M inisters are facing calls for transparency over the scale of aerated concrete in public buildings after schools were forced to shut classrooms just before the new term. Experts have warned that the crisis over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) could extend beyond the education sector – with healthcare settings,Continue Reading
T he Government is being urged to provide clarity on the impact of a lightweight concrete prone to collapse on hospitals and other public buildings after schools were told to shut affected classrooms. Experts have warned the crisis over reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) could extend beyond the education sector,Continue Reading
R ishi Sunak’s top spin doctor in Downing Street has quit after less than a year in the job. Amber de Botton, who had a decade-long career as a broadcast journalist, was hired by the Prime Minister as his director of communications a few days after he entered Downing Street.Continue Reading
M inisters have been urged to “come clean” about the scale of the problems facing England’s school buildings as thousands of pupils faced a disrupted start to term. More than 100 schools and colleges were told to partially or fully close buildings as children prepared to return to classes afterContinue Reading
A journalist who spent more than two days travelling via coach, train and bus from Split in Croatia to Norwich after his flight was cancelled due to a UK air traffic control failure said the experience was “really unsettling”. Jack Reeve, 25, was due to fly with easyJet back toContinue Reading
M ore than 100 schools, nurseries and colleges in England have been told by the Government to close classrooms and other buildings that contain an aerated concrete that is prone to collapse. A “minority” of the state facilities will need to “either fully or partially relocate” to alternative accommodation whileContinue Reading
A dedicated licensing scheme for drug checking at festivals should be established before the next summer festival season, including the power to grant licences to local authorities, the report on drugs published on Thursday said. Allowing festivalgoers to test drugs for unsafe substances without fear of legal ramifactions helps toContinue Reading
L abour has accused the Government of turning a blind eye to the problem of fly-tipping, claiming that only 8% of reported incidents lead to any form of punishment. In the fiscal year 2021/22, 1,091,019 cases of fly-tipping were reported in England, yet only 91,013 fixed penalty notices were issued,Continue Reading
V iolence at the Notting Hill Carnival shows the need for police and the courts to be given tougher powers to tackle so-called “zombie knives” and machetes, Rishi Sunak has said. Eight people were stabbed at the event in west London on Monday and Mr Sunak said it was a “goodContinue Reading
T he Government must not allow artificial intelligence (AI) developers the free use of copyrighted songs and books for training, MPs have urged. Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee told ministers to heed the “chorus of warnings from musicians, authors and artists” about the risks of failing to protect intellectualContinue Reading
