Day: June 8, 2018

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Press release: £19 million funding for councils to boost integration

Councils across England will receive a share of a further £19 million to help ease pressures on local services resulting from recent migration, Communities Minister Lord Bourne announced today (8 June 2018).

This latest allocation from the Controlling Migration Fund includes more than £16 million for 38 projects. Local authorities have developed plans to ease local pressures on housing, education and health services arising from recent migration providing benefits to the whole community.

The announcement today includes £1.75 million of funding to help new refugees into work and integrate into their new communities after their asylum decision is made. It also includes £1.1 million for 6 councils to support victims of modern slavery to link up with local services when they leave central government-funded support, thereby reducing their risk of becoming homeless, sleeping rough, or being re-trafficked.

Communities Minister Lord Bourne said:

We’re already seeing how funding from the Controlling Migration Fund can deliver rapid results. These new projects will further support communities in coming together to address local challenges, help recent arrivals settle into their new communities and also provide extra services for the benefit of all.

We know that refugees face particular challenges in settling into British life, so we are providing additional support to help them find work and improve their English language skills.

This latest allocation brings the total funding to £73.5 million since the Fund’s launch. The fund helps to tackle rogue landlords, increase English language support and boost community integration.

North Lincolnshire council project

In response to local concerns around anti-social behaviour, fly tipping and rogue landlords, the council has set up a new project bringing new arrivals, the local established community and agencies together to tackle these challenges head on.

Councillor Ralph Ogg, cabinet member for Safer, Greener and Cleaner Places at North Lincolnshire council, said:

The area has a rich diverse culture and we want to ensure all communities have access to key services, support and advice to help them integrate into society.

The money will be used to help bridge the gap and enable existing and new communities, landlords, tenants, businesses, and partners to work together to establish a more cohesive, stronger and settled community.

We are working with key partners to do this including the Police, UK Border Agency, waste services, safer neighbourhoods and environmental health and this is very much a joint approach.

Government’s Integration Strategy

In March 2018, the government’s Integrated Communities Strategy green paper set out a long-term plan of action to tackle the root causes of poor integration and steps that need to be taken to build stronger and more united communities across Britain.

The government is now working on local integration plans with 5 Integration Areas across the country that have already shown leadership in tackling the challenges their areas face. These are: Blackburn with Darwen, Bradford, Peterborough, Walsall and Waltham Forest.

A project in Blackburn with Darwen, funded in 2017, is having real success in supporting refugee families into permanent housing, freeing up temporary accommodation in the area. A newly appointed coordinating officer is also supporting the expansion of English language classes run by volunteers for the benefit of new arrivals.

Sayyed Osman, Director of Adult Services and Prevention at Blackburn with Darwen council, said:

Funding for project work and testing new ideas is vital to make a real difference to the communities we serve.

The English classes are well attended and appreciated. Groups go to matches at Blackburn Rovers Football Club as part of their practical sessions which is particularly powerful in terms of developing shared experiences.

Temporary accommodation helps us cope with demand; the service is sympathetic to the practical needs of families.

Refugees are typically keen to improve their English and find work. A joint project between the Home Office and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will pilot a number of Local Authority Asylum Support Liaison Officers to work with those granted refugee status and provide them with information and support to help transition from Government-provided accommodation to mainstream society.

These 35 officers will work in 19 local authorities will also help facilitate those not granted refugee status to voluntarily return to their country of origin.

Further information

The Controlling Migration Fund is designed to support local areas facing pressures linked to recent immigration.

  • A summary of funding for projects announced today, which will run over 2018 to 2020, can be found here:

Summary of funding for CMF projects

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The Fund is available over the 4 years from 2016 to 2017 and 2019 to 2020. It will supplement local authorities’ budgets of £200 billion across the 4 year period up to 2020.

It is available in 2 parts:

  • ‘local service impact’ – totalling £100 million, led by the MHCLG, to help local authorities in England and their communities experiencing high and unexpected volumes of immigration to ease pressures on local services
  • enforcement – led by Home Office Immigration Enforcement, worth £40 million to direct enforcement action against illegal migrants in order to reduce pressures on local services; Immigration Enforcement is currently on track to meet their commitments under the Fund

In total since its launch the Fund has committed £73.5 million.

Bids worth £59.5 million have been approved made up of:

  • 126 bids worth £50.6 million covering themes such as rogue landlords, cohesion, English language and rough sleeping
  • 32 bids worth £8.9 million for specific proposals aimed at unaccompanied asylum seeking children

The Controlling Migration Fund has also funded centrally driven pilots:

  • 6 bids worth £1.1 million for Modern Slavery victim pathway pilots
  • 10 bids worth £1.7 million to fund Local Authority Asylum Support workers in 19 local authorities
    (The Controlling Migration Fund is funding 10 bids, including one bid for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority which itself covers 10 local authority areas.)

£2.2 million from the Fund was also allocated to local authorities pressures as a result of care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children in March 2017.

£9 million from the Fund (and an additional £12.3 million from other budgets within MHCLG) was distributed by formula to build 135 authorities’ ability to care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children and care leavers for whom they have responsibility in January 2018.

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Link: Press release: £19 million funding for councils to boost integration
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Foreign flagged ships detained in the UK during May 2018

During May, there were four new detentions of foreign flagged vessels in a UK port, three vessels remained under detention from previous months. A total of four vessels remain under detention at the end of May.

  1. In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldson’s inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping, and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (2009/16/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.
  2. The UK is part of a regional agreement on port state control known as the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MOU) and information on all ships that are inspected is held centrally in an electronic database known as THETIS. This allows the ships with a high risk rating and poor detention records to be targeted for future inspection.
  3. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. When a ship is found to be not in compliance with applicable convention requirements, a deficiency may be raised. If any of their deficiencies are so serious they have to be rectified before departure, then the ship will be detained.
  4. All deficiencies should be rectified before departure if at all possible.
  5. When applicable, the list includes those passenger craft prevented from operating under the provisions of the EU Directive on Mandatory Surveys for the safe operation of regular Ro-Ro ferry and high speed passenger craft services (1999/35/EU).

Notes on the list of detentions

  • Full details of the ship.
    The accompanying detention list shows ship’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) number which is unchanging throughout the ship’s life and uniquely identifies it. It also shows the ship’s name and flag state at the time of its inspection.
  • Company.
    The company shown in the vessel’s Safety Management Certificate (SMC) or if there is no SMC, then the party otherwise believed to be responsible for the safety of the ship at the time of inspection.
  • Classification Society.
    The list shows the Classification Society responsible for classing the ship only.
  • Recognised Organisation.
    Responsible for conducting the statutory surveys: and issuing statutory certificates on behalf of the Flag State
  • White (WL), Grey (GL) and Black lists (BL) are issued by the Paris MoU on 01 July each year and shows the performance of flag State.

SHIPS DETAINED IN MAY 2018

Vessel Name: POAVOSA WISDOM

GT: 127025

IMO: 9515644

Flag: Panama (White list)

Company: Well Ship Management and Marine Consultant Co

Classification Society: BV

Recognised Organisation: BV/NKK

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: BV

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: BV

Date and Place of Detention: 20th May 2018 at Avonmouth

Summary: Six deficiencies with six ground for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
10111 – Charts Missing Yes
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes
10111 – Charts Not updated Yes
10111 – Charts Not updated Yes
10116 – Nautical publications Missing Yes
10116 – Nautical publications Expired Yes

This vessel was released on 24th May 2018

Vessel Name: ATLANTIC

GT: 2195

IMO: 8002731

Flag: St Kitts and Nevis (Black list)

Company: JMB Bjerrum & Jensen Aps

Classification Society: RINA

Recognised Organisation: RINA

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: RINA

Date and Place of Detention: 15th May 2018 at Shearness

Summary: Nineteen deficiencies with seventeen ground for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
18314 – Provisions quantity Insufficient Yes
18315 – Provisions quality and nutritional value Not as required Yes
01123 – Continuous synopsis record Missing Yes
01315 – Oil record book Incorrect Yes
01220 – Seafarers’ employment agreement (SEA) Not as required Yes
01199 – Other (certificates) Other Yes
10105 – Magnetic compass Not as required Yes
10111 – Charts Expired Yes
05103 – Main installation Not as required Yes
18201 – Fitness for duty – work and rest hours Not as required Yes
18203 – Wages Not according SEA Yes
18326 – Laundry, Adequate Locker Not as required Yes
18413 – Warning notices Missing No
07110 – Fire fighting equipment and appliances Not properly maintained Yes
07108 – Ready availability of fire fighting equipment Missing Yes
07115 – Fire dampers Not as required Yes
99101 – Other safety in general Other No
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes
10116 – Nautical publications Expired Yes

This vessel was still detained on 31st May 2018

Vessel Name: MIKHAIL DUDIN

GT: 2319

IMO: 9057329

Flag: Panama (White list)

Company: JSC Aspol-Baltic Corporation

Classification Society: RMRS

Recognised Organisation: RMRS

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DBS

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DBS

Date and Place of Detention: 8th May 2018 at Ellesmere Port

Summary: Eight deficiencies with one ground for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
07108 – Ready availability of fire fighting equipment Missing No
03106 – Windows, sidescuttles and deadlights Not properly maintained No
07108 – Ready availability of fire fighting equipment Missing No
15150 – ISM Not as required No
18203 – Wages Missing Yes
18203 – Wages Missing information No
18314 – Provisions quantity Missing No
02103 – Stability/strength/loading information and instruments Documentation missing No

This vessel was released on 11th May 2018

Vessel Name: OCEAN SPIRIT

GT: 16041

IMO: 9086320

Flag: Cook Islands (Black list)

Company: Armador Gemi

Classification Society: BV

Recognised Organisation: N/A

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: N/A

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: N/A

Date and Place of Detention: 6th May at Sunderland

Summary: Nineteen deficiencies with four ground for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
Other – No
07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions Not as required No
18425 – Access/structural features (ship) Not as required No
07115 – Fire-dampers Inoperative Yes
11112 – Launching arrangements for survival craft Not properly maintained Yes
10109 – Lights, shapes, sound-signals Inoperative No
14499 – Other (MARPOL Annex IV) Other No
05199 – Other (radiocommunication) Other No
03102 – Freeboard marks Not properly marked No
03104- Cargo & other hatchways Corroded Yes
18321 – Heating, air conditioning and ventilation Inoperative No
02108 – Electrical installations in general Not properly maintained No
15150 – ISM Not as required Yes
18425 – Access/structural features (ship) Damaged No
02199 – Other (structural conditions) Other No
02122 – Openings to cargo area, doors, scuttles Corroded No
02115 – Bulkheads – operational damage Holed No
18417 – Anchoring devices Not as required No
18408 – Electrical Unsafe No

This vessel was released on 16th May 2018

DETENTIONS CARRIED OVER FROM PREVIOUS MONTHS

Vessel Name: CELTICA HAV

GT: 1537

IMO: 8422022

Flag: Bahamas

Company: HAV Ship Management NorRus AS

Classification Society: DNV GL

Recognised Organisation: DNV GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM Doc: DNV GL

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: DNV GL

Date and Place of Detention: 4th April 2018 at Swansea

Summary: Three deficiencies with two ground for detention

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
02106 – Hull damage impairing seaworthiness Holed Yes
10127 – Voyage or passage plan Not as required Yes
10111 – Charts Not updated No

This vessel was still detained on 31st May 2018

Vessel Name: SEA TRIDENT

GT: 964.

IMO No: 7393169.

Flag: PANAMA (white list)

Company:

Classification Society: Expired

Recognised Organisation: Expired

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC:

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC:

Date and Place of Detention: 17 June 2016, West Cowes

Summary: Seventeen deficiencies with seventeen grounds for detentions

Defective item Nature of defect Ground for Detention
01101 – Cargo ship safety equipment cert Expired Yes
01102 – Cargo Ship safety construction cert Expired Yes
01104 – Cargo ship safety radio cert Expired Yes
01108 – Loadline cert Expired Yes
01117 – IOPP (International Oil Pollution Prevention cert Expired Yes
01119 – International Sewage Pollution Prevention cert Expired Yes
01124 – International Air Pollution Prevention cert Expired Yes
01137 – Civil liability for bunker oil pollution damage cert Expired Yes
01199 – Other certs (Certificate of class) Expired Yes
01201 – Certificates for master and officers Missing Yes
10111 – Charts Not updated Yes
10116 – Publications Nautical Not updated Yes
11108 – Inflatable liferafts Expired Yes
11116 – Distress flares Missing Yes
07109 – Fixed fire fighting extinguishing installation Not as required Yes
07110 – Fire fighting equipment & appliances Not as required Yes
01140 – Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance Missing Yes

This vessel was still detained on 31st May 2018

Vessel Name: CIEN PORCIENTO (General Cargo)

GT: 106.

IMO No: 8944446.

Flag: Unregistered.

Company: Open Window Inc.

Classification Society: Unclassed.

Recognised Organisation: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM DOC: Not applicable.

Recognised Organisation for ISM SMC: Not applicable

Date and Place of detention: 4 March 2010, Lowestoft

Summary: Thirty deficiencies including seven grounds for detention

This vessel was still detained on 31st May 2018

Notes to Editors
• The MCA is a partner in the Sea Vision UK campaign to raise awareness and understanding of the sea and maritime activities. Sea Vision promotes the importance and economic value of the sector and works to highlight the exciting range of activities and career opportunities available to young people within the UK growing maritime sector at www.seavision.org.uk

• Follow us on Twitter: @MCA_media

For further information please contact
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Press Office, on:
+44 (0) 2380 329 401
Press releases and further information about the agency is available here.

Link: Press release: Foreign flagged ships detained in the UK during May 2018
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: £23.5m in small grants allocated to boost farming productivity

Farmers and rural businesses in the south-west are set to benefit from more than £7million in small grants to help boost their productivity, Farming Minister George Eustice announced today.

Across the country more than 3,500 grants worth £23.5 million have been allocated from the Countryside Productivity Small Grants scheme (CPSG).

The scheme will help farmers to purchase the equipment they need to make their businesses more productive, with grants available to aid electronic identification of livestock, improve the application of manures, and introduce guidance systems to aid precision farming.

Farming Minister George Eustice, who is attending the Royal Cornwall Show today (8 June) said:

It is fantastic to see this scheme has proven so popular, with a collective number of grants now worth £23.5 million, and nearly a third of this funding going towards farms and businesses across the South West.

The equipment on the market today can revolutionise farms, saving time and increasing yields. This funding will enable farmers, regardless of the size of their business, to access some of the best kit available.

Projects which fall under the CPSG scheme include state of the art equipment such as the Shallow Injections System which can inject slurry directly into the soil surface thereby reducing ammonia emissions, increasing the uptake of nitrogen in plants and enhancing silage quality.

The scheme, which closed for applications on 14 March, initially allocated £15 million to contribute to the cost of farm equipment to boost productivity on farms. However due to the high number of quality applications Defra has increased the funding to £23.5 million. Farms and businesses in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire are set to receive almost one third of the total allocation.

There is equipment specific to cattle, sheep and pig farmers, as well as precision farming and resource management and efficiency equipment designed to make the lives of arable and livestock farmers easier.

The Small Grant scheme is one element within the £200 million package of RDPE funding announced last summer, which aims to boost growth and create jobs in the rural economy.

For more detail on how to apply for the scheme please see here.

Link: Press release: £23.5m in small grants allocated to boost farming productivity
Source: Gov Press Releases

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The Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018

Section 264A of the National Health Service Act 2006 (“the 2006 Act”) provides for the Secretary of State to make regulations to require UK producers to record and keep information which the Secretary of State may require for the purpose set out in subsection (3) of that section and to provide that information to Secretary of State (section 264A(2) of the 2006 Act).

Link: The Health Service Products (Provision and Disclosure of Information) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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The Road Vehicles (Defeat Devices, Fuel Economy and Type-Approval) (Amendment) Regulations 2018

These Regulations amend both the Passenger Car (Fuel Consumption and CO2 Emissions Information) Regulations 2001 (“the 2001 Regulations”) and the Road Vehicles (Approval) Regulations 2009 (“the 2009 Regulations”) in order to deal with amendments to the European Union legislation which they implement. They also amend the 2009 Regulations, the Motorcycles (Type-Approval) Regulations 2018 (“the Motorcycles Regulations”) and the Agricultural and Forestry Vehicles (Type-Approval) Regulations 2018 (“the AFV Regulations”) to introduce offence provisions in relation to the use of defeat systems / devices to cheat emissions testing, together with minor technical amendments to the Motorcycles Regulations and AFV Regulations to correct minor defects in those instruments.

Link: The Road Vehicles (Defeat Devices, Fuel Economy and Type-Approval) (Amendment) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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The Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2018

These Regulations amend the Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) Regulations 2012 (S.I. 2012/1017) (“the principal Regulations”) and the Civil Aviation (Contributions to the Air Travel Trust) Regulations 2007 (S.I. 2007/2999). In part these Regulations give effect to Directive (EU) 2015/2302 on package travel and linked travel arrangements (“the Package Travel Directive”). The main changes introduced by these Regulations are the alignment of the definition of package and associated definitions with those used in the Package Travel Directive, removal of the separate Flight-Plus category and the widening of the scope of the ATOL Scheme to extend, in certain circumstances, to the activities of UK established businesses within the EEA, of those who procure flight accommodation on behalf of a consumer, and of other intermediaries.

Link: The Civil Aviation (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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Violent Crime (Sentences)

A Bill to increase the minimum custodial sentence on conviction for possession of a knife or other offensive weapon for an offender aged 18 years or over and to increase the minimum period of detention and training order for a person aged 16 or 17; to set a minimum custodial sentence on conviction for an offender in possession of a knife or other weapon and intending to commit any offence or having such a weapon available to use in committing murder; and for connected purposes.

Link: Violent Crime (Sentences)
Source: Public Bills

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Press release: UK to lead international hunt for life-changing innovations

  • British businesses and innovators to get £10m boost to bring their ideas to global market
  • Calls for Britain to ‘double down’ on innovation to make our way in the world after leaving the European Union

Science Minister Sam Gyimah last night launched the UK Chairmanship of the international innovation network EUREKA, addressing the global challenge to hunt for world-changing products and services needing support to reach the market.

He attended the event celebrating the UK taking on the chairmanship of EUREKA- a global network which has invested nearly £35bn in projects in 40 countries worldwide- for the third time. EUREKA, brings together more than 40 nations to collaborate on research and development and supports the ambitions of the government’s modern Industrial Strategy.

During the one-year Chairmanship, the UK aim to expand the global reach of EUREKA and will invest an extra £10 million to support UK businesses and innovators bring new products to market.

Speaking at the launch Science Minister Sam Gyimah said:

Here in the UK, as we prepare for leaving the European Union, we face an important question: how will we as a country make our way in the world? What sort of country do we choose to be? My answer to this is clear: we will only thrive if we embrace ideas and openness, and double down on an innovative economy. Our Industrial Strategy will be key to this.

And we are backing this engagement with investment. Already, we have announced the biggest increase in public R&D investment for over 40 years, including the establishment of a £4.7bn Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to back business-focused research. And we are going further. As part of our industrial strategy, we have set out our ambition to increase the UK’s R&D spend to 2.4% of GDP by 2027.

EUREKA is a platform to support those partnerships in research and innovation, enabling businesses to collaborate across borders, accessing new knowledge, capabilities and markets. Today, I am delighted to announce that the UK will inject an additional £10m for UK companies to collaborate with global businesses on innovation projects through the EUREKA platform, helping to create new products and services and drive business growth.

It is with great pride that I launch the UK’s EUREKA Chairmanship, beginning on 1 July, here among so many partners from around the world. I look forward to seeing all you achieve in the coming year.

Since its creation in 1985, EUREKA has supported a range of companies and organisations.

Developing a simple, effective and highly accurate blood test to detect transplant diseases has been led through a UK and Belgium EUREKA project. Its impact has reduced transplant costs by better targeting resources and is helping to improve patient’s recovery from transplants.

Cambridge based Intelligent Fingerprinting received a boost through a EUREKA project, led by the UK, Norway and France, that focussed on speeding up police investigations by using new computing techniques to help scan seized storage devices. The programme has been used by major law enforcement agencies around the world.

During the event, it was also confirmed that an additional £10 million of funding is being provided to UK EUREKA participants that will open up global R&D and innovation collaboration opportunities for UK companies to help drive growth. This will help to create new products and services by providing access to specialist knowledge, people and capability supporting UK companies to take advantage of global market opportunities.

Key facts:

  • EUREKA has been in existence for over thirty years
  • Involves 45 countries
  • Supports nearly 7,000 projects
  • Has worked with over 17,000 companies
  • Nearly £35 billion pounds already invested

EUREKA is a unique network which brings together the largest grouping of national ministries and innovation agencies, including UKRI, to support global business-focussed research and development. It aims to help businesses grow and encourages greater collaboration across borders.

Since EURKEA was founded in 1985, businesses involved have shown an additional annual turnover growth of 15% better than non-participants one year after the project finishing and companies in Eureka showed an additional annual employment growth of 7% compared to non-participating firms.

Notes to editors:

  • EUREKA is supported by a Secretariat based in Brussels, who are a non-profit organisation.
  • The current UK budget for EUREKA programmes is €4.5 million annually.
  • Further information can be found here: http://www.eurekanetwork.org/chair-United-Kingdom

Link: Press release: UK to lead international hunt for life-changing innovations
Source: Gov Press Releases