The Prime Minister spoke to President Sisi of Egypt earlier this evening.
The Prime Minister offered her personal condolences and the condolences of the British people for the barbaric attack that took place at al-Rawdah mosque in north Sinai yesterday.
They spoke about the attack being a terrible example of the threat Egypt faces and the Prime Minister reassured President Sisi that the UK stands ready to help in any way possible.
They agreed that terrorism was an international problem and that it was important for countries to work closely together and share expertise to counter the growing threat of terrorism around the world. They welcomed continued bilateral cooperation in this area.
Speaking following the successful conclusion of the talks in Riyadh, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:
I welcome the news that the Syrian opposition in Riyadh have reached agreement on a new line-up and negotiating team ahead of negotiations in Geneva next week, moving forwards with their commitment to peace in Syria.
I congratulate Nasr al-Hariri on his election as Chief of the Negotiating Committee, and Saudi Arabia on hosting a highly successful event in Riyadh to bring the Syrian opposition together. The Syrian opposition have worked hard and shown considerable flexibility in its efforts to unify and broaden their platform. I welcome the opposition’s broad commitment to engage in political negotiations without preconditions. The regime and its backers now need to show the same commitment – they no longer have any excuse for their failure to engage.
There is now an opportunity for upcoming talks in Geneva to generate serious momentum and create the inclusive political transition necessary to end this conflict.
Britain is leading the global push to eradicate violence against women and girls in all its forms around the world, announced International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt on International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women.
Ms Mordaunt set out a new package of UK support to protect women and girls in some of the world’s poorest countries from practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), child marriage and domestic and sexual violence.
This extra UK aid is expected to help around 750,000 women and girls globally over the next three years, by increasing access to crucial services like legal assistance, healthcare, counselling, safe spaces for survivors and working with communities to prevent and break the cycles of violence.
International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:
It is truly shocking that violence against women and girls remains one of the most systemic, widespread human rights violations worldwide. The high rates of this crime across the world are a global scandal.
I am proud to say that the UK is leading international efforts across more than 30 countries to eliminate violence against women and girls in all its forms – from ending Female Genital Mutilation and child marriage, to preventing and addressing domestic and sexual violence.
Today we are stepping up our leadership – working closely with women leaders and grassroots charities – to help even more survivors in some of the world’s poorest countries overcome the traumas of violence and tackle the root causes of this crime.
DFID will provide up to £12 million to the United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women (UNTF) over three years. This vital UK aid will support local, national, regional and cross-border efforts to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls, including sexual and gender based violence in conflict areas.
Aldijana Sisic, Chief of the UN Trust Fund said:
This year’s commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women comes at a unique moment coinciding with the unprecedented mobilisation of millions of voices of survivors of violence behind the #MeToo movement.
Violence against women is not inevitable and it can be ended with a comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach. This is why the UN Trust Fund welcomes the renewed contribution of the UK as well as its ongoing global leadership and support for preventing and ending violence against women and girls and its root causes.
The UK is already leading international efforts to eliminate violence against women and girls in all its forms. UK aid is pioneering 15 innovative approaches to prevent gender based violence across 12 countries, reaching an estimated 100,000 people. For example, in Pakistan and Afghanistan, DFID is helping support schools to better protect children. In Bangladesh, the UK is working with businesses and grassroots organisations to end harassment of women workers in garment factories.
Notes to editors:
DFID will provide up to £12 million over three years (December 2017 – December 2020) to the United Nations Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women (UNTF).
Last year, the Trust Fund supported projects in 77 countries and regions around the world, which directly benefited 250,000 women and girls.
DFID is leading international efforts across 30 countries to tackle violence against women and girls in all its forms; from ending Female Genital Mutilation and child marriage to preventing domestic abuse.
In Uganda, UK aid is preventing and responding to domestic violence by changing stigma, discrimination and attitudes about the acceptability of violence. The Raising Voices’ SASA! Programme is galvanising local community action, providing training and establishing community charters, by-laws and protocols in churches or mosques. This is leading a transformation in efforts to stamp out domestic violence, with women in the target communities now 52% less likely to experience physical violence from a partner.
The independent aid watchdog (ICAI) carried out a comprehensive review of DFID’s efforts last year towards eliminating violence committed against women and girls. It gave DFID’s performance the highest ‘green’ rating, recognising the crucial contribution UK aid makes around the world.
I strongly condemn the horrendous and sickening attack on a mosque in Egypt’s North Sinai. My thoughts are with the people of Egypt and the families of all those affected by this terrible and cowardly act.
I have been in touch with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to offer my condolences and underline the UK’s full commitment in standing with Egypt in its fight against terrorism.
Data Protection Bill [HL]: Letter dated 14/11/2017 from Lord Ashton of Hyde and Baroness Williams of Trafford to Lords regarding government amendments to the Data Protection Bill: government data processing and consequential amendments.
Data Protection Bill [HL]: Letter dated 09/11/2017 from Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon to Lord Pannick regarding issues raised during the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill second reading debate
The Skills Award is presented for displaying excellence in promoting skills development and making a significant contribution to increasing skills and positive business outcomes. DVLA was recognised for its work in developing leaders within the civil service through the Commercial Leadership and Skills Support programme. The training focused on the development of specialist staff in strengthening the professional commercial skills base and growing a commercially astute team to lead change and implement improvements.
Emma Melrose, DVLA Head of Commercial Development, said:
I am absolutely delighted our team has been rewarded for the hard work they put in to creating and delivering the successful Commercial Leadership and Skills Support Programme. It is thoroughly well deserved and a fitting tribute to the hard work delivered by exceptional civil servants.
Each year the Civil Service Awards celebrate the success and wealth of inspirational individuals and innovative projects within the civil service. The Awards have been running for 12 years and are attended by departments right across the civil service. It helps to spread best practice right across government, sharing innovation, learning and leadership.
DVLA’s online medical fitness to drive service was also shortlisted for the Digital Award. While they did not win on the night the service recently won the DigiLeaders100 and NextGen awards.
Notes to editors
The Civil Service Awards were held on Thursday 23 November in Lancaster House, Stable Yard, St. James’s, London SW1A 1BB.
The Civil Service Awards are a highly respected and prestigious cross-government programme.
The Environment Agency has released 1,500 fish into a recently re-established fishery this week to give stocks a pre-Christmas boost and encourage angling.
Lockwood Beck reservoir, south of Guisborough, opened earlier this year to coarse anglers and they’ve since been catching fish such as roach and perch.
Now the Environment Agency has stocked bream, tench and crucian carp to provide more variety for anglers and encourage participation at the fishery.
The fish have all been bred at the Environment Agency’s fish farm near Calverton, which is solely funded by rod licence money.
The Environment Agency’s Phil Rippon with Ali Jamaliour and John Speight.
Young anglers help stocking
To mark the fish stocking on Tuesday a group of young anglers from Eastern Ravens Trust in Stockton-on-Tees received expert angling tuition from the Angling Trust and had the opportunity to see the new fish being released into the reservoir.
Eastern Ravens Trust is a registered charity based in the Community Zone, North Shore Academy, which provides open access youth activities to young people aged 10-18 in the most deprived ward in the borough alongside supporting isolated and disadvantaged children, young people and families.
The owners of the reservoir, Northumbrian Water Ltd, provided support on the day and are committed to providing the venue in the future for organised coaching events for anglers aged under 16.
Jack Canham with the fish he caught during the event.
Happy with the development
Phil Rippon, Fisheries Technical Specialist from the Environment Agency in the North East, said:
We are happy to help with the development of Lockwood Beck fishery, working with the Angling Trust and Northumbrian Water to encourage more participation in angling.
The reservoir is an excellent venue for future coaching events as well as providing a resource for local anglers. The fish provided by us will help to support the fish stocks and provide a more interesting variety of species.
The Angling Trust’s David Munt with Amie James.
Great news for fishing
Don Coe, Leisure Operations Manager at Northumbrian Water, added:
This is a fantastic way to get young people interested in fishing and we’re very pleased to be supporting the Angling Trust with their activity.
Also, the stocking carried out by the Environment Agency will also enhance the appeal of Lockwood Beck for anglers of all ages and experience, so this is great news for fishing in the area.
Angling is a great way for everyone to keep healthy and enjoy the natural environment. All rod licence income is used to find work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries.
Anyone who wants to go fishing needs to buy a rod licence. A full annual licence costs £30 (short term and some concessionary licences are also available) and are available online at https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence
These Regulations amend the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products Regulations 2010 (S.I. 2010/2617) (“the 2010 Regulations”) and partially implement Commission Regulations (EU) Nos 2016/2281, 2015/1189 and 2015/1185.
The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a new statutory inquiry into Into the Light Ministries, registered charity number 1143539. The investigation was opened on 11 October 2017.
The charity’s objects are to advance the Christian faith and to relieve sickness and financial hardship and promote and preserve good health through the provision of funds, clothing or other basic essentials.
After receiving information from a third party that questioned the adequacy of the charity’s financial controls, the Commission obtained bank account records and reviewed accounts previously filed. This revealed significant concerns regarding the charity’s accounts, potential conflicts of interest, non-primary purpose trading and public benefit, indicating a possible risk to charitable property.
The accounts submitted for the financial year ending 31 August 2016 were also not compliant with the Statement of Recommended Practice (SORP) which sets out how charities must prepare their accounts.
As a result we took regulatory action under section 76 of the Charities Act to safeguard the charity’s property and funds, and have opened a statutory inquiry to examine the governance, management and administration of the charity. The inquiry will focus particularly on whether:
the charity has adequate control systems in place to enable the timely preparation and submission of accounting and returns information
any trading carried out by the charity is compliant with current legislation;
the trustees are responsibly managing the charity’s resources and financial affairs
conflicts of interests and transactions with connected parties have been adequately managed
receipt of any payments and benefits to trustees and connected parties have been validly authorised in accordance with the provisions of the charity’s governing document
We will also consider to what extent the charity operates for the public benefit, and whether there has been mismanagement and/or misconduct.
The Commission stresses that opening an inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing. The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail, investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can ascertain whether there has been mismanagement and/or misconduct; establish the extent of any risk to the charity’s property, beneficiaries or work and decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its investigative, protective and remedial powers to do so.
It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.
Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the Commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.
