Children with limb loss will benefit from a further £1.5 million investment into sports and activity prosthetics.

The announcement is the next stage of a government fund that has supported 220 disabled children since its launch in March 2016. It means more children who have suffered limb loss or who were born with a limb deficiency will benefit from prosthetics such as running blades. The fund will also support research and innovation to improve prosthetic technology.

Minister of State for Care, Caroline Dinenage, said:

Sport and activity are so important to any child’s health, wellbeing and confidence, and today’s announcement should help many more disabled children to fulfil their sporting ambitions.

Hundreds have already benefited from the fund, and this additional investment will now help us to open up even more possibilities for children with limb loss, and hopefully ignite in them a lifelong passion for sport.

Kiera Roche, chief executive of LimbPower, the national disability sports organisation for people with limb impairments, said:

LimbPower is delighted with the incredible news that the Department of Health and Social Care will continue the fund for a further 2 years.

The impact this has had on the 220 children who have so far received their activity limbs is immeasurable.

Children just want to be able to join in and feel included, especially at school and in the community, and this means playing and taking part in P.E. and games.

The overriding messages we have received from children and parents is that they can be included, join in, run and jump just like their friends. They can be children and not patients.

Trinity Mirror plc took over part of Northern & Shell Media Group Limited, including the Express and Star newspapers, in February 2018.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) will now assess whether this deal could significantly reduce competition within the UK media sector, in line with its merger guidance.

The deadline for the initial decision is 7 June 2018. Further details, including how interested parties can submit evidence, are available on the investigation case page.

Our efforts to crack down on the diversion of Prescription-Only Medicines (POM) onto the black market are working, as recent figures highlight a drop in large scale orders of prescription medicine.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) analysed bulk orders of diverted medicines* between January – May 2017 compared to January – May 2016. The figures show:

• trading of Diazapam is down by 64%
  • trading of Nitrazepam is down by 24%
  • trading of top strength Temazepam is down by 20%
  • trading of Zolpidem is down by 14%.

We recently updated the public about the diversion of medicines onto the criminal market, said to be worth up to £200m. Our enforcement team is running 17 active investigations, and we are disrupting organised criminal networks diverting medicines from the legitimate supply chain onto the illegal market.

44 arrests have been made thus far, for offences such as possession with intent to supply a controlled drug, and offences under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

Last year, Mohammed Urfan pleaded guilty to charges of unlawful supply of class C controlled drugs contrary to section 4(3) a Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and a suspended sentence of 18 months imprisonment was imposed on him, with a requirement that he carry out 260 hours of unpaid work.

Alastair Jeffrey, MHRA Head of Enforcement, said:

It is a serious criminal offence to sell medicines outside of the regulated supply chain and the latest figures show our unabated efforts to identify and prosecute criminals are having an effect.

The criminals involved are exploiting people to make money and have no concern about the health and wellbeing of people who buy the medicines.

We will work tirelessly to investigate and prosecute those breaking the law.

Prescription only medicines are potent and should only be taken under medical supervision.

Over £600,000 has been awarded to 8 standout schemes, including projects that train women to become leaders in their communities, and events that celebrate the lives of prominent suffragettes.

The funding announced today is part of the Centenary Grant Scheme’s £1.1 million Large Grant Fund, which is available to large-scale schemes up to a value of £125,000 that aim to increase young people’s engagement with democracy and encourage more women to take part in public life.

Minister for Women, Victoria Atkins, said:

It is vital that we honour the legacy of the brave and determined women who fought for the equal rights of women and men, and have paved the way for the freedoms we enjoy today.

I am delighted to be awarding funding to these innovative, exciting projects that will inspire women and young people from all over the country, and follow national celebratory activity that has already begun under the small grant scheme.

I am determined that this government will continue to open up modern politics and build a diverse political system that reflects the nation it serves.

The grant scheme is part of a £5 million centenary fund created by the government to celebrate the centenary and to open up public life to more people.

The Government Equalities Office is leading a programme of activities across 3 themes that celebrate 100 years of women’s suffrage, educate young people about its significance, and encourage more women to participate in public life so that they have an equal voice in the decisions that affect them.

The rest of the funding will be spent on:

• the first ever statue of a woman in Parliament Square – Millicent Fawcett
• initiatives to encourage more people to participate in politics
• smaller-scale local events and activities in Centenary Cities, which are 7 cities and towns in England with a strong suffrage history

• Saathi House
• Good Things Foundation
• The British Federation of Film Societies
• National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
• Jacksons Lane will work in 3 Haringey schools’ sixth forms to create 3 learning installations exploring women’s rights and role in society
• YWCA England and Wales
• Essex Cultural Diversity Project
• Feminist Archive

• Minister Andrew will outline the UK Government’s ambition for a low carbon future in a keynote speech at the North Wales and Mersey Dee Energy & Clean Growth Summit.
• The Minister to discuss the vision for North Wales’ nuclear future at Trawsfynydd power station.
• Stuart Andrew will also meet local authority leaders as part of continued engagement to develop proposals for a North Wales Growth Deal.

UK Government Minister Stuart Andrew will highlight North Wales’ potential in developing clean growth solutions to cut the cost of energy and drive economic growth in a speech to energy leaders at the North Wales and Mersey Dee Energy & Clean Growth Summit on Thursday (12 March).

Speaking at the event in Warrington, Minister Andrew will outline how the UK Government is making real progress on its Clean Growth Strategy, which sets out plans to drive growth and continue decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy through the 2020s.

Following a visit to Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in Gwynedd, the Minister is also expected to highlight the value of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to generate growth and create high value jobs across the UK.

After the speech the Minister will visit Rolls-Royce’s Warrington site to hear more about the UK SMR programme which supports the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy to secure homegrown, low cost and low carbon energy.

The UK has enormous potential to become a world leader in developing the next generation of nuclear technologies; an already burgeoning industry that contributed £6.4 billion to the UK economy in 2016.

UK Government Minister Stuart Andrew said:

As a naturally energy rich country, Wales’ landscape and natural resources have meant that we have been at the forefront of energy supply in the UK. Now we have the potential to build on this expertise, exploiting our resources to ensure Wales is at the forefront of the transition to a low carbon economy.

The UK Government has outlined an ambitious Clean Growth Strategy which demonstrates how the whole country can benefit from low carbon opportunities. The Industrial Strategy and the Clean Growth Grand Challenge support these ambitions by better linking up what we are doing in government with what we’d like to see industry doing.

We recognise that the nuclear expertise in North Wales has the potential to revolutionise the economy, developing new opportunities for job creation. That’s why the UK Government has already committed up to £56 million for advanced nuclear technologies.

As part of a two day visit to North Wales, Minister Andrew will also meet local authority leaders from the region on Wednesday to develop proposals for a North Wales Growth Deal, where the energy sector is likely to play an important role.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Stuart Andrew said:

A Growth Deal in North Wales will transform the way the region is governed, bringing powers to a local level and using big ideas to unlock growth and better connect towns and cities, both within Wales and over the border.

“The landscape in North Wales lends itself perfectly to being a key player in the UK’s low-carbon energy future, and I encourage local leaders to consider its potential when formulating proposals for a bespoke deal that works for the whole of the region.

ENDS