HM Government

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News story: View Gender Pay Gap Information

Thousands of employers are now required to publish their gender pay gap figures for the first time. You can see what information companies have published so far on the gender pay gap viewing service.

As part of the new regulations, by April 2018 employers will be required to:

Publish their median gender pay gap figures

By identifying the wage of the middle earner, the median is the best representation of the ‘typical’ gender difference.

Publish their mean gender pay gap figures

By taking into account the full earnings distribution, the mean takes into account the low and high earners in an organisation – this is particularly useful as women are often over-represented at the low earning extreme and men are over-represented at the high earning extreme.

Publish the proportion of men & women in each quartile of the pay structure

This data will show the spread of male and female earners across an organisation, helping to show employers where women’s progress might be stalling so they can take action to support their career development.

Publish the gender pay gaps for any bonuses paid out during the year

As there is a significant issue around bonus payments in some sectors, employers will also have to publish the proportion of male and proportion of female employees that received a bonus during the year.

Employers will also be encouraged to publish an action plan alongside the figures on their own website, demonstrating the steps they will take to close the gender pay gap within their organisation.

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News story: Boost to National Infrastructure Commission’s expertise

Lord Adonis has today (21 April 2017) been appointed as the permanent Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), where he will provide expert and impartial advice to ensure modern Britain has the infrastructure it needs for the future.

Previously interim Chair, Lord Adonis, who served as Transport Secretary between 2009 and 2010, has successfully led the Commission since it was first established in October 2015.

The Chancellor has also appointed Sir John Armitt as Deputy Chair. He brings a wealth of experience to this role with a long and distinguished career in business and a proven track-record in delivering major infrastructure projects.

Four new Commissioners – Dame Kate Barker, Professor David Fisk, Andy Green and Julia Prescot – will also join the NIC to help boost its expertise as it develops a National Infrastructure Assessment setting out how best to meet Britain’s long-term infrastructure needs.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

The National Infrastructure Commission plays a crucial role to help ensure the UK’s infrastructure is fit for the future. I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Lord Adonis as the permanent Chair. He has great ambition, vision and energy, and brings cabinet-level experience and deep knowledge of infrastructure to this role.

The government has a plan for Britain and is determined to make the most of the opportunities ahead. Part of this will be ensuring our infrastructure is fit for purpose to support an economy that works for everyone and ensure our outward-looking country can continue to succeed on the global stage.

Lord Andrew Adonis said:

I’m delighted to have been formally appointed as Chair of the National Infrastructure Commission (NIC), and to be able to build on the work that I began as interim Chair. Our infrastructure networks are central to the UK’s economy and society, but too often their planning has been piecemeal and short-term. The NIC provides the opportunity to transform this and deliver the infrastructure that the UK needs to ensure its prosperity over the coming decades.

I’m also pleased to welcome the new Commissioners to the NIC. These Commissioners, along with our existing ones, are leading experts and ensure the NIC provides the best advice to government on the UK’s long-term infrastructure needs.

The government has also asked the existing members – Tim Besley, Demis Hassabis, Sadie Morgan and Bridget Rosewell – to serve as Permanent Commissioners until October 2020, having been initially appointed on an interim basis.

Further information

The NIC was established in January 2017 as an executive agency to help plan, prioritise and ensure efficient investment in infrastructure. It has its own budget and is autonomous, which is set out in a charter detailing the government’s clear commitment to its operational independence.

Today’s appointments of the Chair, Deputy Chair and new Commissioners follow an open competition, in line with the principles set out in the Governance Code on Public Appointments. Lord Adonis, Sir John Armitt and the new Commissioners will serve 5 year terms on the Commission.

Further details on the new Commissioners:

  • Dame Kate Barker is a business economist, and was a member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) from 2001 to 2010

  • David Fisk is Emeritus Professor of Systems Engineering and Innovation at the Centre for Systems Engineering and Infrastructure at Imperial College London, and a member of the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority

  • Andy Green is a business leader. He currently chairs IG Group plc, a global leader in online trading, and the Digital Catapult, an initiative to help grow the UK digital economy

  • Julia Prescot is Chief Strategy Officer at Meridiam, a leading global investor and asset manager specialising in public infrastructure

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Press release: Government confirms funding for EU students for 2018 to 2019

The government has today (21 April 2017) confirmed that EU students will continue to remain eligible for undergraduate, master’s, postgraduate and advanced learner financial support in academic year 2018 to 2019.

The decision means EU students applying for an undergraduate or master’s course at an English university or further education institution in the 2018 to 2019 academic year will continue to have access to student loans and grants, even if the course concludes after the UK’s exit from the EU.

EU students are eligible for home fee status, which means they are charged the same tuition fees as UK students. Other non-EU, international students do not have their tuition fees capped in this way.

EU nationals will also remain eligible to apply for Research Council PhD studentships at UK institutions for 2018 to 2019 to help cover costs for the duration of their study.

Universities and Science Minister Jo Johnson said:

We have been clear about our commitment to the UK’s world-class higher education sector. Through our modern industrial strategy and the additional £4.7 billion committed for research and innovation over the next 5 years, we are ensuring the UK has the skills and environment it needs to continue leading the way in academia and research.

A key part of our success is attracting talent from across the globe. This will provide reassurance to the brightest minds from across Europe to continue applying to study in the UK, safe in the knowledge financial assistance is available if needed.

  1. Student loans and grants: funding rules for EU nationals, or their family members, who are applying for a place at university from August 2018 to study a course that attracts student support will remain unchanged.
  2. Under current student finance rules, EU students are eligible to receive undergraduate tuition fee loans and master’s loans if they have resided in the European Economic Area for at least 3 years prior to study. EU nationals who have resided in the UK for over 5 years are also able to apply for undergraduate maintenance support.
  3. Research Council studentships: EU nationals are eligible for a fees-only award. EU nationals who have been resident in the UK for 3 years prior to the studentship may be eligible for both a fees award and a stipend to help cover the cost of their training.
  4. The migration status of EU nationals in the UK is being discussed as part of wider discussions with the EU. The Prime Minister was clear in her letter to the President of the European Council that that we should seek an early agreement on the rights of UK nationals in the EU and EU nationals in the UK, on a reciprocal basis.
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News story: Cefshot DC 250mg Intramammary Suspension for Cattle – Product defect recall alert

Product defect recall alert for Cefshot DC 250mg Intramammary Suspension for Cattle by Zoetis UK Ltd.

We wish to make wholesalers and veterinary surgeons aware that Zoetis UK Ltd has issued a recall of Cefshot DC 250mg Intramammary Suspension for Cattle (Vm 42058/4183).

Zoetis UK Ltd has identified that there is a small possibility that some syringes from the batches listed below, have not been correctly sterilised. As such, these batches are being recalled from the market with immediate effect to the veterinary practice level.

This issue impacts on the following batches that have been placed on the UK market; details of which are provided in the table below.

Batch Number Pack Size Expiry Date Vm No.
ABE031A Bucket of 120 syringes April 2019 42058/4183
ABE031A Box of 24 syringes April 2019 42058/4183
ALS018A Bucket of 120 syringes July 2019 42058/4183
ALS018A Box of 24 syringes July 2019 42058/4183

Zoetis UK Ltd is contacting wholesale dealers and veterinary surgeons to arrange return of affected batches.

If you have any queries in relation to the recall, or wish to report a suspected adverse reaction, contact Zoetis Technical Services on 0845 300 8034, option 1.

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