Category: Gov Press Releases

Following the recent elections in Zimbabwe, the Minister of State for Africa, Harriett Baldwin, said:

The UK was encouraged that Zimbabweans turned out in record numbers to vote in the elections on 30 July, and particularly the increase in first-time voters, including many young, urban Zimbabweans, who found themselves excluded from previous electoral rolls.

While polling day passed off peacefully, a number of concerns have been raised by observer missions, particularly about the pre-election environment, the role of state media, and the use of state resources. There is much to be done to build confidence in Zimbabwe’s electoral process.

The UK remains deeply concerned by the violence following the elections and the disproportionate response from the security forces. We have urged all parties to work together to ensure calm. It is vital that any appeals against the results or the process are handled swiftly and impartially. All candidates have a responsibility to ensure their supporters act with restraint and avoid violence, while any challenges to the results are resolved.

We will continue to work with the Government and the Zimbabwean people to support democracy and good governance, help with the country’s development, and promote regional security and prosperity. The UK remains a close partner of the Zimbabwean people in their quest for a better future.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Harriett Baldwin @hbaldwin
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Research reveals multi-million pound government funding for coastal communities has created over 7,000 jobs and boosted visitor numbers to the coastline by thousands.

Through the Coastal Communities Fund, almost 300 coastal sites across the UK have been saved, created or improved for future generations. It is expected that every £1 spent from the Fund will generate £8 for local communities.

Sites like Perch Rock Lighthouse in Merseyside, an art deco lido in Penzance and a new Heritage Quarter in Bognor Regis have been allocated grants worth over £173 million since 2012. Around £48 million has also been directly invested in the regeneration of 45 “at risk” coastal heritage sites.

With record levels of investment in coastal communities, coastal tourism has regained its position as England’s largest holiday sector – employing more people than the motor, aerospace, pharmaceutical or steel industries.

Latest research also shows that the summer heatwave is providing a major boost for the country’s seaside towns and villages – 55% of people in the UK are flocking to Britain’s beaches at least once this year. Last year, nearly 17 million trips were taken by British residents to the English seaside – comfortably making it the most popular UK destination.

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

From Penzance to Whitley Bay, we’re investing £264 million into our coastal communities by the end of the decade. By 2020 we’ll have invested more funds directly into coastal regeneration than any other government in history.

We’re delivering on our pledge to not only protect our coastal heritage sites for the future generations, but also help to create jobs, promote tourism and deliver a bright future for our coastal regions.

The Northern Powerhouse has benefitted the most to date from the fund. Collectively, the region has seen investment of over £57 million (or 43% of the total) in 51 projects.

The news comes ahead of the announcement of the government’s Coastal Communities Fund ‘fast track’ winners later this summer. These include 16 ‘shovel ready’ projects set to receive grants from a further £40 million tranche of government funding to get underway this financial year.

Deborah Lamb, Deputy Chief Executive of Historic England, said:

We welcome news of funding to help save at-risk historic buildings and places in our seaside towns and villages, so that they can be brought back into use for the benefit of local communities.

Restoring local gems can attract investment and help to tackle the deprivation that is a problem in a number of our coastal areas.

There are great examples of restoration projects in our seaside towns, often bringing together the private, public, voluntary and social enterprise sectors. This funding will inspire more.

Some of the heritage projects changing the face of coastal communities in the UK have included:

‘Jubilee Pool’ Penzance – the largest surviving tidal saltwater lido in the UK

Almost £2 million (£1.95 million) Coastal Communities Funding was used to repair and re-open the Grade II listed art deco ‘Jubilee Pool’ in Penzance to create an all year round visitor attraction sustaining existing jobs and creating new ones too.

The saltwater pool, renovated to its former art deco splendour, has increased visitor numbers by more than 25,000 per year, created 167 new jobs and new apprenticeships in an area where there was historically low unemployment and acted as a catalyst for wider regeneration in Penzance. Penzance and the Jubilee Pool were later listed as number 14 in a list of 52 places to go in 2017 by the New York Times.

Perch Rock Lighthouse, New Brighton, Merseyside

Perch Rock Lighthouse in New Brighton Merseyside was re-illuminated for the first time in over 40 years in 2016 after £6,000 of Coastal Revival funding was used to revive the decommissioned Grade II listed lighthouse.
The local landmark, situated where the river Mersey merges into Liverpool Bay, was restored using solar panels to bring the lights at the top of the lighthouse back to their original form bringing back a key part of New Brighton’s heritage.

Bognor Regis Heritage Quarter

A total of £50,000 of Coastal Communities Funding has facilitated the creation of a new Heritage Quarter showcasing the town’s key heritage assets. This included breathing new life into the historic pier and revival of the old town as a stylish restaurant quarter. Work is underway to commission public art gateways and the area is more economically prosperous with fewer vacant units and strong plans to redevelop others.

The Maltings, Wells-next-the-Sea, North Norfolk

The Wells Maltings Trust in North Norfolk received a £610,000 grant to transform a dilapidated 19th century maltings building in Wells-next-the-Sea into an arts, heritage and learning space with auditorium, café and tourist information provision.

The project, nearing completion and set to open in September 2018, will have created 95 jobs, opportunities for 100 new vocational trainees and 6 apprenticeships while supporting 245 businesses. It’s expected to increase visitor numbers by more than 42,000 and generate £2.3 million in new visitor expenditure.

The Spanish City Dome, Whitley Bay, North Tyneside

Once an architectural icon and a major tourist attraction for North Tyneside in the 1930s, the Spanish City Dome had fallen into a state of repair in recent years.

Awarded a £2 million grant in 2013 towards the cost of its restoration, the striking Grade II listed building has been subject to a transformative restoration project creating 69 jobs and supporting 8 private sector businesses. Reinstated to its former glory, the Spanish City Dome is set to increase visitor numbers by 140,000 and visitor spend by £3 million annually. It was reopened in July 2018.

Scarborough Market Hall, East Yorkshire

Scarborough received a £2.78 million grant in 2015 to boost the town’s economic performance. Through the re-development and modernisation of its historic market hall to provide a vibrant 21st century workspace for Scarborough’s artisan movement and local producers, the project created 30 new business spaces and 60 new jobs.

A ‘virtual market’ concept is being used to promote local producers to a wider regional and national market through an online market intelligence system to ensure the sustainability of local businesses and enhance their contribution to sustainable economic growth. Dubbed the ‘Covent Garden of the North’ the modernised Scarborough Market Hall is also hosting regular cultural and music events as an important all year, all weather visitor attraction. The renovated building and vaults won a prestigious RIBA award for architectural excellence in May 2018.

Figures show that Scarborough and Blackpool were the top 2 most visited English cities outside of London by British residents over 2014 to 2016.

‘LightPool’ Project and Blackpool Winter Gardens

Blackpool City Council received a £2 million grant in January 2015 towards the ‘LightPool’ project to deliver a radical transformation of the iconic annual Blackpool Illuminations, creating a compelling new visitor experience and a major boost to the local economy. The project is forecast to have increased visitor numbers by 2.6 million.

Blackpool Winter Gardens – a £50,000 grant was match funded towards a £230,000 scheme to carry out emergency stabilisation and repair works to the walls of the Pavilion Theatre within the Grade II* Winter Gardens building. The external fabric is now weather tight and it is the first step in a home for the new “Blackpool Museum of Popular Culture”.

Further information

Over £1 million of Coastal Communities Funding has been used to establish 146 Coastal Community Teams around the English coast. These Coastal Community Teams have developed economic plans setting out both the short and longer term priorities to enable their area to promote economic growth.

Now in its fifth round, the Coastal Communities Fund supports the development of UK coastal communities by giving funding towards projects intended to create sustainable economic growth and jobs.

By 2020 the £264 million awarded by the Coastal Communities Fund is expected to have attracted around £369 million in additional funding for coastal projects giving a total investment of around £633 million.

Follow the latest tweets from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on coastal communities by visiting @MHCLG or searching #GreatBritishCoast on twitter.

The technology went live on Tuesday 31 July 2018 on the final M60 section between junction 10 and junction 18, meaning that the whole of the motorway between junction 8 of the M60 at Sale and junction 20 of the M62 at Rochdale is fully-operational.

As well as an extra running lane in each direction along the M62 between junction 18 and junction 20, intensive extra technology, such as CCTV cameras and electronic signs, has been provided along both M60 and M62 sections. Variable mandatory speed limits are guiding traffic along the motorway at steady speeds – tackling congestion and frustrating stop-start driving conditions.

Highways England senior project manager Jonathan Stokes, said:

Going ‘live’ this week marks the most significant milestone for this project. We would like to thank users of the M60 and M62 and people living around them for their patience and support over the last few years while we have worked to deliver this vital investment in what is an almost uniquely complex environment.

Although this is the first smart motorway in the North West the system has been running successfully in other parts of the country for several years – including around Leeds – and we’re confident it will deliver safer, smoother and more reliable journeys.

The removal of narrow lanes and completion of the project now paves the way for key sections of the M60 to be resurfaced – with the programme of overnight resurfacing and bridge maintenance set to begin later this month.

This is part of Highways England’s £100 million investment in maintenance work across the North West. The resurfacing will reduce the need for further maintenance, meaning less disruption in the long run. All work is taking place at night to minimise disruption to drivers.

The first phase of this work will begin later this month and involves resurfacing between junctions 15 and 12 and between junctions 10 and 12. Some overnight closures will be required. Further details on remaining work will be publicised nearer the time.

Four more smart motorway improvements – worth £500 million and delivering 90 miles of extra lanes to the local motorway network – are also due to be constructed during the next few years. The first of these – the M62 junction 10 to junction 12 project which will link the M6 near Warrington to the M60 near Eccles – is due to start later this month while M56 (junctions 6 to 8), M6 (junctions 21a to 26) and M62 (junctions 20 to 25) schemes are also planned.

With the first smart motorway in the North West now in operation drivers are being encouraged to think about how to make the best of the new system with guidance available.

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 last few months have been an exceptionally busy and challenging period for the Board and for me as Chief Executive. Heightened scrutiny and significant change bring their own challenges, but they also bring opportunities to better explain the work we do and focus on lasting changes that are going to improve the experience of prisoners and victims.

Two weeks ago, I presented at the University of Cambridge to academics and practitioners who are interested in parole. I talked about where we are now and how we can ensure we are effective and efficient in our independent decision making. It was particularly interesting to hear their thoughts and ideas about where things are working well, but also how the Board can improve its practice whilst focused on our primary duty; making independent and fair decisions which ensure the protection of the public.

We have also published our 2017-18 Annual Report and Accounts this month. Last year we held a record number of hearings and have made good progress on IPPs. One of the Parole Board’s biggest achievements over the last year has been the steady elimination of the backlog. This means prisoners are not waiting unnecessarily for their case to come before a Parole Board. However, some cases are still being delayed through unnecessary deferrals and adjournments. This is a priority and we are working hard to look at how we can progress cases more effectively and there are a number of initiatives ongoing within the Board to tackle this problem – trying to bring cases to a fair and early resolution.

The Government is considering potential options for an internal review mechanism and possibly changing the rules that we are governed by. These will take some time to work through, I am keen to ensure that any changes improve the way we do things and are properly thought through and resourced. The Board has submitted its formal response to the Ministry of Justice but in essence, we think it is important to have a simple and process, that doesn’t create unnecessary delays for victims or prisoners.

This month has also seen our annual staff and members strategy day, outlining where we are focusing our efforts for the year ahead. 2018-19 will see us being a more transparent organisation, so the public can really understand our work and the decisions from our members. I would also like to pay special tribute to Sir Brian Leveson who round off our 50th anniversary celebrations with a fantastic speech dedicated to the work of the Board.

Whilst Sir Brian’s speech makes for excellent reading one of the things he said resonated with me:

At a fundamental level, however, Parole Board decisions should be treated with the same respect for integrity
and independence as any other judicial decision.

Independence is the bedrock of all that you do and should be the bedrock of the Parole Board.

There should be no improper influence or interference, whether from the media, the public, or politics, in your decision-making process.
Decisions should be, as I said earlier, made without fear or favour.

The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Mr Burt, said:

Tens of thousands of Syrians have been forcibly disappeared, detained and tortured since the beginning of the conflict. The issuing of thousands of prisoner death notices by the regime authorities provides another clear indication of the brutality the Asad regime has inflicted on the Syrian people.

For many families this brings to an end several years of waiting and hoping, not knowing the fate of their loved ones. My condolences are with the Syrian families who have learnt of the deaths of their loved ones, and my thoughts are with the many others who do not yet know their fates.

These notices do not bring an end to the issue. The regime must now clarify the situation of all those who remain missing, and release all those still arbitrarily detained, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 2254 and 2268. Moreover, the families of the deceased deserve justice. Those responsible for torture and killings must be held to account. We fully support the UN Commission of Inquiry and the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism in investigating the appalling human rights abuses committed in Syria.

Further information

• Follow Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt @AlistairBurtUK
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Gavin Williamson reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to the region during meetings with his counterpart Mihai Fifor in Bucharest. They discussed existing mutual defence activity and announced their intention to step up UK-Romania co-operation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding before the end of this year.

They also unveiled plans for the British Army to support a Romanian-led Multinational Brigade (South-East), which is taking part in Exercise Scorpions Fury and is part of NATO’s Forward Presence in the Black Sea, aimed at deterring aggression in the region.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“European security is our security and though we are leaving the EU our commitment to our allies remains steadfast. That is why we are accelerating our military collaboration with Romania, with whom we enjoy a strong relationship.

“NATO is the cornerstone of both our nations’ security and this deployment demonstrates the alliance’s collective resolve and readiness in a world of intensifying threats.”

Mr Williamson discussed last month’s NATO summit and defence post-Brexit in a meeting with Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă before flying to the Black Sea to meet RAF crews flying Typhoon patrols as part of NATO’s Southern Air Policing mission.

The UK’s unwavering commitment to co-operating on European security is further evidenced by this week’s deployment of two RAF Typhoons from Romania to Hungary where they are taking part in bilateral exercises with the Hungarian military.

A man who broke into the home of his ex-girlfriend and threatened her with a knife will spend longer in prison after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred his sentence to the Court of Appeal for being too low.

Matthew White, 31, carried out an extensive campaign of harassment and threats against his ex-partner following their breakup in 2017. This culminated in White breaking into her home and brandishing a knife at her and her three children. She attempted to flee but White restrained her and made attempts to stab her, as well as punching her in the face multiple times. He also made threats against her family.

White was originally sentenced at Hull Crown Court in May, where he was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of 3 years and a restraining order. Today, after the Solicitor General’s referral, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 9 years imprisonment with an extended licence period of 5 years.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

“Not only did White’s actions directly impact his victim, but we can also only begin to imagine the long-terms effects this is likely to have on the children who experienced this terrible ordeal. It is only right that White should serve a longer sentence.”