Creating Adventures, which has organised the event, is a charity that enriches the lives of adults with autism and additional needs.

They provide them with access to stimulating unique activities, with a therapeutic outcome to benefit their mental and physical wellbeing and to offer them an improved quality of life.

Its aim is to reinstate the support and social activities that these adults once loved as children, which help to stimulate, as well as escape from the pressures and anxieties we face every day.

For adults with additional needs and communication difficulties, this is a priority to avoid further health related problems including mental health.

Creating Adventures is leading the festival with the support of Warrington Wolves Foundation coaches who are delivering the sports sessions for 100 adults with autism and learning disabilities.

They will be able to participate in multiple sports delivered by the coaches as well as participating in numerous other activities and will be awarded with a medal and certificate for their participation during the celebration ceremony.

Jenny Allcock, Founding Chief Officer for Creating Adventures said:

Many of these adults are still children at heart, who still want to enjoy the activities they did as children, but are no longer deemed as socially acceptable as an adult.

It has been well documented that adults with autism and additional needs are at a higher risk of obesity and other health-related issues. These can often develop from being socially isolated, not being given the opportunity to express their needs and being unable to access a number of services and activities.

As well as the physical aspect of the day, which will hopefully encourage further interest in sports, we know that the mental stimulation and social interaction will support communication and development skills.

Pauline Deans, Community Liaison Officer, Sellafield Ltd said:

It was great to see so many people getting involved in a range of sporting activities, along with their families and carers.

Autism affects so many people in our communities and families can feel very isolated. Sellafield Ltd set up an autism support network in 2017 for its staff and this is helping to support primary carers of autistic children and employees who have a diagnosis of autism.

Its aim is to provide support to our members at work and home, not only by sharing the information we have gathered from a variety of organisations and independent sources, but to be someone to talk to. Someone that understands.

Efforts to protect the Palace of Westminster from a catastrophic event like the recent Notre Dame fire reach a major milestone today with the introduction of the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill.

The bill means the governance structure, approved by MPs and peers in 2018, will draw on the best practice of the 2012 London Olympics by establishing:

• a Sponsor Body – made up of parliamentary and external members, which acts as the client on behalf of Parliament and will oversee the delivery of the works
• a Delivery Authority – equipped with the expertise to keep costs down and manage a project of this complexity

A number of financial safeguards are written into the bill, given it is imperative that Parliament keeps total costs down.

• an Estimates Commission, with cross-party involvement, will be established to scrutinise the Sponsor Body’s spending plans
• the Estimates Commission will be required to consult the Treasury and take into account any advice it gives
• the National Audit Office will undertake regular audits and value-for-money reviews

The Rt Hon Andrea Leadsom MP, Leader of the House of Commons, said:

Events like the terrible fire at Notre Dame bring home to us sharply the importance of preserving our historic buildings. The Palace of Westminster, recognised the world over as a symbol of democracy, must be restored for future generations.

This bill ensures the vital work needed to protect its future will happen in the most efficient way – with the expertise we need, proper structures in place, and making sure we deliver the best possible value for taxpayers’ money. I have always championed the need for Parliament to get on with this vital work, and am proud to introduce this bill.

The Rt Hon Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, Leader of the House of Lords, said:

This bill is an important step in the restoration and renewal of the Palace. It will establish a Sponsor Board, independent of Parliament, with the expertise to prepare the detailed business case for R&R and create the Delivery Authority to carry out the works. Both bodies will be subject to financial accountability and Parliamentary oversight. It is imperative that we make progress and protect the Palace of Westminster for future generations.

Interim measures, including 24/7 fire safety patrols, are already in place to protect the historic Palace and ensures it remains compliant with existing fire safety laws. The risks, however, are very great, of a catastrophic failure within the building, and so progress to carrying out the urgent mechanical and engineering work is vital.

At the same time, preparatory work has been undertaken by the shadow Sponsor Board, established in June 2018, including the development of plans for temporary chambers for use during the period of the works.

The bill will require the Sponsor Body to secure parliamentary approval for the design, cost and timing of the works. MPs and Peers will move out of the Palace in the mid-2020s.

1. The Commons passed a motion backing action to safeguard the Palace of Westminster on 31 January 2018. An identical motion was passed by the Lords on 6 February 2018.
2. A shadow Sponsor Body was established in June 2018 to undertake preparatory works.
3. The government published a draft version of the present bill on 18 October 2018. A Joint Committee of MPs and Peers scrutinised the draft bill and completed its final report on 21 March 2019. The government response to the Joint Committee’s report was published on 7 May 2018.
4. At the same time Parliament has been preparing its Northern Estate Programme, the essential first step that will enable the broader Restoration and Renewal Programme by providing space for MPs’ offices – and a temporary chamber for the House of Commons.
5. For media queries relating to the Restoration and Renewal Programme or the Northern Estate Programme, please contact the R&R Programme press office on 02072198716.
6. For media queries relating to the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill, please contact Alex Stevenson on 07712410865 or alex.stevenson@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

We remain committed, as outlined in our adult education budget (AEB) funding and performance-management rules, to fund 3% of delivery above AEB allocations at the end of the 2018 to 2019 funding year.

In addition to this commitment, we will fund an increase of up to 50% in 19-24 traineeships delivery at the end of the funding year.

We will only fund traineeships delivery above 103% of AEB allocations if providers increase their proportion of 19-24 traineeships delivery between their R08 data return/mid-year claim and the end of the year. We will not fund an increase in non-traineeships delivery.

As standard practice, providers will need to meet our track record criteria to be eligible to receive funding above their allocations. More information about our track record criteria is set out in paragraph 257 of the rules.

To ensure affordability and that the additional funding is used for increased traineeships delivery, we have set a minimum and maximum value of traineeships delivery we will fund.

The minimum and maximum values of traineeships delivery only apply if delivery is more than 103% of their adult education budget allocation. If delivery is within 103% of allocations, we will fully fund all delivery.

The diagrams below show how we have calculated the minimum and maximum values:

There will not be any opportunities for AEB growth for the rest of this funding year other than the commitment to fund 3% of over delivery and increased traineeships delivery as outlined above.

For queries, providers will need to contact their territorial team lead.

The ‘professional-user access scheme’ has already been trialled at 10 courts and will now be rolled out by HM Courts and Tribunals (HMCTS) to an additional five courts in May, continuing nationwide with completion expected in 2020.

Using a secure ID app, those registered can enter courts and tribunals without the need for a full security search each time. The decision to extend the scheme further follows positive feedback from professionals who have already used it, with 86% of those surveyed saying it improved entry to the court.

While tightened security procedures introduced last year will continue, the entry scheme intends to ease queues to get into court and tribunal buildings thereby freeing up security staff time to focus on other court users. Random searches will be carried out to make sure the scheme is working as intended.

Justice Minister, Lucy Frazer, said:

We have worked closely with the legal sector to ensure this scheme is a success without compromising the security of our courts and tribunals.

Expanding it across the estate will mean professionals can get on more quickly with their work.

Chair of the Bar Council, Richard Atkins QC, said:

I am delighted that the ID card access scheme that the Bar Council has been working on with HMCTS for so long now is to be rolled out nationally.

A lot of hard work and investment has gone into developing this scheme, It will be of immense benefit to members of the Bar who will hopefully now gain quicker access to the courts and tribunals in which they work and perform a vital public duty.

I hope that the roll-out will be completed as quickly as possible. I am grateful for the cooperation of HMCTS in this project.

Registration for the national scheme has begun with the Bar Council and will continue with a phased rollout programme. HMCTS is currently working with other legal associations who also wish to participate to open the scheme for their members in due course.

Simultaneously, a wider effort is being made to make sure there is clear and consistent information about search procedures when entering courts and tribunals. Under the banner of ‘Expect, Inspect, Respect’, HMCTS is informing all court users about the use of mandatory bag searches and archway detectors, which are necessary to keep people in courts safe.

Senior Presiding Judge for England and Wales, Lady Justice Macur, said:

Everyone who works in courts and tribunals is responsible for ensuring our buildings are safe and secure places. HMCTS security processes at our courts and tribunals are a vital part of this.

Security officers identify and confiscate numerous dangerous items every year. They carry out an important, and often difficult, role and should be treated with the respect and courtesy that all court users should expect in return.

Notes to editors

The five courts joining the scheme from 22 May 2019 are:

• Manchester Minshull Street
• York Crown Court
• Reading Crown Court
• Guildford Crown Court
• Cardiff Crown Court

The scheme has been trialled at 10 courts since September 2018. These are:

• Brighton Magistrates’ Court
• Chester Crown Court
• Maidstone Combined Court
• Nottingham Crown Court
• Portsmouth Combined Court
• Southwark Crown Court
• St Albans Crown Court
• Swansea Crown Court
• Tameside Magistrates’ Court
• Wood Green Crown Court

The programme is expected to be completed by mid-2020.

Some 86% out of 211 legal professionals surveyed said the overall court entrance procedures were improved or much improved because of the scheme.

The pilot will be rolled out to all courts and tribunals other than those hearing terrorist or high security cases.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has refreshed its court security materials in a wider effort to inform people about the requirements when entering court and tribunal buildings.

HMCTS security video

Court security awareness materials

The materials, which we developed in collaboration with security contractors, feature a mix of media including posters in courts, video and social media content.

Security poster – a good search (PDF, 105KB, 1 page)

Security posters – prohibited items (PDF, 421KB, 5 pages)

Security posters – security officers (PDF, 3.62MB, 4 pages)

They are aimed at all of those who use courts and tribunals including legal professionals, the judiciary and contracted security staff.

Who will be searched?

Security checks apply to all users of courts and tribunals, including those who work within them and users of the services.

There are a few exemptions, for example police officers wearing uniform and carrying a warrant card, or visiting judiciary who have registered at the court.

We are working on an alternative access scheme for registered legal professionals, national roll-out for which is already underway and will be completed in 2020.