Category: Gov Press Releases

A government review of the law and powers to deal with unauthorised caravan sites and developments has been announced today (5 April 2018) by Housing Minister Dominic Raab.

Unauthorised sites can cause significant distress for both the settled and nomadic communities – an issue increasingly raised in Parliament over recent months.

Many local residents often raise concerns about anti-social behaviour including fly-tipping and noise, and evidence also shows that living on unauthorised sites can have a negative impact on people’s health and education.

Since 2010, the number of traveller caravans on authorised sites has increased. However latest figures show approximately 16% of all caravans – around 3,700 – are on unauthorised sites.

Housing Minister Dominic Raab said:

The vast majority of the travelling community are decent and law-abiding people. But, we are particularly concerned about illegal traveller encampments, and some of the anti-social behaviour they can give rise to.

We must promote a tolerant society and make sure there are legal sites available for travellers, but equally the rule of law must be applied to everyone.

The government is committed to taking action and is seeking views on what more can be done to ensure local authorities, the police and landowners can deal with unauthorised sites and developments efficiently.

Ministers also want to hear about any barriers to the provision of authorised sites.

The consultation – carried out jointly by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Home Office and Ministry of Justice – covers police and local authority powers, court processes, government guidance, the provision of legal sites, and the impact on settled and nomadic communities.

It will emphasise the government’s commitment to the fair and equal treatment of all communities, including respecting people’s right to a nomadic way of life, while balancing this with the interests of settled communities.

Further information

The existing powers for local authorities and the police to deal with unauthorised encampments can be found in Dealing with illegal and unauthorised encampments, published in March 2015.

For any enquires about the consultation please contact UnauthorisedDevelopmentandEncampments@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Read a report by the Traveller Movement, commissioned by the National Inclusion Health Board, looking at how the living conditions of Gypsies and Travellers lead to poor health.

Read the consultation.

The consultation will run until 15 June.

Two new industry representative members have been appointed to the board of the Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish).

Michael Mitchell will represent the processing sector and brings with him extensive experience of the seafood sector following 30 years in the industry.

Nathan de Rozarieux will represent the small scale fishing sector and will contribute the knowledge he has gained as both a practitioner and consultant.

Seafish is an industry-levy funded body which carries out a wide range of activities that advocate and support all sections of the fishing industry, from fishermen and processors through to importers, retailers and food service providers.

These are Ministerial appointments supported by the four fisheries administrations, who jointly sponsor Seafish.

The recruitment was carried out in accordance with the Ministerial Code of Practice for Appointments to Public Bodies. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, there is a requirement for the political activities of appointees to be made public. Neither Michael Mitchell nor Nathan de Rozarieux have declared any significant activity.

In addition to the two new members, existing members Alison Austin OBE and Jonathan Shepherd have been re-appointed for a further term of three years.

Biographical details:

Michael Mitchell is currently Managing Director of Fair Seas Limited, a consultancy firm supporting the seafood industry with clients including major value added processors, national and international retailers, food service providers, sustainability standards owners and certification assessment bodies. Previous to this, he spent more than 30 years working in the seafood processing industry, progressing his way from the factory floor to Technical & CSR Director at Young’s Seafood Ltd.

Nathan de Rozarieux is currently Managing Director of Tegen Mor Fisheries Consultants Ltd a firm offering a range of industry services. He is the owner-skipper of an inshore vessel operating in Cornwall, a position he has frequently returned to alongside roles at Seafish and WWF-UK. For the past 16 years Nathan has sat as a director of the Duchy Fish Quota Company, a not-for-profit seeking to support the Cornwall inshore fishing industry and is a former committee member of the Cornwall Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority.

The Charity Commission has opened a statutory class inquiry into the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and its subsidiary charity, RNIB Charity, over concerns about the safeguarding of vulnerable beneficiaries.
The class inquiry was triggered by serious concerns about the oversight and management of a residential setting for children and young people in Coventry run by the subsidiary charity. On 2 March, the trustees of the charities reported a single serious safeguarding incident, which had taken place at the Pears Centre for Specialist Learning.

On 16 March 2018 the subsidiary charity also reported to the Commission the occurrence of several serious incidents over the course of last year, as well as notice of intended action by Ofsted, the regulator for children’s homes and specialist schools. The incidents raised concerns that the subsidiary charity may have consistently failed to comply with regulations designed to safeguard and protect vulnerable children.

The Commission immediately contacted RNIB and met with the Chair and Deputy CEO of RNIB on 27 March. The Commission’s inquiry opened on 29 March 2018.

The investigation will examine the governance, management and oversight of the charities’ safeguarding arrangements, including in particular, the trustees’ knowledge and oversight of what happened at the Pears Centre and controls that were or should have been in place, as well as the charity’s liaison with and reporting to relevant statutory agencies.

The inquiry will focus in particular on the trustees’ governance and oversight of safeguarding arrangements in the charities’ schools and care homes and will be reviewing whether trustees reported all relevant safeguarding incidents which have occurred to the Commission.

The Commission’s investigation will examine the extent to which the trustees of the charities have taken and are taking reasonable steps to protect users at the Pears Centre from harm. It will also work closely with Ofsted, and other agencies, as part of the inquiry.

The Commission is pleased to note that RNIB has determined to establish an independent review to consider its safeguarding arrangements. The review will also work closely with the Commission, which will provide oversight to ensure its independence and rigour.

If service users, and their families, of RNIB have any concerns they should contact the RNIB Helpline on 0303 123 9999.

Ends

Notes to Editors

1. The Charity Commission is the regulator of charities in England and Wales.
2. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the Commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.
3. The Pears Centre is a school and children’s home in Coventry for young people who are blind or partially sighted and who also have multiple disabilities or complex needs, such as severe or profound learning disabilities and physical disabilities and is run by RNIB Charity (1156629).
4. It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. In this case, the Commission also plans to issue an interim report in May. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.
5. The Commission has a very specific role in these circumstances where there are other specialist agencies involved. The regulation of the activities relating to the provision of education and care standards in the school and children’s home is undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in this particular case. The Commission, as charity regulator, has an important regulatory role in ensuring that trustees comply with their legal duties and responsibilities in managing their charity. In the context of safeguarding issues, it has a specific regulatory role which is focused on the conduct of trustees and the steps they take to protect beneficiaries and other persons who come into contact with the charity.
6. The Commission recently announced a new suite of measures on safeguarding including the establishment of a dedicated safeguarding task force.

International Trade Minister Graham Stuart is encouraging British business to expand their reach as he attends the Commonwealth Games in Australia this week.

The minister will meet with several UK companies that have already been using their cutting-edge capabilities to get the Games up and running, flying the flag for quality home grown products and challenge the idea that UK companies only benefit from trade with countries close to them in Europe.

Companies which have won contracts to supply the games include Foamhand, an innovative crowd management company that uses giant foam hands to guide visitors in the right direction at major destinations, as well as Aggreko, a major Glaswegian power generation company providing electrical power at all 18 competition venues.

The Commonwealth Games, (4 to 15 April) are set to be attended by more than 6,000 athletes representing 71 nations and territories in Gold Coast, and broadcast to a global audience of 1.5 billion people.

The visit comes as more than 15,000 VAT-registered businesses now export goods to Australia, with UK-Australia trade at £13.1 billion in 2016 – a rise of more than 20% over the last 10 years, with the UK operating a trade surplus with the country.

The minister will continue his trade tour in Taiwan where he will announce an £18 million Taiwanese investment into the UK from agritech company YesHealth Biotechnology. The business will set up its European base in York, providing local consumers with fresh and pesticide-free products.

Minister for Investment, Graham Stuart said:

As UK athletes go for gold at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, our exporters are already on the medal table after landing contracts to get the games up and running.

Global Britain has seen great success as our exports rise to £625 billion and our foreign direct investment is higher than ever before but there’s more that can be done to further strengthen our ties with both Australia and Taiwan.

As an international economic department, we are supporting these efforts through tailored trade support in our Exporting and Invest in GREAT Britain campaigns.

In Taiwan, the minister will meet the President of YesHealth, which will over the next 2 years will see the company establish their first European base at York’s UK’s National Agri-Food Innovation Campus.

Winston Tsai, President of YesHealth iFarm said:

YesHealth Group has proven that vertical farming is a profitable business that can create new jobs in a farming industry that is finding it increasingly challenging to attract young workers. The vertical farming industry in the United Kingdom is still developing; and this, together with attractive market conditions, makes the United Kingdom an obvious choice for YesHealth Group.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to the British government for their support towards making this a reality.

A further £3.5 million investment will also be announced from Han Dian Foods to expand its UK manufacturing operation in London and meet increased demand. This will also see Han Dian launch a chain of takeaway restaurants across the UK.

Mr Stuart’s visit comes ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the UK later this month. This will be the largest ever leaders’ summit in the UK, with 52 heads of state and thousands of businesses in attendance.

The UK is committed to working with its allies at CHOGM, including Australia, to promote global free trade.

Its trading relationship with both the Commonwealth and Australia continues to blossom – UK trade with the Commonwealth already stood at £94 billion in 2016.

The minister will continue to Hamburg where he will meet UK businesses attending the Aircraft Interiors Expo.

Further information:

Australia:

• nearly 15,000 UK VAT-registered businesses now export goods to Australia, with UK goods exports at £8.6 billion in 2016 – up 3% on the previous year
• the UK is also one of Australia’s largest foreign investors, with the stock of UK FDI in Australia at £41 bilion, 45.3% higher than in 2015

Taiwan:

• the UK’s trading relationship with Taiwan also continues to flourish, now worth £5.4 billion – up 0.9% from 2015. The stock of UK FDI was at £3 billion in 2016, up 23.2% on 2015

Germany:

• total trade in goods and services (i.e. exports plus imports) between the UK and Germany was £124.2 billion in 2016, a 6.6% increase from 2015

The Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2018 paves the way for full-fibre broadband and future 5G communications. By enabling 100% business rates relief for operators who install new fibre on their networks, the Act incentivises operators to invest in the broadband network.

Now secondary legislation has been laid, firing the starting gun on the scheme which will see communications providers exempt from business rates on new fibre for 5 years, backdated to 1 April 2017.

Local Government Minister, Rishi Sunak, said:

From the country’s most rural locations, to our big cities, we want everyone to benefit from fast, affordable and reliable broadband.

With this new legislation now in place, people can expect the rapid installation of new fibre, paving the way for better connectivity across the country.

From making it easier to work from home to allowing digital businesses to flourish, our measures are creating the right conditions for more high-skilled, high-paid jobs of the future.

By driving improvements in the speed, service quality, security and reliability of broadband services, the Act will help transform the way modern businesses work together, reach their consumers and target their export markets.

As well benefiting businesses, full fibre broadband will also increase internet speeds for households and enable users to access more services online with multiple devices. For example, simultaneously streaming high definition TV and films, playing online games, and working from home quicker and more reliably than ever before.

These measures will provide important support for a more productive economy and help build a Britain fit for the future.

Minister for Digital, Margot James, said:

We are building a Britain that is fit for the future, and creating the right conditions to stimulate industry investment in infrastructure. People need good connectivity wherever they work, live, and travel and initiatives like our business rates relief scheme are key to us delivering this.

Further information

At the 2016 Autumn Statement, the government announced £1 billion of new funding to boost the UK’s digital infrastructure. This includes investment of £400 million in a new Digital Infrastructure Investment Fund to support emerging fibre broadband providers.

Today’s announcement builds on the recent, pioneering new Digital Strategy, which has skills, infrastructure and innovation at its heart to support Britain’s world-leading digital economy.

As we make the most of the opportunities presented by exiting the European Union, it will help to make the UK the best place to start and run a digital business – creating more of the high-skilled, high-paid jobs of the future.

• Announcement comes in year that UK Government will abolish Severn Crossing tolls
• Renaming to be officially marked at an event in south Wales later this year

The Second Severn Crossing will be renamed The Prince of Wales Bridge at a special ceremony later this year, Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns announced today (5 April).

The renaming of the Second Severn Crossing, opened by Prince Charles in 1996, will mark The Prince of Wales’ 70th birthday year, and will also mark the 60th anniversary of The Queen ‘creating’ him The Prince of Wales at the closing ceremony of the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff in 1958. The Prince was nine-years-old.

Now known as the Commonwealth Games, this year’s competition was officially opened by The Prince of Wales on behalf of The Queen on the Gold Coast, Australia earlier today.

The announcement was confirmed by the Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns who also confirmed that the renaming would be marked in a special ceremony attended by The Prince in Wales later this year.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said:

I’m delighted to announce that – with the agreement of the Prime Minister and Her Majesty The Queen – the Second Severn Crossing will be renamed the Prince of Wales Bridge.

The announcement is a fitting tribute to His Royal Highness in a year that sees him mark 60 years as The Prince of Wales and decades of continued, dedicated service to our nation.

Renaming one of the most iconic landmarks in Wales is a fitting way to formally recognise his commitment and dedication to Wales and the UK as the Prince of Wales.

We look forward to marking the occasion at a special event later this year when the new Prince of Wales Bridge and its sister bridge will be seen as positive symbols of a newly invigorated economic and social partnership between south Wales and south west England, and the strength of the United Kingdom.

The announcement comes in the year that the tolls to use the Severn Crossings will be abolished by the UK Government.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

Lower charges on the Severn bridges have already saved drivers more than £3 million – helping boost the economy in Wales and the South West. This is a great way to usher in a new era for this iconic crossing.

When the tolls are removed by the end of this year, more people will be able to take advantage of even more new job and business opportunities on both sides of the Prince of Wales bridge.

Tens of millions of motorists a year are set to benefit, saving them money and cutting journey times. Car drivers who use the crossing every day will save a minimum of £115 a month and businesses across the area will see a further benefit by seeing an end to the £16 charge for lorries. The south Wales economy alone is set to receive a boost of around £100 million a year.

Doing so will also drive the biggest economic stimulus Wales has seen in decades and create the most natural economic growth corridor spanning Cardiff through Newport to Bristol highlighted in the recently published Industrial Strategy.

Today, the first digital mortgage deed was entered into the Land Register. Part of the ‘Sign your mortgage deed’ service, HM Land Registry is building for a future without the need for a witness to watch as the homeowner applies an ink signature to a paper mortgage deed, saving time and providing a more secure service to homeowners, lenders and conveyancers.

The registration forms part of HM Land Registry’s plans to transform the conveyancing market through quicker and simpler digital services and improved use of technology, making transactions instantaneous where possible and simplifying the home buying process. The registration of the deed follows months of collaboration and testing with Coventry Building Society and Enact Conveyancing and uses GOV.UK Verify to enable borrowers to securely verify their identity before digitally signing their mortgage deed online.

HM Land Registry Chief Executive and Chief Land Registrar Graham Farrant said:

By working with partners in the industry, we have secured a simpler and faster service for the benefit of home owners. We are looking forward to rolling this out nationally and will be working with more conveyancers and lenders to do so.

Peter Frost, Chief Operating Officer at Coventry Building Society said:

We’re delighted to have worked with HM Land Registry and Enact Conveyancing on this industry leading initiative to speed up property transactions. Initial feedback has been very positive, with customers finding the process simple, quick and secure. Although this initiative has started with re-mortgages we’re excited about the potential for it to be extended to purchases in the future.

Ben Carroll, Enact Conveyancing’s Managing Director said:

We emphasise innovation that benefits our customers and improves their experience, so we are extremely pleased to join HM Land Registry and Coventry Building Society on this pioneering effort to transform the conveyancing process. This fully-digitised journey will mean that a customer can sign their mortgage deed online at a time and place of their choosing, securely underpinned by the GOV.UK Verify platform.

Notes to editors

1. Using the ‘Sign your mortgage deed’ service will mean the borrower will no longer need to apply pen to paper and will instead digitally sign their deed online.
2. Borrowers will save time as they won’t have to get their signatures witnessed or risk their documents being lost in the post. They will be able to log in and sign their deed at any time, meaning their application is more likely to move along more quickly.
3. Borrowers using the service will confirm their identity using GOV.UK Verify.
4. HM Land Registry safeguards land and property ownership worth in excess of £4 trillion, including around £1 trillion of mortgages. The Land Register contains more than 25 million titles showing evidence of ownership for more than 85% of the land mass of England and Wales.
5. HM Land Registry’s mission is to guarantee and protect property rights in England and Wales. HM Land Registry is a government department created in 1862. It operates as an executive agency and a trading fund and its running costs are covered by the fees paid by the users of its services. Its ambition is to become the world’s leading land registry for speed, simplicity and an open approach to data.
6. For further information about HM Land Registry visit gov.uk/land-registry.
7. Follow us on: Twitter @HMLandRegistry, our blog, LinkedIn and Facebook.
8. Enact Conveyancing is the UK’s largest direct conveyancing firm providing remortgage and home mover services to the mortgage industry and individual consumers.
9. Coventry Building Society is the UK’s second largest building society and a top ten provider of savings and mortgages with over 1.8 million members.

Contact

The international community has once again stood with Britain in the face of Russian attempts to obscure the truth of the Skripal case.

At today’s special session of the Executive Council in The Hague called by Russia, Russia proposed a joint UK-Russia inquiry into the attempted murder in Salisbury. Russia demanded this session before the OPCW has completed its technical assistance to the UK. Russia’s proposal for a joint investigation was robustly defeated, receiving only six votes from the 41-strong Executive Council. Russia is continuing its diversionary tactics by asking now for an emergency session of the UN Security Council tomorrow, again without waiting for the OPCW to do its work.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

The purpose of Russia’s ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear – to undermine the independent, impartial work of the international chemical weapons watchdog. Russia has had one goal in mind since the attempted murders on UK soil through the use of a military-grade chemical weapon – to obscure the truth and confuse the public.

The international community has yet again seen through these tactics and robustly defeated Russia’s attempts today to derail the proper international process.

It shows that many countries around the world continue to share our assessment of what happened in Salisbury and are determined to stand up to Russia’s behaviour.

What’s more, none of us have forgotten that today marks a year since so many people were barbarically killed in a chemical weapons attack in Syria. After the OPCW-UN investigation found that the Syrian regime was responsible, Russia blocked that body from doing any more work.

It seems Russia will never accept the legitimacy of any investigation into chemical weapons use unless it comes up with an answer Russia likes.

Notes to Editors

At the OPCW at The Hague today:

• Only six of the 41 members voted in favour of the Russian draft decision proposing the joint UK/Russian investigation. 15 voted against, including the UK, 17 abstained, 2 were absent, and one was not entitled to vote.
• Only 13 signed up to Russia’s statement, according to Russia. There are 192 States Parties, any of whom could have decided to sign up.

Further information

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