News story: Public Health England encourages hepatitis C testing

Around 200,000 people in the UK are thought to be living with chronic hepatitis C (hep C) infection, with a substantial proportion unaware they have it. Many will be over the age of 50 and may have no or few specific symptoms. Revolutionary treatments can now cure the virus in the vast majority of cases, with best results achieved in the earlier stages of the disease.

Those infected previously faced weeks of injections, with some experiencing severe side effects and struggling to complete their treatment. Now, tablets can clear the virus quicker and more effectively, with fewer side effects. This is thought to have contributed to the recent fall in deaths from severe hep C related liver disease.

The virus, which can cause severe liver damage and cancer, is thought to affect around 200,000 people in the UK, with many unaware they are infected. In England, around one-third of those with long-term infection are believed to be over the age of 50 and many will have acquired the infection years, or even decades, earlier.

You should get tested if you:

  • received a blood transfusion before September 1991, or a blood product before 1986 in the UK
  • shared needles or other equipment to inject drugs, even if it was just once or many years ago
  • had medical or dental treatment abroad in unsterile conditions
  • had a tattoo, piercing, acupuncture, electrolysis, or semi-permanent make up using equipment that may have been unsterilised
  • had unprotected sex with someone who has, or might have, hep C
  • shared a razor or toothbrush with someone who has, or might have, hep C

Despite its debilitating effect on the liver, many with hep C may have no specific symptoms, with some – including tiredness and abdominal pain – easily ignored or mistaken for other conditions.

Free and simple testing is available from local GPs, sexual health clinics, genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics or drug treatment services.

The call for testing comes as Public Health England (PHE) publishes its most recent Hepatitis C in the UK report. The report, released today (28 July 2017), highlights the need to find and treat those infected with hep C in order to sustain the recent fall in deaths from the condition.

Dr Helen Harris, Clinical Scientist in PHE’s Immunisation, Hepatitis and Blood Safety Department said:

We strongly encourage anyone who may have been at risk of hep C infection to get tested, whether or not they have any symptoms. The sooner treatment starts, the greater the chance of avoiding long-term health complications. If people are unsure, they should visit their GP or take our quick online quiz to find out whether they might have been exposed to the hep C virus and would benefit from a test.

We are hopeful that the increased access to improved treatments over recent years has contributed to the latest fall in deaths from severe hep C related liver disease. This, combined with interventions to prevent infection in the first place, can help us to achieve our vision of eliminating hep C as a major public health threat in the UK.

PHE is backing World Hepatitis Day’s global #ShowYourFace campaign, which aims to increase awareness of the disease. The campaign encourages personalised photos via social media to emphasise that viral hepatitis can affect anyone.



Notice: GL20 8HY, Hern, Hern and Hern (Trading as F C Jones & Co): environmental permit draft decision advertisement

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for waste operations, mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities. In some cases they also consult on draft decisions for environmental permits. The arrangements are explained in its Public Participation Statement
These notices explain:

  • the Environment Agency’s proposed decision and the reasons and considerations on which they’ve based this
  • additional relevant information available since the application was advertised
  • any information or guidance provided by the Secretary of State relevant to the application


News story: Surveillance Camera Commissioner publishes civil engagement plan

As part of the National Surveillance Camera Strategy for England and Wales Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera Commissioner, has published a civil engagement plan.

This work has been led by Professor William Webster – Director at the Centre for Research into Information, Surveillance and Privacy (CRISP) as well as Professor of Public Management and Policy at the University of Stirling – and signed off by the Commissioner’s strategy group.

The civil engagement strand of the strategy will engage citizens and civil society about the use of surveillance camera systems and associated technologies (such as automatic facial recognition). It will to raise awareness and encourage discussion about the use of such systems.

The civil engagement plan aims to ensure that:

  • citizens have free access to information relating to the operation of surveillance cameras
  • citizens have a better understanding of their rights in relation to the operation of surveillance cameras
  • citizens have an understanding of how surveillance cameras function and are used, and
  • organisations have an understanding of the information relating to the operation of surveillance cameras that they should make available to citizens

Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Tony Porter said:

A key objective of the strategy is to make information freely available to the public about the operation of surveillance camera systems. In the current climate, with a security threat level at ‘severe’, surveillance cameras can be a tool to keep people safe but that can’t be at the price of mass intrusion into an individual’s right to privacy.

The work William has done on the civil engagement plan will be crucial in ensuring that the use of surveillance cameras is debated and to encourage organisations to be transparent about why and how they are using surveillance cameras.

Read the civil engagement plan

CRISP Website

Professor William Webster: CRISP@stir.ac.uk



Press release: June 2017 Price Paid Data

HM Land Registry Price Paid Data tracks land and property sales in England and Wales submitted to us for registration.

This month’s Price Paid Data includes details of more than 92,000 residential and commercial land and property sales in England and Wales lodged for registration in June 2017.

Of the 92,009 sales lodged for registration:

  • 67,772 were freehold

  • 9,595 were newly built

  • 29,901 sales took place in June 2017

  • 559 were residential sales in June 2017 in England and Wales for £1 million and over

  • 356 were residential sales in June 2017 in London for £1 million and over

Property type June 2017
Detached 20,431
Semi-detached 23,216
Terraced 24,673
Flat/maisonette 17,390
Other 6,299
Total 92,009

The most expensive residential sale in June 2017 was of a flat in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, for £11,241,078. The cheapest residential sales in June 2017 were of terraced properties in Burnley, Lancashire and Hartlepool, County Durham, each for £18,000.

The most expensive commercial sale in June 2017 was in Newport, Wales for £83,500,000. The cheapest commercial sales in June 2017 were in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Norwich and Trafford, Greater Manchester, each for £100.

Access the full dataset

Notes to editors

  1. Price Paid Data (PPD) is published at 11am on the 20th working day of each month. The next dataset will be published on 29 August 2017.

  2. Price Paid Data is property price data for all residential and commercial property sales in England and Wales that are lodged with HM Land Registry for registration in that month, subject to exclusions.

  3. The following information is available for each property:
    • the full address
    • the price paid
    • the date of transfer
    • the property type
    • whether it is new build or not
    • whether it is freehold or leasehold

  4. Price Paid Data can be downloaded in txt, csv format and in a machine readable format as linked data and is released under Open Government Licence (OGL). Under the OGL, HM Land Registry permits use of Price Paid Data for commercial or non-commercial purposes. However, the OGL does not cover the use of third party rights, which HM Land Registry is not authorised to license.

  5. Price Paid Data includes Standard Price Paid Data (SPPD) for single residential property sales at full market value and Additional Price Paid Data (APPD) for transactions previously excluded from SPPD such as:
    • transfers to a non-private individual, for example a company, corporate body or business
    • transfers under a power of sale (repossessions)
    • buy-to-lets (where they can be identified by a mortgage). The information available for each property will indicate whether it is APPD or SPPD and the record’s status – addition/change/deletion (A/C/D).

  6. The Price Paid Data report builder allows users to build bespoke reports using the data. Reports can be based on location, estate type, price paid or property type over a defined period of time.

  7. As a government department established in 1862, executive agency and trading fund responsible to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, HM Land Registry keeps and maintains the Land Register for England and Wales. The Land Register has been open to public inspection since 1990.

  8. With the largest transactional property database of its kind detailing over 24 million titles, HM Land Registry underpins the economy by safeguarding ownership of many billions of pounds worth of property.

  9. For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry.

  10. Follow us on:


News story: New station boost for passengers thanks to £16 million government investment

Rail passengers are set for better journeys with 5 new stations to be built across England and Wales, the government announced today (28 July 2017).

The Department for Transport (DfT) has given the green light for the stations, which will provide long term benefits to passengers and the wider economy. The government will invest over £16 million in the schemes under the new stations fund, which gives local communities improved rail services. All of the new stations will be accessible, with step-free access throughout.

The successful bids announced today are:

  • Horden Peterlee in County Durham which will receive £4.4 million of DfT funding towards a scheme worth £10.55 million
  • Warrington West in Cheshire, which will receive £4.23 million towards a total project cost of £17.2 million
  • Reading Green Park which will receive £2.3 million towards a total project cost of £16.5 million
  • Bow Street in Ceredigion, Wales which will receive £3.945 million towards a total project cost of £6.76 million
  • Portway Parkway near Bristol which will receive £1.672 million towards a total project cost of £2.23 million

Rail Minister Paul Maynard said:

We are committed to improving journeys for passengers right across the country. This means delivering more trains, quicker journeys and making more seats available.

The new stations fund is a great example of how our record investment in the railways and work with local authorities and industry is delivering better journeys for passengers and boosting local economies.

The stations will improve access to the rail network and create new leisure, training, employment and business opportunities, as well as supporting new housing developments. All of the stations will be completed by March 2020.

Today’s announcement is the second round of funding for the scheme. The initial round has already delivered improvements to passengers and communities with stations at Newcourt (Exeter), Lea Bridge (London), Pye Corner (Newport) and Ilkeston already open and Kenilworth due to be completed later this year.

David Biggs, Managing Director for Network Rail Property, said:

More people than ever are choosing to travel by train and this ambitious investment into brand new stations allows us to meet growing demand while providing greater connectivity across Britain.

New stations are proven to have a hugely positive effect on local areas, acting as a catalyst for regeneration driving social and economic improvements. We look forward to beginning work on these schemes as part of our continued efforts to create a better railway for Britain.

Details on each of the stations are:

Horden Peterlee

The new station, which will have 2 platforms, will deliver improved access to employment opportunities to the area, which has low levels of car ownership, making it easy for people to get around.

Warrington West

Key benefits include reducing congestion on the M62 motorway and supporting the Chapelford Urban Village housing development. The station will have 2 platforms and a 268 space car park.

Reading Green Park

The station has the potential to unlock 7,500 new jobs and 1,500 homes, serving an area currently only accessible by road. It will have 2 platforms.

Bow Street

The station will act as a park and ride site for Aberystwyth and Borth stations and will help traffic congestion in Aberystwyth.

Portway Parkway

The station will serve an existing park and ride site and will reduce congestion on inner Bristol roads.