Four important things you missed while Brexit was happening

On Wednesday, the prime minister filled in a piece of paper that we all have know she was going to fill in since last June.

Theresa May completed and had delivered the official notification to the European Union that Britain intends to leave.

The notification 'triggers' Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, starting a two year clock within which time the UK and the EU will establish the terms of the exit, and 'take account' of a 'framework' for their future relationship.

Despite the fact we've all know this day was coming since the results of 2016's referendum were known, the media and parliament has focused its scrutiny on this decision.

The government published the text of Theresa May's notification on their website.

Here's what else they published today, which a cynical mind might suggest they were hoping would be overshadowed.

1. Greenhouse gas emissions from UK transport have increased two years in a row.

The 'basket of emissions' which are measured include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydro-fluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.

While emissions have been falling since 2007, they have begun to creep up in 2014 and 2015, according to the most recent data.

Moreover, these figures do not include any emissions created in the production of fuels used by UK transport.

The rise throws doubt the UK will meet it's 2020 goal for emissions and using renewable energy.

2. The number of NHS administrators has increased more than Nurses.

Data from the NHS in Wales and NHS England shows increases in support staff and administrative staff higher than medical and clinical professionals in 2016.

According to figures from the Welsh Government, between September 2015 and September 2016 the number of people directly employed by the NHS in Wales rose 3.2 per cent to 76,288.

There were 704 more nurses than the year before directly employed by the NHS in Wales, and 846 more administrators and estates staff.

Similarly, data regarding the Hospital and Community Heath Service in England showed there were 20, 707 more employees December to December, 2015 and 2016.

This includes trusts and clinical commissioning groups that manage most services in the NHS.

It constitutes of an annual increase of 1.3 per cent.

In terms of staff break down, there were more 'Support to clinical' staff than professional clinical staff hired in 2016 compared to 2015.

However the total number of professionally qualified clinical staff continues to dwarf the number of administrators.

3. Council tax is rising

An average Band D property in England had an average increase of 3.1 per cent 2016-2017 year.

This is equivalent to £1,530 per property.

It predicted a 4.0 per cent increase for 2017-2018, or £1,591 per property.

In pounds, these increases were:

4. Adult social care funding is taking up more of council tax

The same data, published on the same day as Theresa May's letter, also recorded the number of local authorities taking up the social care precepts.

The 'precept' is a scheme that allows councils to raise council tax by up to 3 per cent, so long as the money is spent on adult social care.

It applies to London boroughs, county councils, metropolitan districts and unitary authorities.

According to figures published on Wednesday, 147 of 152 authorities with responsibility for adult social care utilised some or all of the precept in 2017-2018.

For the average Band D council tax bill, £31.77 contributed to the precept, an increase of of nearly £10 on the previous year.

On Thursday the House of Commons rises for Easter, leaving very little time for urgent questions from MPs regarding the data the government published on Wednesday at the same time that it published Theresa May's letter to EU Commission president Donald Tusk.

MPs will return from recess on 18 April.

Read everything the government published on Wednesday, here.

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