Paul will be leaving to take on the role of Program Director, leading the programme management team, on the $40 billion Metrolinx program in Toronto, the largest public transit investment in Canadian history. Paul, along with his family, will move to Canada at the end of the year. Paul joined HS2 Ltd in 2015 and has been responsible for working with central government and local stakeholders to plan and develop the route for Phase Two.

HS2 Ltd’s CEO, Mark Thurston, said:

Phase Two has come a long way under Paul’s leadership. Phase 2a, the section from Birmingham to Crewe, is already in Parliament and is on course to receive Royal Assent next year. Phase 2b, the section from Birmingham to Leeds and from Crewe to Manchester, is well advanced in terms of its preparation for Parliament, particularly how it integrates with the existing network and the plans of Northern Powerhouse Rail. The working draft environmental statement for Phase 2b will be published later this autumn. We are grateful to Paul for the progress he has made with Phase Two and wish him and his family well in their new adventure.

HS2 Ltd’s Chairman, Sir Terry Morgan, said:

Phase Two is critical to HS2’s goal of changing the economic geography of Britain, by bringing the towns and cities of the Midlands and the North closer together. Paul has played a vital part in moving that concept nearer to reality.

Given its sheer scale and duration, changes of personnel and leadership are inevitable in a project such as HS2, particularly given the global demand for talented and experienced engineers such as Paul, but our focus remains on delivering a railway for the long term future of this country. And that we will do.

Paul Griffiths said:

Seeing HS2 move considerably closer to reality has been a privilege and will always have a special place in my career. HS2 is vital for the future of Britain and I will always be proud to have been part of its development.

Paul will leave HS2 Ltd at the end of December and plans are now in train to find his successor.

Ofqual has today (3 September 2018) published the outcomes of a policy consultation on our approach to regulating the new Technical Qualifications which will sit within T Levels, including our analysis of the responses we received and our decisions on how to take the proposed rules forward.

We have discussed and agreed these decisions with the Department for Education and Institute for Apprenticeships. The government’s Invitation to Tender for the development, delivery and award of the first three T Levels from September 2020, published earlier today, reflects the feedback we received.

We are now launching a further, technical consultation, to give interested parties an opportunity to feed back on the detail of Ofqual’s rules, including drafts of the Conditions and Guidance we intend to apply.  

Key areas of comment on the policy consultation, and our decisions relating to these, include:

• assessment availability and retakes. Following feedback, we will amend our approach as set out in the consultation to require an awarding organisation to provide a minimum of one assessment series for the Core and the Occupational Specialisms; with the option for an additional assessment series, if appropriate.  
• results and certification. Taking account of responses received, we will dis-apply our Conditions, meaning awarding organisations will not be required to issue certificates for the Technical Qualifications. Instead, certification will be for the overall T Level. However, a statement of achievement will be implemented for students who do not successfully pass all elements of the T Level, to ensure students are not disadvantaged and that their achievements are recognised.  
• setting and marking assessments.  Based on feedback received, we will require that the core knowledge and understanding elements are assessed by an examination and marked by the awarding organisation. We would also expect these to be marked by the respective awarding organisation. However, in exceptional circumstances, our rules will allow for centre marking of core skills assessments and Occupational Specialism assessments. We have published further guidance on this today.  
• ‘working towards’ grade. We consulted on setting a requirement for Occupational Specialisms to have a ‘Working Towards’ grade below Pass. We have taken on board the points raised by respondents. As there is felt to be limited value in this grade, we will not proceed with this proposal.  
• Other proposals, including our approach on grading, reviews of marking and accreditation, will be adopted largely as outlined in the consultation. These are described more fully in the decisions document.  

Sally Collier, Chief Regulator, said:

Our decisions, along with the government’s Invitation to Tender, mark a significant milestone in the delivery of T Levels. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Department for Education on this important initiative.

The documents we have published today set out the next stage in how Ofqual will play its part in the development and delivery of high quality, reliable and comparable Technical Qualifications which both learners and employers can trust. The responses we received to our policy consultation will help ensure these qualifications, and the T Levels of which they are part, are valid and robust, and meet the demands of the work place. We have used the consultation feedback to support our draft Conditions and Guidance, which we have set out for further consultation, and we look forward to hearing stakeholders’ views.

We are holding three events to support our technical consultation, aimed at awarding organisations interested in developing Technical Qualifications, or other bodies which may have an interest in becoming recognised awarding organisations to develop Technical Qualifications in the future. You can book your place by clicking on the links below. Please note, places are limited.

• 11 September 2018, 10.30am to 4.00pm, Holiday Inn, Regent’s Park, London

• 13 September 2018, 10.30am to 4.00pm, The Midland Hotel, Manchester

• 19 September 2018, 1.00pm to 2.00pm, Webinar  

Notes for editors

• The Institute for Apprenticeships has overarching responsibility for the T Level programme. Ofqual will regulate the Technical Qualification component. An exchange of letters between the Rt Hon Anne Milton MP and Sally Collier regarding Ofqual’s regulation of Technical Qualifications within T Levels has also been published today.

• The policy consultation ran for 4 weeks between 10 July and 6 August.

• There were 53 responses to the consultation. Additional feedback was received from people participating in 3 consultation events (98 attended) and a webinar (42 attended live).

• The technical consultation will run for 8 weeks until 28 October 2018.

From 1 September 2018, DVSA enforcement staff across Great Britain will check lorries for emissions cheat devices.

Cheat devices mean a lorry can produce up to 20 times more dangerous emissions.

The national rollout of checks follows a successful year-long pilot. During the pilot, DVSA enforcement staff caught 449 emission cheats at 5 sites across the country.

Penalties for using a cheat device

Drivers caught with an emissions cheat device or a faulty emissions control system have 10 days to remove the device and repair their emissions system. 

If they continue to use a device or fail to repair the system, they can be fined £300 and have their vehicle taken off the road. 

DVSA will then carry out a follow-up investigation with the operator. DVSA can refer its findings to the Traffic Commissioners for Great Britain, who have the power to strip a company of its licence to operate. 

Gareth Llewellyn, DVSA Chief Executive, said:

DVSA’s priority is protecting the public from unsafe drivers and vehicles.

A vehicle doesn’t have to be falling apart to be unsafe – any driver or operator who uses cheat devices to get around emissions rules is putting the health of the entire nation at risk.

DVSA will take the strongest possible action against anyone who tries to cheat emissions rules.

Report a driver or operator

You can report a driver or vehicle operator if you suspect they’re using an emissions cheat device.

How cheat devices work

Cheat devices cut the cost of operating, but give false emissions readings. This can result in the release of excessive emissions into the atmosphere.

Some of the ways this is done include:

• using devices designed to stop emissions control systems from working
• removing the diesel particulate filter or trap
• using cheap, fake emission reduction devices or diesel exhaust fluid
• using illegal engine modifications which result in excessive emissions
• removing or bypassing the exhaust gas recirculation valve

Effect on public health

Poor air quality is the largest environmental risk to public health in the UK.

It’s known to have more severe effects on vulnerable groups, for example, the elderly, children and people already suffering from pre-existing lung and heart conditions.

Conditions caused or made worse by air pollution include:

• asthma
• chronic bronchitis
• chronic heart disease
• strokes