Jul272017

Press release: Applications to re-permit Bletchingley oilfield

Environment Agency

These applications have been submitted by the site operator to bring the site into line with the current regulations for conventional oil and gas sites. This is part of the Environment Agency’s review of all oil and gas permits granted prior to October 2013.

In deciding whether or not to issue the permits, the Environment Agency will take into account all relevant considerations and legal requirements.

You can view and comment on the applications.

An Environment Agency spokesperson said:

An environmental permit sets out stringent conditions to which a site must adhere. We will not issue or vary an environmental permit for a site if we consider that activities taking place will cause significant pollution to the environment or harm to human health.

We are in the process of determining the applications to re-permit this site and we want to hear from the public and understand peoples’ views. Everybody has the chance to see what the permit may look like and to raise any additional concerns before we make any final decision.

For all media enquiries please contact 0800 141 2743 or email Southeastpressoffice1@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Jul272017

News story: DVLA gives a shout out on Alexa

HM Government

From today motorists across the UK can access up-to-the-minute information from the DVLA on their vehicle tax through Amazon’s Alexa.

DVLA is trialling an Alexa product, known as a ‘skill’ which allows customers to check their vehicle tax and MOT status.

Free to download on the Alexa Skill Store, it works by customers reading out the vehicle registration to an Alexa-enabled device such as an Echo. ‘Alexa’ then reads the information back, letting the customer know when their vehicle tax is due.

This information, which is also available on gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax, helps customers to check the date their vehicle tax is due, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Oliver Morley, DVLA’s Chief Executive said,

We’re really excited about trialling an innovative skill that gives customers access to information about their vehicles.

Providing choice in how people use our services is important to DVLA and by trialling this skill we are giving customers another way to get information quickly and easily – helping them to keep on top of their vehicle tax.

This is another example of how we are always looking to test new ways of providing digital services to make things simpler and better for the UK’s motorists.

The DVLA skill is available to download via amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Dalexa-skills&field-keywords=DVLA

Jul272017

Electric cars

John Redwood MP

I have no problem with a government encouraging electric cars. I am keen on measures to clean up old bus and other vehicle exhausts to improve air quality and support money for bus retrofits.

It seems to me the best way to promote electric cars is for the industry to make them our vehicles of choice by improving their product choices. These cars need to offer longer range, faster charging and lower prices for more people to want to buy them.

Jul272017

There should be no attempt to reform the immigration system until this report has been published and debated – Abbott

Labour

Diane Abbott MP, Labour’s Shadow Home
Secretary welcomed
the Government’s commissioning of a report on the role of EU nationals in the UK economy and society and said:

“There is
far too much heat and not enough light about immigration, so any truly
objective and well-informed analysis must be welcome.

"We
already know that immigrants, both EU and non-EU, make a huge contribution to
the economy and to wider society. They occupy both high-skilled, high-wage jobs
and lower-skilled, lower paid ones, adding value across a wide range of
economic sectors. They help make the UK more internationally competitive, and
sectors with staff shortages, such as the NHS, social care and agriculture,
would be in serious difficulty without them.

"The report should be published. There
must be no repeat of the buried Home Office reports into international
students, or the Saudi funding of terrorism. And there should be no attempt to
reform the immigration system until the report has been published and
debated.”

Ends