Month: September 2018

When things go wrong with rented properties, students have the right to get them fixed – and the government has published How To Rent guides to help out.

Government legislation protects students and their money from rogue landlords and agents. And new laws coming into force on 1 October, around the time when a new term starts, will mean landlords must provide adequate size bedrooms and sufficient rubbish bins.

Six things students should know on move-in day:

1. Your deposit must be protected in a government-backed scheme – get a certificate from your landlord or agent.
2. Check the property is safe – think fire, electrical, gas safety certificate, and hygiene. If you have concerns, raise them with your landlord or agent immediately.
3. Agree an inventory with your landlord or agent – or you could lose money when you move out.
4. By law, landlords must install a smoke alarm on each floor (and carbon monoxide alarms if needed) but it’s your job to regularly check they are working.
5. Know who is responsible for bills (water, electricity, gas) and take meter readings.
6. Landlords or agents must be reachable to fix problems quickly – make sure you have their contact details.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Heather Wheeler MP said:

Rogue landlords and agents should never get in the way of students enjoying university life and we’re working to stop them in their tracks.

We’ve brought in laws to crack down on bad operators and we have measures in place to protect tenants’ deposits.

We are going even further by changing the law to ban unfair letting fees and cap tenancy deposits.

We want students to know their rights – that landlords must do their job and fix leaks, keep heating working and install smoke alarms.

Landlords or agents must deal with any problems with the water, electricity and gas supply, and maintain appliances and furniture they have supplied. Councils can step in when landlords don’t do their job, and there are independent schemes to help resolve disputes with letting agents.

Houses lived in by 5 or more independent people will soon have to be licensed in an extension of laws which previously only covered buildings of 3 storeys or more.

Homes of any number of storeys will be covered under the extension, meaning more students will be helped – with tiny bedrooms (of less than 6.51 square metres for one adult) banned and landlords forced to provide the right bins to homes.

The laws will come in from 1st October but local authorities can give landlords up to 18 months to get bedroom sizes right.

As well as this, new regulations taking effect from 1st April 2019 will keep renters’ money safe by only allowing letting agents that join a government-approved client money protection scheme to handle their money.

Students should use the How to rent and How to rent a safe home checklists on Gov.uk.

Sixteen successful ‘Fast Track’ projects are receiving a share of £6 million Coastal Communities Fund money to help deliver sustainable growth and jobs across the Great British Coast.

As part of the fifth round of the Coastal Communities Fund, 16 ‘ready to go’ projects have been selected to start work to transform their coastal communities in 2018 to 2019 before the main round funding becomes available in April 2019.

The chosen projects, which range from a community arts project in South Shields to heritage boat tours in Falmouth’s historic docks, are collectively forecast to create over 1100 jobs and are set to attract public and private sector co-funding of £2.4 million.

On a visit to one of the ‘fast track’ winners, Disability First “Access Fylde Coast”, Coastal Communities Minister, Jake Berry MP, said:

It’s really exciting to see money from the Coastal Communities Fund help kick start these shovel ready projects, which have the potential to unlock the barriers to development and growth in our coastal communities.

Investment in our seaside areas, through projects such as these, will provide nothing short of a New Deal for the Great British coast, creating thousands of jobs, training places and opportunities along the shore.

Disability First, “Access Fylde Coast” will receive almost £1 million to boost tourism by improving the visitor experience for people with disabilities visiting the Fylde, Blackpool and Wyre coasts. The project includes training courses for local businesses to support people with disabilities, organising new events and creating trained volunteer access guides. Other game-changing projects set to benefit from grants include:

• an almost £500,000 grant to support the local creative economy in Margate High Street with a state-of-the-art Fabrication Laboratory providing technical skills training, business planning and support for local creative businesses and professionals
• a £900,000 grant to the Scarborough Construction Skills Village project to help tackle local unemployment and skills challenges. Funding will support local residents into new apprenticeships and jobs in the construction industry, particularly in micro and small construction companies
• a £60,000 grant towards a project to refurbish an industrial landmark building – St Hilda’s Pit Head in South Shields – transforming it into a community, cultural and heritage hub providing training, office, event and exhibition space

The Coastal Communities Fund was established to support coastal projects in the UK deliver sustainable growth and jobs.

Since 2012, the Fund has awarded grants to 295 projects across the UK, totalling over £173 million. This has helped to start almost 500 new businesses and create more than 7,000 jobs – with these figures set to more than double once the projects that are already underway are completed.

Applications submitted for Round 5 of the Coast Communities Fund are currently being assessed. The successful main round bids of the remaining £34 million are expected to be announced by early 2019.

Further information

The full list of fast track grant awards are:

Beer Coastal Community Team, Devon – ‘More Than Just the Beach’

A £53,000 grant towards a £70,000 project to employ a village commercial manager to develop and organise events and to provide facilities to attract more long-stay visitors and extend the visitor season. Project includes implementing a 3-year promotion, marketing and development plan for the village.

Berwick Coastal Community Team, Northumberland

£304,000 grant towards the £324,000 Berwick “Welcome Visitor” project to improve the town’s visitor offer by promoting new visitor opportunities, events and products that will encourage longer stays and extend the current visitor season.

British Marine Federation South West, South Hams, Plymouth

£53,000 grant towards a £177,850 project to diversify coastal and maritime tourism in Devon. Funding will support the development and promotion of a package of measures to increase cross Channel leisure yacht visits between Brittany and Devon, both during and outside the peak season.

Community Arts Project North East, South Shields

£61,390 grant towards a £76,425 project to refurbish an industrial landmark building – St Hilda’s Pit Head in South Shields – and transform it into a community, cultural and heritage hub providing training, office, event and exhibition space and a base for a community arts project.

Coastal West Sussex Partnership

£170,000 grant towards a £340,000 project to position coastal West Sussex as an active hub for water-based sports. Funding will promote collaboration and an experience based marketing campaign for local businesses, including a water sports development office.

Deal Town Council – Cycle Friendly Deal, Kent

£98,077 grant towards a 106,000 project to create a new tourism offer aimed at families and occasional cyclists to make Deal a cycle friendly town. Funding will support the development of family friendly cycle routes, improved signage and the creation of new cycle maps and guides, plus a new e-bike share scheme.

Disability First, “Access Fylde Coast”, Lancashire

£985,522 grant to improve the tourism offer and visitor experience for people with disabilities visiting the Fylde, Blackpool and Wyre coasts. Project includes training courses for local businesses to support people with disabilities, organising new events and the creation of trained volunteer access guides.

Jurassic Coast Volunteer Network, Devon

£258,526 grant to create a joined-up network of volunteers and businesses along the Jurassic Coast, in partnership with local education providers. It will include an IT platform with training, accreditation, recruitment and business relationships managed by the Jurassic Coast Trust.

Kneehigh Theatre Trust Ltd, St Austell, Cornwall

£803,236 grant towards a £1.295 million project to develop a centre of excellence to provide training and development for a new generation of leaders and workers in the cultural and tourism sectors. It will also support 2 festivals of contemporary culture and the use of new technology to create new coastal digital experiences to attract visitors throughout the year.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust

£71,000 grant towards a £985,000 project to increase nature tourism by working with local businesses to enhance engagement in the nature tourism offer of the Lancashire coast. Events, talks, surveys and workshops will be organised to encourage local communities to champion the coast.

National Maritime Museum Cornwall Trust, Falmouth, Cornwall

£110,000 grant towards a £223,200 project to introduce heritage boat tours of Falmouth’s historic docks, with trained tour guides, to highlight maritime history and wildlife. Funding will increase visitor numbers, create jobs and volunteering opportunities and support local maritime businesses.

Medina Valley, Isle of Wight

£60,000 grant towards a £119,900 project to support the creation of an Isle of Wight Events Centre. The aim is to enhance the estuary’s tourism offer with local hospitality providers and businesses and encourage more collaborative working and marketing.

Scarborough Construction Skills Village

£896,568 grant to the Scarborough Construction Skills Village project to help tackle local unemployment and skills challenges. Funding will support local residents into new apprenticeships and jobs in the construction industry, particularly in micro and small construction companies.

St Austell Coastal Community Team – A green and Ceramic Cultural Centre, Cornwall

A £1,093,520 contribution towards a £1.29 million project to transform the St Austell area as a visitor destination. Funding will support a programme of public realm, cultural initiatives and events and skills training to attract more visitors and extend the tourist season.

Suffolk County Council, ‘The Hold’ Suffolk Heritage Activity and Events Programme, Ipswich

Ac £414,763 grant towards a £1.44 million project to bring to life ‘The Hold’ – a new Suffolk Archives and Heritage Centre next to the Ipswich Waterfront. Funding will deliver a comprehensive, year round heritage activity and events programme to develop new audiences to visit Ipswich Waterfront.

The Margate School, Enterprise and Technical Support for the Creative Economy, Margate

£499,100 grant to support the local creative economy in Margate’s High Street and town centre by kick-starting Margate’s first Fabrication Laboratory. This will provide technical skills training, business planning and design mentoring/ facilitation for local creative businesses and professionals.

The government is taking action to end the ‘blame game’ for separating couples, with new proposals to help families instead focus on key practical decisions and look to the future.

At present, divorcing couples are forced to blame each other for the marriage breakdown on the grounds of ‘unreasonable behaviour’, adultery or desertion, or prove they have been separated for a minimum of 2 years – even if the separation is mutual. If the divorce is contested, and a spouse cannot prove ‘fault’, then couples currently have to wait 5 years before a divorce is granted.

Ministers want to reduce the antagonism of citing fault and the anxiety it creates, at an already trying time for couples and their children.

Therefore, a new notification process will allow people to notify the court of the intent to divorce, whilst removing the opportunity for the other spouse to contest it.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said:

Marriage will always be one of our most important institutions, but when a relationship ends it cannot be right for the law to create or increase conflict between divorcing couples.

That is why we will remove the archaic requirements to allege fault or show evidence of separation, making the process less acrimonious and helping families look to the future.

The proposals are set out in a government consultation launched today (15 September 2018), and will apply to marriages and civil partnerships.

Proposals detailed in the consultation include:

• retaining the sole ground for divorce: the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage
• removing the need to show evidence of the other spouse’s conduct, or a period of living apart
• introducing a new notification process where one, or possibly both parties, can notify the court of the intention to divorce
• removing the opportunity for the other spouse to contest the divorce application

The consultation also seeks views on the minimum timeframe for the process between the interim decree of divorce (decree nisi) and final decree of divorce (decree absolute). This will allow couples time to reflect on the decision to divorce and to reach agreement on arrangements for the future where divorce is inevitable.

Today’s announcement delivers on the Justice Secretary’s commitment to reform these aspects of divorce law, and bring the UK in line with other countries who already have similar procedures.

Notes to editors

• Current divorce law requires people seeking divorce to give evidence of one or more of five facts; three are based on ‘fault’ and two are based instead on a period of separation. The five facts are: adultery, behaviour, desertion, 2 years’ separation (if the other spouse consents to the divorce) and 5 years’ separation (otherwise). (These are summary versions of the facts).
• The behaviour fact, which was an issue in the case of Owens v Owens, is sometimes called “unreasonable behaviour” but is actually “that the respondent has behaved in such a way that the petitioner cannot reasonably be expected to live with the respondent”.
• At present, where both parties agree, the court can dissolve the marriage after the couple have lived apart for a minimum 2 years. Where one spouse disagrees, the other spouse will either have to wait to be separated for 5 years before a divorce is granted or may instead obtain a divorce if they demonstrate to the satisfaction of the court that their spouse has committed adultery or that they have behaved in such a way that the party cannot reasonably be expected to live with them. Desertion is rarely relied upon. The legal definitions of the facts can be found in section 1(2) of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973.
• Only about 2% of respondents contest the petitioner’s decision to seek a divorce. Of these 2% of respondents, only a handful go on to contest (“defend”) the divorce at a court hearing. This means that, under the current law, a spouse who wishes to divorce can already be certain of doing so in practice, regardless of the other spouse’s wishes, provided that the petition establishes irretrievable breakdown.
• For victims of domestic abuse, these proposals will mean that the legal process cannot be used for coercive control.
• Government recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances in which it may be desirable to retain the ability for a spouse to defend the divorce, for example if one party lacks mental capacity to make an informed decision to seek a divorce.
• Data shows that out of every 5 divorce petitions over the last 5 years, roughly 3 rely on conduct facts and 2 on separation facts. In 2017, the behaviour fact accounted for nearly half of all petitions (46.8%, or 47.3% when combined with the adultery fact).
• Last year almost 110,000 people petitioned for divorce in England and Wales.
• At present, 6 weeks and a day must elapse before a decree nisi can be made absolute. In practice divorces take much longer to go through for a number of reasons including dealing with the other party and with legal representatives and the desirability of agreeing financial arrangements before the final divorce.
• This consultation focuses on the legal requirements for ending a marriage or civil partnership – it does not cover other aspects of matrimonial law such as financial provision. The court cannot make divorce financial orders until there is a divorce petition. The court cannot therefore make financial orders – such as pension sharing or orders for sale of property – if a spouse has walked out of the marriage but not sought a divorce. In practice, with regard to financial orders, no spouse would be ‘worse off’ under a “no-fault” divorce than one established on basis of one of the current 3 ‘facts’ or separation periods.
• The consultation will run for 12 weeks, closing on 10 December 2018.

The Government has announced an additional £250,000 grant in support of the Mayflower 400 commemorations, to mark the 400th anniversary on 16th September 2020 of the Mayflower sailing.

The funding will be used to promote and encourage American visitors to join the anniversary in England and to develop a ‘digital Mayflower trail’ which will bring to life individual stories, heritage and culture of each location involved in the commemorations. This is expected to be launched in November 2019.

The sailing of the Mayflower is celebrated by many in the United States as the beginning of a national legacy, and in the UK as the beginning of an enduring alliance.

Plymouth is leading a national partnership of 11 destinations within England which are currently developing a year-long programme of cultural events and activities as part of the anniversary. Plymouth itself is undergoing a major transformation that will bring in commercial and cultural opportunities to the city on a scale not seen since its rebuilding after the end of the Second World War.

The Mayflower 400 commemorations will form the main part of a wider, year-long national and international cultural programme connecting England, the United States, the native American Nation and the Netherlands in the four-nation commemoration.

The announcement follows a recent visit to Plymouth’s historic waterfront area by Michael Ellis, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, where details of the cultural, maritime, military, heritage and sporting programmes and events were presented to him.

Michael Ellis, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, said:

I was delighted to recently visit Plymouth’s Mayflower Steps, to meet those working on the commemorations, which will celebrate centuries of shared UK and American history and promote Plymouth to the world in 2020. Anniversaries such as Mayflower 400 play a vital role in proving that the UK is open for business.

This has the potential to have a similar effect on the city as the UK City of Culture 2017 had in Hull, and will have on Coventry in 2021. That’s why we fully support the commemorations, which will play a major part in ensuring a strong legacy for Plymouth as a tourist destination”.

Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said:

Plymouth has a long and proud global heritage, I am excited that our city is leading a national and international partnership to commemorate the world changing endeavours of the Mayflower Pilgrims. It’s great to get this additional financial commitment from national government for Plymouth and the UK partners.

Amanda Lumley, Executive Director of Destination Plymouth, said:

We are delighted that the Government has recognised the opportunity that Mayflower 400 presents not just in 2020 as part of the main anniversary commemoration but the legacy that can continue as the whole East coast of America turns 400 over the next ten years.

Over 25 million Americans are descended from the passengers and crew of the ship, including five previous American Presidents. We are very thankful of the support from VisitEngland, VisitBritain and our wider partnership in helping us to make the most of this exciting anniversary.

The Mayflower left Plymouth on 16 September 1620 (according to the Gregorian calendar), arriving 56 days later on 11 November in Cape Cod on the East Coast of the United States. Approximately 35 million Americans today trace their ancestry to a Mayflower passenger.

Initiatives that encourage tourists to travel beyond London and see what the whole UK has to offer are a key focus of the Government’s Tourism Action Plan.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• Plymouth leads the Mayflower 400 programme, aligning 11 core destinations in England (Austerfield & Doncaster, Boston, Dartmouth, Gainsborough, Harwich, Immingham, Scrooby & Babworth, Rotherhithe, Southampton & Worcestershire) with wider national and international partners in Holland (Leiden) and the United States (Plymouth, Massachusetts)
• The programme will deliver a world class series of events, public art and wider content that will commemorate this exceptional voyage and provide a major ongoing impact across the partnership, knitting together communities, inspiring creativity and culture, driving economic growth, and promoting understanding and education

• Miniature shows Queen Elizabeth I watching the naval battle
• Artwork is one of few contemporary depictions of the Spanish Armada

An exceptionally rare painting depicting the defeat of the Spanish Armada, a naval campaign widely regarded to have changed the course of European history, is at risk of being deported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £210,000.

Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism Michael Ellis has placed a temporary export bar on the ‘The Spanish Armada in the Year 1588’, by an unknown artist, to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country.

Depictions of the Armada, with the inclusion of its leading historical figures, are exceptionally rare. Experts believe the painting was produced in around 1600, within a generation of the event.

It shows Queen Elizabeth I watching the naval engagement, accompanied by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. This reflected her personal intervention during the military campaign, when she rallied her troops through a speech at Tilbury.

In 1588 Philip II of Spain sent an 18,000 strong invasion force of 130 ships to England with the intention of overthrowing the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I and restoring Catholic rule. The defeat of the invading fleet has long been held as one of England’s greatest naval victories, which increased the monarch’s popularity and encouraged a new sense of patriotism in the country.

Experts believe that the work reflects a Dutch style of painting from this period, and may have been commissioned by an English patron with Dutch connections. It is signed in the lower right corner with an unverified artist’s monogram (signed ‘V.H.E’).

Michael Ellis, Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, said:

Although the Spanish Armada is one of the defining conflicts in England’s naval history, contemporary depictions of it are exceptionally rare. This beautiful miniature commemorates one of the most celebrated events of Elizabeth I’s reign and it is essential that we do our best to save this piece for the nation.

Little is known of the painting’s whereabouts until it was sent on long-term loan to the Rijksmuseum, the Museum of the Netherlands, between 1975 and 1995.

There are only two miniature paintings known that represent the Armada events.

The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, administered by The Arts Council. They made their recommendation on the grounds that the miniature is an exceptionally rare representation of a pivotal and celebrated event in national history, and is key to the study of European marine art and the event itself.

Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest member Peter Barber said:

This vibrant miniature is one of the earliest and most vivid depictions of an episode of crucial importance for the history of England. That it is the work of a Flemish artist and shows the role played by Dutch ships, additionally underline the Armada’s European-wide significance. Yet, familiar though the overall story may be, the miniature includes many intriguing details that need further investigation, such as the prominence given to the ship and arms of the commander of the English forces, Lord Howard of Effingham.

There can be few items more justly called a ‘national treasure’ and it needs to be retained in this country so that it can be further studied and enjoyed.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred until 13 December 2018. This may be extended until 13 March 2019 if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of £210,000 (plus VAT of £6,600).

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. Details of the painting are as follows: Unknown artist, Monogrammist VHE (presumed Netherlandish School), The Spanish Armada off the Coast of England, Variously dated, c.1590-1600, and 1600-10, probably 1600-05, Gouache heightened with gold, within gold framing lines on panel; signed lower right with the artist’s monogram: V/HE, and inscribed upper centre: SPAENSCHE ARMAD/INT IAR 1588 (Spanish Armada in the year 1588) in black. It is framed in a plain black Dutch-style frame with gold inner band, measuring 208mm x 410mm.
2. Download an image of the painting.
3. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by The Arts Council, which advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
4. The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. www.artscouncil.org.uk.

The Minister of State for the United Nations (UN) and Commonwealth has led UK tributes at the funeral of former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon joined His Excellency President Akufo-Addo of Ghana and world leaders at the funeral, held in Accra, where he conveyed condolences on behalf of the UK Government.

Lord Ahmad said:

The whole world has come together to mourn the loss of Kofi Annan. I am honoured to have represented the UK Government and the British people to pay our deep respects. He has left behind an incredible legacy, particularly his work on human rights and justice at the UN.

Whilst in Ghana, Lord Ahmad met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Shirley Botchway. They discussed a number of issues in UK-Ghana relations, including our countries’ visions for the Commonwealth and priority issues for this month’s UN General Assembly. Lord Ahmad also met with Minister of Defence Dominic Nitiwul on regional security and met with Ghana’s new Electoral Commissioner Jean Mensa to hear about Ghana’s preparations for future elections.

Lord Ahmad visited a UK-supported workshop with Ghanaian law enforcement agencies involved in tackling Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, seeing the practical cooperation between the UK and Ghana, that is helping to bring perpetrators to justice and protect vulnerable people. He also paid a visit to the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, reflecting on Ghana’s reputation for religious coexistence and his priorities as the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on Twitter @tariqahmadbt
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook