Watch above as Jeremy sets out Labour’s progressive vision for a fairer, more equal Scotland and UK.
The announcement follows the decision on Truvada® by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group. The study will run for at least three years and will begin this summer.
Vaughan Gething said:
“There is no doubt that Truvada® reduces rates of HIV infection when taken correctly and supported by wider, preventative sexual health services can help to reduce overall HIV transmission and infection rates. This is the advice of the World Health Organisation.
“The study that I have announced will mean that all those for whom the drug is clinically appropriate can access it.
“The study will help us to learn how best to provide the preventative treatment to reduce risks of HIV transmission in Wales and answer some of the questions raised by the All Wales Medicines Strategy Group around incidence rates.
“The All Wales Medicines Strategy Group is a highly regarded, independent expert group. I acknowledge their advice that there are uncertainties regarding cost-effectiveness and that they have not recommended the drug for routine use within NHS Wales at this time.
“I am asking Public Health Wales and the HIV Expert Group to work together to deliver the study.”
Recent years and months have seen the Welsh Government make significant improvements to the road but the Economy Secretary was keen to stress that more needs to be done in order for the road to best serve as a key artery across North Wales and beyond.
Ken Skates said:
“Last month saw the culmination of four years of imperative improvement work to tunnels on the A55, and this is alongside recent road surface improvements, flood alleviation work and urgent maintenance work.
“Following the completion of these improvements, all maintenance and improvement works for the medium to long term can now be carried out overnight, when disruptions are minimal. I’ve been clear that only emergency work will disrupt passengers during the day this summer, banning any planned daytime roadwork between J11 and the English border until September at the earliest.
“The investment in improving the condition of our roads and the major proposals we have in the pipeline to address congestion points on the network will greatly improve the travelling experience along the A55. I am, however, determined to look beyond these interventions, ensuring journeys along the A55 are as reliable as possible – delivering for locals, businesses and visitors alike. The resilience study I am commissioning will help determine how best to achieve this.
“My intention is to look again at all aspects of the road, identifying where and how best to improve the travel experience and how to minimise the frequency and impact of incidents and breakdowns. This will complement existing plans for improvements whilst continuing to ensure the disruption of roadworks are kept to an absolute minimum.
“Over 70,000 cars use sections of the A55 at peak times and this study will help the Welsh Government continue to drive improvements, ensuring the A55 copes with demand and helps facilitate a strong and forward looking North Wales economy.”
The resilience study will look at the whole network from Holyhead to Post House junction and the first stage of the work is intended to be completed late summer, feeding into the existing schedule for improvements commencing from September.
Measures currently in place to reduce the risk of Avian Influenza in England will be lifted from 15 May 2017 following the latest risk assessment from Defra, the UK Chief Veterinary Officer has announced.
The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) currently in place will be lifted in England on 15 May 2017. From this date, keepers will no longer be required by law to follow specific disease prevention measures to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds. They should continue to follow industry standard best practice on biosecurity, including minimising movement in and out of bird enclosures, cleaning footwear, keeping areas where birds live clean and tidy and feeding birds indoors.
A ban on poultry gatherings has been in place since 20 December to reduce the risk of infected poultry passing the virus to other birds. This ban will be lifted in England on 15 May 2017, meaning bird gatherings can then resume, subject to some additional identity and health checks and biosecurity measures.
The Government continually reviews disease control measures in light of new scientific evidence and veterinary advice. The latest assessment from Defra is that the overall risk in England has fallen from ‘medium’ to ‘low’, comparable with risk levels in November 2016, and should continue to fall in warmer, drier spring weather conditions.
Based on this assessment, the decision has been taken to lift measures on 15 May, provided there are no further cases in poultry or findings of H5N8 in wild birds.
The most recent case of H5N8 in poultry in England was confirmed on 24 February 2017 and the last finding in wild birds was on 10 March 2017.
Confidence that the risk has fallen sufficiently to lift the remaining statutory disease control measures will have increased further by 15 May if there are no more cases in domestic poultry, including those now returned to free range and thus at highest risk, or findings in wild birds. In parallel the risk from residual infection in the environment will continue to reduce as higher temperatures and light levels and drier conditions accelerate the inactivation of the virus. Read the latest risk assessment.
Members of the public should report dead wild birds – such as swans, geese, ducks, gulls or birds of prey – to the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77. Defra will then collect some of these birds and test them to help us understand how the disease is distributed geographically and in different types of bird.
Public Health England advises the risk to public health is very low and the Food Standards Agency has said there is no food safety risk for UK consumers.
John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, commenting on today’s lower than expected GDP figures, said
“Today’s GDP figures reveal the threat to living
standards under the Tories.
“Growth for the first three months of 2017 was only
half of what was expected. It comes on the back of new forecasts last week from
leading independent forecasters showing growth and earnings expectations
slashed and inflation revised up.
“There is no hiding from the truth. The Tories’
economic plan has undermined the UK economy and is a threat to working people’s
living standards.
“This General Election is a choice between a Labour
Party who will stand up for the many and a Tory Party which only looks after
the privileged few.”
Ends
Notes to editors:
ONS, GDP, April 2017
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/grossdomesticproductpreliminaryestimate/jantomar2017
OBR, Economic and fiscal outlook, March
2017, Table 3.2
http://budgetresponsibility.org.uk/efo/economic-fiscal-outlook-march-2017/
GDP 2017
Independent
median- 1.8%
OBR forecast-
2%
Difference-
-0.2%
Average
earnings 2017
Independent
median- 2.4 %
OBR forecast-
2.6%
Difference-
-0.2%
Inflation Q4
2017
Independent
median- 3.1%
OBR forecast-
2.7%
Difference-
+0.4%
GDP 2018
Independent
median- 1.3%
OBR forecast-
1.6%
Difference-
-0.3%
Inflation Q4
2018
Independent
median- 2.5%
OBR forecast-
2.2%
Difference-
-0.3%
Treasury,
Forecasts for the UK economy: a comparison of independent forecasts, 19 April
2017
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/609054/Forecasts_UK_Economy_April_2017.pdf