Jul202017

Notice: SO21 1DD, Island Gas Limited: environmental permit application advertisement

DEFRA

The Environment Agency consults the public on certain applications for waste operations, mining waste operations, installations, water discharge and groundwater activities. The arrangements are explained in its Public Participation Statement

These notices explain:

  • what the application is about
  • where you can visit to see the application documents
  • when you need to comment by

The Environment Agency will decide:

  • whether to grant or refuse the application
  • what conditions to include in the permit (if granted)

Jul202017

Physical activity advice for pregnant women

Northern Ireland Executive

If you are pregnant, there is new advice about the types of physical activity that are safe to do while you’re expecting. Taking part in safe, responsible and appropriate physical activity while pregnant can have many health benefits.

Addressing health concerns

The new recommendations aim to address concerns around obesity, diabetes and other health issues during pregnancy. 

Research shows that taking regular physical exercise during pregnancy can:

  • boost the immune system
  • help prevent health risks such as Type 2 diabetes 
  • improve mental health and wellbeing

If you are pregnant you should listen to your body and adapt your exercise accordingly. 

As a general rule, if it feels pleasant, keep going; if it is uncomfortable, then stop and seek advice from your health professional.

If you are already active then try to keep up your physical activity levels.

You may need to adapt your activity throughout your pregnancy. For example, replacing contact sports with a non-contact sport or an appropriate exercise class – ‘don’t bump the bump’.

There is no evidence of harm for expectant mother or baby resulting from moderate intensity physical activity. 

If you weren’t active before pregnancy, it is recommended you slowly increase the amount of exercise you do. Begin with 10-minute bouts of moderate-intensity exercise, gradually building up to 150 minutes in total spread throughout the week. It is important to remember that ‘every activity counts’.

If you were not active before your pregnancy you should avoid intense exercise, such as: 

  • running
  • jogging
  • racquet sports
  • strenuous strength training 

Activities to avoid

If pregnant you should avoid activities where there is an increased risk of falling, trauma or high impact injuries. These include: 

  • skiing
  • water skiing
  • surfing
  • off-road cycling
  • gymnastics
  • horse riding
  • contact sports, such as ice hockey, boxing, football or basketball

After the first trimester of your pregnancy you are also discouraged from exercise that requires lying flat on your back. 

Medical advice

You should seek medical advice if you experience: 

  • breathlessness before or following mild exercise
  • headaches
  • dizziness
  • chest pain
  • muscle weakness affecting balance
  • calf pain or swelling

If you experience pregnancy complications such as vaginal bleeding, regular painful contractions, or amniotic fluid leakage, you may also be advised to reduce or stop physical activity.

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Jul202017

Press release: HMRC’s Welsh language customer services team to remain in Porthmadog

HM Government

The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) team offering tax services for customers in Welsh is to remain in Porthmadog.

HMRC has confirmed that the 17 people currently based at Ty Moelwyn will be co-locating with colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP’s) Thedford House site in early 2018.

This move allows HMRC to keep its Welsh language team in Porthmadog and also enables both departments to explore how they might work together in the future to provide Welsh language customer services.

Rachel McLean, Director General of Customer Services, HMRC said:

This move is vital to the success of our plans to continue to provide Welsh language customer services from Porthmadog. It will also allow us to explore how we might develop those services with both DWP and other government departments in the future.

UK Government Minister Guto Bebb said:

I am delighted that we have been able to secure the future for this vitally important UK Government office, which provides an essential service for Welsh speakers.

Several UK Government departments in Wales have worked hard to make this happen and it shows what we can achieve when we work together to reach a joint solution.

This demonstrates the UK Government’s commitment to the Welsh language and to ensuring that we maximise the benefits that come from co-locating Government offices to provide the best possible service for the taxpayer.

Fiona Jones, Work Services Director for Jobcentre Plus Wales, said:

We look forward to welcoming HMRC colleagues into Thedford House from early next year, and sharing our delivery experiences with them. Delivery of Welsh language customer services is a growing part of our jobcentres and service centres across Wales.

Notes for Editors:

  1. The Modernisation Programme includes investment in new online services, data analytics, new compliance techniques, new skills and new ways of working, to make it easier for the honest majority of customers to pay their tax, including by improving customer service, and harder for the dishonest minority to cheat the system. The changes have already resulted in over 80 per cent of people filing their self-assessment returns online and given customers new, simple ways to check their payments, make changes or find answers to questions.

  2. HMRC’s workforce in Wales is currently spread throughout five offices, which range in size from around 2,750 people to fewer than 10.

  3. Ty Moelwyn was originally scheduled to close in the 2019-20 financial year.

  4. HMRC will be closing five offices in Wales in total including Ty Moelwyn. Ty Nant in Swansea and Ty Glas and Brunel House in Cardiff will close in 2019-20, although there will be no estate changes until the Regional Centre in Cardiff opens. Plas Gororau in Wrexham will remain open until 2020-21.

  5. We announced the locations for the regional centres in November 2015.

  6. HMRC is phasing in the moves over 10 years to allow staff time to make choices for their future and reduce the number of possible redundancies.

  7. The high-level plans for transforming HMRC were first shared with its people in November 2015. Since then, HMRC has held around 2,000 events across the UK, talking to colleagues about how it is changing and involving them in the discussions.

Jul202017

Former senior Henan official stands trial for bribery

East Asia

Wu Tianjun, a former senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official in central China’s Henan Province, stood trial for accepting bribes Thursday.

Wu, a former member of the standing committee of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee, was accused of accepting money and valuables worth more than 11.05 million yuan (1.64 million U.S. dollars) personally or through others between 2004 and 2015.

Prosecutors alleged that Wu, also former head of the commission for political and legal affairs of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee, took advantage of his positions during that period to help others with business operations and promotions.

The case was tried at the Intermediate People’s Court of Xiangyang in Hubei Province.

Wu pleaded guilty and expressed remorse.

More than 40 people, including representatives of legislators and political advisors as well as journalists and members of the public, were present at the open trial.

The verdict will be announced at a later date.

Jul202017

ESMA to cooperate with Indian regulators on CCPs

EU

The MoU establishes cooperation arrangements, including the exchange of information, regarding Central Counterparties (CCPs) which are established and authorised or recognised in India, and which have applied for EU recognition under EMIR. 

EMIR provides for cooperation arrangements between ESMA and the relevant non-EU authorities whose legal and supervisory framework for CCPs have been deemed equivalent to EMIR by the European Commission.

 

The MoU is effective as of 21 June 2016.