Aug72017

News story: Animal medicines seizure: Ms Aneta Szulzycka

HM Government

Details of the seizure notice served on Ms Aneta Szulzycka, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Published in August 2017.

A number of products which had been imported by Ms Szulzycka, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire for administration were seized as they are not authorised in the UK:

  • Small quantities of 22 unauthorised veterinary medicinal products. These were mainly from Poland and included wormers, vaccines and antibiotics

This is an offence under Regulation 8 (Administration of the product), Regulation 25 (Importation of an unauthorised veterinary medicinal product) and Regulation 26 (Possession of an unauthorised veterinary medicinal product), of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013.

Aug72017

Press release: ‘Orange’ emergency areas on M1 smart motorway

HM Government

The new look emergency areas have bright orange road surfaces to help improve visibility so they are more obvious to drivers on smart motorways. It is also hoped that it will encourage drivers to only use them in emergency situations.

The first of the new emergency areas went live on the M3 near Camberley last month. This change is part of an ongoing review into the design and spacing of emergency areas on smart motorways. A further 14 emergency areas will have the distinctive orange colour added along the M1 between junctions 19 (Catthorpe) to 16a (Northampton) from this month.

Highways England Chief Executive Jim O’Sullivan said:

We recognise the public concern about smart motorways and we also believe that changes such as these will help drivers have confidence when using them and be clear about where they can stop in an emergency.

That is why we are trialling these highly visible new style emergency areas. The bright orange colouring will make them as easy as possible to spot and should also discourage drivers from using them in non-emergency situations.

This is just one of the ways we are helping drivers to understand smart motorways and their benefits. I hope it helps drivers feel more confident about using a smart motorway.

Smart motorways use variable speed limits to manage traffic and tackle frustrating stop-start congestion, new technology to give drivers better information on road conditions ahead and – in smart motorway upgrades delivered since 2004 – convert the hard shoulder into an extra traffic lane. Evidence shows that smart motorways are successfully adding extra capacity, improving journey times and are just as safe as conventional motorways.

The redesigned emergency area supports Highways England’s drive to improve awareness of smart motorway driving, including what to do in an emergency and when to use an emergency area. It sits alongside a national TV, radio and social media campaign covering key themes such as not driving in lanes closed by Red X signs, how to stop in an emergency and the importance of carrying out appropriate vehicle checks, like checking fuel levels, before setting out on a journey to avoid unnecessary breakdowns.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Aug72017

Dietary reference values: advice on riboflavin

EU

EFSA has set dietary reference values for riboflavin (vitamin B2) as part of its review of scientific advice on nutrient intakes.

Based on new scientific findings, the Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) decided to update the dietary reference values for riboflavin established by the Scientific Committee for Food in 1993. The panel defined daily population reference intakes (PRIs) for riboflavin as follows:

  • 0.6 mg for children aged 1-3 years;
  • 0.7 mg for children aged 4-6;
  • 1.0 mg for children aged 7-10;
  • 1.4 mg for children aged 11-14;
  • 1.6 mg for adolescents aged 15-17 as well as for adults;
  • 1.9 mg for pregnant women;
  • 2 mg for lactating women.

For children aged 7-11 months, the panel set an adequate intake (AI) of 0.4 mg per day.

Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin that is involved in energy metabolism and the functioning of various enzymes. It is naturally present in many foods of plant or animal origin including milk, milk products, eggs and offal.

EFSA considered comments and input on the draft scientific opinion it received during a five-week public consultation.

Aug72017

First Minister urges you to Get Creative Cymraeg

Welsh Government

The £300,000 Cymraeg 2050 Grant will fund innovative, short-term projects which aim to increase the use of Welsh. This will include funding to support groups or organisations that have new ideas to create and promote technology which supports the use of Welsh.

Embedding positive language use practices supported by formal and informal opportunities to use Welsh – whether face to face in community settings, in the workplace or through digital platforms – is a key element of the new Welsh language strategy – Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers. In particular, it will support our efforts to increase people’s daily use of the language.

First Minister Carwyn Jones said:

“We want the use of Welsh to be a routine part of everyday life so that speakers at all levels feel confident in using it in formal and informal situations. This fund seeks to broaden our horizons to pilot new ideas and work with a wide range of organisations to give everyone the opportunity to use the language.

“We are very clear that it is our responsibility as a Government to set the direction and provide leadership for growing the language. This fund is a strong starting point for our Cymraeg 2050 strategy.”

As well as the target for the number of Welsh speakers to reach 1 million by 2050, the Cymraeg 2050 strategy also includes a target to increase the the percentage of the population that speak Welsh daily, and can speak more than just a few words of Welsh, from 10% (in 2013-15) to 20% by 2050.

The fund is open to organisations from all sectors, and is not limited to current grant recipients. We particularly welcome applications from new applicants wishing to promote the Welsh language to new audiences.

The application process will be open from today (7 August) until 22 September 2017.