Essex man ordered to pay almost £400 for fishing illegally
An angler has been fined £360 after he went fishing without a valid rod licence.
Research: Environmental monitoring following the Grenfell Tower fire
Air quality reports for the survivors and residents of the area surrounding Grenfell Tower.
New Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government
News story
Andrew Goodall has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government.
Andrew, who is currently Director General Health and Social Services and NHS Wales Chief Executive, was chosen following an open competition. The appointment has been made by the First Minister of Wales in agreement with the Cabinet Secretary. Andrew will take up the post in November 2021.
The First Minister of Wales, Rt Hon Mark Drakeford said:
“I’m delighted that Andrew Goodall will be taking up the role of Permanent Secretary as we build a stronger, fairer and greener Wales together beyond the pandemic.
He has been a leading figure in Welsh public service for many years, so I warmly welcome his appointment to this role.
I would like to thank Shan for her leadership of the Welsh civil service during these most challenging of times, and wish her well for the future”.
The Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, said:
I would like to congratulate Andrew on his appointment. Andrew’s breadth of experience across the Welsh Government and NHS Wales makes him well placed to play a key leadership role across Welsh public services as we rebuild from the pandemic. I very much look forward to working with him as part of the senior leadership of the UK Civil Service.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Shan Morgan for her outstanding contribution to the UK Civil Service over four decades and wish her all the best in the future.
Commenting on his new role, Andrew said:
It is a great honour to take up the role of Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Government. I look forward to working with staff across the civil service and the wider Welsh public sector workforce.
There are major challenges ahead but I am confident that we can rise to them by working together, and building on the foundations that Shan has laid over the last five years.
Notes to Editors
- Andrew has been DG Health and Social Services and Chief Executive NHS Wales since June 2014.
- Prior to that he was Chief Executive of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board from 2009 to 2014.
- His other posts include Transition Director at Abertawe Bro Morgannwg Health Community, Joint Chief Executive at Neath and Bridgend Local Health Boards and Head of Performance Improvement at Cardiff and Vale NHS Trusts.
Published 9 September 2021
Shearwater and Agem One report published
News story
Immobilisation and flooding of a dredger after repeated collisions with an unmanned barge near Kinlochbervie, Scotland.
Our investigation report into the immobilisation of the dredger Shearwater, after its propeller shafts were fouled by its own towline while towing the barge Agem One on 9 April 2020, is now published. Shearwater was damaged and holed, resulting in flooding, after repeatedly colliding with the unmanned barge during the accident.
The report contains details of what happened, actions taken and recommendations: read more.
Published 9 September 2021
Numbers on furlough fall to lowest level since start of pandemic
- around 340,000 people have moved off furlough across the UK over the course of July, according to the latest data
- a total of 1.6 million people were on furlough as of 31 July, down from almost two million on 30 June, in a sure sign the government’s Plan for Jobs is getting people back to work
- around 800,000 people have claimed the latest self-employment scheme grant
The number of people on furlough has fallen to the lowest level since the start of the pandemic as the UK economy continues to rebound and businesses reopen, according to new statistics.
Figures published today show the number of people on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) in July stood at 1.6 million – down 340,000 from almost two million at the end of June and a peak of nearly nine million at the height of the pandemic in May last year.
The figures also show a striking fall in the number of young people on furlough, showing that our Plan for Jobs is continuing to support young people back into work. A total of 121,600 people between the ages of 18-34 came off the CJRS during the months of June and July.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:
It’s fantastic to see furlough levels at their lowest since the start of the pandemic with young people in particular getting back to work and kickstarting their careers as the UK gets back to business.
With furlough naturally unwinding and coming to a close at the end of the month we are doubling down on our Plan for Jobs – focusing our support on giving people the skills and opportunities they need to succeed in the jobs of tomorrow.
The number of people on furlough in the arts, entertainment and recreation sector, as well as accommodation and food services have seen particularly large reductions in the number of jobs on furlough over the course of the summer, with numbers furloughed from these sectors declining by 26,200 and 96,700 in July respectively.
The latest statistics for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme show a consistent fall in demand since the beginning of the scheme. Across all five grants, 9.9 million claims have been made and more than £27 billion has been claimed by almost three million people.
The furlough scheme has protected nearly 12 million jobs over the last 18 months, with nearly 2 million fewer people now expected to be out of work than was previously feared. Last summer, the OBR forecast that the unemployment rate would reach nearly 12%, but they now think it will peak at just over half that number. The scheme is naturally unwinding as the economy rebounds and businesses reopen and will come to a close at the end of this month.
This comes after the announcement of a Government-backed insurance scheme for the live events sector, which will help them plan events with confidence through to next year, and boost a sector that supports more than 700,000 jobs.
In another positive sign for the economy and jobs, the latest Insolvency Service figures also show that fewer potential redundancies were notified in August than any other month in 2020-2021.
Furlough was the right thing to do at the height of the pandemic, when necessary health restrictions were in place – this way we were able to protect lives and livelihoods. As the economy reopens and businesses trade again its right that employees can get back to work. The Government is doubling down on its Plan for Jobs as the UK economy rebounds – focusing our support on giving people the skills and opportunities they need to succeed in the jobs of tomorrow through schemes including Kickstart, Restart and apprenticeships.