Other News In Brief

Road Works Announced In Belfast

Road works are set to commence in north Belfast over the weekend.

Alliance Avenue will be resurfaced between Ardoyne Road and Oldpark Road starting on Saturday 15 June.

This £250,000 scheme will see lane closures implemented over 15-16 and 22-23 June from 8am to 5pm for preliminary work to replace gullies.

A full road closure will also be in place from Monday 24 June until Friday 05 July between 9.30am and 4.30pm.

The work is expected to be complete by 05 July, subject to favourable weather conditions.

Call For City's Airports To Provide Alternatives To Bottled Water

SDLP councillor Gary McKeown has called for the city's two airports to follow the lead of Dublin Airport in exploring ways of reducing plastic use by providing alternatives to bottled water.

He said said: "Dublin Airport is going to be testing out plastic-free alternatives to its ‘Plane Water’ bottles which are sold to passengers about to board flights.

"Cartons of water will be offered as an alternative to plastic bottles, in addition to having 18 hydration stations dotted around the airport, so travellers can avoid buying plastic bottles altogether.

"The ban on liquids being taken through security unfortunately leads many people to stock up on bottled water before boarding their flight, but by offering alternatives, airports can encourage passengers to act more sustainably."

Lord Empey Appointed To Serve On House Of Lords Select Committee

Lord Empey has been appointed to serve on a House of Lords Select Committee which has been set up to look at the links between inequality, public health and food sustainability.

He said: "This is the sixth select committee to which I have been appointed to serve on in the House of Lords.

"It will address an extremely interesting and topical subject. Food, poverty, health and environment all intersect. It is well known that maintaining a poor diet inevitably leads to health problems that incur public costs and it is estimated that by 2050 £9.7 billion of NHS costs in the UK will be attributed to health issues associated with being overweight.

"The Committee will be seeking to address a number of issues and answer a number of key questions to help inform its deliberations."