The EnAble Fund for Elected Office helps cover disability-related expenses in elections for example, British Sign Language Interpreters, Assistive Technology, or taxi fares where other modes of transport are not appropriate.

The interim fund is available until 2020 and has already supported candidates in this year’s local elections. It will also support candidates in next year’s Police and Crime Commissioner elections and retrospective support is available for candidates who stood in the European Parliamentary Elections in May this year.

For more information please contact Disability Rights UK, who are administering the scheme:

Website: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/enablefund

Telephone: 0330 995 0400 and select Option1

E-mail: enablefund@disabilityrightsuk.org

Published 1 November 2019

The Nuclear Decommissioning Space Data Challenge will encourage smaller businesses and university start-ups to research and develop satellite-enabled technologies that could help support the UK’s nuclear decommissioning efforts.

The UK has unrivalled expertise in nuclear decommissioning, cleaning up the environment, boosting the economy and delivering highly-skilled jobs.

The Space Data Challenge is looking for innovative new ideas that could support:

• Rooftop Inspections – remote sensing of difficult to access, potentially dangerous environments
• Building Site Plan Updates – regular and automated updates of building layouts
• Bulk Container identification – using satellite imagery to count containers and monitor them
• On-site Traffic Management – identifying vehicles on sites and where they are parked

The winning concept or prototype will receive specialist space and business development support worth £10,000 from the Satellite Applications Catapult, sponsored by the NDA, to help the product to market.

The Space Data Challenge is part of the UK Space Agency’s Space for Smarter Government Programme which aims to increase the use of space technologies in the public sector to improve policy making and efficiency.

Emily Gravestock, Head of Applications Strategy at the UK Space Agency said:

The Space for Smarter Government Programme is a fantastic opportunity for public sector organisations to access satellite imagery to explore the art of the possible with their colleagues.

This partnership with the NDA is a great example of how this data can be used in a novel way, with the potential to support one of the most important environmental restoration projects in the world.

Sara Huntingdon, NDA’s Head of Innovation said:

Remote monitoring is just one example of the uses of satellite technology that could benefit the nuclear sector,

There are so many opportunities here which we could explore, and I’m absolutely delighted that the NDA is the very first public sector organisation to collaborate with the UK Space Agency on this challenge.

The deadline for proposals is midday 16 December. Applicants who are successful in the first stage will be invited to pitch their ideas “Dragons’ Den” style to a judging panel of representatives from the UK Space Agency and the NDA Group.

Melanie Brownridge, NDA Technology and Innovation Director said:

We’re committed to encouraging the development of ideas for decommissioning, and to working with other industrial sectors on the exchange or adaptation of technologies.

We’ve welcomed the UK Space Agency to our NDA supply chain events for the last 2 years, so are really pleased to embark on a more structured collaborative initiative.

The launch of a new service from Veterans UK targets Service Leavers and their families that may need extra help and guidance transitioning from Service life. Defence Transition Services (DTS) is a team of caseworkers trained and ready to offer a full range of transition support.

The vast majority of Service Leavers make a successful transition to civilian life but a small minority (estimated to be approximately 5%) of the c.15,000 Service Personnel leaving the Armed Forces every year have a less successful transition. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a key role to play in ensuring its Service Leavers are well prepared and supported for their transition into civilian life. The launch of DTS demonstrates the MOD’s commitment to delivering on these responsibilities that were set out in the Strategy for Our Veterans.

Defence Transition Services will be available for those Service Personnel and their families who are likely to benefit from ongoing support, guidance and information before, during and after transition in partnership with those responsible for delivering in-Service welfare and transition. A new Defence Transition Referral Protocol (DTRP) is being introduced to provide a single referral point and access directly into Veterans UK for these cases. The new DTRP will also be the mechanism for accessing support from the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS), which will continue to support Veterans as it does now.

Launched as part of the Defence Holistic Transition Policy, this new service is part of a wider programme to have a single, centrally co-ordinated policy to better prepare Service Leavers and their families for their first steps on the transition journey.

Kate McCullough, Officer in Charge of Defence Transition Services, said;

We have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure all our caseworkers are up to speed and prepared to deliver this brand-new provision to Service Personnel and their families. We want DTS to become the ‘go to’ for Service leavers who need that extra support, whatever stage of the transition journey they may be at and we are here and ready to help and guide.

Andy Dowds, Head of Veterans UK, added;

I am delighted to announce the launch of Defence Transition Services and to welcome the Team into the Veterans UK family. We pride ourselves on our service delivery and by working alongside our experienced Veterans Welfare Service, the DTS Team will be aiming to ensure a successful transition for every Service Leaver they support.

Further details about Defence Transition Services are available via Help and Support for Service Leavers and their Families

The blueprint for a new generation of multi-million Town Deals was announced today (1 November 2019) by Communities and Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP.  

The Towns Fund prospectus provides information to councils in 100 places chosen to pioneer Town Deals – they will receive a share of £16.4 million capacity funding to kick-start their innovative plans and bring their communities together.

Each place will have the opportunity to bid for funding of up to £25 million as part of the government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund.

The funding could be used to redevelop vacant buildings and land, drive private sector investment by supporting small businesses and ensure young people have the skills they need to get good jobs. Communities will also be able to consider how they can boost their transport links and increase access to high-speed broadband.

Communities and Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said: 

This government is committed to levelling up all parts of the country. We created the £3.6bn Towns Fund to help businesses grow, connect communities and give people the skills they need to succeed. 

But no place is exactly the same. That is why we want to help local people to decide how this investment of up to £25 million in each town can be used to help create new businesses, new jobs and new homes for generations to come.” 

The announcement follows the launch of the My Town campaign, giving local people the chance to share what they love about their town and how they want to see it grow. In just one week, the campaign has drawn over 10,000 responses from across the country. 

Lead councils in each place will now bring together a Town Deal Board including representatives from across the public, private and voluntary sectors to develop bespoke Town Investment Plans by summer 2020. 

These plans will provide a clear vision for building on their town’s unique strengths to transform its economic growth prospects and form the basis of negotiations with the government.  

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth Rt Hon Jake Berry MP said: 

We are giving local people the money and power to decide what is best for their town because they know their community’s unique strengths. 

Together we can build on the billions of pounds the government has already invested in our towns and the thousands of new jobs and businesses it has delivered, to level up these places across the Northern Powerhouse and beyond.  

Visit Facebook.com/mytowncampaign

See the 100 places being supported to develop Town Deals .

A total of 100 places – including 45 places across the Northern Powerhouse and 30 places in the Midlands Engine – will be the pioneers of new Town Deals building on the Prime Minister’s announcement in July of an additional £1.325 billion to support towns as part of a renewed vision to level up every part of our country, which took the total value of the Towns Fund to £3.6 billion.

In due course the government will announce details of a competition for further towns beyond the initial 100 to develop plans for their own Town Deals.   

The government wants to make sure that all parts of the UK can benefit from resources to boost productivity and living standards. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is in ongoing discussions with colleagues across government about how we can better support our towns in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and make sure areas throughout the UK share in the opportunities of Brexit.

Health Minister Nadine Dorries has announced today that the Group B Strep trial has been given ethical approval by the Health Research Authority in England and Health and Care Research in Wales.

Group B Strep is the most common cause of life-threatening infection in newborn babies, causing a range of serious infections including pneumonia, meningitis and sepsis.

The results of the trial will be used to inform the future of pregnancy care across the United Kingdom and could help save babies’ lives.

The trial will involve 80 hospitals in England, Wales and Scotland and at least 320,000 women will take part. Recruitment will start in spring 2020.

The trial will be funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It will look at the effectiveness of 2 different tests compared with standard care:

• a lab-based test, the Enriched Culture Medium (ECM) test at 35 to 37 weeks of pregnancy
• a ‘bedside test’ at the start of labour

The ECM test is currently recommended for use on high-risk groups in late pregnancy by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ clinical guidelines.

Group B Strep infections in newborn babies can usually be prevented by giving antibiotics through a vein to women during labour, which reduces the risk by up to 90%.

The UK currently does not routinely test pregnant women for Group B Strep, and instead identifies pregnant women with risk factors for their newborn developing the infection.

Research has shown:

• a 31% rise in the prevalence of Group B Strep infections in babies under 3 months old since 2000 in the UK and Ireland with 65% of the mothers of affected babies showing no risk factors
• the bacteria are present in approximately 1 in 5 pregnant women, usually causing no harm to the carrier, but may be passed unknowingly from a mother to her baby around birth
• one in 1,750 newborn babies will develop a Group B Strep infection. One in 19 of these babies will die and 1 in 14 survivors will be left with long-term disability

Health Minister Nadine Dorries said:

Every baby deserves the best start to life, so I’m thrilled this hugely important trial has been given the green light.

This is an issue I’ve been closely involved with for some time and I’m determined to do everything I can to raise awareness and help protect mothers and their newborns from the devastating impact this infection can have.

We want the NHS to be the safest place in the world to give birth and this trial will be an important step in understanding if universal screening of Group B Strep can save the lives of more babies.

Jane Plumb MBE, Chief Executive of Group B Strep Support, said:

We are delighted that the GBS3 trial is progressing and has the support of the government. This major trial is comparing 2 types of testing versus a risk-factor approach. The results will drive improvements in UK and international policy and lead to fewer babies and their families suffering the trauma that Group B Strep infection can bring.

After routine testing was introduced in the United States, the rate of early-onset Group B Strep infection dropped by over 80% and is now less than half that of the UK. Were the same to happen in the UK, approximately 350 babies every year would be protected from Group B Strep infections, saving 15 babies’ lives and preventing another 15 from developing life-changing disability.