As part of their fight against waste crime the Environment Agency is tackling the highest risk illegal waste sites in a series of focussed days of action. read more
Portland flood sirens to be tested by the Environment Agency to prepare for possible floods this winter. read more
Kate Hoey seems to think other people should pay for the mess she and other leading Brexiteers have caused. Go to Source Author: read more
If you drive, it goes without saying that you know you need your eyes on the road at all times. What you might not know is that DVLA has minimum eyesight standards that all drivers need to demonstrate so they can be allowed to drive.
So how do we decide on the vision standards for driving? DVLA’s Vision Panel Secretary Dr Gareth Rees tells us more about his role and these standards.
I’ve been a doctor for 41 years and have been DVLA’s Vision Panel Secretary for 10 years. My main role is to liaise between DVLA and the Honorary Medical Advisory Panel on Visual Disorders. The panel meets every 6 months and is made up of eyesight specialists, who provide DVLA with expert advice on how to apply and interpret the law when assessing fitness to drive.
We all have busy lives, and sometimes we might overlook the signs that our eyes are not as good as they were. You might be finding it harder to judge distances, you might be struggling to read the newspapers, or it’s getting more difficult for you to drive at night. These are just a few signs that your eyesight may be deteriorating.
In line with advice from optometrists, our advice is that you should get your eyes tested at least every 2 years. But if you recognise any of the signs above, don’t wait – go and get checked out straight away with your optician or doctor. If they advise you to tell DVLA about your eyesight, you can do this online or by writing to us.
If you don’t meet the eyesight standards, stop driving immediately and tell DVLA.
Don’t worry – usually, most people who tell us they’ve got a medical condition are still allowed to drive.
If you have a ‘progressive’ (worsening) condition but can still meet the eyesight standards for driving, you may get a short-term licence rather than a full-term one. This type of licence lasts for 1, 2, 3 or 5 years and when it’s due for renewal, we let you know.
It’s better to be safe than sorry. So if you’re in doubt, get it checked out.
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read moreKeir Starmer, Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, has urged ministers to meet the deadline for handing over the 58 Brexit impact studies to MPs tomorrow [Tuesday 28 November] or risk being held in contempt of Parliament.
Earlier this month, MPs unanimously backed a Labour motion for the economic impact studies to be released to the Select Committee for Exiting the European Union. MPs on that Select Committee will then have the right to review the impact studies and determine what information is put in the public domain.
The Speaker of the House of Commons said motions of the kind tabled by Labour “have in the past been seen as effective or binding.”
Responding to the decision, the Brexit Secretary, David Davis, said on Tuesday 7 November: “The Government is committed to providing the information to the Committee as soon as possible. I have made plain to the House authorities that we currently expect this to be no more than three weeks [Tuesday 28 November].”
If ministers fail to respond to Labour’s motion, then they risk falling in contempt of Parliament.
Parliament’s rulebook Erskine May states that “actions which…obstruct or impede” the Commons “in the performance of its functions, or are offences against its authority or dignity, such as disobedience to its legitimate commands.”
Labour is calling for the papers to be handed over, unredacted before Parliament rises tomorrow.
Keir Starmer said:
“There is huge anxiety across the country about the impact of the Government’s Brexit approach on jobs and the economy.
“Labour fully understand the importance of protecting the UK’s negotiating position with the European Union. However, the decision agreed unanimously by MPs earlier this month was about transparency and ensuring Parliament had the information it needs to hold ministers to account during the Brexit process.
“Ministers have accepted that the vote was binding and they must now respect Parliament’s decision. That means releasing the impact studies to the Brexit Select Committee in full and unredacted before Parliament rises on Tuesday. If ministers fail to act then we will have no choice but to raise this matter with the Speaker of the Commons.“
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