HMPPS wants to hear your story so that outstanding staff can be recognised and rewarded at our Staff Awards.

These awards have a specific category called Changing Lives so you can nominate those unsung heroes. The winners will be announced at the Prison Officer of the Year and Probation Awards in July 2019.

Whether you were a victim of crime, spent time in custody or on probation, or you were a family member affected, you now have the chance to nominate a member of the prison or probation service who went the extra mile for you.

Rory Stewart, Prisons and Probation Minister, said: “These awards are a perfect way to pay tribute to our prison and probation staff for their extraordinary service, commitment and resilience. I attended last year’s awards and I was humbled by how many people wanted to thank our staff for the impact they have had on their lives.

“It truly shows the difference our staff can make and by helping people turn their lives around, they reduce reoffending and protect the public.”

This is the third year this category has been part of the awards and there have been some powerful nominations from people who credit HMPPS with changing and, in some cases, saving their lives.

Deadline

You have until Friday 8 February to submit your nomination, so if there’s an individual you think deserves a nomination you can fill in the nomination form and submit it to nominations@noms.gsi.gov.uk

Preventable illnesses, including heart disease and stroke, are one of several factors behind the slowing improvements in life expectancy in England, according to a new review published by Public Health England (PHE).

Life expectancy trends are an important measure of the nation’s overall health. The Review of recent trends in mortality in England looks at why long-term improvements in life expectancy have slowed since 2011, following decades of continued increases.

Between 2006 and 2011, life expectancy increased by 1.6 years in males and 1.3 years in females, but between 2011 and 2016 the increase was only 0.4 and 0.1 years for males and females respectively. Currently, life expectancy in England has reached 79.6 years for men and 83.2 for women.

However, stubborn inequalities have widened in recent years – those in the poorest areas have seen less improvement in life expectancy than those in the wealthiest. For women in the most deprived communities, life expectancy has actually decreased. From 2014 to 2016, the gap in life expectancy was 9.3 years for males and 7.3 years for females.

A slowdown in improvement in mortality from heart disease and stroke – 2 leading causes of death – has had a significant impact on these trends. With 80% of premature heart attacks and strokes potentially avoidable, this shows the importance of addressing risk factors such as smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and other causes of inequalities.

Mortality rates from dementia have increased, but this is largely due to changes in diagnostic and recording practices. Dementia is already the leading cause of death in women and is likely to become the leading cause of death in men too, overtaking heart disease.

The review concluded that a number of other factors, operating simultaneously, have also potentially contributed to the slowdown in life expectancy.

These include:

• a large increase in deaths in the winters between 2014 and 2018, which was also seen in a number of other European countries – this coincided with the circulation of a subtype of flu, the influenza A (H3N2) subtype, known to predominantly affect older people

• more older people living with dementia and other long-term conditions, which may make them particularly vulnerable to the effects of flu and other winter risks, and who may be particularly reliant on health and social care services

• an increase in death rates from accidental poisoning, in particular, drug misuse – this led to mortality rates among younger adults making no contribution to changes in life expectancy trends between 2011 and 2016, in contrast to the small positive contributions seen previously

A similar slowdown in improvement has been seen in other large European countries. However, the report found the UK continues to lag behind other European countries on life expectancy, particularly for women.

Professor John Newton, Director of Health Improvement at PHE, said:

With the number of people aged 85 years and over set to increase, we’re likely to see the burden of dementia and many other long-term conditions follow suit.

The solution to reversing these trends will be complex as the causes themselves are not straightforward. What comes out loud and clear from the evidence is the potential for effective prevention activity, particularly for heart disease, to improve health outcomes and reduce the enormous disparities in life expectancy.

Further work is required to understand any potential causal link between changes in health and changes in social care funding or provision of services within England or different countries.

According to the Health Profile for England 2018, the slowdown has not been observed for long enough for statistical analysis to determine whether it will continue. The future trend is uncertain for both sexes but PHE will continue to closely monitor trends in mortality rates and life expectancy in England.

Background

1. Review of recent trends in mortality in England contains further information on the slowdown in life expectancy in England.
2. PHE is leading the prevention, personal responsibility and health inequalities work stream as part of the development of the NHS long-term plan.
3. This season PHE has recommended that all those under-65 have the quadrivalent flu vaccine, which protects against both the main B strains and the 2 main flu A subtypes. Adults aged 65 or over are being offered a new ‘adjuvanted’ vaccine in order to improve the immune response.

Last month, Burnley-based Bath Brew, shipped its first order of 4,000 bottles to fulfil an exclusive US distribution deal with a Georgia-based spirits distributor, and in September shipped 450 bottles to SAQ, the state-owned alcohol retailer of Quebec.

These new export deals, combined with an increasing overseas demand for craft gin, mean the company is now expecting to see its export sales grow from 12.5% of annual turnover to more than 20% in the next 12 months.

To help it break into the US and Canadian markets, the company has been working with government International Trade Advisers (ITAs), who have supported the business in navigating overseas legislation and cultural differences.

Batch Brew’s North American successes are the most recent in a series of export wins for the business. Last month the company also began shipping to a new retail partner in Italy, as well as shipping its first pallet of a bespoke gin made using Chinese botanicals to a new partner in China.

Batch Brew’s exporting success is being showcased as part of the Food is GREAT campaign, a cross-departmental initiative led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department for International Trade (DIT) to showcase UK food and drink overseas and help more firms export.

Founded in 2011, Batch Brew started life as a brewery, before its founder and director Phil Whitwell recognised the opportunity available in the craft gin market.

The company produced its first gin in 2014 after trying out 252 recipes to find the right flavour. The business now sells a core range of 3 gins, along with a variety of monthly gin ‘innovations’. As well as gins, the business produces its own vodkas and rums, and has a whisky currently maturing.

Earlier this year, Batch Brew’s Industrial Strength Gin was crowned ‘Best Gin’ at the International Spirits Awards in San Francisco, and its Signature Gin was voted the UK’s favourite craft gin by the Craft Gin Club.

Claire Plowes, Operations Manager, Batch Brew, said:

When we first started out, exporting wasn’t part of our business strategy. However, with the recent craft gin boom, we jumped at the chance to have gin drinkers around the world try our product.

These new North American deals are a big step forward for the business, but there’s been a few things we’ve had to tackle to make them happen.

For example, in the US and Canada not only is the standard spirit bottle size larger than in the UK at 75cl, the standard for packaging is also different, with the US market shipping in boxes of 12, compared to our boxes of 6. To get around this we’ve not only had to adjust our bottle size, but also commission custom boxes.

Similarly, we’ve had to adjust our labelling to meet specific US and Canadian requirements. In Canada, everything must be labelled in both French and English, while in the US we’ve had to adjust the prominence of the word ‘gin’ on our label to meet its product description requirements.

Support from International Trade Advisers has not only enabled us to overcome some of the legal barriers we’ve encountered in new markets, but has also helped us seek out new opportunities overseas. Thanks to their support, we’re now in discussions with a potential new partner in Germany, who we met at a Northern Powerhouse meet-the-buyer event in Harrogate last year.

Paul Stowers, Head of Region, North West, DIT, said:

Gin exports from across the UK are booming, and the US is our biggest market – worth £189 million in the year to June 2018. Distillers from across the North West are well-positioned to benefit from this demand.

To help more local firms take advantage of the export opportunities available, we have a team of International Trade Advisers – like those that work with Batch Brew – on hand to offer 1-to-1 guidance on everything from addressing labelling regulations, to sourcing trusted logistics providers.

We know that exporting can help boost firms’ profitability and increase their resilience. I’m encouraging anyone interested to get in touch with our team and see how they can start or grow their export activity. If a local distillery like Batch Brew can do it, there’s no reason many others can’t too.

Thank you Constantin, it’s great to be here.

And it’s great to get out of Whitehall, to the wonderful surroundings of Bloomberg’s new European HQ.

This HQ is a great representation of this City.

Historic and modern, nestling side-by-side…

…a technological and architectural temple of gadgetry…

…on the site of the 3rd Century temple to the god Mithras.

Back then during the very origins of Londonium – this Mithraeum played host to merchants, traders, and imperial administrators in the depths below where we stand now, plotting the future of this great city…

…and 1,800 years later – we’re still bringing together investors and regulators to discuss what the future holds for the global economy.

This stunning building won this year’s Stirling prize for the UK’s best new building…

…fighting off competition from a brick nursery and a mud-walled cemetery.

And I’m delighted to be here today – in the home of a global company that represents the very best of this city…

…a business that over the past 40 years…

…thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and vision of Mike Bloomberg…

…has grown from a seller of the iconic Bloomberg terminals we all know well…

…to a global information, data, and media empire, and the very heart of what makes financial markets tick.

And this is a good time for us to meet and take stock…

…at a time of uncertainty and challenge for the global economy:

Rising US-China trade tensions…

…a slowing outlook for global growth…

…the challenge of the impact of monetary policy normalisation on the Emerging Markets…

…economic challenges facing major economies, from Japan to Italy…

…and a reminder last week in France – of the threat posed by a rising tide of sentiment among our electorates that our economic model is not working for everyone.

And of course – here in the UK – we have our own special problems as we navigate our Exit from the EU.

We have agreed a deal with our EU partners that ensures a smooth and orderly departure from the European Union…

…delivers on the referendum decision of the British people…

…and secures a close future economic relationship with our nearest neighbours.

It is the best deal available for the British economy that delivers on the result of the referendum…

…and it’s a deal that can bring this country back together again and allow us to all move on.

And it’s a deal that protects the UK’s position as a global financial centre…

…and allows the hugely mutually beneficial financial services trade with the EU to continue to flourish.

Not through the EU’s ‘passporting’ regime – as we will leave the Single Market…

…but through a new economic and regulatory partnership in financial services.

We have set out a proposed framework for how this will work…

…allowing the mutual benefits of UK-EU financial services trade to continue – while protecting financial stability, businesses, consumers, and taxpayers across the UK and the EU.

And the deal agreed with the EU includes an agreement on the future relationship for financial services that reflects these proposals…

…with both sides committing to take decisions on granting equivalence at least six months before the end of the Implementation Period.

But I don’t want to spend my time with you talking about Brexit…

…I’ve done more than enough of that over the last few days, and months…

…and at this conference you are gathered here to talk about the opportunities and challenges in the global economy…

…and I want to say a few words about our plan for Britain – post-Brexit – to remain an international centre of finance and commerce around the world.

The UK has always had an internationalist outlook – and we’ve been a global centre of finance for centuries…

…for it wasn’t the passport that built the City of London…

…it was our unique history and networks…

…supported by a few specific advantages:

Our language is the global language of business;

Our legal system is the jurisdiction of choice for international commerce;

Our world-class universities and schools contribute to the pluriculture that makes the UK such a favoured place to live and work;

Our tech sector is the innovation leader in Europe;

And we are the global capital for international finance and professional services;

And the key point – is that Britain’s strengths are more than just the aggregation of these things…

…it is the effect of bringing them together…

…the financial capital of the world…

…a global innovation hub, research centres of excellence, a leader in creative industries, and a vibrant and diverse culture…

…that together create this ecosystem of prosperity.

And post-Brexit I am clear that we will maintain and build upon this ecosystem…

…as we shape our economy for the future.

And since this is a Global Regulatory summit let me say a few words about standards…

…because one thing that will stand regardless of our future relationship with the EU, is the UK’s commitment to robust international standards.

We led the way internationally in the development of post-crisis financial reforms…

…and ten years on our global system stands safer, simpler, and fairer:

Safer because large banks are better capitalised, less leveraged, and more liquid;

Simpler because over-the-counter derivative markets are less complex, and more transparent;

Fairer because we’ve reformed the resolvability of financial institutions – so that now it is shareholders and creditors who bear the costs of a failure – not taxpayers.

And it’s precisely because we have such a large, dynamic, important financial sector – that it is in our interests to go beyond international baseline standards…

…and drive forward the global ‘race to the top’.

And as people in this room know – this job is never done.

We need to do even more if we are to complete the global regulatory reform agenda…

…and in particular we must look at how the implementation of these reforms may impact on the market…

…and how differences in timing or consistency of implementation could lead to market fragmentation…

…and in turn lead to weaker resilience, unlevel playing fields, increased costs of transactions, and financial stability risks.

I’m glad that Japan has indicated it will take forward work on this agenda during their forthcoming G20 presidency…

…and the UK stands ready to support this work – for the benefit of our financial sector here at home, and for the resilience of the global financial system as a whole.

Because I reject the idea that laxer regulation makes a jurisdiction more attractive.

But regulatory systems will be a key discriminator:

The financial centres of choice in the future will be safe, transparent, stable, and predictable…

…with appropriate regulatory regimes…

…that are agile and flexible to keep abreast of changing technologies and business models.

Regulatory robustness, coupled with regulatory agility, and a commitment to regulatory innovation will be a key selling point of London’s financial services market in the future.

However, London’s strengths as a financial centre are about more than resilience and our commitment to high quality, agile, and flexible regulation;

It is about being the global centre for international finance…

…and as we leave the EU, we are more focused than ever on strengthening ties with the big, established markets, beyond Europe, from the US to Japan…

…and building new links with the fast-growing markets in the East – including in particular, India and China…

…who – as their middle classes grow in size and prosperity – will rapidly increase their demand for financial services in terms of volume and in terms of sophistication.

So at my Mansion House speech in June – I announced our intention to develop new Global Financial Partnerships…

…to strengthen our links with these key markets around the world….

…leveraging existing tools – such as our bilateral dialogues, and regulatory cooperation…

…with new tools – such as market access agreements, through our future third country regime…

…across capital markets, banking, asset management, and insurance…

…to reinforce the UK’s position as the pre-eminent centre for global finance.

We have worked hard on our Global Financial Partnerships plan and we are gearing up to begin discussions with potential partner countries from April 2019, as soon as we have left the EU.

In conclusion, Britain is, and will remain, a great place to do business.

Of that, I have no doubt.

And our financial sector will remain in the vanguard – with a regulatory system that is among the most open, transparent, and agile in the world – adapting, innovating, driving change, influencing…

…and as Chancellor I am determined to go on pushing us to do even better… …to develop new products and services… …to reach out to new markets… …and to rise to the opportunities and challenges ahead.

I have spent the last two years on a path of unswerving commitment to a Brexit deal that protects jobs, businesses, investment, and growth;

So that we can go on investing in the technologies and skills of the future;

And secure our place as the world’s leading financial centre in the years and decades to come.

I remain committed to that cause…

…I am grateful for the huge support from the Financial Services industry…

…and look forward to continuing to work with you as we deliver Brexit…

…manage the transition smoothly…

…and go on to reinforce the global network that will underpin London’s position in the future.

Thank you.

A congestion-busting new dual carriageway between Windy Harbour and Skippool near Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire is a step closer after the Planning Inspectorate agreed to examine Highways England’s plans.

The £100 million proposal – to bypass the existing A585 – is being proposed as part of the Government’s £15 billion Road Investment Strategy (RIS). The Planning Inspectorate will now scrutinise the idea and invite formal public responses before letting the Secretary of State decide if the new road can be built.

Highways England project manager David Hopkin said:

We are delighted the Planning Inspectorate has accepted what is effectively a planning application for the bypass we adopted as our preferred option last year and have since refined in response to further public feedback in a statutory consultation in the spring.

Almost everyone in the area agrees that something needs to be done about congestion along this section of the A585 – and the new road will help secure and improve opportunities for housing and jobs in this part of Lancashire and contribute to improved connections to the whole of the motorway network.

The Planning Inspectorate’s involvement marks the penultimate formal milestone in the life of the project before construction can start before the end of March 2020 – subject to the green light from the Secretary of State.

The 2.7 mile Windy Harbour to Skippool section is one of the busiest and most congested along the 11.5 mile road which links Fleetwood to the M55. The Shard and Little Singleton junctions are particular congestion bottlenecks.

Since being unveiled as the preferred route in October of last year the southern bypass proposal has been refined in response to public feedback – with a signalised junction replacing a roundabout at the western, Poulton end of the new bypass and a proposed Grange Road junction removed.

Full project details are available on a dedicated project webpage.

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.