Aug172017

In East Darfur, UN refugee chief urges international support for Sudan

United Nations

17 August 2017 – The United Nations refugee chief has called for international solidarity and resources to aid Sudan, which is one of the major hosting countries for refugees fleeing the conflict in South Sudan.

&#8220Sudan’s generosity must be matched with international solidarity and resources. Much more donor support is required &#8211 and urgently &#8211 so that we can help the hundreds of thousands of refugees in the country and the communities that are hosting them,&#8221 UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said yesterday wrapping up his first visit as the head of UNHCR to Sudan.

The UN refugee chief also reiterated his call on the international community to do much more to end the fighting in South Sudan, which is causing the world’s fastest growing forced displacement tragedy, without an immediate end in sight.

&#8220Parties to the conflict, regional states and the international community need to put an end to this tragedy,&#8221 he said.

During the visit this week, Mr. Grandi met with South Sudanese refugees and their local hosts at the Al-Nimir refugee camp in East Darfur, Sudan.

&#8220My coming here has one reason &#8211 just as I did in Uganda, Ethiopia and from Juba itself, to appeal to the leadership of South Sudan, to the opposition of South Sudan, to the States in the region and to the international community at large, to inject some sense of urgency in the quest of peace in South Sudan itself,&#8221 Mr. Grandi said.

The High Commissioners met with Sudan’s President, Omar al-Bashir, and, according to a UNHCR press release, welcomed the President’s assurances that Sudan will continue providing safety to those fleeing conflict and persecution &#8211 including those who arrive from South Sudan, and other countries in the region.

Sudan has hosted over 416,000 South Sudanese refugees since 2013, including some 170,000 new arrivals in 2017, making it one of the largest refugee-receiving countries in the region, UNHCR reported.

Hundreds of thousands of other South Sudanese who stayed in Sudan following the separation of the two countries are also in need of humanitarian assistance. Sudan also continues to host refugees from Eritrea, Syria, Yemen, Chad and other countries.

Aug172017

Deprived Scots pupils less likely to get to university than rUK counterparts

Scottish Conservatives
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17 Aug 2017

Liz Smith

The number of Scottish pupils from deprived areas winning a place at university is significantly behind the equivalent statistic for England.

Today, youngsters south of the border received exam results, and figures from UCAS have revealed that 16.5 per cent who secured a place at university are from the least wealthy areas.

In comparison, the same number for Scotland is just 11.9 per cent.

And for those from the second poorest backgrounds – deemed to be in the 20-40 per cent bracket –22 per cent secured university places on results day.

However, the same figure for Scotland was just 17.8 per cent.

It’s the latest set of statistics showing the SNP government is doing less than its Westminster counterparts in getting those from most deprived backgrounds into higher education.

It also calls into question the nationalists’ policy of universal free tuition, which is now shown to be unsuccessful in closing the attainment gap.

In today’s Scotsman, former senior SNP minister Kenny MacAskill even acknowledged that Scotland would have to move towards some kind of tuition fees approach, and that the Scottish Government’s way has “hit support for the poorest”.

Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Liz Smith said:

“These figures show clearly that it’s much easier for a pupil from a deprived background in England to get to university than it is in Scotland.

“The SNP has had more than a decade to address this, but it has failed.

“This SNP government now owes generations of disadvantaged youngsters an explanation – why are their contemporaries south of the border significantly more likely to get to university?

“This also blows a hole in the SNP’s policy of universal free tuition.

“It blatantly is not working, is harming universities financially and – as Kenny MacAskill has now admitted – is reducing opportunity for those who need it the most.

“We need a radical rethink from the Scottish Government, or more children from the poorest backgrounds will be placed at a stark disadvantage to those just a few hundred miles away.”

Aug172017

News story: More Application Enquiry updates for Business e-services customers

HM Government

We are improving the Contact Us form in Application Enquiry.

Used by thousands of Business e-services customers, Application Enquiry is a free, user-friendly way for customers to track the progress and status of any application. It is accessed via the HM Land Registry portal.

The improvements to the Contact Us form build on the updates we made on 14 August. We continue to prioritise updates according to customer needs and feedback, and prioritise those that help us become a digital and data-driven organisation.

During week commencing 21 August, the changes to the current contact us form will include the addition of:

*Customers will need to specify the reason they want an update, allowing us to handle their query as quickly as possible and better understand their needs.

We are also removing the option for customers to request a call-back when they are enquiring about the progress of their application. This option is rarely used and in most cases we can only give an indication of when a customer’s application will be completed. This often mirrors the average completion times that are already shown as part of the service.

Business customers can find out:

Aug172017

Press release: Improved flood warning service now covers more properties

DEFRA

The Environment Agency has improved its flood warning systems across West Yorkshire.

The updated service uses new modelling data, which gives more accurate alerts, helping communities to be better prepared for flooding.

As part of this latest update, four new communities near Meanwood Beck, Leeds, covering more than 3,000 properties are now included in the flood warning service. They are:

  • Meanwood Beck at Headingley and Weetwood, including properties on and close to Weetwood Mill Lane, Stone Mill Way, Mill Pond Lane, Boothroyd Drive and Sugar Well Road.
  • Meanwood Beck at Busingthorpe and Sheepscar, including properties on and close to Meanwood Road, Buslingthorpe Lane, Buslingthorpe Mills, Sackville Street and Barrack Street.
  • Meanwood Beck at Sheepscar, Mabgate and Quarry Hill, including properties on and close to Sheepscar Street, Regent Street and Saint Peter’s Street.
  • Gipton Beck and Gledhow Beck, including properties on and close to Roundhay Road, Markham Avenue and Gledhow Valley Road

Due to these changes, the Environment Agency is encouraging Leeds residents and local businesses to check if they are at risk of flooding and to sign up to receive the flood warning service so they can be aware of when flooding is possible.

Residents can find out if they are eligible to receive flood warnings, and then registering, by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or by visiting www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk.

This website also includes information about how to be better prepared for flooding.

Dr Jenny Armstrong, Environment Agency flood resilience officer, said:

The becks in these communities can rise very quickly after heavy rain, so providing warnings can be difficult, but our new and improve warnings aim to alert the community in a timely manner, giving people more time to prepare, and to be aware of possible flooding so that they do not put themselves at danger.

Aug172017

Press release: Improved flood warning service now covers more properties

HM Government

The Environment Agency has improved its flood warning systems across West Yorkshire.

The updated service uses new modelling data, which gives more accurate alerts, helping communities to be better prepared for flooding.

As part of this latest update, four new communities near Meanwood Beck, Leeds, covering more than 3,000 properties are now included in the flood warning service. They are:

  • Meanwood Beck at Headingley and Weetwood, including properties on and close to Weetwood Mill Lane, Stone Mill Way, Mill Pond Lane, Boothroyd Drive and Sugar Well Road.
  • Meanwood Beck at Busingthorpe and Sheepscar, including properties on and close to Meanwood Road, Buslingthorpe Lane, Buslingthorpe Mills, Sackville Street and Barrack Street.
  • Meanwood Beck at Sheepscar, Mabgate and Quarry Hill, including properties on and close to Sheepscar Street, Regent Street and Saint Peter’s Street.
  • Gipton Beck and Gledhow Beck, including properties on and close to Roundhay Road, Markham Avenue and Gledhow Valley Road

Due to these changes, the Environment Agency is encouraging Leeds residents and local businesses to check if they are at risk of flooding and to sign up to receive the flood warning service so they can be aware of when flooding is possible.

Residents can find out if they are eligible to receive flood warnings, and then registering, by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188, or by visiting www.gov.uk/check-flood-risk.

This website also includes information about how to be better prepared for flooding.

Dr Jenny Armstrong, Environment Agency flood resilience officer, said:

The becks in these communities can rise very quickly after heavy rain, so providing warnings can be difficult, but our new and improve warnings aim to alert the community in a timely manner, giving people more time to prepare, and to be aware of possible flooding so that they do not put themselves at danger.