UK passports should allow people to define themselves as “X” as an alternative to male or female, Stonewall have said today.
Apr52017
UK passports should allow 'X' as an alternative to 'male' or 'female'
Apr52017
World-class transport system suggested for Xiongan New Area
Xiongan New Area, a new economic zone near Beijing, should have a “world-class transport system” that is green and smart, a policy advisor said Wednesday.
Transportation in the new area should mainly focus on rail and bus transit options, complemented by bike-sharing and other “green, advanced and highly intelligent” transportation options, said Lu Huapu, from Tsinghua University and a member of the expert committee advising the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (Jing-Jin-Ji).
Public transportation, parking, traffic management and logistics should all be supported by smart systems, Lu told Xinhua in an interview.
He also suggested smooth and easy transit between Xiongan and the metropolises of Beijing and Tianjin, saying this was essential to attracting high-level talent from those cities and key to the new area’s development.
There should be “seamless connections” between Xiongan and the airports of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, Lu noted.
China announced plans to create Xiongan New Area on Saturday, which authorities described as a “major historic and strategic choice” that would be “crucial for the millennium to come.”
The new area, some 100 kilometers southwest of downtown Beijing, is designed to advance coordinated development in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and cure “urban ills” such as traffic congestion and air pollution in the capital.
Establishing Xiongan New Area will help with the ongoing drive to transfer “non-capital” functions out of Beijing, officials said.
Apr52017
Cost of second referendum could instead address Scotland’s teacher recruitment crisis
5 Apr 2017
Nicola Sturgeon must focus on delivering her day job, not threatening a second referendum, the Scottish Conservatives have said today.
Following the First Minister’s fresh threat to hold another vote in a speech in California last night, the Scottish Conservatives are highlighting the potential cost of such a plan.
The 2014 referendum cost £17 million to stage.
Meanwhile, a potential legal challenge on the powers to hold a referendum – raised by the First Minister last night – would also run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Combined, the cost of this unnecessary constitutional plan would be enough to put 750 teachers through their probation – helping to tackle Scotland’s crippling recruitment crisis in the classroom.
Scottish Conservative constitution spokesman Adam Tomkins said:
“There is a price to pay for Nicola Sturgeon’s constitutional tunnel vision.
“If the First Minister decides to go to the courts, or ram through her own referendum, millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money which could be spent on hiring teachers will instead go on her independence vanity project.
“The wider cost is a government in charge of the NHS, education and public services which isn’t focused on improving our quality of life, but is instead campaigning for separation.
“It is a lose-lose situation for the Scottish public. Nicola Sturgeon has dug herself into a hole on the constitution.
“It is time to stop digging and get back to the day job she was elected to do.”
Notes to editors:
- It cost £15.8 million to run the first independence referendum. This was £2.1 million more than had originally been estimated by the SNP (Scottish Parliament, Question S4W-27304, 4 September 2015, link).
- It cost £1.2 million to print and distribute copies of the white paper (Scottish Parliament, Question S4W-20080, 11 March 2014,link; Ibid, Question S4W-20080, 17 December 2014, link).
- Teacher probation salary in 2016/17: £22,416 (The Educational Institute of Scotland, link)
- The cost of a legal challenge is unclear – however, the Scottish Government spent £136,000 purely to intervene in the Article 50 case at the Supreme Court before Christmas.
Apr52017
Press release: What goes bump in the night?
With traffic speeds increasing by 10 per cent after dark, night time can be a particularly vulnerable time for Highways England’s traffic officers.
In addition to faster traffic, officers have to contend with tired drivers and those struggling to adjust to road conditions after nightfall.
The final episode of ITV’s Britain’s Busiest Motorway, covers “things that go bump in the night”, as traffic officers on the M25 have to help clear debris from a wardrobe and escort horses off the motorway.
One recent night time incident saw traffic officers narrowly avoid serious injury when an out of control car skidded across the motorway, smashing into the back of a van parked in the hard shoulder.
The crash happened around 8pm on Tuesday 8 March near junction 23 of the M25 clockwise.
Traffic officers Mark Cooper and Paul Graham had been speaking with the driver of the van following its break down, and were fortunate the crash did not happen a moment earlier when they were stood at the back of the van.
The passengers of the van also had a close call as they were sat on the hard shoulder when the crash happened, quickly leaping off and scarpering to safety following the impact.
After the crash, Mark and Paul attended the car to ensure the driver was not hurt, and medics were able to treat the driver who was fortunate to have just suffered minor injuries after the smash .
Caner Okanay, operations manager at Highways England, said:
This incident serves as a timely reminder of the need for drivers to pay extra attention when driving at night. With traffic moving faster and road users feeling tired, accidents are more likely to happen.
Safety is our top priority at Highways England, and we want to minimise the risks faced by both our traffic officers and drivers. This incident was a lucky escape for all involved – for the driver who was unhurt, for the traffic officers who moments before were behind the van, and for the passengers on the hard shoulder.
People do not realise how dangerous the hard shoulder is – these passengers were in danger by casually sitting on the barrier and not paying full attention. The hard shoulder is for emergencies only, and those who do have to use it need to stay behind the barrier, to remain safe and remain vigilant.
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.
Apr52017
South Devon engineer sentenced for unregistered gas work
An unregistered plumber has been sentenced after conducting gas work and leaving it in a dangerous state.
Torquay Magistrates heard how Stephen Barton undertook the installation of a gas cooker and gas boiler at two separate properties in Dawlish and Exeter during January and May 2016. Gas Safe Register who inspected his work at the homes classed it as dangerous.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Stephen Barton wasn’t Gas Safe Registered at the time he conducted this work.
Stephen Barton of Park Road, Dawlish pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(3) of the Gas Safety Installation and Use Regulations 1998 and breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He has been sentenced to undertake 300 hours of unpaid community work and to pay £3,600 in costs.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Simon Jones said: “Stephen Barton undertook gas work which he knew he was not registered to do.
“All gas work must be done by registered Gas Safe engineers to ensure the highest standards are met to prevent injury and loss of life.”
Further information about gas safety can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/gas/
Notes to Editors:
- The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
- More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
- HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.