Category: Gov Press Releases

In 2016, Peppino Fiori was jailed for 12 months for the importation and sale of dangerous steroids and unlicensed erectile dysfunction medicines from his home address in Surrey.

Following a further investigation by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, it was discovered that Fiori continued to import and possess with intent to sell, unlicensed drugs, coordinating his illegal business from a rented storage unit whilst on bail.

Despite receiving numerous warnings from MHRA as early as 2013, Fiori chose to ignore these and was sentenced again last week to 12 months immediate custody for reoffending.
This man’s illegal activity posed a serious health risk to the public. These medicines are potent and can cause serious side effects.

Approximately 60,640 doses of unlicensed medicine were seized including 2,200 doses of generic Tramadol, a powerful class C drug. It is thought that Fiori’s hoard was valued at more than £60,000.

MHRA Head of Enforcement, Alastair Jeffrey, said:

Selling medicines outside of the regulated supply chain is a serious criminal offence. These criminals are motivated by greed and have no concern about your safety or welfare.

Unlicensed medicines can be dangerous as their contents are unknown and untested. Chances are they simply will not work, but they may contain dangerous ingredients. The consequences for your health can be devastating.

If you need advice or treatment for a condition, visit your GP. Make sure you obtain medical products from legitimate high street outlets or online retailers displaying the distance selling logo.

MHRA is currently running the #FakeMeds campaign to warn people against buying potentially dangerous or useless unlicensed medicines sold by illegal online suppliers. Visit www.gov.uk/fakemeds for tips on buying medicines safely online and how to avoid unscrupulous sites.

• a former director of an employment agency sentenced today in a Bristol court must pay compensation to 2 workers and fines totalling £5,154 after a government prosecution and has been banned from being a director for 5 years
• the former director of Cotterell and Gifford employment agency pleaded guilty to 4 charges including withholding wages and failing to give information to workers
• the prosecution comes after the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate launched an investigation based on a worker complaint

A director has been ordered to pay wages and expenses totalling £5,145 at a hearing at Bristol Magistrates’ Court today (29 August 2018). The prosecution comes after an investigation by the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate – a government body that enforces rights on behalf of agency workers.

National Recruitment Limited, trading as Cotterell and Gifford, withheld wages to 2 workers for work they did in December 2015 and February 2016. The director was also guilty of failing to provide the right information to his workers when they started their jobs. He has been disqualified from being a director for 5 years.

Kelly Tolhurst, Small Business Minister, said:

Workers deserve to be paid for the work they do. We take complaints from workers seriously and will take action against employers that wilfully ignores the law and exploits workers.

We’re going further to enhance and protect the rights of all workers. In our Good Work plan we have set out new plans to make agency workers more aware of their rights and give them the right to request a more predictable contract.

The government has recently consulted through the Good Work plan on how best to deliver on its commitment to:

• provide all 1.2 million agency workers with a clear breakdown of who pays them and any costs or charges deducted from their wages
• consider repealing laws allowing agencies to employ workers on cheaper rates
• enforce vulnerable workers’ holiday and sick pay for the first time
• give workers a list of day-one rights including holiday and sick pay entitlements
• introduce a new right for all workers to request a more stable contract to provide greater financial security for those on flexible contracts
• introduce a new naming scheme for employers who fail to pay employment tribunal awards to quadruple employment tribunal fines for employers showing malice, spite or gross oversight to £20,000 and considering increasing penalties for employers who have previously lost similar cases

Anyone with a complaint or query about an employment agency or about the law applying to agencies should contact the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate by email at eas@beis.gov.uk, by the online form on GOV.UK – or contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100.

Notes for editors

1. The Insolvency Service brought charges against Nicholas Brown on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy under regulation 12 and regulation 14 of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 (as amended) and Section 5(2) of the Employment Agencies Act 1973 (as amended).
2. It is a criminal offence for an employment business to withhold from a work-seeker any payment due to that work-seeker for work that they have carried out whilst supplied to a hirer by the employment business.
3. Information about the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and the regulations can be accessed through GOV.UK.

More children than ever before are now living with a working adult, new data from April to June shows, as the number of UK households without a regular income from work fell to 1.27 million – a record low.

As the UK employment rate rose to 75.6% in the 3 months to June, the number of households where no one earns a regular wage fell by 964,000 since 2010.

An all-time high of around 9 in 10 children now live in a home where at least one adult works, taking tens of thousands of children out of poverty as the number of children in workless households fell by 29,000 in the last year.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Esther McVey has said:

One of the best ways to tackle poverty and give children a better chance in life, is to have a working adult in the house. It gives them a role-model to learn from and brings financial security to the home.

Since 2010 1.45 million more children now live in a household where all the adults work. 75% of children from workless families moved out of poverty when their parents entered into full-time work. Since 2010, we’ve seen 300,000 fewer children living in absolute poverty.

Getting a job means more than just a wage, it’s a way out of poverty and welfare dependency.

The government is committed to building a stronger, fairer economy that works for everyone. Since 2010 an average of 1,000 people have gained work every day, supporting people from every part of the UK and every section of society to take control of their lives and build themselves a better future.

Today’s data follows new research this month from the Resolution Foundation which found that the majority of new jobs created since 2008/2009 were taken by the poorest third of UK households.

As more households now benefit from work, there are now one million fewer people living in absolute poverty compared with 2010, including 300,000 fewer children.

The government is committed to building a stronger, fairer economy and that is why we are improving the welfare system through Universal Credit, helping people stay in work longer through the Fuller Working Lives strategy and tackling inequalities in employment as highlighted by the Race Disparity Audit.

More about the statistics

The number of children in households with all adults in work has increased by 177,000 in the last year.

Since 2010 there are 1.45 million more children living in a home with all adults in work.

637,000 fewer children are living in workless households since 2010.

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The firms – Jumpman Gaming and Progress Play – have formally agreed to remove terms and conditions which stopped players getting hold of their own money in one go.

With growing numbers of people choosing to play games and gamble online, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating the £4.9billion sector after finding that a number of firms use unfair practices and terms and conditions.

Until now, players using Jumpman Gaming and Progress Play could be made to withdraw their money in instalments over an extended period, which could lead some to gamble again where they might otherwise make a withdrawal.

The companies have also agreed to stop using unfair terms which meant they could confiscate money from players’ accounts because they had not logged in for a certain amount of time.

In addition, Progress Play has agreed not to confiscate players’ money if they do not meet their identity check rules within a specific timeframe. Whilst companies need to be able to make appropriate and proportionate identity checks to help prevent money laundering and fraud, they cannot justify confiscating someone’s money simply because they do not provide information within a specific time frame.

The CMA has been working in collaboration with the sector regulator, the Gambling Commission, to improve terms and conditions for players online and to help ensure firms do not break consumer protection law.

The changes being made by these companies today are supported by the Gambling Commission, which expects firms across the sector to apply the same standards to make online gambling fairer for players. Firms that do not make any necessary changes to their terms may face regulatory action.

George Lusty, Senior Director for Consumer Protection at the CMA, said:

People choosing to gamble online should be able to walk away with their own money whenever they want to.

Jumpman Gaming and Progress Play are the first to commit to scrap their unfair withdrawal rules, but we expect companies across the sector to follow suit so no-one gets caught out with unfair terms and conditions when gambling online.

Paul Hope, Executive Director, Gambling Commission said:

We support the outcome of the CMA’s investigation, and we’re pleased that both of the operators involved have committed to making changes that will make it fairer and simpler for customers to withdraw funds from their online gambling accounts.

Gambling firms should not be placing unreasonable restrictions on when and how consumers can take money out of their accounts.

We now expect all online operators to review the findings published by the CMA today and ensure they update their own practices.

Notes for editors

1. The CMA is the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority. It is an independent non-ministerial government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and consumer law.
2. The companies which have provided undertakings are; Progress Play Limited, Jumpman Gaming Limited.
3. The key pieces of consumer protection legislation relevant to the CMA’s investigation are the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) and Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA). The CPRs prohibit certain unfair commercial practices – in particular misleading acts or omissions, but also behaviour that is contrary to the requirements of professional diligence. Amongst other things, the CRA prohibits unfair contract terms in consumer contracts and requires that terms be transparent.
4. The CMA opened an investigation into the gambling sector’s compliance with consumer protection law in October 2016 after hearing about a range of concerns that suggested some operators were not treating their customers fairly.
5. This investigation led to the CMA announcing in June 2017 a new line of enquiry to look further into obstacles that people face when they try to withdraw their money after depositing funds and gaming or betting online (whether as part of a promotion or not).
6. The provision of these formal commitments (‘undertakings’) by the two operators is not an admission of a breach of the law. Nor does the CMA’s view amount to a binding ruling – ultimately only a court can rule that a particular term or practice infringes the law.
7. The CMA acknowledges the cooperation of Progress Play Limited and Jumpman Gaming Limited throughout the investigation.
8. The Gambling Commission reports that in 2016-17 the online gambling sector was worth £4.9 billion (Gross Gambling Yield) and accounted for 34% of all gambling. It also reports that there are over 28 million active accounts for licensed facilities in Great Britain and that just over 9 million people had gambled online in the 4 weeks up to 30 September 2017.
9. The CMA has produced a ‘60-second summary’ to help all gambling operators review their practices and ensure their terms and conditions are in line with consumer protection law. It has also produced ‘advice for gamblers’ and a short video guide for consumers.
10. If you are a member of the public with a query please email general.enquiries@cma.gov.uk or call 02037376000.
11. Media enquiries to the CMA should be directed to press@cma.gov.uk or 020 3738 6798. Media enquiries to the Gambling Commission should be directed to Nikita Jan njan@gamblingcommission.gov.uk or 0121 230 6700.

Delroy Anthony Roberts (50), from Birmingham, was a director of three debt management companies: Haydon Associates Debt Management Consultants Limited, Sterling Financial Security Limited and Clear View Finance Limited.

He was appointed a director of each of the companies, between January 2012 and March 2013, and all three held approved licences to provide consumer credit activities. However, during Delroy Roberts’ tenure the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) received several complaints.

Customers had a range of grievances, including not receiving updates about changes to their debt plans and despite making regular payments, the money they owed to their creditors didn’t go down. At the same time, creditors were not paid the full amount and on occasions, they were not paid at all.

The majority of these complaints were upheld and as a result, the three companies were ordered by the FOS to refund the customers. But while some were refunded, other customers were not.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) also issued warnings to Delroy Roberts but he failed to ensure the three companies adhered to regulated guidance, the companies did not provide written statements to customers setting out their debt positions and they also failed to provide information about customers to the FCA.

The three companies entered into liquidation in December 2015 following the issues with the FCA, as well as experiencing financial difficulties. Not only did existing customers leave the three companies but Delroy Roberts had also agreed with the FCA that the debt management companies would not enter into any new contractual arrangements and as a result, had not generated any new income.

In July 2018, the Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Delroy Roberts after he did not dispute that he had failed to ensure that the three debt management companies complied with requirements by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Effective from 6 August 2018, Delroy Roberts is now banned for 12 years from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.

Anthea Simpson, Chief Investigator for the Insolvency Service, said:

People who turn to debt management companies are often in need of urgent help with no-where else to turn to but Delroy Roberts failed to provide an adequate service to his customers.

Delroy Roberts is banned from running companies for over a decade and this should send a clear warning to other directors that if they run a business in a way that is detrimental to either its customers or its creditors then we will take strong action against them.

Notes to editors

Mr Roberts is of Birmingham and his date of birth is 29 July 1968

Company numbers:

• Sterling Financial Security Limited – 05456199
• Clear View Finance Limited – 07098691
• Haydon Associates Debt Management Consultants Limited – 04725109

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

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

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

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

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

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

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

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The Prime Minister has recommitted to supporting countries on the front line of instability, in order to tackle poverty and to build a safer, healthier, and more prosperous future for all.

She announced that the UK will expand its diplomatic presence in the Sahel, opening two new embassies in Chad and Niger and increasing the UK footprint across the region. The two new embassies will replace existing offices in Chad and Niger. The UK will also have a much larger presence at the embassy in Mali.

In one of Africa’s most fragile regions, we are increasing our support for African countries’ efforts to tackle the underlying drivers of instability and conflict. The expansion will see the UK step up diplomatic, defence and development engagement in the region, creating new partnerships and opportunities and reducing potential threats to UK and European security.

Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin said:

We must not allow instability across the Sahel, exacerbated by regional conflicts, to continue to hold back development and to spill over into the rest of Africa or into Europe. Strengthening Britain’s presence in Chad, Niger, and Mali will allow us to work more closely with our partners in the region to create new opportunities and tackle together the challenges posed by instability, poverty, and irregular migration.

The Prime Minister made the announcement during a 3-day trip (28 to 31 August) to South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya alongside Minister for Africa Harriett Baldwin and Trade Minister George Hollingbery.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Harriett Baldwin on Twitter @hbaldwin
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

The PCA’s initial analysis of the first reports submitted by the pub companies highlighted three key themes:

• the small number of Market Rent Only (MRO) tenancies agreed
• the high number of tenancies subject to forfeiture, seizure or abandonment
• the use of legal notices to oppose the renewal of tied tenancies on their existing terms.

Mr Newby said: “The information submitted by the pub companies and the monthly MRO data being published by them confirm the picture suggested by earlier PCA research. It is a picture of tied pub tenants experiencing what they perceive to be significant barriers to exercising their MRO option in a timely and straightforward fashion.

“I have written to the pub companies and this will be the focus of the next round of bi-lateral meetings with each CEO in October. I want to get behind these figures and know what is driving the high rate of tenant departures, including the extent to which tenant churn may be preventing them from exercising their rights under the Code.

“Additionally, all tied pub tenants who have received a MRO proposal will shortly be asked to complete a PCA questionnaire setting out their experiences of the MRO process and its outcome. I will use this information and the responses from the pub companies to target further interventions to secure tenants’ access to MRO.”

The PCA also wants to examine whether the new rules on pre-entry information, training and business plans introduced under the Code are having the intended effect of ensuring that people taking on a tied tenancy are fully prepared and supported to succeed.

And he will be looking in detail at cases where pub companies have issued notices under section 25 of the Landlord and Tenant Act (LTA) 1954 to oppose the granting of a new tenancy to an existing tied pub tenant for any evidence of links between tenants requesting MRO and LTA proceedings to take possession.

The Code requires pub companies to provide the PCA with an annual compliance report which provides detailed and accurate accounts of how they have complied with their obligations under the Code, of any breaches raised or alleged by tied pub tenants and the steps taken as a consequence, as well as what the pub companies have done to ensure compliance with the Code.

The PCA required pub companies to submit information relating to the status of their tied estates, the management of their tied agreements, the conduct of their tied rent assessments and handling of MRO requests as well as the impact of proceedings under the LTA.

Notes to editors:

1. The compliance reports cover the period from the introduction of the Pubs Code on 21 July 2016 to 31 March 2018.
2. Full statement from the PCA including compliance reports are available at www.gov.uk/pca
3. Any queries should be directed to office@pubscodeadjudicator.gov.uk

• Government to invest £92 million of Brexit readiness money on plans for independent satellite system
• 18-month study will look at the design and development of UK programme
• This will inform the decision to create the system as an alternative to Galileo
• The UK Space Agency will lead the work with full support from the Ministry of Defence

The money has been allocated from the £3 billion Brexit readiness fund announced at last year’s Budget and will be rolled out over the coming months.

Satellite navigation systems like GPS are increasingly important for commercial, military and other critical applications, from guiding aircraft, ships and emergency services to helping millions of people find their way on car journeys. A recent government study estimated that sustained disruption to satellite navigation would cost the UK economy £1 billion per day.

The government has been clear that the UK wants to remain involved in the Galileo programme, and is negotiating with the European Commission to this end.

But without the assurance that UK industry can collaborate on an equal basis now and in the future, and without access to the necessary security-related information to rely on Galileo for military functions such as missile guidance, the UK would be obliged to end its participation in the project.

The UK Space Agency is leading this phase of the work to look at options for a British Global Navigation Satellite System, which would fully meet UK security requirements and support the UK’s sovereign space and cryptography sectors. This significant new investment will develop specific technical proposals with the Ministry of Defence playing a full role in support.

The 18-month engineering, design and development project will deliver a detailed technical assessment and schedule of a UK global positioning system.

This would provide both civilian and encrypted signals and be compatible with the US GPS system.

UK industry has been instrumental in developing Galileo technology and encryption, and this experience will be used in developing the alternative, with a number of multi-million-pound contracts available for British space companies.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

“Britain is a world leader in the space industry and satellites. We are investing in an alternative option to Galileo to ensure our future security needs are met using the UK’s world-leading space sector.

“Our position on Galileo has been consistent and clear. We have repeatedly highlighted the specialist expertise we bring to the project and the risks in time delays and cost increases that the European Commission is taking by excluding UK industry.

“Britain has the skills, expertise and commitment to create our own sovereign satellite system and I am determined that we take full advantage of the opportunities this brings, backed by our modern Industrial Strategy.”

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“The danger space poses as a new front for warfare is one of my personal priorities, and it is absolutely right that we waste no time in going it alone if we need an independent satellite system to combat those emerging threats. This alternative system and the UK’s very first Defence Space Strategy which I will launch later this year will be a further boost to military skills, our innovative businesses and our genuinely world-leading role which has seen us make such a key contribution to Galileo.”

Dr Graham Turnock, CEO of UK Space Agency said:

“We remain confident in the strength of our space sector and look forward to working in partnership with them on the exciting prospect of a national satellite navigation system.”

Even if the decision was taken not to create a UK independent satellite system and the UK remained a full member of Galileo post-Brexit, this work would support UK jobs and expertise in areas including spacecraft and antenna design, satellite control systems, cryptography and cyber security. It will also support the UK’s growing space sector.

Growing space sector

Britain’s space industry is going from strength to strength. Last week (22 August) the European Space Agency’s (ESA) revolutionary British-built wind measuring spacecraft Aeolus was launched. The spacecraft was built by Airbus Defence and Space in Stevenage and other British businesses provided critical elements to the mission, including a camera, software and propulsion systems.

At the Farnborough International Airshow in July, the government committed £31.5m to support the development of a spaceport in Sutherland in Scotland and commercial operations from the site, which could be the first in Europe and will see rockets lift off from UK soil.

Horizontal launch sites also have significant potential in a future UK spaceflight market, which could attract companies from all over the world to invest in Britain. Sites such as Newquay, Glasgow Prestwick and Snowdonia will be boosted by an additional £2m fund to grow their sub-orbital flight, satellite launch and spaceplane ambitions.

Low cost access to space is important for the UK’s thriving space sector which builds more small satellites than any other country, with Glasgow building more than any other city in Europe.

The UK Space Agency is driving the growth of the space sector as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy with major initiatives including the £99m National Space Test Facility at Harwell, and the UK continues to be a leading member of ESA, which is independent of the EU.

Theresa May will unveil a series of measures to cut illegal and unsafe migration into Europe from West Africa and support victims of modern slavery as she visits Nigeria today (Wednesday 29 August).

• New support will help migrants and modern slavery victims rebuild their lives in Nigeria
• The UK will help Nigeria and Niger prevent trafficking across their border
• The HQ for the UK-funded border task force has been established at Lagos Airport

Nigeria is the fifth-largest country of origin for victims of modern slavery in Britain. Men, women and children are tricked into journeys to Europe that can lead to abuse, trauma, prostitution, forced labour and death.

Theresa May, who since her time as Home Secretary has led the UK government’s response to this issue at home and internationally, will also announce plans to tackle the serious organised crime behind people trafficking and help victims rebuild their lives.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

Modern Slavery is one of the greatest human rights abuses of our time and the UK is a world leader in making it an international mission to end this heinous crime.

Today we are stepping up our partnership with Nigerian authorities to find traffickers and bring them to justice. And because this is an international problem which needs international response, we are also launching a new project with France to strengthen border cooperation to prevent trafficking along key migration routes towards Libya and Europe.

But as well as targeting the smugglers and traffickers that cruelly exploit people for financial gain, it’s vital that we support the victims who have suffered enormous trauma and are at high risk of being re-trafficked, and that is an important part of the support we are announcing today.

She will make a series of announcements to fight human trafficking and support victims of modern slavery in Nigeria and the region, including:

• Support to help up to 1,700 migrants and modern slavery victims returning to Nigeria from Libya with counselling to deal with the distress of their ordeal and training in business and vocational skills to help them get jobs and reintegrate into their communities. Most of these victims have suffered serious trauma and are at high risk of re-trafficking and psychosocial issues without this crucial UK support, delivered in partnership with the International Organisation of Migration.
• A new project – led by the UK and France – to help the governments of Nigeria and Niger strengthen their border cooperation to prevent trafficking along one of the main migration routes towards Libya and Europe. The project will ensure border posts are better equipped and staffed, enhance training for border officials, and work with NGOs to help victims of trafficking return home.
• The UK-funded headquarters of the Joint Border Task Force has been established at Lagos airport, where UK and Nigerian authorities have been working together to identify traffickers and bring them to justice. This year the Task Force helped secure the first prosecution of a British national for trafficking under the UK Modern Slavery Act, with Josephine Iyamu jailed for 14 years in Birmingham in July.

The UK is determined to lead global efforts to stamp out modern slavery. So far 68 countries – including Nigeria – have endorsed the Call to Action to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking which the Prime Minister launched at the UN in 2017.