Category: Gov Press Releases

Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster visited Microsoft’s UK Headquarters in Reading for the signing, where he met with staff currently serving in the reserves.

The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly.

Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster said:

The fact that such a leading multinational company has signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant demonstrates the support businesses have for our military personnel.

We are continuously building on our cyber capabilities to ensure we are countering ever intensifying threats. And it is companies like Microsoft that we look to support and develop our Reservists to ensure we remain at the cutting edge.

At today’s signing, Microsoft made a number of pledges, including:

• A commitment to develop the digital skills of veterans, preparing them for a career in technology
• Encouraging managers to interview every veteran application they receive, if they are qualified for the role
• Supporting the MOD’s Career Transition Partnership, to give them insight into the skills required to pursue a career in technology
• Matching funds collected by Microsoft staff for military charities and collecting every year for the Royal British Legion Poppy Day
• All military personnel will receive a 10% discount on Microsoft products

Microsoft will also offer greater flexibility to employees who are serving in the reserves, allowing them two weeks paid leave so they can undertake annual reserve training.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood said:

Veterans have so much to give to civilian life, so I’m delighted that a world-leading company like Microsoft recognises this and wants them in their workforce.

The pledges they have committed to will make a real difference for veterans looking to develop their skills tech skills.

By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, Microsoft joins over 2500 businesses and organisations across the country who are supporting veteran and reserve personnel.

Public views on a proposed permanent solution to avoid the need for Operation Stack will be invited during a six-week listening exercise being launched on Monday 11 June, Highways England confirmed today (Wednesday 6 June).

A series of public information events across Kent will be the start of a longer-term consultation process aimed at identifying permanent improvements to how freight traffic is managed when there is disruption to cross channel services in future.

People will be asked whether they would prefer to have an on-road or off-road lorry holding area; or a combination of both on either single or multiple sites. No sites have yet been selected. The public information exercise will also seek views about whether everyday 24-hour lorry parking should be considered as part of a lorry holding area solution. Approximately 900 lorries park illegally or inappropriately across Kent each day.

Highways England project director John Kerner said:

The disruption that people in Kent experienced in the summer of 2015 underlined the need for improvements to how traffic is managed when services across the English Channel are interupted. We now have an opportunity to take a completely fresh look at what a permanent solution to Operation Stack could be, and understanding people’s views will be vital in making sure we can identify the most appropriate outcome. I encourage anyone with an interest to get involved.

Public information events will be held over the six-week period, and information will be published on Highways England’s website as well as being available at any of 27 public information points across the county.

Details of the events are available on the scheme website.

The project team will also visit Motorway Service Areas and truck stops across the area to speak to drivers and seek their views.

The public information exercise follows an announcement by the Department for Transport last month.

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 2017 report of the Commissioner for the Retention and Use of Biometric Material (‘the Biometrics Commissioner’) was submitted to the Home Secretary on 26 March 2018 and published on 5 June 2018.

The role of the Biometrics Commissioner was established by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 (PoFA) and Paul Wiles was appointed as the second commissioner on 1 June 2016. His role is to provide independent oversight of the regime which was established by PoFA – and which came into force on 31 October 2013 – to govern the retention and use by the police in England and Wales of DNA samples, DNA profiles and fingerprints.

In addition to various casework responsibilities in relation to DNA and fingerprints, he also has a UK-wide oversight function as regards their retention and use by the police on national security grounds.

This 2017 report deals primarily with developments since the publication of the commissioner’s 2016 report. It covers his casework activities, the general operation of the PoFA regime and a variety of issues that have arisen in connection with its operation in both the normal policing and national security spheres.

Any queries in relation to this press release should be made to Justin Hawkins on 07792 551301.

The British public have had their own charitable donations doubled through the government’s UK Aid match scheme, the Prime Minister will announce later today (Wednesday 6 June) at a reception in Downing Street.

25 charities across the UK will have their charitable appeals for 2017/18 boosted, raising a total of £66 million, for life-changing projects in 20 different countries around the world. Government funding of more than £30 million by UK Aid Match is the largest annual contribution by the programme since 2013.

Prime Minister Theresa May made the announcement at a reception for Soccer Aid for Unicef which has raised £24 million in the last 12 years to support vulnerable children around the world since it started. She welcomed charities, school children and celebrities to celebrate contributions of British charity givers and the power of British aid to change the lives of some of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.

Through UK Aid Match for every £1 donated, the government will contribute £1, giving the British public a say in how aid is spent, helping these projects to go even further.

The programme has helped save lives and create new opportunities for thousands of people across some of the poorest parts of the world. It has helped vaccinate children against preventable killer diseases, given people clean drinking water and food, stopped infectious diseases from reaching our shores and helped to create jobs so people can earn a living.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

These charities do vital work improving the lives of some of the world’s poorest people and so I am pleased that the Government is able to double the impact they can have, bringing the total raised to more than £60 million.

We could not have done this without the extraordinary generosity of people in the UK and their determination to support others in need.

Today’s reception is a chance to celebrate charity workers and the kindness of those who help raise money including the Unicef, Soccer Aid participants who have previously raised £24 million to support vulnerable children around the world.

Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt said:

UK aid will continue to work to make the world – and ultimately the UK – a better, safer and more prosperous place and through UK Aid Match we are giving the British public a say in how the aid budget is spent. We will be matching all UK public donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef pound-for-pound up to £5 million.

I want to say a huge thank you to the British public whose fundraising efforts are helping save lives around the world. Today’s reception is about them.

Unicef UK Executive Director Mike Penrose said:

We are incredibly grateful to the Prime Minister for hosting this important celebration of UK aid and the huge impact it has for children around the world.

Soccer Aid for Unicef is a prime example of the power of the British public – digging deep and showing their generosity time and time again. And with the UK government matching public donations for Soccer Aid for Unicef pound-for-pound this year, together we can make double the difference for children.

The UK government is currently matching public donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef. The appeal culminates in a charity football match, taking place this Sunday (10 June) at Old Trafford in Manchester.

Donations to Soccer Aid for Unicef matched by UK Aid Match will go towards ending preventable diseases in children, saving the lives of new born babies and helping to end child hunger in Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) and Lesotho.

The four men were detained by the Russian authorities for expressing opposition to the illegal annexation of Crimea, and given lengthy jail sentences following trials which appeared to fall well short of international standards. These cases, including over 70 others against Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, underline the Russian Federation’s systematic persecution of those who voice their opposition to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said:

We are deeply concerned about the welfare of the four Ukrainian nationals held by Russia, who are on hunger strike in protest against Russia’s continued detention of Ukrainian political prisoners. Their imprisonment, and that of many more Ukrainians who have been jailed by Russia, appears politically motivated. We call on the Russian authorities to release them immediately.

Russia’s control over Crimea remains illegal and illegitimate, and is a flagrant violation of a number of Russia’s international commitments.

Notes to Editors:

The four Ukrainian nationals who are on hunger strike while being detained by the Russian authorities are:

• Oleg Sentsov
• Oleksandr Kolchenko
• Oleksandr Shumkov
• Volodymyr Balukh

Further information

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

Today (Tuesday, 5 June) UK Government Ministers have set out final proposals to back Heathrow expansion– moving Britain a significant step closer to more flights, more jobs and greater economic growth.

Marking an important milestone in building a global Britain, the UK Government has published the proposed Airports National Policy Statement (NPS), backing Heathrow expansion through developing a new Northwest Runway.

A new runway at Heathrow would bring real benefits to people across Wales. It would mean that there is more room for flights from airports across the UK to Heathrow and connections with its long-haul destinations.

It would mean a greater choice of airlines at Heathrow and international destinations for people going on holiday, visiting friends or family or travelling for business. The increased competition at the airport is also expected to drive down fares for passengers.

Western Rail Link is planned to allow a faster rail route for passengers travelling to Heathrow from south Wales without having to go into London.

Across the country, expansion would provide benefits of up to £74 billion to passengers and the wider economy and create tens of thousands of local jobs. It will better connect the UK to the rest of world with an extra 16 million long haul seats available by 2040.

Heathrow is already the UK’s biggest airport for passengers and freight and the Northwest Runway will almost double the airport’s capacity for goods, allowing businesses across the country to increase their exports and take advantage of new global customers.

The UK Government and Welsh Government are working closely together to ensure Wales plays a key part in the airport’s supply chain. Last month, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns addressed representatives from Heathrow Airport in north Wales as part of a campaign to bring one of four Heathrow logistics hubs to Wales. He will also meet SMEs from Wales at the next Heathrow Business Summit in Cardiff in July where they can learn of the opportunities available to them at the UK’s busiest travel hub.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

The UK Government’s proposals to back Heathrow expansion send a clear message about our ambitions for Britain’s future.

They are plans that have had my full backing from the outset. From logistics hubs to supply chain opportunities, Wales has a once in a generation opportunity to play a part in the delivery one of the most exciting infrastructure endeavours seen in Britain for generations.

By expanding Heathrow, we can plug every region of Britain into the global economy – showing that we are open for business, confident about who we are as a country, and ready to trade with the rest of the world.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

Expansion at Heathrow presents a unique opportunity to deliver a multi-billion pound boost to our economy, strengthen our global links and maintain our position as a world leader in aviation.

As we leave the EU, the UK must remain one of the world’s best-connected and outward-looking countries and a third runway at Heathrow is the best option to deliver this.

We have listened to views through our consultations and will ensure a world-class package of measures to help any local communities affected by the expansion.

The NPS takes into account public and industry feedback and recommendations made by the Transport Committee to ensure that airport expansion in the South East will be delivered in a way that is cost-efficient, sustainable and in passengers’ best interests.

Heathrow will be privately financed and costs will not fall on the taxpayer. To make sure expansion is delivered with consumers’ interests at heart, the Government has asked the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the scheme remains affordable while meeting the needs of passengers.

To protect the environment, planning consent would only be granted on the basis that the new runway is delivered within existing air quality obligations.

Over the next few weeks Parliament will have the opportunity to debate and vote on the NPS.

The review will be led by Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE and is expected to report in, later in 2018.

The review will explore why the proportion of applicants for public appointments who declare a disability, is low compared to the UK population as a whole. It will also explore how the process could be improved, to encourage more applications from disabled people.

It is part of the Government’s Diversity Action Plan which also includes an ambition that by 2022, half of all public appointees should be female and 14% should be from ethnic minorities, bringing representation on public boards in line with the wider population of England and Wales.

Public appointments are high profile and influential positions on boards of public bodies which run, regulate and advise our public service. These can include Chairs and other senior non-executive positions and range from Court Visitors to Commissioners and Ombudsmen.

Minister for Implementation, Oliver Dowden said:

It is essential that public appointees are truly representative of the society they serve. Diverse public boards are more effective, benefiting from fresh perspectives, new ideas, vigorous challenge and broad experiences. It is both morally right to ensure greater participation from disabled people but I also believe it will lead to better decision-making.

I’m thrilled to announce that Lord Holmes will be leading the review. He combines expertise in accessibility, diversity and inclusion, as well as a wealth of personal experience on public boards.

The Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE said:

I’m delighted that the government is looking seriously at this issue. Public appointments play a fundamental role in shaping society as well as within the organisations themselves. I look forward to working with the government to better understand and improve the recruitment process so that we can address the reality that whilst talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.

Today’s announcement was made at the Public Chairs’ Forum Diversity, Inclusion and Equality for Boards event, where the Minister spoke to Chairs of Public Bodies about his ambition for diversity in public appointments. It follows a commitment made in the Government’s Diversity Action Plan, launched in December 2017, to commission a review into the barriers facing those with visible and non-visible disabilities when considering public appointments.

The fund follows the launch of the successful Mutuals Support Programme in January. This fund provided 12 organisations with support to set up or grow as Public Service Mutuals.

Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said:

We want to support the development, growth and sustainability of mutuals. Our funding boost has already enabled dozens of organisations to flourish.

This next round will strengthen our commitment and allow many institutions, staff, and their customers, to benefit from more independence, faster decision-making and less bureaucracy in the future.

To apply for funding email the Mutuals Team at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on: mutuals@culture.gov.uk.

Funding will be open until 17.00hrs on Friday 29 June.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Public service mutuals are organisations that have left the public sector but continue delivering public services.

To apply for support from this programme you must currently, or intend to, fulfil our definition of a Public Service Mutual, which is an organisation that: i) has left the public sector (also known as ‘spinning out’) ii) continues to deliver public services and aims to have a positive social impact iii) has a significant degree of staff influence or control in the way it is run.

If you’re an existing mutual, you must be in your first five years of operation, or delivering your original or extended contract which has not been retendered, or both.

You must be able to demonstrate how support from this programme will help your organisation grow or diversify its operations.

All applicants will be required to demonstrate their commitment to their project and the mutual model by providing matched funding, in cash, towards the support needed.