Jun142017
We are saddened to hear of the tragic events in West London. There are many registered charities on the ground doing what they do best to assist those who have been affected. We are urging members of the public that wish to make donations to check that they give to a registered charity in order to best support those affected, and also importantly to check with those charities what support they need – whether that is money, time or other essential supplies.
Jun142017
Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Labour’s Shadow Solicitor General, responding to
calls from senior Tories to drop a key manifesto pledge to scrap the Serious
Fraud Office, said:
“This is yet more evidence of the
chaos at the heart of the Conservative Party.
“Good corporate governance is essential
to the UK’s reputation at home and abroad; the Serious Fraud Office plays a
vital part in this and should not be cast aside.
“Senior Tories are right to be alarmed
at Theresa May’s attempt to undermine the fight against big-ticket economic
crime. She urgently needs to think again.”
Jun142017
14 June 2017
As MEPs today vote on important legislation that sets binding annual greenhouse gas emission targets for EU member countries, Molly Scott Cato MEP has challenged the new Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, to match or better these targets for tackling climate change once the UK leaves the EU.
MEPs will vote on the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), the EU’s largest climate instrument regulating emissions of sectors not covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), namely transport, agriculture, buildings and waste [1]. The legislation sets climate targets for each country for the period 2021 to 2030. But with the UK set to leave the EU before this time, Dr Scott Cato is demanding Mr Gove set targets at least as ambitious as those of the EU. She said:
“I can think of few people less fit for the role of environment secretary. He has consistently voted against measures to tackle climate change and infamously tried to remove the issue from the national curriculum when he was education secretary.
“However, I welcome the fact he has hit out at Donald Trump over his decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement [2]. Let’s now see if action matches words and whether this apparent new-found commitment to tackling climate change means anything in practice. Let’s see him pledge the UK to match or even better the rather unambitious targets on reducing emissions being discussed and voted on in Europe. Here is his first real test. Will he take a lead on tackling climate change or follow a climate denying US president wishing to drag us back to a bygone dirty fossil era?”
Notes:
Jun142017
14 June 2017 – A senior United Nations humanitarian official in the occupied Palestinian Territory warned today about the disastrous consequences of a further reduction in electricity supply to the Gaza Strip on the living conditions of two million Palestinians.
“A further increase in the length of blackouts is likely to lead to a total collapse of basic services, including critical functions in the health, water and sanitation sectors,” said UN Humanitarian Coordinator Robert Piper in a statement.
“The people in Gaza should not be held hostage to this longstanding internal Palestinian dispute,” he added, calling on the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and Israel to put the welfare of Gaza’s residents first.
This year marks 50 years since the start of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, which resulted in Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territory.
Early this week, the Israeli cabinet agreed to a reduction in the supply of electricity to the Gaza Strip, following a decision by the Palestinian Authority to reduce its monthly payments for that supply by 30 per cent.
The reduction will bring most households and service-providers down to 2 hours or so of power per day, he said.
Hospitals, water supply, waste water treatment and sanitation services have already been dramatically curtailed since mid-April and depend almost exclusively on a UN emergency fuel operation.
An additional reduction in electricity will require the delivery of one million litres of fuel monthly, under the UN operation, to keep minimum functions operating at 186 essential facilities across the Strip.
“The UN has already appealed to the international community to support its limited humanitarian efforts to prevent the collapse of vital life-saving, health, water, sanitation and municipal services,” Mr. Piper said.
Jun142017
Wales swept the boards at nursing and midwifery awards earlier in the year; today the First Minister and Health Secretary met:
Melanie Davies, from Morriston Hospital in Swansea, who was named RCNi Nurse of the Year, for her work making far-reaching changes to the care of vulnerable patients with learning disabilities.
Health Visitor Lead Sharon Fernandez, for Powys’ Perinatal Mental Health services, who won the Journal of Health Visiting Awards 2017, Health Visitor of the Year Award.
Bereavement midwife, Laura Wyatt, from Cardiff and Vale UHB, who has been awarded the Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year 2017 for Wales. The award is one of the Royal College of Midwives Annual Midwifery Awards, recognises the remarkable work done by inspiring midwives across the country.
And, Cemlyn Roberts, from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, who has won the RCNi- UK Healthcare Assistant Award Winner 2017. Cemlyn won the award for improving care for people with learning disabilities through an individualised, gentler approach to taking blood.
First Minister Carwyn Jones said:
“It was an absolute privilege to meet this outstanding group of health professionals today. They are shining examples of what our health service in Wales does on a daily basis – helping those who need it most.
“They have proved themselves to be the best at what they do in the UK. It is important that we celebrate success and I congratulate them on their fantastic achievements. I hope they inspire other health professionals across the country to reach the heights of what they’ve achieved this year.”
Health Secretary Vaughan Gething said:
“Our grand slam of nursing and midwifery award triumphs shows just how exceptional our healthcare staff truly are.
“It was a great to meet the group today. Each one is an ambassador for this country. I hope nurses, midwives and other health professionals from across the UK will look to Wales as a place where they would want to pursue a career in the future.
“I have said it before, Wales is a fantastic place to train, work and live; a place where we will continue to offer NHS Bursaries for eligible student nurses, midwives and allied health professionals in 2018/19. It’s a place where we will continue to support professional development. We continue to invest in nursing and midwifery education, and the number of nurses working in NHS Wales continues to increase year on year.
“Melanie, Laura, Sharon and Cemlyn should be very proud of what they’ve achieved for themselves, their families and the NHS as a whole in Wales; we certainly are.”