Month: January 2018

Under changes to the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme, anyone found guilty of crimes such as tipping off terrorists about an investigation, or flouting terror prevention court orders, could see their sentences increased if victims or the public think the punishment is too light.

The move is the latest in a series of steps taken by Ministers to ensure that we have the most robust counter-terrorism powers possible, and that sentences reflect the devastating impact terrorism has on victims and communities.

Justice Minister Rory Stewart said:

People who assist terrorists or fail to alert authorities to terrorist activity must be severely punished.

These changes ensure victims can challenge sentences that don’t look right, and make sure that they have every opportunity to see justice delivered.

The scheme gives anyone the power to ask for a sentence to be reviewed by the Attorney General, who then decides whether to refer the case to the Court of Appeal for reconsideration.

In 2016, a record 141 criminals had their sentences increased, helping victims and their families get justice. This is a small proportion of the 80,000 Crown Court cases heard each year, where in the clear majority the judiciary get it right, but the ULS scheme is there to allow adjustment of those sentences where an increase is warranted.

The new crimes added today include instances where a person learns of terrorist activity through their trade, profession or employment, and fails to report this information to the police. For example, an accountant discovering a client may be funding terror. They also include offences related to breaching orders imposed to protect the public from terrorism, for instance someone suspected of involvement in terrorist activity overseas, who returns to the UK, in breach of travel restrictions.

Solicitor General Robert Buckland QC MP said:

Prosecutors and members of the public are now able to challenge the sentences of even more terrorism offences if they think they are too low.

Terrorist activity is a direct threat to our way of life. Those who commit these crimes must be brought to justice so that we can keep our communities safe.

Notes to editors

• The ULS allows the Attorney General (AG) to review sentences given by the Crown Court in England and Wales.
• The AG has 28 days to consider the sentence and make a decision whether to refer. If the AG decides to refer the case to the Court of Appeal to review the sentence, the court can decide whether the sentence should stay the same, or if it is unreasonably low, can increase it.
• Last July, 19 terror offences were added to scheme, including encouraging terrorism and sharing terrorist propaganda.
• From today the scheme will include a further 9 terror related offences. The new crimes involve failing to disclose information about offences relating to terrorist property, breaching terrorism-related orders, and offences to dangerous articles and making threats. In total, 27 people have been convicted for all of these offences up to the end of 2017.

Table of new offences in scope

Offence	Description	Max penalty (yrs)
Terrorism Act 2000 s19	Failure to disclose information on ‘terrorist property’- knowledge of which gained through their trade, profession or employment	5
Terrorism Act 2000 s21A	Failure to disclose information on ‘terrorist property’- knowledge of which gained through work in the ‘regulated sector’ (e.g. financial business)	5
Terrorism Act 2000 s21D	Tipping off a terrorist from information obtained in the regulated sector	2
Terrorism Act 2000 s39	Tipping off any person of a terrorist investigation	5
Counter-Terrorism Act 2008 s54	Failure to comply with notification	5
Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measures Act 2011 s23	Failure to comply with a Terrorism Prevention and Investigation Measure (TPIM)	5
Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 s10	Contravening a Temporary Exclusion Order (TEO) or not complying with restriction after return to the UK	5
Aviation Security Act 1982 s4	Offences related certain dangerous articles	7
Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 s114	Hoaxes involving noxious substances	7

The charity sector has come together to discuss their role in responding to future domestic disasters such as terror attacks, natural disasters, and other large scale national crises in the UK.

25 large and small charities, umbrella bodies, fundraising platforms and charity regulators attended a roundtable convened and hosted by the Charity Commission on Friday last week. At the meeting attendees agreed to the principle of creating a collective framework to co-ordinate and enable future charity sector responses to national critical incidents. They also agreed to form a working group to develop the framework and operating principles behind any future disaster response by charities.

The creation of the working group follows a number of tragic events in the UK last year, including the Grenfell Tower fire and the terror attacks in Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park. The events attracted significant amounts of public support and charitable donations and charities played a key role in providing support and services to victims.

The group will work closely with other charities as well as national and local government where required to provide a swift, efficient and impactful response to any future disasters.

David Holdsworth, Deputy Chief Executive of The Charity Commission said:

Charities by their very nature help people in times of need and the tragic disasters that we’ve seen in the UK over the past year have highlighted the great work charities do to support victims and channel the public’s compassion and generosity. Charities’ experience and expertise, as well as their ties to local communities, often make them best-placed to respond in these situations.

Advances in technology combined with the consistent sheer generosity of the British public makes it an opportune time for charities to consider how they can work together to maximise their support for UK citizens in times of need.

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see the about us page on GOV.UK.
2. The following charities, umbrella bodies, fundraising platforms and regulators attended the event:
   • British Red Cross
   • Charity Commission for England & Wales
   • Charity Commission Northern Ireland
   • City Bridge Trust
   • City of London
   • Clement James
   • Crisis
   • Fundraising Regulator
   • GoFundMe
   • Just Giving
   • London Community Foundation
   • London Emergencies Trust
   • London Funders
   • Mind
   • Muslim Aid
   • National Association for Voluntary Community Action
   • National Council for Voluntary Organisations
   • National Zakat Foundation
   • Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator
   • P3
   • Rugby Portobello Trust
   • Salvation Army
   • UK Community Foundations
   • Victim Support
   • Wales Council for Voluntary Action

Led by Lord Faulkner, UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Taiwan, a UK sustainable railway mission is visiting Taiwan from 29 to 30 January to promote the UK’s capability in the operation and maintenance of railway and metro networks. Made up of 19 experts representing 14 British companies as well as a UK representative from Rail Industry Association(RIA), this mission is part of the “Innovation is GREAT” campaign launched by the British Office last October to introduce innovative British technologies and services to Taiwan.

The UK railway sector is strong in providing consultancy, preventative remote monitoring systems, maintenance equipment, and railway certification such as IV&V (independent verification and validation) to Taiwan railway operators. During the two-day visit, the delegates will attend workshops with Taiwan’s mainline and metro authorities and operators to demonstrate the UK’s expertise in all aspects of the railway sector, including infrastructure design and asset management.

Lord Faulkner said: “The railways of Taiwan and the UK share many similarities in their operations and both are committed to investing in the future. This workshop offers an excellent opportunity to share the UK’s latest experience in creating sustainable railways, as well as learning about the challenges faced by Taiwan and the solutions being planned to tackle them. And I very much hope that it well lead to more business between the UK and Taiwan.”

During his visit, Lord Faulkner will meet the Minister of Ministry of Economic Affairs, and the Minister of Transportation and Communications to enhance the mutual collaboration opportunities between the UK and Taiwan in railway and other sectors. He will also visit Hsinchu City to discuss co-operation opportunities related to Taiwan’s Forward-Looking Infrastructure Development Programme.

The UK’s main rail system has been developing for over 170 years and forms a dynamic national business contributing £9.3 billion a year to the UK economy. The UK’s railway industry is amongst the best in the world across all aspects of rail systems: from the planning and design of the projects, specialist equipment supply, construction, and testing and commissioning, all the way through to operations, maintenance and whole-life asset management. With faster trains in place and smart rail technology applied, there will be further opportunities related to major maintenance work for the existing railway networks between the UK and Taiwan.

More infomation

The 15 British participants are: Movement Strategies, Stanley Engineered Fastening, Siemens Rail Automation, Xrail Group, MAN Diesel & Turbo UK, Bombardier, Camlin Rail, Railway Industry Association (RIA), RS Clare, LPA Group, British Steel, Balfour Beatty Rail UK, Colas Rail Asia, BMT Asia Pacific, and Ricardo Rail Taiwan.

The Charity Commission has removed two trustees and disqualified an individual from trusteeship as part of its investigation into the charity Peacetrail. The charity’s objects were to advance the Islamic faith and relieve poverty by supporting women and children who face financial hardship in the UK and abroad.

An inquiry report published today details a series of failings including a failure to account for at least £92,110 – nearly 50% of the charity’s total expenditure.

The Commission opened the investigation on 31 March 2016 and found self-authorised salary payments to the charity’s CEO, unmanaged conflicts of interest and a lack of due diligence or monitoring of those the charity worked with. The Commission’s findings are set out in this report.

The inquiry concluded that the trustees had failed to exercise control over the charity’s finances or oversee the CEO; and the Commission made orders under section 79(4) of the act to remove two individuals as trustees of the charity. These individuals are now disqualified from acting as trustee of any other charity unless they obtain a waiver from the Commission or the courts.

The inquiry was also concerned by the conduct of the charity’s CEO and their role in the charity. Therefore the Commission used its powers under section 181A of the act to disqualify the CEO from being a charity trustee or holding a senior management position within a charity for 4 years and 6 months. The disqualification came into effect on 18 January 2018.

The charity, which was a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, has been dissolved in accordance with the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (Insolvency and Dissolutions) Regulations 2012 and ceased to exist when it was removed from the Register of Charities on 31 October 2017.

Michelle Russell, Director of Investigations, Monitoring and Enforcement at the Charity Commission says:

The public rightly expects those entrusted with charitable funds to steward and safeguard them appropriately. That sadly did not happen in this case. The trustees of Peacetrail clearly failed to discharge their legal duties which is why we exercised our powers to remove them.

Charity trustees have an important legal duty to ensure that their charity’s funds are spent on the charity’s objects. This includes keeping clear accounting records that can evidence exactly where charity money has gone. Transparent reporting in this way is vital for maintaining public trust and confidence in charities.

The Commission’s full report of its inquiry is available on GOV.UK.

Ends.

Notes to editors

1. The trustees were removed pursuant to section 79(4) of the Charities Act 2011, which also has the effect of disqualifying them from being charity trustees or acting as trustees for a charity under section 178 of the act.
2. The new discretionary disqualification power in section 181A of the Charities Act 2011 brought in by the Charites Act 2016 allows the regulator to disqualify a person it considers unfit from being a trustee, for a maximum period of 15 years.
3. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see the about us page on GOV.UK.
4. Search for charities on our check charity tool.

The Government has delivered on its manifesto commitment to extend superfast broadband to 95% of the UK by the end of 2017, DCMS Secretary of State Matt Hancock announced today.

Figures published by www.thinkbroadband.com have confirmed that more than 19 out of 20 UK homes and businesses now have the opportunity to upgrade their internet connections to superfast speeds of 24 Mbps or faster – more than double what Ofcom advise is required by a typical family home.

The £1.7 billion Government rollout of superfast broadband to areas deemed “not commercially viable” by industry has so far reached more than 4.5 million UK premises that would otherwise have been left in the connectivity slow lane, the majority of which are in rural areas. In addition to the huge benefits to our day-to-day lives that superfast speeds offer, this closing of the “digital divide” has also delivered a significant boost to local economies – creating around 50,000 new local jobs and generating an additional £8.9 billion in turnover in the areas covered by the Government rollout between 2013 and 2016.

DCMS Secretary of State, Matt Hancock said:

Over the last 5 years, the Government’s rollout of superfast broadband has made superfast speeds a reality for more than 4.5 million homes and businesses who would otherwise have missed out. We’ve delivered on our commitment to reach 95% of homes and businesses in the UK, but there’s still more to do in our work building a Britain that’s fit for the future. We’re reaching thousands more premises every single week, and the next commitment is to making affordable, reliable, high speed broadband a legal right to everyone by 2020.

December was a particularly busy month for Openreach who, as the Government’s major partner on this massive infrastructure project, have been working hard throughout the winter months to ensure the rollout remained on track. In total, around 800,000 homes and businesses were reached last year through the UK Government BDUK programme alongside commercial delivery, with Openreach delivering the major proportion of this achievement; and as a result of this deployment, the 95% target was achieved in December 2017.

Clive Selley, CEO, Openreach, said:

This is without doubt an extraordinary achievement and I’d like to thank the thousands of Openreach engineers and the many more of our people supporting them, who have worked so tirelessly to make this happen.

We have come a long way in a short space of time, with one of the fastest broadband deployments in the world. This is an important milestone – but we’re not stopping here. We’re determined to get Britain – the whole of Britain – hooked up to decent broadband speeds. The Government’s Universal Service Obligation will make high speed broadband a legal right and we’ll be working with industry, Government and Ofcom to deliver this. In the meantime, we’ll be continuing to expand our network to address the remaining not-spots through a combination of our own commercial programmes and our partnerships with local authorities and communities.

A clause in the Government’s contracts requires suppliers to recycle funding when people take up superfast connections installed as part of the programme. Over 2.25 million homes and businesses have taken up superfast broadband in areas covered by BDUK projects. To date, BT has set aside £477 million to extend coverage over the full lifetime of the contracts – up from £292 million in December 2016 – in nations and regions around the UK.

Combined with project efficiencies of at least £210 million resulting from the successful management and delivery of the programme, there will be up to £687 million available for local authorities to re-invest and take superfast speeds to those homes and businesses not already covered by existing plans.

Together with other planned delivery, this will help take superfast coverage to the majority of the remaining premises over the next few years. In addition to this, the Universal Service Obligation the Government is bringing in will give everyone the legal right to high speed broadband (10Mbps or faster) by 2020, meaning that no-one is left behind, and that all UK homes and businesses have the connectivity they need in the digital age.

Notes to Editors

1. The latest broadband coverage figures are at the ThinkBroadband website

The Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I am shocked and appalled by yesterday’s horrific attack in Kabul and condemn it in the strongest possible terms. The use of an ambulance as a weapon to target civilians is despicable.

Once again, so many innocent Afghan lives lost and so many people’s lives affected. My heartfelt condolences go out to the victims and their families. I commend the brave Afghan men and women in the emergency services for their response to this brutal act.

The UK stands resolutely with Afghanistan against terrorism and calls for those responsible to be brought to justice. We remain firmly committed to supporting Afghan efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan. Yesterday’s attack makes it all the more crucial that all parties intensify efforts to pursue dialogue. Regional and international partners must be united in support of this goal. The Afghan people deserve peace.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Drivers will receive new legal protections from unscrupulous private parking operators as Communities Secretary, Sajid Javid, today (28 January 2018) confirmed that government will support new legislation aimed at raising standards in the industry.

Evidence shows that, in total, nearly 10,000 people approached the Citizen’s Advice Bureau for advice on private parking tickets last year and parking firms are issuing almost 13 times more tickets than decade ago.

Drivers are increasingly complaining of inconsistent practices, substandard signage, confusing appeals processes and intimidating payment letters.

That is why the government is supporting new legislation to regulate the private parking industry.

Under the plans, which will deliver on a manifesto commitment to tackle rogue parking operators, a stringent new Code of Practice will be developed by the Secretary of State in conjunction with motorists groups and other experts.

Those falling foul of the rules would then be blocked from accessing driver data and issuing fines, effectively forcing them out of the industry.

These measures, introduced in a Bill by Sir Greg Knight MP, build on action government has already taken to tackle rogue private parking operators, including banning wheel clamping and towing, and over-zealous parking enforcement by councils and parking wardens.

Secretary of State for Communities, Sajid Javid, said:

For too long drivers have suffered from unjust fines at the hands of dodgy parking firms.

We need a fairer, clearer and more consistent system that brings the small minority of unscrupulous operators in line with those who are behaving appropriately.

That is why government is putting the brakes on these rogue operators and backing new laws that will put a stop to aggressive behaviour and provide a simpler way for drivers to appeal fines.

Industry bodies have lined up to support the Bill, which will receive its Second Reading in the House of Commons on Friday (2 February 2018).

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said:

Motorists will be delighted that the government is throwing its weight behind Sir Greg Knight’s move to bring some much needed regulatory rigour to the world of private parking.

We all hoped the ban on clamping would end the sharp practices that had come to plague private parking, but the fact that companies are issuing millions of penalty tickets annually is clear evidence that something is still going
badly awry.

Drivers don’t want a parking free-for-all, but they do want a system that is fair to all parties and that’s what a code of practice set by government – rather than the industry itself – should bring about.

Andrew Pester, Chief Executive of the British Parking Association, said:

We welcome Sir Greg’s Bill that aims to drive consistency and fairness in the private parking sector. Our membership already complies with a robust Code of Practice which we continuously seek to improve through consultation.

A single, mandatory code of practice across the whole sector is important to ensure that unscrupulous providers don’t undermine the parking sector with bad practice. As the leading authority in the sector we shall continue to work closely with government and key stakeholders to press for progress towards a positive outcome for all.

Further information

The Parking (Code of Practice) Bill is a Private Members Bill introduced by Sir Greg Knight MP.

The new Code of Practice will be drafted up with stakeholders, and would provide the clarity of a single set of rules for private parking, with clearer processes for appeals.

The Secretary of State would also have the power to raise a levy on the sector to fund the production, publishing and enforcement of the code.

At present, there are 2 parking trade associations, the British Parking Association (BPA) and the International Parking Community (IPC). Each has a Code of Practice that their members are required to abide by. A single code is intended to set a higher standard for practices across the sector, especially in the area of appeals against parking tickets.

Citizen’s Advice Bureau statistics show that, in 2017, 5,011 (2016: 4690) people went into their local CAB branch seeking help about private parking. In addition, 4,395 (stats not available for 2016) called the Consumer helpline.

The RAC Foundation expects that, in 2018, 6 million tickets will be issued by firms operating on private land. This is up from 4.7 million in 2017.

RAC Foundation statistics also show that, in the second quarter of 2017-18, 1,429,703 vehicle-keeper records were sold to the private parking firms to issue tickets. This was 1,177% – or almost 13 times – higher than the 111,944 records sold a decade earlier in the second quarter of 2007 to 2008.

The government is currently consulting to stop unfair practices in the issuing of County Court judgments.