Category: Gov Press Releases

On 20 February 2012, Michael Adjei, 24, who was 19 at the time, attacked the 18 year old victim in the early hours of the morning when she was walking alone to her friend’s house after a night out. The victim was approaching the front door when Adjei jumped on her from behind causing her to fall sideways between 2 parked cars and hit her face.

Adjei then kneeled on top of the victim and forced her to perform oral sex on him after which he made several attempts to forcibly remove her leggings to rape her again. The victim resisted and the offender eventually ran off with the victim’s handbag after noticing a pedestrian was approaching.

Adjei also slammed the victims head on the ground, pulled at her arms and legs and grabbed her by the throat. The victim had swelling to her face, scratches to her neck, chest and knees and injuries to her breasts and buttocks as a result of the incident. The attack was witnessed by 2 residents who looked out of their bedroom windows when they heard the victim’s shouting.

Adjei was convicted of rape and theft at Wood Green Crown Court in October this year. He was originally sentenced to 5 years in prison. The Court of Appeal has today increased his sentence to 7 years.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General, who referred the original sentence to the Court of Appeal as unduly lenient said:

“This was a violent attack that left both physical and emotional trauma, and crimes of this nature must be suitably sentenced.

“I am pleased the Court has seen fit to increase this sentence – the increased sentence better reflects the seriousness of this offending and the lasting impact it has had on the victim.”

Access to clean and safe water supplies is essential for people and the environment,however increasing demand for water is putting pressure on supplies.

Latest data shows that five per cent of surface water bodies and 15 per cent of groundwater bodies are at risk from increasing water use by current abstraction licence holders that could damage the environment.

Today’s new abstraction reform plan will improve better access to water by:

• Preventing unsustainable abstraction by reviewing existing licences and introducing more controls to protect rivers, lakes and groundwater.
• Developing a strong focus on catchment areas for water bodies to encourage more partnership working between the Environment Agency, abstractors and catchment groups to protect and enhance the environment and improve access to water.
• Modernising the abstraction service to allow online applications for licences and bring water resources regulations in line with other environmental permitting regulations.

Environment Minister, Thérèse Coffey said:

The abstraction licencing system is in clear need of reform and I am very pleased to set out how we will do this in our plan. I believe our approach will work for all parties and, most importantly, will protect our precious water supplies.

Our ambition is to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we found it and we will keep building on our successes by enhancing our environmental standards and delivering a Green Brexit.

Making sure that abstraction is sustainable and contributes to healthy water bodies that are able to provide good support to fish and other aquatic life is at the heart of these plans.

While good progress has been made in recent years, the plan emphasises the importance of the Environment Agency, the water industry and other stakeholders working in partnership at a catchment level to improve and protect the environment and improve access to water.

From January 2018 the Environment Agency will begin to regulate around 5,000 water users that have historically been exempt from regulation. This will create a fairer system and help protect the environment.

The Environment Agency’s work to address unsustainable abstraction should see around 90 per cent of surface water bodies and 77 per cent of groundwater bodies meet the required standards by 2021.

Notes to editors:

• The Environment Agency will produce updated abstraction licensing strategies that detail the solutions to environmental issues in local areas around rivers and groundwaters and set out approaches to help abstractors access the water they need.
• Since 2008 the Environment Agency has made changes to over 270 abstraction licences to prevent over 30 billion litres of water per year being removed from the environment where abstraction is unsustainable.
• In the New Year, the Environment Agency will begin piloting and testing a digital system for handling licence applications and data reporting. Modernising these services will improve the user experience as well as supporting reforms to better protect the environment and improve access to water.
• A report will be made to Parliament by May 2019 on the progress made on abstraction reform.

Pubs Code Adjudicator Paul Newby has today published a Regulatory Compliance Handbook setting out how he expects pub-owning businesses covered by the Pubs Code to act in a number of important areas.

The Handbook contains minimum standards dealing with areas such as communications and engagement with tenants. Another major focus is the behaviour of Business Development Managers, particularly following a tenant’s request for a Market Rent Only (MRO) option.

Publication of the Regulatory Compliance Handbook is part of the PCA’s response to the concerns identified in the MRO verification exercise which highlighted the low conversion rate of MRO Notices served into MRO tenancies agreed.

Mr Newby intends to monitor its use and welcomes information from tenants and organisations representing their interests about how it is being implemented.

This Handbook is a starting point and the PCA will be inviting pub-owning businesses to build on and add to this advice. The PCA will provide updates to the Handbook to deal with additional issues and developments.

As well as concerns about the way some pub-owning businesses were treating tied pub tenants when they request an MRO proposal, the MRO verification exercise also identified concerns about the time and expense involved in arbitrations, and the lack of clarity in the Pubs Code, especially on the MRO vehicle.

The PCA agrees that the arbitration process has been too slow. He has therefore taken steps to speed up the process, including the introduction of new IT and an expanded team. The PCA expects both tied pub tenants and pub-owning businesses to play their part in minimising delays and providing timely information.

The PCA understands the demand for further clarity on the Code, in particular on the question of whether an MRO tenancy requires a new agreement. The PCA has made decisions on this issue, but is currently subject to an appeal. This places limits on what the PCA can say publicly at this time.

The PCA continues to make arbitration decisions and will draw out principles from these cases in the form of further advice and guidance on the scope and application of the Code as the number of decisions increases.

Paul Newby said: “I recognise there has been concern and frustration with the operation of the Pubs Code – I share much of that. The Code is new and new law can take time to bed down but I believe we have an action plan that will deliver real progress. The results of the verification exercise that examined the experiences of tenants seeking a Market Rent Only option deeply concerned me. Concerns covered three key areas: the way some tied pub tenants are treated by pub-owning businesses when they request an MRO proposal; the time and expense involved in arbitrations; and the lack of clarity in the Code, especially on the MRO vehicle.

“Following publication of the report I held a series of bilateral meetings with the pub-owning businesses to discuss the concerns raised by tenants in more detail. After detailed discussions with each CEO, I have produced the Regulatory Compliance Handbook. This is statutory advice to the pub-owning businesses on the behaviours I expect from them in line with their specific obligations under the Code. I will monitor formally how the pub-owning businesses implement this advice and am prepared to take further regulatory action if I do not see progress.

“I have also been listening to the concerns of tenants and other stakeholders about the arbitration process and clarity on the Code, and I am putting in place the changes to deal with the issues raised. My strong focus on increasing the pace of arbitrations will be a great help in the process of developing the key principles that will provide more clarity on the Pubs Code. I am working towards issuing substantial advice as early as possible in the first quarter of 2018.”

For further information contact office@pca.gsi.gov.uk.

Notes to editors:

1. The MRO verification exercise report was published 23 August 2017.
2. PCA bulletin (August), published 23 August 2017, provided the PCA’s initial response to the MRO verification exercise.
3. PCA bulletin (December) and Regulatory Compliance Handbook published 15 December 2017.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has worked with Spend Network, a company specialising in public procurement and finance data, to develop the tool which is freely available for procurement professionals to download and use.

The software uses algorithms to spot unusual bidder behaviour and pricing patterns which may indicate that bid-rigging has taken place.

Bid-rigging is a serious form of illegal behaviour that can cause public authorities to overpay when buying goods and services.

It occurs when suppliers form a cartel and agree the prices they will bid when quoting for contracts rather than competing fairly.

This removes the incentive for businesses to keep their prices low and means purchasers can end up paying more than they should.

In some cases, this kind of cartel can raise prices by as much as 30%.

John Kirkpatrick, CMA Senior Director of Advocacy, said:

Bid-rigging in the public sector can cost taxpayers many millions of pounds. Companies disguise their bids so that they look like they’re genuinely competing, when in fact they are colluding with each other to take advantage of the public purse.

We have launched this free tool to help public procurers spot and stop cartels and make sure real competition gets them good value for taxpayers’ money.

The Central Procurement Directorate is responsible for public procurement policy in Northern Ireland and has been a key partner in developing and testing the tool.

It said:

Public authorities are under constant pressure to ensure maximum value for taxpayers’ money. That is why we welcome this invaluable tool from the CMA, which can help procurement teams check they are not being unfairly taken advantage of by suppliers who try to ‘game the system’.

We’ve been testing the tool and it’s quick and easy to use. Once you’ve organised your data, you can run it at the click of a button! It provides you with a clear report at the end, and even allows you to adjust the thresholds and weightings to make it more suitable to the data you are testing.

We would encourage all local authorities to download and use the tool to help combat fraud in the public sector, and provide peace of mind that supply chains are healthy and competitive.

The tool will tell you which – if any – of your procurement exercises show signs of bid-rigging and might merit a closer look.

If, having investigated any suspicious procurement exercises, something still looks odd, you can call the CMA cartels hotline and we can help you investigate.

The free tool is digitally signed with Microsoft Authenticode certification and has high level IT assurance from the Government Digital Service (GDS) – so we’re confident it works well.

After carrying out rigorous penetrating testing on the tool, the GDS is content that issues identified have been remediated to an acceptable level of risk for government usage in alignment with Government Security Secretariat policy.

It is available for download on GitHub, an open source development platform. To receive log in details to access the GitHub site, please email screeningforcartels@cma.gsi.gov.uk.

For further details, please see Screening for cartels: tool for procurers.

The CMA has also produced other guidance on bid-rigging to help procurers. This includes a 60-second summary, an open letter and an e-learning module that gives pointers on what to look out for.

Notes for editors

1. The CMA is the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority. It is an independent non-ministerial government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and consumer law.
2. The Competition Act 1998 prohibits anti-competitive agreements, concerted practices and decisions by associations of undertakings which have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the UK or a part of it and which may affect trade within the UK or a part of it. Similarly, Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) prohibits such anti-competitive agreements, concerted practices and decisions by associations of undertakings which may affect trade between EU member states.
3. The CMA has produced a series of animated videos explaining the main principles of competition law and how they affect small businesses.
4. Any business found to have infringed the Competition Act 1998 could be fined up to 10% of its annual worldwide group turnover. In calculating financial penalties, the CMA takes into account a number of factors including seriousness of the infringement(s), turnover in the relevant market and any mitigating and/or aggravating factors. Bid-rigging cartels are amongst the most serious and harmful forms of offence the CMA investigates.
5. An early version of the tool was tested by some public authorities, as a result the algorithms and thresholds were adjusted in light of their experience.
6. The tool secured a higher level of IT assurance from the GDS. So we are confident it is safe and ready to use.
7. For more information on the CMA see our collection page or follow us on Twitter @CMAgovuk, Facebook, Flickr and LinkedIn. Sign up to our email alerts to receive updates on Competition Act 1998 and civil cartels cases.
8. Enquiries should be directed to Rebecca Cassar rebecca.cassar@cma.gsi.gov.uk, 020 3738 6633.

Public Health England had launched ‘Protect against STIs’, a new campaign that aims to reduce the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among 16 to 24-year-olds through condom usage. The campaign is the first government sexual health campaign in 8 years.

To coincide with the launch of the campaign, a new YouGov survey of 2,007 young people reveals current attitudes towards condom use and what prevented them from using protection.

Shockingly, the findings revealed that almost half (47%) of sexually active young people said they have had sex with someone new for the first time without using a condom; whilst 1 in 10 sexually active young people said that they had never used a condom.

The new research also revealed that sexual health is a challenging topic for young adults to discuss, as 56% of men and 43% of women said that it is difficult to talk about STIs with friends. Furthermore, 58% said that if they had an STI they would find it difficult to talk to their sexual partner about it.

In 2016, there were over 141,000 chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnoses in people aged between 15 and 24 in England and almost 6 in 10 (59%) of all those diagnosed with an STI were among this age group.

‘Protect against STIs’ aims to raise awareness of the serious consequences of STIs, which can cause infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID – an infection of the female upper genital tract, including the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries), swollen or painful testicles and even meningitis. Gonorrhoea is a particular concern because it is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, and may become untreatable in the future. The campaign will be highlighting the increased likelihood of contracting an STI if having sex without a condom and that many STIs are symptomless, including 7 in 10 cases of chlamydia.

Despite the rates of STIs remaining consistently high among young people, currently, twice as many young people say that the main reason for using condoms is to avoid pregnancy (58%), rather than to avoid getting an STI (29%).

The campaign aims to help normalise and encourage condom use in young people, as it was revealed that 1 in 3 (32%) young adults said that they have never seen a condom mentioned in sex scenes on TV or in films.

‘Protect Against STIs’ launches on 15 December 2017 with a nationwide digital advertising campaign targeting young people. The new advertising hears from real people talking about their own personal experiences of having an STI. The identities of the individuals will not be shown but will be animated by emojis. The campaign is being supported by a range of partners, including the Family Planning Association (FPA), Durex and British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH).

Gwenda Hughes, Head of STI Surveillance at Public Health England comments:

Rates of STIs among young people continue to be too high and it is concerning that many sexually active young people are not using condoms with new partners. Six in 10 chlamydia and gonorrhoea diagnoses are in those under 25 years of age, so we need to remind young people of the importance of using condoms with a new or casual partner to help prevent infection.

Dr Sara Kayat, TV doctor and campaign supporter comments:

Using a condom is the safest way to ensure that you avoid contracting STIs, such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea. Whilst many STIs are symptomless, contracting them can have serious health consequences if left untreated and even lead to infertility. As I tell patients in my clinic every week, it’s just not worth putting yourself at risk by not using a condom.

Tom Haywood, Senior Brand Manager at Durex UK, said:

STI rates remain high amongst young people in England and we want young people to know that sex can be fun and safe, if you wear a condom. There is still a perception for many that condoms reduce pleasure and fun, but condoms should be a key part of positive sexual activity as they help protect against STIs. Through this campaign, Durex wants to help educate young people around condom use and help reduce levels of STIs.

Visit the campaign website for more information.

Background information

Additional quotes

Dr Elizabeth Carlin, President of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) comments:

BASHH are delighted to support this important new campaign from Public Health England. It is both timely and crucial given the high rates of sexual infections in young people, many of whom do not have symptoms. Condoms remain essential in the fight against STIs, as well as HIV, and we recommend using them for sex with any new or casual partners. We urge anyone who is concerned about their sexual health, or risks they have taken, to have a check-up and be tested – it is quick and easy to do.

Jesse, aged 24 from London who contracted chlamydia and gonorrhoea in the past comments:

I’ve had both chlamydia and gonorrhea in the past when I didn’t use a condom and it wasn’t a nice experience. They caused pain in my groin and discomfort when urinating. The worst of it though was having to tell my previous and current sexual partner that I had contracted the STIs, so they also needed to get checked and treated. I had symptoms, but I know there are so many people who don’t, so now when having sex with someone new I will definitely use a condom.

1. Campaign advertising and images can be downloaded online.
2. Dr Sara Kayat is a GP at Grays Inn Road Medical Practice. Her main areas of expertise are sexual and reproductive health, as well surgical specialties like ENT and orthopaedics. Interviews available upon request.
3. Public Health England
   Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. It does this through world-class science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and the delivery of specialist public health services. PHE is an operationally autonomous executive agency of the Department of Health. Twitter: @PHE_uk, Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.
4. The Family Planning Association (FPA) is supporting the ‘Protect against STIs’ campaign by helping to deliver sexual health information and support to key audiences via their Sexwise website.

A consultation has been launched today (15 December 2017), including proposals to enable remote island wind projects to apply for a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the next competitive auction for less established renewable technologies (subject to state aid approval).

Wind projects on remote islands (such as Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland) have great potential due to the strong winds on the islands and the opportunity to bring employment and benefit local supply chains. However, they also face higher costs due to their location and transmission requirements, which set them apart from onshore wind projects elsewhere in Great Britain.

The Government announced up to £557 million for future auctions in its Clean Growth Strategy and intends for these changes to be implemented, so that island wind projects can compete in the next auction, planned for spring 2019. The consultation will also seek views on how island communities can benefit from these projects.

The last auction proved the benefits of the Government’s competitive approach and saw the cost of new offshore wind fall by as much as 50%.

If a sufficient number of projects are successful it should facilitate the construction of new transmission links, which could deliver a range of wider and longer term benefits and cost savings to the renewables industry and to the island economies.

UK Energy Minister Richard Harrington said:

We’ve placed clean growth at the heart of our new Industrial Strategy. We are cutting emissions while keeping costs down for consumers, creating high value jobs and growing the economy.

We are delivering on our commitment to support remote island wind projects, which have the potential to benefit local communities.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Lord Duncan said:

Wind projects in the remote islands of Scotland have the potential to generate substantial amounts of electricity and cut emissions, supporting economic growth and delivering lasting benefits for communities.

Enabling these projects to compete in future auctions will reinforce the UK’s position as a world leader in renewable generation, as well as providing Scottish jobs in any projects supported.

I urge local communities, developers and other stakeholders to work together to ensure that such projects deliver lasting benefits to the islands.

A 2013 report for the UK and Scottish governments concluded that wind projects on the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland could supply around 3% of the UK’s total electricity demand.

More than 750MW of wind projects with planning consent on these islands could be eligible for the next auction.

The consultation also asks for views on other changes the government is considering making to the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, to enable it to continue to support new generation and provide best value for bill payers in coming years.

These changes include proposals to increase the efficiency requirements for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) and Advanced Conversion Technologies (ACT) as technology improves. This ensures that only sufficiently advanced and efficient plants are awarded subsidy.

Changes are also proposed to ensure that costs of future projects can be accurately forecasted and that future schemes continue to drive carbon emission reductions.

Notes to editors:

1. The consultation opened on 15 December 2017 and runs until 9 March 2018.
2. Government aims to support the development of onshore wind projects on remote islands, where they benefit local communities. This consultation sets out a proposed definition of remote islands wind, as a new technology that can compete in future auctions for ‘less established’ technologies (also known as ‘Pot 2’). The proposal is subject to state aid approval.