In the latest move to cement the UK’s position as a global leader in animal welfare standards, legislation requiring CCTV in all abattoirs in England comes into force today.

This follows a consultation by the Secretary of State last August on plans to deliver the government’s manifesto commitment for cameras in every abattoir in England in all areas where live animals are present. Other recent reforms to improve animal welfare include:

• increasing sentences for animal cruelty tenfold to 6 years
• launching a call for evidence on the live export of animals
• banning back street puppy breeders
• ending the third party sales of puppies
• publishing updated animal welfare codes

Official Veterinarians will have unrestricted access to footage to reassure consumers that high welfare standards are being effectively enforced.

All slaughterhouses will be required to comply in full by 5 November, following an adjustment period of 6 months to enable businesses to install a suitable CCTV system.

Animal Welfare Minister Lord Gardiner said:

The government shares the public’s high regard for animal welfare and we are proud to have some of the highest standards in the world. Today we welcome the new law which requires mandatory CCTV in all abattoirs in England.

We are a nation that cares about animals and these strong measures will ensure all animals are treated with the utmost respect at all stages of life allows us to continue to lead the way to raise the bar in high welfare standards.

We have published guidance for slaughterhouse operators.

The contract for the management of Brook House and Tinsley House, which was due to expire this month, was put out for tender in November 2016. However, after careful consideration of the bids, it was decided that G4S would continue with the contract for a further 2 years. This will allow for the review of 2 significant reports on immigration detention before a new procurement begins.

A Home Office spokesperson said:

All immigration detainees must be treated with dignity and respect, and we will accept nothing but the highest standards from those who have responsibility for their care.

The procurement process featured a heightened level of due diligence against the allegations from the Panorama programme on Brook House Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) last year, so we took the time we needed to consider all bids very carefully.

However, with 2 significant reviews by Stephen Shaw and Kate Lampard currently in train, we have concluded that it would be premature to enter into a new contract at this stage.

Stephen Shaw’s assessment of progress in responding to his 2016 review of vulnerability in detention is considering questions of staff culture, recruitment and training, complaints mechanisms, and the effectiveness of whistle-blowing procedures across the immigration detention estate.

The independent review of Brook House IRC that G4S commissioned from Kate Lampard last year is also looking at the factors affecting staff morale and behaviour, and attitudes to whistle-blowing. The government will publish Mr Shaw’s report in the coming months and we expect Ms Lampard’s findings later in the year.

Relaunching the procurement process later this year, when both have published their findings, will ensure that the conclusions can be considered as part of the new contract.

The decision was announced today to bidders and the Home Affairs Select Committee following the end of local election purdah.

GDPR is a new Europe-wide data protection law to provide greater protection around personal data, and it effects every organisation that handles such data.

If your charity asks for, receives or holds personal information from others (for example the email addresses of its users or staff) then these regulations will apply.

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the regulator for GDPR.

Understand the basics

Get the information that you need and share it throughout your charity. The ICO guidance about the legislation includes all the information you need to understand it.

The ICO have also produced a dedicated resource page specifically for charities and a helpline has been opened to help you. The page also includes guidance from the Institute of Fundraising and the Fundraising Regulator.

Assess the GDPR impact on your charity

GDPR will apply to all personal information you may acquire and hold about, amongst others, your beneficiaries and users, donors, staff and volunteers.

Make sure you know what data your charity has and how it’s managed. Take a look at the GDPR guide for charities from the Charity Finance Group (CFG).

Start planning

Get an action plan agreed with your trustees on how you plan to manage the data your charity holds or intends to get, in line with GDPR, and complete the ICO self-assessment to see how ready you are.

Think about whether you need to put processes in place to deal with requirements asked for by GDPR around accountability, transparency and security too.

Make sure your details with the Charity Commission are up to date

What do 40 beds, 96 chairs, 49 cushions and 163 mattresses have in common?

They all fell off vehicles and onto England’s motorways, where they were found by Highways England traffic officers.

The list of flying furniture also includes 52 sofas and 17 tables.

Badly secured items that fall onto busy, high-speed roads are a danger that causes delays and even collisions. The average incident like this takes 20 minutes to clear up, often disrupting other road users.

In a bid to keep the roads clear of domestic debris, Highways England has launched this campaign to encourage drivers with bulky items to make sure they are properly secure.

The message is simple: let’s all get home in one piece.

Highways England project manager Amelia Kirwan said:

We want all drivers and their items to get home in one piece. If you’re buying or moving furniture this weekend, use proper straps that are strong enough for the job. Don’t risk losing your stuff, and causing other drivers to become delayed, injured or worse.

Our traffic officers picked up around 600 items such as mattresses, sofas and chairs during a nine month period. So before you set off, check your load is secure and your view is clear of obstructions.

Research for Highways England, which is responsible for England’s motorways and major A-roads, found that nearly 9 out of 10 cars observed did not have any method of securing heavy loads inside a vehicle. If the driver stopped or changed direction suddenly, this creates a serious risk that a load can be thrown forward through the windscreen or hit vehicle occupants.

‘Let’s all get home in one piece’ is one of a number of Highways England safety warnings for drivers this bank holiday.

Drivers should also do a quick series of checks before setting off. Almost half of all breakdowns are caused by simple mechanical problems that could be avoided by simply checking fuel levels, tyres, engine oil, water and lights.

A few minutes spent planning journeys and checking road conditions before setting off can also save time and frustration later. Tourist routes are likely to be particularly busy this weekend.

Drivers can get live traffic information on the Traffic England website.

Travel information is also available by phone from the Highways England Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000, and updates are provided via Twitter.

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.

Britain remains more committed than ever to our longstanding allies in the face of evolving and intensifying threats, including chemical and biological weapons, reaffirmed Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson today.

Speaking from the Joint Expeditionary Force’s (JEF) military exercise on Salisbury Plain, the Defence Secretary made clear the importance of the joint force in which the UK plays a leading role as the ‘framework nation’, working closely alongside Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.

Attending with Chiefs of Defence from all nine JEF member nations, Mr Williamson also commended the JEF’s ability to react to the full spectrum of operations, from humanitarian assistance and conventional deterrence, through to combat operations.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Nations are judged by the friends they keep. The exercise today sends a clear message to our allies and adversaries alike – our nations have what it takes to keep our people safe and secure in an uncertain world.

From counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling to information warfare, we are stronger by sharing expertise and developing joint tactics across air, land, sea and cyber.

The live capability demonstration featured troops from the nine JEF nations, including troops from the UK Parachute Regiment, the Danish Jutland Dragoon Regiment, the Lithuanian “Iron Wolf” Brigade and the Latvian Mechanised Infantry Brigade, conducting urban combat operations with air support provided by Apaches, Chinooks, Wildcats and Tornados.

The exercise is the culmination of two weeks of intensive and specialised training across the country, ranging from amphibious and naval activity in Wales and Scotland to land based training in Wiltshire and air activity across the UK; all part of Exercise Joint Warrior.

Nearly 12,000 military personnel from 17 nations took part in the training scenarios involving multiple sovereign nations disputing resources and territories; counter-terrorism and anti-smuggling activity; information warfare; and evacuation operations.

During his visit, Mr Williamson took time to visit the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Porton Down who have provided a team of analytic specialists to the exercise. They provide vital analysis to support military commanders, giving crucial advice to help military leaders understand the risks and benefits of the decisions they make when planning tactical activities and manoeuvres during conflict.

DSTL Chief Executive Gary Aitkenhead said:

It has been an extraordinary time for all of us at Dstl, therefore it has been a pleasure to show the Defence Secretary some of the ground-breaking research that we do and the vital role Dstl plays in keeping our Armed Forces and the British public safe.

Our people are world-leaders in what they do and Mr Williamson’s visit today gave us an opportunity to showcase how we are delivering the Government’s priorities for defence and technology against a backdrop of ever changing threats.

Mr Williamson also met troops at Winterbourne Gunner who are helping with the decontamination efforts in Salisbury, following the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in March.