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General News
TfL: Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed which key London junctions will be the first of 500 to be examined as part of a major review of cycle safety ordered by the Mayor. Highbury Corner, St George's Circus and Tottenham High Road/West Green Road are among those proposed as priorities for review by the summer.
The review includes all 375 junctions on the existing Barclays Cycle Superhighways (routes 2, 3, 7 and 8), but TfL does not expect all of these junctions to require a redesign. The review also includes around 150 major junctions & planned schemes on the TfL Road Network. The majority of these are locations where work is already planned and is in the design stage
FSA: Virani is withdrawing 2kg bags of its gluten free gram flour, with a 'best before' end date of July 2013. The product contains levels of gluten that are above the limits set for foods labelled gluten free. If you’re intolerant to gluten, don’t eat this product. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.
FSA: Waitrose has recalled all date codes of Waitrose Spiced King Prawn Salad because the product contains sesame seeds that were not declared on the label. This makes the product a potential health risk for people who are allergic to sesame. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.
FSA: Doves Farm has withdrawn some of its Chocolate and Crispy Rice Bars because they contain milk, which shouldn't be in the product. This makes the bars a potential health risk for people who are allergic or intolerant to milk or milk constituents. The Food Standards Agency has issued an Allergy Alert.
FSA: Suma is recalling one batch of its Organic Pesto Alla Genovese with Basil, which is labelled as being suitable for vegans. The product contains milk, which isn't listed on the label. If you’re allergic or intolerant to milk or milk constituents, you're advised not to eat the product. The Food Standards Agency has issued an allergy alert.
Defra: Schmallenberg virus (SBV) has now been identified in samples submitted from 29 farms across the counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex and Hertfordshire. All of the counties where SBV infection has been identified are in the zones recognised as potentially at risk from infected midges being blown across last summer from affected areas in northern mainland Europe.
At present, a Europe-wide assessment has concluded that SBV is unlikely to cause illness in people. However, as this is a new virus, work is ongoing to identify whether it could cause any health problems in humans. The Health Protection Agency has provided some questions and answers on SBV on its website.
DfE: Schools Minister Nick Gibb has announced a new reading competition ‘designed to inspire children to become voracious readers and boost literacy standards’.
The competition is open to all 7- to 12-year-olds at schools in England and it will launch in the autumn. The Department for Education is considering bids to design & co-deliver the competition and will choose a preferred partner in the coming weeks.
The competition is open to all 7- to 12-year-olds at schools in England and it will launch in the autumn. The Department for Education is considering bids to design & co-deliver the competition and will choose a preferred partner in the coming weeks.
TUC: The TUC has urged the government to freeze the lower thresholds in the auto-enrolment regime - keeping the bottom of the earnings band on which contributions have to be paid (£5,564) and the earnings level at which auto-enrolment is triggered (£7,475) - at their current levels.
STFC: A team of scientists, led by the University of Liverpool, has made a major advance in the development of a diagnostic test for oesophageal cancer. The findings, achieved at STFC's ALICE accelerator facility, will lead to major improvements in the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disease.
Oesophageal cancer is the ninth most common cancer in the world and around 8,000 people are diagnosed every year in the UK. It is an extremely difficult cancer to diagnose and is highly aggressive. Patients often present when the tumour is at an advanced stage, when surgical removal is no longer possible.
CBI: Sentiment among the UK’s small & medium-sized manufacturers fell for the third quarter running in the 3 months to January, as output stagnated and orders fell against a backdrop of heightened economic & political uncertainty, the CBI said.
MOD: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has confirmed the development of a new Royal Navy missile defence system which uses a new UK-developed missile capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 3 and will have the ability to deal with multiple targets simultaneously, protecting an area of around 500 square miles (1,300 square kilometres) over land or sea.
EA: The environmental improvements at the Olympic Park and work to secure a green legacy for future generations have been completed.
WWF: Responding to comments by the deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg recently, WWF said that long-term policy signals and ministerial support were crucial for boosting private investment in renewable energy and the green economy.
PCS: Plans announced recently about collecting the money owed to government will mean more private companies profiting from public debt, the PCS union warns.
WO: Wales Office Minister, David Jones is urging Wales’s much-loved seaside towns to apply for their share of the £24m fund Coastal Communities Fund, which has been created to provide struggling coastal communities all across the UK with the funding to support new opportunities that can make their towns prosper. The fund will be financed by the UK Government from revenues from the Crown Estate’s marine assets.
A variety of organisations from across Wales, from businesses to social enterprises are being invited to apply for funding for projects that will help coastal towns diversify from their traditional offer. A prospectus setting out eligibility, suggestions of how to use funds and details of how to bid has been published and applications will be accepted in April 2012.
TfL: The specialist unit that responds to emergency incidents on the Tube network will be able to cut through London's traffic more quickly under a trial being carried out with the British Transport Police (BTP).
The trial aims to halve response times (& therefore increase network reliability) and means that Transport for Londons (TfL's) Emergency Response Unit (ERU) vehicles will travel under the same 'Blue Light' conditions used by police, ambulance and fire services.
The trial aims to halve response times (& therefore increase network reliability) and means that Transport for Londons (TfL's) Emergency Response Unit (ERU) vehicles will travel under the same 'Blue Light' conditions used by police, ambulance and fire services.
DCMS: Some of Britain’s most iconic buildings & locations will appear on transport across the world as part of a drive to attract international visitors to the UK. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt last week launched Britain’s biggest ever tourism campaign, which will place images from the GREAT campaign in 14 major cities.
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