Environment Secretary Michael Gove today (Monday 14 January) launched an ambitious new strategy to clean up our air and save lives.

Air pollution is one of the biggest threats to public health in the UK – behind only cancer, obesity and heart disease – and the measures set out in the Clean Air Strategy will cut the costs of air pollution to society by £1.7 billion every year by 2020, rising to £5.3 billion every year from 2030.

The UK will set an ambitious, long-term target to reduce people’s exposure to particulate matter (PM), which the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified as the most damaging pollutant. To inform development of this new target, the Government will publish evidence early this year on what action would be needed to meet WHO guidelines.

This comes on top of a commitment to halve the number of people living in areas breaching WHO guidelines on PM by 2025. The UK is the first major economy to adopt air quality goals based on WHO recommendations, going far beyond EU requirements.

Launching the Clean Air Strategy, Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

The evidence is clear. While air quality has improved significantly in recent years, air pollution continues to shorten lives, harm our children and reduce quality of life.

We must take strong, urgent action. Our ambitious strategy includes new targets, new powers for local government and confirms that our forthcoming Environment Bill will include new primary legislation on air quality.

While air pollution may conjure images of traffic jams and exhaust fumes, transport is only one part of the story and the new strategy sets out the important role all of us – across all sectors of work and society – can play in reducing emissions and cleaning up our air to protect our health.

With a commitment to end the sale of conventional new diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040, the UK is going further than almost every other European nation in tackling emissions from cars. But air pollution does not just come from transport and the Clean Air Strategy sets out a programme of work across government, industry and society to reduce emissions coming from a wide range of sources.

Following a recent increase in popularity, domestic burning on stoves and open fires is now the single biggest source of particulate matter emissions which is why as part of the new strategy we will:

• introduce new legislation to prohibit the sale of the most polluting fuels
• ensure that only the cleanest stoves are available for sale by 2022
• continue to explore how we can give local authorities powers to increase the rate of upgrades of inefficient and polluting heating appliances
• bring existing smoke control legislation up to date, and make it easier to enforce

We are also taking action to reduce air pollution from agriculture which is responsible for 88% of ammonia emissions by:

• supporting farmers to invest in infrastructure and equipment to reduce emissions
• introducing regulations to require farmers to use low emission farming techniques
• introducing regulations to minimise pollution from fertiliser use

The government will provide farmers with the support they need to make these important changes. In September 2018 the government launched a new £3 million programme through the Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) partnership to fund a team of specialists who work with farmers and landowners in priority areas to provide training events, tailored advice, individual farm visits and support with grant applications.

Our Agriculture Bill already sets out how future financial support for the farming sector will be focussed on delivering improvements to the environment. We propose that a future environmental land management system should fund targeted action to protect habitats impacted by ammonia.

Our modern Industrial Strategy is putting the UK at the forefront of low carbon innovation ensuring we seize the opportunity of the global shift to clean growth. As part of this we are supporting investment in innovation to clean up our air. In partnership with UK Research and Investment (UKRI), we have launched a joint research programme worth £19.6 million to promote the development of cleaner technologies funded by the modern Industrial Strategy.

By taking action on air pollution, the Government can help people live well for longer and support the NHS Long Term Plan, which has a greater focus on prevention rather than cure. Revised damage costs for air pollutants, also published today, show the cost to society of air pollution per tonne of emissions is greater than previously thought for some pollutants.

The updated costs reflect our improved understanding of the long-term health impacts of air pollution, incorporating the costs of additional health conditions such heart disease and childhood asthma in addition to the effect of shortening lives, which was already included. This new work means that the estimated impact of the measures included in the Clean Air Strategy are larger than when the draft strategy was published for consultation last May.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

Air pollution is a health issue: it harms the health of the nation. For each of us, our health is unavoidably shaped by the environment we live in. Environmental factors determine around 30% of our healthy life expectancy. Air pollution poses the single greatest environmental threat to human health.

Breathing dirty air is associated with a host of health problems, from asthma to cardiovascular disease and lung cancer, and all too often it is the most vulnerable – children, older people and those from poorer backgrounds – who are hit hardest. In short: clean air helps you live longer.

No-one can tackle air pollution alone so it is a duty of Government to act for us all. We are determined to clean up our environment and are taking the lead with this Clean Air Strategy. We have made strides forward over the past few years and the action we are taking today will save lives and improve the health of the nation – both for those of us here today and for generations to come.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, said:

Air pollution kills 7 million people globally every year, making it one of the largest and most urgent threats to global health of our time,

I applaud the United Kingdom’s Clean Air Strategy, which will not only help to protect the health of millions of people, but is also an example for the rest of the world to follow.

The government will shortly bring forward an Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill which will include primary legislation on air quality, last updated in the historic Clean Air Act of 1993.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) today announces the launch of its inaugural podcast series, Local to Global with Nick Hewer, which will see Hewer interview British business owners, entrepreneurs and CEOs who have built their businesses around the world.

Nick Hewer is best known for his appearance on 10 series of The Apprentice as one of Lord Sugar’s advisers. He is the current presenter of Channel 4’s Countdown.

The first episode in the 6-part series will be free to download from today and will shine a spotlight on each business’s exporting journey, delving into their successes and failures whilst also sharing strategies and tips for those looking to sell overseas.

This includes what3words, a London start-up that has changed how we map the world. The business has divided the entire planet into 3 metre-squares, assigning each square a unique 3-word identifier, giving a precise address to the billions of people worldwide who don’t have one. Launched in 2011, the business’s technology is now being used in over 170 countries. It has opened offices in South Africa and Mongolia, where it is working with Airbnb to help users find nomadic reindeer-herders and has even partnered with Domino’s Pizza in Saudi Arabia to enable quicker delivery.

Other companies that will be interviewed as part of the series are Pavegen, a clean technology business that has created a system that converts footsteps into off-grid electrical energy; Sure Chill, a cooling system that can stay cool for 12 days without power; BioSure, the company behind the first self-test HIV diagnosis kit; SunGod, a customs optics company that sells ‘adventureproof’ sunglasses and goggles; and Mo Bro’s, a leading men’s grooming product retailer.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:

From exporting map technology, cooling systems and adventure proof sunglasses to the world – the Department for International Trade has already helped thousands of companies to export, with exports now at a record high.

As an international economic department, we are determined to see the UK thrive and to help support, connect and grow UK companies on the world stage through our international network. The Exporting is GREAT podcast is a fantastic way to encourage further companies to think about how exporting can transform their business and reach new markets.

Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion Baroness Fairhead said:

Whether you’re starting a brand-new company or are looking to expand, selling overseas can make a huge impact in terms of increasing the sales, profitability and sustainability of your business.

The exporting journey is not always without challenges, so the Exporting is GREAT podcast series aims to make potential exporters aware of the support available as well as the opportunities and benefits, making them more confident about taking the leap into overseas markets.

Global demand for UK goods and services continues to grow, with exports in the year to November 2018 increasing to £630 billion. The number of exporting businesses is also rising, with a 1.5% increase to 110,000 for the 12 months to October 2018.

DIT estimates that 400,000 businesses believe they could export but don’t, while demand for British expertise and goods overseas is only growing.

In 2018, the UK Government launched its Export Strategy, an ambitious plan developed in collaboration with UK businesses, to set a new ambition to increase exports as a proportion of UK GDP to 35%.

New measures include developing great.gov.uk into a single digital platform for both domestic business growth and export support and working with large companies to help build the capability of UK supply chains. We will also assess financial incentives and signposting as a means to support SMEs access new markets and private sector export support.

You can listen to the trailer and subscribe to the podcast, here. The first episode goes live today, Monday 14 January, and a new episode will be released each week.

• Grants will allow institutions across the country to increase access, transform displays and enhance public spaces
• Over 80% of the £4 million funding will go to museums outside of London

Thirty-five museums across the country will receive a share of £4 million to increase access to their collections, Michael Ellis, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism and Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation announced today.

The DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund supports national and regional museums across England to improve the quality of displays, enhance exhibition spaces and public access, and increase awareness of their collections.

Jointly funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and philanthropic charity, the Wolfson Foundation, the fund has so far given £48 million to help 382 projects at 114 museum groups and galleries since it was started in 2001.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism Michael Ellis said:

Our museums and galleries are among the best in the world and we are rightly proud of these institutions. The DCMS/Wolfson Fund demonstrates how the government and philanthropic organisations can work together to boost our museum sector.

We want people up and down the country to enjoy culture and heritage wherever they are. The 35 grants awarded today will make important contributions towards improving the visitor experience; ensuring our wonderful collections are open to as many people as possible.

The Minister and Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, visited the Horniman Museum and Gardens today, in Forest Hill, South East London, which is one of this year’s successful recipients.

The Horniman will receive a grant of £90,000 to redevelop its Music Gallery to support the ‘Music in the Making’ project. Musicians from a range of genres including classical, grime and R&B will be commissioned to create and perform works inspired by the Horniman’s collection, transforming the way in which audiences interact with the museum.

Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation said:

We are delighted to provide this funding through our longstanding partnership with DCMS – an excellent example of how we as a charity can work together fruitfully with government. We are grateful to DCMS for matching our funding.

One of the great treasures of this country is the sheer quality and range of our heritage collections – stored and displayed in wonderful museums and galleries. This funding will help to provide even better visitor experiences and greater awareness of these fascinating collections. A particular joy of this funding round has been the impressive mix of the projects supported: from a dress collection at Carlisle’s Tullie House to temporary exhibition space in Falmouth’s National Maritime Museum.

Other successful museums include three museums in Manchester who are set to receive a joint total of more than £240,000 to support projects at the Manchester Museum, the People’s History Museum and Chetham’s Library. Manchester Museum will receive £190,000 for their project ‘hello future’, which will create inclusive and imaginative exhibitions on zoology, earth sciences and archaeology.

Tullie House in Carlisle has received a grant of £252,000 for their project ‘Dressed to Impress’. The Museum looks after an outstanding collection of fine art, natural science and archeology and this project will significantly improve access for visitors to an exhibition looking at changing fashion styles dating from 1720 onwards. The DCMS/Wolfson funding will allow the museum to conserve and display 40 outfits for the first time.

The Museum of East Anglian Life looks after 17 historic buildings and their successful project, Heritage Farm, will receive £250,000. The project is the first part of a 10-year plan to become the national museum of food and will help to address issues such as childhood obesity, conservation conscious farming and increase the number of visitors to Suffolk.

The successful museums and galleries are part of the thirteenth round of funding from the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

This is the thirteenth round of a joint fund which DCMS runs in partnership with the Wolfson Foundation. The fund aims to provide capital funding for museums and galleries across England to deliver projects in one or a number of the following key areas:

Material improvements to the display and interpretation of collections, in both permanent galleries and exhibition spaces

Improvements to access and/or interpretation for visitors with disabilities

Physical improvements to public spaces to enhance visitor experience

Improvements to environmental controls, collections storage and conservation facilities to enhance the care of collections

About the Wolfson Foundation

The Wolfson Foundation (www.wolfson.org.uk) is an independent charity that supports and promotes excellence in the fields of science, health, education and the arts and humanities, including awarding the Wolfson History Prize, the UK’s foremost history prize. Since it was established in 1955, over £900 million (£1.9 billion in real terms) has been awarded to more than 11,000 projects throughout the UK, all on the basis of expert review.

North West

Chetham’s Library, Manchester, Opening up Chetham’s Library – £25,500

Manchester Museum, Manchester Museum: hello future – £190,000

People’s History Museum, Manchester, Improving Storage at the People’s History Museum –
£25,000

Tullie House, Carlisle, ‘Dressed to Impress’: Showcasing a collection of national significance; transforming a historic space – £252,500

East of England

Museum of East Anglian Life, Heritage Farm: enabling the masterplan – £250,000

West Midlands

Black Country Living Museum, BCLM: Forging Ahead, Cast-Iron Houses – £90,000

Potteries Museum, Stoke-On-Trent, ‘Operation Spitfire’ – £210,000

South West

Dorset County Museum, Tomorrow’s Museum for Dorset: Collections Care and Access – £175,000

National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Investment in infrastructure to support our developing major temporary exhibition programme – £96,500

Russell-Cotes, Bournemouth, Reinterpretation and Reconnecting Project – £115,500

Southampton City Art Gallery, Lighting Up – £98,000

SS Great Britain, Bristol, SS Great Britain environmental monitoring improvements and Conservation in Action display – £50,000

Tank Museum, Wareham, Second World War Galleries Redisplay (Phase 1) – £120,000

The Wilson, Cheltenham, Observation, Imagination and Making; 100 years on – Ernest Gimson and the Arts and Crafts Movement – £100,000

Yorkshire and the Humber

Cannon Hall Museum, Cracking Ceramics! – £60,000

Hull Maritime Museum, Hull: Yorkshire’s Maritime City – £150,000

Weston Park, Sheffield, Stories from Ancient Egypt to Sheffield – £187,000

East Midlands

Derby Silk Mill, Museum of Making at Derby Silk Mill – Enhancing the temporary exhibition space – £90,000

National Holocaust Centre, Nottingham, Enhancing the Visitor Experience at The National Holocaust Centre and Museum – £31,000

Nottingham Castle, The Story of Nottingham Lace: a new Lace Gallery in Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery – £200,000

North East

Stephenson Railway Museum, North Shields, Pioneers from the Dawn of Railways: Killingworth Billy & the Willington Waggonway (The Stephensons – North Tyneside to the world) – £94,500

Sunderland Museum, Sunderland Museum, Library and Winter Gardens Development (Phase 2 – Increasing Audiences) – £156,000

Oriental Museum Durham, Silk Road Gallery – £50,000

South East

Bucks County Museum, Touch of Bucks Gallery Redevelopment – £200,000

Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, Essential Enhancements to the Victorian Ropery Gallery and Visitor Experience – £100,000

Luton Culture, Hat Works – The renovation and reanimation of the heritage of Luton’s Industrial past – £100,000

Pitt Rivers, Oxford, Engaging the senses: activating the Pitt Rivers Museum’s Photograph and Sound Collections through digital audio-visual technology – £70,500

 London

Courtauld Gallery, Courtauld Connects – £100,000

Geffrye Museum, Unlocking the Geffrye: Collections Study Room and Reading Lounge – £90,000

Horniman Museum and Gardens, Music in the Making – Gallery Improvements – £90,000

IWM London, Transforming IWM London: Phase 2 – £100,000

London Transport Museum, London’s Transport at War – bringing the story to life – £82,500

Petrie Museum, London, Petrie and Edwards: Gateway to the World of Egyptology – £110,000

Science Museum, London: Science City – £70,000

Tate Britain, Tate Britain New Displays 2020: Gallery Improvements – £70,500

35 museums and galleries across the country will receive grants of up to £300,000

The government is proposing new rules to restrict retailers using promotions thought to cause excessive consumption of HFSS food and drink by children.

The consultation asks people to give their views on:

1. restricting multibuy promotions of HFSS products, such as ‘buy one, get one free’
2. restricting promotions of HFSS products at checkouts, end of aisles and store entrances

The consultation is part of chapter 2 of the government’s childhood obesity plan. It will seek views from the public and industry on the potential measures, alongside whether exemptions should be made for small businesses so they are not penalised by the rules.

Currently, 1 in 3 children is overweight or obese by the time they leave primary school. Despite the complexity around obesity, experts are clear that the root cause is consistently consuming more calories than needed.

Recent research from the Obesity Health Alliance found that 43% of all food and drink products located in prominent areas were for sugary foods and drinks, with just 1% for fruit and vegetables.

The new rules would only apply to deals that promote HFSS food and drinks that are most often consumed by children. They would not stop discounts on household essentials.

Businesses would also still be free to offer discounts for individual sales of HFSS items, as this does not require consumers to buy more in order to benefit from savings.

Public Health Minister Steve Brine said:

Preventing ill health is critical to our Long Term Plan for the NHS, and I want to do everything in my power to keep people healthy for longer. This must start with the health and nutrition of our children.

Tackling childhood obesity means working together across society, with industry, public services and families all having a role to play. All too often we hear people say less healthy foods are cheaper and easier but that is simply not the case.

This is about ensuring businesses are doing their part to shift the balance and help children and families eat healthier options like fruit and vegetables.