News Category
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Salmonella outbreak – look for the Lion
The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) is urging caterers and consumers to look for the British Lion mark on eggs in the wake of an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning believed to be linked to imported eggs. According to the Council, the British Lion Code of Practice has effectively eliminated salmonella from British eggs and the type of salmonella identified, Salmonella enteritidis PT14b has not been found in UK eggs. However, it has previously been linked ...
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Greater freedom to start a business from home
Entrepreneurs are to be given greater freedom to start and grow a business from home under new measures announced by the Government. Official figures show that around 70% of new businesses start off in the home and ministers want to make it much easier for people thinking of starting a home business to do so with the law on their side. The measures include: New legislation to make it easier for people to run a business from a ...
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Fears calmed over Russian food import ban
The news that Russia has imposed a ban on food imports from the EU, US and a number of other countries, as a result of tensions over the Ukraine, should not alarm British producers. According to a government spokesman, ministers are still considering the impacts of the ban but do not expect it to have a significant overall effect on our agricultural industry. Apparently, the affected agricultural exports to Russia account for just 0.2% of the UK's ...
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Bill Grimsey asks “Who killed the High Street?”
Bill Grimsey has launched a review of the UK high street in which he claims government efforts to bring about a much needed revolution have failed. In an attack on Mary Portas' government-commissioned review of the high street, Mr Grimsey states: "It was clear to me that Portas had failed to highlight to Government the dramatic structural changes impacting the retail industry through the convergence of changing consumer behaviour driven by technology and that brought about by ...
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DECC releases key UK energy stats
The Department of Energy and Climate Change has released a digest of UK energy statistics for 2013, with some of the key figures as follows: In 2013, primary energy production fell by 6.3 per cent on a year earlier, due to record low coal output following mine closures; oil and gas output were also down as output facilities were affected by maintenance issues alongside longer term decline. Electricity generated from renewable sources in the UK in 2013 ...
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Bids invited for shale gas exploration
The Government has opened the bidding process for companies seeking licences to explore for shale gas. The licences won't give absolute agreement to drill beyond the exploratory stage, as any further drilling will require planning permission plus permits from the Environment Agency and a sign-off from the Health and Safety Executive. In addition, some specific planning guidance has been prepared for: Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; World Heritage Sites; National Parks; and The Broads The Department of Energy & Climate Change will ...
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Multi-million pound boost for British food industry
The Government has announced £400 million of potential new business for the British food industry, as part of its long-term economic plan. Central government is now committed to buying fresh, locally sourced, seasonal food - all food that can be bought locally will be bought locally. The new measures are backed by a simplified food and drink buying standard ("The Plan for Public Procurement") which should benefit thousands of British farmers, small businesses, and rural economies. The public ...
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UK attracts record inward investment projects
Figures from UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) for the 2013/14 financial year show that Britain attracted 14% more foreign investment projects than a year earlier. In total 1,773 investment projects were set up by overseas businesses, creating 66,390 jobs in all. UKTI's report also shows that the benefits are spread throughout the UK with England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London all recording increases in the number of investment projects landing, and new ...
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Bees’ needs: support for pollinators
Simple actions to help pollinators are being promoted by Environment Minister, Lord de Mauley, in the hope of encouraging people to do their bit to support insects such as bees and butterflies. Whether people live in a town or in the countryside, they are being urged to help create or improve a habitat for pollinators in five simple ways: Grow more nectar and pollen-rich flowers, shrubs and trees Leave patches of land to grow wild Cut grass less often Avoid ...
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Britain’s recycling stalls
British recycling is stalling: recycling rates rose just 0.2% between 2012 and 2013, partly because of the disjointed way recycling is organised across the UK. A new report from environmental think-tank, Green Alliance, claims the UK's recycling market isn’t working too well, to the extent that we are losing an estimated £1.7 billion in material and reuse value each year. Outdated policy means that a plastic bottle discarded at home is treated differently across the UK’s 376 ...
