A top stand-up comedian highlighted the life-changing work that foster carers do in a gig in York earlier this month (13 October).
Kiri Pritchard McLean has spoken about her own experience as a foster carer for the first time during her current show, Peacock.
Better known nationally as the Star of 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Have I Got News For You and QI, as well as hosting Live at the Apollo and fronting the Radio 4 panel show Best Medicine, Kiri hasn’t even told the children in her care that she’s a comedian.
Cllr Bob Webb, the council’s Executive Member for Children and Young People, said:
It’s fantastic to see such a well-known and loved comedian like Kiri highlighting the life changing work foster carers do.
Fostering can be such a rewarding experience and we’d always welcome more foster carers in York to provide safe, loving homes for local children and young people. We welcome people from all backgrounds and we’d love to hear from anyone who thinks fostering might be for them.”
A York foster carer who attended the performance, said:
It’s great to see someone combining a high-profile role as a stand-up comedian with fostering, sharing their experiences with audiences across the country.
“Fostering certainly has its challenges, but the rewards from helping children and young people are life changing.”
Ministers have welcomed the decision of the States Assembly to unanimously adopt legislation to implement a Pillar 2 Income Inclusion Rule and a multinational corporate income tax from 2025, fulfilling Jersey’s commitment to enact the OECD’s global minimum tax framework for large in-scope multinational groups.
For accounting periods starting on or after 1 January 2025, in-scope Jersey companies and branches of multinational groups will pay an effective rate of 15% on their Jersey profits under the new Multinational Corporate Income Tax (MCIT). Jersey’s MCIT applies the OECD Model Rules and takes account of certain instances of double taxation.
Jersey will also impose a top-up tax on low-taxed profits outside of the Island under the OECD’s Pillar 2 Income Inclusion Rule (IIR) but will not apply the Undertaxed Profits Rule (UTPR).
Jersey has a long-standing corporate income tax regime and Revenue Jersey is well resourced to deal with the roll out of Pillar 2. Over 95% of Jersey companies will be unaffected by this Pillar 2 legislation and will remain within the existing Jersey income tax regime.
Jersey’s Minister for Treasury & Resources, Deputy Elaine Millar, said: “The Government is committed to providing an internationally competitive business environment in Jersey and is working with industry and the Jersey Financial Services Commission in a tri-partite Ministerial Working Group. One of the outcomes will be a new Pillar 2-compliant Qualifying Refundable Tax Credit (QRTC) regime. This regime will be effective in incentivising business growth and deepening business ties with Jersey.
“Jersey is committed to providing taxpayers with the tax certainty they need and the highest standards of customer service. We will be keeping the Pillar 2 administrative burden in Jersey as low as possible, within the boundaries of the OECD global rules.”
Jersey’s Minister for External Relations, Deputy Ian Gorst, added: “The passing of this legislation maintains Jersey’s reputation as a forward-thinking jurisdiction that is fully aligned with international tax initiatives developed by standard-setting bodies like the OECD. I am confident that Jersey is well positioned to implement this new Pillar 2 regime and maintain a globally competitive business environment for our taxpayer customers worldwide.”
Affected taxpayers and their advisers can also contact Revenue Jersey officers with any questions or requests by email at pillar2@gov.je.
Interim report on drugs “positive to see progress on saving lives and reducing harm” – Senator O’Hara
Senator Mal O’Hara said “I am delighted to see this interim report. With an election due within weeks, this report gives a clear direction to any incoming Government on how to move to a health led approach which will save lives and reduce harm.
Mal continued “The work of the joint committee is to respond to the 36 recommendations made by the Citizens Assembly. The Committee held engagements with stakeholders in June, July, September, and October of 2024 which provided evidence from a broad perspective of voices and sectors of Irish society. Arising from these engagements, the Committee made 59 recommendations in its interim report. Some of which include repealing the Misuse of Drugs Act 1997, introducing a regulatory model for certain drugs and decriminalisation in relation to possession of all substances for personal use.
These include:
• the stigmatisation of drug use and the shaming of drug users are a source of significant harm.
• the Committee recommends that steps are taken to introduce a regulatory model for certain drugs. The Committee recommends this should be considered with particular reference to Spain, Malta, and Germany in the development of an Irish not for profit regulated cannabis market.
• that Government introduce a health-led approach to the use and misuse of substances.
• the decriminalisation of the person in relation to the possession of all substances for personal use, in line with the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly – this highlights that the goal of drug policy should be to reduce harm and eliminate stigma, both, in large part, caused and exacerbated by the criminalisation of people who use drugs.
• Section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1997 be repealed, to give effect to a comprehensive health led approach.
• the decriminalisation of possession for personal use should apply equally to all illicit drugs.
• people should be offered all supports and health resources that are required, but that no person should be criminalised for not availing of a supportive intervention.
• the importance of there being a strong, constructive working relationship between the community, voluntary and statutory services, and An Garda Síochána, to support the provision of compassionate and person-centred interventions where required, underpinned by a robust Memorandum of Understanding.
• local authorities and An Garda Síochana are supported and empowered in strongly discouraging and reducing consumption in public areas. This should be done in an appropriate and sensitive way which considers the complex inter-relationship between problematic use and extreme deprivation and homelessness.
• that specific trauma and harm reduction training be provided to An Garda Síochána and local authorities, to inform their work with individuals and communities affected by drug misuse and addiction.
• the development of clear guidelines for An Garda Síochána to operate within a decriminalised model
Senator O’Hara finished “It is positive to see this progress on saving lives and reducing harm. It is disappointing that despite Northern Ireland having a higher drug death rate than the Republic, and drug deaths almost tripling in the last decade, that the Executive Parties sit on their hands while vulnerable people die.”
ENDS
Press enquiries – Mal O’Hara on 07540790663
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
The following press statement is issued by the RAIB about its investigation into the collision of two passenger trains at Talerddig, Powys, Wales
At around 19:26 on the evening of 21 October 2024, the 18:31 Transport for Wales passenger service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth collided with another train on Network Rail’s Cambrian line, approximately 800 metres west of the passing loop located at Talerddig, Powys. Initial evidence suggests that collision occurred at a speed of approximately 24 km/h (15 mph). The second train involved was the 19:09 Machynlleth to Shrewsbury passenger service, also operated by Transport for Wales.
One passenger tragically died and four other people were seriously injured. Eleven more people sustained injuries which required hospital treatment.
RAIB was notified of the accident at 19:45 on the night of the accident and immediately dispatched a team of inspectors to examine the site and collect evidence.
Additional RAIB staff and specialist equipment have arrived at the site of the accident throughout today and we continue to work in conjunction with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the railway companies involved to secure the necessary evidence to support our independent safety investigation. This will include examining the condition of the train and downloading its ‘black box’ data recorder, inspecting the track, analysing data from railway signalling and radio systems, and interviewing witnesses.
The railway approaching Talerddig from each direction consists of a single track. To allow trains to pass each other a track loop is provided. These loops have points at each end and allow trains to enter a short length of track which lies alongside the single line.
RAIB’s initial inspection of the track on approach to the point of collision found evidence that wheel/rail adhesion was relatively low, suggesting that the train may have entered into wheel slide when braking. This will be an area of ongoing investigation.
Our investigation is in its very early stages and an additional update will be available in the coming days once RAIB has gathered and analysed further evidence.
Senior Members of The Highland Council made six commitments at the Housing Summit in Aviemore today.
Chair of the Housing and Property Committee, Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair said:
“The challenge is to double our current housing supply and accelerate the delivery of both public and private housing and the availability of sites across Highland. Today, we are giving our commitment to seizing the opportunities to work with partners to attract investment and undertake a range of solutions to address the housing shortage in Highland.
“As a key tool for addressing the Housing Challenge and understanding future housing and employment needs, we’re taking early action by announcing the launch of a “Call for Sites” for the Highland Local Development Plan by the end of 2024. This is some six months ahead of when it was originally intended to. Developers and landowners across the Highlands are encouraged to start preparing their submissions, and a template that will be used to submit sites will be available shortly on the Council’s website.”
Building on our recently adopted Inner Moray Firth Local Development Plan, the Council has agreed how we intend to utilise Masterplan Consent Areas to enable the direct delivery of the Green Freeport and address future housing needs. Masterplan Consent Areas, or MCAs, will provide an alternative mechanism for masterplanning and securing planning consent for development. With secondary legislation expected to come into force on December 5th, MCAs are a key tool for addressing the Housing Challenge and can provide certainty for delivery and thereby streamline the delivery of new jobs and housing.
Chair of the Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Ken Gowans said:
“As delivery partners working together, we ask for certainty on emerging jobs across the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) and renewables projects. In return, we will be looking to find opportunities to prepare three MCAs over the next 18 months to accelerate direct delivery of jobs and homes in Highland. Some options have been identified already, but we’re open to investigating alternatives. The Council will use legislation to its best effect whilst trying to balance housing need with community concerns.”
Cllr Gowans added: “Rural housing makes an important contribution to housing supply in Highland. A report is to be considered by our Economy and Infrastructure Committee in November that clarifies the critical role that rural housing plays in addressing the Housing Challenge, whilst ensuring that there is as much flexibility as possible for additional housing to be provided within housing groups.”
He continued: “We recognise the need to ensure the process of reaching a planning decision on developments is a key hurdle. As a result, the Council is to begin an Integrated Housing Delivery Service, where senior officials will be available to meet with major housing scheme applicants to discuss outstanding issues, with the intention of dealing with any blockages or technical issues that need to be overcome prior to a decision being recommended. This new service will provide appointments to resolve planning issues quickly and in line with legislation.”
Leader of the Highland Council, Cllr Raymond Bremner added: “We are committed to repaying £6m into the Housing Landbank Fund to assist in the delivery of more affordable housing throughout the Highlands as part of its budget setting process for 2025/26. A report will be brought to Council next week to seek agreement for this.”
He added: “We are committed to continue to work with renewable energy developers across the region as part of our Social Value from Renewables Charter, building on the progress made with SSEN today, and leaving a lasting legacy of housing provision from the renewables revolution.”
Cllr Bremner concluded: “I would like to thank our private and public sector partners who have taken part in our housing summit and the positive commitments made by everyone towards resolving the housing challenge in Highland. It is only by collaboration and harnessing the collective energy and ambition we have seen today, that we can deliver the required investment in housing and build sustainable and thriving communities.”
In Australia and overseas, it’s clear that homes without gas – running on clean energy – are healthier, have cheaper power bills, and produce lower greenhouse emissions.
The emissions part is crucial. Collectively, homes are responsible for 10% of Australia’s greenhouse emissions. But how do we get Australia’s 11 million homes to ditch gas and switch to electricity for cooking, hot water and home heating?
The current approach is slow and piecemeal. State and local governments offer incentives to individual households, but few adopt them. For those that do, little coordinated support and guidance is available. The households must deal with suppliers and tradies on their own, which can be a frustrating and lonely process.
A pilot project to electrify 500 homes in a single postcode south of Sydney could show a better way. After a two-year campaign by residents, “Electrify 2515” has won A$5.4 million in federal funding, along with industry support. Challenges remain, but this pilot promises to demonstrate how household electrification can be accelerated and coordinated at scale.
As independent climate transitions specialists within Monash University, Climateworks Centre has no direct involvement in this project. But our ongoing Renovation Pathways Program focuses on ways to decarbonise Australia’s existing houses and bring about a national renovation wave. So we are watching with keen interest.
Testing extra incentives
The 2515 postcode sits between Wollongong and Sydney in New South Wales. It covers the suburbs of Austinmer, Clifton, Coledale, Scarborough, Thirroul and Wombarra.
The pilot encourages households to retire three types of gas appliance: water heaters, space heaters and cookers. Financial subsidies of up to $1,000 off electric hot water systems, reverse-cycle air conditioners and induction cooktops, and up to $1,500 off home batteries, are available. Higher subsidies are available to low-income households.
Successful applicants receive the subsidies as a discount on the purchase price of these new electrical appliances, rather than a rebate. Money for this is coming from the federal government’s Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Such incentives prompt households within a single community to make the switch together, retiring their electric appliances before their gas appliances fail or break, speeding up the transition.
A fully subsidised smart energy device, valued at around $1,500, is also installed in every home to track and optimise energy use. Subsidies are also available for upgrades to switchboards where required to meet modern safety standards.
Rooftop solar and electric vehicle chargers can also be purchased through the pilot, but will not be subsidised.
2515 is not the first community to rally behind clean energy. Grassroots initiatives are scattered around the country, such as in Yackandandah in northeast Victoria, Parkes in central west NSW, and Broken Hill in far west NSW.
Home energy pilot projects are also already underway through the Cooperative Research Centre Race2030, which partners with industry and research institutions. But these initiatives, along with those at a state and local government level, tend to recruit individual households across a wider geographic area.
In contrast, Electrify 2515 offers holistic support for households within a community. It is not driven by a single government program, or by a gas supply problem – which was the case for the people of Esperance in Western Australia.
By electrifying 500 homes in a single community, Electrify 2515 will provide a tangible measure of what’s required to drive rapid household electrification. The main challenge isn’t technological – it’s social. The technology is here. Getting the social drivers and settings right, at scale, is the key.
The holistic approach will demonstrate what consumers need to make the shift from gas to electricity. This includes what conversations are needed and which incentives enable all households to act in a coordinated way.
Local 2515 residents explain why everyone should join them in applying for the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot.
The bright side of a community approach
The whole-of-community focus brings technical and financial advantages.
After completing an application form and receiving an offer, households receive guidance and support from the installation partner Brighte, a commercial company that provides consumer loans for clean energy appliances such as solar panels and batteries. The service streamlines the decision-making process, which is often the biggest barrier stopping households from progressing with electrification.
Being able to work with a larger number of homes at once is likely to streamline and scale up installation with dedicated teams of installers and tradespeople.
It also helps build households’ trust in literature about payback times and financial benefits through friendly neighbourhood conversations and, importantly, through access to local real-world evidence, not just theory.
Thermal efficiency is also key
The electrification pilot is a solid starting point, especially for a community in a relatively mild coastal climate such as postcode 2515.
For homes in more extreme climates, or for inefficient older homes – which a lot of Australia’s homes sadly are – the fundamental thermal efficiency of the building must be improved alongside electrification of appliances.
The thermal efficiency of homes can be improved by insulating ceilings, walls and floors, double-glazing windows and sealing gaps. These measures make a home more comfortable for occupants. They can also reduce peak demand on the energy network and save on household energy bills.
Electrify 2515 currently focuses on appliance upgrades but adding thermal efficiency upgrades could take it to the next level. Without these upgrades, there is a risk of households in harsher climates using more electricity in a heatwave if homes are draughty and inefficient.
There are various ways to upgrade a home’s capacity to stay cool in summer and warm in winter. Climateworks Centre, 2023, Climate-ready homes: Building the case for a renovation wave in Australia.
When paired with electrification, thermal upgrades could save Australian households around $2,200 annually on their energy bills (based on 2023 gas and electricity prices), according to Climateworks Centre analysis.
Projects like Electrify 2515 should include both home thermal efficiency improvements and electrification efforts, particularly for communities in harsher climates in order to maximise benefits to households.
Electrification challenges
Electrify 2515 caters for low-income households, by offering higher subsidies to households in the lowest 25% income percentile to ensure these groups comprise 25% of community buy-in.
Renters are encouraged to put their hand up too. But it may still be challenging to encourage their landlords to invest in upgrades.
Further challenges include decarbonising homes that cannot generate electricity from rooftop solar panels due to being shaded by taller buildings or trees. This can sometimes be an issue for homes in colder winter climates with higher annual energy demands, such as Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.
Building momentum for widescale rollout
The technology for all-electric homes exists. Now we must identify the key social drivers and settings required to spur Australia’s electrification wave.
Electrify 2515 is a promising approach. It’s a way to build momentum, showcase technology at scale, and prompt meaningful discussions around the benefits and challenges of getting off gas.
This program, and others like it, can provide a tangible real-world foundation to bring about bills savings, emissions reductions and healthier homes across Australia. And it will help ensure no one is left behind.
Climateworks Centre is a part of Monash University. It receives funding from a range of external sources including philanthropy, governments and businesses.
For many Australians, 2022 was a dark and devastating year. Major floods wreaked havoc on hundreds of communities in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. But for some, the floods themselves were only half the disaster.
As a recent report by Financial Counselling Victoria showed, many affected households had their insurance claims rejected or diminished, whether due to complicated exclusion clauses or because their “sum insured” had been whittled away by unexpected costs.
A long parliamentary inquiry sought to examine the insurance industry’s response to this disaster. Its final report – released to little fanfare last Friday – revealed a sector in crisis.
The report put forward 86 recommendations, which taken together could deliver real progress in pushing the insurance sector to deliver on its promises.
Some standout areas of focus included abolishing a principle called “like-for-like reinstatement” and increasing accountability and oversight. Making sure households can rely on their own coverage is a vital step.
But the report also highlighted just how vulnerable Australia’s housing stock is to climate change, which is no easy problem to solve.
To address the challenge of rising climate risk, we need to increase the resilience of Australian homes. Insurance will only be affordable if risk exposure can be brought down.
Recommendation 26 of the inquiry’s final report deals with the principle of “like-for-like reinstatement”. Written into many policies, this protects insurers from having to pay for home improvements in an insurance claim – known as “betterment” in insurance jargon.
‘Like-for-like’ rules can prevent households from improving their disaster resilience when rebuilding. Anna Mente/Shutterstock
The underlying idea is to stop households sneaking an extra en-suite bathroom into their insurer-funded rebuild. The same dimensions and building materials have to be used.
But this can mean a home that has been flooded ends up being rebuilt with exactly the same flood risk.
This was the experience of Madeleine Serle, whose home was flooded in Melbourne in 2022. She told me she had asked her insurer to rebuild using polished concrete floors in the downstairs rooms of her home, instead of the plasterboard and wood that had soaked up the floodwaters. Serle reasoned that if it flooded again, it wouldn’t cause so much damage.
Her insurer refused. Even when Serle offered to pay any extra costs herself that might arise from concrete flooring, her insurer insisted on a “like-for-like reinstatement”. This meant using the same low-resilience materials that will likely be destroyed if inundated again by floodwater.
Bringing ‘betterment’ to the fore
Serle was actively trying to reduce her future flood risk, but this was precluded by the terms of her insurance contract.
By seeking an end to like-for-like reinstatement, recommendation 26 is pushing for “betterment” to be brought to the forefront of how we think about insurer rebuilds.
It proposes allowing households to swap out size for quality in an insurer rebuild. That could allow them to use the money saved from reducing the footprint of their home on resilience measures, which are often much more expensive.
This wouldn’t just reduce their exposure to climate risks – fire, flooding and so on. It could also improve the energy efficiency of our houses, which is another key part of the climate challenge in Australia.
Standardised products
Many of the report’s other recommendations centred on the better handling of claims and better outcomes for households.
This includes by strengthening accountability through stronger regulatory oversight (recommendations 2, 4, 9, 41, 47, 49), tightening up some key loopholes (recommendations 3, 10, 13), and penalising insurers for delays in the resolution of claims (recommendations 19 and 57).
It also laid out ways to improve communications between insurers and households (recommendations 6, 10, 24, 25, 28, 33), so people can better understand what they should expect from their insurer – and when their insurer might be falling short.
These proposed reforms aim to create more standardised insurance products across the industry. But they could have gone further. The report didn’t go as far as recommending a fully standardised insurance product that all insurers would have to offer.
Making insurance products more standardised could make them easier to compare. DC Studio/Shutterstock
As the Financial Rights Legal Centre has argued, standardisation is vital to untangling the “confusopoly” that leaves households unable to make informed decisions about the merits of different policies on the market without reading reams of product disclosure statements.
Reform alone isn’t enough
The inquiry’s final report recommends the government buy back some of the riskiest homes (recommendation 81), alongside much stronger government support for households looking to mitigate their own risks.
But insurance reform alone isn’t enough to solve the problem that Australian households face in securing their housing amid worsening climate risk.
The bigger overarching problem faced by Australia is one of climate change mitigation and adaption. While our country is exposed to relatively high levels of climate risk, much of this risk is borne by individuals through home ownership.
With nearly half of all renter retirees living in poverty, Australians know owning their own home is a powerful way to secure their economic future. That’s why home ownership is referred to as part of the “third pillar” of the retirement income system (voluntary private savings), along with superannuation and the public pension.
Reforming our insurance system can make important strides in providing households with better tools to manage climate risk.
Only with stronger safety nets, and by grappling with risks at the societal level, can we counteract the extreme individualisation of climate risk that we experience here in Australia.
Antonia Settle does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A man with a multimillion pound property empire has been convicted for supplying drugs and money laundering as a result of proactive investigation by Met officers.
Richard Baxter, 50 (20.07.1974), of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to the following offences at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 18 October:
Conspiracy to supply Heroin
Conspiracy to supply Cocaine
Conspiracy to transfer criminal property – cash
The conviction demonstrates the Met’s proactive work in tackling the crimes that matter most to London residents. The public regularly tell officers about their concerns of drug dealing within local communities, and how it can bring violence and anti-social behaviour into the neighbourhood. This is why the Met is working harder than ever to tackle these crimes.
In August 2024, Spanish police arrested Baxter in Valencia and he was extradited back to the UK to be remanded in custody.
As part of their investigation, specialist officers investigating criminal gangs operating in London discovered that Baxter was one of the key figures of a group smuggling hundreds of kilos of cocaine and heroin, before laundering money through various companies.
As part of their investigation, officers discovered Baxter owned a home in Surrey, with a property empire across the south-east of England. All four properties and a holiday chalet with a total approximate value of £1.5m of houses have been seized as part of the investigation.
Detective Constable David Lawn, who led the investigation, said: “We have zero-tolerance for anyone who engages in criminal activities and are committed to combat the sale of dangerous and illegal drugs which pose a threat to the public.
“The Met are deploying specialist resources to tackle drug criminality and make the capital a safer place to live.
“Baxter’s conviction sends out a strong message to those who seek to profit from illegal drug trade – you will be held accountable for your actions in front of the court.”
Met officers are working alongside communities to crack down on individuals who supply drugs in London. As part of the Met’s drive to tackle issues that matter most to communities through our A New Met for London plan, officers are focusing on community crime fighting, acting on residents’ concerns, making London safer for those who live, work and raise a family in the capital.
The supply of drugs has devastating consequences on communities across London and beyond – it causes addiction, having devastating health impacts, as well as leading to anti-social behaviour and violence.
With the help of local communities sharing information, Met officers are acting swiftly to pursue those who seek to cause harm by supplying drugs.
If you want to report a drugs crime, call 999 in an emergency, 101 or report online. Alternatively, this can be reported to the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Baxter has been remanded for sentencing at Kingston Crown Court on Thursday, 5 December.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
RAF pilots are one step closer to being equipped with a cutting-edge air-protection laser self-protection system, following 100% successful live-fire trials.
Air protection laser defeats 100% of targets in live firing trial.
Equipment being fitted to UK military aircraft to defeat missile threats.
Collaboration between Dstl scientists and UK industry partners help support 1950 jobs across Scotland.
RAF pilots are one step closer to being equipped with a cutting-edge laser self-protection system, following 100% successful live-fire trials.
The laser is being designed to be fitted to a range of RAF aircraft including the intelligence gathering Shadow R2 and A400M transporter, ready to rapidly detect and defeat threats such as missiles.
During the trial at the Vidsel Test Range in Sweden, the operational system defeated a range of infrared heat-seeking missiles being fired simultaneously.
100% of threats were quickly defeated using a laser with pinpoint accuracy, which has been designed and developed by the Team Pellonia partnership between Leonardo UK, Thales UK, and the MOD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory.
Defence Secretary, John Healey said:
Identifying, tracking and defeating threats from the air in seconds is crucial to having the edge over those who try to do us harm.
We’re equipping our Armed Forces with the very latest technology to keep them safe and give them the advantage on operations.
This high-tech laser is another excellent example of joint working between our Dstl experts and the UK’s defence industry.
The system works by Thales’s Elix-IR threat warning system quickly detecting and identifying the launch of missiles, using a series of algorithms to filter out background clutter so that only valid threats are tracked, classified and declared.
Once the threat(s) has been classified, an alert is sent to the Leonardo’s Miysis directed infrared countermeasure which moves to track the incoming missile and directs a jamming laser onto the missile with ultimate precision.
Threats are defeated faster than the time it takes to read this sentence. This UK engineered capability gives the MOD the latest generation best-in-class protection, whilst enjoying full operational independence, and offering the same freedoms to export customers.
The live tests were witnessed by senior military officers from a number of NATO nations.
Dstl’s Chief for Air Survivability, Mark Elson, said:
The UK defensive aids system is the culmination of MOD’s detailed understanding of changing threats alongside years of sustained defence investment in science and technology nurtured within Dstl. This has been aligned with the development capabilities of our commercial partners through Team Pellonia.
The design of the system has the agility to protect platforms now and into the future, providing long-term operational advantage to the UK and our allies. This is enabled through Spiral Development which provides capabilities such as the Dstl developed jamming waveform that defeats the guidance of the missile threat.
Dstl’s research programme and partnerships like Team Pellonia help boost UK economic growth, sustaining 700 jobs at Thales in Glasgow and 1,250 specialist roles at Leonardo in Edinburgh, supporting both the local as well as national economies.
Leonardo’s Senior Vice-President of Radar and Advanced Targeting, Mark Stead, said:
The results of these latest trials speak for themselves, and are a testament to the skills and experience within Leonardo as a global leader in directed infrared countermeasures. Miysis DIRCM has again proven itself as a reliable, effective protection system and is flying operationally on many platforms today.
My thanks go to the Miysis team who demonstrated superb leadership and technical prowess during the trials at Vidsel, working alongside our partners in Defence and Industry to prove our capabilities which help to protect our Armed Forces.
Thales’s Managing Director of Optronics & Missile Electronics UK, Stephen McCann, said:
Once again, as previously witnessed during SALT 3 in 2018, Elix-IR has proved its world leading capabilities as the latest generation multi-function infrared threat warning system during what was a comprehensive and complicated multi-faceted trial.
I am extremely proud of our entire team that supported both the UK, under Team Pellonia, and other NATO member teams in the preparation and execution of this event. UK MOD has adopted Elix-IR as its core reference capability threat warner of choice, based on its maturity and proven capability.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Today’s announcement marks the latest step in the Transport Secretary’s mission to overhaul the railways, ensuring infrastructure works for the whole country.
Transport Secretary announces tough measures to bring the cost and delivery of HS2 back under control
follows the launch of an independent review into the oversight of HS2
forms part of the government’s mission to rebuild Britain and deliver infrastructure that works for the whole country
Action to control the cost of HS2 and bring the project back on track has been announced by the Transport Secretary today (20 October 2024) after years of failed delivery.
Just months into the role, Louise Haigh has warned the extent of the challenge inherited on HS2 has become clear, with costs being allowed to spiral out of control and failure to deliver to budget.
Over the years, the cost of Phase One has soared, due to poor project management, inflation and poor performance from the supply chain, without sufficient explanation of what is to be done to deliver to budget.
In response, the Secretary of State has launched an independent review to ensure lessons are learned to support action and to ensure that the costs for HS2 are brought under control.
The government has been clear it is not resurrecting Phase 2 of HS2, which was cancelled under the previous administration. The government recognises concerns about connectivity between Birmingham and Manchester, but its primary focus now is the safe delivery of HS2 between Birmingham and London at the lowest reasonable cost, and the Secretary of State has made this objective clear to HS2 Ltd.
To achieve this, the government is also reinstating ministerial oversight of the project to ensure greater accountability. This will see regular meetings starting immediately, where both the Transport Secretary and Rail Minister, Lord Hendy, alongside the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, will challenge delivery and remove obstacles to securing the full benefits of the railway more cost effectively.
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh said:
One of my first jobs as Transport Secretary has been to urgently review the position I have inherited on HS2.
It has long been clear that the costs of HS2 have been allowed to spiral out of control, but since becoming Transport Secretary I have seen up close the scale of failure in project delivery – and it’s dire.
Taxpayers have a right to expect HS2 is delivered efficiently and I won’t stand for anything less.
I have promised to work fast and fix things and that’s exactly why I have announced urgent measures to get a grip on HS2’s costs and ensure taxpayers’ money is put to good use. It’s high time we make sure lessons are learnt and the mistakes of HS2 are never repeated again.
The Major Transport Projects Governance and Assurance Review will be led by senior infrastructure delivery adviser, James Stewart, and will present recommendations back to the government this winter.
It will investigate the oversight of major transport infrastructure projects, including the effectiveness of forecasting and reporting of cost, schedule and benefits, as well as actions to deliver cost efficiencies. The review will primarily draw on experiences of HS2 to date to ensure recommendations and learnings are applied to its delivery as well as to future projects.
Separately, the incentives of the main HS2 contractors are also being reviewed, which could lead to some contracts being renegotiated or amended.
Today’s announcement comes as the Transport Secretary writes to the Chair of HS2 Ltd, recognising the collective responsibility in reaching the current position, stressing the need to focus immediately on action to turn things around and bring costs back under control.
As part of this effort to get a grip on costs, the management of HS2 Ltd will shortly be taken over by a new Chief Executive, Mark Wild, who has an extensive background in delivering transport projects and will be responsible for resetting the project.
On his arrival, the Transport Secretary will task him with assessing the current position on cost, schedule and culture, and providing an action plan to deliver the remaining work as cost effectively as possible, including at a realistic budget and schedule.
The government will also continue to publish 6-monthly reports on the progress of HS2, ensuring complete accountability and transparency on the project’s progress.
Today’s announcement marks the latest step in the Transport Secretary’s mission to overhaul the railways, ensuring infrastructure works for the whole country.
Released by: Minister for Regional NSW, Minister for Women
Lismore has been named host of the 2025 Rural Women’s Gathering at a candle lighting ceremony as part of the 2024 event in Harden Murrumburrah.
Tina Irish and Karen Hirst from Lismore City Council joined Minister for Women Jodie Harrison and the Harden Murrumburrah 2024 organising committee for the ceremony, accepting carriage of the 2025 event.
The NSW Government provides $30,000 for the Gathering as part of its commitment to empowering women and girls across regional, rural and remote NSW, including helping them build new connections and learn new skills to ensure they can reach their full potential and thrive.
The NSW Rural Women’s Gathering is an annual event held in a different location each year. 2024’s event in Harden Murrumburrah was themed “Sowing the Seeds of Success – Creating Your Own Work Life Balance”. The program – prepared by a organising committee made up of local volunteers – featured a range of enriching workshops, networking opportunities and cultural experiences.
Attendees heard from inspiring female leaders, including former Australian Olympian and two-time Athletics World Champion Jana Pittman; Founder of Womn-Kind and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2024 NSW/ACT Finalist Ruby Reithmuller; and AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award 2022 VIC Winner Kimberley Furness, who is also a magazine publisher and podcaster.
Details for the 2025 Rural Women’s Gathering will be shared via the fortnightly Rural Women’s Network e-newsletter. To subscribe, visit nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/rural-womens-network
Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:
“The NSW Government is committed to empowering women and girls across regional, rural and remote NSW to have full access to opportunities.
“We recognise that women in regional parts of NSW experience unique challenges living in remote locations. We also know women in these communities are doing extraordinary things.
“The Rural Women’s Gathering provides a great opportunity to share their experiences and, in turn, help other women to better support their communities.
“Thank you to our incredible 2024 hosts in Harden Murrumburrah for helping facilitate connection through friendship, mentorship, professional resources and services. I look forward to seeing the tradition continue next year in Lismore.”
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:
“Thank you to the fabulous volunteers who coordinated and delivered a hugely successful 2024 Rural Women’s Gathering in Harden Murrumburrah – your local insights are absolutely invaluable, your dedication and commitment make this important annual event possible.
“The Rural Women’s Gathering links women to information and services, create opportunities to build personal and business resilience, allow us to promote action on rural women’s issues, and ultimately strengthen communities across NSW.
“After 31 years, the Gathering continues to be a key event on the NSW Rural Women’s Network calendar, enabling women from regional, rural and remote areas of NSW to connect, learn and celebrate.
“Each year, there’s a range of diverse speakers and workshops, all of whom bring something new and inspiring to share – and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Lismore in 2025.”
Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said:
“I’m excited to have the Rural Women’s Gathering here. I think its fantastic because we have some great women right across our community.
“This is recognition that there’s a whole lot of women’s leadership here, particularly our rural women. They’re in everything, from the CWA, to the SES, to the RFS, to Zonta, we’ve got the lot.
“The Rural Women’s Gathering is a great opportunity to network and having it in Lismore means its easier for local women to take part.”
Released by: Minister for Energy and Climate Change
Power supplies have been restored to communities in the Far West region of NSW using a large-scale back-up generator, but households and businesses are being urged to reduce their usage this evening to minimise demand.
The Far West region is relying on the generator while Transgrid constructs temporary towers to replace those damaged by a serious storm. This could take a number of weeks.
The large-scale back-up generator is not adequate to meet consumer demand at all times of the day, in particular during the evening peak from 5:30pm to 10:30pm (Australian Central Daylight time).
During this time, Essential Energy may need to rotate power between different areas for around two hours at a time. Essential Energy will prioritise Life Support Customers and priority loads such as Broken Hill Base Hospital.
The community in the impacted area can help by taking simple steps to minimise power use between 5:30pm and 10:30pm (Australian Central Daylight Time):
Turn off any non-essential appliances.
Use lights only in occupied rooms.
If you are using air conditioning, consider raising the set point temperature to about 26 degrees and close all blinds, windows and doors.
Outside these times, the community should continue to use electricity as they normally would.
The impacted area incudes Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Wilcannia, Menindee, White Cliffs and several other surrounding communities.
The NSW Government has activated an emergency response and is coordinating assistance across a number of emergency services and government agencies, and is working with Transgrid and Essential Energy.
A NSW Rural Fire Service b-double truck which set off from Sydney loaded with supplies has now arrived in the Far West. The supplies include generators, fuel pods, cool rooms, lighting towers and Starlinks (satellite connections).
The NSW Government encourages community members to follow the guidance of emergency service crews and asks travellers to the Far West of NSW avoid the area surrounding Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee and White Cliffs unless absolutely necessary.
“It’s positive news that power supplies have been restored to Broken Hill and nearby communities via a large-scale back-up generator. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to replace the transmission towers and repair the electricity network.
“I want to thank the Essential Energy and Transgrid workers who have worked tirelessly over the past two days to restore power.
“I also want to thank Perilya Mine for supplying load to the large-scale backup generator, which in turn, has provided security and stability to the Broken Hill grid and helped restore power to communities across the Far West.”
Member for Barwon Roy Butler said:
“We are focused on restoring power to all homes and businesses in Broken Hill and towns across the region.
“We welcome the arrival of supplies including generators to support those on the ground.
“I encourage everyone in our community to please check in on your neighbours and relatives, especially those who are vulnerable, as we work through this situation.”
Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) introduced the Choices for Increased Mobility Act to increase access to wheelchairs made with advanced materials by allowing Medicare beneficiaries to upgrade to lighter, more functional wheelchairs without bearing the entire upfront cost. These manual wheelchairs help prevent shoulder injuries, enhance maneuverability, and reduce overall pain and fatigue for users.
“Too many Americans with disabilities face unnecessary barriers to obtaining the best mobility equipment to meet their needs,” said Senator Blackburn. “By making it easier for Medicare beneficiaries to upgrade to wheelchairs made with advanced, lighter materials like carbon fiber and titanium, this bipartisan bill would help improve the quality of life for countless individuals. I’m pleased to work with Senator Duckworth to reduce financial burdens on those who rely on these essential devices and ensure that more people have access to the mobility solutions they deserve.”
“For too long, Medicare recipients have struggled to access lighter, more functional wheelchairs that would help them get around more easily while putting significantly less strain on their bodies,” said Senator Duckworth. “Our bipartisan legislation would help ensure Medicare recipients are better able to access the wheelchairs they need to live healthier, more independent lives—with minimal cost to the federal government. It’s a win-win.”
BACKGROUND
Complex Rehab Technology (CRT) is a specialized subset of the Durable Medical Equipment benefit, which includes highly configurable manual and power wheelchairs, adaptive seating, and positioning systems. Among these, manual wheelchairs constructed from advanced materials like carbon fiber and titanium are significantly stronger and lighter than standard aluminum wheelchairs.
When the Medicare billing code for ultra-lightweight manual wheelchairs was established in 1993, materials like titanium and carbon fiber were not considered, as they were not yet in use for wheelchairs. As a result, CRT providers have struggled to supply wheelchairs with these advanced materials at the fee schedule amounts set by Medicare.
Historically, Medicare allowed beneficiaries who met medical necessity requirements to upgrade their equipment by paying the difference between standard and upgraded materials. However, a policy change in 2016 removed this option, requiring beneficiaries to prepay the entire cost of the wheelchair out-of-pocket and await reimbursement for the standard portion, significantly limiting access to these advanced wheelchairs.
CHOICES FOR INCREASED MOBILITY ACT
The Choices for Increased Mobility Act would create two new billing codes for ultra-lightweight manual wheelchairs: one for base models and another for those constructed with titanium or carbon fiber. This change would allow Medicare beneficiaries to upgrade to lighter, more functional wheelchairs without bearing the entire upfront cost. Instead, beneficiaries would only pay for the cost of the specialized materials, significantly reducing their financial burden.
This bill aims to restore the option for beneficiaries to choose and pay for advanced materials for their wheelchairs without removing medical necessity requirements. It would ensure that Medicare covers the standard portion of the wheelchair cost, with beneficiaries responsible only for the upgraded materials.
ENDORSEMENTS
This legislation is supported by the American Association for Homecare, Permobil Americas, National Coalition for Assistive and Rehab Technology, National Registry for Rehabilitation Technology Suppliers, Clinical Task Force, The VGM Group, U.S. Rehab, Association for Tennessee Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment Services, Great Lakes Home Medical Services Association, Midwest Association for Medical Equipment Services, Southwest Medical Equipment Suppliers Association, Alabama Durable Medical Equipment Association, Michigan HomeCare & Hospice Association, Pennsylvania Association of Medical Suppliers, Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, Texas Medical Equipment Providers Association, Home Medical Equipment and Services Association of New England, Georgia Association of Medical Equipment Suppliers, Florida Alliance of Home Care Services, Atlantic Coast Medical Equipment Services Association, Northeast Medical Equipment Providers Association, Nevada Association of Medical Product Suppliers, Big Sky Association of Home Medical Equipment Suppliers, Pacific Association for Medical Equipment Services, Colorado Association for Medical Equipment Services, California Association of Medical Product Suppliers, Ohio Association of Medical Equipment Services, and Arkansas Medical Equipment Providers.
“We are so fortunate to be able to work with leaders like Senator Blackburn and Senator Duckworth who share our passion for supporting people with disabilities,” said Tom Ryan, President & CEO of the American Association for Homecare. “Their work to improve access to lightweight wheelchairs is the latest example of their commitment to ensuring people with mobility challenges can remain actively engaged in their communities.”
“Our mission will always be to enable those with disabilities to live life with independence by providing aides of the same technical standards that we all use in our daily lives. S. 5154 is a common sense, budget neutral solution that empowers individuals with the choice to access to the many benefits of titanium or carbon fiber wheelchair frames,” said Chuck Witkowski, President of Permobil Americas. “We are immensely grateful to Senators Blackburn and Duckworth and thank them for their continued leadership and support of this community.”
Click here for bill text.
A Queensland tribunal has ruled it is not discriminatory for a school to require girls to wear a skirt at formal events.
The private high school said girls needed to wear skirts for occasions including excursions, ceremonies and class photographs.
A female student had complained to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal about different treatment for boys and girls.
While the tribunal acknowledged there was “different treatment between the sexes”, it found there was not enough evidence to show this was “unfavourable”.
Why are female students still made to wear skirts and dresses? And why is this a problem?
Who decides?
In Australia, uniform rules are largely determined by individual schools.
Schools have some obligations to their communities, governing bodies (such as state education departments and independent school peak bodies) and anti-discrimination legislation.
But ultimately, it’s up to the school to decide how their uniform looks, who can access different items, where and when items may be worn, and what non-uniform items are regulated.
Pants occupy an odd space here. For public schools, most state education departments require girls to have the option of pants (which can include shorts or trousers), for both sport and regular uniforms.
But private schools do not have the same obligations. Some are starting to update their policies and allow girls to wear shorts or pants if they choose.
Girls’ access to pants is not as straightforward as a school including them within the uniform policy.
As researchers note, simply allowing girls to wear pants may not be enough. If school cultures are not welcoming, or if the design is uncomfortable, girls may still avoid them.
Or, as can be the case with private schools, a school may offer pants on a limited basis, such as only during winter. Alternatively, there may be a special order process for pants, making them difficult to obtain.
Or schools may permit their use, except on special occasions such as photo days or excursions, like the Queensland case.
Why does it matter?
The skirt itself isn’t the issue. The element of choice is.
As researchers note, skirts and dresses are linked to outdated expectations of modesty and femininity. They can be targets of fetish and harassment, and entrench binary ideals of gender.
The longer gender-normativity is baked into school policies, the longer students are denied their right to equitable education. And the longer that schools promote the idea of “girl” and “boy” as opposite and concrete categories, the harder it will be to combat schoolyard misogyny and queerphobia.
Kayla Mildren does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Foreign Secretary David Lammy visits Indonesia and South Korea.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy meets with President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto on his visit to Indonesia. Picture by Ben Dance / FCDO
UK will put green growth and security at the centre of our relationships across the region.
Government will step up efforts towards a new, deeper Strategic Partnership with crucial G20 partner Indonesia to support green innovation and accelerate the clean energy transition.
Driving forward further security collaboration, the Foreign Secretary will visit South Korea to galvanise work on defence, clean energy and growth.
A new chapter in the relationship between the UK and Indonesia, a vital Indo-pacific and G20 partner, begins with the Foreign Secretary arriving in Jakarta today (20th October).
The Foreign Secretary will attend the inauguration of President Prabowo Subianto, as the UK and Indonesia celebrate seventy five years of diplomatic relations this year. With new governments in the UK and Indonesia, both countries will work together to build a deeper Strategic Partnership that delivers growth and security while ensuring a sustainable future for our planet.
Reinforcing the UK and South Korea’s shared global values, David Lammy will travel onwards to Seoul where he will visit the Demilitarized Zone and underline our geopolitical collaboration on security, climate and growth with another G20 power in the Indo-Pacific.
In South Korea the Foreign Secretary will witness first-hand the geopolitical reality and immediacy of the divided Korean peninsula and the ongoing threat posed by North Korea.
Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, said:
Our South Korean partners have stood side-by-side with us in defence of Ukraine whilst also working to preserve regional stability here on the Korean peninsula.
It is a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of conflict, with North Korea supporting Russia and prolonging conflict on Europe’s borders whilst their illegal weapons of mass destruction programme threatens regional security. That is why it is so important for the UK to engage globally over conflict on our continent and security beyond it.
Indonesia is a key player in our fight to tackle the climate crisis – and our new governments are working together to build a strategic partnership that delivers green growth, deepens our cooperation on security and ensures a sustainable future for our planet.
Right across this region, we are working to further unlock growth, trade and green innovation.
Underlining the UK and South Korea’s joint commitment to upholding peace both on the Korean Peninsula and across the globe, the Foreign Secretary will announce the first UK and South Korea Foreign and Defence Ministerial 2 + 2 Dialogue. This set-piece consultation will provide a formalised space to further enhance cooperation in addressing regional and global challenges to peace and security.
The Ministerial 2 + 2 will sit alongside an Inaugural UK-Korea Hybrid Threats Dialogue, which will enable discussion on issues of shared national interest and identification of new opportunities to tackle shared threats together – jointly improving our resilience.
The Foreign Secretary’s visit to both Indonesia and South Korea will also be underpinned by the UK’s international leadership on the climate crisis, through clean power and green solutions.
In Indonesia, the Foreign Secretary will meet Indonesian companies supported by the UK to spearhead green innovations. He will also see first-hand the UK expertise being deployed to support sustainable infrastructure development in Indonesia.
In the Republic of Korea, Mr Lammy will visit Ewha Women’s University to share expertise and experience on the UK’s and South Korea’s clean energy transition. Focusing on how both countries can deliver female leadership in climate and growth, the Foreign Secretary will meet with the university’s President, Kim Eun Mee, and leaders within the climate sphere.
City of York Council has published information to support residents and visitors as a key road near York Station closes over 5 nights in November.
As an essential part of works to transform the area to the front of York Station, the new Queen Street diversion road will be closed for five consecutive weeknights. The road will reopen to traffic during the day.
The road will be closed from:
7.30pm on Monday 4 November 2024 until 6.00am Tuesday 5 November 2024
7.30pm on Tuesday 5 November 2024 until 6.00am Wednesday 6 November 2024
7.30pm on Wednesday 6 November 2024 until 6.00am Thursday 7 November 2024
7.30pm on Thursday 7 November 2024 until 6.00am Friday 8 November 2024
7.30pm on Friday 8 November 2024 until 6.00am Saturday 9 November 2024
These closures are to allow the removal of the remaining part of Queen Street Bridge, which was left in place while further work took place to protect the city walls.
This follows two weekend closures in April 2024 which saw the removal of the majority of Queen Street Bridge and the construction of the diversion road.
The council has now published information to offer advice for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelers, blue badge holders, bus users, taxis and drivers.
Trains to and from York will be running as usual. Buses will continue to operate throughout the closure, but some routes will change as a result of the road closures. This will include the temporary relocation of some bus stops.
Free shuttle buses will also be running until midnight, between Blossom Street and stops RF-RJ opposite the station. The shuttle buses will run regularly and will stop at all regular bus stops along the route.
The station car park will be open during these works. Residents and businesses on Queen Street will be able to access their premises at all times. Lowther Terrace gates will be open as usual.
York remains open for business. Residents and visitors are being asked to please plan ahead if travelling in the area and, if possible, consider other ways to travel in to the city during these closures.
Councillor Kate Ravilious, Executive Member for Transport at City of York Council, said:
“Removing the remaining sections of Queen Street Bridge is an important milestone for the project, as we move closer to seeing the benefits of this exciting transformation.
“We understand how disruptive these closures are and will continue working to keep disruption to a minimum.
“As with the closures earlier in the year, we encourage everyone to plan ahead and give themselves extra time if travelling in the area and check the travel information online.
“We appreciate the efforts to help keep York moving throughout these works, and want to thank residents, visitors and businesses for their continued patience.”
This major scheme is being delivered in partnership by City of York Council, Network Rail, LNER and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority alongside contractor for the highways works for the project, John Sisk & Son.
The project will completely transform the area to the front of the station, providing an effective transport interchange, enhanced public space and an improved setting for the city walls.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
This data provides information about the number and types of applications that HM Land Registry completed in Septemer 2024.
NicoElNino/Shutterstock.com
Please note this data shows what HM Land Registry has been able to process during the time period covered and is not necessarily a reflection of market activity.
In September:
HM Land Registry completed more than 1,934,910 applications to change or query the Land Register
the South East topped the table of regional applications with 437,185
HM Land Registry completed 1,934,916 applications in September compared with 1,876,215 in August and 1,730,767 last September 2023, of which:
286,474 were applications for register updates compared with 285,515 in August
1,119,845 were applications for an official copy of a register compared with 1,073,999 in August
197,651 were search and hold queries (official searches) compared with 197,468 in August
77,774 were transactions for value compared with 78,219 in August
16,471 were postal applications from non-account holders compared with 18,417 in August
The information provided is a summary of reports from operational staff and is intended to give a general indication of typical conditions in each area at a point in time. It is not intended to imply that any individual route is entirely snow and ice free and drivers must be aware that conditions can change rapidly and make their own assessment of conditions for travelling.
Maps of the Council’s gritting routes by priority and policy are available online at winter road maintenance (external link).
Drivers should take extreme care this morning. Windblown debris is affecting roads and sea blown debris is affecting coastal roads particularly in the west. Roads operatives are working to clear roads this morning.
The Corran Ferry is running as normal this morning.
Follow our social media channels to keep up-to-date with all Highland Council road issues today – @HighlandCouncil
Details as of 10am today are as follows –
Badenoch and Strathspey Roads damp. Positive road surface temperatures. No known problems.
Nairn Roads damp. Positive road surface temperatures. No known problems.
Sutherland The C1054, Coal Pit Road at Brora, approximately 100m off the A9 is currently blocked due to a fallen tree. Operatives are in attendance to clear road. Earlier this morning, trees were down on the Lothmore side road (the U2766) off the A9 between Brora and Portgower but these have been cleared.
Lochaber A861 Clovullin road is reduced to single lane for approximately 100 metres. The Corran Ferry is operating as normal this morning.
Wester Ross Positive road surface temperatures. The A834 slip road at Contin War Memorial is closed with a tree blocking the road. Operatives are on their way to clear the road.
Caithness No winter action required. No other known issues to report.
Inverness Roads are dry / damp with no known problems.
East Ross-shire Positive temperatures. No winter action.
The company accepted payments for projects when it was insolvent
Samantha Fairweather was the sole director of Fairweather Construction Ltd when it took payments from customers for home improvements it did not complete
The company had already failed to finish building work such as new conservatories and windows when it accepted the additional payments
Fairweather Construction had substantial debts at the time it took the payments, including owing more than £100,000 in tax
The boss of an Essex construction firm which took more than £300,000 in deposits for home improvements work it never completed has been disqualified as a director for eight years.
Samantha Fairweather, 53, was the sole director of Fairweather Construction Ltd when it sought advice from an insolvency practitioner in April 2022, owing more than £100,000 in unpaid tax.
The company had taken deposits from homeowners worth more than £150,000 by this time for building work such as the installation of new windows or conservatories which it had not finished.
However, Fairweather Construction then proceeded to take a further £177,900 in payments for further building projects it did not complete, including £37,370 in deposits for new work, before it was liquidated in the autumn of 2022.
Neil North, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Samantha Fairweather knew, or ought to have known, that the company she was a director of had unpaid debts to HMRC and had been unable to fulfil its obligations to existing customers.
The company then took significant amounts of money from homeowners for house extensions and projects which were never done.
Members of the public need protection from this kind of activity which is why Fairweather will no longer be able to act as a company director until October 2032.
Fairweather, of Maitland Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, was the only director of Fairweather Construction since it was established in December 2014.
The company marketed itself as a home improvement specialist, with its work mainly focused on properties around the Essex and Hertfordshire border. Its registered office address was more than 150 miles away on Wood Lane, Heskin, Lancashire.
However, homeowners from further afield also lost out as a result of the company’s actions.
One couple from south London paid Fairweather Construction £12,500 for new windows in July 2022, but the order was never placed with the manufacturer.
Similarly, a woman from Saffron Walden paid the company £4,500 for new windows in August 2022, which were never fitted.
In the same month, Fairweather Construction took £18,000 from customers in the Bishop’s Stortford area for a new conservatory and extensions to an existing one which were not built.
Numerous excuses were made by the company for why the orders were not fulfilled.
Fairweather also caused her company to breach the Covid Bounce Back Loan Scheme in May 2020 by using £11,000 of the £50,000 she obtained to repay a director’s loan.
These payments were not for the economic benefit of the business as they had to be under the rules of the scheme.
Fairweather Construction entered liquidation in September 2022 with liabilities of more than £700,000.
The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Fairweather, and her eight-year ban began on Monday 21 October.
The disqualification prevents her from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.
Further information
Samantha Fairweather is of Maitland Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. Her date of birth is 29 April 1971.
Fairweather Construction Ltd (company number 09345352)
Individuals subject to a disqualification order or undertaking are bound by a range of restrictions
Mayor announces £50,000 for three winners of his No Wrong Door Open Innovation Challenge to develop innovative ways to help Londoners enhance their skills and move into new or better jobs
The winning ideas are designed to help London’s diverse communities including refugees, diverse communities, young people and women get back to work
Five runners up will also receive £5,000 in additional funding, helping Londoners to access skills and training for green jobs, enhanced CV writing, and access to job opportunities for young Londoners
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced the three winners of his No Wrong Door Open Innovation Competition, which will help to pioneer new ways to help disabled Londoners, women, refugees, young and older Londoners access high-quality skills and employment support to better thrive in our economy. For Londoners, the No Wrong Door innovation challenge means that no matter their starting point or what service they access first, they can be connected to the right type of support at the right time to help them into good work.
Sadiq’s No Wrong Door Open Challenge encouraged innovators to address the challenges that London’s diverse communities can face when accessing the labour market. These include lack of necessary additional support when navigating employment applications or systems; insufficient understanding from employers when tailoring jobs; and lack of support for physical or mental health barriers.
The three winners are:
Earlybird, an AI-driven platform will equip individuals with the skills and support they need to overcome barriers to employment, helping them secure and retain meaningful jobs.
Facework Group CIC, an online platform providing training and workspaces for refugees, that will provide training in employability skills, mental health support, self-employment opportunities, and social integration.
Tailored Futures, an AI-powered platform providing support to individuals within the criminal justice system by connecting them with employers, helping them access job opportunities and rebuild their lives, ultimately reducing reoffending rates.
Research commissioned by City Hall(1) in the summer of 2023 has shown that integration of employment and skills services could be improved through human centred, technology and innovative solutions to address barriers that make it harder for various Londoners to access support.
Alongside the winners, five runners up were chosen and will receive £5,000 in additional funding, along with monthly coaching sessions provided by delivery partner, Allia Impact, to help them further their ideas. These ideas range from helping Londoners to access skills and training for green jobs, enhanced CV writing, upskilling for mothers returning to the workplace and support to access job opportunities for young Londoners.
The Mayor’s adult skills programmes have already supported over one million learners. As part of the Mayor’s commitment to help grow London’s economy, Sadiq is focused on ensuring that Londoners furthest from the labour market to get the support they need to help them build their skills and move into new and better jobs.
One of the Mayor’s 10 key priorities is the new London Growth Plan, with a target of helping to create more than 150,000 good jobs by 2028 and increasing living standards for all Londoners. The new growth plan aims to grow London’s economy, so we can improve the lives of all Londoners, drive London’s green transition and support prosperity in London and across the country.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “These innovative solutions will help those Londoners struggling to gain the skills they need to move ahead in the job market, ensuring our economy has the talented workforce it needs to thrive.
“In the face of a cost-of-living crisis, increased rents and mortgages and rising energy bills, it is more important than ever for Londoners to get the right employment support, as we continue to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Claudine Adeyemi-Adams, Founder of Earlybird, said: “We are so honoured to be selected for Phase II of the NWD Innovation Challenge. It’s real validation for us that the judges, who are experts in employment support and, we hope, future Earlybird users, can see the significant value that our innovation creates. We are really looking forward to deepening our relationships with partners in the GLA network and NWD community and driving greater impact as we scale our solution, particularly for employment support organisations and people who are out of work.”
Titi Solarin, Founder of Tailored Futures CIC, said: “We’ve been working on the concept of this app for several years, and it’s incredible to finally see it moving towards the development stage. This app is designed to help people navigate the complexities of reintegrating into the community after involvement with the criminal justice system. I’m beyond excited about the potential impact it will have, making support and opportunities more accessible to those who need it most.”
Stephen Carrick-Davies CEO of the Facework Group said: “We have proved that with training and support those with the lived experience of migration can play an important role in supporting other refugees to access better quality work or self-employment. For this to be effective it has to be personalised, human-centric and address wider issues of mental health and integration into the wider community. We are thrilled that Facework has received NWD support for us to now scale our approach and build partnerships with Local Authority job teams and wider stakeholders.”
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Validation for applications during the Christmas period 2024 for MA, ManA, WDA, Batch Release, Specific Batch Control, and Special Import and Export Certificates.
Our offices will be closed on Wednesday 25, Thursday 26 December and Wednesday 1 January.
Validation during the Christmas Period 2024
Marketing Authorisation applications
In recognition of the resource pressures and delays to service currently being experienced, the VMD is extending the usual Christmas shut down period for 2024 to focus efforts on issuing existing applications.
All applications must be received by 29 November to be processed during the Christmas period. Any applications received after this date will not be processed until 2 January 2024.
Validation of New Marketing Authorisation applications
The last validation meeting to discuss applications for new Marketing Authorisations (MAs) will take place on 12 December. New applications to be considered for validation must be received on or before 29 November. Weekly validation meetings will resume from 9 January 2024.
Manufacturing and Wholesale Dealer Authorisation applications (new and variations)
The last day for validation of applications for Authorisations for Manufacturers, Blood Banks, Equine Stem Cell Centres and Wholesale Dealers (new and variations) will be 13 December. To be considered for validation by this date, please ensure that your application reaches us by 11 December. The validation discussions will resume from 2 January 2024.
Your application for an export certificate must be received by 13 December to ensure it is dealt with during the Christmas period. Applications received after this date will be dealt with from 2 January 2024.
Your application must be received by 11 December to ensure it is dealt with during the Christmas period. Applications received after this date will be dealt with from 2 January 2022.
Your batch release request must be received by 11 December to ensure it is dealt with during the Christmas period. Requests received after this date will be dealt with from 2 January 2024.
For exceptional cases after 11 December, we will consider these on a case-by-case basis, contact the team on batchr@vmd.gov.uk.
Special Import Scheme applications
For Special Import Certificate and Wholesale Dealer Import Certificate applications requiring assessment, that is, not available instantly online, your application must be received by 13 December to ensure it is dealt with during the Christmas period.
Requests received after this date will be dealt with from 2 January 2024. If you have an urgent clinical need requiring an import certificate prior to this date, please email importcert@vmd.gov.uk identifying your application as urgent.
Please send any general enquiries to postmaster@vmd.gov.uk, using key words in the subject heading.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to distributing fentanyl, which resulted in three overdose deaths in Belton and Raymore, Mo., as part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Tiger Dean Draggoo, 24, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and three counts of distributing fentanyl resulting in death.
By pleading guilty today, Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl on Sept. 3, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Aug. 22 and Sept. 13, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person. Draggoo admitted that he distributed fentanyl between Dec. 7 and 20, 2022, the use of which caused the death of another person.
Draggoo also admitted that the government’s evidence of the total amount of drugs he is responsible for distributing or possessing is at least 22,364 pills that contained a total of 2,460 grams of fentanyl.
Victim #1 Fatality
On Sept. 4, 2022, Cass County, Mo., sheriff’s deputies found a juvenile, identified in court documents as “Victim #1,” deceased in her bedroom. An autopsy report identified “Fentanyl Intoxication” as the cause of death. Investigators determined that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to the victim and had supplied her with fentanyl pills on the evening of Sept. 3, 2022.
Victim #2 Fatality
On Sept. 13, 2022, a deceased person, identified in court documents as “Victim #2,” was found in the Belton residence where she lived with her mother. A blue pill was found in her bedroom, which was tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Draggoo was selling fentanyl pills to Victim #2. Draggoo typically would drop off pills near midnight at Victim #2’s bedroom window, and cell phone GPS information indicated Draggoo was in the area of Victim #2’s residence at approximately 12:20 a.m on Sept. 13, 2022.
Attempted Arrest of Draggoo
On Sept. 22, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance of Draggoo’s apartment and attempted to arrest him. Draggoo got into a Jeep Renegade driven by his brother, co-defendant Colt Justin Draggoo, 21, of Kansas City, Mo. Officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the vehicle, but the vehicle fled. Tiger and Colt Draggoo later returned to the apartment complex, but when an officer drove into the parking lot, Tiger Draggoo ran into the apartment building and was able to escape.
Colt Draggoo was arrested. Officers found a loaded Springfield Armory 9mm handgun sitting on the driver’s seat of the Jeep. A laundry bag in the back seat contained two fire safes that had a total of $184,500 in cash. Colt Draggoo has pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy.
Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and found 17 firearms, including two machine guns, ammunition of various calibers, $246,769 in cash, a ballistic vest with plates, a money counter, numerous pills that contained fentanyl, eight suspected LSD tabs, and marijuana. The 17 firearms included a Del-Ton 5.56-caliber rifle (converted into a machine gun), a Glock switch (used to convert a Glock pistol into a machine gun), three Marlin .22-caliber rifles, a Norinco 7.62-caliber rifle, a Mosin-Nagant rifle, an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 .223-caliber rifle, a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun, an Armscorp USA .308-caliber rifle, a Century Arms 7.62-caliber rifle, a Herbert Schmidt .22-caliber revolver, a New England Firearms .22-caliber revolver, a Kimber 9mm pistol, a Glock 9mm pistol, a Sig Sauer 9mm pistol, and a Metro Arms .45-caliber pistol.
Victim #3 Fatality
On Dec. 20, 2022, Raymore police officers were dispatched to a residence in Raymore regarding a non-breathing female, identified in court documents as Victim #3. Victim #3 was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased. A small jewelry box in Victim #3’s bedroom contained three broken segments of a blue pill that were tested and determined to contain fentanyl. An autopsy report identified the cause of death as “Acute Fentanyl Toxicity.” Investigators learned that Tiger Draggoo had been selling fentanyl to Victim #3 since as early as May 31, 2022. The last Facebook Messengers conversation between Tiger Draggoo and Victim #3 occurred on Dec. 7, 2022, when they agreed to meet and an amount of $50 was agreed upon.
Arrest of Draggoo
Tiger Draggoo was arrested at his residence on Jan. 20, 2023. Tiger Draggoo was in possession of almost $2,000 in cash in his billfold and pockets. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s apartment and recovered pills from the toilet. Officers also found suspected psilocybin mushrooms, 144 grams of yellow THC wax, and more than $62,000 in additional cash. Officers searched Tiger Draggoo’s Honda Accord and found three handguns, a Palmetto State Armory multi-caliber rifle, an unregistered short-barreled 12-gauge shotgun, and $1,250 in cash. Officers searched his girlfriend’s Jeep Renegade, which was located at the apartment complex, and found a backpack that contained more than $82,000 in cash.
Under federal statutes, Tiger Draggoo is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brad K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Belton, Mo., Police Department, the Raymore, Mo., Police Department, the Cass County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Mr Irfan Siddiq OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq in succession to Mr Stephen Hitchen.
Mr Irfan Siddiq OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Iraq in succession to Mr Stephen Hitchen who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.
Mr Siddiq will take up his appointment during March 2025.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Full name: Irfan Siddiq
—
—
2022 to present
Nicosia, British High Commissioner
2021 to 2022
Full time Greek language training
2021
FCDO, Director, East and Central Africa
2018 to 2021
Khartoum, HM Ambassador
2017 to 2018
Plan International (External Secondment), Global Advocacy Director
2016 to 2017
FCO, Head, Secondments Unit
2013 to 2016
Baku, HM Ambassador
2011 to 2013
FCO, Head, Arab Partnership Department
2010 to 2011
Baghdad, Deputy Head of Mission
2007 to 2010
Damascus, Deputy Head of Mission
2005 to 2007
FCO, Private Secretary to the Foreign Secretary
2004 to 2005
Washington, Iraq Political Officer, US State Department
2003 to 2004
Baghdad, Political Officer, Coalition Provisional Authority
Amnesty has today said the UK Government is betraying its own legacy commitments and failing victims by diluting its election promise to repeal and replace the widely opposed Troubles legacy Act. Amnesty made the comments today at a press conference in Belfast, held along with victims following the Government’s decision to seek to appeal a court of appeal judgment which found core parts of the Troubles Act including the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) to be unlawful.
Grainne Teggart, Amnesty UK Deputy Director in Northern Ireland said:
“The UK Government’s decision to appeal, is a betrayal of their own legacy commitments and fails victims. It is a staggering dilution of their pre-election position.
“The Government’s decision raises serious questions about their commitment to their own promise to repeal and replace the Troubles Act.
“The Government needs to own this change of direction. The categorical pledge by the Labour party prior to the election was to repeal and replace the Troubles Act. That pledge has been increasingly qualified over recent months, and we now see them propping up the legacy body established by the last Government.
“The Government should change course again, immediately, and fulfil their manifesto promise to repeal the Troubles Act. This should be done in full, as well as abandoning any attempt to prop up the ICRIR, which was condemned by the court ruling and by victims groups alike.
“Stormont House Agreement remains the foundation on which to build.”
Martina Dillon, whose husband, Seamus, was shot and killed outside the Glengannon Hotel in Dungannon on 27 December 1997 said:
“Repeal and replace the universally-opposed Troubles Act as well as the investigations body which is a hangover from the last Government’s flawed plan. That’s what we were promised and that’s what we are now demanding.
“The Secretary of State should categorically not be seeking to prop up a body he should clearly see there are problems with. Anything short of the return of my inquest is unacceptable. Others who need inquests should have access to them too. Victims have waited long enough for justice for our husbands, brothers, sisters, and children. Enough is enough, we won’t be fobbed off again.”
PLANS to improve road safety and air quality on two streets close to local schools using new enforcement powers have been given the go-ahead by the city council.
Last year, Leicester City Council was awarded designated authority status by the Department for Transport. This gives the council permission to use camera enforcement to deal with so-called moving traffic offences.
Now the city council plans to use camera enforcement to penalise drivers who flout restrictions on Northfold Road and Eastcourt Road which border Overdale infant and junior schools, in Knighton.
Restrictions on the two school streets have been in place since an initial trial in February 2022 and prohibit access to motor vehicles during school run times – 8-9am and 2.30-4pm Monday to Friday – except for permit holders.
The measures were introduced at the request of local residents and the wider school community in an effort to improve air quality, road safety and traffic congestion at the beginning and end of the school day.
Despite being clearly signed, and legally backed by traffic regulation order, motorists have continued to contravene the restrictions on a regular basis.
The decision to use camera enforcement follows a consultation with local residents, parents at the Overdale schools and other members of the public.
Cameras are due to be installed and brought into operation in the coming weeks. Residents on the two affected streets affected, and eligible parents at the schools, will be contacted in advance to apply for exemption.
For an initial period of six months, first offences will result in drivers being issued with a warning notice.
Subsequent contraventions will result in drivers being issued with a penalty charge notice.
This will be charged at £70, or at discounted rate of £35 if paid within 21 days.
Cllr Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for transport and environment said: “Camera enforcement can be a very effective way of deterring motorists from committing traffic offences that are dangerous or obstructive for other road users.
“That’s why we’re introducing these measures to help enforce restrictions on two school streets close to Overdale infant and junior schools.
“The restrictions here were originally introduced following feedback from local residents and families at the schools and it’s important that we do whatever we can to discourage people from ignoring them.”
Under the Traffic Management Act 2004, councils can apply to the Government to take on the responsibility for traffic offences, by applying for a designated authority status. This gives councils powers to enforce areas such as box junctions, one-way streets, no-entry signs or other prohibited traffic movements, along with bus lanes, cycles lanes and pedestrian zones for example.
A brand-new immersive classroom incorporating virtual reality (VR) and tools for interactive learning, has been opened at Ryhope Junior School thanks to £50,000 investment from Together for Children (TfC).
The new classroom uses technology such as virtual and augmented reality (AR), including visuals, wind effects and scents to bring learning to life, allowing pupils to explore ancient civilizations, tour local landmarks, or conduct experiments in a simulated science lab.
The classroom has already been used to teach pupils about local history, and during a lesson about the coal mining heritage of Ryhope students got to experience what it was like to work in the mines through an AR simulation.
It can be used just for fun as well as lessons; students can play games and even take a virtual zipwire tour over London.
Now, TfC hopes to use this first immersive classroom as a pioneer to showcase the possibilities to other schools in the city.
Teachers at Ryhope Junior School hope that the new classroom will help to boost pupil engagement and make lessons more dynamic, enjoyable, and interactive.
The school’s headteacher Fiona Lynn said: “This immersive classroom will open up a world of possibilities for our children. It provides a unique opportunity to make learning more interactive and engaging, particularly for those students who thrive in hands-on environments.
“The technology will also allow us to tailor the experience to each student, making learning not only more effective but also more enjoyable. It’s also about fostering collaboration and creativity among students. With interactive smart boards and collaborative digital platforms, pupils can work together on projects in real-time, even when they’re in different locations.”
Councillor Michael Butler, Sunderland City Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Child Poverty and Skills, said: “We’re delighted to see the pioneering immersive classroom up and running at Ryhope Junior School. It has so many uses for interactive learning, and will support children with anxiety or additional needs as they can take interactive trips and build confidence. The classroom is a tool which we hope will benefit all pupils and be built into the curriculum to help them thrive at school.”
Ryhope Junior School’s Computing Lead Michael Simpson believes the immersive experience is already impacting learning outcomes. He said: “We’re seeing pupils more engaged than ever before. The combination of visual, auditory, and hands-on learning caters to a wide range of learning styles, which helps us ensure that every child reaches their potential.
“As schools across the country begin to adopt more immersive learning environments, Ryhope Junior School is proud to be at the forefront of this educational revolution. The introduction of this new classroom marks a significant step forward in providing students with a 21st-century learning experience that is not only educational but also memorable and fun.”
Simon Marshall, TfC Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services said: “We’re always looking at ways to boost the curriculum and enhance the ways children learn. When we approached Ryhope Junior School with the opportunity to access funding for this project, staff were excited to try something new and showcase exciting technology to pupils and parents.
“The technology gives the school the freedom to add to the curriculum by adding their own videos geared towards local knowledge, which means the children can virtually travel everywhere from Penshaw Monument to the deepest oceans via New York, and even past a Gruffalo!”
A Local Plan for St Albans District’s future growth has been agreed by Councillors. St Albans City and District Councillors approved the draft Local Plan (LP) for the purpose of submission to the Secretary of State, at a meeting of Full Council.
The LP identifies land for housing, employment developments and green spaces for the years to 2041.
Residents, community groups, businesses, neighbouring local authorities, statutory bodies and other organisations have helped shape the document by giving their views in consultations.
Councillor Paul de Kort, the Council’s Leader, said after the meeting on Wednesday 16 October: “I am delighted that Councillors have voted overwhelmingly to approve our Local Plan for submission to the Secretary of State.
“Producing a Local Plan is one of the most challenging, complex and important tasks that a Council faces and it has taken more than three years of demanding work to reach this stage.
“It is in the interests of our residents that we move forward with the Local Plan without delay otherwise we will be vulnerable to more speculative planning applications for inappropriate developments.
“It is these opportunistic developments that most concern residents as they don’t take a strategic account of the impact on the local community and, as they are not included in a Local Plan, they contribute less to improving the local infrastructure.
“This Local Plan can protect the District from such random, piecemeal developments by providing for new housing, schools, parks, cycleways and employment centres in a strategic way.”
The LP allows for the building of 15,000 new homes in the District over the next 17 years in accordance with current national planning policy guidelines. This will include 1,200 social rent properties, mainly three-bedroom homes, increasing the area’s social housing stock by around 25%.
The LP also allows for a potential £750 million of infrastructure to support the proposed new residential areas. This includes nine new primary schools, four new secondary schools, improvements to public transport, locations for 15,000 jobs, and new green spaces and health facilities.
Cllr de Kort added: “The Local Plan helps to address the housing crisis we see in the District and that the country is faced with. In our District, this is more challenging as house prices are among the least affordable in the country.
“The Local Plan provides for the first significant increase in social housing in a generation. It also caters for the need for more starter homes for young families.
“It has the potential to give the younger generation a much greater chance of living in the area they grew up in, whether as homeowners or tenants.”
The LP is currently undergoing what is called the Regulation 19 Consultation. This allows for public comment on the draft LP’s compliance and ‘soundness’ with national planning policies.
A report on the feedback will be considered at a meeting of the Planning Policy and Climate Committee on Thursday 28 November.
Previously, it was intended to submit a draft LP in March next year. The timetable was brought forward to avoid potential changes to national planning policy that could mean starting the whole LP process again from scratch.
The Regulation 19 consultation continues until Friday 8 November. More information, including the draft LP and other documents, is available at http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/new-local-plan.
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Farmer Ben Hembrow blamed rain which he claimed had not been forecast. But his fields were saturated with slurry which began running down a road.
Slurry run off Huntham Farm in Stoke St Gregory into a lane.
Somerset farmer Ben Hembrow applied slurry to fields growing winter wheat and claimed that heavy rain, which he said had not been forecast, led to slurry running into surrounding ditches and road drains near his Stoke St Gregory farm.
This resulted in fines and costs to Hembrow and the farm totalling over £20,000.
Appearing before District Judge Brereton at Yeovil Magistrates Court on Wednesday 16 October 2024, Hembrow, 36, of Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset admitted two charges relating to causing slurry pollution. The company, Huntham Farm Ltd, also admitted one charge of causing a polluting discharge.
Slurry put on fields ahead of rain
In a case brought by the Environment Agency, the court heard that an officer went to the farm on a wet Sunday in February 2022, following a report of slurry running down a road and into a surface water drain close to the farm in Stoke St Gregory.
The officer found fields saturated in slurry and observed slurry entering nearby watercourses and ditches. While investigating, Hembrow arrived on scene, visibly shaken. He attempted to reduce the impact by blocking a ditch and used sub soiling equipment to help break up the surface of the soil and prevent further run-off. Despite his actions the investigation later showed that over 1.5km of watercourse, as far as the confluence with the Sedgemoor Old Rhyne Site of Special Scientific Interest, had been impacted.
Weather app blamed for forecasting ‘just 1mm of rain’
During interview Hembrow claimed that the weather app he used had predicted only 1mm of rain the day after the slurry was applied. The agency’s investigation established that heavy rain had been forecast to fall on the Sunday throughout the week by numerous weather forecasters including the BBC and the app used by Hembrow. No checks on the physical condition of the soil had been made, no soil test pits to assess soil structure had been dug.
Hembrow claimed he was not in breach of regulations to prevent pollution due to measures he had taken before spreading and specifically stated that, given the weather forecast he had consulted, he did not believe the application of slurry gave rise to a risk of pollution.
A fine to reflect the slip in standards
Summing up, District Judge Brereton acknowledged Hembrow to be a hard-working farmer committed to modern technology and farming practices. However, she also concluded that the fine imposed should reflect that the standards of farming had fallen well below what is expected. She also referenced aggravating features, specifically that Hembrow had previously been prosecuted for offences in 2016 and 2021.
Hembrow, as an individual, was fined £525 for failing to plan the slurry applications. Huntham Farm Ltd was fined £8,000 for causing pollution and ordered to pay the agency’s full costs of £11,564.25.
‘Anything spread on the soil was likely to run off’
David Womack, senior environment officer for the Environment Agency, said:
This pollution event was avoidable but occurred because Mr Hembrow failed to carry out the most basic checks to assess if the land he was spreading slurry on was suitable.
Previous land management had led to the fields being compacted – anything spread on the soil was therefore likely to run off, even in moderate rainfall conditions. He wrongly assumed risk assessments for slurry application would be done by his agronomist – but it was his responsibility to do this just prior to the slurry being applied.
Additional weather checks would also have alerted Mr Hembrow that wet weather was very likely to occur immediately after he chose to apply slurry. Since 2018 there have been specific laws to ensure organic manure applications are planned and that they take into account weather forecasts and soil conditions.
Background
The charges:
Ben Hembrow:
On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Ben Hembrow, did cause an unpermitted water discharge activity, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter from Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset into inland fresh waters. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Ben Hembrow, did fail to plan the application of organic matter, namely slurry, to agricultural land at Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset so as to give rise to a significant risk of agricultural diffuse pollution. Contrary to Regulations 4(1)&4(2) and Regulation 11 of the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018.
The company:
On and before the 13 February 2022 you, Huntham Farm Ltd, did cause an unpermitted water discharge activity, namely the discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter from Huntham Farm, Stoke St Gregory, Somerset into inland fresh waters. Contrary to Regulations 12(1)(b) and Regulation 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016.
Source: United Kingdom UK House of Lords (video statements)
Members are set to debate the key purpose of the Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill on Tuesday 22 October. The aim of the bill is to abolish the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and transfer its statutory functions to the Secretary of State for Education, who in practice will defer these duties to the newly established Skills England.
Coventry City Council has increased fly-tipping fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to £1000 to further support its efforts to tackle fly-tipping in the city.
Until now it was £200 for fly-tipping / duty of care and £100 for littering.
Councillors are hoping that the new £1,000 FPN for fly-tipping acts as even more of a deterrent.
The fines serve as a clear warning that illegal waste disposal will not be tolerated, and offenders will face serious consequences.
Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Council Leader, said: “Residents and councillors have been calling for an increase in the FPNs and we’ll monitor the impact this has.
“There are neighbourhoods in the city where there is a higher amount of fly-tipping incidents, and that’s why we are also publishing our Wall of Shame video coverage of the perpetrators. We are making people aware that they will be caught.
“Anyone who witnesses fly-tipping can report it anonymously and we also have officers who are out and about in hotspots.
“We investigate, take action and we use all legal options available to us wherever we find fly-tipping. We are really determined to help improve neighbourhoods.”
The latest Wall of Shame video, published on Coventry City Council’s social media channels today (22 October) shows more fly-tippers flouting the law, in this latest footage leaving pushchairs and binbags on street corners in the city.
The cameras are located at hotspots in the city to help to crackdown on the problem.
Over the last twelve months alone the Council has had to deal with almost 6000 (5883) instances of fly-tipping.
Officers do regular checks across the city and deal with fly tipped materials on our land straight away. They also routinely serve notices on tenants, landlords and landowners to clear their land and make repairs on their properties.
Over the last year they’ve served over 900 notices, and issued 250 fixed penalties for waste related offences. The Council is hoping the much higher fines of £1000 will act as even more of a deterrent.
