I have today (12 May 2022) published the draft statutory instrument The Motor Fuel (Composition and Content (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2022 and accompanying explanatory memorandum.

These regulations amend The Motor Fuel (Composition and Content) Regulations 1999 to require the introduction of E10 petrol (petrol with up to 10% ethanol) at filling stations in Northern Ireland.

Following the successful introduction of E10 in Great Britain in September 2021, this subsequent amendment will bring the ethanol content of standard grade petrol in Northern Ireland in line with rest of the UK. The regulations also ensure the ongoing availability of E5 petrol (petrol with 5% or less ethanol) for those with vehicles and equipment unsuitable for use with E10.

At present, standard grade petrol in Northern Ireland contains up to 5% renewable ethanol (referred to as E5). Increasing the renewable ethanol content to up to 10% (E10) can reduce the CO2 emissions from a petrol vehicle by the equivalent of around 2% per mile travelled. This, combined with increases to overall renewable fuel targets could cut overall transport CO2 emissions by a further 750,000 tonnes a year, the equivalent of taking around 350,000 cars off the road.

Transport is one of the biggest contributing sectors to carbon emissions in Northern Ireland, where 59% of new cars registered in 2019 were petrol powered – the reductions achieved through the introduction of E10 will help decarbonise the existing vehicle fleet and help meet climate change targets.

Introducing E10 will also help support UK farmers and the domestic ethanol industry, reducing reliance on imported oil in accordance with the aims of the UK energy security strategy and the Ten point plan for a green industrial revolution. Producing ethanol also creates the valuable byproducts of high-protein animal feed and stored CO2, reducing reliance on imported products, in line with the government’s bioeconomy strategy.

The regulations are published in accordance with the procedure required by schedule 8 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 and agreed with Parliament. The draft regulations will be available for review for 28 days before they are laid and debates scheduled.

These regulations were subject to open consultation. The policy detail, government response and impact assessment are available.

Lead Minister for Cyber and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Steve Barclay, visited St Joseph’s RC High School (SJHS) in Newport to learn more about how young people are being taught vital cyber skills.

St Joseph’s RC High school was the first state secondary school in Wales to be awarded the Silver Award for the NCSC’s CyberFirst school’s program. Over the past 5 years they have developed a challenging, engaging and rewarding curriculum that is centred on computer science, applied digital skills and cyber security.

CyberFirst activities are intended to inspire and encourage students from all backgrounds to consider a career in cyber security and apply for a CyberFirst bursary.

The Government is ensuring that all students are taught basic cyber skills as early as possible so that they are more likely to take up further education in this field. Encouraging more young people into cyber careers, and creating a more diverse cyber-security profession is key to the Government’s mission to make the UK a world leader in cyber skills and the global cyber industry in the coming years.

Significant steps have already been taken to make this possible – with £2.6 billion of investment in cyber and IT committed in the Autumn statement – which will both make the UK safer from cyber attacks but also to help boost innovation in the cyber security sector.

In addition to all of this, the UK has already seen over £10 billion of investment the last financial year, a 14 per cent increase on the year before that, leading to the creation of 6,000 new jobs to take the sector’s employment levels above 50,000.

The visit follows Barclay’s keynote address to the Cyber UK Conference in Newport, where he warned of the evolving threat of cyber attacks following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and committed to boost cyber defence skills across the UK.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Lead Cyber Minister, Steve Barclay said:

It was great to spend time talking to pupils at St Joseph’s School in Newport and to hear about their aspirations of working in the cyber industry and the valuable skills they are learning to help them achieve that ambition.

These skills are crucial in helping to boost our individual and collective cyber defences from the threats that we face, so I was delighted to see the enthusiasm and passion of both children and teaching staff at the school.

Rhys Driscoll, Digital Lead at St Joseph’s RC High School said:

The NCSC’s Cyber girl’s competition has enabled us to provide further opportunities for our school community and to inspire us to achieve more in the cyber world.

The NCSC have been fantastic in giving us guidance, a link to real industry experts and professional learning opportunities. The NDEC team, led by Holly Lidbury, have been particularly supportive and encouraging with our journey as a CyberFirst school.

It was great to have Steve Barclay here today to show off what we’ve managed to achieve so far, and we look forward to some of our students helping shape the UK’s cyber future.

The 7 Commissioners have been reappointed for five-year terms:

• Ian Comfort and Johanna Higgins from 7 May 2022
• David Brown from 16 May 2022
• Rachel Ellis, Jill Gramann and Rob Ward from 29 September 2022
• Linda Lee from 20 November 2022

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) was established by the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 (“the Act”) and commenced operation in 1997. The CCRC considers – on application – cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where a miscarriage of justice is alleged or suspected. The CCRC decides if there is any new evidence or new argument which raises a real possibility that an appeal court would quash a conviction or reduce a sentence.

The appointment of CCRC Commissioners are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments, as do the proposed reappointments.

Appointments to CCRC are made by Her Majesty the Queen on the recommendation of the Prime Minister who receives advice from the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State.

Biographies

David Brown is an Associate Inspector with HM Inspectorate of Fire and Rescue Services.  David spent 32 years in the London Fire Brigade and in 2016 he was awarded the Queen’s Fire Service Medal. David is a Lay Panel member on the investigating committee for the Nursing and Midwifery Council and is supporting the Boundary Commission for England in reviewing Parliamentary constituencies. He currently serves as a magistrate in the adult criminal court.

Ian Comfort is a barrister of the Inner Temple and chartered legal executive. He is a legally qualified chair for the Medical Practitioners Tribunal and the Taxation Disciplinary Board and chairs panels for the Health and Care Professions Tribunal. He was appointed as a magistrate in 1984 and is a presiding justice in West London sitting in both adult and youth courts.

Rachel Ellis is an Ombudsman with the Financial Ombudsman Service. Alongside this, she chairs Fitness to Practise Committees for the Nursing and Midwifery Council, is an Independent Panel Member on police misconduct committees and is also a Panel Member for the Independent Betting Adjudication Service. Rachel previously practised as a criminal barrister acting for both the prosecution and defence.

Jill Gramann served on the Sentencing Council as the lay judicial member for three years, with specific responsibility for the development of sentencing guidelines for domestic abuse, and theft. Until 2017, Jill was also a Non-Executive Director of Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust and has held board positions on both SCOPE and BILD.  Previously she founded and led an attitudinal research consultancy for 30 years. She was a magistrate from 1990 until 2017 and has held a number of posts within the magistracy including three years as a bench chairman and chair of the Judicial Issues Group for West Mercia.

Johanna Higgins is a barrister and Bencher of the Inner Temple, London, who has also been called to the Bar in Northern Ireland and the Bar in Dublin. Johanna gained criminal practice experience as a Senior Public Prosecutor in Northern Ireland. She now sits as a member of the Legal Aid Appeal Board NI and is a member of the Independent Expert Panel, appointed by the House of Commons.

Linda Lee is a solicitor specialising in regulatory and disciplinary law at national law firm Radcliffes Le Brasseur. She is a Past President of the Law Society of England and Wales and has held various key roles at the Law Society. She is currently Chair of the Law Society’s Professional Indemnity Insurance Committee and is a longstanding member of the Access to Justice Committee. A former President of the Medico-Legal Society, she remains an active member of its Council. She lectures and writes on legal and regulatory issues and is a director of the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting. Linda holds a number of quasi-judicial roles, predominantly for regulators, and also sits as a Deputy District Judge (Civil).

Rob Ward QC (Hon) is a barrister who has had an extensive career as a Government lawyer specialising in national security law, including counter-terrorism. Rob led the legal branch at the Ministry of Defence during a period of substantial change and expansion. He is the co-author of leading textbooks on sexual offences law and national security law.

The visitor centre, which underwent a £100,000 refurbishment and was officially opened by the Prince of Wales in September 2018, closed for the winter in 2019 and hasn’t reopened since due to coronavirus restrictions.

The centre – which is free to visit – is now officially reopening for the summer on Friday 27 May, in time for the half-term school holiday.

The interactive experience allows visitors to get up close with salmon and critically endangered freshwater pearl mussels and help people understand the fascinating world that lies below the surface of the river. It includes:

• a natural North East river environment aquarium showcasing salmon and other local river species
• videos revealing the behind the scenes work at the centre to protect iconic species
• a prehistoric salmon fossil dig
• a quiz and brass rubbings to unveil interesting information about the salmon
• pearl mussel breeding beds

Rare job opportunity

To support the centre reopening, a rare Environment Agency job opportunity has been created to support Salmon Centre Manager Richard Bond and Pearl Mussel specialist Ben Strachan. The Facilities Management Assistant job includes working with the iconic salmon species and on endangered pearl mussel conservation, as well as the perks of working next to the idyllic Kielder reservoir.

Richard Bond, Salmon Centre Manager for more than 17 years, said:

We’re really looking forward to welcoming people back to the visitor centre. It gives a fascinating insight into our work to protect this incredible, iconic fish, and explain the innovative work to hand rear the endangered freshwater pearl mussel, which is vital to our river systems.

It’s rare that job opportunities at the Salmon Centre arise and we’re looking for a new member of our team to help us keep it a great and safe place to work. This role is a truly unique one, and we are looking for someone who is excellent at Facilities Management as well as relishing the opportunity to get stuck into lots of different activities.

The Facilities Management Assistant advert is live until 24 May

Kielder Salmon Centre reopens at 10am on Friday 27 May. It will be open daily between 10am-4pm until 30 September. It can be found at 3, Rivermead Workshops, Kielder, Hexham, NE48 1HX.

Visit Kielder has more information about the surrounding area.

On an average year, Kielder Salmon Centre rears and releases around 360,000 juvenile salmon into the River Tyne catchment.

It was built in 1978 to compensate for the building of Kielder Reservoir – the biggest man-made lake in Northern Europe – which cut off around 7% of the River Tyne catchment including some of the best spawning streams for salmon.