The Local Government Secretary has today (10 February 2020) activated the government’s emergency Bellwin scheme for areas in the north of England affected by Storm Ciara.

Under the scheme, local authorities dealing with the effects of the storm can apply to have 100% of the eligible costs they incur, above a threshold, reimbursed by the government. This could be for items including rest centres, temporary accommodation and staff overtime.

The scheme has been activated for qualifying areas in West Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire which have seen significant impacts over the weekend following Storm Ciara.

Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

Storm Ciara has had damaging effects on communities in the north of England, and I want to praise the efforts of the emergency services and key agencies who have responded to the disruption.

We’re working closely with local areas to support them in their recovery. I’ve activated the emergency Bellwin scheme to provide financial support to qualifying affected areas.

The government has acted swiftly to support local areas affected by Storm Ciara. Environment Agency teams remain on the ground operating flood defences and supporting communities that have been affected by the severe weather. An estimated 12,000 properties have been protected by flood defences over the weekend.

The government will continue to monitor the risk of flooding and is working closely with Police, Fire and Rescue, local authorities, local resilience forums and partners to keep communities safe and to support their recovery.

• Bellwin is a scheme of emergency financial assistance to help local authorities meet uninsurable costs they incur when dealing with the aftermath of an emergency in their area.

• When the scheme is activated each local authority can claim for eligible costs above a set threshold.

• Bellwin is regularly activated in times of emergency to make financial assistance available to local authorities.

• The public can check their flood risk and keep up to date with the latest situation at gov.uk/check-flood-risk, or by calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188 or following @EnvAgency on Twitter.

The event has a new venue for 2020 – the International Centre, Telford – which has world class facilities and easy access to motorway and rail networks.

The Nuclear Industry Association’s Decom2020 event is being held the day before – 17 June – at the same venue.

Register for the NDA Supply Chain Event

Find our more about the NIA’s Decom2020 event

Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart visited Milford Haven Port Authority to discuss the freeport consultation launched today (Monday 10 Feb) by the UK Government.

The consultation will look into the creation of new national hubs of business and enterprise which will be opened across the UK. The hubs are expected to create thousands of jobs, regenerate communities and turbocharge Britain’s growth.

Up to ten new innovative freeports will be opened across the UK as the UK Government seeks to seize on the opportunities leaving the EU has presented.

A consultation has been launched with the aim of announcing the location of the new zones at the end of next year so they can be open for business in 2021.

Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart said:

The development of freeports will create innovation hubs across the UK, generating new ideas in a whole host of UK sectors from customs to transport to decarbonisation.

A freeport in Wales could create hundreds of jobs and facilitate significant regional economic growth. That is why I urge businesses to engage with our consultation and help us to unleash our potential in innovation, investment and growth. Working closely with the Welsh Government and businesses, we will ensure that the whole of the UK can feel the benefits as this government delivers its manifesto commitments.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Rishi Sunak, said:

Freeports will unleash the potential in our proud historic ports, boosting and regenerating communities across the UK as we level up. They will attract new businesses, spreading jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country.

This is all part of our mission as an open, outward-looking country, championing global free trade with vibrant freeports that work for all of the UK.

Freeports will also offer an exciting opportunity for cutting-edge customs, transport and green technologies to be trialled in controlled environments, before being adopted more widely in relevant sectors of the economy. The UK Government will work in close partnership with the devolved administrations so that all nations of the UK are able to share in the benefits of freeports.

Benefits of the 2020 Freeports model could include:

• Goods brought into a Freeport do not attract tariffs until they leave the Freeport and enter the domestic market.

• No duty is payable if they are re-exported.

• When raw materials are imported and processed into a final good, duties are only paid on the final good.

• Freeports could be located inland as well as adjacent to ports. This can reduce relocation or investment costs for existing manufacturing sites near ports.

• A full customs declaration would not be required to move goods into a Freeport. This saves businesses time and makes it easier to import goods.

• Planning reforms to help sea ports develop within their boundaries and empower local councils to greenlight much-needed local construction projects

• A regeneration agenda to level up the local areas around freeports

• Innovative environments to trial new technologies

• Challenge-based initiatives to build collaborative partnerships between ports, businesses and innovators

In addition, the UK Government is considering tax measures that aim to: * increase investment in infrastructure, construction and machinery in freeports to raise productivity

• incentivise research to stimulate innovation in freeports

• cut costs associated with processing goods through a port

• reduce the costs of hiring workers working in freeport sites

The UK’s high standards with respect to security, safety, workers’ rights, and the environment will not be compromised.

Once the 10-week consultation is completed, the UK Government will invite sea air and rail ports to bid for Freeport status on a competitive basis.

The following products were seized from retail premises by Defra Investigators who were conducting a wider investigation into the manufacturing and supply of these products. They were seized with the co-operation of the premises owners.

• 3 x 500ml bottles of Formalachite manufactured by TAP
• 6 x 250ml bottles of Formalachite
• 3 x 500ml bottles of Malachite
• 6 x 250ml bottles of Malachite
• 40 x 125ml bottles WSP Fast acting whitespot solution
• 22 x 250ml bottles WSP Fast acting whitespot solution
• 22 x 125ml bottles BSB Bacterial Finrot Treatment
• 32 x 125ml bottles FC+ Fast Acting Fungus treatment
• 22 x 125ml bottles DDT Parasitic Dip Treatment

The products are all fish medicines for aquarium and pond fish (non-food producing).

The allegations in this case concerned breaches of Schedule 6 paragraph 2 and 3 of the Veterinary Medicines Regulations 2013 that relate to the manufacturing and placing on the market of veterinary medicinal products intended solely for small pet animals (in this case aquarium animals) to which Schedule 6 applies.

Published 10 February 2020

Following productive conversations between the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) and research community representatives, the ACMD has established a dedicated working group to consider barriers to legitimate research with controlled drugs.

This working group has issued a call for evidence to researchers to help in their formulation of advice to government. The deadline to submit written feedback has been extended to 3 May 2020 because of coronavirus (COVID-19).

This questionnaire is not in an accessible format. If you need help completing it or are unable to use Microsoft Word please email acmd@homeoffice.gov.uk.