Fake reviews, shop labelling and hidden fees that make shopping more difficult and expensive for consumers will all be targeted head on to clamp down on unfair trading practices. Following a consultation into consumer transparency and as part of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Bill (DMCC), the Department for Business and Trade will officially add fake reviews to a list of banned business practices, outlaw dripped fees that are unavoidable for consumers and ensure that businesses provide clearer labelling for prices on supermarket shelves. These measures will be legislated for as part of the DMCC Bill as it progresses…

Businesses are set to benefit from reduced costs and burdens as import labels are made digital for the first time. Digital labelling will allow businesses to put important regulatory or manufacturing information online rather than requiring them to physically print it on their products – saving time and money which can be pushed towards scaling up and growing their company. This measure has been made possible by leaving the EU and provides greater flexibility than the EU’s regulatory requirements while better reflecting the modern and digital world of business and international trade. This follows the Product Safety Review consultation and…

The Walsall Food Summit organised by Food for Life Walsall (a Soil Association programme) with Public Health Walsall took place on 17 January 2024 at Walsall Football Club. It began with an introduction from Nadia Inglis, Interim Director of Public Health at Walsall Council, who talked about the need for easy access to good food that is not only healthy, but affordable and sustainable too. The Walsall Food Summit was a catalyst for action, with a focus on building on the great work that is taking place in Walsall and identifying priority actions for a borough-wide food plan, which has…

Families across England who have children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will soon receive further support with more short breaks, supported internship opportunities and better support for those with Down syndrome, the Department for Education has announced. The short breaks innovation programme – which provides a range of unforgettable activities for children with SEND, to help improve their health, education and wellbeing outcomes – will be extended to a further 7 local authorities. Backed by £30 million, activities include cooking classes, theatre trips and craft workshops, providing children with SEND an opportunity to develop social skills and friendships, whilst offering parents…

New measures to enhance recruitment and retention in the teaching profession have been announced by the government. They include £1.5 million of new investment to deliver a three-year mental health and wellbeing support package for school and college leaders; providing professional supervision and counselling to at least 2,500 leaders. The government is also committing to publish new guidance for schools – expected to be completed this spring – on how to prevent and tackle bullying and harassment of school staff. The measures have been announced after extensive consultation with school leaders and teachers around the improvements they believe will ensure that…

Screening for breast, bowel and cervical cancer will be made quicker and more effective under plans to roll out the use of digital images to detect cancer. The Department of Health and Social Care is taking forward the recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee to increase the use of digital pathology to examine body tissue samples as part of screening programmes. This will help: Clinicians to gain second opinions on whether samples obtained are cancerous. Laboratories to work more efficiently and quickly, including allowing reporting off site. Make it easier to identify cancer. Speed up diagnosis for patients. The announcement…

will be on hand to talk to members of the public and encourage those with suspected symptoms to visit their GP as soon as possible. This comes as survey data also shows that just over a third (34%) of South Asian people surveyed would visit their GP if they had a chest infection that kept coming back, and a similar percentage would do the same if they had a loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss (36%), which are lesser-known signs of lung cancer. Dr. Jyoti Sood said: “Tens of thousands of people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year in England,…

Thousands of children and young people will receive earlier mental health treatment in a move to help save lives and ensure fewer youngsters reach crisis point, through early support hubs across the country. The government is making nearly £5 million available to provide earlier, open-access mental health intervention at 10 hubs in community locations. The drop-in centres offer mental health support and advice to local young people who will not need a referral by a doctor or school. They will not even need an appointment. Services provided include group work, counselling, psychological therapies, specialist advice and signposting to information and…

Kia UK plans to launch its brand-new and disruptive electric van business at the 2025 Commercial Vehicle (CV) Show this April.Dominating Kia’s show stand will be the PV5 – the brand’s first fully electric van – for its UK debut where specification and other customer centric information will be announced. Proudly taking position on stand 5C95, Kia will also deliver an insight into its first ever commercial vehicle business plans.First seen at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2024, Kia announced its new commercial vehicle business with the acronym, PBV. An overarching naming strategy referring to ‘Purpose Built Vehicle’ and…

“A huge benefit of these exercises is the number of calories burnt; however, they provide many other health benefits such as improving strength, mental wellbeing and overall happiness. There is an exercise out there for everyone and it is exciting to find your perfect fit – or a variety of workouts.” The research was conducted by Breaking Muscle, which is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition.