Labour’s Shadow Justice Minister, Yasmin Qureshi MP, responding to The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ warning that
psychiatric care in prisons is at breaking point,  said:

“Prison suicides in 2016 were at the highest level
ever recorded. Incidents of self-harm are also on the increase. This is hardly
surprising given that the psychiatrists who work in prisons feel unable to do
their job.  Poor mental health, combined with a lack of prison staff, is
endangering inmates, officers, and healthcare professionals.  Friday’s
fire at Guys Marsh attests to the acute nature of the crisis.

“The Justice Secretary must recognise that there is
nothing in the Prisons and Courts Bill to deal with this worsening
situation.  We need concrete measures now to improve mental health and
restore safety in our prisons.”

China’s second-child policy pushed the fertility rate up to more than 1.7 last year, an increase from between 1.5 and 1.6 between 2000 and 2015, Wang Pei’an, deputy minister in charge of the National Health and Family Planning Commission, told a news conference on Saturday.

More than 18.4 million babies were born in China last year, 2 million more than the annual number of new births for the previous five years, and the highest number since 2000, Wang said.

The fertility rate is the average number of children a woman gives birth to in her lifetime.

“The second-child policy has produced satisfactory results,” Wang said. “They totally met our expectations.”

More than 90 million couples became eligible to have a second child under the new policy, but only 28 percent of them are expected to have a second baby due to old age or unwillingness to have a bigger family, he said.

China is not lacking in population and even by the end of the century China’s population will remain at more than 1.1 billion, Wang said.

I am glad the PM has agreed to delay NI proposals and has confirmed that the Chancellor will listen to concerns. They will receive a report on the wider issue of self employed status and will also consider the differences in benefits between the self employed and other employees.

I am still consulting my constituents on the issue and will welcome their views on these wider issues as well as on Mr Hammond’s tax increase proposal.I will then put suggestions to the Chancellor.

Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, answers questions at a press conference for the fifth session of the 12th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2017. [Photo/Xinha]

Foreign and Chinese enterprises will continue to be treated equally as the country steps up efforts to implement the Made in China 2025 initiative, Miao Wei, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said.

The initiative, which was designed to promote high-end manufacturing in China, adheres to the government-led, market-oriented principles, Miao said.

“It is meant to allow the market to play a decisive role in allocating resources.”

Miao made the comments at a press conference during the annual session of National People’s Congress on Saturday.

According to Miao, the Made in China 2025 initiative is in line with common international practices.

The United States, Germany and other European countries also rolled out similar policies to upgrade their manufacturing industries.

“Foreign enterprises have played an active role in driving China’s economic growth in the past three decades. Foreign companies and domestic enterprises are and will be treated equally,” Miao said.

Miao Wei, minister of industry and information technology, answers questions at a press conference for the fifth session of the 12th NPC in Beijing, capital of China, March 11, 2017. [Photo/Xinha]

Foreign and Chinese enterprises will continue to be treated equally as the country steps up efforts to implement the Made in China 2025 initiative, Miao Wei, Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said.

The initiative, which was designed to promote high-end manufacturing in China, adheres to the government-led, market-oriented principles, Miao said.

“It is meant to allow the market to play a decisive role in allocating resources.”

Miao made the comments at a press conference during the annual session of National People’s Congress on Saturday.

According to Miao, the Made in China 2025 initiative is in line with common international practices.

The United States, Germany and other European countries also rolled out similar policies to upgrade their manufacturing industries.

“Foreign enterprises have played an active role in driving China’s economic growth in the past three decades. Foreign companies and domestic enterprises are and will be treated equally,” Miao said.