Category: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Rare Rubens portrait at risk of leaving the UK

Arts Minister Michael Ellis has placed a temporary export bar on a painting by Sir Peter Paul Rubens to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country.

Head of an African Man Wearing a Turban is one of the few existing examples of artwork from the 17th century that records an African man in Europe. It is at risk of being exported unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £7,695,860.

The oil sketch was used by Rubens in his 1609 portrayal of Balthazar in Adoration of the Magi, which depicts the giving of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the infant Jesus.

Rubens is one of the pre-eminent painters of the 17th century and among the most influential artists of the Flemish Baroque tradition. He was knighted by Charles I and while living in London also painted the masterpiece ceiling of the Banqueting House – one of the most famous works from the golden age of painting.

Head of an African Man Wearing a Turban, which has been in the UK for more than 100 years, is painted on a list of accounts written in Italian. This has led experts to believe that it may have been completed in Italy and brought back to Antwerp.

The fact that it is on paper, rather than his favoured panel, suggests that this is a unique record of an individual the painter encountered, rather than of a posed model. It is one of approximately 30 oil sketches completed by Rubens in British public collections.

Arts Minister Michael Ellis said:

Rubens was one of the great artists of the golden age of painting. This powerful sketch is not only a stunning example of his work, but hugely important as a rare representation of an African man in Europe at this time. I hope that a buyer can be found so that this outstanding item can be kept in the UK for future generations to enjoy.

The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by The Arts Council.

RCEWA member Aidan Weston-Lewis said:

This magnificent portrait study of a North African is a supreme example of Rubens’s gifts as a painter from life. With the portrait of Juan de Pareja by Velázquez in the Metropolitan Museum in New York – which was exported from the UK in 1971 amid much controversy – it is also the most positive and dignified representation of a black person in 17th-century European art. On both counts it would make a transformative addition to a public collection in this country and its permanent export would, like Juan de Pareja, long be regretted.

The RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the paintings outstanding aesthetic importance and significance for the study of Rubens’ artistic practice. It was felt that the presence of this work in a public collection would help enhance a sense of shared history and heritage and would boost a commitment to serving a more diverse audience.

The decision on the export licence application for the Head of an African Man Wearing a Turban will be deferred until 5 July 2018. This may be extended until 5 January 2019 if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of £7,695,860.

Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by Michael Ellis. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the Head of an African Man Wearing a Turban should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.

An image of the painting can be downloaded here.

ENDS

For media information contact:
Faye Jackson
Communications Officer
Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Tel: 020 7211 6263
Email: faye.jackson@culture.gov.uk

Notes to editors

  1. Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the oil sketch should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.
  2. Provenance:
    E. Christopher Norris (1907-1987), Polesden Lacey, Great Bookham, nr. Dorking,
    Surrey; His sale, London, Sotheby’s, May 23, 1951, lot 96 (unsold); His posthumous
    sale, London, Christie’s, December 11, 1987, lot 19 (unsold); Private collection,
    England, until 2004; Jean-Luc Baroni Ltd, London; Private collection, England
  3. Details of the oil sketch are as follows:
    The Head of an African Man Wearing a Turban
    Oil on paper, laid down on panel, 54 x 39 cm (excluding a modern strip of paint of
    approximately 8 cm in width that has been added at left)
  4. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by The Arts Council, which advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
  5. The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. www.artscouncil.org.uk.

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Press release: Government to professionalise the estate agent market

New measures will be introduced to professionalise the estate agent market, driving up standards and bringing an end to ‘rogue managing agents’, announced Housing Secretary Sajid Javid today (8 April 2018).

With over one million homes bought and sold in England each year, delays and complications during the process cause unnecessary financial and emotional stress to customers. This uncertainty can lead to delayed decisions and contributes to over one quarter of house sales falling through annually.

According to government research, more than 6 out of 10 buyers and sellers have experienced stress, and around a quarter of sellers said they would use a different estate agent if they were to go through the process again.

Estate agents will now be required to hold a professional qualification and to be transparent about the fees they receive for referring clients to solicitors, surveyors and mortgage brokers. Other measures to make the system easier, faster and more transparent include:

  • encouraging the use of voluntary reservation agreements to help prevent sales falling through and crack down on gazumping
  • setting a timeline for local authority searches so buyers get the information they need within 10 days
  • requiring managing agents and freeholders to provide up-to-date lease information for a set fee and to an agreed timetable which will end the current situation where leaseholders are at the mercy of freeholders and their agents
  • strengthening the National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team so they can carry out more enforcement activity which includes banning agents

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said:

Buying a home is one of the biggest and most important purchases someone will make in their life. But for far too long buyers and sellers have been trapped in a stressful system full of delays and uncertainty.

So we’re going to put the consumers back in the driving seat. We will require estate agents to hold a qualification so that people are no longer at risk from a minority of ‘rogue agents’ and can trust the process when buying or selling their home.

Mark Hayward, Chief Executive, NAEA Propertymark said:

We particularly welcome the commitment to further regulation – we have long argued that estate agents should be recognised as professionals, this is an important step towards achieving this and we look forward to working with the government.

There are approximately 20,000 estate agent businesses across the country, and currently, anyone can practice as an estate agent. The changes set out will professionalise the sector, creating a more trustworthy and reliable industry who will be better held to account.

Guides on ‘How to Buy’ and ‘How to Sell’ will be developed and published to ensure customers are better informed of the process and know what questions they should be asking. The government will work with consumer groups and industry to develop a consistent set of performance metrics for conveyancers, so consumers can make a more informed choice.

To bring the profession into the technology era, a working group will be set up to bring industry and partners, such as HM Land Registry, together to look at developing innovative digital solutions to speed up the home buying and selling process.

Government will consult on how the industry can be brought up to professional standards, like those in the same trade such as conveyancers, solicitors and surveyors.

Further information

These new measures follow an 8 week consultation which ended in December 2017.

There will be behavioural insight research carried out on reservation agreements with the aim of trialling them by the end of this year.

Research last year by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy found:

  • of those that experienced delays, 69% of sellers and 62% of buyers reported stress and worry as a result of the delay
  • 46% of sellers had concerns about a buyer changing their mind after making an offer
  • 24% of sellers would use a different estate agent if they were to go through the process again
  • 32% of sellers and 28% of buyers were dissatisfied with the other party’s solicitor

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Press release: Environment Minister visits Uganda ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey’s visit to Uganda on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 April comes a fortnight before the start of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) to be held in London on 19 to 20 April 2018.

During the Minister’s visit to Uganda she met Dr Mary Kitutu, the Ugandan State Minister for the Environment. They discussed the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) as an opportunity for countries to work together to tackle environmental issues such as marine plastics under the CHOGM ambition of ‘Delivering a Sustainable Future’.

At the Uganda Breweries Limited brewery in Luzira, owned by Diageo a leading British beverage firm, she saw the brewery’s work to reduce their impact on the environment through reducing waste and improving recycling.

The Minister also met Ugandan Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Sam Kutesa and visited the Nile Basin Initiative secretariat in Entebbe.

Whilst in Uganda, she spent time at Murchison Falls National Park to understand more about how the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) are working to protect Uganda’s diverse wildlife and ecosystems. She met UWA rangers who have benefited from anti-poacher training provided by the UK Military and visited the park in the same week that the UK Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, announced that the UK would introduce a ban on ivory sales. The Minister highlighted UK’s ambition to deliver a step change in the global fight against the illegal wildlife trade as a transnational crime and threat to endangered species. The UK will host an Illegal Wildlife Trade conference on the 10 to 11 October 2018.

UK Minister for the Environment, Thérèse Coffey said:

The total ban on ivory sales puts the UK at the forefront of global efforts to address the drastic decline in the elephant population, demonstrating our belief that the abhorrent ivory trade should become a thing of the past.
I welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue and many others with the Ugandan government and I hope through this continued dialogue we can further continue the successful partnership of our 2 countries.

Link: Press release: Environment Minister visits Uganda ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
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Press release: Top British official visits South Sudan

Matthew Rycroft, Permanent Secretary of the UK Department for International Development (DFID), visited South Sudan on 5-6 April to see how UKAid is saving lives in one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. This was the first time that Mr. Rycroft, formerly the British Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has visited the country.

The ongoing conflict in South Sudan has led to a man-made humanitarian catastrophe, with 4m people having fled their homes and half of the population severely food insecure. The UK is the forefront of the international response to the crisis. Last year, the UK reached over 500,000 people with food assistance, over 300,000 people with safe drinking water, and supported around 5 million health consultations to children under 5. The UK is also leading the effort to promote girls’ education, supporting 3,600 schools across the country and helping to keep a quarter of a million girls in class. But the ultimate solution to the crisis is peace, and the UK strongly supports the regionally–led peace process, the High Level Revitalisation Forum (HLRF), and is putting pressure on all sides to constructively engage.

Mr. Rycroft met with senior South Sudanese Ministers including Minister for Education, Deng Deng Hok Yai, and Dr. Riek Gai Kok, Minister of Health. In each of these meetings, he emphasised the need for the government to engage meaningfully in the peace process and underlined the vital and urgent importance of ensuring complete and unhindered access for humanitarian and development assistance. In a radio interview following his visit, he said:

UKAid is saving lives in South Sudan. But it is the Government of South Sudan that has the responsibility to stop the suffering of its people. They and other parties to the conflict must engage constructively with the next round of peace talks, which represent a crucial opportunity for peace, and end the appalling human rights abuses we have seen. They must also permit free and unhindered humanitarian access.

During his 2 day visit, Mr Rycroft met with a range of organisations that work with DFID to deliver UKAid, and some of those South Sudanese people directly benefitting. He visited El Sabah children’s hospital in the country’s capital, Juba, which is supported by UKAid in providing essential health, nutrition and vaccination services. Mr Rycroft also visited Juba Day Secondary School, supported by DFID’s girls’ education programme supported by UKAid, where he heard directly from girls who have been helped to stay in education. He met Akuja de Garang, MBE, who leads a team of 300 national and international professionals working nationwide to tackle barriers to girls’ education and to help brighten the future of a generation of children in South Sudan. During his visit, Matthew said:

It is vitally important that girls are able to remain in school and complete their education. Not only will this empower them to reach their full potential, by enhancing their economic and social opportunities, but it also lays the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous future for South Sudan. I have been inspired by the girls, women and educators that I have met today and commend their efforts to ensure that education is not lost to an entire generation.

Mr Rycroft also met with the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, David Shearer. The UK fully supports the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and has deployed nearly 400 peacekeepers to provide vital engineering and medical assistance. Matthew welcomed the close relationship between the UK and UNMISS, and re-iterated the UK’s full support for the UN Secretary-General’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy on sexual exploitation and abuse.

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Press release: FCO statement on the human rights trial in Vietnam

FCO Minister Harriett Baldwin said;

The British Government is deeply concerned by the conviction in Vietnam of six members of the Brotherhood for Democracy for attempting to overthrow the regime and the harsh sentencing of 66 years in prison.

We do not believe that the peaceful expression of views on Vietnam’s own political system, or promotion of basic and universal human rights, should constitute a criminal offence. Freedom of expression and association are enshrined within both Vietnam’s own 2013 constitution and the international commitments to which Vietnam is a party.

Further information

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Press release: Landlords banned after abusing insolvency laws to keep pub open

Coard Hulse and Philip Roy Dawson ran The Saracens Head pub in Lymm, between 2006 and 2016.

But over a 10-year period, eight different companies were registered as the corporate entities to run the pub.

When one of the registered companies became insolvent, the two pub landlords would register a new company and carry on running the pub without making any significant changes to their operations.

As the new company did not take on the previous company’s debts, it meant Coard Hulse and Philip Dawson would avoid paying their creditors.

An investigation by the Insolvency Service found that Coard Hulse and Philip Dawson either were, or acted as, directors of each of the companies and most of the companies traded for one year or less before going into liquidation.

The eight companies were placed into liquidation between August 2008 and October 2016, with creditors losing out to an estimated total of £335,000.

The disqualifications started from 27 February 2018 and prevent Coard Hulse and Philip Dawson from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company until February 2025.

Robert Clarke, of the Insolvency Service, said:

The undertakings signed by Mr Hulse and Mr Dawson send a clear message to other company directors that if you fail to learn from previous company failures and run businesses where creditors lose out in this way, you will be investigated by the Insolvency Service. As a result, you will be stripped of the protection of limited liability for a lengthy period.

Notes to editors

Mr Coard Hulse’s date of birth is May 1974 and he resides in Wilmslow.

Mr Philip Roy Dawson’s date of birth is January 1970 and he resides in Wilmslow.

All companies traded as a public house from Paddock Lane, Warburton, Lymm, WA13 9TH:

  • D & H Pub Limited was incorporated on 8 July 2008 and was placed into Liquidation on 15 June 2009.
  • Rockstone Limited was incorporated on 27 February 2009 and was placed into Liquidation on 6 July 2010.
  • Inntreprenur Cheshire Limited was incorporated on 24 May 2010 and was placed into Liquidation on 16 November 2012.
  • Eastermoor Limited was incorporated on 10 February 2011 and was placed into Liquidation on 26 January 2012.
  • Selva Cheshire Limited was incorporated on 25 May 2011and was placed into Liquidation on 16 November 2012.
  • Exonet Solutions Limited was incorporated on 8 July 2008 and was placed into Liquidation on 15 June 2009.
  • Tuco Inn Limited was incorporated on 8 October 2014 July 2008 and was placed into Liquidation on 23 February 2016.
  • Alpha Tauri Limited was incorporated on 15 January 2016 and was placed into Liquidation on 20 October 2016.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

  • act as a director of a company
  • take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
  • be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7637 6498 or 020 7596 6187

Press Office

The Insolvency Service


4 Abbey Orchard Street
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SW1P 2HT

This service is for journalists only. For any other queries, please contact the Insolvency Enquiry line on 0300 678 0015.

For all media enquiries outside normal working hours, please contact the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Press Office on 020 7215 1000.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

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Press release: New rules will protect fans from ticket touting

  • New rules will require ticket resellers to provide more information around resold event tickets, protecting consumers from rip off prices
  • Resellers now have to supply any unique ticket numbers (UTN) to the buyer to identify the ticket’s seat, standing area or location
  • Changes build on government’s action to increase transparency for consumers in the secondary market

Fans of live events are set to benefit from new rules coming into force today (6 April) which will demand more information from sellers on secondary ticket websites to better protect fans from rip-off prices.

For the first time resellers will have to quote the ‘unique ticket number’ (UTN) to a buyer, if the event organiser specifies one, helping to identify the ticket’s seat, standing area or location.

Current guidance requiring the disclosure of any restrictions and the original price of tickets have also been clarified today in order to improve compliance from businesses, ensuring better deals for customers.

Consumer Minister Andrew Griffiths said:

Fans have a right to know exactly what they’re signing up to on ticket resale websites, but all too often people are left feeling ripped off when the ticket doesn’t match expectations.

We are already taking steps to crack down on touts using “bots” to bulk buy tickets for resale and today’s new rules will also improve transparency in this market.

Adam Webb, Campaign Manager, FanFair Alliance said:

So-called secondary ticketing sites should now have complete clarity of their legal obligations.

Combined with enforcement action, these welcome updates and additions to consumer law will result in greater protection for audiences and help development of a more transparent and fan-friendly ticket resale market.

Margot James, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, said:

We want real fans to get the chance to see their favourite stars at a fair price and we are clamping down on touts using bots to buy huge numbers of tickets, only to sell them on at rip-off prices.

These new measures will give consumers even greater protection and transparency in the secondary market, helping Britain’s live events scene to continue to thrive.

From today ticket resellers must:

  • identify the location to which the ticket provides access – such as the particular seat or standing area of the venue
  • disclose any restrictions around who can use the ticket or how it must be used (e.g. alongside ID of the original buyer)
  • disclose the original price of the ticket
  • reveal the details of connections they have with either the online facility on which they are selling, or the organiser of the event for which the ticket is being sold
  • supply the unique ticket number (UTN) to a buyer if the event organiser specifies one.

Today’s rules demonstrate a further commitment from government to improve conditions for consumers in the secondary market. The Competition and Markets Authority is taking enforcement action against secondary ticketing websites suspected of breaking consumer law, whilst the Advertising Standards Authority has acted to clamp down on misleading prices and charges on secondary ticketing websites.

New guidance was published last month to help prepare business for these changes, providing clarity to ensure they comply while also securing a better deal for consumers.

Citizens Advice provide information for consumers about buying event tickets and how to make sure a ticketing site is genuine.

Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 03454 04 05 06

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Press release: Quicker way to resolve claim disputes launched online

The new service, introduced by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS), can be used to start a claim against anyone in England and Wales, and provides a quicker, more user-friendly way to start an action in the County Court for amounts up to £10,000.

Rather than having to fill in and post a paper form, or use an outdated online system from 2002, the new pilot allows people to issue their County Court claim more easily, settle the dispute online and recommends mediation services – which can save time, stress, and money.

More than 1,400 people have already used an earlier pilot of the system launched in August last year. Over 80% of those early users, including individuals and small businesses, found the service very good and easy to use. Early evidence suggests that the online system has improved access to justice as engagement from defendants has improved.

Launching the new service, Justice Minister Lucy Fraser said:

We know that using the civil courts has been a daunting prospect for some. This innovative, quick and easy online system will enable people and small businesses to get back the money that is rightly owed to them.

This is an excellent example of the work we are doing under our £1billion plan to transform the courts system, allowing people to access justice online and around their busy lives.

Justice Birss, who chairs the sub-committee of the Civil Procedure Rules Committee dealing with this Civil Money Claims pilot scheme, said:

This is an important step in the modernisation of our courts and tribunals system.

For too long the perceived delays and complexity of the system have put off too many people from using the civil courts to make a small claim. When it is complete this new online route will give members of the public and small businesses a more user-friendly way to access justice. The system now being made available to the public is the first stage in that new route.

Laura Iron, head of service at the Personal Support Unit, a charity supporting people who choose to represent themselves in the civil and family justice system, said:

“The PSU welcomes the new online system: It avoids most of the formal legal language of traditional court processes, and is much more intuitive for users. While traditional processes are still the norm, this is a clear step forward for people who are comfortable with online processes. It reflects the commitment of HMCTS to designing an improved range of services tailored to the different needs of all court-users.”

The initiative is an important first step in the modernisation of the civil justice system and begins to deliver the vision set out by Lord Briggs in his 2016 report on the structure of civil courts, where he called for claims worth up to £25,000 to be solved in an online court. It is launched after a year of development with members of the judiciary, representatives from the advice and legal community and users, and will continue to be piloted while other aspects of an end-to-end online system are developed.

The move is part of the Government’s £1 billion investment to modernise the court service, making it swifter, simpler, and easier to access for everyone. HMCTS is exploring how justice can best be served in the digital age.

Other examples of the Government’s court reforms which are making access to justice easier for everyone include:

  • A new service which allows people to submit their tax appeals online – drastically cutting the number of applications being returned as incomplete or inaccurate
  • Launching the first divorce application services online – making the process easier to understand for divorce applicants and helping to progress applications
  • A new paperless system, in operation at Lavender Hill Magistrates’ Court, which means thousands of cases involving fare evasion are processed more swiftly and effectively.

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Press release: New boost to rogue landlord crackdown

Rogue landlords who rent out substandard properties face being forced out of the sector as new banning orders are brought in and a national database of offenders goes live today (6 April 2018).

Landlords convicted of a range of housing, immigration and other criminal offences such as leasing overcrowded properties, fire and gas safety offences and unlawful eviction, will be put on the new database, so councils can share information between themselves and keep a closer eye on those with a poor track record.

The private rented sector houses 4.7 million households in England and the government is delivering these reforms under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 so everyone has a safe and decent place to live.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness Heather Wheeler said:

I am committed to making sure people who are renting are living in safe and good quality properties. That’s why we’re cracking down on the small minority of landlords that are renting out unsafe and substandard accommodation.

Landlords should be in no doubt that they must provide decent homes or face the consequences.

The database will be available to use by councils to crackdown on poor and unfair practice in the private rented sector such as overcrowded, squalid or dangerous accommodation, and to help target their enforcement action.

Landlords convicted of offences under the government’s new law may also be given banning orders preventing them from leasing accommodation for a period of time, ranging from 12 months to life. Councils must record details of any landlord or property agent who has received a banning order on the database. Landlords that ignore a banning order will face criminal sanctions including up to 6 months imprisonment and an unlimited fine.

The department will be able to use the database to publish regular updates on the number of landlords and agents who have been banned, convicted of a banning order offence or received two or more civil penalties, broken down by local authority area.

These measures follow the announcement that councils are also being given tough new powers to tackle the small minority of rogue landlords who rent out overcrowded properties and impose fines of up to £30,000 for those landlords who do not comply. Overcrowded and poor quality housing can result in excess noise, increased demand on local services such as waste collection and anti-social behaviour generally, which is why the government is determined to crack down on it.

Public safety is paramount which is why this government will support further measures proposed by Karen Buck MP in a Private Member’s Bill to protect tenants in both the social and private rented sectors. This forms part of the government’s plan to ensure a safer and stronger housing market that works for everyone.

Further information

The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced a range of measures to tackle rogue landlords:

  • civil penalties of up to £30,000 as an alternative to prosecution – came into force April 2017
  • extension of Rent Repayment Orders to cover illegal eviction and/ or failure to comply with a statutory notice – came into force in April 2017. Rent Repayment Orders will also cover breach of a banning order from 6 April 2018.

Government has worked with Karen Buck MP to draft and publish the Private Member’s Bill on Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability of Housing Standards).

The following guidance for local housing authorities has been published:

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Press release: New building performance standards to save MOD up to 20%

Infrastructure is a vital defence capability delivering accommodation, training facilities and critical assets such as runways and workshops to enable our armed forces to live, work, train and deploy. Recent DIO projects include building a jetty at Portsmouth Naval Base so the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth can dock, and resurfacing runways at RAF Akrotiri, RAF Gibraltar, and RAF Valley.

The defence estate is large, diverse and widely dispersed across the UK and overseas. In the UK, it covers around 230,000 hectares comprising military training areas, naval bases, barracks, airfields, supply depots, and offices. Construction on these sites is sometimes subject to specific defence requirements but the majority is similar to other sectors, so the new standards have been developed in accordance with comparators from industry and other government departments. They are designed to be used by MOD staff and industry partners responsible for the planning, costing and delivery of the infrastructure assets and projects funded by MOD.

The new standards, Joint Services Publication (JSP) 315, are expected to save up to 20% on construction costs by creating efficient standards, enabling faster and more cost-effective project development and delivery. They also recognise the success and cost savings DIO has achieved in recent years from increasing the use of modular construction and standardisation of designs, as well as utilising 3D digital and interactive technology.

Graham Dalton, DIO’s Chief Executive, said:

The new standards mark a step forward in how DIO enables our military to provide the most effective and efficient solutions and how we work better with the construction industry. The revised standards make it absolutely clear what our requirements are and will contribute to a significant cost and time saving on our infrastructure projects.

The new standards and supporting guidance set a series of reference designs for specific defence infrastructure requirements and benchmark capital and operational costs for the planning and delivery of MOD infrastructure.

The revised JSP 315 can be found here

Link: Press release: New building performance standards to save MOD up to 20%
Source: Gov Press Releases