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The measures announced include:

• local authorities being able to recoup over 80% of the money they spend on temporary accommodation directly from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) rather than from the claimant, preventing losses of more than £70 million over 2018/19
• extended partnership working with Citizen’s Advice, to provide more face to face support to Universal Credit claimants

This follows the package of improvements for new claimants announced in yesterday’s Autumn Budget, including:

• abolishing the 7 waiting day period to reduce the wait for payment from 6 weeks to 5 from February 2018
• extending the repayment of advances from 6 to 12 months, and allowing people to receive 100% of their payment upfront from January 2018 (people who make a claim in December can get a 50% advance, and then in January can ask for a top up to 100%)
• making it possible for people to apply for advances online from spring 2018, making it even easier for a claimant to access an advance if they need it
• paying an additional 2 weeks’ of housing costs after the end of someone’s Housing Benefit claim and into their Universal Credit claim from April 2018
• making it easier for claimants to continue having their housing costs paid directly to landlords once they are on Universal Credit

To allow these improvements to be made as quickly as possible, we will also be changing the rate of Universal Credit full service rollout for 3 months from February 2018 to 10 jobcentres a month, increasing to 41 in May 2018.

The timetable of the Universal Credit full service transition has been updated.

Minister for Africa Rory Stewart arrived in Harare on 23 November. He will hold meetings with a range of political leaders from various parties, business representatives, human rights groups, NGOs and civil society. He will also see some of the important development work being carried out here by UK.

Minister for Africa, Rory Stewart said:

This is an absolutely critical moment in Zimbabwe’s history.

Zimbabweans suffered for too long as a result of Mugabe’s ruinous rule. The events of the last few days have given people here real hope that Zimbabwe can be set on a different, more democratic and more prosperous path.

What comes next must be driven by Zimbabweans – it must be in line with the Zimbabwean constitution and will be impossible without clear resolve from the incoming government. That is what my visit here is all about.

Britain wants to be a genuine partner for Zimbabweans as they forge a new future.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Rory Stewart on Twitter @RoryStewartUK
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Mr Cosgrove had a disqualification order made against him, with effect from 24 October 2017, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, which prevents him from becoming directly or indirectly involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company for eight years.

Paul Cosgrove was the director of TBP & Son Ltd, a company trading as a provider of waste management services.

The company went into liquidation on 13 February 2015 owing £1,744,396 to creditors, of which £1,058,168 was owed to trade and expense creditors and £686,128 was owed to HM Revenue & Customs.

The unfit conduct that led to Mr Cosgrove receiving an order was that he failed to maintain, preserve or deliver up the books and records of the company which resulted in it not being possible to:

• determine the reason for company expenditure totaling £4.2 million
• explain what happened to assets totaling £5,242,845.
• determine the true level of VAT due to HMRC

Commenting on the disqualification, Martin Gitner, Deputy Head of Investigations with the Insolvency Service said:

Failure to deliver up the books and records of a company to the Liquidator which results in a loss to creditors and the public purse will be rigorously investigated by the Insolvency Service in liaison with HM Revenue & Customs.

Even where the director chooses not to engage with the investigation process, disqualification as a director is the likely outcome of such activity.

Notes to editors

Paul Cosgrove, date of birth March 1980 and he resides in Newark, Nottinghamshire.

TBP & Son Ltd (CRO No. 06896956) was incorporated on 6 May 2009. The company traded as a provider of waste management services. Mr Cosgrove was a director from 1 October 2013 to liquidation.

The Company went into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation on 13 February 2015 with an estimated deficiency of £1,744,397.

On 3 October 2017, a Disqualification Order was made against Mr Cosgrove on behalf of the Secretary of State, effective from 24 October 2017, for a period of 8 years .

The matters of unfitness, which Mr Cosgrove did not dispute, were that from 1 October 2013 to the date of liquidation on 13 February 2015, Paul Cosgrove failed to ensure that TBP & Son Limited (TBP) maintained and/or preserver adequate accounting records, or in the alternative he failed to deliver up to the Liquidator such records as were maintained. As a consequence it is not possible:

• to determine, in the absence of a complete purchase records, the reason for expenditure totalling £4,283,785 to a third party out of TBP’s bank account during the period 01 October 2013 to 13 February 2015 and in particular, to verify that this was legitimate company expenditure
• to establish whether all of TBP’s assets were disclosed in the statement of affairs and in particular to determine what, if any, stock and book debts were owned by the company at the date of liquidation, and the full and true value of any items transferred or otherwise disposed prior to liquidation, in that purchase invoices show that between 26 October 2013 and 2 December 2014, TBP purchased scrap metals for the sum of £5,004,477 against corresponding sales invoices in the sum of £2,133,430, resulting in scrap metal with an invoice value of £2,871,047 being unaccounted for; and purchase invoices show that between 26 October 2013 and 2 December 2014, TBP purchased waste paper and plastics for the sum of £2,634,076 against corresponding sales invoices in the sum of £262,278 resulting in waste paper & plastics with an invoice value of £2,371,798 being unaccounted for
• for HM Revenue & Customs to determine the true level of TBP’s liability in respect of Value Added Tax which resulted in HMRC raising officers assessments and surcharges against the company totalling £624,485 in respect of the period 1 April 2014 to 2 December 2014

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures. Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7596 6187

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

More than 950 Highways England Traffic Officers are being trained in life saving first aid, giving them enhanced skills which may be used to help casualties in need of urgent medical attention.

The traffic officers, who patrol England’s motorways and major A-roads 24 hours a day, are often first on the scene to help when drivers are in trouble.

Safer journeys across England’s motorways and A-roads is the top priority for Highways England, but if incidents do occur what happens in the first minutes following a road traffic collision can be crucial to the outcomes of those involved.

The first priority for Traffic Officers is making the scene safe for everyone, which may mean controlling moving traffic, moving vehicles and helping customers find a place of safety.

Once the scene is safe, Traffic Officers can then put the nationally recognised Driver First Assist training into practice. The training is also specific to the environment Traffic Officers work in, and signals a change in how our staff can provide direct assistance that can save lives in the crucial few minutes before the emergency services arrive.

Highways England Executive Director of Operations, Nick Harris, said:

I strongly feel that traffic officers should be able to perform lifesaving first aid to members of the public using our roads. Combining life-saving first aid training with key scene management will help our staff safely make a real difference for our customers.

By teaming up with Driver First Assist our traffic officers will receive the expert training needed for this important task.

The training began last month in the South East region and will be rolled out nationally.

The one-day course is the same training that is received by emergency services personnel and includes instructions in how to implement the recovery position and CPR, respond to a cardiac arrest and shock, and treat wounds and bleeding.

David Higginbottom, chief executive officer at Driver First Assist said:

Every day, victims of road traffic collisions die needlessly because individuals immediately at the scene lack the ability to administer basic first aid. The training we’re delivering to Traffic Officers will give them the skills to provide medical assistance to those in need, making a vital difference in those first crucial moments before the arrival of paramedics.

Driver First Assist is a not-for-profit organisation comprising drivers who have been trained to provide life-saving first aid and manage the scene at a road traffic collision, prior to the arrival of the emergency services. DFA has been created in partnership with and is supported by the Police, Ambulance and Fire and Rescue services.

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.

• Alun Cairns to call for swift devolution of powers to local authorities in Wales during keynote speech in Cardiff
• UK Government announces first cross-border Summit to bolster economic opportunities between South East Wales and South West England

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will call on the Welsh Government to rise to the challenge and compete with the new dynamic of devolution being rolled out across England when he addresses local government leaders in Cardiff today (23 November).

Speaking at the Welsh Local Government Association seminar at City Hall, Mr Cairns will say that the Welsh Government “must respond to devolution on the other side of the border” where Metro Mayors are encouraging growth and creating opportunities tailored to the needs of local people. Ministers in Cardiff Bay must make sure local government in Wales has “the scope, the power and the resources to act.”

Mr Cairns will also say that “every part of Wales faces different challenges and different opportunities, and it’s time we put a one-size-fits-all approach behind us.

The speech comes following the commitment made in the Budget yesterday, to formally enter into negotiations over a growth deal for North Wales as well as kick starting discussions for a growth deal for Mid Wales. The UK Government has already delivered City Deals for Cardiff and Swansea giving people the tools to transform their local communities, their economies and their lives.

He will say “The simple fact is that these deals recognise that local people know their areas best. We want a long-term, bottom up approach from local authorities, local businesses and local communities who know and understand the character and make up of their patch.”

The Secretary of State will also announce that he will host the first cross-border business summit early in the New Year where he will bring together local partners from across the South West of England and the South East of Wales to explore how links between the two economies can be strengthened following the announcement of the abolition of the Severn Tolls.

He will say: “It is time we make politics fit business, rather than business fit the politics. It’s the importance of the cross border economy which is driving our commitment to bolster relationships and develop new partnerships across the nations. Our individual strengths are many. But brought together, we can develop corridors of growth that can put the UK on a strong platform to compete on a global scale.”

The Secretary of State for Wales will later travel to North Wales where he will address an audience of business leaders at the Wrexham Business Professional dinner.

ENDS

The Chancellor has announced today a new Geospatial Commission to maximise the value of all UK government data linked to location, and to create jobs and growth in a modern economy.

Its first task will be to work with government and the Ordnance Survey by May 2018 to establish how to open up freely the OS MasterMap data to UK-based small businesses in particular.

The announcement is a further boost to the UK’s status as a world leader in digital innovation and an example of how advances in technology can be used to foster economic growth, deliver outstanding public services and generate savings for citizens.

Location-aware technologies are revolutionising the economy. From navigating public transport to tracking supply chains and planning efficient delivery routes, the digital services built on GPS and the current mapping data have quietly become everyday parts of daily life and commerce.

Huge amounts of value have been created by the new services made possible using databases of geospatial information – maps, and the information linked to them like house prices or business addresses. This data, which government produces in the course of delivering public services and maintaining laws and regulations, can be used to stimulate innovation in the economy and drive the development of the UK’s growing digital economy.

The new Geospatial Commission, supported by £40 million of new funding in each of the next two years, will drive the move to use this data more productively – unlocking up to £11 billion of extra value for the economy every year.

The new Commission will draw together HM Land Registry, the Ordnance Survey, the British Geological Survey, the Valuation Office Agency, the UK Hydrographic Office and the Coal Authority with a view to:

• improving the access to, links between, and quality of their data
• looking at making more geospatial data available for free and without restriction
• setting regulation and policy in relation to geospatial data created by the public sector
• holding individual bodies to account for delivery against the geospatial strategy
• providing strategic oversight and direction across Whitehall and public bodies who operate in this area

First Secretary of State, Damian Green, said:

“The UK leads the way in digital innovation, using it to drive productivity and growth, and deliver the best public services to citizens. The UK has some of the best geospatial data in the world, much of it is held by public bodies, and the new Geospatial Commission will help Britain to turn this valuable government data into tangible benefits such as new jobs and savings.”

Saul Klein, Partner, LocalGlobe, said:

“The UK has been a world leader in the open data movement, which has already helped to spawn global success stories like Citymapper. Opening up geospatial data shows how committed the UK government is to being the best place in the world for startups and innovative companies to use data to build amazing new products and services.”

Professor Sir Nigel Shadbolt, Chairman of the Open Data Institute said:

“I’m delighted that the UK government is carrying through on the commitment in its manifesto to open up UK geospatial data. In particular, opening up the OS MasterMap will stimulate growth and investment in the UK economy, generate jobs and improve services. It will make it easier to find land for house-building, and enable the development of services that improve vital infrastructure.”

The United Kingdom strongly supports the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and welcomes its decision to sentence former Bosnian Serb Commander Ratko Mladić to life imprisonment as a consequence of his crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992-1995.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

Today’s decision shows that, however hard they might try, those who perpetrate atrocities cannot out run justice. Ratko Mladić’s conviction for genocide in Srebrenica will not bring back the thousands who lost their lives but it does demonstrate that the architects of their suffering will be held to account.

The atrocities perpetrated in the Balkans in the 1990s marked one of Europe’s darkest periods. We must join together to ensure it never happens again.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
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