Category: Gov Press Releases

• The employment level in Wales is up 13,000 on the quarter and up 31,000 on the year. The employment rate is now at a record high at 74.2%, beating the previous record high of 74.0%.
• The unemployment level in Wales is down 1,000 on the quarter and remains unchanged on the year. The unemployment rate is now 4.3%.
• Total employment for the UK is up 42,000 on the quarter and 313,000 on the year. The employment rate is now at 75.6%.
• Total unemployment for the UK is down 65,000 on the quarter and down 124,000 on the year. The unemployment rate is a record low of 4.0%.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

These impressive figures demonstrate the UK Government’s determination to foster sustainable job creation across Wales, which continues to grow each year.

It is clear that the unwavering commitment of the UK Government to promote export opportunities for Welsh businesses and encourage inward investment from far and wide has created an economic environment which supports greater job creation and prosperity across Wales.

While it is great to see that UK unemployment levels are at a record low, my efforts will continue in demonstrating the strength of the Welsh economy worldwide and encouraging further investment from overseas. This will allow us to keep punching above our weight amongst the other UK nations and beyond.

ENDS

On Wednesday 8 August 2018, Matthew Holt, aged 26, of Hollington Crescent in Birmingham, was found guilty in his absence at Northampton Magistrates’ Court for using an unlicensed fishing rod and line at Mineral Lakes, Bedworth on 14 October 2017.

Holt was given a fine of £300 and ordered to pay trial costs of £800, plus a £30 victim surcharge, after appealing a previous fine of £220.

The case went to trial following an appeal by Holt after he was found guilty of fishing illegally on 14 October 2017. Holt claimed he had a fishing licence, but the court heard evidence from the Environment Agency that showed he was caught fishing with another angler. As the bailiff was taking details of the other angler, Holt hurriedly bought a licence online. The court agreed that Holt was found fishing before he had a licence and believed he would have continued to fish illegally if the bailiff had not arrived.

Andrew Eardley of the Environment Agency said:

An annual fishing licence costs just £30, yet a small number of anglers continue to flout the law and risk prosecution for fishing without a licence.

When buying a licence online it takes around 30 minutes to become active. It’s important anglers have a licence before fishing; the money from licences is invested into England’s fisheries and rivers; improving the sport of angling.

Environment Agency officers are out checking licences regularly throughout the year. A licence costs just £30 and lasts for 12 months from the day it is purchased.

Money from fishing licence sales is invested in England’s fisheries and is used to fund a wide range of projects to improve facilities for anglers including; protecting stocks from illegal fishing, pollution and disease, restoring fish stocks through re-stocking, eradicating invasive species and fish habitat improvements. Fishing licence money is also used to fund the Angling Trust to provide information about fishing, to encourage participation in the sport and to manage a voluntary bailiff scheme.

Children up to the age of 16 can fish for free, but do need to have a valid fishing licence. Anyone over 16 must pay for a licence to fish for salmon, trout, freshwater fish, smelt or eel in England.

Anyone witnessing illegal fishing can report it directly to the Environment Agency hotline, 0800 80 70 60. Information on illegal fishing and environmental crime can also be reported anonymously to Crime stoppers on 0800 555 111.

An industry event will be held in south Wales next month with the aim of connecting companies and organisations across the nation with the UK’s lucrative defence supply chain.

The Ministry of Defence announced earlier this year that the UK will re-join the Boxer programme and explore options to equip the Army with the 8×8 troop carriers to modernise its vehicle fleet and meet the Army’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle requirement.

The assessment phase for the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle programme, which is due to conclude in 2019, will consider the comparable benefits of manufacturing locations and different supply chains for Boxer, as well as value-for-money. Any deal will be subject to commercial negotiation and assessment. The aim is to have the first vehicles in service with the Army in 2023.

In an effort to ensure that Welsh companies can compete for the manufacture and supply of many of the vehicle sub-systems, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns is leading the clarion call for organisations to sign up to Artec’s industry event at the University of Wales’ Treforest Campus on 10 September.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

We cannot underestimate the valuable impact the defence sector has on our security and on the Welsh economy, supporting thousands of jobs and millions of pounds of investment across the country.

The Artec industry day provides a significant opportunity for Welsh businesses to capitalise on the supply chain opportunities presented by the Boxer programme and the wider defence sector.

The experience they will gain from it will provide them with the additional credentials needed to help springboard them into other markets and I encourage them to take full advantage.

The UK played a major role in the original design, development and testing of the Boxer, and would reassume the rights it had as a project partner if a deal was to go through – allowing the option for the vehicle to be built and exported from the UK. The deal could see the Boxer fully assembled in the UK with at least 60% of the manufacturing with British industry, sustaining and developing UK industrial capabilities, facilities and skills.

Defence Minister for Defence Procurement Stuart Andrew said:

Wales plays a massive part in ensuring our armed forces have the finest military equipment to defend us, and is already assembling the Army’s new Ajax vehicles in what is the biggest order of its kind in three decades.

We spent £945m with Welsh businesses last year, supporting over 6,000 jobs, as the industry continues to thrive. A possible deal for new Boxer armoured vehicles could mean at least 1,000 more British jobs, and I hope local companies seize this opportunity to understand how there could be even more defence work up for grabs for Wales in the future.

Artec, the consortium who manufacture the Boxer vehicle, already have an established UK footprint. Their planned investment in the UK is estimated to secure or create at least 1,000 jobs across the UK, including Wales.
As part of the programme, the UK is also expected to see substantial inward investment from Rheinmetall, one of Artec’s parent companies, who signalled their intention to launch a production and integration centre for armoured vehicles in the UK.
This would represent a significant commitment which would lead to long-lasting armoured vehicle capability in the UK.

David Pile, Sales and Business Development Director at Rheinmetall Defence UK said:

Supplier engagement events are an excellent opportunity to share knowledge, compare capabilities and link-up organisations across the supply chain.

Artec, Rheinmetall and KMW are very much looking forward to the event on the 10th September to continue our engagement with the UK industrial base, and develop our supply network to satisfy the MOD’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) requirements.

We recognise the level and diversity of capability, skills and know-how within the UK supply chain, and look forward to meeting many more organisations that we can work with to deliver the best solutions to the British Armed Forces.

Wales plays an important role in UK defence providing over 3,000 regulars and reserves to the Armed Forces and supporting over 6,000 industry jobs. The country benefits from Ministry of Defence (MOD) expenditure of £300 per person each year and a huge investment in local industry and commerce worth £945 million.

To sign up to the event, click here

ENDS

The bridge, north of Stafford, which is almost 250ft in length, will be dismantled and the entire 150-tonne centre section lifted clear and taken away in one piece on a 90ft long specialist transporter to a nearby compound.

Other sections of the Creswell Home Farm bridge will be taken away later. In total, the bridge contains enough concrete to fill 40 tipper trucks. The old bridge will be recycled and used in the construction of the upgraded motorway.

While work takes place the M6, between Stafford (junction 14) and Stoke-on-Trent (junction 15), will be closed in both directions for up to 24 hours over the weekend of 22 and 23 September.

Highways England smart motorways project sponsor, Peter Smith, explained:

This is part of our plan to ultimately improve journeys in this area by adding extra capacity and technology to the motorway.

The bridge is no longer in use and is too narrow for the upgraded motorway which will have an extra lane in each direction. Demolishing it is a big and complex job and to do it safely we need to use both carriageways of the motorway, which means it will be closed for up to 24 hours.

We’re doing all we can to minimise disruption though and that is why we are arranging to take the centre section away in one piece, rather than breaking it up which would take more time.

I’d like to thank motorists, businesses and residents in advance for their patience. I’d also urge anyone wanting to use the M6 in that area on 22 and 23 September to plan an alternative route to avoid congestion between Stoke and Stafford. Please also allow extra travel time and fuel for your journey.

The motorway is due to close at 8pm on the evening of Saturday 22 September 2018 and reopen on Sunday 23 September 2018 as soon as work allows.

Traffic will be diverted off the M6 between junctions 14 and 15 and will use the A34 Stone Road as the diversion route. This route has been agreed with local authority partners and will be kept clear of other works during the demolition. Drivers are warned to expect delays and urged to avoid the area if possible, allowing lots of extra time for essential journeys.

To reduce M6 traffic on the day, signs will alert motorists to the closure as far away as Dover and Carlisle. Motorists and hauliers travelling between the North West and the Midlands and South of England will be urged to avoid the area by using the M62 and M1.

Work is under way with emergency services and social care providers to ensure they maintain their services along the route.

Creswell Home Farm bridge, just north of junction 14, was built in 1961. Removing it will provide extra space to increase the capacity of the northbound entry and southbound exit slip roads and make them safer, as well as remove an unnecessary maintenance liability.

The demolition does not involve the use of explosives. Some noise from excavators, reversing bleepers and concrete crushing will be heard around the bridge while the work takes place.

This is the first of two bridges to be removed. A further 24-hour closure will take place next year to remove the Burton Bank footbridge.

This bridge is too low for the required safety clearance when the hard shoulder becomes a new running lane. Its replacement will be entirely within Highways England land and the current public right of way across the motorway will be maintained.

Highways England is increasing capacity on a 17-mile stretch of the M6 between junctions 13 and 15 by turning the hard shoulder into an extra traffic lane and installing up-to-date technology that will help keep traffic flowing more smoothly. This creates a smart motorway.

This will lead to more reliable journeys on a currently heavily congested route and boost regional growth.
The upgrade will also give drivers better information to help with their journeys, while maintaining high levels of safety.

Work began earlier this year, with bridge strengthening works to prepare for the main scheme. The central reservation barrier is currently being upgraded to a safer, concrete design near junction 15. The work is being limited to a 6-mile stretch only of narrow lanes through to the autumn.

As the central reservation barrier works move south, work will follow behind using contraflow which will speed up the works on the motorway verges and more than halve the number of motorway closures normally required for these works.

The upgrade work also includes:

• Increasing capacity by one third by converting the hard shoulder to a new running lane.
• Installing 20 emergency areas to provide an area of relative safety following a breakdown.
• Hardening the central reserve and installing a reinforced barrier to improve safety.
• Installing approximately 2km of new noise barriers.
• New lighting introduced at junction 15.

The project is due to be completed by March 2022.

More information is available on the scheme page.

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.

Nearly 600 families resettled on newly released land in the North and East of Sri Lanka will benefit from £1 million from the UK Government to support the provision of basic infrastructure and services.

Helping families return to their villages is a crucial element of Sri Lanka addressing the legacy of civil war and is a key part of the joint strategy agreed by the UN and the government of Sri Lanka to support long-term post-conflict peacebuilding in Sri Lanka.

The funding will help those returning to their homes in the Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaithivu and Batticaloa districts by contributing towards roads, wells and sanitary services, and help re-establish access to local government services as well as local civil society organisations.

It will also help families rebuild their lives by supporting livelihood development through training on small business management, and provision of essential fishing and agricultural equipment.

Minister of State for Asia & the Pacific Mark Field said:

Helping some of the families resettle in districts from which they had been displaced is a very important step. It is symbolic of the steady progress made after decades of conflict. There remains a lot to do, but I am proud of the UK’s support to the rebuilding process.

We will continue to encourage the Sri Lankan Government to make progress delivering their Human Rights Council commitments, and I hope that the UK’s Sri Lankan diaspora will also play their part in encouraging that progress.

The UK currently supports stability in Sri Lanka through projects designed to build reconciliation and the rule of law; including, police and defence reform, demining, inter-faith mediation and anti-bribery and corruption, among other issues.

The funding is being provided through the UK’s Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF), increasing the UK’s contribution through the CSSF for Sri Lanka to £7.9 million between 2016 and 2019.

The funding is part of the UK’s contribution to Sri Lanka’s Peacebuilding Priority Plan; a joint strategy agreed by the UN and the Government of Sri Lanka to support long term post-conflict peacebuilding in Sri Lanka.

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Mark Field @MarkFieldUK
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

The Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will today begin a three day visit to Finland, Latvia, Denmark and the Netherlands to continue his discussions with European partners on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU.

Mr Hunt will meet the Foreign Ministers of all four countries and outline the UK’s determination to build a new relationship with Europe after Brexit which will offer a bright future that benefits all on our continent.

Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

We share history and values with our partners in Europe and work side-by-side to defend the rules-based international system on which our safety and prosperity depend. I’m delighted to be visiting four close European partners this week to reiterate that these strong ties will not diminish once we leave the EU.

As a continent we face many of the same threats, including terrorism and the destabilising activities of Russia. In Finland, Latvia, Denmark and the Netherlands – we have four partners who stood by us when Russia used a chemical weapon on British soil. All four expelled Russian diplomats in retaliation, and we are forever grateful for their solidarity.

In the negotiations to leave the EU our strategic choice is to build a deep and special partnership with the remaining member states. We want to safeguard our operational capacity as we leave the EU, and so we have put forward precise, credible proposals that ensure our ability to act is maintained.

We are now at the point where the EU also faces strategic choices: with the option to move the negotiations forward and achieve a deal that works in our mutual interests. My simple message is that we need to take that opportunity.

Further information

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

FCO Minister of State Mark Field is visiting Indonesia today (14 August) on a programme that includes bilateral meetings and a keynote speech on the UK’s ‘All of Asia’ policy at the Centre for Strategic & International Studies.

While in Jakarta, the Minister will be meeting government representatives including Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi and incoming Governor of West Java Ridwan Kamil. Mr Field will also visit the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Secretariat for talks with ASEAN Secretary-General Dato Lim Jock Hoi.

Discussions will cover bilateral relations, broader regional and global issues, and the UK’s relationship with ASEAN and its members after the UK leaves the EU. Mr Field will also travel to Bali to open the new British Consulate, which provides an important service to British people on the island.

Commenting on his visit, Minister Field said:

As a fast-growing, vibrant economy, Indonesia remains a key partner for the UK. My visit provides an opportunity to explore ways to strengthen our cooperation in education and security, and to discuss other global issues including the post-Brexit UK-ASEAN relationship.

The Minister’s visit to Indonesia is the first stop in a six-country visit across the Southeast Asia region.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Mark Field @MarkFieldUK
• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook
• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

A ‘new deal’ for social housing residents, as part of the government’s commitment to make a housing market fit for the future has been launched by Secretary of State for Communities Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP.

The social housing green paper aims to rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords, tackle stigma and ensure that social housing can be both a safety net and springboard into home ownership.

Our green paper aims to start a national discussion to collect views on how to improve social housing, based around 5 core principles:

• A safe and decent home which is fundamental to a sense of security and our ability to get on in life.
• Swift and effective resolution so that when residents have concerns about the safety or standard of their home they see results.
• Empowering residents and ensuring their voices are heard so that landlords are held to account.
• Tackling stigma and celebrating thriving communities, challenging the stereotypes that exists about residents and their communities.
• Building the social homes that we need and ensure that those homes can act as a springboard to home ownership.

The proposals will empower residents to hold their landlords to account and give them the support they need to seek redress when things go wrong. A tougher regulator will help drive up standards and ensure social homes are well managed and quality places to live.

With the experiences of those living in social housing brought to the forefront following the tragedy at Grenfell Tower, over 8,000 residents from across the country have shared their views of social housing as part of the government’s listening exercise.

Secretary of State for Communities the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

Providing high quality and well managed social housing is a core priority for this government.

Our green paper offers a landmark opportunity for major reform to improve fairness, quality and safety for residents living in social housing across the country.

Regardless of whether you own your home or rent, residents deserve security, dignity and the opportunities to build a better life.

The aspirations and concerns of thousands of residents have shaped the government’s new direction for social housing and are at the heart of the proposals in this consultative green paper:

• steps to speed up the complaints process, providing access to effective dispute resolution when something goes wrong and giving tenants more support in accessing the redress options available to them
• new reforms to make it easier for tenants to progress into home ownership, such as allowing them to purchase as little as 1% of their property each year through the government’s Shared Ownership programme.
• strengthening the Regulator of Social Housing so it can focus on issues that matter most to tenants and has ‘sharper teeth’ to intervene when needed, ensuring social homes are well managed and of decent quality.
• allowing councils to continue to have choice over their use of fixed term tenancies, enabling them to offer residents greater security in their homes
• the introduction of performance indicators and new league tables, rebalancing the landlord/tenant relationship to hold bad practice to account and ensure residents are treated with dignity and respect

This move is the latest action by the government to build a housing market fit for the future, after £1.67 billion of new funding was made available in June to build 23,000 new affordable homes and social homes in areas that need it most.

The green paper launched today (14 August 2018), gives everyone the opportunity to feed in views on proposals for the future of social housing and will run until 6 November 2018.

In a separate move, to boost the number of local authority homes, a consultation into how councils spend the money from Right to Buy sales has also been launched today. It also looks at reforming the Right to Buy replacement target, to give a broader measure of government’s impact on social housing.

This sets out proposals to make it easier for councils to replace properties sold under Right to Buy and build the affordable homes their communities need, continuing a programme that has helped almost 94,000 households onto the housing ladder since 2010.

Further information

As part of the preparing for the green paper publication, previous ministers led 14 tenant engagement events across the country with nearly 1,000 people directly feeding in their views. Over 7,000 people shared their views through our online engagement that closed on 16 March 2018.

The green paper gives everyone the opportunity to feed in views on proposals for the future of social housing and will run until 6 November 2018.

Legislation will be brought forward to put in place protections for lifetime tenants who have suffered domestic abuse. In the meantime, local authorities are strongly encouraged to give careful consideration to the welfare of victims of domestic abuse, by ensuring that where they are offering further tenancies to lifetime social tenants as a result of domestic abuse, such tenancies are granted on a lifetime basis.

This green paper marks the start of a review of the regulation of social housing. A call for evidence launched today asks how well the current regulatory framework is driving safe, decent and well managed homes, by well governed and financially robust landlords.

The Right to Buy consultation launched today seeks views on proposals for reforming the rules governing the use of Right to Buy receipts from the sale of council housing. It also seeks views on reforming the Right to Buy replacement target, to move towards a wider measure of government’s impact in this area.

Options examined in the green paper to reduce staircasing options to 1% would only apply for new purchases under the Shared Ownership Programme.