Category: Gov Press Releases

Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, said:

The UK is at the forefront of the civil aerospace industry and I am delighted that the Department for International Trade is backing this landmark contract, which will support the global success of Bombardier’s C Series programme and its operations in Northern Ireland.

This represents a double-first; it is the first time that UKEF has supported a C Series aircraft sale from Bombardier, who are a major investor and employer in Northern Ireland, and it is the first sale of the C Series to an Asian airline.

This contract clearly shows the value of support from UK Export Finance to those investing into the UK as they grow their international businesses.

The announcement comes at a historic moment for the UK and Asia, with two weeks to go until the UK Government hosts the GREAT Festival of Innovation in Hong Kong, designed to boost trade between the UK and Asia.

UKEF has worked in partnership with Canadian export credit agency, Export Development Canada (EDC), to provide Korean Airlines with financing to support the sale to date of two C Series aircraft, whose wings and parts of the fuselage – a significant proportion of the complete aircraft – are made at Bombardier’s site in Belfast. UKEF has provided reinsurance support to EDC for the UK elements of the aircraft.

Michael Ryan, President, Bombardier Aerostructures and Engineering Services, said:

The C Series aircraft is the market leader in the 100- to 150-seat segment and subject to significant global demand. This aircraft has advanced carbon fibre wings and advanced technology fuselage sections manufactured in Belfast. We are very proud to have secured our first C Series aircraft sale to an Asian airline and with the backing of UK Export Finance and Export Development Canada look forward to building on this success.

UKEF, Bombardier and EDC are planning to extend the programme, with further support likely to follow for future C Series deliveries to Korean Airlines scheduled for 2018.

Background

1. UK Export Finance is the UK’s export credit agency and a government department, working alongside the Department for International Trade as an integral part of its strategy and operations.
2. It exists to ensure that no viable UK export should fail for want of finance or insurance from the private market. It provides finance and insurance to help exporters win, fulfil and ensure they get paid for export contracts.
3. Sectors in which UKEF has supported exports include: aerospace, construction, oil and gas, mining and metals, petrochemicals, telecommunications, and transport.
4. UKEF has a regional network of 24 export finance managers supporting export businesses.
5. Find UKEF’s latest country cover positions.
6. The GREAT Festival of Innovation, taking place from 21-24 March in Hong Kong, is underpinned by a shared desire to build on the success of longstanding trading relationships between Asia and the UK and to stimulate further growth. It is an exchange of ideas intended to fuel debate and discussion to drive collaboration and partnerships between business, higher education and government, with a programme designed to address the role of innovation in driving prosperity.
7. UKEF supports exporters with a range of products that include:

• Bond insurance policy
• Bond support scheme
• Buyer & supplier credit financing facility
• Direct lending facility
• Export insurance policy
• Export refinancing facility
• Export working capital scheme
• Letter of credit guarantee scheme

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into the Kenya Community Support Network (1104003). The investigation was opened on 22 January 2018.

The charity’s objects include relieving poverty, sickness and distress among Kenyans and promoting research into the conditions of life of Kenyans. The charity’s stated activities include providing advice and guidance on issues such as immigration, health, welfare benefit, housing, further education, training and basic counselling.

The Commission engaged with the charity in October 2017 after receiving a complaint. This complaint raised concerns about the charity’s expenditure and whether it was in furtherance of the charity’s objects.
The Commission met with representatives from the charity to explore the charity’s internal governance, management and administration and inspected the charity’s records. The Commission is concerned that there are strong indicators that show that the charity is being used for significant private benefit, that there is mismanagement and misconduct in the administration of the charity, and that the charity is not carrying out activities in furtherance of its charitable objects for the public benefit.

In order to address these concerns, the investigation will look at:

• whether the trustees have acted in compliance with their legal duties and responsibilities under charity law in the administration of the charity
• the financial management of the charity, in particular with regard to its expenditure
• whether there has been any private benefit to the trustees of the charity
• whether the trustees have operated the charity in furtherance of its charitable objects for the public benefit
• whether there has been misconduct and/ or mismanagement by the trustees

In light of the Commission’s concerns, it has taken action to protect the charity’s assets by restricting the transactions from the charity’s bank account. As a result, the charity cannot make payments or part with any of the charity’s assets without the Commission’s prior written approval.

The Commission stresses that opening an inquiry is not in itself a finding of wrongdoing. The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail, investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can ascertain whether there has been mismanagement and/or misconduct; establish the extent of any risk to the charity’s property, beneficiaries or work and decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its investigative, protective and remedial powers to do so.

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 charity’s details can be viewed on the Commission’s online charity search tool.

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 check charity tool.
3. 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.
4. The Commission’s decision to announce the opening of a statutory inquiry is based on whether it is in the public interest to do so and with consideration of our objective to increase public trust and confidence in charities.

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Venerable Dr John Perumbalath, BA, BD, MA, MTh, PhD, Archdeacon of Barking, in the Diocese of Chelmsford, to the Suffragan See of Bradwell, in the Diocese of Chelmsford in succession to the Right Reverend John Michael Wraw, BA, who died on 25 July 2017.

The Venerable Dr John Perumbalath (52) hails from the ancient Syrian Christian community in Kerala, India, and trained for ministry at Union Biblical Seminary, Pune. Before his ordination he worked as a youth worker among university students for two years and as a theological educator for three years. He was a parish priest in the diocese of Calcutta (Church of North India) from 1995 to 2001. He served on the General Synod of CNI and on its Theological Commission. Since his move to the United Kingdom, he served in the diocese of Rochester as Associate Priest at St George’s Beckenham(2002-05), Team Vicar in Northfleet & Rosherville (2005-08), Vicar of All Saints, Perry Street & Diocesan Urban Officer (2008-13) before he was appointed the Archdeacon of Barking in 2013.

John also holds a wider role locally and nationally. He chairs the Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns (CMEAC) and London Churches Refugee Network. He is a member of the General Synod and sits on the Appointment Committee of the Church of England, Mission & Public Affairs Council, and the trustee board of Westcott House, Cambridge.

John is married to Jessy, a Mathematics teacher and they have a daughter, Anugraha, a medical student. John has contributed reflections for Church House Publishing and has taken up speaking engagements in various provinces of Anglican Communion. He holds postgraduate degrees in Philosophy and Biblical studies and a doctorate in hermeneutics.

• £1.1 million identified for 9,200 workers underpaid minimum wage rates
• 179 employers named and fined £1.3 million after underpayment
• 8 Northern Ireland employers among those named

As well as recovering backpay for 9,200 workers, the government also fined the employers a total of £1.3 million in penalties for breaking national minimum wage laws. The most prolific offending sectors in this round were retailers, hospitality businesses and hairdressers.

It comes ahead of the next rate rise on 1 April, when the National Living Wage will go up from £7.50 to £7.83 per hour. Apprentices under the age of 19 and those in the first year of their apprenticeship will benefit from a record 5.7% rise.

Later this month the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will launch a campaign to raise awareness of the new rates and encourage workers to speak to their employer if they think they are being underpaid.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP said:

The National Living and Minimum Wage, which every worker is entitled to, is an essential part of building the higher wage, lower welfare, lower tax society that the UK needs.

Thanks to government investigations almost 10 thousand of the UK’s lowest paid workers are to be back paid as we continue to build a United Kingdom, that works for everyone.

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said:

The world of work is changing and we have set out our plans to give millions of workers enhanced rights to ensure everyone is paid and treated fairly in the workplace.

There are no excuses for short-changing workers. This is an absolute red line for this government and employers who cross it will get caught – not only are they forced to pay back every penny but they are also fined up to 200% of wages owed.

Today’s naming round serves as a sharp reminder to employers to get their house in order ahead of minimum wage rate rises on 1 April.

This 14th naming round comes after the government published its Good Work plan last month, which announced the right to a payslip for all workers. The new law is likely to benefit around 300,000 UK workers who do not currently get a payslip.

For those paid by the hour, payslips will also have to include how many hours the worker is paid for, making pay easier to understand and challenge if it is wrong. The move is part of the government’s Industrial Strategy, the long-term plan to build a Britain fit for the future by helping businesses create better, higher-paying jobs in every part of the UK.

Since 2013 the scheme has identified more than £9 million in back pay for around 67,000 workers, with more than 1,700 employers fined a total of £6.3 million. The government has also committed £25.3 million for minimum wage enforcement in 2017 to 2018.

Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay back arrears of wages to the worker at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to 200% of arrears, capped at £20,000 per worker.

For more information about your pay, or if you think you might be being underpaid, get advice and guidance at www.gov.uk/checkyourpay. Workers can also seek advice from workplace experts Acas.

Following a statutory consultation by the Regulator of Social Housinga new Value for Money Standard and a supporting Code of Practice, which will apply to all private registered providers of social housing, will come into effect on 1 April 2018.

Alongside the new Standard and Code the regulator is publishing value for money metrics that providers will be expected to report against. To meet its statutory objective to be proportionate and minimise interference, the metrics are based on information collected through the providers’ existing Annual Accounts regulatory return and drawn from the pilot undertaken by the Sector Scorecard Working Group.

Generally respondents welcomed the move away from a narrative approach of VfM reporting to more focused reporting, and understood and supported the metrics approach that RSH had proposed.

From 1 April 2018 private registered providers will no longer need to produce a VfM self-assessment and should meet the reporting requirements of the new Standard. While the value for money metrics which are applicable to all, are financially focused, providers will be able to also set performance targets themselves to reflect social outcomes, appropriate to their objectives.

The Standard requires providers to publish performance evidence in their annual accounts against their own metrics and those defined by the regulator, and report how that performance compares to peers. Providers will be free to report outside of the accounts in a way they see fit if they consider this increases transparency with stakeholders.

Simon Dow, Interim Chair of the Regulation Committee said:

Thank you to everyone who contributed their views to our Value for Money (VfM) consultation and the separate Technical Note on metrics. Overall, the responses have been very positive and the strengthened Standard now sets out a clear expectation that VfM should be a key strategic consideration for boards.

The new approach will assist with scrutiny and consistency over the information reported, enable a greater focus on outcomes, and help continue to drive improvements in value for money in the sector. As is already our practice, we will seek assurance through In Depth Assessments that registered providers are putting the Standard in practice.

A decision statement, outlining the analysis of consultation responses received, has been published on the Gov.uk website. It includes the final version of the VfM Standard and Code of Practice.

The VfM Metrics Technical Note is also published on a separate page of the website.

Further information

1. There were 174 completed responses to the statutory consultation which ran from 27 September 2017 to 20 December 2017. The regulator also consulted extensively with sector representative bodies.
2. The Sector Scorecard is a voluntary approach that has been adopted by a large proportion of the sector as piloted by the Sector Scorecard Working Group. The new VfM Standard does not oblige providers to adopt the Sector Scorecard. However, the Standard expects that providers will also report on performance targets based upon their own strategic objectives, and if providers wish to draw on the sector scorecard in setting such targets they are free to do so. Where the two sets of measures overlap, we have sought to align the calculation of the metrics in order to ensure consistency and avoid any scope for confusion.
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 media enquiries page has contact details for journalists.

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

600 tickets are available for descendants to attend an event on 8 August at Amiens Cathedral, France. The event, held in partnership with the Australian, Canadian, French and U.S. governments, will tell the story of the Battle of Amiens which heralded the Hundred Days Offensive and the path to the Armistice in November 1918.

Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said:

The Battle of Amiens marked a turning point in the First World War and this anniversary gives us a chance to reflect on how the war in Europe moved from entrenched conflict to the signing of the Armistice in 1918.

We have a duty to tell the stories of those who lived and fought in the First World War and to keep their memories alive. I encourage all those with a connection to the Battle of Amiens or the war on the Western Front during the summer of 1918 to apply for tickets to the commemorations this summer.

Dan Snow, Historian and Broadcaster said:

Amiens might not be the most famous battle of the First World War, but it might be the most important. In the summer of 1918 at Amiens British, French, Commonwealth and American troops decisively defeated the mighty German Army by using a combination of new tactics and weapons that finally broke the stalemate of the trenches. This was the beginning of the end of the First World War and it the beginning of modern warfare. It is one of the most remarkable battles in British history, on the centenary we have a unique chance to commemorate it and place it where it belongs, at the heart of our national story.

Glyn Prysor, CWGC Chief Historian said:

8 August 1918 was among the most dramatic days of the First World War. The Battle of Amiens was a remarkable Allied success and a horrific ordeal for German soldiers. For the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, this anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the cost of victory. Our cemeteries and memorials eloquently reflect the combined efforts of people from across the world who served: whether at the sharp end of the fighting or working behind the lines to support a campaign which would eventually lead to the Armistice.

Described by German General, Erich Ludendorff as the black day of the German Army, Amiens started 8 August 1918 and lasted three days. It marked the beginning of the Hundred Days offensive that eventually won the war. The Allied forces, made up of British, Australian, Canadian, French and U.S. soldiers, advanced over seven miles on the first day of the battle, one of the greatest advances of the war.

Less known than the Battle of Passchendaele or the Battle of the Somme, Amiens marked a distinct change compared to the huge loss of life and devastation of previous battles. This is reflected in the stories of Allied troops who were there, which can be found on Lives of the First World War.

Captain Edwin Francis Trundle of the Australian Imperial Force, one of three brothers who fought and survived the war, wrote to his wife Louisa in Australia:

During the last few days we have advanced over twelve miles … up to the present everything has gone excellently and everyone is in high spirits… I followed the attacking infantry with a team of thirty-six pack mules carrying ammunition forward … Ever since then we have kept continually moving forward until now we are over twelve miles ahead of our starting position.

The government’s four year programme of centenary events will culminate on 11 November 2018 with a series of events across the UK to mark the centenary of the Armistice. The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph will follow traditional lines to respect its wider purpose in remembering the fallen of all conflicts. The traditional veterans’ parade will be followed by a civilian procession made up of 10,000 members of the public who wish to show their thanks to a generation who gave so much for the freedoms we enjoy today.

During the day, church and other bells will ring out as they did in 1918 to mark the end of the war. The government is supporting the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers to recruit 1,400 bell ringers – the number that were lost during the war – to create a national peal that will echo the impromptu outpouring of relief and joy that took place 100 years ago.

The commemorations will conclude with a national service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London. Similar services will also take place in Glasgow, Cardiff and Belfast. The services will reflect on the four years of war and will give thanks for the soldiers who returned and remember those who did not.

Those with an emotional connection to the Battle of Amiens or the war on the Western Front during the summer of 1918 can:

• Apply for tickets to attend the ceremony inside Amiens Cathedral on 8 August
• Research and remember their ancestors who fought in the First World War on Imperial War Museums’ Lives of the First World War

ENDS

To apply for tickets to the ballot visit www.gov.uk/guidance/amiens100

The ballot closes at 12 noon on 9 April 2018.

• £1.11m identified for 9,200 workers underpaid minimum wage rates across the UK
• 179 employers named UK wide and fined £1.3m after underpayment
• Naming round comes before minimum wage rates rising on 1 April

The UK Government has today (9 March) named and shamed 182 UK employers – including 10 in Wales – for underpaying more than 9,000 minimum wage workers by £1.11 million.

In Wales 10 employers were named for underpaying 159 workers a total of £76,659. They were fined a total of £87,396.

As well as recovering backpay for 9.200 workers, the Government also fined the employers a total of £1.3 million in penalties for breaking national minimum wage laws. The most prolific offending sectors in this round were retailers, hospitality businesses and hairdressers.

It comes ahead of the next rate rise on 1 April, when the National Living Wage will go up from £7.50 to £7.83 per hour. Apprentices under the age of 19 and those in the first year of their apprenticeship will benefit from a record 5.7% rise.

Later this month the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will launch a campaign to raise awareness of the new rates and encourage workers to speak to their employer if they think they are being underpaid.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

Every worker in the UK is entitled to at least the national minimum or living wage and the UK Government will ensure they get it.

That is why we have named and shamed these employers who failed to pay the legal minimum, sending the clear message to employers that minimum wage abuses will not go unpunished.

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said:

The world of work is changing and we have set out our plans to give millions of workers enhanced rights to ensure everyone is paid and treated fairly in the workplace.

There are no excuses for short-changing workers. This is an absolute red line for this Government and employers who cross it will get caught – not only are they forced to pay back every penny but they are also fined up to 200% of wages owed.

Today’s naming round serves as a sharp reminder to employers to get their house in order ahead of minimum wage rate rises on 1 April.

Bryan Sanderson, Chairman of the Low Pay Commission, said:

As the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage rates rise on 1 April, it is vital that workers understand their rights, and employers their obligations.

The Low Pay Commission is pleased to see the Government maintaining the momentum of its minimum wage enforcement.

The recent announcement that all workers will have a right to payslips stating the hours they have worked – an idea originally proposed by the LPC – is a positive step.

This 14th naming round comes after the government published its Good Work plan last month, which announced the right to a payslip for all workers. The new law is likely to benefit around 300,000 UK workers who do not currently get a payslip.

For those paid by the hour, payslips will also have to include how many hours the worker is paid for, making pay easier to understand and challenge if it is wrong. The move is part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy the government’s long-term plan to build a Britain fit for the future by helping businesses create better, higher-paying jobs in every part of the UK.

Since 2013 the scheme has identified more than £9 million in back pay for around 67,000 workers, with more than 1,700 employers fined a total of £6.3 million. The Government has also committed £25.3m for minimum wage enforcement in 2017/18.

Employers who pay workers less than the minimum wage not only have to pay back arrears of wages to the worker at current minimum wage rates but also face financial penalties of up to 200% of arrears, capped at £20,000 per worker.

For more information about your pay, or if you think you might be being underpaid, get advice and guidance at www.gov.uk/checkyourpay. Workers can also seek advice from workplace experts Acas.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The companies from Wales are:-

Name of Employer	Company/Trading Name	Partial Postcode	Government Office Region (employer trading address)	Local Authority (employer trading address)
Seashells Limited		LL29	Wales	Conwy
Mr Akbor Miah	Dil Indian Cuisine	NP15	Wales	Monmouthshire
Davies Security Limited		SA1	Wales	Swansea
Oakfield Caravan Park Limited		LL18	Wales	Denbighshire
A1 Care Services Limited		NP4	Wales	Torfaen
SB Patel Ltd	Porth Stores	CF46	Wales	Merthyr Tydfil
Arcadis Consulting (UK) Limited		CF3	Wales	Cardiff
Bush House Pembroke Limited		SA71	Wales	Pembrokeshire
Rainbow Brite Cleaning Services Limited		NP20	Wales	Newport
NTCDucting.com Limited		SA7	Wales	Swansea

Under this scheme the government will name all employers who have been issued with a Notice of Underpayment (NoU) unless employers meet one of the exceptional criteria or have arrears of £100 or less. All 179 cases named today (9 March 2018) failed to pay the correct national minimum or living wage rates and owed arrears of more than £100.

Employers have 28 days to appeal against the NoU (this notice sets out the owed wages to be paid by the employer together with the penalty for not complying with minimum wage law). If the employer does not appeal or unsuccessfully appeals against this NoU, BEIS will consider them for naming. The employer then has 14 days to make representations to BEIS outlining whether they meet any of the exceptional criteria:

• Naming by BEIS carries a risk of personal harm to an individual or their family;
• There are national security risks associated with naming in this instance;
• Other factors which suggest that it would not be in the public interest to name the employer.

National Living and Minimum Wage rates:-

Date	25 and over	21 to 24	18 to 20	Under 18	Apprentice
April 2017	£7.50	£7.05	£5.60	£4.05	£3.50
April 2018	£7.83	£7.38	£5.90	£4.20	£3.70

Low paying sectors across the UK:-

• Hospitality: 43 employers named for underpaying 5,726 workers a total of £460,459
• Hairdressing: 19 employers named for underpaying 152 workers a total of £43,938
• Retail: 18 employers named for underpaying 85 workers a total of £27,332