Lima, 18th March 2021.- The Government of the Republic of Peru and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland signed the Memorandum of Understanding for the renewal of the Infrastructure Task Force, which extends the mandate of the Task Force, ensuring the continuation of the cooperation between Peru and the United Kingdom in infrastructure matters.

This memorandum was signed by the Foreign Affairs Minister for Peru, Allan Wagner Tizon, on behalf of the Peruvian government, and by Kate Harrisson, British Ambassador to Peru. The signing took place during the opening session of the fourth Joint Infrastructure Taskforce between Peru and the United Kingdom which took place today.

It should be remembered that the first Memorandum of Understanding was signed in September of 2018. This Infrastructure Task Force has the purpose of sharing experience, expertise and best practices in the prioritisation, financing, procurement and management of infrastructure projects.

The Vice Minister of Economy, Brigitt Bencich, and the British Minister for Exports, Graham Stuart, opened the meeting of the fourth joint Infrastructure Task Force between Peru and the United Kingdom, which was chaired by the Vice Minister of Economy, and the British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy, Mark Menzies MP.

Trade Envoy Mark Menzies MP said:

We are very proud of the joint work done. Peru is an important partner and ally of the United Kingdom, and we will continue to work together to contribute to the country’s growth and development, both in infrastructure and in other fields.

In turn, the Vice Minister of Economy of Peru, Brigitt Bencich, highlighted:

The Infrastructure Task Force between Peru and the United Kingdom completes the efforts made by the Government of Peru in order to boost the infrastructure development, either through Public Private Associations, traditional public work or Government to Government mechanism.

The agenda in this meeting included the presentation of the progress made since the creation of the Task Force. Along those lines, the progress made in the NIPC was reported, published in July 2019, in which it prioritises de development of 52 projects of high social and economic impact at national level. Likewise, the work made to improve the planning and delivery in infrastructure through the UK’s Infrastructure and Projects Authority and the Centre for Digital Built Britain was highlighted.

To date, more than 200 Peruvian officials from 10 government institutions have been trained in UK methodologies, such as, internationally certified Five Case Model and Project Development Routemap, ensuring infrastructure projects delivery. Members of the Task Force committed to ensuring that the capacity developed and lessons learned through the cooperation are directed to address infrastructure gaps in the health and education sectors, especially in the wake of the weaknesses exposed and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Likewise, it was highlighted that the acceleration in green infrastructure projects is an important axis to achieve sustainable development, meet climate action objectives and attract international financing.

Furthermore, the British delegation congratulated Peru for its progress in implementing the BIM model in the country’s public investment scheme. They indicated that this will support transparency and competitiveness in Peru’s infrastructure sector, bringing it into line with international standards and laying the foundations for the digital transformation in the country. The members of the Task Force also highlighted the importance for investors to know a predictable pipeline of investments with transparent and evidence-based criteria.

Finally, it was mentioned that the cooperation between Peru and the UK has allowed both countries to support and develop the Government to Government (G2G) agreement model to enable knowledge transfer through the process of delivering major infrastructure projects. The development of systemic capability has been and will continue to be at the heart of the UK’s support for both the Lima 2019 Panamerican and Para Panamerican Games and the Reconstruction Programme, ensuring that UK collaboration leaves a lasting legacy supporting the development of a wider range of infrastructure projects in Peru.

Dean Parkinson of Taunton, director of Palladis Security Services Ltd, was sentenced to 4 months imprisonment, suspended for 2 years, at Oxford Magistrates’ Court on 17 March 2021.

On 2 October 2020 Parkinson pleaded guilty to operating a security company without a licence, working without a licence, and deploying unlicensed door supervisors.

Parkinson was also required to pay a £1,200 contribution to court costs plus £122 as a victim surcharge.  Palladis Security Services Ltd was given a conditional discharge for 2 years and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £21.

The Security Industry Authority (SIA) prosecuted Parkinson after he provided illegal security services at a Christmas and birthday party for 400 under 18-year-olds on 20 December 2019 in Somerton, Somerset. The party caused a disturbance and Avon and Somerset Police attended the scene. The police spoke to the party organiser, who confirmed that they had appointed Dean Parkinson and Palladis Security to supply security.

When the police questioned Parkinson, he failed to show a valid licence for himself or the four other security workers deployed to the event. When SIA investigators took over the case, Parkinson repeatedly refused to supply them with the detail they needed.

At sentencing, magistrates ruled that Parkinson’s behaviour was deliberate and dishonest, and that he had put vulnerable young people at risk by using unlicensed and untrained security. In passing sentence, the magistrates made clear that they would have sent Parkinson to prison because of the serious nature of his offending, were it not for the fact that he is carer for his 6 children.

Nathan Salmon, the SIA’s criminal investigation manager said:

The licensing regime is there to protect the public. Parkinson and his business claimed, falsely, to be a legitimate security provider. He sought to avoid prosecution by ignoring the SIA.

This unlicensed company director deployed unlicensed, and presumably untrained and un-vetted, people to an event where there were a lot of young people present. This could have compromised the safety of those present and led to police being called, placing a drain on local resources.

Further information:

• The Security Industry Authority is the organisation responsible for regulating the private security industry in the United Kingdom, reporting to the Home Secretary under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. Our main duties are: the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities; and managing the voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme.
• For further information about the Security Industry Authority visit www.gov.uk/sia. The SIA is also on Facebook (Security Industry Authority) and Twitter (SIAuk).
• Media enquiries only please contact: 0300 123 9869, media.enquiries@sia.gov.uk

The Environment Agency joined forces with pupils and Swinburne horticultural services to plant some of the trees in a meadow at Ponteland Community Primary School.

A number of trees had to be removed so that existing flood defences on the south bank of the River Pont can be replaced with one continuous sheet piled flood wall that will better protect more than 250 homes.

Some trees will be planted adjacent to the river as the land is reinstated as part of the project, with the rest planted a short distance away in the school grounds. The new school meadow will include a mix of native oak, hazel, rowan and birch on one side and an avenue of flowering crab apple and cherry trees along the opposite side.

Ponteland Flood Alleviation Scheme is due for completion in early summer and will be finished with a stone effect and colour to complement the local environment.

Boost for wildlife

The Environment Agency’s Kirsty Harwood, Ponteland Flood Scheme Project Manager, said:

This is a great opportunity to compensate for the trees lost to enable the better flood protection. It’s been wonderful to work with the children and create a more diverse mix of native trees in a school setting.

The new meadow will also bring a boost for wildlife, with nectar and berries from the flowering trees supporting insects, bees and birds. The overall increase in diversity and the number of trees will improve habitat and local biodiversity in the area.

Ponteland Community Primary School Headteacher Caroline Pryer added:

We’re really pleased to give a home to these trees as they will add to our ambition of being a Forest School, complement the original hedging from Lane Farm and extend our growing legacy for our community.

Flood defence investment

The £2.7million Ponteland Flood Alleviation Scheme was the first project in the country to get off the ground out of the 22 flood defence projects to benefit from a £170million government funding boost last summer.

The investment brought forward work on flood defence schemes across the country to drive economic growth and better protect thousands of homes, business and jobs from the devastating effects of flooding.

Ponteland received a £450,000 cash injection used to fill a shortfall in funding, allowing the Environment Agency to start construction immediately.

The £170million government funding boost was on top of the record £5.2 billion government investment to create around 2,000 new flood and coastal defences to better protect 336,000 properties across England by 2027.

More information about Ponteland Flood Alleviation Scheme can be found by visiting the Environment Agency’s Citizen Space page.

Public Health England (PHE) analysis indicates that the COVID-19 vaccination programme prevented 6,100 deaths in those aged 70 and older in England up to the end of February.

From 8 December 2020 to the end of January 2021, over 4 million vaccine doses were given to adults aged 70 and over. The analysis compared the observed number of deaths with the number of deaths that would have been expected, if the vaccine hadn’t been given during this time period. To allow for the time taken to develop an immune response to vaccination, the analysis assumed it would take 31 days before the effect of vaccination on deaths is observed. Using this method, PHE estimates that around 6,100 deaths were prevented to the end of February – 5,900 in those aged 80 and over and 200 in those aged 70 to 79.

Expected deaths with COVID-19 were estimated using real-world data on how effective the vaccines are at preventing death and vaccine uptake.

The results are very similar to those estimated by Warwick University (also published in today’s report), which used a different approach to model the number of deaths with and without the vaccination programme. Warwick University’s estimate suggested that the programme has prevented around 6,600 deaths across all age groups.

Matt Hancock, Health and Social Care Secretary, said:

Vaccines save lives. This work shows vaccines have already saved over 6,000 lives among the most vulnerable in our society. These results give us hope and remind us about the importance of getting the jab as soon as we are eligible.

Millions of people will soon be getting their second doses – giving them the strongest possible protection against COVID-19. I urge everyone to come forward for the vaccine when it’s your turn, to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Dr Mary Ramsay, PHE Head of Immunisation, said:

We have shown previously that the COVID-19 vaccinations are hugely effective at stopping people from getting the infection. This new analysis calculates how many lives they have saved in the first few months of the vaccine programme, and with every additional day more lives have and will be saved. The vaccines have an excellent safety record and I would encourage anyone who is offered a vaccine to take it as soon as possible. 

While the vaccines have a striking impact on mortality, we don’t yet know how much these vaccines will reduce the risk of you passing COVID-19 onto others. Even if you have been vaccinated, it is really important that you continue to act like you have the virus, practise good hand hygiene and stay at home.

If future evidence shows that vaccines do help to reduce transmission, then it is likely that an even higher number of deaths will have been prevented.

The true value of these vaccines may also be in terms of future deaths avoided, should there be resurgence of COVID-19 in the UK in the future. Older age presents the single greatest risk of death from COVID-19 – prioritisation of the COVID-19 vaccination programme has focused primarily on an aged-based strategy in order to prevent the greatest loss of life possible.