Latest news with #RBH
Cision Canada
15-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
ONTARIO TAKES STEPS TO ADDRESS CONTRABAND TOBACCO
Federal leadership needed to address illegal tobacco sales TORONTO, May 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Ontario's 2025 Budget has announced positive steps to address the province's growing illegal contraband tobacco trade. New provincial action includes increasing fines, enhancing enforcement measures and calling for federal leadership to address online sales of contraband cigarettes, often shipped through Canada Post. According to a recent report by Ernst and Young and commissioned by the Convenience Industry Council of Canada (CICC), a growing number of online websites sell and deliver contraband cigarettes anywhere in Canada in violation of Canadian laws. The products often include age and health warnings that mirror past Health Canada requirements on labelling to give an air of legitimacy. Some websites even offer volume discounts for more than one carton purchased. The CICC report cites and as examples of these sites. Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH) is encouraged by Ontario's progress through its commitments in Budget 2025, joining Alberta and Saskatchewan in tackling this public safety issue head-on. RBH urges Ontario to work with its federal and provincial counterparts to find ways to address all contraband tobacco sales – both in person and online. Ontario's contraband tobacco market is controlled by, and funds organized crime. Criminal groups involved in contraband tobacco use profits generated from the contraband tobacco trade to fund other illegal activities, including guns and drug trafficking, mostly across the USA / Canada border. QUOTE "Today's Ontario Budget takes important steps forward to address the province's growing contraband tobacco trade that fuels organized crime. Left unchecked, illicit tobacco means lost government revenue for vital social services, increased youth access to tobacco and dangerous activities in communities across Ontario, including gun, drug and human trafficking. The measures announced today should assist law-enforcement in tackling this public safety issue." - Kory McDonald, Head, External Affairs, RBH To learn more about RBH, visit: About Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc. (RBH), an affiliate of Philip Morris International Inc., is one of Canada's leading tobacco and nicotine companies and is working to deliver a smoke-free future. RBH is committed to sustainability and creating a positive impact on communities, the economy, and the environment. Currently, RBH employs nearly 800 people across the country with its headquarters in Toronto and a factory in Québec City. Discover more about the company at and stay updated on RBH's transformation by following Twitter and LinkedIn. SOURCE Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Plan to make landlords fix mould in social housing
New measures are being introduced in Scotland to make it easier for social housing tenants to have damp and mould in their homes fixed. The Scottish government plans to amend to the Housing (Scotland) Bill to give ministers the power to impose repair deadlines on landlords. The move comes in response to the Awaab's Law campaign, named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died from mould exposure in Rochdale in 2020. The Scottish bill, which follows similar changes in England, was introduced in March last year. The new amendments are due to be debated next month. The bill was announced at a time when a number of Scottish local authorities were declaring housing emergencies. In 2022, a coroner concluded toddler Awaab Ishak had died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his home. His father, Faisal Abdullah, had repeatedly raised the issue with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) but no action was taken. Campaigners demanded reforms and the previous Conservative government carried out a review of guidelines on mould. Changes to the law in England, via the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, received royal assent in July 2023 - this included new measures on damp and mould, which would be known as Awaab's law. Awaab's father said he hoped legal changes would "stop any other family going through the pain that we went through". The Labour government announced last month that strict timescales on landlords to fix mould issues would be enforced in England from October, with other changes being rolled out in phases. Law to make social landlords fix mould in force from October Boy's death caused by mould in flat, coroner rules How dangerous is black mould in the home? Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "Everyone in Scotland deserves the right to live in a warm, safe and secure home, free from disrepair. "We already have a strong set of rights and standards that have been improving in Scotland. "However, these measures will go even further and give power and confidence to tenants that any issues identified will be repaired in a timely manner and do not have a detrimental impact on their health." Currently landlords in Scotland have to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) - this requires housing to be free from rising or penetrating damp, to have satisfactory ventilation and meet minimum energy efficiency standards. According to Shelter Scotland, landlords should fix damp and mould issues "in a reasonable amount of time" - but what counts as reasonable depends on the circumstances. Exact timescales for landlords to fix these issues could be enforced if the Housing (Scotland) Bill is passed. The Scottish government has not yet said what these deadlines might be. The bill would also introduce longer-term rent controls for the private sector and place a duty on local councils to carry out assessments on the state of private accommodation in their area. However the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) previously told BBC Scotland the legislation would exacerbate Scotland's housing crisis.
BBC News
18-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Awaab's law: Plan to make landlords fix mould in Scottish housing
New measures are being introduced in Scotland to make it easier for social housing tenants to have damp and mould in their homes Scottish government plans to amend to the Housing (Scotland) Bill to give ministers the power to impose repair deadlines on move comes in response to the Awaab's Law campaign, named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak who died from mould exposure in Rochdale in Scottish bill, which follows similar changes in England, was introduced in March last year. The new amendments are due to be debated next month. The bill was announced at a time when a number of Scottish local authorities were declaring housing emergencies. What is Awaab's Law? In 2022, a coroner concluded toddler Awaab Ishak had died from a respiratory condition caused by exposure to mould in his father, Faisal Abdullah, had repeatedly raised the issue with Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) but no action was demanded reforms and the previous Conservative government carried out a review of guidelines on to the law in England, via the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, received royal assent in July 2023 - this included new measures on damp and mould, which would be known as Awaab's father said he hoped legal changes would "stop any other family going through the pain that we went through".The Labour government announced last month that strict timescales on landlords to fix mould issues would be enforced in England from October, with other changes being rolled out in phases. Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "Everyone in Scotland deserves the right to live in a warm, safe and secure home, free from disrepair. "We already have a strong set of rights and standards that have been improving in Scotland."However, these measures will go even further and give power and confidence to tenants that any issues identified will be repaired in a timely manner and do not have a detrimental impact on their health."Currently landlords in Scotland have to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) - this requires housing to be free from rising or penetrating damp, to have satisfactory ventilation and meet minimum energy efficiency to Shelter Scotland, landlords should fix damp and mould issues "in a reasonable amount of time" - but what counts as reasonable depends on the timescales for landlords to fix these issues could be enforced if the Housing (Scotland) Bill is Scottish government has not yet said what these deadlines might bill would also introduce longer-term rent controls for the private sector and place a duty on local councils to carry out assessments on the state of private accommodation in their the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) previously told BBC Scotland the legislation would exacerbate Scotland's housing crisis.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MP and hospital staff meet minister over rebuild
An MP, hospital staff and patients met a health minister to discuss what can be done to maintain a Berkshire hospital that will not be rebuilt until at least 2037. Parts of the Royal Berkshire Hospital (RBH) in Reading are nearly 200-years-old, 95% of its lifts are beyond the end of their life and operations are regularly cancelled. RBH staff were previously told the hospital might have been replaced in 2031 but in January health secretary Wes Streeting said it will only be replaced between 2037 and 2039. Wokingham MP Clive Jones and senior staff including the hospital's chief strategy officer, Andy Statham, met health minister Karin Smyth on Wednesday. Jones said the meeting was "very productive" and that Smyth had pledged to help the hospital. "It's going to cost £300m to £400m over the next 10 years keep the estate going and we wanted to come up with a few ideas to make sure that we can keep the hospital going in reasonable condition," Jones said . "The repairs that we need, they have got to happen. They cannot be instead of a new hospital. We're bursting out of the seams of the hospital. "And in the next few years we are going to have so many more people to treat because health treatments are going to be improving an awful lot." Earlier this year, RBH bosses warned they were "losing the battle" against a constant need for repairs. Fifty operations were cancelled in 18 months due to estate disrepair, including power cuts, leaking roofs and collapsed ceilings. "We have got some really old buildings at the Royal Berkshire, some of which will be coming up to nearly 200-years-old. Every day we have challenges in providing safe care which our teams work really valiantly to do," Mr Statham said. "It's a difficult situation we know the minister's in. Their resources are really tight in the public sector at the moment and we understand the position. That doesn't mean that what we need is any less. "I think we got a real recognition of the challenges of what our patients face and our staff face but also a challenge to us: how can we think differently and how we can make use of community care, digital care, in order to manage things a bit differently in the future. "We're doing everything we can to provide high quality care for our patients in Berkshire." You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Hospital's maintenance bill could hit £400m Planned £1.6bn Berkshire hospital rebuild delayed Major hospital relocation plans put to public New hospital could be built in five years, boss says Hospital should move to new site - trust chief Royal Berkshire NHS Trust
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canada court approves $23 billion settlement to end Big Tobacco lawsuits
(Reuters) -A Canadian court approved a plan to settle long-running tobacco lawsuits in the country as part of which the units of three Big Tobacco companies will pay C$32.5 billion ($22.67 billion), Philip Morris and British American Tobacco said on Friday. The settlement resolves lawsuits — that have hung over Philip Morris, British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco — that claimed the Canadian units of the three tobacco giants knew since the 1950s their products were causing cancer and other illnesses and failed to warn consumers adequately. A Quebec court in 2019, following an appeal, upheld its 2015 decision to award damages of around C$15 billion to some 100,000 smokers and ex-smokers in the province, who had filed class action lawsuits against the companies. The decision forced the Canadian units of the three cigarette makers — Imperial Tobacco Canada, JTI-Macdonald and Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH) — to seek bankruptcy protection in 2019. Philip Morris' Canadian unit, RBH, was allowed to retain C$750 million from the upfront payment related to the settlement, the company said on Friday. "The plan also contains a number of operating covenants that would govern RBH's combustible business going forward until the settlement amount has been paid," the company added. Philip Morris said objections to the settlement plan by its affiliate and others had been resolved. The plan, which was proposed by a court-appointed mediator, would be implemented and become effective in 2025. British American Tobacco said on Friday the settlement will not affect its forecast for 2025. ($1 = 1.4335 Canadian dollars) Sign in to access your portfolio
