Latest news with #RebeccaPaul
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Redhill community pub The Garibaldi fundraising to buy its site
A community pub in Redhill is continuing to raise funds to purchase its 150-year-old Garibaldi, run on a non-profit basis by volunteers, currently leases its building but has been raising funds to buy the site since 2024, when its owner opted to sell the MP Rebecca Paul praised the "amazing" pub during a House of Commons debate on Monday but warned it was "now at risk" if it could not complete the purchase."Rather ironically, the pub is so much more than bricks and mortar but it needs to buy the bricks and mortar if it is to survive," she said. The community group that has operated the pub since 2017 held an event in May as part of its fundraising told MPs "every bit of profit The Garibaldi makes gets ploughed back into things that benefit the community" and the pub "gives back to the community in so many ways".The Garibaldi was "doing a sterling job of trying to raise the money", the MP bar hosts regular social events and its outdoor space is now a community garden managed by to Paul's comments, minister Alex Norris said he was "very interested in meeting" the MP to discuss what support the government could give The Garibaldi.
Telegraph
13-05-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
Parents ‘wouldn't know about their child's assisted death until too late'
Adults under 25 must not be able to end their lives by assisted dying without telling their parents, MPs have urged. The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which would allow those over 18 in England and Wales with fewer than six months to live to end their lives, returns to Parliament on Friday. All MPs will be able to debate changes to the legislation in the House of Commons for the first time since voting to legalise assisted dying in November, ahead of another vote. Critics have expressed concern that there remains a lack of safeguards to protect vulnerable groups after MPs on the Bill committee examined it line by line and heard from experts. MPs have put forward an amendment to the Bill that requires the next of kin to be informed if an adult under the age of 25 has their application for an assisted death approved. The amendment tabled by Juliet Campbell, a Labour MP, says that 'where the person to whom the referral relates is under the age of 25', their 'next of kin' must be informed. Rebecca Paul, a Conservative MP supporting the amendment, said that without it 'the first a family may know about the assisted death of their loved one is when they get the call to collect the body'. Opponents to the Bill have highlighted that anorexia sufferers could access assisted dying. Some disability charities have also raised concerns that vulnerable adults, such as those with learning disabilities, could be coerced into ending their lives. Kim Leadbeater, the Bill's sponsor, announced in February plans to scrap the requirement for a High Court judge to sign off applications and replace it with an expert panel. Ms Leadbeater said that the sign-off of an expert panel, made up of a psychiatrist, social worker and lawyer, would be an 'even stronger' safeguard. But opponents have expressed concern that assisted dying panels will be able to hear evidence in secret at the applicant's request. Ms Paul told The Telegraph: 'The current bill prioritises patient autonomy over everything else, and this can be seen in the absence of references to family and next of kin throughout the Bill. 'Right now, the first a family may know about the assisted death of their loved one is when they get the call to collect the body. There will be mothers and fathers out there that will get this call about their child if this Bill goes through without improvements to the process and safeguards.' She added that the amendment 'will at least help protect young people, especially those with learning disabilities, by ensuring their families are aware before the drugs are administered'. Rachael Maskell, a Labour MP supporting the amendment, said: 'If someone is not willing to discuss their death with their family, then it should be explored as to why.' She added: 'Learning that a family member has had an assisted suicide in other jurisdictions has proved to cause significant trauma for those remaining. In some cases they were not aware of this possibility and it has left people with complex trauma.' Eating disorder charities said they were 'extremely disappointed' when a proposal that would have prevented people with anorexia from being able to access assisted dying 'as a result of stopping eating or drinking' was rejected. Eat Breathe Thrive, a US charity, told MPs that it had found that at least 60 patients had accessed assisted dying because of anorexia in jurisdictions where it is already legal. Around a third of those who had died were in their teens or twenties. Chelsea Roff, the charity's founder, told The Telegraph that the amendment would be a 'step in the right direction', as families often hold 'critical information' about a patient's condition that they may withhold from a doctor. But she added that she felt the cut-off point of 25 felt 'arbitrary', adding: 'What about a 26-year-old, or a 29-year-old, or a 33-year-old?' MPs voted 330 to 275 to legalise assisted dying last year, in a historic vote. The Government did not support or oppose the Bill, with MPs able to vote according to their conscience. Sir Keir Starmer voted in favour of the bill, along with Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor. But Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister; Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary; and Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, all voted against it. Since the last vote, Ms Leadbeater has also introduced a new rule that requires doctors to set out palliative care options during an initial discussion with a patient about assisted dying. Speaking last week, she said elements that had been added to the legislation over the last few months 'have really enhanced the safeguards'. Ms Leadbeater told the Hansard Society's Parliament Matters podcast: 'What I would struggle to understand would be colleagues who voted at Second Reading, who had got nervousness around safeguards, if they look at the Bill in detail, which I really hope they do, and I believe colleagues will do, they will see the things that have been added.' It comes as Ms Leadbeater announced she was supporting an amendment that required an assessment of the 'availability, quality and distribution' of palliative care in England and Wales once the Bill is in force. She said on Tuesday: 'I am fully committed to a holistic approach to end of life care and choice and that I am determined that if the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passes, it should be accompanied by improvements to palliative care in England and Wales, as has been the experience in other jurisdictions where assisted dying is already available as an option.'
Wales Online
12-05-2025
- Automotive
- Wales Online
Highways England 'set to remove' M6 and M5 motorway lights to hit carbon emissions targets
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Officials at Highways England are preparing to give the red light to more than 140 miles of motorway illumination across some of Britain's busiest stretches in a bid to reduce carbon emissions, including the M6 and M5 through Birmingham. The controversial move has come to light following a parliamentary question. Despite concerns, Highways England is pushing ahead even after an earlier initiative to switch off lights was scrapped in 2019 due to an uptick in accidents. Highways England disclosed that it's currently piloting the blackout of specific road segments with the intention of eventually taking out the lights for good. During this test phase, they'll measure the accident rate against data from the past five years, and if the analysis gives the green light, those lights will be switched off permanently. As of now, two long stretches lie in darkness: one spans from the M6 Keele Bank services down to Strensham Services on the M5—summing up to approximately 91 miles of critical highway—and another covers the gap from the M27 J12 to the M3 J13, totalling about 54 miles. The matter was thrust into the spotlight by Conservative Rebecca Paul through a formal written question to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander inquiring: "What recent discussions she has had with National Highways on its programme of (a) turning off and (b) removing lights on motorways." Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Future of Roads Lilian Greenwood replied, saying the change was being made to hit net zero targets: 'The Department meets monthly with National Highways to discuss its performance and delivery. This includes discussions on the company's actions to meet its Key Performance Indicator targets, one of which is Corporate Carbon reduction. 'Electricity used to light the strategic road network is by far the biggest contributor to National Highways' overall carbon emissions. To meet the reduction target, National Highways has been trialling turning off some sections of lighting, where it has been assessed safe to do so, alongside its LED replacement programme.' A National Highways spokesperson said: 'Safety is our priority and any decision to remove lighting is fully researched and carefully considered. This allows us to use taxpayers money on improving other elements of the road network that bring greater safety benefits for drivers while reducing our carbon output.' The organisation, which oversees around 4,500 miles of motorways and major A-roads in England, is conducting a year-long trial switch-off on sections of the motorway before considering lighting removal, comparing against nighttime casualty figures from the past five years. With plans to convert 70% of street lighting assets to LED by 2027, all road sections are under review for potential light removal. This follows a previous initiative between 2009 and 2019 when motorway lighting was turned off between midnight and 5am on approximately 100 miles of the network, with some lights remaining off entirely. A Highways England report examined reported road casualties during this period. According to the report, the number of casualties on previously unlit sections that had been lit rose by 88% (from 93 to 175) between 2010 and 2017. .In 2019, it was revealed that Highways England had stopped turning off motorway lights at midnight since 2018, citing the installation of LED lighting as the reason. Richard Leonard, Head of Road Safety, stated at the time: 'Safety is our top priority. On our roads, we light what needs to be lit, and we know where those locations are. We have a better understanding of where nighttime collisions occur and the impact road lighting would have. This means we can target lighting where it is needed, rather than putting lights everywhere." "We are absolutely committed to further reducing deaths and injuries on England's motorways and major A roads. This will require a concerted effort and investment over the long term." Highways England noted that data suggested a higher likelihood of being involved in a casualty incident on a lit section of road, although pointed out this may be due to the fact that lighting is often installed on more hazardous sections of the network.
