Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has welcomed a new measure of train performance as “a step in the right direction” to increase accountability and transparency for passengers, calling for urgent action to get trains running on time.

Published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) at 9:30am today (Thursday 19 September 2019), new ‘On Time’ statistics will establish an industry standard for measuring performance in which train punctuality is measured to the minute not the traditional 5 or 10 minutes of the timetabled arrival.

With data covering the performance of operators across the country for the past 3 months, the publication will provide the clearest picture to date on the punctuality of the country’s rail services.

The Transport Secretary has set out that punctuality of services is his major priority. Last week, he met with train bosses at several operating companies and rail industry leaders to discuss the pressing need for concrete action to improve punctuality and reliability.

Speaking ahead of the publication of the ORR statistics, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps said:

Commuters just want their trains to run on time and that’s my first priority. New statistics published today will stop masking whether trains are really on time.

I believe this is a step in the right direction, providing more accountability and transparency to help hold operators to account, but much more needs to be done to get performance to where it should be.

Last week I met with the heads of rail companies and industry leaders where I set out the pressing need for concrete action to deliver improvements in the short, medium and long term. What was clear was the joint passion and drive of both government and rail industry to create a railway where the focus was on every minute for passengers.

This won’t be instant but the Williams Review, published this autumn, has the right ideas: clearer accountability, greater local control focused on passengers and performance.

Detailed information on the causes of train delays is also included in this publication for the first time, providing greater accountability into the problems on the railway.

The previous industry measure – Public Performance Measure (PPM) – defined a train as on time if it arrives within five minutes of the planned destination arrival time, or 10 minutes for long distance operators. The new data will measure on time to within 60 seconds.

An expert Advisory Panel has been established to support the independent global review on The Economics of Biodiversity, led by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta. The Panel held its inaugural meeting at HM Treasury on Monday 16 September.

The Advisory Panel, made up of leading individuals from public policy, science, economics, finance and business, will provide expert insight and challenge to support Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta deliver the Review’s objectives.

The Panel members are:

• Inger Anderson – Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme
• Juan Pablo Bonilla – Manager of the Climate Change and Sustainable Development Sector, Inter-American Development Bank
• Sir Ian Cheshire – Chair, Barclays Bank UK PLC
• Dominic Christian – Global Chairman for Reinsurance Solutions, Aon
• Simon Clarke MP (Panel Chair) – Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury
• Sir Roger Gifford – Chair, Green Finance Taskforce
• Professor Cameron Hepburn – Professor of Environmental Economics, Oxford Martin School
• Professor Justin Lin – Director of New Structural Economics, National School of Development, Peking University
• Professor Georgina Mace – Professor of Biodiversity and Ecosystems, University College London
• Professor Henrietta Moore – Director of the Institute for Global Prosperity and Chair in Culture, Philosophy and Design, University College London
• Professor Cosmas Ochieng – Director, African Development Bank
• Sonia Phippard* – Director General for Environment, Rural and Marine, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Dame Fiona Reynolds – Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge University
• Charles Roxburgh* – Second Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury
• Lord Nicholas Stern – Professor Economics and Government, and Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics
• Kristian Teleki – Director of Sustainable Ocean Initiative, World Resources Initiative
• Professor Sir Robert Watson – Director of Strategic Development, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia
• Kate Wylie – Global Vice President of Sustainability, Mars

*Ex Officio

In addition, Sir David Attenborough has agreed to act as an Ambassador for the Review.
Background

In Spring 2019, HM Treasury asked Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta to lead an independent global review on the Economics of Biodiversity. The Review will aim to (i) assess the economic benefits of biodiversity globally; (ii) assess the economic costs and risks of biodiversity loss; and (iii) identify a range of actions that can simultaneously enhance biodiversity and deliver economic prosperity.

The Review will be based on a thorough consideration of robust, relevant, up-to-date evidence and a Call for Evidence was launched on 14 August 2019. The Call for Evidence will run until 6 November 2019. Responses to any, or all, of the questions can be sent to: biodiversityreview@hmtreasury.gov.uk.

The Review will report to the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, ahead of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity taking place in October 2020 in China.

The purpose of this Circular is to:

• announce and notify the correction to Approved Document B 2019 edition

The changes made to the Approved Documents apply only to buildings and building work in England.

The changes take effect immediately, there is no transition period.

Please see the Circular letter for full details of the changes.

In 1949, the United Kingdom was one of NATO’s twelve founding members and London was the home of NATO’s first headquarters.

The meeting in London takes place on the 3 – 4 December 2019 and will mark the 70th anniversary of NATO. Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb, welcomed the return of NATO to London to host the Leaders Meeting on Twitter.

It will be an opportunity for leaders to address current and emerging security challenges and to ensure that the Alliance continues to adapt to keep its population of nearly one billion people safe.

For further information follow UK Delegation NATO on Twitter

Published 19 September 2019

This afternoon the Prime Minister spoke to European Commission President Juncker, European Parliament President Sassoli, Cypriot President Anastasiades, and Latvian Prime Minister Kariņš.

The Prime Minister and President Juncker discussed the positive and constructive conversation they had in Luxembourg on Monday and their shared determination to reach a deal.

The Prime Minister updated the other European leaders on the progress of the Brexit talks to date and reiterated that, when the UK leaves the EU on October 31, his preference is that we do so with a deal. He spoke about the work that was underway to find an alternative to the backstop that protects both the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement and the integrity of the single market.

Published 19 September 2019