With over 70,000 visitors expected over the show’s four days – March 14 to 17 – the Big Bang Fair aims to show young people the opportunities related to science, technology, engineering and maths.

Exhibiting in a dedicated ‘nuclear zone’, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and Radioactive Waste Management (RWM) have teamed up to feature some of the latest technologies and opportunities from the nuclear sector.

Visitors will also find out more about how we deal with our nuclear legacy, the latest science and technology that is being adopted and the role young people will play in the industry in the future.

Visitors will get the chance to try out the cloud chamber, immerse themselves in a digital world of nuclear waste storage and decommissioning, play the banana radiation game and operate a robotic arm to fill up radioactive waste storage containers.

There will also be competitions, quizzes and demonstrations, and pupils will have the chance to talk to nuclear experts about routes into the industry, careers and qualifications.

The event, held at Birmingham’s NEC, will feature presentations, hands-on activities and demonstrations from around 200 exhibitors.

Jacq Longrigg, Head of Skills at the NDA, said:

Big Bang Fair is one of the biggest science and engineering events of the year. We’re really keen to get involved with the event and see it as a great opportunity to engage with some of our future workers.

It is crucial that we promote the nuclear industry and all the opportunities it has to offer, so we can fill any future skills gaps and successfully deal with decommissioning and clean for years to come.

Through our STEM-related activities, and expert advice on offer at Big Bang, we hope to inspire the next generation into nuclear careers.

Professor Cherry Tweed, RWM’s Chief Scientific Advisor, added:

Our team of scientists and engineers are really looking forward to stepping out of their day jobs and meeting the young people who might choose to follow them on our journey to help protect people and the environment.

RWM, in a joint effort with the NDA, will showcase a variety of interactive exhibits, games, challenges, plus virtual reality video and animated GIFs, all of which will help bring nuclear science to life for the next generation of scientists.

The first thing is to get over to our friends and partners exactly what has happened, and that’s what we’ve been doing today. As the Prime Minister explained yesterday, this is a brazen attempt to murder people – innocent people – on UK soil. The policeman is still in hospital.

It’s overwhelmingly likely, or highly likely that the Russian state was involved. And the use of this nerve agent would represent the first use of nerve agents on the continent of Europe since the Second World War.

Clearly what we’re doing today is giving Russia until midnight tonight to explain how it came to be that Novichok was used on the streets of Wiltshire. If they can come up with a convincing explanation then obviously we will want to see full disclosure of that to the Organisations for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague.

If not, then clearly we will want to be announcing the UK response, and that would come tomorrow. In the meantime, what we’ve been doing is talking to friends and partners, explaining what we see as the high likelihood of Russian State agency.

I’ve been very encouraged so far by the strength of the support that we are getting. I think in particular from President Macron of France, Sigmar Gabriel, my German counterpart, and from Washington, where Rex Tillerson last night made it very clear that he sees this as part of a pack of increasingly disruptive behaviour by Russia – the reckless use of chemical weapons that stretches from Syria to the streets of Salisbury. I’ve been encouraged by the willingness of our friends to show support and solidarity.

It’s important that we wait until the deadline has passed. You’ve got to do this correctly. We’ve given the Russians until midnight to explain how the Novichok could have come to be on the streets of Britain. We cannot exclude that they have an explanation and we will want a full disclosure to the chemical weapons watchdog in the Hague. If not, there is a package of measures that we would use.

It is very important that people understand the gravity of what has happened and the outrage that the British government feels about the use of nerve agents, use of chemical weapons, against innocent members of the public, against an innocent police officer, on UK soil. We will make sure that our response is, as I told the House last week, commensurate but robust.

HMS Trent has been formally named in Glasgow. Crown copyright.

The Spring Statement gives people and businesses certainty and stability to plan for the future

Major tax or spending changes will now be made once a year at the Budget in the Autumn.

The Spring Statement:

• gives an update on the overall health of the economy and the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) forecasts
• gives an update on progress made since Autumn Budget 2017
• invites people and businesses to give views on changes the government is considering

Economy and fiscal forecasts

The economy continues to grow, continues to create jobs and continues to beat expectations

The economy has grown for five consecutive years, and exceeded expectations in 2017.

The OBR has increased their forecast for growth this year.

Manufacturing has had the longest period of expansion in 50 years.

Employment has increased by 3 million since 2010, which is the equivalent of 1,000 people finding work every day. The unemployment rate is close to a 40-year low. There is also a joint record number of women in work – 15.1 million. The OBR predict there will be over 500,000 more people in work by 2022.

The OBR expect inflation to fall over the next 12 months, and wages to rise faster than prices over the next five years.

The UK’s public finances have reached a turning point, with borrowing down and the first sustained fall in debt for 17 years

Borrowing has fallen by three-quarters since 2010. In 2009-10 the UK borrowed £1 in every £4 that was spent. The OBR expect that we will borrow £1 in every £18 this year.

Debt will start falling as a share of GDP next year.

Even so, the UK’s debt remains too high, equal to around £65,000 per household. This makes the economy vulnerable to future shocks. It also imposes a significant burden on future generations.

The cost of debt interest payments is around £50 billion each year – more than the amount spent on the police and armed forces combined.

The government has a balanced approach to get debt falling while funding our vital public services, keeping taxes low, and investing in Britain’s future.

Progress since Autumn Budget 2017

Over £1.5 billion allocated to departments and devolved administrations to prepare for Brexit in 2018-19

It is part of the £3 billion to be spent over two years announced at Autumn Budget 2017.

An ambitious plan to tackle the UK’s housing challenge and build the homes the country needs

An investment programme of at least £44 billion over the next five years was announced at Autumn Budget 2017, putting us on track to raise the supply of homes to 300,000 a year on average by the mid-2020s.

Spring Statement confirms that we are getting on with the job:

• we are working with 44 areas on their bids into the £4.1 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund to help build the homes that the country needs
• the Housing Growth Partnership, which provides financial support for small housebuilders, will be more than doubled to £220 million
• London will receive £1.67 billion to start building a further 27,000 affordable homes by the end of 2021-22

To help people getting onto the housing ladder, stamp duty for first-time buyers of homes under £300,000 was abolished at Autumn Budget 2017, with buyers of properties up to £500,000 benefitting from the change. An estimated 60,000 first-time buyers have benefitted so far.

Helping households with the cost of living

In April 2018 the National Living Wage will rise to £7.83, worth £600 extra a year for a full-time worker. National Minimum Wage rates for under 25s and apprentices will also rise – the largest increase in youth rates in 10 years. Over 2 million people are expected to benefit from April’s increases.

The tax-free personal allowance – the amount you earn before you start paying income tax – will rise to £11,850 from April 2018. This means that in 2018-19, a typical taxpayer will pay £1,075 less income tax than in 2010-11.

Helping businesses by bringing forward the next business rates revaluation to 2021

At Autumn Budget 2017 it was announced that business rates revaluations will take place every three years, rather than every five years, following the next revaluation. This makes bills more accurately reflect the current rental value of properties.

Spring Statement 2018 announces that the next revaluation, currently due in 2022, will be brought forward to 2021. This will mean businesses can benefit from the change to three-year revaluations earlier, with the first taking place in 2024.

Improving transport in English cities

£1.7 billion was announced at Autumn Budget 2017 for improving transport in English cities. Half of this was given to Combined Authorities with mayors. The government is now inviting bids from cities across England for the remaining £840 million.

Improving the UK’s digital connectivity

Autumn Budget 2017 launched a £190 million Challenge Fund to help roll out full-fibre to local areas – providing the fastest, most reliable broadband to more homes and businesses. Spring Statement 2018 allocates the first wave of funding, providing over £95 million for 13 areas across the UK.

Inviting views on future changes to the tax system

Reducing single-use plastic waste through the tax system

Disposable plastics like coffee cups, plastic cutlery and foam trays damage our environment. The government is determined to take further action, and is seeking views on how best to use the tax system to encourage the responsible use of plastic.

Some of the money raised from any tax changes will be used to encourage the creation of new, greener products and services. In addition, £20 million from existing budgets will be given to businesses and universities to research ways to reduce the impact of plastics on the environment.

Making sure multinational digital businesses pay a fair share of tax

Digital businesses create value in a unique way, relying on the participation and engagement of their users. This is not always reflected in where such multinational businesses pay tax on their profits.

The government has set out its thinking on how the tax system can change to give a fair result for digital businesses.

Seeking views on the role of cash in the new economy

Digital technology has changed the way people shop, sell, and save. While cash will continue to be an important method of payment, more people are moving towards digital payments every year.

The government is seeking views on what more it can do to:

• support people and businesses who use digital payments
• ensure that those who need to are able to pay with cash
• prevent the use of cash to evade tax and launder money

Supporting people to get the skills they need

Improving people’s skills benefits both individuals and the wider economy. To support upskilling and retraining, the government is seeking views on extending the current tax relief to support self-employed people and employees when they fund their own training.

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Dr Jillian Louise Calland Duff, MA, Director of Mellitus College, North West, to the Suffragan See of Lancaster, in the Diocese of Blackburn. Dr Jillian Duff succeeds the Right Reverend Geoffrey Seagrove Pearson, BA, on his resignation of 31 July 2017.

Dr Jillian Duff (aged 45) was born and brought up in Bolton, Lancashire. She was educated at Christ College, Cambridge and Worcester College, Oxford. After working in the oil industry, she trained for the ministry at Wycliffe Hall Oxford. Dr Duff served her title at St Philip’s, Litherland, in the Diocese of Liverpool from 2003 to 2005. From 2005 Dr Duff took up the role of Pioneer Minister, church planting in Liverpool City Centre till 2011. In 2009 Dr Duff was appointed Chaplain to Liverpool College. In 2011 she worked as IME tutor and Vocations Development Advisor in the Diocese of Liverpool. From 2012 she worked to build a partnership between the North West Bishops and St Mellitus College, London and in 2013 became the founding Director of St Mellitus College, North West, based at Liverpool Cathedral, while serving at St Paul’s Widnes.