Here in Scotland, we boast some of the most stunning scenery in the UK – we’d really appreciate your help to keep it that way.
Warmer weather and the increased numbers of people visiting the countryside creates a greater risk of fire.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s Deputy Assistant Chief Officer Alasdair Perry said: “Camping is something that lots of people enjoy each summer in Scotland and as lockdown restrictions ease many will be eager to get outdoors and rightly enjoy the stunning countryside in which we live once again.
“We always want people to stay safe and have a good experience.
“Tents are susceptible to fire which can take hold very quickly. Using stoves or other cooking and heating equipment in tents could endanger lives not only from fire but also as a result of a build-up of Carbon Monoxide so we’d remind campers not to smoke or cook within tents and use torches instead of candles.
“If barbecuing or considering a camp fire, where these are allowed, never leave it unattended, ensure it is well away from anything to which it could spread and keep children and pets away from the cooking area. Avoid alcohol if you are in charge of preparing the food.
“Do not dispose of ashes until they are cold to the touch as hot ashes can melt a plastic bin causing fire. Wherever possible, they should always be doused with water prior to leaving them unattended. The danger of wildfire is very real in Scotland.
“An important point to remember is that even cold barbecues or fuelled appliances can still give off Carbon Monoxide for some time after use therefore they should always be kept outside.
“Gas barbecues should be used in a well ventilated area.
“Remember to keep your area tidy and always clear up litter when done. Whist we all wish to keep our country beautiful, litter can seriously injure wildlife and items such as glass bottles in strong sunlight have the potential to start a fire.
“In addition to all this, if people are spending more time outdoors near waterways please be aware of the risks around cold water shock to prevent avoidable tragedies.”
Please visit the ‘Your Safety’ section of our website for more information or visit https://www.outdooraccess-scotland.scot/
Millions of new rapid coronavirus tests will be rolled out across NHS hospitals, care homes and labs from next week.
Both tests will be able to detect COVID-19 and other winter viruses in just 90 minutes
New tests will hugely increase testing capacity ahead of winter, delivering fast results that will help to break chains of transmission quickly
Millions of ground-breaking rapid coronavirus tests will be rolled out to hospitals, care homes and labs across the UK to increase testing capacity ahead of winter. The tests will enable clinicians and NHS Test and Trace to quickly advise on the best course of action to stop the spread of the virus.
Two new tests – both able to detect the virus in just 90 minutes – will be made available to NHS hospitals, care homes and labs. The 2 tests will be able to detect both COVID-19 and other winter viruses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). The tests do not require a trained health professional to operate them, meaning they can be rolled out in more non-clinical settings.
This will help to further strengthen the coronavirus response this winter, arming both clinicians and NHS Test and Trace with the ability to distinguish between COVID-19 cases, which have specific self-isolation requirements, and other winter viruses.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “We’re using the most innovative technologies available to tackle coronavirus. Millions of new rapid coronavirus tests will provide on-the-spot results in under 90 minutes, helping us to break chains of transmission quickly.
“The fact these tests can detect flu as well as COVID-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others.
“I am hugely grateful for the excellent work done by DnaNudge and Oxford Nanopore to push forward these life-saving innovations in coronavirus testing.”
A new test that uses DNA to detect the virus will be rolled out across NHS hospitals from September, with 5,000 DNA machines, supplied by DnaNudge, to provide 5.8 million tests in the coming months.
Separately, 450,000 90-minute LamPORE swab tests will also be available across adult care setting and laboratories from next week, supplied by Oxford Nanopore.
DNA testing for coronavirus
5,000 DNA ‘Nudgebox’ machines, supplied by DnaNudge, will be rolled out across NHS hospitals in the UK to analyse DNA in nose swabs, providing a positive or negative result for COVID-19 in 90 minutes, at the point of care. The machines will process up to 15 tests on the spot each day without the need for a laboratory.
The DNA COVID-19 test machines are currently operating in 8 London hospitals:
St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington
Charing Cross Hospital
West Middlesex University Hospital
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Royal Hospital Chelsea
Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Maternity Hospital
the Renal Transplant Centre at Hammersmith Hospital
the Tower Hamlets Centre for Mental Health at Mile End Hospital
The machines are located in cancer wards, A&E and maternity wards to protect those most at risk.
The government is signing contracts with more companies to produce machines for DNA coronavirus testing.
Rapid LamPORE tests
The new rapid LamPORE test will be able to process swab and saliva samples to detect the presence of COVID-19 in 60 to 90 minutes.
The new test has the same sensitivity as the widely used PCR swab test, but can be used to process swabs in labs, as well as on-location through ‘pop up’ labs. The desktop GridION machine can process up to 15,000 tests a day, or the palm-sized MinION can process up to 2,000 tests a day for deployment in a near-community ‘pop-up’ lab.
450,000 of the new LamPORE tests will be available from next week across adult care settings, NHS laboratories and lighthouse laboratories, with millions more tests to be rolled out later in the year.
Details of positive test results will be shared with NHS Test and Trace, so close contacts can self-isolate in line with guidance.
Regius Professor Chris Toumazou FRS, CEO and co-founder of DnaNudge and founder of the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London, commented: “The DnaNudge team worked with incredible speed and skill during the peak of the pandemic to deliver this highly accurate, rapid COVID-19 test, which requires absolutely no laboratory or pipettes and can be deployed anywhere with a direct sample-to-result in around just over an hour.
“We have been able to successfully adapt our in-store consumer DNA testing technology – which identifies genetic risks for chronic conditions related to obesity and type 2 diabetes – and validate it for detecting COVID-19 with gold-standard accuracy.
“We are extremely proud to be playing such a pivotal role in supporting the national effort on testing, as this major contract award signifies. With the ability to test not only for COVID-19 but also FluA, FluB and RSV on the same single COVID-19 Nudge cartridge, our multiplex test offers a vital solution to protect the NHS as we head into the flu season.”
Gordon Sanghera, CEO of Oxford Nanopore, said: “We are honoured to be playing a part in fighting COVID-19 in the UK, and preparing the country for the winter virus season. Ever since we founded Oxford Nanopore, our mission has been to create disruptive, high performance technology that has a profound, positive impact on society.
“LamPORE has the potential to deliver a highly effective and, crucially, accessible global testing solution, not only for COVID-19 but for a range of other pathogens. We are delighted to be working with the UK government to support and empower our communities to effectively manage testing at a national and localised level.”
Diners across the UK will see their restaurant bills slashed by as much as 50% from today as the UK government’s landmark Eat Out to Help Out scheme officially opens for business.
from today customers will get up to 50% off on bills when visiting participating restaurants, pubs and cafes
half price discount will run through August and applies to all food and non-alcoholic drinks consumed on the premises – with Pizza Express, Costa Coffee and Nando’s among thousands signed up
the scheme, part of the Chancellor’s Plan for Jobs, aims to protect jobs in the hospitality sector – which has been hit hard by coronavirus
Anyone visiting a participating restaurant, café or pub on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout August will receive the half price discount – keeping more money in hardworking families’ pockets and giving a vital boost to the UK’s hospitality sector.
The scheme – part of the government’s Plan for Jobs that will spur the country’s economic recovery from coronavirus – applies to all food and non-alcoholic drinks, with a maximum discount per person of £10. It could save a family of four up to £40 per meal.
More than 72,000 establishments are participating, including independent eateries and family favourites such as Pizza Express, Costa Coffee and Nando’s.
There have already been over 3.3 million hits on the Eat Out to Help Out restaurant finder since it launched last week, which shows what businesses are participating in local areas, and many restaurants have since seen a boost in bookings. Apps like Opentable, Fork and Bookatable are all planning pages to support the scheme.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: “Our Eat Out to Help Out scheme’s number one aim is to help protect the jobs of 1.8 million chefs, waiters and restaurateurs by boosting demand and getting customers through the door.
“More than 72,000 establishments will be serving discounted meals across the country, with the government paying half the bill. The industry is a vital ingredient to our economy and it’s been hit hard by coronavirus, so enjoy summer safely by showing your favourite places your support – we’ll pay half.”
The scheme will help protect the jobs of the hospitality industry’s 1.8 million employees by encouraging people to safely return to their local restaurants, cafes and pubs where social-distancing rules allow.
Around 80% of hospitality firms stopped trading in April, with 1.4 million workers furloughed, the highest of any sector.
Many participating restaurants offer healthy and low-calorie options, and the scheme should be enjoyed as part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle. No vouchers are needed, with the participating establishment deducting 50% from the bill.
People may be worried about returning to eat out. To address these concerns, businesses have prepared to become Covid-secure through, for example, protective screens, contactless payments, social distancing, one way walking systems, online bookings and reduced capacity.
The Eat Out to Help Out scheme is one part of the Chancellor’s £30 billion Plan for Jobs, announced last month. Other measures announced to protect, support and create jobs include cutting VAT for tourism and hospitality by 15%, a £2 billion Kickstart Scheme and an £8.8 billion investment in new infrastructure, decarbonisation and maintenance projects.
Why our weekly shop may never be the same post Covid-19
New research shows that many of the online shopping habits we have adopted over lockdown are here to stay
61% of Brits say they shopped more online during Covid-19 with 89% saying they will continue to shop as much online or even more post-lockdown
The impact on businesses could be huge with the uptick in buying groceries, home and garden products, and hygiene products all set to stick around
Your weekly shop may never be the same according to brand new research which shows lockdown may well have permanently changed Brits’ buying habits.
Trading in the shopping trolley for a laptop, the figures show that the huge rise in online shopping during the pandemic will be anything but a flash in the pan, with shoppers keen to continue to log on and check out.
An e-commerce revolution
Covid-19 is ushering in a new age of consumer behaviour according to research which shows the vast majority of Brits plan to stick to their lockdown online buying habits.
Retailers have seen online sales increase dramatically with 61% of Brits admitting to shopping more online during Covid19. This rapid increase in ecommerce is expected to add £5.3bn to UK ecommerce sales in 2020, totalling £78.9bn[1].
It looks like this rapid e-commerce revolution is here to stay, with 89% saying they will continue to shop online at the same level or even more post-lockdown. An overwhelming 93% of Brits now feel confident about buying items online.
One of the categories that has seen the biggest increase include groceries, with 39% of Brits reporting an increase in online shopping. As much of our attention turned towards our homes, it’s no wonder that 29% of Brits reported increased online shopping for home and garden products – contributing to the 41% of Brits who received a home, garden or DIY related product since the Covid-19 crisis[2].
The research is borne out further by statistics from DS Smith, a leading provider of e-commerce packaging in Europe, with the company seeing a 100% increase in packaging demand for food packaging, flowers, and hygiene products sold online since the start of the pandemic.
The new normal
Even with lockdown easing, DS Smith’s research shows that many of these new shopping trends catalysed by Covid-19 are here to stay, with more than half of Brits planning to buy groceries (60%), hygiene products (51%), and home and garden products (54%) online at the same rate or higher in the next six months.
Across all surveyed categories – except beauty – men reported a greater uptick than women and said they were more likely to continue with their online shopping habits.
Trying something new
The changes aren’t just about volume. Not only are we buying more online, we’re also buying in new ways. Nearly a third of Brits said they have signed up to a new shopping website that they hadn’t used before lockdown and spending on meal kits and grocery delivery boxes soared by 114% after people were told to stay indoors.
There’s also evidence that Brits did pick up new lockdown hobbies, spiking online orders for leisure products. DS Smith’s data shows a 60% increase in demand for e-commerce solutions for leisure.
One in five (19%) have been embracing their creative side during lockdown by ordering arts and crafts items and Peloton, fitness equipment maker, saw their quarterly revenue soar by 66% since Covid-19 took hold.
As a result of these accelerated changes and to meet new customer demand, businesses large and small have been forced to rapidly initiate or adapt e-commerce offerings – a process which may have taken years without the imperative provided by the global pandemic.
Stefano Rossi, Packaging CEO at DS Smith, said “There has been a seismic shift in the way consumers are shopping and we’ve been using our expertise to support businesses of all sizes with the rapid growth of e-commerce so they can survive and thrive through this uncertain time.
“What’s clear is that as lockdown eases further, these trends aren’t likely to fall away. Consumers have found new confidence and convenience in the way they shop, buying a whole range of items online – everything from the family food shop, to toiletries and home and garden products. If companies are not already transforming their business to meet this new age of e-commerce, they risk being left behind.”
What drives the e-consumer?
Reasons for buying online during the pandemic splits by gender and the generation. Men and younger people prioritise convenience, while women and older generations focus on safety.
However, as a green recovery and building back better becomes a global priority, sustainability is an increasing concern for shoppers post-lockdown.
Almost a quarter (24%) are more likely to buy online if items are delivered with less packaging or more sustainable packaging, and 21% are more likely to buy online if their products arrive in more recyclable packaging.
Of the age groups, those between 25 and 34 were most sustainability conscious and women held this as a higher priority than men (27% of women would rather deliveries had less packaging than compared with 21% of men).
Consumers have different reasons for why they have drastically increased online shopping during Covid-19. There are nuances between genders for choosing to shop online, with 35% of men shopping online more for convenience, whereas 48% of women said safety was the main reason they have been buying items online.
Interestingly, Brits are also mirroring some of their brick and mortar shopping habits online; a third of people have “window shopped” online or kept a wish list during lockdown and over a third of Brits bargain hunt online.
Stefano Rossi, added: “The research shows that greener packaging is a real concern for shoppers and as we help our customers make a green recovery a practical reality and priority through simple measures like adopting sustainable packaging.
“We’re keen to help brands and businesses navigate this path and work with them so that they can benefit from sustainable packaging solutions that its very clear their customers desire.”
Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by Dr Helen Flaherty, Head of Health Promotion at Heart Research UK
EAT MORE FIBRE
Dietary fibre comes from the plants we eat and it is an essential part of a healthy diet. It is well known that eating fibre can prevent constipation, but did you know it can also lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer? Most of us do not eat enough fibre and this may be putting our health at risk.
Check out our tips below to help you increase the amount of fibre in your diet.
Which foods are high in fibre?
Dietary fibre can only be found in foods that come from plants, such as wholegrain cereals, wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, fruit, vegetables, beans, and lentils.
Checking the labels on food products will show you how much fibre they contain. A product that is “high fibre” is one that has at least 6g of fibre per 100g. White bread, white pasta, white rice and non-wholegrain cereals are lower in fibre because the fibrous part of the plant (the bran) is removed during processing.
Reasons to eat more fibre
Fibre contains the parts of plants that are not absorbed by the body. When you eat plant foods, the fibre passes through your stomach and intestines relatively intact. This adds bulk to your stools and makes them easier to pass. By increasing the amount of fibre you eat, you can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer.
Fibre also helps to lower high blood cholesterol and high blood pressure to keep your heart healthy. Including plenty of fibre in your diet can also help you to achieve or maintain a healthy weight, which is important for good heart health.
Tips to increase your fibre intake
Obtaining fibre from a variety of food sources is a great way to ensure a healthy balanced diet. It is important to make sure you are drinking enough fluid as this will help the fibre to do its job.
– For snacks choose unsalted nuts and seeds, fresh fruit, vegetable sticks or oatcakes
– Opt for potatoes with their skins on, like jacket potato or boiled new potatoes
– Aim to have at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Remember, frozen, dried and tinned fruit and vegetables count towards your 5 a day. Choose tinned fruit in natural juice rather than syrup, which is high in sugar.
– Add extra vegetables or pulses, such as beans, lentils and chickpeas to your favourite meals like curries, bolognaise, chilli, soups and stews. You can also try adding linseeds to yoghurts, soups or juices
– For breakfast why not choose a high-fibre cereal. Look out for cereals that are labelled as “whole grain” or with “bran” or “fibre” in their name. Try to choose plain varieties with no added sugars. You could also try porridge topped with some fruit
– Some people worry that if they increase their fibre intake it will cause them to suffer from flatulence (wind). To avoid this, you should gradually increase the amount of fibre in your diet to allow your body time to adjust
– Instead of white bread, white rice and white pasta, try switching to wholemeal or granary bread, brown rice and wholemeal pasta.
We are extremely disappointed that the possible opening of gyms in Scotland has been delayed until September 14th.
We know that the majority of our Scottish members (over 120,000 of them across 24 gyms!) are desperate to get back to their gyms to improve their physical and mental wellbeing and they, and the whole gym and fitness centre industry in Scotland, will be as disappointed as we are.
We have a vital role to play in the fight against obesity which is a public health challenge in Scotland and right across the UK.
More broadly, it strikes us as truly extraordinary that, in the middle of a health crisis, the First Minister and her team have not ascribed any real priority to working with us and our sector to understand our capacity to help provide for the better health and well-being of the Scottish people at this time.
Her approach seems to be in direct contrast to other countries. For example, our gyms in Switzerland are in their 12th week of opening and in Denmark we are in our 7th week after opening.
Across those countries, we have welcomed over 3 million visitors since reopening. We have been audited and visited by police and authorities in those countries on dozens of occasions and passed every test.
As far as we know, there have been no incidents of transmission or infection in our facilities – and both Denmark and Switzerland have good “track and trace” systems and tracing Apps operating.
Furthermore, we reopened gyms in Northern Ireland 3 weeks ago and in England this week and these re-openings have met with strong local support for the access to exercise and much consumer praise for the protocols, standards and safety processes that have been implemented.
In prior speeches the First Minister has alluded to “evidence” that gyms are a problem and in her speech she referenced “clinical advice” that gyms pose a “particular risk”.
We acknowledge that there are problems, challenges and risks in all areas of society at the moment – and gyms have their own specific risks of course. That is precisely why we and the entire gym and fitness industry have invested huge effort and rigour in devising safety protocols and procedures that materially reduce the risk of viral transmission.
These protocols are now allowing hundreds of thousands of people in the UK and across Europe to reap the mental and physical benefits of exercise without exposing themselves to undue risk.
We urge the Scottish authorities to share openly relevant evidence and the cited clinical advice but above all to work with our sector to understand the approaches to risk mitigation which we have successfully implemented in other countries and which stand ready to benefit the people of Scotland.
Our gyms at PureGym are, on average, the size of five or six doubles tennis courts and are exceptionally well ventilated, enabling people to work and exercise safely and securely.
Through our existing electronic entry system, we know the names and details of every single member in our facilities at any moment so can exercise tight control over attendance. As well as being staffed at all opening times we also monitor behaviour inside the gyms on CCTV so we are well prepared to oversee and enforce social distancing.
We have developed detailed, industry-agreed guidance and are confident gyms are safe places to work and safe places to workout. The protocols which have been developed with the input of recognised medical experts – cover all aspects of hygiene, disinfection, access control, physical separation, number limitations per venue, monitoring and oversight, education and training.
In summary, we urgently call on the First Minister to re-examine the current, factual evidence, engage with us and our industry bodies, and allow the Scottish people back into gyms as soon as possible so that we can support them in living happier and healthier lives.
Sir Graham Watson, former Liberal leader in the European Parliament has said that Brexit will mean that Scottish independence is “inevitable” and will see Scotland joining the EU as an independent member state.
He told a European Movement in Scotland webinar: “I see no reason to fear that provided Scotland is prepared for it.” But he warned: “I see precious little of that preparation going on, sadly” and accused the Scottish Government of “dither and drift.”
Sir Graham, who lost his MEP seat in 2014 and is now based in Edinburgh and Brussels, suggested that Scotland currently resembled more Slovakia than Denmark given its poor record on productivity and export trade and urged the Scottish Government to set up new “hubs” in Bratislava, the Slovak capital, as well as in Copenhagen and Helsinki in order to boost economic links.
Hubs already exist in Berlin, Paris and Dublin. He suggested Scotland might join the Nordic Council but rejoining the EU via the European Economic Area, he argued, was a “pipe-dream.”
Former SNP MP and Europe spokesman in the Commons, Stephen Gethins, urged business, universities and local authorities to invest in Scotland House, the Scottish Government centre in Brussels, and in wider links with the EU and Europe.
Demand for food packs highlights impact of the pandemic.
Homeless people and others affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak are to receive further support through the Scottish Government’s emergency funding for communities.
In March, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell announced a £350 million package of funding to help tackle harms caused by the pandemic, including a £70 million Food Fund. More than £40 million extra funding has since been committed for food initiatives, increasing the total to £110 million.
Social enterprise Social Bite has been awarded an additional £48,500 for its COVID-19 response, with its funding since April now totalling £700,000. Its team have delivered 500,000 food packs and meals to people in need in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow since April.
Speaking following a visit to Social Bite’s central kitchen in Livingston, Ms Campbell said: “Like many community groups and charities, Social Bite’s team have worked hard making and delivering meals as well as offering a free takeaway service for those most at risk. I want to thank everyone who has supported people through this time.
“Sadly, the demand for such services highlights the terrible impact of the pandemic on people from all walks of life.
“We have provided flexibility through our £110 million funding to tackle food insecurity so people can access both cash and food-based support. This includes funding for free school meals over the summer holidays, food boxes for those who were shielding and support for people facing financial hardship. We have also more than doubled the Scottish Welfare Fund.
“Anyone worried about being able to access food should contact the National Helpline on 0800 111 4000.”
Josh Littlejohn, co-founder and CEO of Social Bite, said: “As soon as the pandemic hit, we saw that food poverty was going to be a major issue for our most vulnerable communities, so we re-purposed Social Bite’s entire infrastructure to provide free food for those who needed it.
“Thanks to support from the Scottish Government, the business community and the public, we were able to mobilise extremely quickly. Since the pandemic began, we have distributed more than 500,000 food packs. This funding will help us provide further support for homeless people and other vulnerable groups in our communities amid the acute challenges of COVID-19.”
Almost200,000 people have signed a Electoral Reform Society petition calling for the unelected House of Lords to be overhauled.
The Prime Minister is set to pack the House of Lords with yet more unelected peers. And discontent is growing.
As the Mirror reported this week, anger is rising at Boris Johnson’s plan to stuff the chamber with appointees.
There is concern across the spectrum. The Conservative-leaning Spectator points out: “It is no credit to British democracy that we have the second largest legislative chamber in the world. The only one larger than the 792-strong House of Lords is the 2,980-member Chinese National People’s Congress.
“In the coming days the House of Lords will grow even bigger as the Prime Minister announces another batch of peerages. We can expect a bad-tempered reaction if, as expected, a slew of Brexit campaigners such as Ian Botham are included while former speaker John Bercow is left out.”
The magazine cites ERS research showing that: “It is genuine participation that matters, and in this some have a lamentable record. The Electoral Reform Society found that in the 2016/17 session, 115 peers failed to speak in a single debate — and yet they claimed £1.3 million in expenses between them.”
Even the Lords themselves are getting restless. The PM’s peers list will reverse years of attempts to check numbers, according to the Lord Speaker, as we revealed this week.
Voters are not happy about the bloated and unelected state of the House of Lords.
Nearly 200,000 have signed a petition calling for an overhaul – for it to be scrapped and replaced with a proportionally-elected second chamber that is fit for purpose: rather than a private member’s club for the PM’s pals.
Sign it here – and let’s get this to 200,000 signatures.
Commenting on the 36 new appointments to the House of Lords, Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the UK’s leading democracy campaign group the ERS said:
“Based on the average claim of a peer, the 36 new peers are likely to cost around £1.1m a year in expenses from the taxpayer [2].
“By appointing a host of ex-MPs, party loyalists and his own brother, the PM is inviting total derision. That he can get away with it shows what a private member’s club this house is.
“The Lords was already the largest second chamber in the world. There are now over 800 unelected peers, voting on our laws for life.
“Is packing the Lords with party loyalists really a priority, as a pandemic rages across the world? This move is an absolute insult to voters. This is making a mockery of democracy.
“Today marks a nail in the coffin for the idea that the Lords is some kind of independent chamber of experts. It is a house of cronies and party loyalists – we need to see it scrapped and replaced with a fair-elected chamber that’s fit for a democracy.”
Among the new Peers are Theresa May’s husband Philip – for political service (!), Boris Johnson’s brother Joseph and former Tory party leader in Scotland Ruth Davidson.
THE HOUSE of LORDS SPEAKER IS REVOLTING!
Lord Fowler (above, second left) comments following the government’s announcement of 36 new members of the House of Lords on Friday 31 July:
Lord Fowler, the Lord Speaker, said: “This list of new Peers marks a lost opportunity to reduce numbers in the House of Lords. The result will be that the House will soon be nearly 830 strong – almost 200 greater than the House of Commons.
“That is a massive policy u-turn.
It was only two years ago that the then Prime Minister, Mrs May, pledged herself to a policy of “restraint” in the number of new appointments. It was the first time that any Prime Minister had made such a pledge.
“This followed a report by a special Lord Speaker’s committee chaired by Lord (Terry) Burns proposing that numbers should be reduced to 600. This was debated by the Lords itself with over 90 speakers, commanding overwhelming support.
“The big opportunity was for the present Government to take forward this movement for reform. I emphasise that this is not a matter of personalities. It is a question of numbers and the abandonment of an established policy to reduce the size of the House.
“It is also a vast pity that the list has been announced within the first few days of the summer recess when neither House is sitting, and the Government cannot be challenged in Parliament.”
Our noble Lords and Ladies receive ‘allowances’ of £323 PER DAY just for turning up – nice ‘work’ if you can get it!
Even during the pandemic, when the House of Lords isn’t sitting, our hard-working peers are trousering £162 per day when they participate in debates or vote from the comfort of home – no matter how minimal their contribution may be.
By way of comparison, a single person under 25 on Universal Credit will receive a standard payment of £342.72p PER MONTH.
But Which? says the CAA is failing the consumers it is supposed to protect
Review considered actions by airlines during the coronavirus pandemic
Civil Aviation Authority action has led to airlines making commitments to improve performance without requiring formal enforcement action
Quality of service and performance from most airlines has improved in response to bilateral engagement and the review, leading to refunds now being paid out faster
Civil Aviation Authority warns other European and international airlines that the consumers right to a refund must be protected
The UK Civil Aviation Authority has been reviewing the refund policies and performance of UK airlines and three of the largest international operators to the UK. A further five international airlines were included due to the level of consumer feedback and concerns that refunds were not being paid during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Civil Aviation Authority review is based on its own investigations, as well as information provided to us by consumers across email and social media, as well as through consumer bodies including the Competition and Markets Authority, the Northern Ireland Consumer Council and Which?.
At the start of the review, some airlines were not paying refunds, with others facing potential backlogs of numerous months.
We investigated airlines’ policies and practices to establish whether they were placing barriers in the way of consumers requesting refunds, through unclear messaging, difficult to navigate customer services and under-resourced call centres.
While we recognise that the coronavirus pandemic was an unprecedented situation for the aviation industry, our consumer team has worked to protect consumer rights and to influence airlines to change their processes and practices in order to improve performance in providing refunds.
The Civil Aviation Authority now has evidence that shows that since it launched its review, and its wide-ranging engagement programme with airlines, all UK airlines are now paying refunds. Call centre wait times have reduced, in some cases significantly, and customer service messaging has provided greater clarity on consumers’ rights to a refund for cancelled flights.
Our review found that a number of airlines were not performing adequately. We have gained immediate commitments from these airlines to improve their performance and the time taken to provide refunds to consumers, without requiring enforcement action.
This is the most immediate way of providing benefits to consumers as enforcement processes can take a considerable amount of time to complete given the potential for legal proceedings. We have previously called for stronger, more immediate, powers to act to protect consumer rights.
Other European airlines were not initially within the scope of our review due to discussions taking place between National Enforcement Bodies, European governments and the EU Commission. Engaging with these other EU airlines at that point would have potentially cut across these other discussions.
However, we have today written to a further 30 major European and international airlines that operate services to and from the UK to highlight the results of our review, and to warn them not to deny consumers their right to a refund. We will not hesitate to take further action against any airlines where necessary.
Commenting on the review, Richard Moriarty, Chief Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “The airlines we have reviewed have responded by significantly enhancing their performance, reducing their backlogs, and improving their processing speeds in the interests of consumers.
“Although we have taken into account the serious operational challenges many airlines have faced, we have been clear that customers cannot be let down, and that airlines must pay refunds as soon as possible.
“There is still work to do. We have required commitments from airlines as they continue the job of paying customer refunds. Should any airline fall short of the commitments they have made, we will not hesitate to take any further action where required.”
Summary statements for each airline are available on CAA website at the link below:
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:“The regulator is failing the consumers it is supposed to protect. The reality is that people are still owed millions of pounds in refunds, are facing financial and emotional turmoil, and continue to be fobbed off by a number of airlines who have been brazenly breaking the law for months.
“These airlines will now feel they can continue to behave terribly having faced no penalty or sanction.
“It is obvious that the CAA does not have the right tools to take effective action against airlines that show disregard towards passengers and the law, but more worryingly, it’s not clear the regulator has the appetite to use them.
“The government must use this opportunity to bring in much-needed reforms, including giving regulators greater powers to take swift and meaningful action, but consumers need assurances that these will actually be used against lawbreaking companies.”
