Jun222017

Green Party response to news of cyanide poisoning at Grenfell

Green Party

22 June 2017

Responding to the news that residents of Grenfell may have been poisoned by hydrogen cyanide during the fire last Wednesday [1], Jennifer Nadel, the Green Party’s candidate for Kensington in the recent general election, said:

“If this is shown to be true it’s yet another example of how the people at Grenfell were treated like second class citizens. What upsets and infuriates me in equal measure about this is that immediately after the fire our party contacted the council to ask what they had done to monitor air pollution in and around the tower after the blaze had taken hold. We were assured that there was little or no risk from dangerous air pollution.

“We need the council and the government to start being straight with us. We need them to swiftly carry out a full inspection to establish what damage survivors and those living close to the tower may have suffered from toxic air from the fire and then issue advice on the health care people should be seeking if it is deemed necessary. And we need them to ensure that monitoring of air pollution around the tower is now taking place and action will be taking if that monitoring gives us cause for alarm.”

 

Ends

 

 

Notes:

 

2.       Green Party spokespeople are available for comment.

3.       The latest estimate suggests 79 people have died in the fire that engulfed Grenfell Tower on 14 June. The Green Party’s Sian Berry, Caroline Russell, Amelia Womack, and Jennifer Nadel have all visited the tower and helped residents with their concerns and queries.

 

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Jun222017

Detailed guide: Safe passage for eels

DEFRA

Existing water obstructions

You may need to construct an eel pass if you own or occupy land with, or are in charge of, a

  • dam
  • weir
  • sluice
  • other in-river obstruction

The Environment Agency will write to you if you must construct an eel pass to allow eels to migrate safely past the structure.

Contact the Environment Agency and ask for your local fisheries officer to confirm a completion date for the work at your site.

You may need to apply for a permit or permission to do the work. Check the guidance to see if you need a:

Check with your local planning authority if you need planning permission.

You must pay for the construction, operating and maintenance costs.

If you do not do the work the Environment Agency can:

  • issue you a warning letter
  • serve you with a formal caution
  • prosecute you if they think it’s in the public interest
  • construct the eel pass and charge you for the work

Existing water abstraction structures

In most cases you must install an eel screen if you do both of the following:

  • own or occupy land with, or are in charge of, a water abstraction structure
  • abstract at least 20 cubic metres of water per day

Water abstraction structures include:

  • pumping stations
  • hydro-electric power stations
  • irrigation pumping systems

Check when you do not need to install an eel screen.

A screen will keep eels out of the structure and allow them to migrate safely past it.

You must have a temporary exemption notice in place until you have completed the work. Contact the Environment Agency to get your exemption notice and the date by which to complete the work.

You may need to apply for a permit or permission to do the work. Check the guidance to see if you need a:

Check with your local planning authority if you need planning permission.

You must pay for the installation, operating and maintenance costs.

If you do not do the work before your exemption notice expires the Environment Agency can:

  • issue you a warning letter
  • serve you with a formal caution
  • prosecute you if they think it’s in the public interest
  • install the eel screen and charge you for the work

When you do not need to install an eel screen

If you can prove that your abstraction structure does not affect eel migration, the Environment Agency may give you a permanent exemption from screening.

If you can provide evidence that it’s not cost beneficial to install an eel screen, the Environment Agency may give you an exemption from screening for a specified period. You must prove that the cost of installing a screen is greater than the benefit of protecting eel at your intake. Contact the Environment Agency to find out how to do these calculations.

But you will still need to protect eels, for example by:

  • installing a fish recovery and return system
  • installing a fish friendly pump or turbine
  • protecting eel in another way, such as creating a new eel habitat

New licence and permit applications

You must make sure eels can migrate safely past your new structure or flood risk activity when you apply for any of the following:

  • impoundment licence
  • abstraction licence
  • flood risk activity environmental permit

Impoundment licence

In most cases, when you apply for an impoundment licence you must include information on how eels can pass safely around, over or through your development.

You may not need to include an eel pass if your structure is both greater than:

  • 100 kilometres from the tidal limit
  • 150 metres above sea level

Check with the Environment Agency and ask for your local fisheries officer.

Apply for an impoundment licence.

Abstraction licence

In most cases you must include a screen at an abstraction point to keep eels out of the abstraction structure. You must submit information on how you will include a screen as part of your licence application.

You may not need to include an eel screen if your structure is both greater than:

  • 100 kilometres from the tidal limit
  • 150 metres above sea level

Check with the Environment Agency and ask for your local fisheries officer.

Apply for an abstraction licence.

Flood risk activity environmental permit

When you apply you must submit details of eel passage, such as an:

  • elver pass
  • eel by-pass structure

Read the guidance on how to apply for a flood risk activity permit.

Sanctions

If you do not comply with the conditions of your licence or permit the Environment Agency can:

  • issue you a warning letter
  • serve you with a formal caution
  • prosecute you if they think it’s in the public interest
  • impose a civil sanction where the law allows or you may be able to offer a civil sanction enforcement undertaking.

Contact the Environment Agency

National Customer Contact Centre

PO Box 544

Rotherham

S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506 See call charges

Ask for your local fisheries officer.

Minicom (for the hard of hearing) 03702 422 549

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm

Jun222017

News story: CMA recommends release of BAES from long-standing undertakings

HM Government

The undertakings – put in place in 1999 – require BAES as the prime contractor to, where possible, allow other contractors in the defence industry access to its resources for the purposes of a Ministry of Defence (MoD) programme.

A group of independent panel members at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has now advised the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) that changes of circumstances mean they are no longer appropriate. This follows a comprehensive review and consultation on the proposal they be removed.

The review looked at 4 defence sectors (warships, submarines, combat aircraft and munitions) and found that there have been relevant changes of circumstances. For example:

  • the MoD has moved away from a competitive procurement process and made better use of long-term exclusive agreements and alliances;
  • BAES has sold or closed its businesses in several sectors; and
  • the capabilities of other defence contractors have developed such that any potential reliance on BAES has diminished.

This has meant a smaller role for the prime contractor model where competing suppliers might need to use the undertakings to facilitate access to BAES’ resources. The group’s view is that there is also little prospect of this situation changing in the foreseeable future.

The CMA began reviewing these undertakings in July 2016 after a request by BAES. The undertakings were originally given by British Aerospace plc (now BAES), to the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, following its merger with the Marconi Electronic Systems business of General Electric Company plc, in 1999. Following Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reviews, the Secretary of State released BAES from most of the undertakings by 2007.

The remaining undertakings were designed to allow other actual or potential prime contractors to compete for contracts where they might need to sub-contract BAES’ resources. BAES has also been obliged to appoint a compliance officer to ensure this requirement is met. The group has now advised that BAES should be released from these remaining undertakings.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will now consider this advice and is expected to make a decision shortly.

Jun222017

News story: Universities rated in Teaching Excellence Framework

HM Government

UK university teaching quality recognised for the first time.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has today (22 June 2017) published the first set of ratings for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

It has revealed that the majority of UK universities are offering quality teaching to their students – 59 providers were rated ‘gold’, 116 rated ‘silver’ and 56 rated ‘bronze’.

The ratings will help students decide which university or college to apply to and encourage teaching and learning excellence across the UK.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson said:

These results, highlighting the extraordinary strengths of our higher education system, will help students choose which university or college to study at.

The Teaching Excellence Framework is refocusing the sector’s attention on teaching – putting in place incentives that will raise standards across the sector and giving teaching the same status as research.

Students, parents, employers and taxpayers all have a shared interest in ensuring higher education equips the next generation of graduates for success.

Universities taking part have been assessed by an expert panel in 3 areas:

  • teaching quality
  • the learning environment
  • the educational and professional outcomes achieved by students

As set out in its white paper, Success as a knowledge economy (May 2016), the government will shortly begin a lessons learned exercise into this first trial year of the TEF. The findings of the lessons learned exercise will inform the operation of the TEF in 2018 and the intention to move to subject level assessments.

Jun222017

“NHS Wales performance stable, despite growing demand” – Vaughan Gething

Welsh Government

The vast majority of people waiting for NHS treatment continue to be seen within access and treatment targets, despite increasing demand for services across Wales, new statistics published today show.

Thursday 22 June 2017

The latest statistics show: 

  • 79.4% of immediately life-threatening ambulance calls received a response within 8 minutes in May 2017, above the 65% target, which means the target performance has been met above 70% for 13 consecutive months. The median response time for this category of calls has remained less than 5 minutes since August 2016. Around 50% of amber calls were responded to in around 14 minutes
  • The target for non-urgent cancer performance in April 2017 was met for the first time since May 2016 – with 624 out of 635 people (98.3%) seen within 31 days, exceeding the 98% target. Urgent cancer performance remains at its highest since November 2014,  with 502 people out of 562 seen within 62 days
  • Referral to treatment performance has remained stable since early 2016. In April 2017, 86.7% of patient pathways had been waiting less than 26 weeks to start treatment, the best April performance since 2014
  • The number of people experiencing delayed transfers of care from hospital in May 2017 remains close to record lows, despite the increasing demand for health and social care services
  • The number of people waiting over 8 weeks for a diagnostic test in April 2017 is the second lowest since March 2011 and the lowest April figure since April 2010
  • In May 2017, fewer patients spent 12 hours or more in an emergency care facility, from arrival until admission, transfer or discharge compared to May 2016
  • Demand for NHS services is increasing across every single activity and performance measure monitored included in the monthly report. 

Health Secretary, Vaughan Gething said: 

“Our health and social care services continue to experience increasing demand – but despite that, the statistics released today show the vast majority of people continue to be seen within access and treatment targets. 

“Recognising the ongoing growth in demand and costs of services, we’re investing more than ever before in health and social services.  

“I want to thank NHS and social care staff for the tireless work they do to deliver first class services across the country. Together, we will continue to do everything we can to drive up performance so that every patient receives timely, quality care.”