Latest news with #DavidFothergill
The Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Vapers warned not to stockpile ‘fire risk' disposables before UK ban
Vapers have been warned not to stockpile soon-to-be-banned disposables before Sunday's outright ban as they 'pose a significant fire risk'. The Local Government Association (LGA) said users were stocking up on single-use e-cigarettes while they could, as shops would face fines for selling them after the ban takes effect. And although the temptation from consumers may be to hoard their favourite flavours, the LGA said the lithium batteries inside could become a hazard if not stored correctly. David Fothergill, the chair of the LGA's community wellbeing board, said: 'We want to remind businesses to ensure all remaining stocks of disposable vapes are sold, and only buying vapes that follow the new regulations. 'If businesses have any single-use vapes in their possession after Sunday, they will not be able to sell them to shoppers and must ensure they are stored and disposed of safely. 'We would also urge caution to anyone stockpiling disposable vapes. Failing to store disposable vapes correctly could cost lives, given the significant fire risk they pose.' According to research by Haypp, an online nicotine retailer, 82% of disposable vape users are planning to stockpile. The ban is designed to reduce youth vaping and tackle the environmental damage caused by millions of the devices being thrown away each week. Retailers have been told to clear remaining stock and ensure leftover products are disposed of safely. Material Focus, a non-profit focused on improving electrical recycling in the UK, said 5 million disposable vapes were incorrectly discarded each week in the UK in 2024 – nearly four times higher than the previous year. Many contain lithium-ion batteries, posing fire risks and leaching toxic chemicals into the environment when binned incorrectly. Scott Butler, the executive director of Material Focus, said: 'Thirteen vapes every second are being incorrectly gotten rid of, and that's a huge environmental pollution problem. The liquid in many vape batteries is toxic and could run into waterways, as well as harm animals. It's also a significant fire risk because lithium batteries are known to cause fires when crushed with general waste.' 'Vapes are a huge environmental pollution problem, so we hope the ban goes some way to reducing waste,' he added. Disposables are also the most common device used by children who vape, with more than 20% of UK children having tried vaping, according to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). The devices are often sold in sweet flavours and brightly coloured packaging, which campaigners say appeal to underage users. Under the new rules, only vapes that are rechargeable, refillable and fitted with a replaceable coils (the heating element) will be allowed. Experts worry the industry may have already found ways to sidestep the UK government's ban, while cheaper vape imports rerouted from the US risk pushing down prices further. There are also concerns that new US tariffs on Chinese imports may increase cheap vape shipments to the UK, making enforcement of the ban more difficult. Hazel Cheeseman, the deputy chief executive of ASH, said: 'There's already a sizeable illegal market. Whether the disposable vapes ban makes that risk greater, I guess that depends on how quickly the legitimate retailers are making products available to people that suit their needs. 'People don't necessarily want to go looking for illegal products if they can buy legitimate products in their local corner shop or supermarket that meet their needs, why would they go off looking for dodgy ones?' There are also concerns about policing the vapes at borders and ports, said Kate Pike, the lead officer for vaping at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, who stressed that stronger import controls would be essential. 'We have extra funding to do more at ports and borders … From our point of view, it's important, because obviously it makes a big difference if we can stop [illegal vapes entering the country],' she said.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Real risk' as homes to be built without link road
Hundreds of new homes are to be built without a link road, creating a "real risk" to people's lives, a councillor has said. The final stage of Taunton's Nerrols Farm development, which includes 292 homes, has now been approved after years of debates and complaints. But without the proposed link road, all of the new residents will have to use a single road. Parish councils and Taunton's MP objected to the plans progressing without the new route linking Lyngford Lane to Bossington Drive. But, councillor Simon Coles, chair of Somerset Council's planning meeting, said if they refused the application, there was 99% chance they will lose on appeal. More news stories for Somerset Listen to the latest news for Somerset Once complete, the Nerrols Farm development will include about 900 homes and a new primary school. Developer David Wilson Homes argued that delivering the link road was not practical due to a narrow "ransom strip" between the phase two and three sites, which was outside of its ownership, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. To offset the increase in traffic onto nearby roads, an additional walking and cycling link will be provided, offering a route to Pyrland School and the Wellsprings Leisure Centre. Numerous residents and councillors spoke against the application when it was debated at a meeting on 15 April. Councillor David Fothergill said traffic assessments were not conducted on the north side of the development and he believed this information would change the outcome. "Are you going to put residents and their children at real risk because you haven't seen the information you need to make the right decision?", he said. Resident Kate Wilson added: "None of this makes any sense. The consequences of these plans will not only be unsafe, but irreversible." The committee approved the plans by five votes to four, with one abstention. Follow BBC Somerset on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Developer successfully appeals plan for 150 homes Housing plan moves closer after wetlands approved Plans for new homes near motorway submitted Local Democracy Reporting Service
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Armed Forces face ‘lottery' in access to NHS and schools
Military personnel are facing a 'lottery' in access to healthcare services for themselves and their families and also in getting their children into school. The 'unpredictability and mobility' of service life has made this worse, the chairman of the House of Commons defence committee has said. Inconsistencies in the implementation of the the Armed Forces Covenant, which supports the military community through initiatives and grants, puts personnel at a disadvantage, a report from the committee found. A 'worrying number' of people felt that the covenant was 'ineffective' or had been 'disregarded' when they cited it, the report said. Some reported they missed out on getting NHS treatment because they fell to the bottom of waiting lists when moved to a new place of duty, while others said they had difficulty finding school places for their children. Tan Dhesi, the committee chairman, said the report finds that the covenant is 'inconsistently implemented'. He said: 'We heard evidence of personnel being financially disadvantaged, unable to access necessary medical care, or unable to find an appropriate school for their children, due to their service. 'When the covenant works – it works well. Personnel and their families told us that they had successfully made use of the legal duty of the covenant to access services. 'But this is a lottery, made worse by the unpredictability and mobility of service life. 'When trying to access healthcare, each move can send service families to the bottom of waiting lists for treatment.' He urged the Government to provide guidance and direction so the private and public sector are clear on what their responsibilities are to service personnel and their families. The Labour Party committed in its manifesto to putting the covenant 'fully into law'. The defence committee called for the legal duty to give due regard to military service to be expanded to central governments and the devolved administrations. It also pressed for policy development in Whitehall to take armed forces' needs into account. Responding to the report, Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: 'Councils are committed to supporting the Armed Forces communities through the covenant, meeting veterans' needs, ensuring they have access to housing, health and community services. 'It is positive this report recognises the role of councils and the need to co-design any changes to legislation with local authorities. It is important councils are consulted on any changes. 'We also support the call for more guidance on delivering covenant duties, and for the duty to give due regard to military service to be expanded to other government departments. 'However, councils need to be adequately funded in the Spending Review so they can provide the resources to help support our veterans, in particular should councils be given additional duties.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
08-04-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Armed Forces face ‘lottery' in access to NHS and schools
Military personnel are facing a 'lottery' in access to healthcare services for themselves and their families and also in getting their children into school. The 'unpredictability and mobility' of service life has made this worse, the chairman of the House of Commons defence committee has said. Inconsistencies in the implementation of the the Armed Forces Covenant, which supports the military community through initiatives and grants, puts personnel at a disadvantage, a report from the committee found. A 'worrying number' of people felt that the covenant was 'ineffective' or had been 'disregarded' when they cited it, the report said. Some reported they missed out on getting NHS treatment because they fell to the bottom of waiting lists when moved to a new place of duty, while others said they had difficulty finding school places for their children. 'Financially disadvantaged' Tan Dhesi, the committee chairman, said the report finds that the covenant is 'inconsistently implemented'. He said: 'We heard evidence of personnel being financially disadvantaged, unable to access necessary medical care, or unable to find an appropriate school for their children, due to their service. 'When the covenant works – it works well. Personnel and their families told us that they had successfully made use of the legal duty of the covenant to access services. 'But this is a lottery, made worse by the unpredictability and mobility of service life. 'When trying to access healthcare, each move can send service families to the bottom of waiting lists for treatment.' He urged the Government to provide guidance and direction so the private and public sector are clear on what their responsibilities are to service personnel and their families. The Labour Party committed in its manifesto to putting the covenant 'fully into law'. The defence committee called for the legal duty to give due regard to military service to be expanded to central governments and the devolved administrations. It also pressed for policy development in Whitehall to take armed forces' needs into account. 'Councils need adequate funding' Responding to the report, Cllr David Fothergill, chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, said: 'Councils are committed to supporting the Armed Forces communities through the covenant, meeting veterans' needs, ensuring they have access to housing, health and community services. 'It is positive this report recognises the role of councils and the need to co-design any changes to legislation with local authorities. It is important councils are consulted on any changes. 'We also support the call for more guidance on delivering covenant duties, and for the duty to give due regard to military service to be expanded to other government departments. 'However, councils need to be adequately funded in the Spending Review so they can provide the resources to help support our veterans, in particular should councils be given additional duties.'
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The 'unjust' £250m problem set to rock Stockport
Stockport council has a mammoth task ahead. Town hall bosses need to save up to £60m over the next few years as costs to fund local services continue to grow. To balance the books, new charges are on the table for garden waste collections, car parks, and council tax, as part of the borough's budget plans. But a major new problem has reared its head which could slap the council with a near £250m bill, according to its finance cabinet member. READ MORE: Missing man in Tenerife has been 'found needing medical care' after family flies out to search, says sister READ MORE: Firefighters urge people to shut doors and windows in Stockport blaze Employer national insurance contributions are set to increase nationally, and Stockport council said it was promised extra cash to help cover the cost as part of its share of the Local Government Finance Settlement - a pot of cash given to town halls every year. But at Stockport council's latest cabinet meeting on February 4, Coun Jilly Julian said the borough has been given no extra money for the national insurance increases - leaving the council with a massive black hole to plug. She said: "We have been told that we will be compensated for the direct impact for the council of employer national insurance contributions increasing. '[But the latest finance settlement shows] we won't be directly compensated for the entirety of the impact of that additional cost. 'We know that there's going to be a shortfall of £233m from the funding that's been put forward in the final settlement, that's almost a quarter of a million pound hole in what we believed from the provisional settlement would be available to the council." The Local Government Association (LGA) has also warned about the problem. In November, the LGA's social care spokesperson, Coun David Fothergill, said the increases to employer national insurance contributions are "likely to add significant costs for councils and the wider sector," and risks "putting vital services at significant risk of collapse." Stockport council also missed out on millions of pounds of extra funding through the government's Recovery Fund - one of the only councils in the country to do so. But it did receive some extra cash from the government, with a 5.89 percent increase in the council's core spending power in 2025/26. On February 27, councillors in Stockport will vote on whether to approve the proposals to balance the books, which includes the proposed charges for garden waste and car parks. But in the short-term, pressure is growing on the council's ability to keep funding local service. Coun Julian said that the situation feels "unjust," but added that the council will still set a balanced budget this year. "The bones of it is, pressures exceed funding, it's that simple," she said. "For the 16th consecutive year there's insufficient funding with which we need to protect our most vulnerable residents, deliver vital social care services, and provide the universal services that all of our residents rely on." The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government was contacted for comment.
