Category: Gov Press Releases

The legislation will enable the government to begin processing citizenship applications for the Windrush generation – Commonwealth nationals who settled in the UK before 1973 – free of charge. Free citizenship applications for children of the Windrush generation who joined their parents before they turned 18 and free confirmation of the existing British citizenship for children born to the Windrush generation in the UK where needed – will also be able to commence.

People applying for citizenship under the scheme will need to meet the good character requirements in place for all citizenship applications but will not need to take the knowledge of language and life in the UK test or attend a citizenship ceremony.

The scheme also covers the government’s commitment to help members of the Windrush generation who are looking to return to the UK having spent recent years back in their home countries. These people will also be able to apply for the relevant documentation free of charge. In addition, Mr Javid confirmed that non-Commonwealth citizens who settled in the UK before 1973 and people who arrived between 1973 to 1988 who have an existing right to be in the UK are not expected to pay for the documentation they need to prove their indefinite leave to remain.

Home Secretary, Sajid Javid said:

I am clear that we need to make the process for people to confirm their right to be in the UK or put their British citizenship on a legal footing as easy as possible. That is why I have launched a dedicated scheme which brings together our rights, obligations and offers to these people into one place.

I want to swiftly put right the wrongs that have been done to this generation and am committed to doing whatever it takes to make this happen.

A dedicated taskforce, which was set up on Wednesday 18 April, has so far taken more than 13,000 calls with over 5,000 of these calls having been identified as potential Windrush cases. More than 850 people now have documentation following an appointment with the team.

A call to evidence to enable members of the Windrush generation to share their experiences and help shape a bespoke compensation scheme was also launched earlier this month. This will run until 8 June and has already received almost 100 responses.

The Windrush scheme will come into effect on Wednesday 30 May. More information on how to apply for any of the routes outlined in the Windrush scheme is available.

Stitch & Story, a knitting kit manufacturer, has seen sales increase in the last year as a direct result of exporting to the US, following support from the Department for International Trade (DIT).

With offices in Dartford, Kent and North Greenwich, London, the business distributes to US marketplace Uncommon Goods, as well as independent gift stores and retailers. The exporting opportunity was secured after Stitch & Story exhibited its products at consumer trade show, NY NOW, with support from DIT.

The trade show highlighted an international demand for the company’s products and prompted the business owners to set-up a US purchasing arm on its website.

The success of Stitch & Story’s international expansion is being celebrated in DIT’s Exporting is GREAT campaign. They are one of 30 plus companies – encompassing every sector and region – being championed in the campaign, which looks to inspire and support businesses up and down the country to export.

Since embarking on its exporting journey last year, the business has doubled its turnover and expanded its team from two to five employees in nine months. In total, 42% of revenue is generated as a direct result of exporting.

In the UK, its products are stocked at several retailers, including Liberty, John Lewis and Fenwick.

After the success of exporting to the US, the business now has its sights set on Australia, Switzerland, Germany and France, to increase market share in front of a large craft audience

Jenny Lam, Director and Co-founder of Stitch & Story, said:

After securing deals with some of Britain’s most-loved department stores, we wanted to maximise revenue potential and decided to set our sights further afield.

We knew that getting our products in front of the right buyers was the key to international expansion. Our trip to the NY NOW tradeshow, supported by DIT, helped us secure a deal with Uncommon Goods, which paved our way into the US market.

It’s no secret that there are plenty of perceived barriers when it comes to exporting. Customs arrangements and tax regulations can be a bit daunting, but there’s plenty of help available. Our trade adviser at DIT provided us with legal advice, as well as sharing useful resources, which made the process far less daunting.

For any business owners considering exporting, it’s important to remember that there’s support available. If we can do it, other business like us can, too.

Ben Raby, Head of the Department for International Trade’s South East region, said:

It’s fantastic to see Stitch & Story grow its sales so significantly as a direct result of exporting in the past year.

British brands have a strong international reputation. Because of this, there’s huge potential demand for businesses like Stitch & Story looking to expand internationally and grow revenue.

Business looking for support should visit great.gov.uk which gives UK businesses access to millions of pounds’ worth of potential overseas business, helping them start or increase exporting.

Further information

• Contact the DIT Media Team on 020 7215 2000 or email newsdesk@trade.gov.uk
• Follow us @tradegovuk and at gov.uk/dit

A Bristol man who beat his partner because he thought she was cheating on him has today had his sentence increased after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred it for being too low.

James Llewhellin, 27, beat his victim with numerous punches to the head and body, and knee strikes to the face. She suffered a fractured jaw which required the insertion of metal plates that she will have for life, a suspected broken nose and eye socket, and severe bruising to the rest of her face.

Llewhellin was originally sentenced at Bristol Crown Court in March, where he received 5 years 4 months’ imprisonment. Today, after the Solicitor General’s reference, the Court of Appeal increased his sentence to 7 years 6 months.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

“Domestic abuse is a grave crime, and Llewhellin did lasting physical and psychological damage to his victim. I am pleased that the Court of Appeal has today agreed to increase his sentence, and hope that this brings his victim some comfort.”

• Governors to be given control of education, tailoring it to prisoners’ needs
• Offenders to receive training designed to meet local labour market requirements
• New vocational training route – the Prisoner Apprenticeship Pathway – will offer guaranteed jobs on release
• New Futures Network will match prisons to employers to cut £15 billion cost of reoffending
• Call on employers to shift attitudes ‘from shop floor to boardroom’ as Government commits to employ ex-offenders

The Education and Employment strategy sets out new measures to boost prisoners’ skills while in custody and improve their chances of securing work on release. This will help to cut the £15 billion annual cost of reoffending as ex-offenders in employment are up to 9 percentage points less likely to commit further crime. At present, however, just 17% of offenders are in P45 employment a year after release.

In this strategy, education and training, work in custody, and the availability of employment opportunities in the community are highlighted as the key areas of focus in achieving this.

Prison governors will be given the power to commission education and training programmes which provide offenders with the skills that real-world employers are looking for. This will be tailored to meet specific labour market requirements in the prison’s local economy. Meanwhile a vocational route, the Prisoner Apprenticeship Pathway, will offer an alternative means of delivering training in custody which guarantees jobs on release.

There will also be a renewed focus on encouraging offenders to take up prison work, including piloting a new approach which better matches this activity to job opportunities in the local community. A consultation on how to get more risk-assessed prisoners out of their cells and into real workplaces, while on temporary licence, is also being launched today.

The strategy also sets out how offenders will be helped to find jobs on release – a major incentive to turn their backs on crime. A new body, the New Futures Network, will work side-by-side with employers to generate job opportunities.

Secretary of State David Gauke was announcing the strategy at HMP Isis today, after touring workshops at the prison which help inmates build the skills they need to secure jobs in future. He said:

I want prisons to be places of hope and aspiration that propel offenders into employment, and ultimately help to reduce the number of victims of crime in the future.

I believe passionately that through work, people can turn their backs on crime and start a new chapter in their lives. Today’s announcement should signal to offenders that we will reward good behaviour and hard work with opportunity, and to employers that ex-offenders can make a positive contribution to their workforce, society and the economy.

And the Secretary of State also called on employers to drive ‘cultural change’ within their organisations.

I want more employers to look past an offender’s conviction to their future potential.

We do that by working more closely with employers to open their eyes to the benefits of hiring ex-offenders…

…but this is not just about creating a path to employment from institutions to employers, but about creating cultural change from within organisations themselves.

I want employees, from the shop floor to the boardroom, to call out and challenge employers who turn a blind eye to attracting and representing ex-offenders in their workplace.

Fostering that cultural change within workplaces will send a message that says: we believe in what you can contribute now and in the future, not what you have done in the past.

And let me tell you why I believe now is the moment to seize the opportunity to do that.

I think the public mood has changed somewhat in recognising that when an offender comes out of prison we, as a society, don’t want them to return to crime and reoffend. The public expects them to get a job and become law-abiding citizens.

That makes good sense for society. It also makes good sense for business, in some ways, now more than ever.

Fred Sirieix, the maître d’hôtel of Channel 4’s First Dates restaurant, founded The Right Course programme which works with offenders in prison kitchens with a view to helping them secure work in catering and hospitality on release. He developed the scheme in conjunction with HMP Isis, the venue for today’s launch event. He said:

With The Right Course we are bringing industry skills and knowledge to the prisoners and creating supported employment pathways to help in their transition to work on their release.

We know that by securing meaningful work, this directly helps reduce the risk of reoffending. More than that, the course grows self-confidence in the learners and a sense of hope and purpose for the future.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Esther McVey added:

We’re determined to help everyone who can to get into work, no matter what their background. I welcome this new employment strategy and its aim to boost prisoners’ skills.

Our dedicated Jobcentre Plus work coaches and See Potential campaign are supporting ex-offenders who are keen to leave their past behind, get into work and earn a steady wage. With over 800,000 job vacancies, there are plenty of opportunities and I’d encourage more businesses to work with us to help turn lives around.

Jane Gratton, head of business environment at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

Businesses are experiencing skills shortages at all levels in the workforce. We welcome this initiative, which gives an opportunity to train up offenders with those workplace skills that everyone needs to succeed.

Providing different ways of training for those in custody will help boost the talent pool in the workforce, and enable regional economies to thrive.

The Regulator of Social Housing reports that Pathfinder Housing Association, Kinsman Housing Limited and St Andrews Community Housing Association have been placed on its Grading under review list.

It notifies that at the time of the last Statistical Data Return, the three providers had fewer than 1,000 homes each and therefore do not have a current published regulatory judgement in accordance with our established procedures.

The regulator is currently investigating a matter regarding the providers’ compliance with the Governance and Financial Viability Standard. The outcome of the investigation will be confirmed in a regulatory notice, once completed.

The GUR list is available on the website.

Further information

1. The regulatory framework can also be found on the website.
2. The regulation of social housing is the responsibility of the Regulation Committee, a statutory committee of the Homes and Communities Agency. The organisation refers to itself as the Regulator of Social Housing in undertaking the functions of the Regulation Committee. Homes England is the trading name of the HCA’s non-regulation functions.
3. The regulator’s purpose is to promote a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver homes that meet a range of needs. It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing on governance, financial viability and value for money that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also sets consumer standards and may take action if these standards are breached and there is a significant risk of serious detriment to tenants or potential tenants.

For more information visit the RSH website.

Our About the Regulator of Social Housing page has contact details for media enquiries.

For general queries to RSH, please email enquiries@rsh.gov.uk or call 0300 124 5225.

The Solicitor General will meet with law students who help to give free legal advice to some of the most vulnerable people in the community through the law school’s involvement with nine Pro Bono initiatives.

One of these is the Streetlaw project, where students visit local schools to help raise legal awareness in their communities. The University also works with Flag DV, a Newbury-based charity, to offer advice to victims of domestic violence. Family Law students assist by conducting preliminary interviews and participating in subsequent interviews alongside the charity’s qualified volunteer advisers.

The Solicitor General said:

“It is fantastic to meet future lawyers offering advice through pro bono initiatives. Their work provides a vital contribution to our society and makes a real difference to those who receive it.

“I strongly encourage both students and established lawyers to explore what sort of pro bono help they might be able to provide, as it will enhance their careers and help them to maintain strong connections to their communities.”

Harry Stewart, President of the University of Reading Law Society said:

“The University of Reading Law Society is delighted that the Solicitor General will be meeting with students on Thursday. We are very excited to discuss some of our great participation in pro bono, public legal education and mooting. The Solicitor General’s visit will be very insightful, and we look forward to hearing about his own experiences in law and public legal education.”

The Solicitor, who superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), will also visit the CPS Thames and Chiltern office in Reading. He will meet with CPS staff from across the office to discuss their current work and upcoming priorities.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

This afternoon the Prime Minister hosted Prime Minister Michel of Belgium for talks at Downing Street. They discussed the ongoing negotiations around the UK’s exit from the EU with the PM stressing that it was important to recognise the progress made thus far. She spoke about the agreements reached on vital issues such as citizens’ rights and the financial settlement and said that the agreement in principle of the implementation period had also given businesses much greater certainty. The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Michel looked forward to the June European Council.

The leaders spoke about global issues with the Prime Minister reiterating the UK’s commitment to the Iran nuclear deal as the best way of neutralising the threat of a nuclear armed Iran. The leaders agreed that there are important things that the deal does not cover, but which need to be addressed such as ballistic missiles and Iran’s destabilising regional activity.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Michel spoke about the importance of multilateralism and of the rules based international system. They agreed that it was vital to restore the international norm that the use of chemical weapons can never be acceptable. The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Michel for the solidarity shown by Belgium following the chemical attack in Salisbury.

They discussed Russia, agreeing on the importance of continued international cooperation to tackle Russian destabilising activity in Syria, Ukraine and elsewhere.

Finally the leaders looked forward to the upcoming World Cup fixture between the England and Belgium football teams in June.

Foreign Secretary Johnson will hold talks with the President Sebastian Piñera and Minister of Foreign Affairs Roberto Ampuero to discuss further collaboration on international security, defence, and post-Brexit trade opportunities.

Speaking ahead of his visit to Chile Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I am delighted to be visiting Chile as part of my tour of Latin America and to have the opportunity to further strengthen our historic relationship. It is fitting my visit comes on the 200th anniversary of the Chilean Navy´s foundation by British Admiral Lord Cochrane.

The UK and Chile already have strong trading links between our countries and with the UK leaving the European Union, I want both nations to grasp this opportunity and to deliver a real boost to British-Chilean trade links in the years ahead.

During his visit to Santiago, Mr Johnson will join the Chilean Minister of Education Gerardo Varela and meet Chilean students where he will launch a project led by the British Council aiming to empower girls through digital literacy and computer coding. The project entitled ‘Girl Power Codefest Americas’ will enhance digital literacy and coding skills among students, and specifically girls, in Chile, Colombia and Peru, underlining the Foreign Secretary’s commitment to improving education for girls across the world – a key personal priority.

He will join the Chilean Minister for Economy at the opening of the Bupa Santiago Hospital, which will officially open next month. British company Bupa is the biggest investor in the healthcare sector in Chile and the 400 hundred-bed hospital in Santiago is Bupa’s biggest healthcare clinic worldwide.

The Foreign Secretary will also attend an event with a select group of Chilean business people and senior political figures, organised by the Chilean Council for International Relations.

Further information

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

A woman who falsely accused 4 men of sexual or violent offences has been sent to prison after the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP, referred her sentence for being too low.

Anna Judith Costin, 30, accused her victims of rape, sexual assault, or assault during early 2016. None of the men were charged, but as a result of the false reports some spent time in custody, were harassed by members of the public, or suffered psychologically.

Costin was originally sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court in March, where she was given a sentence of a 3 year community order and 60 day rehabilitation activity requirement. Today, after the Solicitor General’s reference, the Court of Appeal increased her sentence to 4 years immediate custody.

Commenting on the sentence increase, the Solicitor General said:

“False rape allegations have a serious impact not only on the lives of the accused, but can also have an indirect but profoundly damaging effect on genuine victims of rape. It is important that Costin’s sentence reflects the gravity of her crimes.”

The Courts and Tribunals (Judiciary and Functions of Staff) Bill will increase efficiency by allowing greater flexibility to deploy the right judge to the right case.

Appropriately qualified and experienced court and tribunal staff – authorised by the judiciary, and working under judicial supervision – will also be able to deal with routine matters, freeing up judges’ time to focus their expertise on matters that need it most.

This new legislation will allow the judiciary to respond to the changing demands of a reformed courts and tribunals system and deliver better services to users. It underpins the government’s agenda to modernise the courts and tribunals, make them fit for the 21st Century while delivering better value for taxpayers.

Justice minister Lucy Frazer said:

This Bill supports our fundamental transformation of the justice system, making courts easier to use, more efficient and fit for the digital age.

By enabling judges to hear cases in different courts and tribunals and giving court staff powers to deal with routine issues, we will make our courts more efficient and effective, while making better use of taxpayer’s money.

Our judiciary are highly valued and we want to make sure judges’ time and expertise is being used where and when it is most needed.

Once enacted, the judiciary will be flexibly deployed across jurisdictions, allowing judges to gain experience of different types of cases, helping with their career progression.

We expect authorised staff could carry out some of the more straightforward judicial functions, which includes tasks like issuing a summons; taking a plea; extending time for service of applications; or considering applications for variations of directions made in private or public law cases.

This is the first step in legislation that will shift justice from slow, paper-based systems to streamlined, efficient digital services.

The Government has invested £1 billion in reforming and modernising courts, which has already delivered:

• A new in-court system which records the results of cases digitally and instantly.
• A fully paperless system in conjunction with Transport for London – which means thousands of cases involving fare evasion are dealt with more swiftly and effectively.
• A digital programme which will allow defendants, victims, witnesses and professional users to share legal documents and cases online.

In the civil courts people can now:

• Make a small money claim online – with over 3,000 claims issued in the first month, cases moving through more quickly, and user satisfaction over 80% during the pre-launch pilot.
• Apply for a divorce online – which has cut errors in application forms from 40% to less than 1%, saving people time and trouble during a traumatic time.
• Apply for probate online – which has also cut errors, speeds up the process, and has a satisfaction rate of more than 90%.