The European Parliament has backed the Brexit trade and security deal, a key step in ensuring that tariff- and quota-free trade between the UK and EU continues. The Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA), which has been operating provisionally since January, was approved with 660 MEPs in favour and 5 against, with 32 abstentions. However, in an accompanying resolution the chamber described the 23 June 2016 Brexit referendum result as a “historic mistake”. Lord Frost, the UK’s chief negotiator, said that the vote “brings certainty and allows us to focus on the future”. Michel Barnier, Lord Frost’s opposite number in the Brexit negotiations, was less enthusiastic. “This is a divorce. It is a warning, Brexit. It’s a failure of the European Union and we have to learn lessons from it,” he told the European Parliament. The deal does not address all the tensions that remain in the wake of Brexit. Northern Ireland trade remains covered under a separate protocol defining it as part of the EU’s single market, meaning that goods shipped to the country from the UK must undergo Eu checks. While the TCA covers trade in goods between the UK and the Eu, it does not cover services – which make up the bulk of the UK economy. Other areas not covered by the TCA include foreign policy, financial services and student exchanges.The UK’s exit from the EU at the start of the year prompted a record loss in trade between the two blocs, with UK exports to the continent falling by 40.7% and imports falling by 28.8% in January. Though trade volumes have since increased, they remain below pre-Brexit levels. https://www.lawyer-monthly.com/2021/04/european-parliament-votes-through-brexit-trade-deal/

Self-driving vehicles could be allowed on UK roads by the end of this year, the government has said. The Department for Transport said automated lane-keeping systems (ALKS) would be the first type of hands-free driving legalised. The technology controls the position and speed of a car in a single lane but only up to speeds of 37mph (60km/h) But insurers have warned the government's definition of ALKS as 'self-driving' is misleading. Previously, the government had said these new laws would be in place by spring this year and told the BBC there was no delay in its suggested timeframes. Hands-free Following a consultation last year, the government has now said that vehicles with ALKS technology can be legally defined as self-driving, “as long as they receive GB type approval and that there is no evidence to challenge the vehicle’s ability to self-drive.”  The government confirmed that drivers will not be required to monitor the road or keep their hands on the wheel when the vehicle is driving itself. But the driver will need to stay alert and be able take over when requested by the system within 10 seconds. If a driver fails to respond, the vehicle will automatically put on its hazard lights to warn nearby vehicles, slow down and eventually stop. The Highway Code is now consulting on what rules will be put into new laws to make sure the technology is safely used. “This is a major step for the safe use of self-driving vehicles in the UK, making future journeys greener, easier and more reliable while also helping the nation to build back better,” said Transport Minister Rachel Maclean. “But we must ensure that this exciting new tech is deployed safely, which is why we are consulting on what the rules to enable this should look like.”  Human Error The technology could improve road safety by reducing human error, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. “Automated driving systems could prevent 47,000 serious accidents and save 3,900 lives over the next decade through their ability to reduce the single largest cause of road accidents – human error,” said chief executive Mike Hawes. “Technologies such as Automated Lane Keeping Systems will pave the way for higher levels of automation in future – and these advances will unleash Britain’s potential to be a world leader in the development and use of these technologies, creating essential jobs while ensuring our roads remain among the safest on the planet.” Autopilot Tesla's so-called "Autopilot" uses lane technology similar to ALKS. It is considered "level two" on the five defined levels of self-driving cars. The next step - level three - would not need the driver's attention at all times, and in theory, the driver could do other things such as check email or even watch a movie - until the car prompts them to take over again. This is would include ALKS. However, there have been several incidents involving this technology when drivers did not pay enough attention to the road.  In 2018, a Nottingham resident was banned from driving after climbing into the passenger seat of his Tesla on the motorway, letting it do the driving. A fatal crash in the United States was caused, in part, by the driver playing a video game while leaving his car in "Autopilot" mode, before it drove into a concrete barrier. A recent report found that the feature can be “easily tricked” into operating without a driver, adding to the mounting criticisms over the marketing of these features as "self-driving", and whether that is misleading to customers. 'Tragic deaths' Thatcham Research, which conducts safety tests for motor insurers, urged caution over defining ALKS as 'self-driving', as the government has done. "ALKS as currently proposed by the government are not automated," said Matthew Avery, director of research at Thatcham Research. "They are assisted driving systems as they rely on the driver to take back control. "Aside from the lack of technical capabilities, by calling ALKS automated our concern also is that the UK government is contributing to the confusion and frequent misuse of assisted driving systems that have unfortunately already led to many tragic deaths. "Consumers will expect the car to do the job of a driver, which current models can't do." https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56906145  

A single dose of a coronavirus vaccine can reduce household transmission of the virus by up to half, a study shows. Those given a first dose of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines - and who became infected three weeks later - were between 38% and 49% less likely to pass the virus on than unvaccinated people, PHE found. Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the study's results as "terrific news". He has urged "everybody to get their vaccines as soon as they are eligible". In the study, protection against Covid was seen from about 14 days after vaccination, with similar levels of protection regardless of age of cases or contacts, PHE said in a statement. It added that this protection was on top of the reduced risk of a vaccinated person developing symptomatic infection in the first place, which is around 60 to 65% - four weeks after one dose of either vaccine. Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at PHE, said: "Vaccines are vital in helping us return to a normal way of life. Not only do vaccines reduce the severity of illness and prevent hundreds of deaths every day, we now see they also have an additional impact on reducing the chance of passing Covid-19 on to others." But, while she said the findings were "encouraging", she said it was important people continue to act like they have the virus, "practise good hand hygiene and follow social distancing guidance". Households are high-risk settings for transmission, meaning the study provides early evidence on the impact of vaccines in preventing onward transmission, PHE said. Similar results could be expected in other settings with similar transmission risks, such as shared accommodation and prisons, it added. University of Warwick epidemiologist Mike Tildesley said the findings were significant but pressed people to continue to take up vaccination offers. "We need to remember these vaccines are not 100% effective either at preventing severe symptoms or at allowing yourself to be infected but the evidence is suggesting they are providing at least some level of protection from passing the virus on if you do get infected," he told BBC's Breakfast. He said the study was extra evidence that as many people as possible needed to be vaccinated, even if they are not at risk of developing severe symptoms, in order to get much higher levels of protection across the population and reduce the number of people who get severely ill and die from the disease. This is the latest piece of evidence to indicate that vaccines are slowing the transmission of the virus as well as saving lives. Households are among the most likely places for infection to spread, so these set of results are particularly encouraging. Public Health England has said it would expect similar results in other high-risk settings, such as shared accommodation and prisons. All this bodes well for the continued easing of restrictions, especially as the vaccination campaign is making good progress into younger age groups - who are more likely to spread the virus. And it also gives further reassurance to those concerned about the fact that children will not be vaccinated - and so might bring infection into households. A cause for concern, though, is whether newer variants of the virus, which might be more resistant to vaccines, might cause a new surge in infections. But the expert opinion is that the current vaccines will provide a significant degree of protection, especially against severe illness. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-56904993