Published 18 November 2020
Last updated 26 August 2022 + show all updates
We have closed the financial health notice to improve for Greater Brighton Metropolitan College.
A revised financial health notice to improve for Greater Brighton Metropolitan College has now been added.
First published.
Water companies will face the strictest targets on pollution from sewage ever under a new plan to tackle sewage discharges in our waters, set out by government today.
The government’s plan will require them to deliver their largest ever environmental infrastructure investment – £56 billion capital investment over 25 years – into a long term programme to tackle storm sewage discharges by 2050. The plan frontloads action in particularly important and sensitive areas including designated bathing waters and high priority ecological sites.
The targets will mean they need to take measures such as increasing the capacity of their networks and treating sewage before its discharged to protect public health and prevent pollution, whilst massively reducing all discharges. Failure to meet these targets could see them face substantial fines or having to return money to customers.
The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan is the most significant investment and delivery programme ever undertaken by water companies to protect people and the environment.
We are the first government to require water companies to take action to address these discharges, and the plan follows ongoing work by government, the Environment Agency and the regulator Ofwat to drive up water companies’ performance and monitoring and increase accountability. This includes a massive expansion in monitoring frequency and duration of discharges, from approximately 5% in 2016, to nearly 90% in 2021, which has been used to hold companies to account.
Under the plans announced today, water companies will have to achieve a number of targets, so that discharges only happen when there is unusually heavy rain and when there is no immediate adverse impact to the local environment.
We will review this plan in 2027 to consider where we can go further, taking account of innovation and efficiencies.
The plan also sets out that water companies will be required to publish discharge information in near real time as well as committing to tackling the root causes of the issue by taking steps to improve surface water drainage.
In addition, the plan sets out our wider expectations for the water industry, to ensure their infrastructure keeps pace with increasing external pressures, such as urban growth and climate change, to ensure our water supplies remain clean and secure for the future.
Environment Secretary George Eustice said:
“This is the first government to take action to end the environmental damage caused by sewage spills. We will require water companies to protect everyone who uses our water for recreation, and ensure storm overflows pose no threat to the environment.
“Water companies will need to invest to stop unacceptable sewage spills so our rivers and coast lines can have greater protection than ever before.”
These plans strike the right balance between the need for investment and the impact on consumers. Under this plan there will be no changes to bills until 2025. The Government has ruled out options which could add up to £817 a year to average household water bills. The government will continue to monitor water affordability and take further action if needed, and will consult on a new water affordability scheme to help less well-off households.
A raft of measures have also been brought forward in our Environment Act to tackle sewage discharges, including the requirement for greater transparency from water companies on their storm overflow data.
As a result of this government’s policies to increase monitoring and transparency, the regulators (Environment Agency and Ofwat) last year launched the largest criminal and civil investigations into water company sewage discharges ever, at over 2200 treatment works, following new data coming to light as a result of increased monitoring. The investigations will look at where sites may be breaching their permits, and ensure that companies found to be acting illegally are held to account, up to and including prosecution, which can lead to unlimited fines and companies having to reimburse customers.
This follows 54 prosecutions against water companies since 2015, securing fines of nearly £140 million. We will not let companies get away with illegal activity and where breaches are found, regulators will not hesitate to hold companies to account.
The government has also been clear that companies cannot profit from environmental damage. Ofwat have outlined that water companies must be transparent about how executive pay and dividends align to delivery of services to customers, including environmental performance. The government supports Ofwat’s recent proposals which would provide extra powers for enforcement action against companies that don’t link dividend payments to their environmental performance, or who failed to be transparent about their dividend pay-outs.
The VMD is running an online training course on 18-19 October 2022 introducing the role and responsibilities of the Wholesale Qualified Person (WQP) and the legislative requirements for wholesale distribution.
Delivered by the VMD’s highly experienced inspectors the event will feature a blend of lectures, discussion, and practical activities. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and gain practical support and guidance, engage with practical exercises featuring real-life challenges and scenarios, and network with other delegates and share best practice.
The event is suited to persons who are seeking to become a WQP, existing WQPs wishing to refresh their understanding, and for businesses looking to become wholesale dealers of veterinary medicines.
The October event will be the third cycle of the incredibly popular training course, and part of a series of training courses specially designed with industry needs in mind. Alison Pyatt, Head of the VMD Training Centre Team, said;
“The VMD Training Centre endeavours to deliver quality training that best supports industry and those in the veterinary profession to perform their roles safely and ethically while meeting their legal obligations. Training events such as the Introduction to ‘Veterinary Wholesale Qualified Person Training’ provide unique opportunities for our stakeholders to interact with our inspectors, discuss concerns, and receive the support and guidance desired.”
The VMD is committed to providing accessible and supportive training to industry.
If you are interested in attending the event, please visit Eventbrite for further information and to book your place.
Course cost £395 per person with certificate of attendance.
If you have any questions, training enquiries or would like to contact the VMD Training Team, please email training@vmd.gov.uk
A cockerel-shaped ceramic jug gifted to the Prime Minister in Kyiv has gone on display to delegates at the Edinburgh International Culture Summit.
The jug, which has become a symbol of Ukrainian resistance, is being displayed at the biennial event to demonstrate the ongoing international solidarity with Ukraine following the illegal invasion of the country by Russia.
The Prime Minister and Volodymyr Zelensky received a pair of matching jugs from a woman in Kharkiv while walking through the streets of the Ukrainian capital in April.
This type of jug became emblematic of Ukraine’s strong resistance against the invading Russian forces after photographer Elizaveta Servatynska captured an image of a similar jug sitting undamaged on a kitchen cabinet in a high-rise apartment block in March. The building, in Borodyanka, had been badly hit by Russian bombing.
In Ukrainian folklore, cockerels are believed to have powers of protection. When the image of the undamaged jug went viral on social media it quickly became a symbol of the country’s stand against the Russian invaders.
The jug gifted to the Prime Minister is now on display at the Edinburgh International Culture Summit where it will be visible to delegates.
As we meet in Edinburgh, this jug will serve as a powerful reminder of Ukraine’s unflagging strength and resistance in the face of Russia’s barbaric invasion.
The Ukrainian people and the preservation of their unique cultural identity will be at the forefront of our minds as ministers and cultural leaders from around the world meet to discuss international cultural collaboration.
The jug was made in the 1960s by prominent ceramists Valerii and Nadiia Protoriev from Vasylkiv, a town near Kyiv. The glazed earthenware jugs are an example of majolica pottery that were produced by a Vasylkix factory during the Soviet era.
The biennial Edinburgh International Culture Summit is attended by politicians, artists and cultural leaders from around the world. It aims to promote international cultural and artistic exchange. Delegations from countries across the world will be in attendance at this year’s event.
This year’s summit will have a particular focus on Ukraine through discussions on culture and freedom, which has been prompted by Russia’s invasion. The Ukrainian Institute and British Council are also convening a special Culture Leadership Dialogue event, which aims to forge partnerships between the cultural sectors in the UK and Ukraine in response to the challenges being faced as a result of the ongoing conflict.
Arts Minister Lord Parkinson will be representing the UK Government at the summit.
The Government Art Collection (DCMS) has assisted with the display of the jug and facilitated the loan between the PM and Scottish Parliamentary Building.
More on the jug and its symbolism can be found at https://govart.uk/ceramic-rooster.
News story
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has concluded that Nuvaxovid is safe and effective in this age group
Nuvaxovid, the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax, has today been granted an extension to its existing UK approval, for 12- to 17-year-olds. This extension has been authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
The approval follows a review of the safety, quality and effectiveness of the vaccine in this age group, and expert advice from the government’s independent scientific advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines.
Following our review of the safety, quality and effectiveness of Nuvaxovid in 12- to 17-year-olds, I am pleased to confirm that that the vaccine has now been authorised in this age group. In reaching this decision, we have taken advice from the government’s independent scientific advisory body, the Commission on Human Medicines.
The Conditional Marketing Authorisation (CMA) extension granted by the MHRA is valid in Great Britain only and was approved via the European Commission (EC) Decision Reliance Route. This is when the marketing authorisation application made by the company references the decision made by the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP).
Nuvaxovid is authorised in children aged 12-17 years in Northern Ireland under the CMA extension granted by the European Medicines Agency on 1 July 2022.
Nuvaxovid was authorised for use by the MHRA for those aged 18 and over on 3 February 2022.
As of 26 August 2022, Nuvaxovid has not been deployed in the UK’s COVID-19 vaccination programme. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) determines which vaccines are deployed, and which age groups are offered a vaccination.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for regulating all medicines and medical devices in the UK. All work is underpinned by robust and fact-based judgements to ensure that the benefits justify any risks. The MHRA is an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care.
Published 26 August 2022