Category: Gov Press Releases

A man who pointed a gun at police officers has today been sent to prison after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal for being too low.

Sebastian Alcock, 38, threatened 2 police officers with an imitation firearm. The police officers had received reports of a man behaving suspiciously, and asked Alcock to get out of the car for a drug search. At this point he became aggressive, struggling violently against the officers, and produced a gun, which at the time was assumed to be real. The police officers feared for their lives and escaped, and firearm officers arrested Alcock shortly after.

Alcock was originally sentenced at St Albans Crown Court in August, where he was given 15 months imprisonment suspended for 2 years. Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 3 years immediate imprisonment.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

“This was a serious violent incident that was made even worse by Alcock’s threats using an imitation firearm towards police officers working in the line of duty. The Court of Appeal has recognised this today.”

Welcoming the report, Mrs Bradley said:

I want to record my sincere thanks to the Independent Reporting Commission for their first substantive report on tackling paramilitary activity. It is deeply regrettable that in 2018, tackling paramilitary activity still remains a critical issue for Northern Ireland, not least at this current political impasse.

This is a significant report which benchmarks the progress which has been achieved to date but reminds us of the continued and challenging work still to be done to ensure that communities are free from the threat of paramilitarism. The IRC has acknowledged the good work carried out to date, but they too have pointed to the challenges of dealing with this issue in the absence of a functioning Executive. That is why I remain resolute in finding a way forward to get devolved government up and running again as quickly as possible in order to that the Commission will see further progress in the coming year.

Paramilitarism is a scourge on our society. It was never justified in the past, it cannot be justified today and these groups should have no place in our society. We must all continue to work together to keep communities safe and free from these totally unacceptable attacks.

Highways England’s team of 1,300 specially trained gritter drivers based across the country are geared up for winter, ready to keep drivers moving.

The company responsible for the country’s motorways and major A roads has over 500 salt spreading vehicles ready, around the clock, to help drivers get to their destinations safely.

To monitor the weather Highways England uses 245 anemometers to check wind speeds and has over 260 weather stations at locations across its network. The overhead warning signs are also used to advise motorists of severe weather.

Highways England’s national winter and severe weather team leader, Paul Furlong, said:

Whether people are heading to friends and family or commuting to work, we care about people journeys and during any severe weather our teams will be working around the clock to keep traffic moving.

Safety is our priority and we’re asking drivers to make sure they and their vehicles are also prepared for any eventuality. Before you set out, check your vehicle, the road conditions and the weather forecast. If conditions are poor, and journeys are not essential, consider waiting until the weather gets better – this should improve journeys, and give our gritters a chance to treat the roads.

During severe winter weather drivers are urged to follow this advice:

In snow and ice

Drivers should stick to the main roads where they can and only travel if necessary. Drivers are also encouraged to make sure they have a winter kit in their vehicle, including an ice scraper and de-icer, warm clothes and blankets and sunglasses to cope with the low winter sun.

In high winds

Drivers should slow down and avoid using exposed sections of road if possible. Lorries, caravans and motorbikes are at particular risk.

In heavy rain

Drivers should keep well back from the vehicle in front, gradually ease off the accelerator if the steering becomes unresponsive, and slow down if the rain and spray from vehicles makes it difficult to see and be seen.

In fog

Drivers should switch on their fog lights and not use lights on full beam as the fog will reflect the light back. If drivers really cannot see, they should consider stopping until it is safe to continue.

To keep informed about driving conditions along their journeys, drivers are advised to follow messages on the overhead signs and listen to radio updates. Further information can be found by visiting our traffic website or calling the Highways England Information Line on 0300 123 5000.

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.

The ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign returns to alert the public to the risks of antibiotic resistance, urging them to always take their doctor, nurse or healthcare professional’s advice on antibiotics.

Antibiotics are a vital tool used to manage infections. Public Health England’s (PHE’s) English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) report published today, Tuesday 23 October 2018, highlights how more than 3 million common procedures such as cesarean sections and hip replacements could become life-threatening without them.

Without antibiotics, infections related to surgery could double, putting people at risk of dangerous complications. Cancer patients are also much more vulnerable if antibiotics don’t work; both cancer and the treatment (chemotherapy) reduce the ability of the immune system to fight infections. Antibiotics are critical to both prevent and treat infections in these patients.

Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections, but they are frequently being used to treat illnesses such as coughs, earache and sore throats that can get better by themselves. Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you really need them.

The threat of antibiotic resistance continues to grow. Bloodstream infections have increased and the report shows that antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections rose by an estimated 35% between 2013 and 2017.

Despite the risks of antibiotic resistance, research shows that 38% of people still expect an antibiotic from a doctor’s surgery, NHS walk-in centre or ‘GP out-of-hours’ service when they visited with a cough, flu or a throat, ear, sinus or chest infection in 2017.

The ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign educates the public about the risks of antibiotic resistance, urging people to always take healthcare professionals’ advice as to when they need antibiotics. The campaign also provides effective self-care advice to help individuals and their families feel better if they are not prescribed antibiotics.

Professor Paul Cosford, Medical Director, Public Health England said:

Antibiotics are an essential part of modern medicine, keeping people safe from infection when they are at their most vulnerable. It’s concerning that, in the not too distant future, we may see more cancer patients, mothers who’ve had caesareans and patients who’ve had other surgery facing life-threatening situations if antibiotics fail to ward off infections.

We need to preserve antibiotics for when we really need them and we are calling on the public to join us in tackling antibiotic resistance by listening to your GP, pharmacist or nurse’s advice and only taking antibiotics when necessary. Taking antibiotics just in case may seem like a harmless act, but it can have grave consequences for you and your family’s health in future.

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England said:

The evidence is clear that without swift action to reduce infections, we are at risk of putting medicine back in the dark ages – to an age where common procedures we take for granted could become too dangerous to perform, and treatable conditions become life-threatening.

The UK has made great efforts in recent years to reduce prescribing rates of antibiotics, however, there continues to be a real need to preserve the drugs we have so that they remain effective for those who really need them and prevent infections emerging in the first place. This is not just an issue for doctors and nurses, the public have a huge role to play – today’s data and the launch of the national ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign must be a further wake-up call to us all.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:

GPs are already doing an excellent job at reducing antibiotics prescriptions, but we often come under considerable pressure from patients to prescribe them.

We need to get to a stage where antibiotics are not seen as a ‘catch all’ for every illness or a ‘just in case’ backup option – and patients need to understand that if their doctor doesn’t prescribe antibiotics it’s because they genuinely believe they are not the most appropriate course of treatment.

It’s crucial that we continue to get this message out, which is why we’re pleased to support Public Health England’s ‘Keep Antibiotics Working’ campaign to make sure we can carry on delivering safe, effective care to our patients both now and in the future.

Background

1. The Ipsos MORI Capibus Survey, ‘Attitudes towards antibiotics, 2017’ was conducted between 24 January to 5 February 2017 with a representative sample size of 1,691 adults (aged 15+) in England only. 269 contacted a health professional with a respiratory tract infection in the last year – these participants were asked: “What did you expect from the doctor’s surgery, walk-in centre, urgent or out of hours with your cough, throat, ear, sinus, chest infection or flu?”.
2. The campaign will run from Tuesday 23 October 2018 across England for 8 weeks and will be supported with advertising, partnerships with local pharmacies and GP surgeries, and social media activity.
3. The campaign is part of a wider cross-Government strategy to help preserve antibiotics. The Government’s ‘UK Five Year Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy 2013 to 2018’ set out aims to improve the knowledge and understanding of AMR, conserve and steward the effectiveness of existing treatments, and stimulate the development of new antibiotics, diagnostics, and novel therapies.

Essential work to safeguard the future of a flood warning service on the River Wear has also significantly improved access for fish.

The new state of the art Larinier fish pass at Stanhope is now complete, and will allow more species of fish to pass upstream over the weir in a much wider range of river levels, improving access to around 15 miles of spawning grounds.

The pass includes a series of ‘baffles’ – metal plates which are fixed to a sloped concrete channel – which slow the flow of the water so fish can swim over the top of them easily.

Phil Rippon, Fisheries Technical Specialist with the Environment Agency in the North East, said:

This fish pass has improved access to a large section of what was a difficult to reach area of the River Wear, improving spawning and nursery grounds for salmon and trout in particular.

Projects such as this at Stanhope is an example of the sort of work which takes place right across the country to open up and enhance our rivers and streams.

We will be keeping a close eye on the success of the pass, and will be hoping to do some detailed monitoring of the pass and the upstream areas in the future.

Safeguarding the flood warning service

The Environment Agency has also carried out repairs to the weir which will improve the river flow and level monitoring capability of the Stanhope River Gauging Station – safeguarding the flood warning service for the area. Environment Agency Project Manager, Daniel Magee, added:

By improving the monitoring capabilities of the gauging station we can continue to provide an accurate and timely flood warning service to around 400 homes at risk of flooding from the River Wear.

This project safeguards the flood warning system for the future as well as creating environmental improvement. We appreciate the community’s patience throughout this project and hope they are reassured now it is all complete.

Stanhope Gauging Station is ranked in the top 10 most important flow sites in the North East area. Opening in September 1958 it has almost continuous record of flow data, making it one of the longest flow records in the North East at 60 years.

Stanhope Fish Pass

The visit will showcase the breadth and depth of the relationship between the UK and The Netherlands, including through trade, innovation and security.

The State Visit is an excellent opportunity to celebrate and deepen our connections. Our relationship may be changing but we are confident that the Netherlands and the UK will continue to have a close relationship and work together to tackle global issues.

The UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will also use the opportunity to meet with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

The UK and The Netherlands have a rich, long history between our people and of course our Royal Families. So it is a pleasure to welcome His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to the United Kingdom, reflecting our enduring commitment to this partnership.

Together we work to further peace and security across the globe, tackling threats from terrorism and cyber and promoting values of freedom. I look forward to celebrating our connections and shared successes with Foreign Minister Stef Blok, looking at ensuring this continues for years to come.

From the 17th Century to the present day, trade relations between our countries continue to flourish; The Netherlands is the UK’s third largest trading partner. Only this year, Heineken announced an investment of £44m – creating over 1,000 jobs in the UK – while fellow Dutch company NewCold has invested £100m in a new distribution centre in Wakefield, adding a further 70 jobs in the next two years to the current team of 200.

DIT Minister for Investment Graham Stuart and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe, Andrew Mitchell, will be hosting the UK-Netherlands Innovation Showcase at Mansion House on Wednesday. As world leaders in Global Innovation, the showcase will celebrate Dutch and British collaboration in finding innovative solutions for the Grand Challenges of tomorrow, including clean growth, solutions for the aging society, AI and data and the future of mobility.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said:

The Dutch State Visit is an opportunity to celebrate the UK and the Netherlands’ more than 400-year long trading heritage. As the UK forges an independent trade policy for the first time in more than four decades, my international economic department is working with the Dutch – our North Sea Partners – towards a bright trading future too.

The Innovation Showcase will demonstrate the huge opportunities for our economies – two of the world’s most innovative – to collaborate even further, creating jobs and prosperity for generations to come.

As part of the State Visit Their Majesties will visit HMS Belfast and the visiting Dutch Offshore Patrol Vessel, HNLMS Zeeland, moored alongside. This visit will celebrate 45 years of cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and the Royal Marines, culminating with a joint on-water capability demonstration on the Thames.

The Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines have long served together on operations across the globe – most recently offering humanitarian support to islands affected by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.
Speaking ahead of the visit to HMS Belfast, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Our forces have worked closely with the Netherlands amphibious forces for more than 45 years, demonstrating world-class military integration. Right now, our Royal Marines are working alongside their Dutch counterparts in Norway as part of the Defence Arctic Strategy, which shows our deep-shared commitment to European security. This State Visit allows us to take stock and celebrate an enduring alliance with one of our closest defence partners.

Their Majesties will also visit Pop Brixton, a pioneering space in South London that supports independent businesses from Brixton and Lambeth, and meet with Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street on Wednesday (24th October).

Further information

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

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Reverend Andrew Paul Rumsey, MA, DThMin, Team Rector of Oxted in the Diocese of Southwark, to the Suffragan See of Ramsbury, in the Diocese of Salisbury, in succession to the Right Reverend Edward Francis Condry, MA, BLitt, DPhil, MBA, who resigned on the 12 May 2018.

Mobile home residents are to receive greater protection from dishonest site owners seeking to make a profit at their expense, thanks to plans announced today (22 October 2018).

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP confirmed new steps to give local authorities tougher powers to tackle rogue operators in their areas, ranging from fines to outright bans for the worst offenders.

Over 85,000 families live on 2,000 park home sites across the country, including many older people, but a small minority of dishonest site owners abuse their position – intimidating residents and neglecting their duty of care.

The changes that will be made will prevent site operators from burdening residents with unfair and unnecessary charges, providing greater transparency and clarity for those who live on the site and putting cash back into resident’s pockets.

There will also be better guidance available on what to do if residents feel they are being harassed by their site owner.

Housing Minister Heather Wheeler MP said:

Everyone has a right to feel safe and secure in their own home.

We know some people in mobile homes have been ripped off by rogue site owners who charge excessive fees and harass residents.

To stop this, councils will be given powers to ban site owners who do not meet the standards expected of them. We will make sure they have the tools needed to protect the vulnerable, while allowing honest operators to flourish.

Some mobile home owners have reported management charges increasing by as much as 50% year on year, and some residents paying additional fees of up to £300 a month.

Often these site owners make it difficult for residents to raise their concerns, given their complex management structures. There have been reports of site owners trading under a number of different names.

In one case a site owner was involved with around 13 companies under one holding company. This caused complications and extra expense for residents during court or tribunal cases and for local authorities when issuing enforcement notices.

Ministers will be making regulatory changes and legislation will be introduced in due course when Parliamentary time allows.

These will be the biggest changes to the sector since the Mobile Homes Act 2013 was introduced and will have an impact of those living in park homes, most of whom are elderly and vulnerable.

The government will set up a new working group to develop and share best practice on how to improve the process for selling homes, reviewing pitch fees and streamlining site rules further to make the process clearer and easier to navigate.

These measures will build upon comprehensive action by the government to make the housing market fairer for everyone.