Category: Gov Press Releases

Applicants for the Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme have one extra month to complete their application and send it off to Natural England. The deadline has been extended from 31 July to 31 August, allowing extra time for farmers to fill out their forms during the busy summer months.

Over 10,000 farmers and land managers requested an application pack ahead of the 31 May deadline earlier in the spring, and more time has been granted to allow these customers the opportunity to complete their forms and send them off for an agreement offer by 31 August.

Whilst the majority of applicants issued their requests for an application pack in the days up to the 31 May deadline, Natural England is on track to issue all application packs to farmers and land managers by the end of June. This leaves two months to complete the form around other commitments on the farm, which should lead to more farms enter into Countryside Stewardship agreements in 2019.

Entering a Countryside Stewardship agreement can bring multiple benefits to soil health, water quality and create habitats for wildlife on farmland. This can improve the quality of the food that is produced, reduce the risk of pollution from farming, and see the return of cherished species such as the curlew and lapwing to farmland.

The government has outlined an ambition for farming and environmental enhancement to work more closely together when we leave the EU. Entering into a CS agreement is an excellent way for farmers to start changing the way they manage their land ahead of new agricultural policy being implemented outside the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

For the 2018 application window, four new simplified “wildlife offers” have been introduced for upland, lowland, mixed farm and arable, with a shorter form to fill out and a streamlined selection of options depending on farm type. New entrants to CS, or farmers coming off the ELS scheme, are guaranteed an agreement with as few as three options. Applicants who wanted to apply for a wildlife offer, but received the incorrect pack, should contact Natural England about their application.

• FTSE 100 firms on track to reach government-backed target of 33% of board positions going to women by 2020 but FTSE 350 may fall short
• halfway point of Hampton-Alexander Review shows quarter of FTSE 350 board positions are held by women, but there remain 10 all-male boards
• online portal opens for FTSE 350 to submit 2018 gender diversity leadership data

More women than ever before are on the boards of the UK’s largest companies but they still have some way to go to meet the target of 33% women by 2020, according to new data revealed today (27 June) to mark the halfway point of a government-backed review.

Figures released today by the Hampton-Alexander Review, which aims to ensure that talented women at the top of business are recognised, promoted and rewarded show 305 positions – 29% of FTSE 100 board positions – are held by women, up from 12.5% in 2011.

Launched in 2016, the government-backed Hampton-Alexander Review set FTSE 350 businesses a target of having 33% of all board and senior leadership positions held by women by the end of 2020. Today’s statistics show that if progress matches the same gains made over the last three years, then FTSE 100 companies are on track to meet the 2020 target.

However, today’s announcement also revealed that while the number of women on boards has increased to 25.5% in FTSE 350 companies, around 40% of all appointments need to go to women in the next 2 years for the FTSE 350 to achieve the 33% target.

While some FTSE 350 companies are on track to meet the government-backed targets for women on boards, others are lagging behind. These have today been urged to emulate success stories of the 80-plus companies already at or beyond the 33% such as hospitality company Whitbread, alcoholic drinks company Diageo, and fashion retailer Next.

Sir Philip Hampton, Chair of the Hampton-Alexander Review said:

It is good to see progress of women on boards continuing with the FTSE 100 likely to hit the 33% target in 2020. However, nearly half of all available board appointments in the run up to 2020 now need to go to women if the FTSE 350 are to meet the target.

Far too many companies still have no women – or only one woman – on their board.

Meanwhile, progress in executive and leadership positions is eagerly awaited as the portal for companies to submit their gender data opens today.

We’ll be analysing the data on women in executive leadership roles and hope to see increasing numbers of women joining Executive Committees, or reporting to ExCo members, in the FTSE 350.

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths today called on businesses to prioritise their commitment to tackling gender inequality, saying:

While it is great to see there are more women at the top of Britain’s largest businesses than ever before and I applaud those businesses who have made great strides, it is clear there is still a long way to go and I urge businesses to keep stepping up and championing diversity.

The Hampton-Alexander Review is highlighting the benefits of everyone having an equal opportunity to reach the top, and I commend their effort in driving this important initiative.

Minister for Women Victoria Atkins said:

This government is absolutely committed to increasing diversity in business, and we are leading the way in supporting the work of the Hampton Alexander Review to make sure FTSE companies support and develop their female talent pipeline.

Women are good for business: they bring valuable perspectives and experiences to the decision-making process. FTSE 350 companies need to do their bit and accelerate progress. There is no excuse for having an all-male board.

The online portal for FTSE 350 companies to submit their 2018 gender leadership data also opens today. Progress made on women in executive and leadership roles will be revealed in November.

Melanie Richards Deputy Chair at KPMG, sponsor of the Review said:

These figures are a significant step in the right direction and reflect the efforts and change in emphasis businesses have placed on tackling the gender gap. But it is undeniable that there is more to do to achieve equality in the Boardroom.

In order to achieve these ambitious targets significant change is required, which will not happen overnight. It will take systematic focus on all aspects of recruitment and retention.

The progression of women remains key, coupled with an emphasis on creating environments in which talent can thrive, leadership stereotypes are challenged and individuals are valued for their skills and capabilities.

The Investment Association (IA) is working with investors to achieve better gender representation in the boardroom. In April 2018, the IA and the Hampton-Alexander Review wrote to 35 FTSE 350 companies who were falling short on their gender diversity targets.

Chief Executive of the Investment Association Chris Cummings said:

The dial has shifted: gender diversity is now front and centre of investors’ minds. Firms with a diverse management team and pipeline make better decisions, so this is a business-critical issue.

Companies must demonstrate that they have diverse management teams or have concrete plans to increase diversity, or face possible shareholder revolt.

Last month, the team behind the Hampton-Alexander Review revealed shocking explanations from sexist FTSE bosses for not appointing women to their boards, which showed that some companies are still refusing to move with the times.

Tackling the gender pay gap is part of the Industrial Strategy, government’s long-term plan to build a Britain fit for the future, with the ambition to help businesses create better, higher-paying jobs and ensure everyone can be successful in the workplace.

Bridging the gender pay gap could add £150 billion to the UK economy by 2025. Many companies reporting their gender pay gap earlier this year explained that the pay gap was due to insufficient women in senior roles, and/or a predominance of women in lower paid work. Ensuring women are selected in more equal numbers for senior roles, significantly helps to reduce the pay gap.

Under new laws, all companies with 250 or more employees were required to report their gender pay gaps. Over 10,000 public, private and voluntary sector businesses have now reported.

Notes to editors

Figures for women on boards of FTSE companies published on 1 June by BoardEx, a business intelligence provider, show:

• FTSE 100 is at 29% up from 27.7% in October
• FTSE 250 is at 23.6% up from 22.8% in October
• FTSE 350 is at 25.5% up from 24.5% in October
• 10 FTSE 350 all-male boards

The 10 FTSE 350 companies with all-male boards are:

• Baillie Gifford Japan Trust Plc
• Daejan Holdings Plc
• Herald Investment Trust Plc
• Integrafin Holdings Plc
• JP Morgan Japanese Investment Trust Plc
• On The Beach Group Plc
• Sports Direct International Plc
• Stobart Group Ltd
• TBC Bank Group Plc
• Ti Fluid Systems Plc

The 2018 Hampton-Alexander Report will be published on the 13 November 2018, a year after last year’s report.

The Hampton-Alexander portal is open for FTSE 350 companies to submit their 2018 data on women in leadership – ie the number of men and women on the Executive Committee and the Direct Reports to the Executive Committee from 27 June to 31 July 2018 https://ftsewomenleaders.com.

• government announces new pilots for 5 residential women’s centres across England and Wales
• greater focus on innovative community provisions to keep women away from prison
• the government will not pursue plans to build community prisons for women
• Lord Farmer will conduct an in-depth review into family ties – around a quarter of female offenders have dependent children

Justice Secretary David Gauke has outlined a new strategy to ‘break the cycle’ of female offending – placing community services at the heart of the government’s response.

The female offender strategy, published today (27 June 2018), sets out a commitment to divert the most vulnerable women in the criminal justice system away from custody through the provision of tailored support – recognising their unique and complex circumstances.

The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has committed to investing in a ‘residential women’s centre’ pilot in at least five sites across England and Wales. Allied to this, and after listening to key stakeholders, MOJ will no longer be pursuing plans to build new community prisons for women.

While public safety remains the top priority and prison will continue to be the only appropriate option for those women who commit more serious crimes, the strategy recognises that female offenders are frequently among the most vulnerable individuals in society. Many face issues with substance misuse and mental health problems – often the product of a life of repeated abuse and trauma and almost 60% of female offenders have experienced domestic abuse.

Evidence shows that women under community supervision and in custody are more than twice as likely to have a mental health issue than men, while almost half (48%) of female prisoners said they committed their offence to support the drug use of someone else – compared with 22% of male prisoners.

That is why the Government is today recognising this unique challenge, by publishing a new dedicated strategy to improve community support for female offenders.

Secretary of State, David Gauke said:

Many of the women serving custodial sentences are extremely vulnerable and have experienced abuse themselves. Evidence clearly shows that putting women into prison can do more harm than good for society, failing to cut the cycle of reoffending and often exacerbating already difficult family circumstances.

While public protection will always be our priority, and prison must remain the only option in the most serious cases, I want that to be a last resort. That’s why today we are announcing a step change in our approach to rehabilitating women offenders – we will shift from prisons to women’s centres which focus on the full range of support services beginning with five pilots across England and Wales.

I want this strategy to be the start of a shift in attitudes to the way we support female offenders with greater emphasis on community provision. This ultimately benefits everyone – offenders, their families and the wider community as we see fewer victims and cut the cost of reoffending.

Christina Marriott, Chief Executive of the Revolving Doors Agency, said:

Revolving Doors Agency welcomes the emphasis in the Female Offenders Strategy on keeping women in their communities. The unambiguous ambition that less women will be sentenced to ineffective and disruptive short sentences is a significant step in reducing reoffending and reducing damage to families. The task now is to make this a reality through local and national investment.

The estimated annual cost of female offending is around £1.7 billion. This new approach places a focus on early intervention, with an emphasis on community-based sentences to address the often complex needs of women who commit crime.

At present, 56% of women will re-offend within the first 12 months of leaving prison. The majority of female offenders are also assessed as low or medium risk, and commit non-violent and low-level offences.

Local areas will have the opportunity to bid for funding grants to be delivered over the next 2 years. Those organisations working with female offenders and women at risk of offending will be supported to design dedicated services that address the specific needs of the women in their communities.

The strategy advocates a ‘Whole System Approach’ (WSA), whereby a range of local agencies are brought together to deliver better outcomes for female offenders. The government has already invested £1 million seed funding for eight areas across the country, which has helped to provide tailored support for the most vulnerable women.

Through the strategy the government is investing an additional £5 million over 2 years on community provision for women so that, where appropriate, women are given the support they need to address their offending. Early intervention is essential in reducing the number of women entering the justice system.

The strategy also sets out our commitment to work with partners to pilot at least 5 ‘residential women’s centres’ across England and Wales. These centres will support female offenders to engage in employment, find secure, stable accommodation and help them ultimately turn their backs on crime for good.

Many women in contact with the criminal justice system have young children and maintaining stable family ties is vital in supporting rehabilitation. Lord Farmer has been commissioned to conduct a further in-depth review into the importance of family ties in improving outcomes for female offenders.

The commitments in this strategy set out the first steps in fundamentally reforming the way the government supports female offenders – shifting the focus away from custody and investing in community services for women to help break the cycle of offending.

Notes to editors

• The government is investing £5 million over 2 years in community provision for women. As part of this, today we are launching an initial £3.5m grant competition for 2018/19 and 2019/20 for community services and multi-agency, whole system approaches.
• Lord Farmer’s Review of family ties will look at what measures can be taken to strengthen family ties, especially with their children, whilst serving sentences in the community, custody and on release.
• An estimated 24-31% of female offenders have dependent children.
• Over 60% of female offenders have experienced domestic violence.
• A higher proportion of women in custody are living with their dependent children prior to imprisonment than imprisoned fathers (60% vs.45%).
• Female prisoners are more than twice as likely as male prisoners to report needing help for mental health problems, 49% and 18% respectively.
• The reoffending rate for women released from a custodial sentence of fewer than 12 months April-June 2016 was 71%.
• Evidence shows the imprisonment of mothers has a greater impact on the living arrangements of dependent children than the imprisonment of fathers, and that binge drinking and Class A drug use are risk factors more strongly associated with reoffending for women than they are for men.
• As of 15 June 2018, the women’s prison population was 3,867, accounting for 4.7% of the prison population. Women have consistently accounted for around 5% of the total prison population since 2007.
• MOJ will work across government and with other national and local partners to develop a National Concordat on Female Offenders.
• Guidance has also been published for the police on working with vulnerable women, developed in partnership with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC).

Applicants for the Countryside Stewardship (CS) scheme have one extra month to complete their Mid Tier application and send it to Natural England. The deadline for applications to be with Natural England has been extended from 31 July to 31 August, allowing extra time for farmers to fill out their forms during the busy summer months.

Over 10,000 farmers and land managers requested an application pack ahead of the 31 May deadline earlier in the spring, and more time has been granted to allow these customers the opportunity to complete their forms and send them off for an agreement offer by 31 August.

Whilst the majority of applicants issued their requests for an application pack in the days up to the 31 May deadline, Natural England is on track to issue all application packs to farmers and land managers by the end of June. This leaves two months to complete the form around other commitments on the farm, which should lead to more farms enter into Countryside Stewardship agreements in 2019.

Entering a Countryside Stewardship agreement can bring multiple benefits to soil health, water quality and create habitats for wildlife on farmland. This can improve the quality of the food that is produced, reduce the risk of pollution from farming, and see the return of cherished species such as the curlew and lapwing to farmland.

The government has outlined an ambition for farming and environmental enhancement to work more closely together when we leave the EU. Entering into a CS agreement is an excellent way for farmers to start changing the way they manage their land ahead of the introduction of a land management scheme that will replace the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

For the 2018 application window, four new simplified “wildlife offers” have been introduced for upland, lowland, mixed farm and arable, with a shorter form to fill out and a streamlined selection of options depending on farm type. New entrants to CS, or farmers coming to the end of a legacy Entry-level Stewardship scheme, are guaranteed an agreement with as few as three options. Applicants who wanted to apply for a wildlife offer, but received the incorrect pack, should contact Natural England about their application.

Young entrepreneurs have been offered help to turn their ideas on how satellites can improve life on Earth into reality thanks to a Dragons’ Den style event organised by the UK Space Agency.

The youngsters, aged 13 to 21, were offered the chance to pitch their proposals to a panel of leading space industry experts after winning the Agency’s SatelLife Challenge.

The experts offered a range of support to develop the ideas including funding, patent advice and invitations to discuss job opportunities as well as introductions to the other relevant experts for further help.

The winning ideas included a GPS wristband that uses satellite location data and communications services to identify the locations of swimmers and surfers in the sea and an app to map changes in urban areas using satellites and algorithms, identifying where building is taking place and potential sites for development.

Emily Gravestock, Head of Applications Strategy UK Space Agency, said:

The standard of presentations provided by the students was exceptional, even better than some companies who pitch to us. We’ve seen the future of satellite applications from these young people, and I’m excited to see what they could achieve over the coming years.

The Dragons’ Den style event was held at the Satellite Applications Catapult at Harwell Space Cluster in Oxfordshire.

Adam Brocklehurst, Patent Attorney at K2 IP Limited who was one of the judges, said:

I’m really impressed with the innovative ideas coming out of people so young. The presentations and the ideas were all fantastic and you could see they had worked really hard on them. It was great to see so many girls involved and that reflects well on work the UK Space Agency and other bodies are doing to encourage girls to study STEM subjects.

Another judge, Adina Gillespie, Institutional Strategist at Earth i, added:

The young talent that we have in the UK is second to none. I’m so pleased to see these young adults engaging with the space sector as it will be a major economy of the future.

Now in its second year, SatelLife Challenge supports the development of science, data handling and technological skills, complementing the Government’s Year of Engineering campaign which is championing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to the next generation.

Dr Nick Appleyard, Head of Downstream Business Applications at ESA, said:

With the capabilities of satellites developing so rapidly, new ideas for services that use their data and connections are coming thick and fast. We’ve seen that the ideas of UK’s young, tech-literate generation are just as achievable as those being developed by mature companies, addressing challenges for vulnerable people and in our own daily lives that could never have been solved before.

The other judges on the panel were Stuart Martin, Chief Executive of Satellite Applications Catapult and Karen Roche, Business Development Director at Kx Technology.

A group of school children from Cornwall and a student from Wiltshire were the overall winners of the SatelLife Challenge.

Ellie Jones, Jessica Knight, both 15, Summer Jeffery and Emily Haddrell, both 14, from Truro, scooped £7,500 for the best group entry in the UK Space Agency competition with their Surf Safe concept. Ieuan Higgs, from Chippenham, received £7,500 for the best individual entry for his Infrastructure Planning and Development Analysis Tool.

The competition is split into three age groups: 11 – 16; 16 – 18; 18 – 22, and a further seven entries from across the age categories were awarded £5,000.

With one in four of all telecoms satellites already built substantially in Britain, the government’s Industrial Strategy includes plans to work with the industry to grow the space sector and establish commercial space launch services from the UK for the first time.

Earlier this week the UK Space Agency announced a new fund of up to £4 million which is available for innovative ideas on high-tech solutions for some of the major problems facing NHS England. In the joint initiative with NHS England, innovators will bid for money to turn technology originally designed for space, from exploration to satellite communications, into medical applications that improve NHS treatment and care.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

This afternoon the Prime Minister welcomed Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of Greece to Downing Street for the first time. The Prime Minister noted that the friendship between the UK and Greece goes back centuries and is stronger today than it ever has been with millions of British citizens travelling to Greece every year. She thanked Prime Minister Tsipras for the warm welcome given to the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall on their recent visit to Athens and Crete.

The Prime Minister congratulated Prime Minister Tsipras on the progress made by the Greek economy and the important steps taken last week towards Greece’s exit from the economic adjustment programme in August. The leaders agreed that as the Greek economy continues to recover, there is potential for deeper business links in the energy, tourism, education and shipping sectors.

They discussed the issues that Greece faces with illegal migration and agreed that this is a shared challenge that requires a co-ordinated and comprehensive response including through the continued implementation of the EU-Turkey agreement. The Prime Minister said that the UK would continue to play its part in supporting a sustainable solution after we leave the EU. She said that the UK would send an additional Border Force cutter to the Aegean to carry out vital search and rescue operations.

The Prime Minister updated Prime Minister Tsipras on the continuing progress that the UK and EU have made on issues relating to the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. They agreed that a deep and comprehensive future partnership on trade and security was in the interests of the UK, the EU and EU Member States including Greece.

They discussed regional issues and agreed on the importance of encouraging further steps towards a settlement in Cyprus. Prime Minister Tsipras welcomed the constructive role the UK had played in the talks so far as one of the guarantors. The Prime Minister also took the opportunity to welcome the historic agreement reached on the longstanding Name Issue with Greece’s Northern Neighbour and the benefits this will bring to regional stability.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Tsipras discussed relations between Turkey and Greece agreeing that continued dialogue was vital in ensuring regional stability.

Finally, the Prime Minister reiterated the need for the international community to uphold the rules based international system including by calling out and responding to malign activity by Russia.

Prime Minister Theresa May has today announced that an additional Border Force cutter will be deployed to the Aegean to assist with vital search and rescue operations which have already saved more than 13,000 lives.

The Prime Minister made the announcement at a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Downing Street. The leaders are expected to discuss ways in which to strengthen co-operation on managing illegal migration and enhance efforts to implement the EU-Turkey statement in the face of continuing migratory pressures.
The EU-Turkey statement, signed in March 2016, is a key part of the strategy to tackle illegal migration in this region. The agreement aims, through returns, to break the link between making the illegal and dangerous journey across the Aegean and remaining in Europe.

In addition to the cutter, it was also announced that the UK will be providing additional interpreters to ease pressures on the Greek islands and support the most vulnerable.

Aside from the search and rescue role, cutters and their crew are ideally placed to spot signs of organised immigration crime, which can provide vital intelligence for law enforcement partners.

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said:

Today’s announcement is a strong symbol of the will of both governments to work together to tackle the challenges posed by illegal migration and maintain the momentum of the EU-Turkey agreement.

It builds on the vital humanitarian work already carried out by Border Force cutters in both the Mediterranean and the Aegean, often done in extremely challenging circumstances.

The meeting between the two prime ministers today is just the start of a process which will develop specific areas of co-operation, supported by an action plan which I will be taking forward.

At the EU-Turkey summit held on 7 March 2016, the UK agreed with EU leaders and Turkey that all illegal migrants crossing from Turkey into the Greek islands would be returned to Turkey. In return, the EU agreed that for every Syrian readmitted by Turkey from the Greek islands, another Syrian from Turkey would be resettled in the EU. The implementation of the statement has contributed to the significant reduction of flows in the eastern Mediterranean and its ongoing effective implementation remains vital to see lasting impact in this region.

The additional Border Force cutter will work alongside HMC Valiant which was deployed to support the search and rescue operation ‘Op Poseidon’ in May 2015, as part of an agreement with the Hellenic Coast Guard.

Border Force cutters are equipped with maritime radar and rigid hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs) and are capable of rescuing several migrant boats at the same time, with sometimes over 200 people rescued in a single mission.
Cutters are just one part of the Border Force maritime capability which protects the UK coastline. In UK waters, Border Force also has a fleet of coastal patrol vessels, which are used to patrol ports and marinas.