England’s road network is a huge national asset and a cornerstone of our present and future economic prosperity. Across the country the government is investing in this network, in order to open up new opportunities, improve productivity and connect people and businesses.

As part of this, after considerable consultation and review, the government is announcing today (12 September 2018) the preferred corridor for the new Oxford-Cambridge Expressway, accepting the recommendations of Highways England.

The expressway, which fills a major gap in the national road network, will work together with the proposed East West Rail link to revolutionise east-west connectivity. In so doing, it will help unlock the commercial development of up to one million new homes.

The expressway is projected to take up to 40 minutes off the journey between the A34 south of Oxford and the M1, so that hundreds of thousands of people will be brought within reach of high quality jobs in centres of rapid growth such as Oxford Science Park. The preferred corridor identified today runs alongside the planned route of East West Rail, so that consumers have a variety of road and rail travel options.

This decision determines the broad area within which the road will be developed: the process of designing a specific route will now get under way, involving extensive further consultation with local people to find the best available options. Members of the public will be able to comment on the full set of front-running designs in a public consultation next year, and the road is on schedule to be open to traffic by 2030.

The choice of this corridor means that the government has ruled out construction in the area of the Otmoor nature reserve, underlining its desire to protect the natural environment.

The government also recognises that no one corridor can support every proposed development across the area. It is therefore commissioning England’s economic heartland to carry out a study of how to provide better connectivity across the wider area, so that places outside of the preferred corridor enjoy the benefits of growth as far as possible.

Between 2015 and 2021 the government is investing £15 billion to improve the UK’s busiest roads. Already, it has opened the first all-motorway link from Newcastle to London; and after 45 years without change the Department for Transport is working with Transport for the North to develop 3 upgrades to capacity across the Pennines.

The government is also spending billions to transform connectivity in the south west with the dualling of the A303 and A30, and to create better access to and from our ports and airports through projects such as the Lower Thames Crossing and upgrade of the A14 link between the Midlands and Felixstowe.

The common theme linking all these projects is the need to create and upgrade the UK’s infrastructure. So too it is here with the new Oxford-Cambridge expressway.

At around 11:56 hrs on Friday 17 August, a passenger train passed over a user worked level crossing, near Bagillt, North Wales, shortly after a user with a heavy good vehicle had completed using the crossing. The train, the 09:53 Manchester Piccadilly to Holyhead service, was travelling at around 75 mph (121 km/h). The private level crossing, which gives access to industrial premises, is only used by vehicles which are too tall to pass under a nearby bridge. The route over the crossing goes over two widely spaced tracks, and the crossing gates are 25 metres apart. The gates are kept locked. The crossing is fitted with telephones for users to contact the signaller and request permission to cross. To use this crossing, vehicle drivers must unlock and open both gates on foot, drive their vehicle over and reclose and lock both gates on foot.

The user requested permission to cross the railway with a ‘wagon’, and the signaller, based at the Wales Railway Operations Centre in Cardiff, granted it.

There had been similar previous occurrences at this crossing, on 31 October 2017 and 10 December 2014. At those times the level crossing was supervised by signallers based locally at Holywell Junction signal box. Our investigation will determine the sequence of events. It will also include consideration of:

• the actions of those involved
• the rules and guidance for signallers relating to factors which need to be considered when giving permission for the crossing to be used
• the information and guidance provided to users of private level crossings
• the management of safety risk at this crossing
• any relevant underlying management factors

Our investigation is independent of any investigation by the railway industry or by the industry’s regulator, the Office of Rail and Road.

We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety, at the conclusion of our investigation. This report will be available on our website.

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The Department of Health and Social Care will seek views on its plans to expand awareness training for health and care staff who work with people with learning disabilities.

The proposed training could cover:

• relevant legislation
• making adjustments to the way care is provided
• how to provide care that helps people reach their full potential

The consultation will ask for views from people who have experience of learning disabilities, NHS and social care providers and the general public.

The government announced the consultation as part of a series of measures in response to a report from the first national mortality review of learning disability published in May 2018, known as the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) Programme.

The measures recognise a need for better awareness among health and care staff about making reasonable adjustments to the way that care or information is provided to people with learning disabilities.

Other measures announced include:

• sharing the learning from the named social worker pilot, which explored one-to-one support for people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health needs
• plans for a long-term study of the impact of integrated community support for people with learning disabilities
• testing and developing a quality-of-life standard for people with learning disabilities that can be used to measure the effectiveness of support

Minister for Care, Caroline Dinenage, said:

Every person with a learning disability must receive the same high-quality care you and I would expect. For too long many people with learning disabilities have had their lives tragically cut short, in part because of a lack of understanding about their needs. This must end.

We will consult on expanding learning disability awareness training so that health and care staff are better equipped to provide compassionate and informed care. Support will be improved to help enhance the lives of people with learning disabilities across the country – anything less is unacceptable.