[unable to retrieve full-text content]This eAlert also contains updates on Felling Licence Online, the Woodland Carbon Fund, the Urban Tree Challenge Fund and the new agent authority form.

DIO awarded a contract worth £160 million to a Kier VolkerFitzpatrick joint venture in November to deliver critical infrastructure at the Suffolk airbase to support the arrival of the new US F35s in 2021.

Construction started on the site earlier this month and additional electrical capacity is needed to support new buildings which are planned to be delivered as part of the project.

DIO worked with the US 48 Fighter Wing Civil Engineering Squadron (48CES), based at RAF Lakenheath, to determine the additional capacity required. The upgrade work, which involved installing a 24km cable route across a railway, river and roads, was then carried out by UK Power Networks.

Ductwork and cabling were completed in early July and power will be available from September, 4 months ahead of schedule and over one year before it is required. UK Power Networks coordinated the work with two county highways departments and worked with other utility providers on the route to minimise disruption to road users and residents. This will provide the base with a 15 megawatt power supply equivalent to the energy used to power more than 5,000 homes.

DIO USVF Programme Director, Keith Maddison, said:

This work has gone incredibly smoothly. We are pleased that this complex power upgrade has been completed ahead of schedule so that all other construction can continue as planned.

This is an excellent example of how DIO works well with its partners, how we can be agile and respond innovatively to challenges.

We are grateful to 48 Fighter Wing Civil Engineering Squadron and to UK Power Networks for working together to minimise disruption both to local residents and to those on the base.

Mark Adolphus, director of connections at UK Power Networks, said:

Work is progressing well with the Ministry of Defence to deliver a safe and reliable 15 megawatt power supply needed for buildings that will accommodate US Air Force F35 squadrons at RAF Lakenheath.

Construction work on a new substation, housing essential equipment, is nearing completion and the majority of the new cabling is now in place. The project is on track to be delivered months ahead of schedule, while minimising the impact on the base and the local community.

Colonel Will Marshall, 48th Fighter Wing commander said:

We are truly thankful to our local community for their patience and understanding during high traffic congestion periods associated with this upgrade,

Preparing the base for the future comes with some challenges, which can affect our local communities, and we appreciate our partners working diligently to complete the project ahead of schedule.

Further information

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For the first time, people aged 16 years and older will be able to buy a medicinal screening test patch from general sale outlets to see if they are allergic to paraphenylenediamine (PPD), one of the most common ingredients present in hair dye, before colouring their hair.

Allergic reactions to this ingredient in hair dye can cause itchy rashes, redness and blisters. At its most severe, some people have even been admitted in A&E hospital departments.

The Colourstart Test is a self-adhesive plaster consisting of two patches, one containing 65 micrograms of PPD (active patch) and the other patch with no PPD (control patch). If there is a positive reaction to the test patch, which is applied to the upper arm, hair colourant should not be used.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has today announced that the Colourstart test will be formally reclassified from a prescription only medicine (POM) to a general sale list (GSL) medicine.

This change means people will be able to purchase the Colourstart Test, without the need for a doctor’s prescription or a pharmacist’s advice.

Making this test more widely available will allow people to screen for potential allergic skin reactions to PPD themselves, before applying hair colourant.

Widening public access to medicinal products when safe to do so, provides greater convenience and choice for the consumer. It also empowers individuals, allowing them to take control of their own health.

This decision was made following a robust assessment of the safety of the Colourstart Test, consideration by the Commission on Human Medicines (CHM) and a public consultation earlier this year.

Jan MacDonald, MHRA’s Group Manager for Access and Information for Medicines and Standards (AIMS) in Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines, said:

“The move to make the Colourstart Test more widely accessible will make it easier for people to screen for allergy to hair colourant and to avoid suffering skin reactions if they are allergic to PPD.

“Wider availability of medicinal products and improved patient access and choice remain high on the health agenda. The MHRA is committed to improving access to medicinal products for self-care where it is safe to do so.”

NOTES TO EDITOR

1. The licence-holder for Colourstart Test Patch (Trichocare Diagnostics Limited) applied to the MHRA to make this product available through general sales outlets.
2. PPD is present in more than 2 out of 3 hair dye products.
3. Responses to the public consultation are discussed in the Public Assessment Report (PAR) section 5; actual responses and names of organisations/professional bodies responding to the consultation are listed at the end of the PAR.
4. This medicine was licensed as a Prescription Only Medicine (POM) in 2012 and is not currently marketed.
5. To be reclassified from POM to GSL, a medicine must meet both the requirements of POM to Pharmacy (P) and P to GSL reclassification. Colourstart Test Patch was assessed firstly against the criteria for a medicine to be reclassified as P and then against the criteria for a medicine to be classified as GSL. Colourstart met the conditions of both POM to P and P to GSL reclassification. Further information on the POM and GSL criteria may be found in the Public Assessment Report (PAR) section 3.
6. The MHRA is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK. Underpinning all our work lies robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. The MHRA is a centre of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency which also includes the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP has today (1 August 2019) confirmed he will lead ambitious plans to level up prosperity across the Midlands as the new Ministerial Champion for the Midlands Engine.

A thriving Midlands is essential to a successful UK economy which is why the government is supporting the Midlands Engine Partnership to grow the Midlands economy and make the region an even better place to live, work, study and do business.

The government is developing a refreshed Midlands Engine strategy which will reaffirm the government’s commitment to the Midlands and outline how the region can continue to build on its strengths.

Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

From growing up in Wolverhampton and Shropshire to proudly representing the people of Newark in Nottingham, the Midlands has made me who I am today so it’s a huge honour to now champion this incredible region in Cabinet and across government.

The continued success of the Midlands is not just personal to me, it is absolutely vital to our mission to level up our regions, boost economic growth and ensure every city and town can benefit from the opportunities Brexit brings.

One of my first visits as Secretary of State was to Wolverhampton and I now look forward to working with Sir John Peace, as chair of the Midlands Engine Partnership, and everyone who shares my passion for the region and vision for a prosperous future for the whole Midlands at the heart of a thriving United Kingdom.

Sir John Peace, Chairman of the Midlands Engine Partnership, said:

I welcome the announcement that Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP has been appointed as the Midlands Engine Champion. It is an important time for the Midlands Engine Partnership and for Midlanders as a whole.

Having a champion for the Midlands Engine who has a such a direct connection to our region will bring many benefits and working together we will ensure we make the most of the many opportunities ahead, for our communities. 

I look forward to working with Robert over the coming months and beyond, ensuring the Midlands Engine partnership builds strongly on our recent achievements.

Government investment has already ensured the Midlands is leading the way on digital connectivity with a £50 million multi-city trial of 5G technology, paving the way for rollout across the UK.

And with Coventry named UK City of Culture for 2021 and Birmingham hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Midlands is firmly on the national and international stage.

The Midlands is home to over 10 million people and has a £237 billon economy, generating over 13% of the UK’s Gross Value Added. The Midland Engine Partnership aim to close the GVA gap to match or exceed the national average by 2030.

The Midlands is home to over 815,900 businesses, 20 universities and 2 international airports and in 2017, the Midlands accounted for a 22.2% share of all of England’s goods exports.

The government is investing £1.9 billion in Local Growth Funding across the Midlands.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has contracted the services of Cragg Ross Dawson, a research agency, to recruit legal professionals to take part in research to support projects in HMCTS.

Cragg Ross Dawson will also manage communications between the participants in research and HMCTS during the process.

This revised approach will give legal professionals participating in HMCTS research timely notifications, and it will help to increase coordination and consistency in the research process.

• Cragg Ross Dawson will recruit legal professionals as participants for research for projects within HMCTS.

• any correspondence you receive will clearly indicate that Cragg Ross Dawson is acting on behalf of HMCTS. The correspondence will provide you with information on the purpose of the research and what you would be required to do as a participant, should you decide to take part in the research activity.

• Cragg Ross Dawson will provide you with their company’s full contact details and they will let you know how they intend to communicate with you throughout the research.

• wherever possible, the research and interviews will take place at a location that is convenient for you as a participant.

• as standard practice and dependent on the nature of the research, HMCTS may pay you a small nominal amount, in recognition of the time you have given up to take part in the research.