach. It allows us to reduce emissions as much as possible, and keep our electricity system secure and affordable.
Roger Dargaville receives funding from the Woodside-Monash Energy Partnership, RACE for 2030 CRC, and he consults for industry and government bodies.
Source: United States Department of Justice Criminal Division
A New England doctor pleaded guilty today to conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances. This is the first joint prosecution of a doctor by the Justice Department’s New England Strike Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.
“The defendant, a medical doctor based in New England, prescribed drugs to vulnerable patients in exchange for cash, knowing the patients were diverting the drugs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The cases brought by the New England Strike Force, including today’s conviction, demonstrate the Criminal Division’s commitment to holding accountable medical professionals who endanger local communities by putting profits above their patients’ wellbeing.”
“When we announced the creation of the New England Strike Force, we said we would be focusing on medical professionals who put profits over their patients,” said U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest for the District of Vermont. “Khan is an example of that — a bad apple in a profession that takes an oath to uphold ethical standards and treat patients as you would want to be treated. Putting profits over patients is a severe violation of that oath, and, in this case, a violation of federal criminal law. Today’s guilty plea is another step in holding Khan liable for his illegal conduct.”
According to court documents, Adnan S. Khan, M.D., 48, of Grantham, New Hampshire, conspired with others to illegally distribute controlled substances through his business, New England Medicine and Counseling Associates (NEMCA), which operated a network of clinics in New England that purportedly provided clinical treatment services for persons suffering from substance use disorder. Khan and a co-conspirator prescribed controlled substances to NEMCA patients despite knowing that their patients were diverting the prescriptions. Khan admitted that he and others required cash for purported office visits to received controlled substance prescriptions and falsified medical records to justify his illegal prescribing practices.
During the conspiracy, Khan emailed a co-conspirator a Justice Department press release announcing the creation of the New England Strike Force, a law enforcement partnership whose purpose is to identify and prosecute health care fraud and other criminal schemes impacting the New England region. In response, the co-conspirator stated that it is “clear that [references in the release to] ‘making profit off of patients’ is geared towards folks like us. Curious where this will lead.” Khan then emailed NEMCA staff and stated that “there is a new task force…[for the New England states] on the lookout for medical professionals who are prescribing scheduled meds irresponsib[ly], etc.” Khan warned his staff that “[i]t is not a matter of if someone from such a task force will visit NEMCA but rather a matter of time.” Khan then ordered his staff “NOT to engage or discuss anything [with the New England Strike Force] about NEMCA, what we do, what we offer, fees, etc.”
“Rather than providing responsible addiction treatment to his patients, Khan ran his medical practice with the corruption and recklessness of a common drug dealer,” said Special Agent in Charge Roberto Coviello of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “His actions put patients and the community at risk. Today’s guilty plea is the result of a coordinated effort with our law enforcement partners as we continue our fight against addiction and the opioid epidemic.”
“Khan and his co-conspirator exploited vulnerable patients and cashed in on the very dependencies he was entrusted to treat,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Today’s plea proves he is no better than a street level drug dealer motivated by pure greed as opposed to the oath he took to ‘first, do no harm’ to his patients. The FBI will continue to work with our partners on the New England Strike Force and U.S. Attorney’s Office to identify and bring to justice any practitioner looking to line their pockets in complete disregard for patient welfare and viability of our healthcare framework.”
“Our communities deserve honest and trustworthy medical practitioners,” said Acting Diversion Program Manager George J. Lutz Jr. of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s New England Field Division. “Individuals betraying this trust through the illegal prescribing of controlled substances will be fully investigated by the DEA. Today’s guilty plea reinforces the value of the coordinated efforts with our law enforcement partners working alongside prosecutors to hold corrupt and reckless practitioners accountable for their actions.”
“So many Vermonters have been impacted by the opioid epidemic, which is why we must hold bad actors accountable, particularly physicians who use their prescribing power and their positions of authority to profit from their patients’ pain and suffering,” said Vermont Attorney General Charity R. Clark on behalf of the office’s Medicaid Fraud & Residential Abuse Unit. “I am proud to partner with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Department of Justice in this effort.”
Khan and a co-conspirator required patients — many of whom were economically disadvantaged — to pay $250 cash in exchange for drug prescriptions, despite many of these patients’ having health care benefit coverage. If a patient could not afford the full cash payment, Khan would lower the dosage of that patient’s prescription. Khan then used funds that he earned from these patients to, among other things, purchase an airplane and multiple properties in New England. Khan would also personally deposit the cash that he received from patients, including deposits in excess of $10,000, at his bank.
Khan also admitted that he and a co-conspirator discussed their concern that, because pharmacies were no longer willing to fill the prescriptions, NEMCA might lose “dishonest” patients who were “selling their meds.” Khan said that their “honest patients” were “the smaller part of [NEMCA’s] clientele” and advised a co-conspirator that “it’s the diverters [of the drugs that] we need to try to figure out a way to retain.” A co-conspirator emailed Khan, suggesting that they give $100 “scholarships” to patients who owed them money. Khan responded he was “[s]tuck on ‘who’ should get them. S[******] patients owe me so much that $100 won’t even put a dent on their account and they probably won’t appreciate it. Maybe the borderline ones who are just over the $250 threshold? They would probably get on their knees in gratitude.”
Khan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to illegally distribute controlled substances. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled on a later date. Khan faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
As a condition of Khan’s release, he is prohibited from writing prescriptions for controlled substances.
The HHS-OIG, FBI, DEA, and Vermont Attorney General’s Office’s Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Thomas D. Campbell and Danielle H. Sakowski of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Gilman for the District of Vermont are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section partners with federal and state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country to prosecute medical professionals and others involved in the illegal prescription and distribution of opioids. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
The Vermont Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud and Residential Abuse Unit receives 75% of its funding from HHS-OIG under a grant award totaling $1,229,616 for federal fiscal year 2024. The remaining 25%, totaling $409,870 for federal fiscal year 2024, is funded by the State of Vermont.
Anyone needing access to opioid treatment services can contact HHS-OIG’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 24/7 National Helpline for referrals to treatment services at 1-800-662-4359.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirms 2 additional cases of Clade Ib mpox.
Two cases of Clade Ib mpox have been detected in household contacts of the first case, the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) can confirm. This brings the total number of confirmed cases to 3.
The 2 patients are currently under specialist care at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London. The risk to the UK population remains low.
There has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any further confirmed cases.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:
Mpox is very infectious in households with close contact and so it is not unexpected to see further cases within the same household.
The overall risk to the UK population remains low. We are working with partners to make sure all contacts of the cases are identified and contacted to reduce the risk of further spread.
Contacts of all 3 cases are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. All contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
Previous
30 October 2024
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has detected a single confirmed human case of Clade Ib mpox. The risk to the UK population remains low.
This is the first detection of this Clade of mpox in the UK. It is different from mpox Clade II that has been circulating at low levels in the UK since 2022, primarily among gay, bisexual and other men-who-have-sex-with-men (GBMSM).
UKHSA, the NHS and partner organisations have well tested capabilities to detect, contain and treat novel infectious diseases, and while this is the first confirmed case of mpox Clade Ib in the UK, there has been extensive planning underway to ensure healthcare professionals are equipped and prepared to respond to any confirmed cases.
The case was detected in London and the individual has been transferred to the Royal Free Hospital High Consequence Infectious Diseases unit. They had recently travelled to countries in Africa that are seeing community cases of Clade Ib mpox. The UKHSA and NHS will not be disclosing any further details about the individual.
Close contacts of the case are being followed up by UKHSA and partner organisations. Any contacts will be offered testing and vaccination as needed and advised on any necessary further care if they have symptoms or test positive.
UKHSA is working closely with the NHS and academic partners to determine the characteristics of the pathogen and further assess the risk to human health. While the existing evidence suggests mpox Clade Ib causes more severe disease than Clade II, we will continue to monitor and learn more about the severity, transmission and control measures. We will initially manage Clade Ib as a high consequence infectious disease (HCID) whilst we are learning more about the virus.
Professor Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at UKHSA, said:
It is thanks to our surveillance that we have been able to detect this virus. This is the first time we have detected this Clade of mpox in the UK, though other cases have been confirmed abroad.
The risk to the UK population remains low, and we are working rapidly to trace close contacts and reduce the risk of any potential spread. In accordance with established protocols, investigations are underway to learn how the individual acquired the infection and to assess whether there are any further associated cases.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting, said:
I am extremely grateful to the healthcare professionals who are carrying out incredible work to support and care for the patient affected.
The overall risk to the UK population currently remains low and the government is working alongside UKHSA and the NHS to protect the public and prevent transmission.
This includes securing vaccines and equipping healthcare professionals with the guidance and tools they need to respond to cases safely.
We are also working with our international partners to support affected countries to prevent further outbreaks.
Steve Russell, NHS national director for vaccination and screening, said:
The NHS is fully prepared to respond to the first confirmed case of this clade of mpox.
Since mpox first became present in England, local services have pulled out all the stops to vaccinate those eligible, with tens of thousands in priority groups having already come forward to get protected, and while the risk of catching mpox in the UK remains low, if required the NHS has plans in place to expand the roll out of vaccines quickly in line with supply.
Clade Ib mpox has been widely circulating in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in recent months and there have been cases reported in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sweden, India and Germany.
Clade Ib mpox was detected by UKHSA using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing.
Common symptoms of mpox include a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last 2 to 4 weeks. It can also cause fever, headaches, muscle aches, back pain, low energy and swollen lymph nodes.
The infection can be passed on through close person-to-person contact with someone who has the infection or with infected animals and through contact with contaminated materials. Anyone with symptoms should continue to avoid contact with other people while symptoms persist.
The UK has an existing stock of mpox vaccines and last month announced further vaccines are being procured to support a routine immunisation programme to provide additional resilience in the UK. This is in line with more recent independent JCVI advice.
Working alongside international partners, UKHSA has been monitoring Clade Ib mpox closely since the outbreak in DRC first emerged, publishing regular risk assessment updates.
The wider risk to the UK population remains low.
UKHSA has published its first technical briefing on clade I mpox which provides further information on the current situation and UK preparedness and response.
At today’s (Monday 4 November) meeting of the Black Isle and Easter Ross Committee members were provided with an update on the phased implementation of the Recycling Improvement Funded waste and recycling service change project.
Black Isle and Easter Ross was the first area where service change was introduced earlier this year. In April and May householders received a new grey 140 litre non-recyclable waste bin and silver food waste caddies were delivered to properties in food waste areas:
Muir of Ord 1251; Strathpeffer 497; Munlochy 264; Avoch 531; Fortrose and Rosemarkie 1158; Culbokie 337; Invergordon 1767; Alness 2816; Dingwall 2396; Evanton 612; Maryburgh and Conon Bridge 1491; North Kessock 608.
In other non-food waste areas, a new grey 180 litre non-recyclable waste bin was provided. In all areas, the green bin was successfully changed to a mixed plastic and metal containers recycling bin, and the blue bin was changed to a paper, card and cardboard recycling bin.
The Committee members were told that the overall response from householders and businesses has been very positive, demonstrating the communication and engagement with the public has been well received and understood.
Importantly, early data shows an encouraging reduction in non-recycling waste being sent for disposal.
Since the service change, there has been a reduction of around 30% in the amount of kerbside non-recyclable waste collected in Easter Ross. Participation in the new weekly food waste collection service is also very high
Chair of the Committee, Councillor Lynsey Johnston said: “Now the rollout of the new collection service changes in our area is complete, I’d like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work of the waste and recycling team and to thank the public for their support.
“I think we have all got into the new swing of what goes in what bin and when they are collected. It is very encouraging to see from the figures, that in a relatively short time the changes are reducing the amount of waste that is being sent for disposal.”
