Category: Gov Press Releases

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Prime Minister spoke to President Trump on the phone earlier today.

The Prime Minister raised the US decision to apply tariffs to EU steel and aluminium imports, which she said was unjustified and deeply disappointing. The Prime Minister said the US, UK and EU are close national security allies and we recognise the importance of the values of open and fair trade across the world. The Prime Minister also underlined the need to safeguard jobs that would potentially be affected by the decision. They agreed to discuss this and wider issues of free and fair global trade further at the G7 summit later in the week.

They discussed North Korea, and the Prime Minister said the US had our full support ahead of the President’s planned summit with Kim Jong Un. They agreed we needed to see an agreement that brings about the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation and the removal of the North Korean ballistic missile capability. They agreed to discuss further at the G7 summit later this week.

They discussed the importance of stability in oil markets and the Prime Minister updated President Trump on her conversation with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the weekend, where they had discussed the same issue, agreeing that stability was in the interests of both consumers and producers. On Yemen, the Prime Minister and the President agreed the enduring requirement for a political resolution to the conflict and cautioned against any action that might increase the severe humanitarian suffering there. They also agreed on the importance of continuing to work together to counter Iran’s destabilising regional activity, including its support for the Houthis in Yemen.

They agreed that taking a strong and unified stance against hostile state activity more broadly would be an important topic for discussion at the G7 summit.

They ended the call by saying they looked forward to seeing each other in the UK next month.

Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion at the Department for International Trade, is today leading a strong delegation of UK life sciences businesses at the world-renowned Bio Conference.

The UK pavilion at the conference will play host to 21 British organisations and will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS.

16,000 people are expected to attend the event over the course of the 3 days, presenting huge opportunities for the innovative UK life sciences firms and thought leaders who are attending.

The US is the world’s largest market for life sciences. Abingdon based PsiOxus is a great example of a UK company who are benefiting from the opportunities across the Atlantic. They have recently secured a deal with US counterpart Bristol Myers-Squibb that could be worth nearly $1 billion over the lifetime of the partnership.

The likes of Alderley Park from Manchester, the Northern Health Science Alliance and Ulster University will join PsiOxus and Baroness Fairhead at the conference. Delegates will have the chance to attend networking forums, panel sessions and the UK Innovation Reception which will focus on showcasing the UK as ‘the home of health innovation’.

Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for the Department for International Trade, said:

As a global leader in scientific innovation, with more than 5,500 life sciences companies, the UK’s offer to the world in this sector is clear. I am delighted to be joined on this trade mission by terrific businesses from all across the UK.

The Department for International Trade will continue to use trade missions such as this to promote healthcare and life sciences innovators across the world, driving investment and forging trade ties that have the potential to further scientific boundaries and improve the lives of millions.

British pharma exports to the US totaled more than £6 billion last year, 8% of all American pharma imports, whilst US medical exports to the UK totaled £1.6 billion – demonstrating the demand for UK life sciences expertise.

Latest statistics from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show that health and life sciences are worth over £70 billion to the economy and provide jobs for almost 241,000 people across the country. The recent launch of the government’s Industrial Strategy Life Sciences Sector Deal, demonstrates how the government will support the sector to develop and launch the next generation of medicines, technologies and diagnostics and provide better care and treatments for millions of patients.

The trade mission has a particular Northern Powerhouse angle as Virgin Atlantic have announced the reinstatement of the seasonal flight from Manchester Airport to Boston. The flight is a further boost for businesses across the Northern Powerhouse, increasing connectivity and ensuring Boston’s thriving financial and life sciences markets are made more accessible to UK companies.

Andrew Cowan, CEO of Manchester Airport, said:

Having strong connectivity to the world’s most important markets is key to creating a balanced and outward facing UK economy.

That is particularly the case when it comes to accessing global centres of excellence for high-growth sectors like life sciences.

It is clear the North has a number of strengths in the area, including world leading universities and a proven track record for innovation and commercialisation.

The availability of direct services to Boston from Manchester Airport only serves to enhance the international competitiveness of the sector, and North as a whole.

DIT provides a wide range of export support for UK businesses, including the opportunity to join trade missions via our Exporting is GREAT website.

Background

All the UK regions are well represented on the visit:

• The Northern Powerhouse presence on the trade missions is particularly strong, with the Northern Health Science Alliance leading a 14-strong delegation involving 3 widely respected academics from the Universities of Manchester and York and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
• This delegation will be highlighting the North of England’s strengths in the life sciences sector, where the region is leading the way. The North boasts a health services sector worth £30 billion, employing 500,000, and is home to more than a fifth of life science companies located in the UK.
• Northern Ireland also has clinical specialisms within the areas of oncology, cardiology, opthamology, respiratory and diabetes. Its new Centre of Excellence in Precision Medicine, in association with Queen’s University Belfast, joins a suite of research centres and centres of excellence which are attracting investment to the region.
• The Midlands offers a world-class research and innovation infrastructure including science and technology parks and business incubation facilities, and is home to the largest number of medical technology and device companies in the country. It is bringing a delegation of 10 outstanding companies to the UK Pavilion at Bio.
• In addition, Scottish Development International (SDI), is hosting a Scotland pavilion for Scottish life sciences companies. Over 600 life sciences organisations make Scotland one of the largest life sciences clusters in Europe, with innovation centres including stratified medicine, sensors and digital health.
• Wales, too, will be showcasing its strengths in medical technology, regenerative medicine, diagnostics, eHealth, pharmaceutical services and neuroscience.

Further information

Contact the DIT Media and Digital Team on 020 7008 3333 or follow us: @tradegovuk and gov.uk/dit

Councils will receive new powers to help them deliver the homes their communities need under proposed regulations published today (4 June 2018) by Housing Minister Dominic Raab MP.

Under new rules, councils will be able to seek government’s approval to launch a New Town Development Corporation, which will be responsible for delivering new towns and garden communities in their area.

The new bodies themselves will be responsible for master planning and project development, bringing on board private investment, partnering with developers and overseeing the completion of a new town or garden village with each expected to deliver tens of thousands of new homes.

Held accountable by councils, the development corporations will be expected to involve communities in their projects, which includes allowing residents to have their say on how high-quality homes are delivered.

Subject to the normal planning requirements, including safeguards that protect the Green Belt, the corporations will be led by teams made up of council representatives, community stakeholders, experts in delivering major projects and other partner organisations involved in the delivery of sites.

This measure is part of the government’s wide-ranging programme of planning reform and targeted funding to deliver 300,000 homes a year by the mid-2020s.

Housing Minister Dominic Raab MP said:

We need to build the homes our communities need and I’m committed to giving councils the tools they need to deliver.

That’s why we’re giving councils the option of applying to establish development corporations. These will be locally accountable and must listen to the views of the community to ensure that the right homes are built in the right places.

Previously, all New Town Development Corporations created by the Secretary of State remained accountable to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Housing Minister Dominic Raab MP will today introduce the regulations to Parliament, which are subject to further debate by MPs and will come into force later this year once approved by Parliament.

Further information

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has also released a summary document to its recent consultation on the new town regulations.

A limited number of functions will remain with the Secretary of State. For example, it will remain the Secretary of State who confirms compulsory purchase orders.

The new development corporations set up after the regulations come into force will operate in a similar way to the new town development corporations that delivered the post-war new towns such as Milton Keynes. As with traditional new town development corporations, these locally-led bodies will be able to draft “proposals” for the new town which the oversight authority can approve.

The government is preparing to launch its new National Planning Policy Framework later this summer, which will streamline the system and allow the delivery of the homes this country needs.

The powers to create New Town Development Corporations accountable to the Secretary of State remain on the statute book.

Her Majesty The Queen recognises Rwandan volunteer with Commonwealth Points of Light award

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has today recognised Isabelle Kamariza, representing Rwanda, as the 55th Commonwealth Point of Light in honour of her exceptional voluntary service supporting patients in Rwandan hospitals.

Isabelle founded ‘Solid’ Africa’ to support patients in Rwandan public hospitals. She has grown the organisation from a small group of young professionals helping five patients, to a household name working with thousands of patients every day. Under Isabelle’s leadership, ‘Solid’ Africa’ has become self-sustaining and runs four successful programmes providing financial assistance with medical and transport bills; water purifications systems for clean drinking water in hospitals; public health initiatives; and daily meals for patients in need or with special dietary requirements. She is currently overseeing the creation of an industrial kitchen to feed 1000 patients three times a day in four public hospitals across Kigali. Isabelle passionately believes in the importance of ‘giving back’ to the community and has inspired a team of 50 young people to volunteer alongside her team.

As part of the legacy of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London 2018, Her Majesty The Queen – as Head of the Commonwealth – is thanking inspirational volunteers across the 53 Commonwealth nations for the difference they are making in their communities and beyond, by recognising one volunteer from each Commonwealth country each week in the two years following the summit.

By sharing these stories of service, the Commonwealth Points of Light awards celebrate inspirational acts of volunteering across the Commonwealth and help inspire others to make their own contribution to tackling some of the greatest social challenges of our time.

Each Commonwealth Point of Light will receive a personalised certificate signed by Her Majesty The Queen as Head of the Commonwealth. The award for Isabelle will be presented on 8th June at the UK High Commission Kigali by Jo Lomas, UK High Commissioner in Rwanda, as part of a Queen’s Birthday celebration. Mary Balikungeri, who received a Commonwealth Points of Light award in April for her work supporting thousands of victims of gender-based violence, will also be presented with her award.

Isabelle said:
“I am always filled with great emotions when our efforts are recognized, because even if often times I am the face of this movement, behind me is an unstoppable machine made of dozens of volunteers who were here from the beginning of this adventure and others who have joined even from other countries.

“This award is another sign that we must be doing something right. With your continued support, we vow to continue our efforts and, in the coming years, to expand them to the whole nation and even beyond Rwanda, God willing. I thank you again from the bottom of my heart and please send my regards to Her Majesty The Queen.”

Jo Lomas, UK High Commissioner in Rwanda said:
“Congratulations to Isabelle Kamariza and Solid Africa for winning the Commonwealth Points of Light Award. Her Majesty The Queen has recognised Isabelle’s superb work in supporting hospitals and vulnerable patients across Rwanda. Hers is an excellent example of the difference leadership and community spirit can make. The British High Commission in Rwanda is proud to present this award for her tireless and noble work. Congratulations.”

The Commonwealth is a diverse community of 53 nations that work together to promote prosperity, democracy and peace. The Heads of Government meeting brought together leaders from all the 53 Member countries to reaffirm common values, address shared global challenges and agree how to work to create a better future for all citizens, especially young people. Voluntary service is a vital part of this agenda, which is why Her Majesty The Queen has chosen to recognise outstanding volunteers across the Commonwealth in this special way.

• ENDS

For more information, please contact Robert Kamuratsi, Robert.Kamuratsi@fco.gov.uk

Notes to Editors:

ABOUT THE COMMONWEALTH POINTS OF LIGHT AWARD

1. The Points of Light awards recognise outstanding volunteers every day of the week – people whose service is making a difference in their communities and whose story can inspire others to creative innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond.
2. Points of Light began in America under President George H. W. Bush and today over 6,000 US Points of Light have been recognised. The scheme has the support of all living US Presidents.
3. Since 2014 the UK Prime Minister has been recognising a daily Point of Light from the UK, with more than 900 volunteers now recognised.
4. Commonwealth Points of Light is a continuation of this programme with a special series of awards recognising inspirational volunteers throughout the Commonwealth, coinciding with the UK being the Commonwealth’s Chair-in-Office of for the next two years. One volunteer from each of the 53 Commonwealth countries was recognised in the days leading up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in April 2018. Following the success of this programme, Her Majesty The Queen decided to continue this work and award one volunteer from each Commonwealth country every week leading up to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda in 2020.
5. More information, including details of other Commonwealth Points of Light recipients, can be found on the website: www.pointsoflight.gov.uk

About the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

In April 2018 the UK hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, where leaders from across the Commonwealth gathered in London and Windsor. With the theme of ‘Towards a Common Future’ they will work to create a more prosperous, secure, sustainable and fair future for the Commonwealth’s 2.4 billion citizens, particularly its young people.

For further information visit www.chogm2018.org.uk or follow on Twitter @commonwealth18.

The Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC MP, has today (4 June) announced that Lisa Osofsky has been appointed as the new Director of the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

Lisa Osofsky brings a wealth of experience to the role, with over 30 years’ experience of focussing on financial crime in both the UK and US. Lisa began her career as a federal prosecutor pursuing white collar crime ranging from benefit, defence contractor and bank fraud to corruption, money laundering and drug conspiracy. In total she has prosecuted over 100 cases on behalf of the US Government.

Lisa’s career spans public and private sectors, including 5 years as Deputy General Counsel and Ethics Officer at the FBI, three years as Money Laundering Reporting Officer at Goldman Sachs International and seven years in the Corporate Investigation Division of Control Risks, where she advised on risk and compliance issues. Ms Osofsky will join the SFO from global firm Exiger’s London office, where she has led the firm’s investigative, compliance and assurance activities; these include assessing the money laundering and sanctions programmes of global financial institutions under orders imposed by prosecutors and regulators.

Her tenure will begin on 3rd September for a renewable term of 5 years. Lisa Osofsky will take over from Mark Thompson who was appointed as the Interim Director at the end of April. Mark will return to his role as Chief Operating Officer at the SFO.

Lisa Osofsky was appointed by the Attorney General after a rigorous and open competition, overseen by a Civil Service Commissioner.

Lisa will lead the SFO at an exciting time as the SFO works as part of a collective effort with its partners in the National Economic Crime Centre to tackle economic crime which is a priority for the Government. The SFO is in a strong position having recently secured five convictions for rate rigging offences relating to LIBOR and its first conviction after trial of a corporate entity for offences involving bribery of foreign officials. It has also obtained a number of high profile Deferred Prosecution Agreements, most notably in relation to Rolls Royce.

Commenting on the appointment, the Attorney General said:

I am delighted to announce that Lisa Osofsky will be the next Director of the SFO. Economic crime, at all levels, is a growing and changing threat and tackling it is a priority for the Government.

The SFO will continue to undertake crucial work to investigate and prosecute serious and complex economic crime, as an independent body that works closely and collaboratively with other UK and international authorities to best protect the public.

I have no doubt Lisa is the exceptional candidate we were looking for to lead the SFO at such a critical time. It is clear that economic crime is committed across national boundaries and Lisa’s experience of working at an international level will enhance the SFOs capabilities in this area.

Commenting on her appointment, Lisa Osofsky said:

I am honoured to be the next Director of the Serious Fraud Office. I look forward to building on the SFO’s successful record in the fight against economic crime and leading an emboldened SFO to even greater heights.

As set out in the Criminal Justice Act 1987, the Attorney General appoints the DSFO.

David Green’s term as DSFO ended on 20 April. This followed a 4 year contract that was extended for 2 years.

In April 2018, Mark Thompson was appointed as the Interim Director of the SFO. He will continue in this role until Lisa joins the SFO later this year.

Lisa Osofsky Biography:

Lisa Kate Osofsky will become the Director of the Serious Fraud Office on 3rd September 2018. In this role, she will be responsible for all investigations and prosecutions for some of the UK’s most serious and complex fraud and bribery. A UK Barrister, US Lawyer and the former Deputy General Counsel and Ethics Officer of the FBI, Ms. Osofsky brings a distinguished career in both the public and private sector to the SFO.
Lisa Kate Osofsky serves as EMEA Regional Chair based in Exiger’s London office, where she focuses on financial crime and anti-bribery compliance, as well as the firm’s investigative operations.

Ms. Osofsky was previously the regulatory advisor at Control Risks. Before Control Risks she was the Executive Director of the Business Intelligence Group and the Money Laundering Reporting Officer at Goldman Sachs International, London. There, she advised GSI’s senior management, bankers and compliance officers on legal matters relating to money laundering, fraud and regulatory risk.

Preceding her time with Goldman Sachs, Ms. Osofsky was the Deputy General Counsel and Ethics Officer for the FBI. While there she managed white collar crime cases and investigations, focussing on operations, legislation and intelligence matters throughout the organisation.

Ms. Osofsky was also a Special Attorney in the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division of the United States Department of Justice and stationed at the Serious Fraud Office in London. Ms. Osofsky began her career in Chicago as a law clerk to federal judge James B. Moran; she then served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuting federal crimes ranging from financial, bank, defence and government contract fraud to public corruption and bribery. Before becoming DGC of the FBI, Ms. Osofsky served in DOJ’s Office of International Affairs, where she assisted with extradition and mutual legal assistance matters.

Education:

Ms. Osofsky received her Bachelor of Arts, Phi Beta Kappa, magna cum laude, from Amherst College, and holds a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

Pupil, 9-12 Bell Yard, London; qualified to practise as barrister in courts of England and Wales; Member of Middle Temple Inn of Court.

Affiliations, Awards and Civic Engagements:

Harvard Law School Leadership Council

Recipient of the U.S. Attorney General’s Award for Investigative and Trial Work

Bar Memberships:

Supreme Court of the United States; American Bar Association (ABA); International Bar Association; Trial Bar, Northern District of Illinois; Illinois State Bar; Bar of Northern District of Illinois; Bar of Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals; Bar of State of Maryland.

Dual UK-US Citizen

With an estimated 3 million middle-aged adults physically inactive across the country,[1],[2] Public Health England (PHE) and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) are encouraging adults to incorporate brisk walking into their days as a way to improve their general health and wellbeing.

As part of the push to get adults doing more moderate intensity physical activity each day, health experts are encouraging people to increase the intensity of their walking, rather than just focus on the distance or number of steps.

Moderate intensity physical activity means getting the heart rate up and breathing faster. Just 10 minutes of brisk walking a day is an easy way for adults to introduce more moderate intensity physical activity into their day and reduce their risk of early death by up to 15%.[3]

To help adults do this, PHE’s ‘Active 10’ app has been created and it is the only app of its kind that combines intensity and time, rather than just distance.

Taking a 10 minute brisk walk each day can help build up towards the UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMO) recommendation of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity. This has been linked to health benefits including a lowered risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers.

A new survey by PHE looking at people’s perceptions of physical activity found that:[4]

• many adults struggle to fit in exercise. Not having enough time (31%) was the main reason cited, followed by not feeling motivated (27%) and being too tired (25%)
• half of these adults (50%) think more than 240 minutes of exercise per week is required to see general health benefits, nearly double the recommended guidance of at least 150 minutes – and 1 in 7 (15%) think that more than 420 minutes per week is required (an hour per day)
• nearly nine in 10 (87%) say they walk more than 10 minutes per day, however, this drops to just over half (54%) who say they walk briskly for this amount of time

The current physical inactivity crisis also has a societal impact. In adults, physical inactivity contributes to1 in 6 deaths in the UK[5] and costs the NHS over £0.5 billion per year.[6]

Professor Paul Cosford, Medical Director at PHE, said:

Managing all the pressures of everyday life can mean that exercise takes a back seat, but building a brisk walk into your daily routine is a simple way to get more active.

The Active 10 app gives you a clear picture of the intensity of your walk. Taking a brisk 10 minute walk each day will get your heart pumping, improve your mood and lower the risk of serious health issues like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.

Professor Sir Muir Gray, Clinical Adviser for the Active 10 app and One You campaign, said:

The additional health benefits that can be achieved by walking at a brisk pace for periods of 10 minutes or more – as opposed to totting up a certain number of steps throughout the day – are undeniable.

I’d advise anyone of any age and activity level to start to fit in at least one 10 minute brisk walk a day as a simple way to get more active, especially those who may be taking medication for a long term health condition – you will receive even more benefits from walking briskly for 10 minutes or more a day.

Dr Zoe Williams, GP and RCGP Clinical Champion for Physical Activity and Lifestyle, said:

GPs want their patients to be healthy and enjoy life, and there are simple ways in which we can all improve our health. I often encourage my patients to take up more daily physical activity, which can start with just a 10 minute brisk walk – it would be great to see more people doing this across the country.

Moving more is an important step forward to improving the health of the nation and looking after our NHS, which is often overburdened by lifestyle related illness.

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:

Small, often simple, lifestyle changes can have a really positive impact on our health and wellbeing, so anything that encourages patients to live better, and move more is a good thing. There has been a substantial rise in the number of patients who have developed multiple, long-term conditions in recent years, and many of these, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease, are linked to not being active enough.

While GPs and our teams will always encourage patients to make lifestyle changes that could potentially benefit their long-term health and wellbeing, the responsibility cannot solely lie with healthcare professionals, and patients must also play their part. The RCGP is really pleased to have endorsed the Active 10 app, which empowers patients to make basic lifestyle changes around diet and exercise, such as taking a brisk walk for 10 minutes a day and suggests ways for patients to easily incorporate these into their lives.

Already 600,000 people have downloaded the ‘Active 10’ app. In a single month, approximately 2 million ‘Active 10s’ (10-minute brisk walks) were completed by Active 10 users.

‘Active 10’ is supported by the RCGP and was developed by PHE in collaboration with The University of Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University and the National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine.

Join the 600,000 people who have downloaded ‘Active 10’ and make the first step towards a healthier you. Search ‘Active 10’ to download the app for free.

Background

1. ONS Mid year Population estimates, mid-2016
2. Public Health England, Active Lives, 2016 to 2017
3. 10 minutes brisk walking each day in mid-life for health benefits and towards achieving physical activity recommendations.
4. YouGov surveyed 3007 adults in England aged 40 to 60. Fieldwork was undertaken online between 10 and 16 May 2018. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all English adults (aged 40 to 60).
5. Lee I-M, and others. (2012) Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy. The Lancet 380: 219 to 229.
6. PHE, Physical inactivity: economic costs to NHS clinical commissioning groups, 2016.
7. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities. We do this through world-leading science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and providing specialist public health services. We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, and a distinct organisation with operational autonomy. We provide government, local government, the NHS, Parliament, industry and the public with evidence-based professional, scientific expertise and support. Follow us on Twitter: @PHE_uk and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.

Reducing the risk to the public and preventing safe spaces for terrorists to operate are at the heart of an updated counter-terrorism strategy launched by the Home Secretary today.

The threat from terrorism is shifting and evolving in the UK and globally. A marked shift was demonstrated by the appalling attacks in London and Manchester in 2017 which cost the lives of 36 innocent people and changed the lives of many more.

It prompted a fundamental review of the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy – CONTEST – to respond to the scale of the threat and the speed with which plots are now developing.

The result is a new, more agile, flexible and co-ordinated approach designed to better prevent, detect and disrupt terrorist attacks, and where attacks get through, to limit the impact and recover swiftly.

Central to the new strategy is working in partnership at international, national and local level, between government, agencies, the private sector and communities.

Delivering his first keynote speech on security to an audience of community leaders, academics and counter-terrorism experts, Home Secretary Sajid Javid said:

As Home Secretary my priority will always be to keep our country safe. The threat from terrorism is one of the starkest we face and it is clear there has been a step change.

The biggest threat is from Islamist terrorism particularly from Daesh, but extreme right-wing terrorism is also an increasing threat. Both exploit grievances, distort the truth, and undermine the values that hold us together.

As the threat evolves so must our response. Ultimately, our approach is about ensuring that there are no safe spaces for terrorists to operate – internationally, in the UK or online.

Our greatest strength lies not only in what we do but who we are and the values and freedoms we hold dear. That is why everyone has a part to play in confronting terrorism. I want to say to all those who stand up against all forms of extremism that this government stands with you. I stand with you. But there is more for us all to do.

The counter-terrorism strategy will be underpinned by new legislation to enable the police and security services to disrupt terrorist threats earlier. This legislation will:

• amend existing terrorism offences to update them for the digital age and to reflect contemporary patterns of radicalisation and to close gaps in their scope, including making it an offence to repeatedly view streamed video content online
• strengthen the sentencing framework for terrorism, including by increasing the maximum penalty for certain offences, to ensure that the punishment properly reflects the crime and to better prevent re-offending
• enable further terrorism offences committed overseas to be prosecuted in the UK courts

Responding to the recommendations of MI5 and the counter-terrorism police’s Operational Improvement Review into the 2017 terrorist attacks, which was overseen by David Anderson, new multi-agency approaches – initially in London, Manchester and the West Midlands – involve MI5 and the police using and sharing information more widely, working with partners such as local authorities to improve our understanding of those at risk of involvement in terrorism and enable a wider range of interventions.

Through Prevent, the government, local authorities, police and communities will continue to safeguard and support vulnerable people from the risk of being drawn into terrorism, working with a wide network of partners to prevent radicalisation and build resilience.

Work to enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to withdraw and rehabilitate will be further developed, including through the expansion of the Desistance and Disengagement Programme, a new element of Prevent.

The government will work more closely with the private sector on a range of issues including protecting our economic and physical infrastructure, gaining faster alerts to suspicious purchases, continuing to make it difficult for terrorists to use the internet for propaganda and ensuring we have critical access to communications.

Just as terrorists seek to exploit technology, the government will harness developments in technology including machine learning and quantum computing which have the potential to dramatically change and enhance counter-terror operational capabilities.

The Home Secretary also reaffirmed his commitment to the UK’s leading role internationally in tackling terrorism – committing to the Global Coalition’s campaign against Daesh and focusing specifically on raising global aviation security standards and preventing terrorist use of the internet.

The Home Secretary will be travelling to the west coast of the United States on Friday 8 June to attend the next meeting of the Global Internet Forum on tackling counter-terrorism.

Four business heavyweights have been chosen to expand the dormant assets scheme across their respective sectors, Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society and John Glen Economic Secretary to the Treasury announced today

The industry champions will work with the banking, securities, pensions, insurance, wealth management and investment sectors to increase the amount of dormant funds that can be released for good causes.

They will also bolster efforts to reunite customers with assets from bank accounts that have been untouched for more than 15 years.

The four industry champions are:

Insurance and Pensions Industry Champion – Kirsty Cooper, group general counsel and company secretary at Aviva

Banking Industry Champion – Simon Kenyon, managing director of consumer banking at Lloyds Banking Group

Investment and Wealth Management Champion – William Nott, strategic adviser to M&G

Securities Champion – Robert Welch, group company secretary at Tesco

Under the current Dormant Accounts scheme, bank or building society accounts that have been left completely untouched for more than 15 years could be used for good causes. The four champions will work to see how this can be expanded to a wider set of financial assets including stocks, shares, pensions or bonds.

Customers are able to reclaim any asset that has been classed as dormant at any time. The Independent Dormant Assets Commission recommended that the scheme be extended to include assets such as pensions and insurance, securities and investments.

Each champion will work with stakeholders and Reclaim Fund Ltd on the expansion plans and will report to Ministers.

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

The Dormant Assets scheme has made a real difference to people’s lives across the country, with half a billion pounds already unlocked for good causes since 2011.

I look forward to working alongside these four experts to see how more unclaimed assets can be used to help communities in the future.

John Glen, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said:

We introduced the Dormant Assets scheme with the aim of changing the lives of millions of people across the country through good causes. But without the support of businesses, the scheme wouldn’t be what it is today.

I’m delighted that these highly-experienced business leaders have agreed to be our new industry champions. Their expertise will be vital as we look at ways to expand the scheme, and I look forward to working with them to reach even more people.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS:

For more information call the DCMS press office: 0207 211 2210

Industry Champions Biographies

Insurance and Pensions Industry Champion – Kirstine (Kirsty) Cooper
Aviva (Group General Counsel and Company Secretary)

Kirsty joined Aviva in 1991 and is the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary for Aviva plc and heads the Office of the Chairman. She was appointed to the Group Executive in May 2012. She currently sits as a director on the board of Aviva Insurance Limited.
Kirsty established the legal and company secretarial function as a global team and is responsible for the provision of legal services to the Group, legal risk management, and compliance with UK listing requirements. She is qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales, as well as in Scotland. Kirsty served as a Commissioner on the Dormant Assets Commission from March 2016-March 2017.

Banking Industry Champion – Simon Kenyon
Lloyds Banking Group (Managing Director for Consumer Banking)
Simon Kenyon is the Managing Director for Consumer Banking within the Retail division of Lloyds Banking Group. He is responsible for Mortgages, Savings, Personal Current Accounts and Business Banking in the UK. In Europe, he has responsibility for the Dutch mortgage and German deposits businesses. Previous roles include: Managing Director for the Private Bank; Group Strategy Head and Corporate Development Director for Lloyds TSB. Before joining Lloyds Simon worked in strategy consulting at Marakon Associates in the US, Europe, Africa and the UK. Simon holds a doctorate from Oxford in European political economy.

Investment and Wealth Management Champion – William (Will) Nott
M&G (Strategic Adviser)
Will Nott was CEO of M&G Securities, the retail funds business of M&G, from 2006-2017. In June 2017 he was elected President of the European Fund and Asset Management Association (EFAMA), the leading European investment management association, after serving a two year term as its Vice-President.
William has worked at M&G since graduating from Warwick University in 1984. Having managed retail and institutional funds for the first twelve years of his career, he gained commercial experience as head of institutional business development and then head of group sales. In June 2000, he became CEO of M&G International to oversee development of M&Gs fund distribution overseas and joined the Executive Board in 1998 where he remained until Dec 2017.

Securities Champion: Robert Welch
Tesco Plc (Group Company Secretary)
Robert Welch was appointed as Group Company Secretary of Tesco Plc in August 2016.
Robert has worked as a company secretary for over 25 years during which time he has held the positions of Group Company Secretary at FirstGroup plc and Company Secretary at Kazakhmys PLC. Robert has also held positions at BPB plc and Kwik Save Group PLC