The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, has announced the allocation of £140m of UK Government funding to support the development of the new Strule Shared Education Campus Project.

The Secretary of State made the announcement during a visit to the Strule Shared Education Campus (SSEC) site in Omagh today. Stressing the pressing need for the re-establishment of an Executive to build on this and other positive developments for the people of Northern Ireland, she also called for the redoubling of efforts to recommence talks between the political parties.

The Strule Project will be the largest shared educational campus in Northern Ireland, bringing together over 4,000 pupils, from all backgrounds, in a vibrant and unique campus environment. This will offer collaborative education opportunities and experiences to students across the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) area of the curriculum.

The sharing of facilities, skills and resources will enable a more flexible approach to learning with enhanced curriculum choices, encouraging and supporting young people to flourish and to become the best that they can be.

The UK Government is committed to shared and integrated education in Northern Ireland. This includes previous commitments in the Economic Pact in June 2013 and the recent commitments in the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements to provide up to £500 million of new funding to support shared and integrated education projects.

The Secretary of State was welcomed to the Strule Campus, a vast building site, by John Smith, Deputy Secretary at the Department of Education and SRO for the Strule Shared Education Campus Programme, and Jennifer Morgan, Strule Construction Director, for a tour of the site, during which she heard about the scale and ambition of the project.

At Arvalee School and Resource Centre, a special needs school on the edge of the site and the first school to move to the new shared location, the Secretary of State was greeted by the Principal, Jonathan Gray, and John Hall MBE, Chair of the School’s Board of Governors, for a tour of the school and grounds. She also took the opportunity to meet the principals of the other five schools involved in the project, as well as a number of pupils from all six schools.

Strule is the only campus in Northern Ireland where students with moderate and severe learning difficulties will be educated alongside mainstream schools, presenting a unique opportunity to share learning and cultivate meaningful partnerships which benefit the pupils and staff of all six schools.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt. Hon. Karen Bradley MP, said:

I am delighted to announce the allocation of £140m to support the development of the world-class Strule Project which will bring together six schools and 4,200 pupils.

UK Government funding will help support integrated and shared education in Northern Ireland and break down barriers through cohesion to give young people the valuable skills they need to succeed.

Our strong commitment has been demonstrated in recent years in the 2013 Economic Pact with the Executive and in both the Stormont House and Fresh Start Agreements.

It is our ambition that we ensure all young people can benefit from a high-class education and fulfil their potential, irrespective of their background.

The children that I have met today and throughout my time as Secretary of State have made a huge impression on me. They are the future of Northern Ireland and they deserve the best they can possibly have.

The Strule project demonstrates the huge importance of devolved Government in Northern Ireland to drive forward projects like this for the benefit of the whole community.

It is clear that people in Northern Ireland want local politicians in place working hard to deliver and drive transformation across the education sector and wider public services to create a Northern Ireland fit for the future. A restored Executive is also urgently needed to give Northern Ireland the best possible chance of building on further opportunities such as the devolution of corporation tax rates.

This is my priority too, and this is why my focus is on redoubling efforts to get the political parties back into talks to restore an Executive at the earliest possibility.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) 16 and 18 infections, which cause the majority of cervical cancer cases, decreased by 86% in women aged 16 to 21 who were eligible for the vaccination as adolescents between 2010 and 2016.

The surveillance data from England was published today (Monday 18 June 2018) in the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Overall, declines were seen across 5 high-risk HPV types, which together cause around 90% of cervical cancer cases, as well as low-risk HPV types.

The results suggest that the HPV vaccination programme will bring about large reductions in cervical cancer in the future. Cervical cancer is currently the most common cancer in women under 35, killing around 850 women a year.

In addition, the programme has led to a marked decline in genital wart diagnoses. The number of genital wart diagnoses in sexual health clinics fell in girls aged 15 to 17 by 89%, and in boys of the same age by 70%, between 2009 and 2017 as a result of herd immunity. Genital warts are caused by some low-risk strains of HPV, which the current vaccine also protects against.

Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations, Public Health England (PHE), said:

These results are very promising and mean that in years to come we can expect to see significant decreases in cervical cancer, which is currently one of the biggest causes of cancer in women under 35.

This study also reminds us how important it is to keep vaccination rates high to reduce the spread of this preventable infection. I encourage all parents of girls aged 12 to 13 to make sure they take up the offer for this potentially life-saving vaccine.

As well as seeing a significant reduction in the high-risk types 16 and 18, the study also showed clear declines in the prevalence of HPV31, HPV33 and HPV45, which are not included in the current vaccine. This builds on existing evidence which suggests the vaccine also offers some cross-protection to unvaccinated women against related HPV types that can also cause cervical cancer.

Robert Music, Chief Executive, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust:

It is extremely positive to see the impact that the vaccination has had on prevalence of cervical cancer causing HPV infection among vaccinated women. One day we hope to see cervical cancer become a disease of the past and it is only through high vaccination rates that we will get there. For women who have had the vaccine, it is important to remember it does not offer full protection against cervical cancer so attending cervical screening when invited is still important.

Most HPV infections are cleared by the immune system with no symptoms, but some high-risk types of HPV (16 and 18) cause cervical cancer.

The HPV vaccination programme was first introduced in 2008. Over 80% of people aged 15 to 24 have now been vaccinated in the UK and 80 million have received the vaccine worldwide.

The study reminds us of the importance of maintaining high take up amongst girls who are offered the vaccine through the school vaccination. The vaccine was found to be less effective in females who receive it in later adolescent years, due to an increased likelihood of prior exposure to the virus through sexual activity.

All girls can get the HPV vaccine free from the NHS from the age of 12 up to their 18th birthday. The vaccination programme is delivered through schools, but if girls miss out they can request it from their GP surgery.

1. Read the paper published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.
2. In England, girls aged 12 to 13 years are routinely offered the first HPV vaccination when they’re in school year 8. The second dose is normally offered 6 to 12 months after the first (in school year 8 or year 9). It’s important to have both doses to be protected.
3. Men who have sex with men (MSM) do not benefit in the same way from the girls’ programme. From April 2018, MSM up to and including the age of 45 are eligible for free HPV vaccination on the NHS when they visit GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinics and HIV clinics in England.
4. For more information, comment or media interviews, please contact the PHE press office:

During a visit to WFEL in Stockport, a military design and manufacturing company that has worked with the Government for nearly four decades, the minister saw how the department’s funding was supporting employment in every corner of the nation.

WFEL, which employs 230 staff, has supplied tactical military bridge systems to more than 40 armed forces across the globe, including the UK, USA and Australia.

Defence Minister Guto Bebb said:

WFEL provides world-class bridge systems that enable UK Armed Forces to be rapidly deployed across the globe and project military power in any eventuality.

Defence suppliers are at the heart of British industry and the MOD will ensure that our home-grown companies continue to develop, thrive and export their innovative products to our international partners.

One of WFEL’s most enduring products is the Medium Girder Bridge, which was originally developed in partnership with the MOD.

The highly adaptable, deployable and transportable tactical bridges ensure military equipment and personnel can get to where they are needed, whether that is during conflict or a humanitarian crisis.

During the lifetime of the bridge project, the MOD has invested millions into equipment and support services with the firm, boosting the local economy and employment.

There are a range of current opportunities for further MOD investment in the company, with WFEL bidding to update and replace some of the UK’s current military bridging systems.