The following list of standards were published by the European Standardisation Organisation, CEN, during the period January to March 2017, some of which are relevant to chemical measurement in support of regulation. The standards are divided into separate areas.

REACH regulation

The following two standards supersede existing standards published in 2012 and describe improvements in the analytical procedure and guidance on interpreting results.

EN ISO 14362-1:2017 – Textiles – Methods for determination of certain aromatic amines derived from azo colorants – Part 1: Detection of the use of certain azo colorants accessible with and without extracting the fibres.

EN ISO 14362-3:2017 – Textiles – Methods for determination of certain aromatic amines derived from azo colorants. Detection of the use of certain azo colorants, which may release 4-aminoazobenzene.

These two standards relate to entry 43 to Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 which prohibits the use of azo colorants in textile and leather articles which may come into direct and prolonged contact with the human skin or oral cavity, which, by reductive cleavage of one or more azo groups, may release one or more of 22 listed aromatic amines in detectable concentrations, i.e. above 30 mg/kg (0.003 % by weight) determined by gas chromatography.

The following two standards supersede existing standards published in 2007 and describe improvements in the analytical procedure.

EN ISO 17075-1:2017 Leather – Chemical determination of chromium (VI) content in leather – Part 1: Colorimetric method.

EN ISO 17075-2:2017 – Leather – Chemical determination of chromium (VI) content in leather – Part 2: Chromatographic method.

Some studies have shown that sensitised individuals may react to the low levels of chromium (VI) that might migrate from leather articles coming into contact with the skin at a concentration of 3 mg/kg. This limit represents the quantitative limit of the analytical methods described in EN 17075.

Food

EN 14176:2017 – Foodstuffs – Determination of domoic acid in raw shellfish, raw finfish and cooked mussels by RP-HPLC using UV detection.

Domoic acid is produced by different species of Pseudo-nitzschia and other marine organisms such as the red alga Chondria armata and can potentially enter the food chain by contaminating shellfish and other types of seafood.

The standard describes a reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) system with a UV detector. The limit of detection is about 10 ng/mL to 80 ng/mL (0.05 mg/kg to 0.4 mg/kg), depending on the UV detector sensitivity.

EN 14526:2017 – Foodstuffs – Determination of saxitoxin-group toxins in shellfish. HPLC method using pre-column derivatization with peroxide or periodate oxidation.

Saxitoxin (STX)-group toxins are a group of closely related tetrahydropurines and have been detected in filter-feeding bivalve molluscs such as oysters, mussels and scallops.

Information on saxitoxin-group toxins in shellfish can be found in the EFSA Opinion on Contaminants in the Food Chain (Question No EFSA-Q-2006-065E): Marine biotoxins in shellfish – Saxitoxin group (The EFSA Journal (2009) 1019, 1-76).

Food Standards Scotland are currently performing a review titled: Shellfish Review: Bivalve mollusc classification and monitoring: consultation on changes to the official control programme and are inviting views on the proposed changes. The consultation closes on the 12 May 2017.

Fertilizer feeds

EN 16317:2013 + A1:2017 – Fertilizers and liming materials – Determination of arsenic by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) after aqua regia dissolution.

EN 16320:2013 + A1:2017 – Fertilizers and liming materials – Determination of mercury by vapour generation (VG) after aqua regia dissolution.

EN 15961:2017 – Fertilizers – Extraction of water-soluble calcium, magnesium, sodium and sulfur in the form of sulfates. This standard supersedes the existing standard published in 2011.

These standards are linked to EU Commission Mandate M/418 and M/335: Assigned to CEN concerning the modernisation of methods of analysis of fertilizers. The standards concern Regulation (EC) No 2003/2003 relating to fertilisers which is currently the subject of review by the EU Commission.

EN 16877:2016 – Animal feeding stuffs – Methods of sampling and analysis. Determination of T-2 and HT-2 toxins, Deoxynivalenol and Zearalenone, in feed materials and compound feed by LCMS.

T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZON) are mycotoxins produced by fungi of the Fusarium genus and can be found in various cereal crops used as animal feed.

The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for HT-2 and T-2 toxin is ≤ 10 µg/kg, for DON ≤ 100 µg/kg, and for ZON ≤ 20µg/kg.

This is a new standard linked to EU Commission Mandate M/521: Methods of Analysis in the Field of Animal Nutrition Part I concerning Regulation (EC) No 882/2004: Official controls performed to ensure the verification of compliance with feed and food law, animal health and animal welfare rules.

Animal and vegetable fats

EN ISO 6320:2017 – Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Determination of refractive index.

EN ISO 663:2017 – Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Determination of insoluble impurities content.

EN ISO 3960:2017 – Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Determination of peroxide value. Iodometric (visual) endpoint determination.

EN ISO 8534:2017 – Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Determination of water content. Karl Fischer method (pyridine free).

EN ISO 15774:2017 – Animal and vegetable fats and oils – Determination of cadmium content by direct graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry.

Milk and milk products (or fat coming from milk and milk products) are excluded from the scope of all the standards.

All these standards are revisions superseding earlier versions.

Further information on food legislation can be found on the Government Chemist website in the series Food and feed law and legislation.

The UK is set to become a leading partner for Saudi Arabia in delivering its ambitious “Vision 2030” programme for internal reform and modernisation.

The Prime Minister will meet King Salman of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh today where they are expected to agree:

• 6-monthly strategic dialogues between UK and Saudi Foreign and Trade Ministers to maximise mutual prosperity and build on existing security, defence and intelligence cooperation

• UK assistance to Saudi Arabia in building a reformed Ministry of Defence, reviewing Saudi defence capabilities and joint working across the Saudi armed forces

• a new UK-Saudi Policy Dialogue on education to share best practice

• a seminar led by UK experts on tax and privatisation standards, to help Saudi Arabia diversify its economy and become less reliant on oil

• the sharing of healthcare best practice, including through the secondment of a UK expert based in Riyad

The Prime Minister is also due to meet Princess Reema today in Saudi Arabia. Princess Reema is Vice President of the Saudi General Sports Authority and is leading Saudi Government efforts to increase diversity and participation in sport. Ahead of their meeting, the Prime Minister is set to announce that the UK will provide support to Saudi Arabia to increase opportunities for men and women across the country to participate in sport.

The Prime Minister and the King are also set to agree UK support to increase culture, leisure and entertainment opportunities for the Saudi public, including sharing our skills in audience development and marketing as well as helping them attract and build world-class cultural events.

The British Council’s “Contemporary Collective” programme will train six young Saudi women in arts management, equipping them with the skills necessary to launch and run large scale cultural projects in the Kingdom.

Senior Cabinet members including the Chancellor, the International Secretary for Trade and the Foreign Secretary are expected to visit the Kingdom in the coming months to drive forward this important work across the board. The Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Stephen Lovegrove, will also visit the Kingdom next month to progress discussions on Saudi defence reform.

Speaking ahead of her visit to Saudi Arabia, the Prime Minister said:

These new partnerships – on defence and security, trade and the economy, education, healthcare, culture and sport – evidence the breadth and depth of the UK’s relationship with Saudi Arabia. We are firm supporters of Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030”, an ambitious blueprint for internal reform that aims to deliver greater inclusivity for all Saudi citizens – something we agree is essential to Saudi Arabia’s long-term stability and success. As a world leader across a range of sectors, the UK is well placed to help Saudi Arabia deliver these vital reforms.

Further information

Saudi Arabia’s “Vision 2030” is an ambitious blueprint for reform that expresses Saudi Arabia’s long-term goals and expectations, and is designed to build on its strengths and capabilities.

It is based on 3 pillars: Saudi Arabia as the heart of the Arab and Islamic worlds; creating an investment powerhouse; and building on its strategic position as a hub connecting three continents.

Specific goals include: + raising the share of non-oil exports in non-oil GDP from 16% to 50%; raising non-oil government revenue from SAR 163 billion to SAR 1 trillion + increasing women’s participation in the workforce from 22% to 30% + to increase household spending on cultural and entertainment activities inside the Kingdom from the current level of 2.9% to 6%

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into The Alternative Animal Sanctuary, registered charity number 1111406. The inquiry was opened on 2 March 2017.

The Lincolnshire-based charity offers permanent care to abandoned and neglected animals across England and Wales, and facilitates adoption where possible.

The Commission initially engaged with the charity in November 2016 as part of a proactive project focusing on a sample of charities contracting with third-party fundraising agencies. After examining the charity’s arrangement with a fundraising agency, the Commission has serious concerns about the charity’s apparent overreliance on the agency and the rate of return to the charity. Further regulatory concerns have been established regarding the significantly high costs and fees of the agreement, the trustees’ original decision to enter into the agreement and the ongoing management of the arrangements by the trustees.

The Commission took action to obtain and examine copies of the charity’s mailing material which is used to solicit donations under the agency agreement. This has raised further concerns regarding the transparency of the mailing material. The Commission is concerned that the public is unaware of the proportion of donations that is consumed by the costs and fees associated with the agreement against what is used on caring for abandoned and neglected animals.

The inquiry will examine the administration, governance and financial management of the charity, in particular the extent to which the trustees have:

• acted in the charity’s best interests and acted in accordance with their legal duties
• responsibly managed the charity’s resources and financial affairs, including the adequacy of the charity’s financial controls
• ensured that conflicts of interests have been adequately avoided or managed
• complied with their duties, including the submission of the charity’s annual reports and accounts to the Commission
• prudently managed the arrangements with a third party fundraising agency
• been transparent with beneficiaries and the general public regarding the distribution of donations.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

The charity’s details can be viewed on the Commission’s online charity search tool.

Ends

PR 28/17

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see our annual report.
2. Search for charities on our online register.
3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the Commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.
4. The Commission’s decision to announce the opening of a statutory inquiry is based on whether it is in the public interest to do so and with consideration of our objective to increase public trust and confidence in charities.

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns “Safety and security of football festival is of paramount importance”

Your Royal Highness, ladies and gentlemen – good evening to you all.

We are here tonight because we recognise that landmines are a global scourge that must be tackled.

There are no boundaries as to who mines hurt and inflict suffering on, these are indiscriminate weapons of war that maim and kill, long after the fighting has stopped.

But ultimately, mines hurt the poorest hardest, in the very places where people are already marginalised and excluded.

Tonight we are saying, on behalf of the men, women and children around the world who live in places where they fear to tread, more must be done, and more will be done.

Destruction of opportunity and hope

I have seen the efforts to tackle this threat first hand.

In Afghanistan more than 5 million people live with the risk of landmines,

And earlier this year I visited a Halo Trust Centre in Kabul where this great bastion of British expertise train local people, often husband and wife teams, to decontaminate land and educate communities about the risks of mines.

Words simply can’t pay sufficient tribute to how meticulous, painstaking and amazingly brave they are in carrying out this inherently risky work.

And I was deeply moved to meet these men and women, from communities that have been devastated by decades of war.

Even now the fighting has stopped, the land around them remains a deathtrap; parents live in constant terror for their children.

They dread their child being killed or suffering a life-changing injury. Because of course in these very poor communities people who are disabled or psychologically harmed by landmines simply can’t access the kind of support they need to even contemplate what their future might hold.

In the end it’s not just the fatalities and the terrible, immobilising injuries landmines cause – it’s the destruction of opportunity and hope, that has scarred so many families.

The legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales

But it doesn’t have to be like this – Global Britain has a historic role in tackling the indiscriminate and lethal legacy of landmines.

That role was, of course, embodied by the efforts of His Royal Highness’ late Mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Twenty years ago she brought landmines to the world’s attention with her courageous walk through an Angolan mine field, and in direct response the world came together to sign the Mine Ban Treaty – now one of the world’s most widely accepted treaties – 162 countries have joined it.

The UK was one of the founding signatories to this treaty and since then we have become one of the world’s leading donors on mine action.

In the last 3 years alone, the UK – working through partners like Halo and the Mines Advisory Group – cleared land from mines equivalent to over 4,500 football pitches.

It is fair to say that these achievements would not have happened without the late Princess’ global advocacy on this highly neglected issue.

Another landmine emergency

But 20 years on from the historic Ottawa Treaty the world faces another landmine emergency. Landmines are once again being used as a weapon of war in places such as Syria and Yemen.

In 2015 alone almost 5,000 people were injured and over 1,600 people were killed by landmines and other explosive devices left behind by conflict – including hundreds of children.

This is more casualties than we have seen for a decade.

A large part of this is down to Daesh who are cynically using mines to directly target civilians, especially those who want to return home after fleeing the conflict and Daesh’s regime.

We cannot and will not accept this.

We have a moral duty to act – and it is in our national interest to act.

Britain is committed to shinning a light once again on the human side of the damages these devices bring,

And to giving a voice and hope to those wounded and physically and mentally broken by conflict and mines.

So this evening I can announce that the UK will triple our funding for mine action over the next three years, taking our total spend to £100 million over the next three years.

This will allow us to clear 150 square kilometres of contaminated land.

We will work in countries such as Afghanistan, Somalia, South Sudan and Cambodia – helping to deliver real and lasting peace and stability in these places.

And by doing so we will honour the work of those who have come before us and provide hope to future generations.

It is for causes like this that we have made our commitment to the overseas aid budget.

This is one of the many ways that UK aid can, and is, making the world safer, healthier and more prosperous for us all.

It is my sincere hope that by working together we can once again focus the world on this vital, but still under reported and under invested in issue.

I am in no doubt that where Britain leads, others should follow.

Through the enduring support of UK aid, we will bring hope to so many places where there has been despair.

And ensure that millions more people can go about their lives, no longer fearing to tread.

Thank you.