Author: Pulse Assent

The Queen has been pleased to approve that David Rutley MP and Nigel Adams MP be appointed Parliamentary Under Secretaries of State at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government respectively.

Both roles are unpaid and are in addition to their current roles as Government Whips.

Nigel Adams MP has been appointed temporarily to provide support so Heather Wheeler MP can spend more time with her husband who has health issues.

David Rutley MP has been appointed temporarily whilst Thérèse Coffey MP recovers from a period of illness.

A man who attempted to rob a taxi-driver at knife-point has been jailed today after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred his sentence for being too low.

Alexander Bell, 26, demanded money from his victim while threatening him with a blade. Even though the victim agreed to pay him, Bell slashed at him with the blade and a struggle ensued.

Bell was originally sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court in March, where he was given a sentence of 2 years imprisonment suspended for 2 years. Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 2 years 10 months immediate custody.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

Bell launched an unprovoked attack using a weapon against his victim, and I am pleased that today the Court of Appeal has agreed that the risk he poses to the public warrants immediate custody.

Following the G20 summit, held in Buenos Aires, the Foreign Secretary will travel to the Palacio San Martin, for talks with Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie and then later onto Casa Rosada, for a meeting with President Mauricio Macri.

Speaking on the last day of his visit to Argentina, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I’d like to thank President Macri and Foreign Minister Faurie for hosting me in their vibrant country.

Argentina offers increasing opportunities for British businesses in number of sectors, including oil and gas, agriculture and infrastructure.

The UK and Argentina have been business partners for over 200 years, with a current total of £1.5 billion in bilateral trade in goods and services. This is a number I look forward to help to grow in the future as the UK leaves the European Union.

Mr Johnson will then travel to Chile for the last leg of his five-day tour of Latin America, the first visit to Chile by a UK Foreign Secretary since 1993.

Further information

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

To celebrate 100 years of the Royal Air Force (RAF), school and cadet groups across Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec are getting an exclusive opportunity to learn about how pilots from the British and Canadian armed forces continue to work together to support peace and security around the world.

With inspiring future generations being such a big theme of RAF100 celebrations, the UK’s Naval and Air Attaché to Canada, Commander Neil Marriott (Royal Navy), called on Ottawa based RAF Exchange Officers, Squadron Leader Drew Anderson and Squadron Leader Andy Wilson, to offer a series of informative and exciting visits for school and youth groups, in partnership with volunteer group Vintage Wings of Canada.

During each session, 30 teenagers are invited to visit Vintage Wings impressive aircraft collection at the Gatineau Airport where they receive an informal presentation on the history of the RAF by current Air Force service members. They also learn about Canada’s role in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during the Second World War and how the RAF and RCAF continue to cooperate today.

So far, school groups from Carleton Place and Ottawa have taken part and at least five further school and cadet groups have trips planned for the coming weeks.

RAF Squadron Leader Drew Anderson, who is currently on exchange with the RCAF, said:

We’ve got a fantastic opportunity here to help the next generation learn a little bit of our shared history while at the same time maybe inspiring some of them to consider a career in aerospace.

The volunteer staff at Vintage Wings of Canada have been fantastic and everyone is fully supportive of our RAF100 outreach activities. It’s also important to remember that this is not a museum – these aircraft actually fly – and these youth are really excited to get so close to such beautiful and functioning classic aircraft.

Don Buchan from Vintage Wings of Canada said:

As an organization we are all about inspiring young people, so the RAF100 commemoration gave us the catalyst we were looking for to put together an interesting and informative program that we could use to reach a lot of local youths.

The RAF has capitalised on its centenary year to: Commemorate 100 years of extraordinary success, achievement and sacrifice; Celebrate the professionalism and dedication of today’s RAF, which is airborne 24/7 supporting UK and allied interests around the world; and Inspire future generations by telling its unique story.

Commander Marriott said:

The focus of these events is to celebrate the history of the RAF and demonstrate its close relationship with the RCAF over the last century and today, at home and overseas.

We will inform you of the significant scientific leaps in aeronautics that were required to form the modern Air Forces of today, hopefully inspiring you to be Canada’s future scientists, engineers, medical professionals or even pilots.