The following summary of planned new and ongoing road improvements over the coming week is correct as of Friday 3 February but could be subject to change due to weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances. All our improvement work is carried out with the aim of causing as little disruption as possible.

A1 junction 56 Barton to junction 51 Leeming Bar

There will be phases of overnight lane closures and full carriageway closures while work takes place to upgrade the road to motorway standards.

There will also be narrow lanes and a 50mph speed restriction 24 hours a day. From Monday 6 to Thursday 9 February there will be a closure north and southbound at Scotch Corner with traffic being diverted up and over the interchange; there will also be a partial closure of Scotch Corner roundabout and a closure of the southbound exit slip road at junction 51.

Then on Friday 10 February there will be a closure of the southbound entry slip, a partial closure of Scotch Corner roundabout and a closure of the southbound exit slip road at Junction 51. Then on Sunday 12 February the southbound entry slip road at Scotch Corner will be closed. All closures will take place between 8pm and 6am.

A1 Blaydon Haugh Viaduct, junction 73 to junction 74, Newcastle upon Tyne

There is a 50mph limit in operation over Blaydon Haugh Viaduct due to the installation of temporary plates over defective viaduct joints. From Monday 6 to Sunday 12 February there will be a carriageway closure southbound. All these closures will take place between 8pm and 6am with a diversion in place.

A1 / A1M Junction 64 to junction 67, Gateshead

There will be various lane and carriageway closures north and southbound for structural repairs, commencing on Wednesday 18 January until the end of February. On Saturday 11 February there will be a carriageway closure north and southbound between junction 65 and junction 66. This will take place between 8pm and 6am with diversions in place.

A1 Morpeth, Northumberland

There will be work ongoing until spring 2017 for the construction of a bypass. There will be various phases of daytime and night time lane and carriageway closures, with narrow lanes and a 40mph speed restriction in place. On Monday 6 February there will be a carriageway closure northbound, on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 February there will be a carriageway closure north and southbound, and from Thursday 9 to Saturday 11 February there will be a carriageway closure southbound. All these closures will take place between 8pm and 6am with diversions in place. There will also be a 24 hour lane closure on the A66 eastbound between Melsonby and Scotch Corner, taking place until the beginning of April.

A1 Haggerston, Northumberland

There will be convoy working in place north and southbound for resurfacing work. This will take place until the beginning of March between 8am and 4.30pm.

A1 Wandylaw to Warrenford, Northumberland

There will be traffic signals in place north and southbound for survey work. This will take place until Thursday 23 February between 8pm and 6am.

A1 Brownieside, Northumberland

There will be lane closure southbound for survey work. This will take place on Monday 6 and Tuesday 7 February between 8.30am and 4pm.

A1 West Moor, Northumberland

There will be a lane closure northbound for survey work. This will take place on Wednesday 8 February between 8.30am and 4pm.

A19 Silverlink, North Tyneside

There will be a 24 hour 30mph speed restriction with narrow lanes for interchange improvement work. The A1058 Coast Road will be closed with a diversion down and under the junction on Monday 6 to Wednesday 8 February 9.30am until 3.30pm.

A19/A66

The northbound A19 to A66 eastbound to westbound slip roads will be closed for routine maintenance work from Monday 6 February to Tuesday 7 February. The westbound A66 to the A19 southbound slip road will be closed Wednesday 8 February to Thursday 9 February. The closures are between 8pm and 6am.

A66 Long Newton, Stockton on Tees

There will be 24 hour traffic signals in operation on the slip road and interchange for construction work. This will take place until the end of February 2017.

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.

China’s State Council on Friday pledged to press ahead with addressing wage arrears for migrant workers to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests.

The pledge was made at a meeting presided over by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.

Attendees of the meeting said that addressing the issue of wage arrears for migrant workers was an important step to increase their income and strengthen social justice, embodying the people-centered development concept.

The State Council will carry out special campaigns and inspection tours to crack down on such offenses, while making some cases public.

Provincial, municipal and county-level officials will be held accountable for wage arrears for migrant workers within their jurisdictions, according to the meeting.

Human resources and social security departments must maintain clear and open channels for people to report crimes, and a blacklist system should be created to punish enterprises which are in arrears with migrant workers’ salaries.

Attendees also agreed to handle lawmakers’ suggestions and political advisors’ proposals to promote scientific decision making. They said handling lawmakers’ suggestions and political advisors’ proposals are important for addressing people’s concerns and advancing administration according to law.

In 2016, departments of the State Council handled 7,873 national lawmakers’ suggestions and 3,862 proposals by national political advisors, and more than 3,000 opinions and suggestions were taken into consideration when drafting relevant policies and regulations.

Attendees vowed to further address suggestions and proposals this year, strengthening communication with lawmakers and political advisors, and making public all responses to suggestions and proposals.

The 13th Five-Year Plans on food and drug safety were both approved at the meeting. According to the plans, local governments, particularly county-level governments, must be responsible for ensuring food safety. Firm crackdowns will be launched against illegal additives to prevent risks.

The authenticity of clinical test data on drugs will be put under closer watch, and production and sales of counterfeit drugs will be severely punished.

Sample tests and early warning will be boosted, and such tests must cover food, blood products, vaccines and essential medicines.

Moreover, technology such as big data must be harnessed to ensure food and drug safety, and national standards for medicines, medical equipments as well as cosmetics must be heightened.

Clive
Lewis MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy,
commenting on the energy price increases from Npower, said:

“This
government is doing nothing to enforce their own regulator’s strong advice that
there should be no price hike.

“They
have done nothing to increase the number of families getting help to insulate
their home. And they are not doing enough to ensure better customer treatment.
Theresa May should take urgent action to stand up for bill payers”

Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu inaugurated following key freight sector initiatives today i.e. 02-03-17 at National Rail Museum, New Delhi:-

The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate a week-long ‘Festival of Innovations’ on March 4, 2017 at Rashtrapati Bhavan.