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With such a big crop (estimated to be at least 603,000 tonnes), almonds are attractively priced compared to other tree nuts, said RM Curtis’ trading director Mark Setterfield in the firm’s new report, Edible Nuts & Dried Fruit, June-July 2007.”With this in mind, we would expect demand to increase, so the surplus might become tighter as the new season progresses,” he said. “We are also yet to see the impact of the new regulatory changes on aflatoxin testing in the EU, which are due to be put in place from 1 September.”’Aflatoxin’ is a term that refers to any group of toxic compounds produced by certain moulds. These can contaminate stored food supplies, such as nuts.The legislation will mean that all almonds coming from the US will need to be accompanied by a Voluntary Aflatoxin Sampling Plan (VASP) certificate, which will prove that the goods have been tested for aflatoxin in California to the European protocol.”With 5% of imports to be tested regardless, this could impact on the timing of containers being cleared, set against deliveries required over September and October,” added Setterfield. “That said, the protocol for routine testing, has been around for years on hazelnuts. Apart from the inconvenience of containers being taken for testing, overall the effect has been insignificant. But there might still be a squeeze on goods over September and October as the system beds in.”RM Curtis is an importer, trader and packer of nuts, dried fruit and other dried products, based in London and Essex.
Marks & Spencer sandwich supplier Uniq reported falling sales in the first three months of the year, down 4.9% on the same period in 2008.The European chilled convenience food group blamed a slowdown in its markets and the later timing of Easter for operating losses, which were slightly lower than it had expected. However, it has recently won more business with M&S, which prompted it to make further investments in its food-to-go facility at Northampton.UK sales were flat year-on-year with growth in desserts and salads being offset by a slight decline in food-to-go. A company statement reported: “This performance is slightly ahead of our expectations, as we had planned for a continuation of the slowdown experienced in the second half of 2008.”It added that work to complete the closure of Paignton and transfer business into Minsterley was on track and would be complete by September 2009.
The Baking Industry Exhibition opens this Sunday (21 March) at the NEC in Birmingham. The show will be packed full of new products, new ideas, exhibitors, and free advice so register now. British Baker will be at the show so visit stand K300 and meet the team. There are great competitions such as the Louis Lesaffre competition and the California Raisins Future Baker of the Year competition, plus a whole host of great names demonstrating new techniques and giving free advice.It’s also co-located with seven other leading trade shows including Cafe+, Food and Drink logistics Show, Food and Drink Expo so you can source products and ideas for every part of your business. Plus, you can pick up a free Discount Booklet with thousands of pounds worth of saving across BIE and its co-located shows so what are you waiting for? Register now!
Winning the World Cup is probably the most prestigious accolade a nation could achieve well, in the field of bakery that is. And it is why, for the past 10 months, the UK team Mickael Jahan, Wayne Caddy and Steven Salt has been eating, sleeping and breathing this competition.Following the European selection rounds of the Louis Lesaffre Cup (LLC), held at the Sirha exhibition in Lyon last month, the UK team now has a tense wait to find out if they will be picked as the one ’wild card’ team, of five contenders, to make the trip to Paris in March 2012 (see BB 28 January, pg 4).Following their selection at the national heats, held at the Baking Industry Exhibition (BIE) in March 2010, the team trained together on four occasions at the Lesaffre Baking Centre in Lille in addition to all the hours they crammed in individually. But they admit more training time would have been preferable. Team coach Sara Autton, of team sponsor Fermex International, explains that, at the beginning of this competition, they were very much focused on what each of them had to achieve individually, but that they are now focused on how the team is working together. The improvement has been significant. However, the boys say they would not have got where they are today without her expertise.Predictably, there were questions about the fact the UK team contained a Frenchman, but Jahan has lived in the UK for more than five years, therefore fulfilling all the requirements needed to represent the UK, with Caddy and Salt choosing him as captain. “I think the French train their students better in terms of the level of detail and the intensity of the training and so on,” says Caddy. “Mickael has been able to focus us, and has given us some great insights into how we need to train together. It has been an absolute pleasure working with him.”Salt had taken part in the LLC back in 2007, alongside two students, and wanted to come back as part of a professional team; however, artistic bread was new to him when he started, and has been something of a big learning curve. Caddy, meanwhile, had never competed in anything before. “I wanted a challenge and to see how far I could push myself,” he says. “I really enjoyed the national heat at BIE, and got a taste for competition.”Jahan says it has been a great opportunity to represent the country that has accepted him, and “an honour” to be team captain. The team also has two reserves: Rebekah Simpson (Viennese Pastry), Tameside College, and Emmanuel Hadjiandreou (Bread), a tutor at The Artisan School of Food in Nottinghamshire.The competition itself is undoubtedly very competitive, but there is also a great sense of camaraderie between the different nations. Each team picks which of the four purpose-built bakeries they will use out of a hat they don’t all have exactly the same equipment and they then have one hour’s preparation time, before commencing the eight-hour bakery marathon the following day. Visitors to the show can watch the entire production process, before the goods are examined and tasted by an international panel of judges, headed up by president of the jury and creator of the Bakery World Cup, Christian Vabret. The team had a great preparation session in fact the judges all said that, during preparation, the UK was the most organised of all the teams and, in typical baker style, they were required to get up at the crack of dawn for a 5am competition start. The crowds gathered on the seats in front of the competing nations and, for those who spoke English, received interestingly translated commentary from the French presenter of the competition. How anyone that doesn’t know about bakery managed to work out that “lamted, femted dote” meant laminated and fermented dough, is anyone’s guess.Carry on regardlessThe judges revealed the team was very close to being in the top three and they have proved the UK has some great bakers. And to have beaten countries like Belgium, Israel and Spain is just amazing, adds Salt.Despite having no guarantee that they will be going through to the next round, the team now has to plough on with training as if they are, otherwise they will have lost valuable time, says Autton.”We need to scrutinise what we’ve done, and how we work together. It was said how well we worked as a team, but we need to work harder on these things to take it further and we need to work on the product range to get it perfect,” says Caddy.Having not achieved a top three result, the team was disappointed with its performance and Caddy says if they had performed how they did in training, he is sure they would have succeeded. “You cannot be completely happy with yourself if you’re not the winner, otherwise what’s your next target,” says Jahan.Autton hopes the team’s efforts will go some way to raising the profile of the competition, so that more UK bakers will come forward to enter in future, including those from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. “We really want them to enter. We want the best,” says Autton. Adds Jahan: “It’s competitive, but friendly, and there is so much to learn.”Caddy says he thinks it is really important for the UK to be in this competition, as the nation is perceived by the rest of Europe as being dominated by industrial bakers, with few skilled artisans. The president of the jury even said he was very surprised the UK team had done so well. “Our mission is to show them we have got the skills,” says Caddy. Salt adds: “We need to raise the profile of baking in the UK and get more young people into it.”Eighteen-year old reserve Simpson is a great example of the kind of young people the UK bakery industry needs to ensure its future, always putting herself forward for opportunities that could enhance her career development. “Although I haven’t played a huge part in the competition, it has been a great experience and has really inspired me,” she says. “It has also really changed my opinion of bread. I’ve seen that you can do a lot more with it, instead of it just being four main ingredients bread is not just bread.”In a style fitting of an awards speech, Autton says she wants to thank all the companies that have lent their support to the UK’s bid for World Cup glory so far the sponsors Fermex International, DCL Yeast and BFP Wholesale, the likes of Smith’s Flour Mill in Worksop for providing test-baking facilities and the team’s current employers. Let’s hope the team gets to prove itself in Paris next year. Meet the team (left to right, with Sara Autton) Wayne Caddy (Bread) began baking in 1987, going on to win Student Baker of the Year in 1995. Caddy’s project work has taken him to India, Italy, Germany, France, Belgium, Norway, Finland and Bangladesh. He currently runs The Essential Baker Consultancy, offering a wide range of bespoke services to the baking and pizza industry.Mickael Jahan (Viennese Pastry) has been asked to bake bread for the Queen and make desserts for the Sultan of Oman. Jahan’s career first led him to the UK in 1998 and, after passing his Masters in Bakery at INBP in France, he returned to the UK in 2002, and has since held positions at Maison Blanc, Paul and, currently, Grain D’Or Bakery.Steven Salt (Artistic Piece) is a lecturer and coach in bakery, confectionery and patisserie at Tameside College of Technology in Manchester. Salt’s career includes spells as a production manager and bakery manager, and he has owned his own bakery for four years. He also competed in the Louis Lesaffre Cup in 2007.
Managers often worry about tackling poor performance, which in itself can lead to problems getting out of hand. A simple, robust, employee improvement plan could make both of your lives much easier.Every employer has encountered at least one poor performer be it appalling punctuality, poor attendance rate or simply because the individual is just bad at their job. If the problem is left to fester for any length of time, it can cause resentment among other staff, who have to pick up the slack. It may also lead to poor performance multiplying across your organisation, because others perceive that it is tolerated. Quite often, however, the issue is not tackled because the manager does not know what to do.This is where an ’employee improvement plan’ (EIP), which is sometimes referred to in HR circles as a performance improvement plan, can come to the rescue. It allows you to create a clear framework that will hopefully enable the employee to improve to your required standards. While this may sound scary and formal, it is not meant to be; an EIP is an informal process that gives a member of your staff the full opportunity to improve before any formal disciplinary and/or capability procedures are triggered.This approach fits in nicely with the ACAS Code of Practice on Discipline and Grievance Procedures, which emphasises the need to resolve workplace issues informally wherever possible.However, there is an added bonus to implementing an EIP. If the employee ultimately fails to come up to scratch, you will have solid evidence that shows exactly what you did to manage the problem and help them solve it.What does an EIP do?It is a multi-stage process that allows you to:1. Identify the areas where an employee is under-performing2. Set defined goals3. Outline how you expect the required improvements to be made by the employee4. Specify what support (if any) will be provided to the employee for example, additional training;5. Measure future performance and success6. Schedule reviews7. Agree a time-frame for improvements.Creating the planBefore you initiate an EIP, you must be able to identify exactly why your employee is not meeting your expectations fully for example, poor timekeeping, missed deadlines, customer complaints or problems with technical competence. Once you have done this, identify what you consider to be acceptable performance standards. You will also need to decide how it will be measured once the plan is triggered, as you cannot assess improvements without a yardstick to quantify them by. Only meet with the employee to set an EIP when you have this information.If it is clear that an employee will need support, training and/or coaching in order to improve their performance, this must always be provided, otherwise they will be in a strong position to challenge the fairness of any formal proceedings that you initiate later on.Members can obtain an employee improvement plan template by calling the NAMB on 01920 468061.
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook (Photo supplied/ABC 57) Governor Holcomb’s Stay At Home order has prompted changes in the free meal locations for area schools.The free grab-and-go meals are being provided for students at several locations, but the new order means cutbacks in the locations where the meals are made available.The South Bend Tribune reports that only three PHM facilities will remain open for meals, Monday through Friday.Only four sites in the Mishawaka Schools will continue to offer the meals.South Bend Schools will also no longer be offering meals on Friday.PHM:Early meals will be available from 8 to 9 a.m. at Prairie Vista Elementary School and Grissom Middle School. Mid-day meals will be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Prairie Vista, Grissom and Penn High School. Late meals will be available from 5 to 7 p.m. only at the high school.Mishawaka:Meal pick-up locations are Beiger, Emmons and LaSalle elementary schools and John Young Middle School. Facebook Previous articleSuspect at-large charged with murder at South Bend gas stationNext articleNTSB cancels meeting on Indiana crash that killed 3 siblings Tommie Lee Pinterest Changes made to free meal programs at PHM, Mishawaka and South Bend By Tommie Lee – March 25, 2020 0 419 Pinterest WhatsApp Google+ Twitter CoronavirusIndianaLocalNewsSouth Bend Market Google+
Facebook Twitter By Jon Zimney – August 13, 2020 0 399 WhatsApp Google+ Google+ Pinterest Facebook (Photol supplied/South Bend Cubs) The South Bend Cubs will host a second Movie Night at Four Winds Field on Friday, Aug. 14.The South Bend Cubs sent the following information to 95.3 MNC about the event:Movie begins at 8:00 p.m. and gates open at 7:00 p.m. After polling fans on the Cubs social media pages, the featured film will be The Sandlot.TO PURCHASE TICKETS, CLICK HERELike the first movie night, a spectacular fireworks show will follow the movie. Plus, kids 12 and under can run the bases after the fireworks, weather permitting.Tickets are only $10 for general admission seating. The GA ticket allows fans to sit in the seating bowl or on the outfield grass. Blankets are allowed but umbrellas and lawn chairs are prohibited on the field. Only 1,500 tickets will be available for this event. Tickets are available by clicking here.For fans interested in booking an outdoor suite, the Cubs will also offer a VIP Package that includes six tickets, seating in an outdoor suite, two tubs of popcorn, and a food voucher for each guest that includes a hot dog or burger, bag of chips, and soda. This package is only $150.00 and like previous events, only six suites will be available. Food vouchers must be redeemed at the concession stands. Suite service will not be available. This VIP package is available (while supplies last) by clicking here.Four Winds Field will have two concessions stands open, in addition to the popular Steakadelphia stand. Adults 21 and older can also visit the Miller Lite Tiki Hut and select beer stands on the concourse. Specialty drinks available that night include Round Barn Sangria, White Claws, and select craft beers. The Cubs Den Team Store will be open with a special movie night sale and the splash pad will be open.This event will follow the State of Indiana’s Phase 4.5 guidelines policies set by the CDC. Fans will be asked to keep at least six feet away from guests they do not know. Hand sanitizers will also be placed throughout the concourse.As part of Governor Holcomb’s executive order, fans are required to wear a face mask in public spaces (indoor and outdoor) when 6 feet of physical distance cannot be maintained. When individuals are standing in line for concessions, drinks, bathrooms, or where people will need to congregate, a mask must be worn. Exceptions to this rule are those with a medical condition that prevents them from safely wearing a mask and any child 2 and younger. Once individuals are back within their families or in their seats, they can remove the mask. Twitter The Sandlot featured during next Movie Night at Four Winds Field IndianaLocalMichiganNewsSports WhatsApp Pinterest Previous articleSurvey suggests face-mask buy-in is all in the moral messagingNext articleHolcomb: Schools starting with online only should get full funding for now Jon ZimneyJon Zimney is the News and Programming Director for News/Talk 95.3 Michiana’s News Channel and host of the Fries With That podcast. Follow him on Twitter @jzimney.
IndianaLocalNews Previous articleMichigan City man killed after being struck by vehicle on U.S. 12Next articleFormer First Lady of Indiana Susan Bayh has died Jon ZimneyJon Zimney is the News and Programming Director for News/Talk 95.3 Michiana’s News Channel and host of the Fries With That podcast. Follow him on Twitter @jzimney. Facebook Facebook Twitter Pinterest Google+ (Photo supplied/ABC 57) A North Liberty man was killed and several others were hurt in a crash at Grant Road and Wilson Manor Drive.St. Joseph County Sheriff’s deputies were called around 7:50 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, to the scene where investigators say Stephen Stopcyznski, 32, crossed the center line into the path of a vehicle driven by a 31-year-old Mishawaka woman.The woman suffered minor injuries as did four of her children who ranged in age from 8 months to 7 years. A fifth child, a 13-year-old girl, suffered a serious spinal injury.The Fatal Alcohol Crash Team is leading the investigation.The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Officer released the following information:At approximately 7:48 p.m. yesterday evening, February 5th, the St. Joseph County Police Department was dispatched to a two vehicle crash at Grant Road near Wilson Manor Drive, St. Joseph County.A Buick Century was traveling eastbound on Grant Road when it crossed the center lineinto the path of a Chevrolet Traverse that was traveling westbound on Grant. The driver of the Buick Century, Stephen A Stopcyznski, age 32 of North Liberty, IN, was pronounced deceased at the scene.The 31-year-old Mishawaka woman driving the Chevrolet Traverse suffered minor injuries, as did four of her minor children who were in the vehicle (children ranged in age from 8 months to 7 years old). A fifth child in the Traverse, a 13-year-old female, suffered a serious spinal injury and was transferred to Riley Hospital. All occupants of the Traverse appear to have been properly restrained.Due to the fatality and the severity of the injuries, the St. Joseph County Fatal Crash Team(FACT) was activated, per protocol, and continues to investigate. WhatsApp Pinterest North Liberty man killed, several others injured in crash near Crumstown Highway Twitter Google+ By Jon Zimney – February 6, 2021 0 1436 WhatsApp
the number of completed house sales in February 2018 fell by 23.9% to 5,411 compared with 7,108 in February 2017 the number of completed house sales in February 2018 fell by 8.6% to 2,947 compared with 3,225 in February 2017 there were 60 repossession sales in February 2018 January 6,092 6,931 -12.1 Former owner occupier £546,563 1.2 2.5 Yorkshire and the Humber £158,545 1.4 Flat/maisonette £110,388 £109,399 0.9 Property type April 2018 April 2017 Difference % Cash £151,696 3.8 1.3 Region Average price April 2018 Monthly change % since March 2018 North East £130,489 4.2 New build £314,179 9.3 5.2 South East £324,530 0.9 Semi-detached £151,096 £143,544 5.3 South West £255,207 1.8 For England, this is shown as volumes of repossession sales recorded by Government Office Region. For Wales, there is a headline figure for the number of repossession sales recorded in Wales. First-time buyer £204,667 3.5 1.2 The UK House Price Index (HPI) is published on the second or third Wednesday of each month with Northern Ireland figures updated quarterly. The May 2018 UK HPI will be published at 9.30am on Wednesday 18 July 2018. See calendar of release dates. The UK Property Transaction statisticsare taken from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) monthly estimates of the number of residential and non-residential property transactions in the UK and its constituent countries. The number of property transactions in the UK is highly seasonal, with more activity in the summer months and less in the winter. This regular annual pattern can sometimes mask the underlying movements and trends in the data series so HMRC also presents the UK aggregate transaction figures on a seasonally adjusted basis. Adjustments are made for both the time of year and the construction of the calendar, including corrections for the position of Easter and the number of trading days in a particular month. East of England 13 Semi-detached £227,912 £216,485 5.3 February 51,340 60,662 -15.4 North West 138 February 5,411 7,108 -23.9 South West 50 The April data shows: England 530 North West £155,868 0.0 All £243,639 £235,021 3.7 Property type April 2018 April 2017 Difference % LondonLondon shows, on average, house prices have risen by 2.4% since March 2018. An annual price rise of 1% takes the average property value to £484,584.Average price by property type for London New build £514,619 2.9 4.7 North East 59 HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data. South East 46 Funding and buyer status for England Repossession sales data is based on the number of transactions lodged with HM Land Registry by lenders exercising their power of sale. Repossession sales February 2018 New build £211,726 11.3 5.1 Former owner occupier £180,660 4.1 0.9 HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales. The data can be downloaded as a .csv file. Repossession sales data prior to April 2016 is not available. Find out more information about repossession sales. East of England £286,447 -0.8 All £156,495 £149,900 4.4 West Midlands £192,090 0.8 Detached £367,142 £354,228 3.6 Building status for England Property type April 2018 April 2017 Difference % January 53,777 57,498 -6.5 East Midlands £186,480 1.3 Former owner occupier £276,213 3.8 1.0 February 2,947 3,225 -8.6 Cash £228,934 3.4 0.9 Flat/maisonette £224,951 £224,125 0.4 Building status* Average price February 2018 Annual price change % since February 2017 Monthly price change % since January 2018 For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry All £484,584 £479,790 1.0 Sales volume data is also available by property status (new build and existing property) and funding status (cash and mortgage) in our downloadable data tables. Transactions involving the creation of a new register, such as new builds, are more complex and require more time to process. Read revisions to the UK HPI data. Transaction type Average price April 2018 Annual price change % since April 2017 Monthly price change % since March 2018 The UK HPI revision period has been extended to 13 months, following a review of the revision policy (see calculating the UK HPI section 4.4). This ensures the data used is more comprehensive.
Mortgage £476,438 1.2 2.3 Cash £511,195 0.3 2.7 the North East experienced the greatest monthly price rise, up by 4.2% the East of England saw the most significant monthly price fall, down by 0.8% London saw the lowest annual price increase, up by 1% Building status for London Information on residential property transactions for England and Wales, collected as part of the official registration process, is provided by HM Land Registry for properties that are sold for full market value. Existing resold property £237,655 3.8 0.3 HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles showing evidence of ownership for some 85% of the land mass of England and Wales. January 3,014 3,056 -1.4 Work has been taking place since 2014 to develop a single, official HPI that reflects the final transaction price for sales of residential property in the UK. Using the geometric mean, it covers purchases at market value for owner-occupation and buy-to-let, excluding those purchases not at market value (such as re-mortgages), where the ‘price’ represents a valuation. Semi-detached £592,142 £567,701 4.3 Mortgage £251,053 3.8 1.1 Revision tables have been introduced for England and Wales within the downloadable data. Tables will be available in csv format. See about the UK HPI for more information. *Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.Sales volumes for EnglandThe most up-to-date HM Land Registry sales figures available for England show: Existing resold property £473,538 -0.3 -0.8 Flat/maisonette £425,045 £428,541 -0.8 London 32 Follow us on: Twitter @HMLandRegistry, our blog, LinkedIn and Facebook Mortgage £159,345 4.8 1.8 First-time buyer £135,641 4.7 2.2 Funding and buyer status for Wales Building status* Average price February 2018 Annual price change % since February 2017 Monthly price change % since January 2018 Yorkshire and the Humber 89 EnglandIn England, the April data shows on average, house prices have risen by 1.1% since March 2018.The annual price rise of 3.7% takes the average property value to £243,639.The regional data for England indicates that: Month Sales 2018 Sales 2017 Difference % *Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.Sales volumes for LondonThe most up-to-date HM Land Registry sales figures available for London show; Terraced £122,904 £115,920 6.0 Building status* Average price February 2018 Annual price change % since February 2017 Monthly price change % since January 2018 the number of completed house sales in February 2018 fell by 15.4% to 51,340 compared with 60,662 in February 2017 Existing resold property £149,937 4.8 0.3 *Figures for the 2 most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.Sales volumes for WalesThe most up-to-date HM Land Registry sales figures available for Wales show: The UK HPI is calculated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) andLand & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. It applies a hedonic regression model that uses the various sources of data on property price, in particular HM Land Registry’s Price Paid Dataset, and attributes to produce estimates of the change in house prices each month. Find out more about the methodology used from the ONS and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency. Month Sales 2018 Sales 2017 Difference % Transaction type Average price April 2018 Annual price change % since April 2017 Monthly price change % since March 2018 The first estimate for new build average price (April 2016 report) was based on a small sample which can cause volatility. A three-month moving average has been applied to the latest estimate to remove some of this volatility. Access the full UK HPIUK house prices rose by 3.9% in the year to April 2018, down from 4.2% in the year to March 2018.The UK Property Transaction Statistics for April 2018 showed that on a seasonally adjusted basis, the number of transactions on residential properties with a value of £40,000 or greater was 100,190. This is 2.7% lower compared to a year ago. Between March and April 2018, transactions increased by 3.5%.Looking at the country and English regional level, the South West was the fastest growing region with an annual growth rate of 6.1%, up from 5.3% in the previous month. This was closely followed by the West Midlands at 5.9%. London was the slowest growing region at 1%, up from -0.5% in the previous month. This is the 6th consecutive month that London has the lowest annual growth rate of any UK country or English region.See the economic statement.Notes to editors Price change by region for England on average, house prices have risen by 1.2% since March 2018 an annual price rise of 3.9%, which makes the average property in the UK valued at £226,906 Repossession sales by volume for EnglandThe lowest number of repossession sales in February 2018 was in the East of England.The highest number of repossession sales in February 2018 was in the North West. Transaction type Average price April 2018 Annual price change % since April 2017 Monthly price change % since March 2018 Average price by property type for England Funding and buyer status for London We have made some changes to improve the accuracy of the UK HPI. We are not publishing average price and percentage change for new builds and existing resold property as done previously because there are not currently enough new build transactions to provide a reliable result. This means that in this month’s UK HPI reports, new builds and existing resold property are reported in line with the sales volumes currently available. East Midlands 42 Building status for Wales Detached £895,301 £899,133 -0.4 First-time buyer £424,029 0.8 2.3 West Midlands 61 London £484,584 2.4 Background tables of the raw and cleansed aggregated data, in Excel and CSV formats, are also published monthly although Northern Ireland is on a quarterly basis. They are available for free use and re-use under the Open Government Licence. Data for the UK HPI is provided by HM Land Registry, Registers of Scotland, Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and the Valuation Office Agency. The HM Land Registry dataset contains the sale price of the property, the date when the sale was completed, full address details, the type of property (detached, semi-detached, terraced or flat), if it is a newly built property or an established residential building and a variable to indicate if the property has been purchased as a financed transaction (using a mortgage) or as a non-financed transaction (cash purchase). UK HPI seasonally adjusted series are calculated at regional and national levels only. See data tables. Terraced £504,596 £488,136 3.4 Month Sales 2018 Sales 2017 Difference % WalesWales shows, on average, house prices have risen by 1.6% since March 2018. An annual price rise of 4.4% takes the average property value to £156,495.Average price by property type for Wales Detached £233,124 £226,558 2.9 Terraced £197,349 £188,856 4.5
The review was commissioned by the Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson after he launched the Modernising Defence Programme (MDP) to strengthen the Armed Forces in the face of intensifying threats, alongside the Prime Minister and the Chancellor.The independent review of defence’s contribution to national economic and social value by Philip Dunne looks right across the Armed Forces and industry to provide an in-depth picture to inform proposals for reform into the MDP.Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: Philip Dunne’s review shows how vital defence is, not only protecting us from global dangers and safeguarding our national prosperity, but also to our economy by creating thousands of specialist and highly-skilled jobs and creating billions in exports. He paints a clear picture of how defence and defence industry reaches every corner of the UK and is central to employment in so many cities and towns. He lays down some key challenges to consider as our Modernising Defence Programme continues to ensure defence is the best it can be in a post-Brexit Britain. Defence makes a huge contribution across all regions of the UK whether as a major employer, a large investor or as a hub for local communities. Defence is the third largest landowner in the country with 220,000 hectares often benefiting remote and rural communities.The report reveals that around 500,000 people support defence across the UK. It outlines that the UK’s defence industry is one of the world’s strongest with an annual turnover of £22 billion supporting 260,000 jobs, many of which are highly skilled and well-paid. Most importantly, he acknowledges that defence is a major contributor to the nation’s skills and one of the largest employer of apprentices with over 25,500 currently enrolled.Dunne also acknowledges that, in addition to the MOD budget of almost £37 billion, defence’s direct contribution to GDP features over £7 billion of exports generated each year on average. Just recently a shipbuilding contract worth up to £20 billion was signed between BAE Systems and the Australian government for British-designed Type 26 frigates – the biggest Naval defence contract for a decade.Defence’s relationship as a customer and industrial partner with many high growth sectors in the economy generates more activity, particularly in the aerospace, space, cyber, and increasingly the knowledge economy and creative sectors.Defence is also driving investment in British industry through the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which was launched last year to transform the UK maritime industry and boost the prosperity of regions, shipyards and maritime supply chains across the country. The MOD is also set to launch a Combat Air Strategy to ensure Britain maintains a world-leading combat air capability.The MOD will now consider the findings of Philip Dunne’s report as work continues on the MDP. The report also includes a number of recommendations for review, including: further research into the impact of significant procurements on national prosperity; building on the strong relationships with industry suppliers; and considering how the UK’s world-leading institutions could be given greater entrepreneurial freedoms.Philip Dunne said: I am pleased to have been able to undertake this review and am grateful for the help of all those in and outside the Department who have contributed. This is the first time for some years that an independent report has sought to look at the whole impact of Defence on the UK economy, its devolved nations and regions in England. Defence has made a number of important steps in meeting its prosperity objective. It makes a major contribution to our economic well-being, with 500,000 people working directly and indirectly in Defence and over 25,500 apprentices developing skills. In several local communities Defence is one of the leading providers of high skilled jobs. But there is more that can be done as Defence has to adapt to rapidly evolving technological threats, so too should it seize the opportunities to adapt and improve its own processes to help meet the challenges of the high-tech defence future. I look forward to seeing how the MOD responds to this report and have confirmed to the Defence Secretary that I am willing to revisit in some months’ time how the Department has considered and where it has decided to implement these ideas.