Category: Gov Press Releases

A new UK aid package will provide life-saving food, medicine, clean water and sanitation to millions of desperate Yemenis facing disease and hunger, Minister for the Middle East Alistair Burt announced today.

There are now more than 8 million people at risk of starvation – an all-time high and one and a half million more people than this time last year – with three-quarters of the overall population of 27 million now in need of humanitarian assistance.

Speaking from Geneva at the UN High Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, Minister Burt said:

There can be absolutely no room for complacency in tackling the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. With no end to the conflict, the situation will deteriorate with the number of men, women and children at risk of starvation at an all-time high. That’s why UK aid will provide enough food to meet immediate needs for 3.4 million people, and buy fuel to mill enough wheat to feed a million people for over a year. Our support will continue to improve nutrition and access to clean water and sanitation across the country.

I am also deeply concerned that as the heavy rains arrive in the coming weeks, another deadly outbreak of cholera will bring more misery. There were over a million suspected cases last year of this debilitating and preventable waterborne disease, intensified by the breakdown in health and sanitation services. Yemeni authorities must work closely with the international community to take immediate action to curb its spread.

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis, helping to secure vital access for food, fuel and medicine to enter the country and rallying the international community to focus their efforts on paying doctors, nurses and sanitation workers. This will keep clinics and schools open, clear overflowing rubbish from streets and put money in the pockets of 7 million people so they can afford food and basic healthcare.

But we are very clear: only a political agreement can bring an end to this humanitarian crisis. For the sake of all Yemenis, we urge all parties to return to the negotiating table to find an inclusive political solution, and the UK is continuing to do all it can diplomatically to ensure such an outcome.

The UK co-hosted an event with the United Nations today to sound the alarm and contain another cholera outbreak on the same scale as last year. UN agencies set out their plans to respond to an expected outbreak, and asked donors for support. Through the UK’s existing aid to Gavi, we are supporting the first vaccination campaign for 1.1 million people against cholera since the conflict in Yemen began.

In 2017/18, UK aid provided nutritional support for 1.7 million people, and clean water and sanitation for an expected 1.2 million people.

We call on all parties to the conflict to allow unhindered humanitarian and commercial access throughout Yemen, including through Hodeidah and Saleef ports.

Notes to Editors

1. The UK has announced £170 million of funding to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for 2018/19.
2. To date, DFID has provided over £400 million in bilateral support since the conflict began in 2015.
3. The UK is Gavi’s largest donor, contributing £1.44 billion over the 2016 to 2020 period, which equates to approximately 25% of their spend globally.
4. As penholder for Yemen at the UN Security Council, the UK achieved agreement to issue the 15 March Presidential Statement which included calls for all parties to the conflict to allow unhindered humanitarian and commercial access for food, fuel and medical supplies throughout Yemen; and comply with obligations under International Humanitarian Law to reduce the impact on civilians. It also called for the payment of public sector salaries to avoid the collapse of critical services.

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Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns is backing Team Wales for medal glory at the start of the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast tomorrow (4 April).

The 214-strong Welsh contingent has made the journey to Australia where athletes will compete in 15 different disciplines. The squad includes eight competitors who will be taking a break from their school studies to join in the hunt for medals Down Under.

Speaking ahead of the Games’ opening ceremony, Alun Cairns said:

Wales punches above its weight in the sporting world, and the number of Welsh athletes who have travelled to the Gold Coast this year demonstrates the strength and passion we have to compete in Team Wales colours.

The Games are a unique opportunity for athletes to compete under their own flag at an elite level, representing a range of sports from lawn bowls to powerlifting.

The nation is backing Team Wales, and I wish the entire squad the best of luck as they aim to reach the highest heights of their sports over the coming days.

Team Wales is aiming for its most successful overseas Commonwealth Games this year, with athletes hoping to top the 25 medals they won in Auckland in 1990.

The 230 Welsh athletes who competed at the Glasgow Games four years ago were the most successful in Welsh Commonwealth Games history, taking home a total of 36 medals including five golds.

Amongst this year’s hopefuls are triathlete Non Stanford, who is leading the team at her first Commonwealth Games.

Double Olympic medallist, swimmer Jazz Carlin will carry the Welsh flag at the opening ceremony on 4 April, as the defending 800m freestyle champion competes in her fourth Games.

11-year old Anna Hursey has been making headlines recently, as the table tennis player from Cardiff is believed to be the youngest person to represent Wales at any sport at a senior level, or to compete at a Commonwealth Games for Team Wales.

This year’s Commonwealth Games form part of wider Commonwealth celebrations across the UK, as London prepares to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London this month(16-20 April).

Wales has also reaffirmed its strong links to the Commonwealth, hosting a series of Commonwealth Big Lunches in partnership with the Eden Project as part of the official celebrations in the run up to the Heads of Government Meeting.

Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns was joined by endurance athlete Richard Parks and representatives from youth, faith, diaspora and sport groups in Wales at a Big Lunch last month to celebrate the global relationships forged by the Commonwealth.

ENDS

The Attorney General, Jeremy Wright QC MP, has announced the start of recruitment for the next Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The current DPP, Alison Saunders CB, will stand down in October 2018 after serving her full term.

Alison began her 5 year term in November 2013. She will leave the CPS to join the multinational law firm Linklaters.

Commenting on the announcement, the Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC MP said:

I want to thank Alison personally for her service, not only as DPP but as an accomplished CPS Prosecutor whose successful record includes the prosecution of Stephen Lawrence’s killers. I have no doubt that she’ll be greatly missed within the organisation.

‎In recruiting the next DPP we are looking for an extraordinary candidate. The job requires excellent legal judgment, the ability to lead a large organisation and the capacity to work with others in improving the criminal justice system as a whole.

Commenting on the announcement, Alison Saunders said:

It has been a tremendous privilege to serve as the first Director of Public Prosecutions appointed from within the CPS and I am proud of everything the service has achieved over the past five years.

The criminal justice landscape is changing rapidly, as crime trends shift and courts become increasingly digital. Our work is now more complex, with the evolving nature of economic crime, the ongoing terrorism threat and a huge increase in reports of historic sexual abuse. It is testament to the professionalism and dedication of my colleagues that they have responded so effectively, maintaining performance without compromising our principles of fairness and independence.

My priority over the next six months is to keep driving improvements in how we work, with a sharp focus on casework quality. Key to that will be working alongside the police and other partners to find long-term solutions to the disclosure issues that exist throughout the entire criminal justice system.

Recruitment for the next DPP will begin later in April.

The appointment of the Director of Public Prosecutions is for a 5 year term. Only one DPP served longer – Dame Barbara Mills DBE QC who served 6 years.

In the 2013 New Year Honours, Alison was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) “for services to Law and Order especially after the 2011 London Riots”.

As the UK prepares for future trade agreements with countries around the world, International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, today names 2 new HM Trade Commissioners to champion British trade with some of the UK’s biggest economic partners.

The new appointments come as the latest ONS statistics show an increase in demand for British goods and services around the world in the year to January 2018, narrowing the trade deficit by £12.8 billion in the process.

Judith Slater has been appointed as HMTC for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, while Joanna Crellin will oversee trade between the UK and Latin America.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said:

With the IMF predicting that 90% of growth will come from outside the EU, we need to look at where the emerging markets are and put UK businesses in prime position to benefit. That is why, as an international economic department, we are introducing a new way of doing things with the appointment of our HM Trade Commissioners.

They will have more autonomy to do what works best in their region to improve trade with key markets of the future. Judith and Joanne bring a wealth of in-country knowledge and expertise to their new roles, alongside an extensive network of contacts in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and in Latin America – 2 key markets where British companies already have a well-established presence.

Trade between the UK and the Eastern European and Central Asian region has been blossoming in recent years, with total trade increasing by 9.2% to £30.6 billion in 2016. The demand for UK goods in the Caribbean and Latin America region is also strong with £9 billion of UK goods and services exported to the area in 2016.

These appointments follow an innovative new approach by the Department for International Trade (DIT) which earlier in the year published a list of upcoming visits by ministers, calling on businesses to have their say on ‘in market’ issues. Dr Fox and his team will be visiting the regions in the next few months, where they will also meet with the new HMTCs.

DIT Permanent Secretary, Antonia Romeo, said:

I am delighted to welcome Joanne and Judith to their new roles. They have both already done a fantastic job promoting the UK overseas and securing inward investment.

DIT’s network of HMTCs is the latest example of how we are building a best-in-class international economic department, generating prosperity at home by growing exports, attracting investment and developing our trade policy.

Speaking after her appointment, Joanna Crellin, HMTC for Latin America said:

I am delighted to be appointed to be appointed as Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner to Latin America and the Caribbean. This exciting and vibrant region has great potential with an ever-growing appetite for British trade as markets here continue to grow.

I look forward to building on existing contacts in the region, to raising the profile of the region in the UK, and to building stronger and deeper trading relationships in the future.

Judith Slater, HMTC for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, added:

I’m very happy to be taking on this role at such a crucial time for British trade. There are many opportunities for UK businesses in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, both in the more developed economies such as Turkey and also in the developing markets, some of which are less well-known to our companies. I will be working hard to expand our collaboration with the countries in this region, and thus to unlock more of their exciting potential for UK firms.

About HMTCs

All of the new HMTCs will cooperate closely with HM Ambassadors and High Commissioners, the wider diplomatic network, and other HM government colleagues based in countries in their region, in a joined-up and coordinated government effort overseas to promote UK trade and prosperity.

In total, there will be nine geographical areas that the HM Trade Commissioners will cover:

• Africa
• Asia-Pacific
• China
• Eastern Europe and Central Asia Network
• Europe
• Latin America
• Middle East
• North America
• South Asia

Richard Burn, Anthony Phillipson and Crispin Simon were recently appointed HMTCs for China, North America and South Asia, respectively.

Further HMTCs will be appointed shortly.

Joanna Crellin

Judith Slater was appointed British Consul-General, Istanbul and Regional Director-General for the Department for International Trade in September 2016. Prior to this, she was Deputy High Commissioner and South East Asia Regional Director of Trade and Investment in Singapore until September 2015.

Her previous posts include Deputy High Commissioner in Pretoria, South Africa from 2007-2011 and British Consul-General in Houston, Texas from 2004-2007. In the FCO in London, Judith’s posts have included Private Secretary to the Minister of State responsible for relations with Asia and Head of Nuclear Policy Section in a Non-Proliferation Department. She has also had overseas postings in New Delhi and Canberra.

Judith Slater

Judith has a law degree from St John’s College, Cambridge. She is married and has 2 teenage children. In her spare time, she enjoys golf, tennis, jogging and supporting Stoke City FC.

Joanna Crellin took office as British Consul-General in São Paulo in February 2015 in her first post overseas. She is also the Director-General for the Department for International Trade for Latin America.

She has worked for the UK government since 2001, having occupied a number of roles within the former Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and HM Treasury — covering issues as diverse as nuclear decommissioning, social enterprise and corporate finance.

Joanna has a degree in Social Anthropology, French and Spanish from Cambridge University and a MSc in Politics and Economic Development in Latin America from the London School of Economics. She is married and has 2 small children.

Further information

Contact the DIT Media and Digital Team on 020 7215 2000.

Follow us: @tradegovuk, gov.uk/dit.

A spokesperson for the Official Receiver said:

More than half (54%) the pre-liquidation workforce – close to 10,000 employees – have now been found secure ongoing employment so far through the liquidation. A further 873 jobs have been saved with employees transferring to new suppliers who have picked up contracts that Carillion had been delivering.

Regrettably we have been unable to find ongoing employment for a further 97 employees who have been given notice of redundancy. Jobcentre Plus’ RapidResponse Service will provide them with every support to find new work.

Discussions with potential purchasers continue. I am continuing to engage with staff, elected employee representatives and unions to keep them informed as these arrangements are confirmed.

further information:

• in total, to date 9,946 jobs have been saved and 1,802 jobs have been made redundant through the liquidation
• this information does not include jobs attached to contracts where an intention to purchase has been entered into but has not yet formally occurred
• more than 5,400 employees are currently retained to enable Carillion to deliver the remaining services it is providing for public and private sector customers until decisions are taken to transfer or cease these contracts
• further information about rights in redundancy is available on gov.uk

To be notified of future updates from the Official Receiver please register to receive an email alert.

The Charity Commission, the regulator of charities in England and Wales, has announced today that it has appointed an interim manager to Ampleforth Abbey (1026493) and the St Laurence Education Trust (1063808) as a result of continued concerns about the extent to which current safeguarding risks to pupils at the schools run by the charities are being adequately managed.

The Commission opened a statutory inquiry into both charities in November 2016 to investigate the charities’ trustees’ approach to safeguarding and their handling of allegations of abuse. The Commission is not satisfied that the charities’ current safeguarding policies, procedures and practices are adequate and working properly. This includes concerns about the charities’ compliance with established safeguarding procedures.

It has therefore made an order under Section 76 (3)(g) of the Charities Act 2011 on 21 March 2018 to appoint Emma Moody of Womble Bond Dickinson as interim manager of both charities.

She will have all the powers and duties of a trustee, to the exclusion of the trustees, in respect of a number of safeguarding related matters.

Harvey Grenville, Head of Investigations and Enforcement at the Charity Commission said:

It is of paramount importance that beneficiaries, and others who come into contact with charities, are protected from harm. We are not satisfied that the trustees of these charities have made enough progress in improving the safeguarding environment for pupils in the schools connected to the charities. For this reason, we have appointed an interim manager to expedite changes in the safeguarding arrangements at the schools.

The appointment comes after the Commission reviewed the progress made by the trustees in implementing recommendations made in March 2017 by an independent review commissioned by the charities.

The interim manager’s responsibilities will include:

• reviewing the sufficiency of the charities’ governance, leadership, management, culture, policies and practices with regard to safeguarding;
• scrutinising and reviewing the charities’ progress with implementing the recommendations arising from the independent review in 2017; and
• identifying and implementing any additional actions which are considered necessary or appropriate to provide a safe environment for children, young persons and vulnerable people at Ampleforth

Further information about the interim manager’s contact details and appointment can be obtained from the Ampleforth website. The interim manager will periodically update parents on the progress of her assignment.

Ends

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work see the about us page on GOV.UK.
2. Search for charities on our online register.
3. This appointment is a temporary and protective power that will be reviewed at regular intervals. It will continue until the Commission makes a further Order for its variation or discharge.
4. The trustees of the charities will continue to have all the other powers and duties of trustees with the exception of the safeguarding functions as outlined above.
5. In the context of safeguarding issues, the Commission 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. The Commission will not directly investigate allegations or incidents of abuse, although it may investigate the handling of such matters by charities. Anyone with concerns about specific incidents of alleged abuses, whether historic or recent, regarding any charity, should report their concerns to the police and the relevant safeguarding authorities.
6. 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. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

The UK will introduce a ban on ivory sales, Environment Secretary Michael Gove confirmed today as he set out our plans to help protect elephants for future generations.

The Government is publishing the response to its consultation on a UK ivory sales ban, and confirming robust measures that will be brought into force through primary legislation.

The ban will cover ivory items of all ages – not only those produced after a certain date. The maximum available penalty for breaching the ban will be an unlimited fine or up to five years in jail.

There were more than 70,000 responses to the consultation, with over 88 percent of responses in favour of the ban.

The number of elephants has declined by almost a third in the last decade and around 20,000 a year are still being slaughtered due to the global demand for ivory.

Environment Secretary, Michael Gove said:

Ivory should never be seen as a commodity for financial gain or a status symbol, so we will introduce one of the world’s toughest bans on ivory sales to protect elephants for future generations.

The ban on ivory sales we will bring into law will reaffirm the UK’s global leadership on this critical issue, demonstrating our belief that the abhorrent ivory trade should become a thing of the past.

In line with the approach taken by other countries, including the United States and China, there will be certain narrowly-defined and carefully-targeted exemptions for items which do not contribute to the poaching of elephants.

The exemptions have been tightened since the Government published its proposals for consultation, but still provide balance to ensure people are not unfairly impacted:

• Items with only a small amount of ivory in them. Such items must be comprised of less than 10% ivory by volume and have been made prior to 1947.
• Musical instruments. These must have an ivory content of less than 20% and have been made prior to 1975 (when Asian elephants were added to CITES).
• Rarest and most important items of their type. Such items must be at least 100 years old and their rarity and importance will be assessed by specialist institutions such as the UK’s most prestigious museums before exemption permits are issued. In addition, there will be a specific exemption for portrait miniatures painted on thin slivers of ivory and which are at least 100 years old.
• Museums. Commercial activities to, and between, museums which are accredited by Arts Council England, the Welsh Government, Museums and Galleries Scotland or the Northern Ireland Museums Council in the UK, or the International Council of Museums for museums outside the UK.

By covering ivory items of all ages and adopting these narrow exemptions, the UK’s ban will be one of the toughest in the world. The US federal ban exempts all items older than 100 years as well as items with up to 50% ivory content. The Chinese ban exempts ivory “relics”, without setting a date before which these must have been produced.

The UK is already showing global leadership in the international fight against the illegal ivory trade, and at a recent European Environment Council called for EU member states to follow the Government’s lead and ban commercial trade in raw ivory – which is already banned in the UK – within the EU as soon as possible.

In October, the UK will host the fourth international conference on the illegal wildlife trade, bringing global leaders to London to tackle the strategic challenges of the trade. This follows the ground breaking London 2014 conference on the illegal wildlife trade, and subsequent conferences in Botswana and Vietnam.

A ban on ivory sales in the UK would build on government work both at home and overseas to tackle poaching and the illegal ivory trade. The UK military is training African park rangers in proven poacher interception techniques in key African countries, and Border Force officers share their expertise in identifying smuggled ivory with counterparts worldwide to stop wildlife trafficking.

The CEO of Tusk Trust, Charlie Mayhew MBE said:

We are delighted that the Government has listened to our concerns and given the overwhelming public response to their consultation is now moving decisively to introduce tough legislation to ban the trade in ivory in the UK.

The narrowly defined exemptions are pragmatic. The ban will ensure there is no value for modern day ivory and the tusks of recently poached elephants cannot enter the UK market. We welcome the fact that Ministers are sending such a clear message to the world that the illegal wildlife trade will not be tolerated and every effort will be made to halt the shocking decline in Africa’s elephant population in recent years.

Tanya Steele chief executive at WWF said:

Around 55 African elephants are killed for their ivory a day, their tusks turned into carvings and trinkets. This ban makes the UK a global leader in tackling this bloody trade and it’s something WWF has been fighting hard for.

But if we want to stop the poaching of this majestic animal, we need global action. We hope the UK will continue to press countries where the biggest ivory markets are, most of which are in Asia, to shut down their trade too.

ZSL Director of Conservation, Matthew Hatchwell, said:

Legal domestic ivory markets are intrinsically linked to the illegal ivory trade that is driving the current poaching crisis. With almost 20,000 elephants poached in the last year, it is vital that countries take significant steps such as those outlined by the UK government today to close their markets and help make the trade in ivory a thing of the past. No one in the UK today would dream of wearing a tiger-skin coat. Thanks to this move, in a few years’ time we believe the same will be true for the trade in ivory.

John Stephenson, CEO Stop Ivory said:

This is a significant day for the future of elephants. The UK government has taken a momentous step. The proposed ban, with its narrow and clear exemptions, places the UK at the forefront of the international determination to halt the extermination of elephant populations by banning trade in ivory. The Secretary of State for DEFRA has shown clear leadership in demanding legislation whilst there is still time to secure a future for elephants in the wild.

The end of the ivory trade in the UK removes any hiding place for the trade in illegal ivory, and sends a powerful message to the world that ivory will no longer be valued as a commodity. Ivory belongs on an elephant and when the buying stops the killing will stop.

As profits become ever greater, the illegal wildlife trade has become a transnational organised enterprise, estimated to be worth up to £17 billion a year.

The further decline of elephants would also deprive some of the poorest countries in the world of their valuable natural capital, affecting economic growth and sustainable development.