The digital prescription technology will see hospitals move away from handwritten prescriptions.

The upgrade to more efficient systems will save the NHS time and benefit patients by:

• reducing medication errors by up to 30% compared with the old paper systems
• ensuring fast access to potentially lifesaving information on prescribed medicines
• building up a complete, single electronic record to reduce duplication of information-gathering

The successful 25 trusts include acute, mental health and community services. View the list of trusts that will receive a share of the funding.

The funding will support them to fulfil the NHS Long Term Plan commitment to introduce electronic prescribing systems across all providers.

The funding for the next year is the second wave from a £78 million pot to improve patient care by speeding up the implementation of electronic prescribing systems across the NHS over 3 years. Last year 13 other trusts received a share of £16 million.

Minister for Health Edward Argar said:

Electronic prescriptions in our hospitals will not only do away with old fashioned paper prescriptions but can help prevent avoidable and potentially catastrophic medication errors.

As part of our long term plan for the NHS we’re committed to giving our hardworking staff access to modern systems which save them valuable time and make every penny of taxpayers’ money count.

Following the previous funding announcement, I’m delighted to confirm the funding allocations for these 25 trusts as part of our mission to upgrade NHS hospitals with modern technology so patients get the best and safest care possible.

Matthew Gould, chief executive of NHSX, said:

Switching from paper prescriptions to digital in our hospitals will make mistakes less likely, free up staff time and ultimately improve patients’ care and health.

This is part of the NHS Long Term Plan to support health service organisations to use digital technology to improve the care they can give patients, and allow staff to focus on delivering care, rather than on time-consuming processes.

• Southport and Ormskirk Hospital NHS Trust: £700,000
• Basildon and Thurrock University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: £1,240,000
• South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: £250,000
• Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust & East Cheshire NHS Trust: £2,500,000
• Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: £1,250,000
• Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: £1,250,000
• London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust and The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: £3,000,000
• Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: £380,000
• The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust: £610,000
• Gloucestershire NHS Foundation Trust: £1,500,000
• Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust: £790,000
• Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust: £540,000
• Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust: £1,250,000
• 2gether NHS Foundation Trust: £460,000
• Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust: £430,000
• North Bristol NHS Trust: £1,500,000
• Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust: £830,000
• Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust: £1,250,000
• Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust: £800,000
• Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust: £1,000,000
• Barking Havering Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust: £1,500,000
• Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: £1,150,000
• Barts Health NHS Trust: £900,000 – following an award of £1,700,000 in 2018 to 2019

A friend applied for a job at a well-known multinational company. She was excited to receive a response within an hour, then quickly bemused by the speed at which she had been rejected. “It took me hours to write that application” she said. “How could they make a decision so fast?”

I recently sold some used goods on eBay. The next day my Facebook feed suggested I might be interested in a “private” group for buyers and sellers of a branded product I had just got rid of. A bit late I thought. And creepy…

Those of us who are not tech savvy often frame the risks associated with the use of AI as a problem of the future: after they take all of our jobs, super intelligent robots will become self-aware and either enslave the entire human race while we remain blissfully ignorant or run around town with a sawn off shotgun looking for John Connor. In contrast, corporations present a utopian vision of the future where, free from assembling IKEA furniture and other mundane tasks, humans can realise their full potential and live the lives we have always dreamed. Who is right?

Fortunately the UK is leading global research into the ethical use of AI and has already created institutions to start to address these challenges and opportunities. So we invited two experts to Australia to share UK insights and discuss the need for constructive and effective regulation of new and emerging technologies. Dr Mariarosaria Taddeo is a philosopher who co-leads research in digital ethics with Professor Luciano Floridi at Oxford University’s Internet Institute. Roger Taylor is the chair of the UK’s Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation. The exam question was: should we be worried about the risks of AI?

During a packed programme across Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney our experts met with government officials, industry representatives and academics. They reassured us that fears about robots taking over the world are pure science fiction: the machines are not going to turn against us – at least not without human input. However technological disruption is not “coming”, it’s already here and is rapidly transforming our environment and influencing human behaviour in ways we don’t fully understand. This raises some really important ethical issues that we do need to consider as a society. For example:

• There is clearly an efficiency gain in using AI to filter thousands of job applications. However if we delegate some or all stages of recruitment to AI, how can we be sure that data used by the algorithm doesn’t perpetuate unwanted bias in the workforce?

• Line advertising companies use micro-targeting to tailor our internet experience to us as individuals, based on our interests and preferences. These helpful nudges enable us to cut through the white noise but at what point does persuasion become manipulation?

• Furthermore, if an algorithm is found to discriminate against protected groups, or online targeting inadvertently directs a vulnerable person towards a terrorist recruitment organisation, what will be our response?

These are not problems for future generations but issues many countries are grappling with right now, particularly medium sized democracies like the UK and Australia who share concerns about the use of the internet to promote harmful content or how micro-targeting is influencing our politics. This is why the UK is adopting a world-leading package of online safety measures to tackle Online Harms and ensure companies take better care of our citizens online.

On the flip side, AI presents a real opportunity to do enormous good for society, create high quality jobs and drive economic growth – potentially contributing an estimated £232bn to the UK economy by 2030. However, to date we have been passive in accepting AI technologies into our lives without fully exploring how it can be used to make our lives better. Without a clear approach that informs industry partners, we may miss the chance to realise these gains.

Our guests couldn’t offer a silver bullet but they left us with three issues to explore further:

• Done well, regulation can be an enabler for innovation. It can provide clarity for companies about what is acceptable in society and help to create new industries.

• Reducing the friction in data sharing will also support innovation but will need to be carefully balanced with public concerns around privacy and trust.

• Regulation needs to be developed in a local context. International collaboration is important and global guidelines are helpful: both the UK and Australia have adopted the OECD principles on AI. However it is ultimately the domestic legal, cultural and political setting that should inform the use of AI in society.

And their final thought? Now is the time to decide how we want to govern new technologies. Because when it comes to AI, humans are both the problem and the solution.

Rural businesses across the country are set to benefit from a guaranteed £35 million in government funding to create new jobs, boost tourism, and unlock growth in rural areas. This figure could be increased to £50 million if there are enough high-quality applications.

The government’s Growth Programme, which opens for expressions of interest on Monday 4 November, provides grants for rural start-ups and businesses to purchase state-of-the-art equipment and machinery to grow their business or open up opportunities for tourism.

The scheme has already granted £99 million to 546 local businesses across England, creating 3,771 new jobs in rural areas.

In Sheffield, the farmers behind the brand Our Cow Molly secured a grant of more than £160,000 to invest in a new processing unit, which allowed them to produce higher quality fresh milk and ice cream – creating six new jobs.

Elsewhere, the North York Moors Railway Trust was awarded a grant to preserve 50 historic train carriages and steam engines, helping to increase visitor numbers, encourage more overnight stays in the local area and create additional jobs in the community.

Farming Minister George Eustice said:

Our dedicated fund for rural businesses has created more than 3,700 jobs and supported a diverse group of businesses, tourism operations and start-ups to unlock their full potential.

This next round of funding will help more businesses to grow and local areas to prosper – and I would urge any rural enterprise to look into what this scheme could do for them.

I would also encourage farmers to consider how they might use this funding to branch out and diversify their businesses, making the most of emerging trends and tastes and looking ahead to new opportunities.

For this funding round of the Growth Programme, the threshold for minimum grants has come down from £35,000 to £20,000, meaning that more small or micro-businesses can be eligible for a grant for their projects.

Paul Caldwell, Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency, said:

The Growth Programme provides funding to the 98% of the rural economy in England that isn’t directly engaged in farming. From heritage railways to creameries and vineyards, small and micro-businesses have benefited from the investment available under the Growth Programme in recent years.

We are looking to support applications from businesses with ambitious plans to grow their business and provide wider benefits to their local community.

I would urge all interested applicants to submit their expressions of interest as soon as possible to ensure they have plenty of time to complete a full application if their project is assessed to be eligible.

The RDPE Growth Programme handbook is available on GOV.UK and contains information on which projects are deemed eligible for a grant and how to apply.

Interested parties need to send an Expression of Interest form to the Rural Payments Agency, outlining how they meet the criteria for the scheme – from creating new jobs, increasing business turnover and improving productivity.

If the Rural Payments Agency considers the project to be eligible, the applicant will then be invited to submit a full application. The deadline for all Expressions of Interest is Sunday 16 February 2020.

The government has confirmed it will close a legal loophole which has allowed drivers to escape prosecution for hand-held mobile phone use while behind the wheel.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today (1 November 2019) announced that he will urgently take forward a review to tighten up the existing law preventing hand-held mobile use while driving.

At present, the law prevents drivers from using a hand-held mobile phone to call or text. However, people caught filming or taking photos while driving have escaped punishment as lawyers have successfully argued this activity does not fit into the ‘interactive communication’ currently outlawed by the legislation.

The revised legislation will mean any driver caught texting, taking photos, browsing the internet or scrolling through a playlist while behind the wheel will be prosecuted for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving.

Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary said:

We recognise that staying in touch with the world while travelling is an essential part of modern day life but we are also committed to making our roads safe.

Drivers who use a hand-held mobile phone are hindering their ability to spot hazards and react in time – putting people’s lives at risk.

We welcome the Transport Select Committee’s report, and share their drive to make our roads even safer which is why this review will look to tighten up the existing law to bring it into the 21st century, preventing reckless driving and reduce accidents on our roads.

It is already a criminal offence to use a phone while driving without a hands-free device. This latest move will see the government go further to ensure the law reflects the use of devices that allow other distracting activities.

The impact of this behaviour is proven – if a driver looks at their phone for just 2 seconds when travelling at 30 miles per hour, whether to reply to a message or send a quick snap, they will travel 100 feet blind, drastically increasing the chance of an accident.

The review will be urgently taken forward with further proposals expected to be in place by next spring, making the offence clearer for drivers and police forces.

Nick Lloyd, Head of Road Safety at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said:

Drivers who use their phones are up to 4 times more likely to crash. RoSPA highlighted this loophole in the summer and is delighted that such prompt action is being taken to ensure that all hand-held mobile phone use is to be prohibited, making our roads safer for all.

This action comes alongside further measures to tackle phone use while driving, including a review of road traffic policing and wider traffic enforcement to look at how roads policing currently works, its effectiveness, and where improvements could be made.

While ministers have also announced that they will consider the current penalties in place for hand-held mobile phone use, there are no plans to ban hands-free phone use.

Anthony Bangham, National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Roads Policing, Chief Constable said:

I welcome the government’s announcement to review the law in this area.

Technology has moved on since the original offence was introduced and it’s important to ensure any distraction to a driver is kept to an absolute minimum to keep all road users as safe as possible.

The government also targets distracted drivers by challenging the attitudes, behaviours and social factors that lead to accidents in its award-winning THINK! campaigns.

These are the latest steps taken by the government to improve road safety following the launch of the Road Safety Action Plan earlier this year, which set out over 70 measures to reduce the number of people killed and injured on roads around the country.

The Chancellor today announced more than £250 million funding for vital infrastructure that will unlock over 20,000 homes nationwide.

This investment, from the Housing Infrastructure Fund, will pay for roads, schools, public transport and utilities in seven places across the Midlands, the East of England and South East. This money will ensure new homes can be built in areas of high demand where people want to live, connecting businesses with their workforce – boosting jobs, growth and living standards.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sajid Javid said:

When I was Housing Secretary I set this fund up to help ensure homes can be built in areas that need it the most, and enable people to live where they want.

I have now launched an infrastructure revolution and this step-change in funding will ensure that all parts of the country benefit as we level-up opportunities.

This £250m will increase the number of houses available to buy and help support people to achieve their dream of home ownership.

The Government is committed to levelling-up communities across the country so that all areas benefit from investment and growth.

Ministers are investing record amounts in roads, rail, housing and broadband to ensure Britain has the modern infrastructure needed to thrive, and allow local economies to flourish via a National Infrastructure Strategy.

Housing Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

This government is committed to buildings the houses this country needs, so that more people can realise the dream of owning their own home.

This [£250m] funding will ensure that communities have the right infrastructure to enable new homes to be built, such as road and transport improvements.

Further information

• Breakdown of funding being announced today:

• The government has announced record investment in infrastructure, including committing £75m to continue to develop plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail and pledging to fund the Leeds-Manchester route as the first phase

• The government has also committed £28.8bn to a National Roads Fund to ensure that roads are maintained to the highest standard

• We have also reached in-principle agreement on the Shared Rural Network to radically improve mobile coverage, and committed £5bn to delivering gigabit-capable broadband to ensure nowhere is left behind.

The government has committed, at Autumn Budget 2017, to increase housing supply by the end of this Parliament to its highest level since 1970, on track to reach 300,000 homes a year, on average, by the mid-2020s. Over 222,000 additional homes were delivered in 2017/18 – the highest level in all but one of the last 31 years, and a 53% increase since 2009/10