Page 35 - Londra Gazete Sayı 1109

6 LondraGazete.com/English Londra Gazete, 09 June 2022

Government considers ‘radical’ Boris Johnson seeks to move on from

measures to tackle smoking bruising confidence vote

HEALTH officials are consid- biggest killer is cancer and the
ering “radical ways” to reduce the biggest cause of that, of course, is BORIS Johnson has sought
number of smokers in England, smoking, and that is why I com- to rally his senior ministers at a
Sajid Javid has said. missioned an independent review cabinet meeting, after surviving a
But the Health Secretary would by Javid Khan. vote to oust him as Conservative
not be drawn on whether or not “That review is almost com- Party leader.
the Javed Khan review on smok- plete, it’s not quite yet and not He was backed by 211 Tory MPs
ing would recommend that the le- published, so I’m not going to in the confidence vote triggered
gal smoking age should be raised pre-empt what’s in it. by anger over Partygate but 148
to 21. “But it is right that we look voted to remove him.
Mr Javid said that he did not at ways, radical ways, to reduce The number of rebels was high-
want to pre-empt the review by smoking rates in this country, er than had been predicted and
the former chief executive of Bar- they have come down significant- ex-Tory leader William Hague has
nardo’s, which is expected to be ly to around 15% of adults...” advised him to quit.
published on Thursday. The Khan review into smoking Addressing his cabinet, Mr
Asked about reports which was commissioned to provide in- Johnson said it was time to "draw
suggested that the review could dependent, evidence-based advice a line" under the row about his there was "ample scope" for the On Monday evening, the prime
recommend increasing the age to the Government to help reduce leadership. government "to get out of peo- minister said the result was "ex-
people are legally allowed to buy inequalities linked to smoking. He said the government would ples' way". tremely good, positive, conclu-
cigarettes, Mr Javid told BBC Ra- Mr Khan was also tasked with be focusing exclusively on issues Under Conservative Party rules, sive".
dio 4’s Today programme: “One identifying the “most impactful "people want" such as "dealing the prime minister now cannot However his critics have noted
thing I am very keen on is tack- interventions” to reduce the up- with the aftershocks of Covid" face another confidence vote for that his predecessor Theresa May
ling the health disparities that ex- take of smoking and to support and rising energy prices. one year. Although Mr Johnson secured the support of 63% of her
ist in our country – and when our people kicking the habit. The prime minister also urged won the confidence of 59% of his MPs when she faced her own con-
his ministers to look at ways of MPs, the scale of the rebellion has fidence vote but was still forced
cutting regulations adding that left him politically damaged. out of office six months later.

Social housing landlords who fail tenants

face unlimited fines under new bill

SOCIAL housing landlords who
are failing tenants will face unlim-
ited fines, according to Govern-
ment proposals aimed at tackling
damp, cold and unsafe homes.
The social housing regulator
will get greater powers and there
will be a “major reset” of the re-
lationship between landlords and
tenants, under a bill being intro-
UK growth downgraded by OECD duced to parliament on Wednes-
day. The Social Housing Regula-
tion Bill will enable the regulator
THE UK’s economic growth is It comes alongside a global slow- to inspect properties at 48 hours’
expected to be slower than first down which is due in large part to notice, issue unlimited fines and
thought this year and will stagnate the war in Ukraine. make emergency repairs where
in 2023, experts at the Organisation Global growth was been down- there is a serious risk to tenants.
for Economic Co-operation and De- graded from 4.46% to 3.02%, the Under the proposals, which in-
velopment (OECD) have warned. OECD said. clude new satisfaction measures,
The international organisation Only Argentina and Australia saw residents would be able to de-
projects that UK GDP will grow by their growth projections upgraded mand information and rate their
3.64% this year. In December it had by the OECD. landlord, the Department for year to share their experiences following the Grenfell Tower fire.
forecast 4.75% growth. “This growth slowdown is a price of Levelling Up, Housing and Com- with ministers and inform policy. Under the bill, landlords will need
Inflation will peak at over 10% this war which will be paid through lower munities (DLUHC) said. The Government said the bill to have a named person who will
year and decline to 4.7% by the end incomes and fewer job opportuni- And a 250-person residents is the “latest step in addressing be responsible for health and
of next year. ties,” it said. panel will convene three times a the systemic issues” identified safety requirements.

Government scraps plans for £3bn West Coast Main Line link

IN THE government has scrapped High Speed Rail Group fear a "bottle- now explore how HS2 trains could
plans to build a new £3bn rail link neck" will be the result. The govern- best get to and from Scotland.
between HS2 and the West Coast ment said it would study alternative The announcement comes six
Main Line. The 13-mile (21km) Gol- plans. The Golborne Link would have months after the government
borne Link in Cheshire and Greater branched off the the high-speed line dropped its plan to extend HS2 to
Manchester will not be built despite between Crewe and Manchester and Leeds. Construction on the Gol-
its earlier inclusion in the Integrated cut through Cheshire and Trafford to borne Link had been due to start in
Rail Plan for improving the Midlands join the West Coast Mainline south the early 2030s, with the connection
and North. The Railway Industry of Wigan. HS2 Minister Andrew Ste- expected to open towards the end of
Association, Rail Freight Group and phenson said the government would that decade or in the early 2040s.