Category: Gov Press Releases

• All were prosecuted for keeping their unregistered boats on the River Great Ouse
• They’ve been ordered to pay more than £6,500
• It brings the total of avoided registration charges recovered by the Agency to £129,000

Register your boat or face thousands of pounds in penalties – that’s the message from the Environment Agency for boat owners flouting the law.

The warning comes as 7 boaters have been forced to forfeit more than £6,500 between them for failing to register their vessels for use on the River Great Ouse.

Boat owners are legally required to register any vessel they keep, use, or let for hire on Environment Agency waterways, and to clearly display a valid registration plate. Not doing so can result in penalties including fines and a criminal record.

Lee Eastwood, residing on the Lowena Dew moored at Downham Market, Paul Dale of Tunstall Terrace in Darlington, Darren Beacroft of Mason Gardens in Kings Lynn, Paul Danahar of Ramsey Road in St Ives, Trevor Hewitt of Railway Road in Downham Market, Terry Whitnall of Pitmansfield in Harlow, and Jessica Ibbotson of Spencer Road in Bedford have each been given 28 days to pay up.

The cases were proved at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on 23 August, except for Mr Eastwood’s case which was proved at Kings Lynn on the same day, and Ms Ibbotson’s case which was proved at Luton Magistrates’ Court on 28 August.

Mr Eastwood was ordered to pay £608.79, Mr Dale £878.71, Mr Beacroft £472.49, Mr Danahar £978.98, Mr Whitnall £1,079.99, Ms Ibbotson £535.50, and Mr Hewitt – who owned 2 of the unregistered vessels – had to pay £1,990.99.

So far this year, the Environment Agency has recovered £129,000 in avoided registration charges – funds which are reinvested into maintaining, improving and protecting waterways.

Nathan Arnold, Waterways team leader at the Environment Agency, said:

Our waterways are part of our nation’s rich heritage and beauty, and they contribute to our environment, our health and wellbeing, and our economy.

But boaters who break the law by not registering their boats are putting the future of these historic and precious waterways at risk – so we won’t hesitate to take action against them.

As well as not contributing their fair share towards the upkeep of waterways, unregistered boats can be unsafe, hazardous to other river users and a pollution risk to the local environment and wildlife.

The Environment Agency looks after 353 miles of navigable waterways in the Anglian network, which includes the Ancholme, Black Sluice, Glen, Welland, Nene, Great Ouse and Stour, as well as associated locks and navigation facilities like moorings, showers and toilets.

More information about boating and waterways, including registering vessels, is available from the Environment Agency. If you suspect a boat is illegal, please contact the EA on 03708 506 506 or email waterways.enforcementanglian@environment-agency.gov.uk.

The Minister for the Constitution, Chloe Smith MP, has appointed Harry Rich as the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists. His appointment will commence from 22 September 2018 for a term of no more than four years on a fixed term contract with the possibility of reappointment. Harry Rich will replace Alison White whose term concludes on 21 September 2018.

Harry Rich is an executive coach and business advisor with clients principally drawn from the non-profit, professional services, charitable and creative businesses sectors. Harry Rich is also a non-executive Board member of the Press Recognition Panel, a position he has held since 2014. He also holds a number of positions in the education sector as a trustee for the Open College of the Arts and a Governor for the Glasgow School of Art. Harry Rich was the Chief Executive of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 2009 to 2016 and was the Chief Executive of Enterprise UK from 2007-2009. He is also a qualified but non-practising solicitor.

The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists is an independent, statutory office established by the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014. The Registrar is responsible for keeping and publishing a register of consultant lobbyists. The Registrar has a duty to monitor compliance with the requirement to register and a power to undertake enforcement action in instances of non-compliance.

The Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists is responsible for overseeing the operation of the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists. Further information on the lobbying register can be found on the website of the Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists.

The Attorney General, Rt Hon Geoffrey Cox QC MP, has announced his preference to extend the term of Kevin McGinty CBE as Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of the Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate. Mr McGinty’s term is due to finish on 31 March 2019 and the Attorney General wishes to reappoint him for a further two year period.

The appointment is subject to scrutiny by the Justice Select Committee. The Attorney General has therefore written to the Chair of the Committee, Bob Neil MP, to explain his intention to extend Mr McGinty’s tenure. The Committee can ask Mr McGinty to take part in a pre-appointment hearing before his position is confirmed.

Commenting on the announcement, Attorney General, Rt Hon Geoffrey Cox QC MP said:

I am pleased to announce my intention to extend Mr McGinty’s tenure as Chief Inspector by two years. During his four years as Chief Inspector, Kevin McGinty has proven himself a strong Chief Inspector who is not afraid to tackle the important and difficult issues, such as disclosure of evidence by the police and prosecutors. I hope that the Justice Select Committee will agree with my assessment that Mr McGinty is the right person at the right time to inspect the prosecutors.

Commenting on the announcement, Kevin McGinty said:

I am delighted at the prospect of continuing as Chief Inspector for a further two years. I want to thank the Attorney General for supporting my mandate to tackle important issues such as CPS performance. The work of HMCPSI is crucial to ensuring the quality of our criminal justice system and I hope to continue delivering high quality inspection programmes.

Notes to editors

1. Kevin McGinty CBE was appointed in April 2015 by the previous Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, on a fixed four year term. His current tenure is due to end on 31 March 2019.
2. If extended, Mr McGinty’s tenure would last until March 2021. At this point, it is expected that an external recruitment process to select a new Chief Inspector would be launched by the Attorney General’s Office.
3. A full biography for Mr McGinty is below.

Kevin McGinty curriculum vitae
(PDF, 87.8KB, 2 pages)

Foreign Secretary begins two day visit for talks with Burmese leaders on the Rohingya crisis and announces additional UK support for victims of sexual violence in Burma.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will today (19 September) arrive in Burma for a two day visit to the country, which will include talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday.

During his trip to Burma, Foreign Secretary Hunt will visit the Association for the Assistance of Political Prisoners to talk to human rights defenders and visit northern Rakhine, the area from which thousands of Rohingya have fled.

Speaking on the first day of his visit, Foreign Secretary Hunt announced additional support from the UK to gather evidence for the Rohingya victims who have suffered sexual violence from members of the Burmese military in Rakhine.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

“The United Nations fact-finding mission exposed terrible suffering in Burma, and in the face of such serious allegations, no country that considers itself humane can stand back and do nothing. We are determined to do all we can to provide security, dignity and justice to the victims. It will be a long journey, but it starts with their conditions right now.

“We have already provided counselling and psychological support to more than 10,000 women and deployed mid-wives to help provide care to over 53,000 women. Together with our international partners, we will increase our support for those who have been victim of these heinous acts. This will include additional deployment of the PSVI Team of Experts by the end of 2018, development of a code of conduct for gathering such evidence, support for an enhanced coordination mechanism, and more capacity building. We are also exploring options to increase psychosocial support.”

Before his visit to Burma Foreign Secretary Hunt held a meeting in London last week with representatives from the Rohingya community from Bradford where he heard stories of the persecution they had faced in Rakhine.

Further information

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

England

In England, the July data shows, on average, house prices have risen by 1.2% since June 2018. The annual price rise of 3% takes the average property value to £248,611.

The regional data for England indicates that:

• the North West experienced the greatest monthly price rise, up by 3.4%
• the East Midlands saw the most significant monthly price fall, down by 0.2% and
• house prices in London fell by 0.7% in the year to July 2018

Price change by region for England

Region	Average price July 2018	Monthly change % since June 2018
East Midlands	£188,716	-0.2
East of England	£294,603	1.3
London	£484,926	0.6
North East	£131,505	2.6
North West	£165,529	3.4
South East	£327,002	0.4
South West	£259,971	2.4
West Midlands	£195,447	0.6
Yorkshire and the Humber	£161,712	0.4

Repossession sales by volume for England

The lowest number of repossession sales in May 2018 was in the East of England.

The highest number of repossession sales in May 2018 was in the North West.

Repossession sales	May 2018
East Midlands	42
East of England	13
London	46
North East	104
North West	150
South East	51
South West	40
West Midlands	63
Yorkshire and the Humber	90
England	599

Average price by property type for England

Property type	July 2018	July 2017	Difference %
Detached	£378,473	£361,493	4.7
Semi-detached	£230,284	£222,914	3.3
Terraced	£200,889	£194,396	3.3
Flat/maisonette	£230,603	£230,482	0.1
All	£248,611	£241,406	3.0

Funding and buyer status for England

Transaction type	Average price July 2018	Annual price change % since July 2017	Monthly price change % since June 2018
Cash	£234,732	3.2	1.6
Mortgage	£255,602	2.9	1.1
First-time buyer	£208,378	2.5	1.1
Former owner occupier	£282,435	3.4	1.3

Building status for England

Building status*	Average price May 2018	Annual price change % since May 2017	Monthly price change % since April 2018
New build	£306,514	5.7	1.3
Existing resold property	£240,225	3.1	0.7

*Figures for the two most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.

Sales volumes for England

The most up-to-date HM Land Registry sales figures available for England show:

• the number of completed house sales in England fell by 16.1% to 58,073 compared with 69,176 in May 2017

Month	Sales 2018	Sales 2017	Difference %
April	54,466	62,318	-12.6
May	58,073	69,176	-16.1

London

London shows, on average, house prices have risen by 0.6% since June 2018. An annual price fall of 0.7% takes the average property value to £484,926.

Average price by property type for London

Property type	July 2018	July 2017	Difference %
Detached	£929,854	£903,023	3.0
Semi-detached	£584,546	£582,307	0.4
Terraced	£502,363	£499,705	0.5
Flat/maisonette	£426,731	£434,837	-1.9
All	£484,926	£488,527	-0.7

Funding and buyer status for London

Transaction type	Average price July 2018	Annual price change % since July 2017	Monthly price change % since June 2018
Cash	£512,115	-0.5	1.6
Mortgage	£476,645	-0.8	0.3
First-time buyer	£423,730	-1.2	0.6
Former owner occupier	£548,046	-0.2	0.6

Building status for London

Building status*	Average price May 2018	Annual price change % since May 2017	Monthly price change % since April 2018
New build	£506,128	2.9	1.1
Existing resold property	£478,313	-0.3	0.5

*Figures for the two most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.

Sales volumes for London

The most up-to-date HM Land Registry sales figures available for London show;

• the number of completed house sales in May 2018 fell by 25.6% to 5,861 compared with 7,874 in May 2017

Month	Sales 2018	Sales 2017	Difference %
April	5,934	7,120	-16.7
May	5,861	7,874	-25.6

Wales

Wales shows, on average, house prices have fallen by 0.2% since June 2018. An annual price rise of 4.2% takes the average property value to £157,368.

Average price by property type for Wales

Property type	July 2018	July 2017	Difference %
Detached	£240,704	£226,982	6.0
Semi-detached	£150,370	£145,234	3.5
Terraced	£121,100	£116,835	3.7
Flat/maisonette	£112,941	£110,704	2.0
All	£157,368	£151,028	4.2

Funding and buyer status for Wales

Transaction type	Average price July 2018	Annual price change % since July 2017	Monthly price change % since June 2018
Cash	£154,022	4.5	0.5
Mortgage	£159,349	4.0	-0.6
First-time buyer	£135,390	3.6	-0.5
Former owner occupier	£183,161	4.9	0.2

Building status for Wales

Building status*	Average price May 2018	Annual price change % since May 2017	Monthly price change % since April 2018
New build	£208,490	8.7	1.3
Existing resold property	£151,817	4.9	0.7

*Figures for the two most recent months are not being published because there are not enough new build transactions to give a meaningful result.

Sales volumes for Wales

The most up-to-date HM Land Registry sales figures available for Wales show:

• the number of completed house sales in May 2018 fell by 14.4% to 3,368 compared with 3,933 in April 2017
• there were 44 repossession sales in May 2018

Month	Sales 2018	Sales 2017	Difference %
April	3,166	3,490	-9.3
May	3,368	3,933	-14.4

Access the full UK HPI

UK house prices rose by 3.1% in the year to July 2018, down from 3.2% in the year to June 2018. This is the lowest UK annual rate since August 2013 when it was 3.0%.

The UK Property Transaction Statistics for July 2018 showed that on a seasonally adjusted basis, the number of transactions on residential properties with a value of £40,000 or greater was 99,270. This is 3.2% lower compared with a year ago. Between June and July 2018, transactions decreased by 0.8%.

House prices grew fastest in the North West region, increasing by 5.6% in the year to July 2018, followed by the South West and the West Midlands, both increasing by 4.4% over the year. House prices in London fell by 0.7% in the year to July 2018, down from an increase of 0.3% in the previous month.

See the economic statement.

Notes to editors

1. The UK House Price Index (UK HPI) is published on the second or third Wednesday of each month with Northern Ireland figures updated quarterly. The August 2018 UK HPI will be published at 9.30am on Wednesday 17 October 2018. See calendar of release dates.
2. The UK House Price Index achieved National Statistic status on the 18 September 2018. The National Statistics badge indicates that the index has been independently assessed and meets the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and value as defined in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
3. We have made some changes to improve the accuracy of the UK HPI. We are not publishing average price and percentage change for new builds and existing resold property as done previously because there are not currently enough new build transactions to provide a reliable result. This means that in this month’s UK HPI reports, new builds and existing resold property are reported in line with the sales volumes currently available.
4. The UK HPI revision period has been extended to 13 months, following a review of the revision policy (see calculating the UK HPI section 4.4). This ensures the data used is more comprehensive.
5. Sales volume data is also available by property status (new build and existing property) and funding status (cash and mortgage) in our downloadable data tables. Transactions involving the creation of a new register, such as new builds, are more complex and require more time to process. Read revisions to the UK HPI data.
6. Revision tables have been introduced for England and Wales within the downloadable data. Tables will be available in csv format. See about the UK HPI for more information.
7. Data for the UK HPI is provided by HM Land Registry, Registers of Scotland, Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and the Valuation Office Agency.
8. The UK HPI is calculated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and Land & Property Services/Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. It applies a hedonic regression model that uses the various sources of data on property price, in particular HM Land Registry’s Price Paid Dataset, and attributes to produce estimates of the change in house prices each month. Find out more about the methodology used from the ONS and Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency.
9. The UK Property Transaction statisticsare taken from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) monthly estimates of the number of residential and non-residential property transactions in the UK and its constituent countries. The number of property transactions in the UK is highly seasonal, with more activity in the summer months and less in the winter. This regular annual pattern can sometimes mask the underlying movements and trends in the data series so HMRC also presents the UK aggregate transaction figures on a seasonally adjusted basis. Adjustments are made for both the time of year and the construction of the calendar, including corrections for the position of Easter and the number of trading days in a particular month.
10. UK HPI seasonally adjusted series are calculated at regional and national levels only. See data tables.
11. The first estimate for new build average price (April 2016 report) was based on a small sample which can cause volatility. A three-month moving average has been applied to the latest estimate to remove some of this volatility.
12. Work has been taking place since 2014 to develop a single, official HPI that reflects the final transaction price for sales of residential property in the UK. Using the geometric mean, it covers purchases at market value for owner-occupation and buy-to-let, excluding those purchases not at market value (such as re-mortgages), where the ‘price’ represents a valuation.
13. Information on residential property transactions for England and Wales, collected as part of the official registration process, is provided by HM Land Registry for properties that are sold for full market value.
14. The HM Land Registry dataset contains the sale price of the property, the date when the sale was completed, full address details, the type of property (detached, semi-detached, terraced or flat), if it is a newly built property or an established residential building and a variable to indicate if the property has been purchased as a financed transaction (using a mortgage) or as a non-financed transaction (cash purchase).
15. Repossession sales data is based on the number of transactions lodged with HM Land Registry by lenders exercising their power of sale.
16. For England, this is shown as volumes of repossession sales recorded by Government Office Region. For Wales, there is a headline figure for the number of repossession sales recorded in Wales.
17. The data can be downloaded as a .csv file. Repossession sales data prior to April 2016 is not available. Find out more information about repossession sales.
18. Background tables of the raw and cleansed aggregated data, in Excel and CSV formats, are also published monthly although Northern Ireland is on a quarterly basis. They are available for free use and re-use under the Open Government Licence.
19. HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales.
20. HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.
21. HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles showing evidence of ownership for some 85% of the land mass of England and Wales.
22. For further information about HM Land Registry visit www.gov.uk/land-registry
23. Follow us on Twitter @HMLandRegistry, our blog, LinkedIn and Facebook

Contact

Housing associations have a central role to play in building the homes we need and challenging the attitudes that hold us back, Theresa May will say in central London today, as she announces new long-term funding for affordable housing.

As part of the Government’s commitment to transform housebuilding, the Prime Minister will announce £2 billion in new funding to give housing associations the long-term certainty they need to deliver tens of thousands of new affordable and social homes.

As the first Prime Minister to address the National Housing Federation Summit, she will pledge this morning to work in partnership with the associations to get more people on the housing ladder and make sure those who can’t afford their own place also have somewhere they’re proud to call home.

Setting out the steps government has already taken to respond to the asks of the sector – including providing long-term certainty on rents and agreeing not to extend the local housing allowance cap to the social sector – Theresa May is expected to announce new long-term funding for housing associations. She will say:

You said that if you were going to take a serious role in not just managing but building the homes this country needs, you had to have the stability provided by long-term funding deals. Well, eight housing associations have already been given such deals, worth almost £600 million and paving the way for almost 15,000 new affordable homes.

And today, I can announce that new longer-term partnerships will be opened up to the most ambitious housing associations through a ground-breaking £2 billion initiative. Under the scheme, associations will be able to apply for funding stretching as far ahead as 2028/29 – the first time any government has offered housing associations such long-term certainty.

Doing so will give you the stability you need to get tens of thousands of affordable and social homes built where they are needed most, and make it easier for you to leverage the private finance you need to build many more.

In return, the Prime Minister will call on housing associations to use their unique combination of qualities – from their close ties with local communities to their expertise as property managers and their ability to ride out the business cycle and carry on building – “to achieve things neither private developers nor local authorities are capable of doing”. She is expected to say:

Today, I’m asking housing associations to use the tools we have given you. Not just to build more homes, though of course more homes are needed. But to take the lead in transforming the very way in which we think about and deliver housing in this country.

Rather than simply acquiring a proportion of the properties commercial developers build, I want to see housing associations taking on and leading major developments themselves. Because creating the kind of large-scale, high-quality developments this country needs requires a special kind of leadership – leadership you are uniquely well-placed to provide.

…Given the right tools and the right support, you can act as the strategic, long-term investors in the kind of high-quality places this country needs. To put it simply, you get homes built. And I want to work with you to transform the way we do so.

The Prime Minister will also urge housing associations to use their “unique status, rich history and social mission” to change the way tenants and society as a whole view social housing. She will say:

For many people, a certain stigma still clings to social housing. Some residents feel marginalised and overlooked, and are ashamed to share the fact that their home belongs to a housing association or local authority.

And on the outside, many people in society – including too many politicians – continue to look down on social housing and, by extension, the people who call it their home.

…We should never see social housing as something that need simply be “good enough”, nor think that the people who live in it should be grateful for their safety net and expect no better.

Whether it is owned and managed by local authorities, TMOs or housing associations, I want to see social housing that is so good people are proud to call it their home… Our friends and neighbours who live in social housing are not second-rate citizens.

The Prime Minister has made it her personal mission to get more people onto the housing ladder. The government has committed over £40 billion to get more homes built – creating the infrastructure to unlock sites where they’re needed most and removing unnecessary barriers to homebuilding, while making it harder for developers to dodge their obligations on affordable homes.

The UK’s Minister for Europe, Sir Alan Duncan, has travelled to Macedonia at the start of a two-day visit to the Western Balkans, underlining the UK’s commitment to playing an active and supportive role in the Western Balkans.

In Skopje, Sir Alan reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the region by holding meetings with Prime Minister Zaev and Foreign Minister Dimitrov to discuss the importance of a Name Agreement for Macedonia’s Euro-Atlantic path. As part of his visit, the Minister also visited Matka Canyon to launch UK assistance to Macedonia’s energy strategy.

The Minister for Europe Sir Alan Duncan said:

The United Kingdom remains strongly committed to progress, peace, and prosperity in the Western Balkans.

This is an auspicious time for our friends in Macedonia. We have long worked with Macedonia to help them implement reforms that would strengthen the country and move towards it meeting its strategic objective to become part of the Euro-Atlantic family.

The historic agreement Macedonia concluded with Greece on the long-running Name Issue is an important step towards that objective.

The implementation of the Prespa Agreement would help the country finalise its Euro-Atlantic path and the UK stands ready to support Macedonia in achieving this.

Further information

• Follow Sir Alan Duncan on Twitter @AlanDuncanMP
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Communities Secretary, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, has today (18 September 2018) confirmed that he is concluding the government’s intervention in Rotherham metropolitan borough council and returning all powers to the authority.

The intervention, which was jointly undertaken by the Ministry and the Department for Education, began in February 2015 following critical reports by Baroness Alexis Jay and Dame Louise Casey which uncovered significant failings at the council that contributed to child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

Mr Brokenshire confirmed that following strong progress by the council he will return control of all services to them on Monday 24 September, including children’s social care, and withdraw all 3 commissioners.

He added that this was on condition that the council commissions an independent progress review of delivery of services to be completed by 18 February 2019, before the directions expire on 31 March 2019.

The action follows the gradual return of selected functions to the council on 4 separate occasions since the intervention began in February 2015.

Communities Secretary, The Rt Honorable James Brokenshire MP said:

Vulnerable young people who should have been protected were repeatedly failed by Rotherham council, which is why the government stepped in to ensure these errors can never occur again.

I am pleased that strong progress has now been made at the council with the support of the commissioners.

The return of all powers to Rotherham council is not a decision that I take lightly, but I am satisfied that the council has learnt the lessons of the past and is now able to provide the services its residents deserve and expect.

Minister for Children and Families, Nadhim Zahawi MP said:

Every child, wherever they live, needs to have access to the right care and support so they can flourish in life. For too long the people of Rotherham were let down by the authorities in charge of protecting them.

The handing back of local children’s services to the council marks an important step for this town. I am pleased that vulnerable children in Rotherham are now getting the help they need when they need it, and I hope to see continuing improvements through the independent review next year.

Further information

The then-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the then-Secretary of State for Education exercised their intervention powers on 26 February 2015 as Rotherham metropolitan borough council was failing to comply with its best value duty. These Directions expire on 31 March 2019.

Three commissioners have been working with Rotherham council. They are:

• Mary Ney (Lead Commissioner)
• Patricia Bradwell (Children’s Social Care Commissioner)
• Julie Kenny CBE, DL (Supporting Commissioner)

There were originally 5 commissioners sent to Rotherham council, led by Sir Derek Meyers, who was also supported by Stella Manzie CBE and Malcolm Newsam with Mary Ney and Julie Kenney CBE acting as supporting Commissioners. Patricia Bradwell replaced Malcolm Newsam in May 2016 and Stella Manzie CBE left the council in February 2016. Mary Ney was appointed Lead Commissioner in place of Sir Derek Myers in March 2017.

Selected functions were returned to the council on 11 February 2016, 12 December 2016, 21 March 2017 and 12 September 2017.

The Secretary of State considered representations on his ‘minded to’ decision, which was announced on 23 July, until 16 August before a final decision.

As part of the decision-making process on the announcement, Mr Brokenshire and Mr Zahawi met with Rotherham’s MPs on Monday, July 16 who indicated their support to conclude the intervention.

A Cambridge man who repeatedly raped 2 young girls and sexually assaulted 2 others has had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred it to the Court of Appeal for being too low.

Sazzad Miah, now 83, carried out his abuse over a 25 year period. His first victim was abused between the ages of 4 and 15. His later victims were aged between 4 and 13.

In June this year, Miah was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment with a 1 year extended licence period at Cambridge Crown Court. Today, this has been increased to 25 years imprisonment with a 1 year extended licence period after the Solicitor General referred the case for being unduly lenient.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

“I am pleased the Court of Appeal has agreed that Miah’s sentence deserved to be higher. To subject four vulnerable children to such horrific sexual assaults is an abhorrent crime which will undoubtedly have lasting impacts on the victims, and I hope today’s outcome will provide them with some comfort.”