New tenants rights will be at the heart of the regeneration of some of the country’s most deprived estates, Lord Heseltine said today (9 February 2016).

A panel, who met for the first time today, will look at how the layout of estates can be best used to deliver more quality homes that people can buy and rent.

The experts will also ensure that there are strong protections in place for existing residents so they will always be given the right to return to their communities.

The 17-strong group, co-chaired by Lord Heseltine and Housing Minister Brandon Lewis and reporting to the Prime Minister and Communities Secretary Greg Clark, will develop a national estate regeneration strategy and work with up to 100 estates to tackle deprivation and transform them into vibrant communities.

The Prime Minister announced last month that £140 million would be made available to jump-start the regeneration. The loan funding will allow communities to lever in investment from the public and private sector to deliver ambitious projects that local people can be proud of.

Lord Heseltine said:

Estates regeneration is key to transforming the lives of people living on poorly designed housing projects. The panel will provide expert advice, support and explore innovative funding solutions to drive forward the regeneration of estates around the country.

However, I am clear that this has to be locally led and we must work with the residents of such estates. I now want to see local communities coming forward with innovative ideas to achieve desirable neighbourhoods that local people can be proud of.

Housing Minister Brandon Lewis said:

We know these estates offer huge potential to be revived so that they become thriving communities and places which people want to live and work in.

This panel provides a wealth of experience to kick-start work that will help transform the lives of thousands of people by delivering better homes in better estates.

The panel met at the York Road Estate in Battersea, London where plans are being developed for a major regeneration scheme.

Wandsworth Council leader and panel member Ravi Govindia said:

I’m delighted to join panel and to play a part in unlocking the great potential of our country’s housing estates.

Here in Battersea we are demonstrating that estate regeneration can be done with the support of the local community. Our approach is centred firmly on improving the lives of Winstanley and York estate residents and to providing new opportunities and better life chances.

Future meetings will be held at estates across the country. Members are:

• Councillor Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth Council
• Nicholas Boys Smith, director of Create Streets, a social enterprise and independent research institute which pushes for well designed estates
• Andrew Boff, leader of the Greater London Authority Conservatives housing group
• Elaine Bailey, chief executive, from Hyde Housing Association, which successfully regenerated the Packington Estate in Islington
• Paul Tennant, chief executive from Orbit Housing Association, which successfully regenerated Erith Estate in Bexley
• Tony Pidgley, chief executive of Berkeley Homes - a lead partner on various estate regenerations across London
• Peter Vernon, chief executive of Grosvenor Estates
• Jane Duncan, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)
• Ben Bolgar, director of Design Theory and Networks at the Prince’s Foundation
• Dominic Grace, head of London Residential Development at estates agents Savills
• Emma Cariaga from the British Land and Thames Valley Housing Association
• David Budd, Mayor of Middlesbrough
• Natalie Elphicke, chief executive of the Housing & Finance Institute
• Graham Allen, MP for Nottingham North
• Felicie Krikler, associate director at Assael Architecture

The group will now work with a range of local stakeholders, including communities, local authorities, landlords, investors, builders, housing associations, and anyone else with ideas and ambition. It will draw up the national strategy for estate regeneration by the autumn. Its objectives include:

• providing strong protection for existing residents, such as rights of return
• delivering more homes for rent and ownership
• delivering homes more quickly
• promote high standards of design to provide commercially viable schemes which have the potential to be self-financing
• encouraging and attracting more private and public sector investment to help regenerate estates

Britain is building again with the number of new homes up 25% in the past year and revived estates will play an important part in providing good quality social and affordable housing, and offering people the chance to achieve their dream of home ownership.

Wandsworth Council has announced ambitious plans to regenerate the neighbouring York Road and Winstanley Estates in Battersea, which will see more than 2,000 new home built. A range of affordable homes will provided for people to buy or rent at below market rates and the number of social rent properties will increase.

Further information

Biographies of the members

Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth Council

Born in Jinja, Uganda’s second largest city, Ravi first arrived in the UK aged 17 following General Idi Amin’s expulsion of Ugandan Asians. First elected in 1982, he has chaired several committees during his career at the council including leisure and amenity services, technical services and planning.

Nicholas Boys Smith, director of Create Streets

Nicholas Boys Smith was a political advisor and strategy consultant at McKinsey & Co before becoming a director at Lloyds Banking Group. He is a consultant director of the think tank Reform, a fellow at the Legatum Institute and has led several influential research projects on the built environment. He has lived in Lambeth for most of his life. He is the founding director of Create Streets.

Andrew Boff, leader of Greater London Assembly Conservatives Housing Group

Andrew lives in Barking has been a Councillor in Hillingdon (1982-1994) and Hackney (2005-2006). Born in Hillingdon, he was leader of the council between 1990 and 1992. While in Hackney he helped run Broadway Market’s Saturday market and published a local magazine. Up to being elected to the assembly in 2008, Andrew ran his own IT support company. During his time on the assembly he has headed an investigation into housing overcrowding and has published reports on violence against sex workers, housing on the Olympic site and end of life care.

Elaine Bailey, CEO of Hyde Housing Association

Elaine joined The Hyde Group as CEO in June 2014 and is responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation, ensuring Hyde responds to meet the country’s challenging housing needs. Elaine has worked in both the public and private sector in engineering consultancy, HM Prison Service and, most recently, Serco. She has run large high performing service operations and has grown businesses organically and through acquisition. She has more than 20 years strategic and operational experience in complex service delivery, development and property; and addressing complex funding challenges.

Paul Tennant, CEO of Orbit Housing Association

Paul has been the Group Chief Executive of Orbit since 2003. He has broad experience and has worked for a wide range of organisations. He is a housing professional and has been a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) since 1982. Paul is a Board member of Housemark, Vice Chair of the International Housing Partnership and a former President of CIH. His particular interests are promoting professional standards, extending the quality and range of services provided by housing organisations and encouraging progressive business transformation.

Tony Pidgley, CBE , Chairman of the Berkeley Group

Tony founded Berkeley Homes with Jim Farrer in 1976. The company gained a full listing on the stock exchange in 1985 as the Berkeley Group plc. Tony has since gained a national reputation for his pioneering approach to creating successful places. Berkeley was voted Britain’s Most Admired Company in 2011 across all sectors and has been ranked the UK’s most sustainable major housebuilder for eight years in a row. Berkeley has built 17,750 homes over the past five years and led the regeneration of estates at Kidbrooke Village and Woodberry Down.

Peter Vernon, CEO of Grosvenor Estates

Peter was appointed to the Grosvenor Britain & Ireland Board in 2005. He joined Grosvenor in 2005 and became Chief Executive of Grosvenor Britain & Ireland in 2008. He is currently a member of Grosvenor’s Group Executive Committee. He is a member of Peabody’s Board, Deputy Chairman of the West End Partnership, Director of London First and is on the Royal & Sun Alliance London Regional Board. He was a Commissioner of the independent City Growth Commission launched by RSA and chaired by Jim O’Neill, which delivered its conclusions in October 2014. Previously he was a Partner at IBM Business Consulting Services and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Jane Duncan, president of RIBA

Jane took over the 2-year elected presidency of RIBA in September 2015. She is the director of Jane Duncan Architects, an award winning practice of 16 architects and interior designers based in Buckinghamshire. Established in 1992, Jane Duncan Architects undertakes a mixture of high-end residential, sports and leisure, commercial and community projects. These vary from sustainable contemporary to traditional and listed buildings. Trained at the Bartlett UCL, Jane set up in practice almost immediately after qualifying. She has been a small practice champion at RIBA, and was 6 years vice president practice. Since 2013 she has also been the RIBA’s equality and diversity champion.

Ben Bolgar, senior director of the Princes Foundation

Ben is responsible for leading new building and community regeneration projects ranging in scale from regional planning to low carbon buildings. His experience includes over 50 projects in the UK and globally. The Foundation’s model is one of innovation so services range from pure and applied R+D, through demonstration to application and diffusion.

Dominic Grace, head of London Residential Development at estates agents Savills

Dominic started at Savills in 1984, initially involved in residential sales. Savills was just starting to advise on residential developments and Dominic was involved in their first major new build project, at Chelsea Harbour for P&O Properties. For the past 26 years, Dominic has specialised in providing residential development consultancy and sales & marketing advice, primarily in London. Within Savills, in addition to residential development, Dominic is involved with other teams, including residential research, investment/PRS and Savills Press Office.

Emma Cariaga from the British Land and Thames Valley Housing Association

Emma joined British Land from Land Securities where she spent 7 years managing a number of residential developments including Wellington House, Kings Gate and the Zig Zag building in Victoria. She was also responsible for the management of the Ebbsfleet Valley project with a particular focus on optimising planning. Previously, Emma held several development and land management roles at housebuilders Barratt and Crest Nicholson. Emma is also a Non-Executive Director of Thames Valley Housing Association, which has created the Fizzy Living Private Rented brand and portfolio.

David Budd, Mayor of Middlesbrough

David was elected as Middlesbrough’s second directly-elected Mayor on 7 May 2015. He has lived in and worked around Middlesbrough his whole life and raised his family in the town. Mayor Budd worked as a local bank manager for many years, helping and supporting local businesses to start up and to grow. Representing Hemlington and later Ladgate ward, David was first elected as a Councillor in 1991, serving as Executive Members for Regeneration and as Deputy Mayor before being elected as Mayor. For a decade, he has been leading the huge task of transforming and regenerating the town and has been involved in the Middlehaven project since the start, helping deliver some of the town’s most iconic spaces, such as mima, Centre Square and the new hotel.

Natalie Elphicke, chief executive of the Housing & Finance Institute

OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2015 for her services to housing. In 2014 Natalie was appointed by the government as an independent advisor to chair the government’s independent review into the role of local authorities and housing supply with Keith House. The Elphicke-House Report was published in January 2015. Committed to mutuality and community engagement, she sits as a non-executive director of Principality Building Society. Natalie chairs the board’s group risk committee and also sits on the audit and nominations committees.

Graham Allen, MP for Nottingham North

Graham was born in Aspley, Nottingham on 11 January 1953, into a mining family with deep roots in the city. His grandfather was a founder member of Nottingham Labour party. Graham was elected by all MPs to lead the newly formed House of Commons Select Committee on Political and Constitutional Reform which is producing proposals on improving the UK’s democracy. He has authored 2 reports on Early Intervention in support of a range of policies to give all children the best possible start in early life. He has also overseen the building of an Early Intervention Foundation and was its founding chair before stepping down in July 2014. Graham is in the process of setting up a project in Nottingham called “Rebalancing the Outer City Estates” to revive former manufacturing areas which he intends, if successful, to take to scale nationally. The project will focus on a range of issues from skills and training to health and culture.

Felicie Krikler, director of Assael Architecture

Felicie has worked on all aspects of urban regeneration, including including public exhibitions, community consultation, liaising with Local Authorities and statutory bodies.

Construction work has started on a vital project to repair the A591 in Cumbria which was badly damaged in December’s storms, after the government made £40 million available to fix roads and bridges.

Highways England has been brought in by the government to restore the road, to enable it to be reopened by the end of May. Last month, Kier Highways was appointed as the main contractor for the project to rebuild the A591 at Dunmail Raise, which was washed away in the storms.

A 22 tonne excavator is among the equipment being used on the site, and construction work has started on a new concrete retaining wall in the beck at the side of the collapsed part of the A591.

The government has made £40 million available to help repair roads and bridges in Cumbria and Lancashire, including the A591.

The vital Lake District tourist route, which stretches between Grasmere and Keswick, has been closed between St Johns in the Vale and Dunmail Raise since December following significant damage caused by storms Desmond and Eva.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:

We are determined to reopen the A591 as soon as possible, and I am pleased the people of Cumbria can see we are making progress.

Tourism is a vital part of the local economy, so fixing this road will make a real difference to the region.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark said:

We’re determined to stand squarely behind communities whose lives were turned upside down by the recent floods – including getting key infrastructure back up and running.

That’s why we’re pulling out all the stops to get the A591 fixed so Cumbria’s main road can be open for business in time for the Summer holiday season, for the benefit both of tourists and of local residents.

Preparatory work and some preliminary construction work has already been taking place at Dunmail Raise.

Once the new concrete retaining wall has been built in the beck, the gap in the road caused by the storm damage will be backfilled with crushed stone before a new road surface is laid on top. A new wall will also be constructed using local stone in front of the retaining wall.

Andy Withington, Highways England’s asset delivery manager for the North West, said:

We are acutely aware of the need to get the A591 north of Grasmere open again as soon as possible, and I would like to reassure local communities and businesses that the main construction work is now beginning.

Preparatory work and some preliminary construction work are already underway, and we are starting work this week to reconstruct the collapsed part of the road at Dunmail Raise.

We will continue to work closely with Kier Highways, Cumbria County Council and its contractors to do all we can to get the A591 repaired and re-opened.

Work on the second section of damaged road further north is also underway. A helicopter survey is due to take place shortly, which will provide detailed technical information about the stability of the scree slopes adjacent to the A591.

Other survey information is also being used to identify what repairs are required to storm drains, bridges and the road surface so that the A591 can fully reopen by the end of May.

Drivers, businesses and local residents can stay up to date by visiting the scheme website, where they can also sign up to receive email updates about how the project is progressing.

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.

‘Think Kit’ helps pupils understand the importance of protecting and respecting IP and helps students to learn about the commercial benefits of IP.

From today GCSE and NQ students across the country will be given access to specialised intellectual property (IP) training and preparing them for the future and ensuring they understand how to protect their creative works.

‘Think Kit’ lesson plans, designed by the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and launched today by the government. This will give teachers of Business Studies, Media Studies, PHSE and Music access to brand new online resources and toolkits designed to improve the next generation’s understanding of IP.

The lesson plans and online courses are the result of extensive qualitative research by the IPO involving hundreds of teachers across the UK which found that teachers and students wanted to improve their IP knowledge.

The lesson plans have been funded by The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM).

Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister for intellectual property, said:

It is essential that we educate children about the importance of intellectual property rights. From today these practical, real-world lesson plans will support the UK curriculum.

The innovators of tomorrow must be equipped with a clear understanding of how to benefit from their creativity and ensure their hard work isn’t ripped off.

President of OHIM, António Campinos, added:

Initiatives such as the ‘Think Kit’ lesson plans provide young people with the tools they need to properly understand the role of innovation and play a full part in the knowledge society.

OHIM is delighted to be able to support this initiative by the UKIPO and will be seeking to apply the lessons learned more generally throughout the EU

Notes to editors

1. Examples of ‘Think Kit’ lesson plans:
   
   
   • Intellectual Property - A brief guide students (PDF, 216KB, 6 pages)
   • Think Kit Music case studies student (PDF, 194KB, 3 pages)
   • Think Kit Music case studies teachers (PDF, 204KB, 5 pages)
   • Think Kit Music enterprise scenario students (PDF, 192KB, 2 pages)
   • Think Kit Music lesson summary teachers (PDF, 183KB, 3 pages)
   • Think Kit Music lessons (PDF, 674KB, 32 pages)
     
     
2. The IPO has also launched a new online hub, which gives schools and colleges free access to teaching resources to help students learn about intellectual property.

Community groups and passengers in Wiltshire could have more say over the design and operation of their local rail services, under plans announced by Rail Minister Claire Perry today (10 February 2016).

The government is consulting on designating the 32-mile route between Swindon and Westbury — known as the TransWilts line — as a community rail service.

This would allow the community to design train services according to local needs, which in turn would help increase passenger numbers, improve connectivity to key destinations and ultimately boost the local economy.

Rail Minister Claire Perry said:

I know how important this line is to local communities in Wiltshire, and it’s right that passengers have a bigger say in shaping its future.

By designating the TransWilts line as a community rail service, we can breathe new life into this route, ensure its long term future, and improve connections between Swindon that will mean better journeys for customers and promote local economic growth.

If the plans go ahead, train companies including Great Western Railway will continue to operate passenger services. However, it will be with the support of the TransWilts Community Rail Partnership, comprising local organisations, train operators, Wiltshire Council, rail users and other interest groups.

The partnership will have direct input in securing better services and station facilities for customers, including Chippenham and Melksham stations, which also fall under the proposals.

Community rail partnerships are made up of local councils, train operators and community groups including volunteers, to decide how lines should be run. Research shows that community rail partnerships are good value for money and support economic, social and environmental development in local areas.

Infrastructure such as track and signalling would remain under the authority of Network Rail.

Nineteen rail lines around the country have been designated by government as community lines since 2005, along with a further 21 as community rail services since 2005. In the south-west of England, these include the Heart of Wessex line (Bristol to Weymouth) and Avocet line (Exeter St Davids to Exmouth).

The 8 week consultation runs until Wednesday 6 April 2016.

Farming Minister George Eustice has urged farmers wanting support to restore farmland damaged by December’s storms to get their applications in as soon as possible before the 1 April deadline in order to access vital funds sooner.

All farmers in Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Durham or Northumberland who have suffered losses as a result of flooding caused by Storm Desmond or Storm Eva are eligible to apply for support grants of up to £20,000.

Farmers suffering from uninsurable losses can apply for Farming Recovery Fund grants via the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to help restore farmland, rebuild tracks and repair drains and reinstate boundaries.

Farming Minister George Eustice said:

These payments are part of a wider £200 million package of government support set up to help communities affected by the devastating floods in Northern England. The grants could make a real difference to farm businesses trying to get back on their feet.

So far 107 applications worth over £1.1 million have been submitted to the RPA and the agency has been acting swiftly and doing a great job approving applications within 10 working days.

But I want every eligible flood-affected farmer to be able to access this vital money as soon as possible to help them get back to normal. Help is at hand via the Rural Services Helpline and farmers wanting support to apply should call 03000 200 301.

Once all checks are completed, the RPA can approve an application and farmers can claim. Payments against valid claims will be paid directly into bank accounts within 5 working days.

This fund covers a range of restoration and repair works including:

• the restoration of productive stock proof grassland
• the restoration of productive arable and horticultural land
• the restoration of field access or track ways, fencing or gates or water troughs
• the restoration of drainage on flood-damaged holdings
• damage to agricultural machinery that cannot be insured
• damage to agricultural buildings that cannot be insured

The Committee on Standards in Public Life has published all the responses it has received to its report into policing accountability: Tone from the top - leadership, ethics and accountability in policing.

You can read the responses to the report below.

In its report, the Committee calls for greater energy and consistency to be applied to promoting high ethical standards and for a more robust set of checks and balances in the accountability structures of local policing.

Lord Bew has also posted a blog: PCCs - putting standards front and centre.

Letters from Lord Bew, Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life

PDF, 345KB, 10 pages

Response from the Home Secretary

PDF, 249KB, 21 pages

Responses from APACE, APCC and Police and Crime Commissioners

PDF, 6.47MB, 214 pages

Responses from Police and Crime Panels

PDF, 3.5MB, 54 pages

Responses from police forces

PDF, 6.44MB, 41 pages

Of these, 4 are to be retained while parties to the remaining 6 remedies will be released. In addition, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has reached a provisional decision to retain one remedy. In one further case, it has decided that completing the review now is no longer an administrative priority, due to a new merger having been proposed involving the same parties.

These latest decisions mean that the CMA is close to completing its review of old structural merger remedies given by companies prior to 1 January 2005 – with just 2 reviews still to be completed from the original 71.

The CMAstarted the review in March 2015 as part of a wider programme to ensure remedies do not stay in place longer than appropriate.

Of the 69 reviews completed to date, in 51 cases (just over 70%) the CMA has either removed the remedies or found them to have lapsed, while it has decided to retain the remedies in 13 cases. In a further 5 cases it has decided not to continue with its work at this stage.

These decisions have been made by a group of 3 panel members, chaired by Simon Polito. This exercise forms part of a wider programme of reviews, set out in the CMA’s annual plan, with the aim of reducing burdens on business by assessing whether past merger and market remedies should be varied or released.

Chair of the remedies review group, Simon Polito, said:

This process has reviewed around one-third of the total number of market and merger remedies that the CMA inherited on its formation. I’m pleased that we look set to complete these reviews in under a year.

Removing remedies that are no longer appropriate not only lightens the administrative burden on affected businesses but also enables the CMA to focus its monitoring and enforcement activities on those remedies of greatest value to consumers and markets. This work is part of an ongoing process and later in 2016 the CMA plans to initiate a similar exercise reviewing behavioural merger remedies from cases before 2006 to allow it to continue to target its resources more effectively in future.

Full details on the CMA’s remedies review programme are available on the CMA webpages.

Notes for editors

1. The CMA is the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority. It is an independent non-ministerial government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and consumer law.
2. The CMA has a statutory duty under the Fair Trading Act 1973 and the Enterprise Act 2002 to keep undertakings and orders under review. From time to time, the CMA must consider whether, by reason of any change of circumstances: undertakings are no longer appropriate and need to be varied, superseded or released; or an order is no longer appropriate and needs to be varied or revoked. Responsibility for deciding on variation or termination of orders lies with the CMA except for a small number of older remedies where decisions are for the Secretary of State following advice from the CMA.
3. The list of cases published on 26 March 2015 contained 76 remedies. The number of remedies reviewed was ultimately reduced to 71, after the CMA either combined overlapping cases together or uncovered facts that meant a review was unnecessary.
4. The 2 remaining reviews awaiting completion are the Hanson Pioneer remedy – the provisional decision which the CMA is publishing today – and the Severn Trent/SouthWest Water merger remedy.
5. Enquiries should be directed to Rory Taylor (rory.taylor@cma.gsi.gov.uk, 020 3738 6798).
6. For more information on the CMA see our homepage or follow us on Twitter @CMAgovuk, Flickr and LinkedIn.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as a member of the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA), has pledged its support to the World Health Organization (WHO) in countering the Zika outbreak. The WHO has declared that Zika constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

ICMRA brings together 21 medicines regulators from every region in the world, and its members are working together to fight against Zika virus disease, building on ICMRA’s collaborative work on Ebola.

Priorities are to support the rapid development of diagnostic tests, including reference material to assure comparability of results, as well as vaccines and treatments against Zika virus disease. This will be achieved through enhanced international collaboration and by providing scientific advice in the development of such products. Any investigational medical products must be evaluated for quality, safety and efficacy and it is the regulator’s role to ensure that the benefits of any new medical product outweigh its risks.

As there is no specific vaccine or treatment currently available, and development of these is at an early stage, ICMRA members are exchanging information on the emerging data about Zika virus infection links to serious health concerns and will work together to review possible investigational vaccine and treatment options, with the goal of expediting their development. They will also ensure the regulatory processes are as efficient as possible to support the development and delivery of effective and safe medical products to populations in need worldwide.

Background

1. ICMRA is an international executive-level coalition of key regulators from every region in the world. It provides a global strategic focus for medicines regulators and gives strategic leadership on shared regulatory issues and challenges. Priorities include coordinated response to crisis situations. For the full ICMRA member list contact MHRA news centre.

2. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK by ensuring they work and are acceptably safe. All our work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. MHRA is a centre of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency which also includes the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) and the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health.

Contractors for Highways England will be resurfacing the eastbound exit slip road at Headley Bar and the westbound carriageway between Tadcaster Ings and Headley Bar.

All work will be completed overnight between 8pm and 6am with clearly signed diversions in place.

Highways England project manager Adeeb Saeed said:

This work was postponed from January due to the severe flooding which affected Tadcaster. We have been working closely with North Yorkshire County Council and have agreed to begin the resurfacing work along the A64.

It is essential maintenance and we have carefully looked at the diversion routes to ensure the people of Tadcaster can still get from one side to the other.

We will carry this work out overnight when traffic levels are at their lowest to keep disruption to a minimum.

During this work the eastbound exit slip road will be closed with traffic being diverted via Bilbrough Top to return to Tadcaster on the westbound carriageway. This work is expected to take around one week to complete.

The eastbound carriageway will also be closed during this time between Bramham A1(M) junction and Tadcaster Ings (A162) for two nights which is currently planned for Friday 19 and Saturday 20 February. During this time traffic will be diverted along the A59 and A1237 to rejoin the A64.

Once this work has been completed work will start on resurfacing the westbound carriageway. This is expected to take around two weeks and traffic will be diverted off the A64 at Askham Bar on to the A1237 and A59. People wanting to access Tadcaster on the west side will be able to travel along the A64 to the A162 and people on the east will be able to leave on the A659.

Work is currently planned to start on Monday 29 February until the end of March for footway improvements. This work between Bramham and Headley Bar will require lane closures.

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.

Lord Bew, the Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL), and Sir Christopher Kelly, Lord Bew’s predecessor, appeared together in front of the House of Lords Select Committee to give evidence on the Trade Union Bill.

The select committee was appointed to consider the impact of the Trade Union Bill in relation to the CSPL’s report Political Party Finance: Ending the big donor culture.

A link to the Lords Select Committee is here.

HS2 Ltd, has announced a recruitment drive for community engagement specialists, following feedback from the project’s Residents’ Commissioner, local authorities and local communities.

The eleven specialist roles will be based in regions along the proposed route for Phase One of HS2, between London and the West Midlands. Their primary role will be to ensure that HS2 is both talking and listening to all those who are affected by the project in their area.

This will involve responsibility for the running of local information events and ongoing dialogue with communities to ensure the organisation listens to and acts on people’s concerns.

The roles will also help HS2 to better recognise the unique needs of each community as the project moves towards construction.

The successful candidates will become the ‘go-to’ people within the communities and will be integral in identifying local issues, needs and requirements.

HS2 Ltd Senior Area Engagement Manager, Jonathan Lord said:

As HS2 moves towards construction we recognise that it will have a significant impact on the lives of local residents and businesses who live and work along the line of route.

We are looking to build a strong team of experienced community engagement specialists to put the concerns of people at the heart of what we do and to give us a thorough understanding of local issues.

We need to continue to listen to and act on local concerns about HS2 and having the right people on the ground is critical to our community engagement.

Those interested in applying to work on one of the most exciting infrastructure projects in Britain should visit:

http://careers.hs2.org.uk/jobs/engagement-manager/

http://careers.hs2.org.uk/jobs/engagement-executive/

The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) and Department for Education (DfE) have created a set of self-service introductory level public procurement training sessions for school staff with budget or buying responsibility.

The bite size modules are designed to be used for group training sessions and are aimed at senior leadership teams, school business managers and governors/trustees in all local-authority-maintained schools, academies and free schools.

The 12 modules, complete with trainer notes, provide a cost-effective route to improving procurement skills in your school by helping you understand public procurement legislation and share effective best practice.

Each module lasts from 15 to 50 minutes and follows a simple procurement cycle, covering topics such as analysing value, creating a specification, contract management and legislation.

The Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond said;

The UK’s position remains steadfast: a Syrian-led political transition and a genuine commitment to the UN-led peace talks are the only route to the peace so desperately needed by the Syrian people.

In my meeting with Dr Hijab, I reaffirmed my support for the Syrian Opposition’s Higher Negotiations Committee. We agreed on the need to bring an urgent end to the suffering in Syria, for the regime and Russia to end attacks on civilians immediately, and for full humanitarian access to be granted to besieged areas.

Russia and the regime are deliberately targeting the opposition and thus strengthening Daesh. Their actions against civilian populations and infrastructure are in breach of international humanitarian law.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @PHammondMP

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice

• Follow the Foreign Office on Facebook and Google+

Tricia Hayes has been appointed new Director General of Roads, Devolution and Motoring, the Department for Transport announced today (10 February 2016). She will take up post in March 2016.

Tricia Hayes said:

This is an exciting time to be taking up this key role, with the government delivering the biggest investment in roads for a generation. I’m looking forward to working with partners across the country to ensure that our roads and local transport networks, which help shape the day to day quality of life of all our citizens, are safe, modern and reliable. I can’t wait to get started.

Tricia Hayes replaces Acting Director General John Dowie. Her civil service career has spanned 28 years, during which time she has occupied a number of senior posts at DfT and prior to that she held posts at Defra and FCO.

The appointment follows an open competition and recruitment will begin shortly to appoint Tricia’s replacement as Aviation Director at the DfT.

People looking to access their pension pot under the new pension freedoms will benefit from easier transfers and more information as the government outlines further action to remove unjustifiable barriers, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury Harriett Baldwin announced today (10 February 2016).

Building on the Chancellor’s announcement last month that the government would limit early exit charges for people seeking to access the freedoms, the government has today published its response to the Pension Transfer and Early Exit Charges consultation.

The response outlines that:

• government will introduce a new requirement for trust-based pension schemes to regularly report on their performance in processing transfers.
• The Pensions Regulator (TPR) will issue new guidance for scheme trustees to ensure transfers are processed quickly and accurately
• Pension Wise will develop new content on the transfer process, which will include information on likely timescales, what customers need to do and greater clarity on whether financial advice is required

The consultation found that whilst the majority of eligible individuals are able to access their pension under the new freedoms, there are a small but significant number who have been effectively prevented from accessing the pension freedoms because of high exit charges or long transfer times.

The consultation found that for Financial Conduct Authority(FCA)-regulated contract-based pension schemes, transfers took 16 days on average, however, TPR data showed that the mean transfer time for trust-based pensions was 39 days, with many consumer survey respondents saying that they had to wait significantly longer for individual transfers.

Harriett Baldwin, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said:

It is only fair that people who have worked hard and saved their entire lives are able to access their pensions flexibly, without facing any unjustifiable barriers. That’s why we’re taking action to curb excessive exit charges, make transfers easier and ensure people have the information they need to make informed decisions.

We will continue to work to ensure that our landmark reforms deliver real freedom and choice for people.

Baroness Ros Altmann, Minister for Pensions at the Department for Work and Pensions, said:

Encouraging people to save and helping them on their way to a financially secure retirement is a priority for this government and we need to ensure that the right protections are in place for consumers.

No consumers should have to pay excessive early exit fees, regardless of the type of scheme that they are in. And we will be working to ensure that action is taken to protect members of trust based schemes.

Lesley Titcomb, Chief Executive of The Pensions Regulator said:

We welcome the government’s commitment that all pension savers will be protected from unnecessary barriers to accessing their pensions, such as excessive early exit charges and delayed transfers. We will be working closely with government and the industry to deliver the recommendations of the response.

The Chancellor announced on 19 January 2016 that the government would introduce legislation to place a new duty on the FCA to cap early exit charges. In line with this announcement, the government has tabled an amendment to the Bank of England and Financial Services Bill (new clause 7) to require the Financial Conduct Authority to make rules prohibiting early charges for those seeking to exercise their rights under the pension freedoms. The government will mirror these requirements in relation to trust-based schemes.

As part of the consultation the government conducted an online consumer survey – with over 70% of respondents supporting a legislative cap.

The pension freedoms, which came into effect on 6 April 2015, represent the most significant pension reforms for a generation. They allow people who have worked hard and saved their entire lives to access their savings how and when they want. Still in its first year, the government’s pension reforms have already seen over £3.5 billion flexibly accessed through nearly 400,000 payments.

Further Information:

• independent FCA will be responsible for setting the level of the cap and will consult fully on this in due course
• Department for Work and Pensions and the Pensions Regulator will work in partnership with the FCA in the process of developing the design and the level of the FCA cap, and will legislate as necessary to mirror any FCA cap to ensure that members of trust-based schemes have a similar level of protection
• FCA data, collected as part of this consultation, found that 670,000 consumer aged 55 or over faced an early exit charge. Of these, 358,000 faced charges between 0-2%; 165,000 faced charges between 2-5%; 81,000 faced charges between 5-10%; and 66,000 faced charges above 10%
• The Pensions Regulator will issue further guidance for trustees on standards through its DC (defined contribution) code including how transfers can be processed promptly and accurately without exposing savers to a greater risk of pension scams.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Mark Ian Price CVO as a Minister of State jointly at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) (Minister for Trade and Investment). This will take effect from April 2016.

This follows the decision of the Rt Hon Lord Maude to resign from government with effect from mid-March 2016 after a career of public service spanning over 30 years. As well as contributing a huge amount in a variety of ministerial roles, since last May Lord Maude has successfully driven the strategic refocusing of UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

For the interim period between Lord Maude’s resignation and Mark Price taking up his appointment, the Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of the Rt Hon Baroness Anelay of St John’s DBE as a Minister of State at the Department for Business Innovation and Skills. Baroness Anelay will remain a Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Note to editors

The Queen has been pleased to signify Her intention of conferring a peerage of the United Kingdom for Life on Mark Price.

In September 2015 the Environment Agency notified landowners that they would cease operation of 5 pumping stations: Banks Marsh, Boundary Brook, Clay Brow, Kew and Rufford Causeway in 2 years time.

The Environment Agency is working with the National Farmers Union and Country Land and Business Association to help landowners explore alternative arrangements for the future of these pumping stations. They met with farmers in each of the pumped areas before Christmas and heard their views about the future of land drainage in the area.

One option is the establishment of a Water Level Management Board who would be funded by the agricultural land owners who would pay a drainage rate per acre and a special levy from the local council paid on behalf of all non-agricultural businesses, roads and other beneficiaries in the area. This board would be responsible for managing the pumping stations and maintaining the water levels in the area.

As the agricultural community would pay the most towards a Water Level Management Board it is important to understand if it is something they are interested in. The National Farmers Union and Country Land and Business Association have written to all agricultural land owners in the Alt Crossens catchment asking them if they agree to the proposal to look into a new Water Level Management Board (referred to as an Internal Drainage Board). It is vital that all land owners respond with their views by 29th February.

If there is a favourable response, the Environment Agency will continue to work with and support the farming community to develop detailed businesses cases that will outline the specific area, activities and costs of running such a board. If a detailed business case is produced, there will be a public consultation on the proposals before any decision to progress the Water Level Management Board is made.

More information about Water Level Management Boards can be obtained from the Association of Drainage Authorities website www.ada.org.uk and copies of the ballot and letter can be obtained from your local NFU office

Tidal lagoons have the potential to provide the country with clean and secure energy. Whilst progress has been made to understand this technology, more work needs to be done to determine whether they present value for money. In recognition of this, we have commissioned a review of the technology to improve our understanding of how tidal lagoons could contribute to the future of the UK’s energy mix in the most cost effective way.

The review will commence this spring and it will help establish an evidence base to ensure all decisions made regarding tidal lagoon energy are in the best interest of the UK.

We expect that Tidal Lagoon Power, the proposed developers of Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon, and other industry stakeholders will take part in the review while discussions about Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon continue.

Energy Minister Lord Bourne commented:

Tidal Lagoons on this scale are an exciting, but as yet an untested technology. I want to better understand whether tidal lagoons can be cost effective, and what their impact on bills will be - both today and in the longer term.

This review will help give us that clarity so we can determine what role tidal lagoons could have as part of our plans to provide secure, clean and affordable energy for families and businesses across the country.

The review will consider:

• An assessment of whether, and in what circumstances, tidal lagoons could play a cost effective role as part of the UK energy mix;
• The potential scale of opportunity in the UK and internationally, including supply chain opportunities;
• A range of possible structures for financing tidal lagoons;
• Different sizes of projects as the first of a kind;
• Whether a competitive framework could be put in place for the delivery of tidal lagoon projects.

This review will take place in consultation with the relevant Government departments – in particular DECC and HMT for financial aspects.

Further information about the review will be set out shortly.

Public health minister Jane Ellison has launched an FGM prevention week of action and is urging health and care professionals to help prevent FGM. It was launched at the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM National Conference.

Jane Ellison visited the African Well Woman service in Ealing. She met women who talked about their own experiences of FGM. Watch ‘Christina’ talk about her experience.

You can watch ‘Christina’ talk about her experience.

There are currently 60,000 girls aged 0 to 14 years living in the UK who are potentially at risk of FGM.

Jane Ellison said:

I am immensely proud of the progress that has been made over the recent years to protect and care for women and girls who are affected by FGM. For the first time we have started collecting information about the number of patients the NHS is treating with FGM.

We have introduced guidance on how to protect young girls and care for women who have already undergone FGM. And we have brought into legislation a clear new duty of when to report to the police cases of FGM in children.

However there is still more to do and FGM prevention week is an opportunity for everybody to use this knowledge and guidance and take positive action to end FGM. We want to end FGM in a generation in the UK.

This week, whether you are a health or social care professional, a member of an FGM practising community or an FGM survivor, we would like you to think about your own role and what more you can do to help prevent FGM in your area.

FGM prevention week is to mark the annual International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM on 6 February. It will run from 8 to 12 February 2016 and will focus on a different aspect of FGM prevention work each day:

• Tuesday 9 February: mandatory reporting
• Wednesday 10 February: communities and survivors
• Thursday 11 February: training
• Friday 12 February: mental health

See ideas and resources to help you prevent FGM and raise the profile of it in your area during FGM prevention week.

Follow and take part in the FGM prevention week of action on Twitter using the hashtag #endFGM

The new bridge, which can be used by pedestrians and cyclists, is longer than the wingspan of the Angel of the North at 62 metres and weighs 55 tonnes – equivalent to one Angel of the North wing or five double-decker buses. The structure is being delivered in three pieces from Scunthorpe where it is currently being stored.

Contractors for Highways England demolished the old Chiltern Gardens footbridge last year as part of a major project to upgrade the A1 from two to three lanes. A time-lapse video of the demolition has now been released.

Roads Minister Andrew Jones said:

The installation of a new footbridge is a key moment as we add extra lanes to an important section of the A1, to deliver better journeys for people in Gateshead.

We are making the most extensive improvements to roads since the 1970s, and this £61million project is a key part of it.

The A1 will be closed between junction 68 (Lobley Hill) and junction 69 (Gateshead Quays) between 8pm on Friday 12 February and 9am the following day to install the new footbridge. The work is dependent on the weather and may need to be postponed until the following night if high winds are forecast.

Highways England project manager Lynne Biddles said:

The new footbridge will provide an important link between two communities and is an impressive structure, spanning six lanes over the A1. We need to close the A1 overnight in order to carry out the installation safely as we will require large cranes to lift the structure into place.

We’d like to thank drivers and residents for their patience while this work takes place and look forward to being able to open the new footbridge when the pavement has been laid on either side.

The footbridge is being installed as part of a £61 million scheme to increase the number of lanes from 2 to 3 along a 4-mile stretch of the A1. New parallel link roads are also being created between Lobley Hill and Gateshead Quay.

Once complete, the scheme will help reduce congestion and support opportunities for development and economic growth around this key route as part of the Northern Powerhouse initiative. It will also increase capacity and reduce the number and severity of accidents.

This scheme is part of the government’s 5-year road investment strategy which will see more than 1,300 miles of new lanes created and £15 billion invested in major roads by 2020. Clearly signed diversion routes will be in place during the work to install the new footbridge. All the details about the closures will be available on thescheme 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.