Day: November 2, 2017

Scottish Secretary David Mundell will today [Thursday 2 November 2017] urge the Scottish Government and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to engage fully with the Brexit process, so together we can deliver the best possible deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK as we leave the EU.

Mr Mundell will give evidence this morning [Thursday 2 November 2017] to the Scottish Parliament’s Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee.

The following week [Wednesday 8 November] Mr Mundell and DExEU Minister Robin Walker will give evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Constitution Committee. Mr Walker and Cabinet Office Minister Chris Skidmore will also give evidence that day [Wednesday 8 November] to the Scottish Parliament’s Delegated Powers Committee.

Speaking ahead of his appearance before the Committee today [Thursday 2 November 2017] Mr Mundell said:

“There is a huge task ahead of us as the UK Government negotiates our exit from the EU. It is crucial that the Scottish Government and the Scottish Parliament are fully and constructively engaged with the Brexit process, so we can together deliver the best possible deal for Scotland and the whole of the UK as we leave the EU.”

“The Scottish Parliament has a job of work to do, including preparing for new powers which will come to Holyrood as a result of Brexit, and working with the UK Government to determine where we will need common frameworks.

“People in Scotland, rightly, expect their two governments to work together and we want to work collaboratively with the Scottish Government and MSPs on this challenge.”

The number of households moving off the cap and into work is continuing to rise since the cap’s introduction in 2013.

The benefit cap incentivises work, including part-time work, as anyone eligible for Working Tax Credit (or the equivalent under Universal Credit) is exempt.

Work and Pensions Secretary, David Gauke said:

It is fair that people out of work face the same choices as those in work, and putting a cap on how much someone can receive in benefits restores that balance.

Behind today’s figures are thousands of success stories as people start new jobs, and benefit from a regular wage for their families.

They are part of the 3 million people who have moved into work since 2010 and show our commitment to supporting even more people across the country into employment and on the right path to improving their lives.

The benefit cap limits the amount that most people aged 16 to 64 can receive in benefits to £20,000 a year outside London, and £23,000 in Greater London.

Since the introduction of the cap in April 2013, 160,000 households have had their benefits capped. Around 94,000 of these are no longer capped, with 39,000 households having moved into work.

More information

The benefit cap is set at £20,000 a year outside London and £23,000 in Greater London to reflect higher rent costs. This is the equivalent salary of £25,000, or £29,000 in London.

Anyone working and receiving Working Tax Credit is exempt from the cap, as are households where someone receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), or the support component of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Those claiming Carer’s Allowance or Guardian’s Allowance are exempt from the cap.

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Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has today (Thursday) committed UK support for freedom of expression projects in countries where press freedom is curtailed.

Today, on the International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists, Mr Johnson has committed to spending £1m over the next financial year on projects that will enable journalists and media professionals to promote their own free press and uphold human rights. Funding will be available for press freedom projects in countries where media freedom is under significant pressure.

Boris Johnson on media freedom

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

Freedom of expression is a universal human right and a free press underpins that right.

As a former journalist I am alarmed that worldwide attacks on journalists are rife and increasing.

Civil society is all about free people. Where governments fear freedom of expression they often try to shut down media and civil society, or clip their wings. This both violates human rights and crushes creativity.

A free media is vital to creating a vibrant, informed and engaged population and helps to support a safer, more prosperous and progressive world.

The Foreign Secretary met trainee journalists at UAL’s London College of Communication, as well as Chevening Scholars from Malaysia and participants from Syria, Eritrea and Bahrain on the Refugee Journalism Project – a project based at UAL’s London College of Communication which supports exiled journalists to restart their careers in the UK.

Nigel Carrington, Vice-Chancellor of University of the Arts London, said:

As the world’s largest creative university, freedom of speech and expression is at the heart of everything we teach.

The Refugee Journalism Project based at our London College of Communication is a great example of our commitment to these values.

The Foreign Secretary discussed the importance of a free press with the group, his own experiences as a journalist and the student’s responsibility to do their part to create an active and free media in their home countries.

Over the past 11 years, more than 900 journalists globally have been killed for simply doing their jobs. Many countries are increasingly turning to restrictive measures to control their media with journalists being subjected to or threatened with arrest, detention and prosecution on a daily basis.

Thomas Hughes, Executive Director for Article 19 said:

In the last decade a thousand journalists and media workers have been killed worldwide.

Whilst today we mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, the reality is that the impunity rate for these crimes remains staggeringly high, with ninety percent unresolved.

For each journalist killed, attacked, threatened or detained, countless others are intimidated to self-censor, eroding press freedoms and resulting in entire societies being deprived of important information.

Funds will be allocated to projects that:

• help journalists build their international support networks to drive up journalistic standards;
• build the capacity of local journalists to help support and safeguard press freedom;
• lobby governments to change laws that put pressure on journalists, such as anti-defamation laws;
• monitor human rights violations, trial monitoring and long-term advocacy on targeted impunity cases.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister spoke to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on the phone last night.

They discussed the political situation in Northern Ireland and their shared endeavour to see the restoration of devolved Government.

Both leaders discussed the responsibility of the parties to overcome their differences and the need for them to compromise on the outstanding issues that remained – for the benefit of all communities in Northern Ireland.

The Prime Minister thanked the Taoiseach and the contribution of the Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, who has been working with the Northern Ireland Secretary, on supporting the parties to reach agreement.

This Prime Minister explained how it was the UK Government’s strong wish for an Executive to take forward their own Budget, and while this could still happen, the Government would be taking the necessary steps to protect the delivery of public services in Northern Ireland.

Both were clear about the priority to form an Executive and they agreed to maintain close contact and continue working with the parties to achieve this.

The completed reports were sent to the Home Secretary in May and June 2017.

Mr Bolt said:

In June 2016, I was asked by the Home Secretary to consider bringing forward some work that I had included in my inspection plan for 2018/19 under the theme of ‘Compliance Management and Enforcement’. The two inspection reports published today are the result of that work.

The first examines the efficiency and effectiveness of the Home Office’s Reporting and Offender Management (ROM) system, focusing on its understanding and management of the reporting population (those individuals notified of their liability for detention and removal from the UK). It also looks at the implementation of policy and guidance relating to absconders (individuals who have failed to report and whose whereabouts are unknown).

The second examines the Home Office’s management of non-detained Foreign National Offenders (FNOs) towards their removal from the UK. This second report looks in particular at the actions taken by the Home Office since 2016, following the creation of an improvement plan to address identified failings.

In both cases, I found people and processes under strain. The numbers required to report routinely mean that it is extremely difficult for staff at Reporting Centres to ensure that reporting events are ‘meaningful’, in terms of encouraging voluntary departures or resolving barriers to removal. Meanwhile, the removal of FNOs is regularly frustrated, often by last minute legal challenges, and monitoring non-detained FNOs effectively is a challenge and one that raises obvious public protection concerns.

The ROM system is hampered by poor communication and coordination within the Home Office. The inspection found that recording and treatment of non-compliance with reporting restrictions was inconsistent, and there was little evidence of effective action to locate absconders. The ROM report makes 6 recommendations grouped under 3 headings: achieving the stated purpose of the ROM system; concluding cases; and, managing non-compliance.

The FNO inspection makes 8 recommendations, including completion of the improvement work begun in 2016. While these will not change some of the underlying issues and risks, they are important in ensuring that processes are as efficient and effective as they can be.

I have read with interest the Home Office’s responses to my recommendations, which I saw shortly before the reports were laid in Parliament. All but two of the recommendations have been accepted in full. I look forward to re-inspecting both areas of work in 2018, when I hope to be able to confirm that the necessary improvements have been made and sustained. In the case of the partially accepted and rejected recommendations, I will be looking to test that the measures to monitor and manage the risks associated with FNOs referred to in the responses are indeed effective.

• An inspection of the Home Office’s management of non-detained Foreign National Offenders, December 2016 – March 2017
• An inspection of the Home Office’s Reporting and Offender Management processes December 2016 – March 2017