The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, has announced that the Budget will take place on 29 October.
This will set out the government’s plan to build a stronger, more prosperous economy, building on the recent Spring Statement and last year’s Budget.
Published 26 September 2018
Sections of the A19 dual carriageway travel through the County Durham Magnesian Limestone belt, an area of unique and internationally important habitat, and Highways England and its contractors Sir Robert McAlpine have worked hard to protect and restore this area.
By discouraging invasive weeds and removing the existing vegetation, the nutrient value of the soil has been lowered, which has created an environment much more suited to desired wildflower species.
The grass cutting has helped create habitat piles and animal refuges, which might look like a stack of branches but make excellent homes for small animals.
The team has now been recognised with an environmental award as part of the CIRIA 2018 BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards which took place in London.
Highways England’s route manager Ben Dobson said:
This is a fantastic achievement not just for the team but for wildlife along the A19. By carrying out this work we have increased the amount of rich grasslands to 115 sites.
We have also been working closely with Durham Wildlife Trust to see what further improvements we can carry out along the route to create more wildflower meadows on the A19.
Keith Polson from Sir Robert McAlpine who maintain the A19 between Dishforth and the Tyne Tunnel, said:
We are proud to have received this award, which recognises both the commitment of Highways England and Sir Robert McAlpine to responsibly managing our environment and the collaborative working relationship we enjoy.
Mark Dinning, Head of Conservation, from Durham Wildlife Trust said:
We are pleased to be working in partnership on a scheme bringing benefits to such a nationally important habitat as the Magnesian Limestone grassland. This project has connected and restored valuable wildlife sites and unearthed what is a truly special resource of plants and insects which are benefiting under Sir Robert McAlpine’s and Highways England’s stewardship.
Highways England is committed to a national Biodiversity Plan which is being supported by a £30 million national investment programme over the next five years.
The plan recognises road verges and associated land can be managed to provide areas of habitat, relatively free from human access that may be scarce in the surrounding landscape.
Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.
Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.
In his first event at this year’s UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, co-chaired a roundtable event with Pramila Patten, the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict, on galvanising the international community’s response to this heinous crime.
The event brought together representatives from around the world to work out how the international community can be more responsive to the needs of survivors, and improve their access to justice.
Sexual violence as a weapon of war is used to brutalise, torture innocent civilians and ethnically cleanse communities.
We must stand together against the culture of impunity which perpetuates this violence and strengthen the routes to justice for the survivors, ensuring perpetrators are held to account.
UN agencies estimate that more than 60,000 women were raped during the civil war in Sierra Leone, more than 40,000 in Liberia and at least 200,000 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lord Tariq Ahmad also canvassed the group on possible themes for the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict international meeting in November 2019. The meeting will seek real commitments from governments and international organisations to accelerate the drive to end impunity; advance justice and accountability; tackle stigma; and develop new ways to prevent and address sexual violence.
The UK aerospace research and technology programme is a £3.9 billion joint investment between government and industry to grow the UK’s position in design and manufacture.
As part of the programme, the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and Innovate UK will invest up to £150 million in innovative aerospace projects this year.
The competition is for business innovation projects that promote competition and secure the future of the UK aerospace industry.
At this stage, organisations can submit an expression of interest with their innovative ideas. Successful applicants will be able to apply for funding in the next stage of the competition.
The competition is for industrial research projects or capital investment.
You must demonstrate value for money as well as the benefits to the industry.
Projects must also fit with the UK Aerospace Technology Strategy, which aims to:
To apply, you must be a UK-based organisation, working alone or in collaboration with other businesses, research organisations or the third sector.
You will need to carry out your project in the UK and sign up to the ATI framework agreement.
Spreading and storing excessive amounts of vegetable washings on a farm in Outwell, Norfolk led to gross pollution of a watercourse a court heard yesterday.