As the Cairncross Review heads to Brussels, polling has also revealed almost half of British adults (47%) believe that the quality of news available has declined in the last five years.

The fact-finding mission to Brussels, as part of the Review’s Call for Evidence, will enable Chair Dame Frances Cairncross to explore threats to the sustainability of the news industry as a Europe-wide problem.

Dame Frances Cairncross said:

The challenges facing the press are not unique to the UK and it is vital that my Review listens to the experiences of other countries. I look forward to learning more in Brussels about the questions industry and policy makers are grappling with and the solutions they are considering to ensure the future of the free press is protected.

The independent review, commissioned by the Prime Minister in January, has been tasked with looking at ways to safeguard the future of the UK’s free, independent and high-quality news in the digital age.

Dame Frances will seek to understand what European governments are doing to protect the creation and consumption of accurate and financially-sustainable journalism and will speak to key stakeholders, including from the European Publishers’ Council and representatives of the Digital Economy in the European Commission.

With her final recommendations to Government and industry expected in the new year, she is particularly keen to gauge views in Europe on the buying and selling of advertising online and whether this could be made more transparent, as well as the appetite in the EU for regulation to counter the disrupting influence of online platforms on the press industry.

An online YouGov survey of British adults’ newspaper habits has found that for the first time, more people are now regularly accessing content from national newspapers online, through apps and websites, than in print (28% to 22%). It also revealed:

• Two thirds (68%) of British online adults regularly access news through the internet.
• Almost half of those who regularly access news (47%) admit they are accessing news in more ways now, compared to five years ago
• Almost a third (31%) of those who regularly access news said they pay more attention to what they read in a printed newspaper than to news they read online, although most (55%) say they pay the same level of attention to both
• TV and Radio remain the most popular platforms for accessing news – 58% regularly access news from TV and 43% from Radio
• This compares with 29% of adults online stating they access news through social media feeds such as Facebook, Twitter, or Snapchat

The Review has previously highlighted how a quarter of all regional and local newspapers have closed in the past decade. And while the survey results show local or regional news is important to 76% of those who regularly access news, just 13% of adults said they access news via a printed local or regional newspaper, and 13% saying they access a local newspaper online. However almost two thirds (61%) said enough local news was provided for them where they live. This further emphasises the challenge posed to local newspapers – there is a disconnect between those who think local news is important, and those who seek out such news via a local paper.

The Review is calling for evidence and views from both consumers and the industry itself on the issues under consideration, including how to create and support the conditions that will enable high quality journalism to continue and flourish.

Notes to Editors:

1. Any evidence or information can be submitted to the Cairncross Review Secretariat at Cairncrossreview@culture.gov.uk or Cairncross Review Secretariat, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 4th floor, 100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ. Responses will be published in full or summary form unless explicitly flagged ‘not for publication’, in which case they will be kept private.
2. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2020 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23 – 24 August 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns will visit Bridgend-based PCI Pharma Services later today (Monday 3 September) to underline the UK government’s commitment to support the Welsh business community as the UK prepares to leave the European Union.

The visit follows the UK Government’s publication of its White Paper in July, outlining the future relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Last week, the Government published a series of technical notices with information to allow businesses and citizens to understand what they would need to do in the unlikely event of a ‘no deal’ scenario.

During the visit, the Welsh Secretary will tour the site and speak to senior leaders and members of staff about how the White Paper proposal will ensure a deep and long future relationship with the EU, making sure that Wales and the rest of the UK is best placed to make the most of the opportunities ahead while taking back control of our laws, borders and money.

PCI Pharma Services (PCI) is a full-service provider of specialist outsourced drug manufacturing, clinical trial services, and commercial packaging to the global healthcare industry. PCI’s Bridgend site provides extensive services in support of Clinical investigational medicines, including secondary packaging and labelling expertise, storage and global distribution, coupled with its capability for supporting a considerable range of Cold Chain and Ultra Cold chain product needs, including the expertise and infrastructure to support preparation, storage and global distribution of advanced medicines with cryogenic temperature requirements down to -196ºC.

The company also has facilities in Hay on Wye, Tredegar and Treforest, as well as sites in Rockford and Philadelphia in the US, Dublin, Ireland and Melbourne, Australia. The Welsh Secretary met representatives from the US sites during a three-day visit to New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in February this year.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

This Government is committed to delivering a Brexit that promotes jobs and prosperity, keeps our people safe and protects the precious Union between the four nations of the UK, while taking back control of our money, laws and borders.

PCI Pharma is a global leader in the pharmaceutical field, providing packaging and drug development expertise to companies around the world. It is an important employer in this region of Wales and makes a significant contribution to the Welsh economy. My ambition is for this to continue long after we leave the European Union.

Dr Fiona Withey, Vice Present of Global Clinical Strategy at PCI Pharma is a regular contributor on the Secretary of State’s Economic Advisory Board and Expert Panel, to advise on how Wales can capitalise on the benefits of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy, as well as opportunities arising from leaving the EU.

Dr Withey said:

PCI has followed the Brexit negotiations with great interest, as have our global pharmaceutical and biotech clients. As a provider of services supporting medicines destined to more than 100 countries around the world, PCI is uniquely positioned to ensure a seamless supply chain to our clients for all potential outcomes. We support lifesaving commercial medicines, as well as those for investigational Clinical studies, to patients all over the world.

We appreciate the time and attention Secretary Cairns has paid to facilitating dialogue and communication with companies like ourselves, as well as ensuring the parties reach an agreeable outcome, with focus on safeguarding the continuity of timely delivery for critical medication to patients.

ENDS

Commuters could speed up their journeys by up to 10 miles per hour by starting and finishing work just one hour later, according to new research.

The study by Highways England was carried out on a 9-mile-stretch of the M62 which links the M6 near Warrington to the M60 near Manchester. The route is used by 120,000 drivers every day and construction work is currently taking place to upgrade it to a smart motorway, increasing its capacity by a third.

Commuters had previously faced speeds of just 36 miles per hour between 5pm and 6pm when almost 9,000 drivers take to the short section of motorway on their way home from work.

The study has found that drivers who set off for work after 9am are likely to get there much more quickly than those travelling during the two hours after 7am.

Drivers using this stretch of the M62 who wait until 6pm before leaving the office are also likely to travel 10 miles per hour faster than those leaving at 5pm, or 20 miles per hour faster if they wait until 7pm – cutting journey times by around a third.

Overall, the research found that commuters travelling 20 miles each way and working the traditional 9am to 5pm day could be spending almost an hour extra on the road every week, compared to those working from 10am to 6pm.

Mike Bull, Highways England’s smart motorways programme manager for the North, said:

We all know that our roads are at their busiest during the morning and evening commute but it’s surprising that shifting our working days by just one hour could have such a significant impact on journey times.

Many people won’t have a choice about the hours they work but if some are able to start and finish work an hour later then it could benefit everyone – and save some drivers around an hour each week.

We’re also doing our bit to improve journey times for drivers at Highways England by converting some of our busiest stretches of motorway into smart motorways, adding extra lanes and using technology to prevent tailbacks caused by sudden braking.

The hard shoulders on each new smart motorway will be converted into permanent extra lanes and new emergency areas will be created for drivers to use if they break down. New CCTV cameras will also provide 100% coverage of the routes.

One of the most important signals on a smart motorway – the red X – is used to identify when a lane is closed and indicates that drivers should move into an open lane to continue their journeys.

Driving in a closed lane is dangerous, as there could be debris in the road or an accident or breakdown up ahead. Keeping the lane clear gives the emergency services the access they need to help.

More details about how to drive on a smart motorway are available at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-drive-on-a-smart-motorway.

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.

A quick-thinking mariner who jumped into freezing waters to save a stranger’s life has been given the top maritime honour for his bravery.

Stephen Chamberlain is one of 19 people who are receiving the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service for going above and beyond in their service to the maritime industry.

The Wightlink deck officer risked his own life in February (2018) to help a man struggling in the cold water in Portsmouth Harbour at 11pm. The crew on the St Clare ferry spotted the man in danger and Mr Chamberlain saw he was not able to reach the flotation device. The officer jumped in and kept the man, who was suffering from hypothermia, from drowning.

Another winner is Captain Belinda Bennett – the first black female captain in the commercial cruise industry, whose maiden voyage was a cruise to the Caribbean aboard a 148-passenger Windstar ship.

Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani said:

Our merchant navy is crucial to keeping the UK thriving – helping deliver goods, energy and food to our homes.

These 19 people are a credit not just to the maritime industry but to the wider nation. They have gone above and beyond their duty for the benefit of others.

Stephen’s heroic act and Belinda’s trailblazing are just two examples of the outstanding service provided by our mariners.

This is the third year the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service will be awarded to those who have set an outstanding example to others.

Among the other winners this year are Captain Timothy Charlesworth who, on top of his service, provides sailing opportunities for people with mental health and addiction problems, Captain Michael Reeves who has 5 decades of merchant navy experience – much of which has been spent promoting seafaring to young people – and Captain Antonio Gatti who has played a crucial role in scientific research on board a Royal Research Ship during his 33 years of service.

The medals will be awarded by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal, at a ceremony in Trinity House on Wednesday, 26 September 2018.

Nominations have been put forward for those working in the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets of the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

This state award replaces the shipping industry’s previous Merchant Navy Medal which was awarded annually from 2005 to 2015 by the Merchant Navy Medal Fund.