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Those living North of the Tyne will benefit from £600 million of new government investment to spend on local priorities to boost growth after the area agreed a historic devolution deal.

Details of the deal were unveiled today by Treasury Minister Andrew Jones, who visited the region and was joined by the Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry and local leaders.

The 815,000 people living in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland will vote for a new directly-elected mayor who will have exciting new powers in housing, planning and skills.

The deal, announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond on Wednesday, will generate huge rewards for the area – boosting the local economy by £1.1 billion, creating 10,000 new jobs and attracting £2.1 billion in private investment.

As well as receiving devolved powers, the North of Tyne area will also get:

• full control over the adult education budget
• an Inclusive Growth Board to coordinate skills and employment
• collaboration with government to boost trade and investment, digital infrastructure and rural growth across the area

The Chancellor’s Budget also revealed the area will benefit from a further £337 million of government investment in the Tyne & Wear Metro to replace its 40-year-old trains with a new fleet. Mr Jones visited the area in the summer where he heard representations from local business leaders. He returns today having delivered on his pledge to ensure investment is found to ensure the Metro system is fit for the future.

To mark this occasion, the ministers were joined by the Mayor of North Tyneside, Norma Redfearn, Leader of Northumberland County Council, Cllr Peter Jackson and the Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Jones, said:

This government is delivering for the North East. We have been clear in our commitment to ensure that opportunity is shared across the country as we create an economy fit for the future. Today represents a big step in achieving this – giving the people of the North of the Tyne a bigger voice and greater power over their future.

This historic deal, including £600 million of government investment is yet another example of how we are backing the North. It will bolster the local economy in the North of Tyne and generate thousands of new jobs.

This deal comes on top of a Budget that delivers brand new trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro, freezes fuel duty for the eighth year running and supports business with a cut in business rates.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry, said:

This ground-breaking, multi-million pound deal – sitting alongside the Metro funding boost – truly passes power to the people, and is a pivotal moment for the Northern Powerhouse.

With a strong voice in a new mayor, a new Wear crossing and the globally-significant Great Exhibition of the North, this is a new golden era creating jobs, growth and prosperity for the resurgent North East.

Councillor Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council, said:

The devolution deal we have negotiated is our region’s next step towards creating a North East economy with above average wages and below average unemployment.

We now have a real opportunity for our region to come together and turn our ambition for more and better jobs into reality.

Newcastle is already home to national centres of excellence, and this deal builds on our strengths as we look to confirm our place at the heart of modern Britain.

Norma Redfearn, Elected Mayor for North Tyneside said:

This is a very exciting deal that will help us to develop our economy and give us access to a wide range of new opportunities.

I am extremely proud of North Tyneside and am confident this deal will allow us to build on the strengths of our people and businesses.

It provides people with the chance to retrain, gain new skills and secure jobs at all levels in growing economies in our area. We will be able to invest in our infrastructure to support existing businesses and attract new ones, and make the North of Tyne an even better place to live.

It’s vital that the North of Tyne has a strong voice as the country makes important decisions about its future. This deal gives us a seat at the table with other mayors, where we can fight for the needs of our residents.

Councillor Peter Jackson, Leader of Northumberland County Council, said:

The detailed negotiations with government ministers have resulted in an ambitious deal with many exciting opportunities for the County.

There are some significant issues for us to tackle over the next few years and this deal will give us the tools with which to make a real positive difference to the whole of Northumberland.

In particular, we have been asking government to help us significantly improve the educational attainment in our schools and I am delighted that we have been given the opportunity to introduce an Education Improvement Challenge for the area. This will be the first outside London. We’ve also been asking central government to devolve powers to our region so we will become a rural growth pilot for England to develop ways in which we can improve prosperity, job opportunities and housing delivery in all of our communities.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to make a step change to improve the prospect of every single person living in Northumberland.

Further information

The deal sets out a range of powers and funding which will enable investments in infrastructure, skills, entrepreneurship, innovation and business growth. In addition to interventions which will be funded locally through the Investment Fund, the government will commit to review business cases brought forward for further investment in areas where the North of Tyne hosts nationally or regionally significant innovation assets science and research strengths – including in offshore and energy, digital (including data, 5G and Building Information Modelling), culture and creative industries, and life sciences and ageing.

More information on the powers North of Tyne will have:

• an Inclusive Growth Board to take forward skills and employment reforms across the area, including a pioneering North of Tyne Education Improvement Challenge to address disparities and drive excellence in schools across North of Tyne, ensuring that no one is left behind
• full control of the Adult Education Budget to allow North of Tyne to shape local skills provision to respond to local needs
• collaboration on an Employment Support Framework Agreement to drive better coordination of employment, skills and health services across the North of Tyne, increasing the number of residents moving into work
• a Rural Productivity Plan, with North of Tyne becoming a Rural Business

A decision on the funding of any projects will be taken following full assessment.

The deal signifies that government is minded to agree these terms with North of Tyne. Once the consultation process is complete and all seven constituent authorities of the existing North East Combined Authority consent to the deal, the minded-to deal will become a binding agreement and the new Combined Authority will be established.

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This money was won during a period that Mrs Holtom was undischarged from bankruptcy while she had a duty to notify the Official Receiver that she had acquired the money, but she failed to do so.

A bankruptcy order was made against Mrs Holtom on 7 October 2015 and an investigation by the Insolvency Service found that Mrs Holtom won the £46,100 between 19 July 2016 and 22 July 2016. Mrs Holtom then disposed of the winnings between 19 July 2016 and 1August 2016 and by not disclosing this to the Official Receiver it caused a loss to her creditors.

Mrs Holtom had explained to the Official Receiver leading up to the Court hearing in November 2017 that a third party had access to her online account and that they won the money but no evidence was provided to the Official Receiver or the Court to verify this.

The Bankruptcy Restriction Order, made by the Court on 3 November 2017, means Mrs Holtom will be bound for nine years by the restrictions set out in insolvency law that a bankrupt is subject to until they are discharged. Bankruptcy normally lasts for 12 months, but Mrs Holtom will now not be discharged until 2026. In addition, she cannot manage or control a company during this period without leave of the court.

Commenting on the case, the Official Receiver, Kevin Read at the Insolvency Services said:

The Insolvency Service always looks very closely at individuals who demonstrate dishonesty and takes action where wrongdoing is uncovered.

Notes to editors

Susan Holtom at the time of her bankruptcy was residing at Coventry and her date of birth is June 1971.

If the Official Receiver considers that the conduct of a bankrupt has been dishonest or blameworthy in some other way, he (or she) will report the facts to court and ask for a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order (BRO) to be made. The court will consider this report and any other evidence put before it, and will decide whether it should make a BRO. If it does, the bankrupt will be subject to certain restrictions for the period stated in the order. This can be from 2 to 15 years.

The bankrupt may instead agree to a Bankruptcy Restrictions Undertaking (BRU) which has the same effect as an order, but will mean that the matter does not go to court.

Restrictions are set out in insolvency law that bankrupts are subject to until they are discharged – normally after 12 months – and these include that bankrupts:-

• must disclose their status to a credit provider if they wish to get credit of more than £500
• who carry on business in a different name from the name in which they were made bankrupt, they must disclose to those they wish to do business with the name (or trading style) under which they were made bankrupt
• may not act as the director of a company nor take part in its promotion, formation or management unless they have a court’s permission to do so
• may not act as an insolvency practitioner, or as the receiver or manager of the property of a company on behalf of debenture holders

Additionally, a person subject to a Bankruptcy Restrictions Order/Undertaking or a Debt Relief Restrictions Order/Undertaking may not be a Member of Parliament in England or Wales.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7596 6187

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

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Road Safety Minister Jesse Norman has launched a new road safety campaign aimed at teachers and schools to help cut child fatalities.

A recent survey revealed that 67% of children get fewer than 2 hours of road safety education in their whole time at school and the new THINK! campaign will help schools and teachers highlight the dangers of the road and encourage best practice for children.

The government’s iconic THINK! campaigns have helped reduce child road deaths by 90% since records began in 1979.

Road Safety Minister, Jesse Norman, said:

We have some of the safest roads in the world and in the last ten years child road deaths have fallen by more than half. But there is no room for complacency.

Teachers are already doing great work but it’s important we in government do everything we can to help teach our children these important safety skills. These new resources should make that easier than ever.

The latest THINK! campaign will feature a wide range of brand new education resources, including easy to follow lesson plans, 2 new films co-created with school children and a song in a bid to make teaching road safety lessons easier and more accessible.

The first documentary-style film follows a group of school children as they act out how to cross the road safely after learning to use the Stop, Look, Listen, Think code. The second film follows another 6 children on their different journeys to school, including walking, cycling and scooting. They explain their top tips for getting to school safely in the form of a new road safety song.

THINK! has been running campaigns for more than 50 years and has successfully challenged a number of behaviours and attitudes to improve road safety, including drink driving, drug driving and using handheld phones while driving. THINK! campaigns have helped reduce the number of deaths from 22 a day in 1960 to current levels of 5.

These new resources follow a long and a proud tradition of hugely successful child road safety campaigns spanning several generations and featuring much-loved icons such as, the family of Hedgehogs, Kevin Keegan, James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader) and David Prouse as the Green Cross Code Man.

The first phase of resources, aimed at 3 to 6 year olds, are on the Think! website. The next 2 phases for ages 7 to 12 and 13 to 16 will follow in the new year.

To be the first to hear about the new resources, register your interest at: think.direct.gov.uk/signup

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A cash boost of £30 million will be handed out to towns and villages along the route of the new High Speed Two railway to help improve road and cycle safety.

Funding for 13 areas along the Phase One route of the new rail line between London and the West Midlands has been revealed by HS2 Minister Paul Maynard today as part of National Road Safety Week.

The cash can be used for traffic calming measures, safer pedestrian crossings or safer junctions for cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.

Today’s announcement highlights the government’s determination to ensure HS2 is more than building a new railway. It will be a catalyst for economic growth, driving regeneration as well as improving the transport landscape around the track.

Paul Maynard, HS2 Minister, said:

This significant investment will mean a legacy of road and cycle safety improvements for people who live and work along the HS2 route between London and the West Midlands.

HS2 will become the backbone of our national rail network – supporting growth and regeneration and helping us build a Britain fit for the future. As part of Europe’s biggest infrastructure project, we are minimising the effects of building the new railway as much as possible.

This money will see areas up and down the route benefit from high quality road and cycle safety projects to ensure that England’s roads remain among the safest in the world.

Mark Thurston, HS2 Chief Executive, said:

Safety, environmental protection and being sensitive to the impact of our work on local communities are at the heart of HS2’s approach to construction. That’s why we welcome today’s announcement and we look forward to working with local highways authorities along the route. We all have a responsibility to ensure that the new funding leaves a positive local legacy of improved road safety for communities once HS2 is complete.

Once local authorities have agreed plans for projects, they will agree the release of funds with HS2 Ltd. Authorities must ensure that improvements made leave a lasting legacy of road safety.

Royal Assent was granted for Phase One of HS2 on February 23 2017 and preparatory works have been underway since then, including archaeological surveys and the creation of new wildlife habitats.

On November 9 2017 HS2 Ltd announced a £5 million Woodland Fund to help local landowners create new native, broadleaf woodlands and restore existing ancient woodland sites along the HS2 Phase One route.

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PHE is calling on all men and women, aged over 60, to get screened for bowel cancer after the latest figures show over 40% are not getting tested – with embarrassment over providing a stool sample one of the reasons, among men in particular, that is putting thousands unnecessarily at risk of dying.

PHE wants wives, partners and daughters to encourage the older men in the family – as well as the women – to overcome any embarrassment and ensure they send in a sample to be tested.

A new PHE report today (24 November 2017), Screening Programmes in England 2016 to 2017, shows that despite a 3% increase on the previous year, the take-up for bowel cancer screening (59%) is still significantly lower compared to other cancer screening programmes – breast screening (76%) and cervical screening (72%).

Bowel cancer screening is offered to all men and women aged 60 to 74, who are sent a home test kit to provide stool samples.

There were over 3,000 bowel cancers diagnosed as a result of screening in 2016 to 2017. In over 90% of these cases, cancers were found at an early stage, where treatment is more likely to be successful.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in England, but the second leading cause of cancer deaths, with around 13,000 people dying from it every year.

If detected early, bowel cancer is very treatable which is why screening is vital and it has been shown to reduce the risk of dying from bowel cancer by 16%. Thousands more lives could be saved if more people, particularly men, returned their stool samples to be tested.

Improvements are being made to make screening easier and next year there will be a new home test, the faecal immunochemical test (FIT), which requires just 1 sample rather than the current 3, and will detect bowel cancer more accurately.

In addition to the home test, a one-off test called bowel scope screening is offered to men and women at the age of 55.

Professor Anne Mackie, PHE’s director of screening, said:

It’s of great concern that 4 out of every 10 over 60 year olds are not taking up the offer of getting tested for bowel cancer. Men in particular are less likely to send in a sample, so we’re asking their partners, children and grandchildren to encourage them to do so.

Bowel cancer causes 13,000 deaths every year, which is why screening is so important. Embarrassment over giving a stool sample may be causing thousands of preventable deaths. But with a new home test kit next year making it much easier to get screened, we are hoping to see numbers increase.

Judith Brodie, Interim Chief Executive at Beating Bowel Cancer, said:

People may feel uncomfortable completing their home screening tests, but they can be crucial in the early diagnosis of bowel cancer – which is very treatable if caught early. We strongly encourage the use of these bowel screening tests – they can be life-saving.

PHE is committed to improving bowel cancer screening attendance and has a programme of work which includes:

• providing local services with clearer information to encourage better screening take-up
• encouraging GPs to endorse screening invitation letters

The Bowel Cancer Screening Programme, recommended by the UK National Screening Committee, began in 2006 and the expert Committee has reviewed the evidence every 3 years. The Committee recommends the programme as it shows clear benefits and saves lives. Screening remains a choice, based on a person’s individual circumstances.

1. The risk of bowel cancer increases with age, with over 80% of bowel cancers arising in people who are 60 or over.

2. Bowel scope screening, also known as flexible sigmoidoscopy, is a one-off test offered to men and women at the age of 55. It is normally used as a routine outpatient appointment procedure to examine the inner lining of the lower large intestine – the part where most cancers are found. It can also be used to evaluate gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, or changes in bowel habit.

3. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers screening every 2 years to all men and women aged 60 to 74. People in the invitation age range are automatically sent an invitation, then their screening kit, so they can do the test at home. Those over the invitation age range can ask for a screening kit every 2 years by calling a Freephone number – 0800 707 60 60.

4. PHE is currently working with NHS England on the introduction of a new home test kit, the Faecal Immunochemical Test (FIT), which can quantify the amount of blood found in a stool sample. It has a number of potential advantages over the current test, faecal occult blood (FOB), as it is more accurate and more acceptable to use.

5. Anyone with any symptoms, such as a persistent change in bowel habit or bleeding from the back passage, or who has concerns about their bowel health, should speak to their GP, who can arrange for a referral with a specialist, if necessary.

6. For more information about the bowel cancer screening programme, visit NHS Choices

7. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. We do this through world-leading science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and providing specialist public health services. We are an executive agency of the Department of Health, and are a distinct organisation with operational autonomy to advise and support government, local authorities and the NHS in a professionally independent manner.

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