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Government has confirmed today (25 May 2018) the responsibilities of John Stevenson MP as the Borderlands Deal Champion.

Mr Stevenson, who represents the Carlisle constituency, was announced as the Champion for the pioneering Borderlands Growth Deal earlier this month by the Prime Minister. He will be the Champion for the English Borderlands councils, working with UK government and local partners to help progress the Deal towards agreement.

The Growth Deal represents a unique opportunity for 5 local councils in the Borderlands region to work with UK government, Scottish government and the private sector to spur investment and drive forward growth across the whole region.

Deal negotiations were started in January 2018 by the Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon David Mundell MP, and the Minister for the Northern Powerhouse and Local Growth, Jake Berry MP.

Northern Powerhouse Minister, Jake Berry, said:

John Stevenson will be a strong voice for a Growth Deal which will supercharge growth, boost tourism and create new economic opportunities for communities across the region.

I look forward to working with him and our local partners on agreeing a deal which delivers for the people of the region while further enhancing the burgeoning economy of the Northern Powerhouse.

John Stevenson MP said:

I am delighted to be appointed as the government Borderlands Champion. This is an exciting opportunity for the region and I look forward to working with all parties to help to improve the economic performance of our region.

As part of the role, Mr Stevenson will:

• champion the Borderlands Growth Deal with stakeholders including local authorities, local councillors and MPs on a cross-party basis, local enterprise partnerships and local businesses
• gather intelligence on local issues and update government to help deliver this deal in a way that is locally informed
• attend events and meetings, along with local stakeholders and ministers as appropriate, to promote the Deal or projects

See a full copy of the letter sent from the Secretary of State, James Brokenshire, and Secretary of State for Scotland, Rt Hon David Mundell MP, appointing John Stevenson MP as the Borderlands Champion.

Further information

This role will be unpaid, advisory, and will not involve decision making over government policy. Growth Deal proposals to government will continue to be led by the Borderlands local authorities.

Photo used under Creative Commons.

A Border Force operation designed to protect young holiday makers travelling to Majorca from the risks of labour exploitation launched this week.

The activity, which is supported by modern slavery charity Unseen, was prompted by Foreign Office commissioned research which found that more than 80 per cent of British prisoners on the Spanish island are former “public relations” (PR) workers – those employed to attract people into the bars and clubs they work for.

The week long awareness raising operation, which is running at airports across the UK and specifically targeting Majorca flights, warns of the dangers of undertaking unofficial PR work in the Spanish tourist destination.

Other findings from the Foreign Office research included that unofficial PR workers were often forced to work long hours, for low wages, with no contract. Accommodation was often poor and some employers confiscated passports.

During the operation Border Force officers will be speaking to young holiday makers and distributing information about the steps they should take to reduce the risk of becoming a victim of labour exploitation as well as who to turn to if they needed help.

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said:

By highlighting the issue we want to ensure that those contemplating PR work in Magaluf, many of whom are tourists tempted by the idea of an extended stay in the sunshine, do not find their summer turning into a nightmare.

Advice to people before accepting a PR role is to:

• insist on a contract setting out terms and conditions. Under Spanish law if you are working without a contract, you are working illegally
• keep your passport. Don’t accept offers from others to keep it safe
• ask to see accommodation before accepting it as part of a job package

Lloyd Milen, British Consul General in Barcelona, said:

With this operation we want to ensure young holiday makers are aware of the risks and know what to do if they have problems. Majorca is an amazing place for a holiday and will continue to be a favourite destination with young people, for its fabulous beaches and well-known nightlife, so I hope with this operation we will see fewer PR workers become consular cases this summer.

Anyone who is overseas and has their passport taken should first report it to the police. British nationals should then contact the local British Consulate for help and advice to get a replacement. In Spain the contact details are 0034 933 666 200 or info.consulate@fco.gov.uk.

Anyone feeling vulnerable about their work or finances can contact Unseen, in confidence, on 08000 121 700.

The operation supports the ongoing work of Border Force to address the issue of modern slavery and trafficking.

Australia and the Netherlands have declared their intention to hold the Russian Federation responsible for its role in the downing of the plane.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I would like once again to offer my condolences to the families and friends of those so tragically killed by the downing of flight MH17 on 17 July 2014, and to thank the Joint Investigation Team for its painstaking work. It is vital that this work continues towards prosecution. The 298 people, including 10 British nationals, who lost their lives in such horrific circumstances, deserve justice.

Earlier investigations, by both the Joint Investigation Team and the Dutch Safety Board, concluded that the aircraft was brought down by a Russian-made Buk missile system, launched from within territory held by Russian-backed separatist groups. Thanks to the thorough and professional work of the investigators, we now know that that missile belonged to the 53rd Anti-Aircraft Military Brigade of the Russian army.

The Kremlin believes it can act with impunity. The Russian Government must now answer for its actions in relation to the downing of MH17. The UK fully supports Australia and the Netherlands in their request to the Russian Federation to accept state responsibility, and to cooperate with them in their efforts to deliver justice for the victims of this tragedy.

Instead of seeking to undermine the investigation through the deluge of disinformation we have seen from Russia about MH17 in the past, the Russian Federation must fulfil its obligations under UN Security Council resolution 2166 to provide any requested assistance to the investigation. To do otherwise would be a violation of the UN’s resolution, and to deny the families the justice they seek for their loved ones.

This is an egregious example of the Kremlin’s disregard for innocent life. The international community has witnessed this irresponsible and destabilising pattern of behaviour in Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea, in its fomenting of conflict in eastern Ukraine which has led to the death of over 10,300 people, and in its shielding of President Assad’s brutal regime as he uses chemical weapons against his own people.

The UK will continue to offer its full support to the efforts of the Joint Investigation Team, the Dutch and Australian authorities and other grieving nations to deliver accountability for this terrible act and justice for all those who died.

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

A Downing Street Spokesperson said:

“Yesterday evening, the Prime Minister held a telephone call with President Petro Poroshenko of Ukraine.

“The two leaders discussed the Minsk process and the situation in eastern Ukraine and the need to tackle instability there.

“The Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s strong support for Ukraine, including our commitment to maintaining pressure on Russia through EU sanctions.

“She went on to discuss how the international response to the poisoning incident in Salisbury had shown that coordinated action by a broad range of allies is the most effective way to respond to Russian aggression.

“They also discussed the announcement by the Joint Investigation Team that the missile which brought down flight MH17 belonged to the Russian army – pointing out that such actions fit into a well-established pattern of Russian aggression.

“The Prime Minister offered the UK’s full support to the investigation team which is looking into the incident, which saw 10 UK citizens lose their lives.

“The Prime Minister and President discussed the importance of Ukraine’s reform agenda, and looked forward to the forthcoming Ukraine reform conference in Copenhagen and the opportunity to demonstrate the progress made.

“The Prime Minister also thanked President Poroshenko for the strong cooperation between Ukraine and the UK ahead of the Champions League Final on Saturday, where 30,000 British fans are expected to travel to Kyiv to see Liverpool take on Real Madrid.”

The shocking action on the side of the M4 near Bristol was revealed by Highways England today as the company released a list of excuses given to its traffic officers by drivers who had wrongly stopped on motorways.

Other excuses included a family cooking a meal and someone getting out of a taxi to spend a penny.

But CCTV footage reminds drivers why stopping on the hard shoulder also presents a risk. As many people set out on journeys this bank holiday and half term holidays the answer is to be prepared.

A narrow escape when an out of control car skidded across the motorway.

Simon Jones, Highways England, Regional Director South East said:

We want everyone to get to their destinations safely. But some people put themselves at risk. The advice is simple: Be prepared. Check your vehicle before you set out to avoid unnecessary breakdowns; don’t stop except in an emergency; and if you have to stop, make sure you know what to do.

Drivers often think the hard shoulder is a safe place to stop but over 100 people are killed or injured on the hard shoulder every year. We don’t want you to become one of those statistics; we want you to stay safe.

Drivers can get advice about how to check their vehicles before setting out:

If hot weather if forecast drivers are advised to carry plenty of water to drink.

What to do in an emergency

Always try to exit the motorway immediately if your vehicle is damaged or experiences difficulties. If that’s not possible, move into the nearest place of relative safety.

On most motorways this will be the hard shoulder. But on a smart motorway there may not always be a hard shoulder, or the hard shoulder may be open to traffic. In these cases you’ll see emergency areas spaced regularly along the motorway. Make your way to the nearest one.

You should follow these steps:

• Use an emergency area if you are able to reach one safely. These are marked with blue signs featuring an orange SOS telephone symbol on them.
• If you can leave your vehicle safely, contact Highways England via the roadside emergency telephone provided in all emergency areas. We will either send a traffic officer to help you, or set the motorway signs to temporarily clear lane 1 to assist you to rejoin the motorway.
• If you cannot get to an emergency area but the vehicle can be driven, move it to the hard shoulder (where provided) or as close to the nearside verge or other nearside boundary as possible.
• In all cases, switch on your hazard warning lights.

If you stop in the nearside lane next to a hard shoulder or verge and feel you are able to exit safely with any occupants, consider exiting your vehicle via the nearside (left hand) door, and wait behind the safety barrier, if there is one and safe to do so.

If it is not possible to get out of your vehicle safely, or there is no other place of relative safety to wait then you should stay in your vehicle with your seat belt on and dial ‘999’ if you have access to a working mobile phone.

For advice on how to drive on motorways, including during an emergency, visit our guidance page.

Excuses given to Highways England traffic officers by drivers who have wrongly stopped include:

• naughty step – A traffic officer on routine patrol came across a child walking outside of a vehicle walking alongside the motorway on the M4 near Bristol. The car occupants had given the child ‘time out’ for playing up.
• nice day for a walk – Traffic officers came across an abandoned LGV in a live lane on the M1 near to Northampton Motorway Services. The driver returned 15 minutes later. Apparently he would rather walk into the services rather than use the lorry park.
• hungry – Traffic officers from Dartford found a family congregated on the hard shoulder, cooking a meal as they were hungry.
• festive feast – a crew who had stopped to investigate a car stopped on the hard shoulder of the M6 between with no hazard lights on came across a driver eating a mince pie. She had passed the Stafford South Motorway Services a couple of miles back.
• sleeping dangerously – Traffic officers found the driver of an LGV fast asleep on a verge of the M60. His vehicle was blocking an emergency access route near Cheadle.
• lost – Traffic officers stopped to assist a driver on the hard shoulder of the M1 near Mansfield. She had stopped to look for directions to the crematorium and was ringing her husband for assistance.
• sat nav sagas – A patrol came across a stationary vehicle with no hazard lights on in foggy conditions on the M1 between Chesterfield and Mansfield. The driver walked back up the embankment and got back into the car, which had three passengers, as the traffic officer approached. He had stopped in an emergency area after losing mobile signal for his sat nav.
• nature calls – A minicab which appeared to be a broken down in a live lane on the M25 had in fact stopped for a passenger to relieve their bladder on the exit slip road going towards Staines-upon-Thames.
• potty break – Traffic officers came across a family who had stopped their vehicle on the hard shoulder of the M6 between Oddendale and Penrith so that a child could use a potty.
• text that can’t wait – A patrol stopped with a vehicle on the hard shoulder of the M56 near to Chester Motorway Services. The driver was waiting to receive a text and then going to respond.

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.