Other News In Brief

Holywood Baker To Take Part In GBBO Final

Holywood baker Andrew Smyth has made it to the final of the Great British Bake Off (GBBO).

He won star baker in the semi-finals after making two different types of fondant fancies.

25-year-old Andrew, who is the son of former CBI Chair Nigel Smyth, is now one of three bakers competing for the Bake Off title.

Rise In Amount Of Waste Sent For Recycling In NI

The amount of household waste sent for recycling in Northern Ireland has increased by 1.5% compared to the same period last year.

Statistics published by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs revealed that the quarterly household recycling rate for April – June 2016 was 46.4%.

Also compared to the same period last year, the tonnage of household materials sent for landfill fell from 90,149 to 85,615 tonnes.

Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen welcomed the figures.

She said: "We all need to continue this good work – not only does it benefit our environment but it contributes towards a wider circular economy. This is where we keep using resources for as long as possible to extract their maximum value before recycling them, with a huge resultant positive impact on efficiency and competitiveness in Northern Ireland.

"As local councils implement changes, such as increasing the range of waste collected at the kerbside, I would encourage everyone to double check to ensure you are not inadvertently disposing of waste that could be recycled or composted."

Concerns Raised Over Mental Health Services

SDLP Health Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has expressed his concern after the Health Minister revealed that although mental health issues account for around 25% of healthcare cases, mental health services receive only 5.5% of the healthcare budget.

Mr Durkan said: "Historically, mental health services have been criminally underfunded here. Mental illness is a massive problem in the North and there is a growing realisation of the seriousness of this issue, how debilitating it can be for individuals and its impact on families and wider society.

"More and more we are putting out the message that people should seek help with mental health problems but mental health services, statutory and in the community and voluntary sector, are not being resourced to tackle the massive need.

"This was reflected in the answer provided to me by the Health Minister. This shocking underinvestment is contributing to the massive waiting lists for counselling services and in many other areas such as services and support for young people."

(CD/JP)