The UK is reviewing its progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals – also known as the Global Goals – in a process called the Voluntary National Review.

The Sustainable Development Goals are for everybody and we want to hear from any group, organisation, or individual about what they are doing to help achieve the goals in the UK.

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Find out more about the Voluntary National Review and having your say.

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Following Public Health England (PHE)’s ongoing investigation into the increase in reported cases of AFP, a total of 40 cases have been reported in the UK across 2018. Many of these were reported months after the initial diagnosis.

Up until August 2018, 6 cases of AFP occurred which was then followed by a rapid rise in the number of people showing symptoms of AFP during September 2018. The number of reported cases peaked in October 2018 and have declined since. The cases were scattered across the United Kingdom.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations at PHE said:

Our investigations into potential causes are ongoing, and we are continuing to build better awareness amongst health care professionals about how to test and manage patients with AFP.

We are not clear whether all of the apparent increase is real, or whether this represents increased awareness and diagnosis over recent years. The current best theory is that this is a very rare consequence of enterovirus infection, as the increase coincides with increases in infection.

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has been found in around one quarter of cases. However, as the infection is very common, and most children have been infected by the age of 5 years, there must be other factors involved.

19 December 2018

Public Health England (PHE) is investigating an increase in reported cases of a rare condition called acute flaccid paralysis (AFP). So far in 2018, 28 cases have been reported in England, the majority of which have been since September. A rise in reported cases has also been seen in the US.

AFP affects the nervous system, causing one or more of the limbs to become weak or floppy – and may look similar to polio. It tends to particularly, though not exclusively, affect children. It is very rare, so PHE is stressing that if an adult or a child develops weakness in any limb they should seek medical attention so appropriate testing and care can be given.

Typically, a handful of cases of AFP are reported to PHE each year for investigation. PHE monitors these types of symptoms as part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) requirements to monitor for polio and confirm it remains eliminated in the UK.

Certain viruses are known to cause AFP including polioviruses and non-polio enteroviruses. Enteroviruses commonly cause mild infections with a range of symptoms including colds, coughs and diarrhoea. Such illnesses from viral infections are common, especially in children, and most people recover. Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) and other viruses have been detected in several cases of AFP so far in 2018. The risk of developing neurological symptoms due to EV-D68, or any other viral infection is extremely low.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisations at PHE said:

AFP is very rare. However, if you or your child develops weakness in any limb you should seek medical care immediately so that appropriate testing and care can be given.

We are investigating potential causes and working hard to build better awareness amongst health care professionals about how to test and manage patients with AFP.

We are ensuring up-to-date information is available for patients and their families who may be affected.

PHE is looking into the potential causes of the apparent rise in reports of AFP, including the role of EV-D68 or other infections. This will include ensuring that healthcare professionals’ are aware of and can access guidance on the investigation and management of such cases. PHE is also supporting healthcare providers by developing up-to-date information for patients and/or parents.

AFP can be difficult to diagnose because there are many other causes of weakness. Doctors will typically examine a patient’s nervous system and look at images of the spinal cord and brain. They can also test the fluid around the brain and spinal cord and may check the nervous system conduction.

Doctors should report any suspected cases of AFP to Public Health England and samples should be sent to specialist labs for additional testing.

Background

1. Tests for enterovirus infection are typically only undertaken on individuals admitted to hospital with conditions such as chest infections and meningitis. Although enterovirus infection is not notifiable, PHE receives reports of confirmed enterovirus infection from NHS laboratories, and offers specialist typing for very serious cases – including children with AFP. 68 cases of laboratory confirmed EV-D68 infection have been diagnosed in 2018 – though many other cases occur but remain undiagnosed.
2. 12 cases of AFP have been associated with an enterovirus. EV-D68 has been detected in 8, EV-C104 in 1, and coxsackie B1 in 1; in 2 cases the enterovirus was not typeable.

The UK’s position as a world leader in the development of self-driving vehicles has been boosted by a pioneering new cyber security standard, published by the British Standards Institute today (19 December 2018).

Working with academics and experts from leading businesses in the car industry including Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Bentley, as well as the National Cyber Security Centre, and funded by the Department for Transport, the British Standards Institute developed the guidance to set a marker for those developing self-driving car technology. The UK market for connected and automated vehicles is forecast to be worth up to £52 billion by 2035.

Jesse Norman, Future of Mobility Minister, said:

As vehicles get smarter, major opportunities for the future of mobility increase. But so too do the challenges posed by data theft and hacking.

This cyber security standard should help to improve the resilience and readiness of the industry, and help keep the UK at the forefront of advancing transport technology.

This follows the government’s publication last year which set out key principles of cyber security for automated vehicles, such as the expectation that systems should be designed to be resilient to attacks and respond appropriately when its defences fail.

Car manufacturers will be able to use the new standard published today to demonstrate that they are following these principles.

Paul James Manley (63), from Wembley, North-West London, was disqualified for 12 years on 11 December 2018 and his ban is effective from 1 January 2019.

Incorporated in 1994, County West Commercial Services Ltd was an accountancy firm based in Hammersmith. Paul Manley was a director of the company and 13 years later, County West Commercial Services entered into creditors voluntary liquidation in August 2017, triggering an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

One of County West Commercial Services’ clients was Inn Take (UK) Ltd, a company which ran pubs on a short-term basis before it went into liquidation in December 2011. Two of its directors, William Dene Lyall and Joseph Harthen, have subsequently been banned from running companies for 8 and 5 years respectively.

On 27 October 2016, the High Court of Justice ruled in favour of Inn Take’s liquidator that parties, including County West Commercial Services, knew about and assisted Inn Take’s intent in defrauding its creditors.

The fraud revolved around an outsourcing company being appointed to deal with the utility companies of Inn Take in April 2010 and from then to February 2011, over £1.65 million was paid to them via a client account controlled by County West Commercial Services.

However, the High Court ruled that this money was taken from Inn Take “for no consideration on the pretext that they would pay creditors who were never, in fact, paid”.

On 11 December 2018, the Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Paul James Manley, after he did not dispute that he caused County West Commercial Services to be a knowing party to the carrying on of a client’s business with the intent to defraud creditors. His ban is effective from 1 January 2019 and lasts for 12 years.

David Brooks, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:

In this serious case, Paul Manley operated his company’s client account as an “informal escrow” facility without proper regulatory permissions and with full knowledge of the reputations of the individuals concerned.

Accountants and other advisers should be wary of allowing their firms to be utilised in this way, enabling clients to pass funds through their accounts.

Paul James Manley is of Wembley, Middlesex, and his date of birth is in July 1955

County West Commercial Services Ltd (Company Reg no. 02930455). Trading address: Unit 6 Cambridge Court, 210 Shepherds Bush Road, Hammersmith W6 7NJ.

The misconduct that Mr Manley did not dispute was:

Between 26 April 2010 and 14 February 2011, I caused County West Commercial Services Ltd to be a knowing party to the carrying on of a client’s business with the intent to defraud creditors. As a consequence £1,654,451.53 of client funds were received by a bank account controlled by the company and distributed with no discernible benefit to the client.

Disqualification Undertakings had previously been accepted by The Insolvency Service from the two directors of Inn Take UK Ltd: William Dene Lyall (eight years from 21 February 2014) and Joseph Harthen (five years from 29 November 2013).

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Persons subject to a disqualification order or undertaking are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

The MHRA has been working to prevent the further sale of Zudaifu cream and advises anyone who has bought it online to stop using it immediately.

Zudaifu cream is not a licensed medicine and has been marketed in the UK as a “natural” Chinese herbal remedy for the treatment of a range of skin conditions, most commonly eczema, psoriasis and rosacea.

Our analysis of the product found the presence of the steroid clobetasol propionate. This is the active ingredient in Prescription-Only medicines used for the treatment of a range skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.

Creams containing steroids should be used sparingly and as directed by the prescriber. They should not be used on children under 1 year of age.

This follows a warning earlier this year for a product called [Yiganerjing Cream](https://www.gov.uk/government/news/natural-doesnt-mean-safe-herbal-medicines-found-to-contain-steroids0 described as a “natural” Chinese herbal medicine that contained the same steroid and antifungal ingredients.

Dr Chris Jones, Manager of the Medicines Borderline Section at MHRA said:

We have again identified a potentially harmful cream described as a natural Chinese herbal medicine on the market.

Selling creams directly to the public that contain strong steroids is illegal and they are potentially dangerous if they are used without medical supervision.

Steroids must only be prescribed by healthcare professionals who follow strict criteria when prescribing them and can monitor patients using them. They can suppress the skin’s response to infection and can also cause long-term thinning of the skin. If steroids are applied long term, particularly on children, they can lead to other medical problems.

Our advice to anyone who has bought it previously or is currently using Zudaifu cream – particularly on young children and babies – is to stop using it immediately. If you have any questions, please contact your healthcare professional.

If you are unsure about the safety of a medicine claiming to be “natural” or “herbal” you should check for a Marketing Authorisation (MA) or Product Licence (PL) number or Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) number / the THR logo. This means the product has been assessed by MHRA for safety and has been manufactured correctly. For more information, visit NHS Choices.

If you are aware of Zudaifu cream being sold, please report it to MHRA at Borderline_medicine@mhra.gov.uk.