New approaches that would allow self-employed people, around 15 per cent of the UK workforce, to save for short, medium and long-term financial goals – for example, catering for those with irregular incomes – will be tested through trials and research to be launched imminently.

Automatic enrolment has transformed pension saving with almost 10 million people automatically enrolled since 2012. Now the government is embracing the challenge of encouraging the self-employed to put away money for later life.

Guy Opperman, Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion, said:

Only around 1 in 7 (14 per cent) self-employed people were saving into a pension in 2016 to 2017. Our trials are designed to make sure that this diverse group of people gets help to plan ahead for greater financial security and the lifestyle they aspire to in later life.

We want to see effective, long-lasting solutions that boost the future prospects of millions of hard-working self-employed people, and will work with the financial services sector, professional trade bodies, unions and others to achieve that.

Features of the trials include:

• encouraging employees who become self-employed to keep making regular, affordable, contributions to a pension or other long-term savings product
• better use of financial technology to help the self-employed overcome barriers to saving
• making the most of communication points of contact used by self-employed people – such as online accounting systems – to promote saving for retirement in an easily understood way

A Department for Work and Pensions report published today confirms the continued success of automatic enrolment. New evidence shows that the rate of people stopping saving into a workplace pension for 2017 to 2018 was just 0.7 per cent, and this has not changed in the period April to June 2018 following the first increase in minimum contributions.

More information about the trials is available in Pensions and long-term savings trials for self-employed people.

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Baroness Williams, Minister of State for Countering Extremism and Minister for Equalities, today announced that Professor David Main has been appointed as chair of the Animals in Science Committee (ASC).

Professor Main will take up the appointment with the ASC on 1 March 2019, succeeding Dr John Landers who has served as ASC Chair for five years.

Baroness Williams said:

I am delighted to welcome Professor Main as the next chair of the ASC and I am confident that the knowledge and experience he will bring to the role will greatly benefit the Animals in Science Committee. I would also like to thank Dr Landers for his expertise and commitment during his time leading the committee.

The UK has one of the most comprehensive animal welfare systems in the world to ensure animal testing is carried out humanely and only when necessary. Under Professor Main’s leadership the ASC will continue to play a vital role in ensuring the government receives transparent, independent advice on the use of animals in science.

Professor David Main is Professor of Production Animal Health and Welfare at the Royal Agricultural University and formerly Professor of Animal Welfare, University of Bristol.

A veterinary surgeon, Professor Main has research interests in welfare assessment, intervention strategies to improve welfare, and animal welfare education. He has been involved in several large collaborative projects including AssureWel that introduced welfare outcome assessment into UK certification schemes and EU WelNet, a network of welfare scientists that provided welfare advice to the European Commission.

Professor Main said:

I look forward to taking up the role of Chair to the Animals in Science Committee and to working with committee members to continue this important work.

I would like to pay tribute to my predecessor Dr Landers who has led the committee since its inception in 2013. We hope to build on its already excellent achievements in this field.

The ASC is an independent public body sponsored by the Home Office. It provides independent advice about issues relating to the use of animals in scientific procedures within the context of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

Environment Agency introduce restrictions on fishing in England in response to the international decline in migratory salmon stocks.

Environment Agency’s national salmon and sea trout byelaws, applicable in England, have been confirmed by Defra. This means that the byelaws will become law and come into force on 1 January 2019.

The Environment Agency are introducing these restrictions on fishing in England in response to the international decline in migratory salmon stocks. Salmon stock numbers are currently among the lowest on record and are below sustainable levels in many rivers.

The byelaws will become law on the 1st January 2019 and will see the following restrictions being implemented:

• Closing all commercial net fisheries for ‘At Risk’ and ‘Probably At Risk’ rivers (some fishing for sea trout will still be allowed). This will include all drift net fisheries;

• Mandatory catch and release by anglers on the rivers that are classed as ‘At Risk’ to be introduced in June 2019. These are the Cumbrian Calder, Dorset Stour and Yealm;

• Mandatory catch and release by anglers on the rivers that are listed as ‘Recovering Rivers’. These are rivers where salmon were effectively wiped out and small populations have re-established in recent years with improvements in water quality on mostly heavily polluted post-industrial catchments. Examples of these are the Mersey, Yorkshire Ouse;

• Renewal of the 1998 Spring Salmon Byelaws. These protect the larger, early running salmon, and do not involve any new measures.

The new byelaws come into force following an Environment Agency consultation, which sought views on how to better manage salmon fishing in England and the Border Esk.

As part of new byelaws there will be voluntary catch and release expectation for salmon caught rivers classed as ‘Probably at Risk’ to ensure catch and release levels greater than 90%.

Reducing the taking of salmon by rods and nets is only one part of the Environment Agency’s larger programme to protect salmon stocks. Actions taken by the Environment Agency and its partners that contribute to protecting salmon stocks include removing barriers, improving water quality and agricultural practices, and addressing unsustainable water abstractions.

Kevin Austin, Environment Agency’s Deputy Director for Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment said:

It is only through continuing to take concerted action, and through the co-operation of others, that we will successfully protect this iconic fish for future generations.

We are not implementing these changes lightly and have consulted widely with those affected. There is no single solution to protecting salmon stocks; reducing the catch of salmon can only partly contribute to the recovery of salmon stocks.

The MDP bids farewell to Assistant Chief Constable Paul McLaughlin who retires later this month, after serving for more than 34 years with the force.