Tag Archives: GB

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Press release: Major upgrade to Leeds junction gets underway

As part of the £8.3 million scheme Highways England will be widening some of the approaches to the M1 roundabout and adding an extra lane to sections of the roundabout itself, increasing it from 2 to 3 lanes.

Most of the work for the 30 week scheme will be carried out during the day. However, some overnight closures will be required with the first taking place tonight, Thursday 2 until Saturday 4 February between 7pm and 6am.

During the overnight closures the M1 southbound carriageway between junctions 46 and 44, and all the approaches to the M1 junction 45 roundabout will be closed so narrow lanes can be installed. While the scheme is ongoing there will also be a reduced speed limit of 50mph on the M1 and a 30mph limit on the slip roads and roundabout.

Highways England project manager Derek Dobinson said:

We are investing more than £15 billion in over 100 schemes across England that will enhance, renew and improve the network. We recognise that this is an important junction which serves a major route into Leeds city centre and is the main access for a number of major businesses and that is why we are investing £8.3 million to improve it.

This scheme, once complete, will improve capacity, reduce congestion and improve the safety for drivers. Predominantly work will be carried out during the day during off peak hours but they may be the occasional overnight closure of the slip roads and the M1.

As well as carrying out improvements to the roundabout, new traffic signal crossings, and improved cycle and pedestrian routes will be installed.

Further information can be found on the scheme website.

Similar improvements have recently been completed at junction 26 of the M62 where it meets the M606. The extra lane was opened to traffic back in December around Chain Bar roundabout and the new traffic signals were installed this month.

Over the next few weeks, contractors will be taking down the old traffic signals and completing the landscaping and pedestrian and cycle route work. These will be carried out at night when traffic levels are at their lowest.

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.

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HM Government • • •

Press release: Heineken paying £160,000 over pollution incident

The Environment Agency has accepted an enforcement undertaking from a major brewer following a pollution incident on a Herefordshire Brook.

The Environment Agency has accepted an offer of £160,000 for an enforcement undertaking from brewer Heineken UK following a pollution incident at their cider factory in Hereford, which saw several thousand fish killed.

Heineken have also paid more than £12,000 to cover the Environment Agency’s legal costs.

The incident, at their Bulmer’s cider plant in August 2014, was caused when a container of ammonia-contaminated water was emptied to a surface water drain which connected to the Widemarsh Brook.

At the time it was estimated that between 2,000 and 3,000 fish were killed including bullhead, minnows, juvenile chub & dace.

Environment Agency spokesperson Dave Throup said:

It’s very unfortunate that a significant pollution of one of Hereford’s main watercourses happened as a result of Heineken’s actions.

However, we are pleased that the company is planning to make a positive contribution to the county’s environment by offering this enforcement undertaking.

As a result of the enforcement undertaking, £150,000 will go the Wye & Usk foundation and £10,000 to Yazor Widemarsh & Eign Brook restoration project.

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HM Government • • •

Green Party: Government disability benefit cuts foster prejudice against disabled people

3 February 2017

* Jonathan Bartley, co-leader: Government policy based on false idea that sick and disabled are guilty until proven innocent

The Green Party has condemned Government plans [1] to cut disability unemployment benefit in a bid to get more disabled people into work.

Jonathan Bartley, who co-leads the Green Party as a job share so he can care for his disabled son Samuel, said:

“These cuts are illogical, based on a false premise and clearly pernicious.  Cutting a benefit designed to support sick and disabled people into employment, is no way to help them into work.

“Those at the receiving end are those that even the Government accepts are sick and disabled.  But these cuts will drastically reduce the quality of life for many disabled people and is tantamount to kicking people when they are down.

“Government policy is increasingly based on the false idea that the sick and disabled are guilty until proven innocent, and that if they can be beaten hard enough by a weaponised welfare state they will be forced to find work.

“The Government should instead be focusing on removing the real barriers to finding work.  This includes more support, not less, and working with employers to ensure that the world of work is accessible in every way through practices such as flexible working.  It should also include tackling the widespread prejudice against disabled people which the Government is itself fostering.”

Notes:

  1. https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/feb/03/cut-to-disability-benefits-may-make-return-to-work-harder-claim-mps

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Green Party • • •

Green member of House of Lords seeks to ‘abolish’ herself

3 February 2017

* Green peer seeks to transform House of Lords from within

* Jenny Jones: Lords reform is essential for proper scrutiny of Brexit process

Jenny Jones, Green member of the House of Lords, will today (February 3) continue her fight to transform the unelected chamber.

Baroness Jones’ House of Lords Reform Bill will get its second reading on Friday, with reform of the Lords more important now than ever to enable proper scrutiny of the Brexit process.

Baroness Jones hopes to gather support from within the Lords for her plans to replace the House of Lords with a democratic and effective second chamber. This would use proportional representation to elect a new house, but keep many existing peers as non-voting experts.

Her Bill is the first with this mix of proposals to come from within the Lords.

Jenny Jones said:

“I’m not the only Lord who wants to abolish their right to vote in the second chamber, but I’m aiming to be one of the most energetic peers in making it happen. I’m relatively new to the Lords and I hope my fresh approach will help fast track the various discussions about Lords reform.

“The referendum vote in favour of Brexit makes Lords reform both urgent and inevitable. The government could try to push through all kinds of bad ideas on the back of the Brexit negotiations, the Great Repeal Act and hasty trade deals.

“We need an effective and democratic chamber to help scrutinise the secondary legislation and the international deals.

“The Government may well give itself so-called Henry 8th powers to just unilaterally repeal or amend European laws after the Repeal Act passes, opening the door to a bonfire of environmental and social protections. We need a second chamber that has the legitimacy and popular backing to challenge the use of such anti-democratic powers.”

Notes:

1 https://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldordpap.htm

Jenny’s bill is the third on a list to be taken at 10am on Friday 3rd June. Nine peers in addition to Jenny have put their names down to speak so far.

House of Lords Reform Bill [HL] Second Reading [Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb]

If the bill is read a second time, Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb to move that the bill be committed to a Committee of the Whole House

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Green Party • • •

Press release: New charity investigation: The Suyuti Institute

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory inquiry into The Suyuti Institute (registered charity number 1151600).

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into The Suyuti Institute (registered charity number 1151600). The inquiry was opened on 16 January 2017.

The charity has objects to advance the Islamic Faith through education and distributing literature.

Concerns were raised with the Commission about a lecture given by a trustee of the charity and whether the content of that speech was appropriate and furthered the charity’s purposes. As a result of these concerns the regulator met with the trustees and conducted a visit and books and records inspection at the charity on 1 November 2016.

At the visit, the Commission learnt that the charity had taken over a private trust linked to one of the trustee’s late mother, which included all of its assets and liabilities. The Commission has specific concerns relating to the management of conflicts of interest and whether the trustees have acted in the best interests of the charity to accept the assets and liabilities of the private trust. The Commission is also concerned that this decision has exposed the charity to significant financial risk.

As a result of these serious concerns the Commission has issued an order restricting transactions from the charity’s bank account and directed the trustees to provide information and documents to the Commission – see notes to editors.

The inquiry will examine the administration, governance and management of the charity by the trustees, in particular:

  • whether the trustees have properly exercised their legal duties and responsibilities under charity law in the administration of the charity
  • the financial management of the charity, in particular with regard to the decision to accept the assets and liabilities of the private trust
  • whether there has been any private benefit to the trustees of the charity
  • whether the trustees have operated the charity in furtherance of its charitable objects for the public benefit
  • whether there has been misconduct and/ or mismanagement by the trustees

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 its website.

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

Ends

PR 09/17

Notes to editors

  1. The order to freeze the bank accounts of the charity was made on 18 January 2017 under section 76 (3) (d) of the Charities Act 2011. The Direction to the trustees to provide information to the Commission was made on 19 January 2017 under section 47 of the Charities Act 2011.
  2. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see our annual report.
  3. Search for charities on our online register.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
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HM Government • • •