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  • MIL-OSI USA: FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠ Harris Administration Announces Over 250 Organizations Made Voluntary Commitments to White  House Challenge to Save Lives from  Overdose

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is announcing that over 250 organizations, businesses, and stakeholders across the country have made voluntary commitments to the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose.
    The Challenge, launched earlier this year, is a nationwide call-to-action to stakeholders across all sectors to increase training on, and access to, life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone. The voluntary commitments highlighted today build on progress made under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s Unity Agenda, which calls on all Americans, in red states, blue states¸ and everywhere in between, to come together and help address the nation’s overdose epidemic.
    Under President Biden and Vice President Harris’s leadership, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken historic action and made unprecedented investments to reduce overdose deaths. The Administration removed decades-long barriers to treatment for substance use disorder and expanded access to life-saving overdose reversal medications like naloxone.  The Administration also acted to make naloxone available over-the-counter at groceries and pharmacies for the first time in history. Today, the nation is now seeing the largest decrease in overdose deaths on record.
    The White House received commitments to the Challenge from private and public entities, spanning entertainment and hospitality, professional sports leagues, health care providers, trade associations, schools and universities, technology companies, transportation partners, faith groups, private businesses, and more. A number of organizations and businesses made new voluntary commitments as part of the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, including:
    Amazon is equipping its North American operations facilities with naloxone and bolstering its emergency response procedures with comprehensive training for employees on how to recognize signs of an opioid overdose and properly administer naloxone. Amazon is rolling out its naloxone program in two phases, starting with its most densely populated fulfillment centers. By early 2025, the program will expand to all of Amazon’s operations sites in the U.S., covering over 500,000 employees at hundreds of sites nationwide.
    American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) commits to train its members and staff on proper use of opioid overdose reversal medications. They also commit to including opioid overdose medications in all first aid kits.
    The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA) is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement naloxone on flights, including trainings. They previously worked with the FAA to require that Emergency Medical Kits (EMK) carried by passenger airlines include naloxone.
    Atlanta Public Schools (APS) is implementing a district-wide training available to all school staff to recognize and reverse overdose. Currently, 136 APS health and security personnel have completed naloxone training. APS stocks naloxone in every elementary, middle, and high school in the district, serving nearly 50,000 students and 8,000 employees, and has opioid educational posters and brochures to increase school community awareness.
    Butler University formed the Butler Overdose Action Team, comprised of faculty, staff, and student leaders, in response to the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose. The team is leading campus-wide initiatives to increase awareness, training, and access to lifesaving opioid overdose reversal medication, and collaborating with local health organizations in Indianapolis to promote education on opioid use disorder on campus. Butler also recently placed naloxone in all 58 Emergency Kits across campus, and plans are underway for comprehensive naloxone training for students and employees.
    Charleston County School District (CCSD) commits to working with their community and local substance use agencies to provide educational programs on and promote the use of opioid overdose reversal medications (OORM). CCSD’s substance use program commits to educate students, staff, and parents/caregivers about the dangers of illicit fentanyl and how OORM can save lives. In addition, CCSD works closely with district nursing staff on the use and availability of OORM in CCSD’s 83 schools that serve approximately 49,000 students.
    The Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police Department commits to train and equip all of its Police Officers with naloxone. The Department supports a regional transit agency in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, covering six counties and thirteen cities.
    Deloitte LLP will equip U.S.-based Deloitte Offices with naloxone by December 2024. Naloxone will be placed in Automated External Defibrillator (AED) cabinets at its offices across the U.S. Further, Deloitte will train select office personnel to recognize and help treat overdose.
    Keystone Contractors Association (KCA) is recommending to its members that every construction jobsite and contractor’s office have naloxone available on-site. This builds upon KCA’s work in prior years in launching the Pennsylvania Construction Opioid Awareness Week to get resources and training to construction employers to provide to their workers.
    Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA) commits to reach its 500,000+ members, their families, and LIUNA affiliates with education on the importance of naloxone on jobsites, training on how to use the medication, and information on where and how to get it. This work is in addition to developing and promoting comprehensive safety and health information on opioid use.
    The National Hockey League (NHL) commits to working with its clubs and staff to make life-saving medication readily available across NHL offices and in arenas. NHL is helping clubs make naloxone available at home games with their first aid units, and ensuring on-site personnel are trained to administer it on game nights. NHL is also advising clubs to include naloxone in their travel medical kits, and encouraging its availability in the visiting team’s emergency bags.
    San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (SDMTS) now trains every newly hired Code Compliance Inspector (CCI) from the Transit Security and Passenger Safety Department in the recognition of opioid overdose and issues naloxone as required equipment for staff. In 2024, CCIs administered naloxone nearly 200 times, and the SDMTS Bus Division Road Supervisors also started carrying naloxone. SDMTS started training CCIs to carry and administer naloxone in July 2021 in response to the overdose crisis.
    Commitments from these entities build upon steps taken in recent years by other organizations that joined the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose to address the overdose epidemic. Examples of these actions from organizations include:
    American Heart Association and Opioid Response Network are partnering on the EmPOWERED to End Opioid Misuse and Stimulant Use Disorder Initiative that aims to address opioid and stimulant usage within Black and Hispanic communities. They have partnered with Black and Hispanic churches to implement community trainings and disseminate educational tools to facilitate open and honest conversations with a wide range of people on the stigmatization of people experiencing opioid and substance use disorders.
    International Union of Painters & Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 35 prioritizes support for and awareness of mental health and substance use, and provides overdose education and training on naloxone to its members and apprentices. IUPAT also distributes naloxone to its members, apprentices, and jobsites. IUPAT is part of a broader effort by the Massachusetts Building Trades Recovery Council, which has distributed more than 11,000 doses of naloxone to 14 building trades unions across Massachusetts for distribution to their membership. The Recovery Council receives naloxone from Massachusetts’ Bureau of Substance Abuse Services’ Community Naloxone Program.
    The Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) in Florida has developed overdose rescue training for operations, safety, and security staff, and implemented a ‘bus marshal’ program, where naloxone-equipped security officers ride strategically-targeted routes. This led to saving the life of a bus passenger who was experiencing overdose. JTA also launched ‘Safety on the Move’, delivering free overdose prevention and rescue training and naloxone kits to at-risk communities in partnership with Drug Free Duval, Community Coalition Alliance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation, and North Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Overdose Response Strategy.
    The North Carolina Council of Churches (NCCC) hosts a Partners in Health and Wholeness initiative that works to bridge the issues of faith, health, and justice. This includes the Overdose Response program that offers opioid workshops to faith communities that seek to learn more about the opioid crisis and how they can help with response, and incorporates naloxone distribution upon request. They also received grant funding to provide local churches with resources for opioid-related initiatives for their members. 
    The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) has more than 1,400 businesses in its membership, including restaurants, food and hospitality vendors, and allied businesses that work within the food industry in DC, Northern Virginia, and Suburban Maryland. RAMW began partnering with the DC Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) to provide overdose education and naloxone distribution to restaurants in DC, including large trainings for business improvement districts. Restaurants can order a kit to receive by mail from RAMW’s website.
    The San Francisco Entertainment Commission is partnering with the San Francisco Department of Public Health to raise awareness about the presence of illicit fentanyl at and around nightlife spaces, and increase the entertainment industry’s access to life-saving naloxone. To date, they have led in-person trainings for staff at 18 nightlife businesses in San Francisco, distributed 300+ doses of naloxone at outreach events, and reached approximately 900 nightlife attendees through on-stage overdose prevention trainings before performances and other events.
    This Must Be the Place is a nonprofit providing free naloxone to attendees at music venues and festivals across the country. They committed to passing out over 60,000 free kits of naloxone at places like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and Dreamville. Seventy percent of the population they reach are receiving naloxone for the first time.
    United Airlines equips each of its enhanced medical kits on every aircraft and station across the network with opioid overdose reversal medications. All of United’s 28,000+ flight attendants are annually trained in the proper use of these life-saving medications. Over the past five years, United has purchased nearly 1,200 units annually, ensuring greater safety for both passengers and crew, including flight attendants and pilots.
    The University of Rhode Island (URI), through its Cooperative Extension program, established the Community First Responder Program (CFRP). CFRP provides more than 50,000 kits annually. CFRP offers in-person and online educational trainings for the public at schools and town halls, and to healthcare providers, first responders, police, and more. They also distribute naloxone and safer-use kits at events in partnership with CVS Health and the U.S. Postal Service. CFRP has expanded services to rural regions of five other New England states through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). CFRP is expanding its regional rural overdose education via collaborations with New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, Husson University School of Pharmacy (Maine), University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Western New England University College of Pharmacy (Massachusetts), and University of Vermont Cooperative Extension. As naloxone is often inaccessible to New England’s rural regions, CFRP offers to mail no-cost naloxone to participants completing its online interactive module, “Become a Community First Responder.”
    Additional voluntary commitments can be found here.
    In support of President Biden and Vice President Harris’ whole-of-government approach to address the overdose epidemic, federal agencies are working to help expand access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications like naloxone and save even more lives. These efforts also align with updated Guidelines for Safety Station Programs in Federal Facilitiesreleased in December 2023:
    The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has authorized first responders in its Office of Safety, Security and Personnel and throughout the U.S. Forest Service who are equipped and trained in the administration of opioid overdose reversal medications (OORM).  Additionally, USDA’s Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships has provided OORM trainings to over 40 community partners across 15 states as part of its Rural and Farming Communities Mental Health and Suicide Prevention work. USDA remains committed to continuing and expanding the reach of these trainings.
    The Department of Commerce‘s Office of Export Enforcement (OEE) is training Special Agents in the use of opioid overdose reversal medications (OORM) in October 2024, allowing OEE Special Agents to safely and effectively deploy them. OEE will have OORM accessible during all preplanned enforcement operations by January 2025. 
    The Department of Defense (DoD) is committed to opioid safety and prevention of overdose. To strengthen DoD’s emergency response protocols, naloxone is available across installations in the Continental United States and training programs have been expanded, ensuring first responders are equipped and trained. The DoD remains committed to the safety and prevention of overdose by continuing its efforts to provide naloxone access to DoD first responders and investigators and to provide associated trainings beyond DoD first responders.
    The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) is increasing training on and access to naloxone. The Indian Health Service (IHS) now mandates annual overdose response training for all IHS employees, contractors, students, and volunteers. Further, before 2025, naloxone training and a guide on procuring naloxone (i.e., using state standing orders, city and county public health departments, etc.) will be available to all U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps officers, and naloxone will be available in safety stations at all HHS regional offices. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in partnership with the Program Support Center (PSC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH), will equip all AED stations in its headquarters with naloxone, and SAMHSA hosted an annual naloxone training for all staff as part of its International Overdose Awareness Day recognition. Additionally, naloxone training will be added to the HHS Learning Management System available to all HHS personnel, including volunteer Federal Civilian Responders.
    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued, and recently updated, a policy regarding the Administration of Naloxone by Non-Healthcare Providers. This policy directs DHS agencies and offices to identify their workforce populations at higher risk of exposure and develop a program to equip them with both naloxone and the training to use it.  The DHS Office of Health Security (OHS) developed virtual and in-person training modules that DHS agencies and offices can use to train their non-healthcare providers or as the basis for developing their own workforce-specific training. DHS continues to work to operationalize formal programs that equip non-healthcare providers with Component-procured naloxone.
    The Department of the Interior (DOI) has issued guidance on the training, carrying, and use of naloxone by DOI employees who may come into contact with persons suspected of opioid overdose during their normal course of duties. The guidance allows critical first responders – including emergency medical responders and emergency medical technicians (EMR/EMT), firefighter EMTs, and law enforcement officers – to have access to opioid overdose reversal medications at various sites nationwide, including national parks and tribal lands. As DOI components continue to conduct risk assessments to identify high-risk areas and appropriate personnel to be trained, the Department is poised to implement vital resources efficiently to preserve life and protect the public.
    The Department of Justice (DOJ) has enacted policies so employees most likely to encounter overdose victims have access to opioid overdose reversal medications (OORM) and the training to safely and effectively deploy them. Pursuant to these policies, its law enforcement agencies – Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and U.S. Marshals Service – will have OORM accessible during all preplanned enforcement operations; all Federal Bureau of Prisons staff at all sites will have access to OORM 24 hours a day; and all DOJ public-facing facilities and law enforcement facilities will have safety stations equipped with OORM.
    The United States Postal Service (USPS) has trained 59,000 employees in 1,318 facilities in U.S. counties facing high numbers of overdose deaths in response to the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose. Also, USPS has procured and distributed naloxone to first aid kits in these facilities. As the USPS continues it communication activities on overdose prevention, it expects to reach over 500,000 employees, many of whom have public-facing roles as part of the Postal Service’s ubiquitous footprint across the United States. 
    The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to make training available to all employees by December 2024 and will develop and issue a policy statement to support naloxone implementation by March 2025. VA also pledges to ensure opioid overdose reversal medications are available in all high-risk Veterans Health Administration health care areas, including at VA Medical Centers and outpatient clinics, and in all Vet Centers by the end of 2025.
    Read more on the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose HERE.
    Read more on the Biden-Harris Administration actions to address the overdose epidemic HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New job evaluation process to be introduced at Sheffield City Council  A new job evaluation process is to be introduced for all Sheffield City Council employees. Equal pay concerns around the Council’s current job evaluation scheme were raised by the GMB Union in Autumn 2023.    08 October 2024

    Source: City of Sheffield

    A new job evaluation process is to be introduced for all Sheffield City Council employees.  

    Equal pay concerns around the Council’s current job evaluation scheme were raised by the GMB Union in Autumn 2023.    

    Since then, a comprehensive, independent, external review has been undertaken to look into the Council’s scheme, its processes and its data, and to identify where changes should be made.   

    The Council has been working jointly and proactively with the GMB, Unison and Unite unions to confirm a new process for the future.  

    A job evaluation scheme is the process used to assess a role’s level and grade within an organisation’s structure. Large organisations across the country adopt such schemes, including local authorities. The scheme considers a range of factors, depending on the organisation and the processes they adopt, such as level of responsibility and the skills and experience required.  

    Sheffield City Council currently uses the GLPC job evaluation scheme. The independent review found there were no issues with the GLPC scheme, which is used by organisations across the country to evaluate job roles. However, it identified that the way Sheffield City Council had implemented the scheme may have led to disparities in job evaluation.   

    As a result of the independent review, a programme of work known as the Sheffield Role Review Programme, has been established to develop a new system and policy in partnership with trade unions.   

    To ensure these potential disparities are addressed and make the process better for the future, the Council is taking a proactive and comprehensive approach by introducing a new job evaluation process, through the commonly used NJC scheme.   

    Part of the new job evaluation process will require every role in the Council, including senior leaders and directors, to be reassessed to ensure every member of staff is graded appropriately.   

    Employees have been informed about the new job evaluation process this week and will receive regular updates about the progress.  

    Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said:

    “Job evaluation and equal pay are complex areas, and we are taking this matter very seriously.   

    “We’ve looked at this proactively and in depth and have worked positively with our union partners to come up with a solution that is fit for the future. We firmly believe in equity, and we can say with no hesitation that introducing a new job evaluation process is the right thing to do.”   

    GMB, Unison and Unite said in a joint statement:

    “The Council’s decision to introduce the Sheffield Role Review Programme is a welcome one. GMB, Unite and Unison have collectively been working in partnership with the Council to find a way forward and we have agreed to implement a new scheme. We will continue to hold the Council to account on equal pay and we are assured that they are listening to, and acting on, our concerns. Our priority is to ensure that there is a fair and equal scheme for employees in the future, and that anyone who has not been paid equally gets that rectified. We will continue to work with the Council to make sure that happens.”  

    Claire Taylor, Chief Operating Officer, added:

    “We are updating the job evaluation process in partnership with local trade unions. This will take some time, and we know there will be a period of uncertainty for employees.  

    “We’ve taken confident steps to tackle this work. By taking action we are creating a clearer and more improved system for the organisation and our employees. Our priority is supporting them while this comprehensive evaluation takes place.”   

    A report on this matter will be brought to the relevant Council Committee in due course.   

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Sea Fisheries Statistics: Unscheduled Corrections

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Marine Management Organisation has published corrections to the UK Sea Fisheries Statistics.

    The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has today (Tuesday 8 October) published corrections to the UK Sea Fisheries Statistics.

    This follows an investigation into the fisheries landing data MMO manages for England and reports for the UK Fisheries Authorities as part of the annual UK Sea Fisheries Statistics after discrepancies were recently discovered in the dataset. Specifically, this related to missing landing records from between 2018 and 2023.

    MMO’s comprehensive investigation, conducted in partnership with Cefas and other UK Fishing Authorities, confirmed the overall impact was small and within an accepted level of tolerance for operational data. However, the missing records mean that final landing weight and values published by MMO since 2018 have been underreported.

    The amended data published by MMO, known as an ‘unscheduled correction’ (a revision of data outside the usual publishing schedule), addresses two key aspects:

    • Landing records submitted correctly by fishers but were not represented in the final processed dataset.
    • An issue with the exchange rates used to convert sales made in non-sterling (GBP) currency.

    MMO’s Chief Statistician Rebekah Paul explained: “Landing data forms an essential part of the marine and fisheries evidence base. It provides information of the amount of sea fish landed by the UK fleet, including the weight of sea fish landed and the value of landings at first point of sale. This data is key to informing activity and policy related to fisheries, including quota negotiations and management, policy development and assessing the economic contribution of the sector. Importantly, this is only one part of any assessment as additional checks are in place to ensure that the data used is as accurate and representative as possible.”

    The amended dataset includes several key revisions:

    • The quantity of landings, as measured by live weight, has been adjusted upwards by an average of 1.0% for each year between 2018 and 2022.
    • The reported value of landings by UK vessels has been adjusted upwards by average of 2.4% in each year between 2018 and 2022.
    • There are adjustments to landing quantity and value by vessel size, gear type and area of capture. These changes are in line with other findings or represent a re-distribution of previously reported landings.

    Notably, these adjustments reflect revisions to earlier reported information. They do not reflect changes in industry or economic conditions, and do not reflect any direct impact on the fishing industry, as the actual quantity of landings, or the value received for any sale, has not changed.

    Rebekah Paul added: “The underlying issues that caused both the underreporting of landing records and the incorrect currency conversion have been resolved, and we have introduced additional checks and processes to ensure there will be no recurrence of these specific issues. MMO and UK Fisheries Authorities are committed to continuous improvement of our statistical products and hold ourselves to the highest standards. As part of this investigation, MMO has identified areas for future development and improvement, and we will continue to offer full transparency of further changes.”

    The full revised dataset and summary of changes can be found on Gov.uk here. Following these amendments, the next annual UK Sea Fisheries Statistics will now be published on 5 December 2024.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Policing protests in London

    Source: Mayor of London

    Policing protests and large-scale events in the capital is putting increased strain on the Metropolitan Police Service, with the Met describing the increased protests since October 2023 as the “greatest period of sustained pressure since the Olympics in 2012”.1

    This coincides with budgetary pressures in the Met, and reduced staffing and officer numbers.2 Officers from local neighbourhood teams are often redeployed to deal with protest and public order activity at short notice, impacting on local services.

    Tomorrow, the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee will hold the first meeting of its investigation into public order policing in London.

    The meeting will explore the challenges the Met is facing with policing large events and protests, as well as the recent Notting Hill Carnival, where police made 334 arrests.3

    The Committee will also look into the impact of new legislation and whether the right balance is being struck between preventing excessive disruption and the right to protest.

    Guests include:

    Panel 1: 10:00am – 11:30am

    • Matt Parr, former Inspector, HMICFRS 
    • Lord Walney, Government Independent Adviser on Political Violence and Disruption
    • Kirsty Brimelow KC, Barrister, Doughty Street Chambers 

    Panel 2: 11:35am – 1:00pm

    • Jodie Beck, Policy and Campaigns Officer, Liberty
    • Professor Geoff Pearson, Professor of Law at the University of Manchester and Academic Director of the N8 Policing Research Partnership
    • Tom Southerden, Programme Director, Law & Human Rights, Amnesty International
    • David Spencer, Head of Crime and Justice, Policy Exchange

    The meeting will take place on Wednesday 9 October 2024 from 10am in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

    Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

    The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

    Follow us @LondonAssembly.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Foreign Secretary’s statement on the Chagos Islands, 7 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy gave a statement on the conclusion of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory.

    Location:
    House of Commons
    Delivered on:

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I will make a statement on the conclusion of negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory. 

    On Thursday 3 October, my Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister and Mauritian Prime Minister Jugnauth made a historic announcement. After 2 years of negotiations, and decades of disagreement, the UK and Mauritius have reached a political agreement on the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory.

    Mr Speaker, the treaty is neither signed nor ratified. But I wanted to update the House on the conclusion of formal negotiations at the earliest opportunity.

    Members will appreciate the context. Since its creation, the Territory and the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia has had a contested existence. In recent years, the threat has risen significantly.

    Coming into office, the status quo was clearly not sustainable. A binding judgement against the UK seemed inevitable. It was just a matter of time before our only choices would have been abandoning the base altogether. Or breaking international law.

    If you oppose the deal, which of these alternatives do you prefer? Doing this deal – on our terms – was the sole way to maintain the full and effective operations of the base into the future.

    Mr Speaker, this must be why, in November 2022, the then Foreign Secretary, the Right Honourable Member for Braintree, initiated sovereignty negotiations. It’s also why my immediate predecessor, Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton, ultimately continued with those talks.

    Under the previous government there were 11 rounds of negotiations, the last one held just weeks before the General Election was called.

    So, in July, this government inherited unfinished business. Where a threat was real, and inaction was not a strategy. Inaction posed several acute risks to the UK.

    First, it threatened the UK-US base. From countering malign Iranian activity in the Middle East to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific, it is critical for our national security. Without surety of tenure, no base can operate effectively – nor truly deter our enemies. Critical investment decisions were already being delayed.

    Second, it impacted on our relationship with the US, who neither wanted nor welcomed the legal uncertainty, and strongly encouraged us to strike a deal. I am a trans-Atlanticist. We had to protect this important relationship.

    And third, it undermined our international standing. We are showing that what we mean is what we say on international law and desire for partnerships with the Global South. This strengthens our arguments when it comes to issues like Ukraine or the South China Sea.

    Mr Speaker, further legal wrangling served nobody’s interests but our adversaries’. In a more volatile world, a deal benefited us all, the UK, US and Mauritius. This government therefore made striking the best possible deal a priority.

    We appointed Jonathan Powell. As the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for these negotiations, he has worked closely with a brilliant team of civil servants and lawyers. Their goal was a way forward which serves UK national interests, respects the interests of our partners, and upholds the international rule of law.

    This agreement fulfils these objectives. It is strongly supported by partners, with President Biden going so far as to “applaud” our achievement within minutes of the announcement! Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin have also backed this “successful outcome” which “reaffirms [our] special defence relationship”.

    And the agreement has been welcomed by the Indian government and commended by the UN Secretary-General.

    In return for agreeing to Mauritian sovereignty over the entire islands, including Diego Garcia, the UK-US base has an uncontested long-term future. Base operations will remain under full UK control well into the next century.

    Mauritius will authorise us to exercise their sovereign rights and authorities in respect of Diego Garcia. This is initially for 99 years, but the UK has the right to extend this.

    And we have full Mauritian backing for robust security arrangements including preventing foreign armed forces from accessing or establishing themselves on the outer islands.

    The base’s long-term future is therefore more secure under this agreement than without it. If this were not the case, I doubt the White House, State Department or Pentagon would have praised the deal so effusively.

    This agreement will be underpinned by a financial settlement that is acceptable to both sides. Members will be aware the government does not normally reveal payments for our military bases overseas. And so it would be inappropriate to publicise further details of these arrangements at this stage.

    Mr Speaker, the agreement also recognises the rights and wrongs of the past. The whole House would agree that the manner in which Chagossians were forcibly removed in the 1960s was deeply wrong and regrettable. Mauritius is now free to implement a resettlement programme to islands other than Diego Garcia.

    The UK and Mauritius have also committed to support Chagossians’ welfare, establishing a new Trust Fund capitalised by the UK and providing additional government support to Chagossians in the UK. And the UK will maintain the pathway for Chagossians to obtain British Citizenship.

    Furthermore, Mauritius and the UK will now establish a new programme of visits to the archipelago for Chagossians. 

    This agreement also ushers in a new era in our relations with Mauritius. A Commonwealth nation and Africa’s leading democracy. We have agreed to intensify cooperation on our shared priorities, including security, growth and the environment. 

    The agreement ensures continued protection of these islands’ unique environment, home to over 200 species of coral and over 800 species of fish.

    Finally Mr Speaker, I want to reassure the House, and all members of the UK family worldwide, that this agreement does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other Overseas Territories.

    British sovereignty of the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the Sovereign Base Areas is not up for negotiation. The situations are not comparable.

    This, Mr Speaker, has been acknowledged across our Overseas Territories. Fabian Picardo, Chief Minister of Gibraltar, vocally supported this agreement, stating that there is “no possible read across” to Gibraltar on the issue of sovereignty.

    Similarly, the Governor of the Falklands has confirmed that the historic contexts of the Chagos Archipelago and Falklands are “very different”. The government remains firmly committed to modern partnerships with our Overseas Territories based on mutual consent.

    After Mauritian elections, the government will move towards treaty signature. And it is then our intention to pursue ratification in 2025, by submitting the Treaty and a Bill to this House for scrutiny.

    This is a historic moment, a victory for diplomacy. We have saved the base. We have secured Britain’s national interests for the long-term.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 7 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Don’t forget to check this Breast Cancer Awareness Month

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Statistics show that around 1 in 7 women in the UK will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives, making it the most common cancer in the UK. It leads to around 11,500 deaths each year – but the NHS breast screening programme is helping to reduce breast cancer mortality by around 20% in women who are regularly screened.

    Anyone registered with a GP as female will be invited for NHS breast screening every 3 years between the ages of 50 and 71. Those over 71 can request screening. If you have not been invited for breast screening by the time you are 53 but think you should have been, please contact the Dudley, Wolverhampton and South West Staffordshire Breast Screening Service – for more details, visit NHS Breast Screening Programme.

    As well as screening, the NHS recommends that people check their breasts once a month. This will help with what is normal for your body therefore it will be easier to detect any changes that may need further examination from a health professional.

    Key symptoms that you should be looking or feeling for include a lump or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit, any changes to the skin of your breast, a change in size or shape, nipple discharge if you’re not pregnant or breastfeeding, a change in the shape or look of how your nipple usually looks, including a rash on it, or sores or ulcers on your chest.

    Some of these symptoms are very common and can be caused by other conditions, but if you do notice anything unusual, make an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.

    For help, visit Check your breasts. You can also sign up to a monthly text reminder to check with Breast Cancer UK.

    John Denley, Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health, said: “Cancer screening and routinely checking your breasts for any changes is essential for early detection, which is critical in improving treatment outcomes and survival rates.

    “Early stage cancers are often more treatable and have a better prognosis than those detected at a later stage, and almost all women diagnosed with breast cancer at the earliest possible stage in England survive their disease for at least 5 years after diagnosis.

    “Screening can also identify precancerous conditions that can be treated before they develop into cancer, further reducing the risk of cancer development. By catching cancer early, screening programmes can reduce the overall burden of cancer, decrease healthcare costs, and improve the quality of life for patients.”

    For more information about breast cancer in women please visit Breast cancer in women.

    Though rare, men can also get breast cancer – for more information, please visit Breast cancer in men.  

    For more information, resources and support, visit Cancer Research UK. 

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Self Assessment: online help is just a click or a swipe away

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Self Assessment customers urged to use online guidance as top 5 calls to helpline revealed

    • HMRC reveals the most common calls to its Self Assessment helpline, all of which can be answered quickly online
    • Customers can access help online to register for Self Assessment or tell HMRC they no longer need to complete a tax return
    • Anyone new to Self Assessment can register using the quick and easy tool on GOV.UK

    HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reveals the top 5 reasons why people are calling the Self Assessment helpline and reminds them that they can self-serve to quickly access the information online.

    Currently, the most common reason for speaking to an HMRC advisor is about coming out of Self Assessment. Customers don’t need to call HMRC and can instead visit GOV.UK to check if they need to send a Self Assessment tax return. If they no longer need to send one, they can use the online service to tell HMRC without the need to speak to an advisor.

    The 5 most common reasons for calling the helpline are:

    1. I no longer need to complete a Self Assessment tax return
    2. I need to register for Self Assessment
    3. Can you tell me if I still have to complete a tax return?
    4. What’s happening with my Self Assessment registration?
    5. What’s happening with my Self Assessment repayment?

    More than 12 million taxpayers are due to complete Self Assessment for the 2023 to 2024 tax year and pay any tax owed by the 31 January 2025 deadline. HMRC’s Self Assessment helpline and webchat services are available for those who need them but there is lots of help available online.

    Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

    We want to help customers get their tax returns right first time which is why we have produced a wealth of online resources and guidance to support them every step of the way. Just search ‘Self Assessment’ on GOV.UK to find out more and start your return today.

    Anyone who is new to Self Assessment needs to register to receive their Unique Taxpayer Reference before they can send a tax return for the 2023 to 2024 tax year.

    Taxpayers may need to complete a tax return, even if they pay taxes through PAYE, for example, if they:

    • are self-employed and have earned gross income over £1,000
    • are self-employed and earned up to £1,000 and wish to pay Class 2 NICs voluntarily to protect their entitlement to State Pension and certain benefits
    • are a partner in a business partnership
    • had a total taxable income of more than £150,000
    • have received any untaxed income including pension income over £2,500
    • received income over £1,000 from trading or providing services online
    • have to pay the High Income Child Benefit charge
    • received interest from banks and building societies or investments (more than £10,000)
    • received rental or letting income from UK land and property

    HMRC is encouraging customers to be prepared and have all the information they need ready to file their tax returns early, so they can avoid any last-minute stress and know what they owe sooner. HMRC has a range of online help and support and YouTube videos to assist anyone completing their return, including first-time filers.

    Criminals use emails, phone calls and texts to try to steal information and money from taxpayers. Before sharing their personal or financial details, people should search ‘HMRC tax scams’ on GOV.UK to access a checklist to help them decide if the contact they have received is a scam

    Customers should never share their HMRC login information with anyone. Someone could use them to steal from them or claim benefits or a refund in their name.

    Further Information

    More information on Self Assessment

    A full list of anyone who may need to complete a Self Assessment tax return include those who:

    • are self-employed and have earned gross income over £1,000
    • are self-employed and earned up to £1,000 and wish to pay Class 2 NICs voluntarily to protect their entitlement to State Pension and certain benefits
    • are a partner in a business partnership
    • had a total taxable income of more than £150,000
    • have received any untaxed income including pension income over £2,500
    • received income over £1,000 from trading or providing services online
    • have any gains or income from cryptoassets
    • are claiming Child Benefit and they or their partner had an income above £50,000 for the 2023 to 2024 tax year
    • received interest from banks and building societies or investments (more than £10,000)
    • received income from property that they own and rent out
    • received dividends payments (more than £10,000)
    • claim tax relief for their job expenses if more than £2,500
    • need to pay Capital Gains Tax on gains of more than £6,000 (in 2023 to 2024 tax year)

    The deadlines for tax returns for 2023 to 2024 tax year are 31 October 2024 for paper returns and 31 January 2025 for online returns.

    More than 97% of customers now file their Self Assessment tax returns online.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Liverpool City Region and Homes England invest £51 million in Birkenhead regeneration project

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Homes England and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority funding comes as the two organisations sign Strategic Place Partnership agreement

    Peter Denton, Chief Executive of Homes England and Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region

    Plans to kick-start the regeneration of a former gasworks in Birkenhead has moved a step closer thanks to funding approval from Homes England and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

    Hind Street Urban Garden Village, a major transformation project on the Wirral, will see derelict land around Hind Street turned into a new community of over 1,500 homes, a new park, improved transport links, commercial space and leisure facilities.

    The government’s housing and regeneration agency has today agreed a £29 million investment in the project, following a £22 million commitment from the Combined Authority. This investment will fund vital infrastructure works needed to unlock the site and deliver the first 633 homes.

    The funding approval for Hind Street follows hot on the heels of the establishment of a Strategic Place Partnership (SPP) between Homes England and Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

    The SPP model is one of the ways Homes England is advancing locally led housing growth and regeneration. Designed to support regions with the most ambitious proposals for housing growth, the SPP is a long-term commitment, centred around a shared plan for bringing those proposals forward.

    Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

    This is really exciting news which marks a significant milestone in our mission to regenerate Birkenhead and the wider Wirral. Through our Strategic Place Partnership with Homes England, we’re accelerating transformational projects like Hind Street, turning derelict land into vibrant, sustainable communities that our region deserves.

    With over 1,500 new homes being built, alongside improved transport links and green spaces, this project will serve as a blueprint for the type of regeneration we want to see across the Liverpool City Region—regeneration that not only delivers homes but creates jobs, boosts local businesses, and builds stronger communities.

    It’s a prime example of how, by working together, we can unlock opportunities and remove the barriers holding our region back. By delivering key infrastructure and attracting investment, we’re ensuring that local people benefit directly from the improvements, making this a place where everyone has the chance to thrive.

    Peter Denton, Chief Executive of Homes England, said:

    The Strategic Place Partnership model gives us a framework to support local leaders who have a strong vision for housing and regeneration in their area. The Liverpool City Region is undoubtedly an area with huge potential for growth and is somewhere the government has already shown commitment to.

    The funding approved today for Hind Street Urban Village is further evidence of our support for the region and aligns with our mission to work together with the mayor and his team, to develop a pipeline of housing and regeneration development and help the Combined Authority unlock the region’s full potential.

    Building on the collaborative work evidenced with the Hind Street funding, as well as ongoing collaboration with Liverpool City Council at Festival Gardens, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the parties will enhance and expand efforts to improve strategic placemaking through increasing the pace, scale and quality of housing delivery in the Liverpool City Region.

    The funding agreed today will be used to unlock the Hind Street site and remove complex barriers to its development, including moving Birkenhead’s gas supply to a new, improved location. The former Rock Ferry to Bidston Dock railway line will also be brought back to life as Dock Branch Park. The line, thought to be one of the oldest stretches of track in the world, has been closed since the early 1990s but will be given back to the community and transformed into a ‘linear’ park, providing walking and cycling routes and connecting people to local transport links. 

    The project is being delivered by Wirral Council in partnership with developers Ion, who have been commissioned to undertake Development Management services including the design of the scheme, the remediation and infrastructure works required and the submission of the planning application. Subject to planning approval, it is expected to start on site in 2025 and complete in 2027.

    Councillor Paul Stuart, Leader of Wirral Council said:

    This additional funding from Homes England, along with support from the Combined Authority, will really help to accelerate our plans to change this part of Birkenhead for the benefit of local communities.

    I’m pleased our ambitious ideas to transform this key area have this backing, enabling us to get started bringing along new homes, public spaces and better-connected living for our residents.

    Our regeneration strategy looks beyond changes to the built environment to see that in the long term, when regeneration is people-focussed, it reduces inequalities, creates employment opportunities and improves the health and wellbeing of those individuals and families who are making their homes and lives in our borough.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New restrictions to limit impact of Ips typographus tree pest

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government Non-Ministerial Departments

    Spruce tree planting prohibited in parts of East Anglia and South East England

    Planting of spruce trees in parts of East Anglia and South East England is to be restricted as part of additional new measures announced by the Forestry Commission today (Tuesday 8 October) following further findings this season of Ips typographus, also known as the eight-toothed spruce bark beetle.

    A new spruce tree planting restriction is coming into force in the restricted area, known as the Demarcated Area (DMA). Landowners, businesses and land managers are urged to comply with new requirements and stay vigilant to protect against Ips typographus. Planting spruce trees for ornamental and scientific purposes, growing on nursery sites for trade, or the planting of Christmas trees, will be permitted in specific circumstances detailed in the notice. Christmas tree growers in the affected area can continue to grow an unlimited number of spruce trees up to three metres in height above the root collar before authorisation is required.

    The new restrictions come after further findings this year, including the first UK finding of Ips typographus on Sitka spruce in July, and are part of the continued action being taken to limit the spread of the beetle and protect our nation’s trees, forestry and timber industries.

    Ips typographus is a serious pest of spruce trees in Europe and was first identified in the UK in 2018. These incursions are occurring in England as the beetle is blown over from the continent. The pest prefers stressed or dying trees but, under the right conditions, it can attack healthy trees.

    The new requirements come into force on 29 October across the existing DMA in the South East of England and East Anglia prohibiting the planting of spruce trees (Picea A.Dietr). Areas affected include parts of Lincolnshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Surrey, Greater London, Sussex, Kent and Essex.

    Forestry Commission Head of Plant Health Forestry Andrea Deol said:

    Ips typographus can have a serious impact on spruce trees, and so restricting spruce planting in some areas of East and South East England ahead of the tree-planting season will help with our ongoing eradication efforts.

    All landowners, managers and timber processors are encouraged to remain vigilant and report any sightings of the pest via our Tree Alert Portal.

    Defra Chief Plant Health Officer Professor Nicola Spence said:

    Pest and pathogens present a great risk for our biosecurity and, in particular, Ips typographus has the potential to cause significant damage to Great Britain’s forestry and timber industries.

    These new restrictions are part of continued action to limit the spread of the beetle and protect our nation’s trees and forest industries. All landowners and land managers should check the health of spruce trees on their land and take swift action to deal with any susceptible material.

    Existing restrictions remain in place to limit the spread of the pest through timber movement, by requiring pre-notification and authorisation by the Forestry Commission of any felling and movement of susceptible material within the DMA.

    It is important for landowners to continue to check the health of spruce trees on their land, identifying stressed, fallen, and snapped trees, and taking action to remove them and any surrounding susceptible material. Replacement with non-susceptible tree species is also encouraged to limit the possibility of populations of Ips typographus establishing and to prevent spread to other areas.

    Under the notice, exemptions are available for lower risk scenarios, such as trees grown at nurseries, for ornamental or scientific purposes and for the purpose of trade in large Christmas trees.

    Any sightings should be reported to the Forestry Commission via the TreeAlert online portal. Read the full guidance on the new requirements.

    Additional information:

    A video is available explaining the threat of Ips typographus on spruce trees in the UK, with advice on how woodland owners can help reduce the risk from this pest:

    Watch the video.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council Leader appoints new champions to support Council’s work

    Source: City of Oxford

    Tuesday, 8 October 2024

    Oxford City Council is pleased to announce the appointment of new Champions by Leader Councillor Susan Brown. The Champions role is to assist in key areas of the Council’s work.

    Councillor Mary Clarkson will continue as the Heritage Champion, maintaining her collaboration with Councillor Louise Upton in this vital role.  

    Joining her is Councillor Mark Lygo, who has been appointed as the Armed Forces and Veterans Champion. In his new role, Councillor Lygo will work alongside Councillor Susan Brown as part of the Oxfordshire Civilian Military Partnership, and with Councillor Linda Smith on initiatives involving the wider community. 

    The role of these Champions is to use their expertise and engagement with key residents, businesses, and community groups. By providing insight and advice, they will feed back to the City Council’s Cabinet Members to ensure informed decision-making on important matters. 

    These positions are unpaid, and the appointed Champions will continue to fulfil their responsibilities as local councillors, representing their wards. 

    Comment 

    “The Champions will focus on particular areas that are allied with key priorities, or which cut across Cabinet portfolios. Each Champion is linked with a Cabinet Member who can then lead on any policy issues that arise”  

    “Our Champions play an essential role in raising important issues on behalf of communities and specific groups with various Cabinet Members. They also serve as key links between the Council and the community. I’d like to thank them for their commitment and valuable contributions.” 
    Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council 

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Big Boost for Derby Jobs Fair returns!

    Source: City of Derby

    Severn Trent and Derby City Council are proud to announce that Severn Trent’s Big Boost for Derby Jobs Fair is returning! The event will take place on Wednesday 23 October 2024, at Pride Park Stadium from 10am to 2pm and is completely free. The jobs fair is designed to help local people in Derby who are looking to upskill or change careers by providing direct access to a variety of employment opportunities and career development resources.

    Attendees will benefit from on-site CV writing workshops, interview preparation sessions, and career counselling, ensuring they leave equipped with the skills and confidence needed to help secure employment. The event will feature over 20 employers, showcasing roles across sectors like health care, customer service, engineering, and utilities. Some of the employers attending include:

    • Derbyshire Police
    • Balfour Beatty
    • Deventio Housing Trust
    • NHS
    • Everyone Active
    • And many more yet to be announced!

    Severn Trent is introducing innovative tools such as virtual reality interview practice, allowing job seekers to simulate real-life interview experiences. The event will also offer crucial information on cost-of-living support, helping attendees to manage financial challenges while job hunting.

    Councillor Paul Hezelgrave, Deputy Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Skills, said:

    Derby has always been a city of potential, and now more than ever, we want to empower our residents to make bold changes in their careers by enhancing their skills in making a positive impact in job applications and interviews to bolster self-confidence and an ability to “sell themselves” to employers. The Big Boost for Derby Jobs Fair is a fantastic opportunity for people to connect with employers and explore opportunities that can help them build a better- paid future for themselves and their families.

    This event is completely free to attend so that we can ensure that everyone has access to the tools they need to thrive in their careers.”

    Severn Trent said:

    We see you, Derby. We hear you. We want tomorrow to be better than today, for you and the people around you. Whether you are looking to get into work for the first time or would just like a change, Derby is full of new opportunities, new skills, new chances. So, let’s bring everyone together to boost Derby’s potential.”

    Those interested in attending can register for free on the Eventbrite page.

    If you cannot make the event but still want support with developing your skills or finding a new job, contact the Employment and Skills Hub. As part of the Derby Promise, Derby City Council has launched the Employment and Skills Hub to help you gain the confidence, support and skills to move into employment. The Hub is based at the Council House and is open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

    You can learn more about the Employment and Skill Hub by visiting their webpage or get in touch with the team by emailing employmentandskills@derby.gov.uk. You can also subscribe to the Derby Jobs Weekly newsletter.

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The future of authorising cell-cultivated products and news on the Food Standards Agency funding from their Chief Scientific Advisor Prof Robin May

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Many people hope and believe that one part of how we get to Net Zero will be by reducing meat eating in our diets. Much has been written about lab based meat but to move from the excitement and ambition we need to do hard science. Science on which kinds of approaches will produce tasty alternatives. Science on how we can ensure those products are safe to eat. And science on how to ensure they are nutritious and as good for our health as they will be for the environment.

    Thanks to a major funding grant to be announced on Tuesday, the FSA will embark on a project to assess and evaluate the science that will ultimately take some of these cell cultivated meats to our supermarket shelves. 

    To coincide with this announcement, the SMC invited the FSA’s Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Robin May to brief journalists on how the FSA will spend the money, and elaborate on the steps the FSA will take in coming years to regulate and license these future foods.

    Speakers included:

    Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Advisor, Food Standards Agency

    Joshua Ravenhill, Head of Policy Priorities, Food Standards Agency

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The journey of a dreamer from Oaxaca with a Chevening scholarship

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Learn how Chevening transformed the life of Crisna Cuchcatla, a former scholarship recipient from San Pedro Pochutla, a rural community in Oaxaca, Mexico.

    I grew up in San Pedro Pochutla, Oaxaca, a municipality with more than 130 localities and marginalisation. More than 80% of the population have only completed basic education and almost 35% live in poverty.  As a result, I have seen many friends and family members migrate to the United States in search of a better life. Although at one point I thought about leaving, I decided to stay to improve the situation in my village.

    Chevening and rural communities

    When I heard about the Chevening scholarships from a former Chevening scholar. Initially, I did not dare to apply because I thought that indigenous youth from a rural area would not have the same opportunity as others. So, I decided to apply 2 years later, because I wanted to prove to myself, my family and the scholarship coordinators that a person from a rural area can study at a university abroad with a prestigious scholarship.

    Applying for the Chevening scholarship can be intimidating. However, I am convinced that young people from rural areas have unique qualities that are beneficial for such schemes.

    We have the resilience and the will to keep improving. I kept working on many of my skills that seemed ordinary to me, but in the end, they helped me to get the scholarship.

    Leadership and teamwork

    My leadership and teamwork skills were key to getting the scholarship. I developed these partly through the influence of my family, such as my father, who organised a football team in our town to keep children and young people away from drugs and alcohol, or my brother, who organises the largest running club in the municipality.

    The sense of community in my village is so important that even to learn English, my father paid a neighbour to teach me English after he had returned from the United States. I then took university classes, invested in private lessons and took advantage of digital platforms to reach the level of English I have today.

    In 2023 I managed to get the Chevening scholarship, move to the UK and study at one of the most renowned universities in the world. That is not the pinnacle of my dream, but a big step towards building a better society in my homeland.

    My plan is to return to Mexico and establish an organisation dedicated to social policy issues, helping the most vulnerable communities, such as Pochutla.

    Chevening represents for me the fulfilment of a dream, but also a valuable tool in this longer-term goal, allowing me to acquire knowledge and networks that will contribute significantly positively to my community.

    Tenacity and support

    My success is the result of my tenacity, the support of my family and the mentors who accompanied me. Work and education are important, but in a country like Mexico you also need perseverance and courage. I would advise all young people to dare.

    Dare to dream bigger, dare to learn on their own, even if it takes time, and to dare to ask for help. There will always be someone willing to listen and give good advice.

    People like me have managed to get ahead, but we are still committed to creating a better society.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Portsmouth City Council signs pledges to become Council of Sanctuary

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Portsmouth City Council has affirmed its existing commitment to people living in the city with the signing of a Council of Sanctuary pledge.

    The Council of Sanctuary award comes under the wider umbrella of the City of Sanctuary movement whose mission is to provide co-ordination and support to community groups helping those who are seeking sanctuary.

    The pledge signing was initiated by a decision at a full council meeting in March 2024 to work towards Council of Sanctuary status.

    The aim is to support those already in the city, either through legitimate asylum or resettlement programme managed by government agencies by improving their engagement between them and the council.

    By pledging to become a Council of Sanctuary, the council’s role will be to act as a co-ordinator of existing services, both in the community and within the council, to share knowledge and make best use of citywide services and resources.

    Councillor Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “Signing this pledge is a symbol of our commitment to create a culture that is inclusive, welcoming, and compassionate. By becoming a Council of Sanctuary, we join a network of cities and towns across the country to support the welfare of those seeking sanctuary. We are grateful to all the groups and individuals that joined us to recognise the occasion and we will continue to ensure those fleeing from violence and persecution feel safe in our city”.

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UN Human Rights Council 57: Interactive dialogue on Honduras

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    UK Statement for the Interactive dialogue on technical cooperation in Honduras. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.

    Location:
    Geneva
    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Thank you Mrs Vice-President,

    We welcome the openness of Honduras in its request for technical assistance made last year. However, we share the disappointment that the implementation of activities has been delayed.

    We remain concerned about the increased militarisation of public security and the penitentiary system in Honduras including the ongoing State of Emergency which suspends some constitutional rights. There is a need to balance the reduction of violent crime with the continued protection of human rights.

    We are also worried by the levels of intimidation and violence directed against human rights and environment defenders, including high rates of killings. The difficulties victims of such crimes face in obtaining justice is unacceptable.

    We urge the Honduran authorities to adopt effective measures to protect these defenders and, where there are violations, to investigate these promptly and thoroughly. There is also a need to ensure transparency and accountability, including by strengthening key anti-corruption institutions and ensuring their independence.

    Director Salazar,

    What steps can be taken to address corruption and increase transparency in public institutions?

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prison Governors Association Speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Lord Timpson, Minister for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending, sets out why prison governors are at the forefront of efforts to drive down reoffending.

    Delivered on:
    (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

    Please note the political content has been removed from this transcript.

    Thank you for that introduction, Graham, and for the invitation to speak – it’s great to be here.

    Thanks to everyone involved for putting this event together.

    Let me start by saying just how grateful I am for the PGA’s work.

    You speak up for change, where change is needed…

    You push Government, where it needs to be pushed…

    And you do it not just for those you represent, but in the interests of public safety too.

    Your voice is valued, and we thank you for it… even when you say things we don’t necessarily want to hear.

    I know it’s your first annual conference since becoming PGA President, Tom – congratulations again on your appointment.

    Let me also congratulate your new Vice-Chairs, Mark, and Carl, on their appointments too.

    I’ve known Tom for a while now – we once even shadowed each other a few years ago, when he was Governor at HMP Wakefield, and I headed up the Timpson Group.

    I took Tom to visit some of our shops – one branch was in Uttoxeter Tesco, as I recall – while I found out what it’s like to lead one of our toughest prisons. 

    I know who has it harder…!

    And now I’m wearing a new hat, I did ask Tom if he fancied another job swap – but for some reason he wasn’t up for it.

    I can’t think why…

    I realise that the CEO of a business and prison governor are very different roles – but there are similarities, too.

    Both manage complex organisations. Both need a strategic brain, excellent management skills, the ability to communicate, inspire and motivate.

    But the main difference is this: most people know what a CEO does, what their job entails.

    You, on the other hand, are largely hidden from view. Even when prisons are plastered all over our TV screens, as they are right now.

    The average person would have little idea about your day-to-day – what it really means to lead a prison in 2024, as Tom has set out so starkly just now.

    Working every hour, under extraordinary pressure, to run safe and secure regimes.

    Dealing with self-harm, deaths and the scourge of drugs on a daily basis.

    Supporting your teams and trying to nurture them in an environment more stressful than most could imagine.

    Every challenge amplified, because our prisons are full to bursting.

    These are the realities you face every day.

    Now, prisons have always fascinated me – since I was a young boy, and my Mum, Alex, would take the babies she’d fostered into HMP Styal, so their mothers could see them.

    I’d sit outside in the car and wonder what was going on inside…

    What had these women done that was so terrible, that they couldn’t be with their babies?

    It was the start of a life-long interest.

    And as you may know, around 10 percent of people who work for Timpson are ex-offenders.

    It all started by chance 22 years ago, when, as a new CEO, I visited a local prison and met Matt – who got into a fight after his A-levels, and instead of going to university, went to jail.

    Matt showed me around the wing, and I immediately liked him. He was bright, enthusiastic, and I thought he was just the sort of person we wanted in the business.

    So I told him – “when you get out, I’ll give you a job.”

    And the rest is history.

    Matt went on to be one of our most successful branch managers – in a branch just a stone’s throw from the prison he served time in.

    He’s still there today. And while he hasn’t gone far physically, he’s travelled lightyears in terms of what he’s achieved…

    Because he had the will to turn his life around, and that extra support to get into work.

    I knew there must be more great people like Matt in our prisons, and from then on, we decided to proactively recruit ex-offenders.

    Later, working with you, we set up prison training academies…

    Then to create Employment Advisory Boards, building those vital links between prisons and local employers.

    And, in 2016, I was honoured to become Chair of the Prison Reform Trust.

    So I’ve been behind the scenes.

    And in that time, one constant has been your outstanding leadership, in the most challenging circumstances.

    It has been a privilege to get to know you, and to see the incredible work you do.

    Thank you.

    You have our deepest respect, and our gratitude.

    Over the years there has been much debate about what prison is primarily for – be it punishment, public protection or deterrence.

    Of course, it’s all of these things.  

    It’s right that dangerous people are taken off our streets – and that people who destroy lives and wreck our communities face the consequences.

    But if we cut to the core of it, prison should also be about reducing offending. That’s the only way we are genuinely going to protect the public.

    I say ‘should’, here, because it’s something we haven’t always been very good at in this country. I know you’d agree.

    Serious criminals should see the inside of a jail cell – and the most dangerous should stay there.

    But what happens next to the many offenders who will someday be let out really matters.

    For the vast majority of offenders, being locked up is a fork in the road.

    One way on that road can lead them to turn their lives around…

    The other will take them straight back to prison.

    Too often, it’s the latter. And I’ve no doubt how deeply frustrating it must be for you to see the same faces at your gates again and again.

    The numbers are clear – 80 percent of offending in this country is reoffending. That is too high by any measure.

    But I know just how determined you are to turn that around.  

    We all know what the answers are. I know that you know what needs to be done. My job is to help you realise those ambitions.

    Having worked in the family business since I was 14, I hope I’ve learnt a few things about leadership and responsibility along the way. There are plenty of philosophies out there.

    I found that a strong culture and high standards – rooted in trust, and kindness – was what worked for us.

    And I firmly believe that strong leaders – you – are the single most important element in a good prison.

    You set the culture…

    You set those high standards for your teams to follow, and for the prisoners you rehabilitate.

    And I can’t stress enough how important high standards are in our prisons.  

    Put it this way – I’ve never known a great organisation to have poor standards.

    That starts with the basics – a clean, tidy, environment, where prisoners and staff respect the rules.

    When I was a CEO, I’d check the Timpson head office car park for weeds and litter…

    Small things, I know. But they really matter…

    Those first impressions for people arriving really matter…

    And as leaders, it’s our job to lead by example.

    And in over 20 years of being involved with prisons, I can’t think of a time when your job has been tougher.

    For too long, you’ve been doing your best in very challenging circumstances.

    People don’t turn up to work to get beaten up, they turn up to inspire people, and to and turn lives around.

    Yet our crammed prisons are breeding violence – which threatens everyone’s safety, staff and prisoners alike…

    Staff shortages – and a lack of experienced staff – stretch your ability to run the kind of regimes you want to run.

    While so many of your prisons are dilapidated, in desperate need of repair…

    I’m grateful to Charlie Taylor – who is up next – for HMIP’s unflinching focus on these issues.

    And I know it hasn’t been easy, trying to rehabilitate offenders in a system teetering on the edge of disaster.

    A system that, when we came into government, had been run at 99 percent capacity for months.

    I should emphasise – none of this is your doing – in fact, the PGA has been sounding the alarm loud and clear.

    That’s why we had to take the tough decision to bring in changes to automatic release to ease the pressure on our prisons.

    It was, quite literally, a rescue effort.

    If we hadn’t acted, the justice system would have ground to a halt:

    Courts would have been unable to hold trials and police unable to make arrests.

    We would have faced the total breakdown of law and order.

    We only have to look at the recent disorder on our streets to see how close to catastrophe we came…

    Because we could deliver justice swiftly, we brought the violence to an end.

    But, in the process, we came dangerously close to running out of prison space entirely.

    We had no choice but to introduce emergency measures in the first few days of this new Government.

    It was only thanks to the heroic efforts of prison and probation staff, that we pulled through.

    We didn’t want to do this. But we were left with no choice…

    To attempt to delay any further, would have allowed our justice system to collapse.

    We could never have allowed that:

    This Government will always put the safety of the public – first.

    Throughout all of this you have been under immense pressure.

    Offender management units, in particular, have borne the brunt of several emergency measures…

    While more broadly the estate has coped with higher numbers of late arrivals and redirections.

    It’s in times like these that strong leadership matters most. We couldn’t have managed this crisis without you.

    And while there is still work to be done ahead of the next releases later this month, I want to thank you, again, for everything you’ve done to get us to this point.

    So, our changes have bought us some time. Time for the system to catch its breath.

    But these challenges haven’t just disappeared, and the crisis isn’t over.

    If things don’t change, we’ll end up in the same position all over again… Sooner than we care to mention.

    I want us to get a point where you can run your prisons how you want to run them…

    That is why the Justice Secretary has been clear that getting prisons built is a priority for her.

    That is why we will take control of the planning process, and deem prison development of national importance.

    And we also need decent regimes, that help offenders turn their backs on crime for good.

    I know there is brilliant, innovative work going on, and I want to encourage more of it.

    But innovating is difficult – impossible, even – when you’re so full that you can’t let prisoners out of their cells.

    That’s why it is essential we resolve this capacity crisis…

    So we can support and empower you to go even further to reduce reoffending.

    And, if we create the right conditions for you to do your jobs as you’d want to do them – I hope to see more of you staying in post for longer, too.

    Stability at the top is crucial.

    Because our prisons are on a journey, and there’s a long road ahead.

    Culture change doesn’t happen overnight.

    In my experience, it can take anywhere from three to five years to really move an organisation on.

    Much of our success will be down to you, our prison leaders.

    So I want to see more of you staying on that road for longer – and I want you to tell me how we can support you to do that.

    Great prisons need great leaders. But second, they need hardworking dedicated staff, like the officers in your teams.

    Fundamentally, prisons are a people business – like any company.

    As a CEO, I found that the happier people are in their jobs, the better they work. If they feel valued, trusted and cared for, they are going to perform well for you.

    And in your teams, people are working under such intense pressure day in, day out.

    The relationships – between you, and your staff… and your staff and your prisoners – go right to the core of safe, decent prisons.

    If we invest in officer training – in their well-being, and development – we empower them to do much more than simply maintain order.

    We empower them to become agents of change – to help people turn their lives around.

    I’ve met plenty of men and women who say that a prison officer transformed their life.

    Officers who took the time to mentor them – who really got to know the people on their wing.

    Who knew if their mum wasn’t well, or when their kids were starting school.

    But to be a prison officer requires a unique set of skills – quite unlike any other job.

    That ‘jailcraft’ equips officers for the challenges they will face every day. It takes time, and continual learning.

    Before joining the Government, I had the privilege of leading a review of prison officer training – speaking to hundreds of officers across the estate.

    It’s clear we have some decent foundations – but we can do so much more.

    I want to see more in-depth training that fully prepares officers for the realities of the role, right from the start.

    Greater consistency – with a strong curriculum and clear standards…

    More local ownership of training…

    Clear channels of accountability…

    And a culture of ongoing learning throughout an officer’s career…

    One that rightly builds pride in this absolutely critical role.

    I want to push forward with these changes, and I’ll say more about this as soon as I can.

    The third element of a good prison is, of course, purposeful activity.

    Prison education and training has a huge influence on the path offenders choose to take.

    It’s crucial that we get this right if we are to release better citizens, not better criminals.

    Yet I’ve seen people leave prison not even knowing how to use a computer.

    When we spend so much of our lives – and jobs – online, how are they supposed to get on in the modern world?

    That’s just one example. There are many others.

    But the point is clear: when you don’t have the right skills to get a job, slipping back into old habits is all too easy.

    And the lure of easy cash might feel like the only way to put money in your pocket.

    So, it might not come as a surprise that I’m passionate about prison education and training.

    Training that opens doors – that gives prisoners pride – and real skills that today’s employers want.

    I’m clear that prison is a punishment. But that’s no reason to stop the one in four working-age people in the UK who have criminal records from getting jobs.

    We know that prison leavers are less likely to reoffend if they have a job within a year of release.

    So, getting them into work doesn’t just cut crime, it boosts our economy too.

    That’s a win-win we can’t ignore.

    But for many, the process of applying for jobs can be daunting.

    That’s why I’m pleased to see a new partnership – between the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Trust and the New Futures Network.

    It will embed HR professionals in EABs…

    Ensure that prison leavers can access HR advice to support them into work…

    Provide mentoring for Prison Employment Leads…

    And help us to create even closer links between prisons and local employers.

    And, I can testify, former prisoners make great colleagues.

    In my experience, they work hard, they turn up on time, and they are trustworthy – because they are so hungry to prove themselves.

    The amount they can achieve – starting from rock bottom – is nothing short of extraordinary.

    It’s no exaggeration to say that some of the most accomplished people I know were once in prison.

    They want to grasp that second chance with both hands.

    Together – let’s make sure they get it.

    Our fourth route to reducing reoffending is by tackling the scourge of drugs in our prisons.

    As you know so well, drugs undermine rehabilitation, fuel violence, debt, and are a sure path back into crime.

    Nearly half of prisoners have a history of drug misuse.

    Many will have addictions when they turn up at your gates, but too many who were clean on the outside are drawn into drugs on the inside.

    That flies in the face of what we want our prisons to achieve.

    The answer is clear.

    First, we need to stop drugs getting into prison. We can hardly expect prisoners to kick the habit if our jails are a sweetshop for drugs.

    We know what you are up against. Not least the growing use of drones to smuggle drugs – and the phones that power the illicit market – over your walls…

    And the increasing threat of synthetic opioids…

    We have to adapt rapidly if we are to protect our staff and prisoners.

    Second, we need prisons to drive demand for drugs down, not up.

    Purposeful activity is so important here. If prisoners have meaningful ways to spend their time, they’re less likely to turn to drugs through boredom, or distress.

    Staff training is crucial too. Your teams have to understand drugs, and addiction, so they can make sure prisoners get the right support, and are helped to recover.

    Third, prisoners with an addiction need treatment.

    There is good evidence to show this reduces reoffending – but we also need to make sure they stay in treatment after release. That groundwork starts in prison.

    And fourth – where it’s safe and appropriate – we should be driving more people with a drug problem away from prison and into treatment.

    That could include greater use of drug and alcohol treatment requirements attached to community sentences, for example.

    There are no easy solutions, but I want to work with you to create a system where people leave custody prepared to lead productive, drug-free lives.

    I know there is innovative work going on out there – and I want to explore how we can replicate that work elsewhere.

    As I come to a close, let me say again – this is the beginning of a new journey for our prisons.

    This Government will rebuild and reform the system.

    We’ll accelerate the prison building programme, to make sure we have the cells we need.

    We’ll soon publish our ten-year capacity strategy, setting out how we will acquire new land for prisons, and reform the planning process.

    And, as you’re aware, we will carry out a review of sentencing – with a focus on how it both protects the public and reduces reoffending.

    We’ll soon be in a position to share the terms of reference of that independent review and announce its chair – and I know the PGA will play its full part once it is underway.

    As I’ve said, change takes time. It also takes stamina. The last Government hardly led by example – 14 Prison Ministers in as many years isn’t a record to be proud of.

    So I can assure you – it’s very much my intention to stay the course.

    I want you to judge me on my actions. When I’m back here next year, and the year after that, let’s see where we’ve got to.

    I’m fortunate to have started this job with a good working knowledge of prisons, but it’s been humbling to visit some of you recently, and be reminded of the complex and challenging work you do every day.

    Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to talk to me so far –

    Aled at Holme House…

    Pete at Five Wells…

    Amy at Downview…

    Andy at Wandsworth…

    Emily at High Down…

    Dan at Preston…

    And many, many more…

    I should say that getting out into the estate is another of my top priorities…

    So you can tell me straight – what’s really going on in the system, what you’re up against, and how, together, we can make it better.

    I hear the last Minister to go to Isle of Wight prison was Anne Widdecombe. So, Dougie, you’ve been forewarned. I’ll be coming down!

    Let me finish by saying thank you, again…

    To you, to your teams, and every single person who keeps the system running – the teachers, nurses, psychologists, and non-operational staff.

    As leaders, your role goes far beyond managing institutions.

    You are protecting communities…

    You are shaping lives…

    And ultimately, you are strengthening our society.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sustainability by the book for Green Libraries Week

    Source: City of Leeds

    Libraries in Leeds are displaying books celebrating nature and climate action this week in a bid to inspire a new chapter in the city’s sustainability story.

    As part of Green Libraries Week, titles offering everything from top gardening tips, environmentally friendly recipes and information about the climate emergency will be among the Green Reads on show at libraries and community hubs across the city.

    Stats compiled by Leeds Libraries show the city’s library users have saved more than 2,550,000kg from their carbon footprints over the past year by borrowing rather than buying books- the equivalent of 1,300 flights from Leeds to New York.

    Now the service wants to offer visitors even more practical tips, guidance and facts about how everyone can do their bit to help the planet.

    The new Green Reads displays are part of a series of activities and events taking place throughout the week highlighting how libraries and their visitors can play their part.

    A collection of historic images showcasing the beauty of the city’s parks through the years will also showcase the importance of local green spaces during series of digital drop-in sessions and online on the Leodis website.

    The remarkable images include a photo from 1907 showing mill owner Jonathan Peate gifting land to the people of Yeadon for use as a local park.

    Also part of the gallery is an undated photo showing spectators watching a display of Maypole dancing at the annual Children’s Day at Roundhay Park. The event took place every year from 1920 until the 1960s, and a Queen was crowned each year.

    Also included is an engraving of Temple Newsam from the 1700s, created by Kip and Knyff Dutch draughtsmen, engravers and painters who specialised in engraved views of English country houses. This was one of many featured in their “Britannia Illustrata” published in around 1708.

    Other events being held during Green Libraries Week will include a code club, where visitors will be coding solutions to clean up oceans and reduce recyclable waste going to landfill.

    Green speakers at library social clubs, Story and Rhyme sessions celebrating wildlife, and eco-themed activity at kids clubs will also take place at a number of libraries across the city.

    Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, said: “Leeds has made a commitment to work towards being a carbon neutral city by 2030, and in order to achieve that ambition, we need everyone to work together across our communities.

    “Libraries are the perfect place for people to get the information they need to play their part and to pick up some simple, practical advice about what they can do at home to make a difference.

    “By taking part in Green Libraries Week, we’re highlighting some of the many ways people can get involved in a fun, accessible and friendly place.”

    More information on Green Libraries Week in Leeds including events at local libraries and community hubs can be found at: Green Libraries Week | Leeds Library

    ENDS

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Millions of workers to benefit from modernised new pensions system

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    Millions of workers stand to benefit from greater financial security in later life following a consultation launched today.

    • Government unveils plans to modernise pensions and give workers greater security in retirement
    • Consultation launched to extend Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pension provision, helping support the Government’s growth mission
    • Regulations form part of wider plans for future of workplace pensions to help increase returns for more people and ensuring greater value for money

    Following the Chancellor’s recent visit to Canada to see how retirement schemes successfully pool contributions from employees into larger funds that are managed by investors, the UK government is fast-tracking plans to modernise its own pensions system by broadening access to Collective Defined Contribution schemes. 

    Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pension schemes, first introduced to the UK in 2022, have the potential to deliver reliable returns for savers, while ensuring more predictable costs for employers.

    Today, industry experts, savers and pension providers can have their say on new proposals to extend the current offering of CDC pension schemes to more employers, delivering better value for money for future pensioners and unlocking huge investment potential.

    In Canada, the funds from pooled pension contributions are invested into a wider range of assets like infrastructure, startups and private equity – which can benefit the wider economy and boost returns.

    Extending CDCs could similarly allow for greater return on investment for those saving into the schemes and allow for larger investment in the UK – supporting the Government’s growth mission to boost the economy.

    Minister for Pensions, Emma Reynolds, said:

    We are seizing this exciting opportunity to modernise our pensions market to deliver better outcomes for millions of workers.

    People work hard to put money aside for their pension with every pay cheque. This significant innovation will offer a more predictable income and greater finance security for future pensioners.

    Currently only single or connected employers can set up CDC schemes, with the first scheme launched by the Royal Mail yesterday.

    Building on the significant appetite from industry for extending CDC provision, the Government is now seeking to broaden access further by allowing unconnected multiple employer schemes – making this pension model more accessible to a wider range of businesses and employees.

    This work builds on plans to review our pensions landscape as well as our new Pension Schemes Bill which could boost pension pots – with further consolidation and broader investment strategies to possibly deliver higher returns for pensioners.

    The consultation seeks views from employers, industry experts, pension providers and the public on draft regulations and their potential impact.

    The consultation will run for six weeks – opening today and running until 19 November 2024.

    Supportive statements:

    John Ball, Chief Executive of the Church of England Pensions Board said:

    We welcome the publication today of draft regulations that support the creation of multi-employer CDC pension schemes. We look forward to scrutinising the detail, and to seeing how in due course, such an arrangement might transform retirement plans for those who work for the Church.

    Andy O’Regan, Client & Strategic Partnerships Director at TPT Retirement Solutions, said:

    The introduction of multi-employer whole-of-life CDC scheme regulations will be a landmark moment for UK pensions. Previously, CDC schemes had only been viable for the largest employers. These new rules will make it possible for all employers to provide their staff with a CDC pension scheme. We’ve already been speaking to around 200 employers who have expressed interest in how a CDC scheme could be delivered for their employees.

    Multi-employer CDC schemes have the potential to bring a host of advantages to pension savers when compared to traditional DC schemes. CDC schemes pool longevity and investment risk. This means that, compared to DC, they are expected to achieve higher benefits as well as provide members with an income for life. An added benefit is the removal of some of the complex financial decisions pension savers are required to make under DC. CDC schemes may also be more likely to invest in productive assets which could encourage economic growth and generate higher long-term returns for scheme members.

    This consultation will open the door to CDC for all employers regardless of size, with the first multi-employer CDC scheme potentially launching within a couple of years. We believe many employers, pension savers, and the wider economy could benefit from the introduction of these schemes. We look forward to responding to this consultation in due course.

    Additional Information

    • The consultation has been published on gov.uk: The Occupational Pension Schemes (Collective Money Purchase Schemes) (Extension to Unconnected Multiple Employer Schemes and Miscellaneous Provisions) Regulations 2025 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)]
    • This consultation launch follows the official launch of the UK’s first CDC scheme, the Royal Mail Collective Pension Plan which is a truly landmark moment for the UK pension landscape.
    • The draft regulations amend the Pension Schemes Act 2021 to remove the exclusion of whole-life unconnected multiple employer CDC schemes from operating.
    • The draft regulations set out what unconnected multiple employer CDC schemes must do to become authorised, to operate effectively under regulatory oversight, and what should happen if changes need to be made to these schemes.
    • The authorisation regime is designed to protect members and to build confidence in this new type of CDC provision by ensuring only soundly designed and well-run schemes can operate.  
    • We plan to introduce legislation in 2025, and subject to parliamentary approval, we intend to bring the legislation and an updated Regulator’s Code into force as soon as practicable after that.
    • CDC pension schemes – where employer and employee contributions are pooled into a single fund – spread risk and smooths the impact of any market volatility to provide a more predictable pension income based on collective investment performance.
    • Pooling risk also means that schemes can invest more in growth assets, including in the UK, and for longer than an average defined contribution (DC) scheme, supporting the Governments’ growth mission.
    • CDC schemes offer members a seamless transition to a regular retirement income without the need to make complex financial decisions.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press Release – States of Alderney response to alternative air transport model proposition – 08.10.24 Tuesday 08 October 2024

    Source: Channel Islands – States of Alderney

    Press Release

    Date:  8th October 2024

    States of Alderney response to alternative air transport model proposition

    The States of Alderney has welcomed alternative ideas for air transport presented by three local people to States Members and now made public but emphasises that much work would be required before it can be considered as a viable option.

    The proposal seen by the States is authored by the Alderney Air Transport Group which consists of local men Roger Dadd, Rod Paris and Malcolm Matthews, who have experience of air transport operations.

    A States spokesman said: “We welcome ideas from the public and thank the group for its concept which we will review with interest as we develop the strategy for solving our connectivity issues. In the meantime, no doubt the group will continue to develop their ideas into a feasible and deliverable proposition that could be taken to the market. 

    “A successful air transport model will only emerge once we have clarity on the runway’s dimensions. Until then, such ideas are theory rather than a sound business plan.”

    The alternative proposition recommends buying up to four nine-passenger, single-pilot Tecnams and operating an inter-island service with no Alderney-Southampton route.

    A report commissioned by the States Trading Supervisory Board examining the options for Alderney’s runway is expected to be brought to the States of Alderney by the end of the year.

    Ends

    States of Alderney media enquiries:Alistair.Forrest2@gov.gg

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Smokers urged ‘it’s never too late to quit’ – as city records its lowest smoking rates

    Source: City of Sunderland

    Sunderland smokers are being told it’s never too late to quit after the city recorded its lowest ever adult smoking rates.

    Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the proportion of adult smokers in Sunderland fell to 12.3 in 2023 and remains just slightly higher than the North East average of 11 per cent and national average of 11.6 percent.

    Councillor Kelly Chequer, Deputy Leader of Sunderland City Council and Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Safer Communities, said: “Historically Sunderland has had high rates of smoking and smoking continues to be one of the leading causes of premature death so it’s brilliant to see our smoking rates continuing to fall.

    “While there’s still some way to go, the latest figures show the steady progress being made in our work to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents.

    “Cutting the rate of smoking is a key priority of our Healthy City Plan and as a council we’re committed to getting smoking rates down to 5 per cent by 2030 as we continue to work in partnership with Fresh, the NHS and councils across the region.

    “Quitting smoking can be difficult but it’s also one of the best things you can do for your health, not to mention your wallet or your overall sense of wellbeing. There’s a lot of support for anyone who wants to quit and Stoptober is a great time to give up.

    “Research suggests that smokers who complete the 28 day Stoptober Challenge are five times more likely to stay quit for good.

    “So I’d urge anyone thinking of quitting to take advantage of all the support that’s out there and contact the Sunderland Stop Smoking Service, especially as smokers can now swap their cigarettes for a free vape to help them quit, with the help and support of an experienced stop smoking advisor.”

    While many people try to quit smoking with willpower alone, it’s much easier to go smokefree with the right help.

    Visit FreshQuit.co.uk for lots of useful advice and information on reasons to quit, how to make quitting less stressful and what help is available to support you to give quitting a go this October.

    Sunderland smokers can contact the city’s specialist stop smoking service for free advice and support, including one to one support from an experienced stop smoking advisor and stop smoking tools such as nicotine replacement products. The service is also part of the national Swap to Stop programme.

    This means that smokers aged 18 and over can swap their cigarettes for a free vape alongside the one to one support to help them to quit. Evidence shows that swapping to a vape and getting specialist help and advice increases a smokers chance of quitting for good.

    To contact Sunderland Stop Smoking Service, call them on 0800 169 9913 or visit http://www.sunderlandstopsmokingservice.co.uk

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Join Ramblers Wellbeing Walks and get on route to better health

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    The group, Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Wolverhampton, currently has weekly walks taking place across 12 locations, including Bantock Park, Bilston Urban Village, Warstones, East Park, Bushbury Triangle, Northwood Park, Pendeford, Smestow Valley, Springfield Park, Ettingshall Park, Springvale Park and West Park.

    The walks are especially suited for people who currently don’t do much walking but who want to get healthier, fitter and make new friends. For more information, please visit Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Wolverhampton.

    Nalin Patel, Volunteer Scheme Co-ordinator, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming more people to our walking group. We offer a range of walks each week, with something for everyone.

    “We are also keen to accept any volunteers wishing to train as walk leaders to support our walks. Since September 2023 we have trained around 20 new walk leaders, including 4 who will shortly be working in the All Saints area, and 2 more to increase walks at East Park.”

    John Denley, Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health, said: “Walking is not just an excellent social activity, but also brings with it a huge number of health benefits.

    “It has a positive effect on the heart, including lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart disease, it strengthens bones and muscles, it improves balance and coordination, and it can help maintain a healthy weight. Evidence also suggests that just a 20 minute walk per day helps prevent and manage chronic illnesses and can also help prevent dementia.

    “Ramblers Wellbeing Walks Wolverhampton offer a variety of free walks at locations across the city, so, as we enter a new season why not get out and about and enjoy some of the beautiful autumnal displays that nature is offering us at this time of year?”

    For more information, email nalinpatel1ccc@gmail.com or call her on 07881 742959 or 01902 755492.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fun Activities and Freebies – Join Us at Active Stoke’s Leisure Weekend

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Monday, 7th October 2024

    Active Stoke is hosting open days at our three leisure centres across the city as part of its Leisure Weekend, running from Friday, 11th October to Sunday, 13th October.

    Join us at one of the centres to explore a variety of wellbeing activities, health-focused initiatives, and fun opportunities for all ages. Whether you’re looking to relax, improve your health, or find a new way to stay active, there will be something for everyone. Visitors can enjoy free taster sessions, health checks, exclusive offers, and exciting prize giveaways.

    The weekend will feature a range of activities designed to support your overall wellbeing, including gentle fitness challenges, family-friendly games, and wellness advice. Our Community Team will be on hand to guide older adults looking to stay active, and parents will find plenty of opportunities to engage with their children in a fun, supportive environment.

    The open days will take place at the following locations:

    •         The Wallace Sport & Education Centre (Friday 11th October)

    •         Dimensions Leisure Centre (Saturday 12th October)

    •         Fenton Manor Sports Complex (Sunday 13th October)

    Councillor Jane Ashworth, Leader of the Council, said: “I’m thrilled to see Active Stoke offering such a wide variety of activities at the city’s leisure centres for all ages to enjoy this weekend. Prioritising both physical and mental wellbeing is essential, and it’s important that everyone has access to enjoyable activities that suit their needs.

    “I encourage everyone to come along to a leisure centre near them and explore what’s on offer. You might discover a new way to support your wellbeing or try something you never knew you’d enjoy!”

    For more information on the different events each centre is putting on and the open day schedule, visit the Active Stoke website: https://activestoke.co.uk/events

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK sanctions Russian troops deploying chemical weapons on the battlefield

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Russian troops involved in the abhorrent use of inhumane chemical weapons on the battlefield in Ukraine have been targeted by new UK sanctions.

    • Russia’s Radiological Chemical and Biological Defence (CBR) troops and their commander have been sanctioned for the deployment of barbaric chemical weapons in Ukraine. 
    • UK calls out Russia’s flagrant violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and urges Russia to immediately cease all such activity.  
    • Action continues the Foreign Secretary’s personal mission to target the full spectrum of the Kremlin’s malign activity through our arsenal of sanctions.

    Russian forces have openly admitted to using hazardous chemical weapons on the battlefield, with widespread use of riot control agents and multiple reports of the use of the toxic choking agent chloropicrin – first deployed on the battlefields of WW1.  

    Russia’s flagrant disregard for the Chemical Weapons Convention is a serious violation of international law. Agents of Putin’s mafia state were also responsible for deploying the deadly nerve agent Novichok on the streets of Salisbury in 2018, and against opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020.  

    Among those sanctioned today are the Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence Troops of the Russian Armed Forces and its leader Igor Kirillov, responsible for helping deploy these barbaric weapons. Kirillov has also been a significant mouthpiece for Kremlin disinformation, spreading lies to mask Russia’s shameful and dangerous behaviour.

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said: 

    The UK will not sit idly by whilst Putin and his mafia state ride roughshod over international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention. I have made it my personal mission to challenge this malign activity, and I will not back down. 

    Russia’s cruel and inhumane tactics on the battlefield are abhorrent and I will use the full arsenal of powers at my disposal to combat Russia’s malign activity. 

    Let me be clear; Putin and those who carry out his will have nowhere left to hide. We will continue to use sanctions to directly target and counter the Kremlin’s attempts to sow fear, division and disorder.

    Defence Secretary, John Healey said:

    Our message to Putin and his regime is clear: you cannot break international law without facing the consequences.

    We will not allow such blatant violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention and rules-based international order to go unpunished.

    The UK is cracking down on those responsible for these horrific chemical attacks in Ukraine. Our support for Ukraine is ironclad and will continue for as long as it takes.

    Also sanctioned today are two Russian Ministry of Defence laboratories for providing support for the development and deployment of these inhumane weapons for use on the frontlines. 

    The UK is steadfast in supporting Ukraine’s fight for freedom, liberty and victory in the face of these barbaric attacks. We have provided Ukraine with vital equipment and training to protect its people against chemical weapons.  

    The UK has also committed to delivering £3 billion of military aid to Ukraine every year for as long as they need. The UK’s military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine is iron-clad. We cannot and will not let aggressors like Putin succeed.

    Background

    Today’s action comes as the UK delivers a statement to the Organisation’s Executive Council laying out the UK’s commitment to the Chemical Weapons Convention and the OPCW in the face of those who act to undermine it. The full speech can be found here. 

    Those sanctioned today are: 

    • The Radiological Chemical and Biological Defence Troops of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. 
    • Igor Kirillov, Head of the Radiological Chemical and Biological Defence Troops of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. 
    • The Russian Ministry of Defence 27th Scientific Centre. 
    • The Russian Ministry of Defence 33rd Central Scientific Research and Testing Institute. 

    These targets have been designated under the UK’s Chemical Weapons (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The individual will be subject to an asset freeze and travel ban, and entities subject to an asset freeze. The asset freeze will apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person. An individual subject to a travel ban must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom.

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    Updates to this page

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CMA appoints 3 Senior Legal Directors

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Lourenço Ventura and Emma Cochrane will join the CMA’s existing team and Richard Romney will take up his current Senior Legal Director role on a permanent basis.

    iStock

    Richard, Emma and Lourenço will be responsible for leading legal teams across the CMA’s portfolio of work – Richard for mergers, markets and regulatory appeals, Emma for consumer enforcement and Lourenço for competition enforcement, alongside the current Senior Legal Directors.   

    Following a highly successful interim promotion, Richard will take up the permanent position with immediate effect. Prior to joining the CMA’s Legal Service on temporary promotion in January 2023, Richard was a Director within the Mergers team, responsible for overseeing a range of high-profile merger cases. Richard originally joined the CMA in 2019 as a Senior Associate from Freshfields. 

    Emma will join the CMA from Linklaters, where she is a Counsel in the Antitrust & Foreign Investment Group. Emma has over ten years’ experience as a competition lawyer, including advising on cartel investigations, mergers and acquisitions, market investigations, abuse of a dominant position and other commercial agreements. Prior to Linklaters, Emma spent four years at Simmons and Simmons in the EU, Competition & Regulatory group. 

    Lourenço is returning to the CMA after spending the last two years working at the European Commission in Brussels. Previously, Lourenço spent ten years in various roles at the Office of Fair Trading – the CMA’s predecessor – and the CMA, most recently in the role of Legal Director. Before this, Lourenço spent 3 years at the Lisbon office of law firm Garrigues working on competition and EU law, commercial agreements, pharmaceutical and regulatory, and misdemeanour procedures. 

    Emma is joining the CMA in November and Lourenço will take up his post at the start of 2025. 

    Welcoming the appointments, Chris Prevett, General Counsel at the CMA said:  

    Sound, strategic legal risk management, and reaching robust legal decisions, underpins every aspect of the CMA’s work on behalf of UK consumers and businesses. With the CMA’s responsibilities set to grow following the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, I am really pleased to be making three appointments at this senior level.  

    Each of these senior appointments brings substantial expertise, and will add further strength and depth to the senior leadership team and high calibre lawyers and policy professionals comprising the CMA’s Legal Service. 

    This is a well-deserved promotion for Richard, reflecting his contribution to the CMA’s Legal Service, and I look forward to working with Emma and welcoming back Lourenço.

    Notes to Editors 

    1. For media enquiries, contact the CMA press office on 020 3738 6460 or press@cma.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: CMA response to National Planning Policy Framework consultation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The CMA has published its response to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government consultation on planning system reform.

    Documents

    CMA response to National Planning Policy Framework consultation

    PDF, 160 KB, 7 pages

    Details

    The CMA responded to the consultation on proposed reforms to the National Planning Policy Framework and planning system, led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

    The CMA’s response welcomes the government’s intent to reform to the planning system in England, as these reforms consider options we had identified in our Housebuilding Market Study.

    The response also sets out where the CMA thinks the UK government should consider further reform, particularly on reform of statutory consultees, taking steps to increase the variety of houses being built, and taking further steps to support small and medium housebuilders. It also urges the government to respond to our Market Study recommendations, and so tackle issues in private management of public amenities and issues in consumer protection for buyers of new build homes.

    For queries relating to the CMA’s response, please contact the CMA advocacy team by email at advocacy@cma.gov.uk.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Elafibranor approved as first medicine to treat adults with a rare liver disease known as primary biliary cholangitis

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved elafibranor (Iqirvo) to treat adult patients with a rare type of liver disease known as primary biliary cholangitis (PBC).

    PBC is a type of chronic liver disease in which the small bile ducts in the liver become injured and inflamed and are eventually destroyed. Where there are damaged bile ducts, bile builds up and causes liver damage. This disease can get gradually worse over time and without treatment may lead to liver failure.

    Elafibranor helps to improve how the liver works by reducing the amount of bile acids the liver produces and reducing the build-up of bile. It also acts by reducing inflammation of the liver.

    The recommended dose is one tablet, once a day, at about the same time each day for adult patients. Elafibranor may be given by itself or together with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA).

    Julian Beach, MHRA Interim Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, said:

    Enabling safe access to high quality, safe and effective medicines is a key priority for us.

    We’re assured that the appropriate regulatory standards of safety, quality and effectiveness for the approval of this new formulation have been met.

    As with all products, we will keep its safety under close review. 

    The MHRA’s approval of the medicine is supported by evidence from a placebo-controlled main study involving 161 adults with PBC, the majority of whom had been taking UDCA for at least one year and continued taking it during the study (though some had stopped taking due to side effects).

    The measure of effectiveness was based on the number of patients whose blood levels of the substances Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin (markers of liver damage) decreased to a level considered normal (for both ALP and bilirubin) and by at least 15% (for ALP) after 1 year of treatment.

    The study showed that elafibranor was more effective than placebo at reducing the blood levels of ALP and bilirubin. Overall, levels decreased by the required amount in around 51% (55 out of 108) of patients treated with elafibranor, compared with around 4% (2 out of 53) of patients on placebo.

    A full list of all side effects reported with this medicine is available in the patient information leaflet or from the product information published on the MHRA website. 

    If a patient experiences any side effects, they should talk to their doctor, pharmacist, or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in the product information leaflets.

    Anyone who suspects they are having a side effect from this medicine is encouraged to talk to their doctor, pharmacist or nurse and report it directly to the MHRA’s Yellow Card scheme.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors  

    • The new marketing authorisation was granted for elafibranor (Iqirvo) on 04 October 2024 to Ipsen Ltd via National Procedure.
    • More information can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information leaflets which will be published on the MHRA Products website within 7 days of approval.
    • The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
    • The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe.  All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks.
    • For media enquiries, please contact the newscentre@mhra.gov.uk, or call on 020 3080 7651.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: DTEP Funding Announced for Three More UK SMEs

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) boosts defence innovation while supporting the technology supply chain

    • Congratulations to High Temperature Material Systems Ltd.; OpenWorks Engineering and Mind Foundry Ltd.
    • The Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) will collaborate with an experienced higher-tier partner in the defence sector
    • The Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP) boosts defence innovation while supporting the technology supply chain

    Three UK based SMEs have been awarded funding through the latest rounds of the Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP). High Temperature Material Systems Ltd.; OpenWorks Engineering and Mind Foundry Ltd. will collaborate with a higher-tier supplier who will engage with the SME and mentor them over the duration of a forthcoming defence project. They will receive a government grant worth 50 percent of the project value with the aim of developing innovative new solutions that meet UK defence challenges and increase capability in the UK defence supply chain.

    DTEP, which seeks to improve the competitiveness of the UK Defence supply chain, is sponsored by the MOD’s Directorate of Industrial Strategy and Exports (DISE) and delivered through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Innovate UK, and ADS.

    Anita Friend, Head of DASA, said:

    “We are delighted to announce the distribution of further DTEP funding to three more SMEs. These innovative companies, in partnership with their higher-tier DTEP collaborators, are set to play a crucial role in enhancing the UK’s defence supply chain and supporting the ongoing success of future defence and security initiatives.”

    Congratulations to the latest DTEP winners

    Mind Foundry Ltd.

    Mind Foundry builds AI for high-stakes applications. In defence, their work is designed for deployment, combining cutting-edge AI signal processing techniques to process, analyse and enrich feeds from sensors. Together with their higher-tier partner BAE Systems, they will collaborate to develop the capability for taking multiple data inputs from multiple sensor types, and utilise their inferences to demonstrate the potential for a single system to provide a unified operating picture.”

    Brian Mullins, Mind Foundry CEO said:

    “In multi-domain operations, operators often have to analyse information across different sensor feeds manually. This is a risk, increasing the opportunity for error and the potential to miss vital contact information. Being awarded this DTEP funding, we aim to build capabilities to solve this problem and provide operators with a fuller, more robust tactical picture compilation. We are proud to be able to deepen our partnership with BAE Systems, whose experience in deploying sensor systems in complex, operational scenarios will prove vital in guiding not only the scientific art of the possible but in the operator’s need for a solution in practice.”

    High Temperature Material Systems (HTMS):

    HTMS produce a high temperature, lightweight and low cost material called Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC). This type of material has multiple uses across the defence and security supply chain and has the ability to withstand temperatures of up to 1000 degrees centigrade. Together with their higher tier partner MBDA, HTMS will be scaling up the manufacturing of an innovative lower cost form of CMC which will fill a current gap in the UKs defence materials supply chain.

    Dr. Richard Grainger, CTO and Co-Founder of HTMS said: 

    “Being chosen for a DASA DTEP project is an important moment for High Temperature Material Systems (HTMS). This marks a significant milestone in our mission to revolutionise the high temperature composites market for Defence, Aerospace, Clean Transport, and other high performance industries.

    This collaboration accelerates the development of our cutting edge materials, opening doors for increased funding, strategic partnerships, and deeper integration into supply chains. We’re forging a powerful alliance with one of the world’s leading defence entities, which not only strengthens our capabilities but sets a strong course for the future of high temperature composite materials.”

    Dr. Danilo Di Salvo, CEO and Co-Founder of HTMS added:

    “DTEP paves the way for an enhanced market integration whilst empowering us to expand our expert team, bringing onboard more world class engineers and innovators. Working closely with DASA fuels our drive to deliver highly scalable, sustainable, and transformative composite materials. This is only the beginning. Our ambition is to push boundaries and create lasting impact — not just in the UK, but on a global scale. The future is here, and we’re leading the way.”

    OpenWorks Engineering

    OpenWorks Engineering will be working with higher tier supplier MBDA to provide an integrated counter-UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) system for the British Army to meet the current threat from drones. The project will deliver a state-of-the-art AI Optical Detection, Tracking and Targeting system which can be used against agile targets while driving at convoy speeds on unimproved roads. It will also deliver an upgraded production facility capable of manufacturing systems at 12 times the current rate with a higher level of quality and assurance.

    Chris Down, Managing Director of OpenWorks Engineering said:

    “We are proud to be working with DASA to develop the next generation in electro-optic tracking systems and build a fully digital manufacturing facility in the North-East.  This DTEP grant will bring new technology to the defence and security forces of the UK and our allies as well as strengthening the UK’s defence supply chain and industrial base.

    The grant will accelerate the fielding of new counter drone and GBAD systems.  This will have an immediate impact in places like Ukraine as well as having the long-term effect of boosting the UK’s defence industry by increasing capacity in the supply chain for the high-tech equipment needed for the battlefield of the future.”

    DTEP’s funding for OpenWorks Engineering, High Temperature Material Systems and Mind Foundry highlights the MOD’s commitment to fostering innovation and strengthening the UK defence supply chain through strategic SME partnerships.

    Learn more about DASA’s funding opportunities here.

    Updates to this page

    Published 8 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Women in the bus industry celebrated as Transport Minister visits Manchester

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Simon Lightwood spoke with women in the industry and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to a bus revolution.

    • Local Transport Minister attends award event to celebrate women’s achievements in the bus, coach and community transport industry
    • the Minister heard first-hand the barriers that women in the industry face and discussed how their skills can meet the biggest bus overhaul in a generation
    • bus revolution gathering momentum as consultation closes on removing obstacles to local councils taking back control of bus services from private operators

    Women’s achievements in the bus, coach and community transport industry have been celebrated at a special awards event in Manchester today (8 October 2024), attended by the Local Transport Minister.

    During the event, Simon Lightwood discussed Women in Bus and Coach’s key aims to:

    • stand in solidarity across the profession
    • uplift female role models in engineering, driving and management
    • challenge industry policies that do not meet women’s needs 

    The awards come as the government continues to overhaul the bus industry, by handing power back to councils to grow passenger numbers and deliver better services for all, no matter where people live.  

    The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring the brightest minds in the industry are in the driving seat as these plans progress.

    Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, said:  

    I was delighted to celebrate the incredible achievements of women in the bus and coach industry up and down the country. 

    Our plans to deliver better buses will end the postcode lottery that has determined the quality and frequency of bus services for too long.  

    As we deliver this biggest overhaul to buses in a generation, the work of each and every driver, engineer, manager and the countless others who keep our country moving will be vital.

    The Minister also spoke to young engineers in the industry, following a panel event on opportunities for young women. He heard from Lucy Hough (First Bus), Liz Eades (Stagecoach South East) and Hannah Currie (Wrightbus), who all discussed the barriers facing women in the industry and their experiences as engineers in a male-dominated sector.  

    Yesterday (7 October 2024) marked another landmark in the roll out of bus franchising, as the government’s month-long consultation on updating guidance to reduce barriers to franchising closed. This has seen the government discuss franchising closely with industry, and the outcome will be announced in due course, alongside next steps for implementing the Bill.  

    Attendees at the event also heard from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who has overseen a dramatic transformation of regional bus services over the last year, with the introduction of the Bee Network.

    Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said:

    In Greater Manchester we’re bringing buses back into local control, with cheaper fares, better buses and, crucially, more reliable services all attracting more people onboard.

    Our success is down to the hard work and dedication of Bee Network staff, including the many brilliant women working tirelessly to deliver a great service to the people of Greater Manchester, whether that’s driving buses, working at our bus stations, interchanges or Travelshops, or leading our franchising programme.

    It was fantastic to see that recognised today, and as we grow the Bee Network and take forward our plans to transform technical education in Greater Manchester through the MBacc, we want to encourage even more women into the industry.

    The Bee Network called time on the previous broken system of regulation and has set a new bar for urban bus services by introducing capped fares, integrating buses into a citywide transport network and unifying services under a singular, recognisable identity.  

    The government wants to replicate this nationwide, as it seeks to drive growth and share opportunities by providing regular, reliable and affordable services for passengers.

    Louise Cheeseman, Chair and Founder of Women in Bus and Coach, said:

    I am proud to see the incredible achievements of women across our industry celebrated at the 2024 Women in Bus and Coach summit. This event not only highlights the inspiring individuals shaping the future of the bus, coach and community transport sector, but also reinforces our collective commitment to breaking barriers and creating opportunities for women.

    We warmly welcome the government’s plans to deliver the biggest overhaul of bus services in a generation, and we look forward to working together to ensure these changes empower a more inclusive, accessible, and innovative future for all.

    The visit also comes as GoAhead buses announced a major £500 million investment to decarbonise its fleet today, including creating a new dedicated manufacturing line and partnership with UK bus manufacturer Wrightbus.

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  • MIL-OSI USA: Camaraderie, Enthusiasm Punctuate Wolff New Venture Competition

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    A novel treatment for long-term pain management that could revolutionize post-operative care and eliminate the need for opioids for many, won the first-place, $30,000 grand prize at the Wolff New Venture Competition last week.

    Professors and esteemed UConn Health researchers Lakshmi Nair, Ph.D. and Yusuf Khan, Ph.D. say they were both surprised and thrilled that their startup, Soleia Biosciences, received the award. With the financial and business support they’ve received, they hope to advance the treatment that has been in development for 10 years.

    “This prize will really set the stage for everything else we need to do; without it we would have been stuck,’’ Khan says. “Now we can move forward with determining exactly what we need to do to show our product is both safe and effective, and get it into the hands of doctors so they can start treating patients as soon as possible.’’

    “Our job has always been to figure out how to solve medical problems that don’t have a good solution,’’ Khan says. “With the Wolff Prize, we are even closer to that reality.’’

    Competition Awarded $115,000 in Cash and Prizes

    The Wolff New Venture Competition is the School of Business’ pinnacle entrepreneurship challenge. The event on Tuesday night drew dozens of UConn entrepreneurs and their supporters to the Dunkin Park YG Club for a night of competition, camaraderie, networking, and socializing.

    This year marks the ninth anniversary of the Wolff event, which invites five outstanding UConn-affiliated startups to compete annually. Since its inception, the amount of the awards has risen from $15,000 to more than $$115,000 in cash and in-kind services.

    The five 2024 Wolff finalists have developed a diverse set of companies, from toys to e-commerce to a business-travel planning app. Preparation for the event begins in March when 10 startups are selected to participate in the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation’s (CCEI) Summer Fellowship Accelerator, where they develop their businesses to become market ready.

    “This was by far the best Wolff New Venture Competition to date,’’ says Jennifer Mathieu, executive director of CCEI. “The room was packed with members of our entrepreneurial ecosystem including investors, community partners, dozens of CCEI’s entrepreneurs showcasing their startups, and many of our alumni just there to support.

    “There was an energy in the space; it was one of collaboration, community, and this level of overall excitement that everyone seemed to have about being there. I feel proud of what my team has accomplished in their support of the hundreds of startups that have participated in CCEI programs,’’ she says. “The five teams that pitched have made tremendous progress since working with CCEI. I can’t wait to see what impact they are going to have on the world.’’

    Medical Company Wins Grand Prize

    In addition to the grand prize, Soleia Biosciences also received the Legal Services Award valued at $10,000 and presented by Wiggin and Dana’s emerging companies division.

    The startup is on the cusp of a breakthrough pain-reduction treatment that can extend the duration of local anesthetics, enabling patients to be nearly pain-free and mobile. Nair says the $15 billion post-surgical pain management industry is ready for change.

    “Since opioid use can have such a negative impact on a person, it’s really critical to find non-addictive solutions for both short- and long-term pain,’’ Nair says. “This applies to everyone, young and old; nobody is exempt from these needs.  In younger people it may be part of recovering from a painful sports injury, and in older people more about managing something like osteoarthritis. Regardless of the age or disease, there is a critical need for opioid alternatives.’’

    The company already has patents and compelling pre-clinical data. The founders are looking to hire a consultant to help them begin the FDA approval process.

    Started by Two Car Enthusiasts, WheelPrice Earned Three Honors

    The $10,000 Second-Place Prize, sponsored by Santander Bank, went to WheelPrice, an online marketplace that facilitates the sales of new, used and vintage wheels. The company also won a ​$5,000 Audience Choice Award.
    sponsored by Fiondella Milone & Lasaracina (FML) and a $35,000 pro bono Digital Product Development Award from Revyrie.

    Co-founder Kyle Mayers ’13 (BUS) says the company has something for everyone. “We have wheels for every car from a Honda Civic to a Ferrari,” he says.

    Mayers and co-founder Wally Namane ’13 (BUS), ’18 MBA, both car enthusiasts, met as students through mutual friends at UConn. “We’ve had a life-long obsession with cars,’’ Mayers says.

    Today they hope to become the number one marketplace for the 67 million car enthusiasts in the U.S. Globally, consumers spend $5 billion on wheels annually. They believe their easy-to-use platform and some high-tech features, now in development, will put them in the industry’s drivers’ seat.

    Business-Travel App Took Third Place

    Since the onset of the pandemic, the number of fully remote companies has grown 400%. And although their employees may be on different coasts, Vamos founder Niko Zurita ’10 (BUS) believes every growing business requires face-to-face meetings between colleagues. He is developing an app to tailor meetings and locations to company needs, while also saving them money.

    Vamos received the $7,500 Third Place Prize sponsored by Prime Materials Recovery Inc., and a Digital Surgeons brand consulting award, valued at $10,000.

    Toy Dinosaurs, Natural Food Preservative Captivated Audience

    Lyla Andrick ’24 (CAHNR), created Happy Dinosaur, a company that sells brightly colored dinosaur stuffed animals, from her dorm room at UConn. The plush animals have become so popular that the New England boutiques that stock them can’t keep them on the shelves. As part of her presentation, she passed around a half-dozen dinosaurs, and members of the audience were delighted.

    Happy Dinosaur won a ​$5,000 Community Impact Award, sponsored by Baystate Financial, that will help Andrick create books about the main characters and create a format for children to share imaginative stories about them.

    Meanwhile Atlas, formerly Atlantic Sea Solutions, a company using seaweed extracts as a tasteless, texture-less coating to preserve the shelf-life of peaches, berries and other produce, won a $5,000 Innovation Award, sponsored by Mark and Jamie Summers. The company plans to use the winning to purchase more equipment.

    “What I love about my work and what motivates me is using science and technology to do cool things with food,’’ says co-founder Anuj Purohit, a research associate in the Department of Nutritional Sciences in the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. “The world population is growing, and we all need good, nutritious food. That’s what drew me to agriculture and what keeps me going.’’

    Experienced Entrepreneurs Say Their Companies are Thriving

    The event also welcomed more than 25 previous Wolff participants who have made great strides with their startups. They were eager to cheer on the next wave of entrepreneurs.

    Jake Winter ’22 (ENG), co-founder and CTO of PatentPlusAI, a company using AI to generate comprehensive patent search reports in less than 24 hours, says the startup has grown exponentially in four years.

    “We’re hustling,’’ says Winter, noting that their client base includes corporate giant IBM. If he could offer advice to the newer entrepreneurs, it would be to “get ridiculously familiar with your market, and once you understand your customer, test as soon as you can,’’ he says.

    For graduate student Amelia Martin, the year since her participation in the Wolff competition has been one of extraordinary growth.

    “A year ago, I didn’t know what to expect. I had the mindset of a student,’’ she says. “Now I think like a CEO.’’

    Her company, Mud Rat, an eco-friendly alternative to the standard Styrofoam surfboard core, has participated in two business accelerators, won a small grant, and is completing its first protype this month. She’s also added to her team. Martin advises those who follow in her footsteps to just keep going when the going is tough. “If you stick with it, you’ll hit all your goals eventually,’’ she says.

    In the last year, alumna Hayley Segar, founder of onewith, a direct-to-consumer swimwear and accessory company, has been featured in People and InStyle magazines. She now employs four manufacturers to make her swimwear and this year sold 50,000 units. She hasn’t lost touch with her roots; her mom still packs her orders.

    She tells the new entrepreneurs to avoid distraction. “They need to be focused and heads-down in the early stages of their company,’’ she says. “It’s exciting, there is a lot of sacrifice, but in the end, owning your own business is extremely satisfying.’’

    She credits UConn for setting her up for success. As she speaks with entrepreneurs who attended other colleges, none of them had the expert entrepreneurial support that UConn offered, Segar says.

    Judges Were Impressed by What They Heard

    Competition judge Luke Steinberger, COO at Revyrie, a company that helps build and scale companies and a sponsor of the event, says he was very impressed with all the presentations.

    “They were well prepared, and I loved the diversity of ideas,’’ he says. “The program exceeded my expectations. I’m very happy to be involved and will be back next year.’’

    Judge Adam Silverman, partner at law firm Wiggin and Dana, says he didn’t know exactly what to expect before the competition. “It was great to be a part of the competition. I was impressed by the quality of the companies, the focus of the founders, and the exciting use of technology,’’ he says.

    School of Business Dean John A. Elliott spoke about how entrepreneurship has grown in the 13 years he has been here.

    “We used to think entrepreneurship was something for juniors and seniors to explore but now we welcome many students who begin their companies as freshmen,’’ he says. “The excitement around entrepreneurship has grown rapidly.’’

    Elliott also thanked the Wolff family, including Greg Wolff who was in attendance, for starting the competition and advocating for entrepreneurship at UConn. Elliott says their influence helped create additional competitions and great support for startups at UConn.

    Alycia Chrosniak, Assistant Director of Brand & Venture Development at CCEI, says working with the startups and watching them grow has been rewarding.

    “But my favorite part will be three months from now when I get the emails about what these new companies and their founders have accomplished,’’ she says. “What we do here is life changing.’’

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Young people to be given a helping hand on the creative industries ladder

    Source: City of Liverpool

    Budding young actors, musicians, photographers, fashion designers and film directors from across Liverpool are being invited to sign up to a creative programme that could give them a head-start in their chosen career.

    Commissioned by Liverpool City Council’s Culture Liverpool team as part of its Creative Neighbourhoods programme and funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Future Movement is delivered by leading British dance company Rambert.

    The free creative youth programme, aimed at those aged 16-25, is unique because it is co-created with the young people, designed around their career ambitions.

    Throughout the 12-week programme, Rambert invites guest artists from a wide range of creative industries to share their skills, experience and career paths with the participants, who will benefit from dedicated sessions focusing on different areas of work such as producing and marketing.

    The initiative was piloted in Liverpool last year following its success in London, Rochdale and Mansfield and it gave young people the chance to collaborate with like-minded creatives across the country.

    During the programme, the students had the opportunity to work with and be mentored by industry experts including Merseyside born designer Patrick McDowell and film director Dan Löwenstein of House of Create.

    The students also collaborated with set and costume designer Olivia Du Monceau to design and make a protest banner. Researching art and activism, the group used different mediums of creativity, such as sewing and drawing to create a joyful banner of self-expression.

    The programme culminated in an exhibition of the students’ work at the press night of Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby at the Liverpool Empire earlier this month. Here, they not only had the opportunity to showcase their work but also to network with industry insiders including the producers of Peaky Blinders, which was filmed in Liverpool, and the Chief Executive of Arts Council England.

    The new term starts on October 8 and the group meet every Tuesday from 6.30pm-8.30pm at Toxteth Library, Windsor St, Liverpool, L8 1XF. Sign-up here.

    Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle said: “Full of BAFTA-winning productions and Oscar-winning talent, Liverpool has a vibrant, fast-growing creative sector, which plays a significant role in contributing to the local economy. So it’s only right that we invest in the next generation of creatives.

    “We’ve never been short of pioneers in Liverpool and while the city attracts world-class talent, it’s vital that we invest in home-grown talent and help our young people achieve their potential. Seeing the work that the young people have produced has blown me away – truly inspiring.”

    Daniel Fulvio, Deputy Director of Audiences and Rambert’s lead on Future Movement says: “Future Movement is designed to inspire and support anyone who is interested in starting a career in the creative industries. It aims to fuel young minds whilst giving them opportunities to try things out in an environment where they are supported to push themselves to build new skills and explore a range of creative jobs.

    “Liverpool is a beacon of creativity in the UK. Not only is it the birthplace of Hollywood stars and award-winning directors and producers but it is the second most filmed UK city outside of London and a UNESCO City of Music. Future Movement is a youth programme that takes young people seriously as the next generation of creatives and where better to nurture talent than here.”

    Patrick McDowell, Fashion Designer collaborating with Rambert on Future Movement says: “Working with Future Movement has been enriching and fulfilling on both a creative and a personal level. It has been a joy to have had this opportunity to return to my hometown to work with young people from the area, who have opened my eyes to different ideas.

    “Growing up, I was inspired by Liverpool’s style and how powerful and strong clothing seemed to make people feel. My working-class background and queer identity allowed me to see things through a certain lens, working with what I had to create something special. That ethos has remained with me to this day and it has been such a joy to mentor this pioneering project to inspire the next generation of creatives.”

    Kieran Gregory, a 19-year-old actor who took part in the pilot said: “Future Movement is boss. I’m an actor but as part of the programme, we designed a costume for one of the Rambert dancers. I’ve had no previous experience of contemporary dance before so it’s great to have new skills to put on my CV. We’re exposed to so many different people, learning about their journeys into the world of creative arts.

    “Rambert have been so good at letting us use our brains. We’ve gone to them and said ‘we’ve got this idea, can you make it happen?’ And they’ve said ‘yes, we’ll back you to the hilt.’ Whatever stimulus they give us, we’ll put our Scouse twist on it. I love representing Liverpool because people outside the city don’t properly understand. Over the last couple of years, things like Eurovision have been fantastic for the community so why not showcase it? Rambert and Culture Liverpool have put their faith in us and given us that opportunity and confidence.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –