Category: Gov Press Releases

To mark the 80th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation has today (9 November 2018) released a short film with exclusive testimony from 6 British survivors of the Holocaust.

On the 9 and 10 November 1938, Jewish communities in Germany and throughout Nazi occupied territories faced widespread state-sponsored violence against their businesses, homes and places of worship. The pogrom became known as Kristallnacht (in English, crystal night) after the smashed glass that littered the streets on the morning of the 10 November.

Over the course of the evening an estimated 30,000 Jewish men were arrested and incarcerated in concentration camps, including Dachau and Buchenwald.

The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation set out in 2015 to record the testimony of British survivors of the Holocaust. In interviews with broadcaster Natasha Kaplinsky, survivors recall their experiences of Kristallnacht and the aftermath of the violence on their daily lives, their families and their wider communities.

UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation co-Chair Ed Balls said:

Kristallnacht was a moment where prejudice turned into violence, and it is right 80 years on, that we examine this vicious escalation of the Nazi campaign against Jewish communities in Europe.

By understanding the steps that lead up to the Holocaust, we are can remain vigilant to any attempt to create divisions and stir up hate in our society today.

UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation co-Chair Lord Pickles said:

The Foundation was set up to increase the visibility and scope of Holocaust education in the United Kingdom, securing the legacy of the British Holocaust survivors who have dedicated their lives to educating the future generation on where prejudice, intolerance and hatred can lead.

Our hope is that the short film released today, with moving testimony from men and women who recall the impact of Kristallnacht on their own communities, is a small step in achieving these aims.

The aftermath of Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht was a turning point in the Nazi persecution of the Jewish communities in their territories. The events of the pogrom, widely reported in the international press, lead to a wide range of responses.

British Jewish community organisations and charities, including World Jewish Relief, rallied the UK government to allow the transport of children from Germany and Austria to the United Kingdom. Less than a month after the shocking events of Kristallnacht, on 2 December 1938, the first group of children arrived on British shores to be placed with foster families. Ultimately, 10,000 child refugees entered the country in what came to be known as Kindertransport.

• £3.3 million awarded to 12 organisations in first wave of community services investment
• Funding covers services from employment to counselling in areas from Brighton to Barnsley
• It is part of the Government’s commitment to divert vulnerable women from prison to community support

This follows the publication of the Female Offender Strategy, which set out a range of measures aimed at shifting focus away from custody towards rehabilitative community services.

The 12 successful bidders were chosen following a comprehensive assessment process. The funding was offered to help sustain existing services in some cases and improve or provide new ones in others – covering both female offenders and women at risk of offending in the community. There is a further £1.7 million of funding which is part of the female offender strategy and will be awarded in the coming months.

Justice Minister Edward Argar said:

I am delighted to announce the allocation of the first wave of funding and hope it will pave the way for vulnerable women across the country to receive the additional specialist support they need.

Evidence shows short sentences often fail to break the cycle of reoffending and we have set out clearly in our strategy a desire to divert women away from custody wherever possible.

This investment is a vital first step in achieving this aim, and expanding these essential services will help break the cycle of offending and prevent further victims.

Police and Crime Commissioner for Cleveland, Barry Coppinger said:

I am committed to delivering services that help offenders break the cycle of criminal behaviour and will assist them in tackling the underlying issues that cause them to offend.

This additional investment will allow us to enhance the support available for female offenders in Cleveland, particularly offenders from a BAME background or who have experienced domestic or sexual violence.

These vulnerable groups need additional support to enable them to make the positive changes needed to turn away from crime and look to a brighter future. I’m delighted these additional funds from the MoJ will help to make this a reality in Cleveland.

The funding recognises that while serious crimes will always be punished proportionally, a large number of female offenders are in extremely vulnerable positions. Many face issues with substance misuse and mental health problems, often as a result of repeated abuse and trauma – for example some 60% of female offenders have experienced domestic abuse.

Providing grants directly to small organisations for targeted projects ensures excellent value for money as they work directly in the communities they serve and are best placed to understand the challenges faced by the women they support. Each project will be evaluated to measure its success and any relevant learning can be applied to other vulnerable women across the criminal justice system.

Several of the grant recipients will use their funding to provide specialist services for domestic abuse victims. In Brighton & Hove, the funding will jump-start a Domestic Violence Trauma (DVT) pilot, supporting women who have been victims of domestic abuse and have complex issues, including homelessness and mental health problems.

The PACT project in Berkshire includes a focus on employment – providing access to coffee machines for vulnerable women to receive specialist barista training. At the same time, a new dedicated BAME support worker will be recruited at the same organisation to work with vulnerable local groups.

This funding is just one of the many areas of reform being driven forward by the Government, with the Justice Secretary launching a dedicated Education and Employment Strategy earlier this year to set prisoners on a path to employment and break them out of the cycle of crime.

Notes to editors:

The 12 successful bidders are:

Stockport Women’s Centre

Funding will boost services being delivered at women’s centres across Greater Manchester, including support for women who have experienced domestic abuse and other complex needs.

Equinox Care, Brighton & Hove

A Domestic Violence Trauma worker pilot and other services to address women’s needs will be launched within its Supported Accommodation Service.

Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for Devon & Cornwall

Funding will provide additional specialist outreach services across the counties, particularly to reach women in more rural areas.

The Nelson Trust, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire & Somerset

Newly recruited project workers will provide support for female offenders and women at risk of offending with 1:1 counselling and group therapy sessions.

Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner for Cleveland

Partnered with other local services, the PCC will introduce a network of female community hubs – designed as a central point for women being referred at all points of the criminal justice system.

PSS UK, Merseyside

Vital funding will secure the future of this domestic abuse service which had been at risk of closure. The investment will extend services delivered for women with addiction and mental health needs.

PACT, Berkshire

Specialist workers will be funded to deliver support for women who have experienced abuse with a specialised service for those women who have children and need support to live independently.

The Good Loaf, Northamptonshire

A new centre in Kettering will be opened to provide support to women in the north of the county, complementing the service delivered at the Northampton women’s centre.

Willowdene Rehabilitation Centre

Funding will extend the residential rehabilitation for women to the West Midlands and will also support the development of new services.

Anawim women’s centre, Birmingham

The centre will be able to offer support to high risk female offenders, including 1:1 caseworkers and on-site psychologists available to provide specialist mental health support.

Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

The grant funding will develop a new women’s centre in Barnsley including a housing model with emergency bed spaces for women leaving prison.

Trevi House Ltd, Plymouth

Funding will enable the service to purchase a larger premises to support women in Plymouth.

Prime Minister Theresa May will visit Belgium and France today (Friday 9 Nov) to pay a nation’s respects and remember those who died in the First World War.

She will attend ceremonies alongside French President Emmanuel Macron and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel and lay wreaths to the fallen at two of Europe’s most prominent war memorials.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

A century ago British forces fought side by side with our allies in Europe on the Western Front. Today in France and Belgium we reflect on our shared history, but also look ahead to our shared future, built on peace, prosperity and friendship.

At St Symphorien I will have the honour of laying a wreath on behalf of a nation at the graves of both John Parr and George Ellison, the first and last UK soldiers to die during the War. That their graves lie opposite each other is a fitting and poignant symbol that brings home the eternal bond between them, and every member of the Armed Forces who gave their lives to protect what we hold so dear.

We remember the heroes who lost their lives in the horror of the trenches. As the sun sets on one hundred years of remembrance, we will never forget their sacrifice.

The Prime Minister will start the day with a visit to St Symphorien Military Cemetery in Mons. There she will lay a wreath at the graves of John Parr, the first UK soldier to be killed in 1914, and the last, George Ellison, who was killed on the Western Front at 9.30am before the Armistice became effective at 11am.

She will be joined by Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. The pair will then attend a reception in Mons where they will meet British and Belgian serving armed forces.

The PM will then travel to France where she will meet President Macron in Albert, an historic town at the heart of the Somme region, which suffered significant bombardment during the First World War.

The leaders will hold a private meeting and a working lunch before departing for a wreath laying ceremony at the Thiepval Memorial. The memorial is the site of a major annual commemorative event for the Missing of the Somme and bears the names of more than 72,000 members of the Armed Forces who died in the battle.

A special wreath will be made for the occasion combining poppies and le bleuet, the two national emblems of remembrance for Britain and France.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister will attend the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall.

On Remembrance Sunday, she will lay a wreath at the Cenotaph and attend the national service to mark the Centenary of the Armistice at Westminster Abbey.

Environment Agency enforcement teams in the East Midlands have adopted wearing body worn video cameras in their fight against crime following a successful six-month trial of the practice in the North-East.

The trial in the North-East found that wearing the cameras helped to reduce incidents of anti-social behaviour, assaults and threats against Environment Agency staff.

Following a growing number of abusive incidents during site inspections to waste sites, enforcement officers will be equipped with body worn video cameras on their visits. The cameras will also be used by fisheries enforcement officers during their routine activities.

Footage captured on a bodycam in the North-East was recently used by the Environment Agency for the first time to convict an offender. The defendant pleaded ‘guilty’ of wilfully obstructing the officers in the execution of their duty and using abusive behaviour towards two officers when he knew they had video evidence.

Pete Haslock, Enforcement Team Leader for the Environment Agency in the East Midlands, said:

The safety of our staff is paramount. They are well trained in dealing with hostile situations and we take any threat against them very seriously. Our preference is to prevent hostility in the first place and wearing the cameras can prevent threatening situations from escalating.

We want to get on with our jobs without the threat of violence and the cameras will help to protect staff and bring obstructive individuals to justice. Officers will switch on the cameras if and when they enter a hostile situation or where hostility may be anticipated. That could be a site where they have experienced aggressive behaviour in the past or an unknown quantity, such as on a remote river bank.

Studies also show that people are less likely to contest the evidence when they know their offence is captured on camera, which could help speed up justice and reduce legal costs.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities or to report illegal waste activity, should contact the Environment Agency’s 24/7 Incident Hotline on 0800 80 70 60 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The Coalition for Religious Equality and Inclusive Development (CREID) programme, funded through UK Aid Connect, will work with faith groups, NGOs and academics to promote religious diversity, with a focus on helping countries around the world to embed freedom of religion or belief policies in poverty reduction and development approaches.

The Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon said:

This money will go a long way in bolstering the work of civil society and NGOs to promote respect, and the value of religious diversity and tolerance. It will sit alongside the excellent work British diplomats do in flying the flag for human rights.

As the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, I will ensure that the UK stands up for everyone’s right to practise or not practise a religion that is in line with their conscience, wherever they are in the world.

International Development Minister Lord Bates said:

Today’s announcement underscores the government’s commitment to empowering people across the world irrespective of religion or belief and builds on the Prime Minister’s pledge to tackle religious prejudice and intolerance in all its forms.

The problems facing the world’s poorest and most excluded people are complex with no single answer; that is why UK Aid Connect is crucial to bringing together different organisations that can work with global communities to find solutions to these problems.

Young people are key to creating a better, more tolerant world. As part of this announcement HMG’s Respect in Education will receive increased funding so that schools in the world’s poorest countries can teach more children about respect for religious diversity.

The announcement follows the government’s recent announcement of a further £1 million funding for places of worship that have been subjected to hate crime attacks.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon @tariqahmadbt
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

• Three prisons to pilot new scheme to support at-risk offenders
• Dedicated housing funding to provide stable accommodation for up to two years
• Support to help prisoners integrate into communities for the long-term

Leeds, Pentonville and Bristol prisons have been chosen to spearhead the £6 million pilot programme aimed at helping vulnerable ex-prisoners find and stay in stable accommodation.

Research shows that those who are homeless or in temporary accommodation are significantly more likely to reoffend within a year than those with a stable place to live.

The pilots are aimed specifically at prisoners serving short sentences who are at high risk of returning to prison. This represents the latest in a series of measures aimed at breaking the cycle of reoffending, from improving prisoners’ employment prospects to reinforcing family ties.

The sites will pilot a new partnership approach between prisons, local authorities, probation staff, charities and others who will work together to provide the support prisoners need when they are released – such as signing up for benefits – but will primarily be focused on finding them suitable accommodation.

The two-year programme forms part of the Government’s £100m Rough Sleeping Strategy announced over the summer.

Justice Secretary David Gauke said:

These ground-breaking pilots will help prevent rough sleeping among vulnerable ex-offenders and support them as they start a new life after prison.

As well as ensuring people have somewhere to live, dedicated key worker support will help ex-offenders manage the practical challenges of finding a job and other issues that come with trying to reintegrate into society.

Every time we help an ex-prisoner into a new life – with a stable home, strong relationships and a regular job – we increase the chances of seeing fewer victims of crime in the future.

Housing benefit top ups and rental deposits will ensure that accommodation will be provided from the day offenders leave prison, bolstered through wrap around support from key workers to address other needs which may normally cause the loss of a tenancy, such as attending appropriate probation and employment appointments.

Heather Wheeler MP, Minister for Housing and Homelessness said:

When leaving custody, ex-offenders should all have a safe and suitable home to go to and there is work to be done to ensure this is the case.

These pilots will prove pivotal to our understanding of the situation and to inform any future accommodation provision. This will help improve the outcomes for ex-offenders across the country.

Once the trial has completed, it will be fully evaluated to assess the potential for the scheme to be rolled out more widely across England. We will also be working with the Welsh Government to deliver a similar accommodation solution.

The Rough Sleeping Strategy was launched in August 2018 and sets out to halve rough sleeping on England’s streets by 2022 and end it altogether by 2027. It is backed by an additional £100 million and developed across government in conjunction with charities and experts.

The strategy lays out a 3-pronged approach to tackling rough sleeping, including preventing rough sleeping by providing timely support, intervening to help people already on the streets get swift, targeted support and helping people recover, find a new home quickly and rebuild their lives.

Mr Charles Hay MVO has been appointed British High Commissioner to Malaysia in succession to Ms Vicki Treadell CMG MVO. Mr Hay will take up his appointment in April 2019.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Full name: Charles Hay

Married to: Pascale Sutherland

Children: Two daughters

2015 to 2018	Seoul, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
2011 to 2014	FCO, Director, Consular Services
2009 to 2011	FCO, Assistant Director, HR Services, Human Resources Directorate
2006 to 2009	Madrid, Deputy Head of Mission and Counsellor (Political and Economic Affairs)
2004 to 2006	FCO, Head, G8 Presidency Team
1999 to 2004	Brussels, First Secretary (Economic and Finance), UK Permanent Representation to the European Union
1998 to 1999	FCO, Press Officer
1996 to 1998	Prague, Second Secretary (Press and Political)
1993 to 1995	FCO, Desk Officer, Security Policy Department
1987 to 1993	British Army, Captain, the Gordon Highlanders. Service including in Northern Ireland, Berlin, Cyprus, Falklands

Further information

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

Councils across the country will receive extra cash to crackdown on rogue landlords thanks to a new £2 million fund, Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP has announced today (8 November 2018).

Whilst the majority of landlords provide decent homes for their tenants, a small minority continue to break the law and offer inadequate or unsafe housing – including to young families and others who are vulnerable to exploitation.

Councils will be able to bid for funding to step up enforcement action against irresponsible landlords who make tenants’ lives a misery and to develop and test innovative ways to clamp down on squalid accommodation.

Today’s news builds on government action to drive up standards in the private rented sector – ensuring millions of hard-working tenants get the homes they deserve and creating a housing market that works for everyone.

Housing Minister, Heather Wheeler, MP said:

Everyone deserves to live in a home that is safe and secure, and it is vital we crack down on the small minority of landlords who are not giving their tenants this security.

This funding will help further strengthen councils’ powers to tackle rogue landlords and ensure that poor-quality homes in their area are improved, making the housing market fairer for everyone.

Local authorities already have strong powers to require landlords to make necessary improvements to a property and can use a range of measures, including fines and banning orders, to tackle rogue landlords.

The new funding will be used to support a range of projects that councils have said will help them to ramp up action against criminal landlords – for example, to build relationships with external organisations such as the emergency services, legal services and local housing advocates.

Councils may also decide to support tenants to take action against poor standards through rent repayment orders, or develop digital solutions, helping officers to report back and make decisions quicker.

The money will also be used to encourage councils to share best practice of enforcement action and examples of innovative approaches that are self-sustaining and can be easily adapted to other parts of the country.

Further information

There are more than 4.5 million households in the private rented sector in England, with recent statistics showing that 82% of private renters are satisfied with their accommodation.

The fund will help councils take on the most common challenges that stand in the way of tackling poor standards in the private rented sector, including:

• the need for better information – on housing stock and on landlords and agents operating in their areas
• data sharing between authorities and agencies – identifying and bringing together different data sets to enable better enforcement targeting
• internal ‘ways of working’ – improving housing-specific legal expertise, in-house communication between teams, and tools and strategies to effectively implement policy
• innovative software – for enforcement officers to record their findings, gather evidence and streamline the enforcement process

The Queen has been graciously pleased to approve that the honour of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath be conferred upon Jeremy John, The Lord Heywood of Whitehall, K.C.B., C.V.O.

Notes for Editors

On the Tuesday 30th October, Lord Heywood of Whitehall was invested as Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath. Lord Heywood accepted this honour on behalf of the whole Civil Service which he was so proud to have led.

Sir Jeremy Heywood was appointed Cabinet Secretary following the announcement of Sir Gus O’Donnell’s retirement in December 2011. From September 2014 Jeremy also took on the title Head of the Civil Service. Prior to that, Sir Jeremy Heywood was Permanent Secretary to two successive Prime Ministers at 10 Downing Street. He also spent over three years as a Managing Director including as co-head of the UK Investment Banking Division at Morgan Stanley. Before joining Morgan Stanley, Sir Jeremy Heywood occupied a range of senior civil service roles, including as Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister (1999–2003).

Media enquiries should be directed to the 10 Downing Street press office.

Legislation permits the regulator to make directions to PRPs about the way providers prepare their accounts, and to profit-making PRPs in respect of social housing activities. The Accounting Direction ensures that PRPs report a common minimum set of disclosures within their accounts and that various aspects of compliance with the Regulatory Standards are disclosed and certified within the published accounts. It does not direct on the individual measures that providers choose to take.

The proposed changes aim to:

• align the Direction with the requirements of the Value for Money Standard introduced in April 2018
• to accommodate the legislative abolition of the Disposal Proceeds Fund
• to reflect wider changes in legislation and changes in accounting standards and recommended practice

Any changes made to the Accounting Direction will come into force for accounting periods commencing 1 January 2019.

Alongside the publication of the consultation document the regulator will engage in discussions with stakeholders, including providers and sector advisors.

The consultation will remain open until 20 December 2018.

Further information

1. The Regulatory standards can be found on the RSH website.
2. The Regulator of Social Housing promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver homes that meet a range of needs. It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing on governance, financial viability and value for money that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also sets consumer standards and may take action if these standards are breached and there is a significant risk of serious detriment to tenants or potential tenants. For more information visit the RSH website.
3. See our Media enquiries page for press office contact details. For general queries, please email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk or call 0300 124 5225.