Month: October 2018

Community organisations across the UK will receive more than £5.3 million for projects countering extremist views and to build resilience within communities, it has been announced.

Minister for Countering-Extremism Baroness Williams awarded the funds as part of the Building a Stronger Britain Together programme, which aims to protect communities and empower them to challenge extremism. It funds more than 100 groups with grants of up to £200,000 and is estimated to reach around 175,000 people across the UK.

The organisations, including groups such as Khulisa, the Anne Frank Trust, Core Education and The Prince’s Trust will run year-long schemes that challenge extremist narratives and support people who may be vulnerable to them.
The projects being supported are wide-ranging and spread across the country: from Khulisa’s work in prisons to reduce re-offending and transform young people’s lives, to Core Education’s ‘Echo Eternal’ project that will use video testimony by Holocaust survivors to educate people on genocides across the world.

The funding comes as 300 representatives from the Building a Stronger Britain Together network met in London yesterday (Wednesday 17 October) for an annual conference.

Speaking at the event, Baroness Williams, Minister for Countering Extremism, said:

Building a Stronger Britain Together is powerful coalition of positive voices in society who are standing up to the hatred and extremism which, sadly, is present in Britain.

We are increasingly confronted with statements designed to justify support for twisted ideologies – these must be challenged in all their forms.

I am proud of the support we are giving groups and local communities, who recognise that this country is stronger together.

The new funding will expand the Building a Stronger Britain Together network to more than 220 groups, as the government steps up its fight against extremism.

During its annual conference, keynote speakers including academics and reformed extremists addressed delegates and advised on the latest thinking around countering extremism. It was chaired by Professor Matthew Feldman, Director of the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right and one of the UK’s foremost experts on extremism.

Nick Stace, UK Chief Executive of The Prince’s Trust, said:

Every day The Prince’s Trust supports young people from a range of backgrounds and communities to work together to develop the confidence and skills they need to succeed.

We help young people to gain a better understanding of people who are different to themselves, building mutual respect and tolerance and diverting them from activities that could lead to extremist views becoming engrained.

Many of our interventions also lead to employment opportunities, giving young people a greater stake in our economy and society.

This funding will help us to engage with more young people at an early stage to break down stereotypes, build tolerance amongst their communities and give young people the opportunities they need to thrive.

Adrian Packer, Founder and CEO of Core Education, said:

Echo Eternal will help to honour the commitment of every generation to never forget the Holocaust and genocides around the world. By working with young people, initially in Birmingham and then across the UK, we will tackle the extremism of those who wish to demean and degrade these memories.

We are delighted to be supported by Building a Stronger Britain Together for this crucial project. It’s important that government continues to support organisations like ours who are taking on extremism in all its forms.

Dominique Airey, Chief Executive Officer of Khulisa, said:

The funding announced by the government will help organisations like ours tackle social exclusion and crime in the heart of our communities. As part of the counter-extremism strategy, this will help us work with some of those who may be at risk or hard to reach.

Khulisa powerfully believe in the potential of every young person to live a healthy, crime-free life if given the right support. We provide a safe space for young people to explore their identity, experiences and to build healthy relationships with themselves and others. Our programmes are delivered in schools, prisons and a range of other community settings across the UK and are proven to increase well-being, empathy and reduce violence and offending.

We also support professionals such as social workers, police officers and prison staff to work more effectively with young people in a way that promotes inclusion and tolerance for all.

Since 2015, the Building a Stronger Britain Together programme has supported organisations, including the English Football League Trust and Show Racism the Red Card, for innovative projects to stand up against extremism. It was set up as part of the government’s counter-extremism strategy.

The Building a Stronger Britain Together network includes grassroots campaigns across England and Wales that bring together young people from segregated communities, build resilience to extremism and challenge extremist narratives.

The Department for Work and Pensions has appointed 3 non-executive directors to the board of the Single Financial Guidance Body (SFGB), a new service which has been established by the Financial Guidance and Claims Act to provide free and impartial help on money matters.

The SFGB will bring together services provided by the 3 well-known and respected organisations:

• the Money Advice Service
• the Pensions Advisory Service
• Pension Wise

It is due to be launched in January 2019 when it will bring the staff and functions of the 3 bodies under one roof.

Tim Jones, financial services executive and former CEO of the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST), Professor Elaine Kempson, Emeritus Professor at the University of Bristol, and Moray McDonald, Managing Director for Products with the Royal Bank of Scotland, have joined the SFGB as non-executive directors.
Minister for Pensions and Financial Inclusion – Guy Opperman – said:

It’s great news for the new Single Financial Guidance Body to have Tim Jones, Professor Elaine Kempson and Moray McDonald on its board. They bring a wealth of skills and experience that will help the new organisation and its leadership to deliver a quality, streamlined service under one roof, giving people the guidance and support they need to make informed choices.

The appointments follow the earlier announcements of Sir Hector Sants as Chair of the SFGB, John Govett as CEO, and Ann Harris and Mike Dailly as non-executive directors.
Sir Hector Sants said:

I am delighted to welcome Elaine, Moray and Tim to the SFGB Board. With their appointment we have the requisite board skills and a good blend of continuity and fresh perspectives for the initial phase of setting up the new organisation.

The SFGB will:

• provide information and guidance on occupational and personal pensions
• provide information and guidance designed to give people a better understanding and knowledge of financial matters and improve their ability to manage their own financial affairs
• provide people in England with information and advice on debt
• work with government and the Financial Conduct Authority to help consumers protect their money
• work with the financial services industry, devolved authorities and the public and voluntary sectors to develop a national strategy to improve people’s financial capability and ability to manage debt, and to give children and young people financial education

The new SFGB non-executive directors

Tim Jones

A financial services executive with experience spanning payment systems, retail banking, pensions and institutional stockbroking. Tim Jones is currently Global Ambassador for the Tibado digital cash solution, and serves as an Independent Director at ITG Inc., an institutional broker-dealer in New York. From 2007 until 2015, he was CEO of The Personal Accounts Delivery Authority (PADA) and then the National Employment Savings Trust (NEST) for the Department of Work and Pensions. Earlier in his career, Tim Jones spent 17 years at NatWest Bank.

Professor Elaine Kempson

Emeritus Professor at the University of Bristol, Professor Elaine Kempson has nearly 30 years’ experience of research and policy analysis on consumer behaviour and the provision of both government and commercial financial services. She was previously a consultant with both the World Bank and the OECD, and carried out the first two independent reviews of the Banking Codes. Professor Elaine Kempson is currently a non-executive director of the Lending Standards Board and the Standard Life Foundation, and a member of the Money Advice Service Financial Capability Strategy Board.

Moray McDonald

MD Products with RBS since 2014, Moray McDonald has commercial and risk accountability for personal products across NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, Coutts and RBS International, as well as for Remediation and Financial Crime. Moray McDonald is also a member of Personal and Business Banking Exco and Risk Committees and is the chair of Commercial Exco. He also represents the bank externally working with government, analysts, trade associations and consumer organisations. Prior to joining RBS, Moray McDonald spent 25 years in Banking, Finance Companies and Integration in Australia and Europe.

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To help cyclists and walkers navigate its road network the company is working closely with Sustrans to help provide safer crossings and connect cycle schemes on England’s busiest roads with the charity’s 16,505 mile National Cycle Network.

To help cyclists and walkers navigate its road network the company is working closely with Sustrans to help provide safer crossings and connect cycle schemes on England’s busiest roads with the charity’s 16,505 mile National Cycle Network.

This network criss-crosses the country, linking villages, towns and cities – and with 4.4 million people using it every year for commuting and leisure, the partnership will benefit cyclists up and down the country

Working with the charity is just one of the ways Highways England is making it easier for people of all ages and abilities to cycle and walk across and alongside its roads.

Highways England Head of Road Safety Richard Leonard said:

We want to make cycling and walking safer and easier – not merely locally, but across the country as a whole.

The National Cycle Network is a great initiative, and this project is a great example of how people can be encouraged to cycle and walk more – with obvious benefits to their health, safety and the wider environment.

The Department for Transport also recently awarded £1 million in funding to support projects repairing and upgrading sections of this popular network. Our overall plans to increase cycling and walking are set out in the 2017 Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy

Sustrans have identified a long list of opportunities and will be working together with Highways England to create a shortlist of schemes which can be quickly taken forward.

Anita Konrad, Sustrans’ National Director, England said:

We are delighted to be partnering with Highways England and welcome this investment that will make it easier for more people to cycle to work, the shops and for leisure.

Cycling and walking for local journeys is part of the solution to many of the challenges we face today, including road congestion, air pollution and high levels of inactivity. The schemes demonstrate how – with some practical design solutions and minimal interventions – we can address these challenges, and that retrofitting cycling provision can be done easily.

We hope to build on this partnership with Highways England, to make cycling safer, more attractive and easier for everyone, regardless of age and abilities.

Highways England has a £100 million dedicated cycling fund to provide improvements and new facilities which make it safer and easier to negotiate its roads. So far 80 new schemes have been built and 286 crossings have been improved, meaning it is now far easier than it was for cyclists to cross over motorways and major A roads.

People cycling or walking on the National Cycle Network linking London Stansted Airport with communities across Essex are already benefitting from £800,000 of improvements provided by this special fund. Cyclists can enjoy a safe and scenic route across the busy M11 motorway thanks to the Highways England project to restore the one mile route between Birchanger village and the airport.

Previously, people commuting on bikes to and from the airport were having to navigate the tricky junction 8 of the M11, and were often put off using what was little more than a dirt track. Resurfacing sections of the path, putting up new signs, and clearing overhanging vegetation has provided an attractive, traffic-free way to commute to the airport.

Some 200 schemes, worth £100m, will be on the ground by 2020/21. Over the past three years, 80 schemes have been built and a further 30 are due to be completed by spring 2019.

Another scheme completed this year is at a busy junction near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire. A £1.1 million scheme has created a new 320 metre cycleway through the Two Mills junction, which is used by more than 37,000 vehicles every day.

The A540, which runs between Chester and Hoylake, is popular with cyclists and the new path, which is shared by cyclists and pedestrians, runs along the southbound A540. The route crosses two new islands on the A550 at the Two Mills junction before continuing along the A540. New traffic lights and crossings also make it easier to cross the A550 and a new high-friction road surface has been laid to reduce the risk of collisions.

Highways England published its Cycling and Accessibility Strategy in 2016, and has recently published an annual report detailing the progress made so far. This includes integrating cycling and accessibility needs in the early stages of scheme design and working closely with key stakeholders to deliver schemes which suit the needs of communities..

Designated funds

Highways England is working to achieve a target to deliver 150 cycling schemes by the end of Road Investment Period (2015-2020), and 200 cycling schemes by 2020/21 after the government set up the £100 million dedicated fund for cycling in its Road Investment Strategy. This £100 million fund forms part of the £250 million designated fund for Cycling, Safety and Integration.

Designated funds are a series of ring fenced funds designated to Highways England by the Department for Transport to address a range of issues beyond the traditional focus of road investment.

There are 5 designated funds:

• environment – £300 million
• cycling, safety and Integration (CSI) – £250 million
• air quality – £100 million
• innovation – £150 million
• growth and housing – £100 million

More information about Highways England’s designated funds

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

The bill to restore and renew the Palace of Westminster has been published in draft today (18 October 2018) – implementing the decision taken by Parliament to move forward with a full programme of work.

The Draft Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill establishes the statutory bodies responsible for the work to ensure value for money for the taxpayer, whilst securing the Palace of Westminster as the home of the UK Parliament for future generations.

It also ensures Parliamentarians are consulted and given a vote on the design, cost and timing of the work.

Andrea Leadsom, Leader of the House of Commons, said:

I am pleased that the publication of this draft bill allows the programme to make progress. It marks the next step in Parliament’s efforts to protect the Palace of Westminster as the home of our democracy for future generations.

Following agreement by MPs across all parties, we are supporting Parliamentary Authorities to deliver on that decision, and press ahead with this work.

The government’s role is to ensure taxpayers’ money is protected, and the measures in this draft bill reflect our determination to ensure the delivery of the restoration and renewal programme runs to time and represents the best value for money. There can be no blank cheque for this work.

The draft bill gives effect to the resolutions voted for by Parliament earlier this year, to create a governance structure for the project by setting up a Sponsor Body, a Delivery Authority and an Estimates Commission.

These bodies will be able to make strategic decisions on the restoration and renewal programme.

The Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body will have overall responsibility for the restoration and renewal programme and is comprised of a mixture of Parliamentarians and external experts.

It will also be empowered to form a Delivery Authority – a non-profit company that will put forward proposals for the restoration works and ensure they are delivered on time and to specification.

This two-tier approach, as used in the successful London Olympics project, was approved by Parliament as the best structure to deliver a value for money programme.

The bill also establishes a Parliamentary Works Estimates Commission which will review and comment on the Sponsor Body’s cost estimates and lay them before Parliament.

This bill also gives the Treasury powers to scrutinise and comment on the annual estimates for the funding of the programme. The National Audit Office will also be able to undertake audits and value-for-money reviews.

Baroness Evans of Bowes Park, Leader of the House of Lords, said:

As an important parliamentary project, the publication of the draft bill will give members of both Houses, and other interested parties, an opportunity to scrutinise the approach being taken to the governance of the Restoration and Renewal Programme before the bill is introduced.

We welcome the forthcoming Parliamentary scrutiny to ensure that the draft bill achieves the aim of ensuring that the Restoration and Renewal Programme will be sufficiently independent, transparent and accountable to Parliament and to the public.

The decision to take forward these works was made by MPs across Parliament as a result of serious structural, mechanical and electrical, fire safety and asbestos issues in the Palace of Westminster, which cannot be resolved outside a major programme of refurbishment.

Unless significant restoration work takes place, major, irreversible damage may be done to the building, and the risk of a significant building failure is increasing every year.

Notes to editors

1. On 31 January 2018, the House of Commons approved a resolution that work should commence on the restoration and renewal of the Palace of Westminster.
2. The resolution required that ‘immediate steps be taken’ to establish a Shadow Sponsor Board and Delivery Authority, and that their ‘statutory successors’ be established by legislation in due course.
3. A resolution in identical terms was approved by the House of Lords on 6 February 2018.
4. The UK Parliament’s Restoration and Renewal Programme was established to tackle the significant work that needs to be done to protect and preserve the heritage of the Palace of Westminster, and ensure it can continue to serve as home to the UK Parliament in the 21st century.
5. Both Houses of Parliament decided to create a Sponsor Board in shadow form in July, with the following members:
   • Elizabeth Peace CBE (Chair)
   • Lord Carter of Coles
   • Lord Deighton KBE
   • Rt Hon the Lord Geidt GCB GCVO OBE
   • Neil Gray MP
   • Brigid Janssen
   • Rt Hon Sir Patrick McLoughlin MP
   • Marta Phillips OBE
   • Baroness Scott of Needham Market
   • Mark Tami MP
   • Simon Thurley CBE
   • Simon Wright OBE
6. For more information, please contact the House of Commons Media Relations Team on 0207 219 0969.