Tag Archives: HM Government

Thousands of lives have been saved since the Department for Transport (DfT) introduced the maximum legal drink drive limit 50 years ago this weekend (7 October 2017).

The landmark Road Safety Act 1967 made it an offence to drive a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of over 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – a limit which remains in place to this day.

This law made an important impact and since 1979, when official statistics first began, the number of drink drive deaths per year has plummeted from 1,640 right down to 200 in 2015 – a fall of 88%. We strive to further reduce this number by launching a new THINK! drink-drive campaign at the end of November 2017. THINK!, which reached its own 50th birthday in 2014, has successfully challenged a number of behaviours and attitudes to improve road safety, including drink driving. The iconic campaigns have helped reduce the number of deaths on British roads from 22 per day in the 1960s to the current level of 5.

Roads Minister Jesse Norman said:

This is a remarkable milestone, and I am proud of the work this department has done to reduce the number of deaths from drink driving over the last 50 years.

The change in attitudes to drink driving during this time has been profound, and there is little doubt that the introduction of the drink-drive limit helped to give us what remains one of the safest road networks in the world.

There is still much further to go, but we are making good progress. Our THINK! campaigns should help to reduce the number of drink drive incidents even further.

50 years of THINK! drink drive campaigns

RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said:

The introduction of a legal maximum limit for the amount of alcohol permissible in driver’s blood has without doubt saved hundreds of lives on the UK’s roads since 1967. The breathalyser is central to this as it gave police the ability to assess accurately at the roadside whether a driver was over the limit.

High-profile police drink-drive campaigns send strong messages to motorists about the tragic consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and let offenders know they will be caught and punished.

In 1967 DfT’s predecessor, the Ministry of Transport, launched a major publicity campaign around the new act. The campaign comprised TV, film and newspaper advertising and saw millions of leaflets distributed with vehicle licences.

DfT previously marked 50 years of drink drive campaigning in 2014.

Thank you Madam President and thank you to Madam Deputy Secretary-General as well. I want to begin by aligning myself with the European Union statement and by offering full British support to everything that you, Deputy Secretary-General and the Secretary-General, are doing to drive meaningful change through the United Nations.

As a result of that change and reform, we very much hope that the UN will be better equipped to build and sustain peace, to respond to crises, and to deliver support for development and for human rights. And we look forward to the SG’s report in December, full, we hope, of bold and ambitious recommendations to set out a clear path towards that end; a more effective and accountable United Nations.

We’ve been doing a lot of thinking on each of the six work streams that you identified in your guidance notes. In the interest of brevity, I’ll just mention one point under each of the six headings, if I may, and send around more detailed notes in writing.

On the first, the question about a reinvigorated Resident Coordinator system, we want the Resident Coordinator in each place to be independent, empowered, taking final decisions for the whole UN country presence, with a final say on strategic objectives as set out in UN Development Agreement Frameworks; accountable for all agencies and their budgets, underpinned by a joint and single work plan; overseeing a coherent and coordinated approach to development and humanitarian activity by double-hatting as Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, where appropriate.

Secondly, on a responsive and tailored UN Country Team, we hope that each team will take responsibility for addressing the long term causes of conflict through development interventions, continually assessing the risks and the needs of countries, and being able to adapt to crises rapidly.

Third, we look forward to hearing more from ongoing consultations on a system wide strategic document. Coherent reporting and planning system-wide will be vital to demonstrating impact and results, but that will only happen when the agencies themselves are undertaking the whole program cycle as a single process – planning, operating, monitoring and reporting.

Fourthly, on system-wide accountability and oversight, we are open to changing the structures of the Executive Boards. We have some concerns about establishing a ‘mega board’ – not because we disagree with the intent, which is to improve transparency and to streamline, but just in terms of practicality and whether it’s actually able to do the job, or whether actually it would be better to keep the different executive boards in their existing roles and making sure that they function as well as possible. But just to underline, we absolutely support every proposed recommendation to improve transparency.

Fifthly, on regional functions, policy and data management, we believe the review must clarify the value-added of the Regional Economic Commissions because reports of the Joint Inspection Unit do suggest that there is a fair amount of duplication, too many documents that are not read at all, or even if they’re read, they never get used. So that does seem to be not the ideal use of limited funding.

And then sixthly and finally, you ask how the Funding Compact could instil the confidence of donors investing in the system and encourage more investment in core and pooled funding, and we do have some principles which I will send around in writing. The thrust of the principles is that we can do everything that we can to improve transparency and oversight.

I did have a final page, but in the interest of time I’ll boil it down to four words: get on with it.

Thank you.

Minister Stewart said:

The UK is concerned by the increasingly unstable political situation in Kenya in advance of the new presidential election on 26 October.  An open, peaceful and credible poll is the only constitutional way Kenyans can choose their next President.        Along with international partners, the UK is continuing to provide support to Kenya’s institutions, including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). We welcome steps the IEBC is taking to rectify flaws in the August election, as well as recent efforts by the IEBC and political parties to engage in dialogue.

Neither threats to boycott the election nor changes to the electoral legislation at this stage are helpful.  Both sides need to work with the IEBC cooperatively and in a spirit of dialogue as it sets out arrangements for the new elections.

We encourage a peaceful and non-violent election period. Security services should use the utmost restraint in handling demonstrations, and any response must be proportionate and measured.  We urge independent investigations into all allegations of abuse of force.

This election is an important moment for Kenyan and African democracy.  We stand together with all Kenyans at this critical time.

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Monday 9 October 2017

Technical working groups

Tuesday 10 October 2017

Coordinators’ Session

Thursday 12 October 2017

Principals’ meeting

Press briefing (to be confirmed)

Note: There are three technical working groups covering citizens’ rights, financial settlement and other separation issues. Horizontal issues, including governance, will be addressed by the Coordinators. Additional technical working groups may be scheduled during the week.

Commenting on progress made since Hurricane Irma struck islands across the Caribbean including Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands on 7 September 2017, International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:

It was heart breaking to see the full extent of the devastation caused by the hurricanes; many homes were completely destroyed and families’ lives were torn apart.

As soon as the hurricanes hit, the UK responded by leading the relief effort and making sure emergency supplies went to those who were worst-hit.

We are already seeing signs of daily life getting back to normal – schools are re-opening, local economies are back up and running and the debris and wreckage is being cleared.

Our UK task force is now working with the governments of the Overseas Territories to help them get on with the vital reconstruction work and to make sure the islands are built back more resiliently than in the past, so a future hurricane won’t be as devastating.

Notes to editors

• Signs of early recovery are emerging as the islands prepare to get back up and running.
• The governments of the Overseas Territories are leading the recovery plans for the islands and a taskforce from the UK is working alongside them to assess immediate and early recovery needs and priorities.
• Anguilla is getting back to business and the UK has played an important role in supporting that process. DFID-supplied timber, corrugated iron and plywood helped schools to re-open on the island this week. The local economy is starting up again with most businesses back up and running. Banks are accessible, supermarkets are receiving stocks and hotels and restaurants are preparing for the upcoming tourism peak
• In Turks and Caicos debris has been cleared from neighbourhoods and airports repairs have been carried out. Repairs have been carried out on the hospital in Grand Turk. The temporary flat pack schools in South Caicos now have electricity and water.
• In the British Virgin Islands, 16 schools have re-opened and the airport has reopened to commercial flights. 60-80% of homes were damaged or destroyed and poorer communities were hit hardest. UK military along with UK Aid cleared the wreckage of homes and provided shelters. The airport has reopened to commercial flights
• Even though the hurricanes have gone, we will be dealing with the trail of destruction for the next few weeks, months and years. That is why we have pledged £62 million to the recovery efforts following both Hurricane Maria and Irma.
• 100% of all DFID procured aid has been delivered to the region.

DFID Response Overview

• 2896 shelter kits, 4990 solar lanterns and 10,000 buckets are already in the region, as well as additional supplies from HMS Ocean

British Virgin Islands: UK aid

43 RAF transport flights, more than four tonnes of food and water and more than 816 shelter kits, as well as radios, debris clearing equipment, building materials, generators and communications equipment.

Turks and Caicos Islands UK aid

0.8 tonnes of bottled water, 922 Shelter Kits,170 plastic sheets, four flat-pack schools, debris clearing equipment, building materials, generators, communications equipment, solar lantern, fuel and forklifts.

Anguilla: UK aid

6.8 tonnes of food and water,18 tonnes of lumber, 1,000 Sheets corrugated iron, shelter kits, 15 Generators, debris clearing equipment, communications equipment, solar lanterns, 100 metres of electric cable and 500 hygiene packs.

ENDS