Boost for UK economy and rail industry through new Israel partnership

FRESH business opportunities and potential new jobs will be unlocked for the UK's rail industry thanks to a new partnership signed by the Transport Secretary with Israel, on 24 August 2022.  A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been signed by the two countries to share expertise on large scale rail projects, following the successful launch of the UK's Elizabeth Line earlier this year. 

The benefits of the state of the art line will be extended overseas, through the Department for Transport's Crossrail International advisory company. This follows the introduction of the Elizabeth Line, which slashed fares by over a third for commuters across London and massively reduced journey times. The project is also estimated to pump £42 billion into the UK economy and has created more than 55,000 jobs and 1,000 apprenticeships while expanding central London's rail capacity by 10%.  

It is now hoped business opportunities with Israel, the UK's third biggest transport goods trading partner, will not only enable firms to share valuable expertise, but boost economic growth and could lead to more jobs being created.

In July, the UK launched negotiations with Israel to upgrade the current trade deal, currently worth £5 billion and supports 6,600 UK businesses. The upgraded agreement would establish a modern, revamped trading relationship between two of the world's services superpowers.  This includes seeking improved access to major public sector contracts for UK businesses and boosting opportunities for the services sector.

In 2021 alone, the UK imported £144m of transportation services from Israel, highlighting the close relationship between our two nations.

As part of the Transport Secretary's visit to Israel this week, he has visited the building site of Tel Aviv's new light rail line and met with the Israeli Transport Minister Merav Michaeli.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:- "This partnership further ingrains our commitment to a global Britain, helping our world-leading rail industry to extend its expertise to friends overseas, while unlocking fresh business opportunities to boost the UK economy. Following the successful launch of our iconic Elizabeth Line earlier this year, this memorandum is a fantastic opportunity for our British engineers and advisors to share their ingenuity with Israel as they undertake their largest ever rail project in Tel Aviv. It was a pleasure to visit the project site this week to see 1st hand the ongoing work to build such a revolutionary transport hub which will help millions of passengers get from A to B quicker, easier and more sustainably." 

The UK-Israel MOU comes as Israel undertakes a multi billion pound mass transit project in Tel Aviv; the country's largest and most complicated infrastructure project to ever exist. The scheme is being supported by the Department for Transport owned Crossrail International, a specialist advisory company which offers its expertise across the globe to deliver complex rail projects. The project will see the build of three light rail and metro lines to serve 27 Local Authorities and three million passengers daily. 

The new memorandum will allow both countries to share experience and best practice in relation to large-scale transport projects.  

For example, the UK's Crossrail International will offer advice to Israel on design, safety and standards of new train lines across the country. Expertise will also be shared on ensuring the build of transport projects is as green and sustainable as possible. 

Chief Executive Officer of Crossrail International Paul Dyson said:- "Our aim is to share good practice, lessons learned and innovation to provide better outcomes and wider benefits for our respective societies. Crossrail International is extremely proud to be a partner of this MoU and to act as a conduit of UK knowledge, skills and expertise that will support the Israeli Ministry of Transport in the delivery of its transformational rail transit portfolio."

The memorandum between the Department for Transport and the Israeli Ministry of Transport and Road Safety is set to boost the UK economy by offering British engineers the chance to provide bespoke advice in relation to Tel Aviv's new metro line. 

Minister of Transport and Road Safety for Israel, Merav Michaeli, said:- "Transport is a national security issue. This is accepted and understood around the world, and I am happy to strengthen ties and enter into agreements with other countries that make Israel stronger. I would like to thank my colleague Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps for his visit to Israel and for the ground breaking cooperation we have created together. I'm confident that the know how we have shared and the agreements we have signed will result in better transportation in both countries, and particularly greener, shared transport that the world needs so much as we face the climate crisis. These steps contribute to strengthening the relations between Israel and the United Kingdom and are a cornerstone of our important bilateral ties. This is how we are moving Israeli transport several steps forward."

Letters to Editor:- "GCSE results; We must not shut the door on young people"

"THE North / South divide for students' achievements has persisted for another year, and we expect this will again be true for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds when compared with their better off peers. Last year, only 1 in 3 students in receipt of free school meals achieved the equivalent of 5 'good' GCSEs or more, locking many out of further education, training and job opportunities. Funding is urgently needed. GCSE equivalents must be protected, so that opportunities remain open to those facing barriers to learning, whilst 'Pupil Premium' funded support and careers advice available for younger students must be extended to those up to 19 years old. These steps are vital for young people to access work and further study. Our message is clear: As young people grapple with unprecedented challenges, we must open more doors for them, not fewer." Elise Temple, Nacro Principal and Director of Education and Skills.

Statistics on adult safeguarding published in new report

THE latest information on safeguarding concerns reported to Local Authorities in England has been published by NHS Digital. Safeguarding Adults, England, 2021 to 2022, provides details of safeguarding activity carried out by Local Authorities and relating to vulnerable adults with care and support needs.

Safeguarding Adults is a statutory duty for Councils with adult social services responsibilities in England under the Care Act 2014, in order to safeguard adults from abuse or neglect. The data is collected directly from these Councils, also known as Local Authorities2 in this publication.

This publication includes information on:-

►  The number of safeguarding concerns raised.

►  The number of safeguarding enquiries started.

►  How many safeguarding enquiries were completed throughout the year under Section 42 of the Care Act 20144.

►  Enquiries are broken down by the type and location of safeguarding risk. All data is available at local, Regional and national levels.

The report also provides demographic information about individuals who were the subject of a Section 42 enquiry that started within the year, as well as the outcomes of completed enquiries where a safeguarding risk was identified.

The Safeguarding Adults data collection only includes cases of suspected abuse where a Local Authority safeguarding service has been notified and has entered details onto their system. It does not include cases where partner agencies have dealt with the allegation and not shared the information with the Local Authority. It is likely that there are cases of suspected abuse that have not been reported to Local Authorities.

All of NHS Digital's statistics on adult social care are available via the new Adult Social Care Data Hub, which includes links to the publications, dashboards and information about the data collections.

These statistics cover from April 2021 to March 2022.

Fundraisers in the North West shoot, putt and laugh to raise more than £10,000 for the NSPCC

A series of fundraising events in the North West have raised more than £10,000 to help the NSPCC continue to be here for children and families across the Region.

Ladies across Cheshire took part in a friendly clay pigeon shoot at the Cloudside Shooting Grounds and raised over £3,000 for the charity. Guests also competed at welly wanging, with a £250 restaurant voucher donated by Cheshire Pub Co. up for grabs, and bid on prizes which included a personal trainer for the day.

Meanwhile, golfers in Cheshire took on the pro at the prestigious Prestbury Golf Club and enjoyed a 2 course dinner followed by prize giving, an auction and raffle results, raising over £7,000. Prizes included a special Michelin star dining experience for 6, cooked in your own home, also donated by Cheshire Pub Co.

Rising stars of the comedy circuit also helped raise over £1,100 for the charity at a Cake and Comedy night. Comedians that took to the stage included:- award winning Stephen Cookson, Edinburgh Fringe Festival sell out Fran Garrity, and promedian Andy Kind.

The NSPCC relies on public donations for the majority of its funding, which enables its workers to protect children and prevent abuse.

Janette Drew, NSPCC Community Fundraising Manager, said:- "We are extremely grateful to everyone who organised and took part in the events and helped raise a fantastic amount for the NSPCC. With the support of local people, the NSPCC can take action against child abuse and ensure children have someone to turn to when they're worried and alone. There are so many ways you can help us make a difference for children."

To find out how you can support the NSPCC, through fundraising, volunteering, donating or by sharing out messages, go to:- NSPCC.Org.UK.