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Press release: Large fine for Leicester textile firm

Leicester based Euro Dyers Ltd have been ordered to pay a total of £59,259 after operating an illegal textile dye house in a residential area.

Euro Dyers Ltd pleaded guilty at Leicester Magistrates’ Court on 25 July 2018 and were ordered to pay a fine of £40,000, costs of £19,084 alongside a £175 victim surcharge.

The company, who operate at the Saffron Works, Saffron Lane, Leicester had been told on several occasions that they needed an environmental permit to operate. Despite numerous warnings from Environment Agency staff who encouraged and tried to assist them with an application, they never successfully applied for a permit.

A permit would have introduced conditions to manage odour, regulate emissions to air and sewer, the generation of waste, noise pollution and the prevention of accidents. The latter would have been especially important as inspections found flammable liquids stored on top of oxidising chemicals and chemicals stored with no containment to control leaks.

Environment Agency officers also found waste water leaking into a roadside drain outside.

Speaking after the ruling, an Environment Agency officer involved with the investigation said:

Despite several attempts to assist the company and after numerous warnings, this company still refused to be brought into the permitting regime., We hope that this fine will serve as a warning to them and others in the industry that there are strong penalties if they flout the law.

This is great news to the residents who live nearby, the environment and to competitors who do the right thing and comply with the law.

We are committed to working with the industry to ensure they operate legally. However, we will take enforcement action where a company refuses to comply. We make sure the impacts from these sites are controlled in accordance with a permit and that all companies in the industry are operating on a level playing field.

Dyehouse operators across England who do not currently hold an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency should proactively assess the capacity of their sites to check whether they require a permit. Any company, who finds that their site’s capacity is above the threshold of 10 tonnes per day, should contact the Environment Agency for advice and guidance on their application for a permit.

Link: Press release: Large fine for Leicester textile firm
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Funding boost for Scottish charity working in Yemen

Yemen continues to be the worst humanitarian crisis in the world with over 22 million people – 75% of the population – in need of humanitarian assistance.

Mercy Corps’ new work, funded by the UK government, will help thousands of people who have had to flee from conflict in and around Hodeidah in northern Yemen to the cities of al Mokha and Dhubab.

Mercy Corps will provide these vulnerable people, many of whom now have no access to essential services, with life-saving access to over 73,000 litres of clean water every day. They will also help over 21,000 people buy vital food through cash transfers, which are one of the most effective and direct ways of helping communities facing crisis, like those displaced from Hodeidah.

Cash transfers work by providing a modest amount of cash to vulnerable families so that they can buy essential items such as food, water and medicine. This provides better value for money for UK taxpayers and gives recipients the dignity they deserve, with some research showing that £1 delivered through cash transfers can buy £1.20 worth of traditional aid.

The Minister for International Development, Alistair Burt, made the announcement during a visit to Mercy Corps’ offices in central Edinburgh.

Mr Burt said:

It was great to visit Mercy Corps’ offices in Edinburgh this morning and hear more about how UK aid is helping their vital work in Yemen and throughout the world.

The UK remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, which is the largest in the world. That’s why the UK was the second-largest donor to the UN Humanitarian Appeal last year.

The conflict has forced thousands to leave their homes, jobs and livelihoods. Our support to Mercy Corps will put cash directly in the hands of 21,000 of some of the most vulnerable Yemenis, to make sure that they have enough money to buy the food and other essentials they need to survive.

Ultimately only a political settlement can bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the humanitarian crisis, so peace talks are the top priority. We call upon all parties to join the UK in supporting the efforts being made by the United Nations to find peace for the sake of the Yemeni people and the security of Yemen’s neighbours.

Simon O’Connell, Mercy Corps Executive Director said:

At a time of unprecedented need in Yemen, UK Aid plays a vital role in helping Mercy Corps meet the emergency needs of families who have been forced to flee their homes. However, until there is a political solution to the conflict in Yemen, their suffering will not end.

Humanitarian organisations, like Mercy Corps, need to be able to provide life-saving support safely and securely, and we must continue all efforts to protect the humanitarian space.

Notes to Editors

  • The UK remains deeply concerned by the humanitarian crisis in Yemen – the largest in the world. Over 22 million people – 75% of the population – are in need of humanitarian assistance. More than 11 million are in need of immediate help to save or sustain life. The UN estimates that 17.8 million people in Yemen do not have reliable access to food and 8.4 million people face extreme food shortages.

  • This is an additional funding allocation of £2.7 million to Mercy Corps for their work in Yemen. Earlier this year the UK announced a total of £170 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for the financial year 2018 – 2019. This will meet immediate food needs for 2.5 million Yemenis, and brings the total UK bilateral support to Yemen to over £570 million since 2015.

  • Independent research on a cash transfer programme in Lebanon show it delivered 20% better value for money, so every £1 of UK support delivered through cash transfers delivers £1.20 worth of aid. Evidence shows that digital cash transfers are more accountable and better safeguarded against theft, diversion and corruption.

  • Mercy Corps is a leading global organisation powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, they partner to put bold solutions into action – helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. www.mercycorps.org.uk

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Link: Press release: Funding boost for Scottish charity working in Yemen
Source: Gov Press Releases

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The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2018

This Order amends the Plant Health (England) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/610) to introduce emergency measures to prevent the introduction of Thaumetopoea processionea L. (the Oak Processionary Moth) into the area in England which is recognised as a protected zone for this harmful plant pest. In particular, the Order imposes additional requirements on the introduction of certain plants of Quercus L. into the protected zone and on their movement within that zone.

Link: The Plant Health (England) (Amendment) (No. 3) Order 2018
Source: Legislation .gov.uk

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Press release: UK aid support for those at risk from drought in Afghanistan

A new UK aid package will contribute emergency food supplies for 1.4 million people in Afghanistan whose lives are at risk from a deadly drought, International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt announced on 27 July.

The UK is one of the first countries to support the United Nations’ appeal. Our rapid response will help import and distribute food and nutrition supplies before the situation deteriorates further.

UK support will help some of the poorest people who are reliant on agriculture for food and income but will struggle to survive when this year’s harvest fails in the coming weeks.

This UK aid package of support will provide immediate food and nutrition aid for 441,000 people who are already in a critical situation, including by distributing fortified wheat flour, fortified vegetable oil, pulses, salt and other nutritious foods to prevent malnutrition.

It will also support 1.4 million people until early next year by helping to replenish stockpiles of food and import high nutrient goods, which are high in essential vitamins, minerals and proteins.

International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, said:

The drought in Afghanistan is an unfolding crisis, with 1.4 million people’s lives at risk when this year’s harvest fails in a number of provinces in only a matter of weeks.

The UK continues to stand by the government of Afghanistan and we have taken decisive action to step in early before the worst of the drought strikes to help prevent needless pain and suffering.

We call on other countries to join this international effort to support some of the world’s most vulnerable people during what will be immensely difficult times.

The UK support is part of a response being coordinated by the United Nations and the Government of Afghanistan. It will help prevent displacement of families who could otherwise be forced to leave their homes and communities.

Many of the poorest families have sold their livestock to get the small amount of money they need to buy food. Around 50,000 people have already fled to Herat City, in western Afghanistan, in a desperate search for ways to feed their families.

The most vulnerable people in Afghanistan have a limited ability to survive such a severe drought as a result of extreme poverty. Families in the worst affected areas have no water to grow crops for next year and are now surviving on only one meal a day, which fails to provide the calories and nutritional content they need to survive.

Notes to editors

  • Today’s £10 million package is a new allocation consisting of £1.44m from the existing humanitarian budget and £8.55m from the DFID Afghanistan country budget for 2018/19.
  • It will be delivered in partnership with the World Food Programme in support of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response Plan.
  • Extremely low levels of rainfall coupled with a major heatwave mean that the drought in Afghanistan is now classified as ‘severe’.

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Link: Press release: UK aid support for those at risk from drought in Afghanistan
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Foreign Secretary remarks during press conference in Beijing, 30 July 2018

Thank you Minister Wang for your hospitality. This is actually my first trip outside Europe as Foreign Secretary. And the reason I chose to come to China is because it is an incredibly important relationship for the UK. We have nearly £70 billion of trade every year, 150,000 Chinese students studying in the UK.

Our exports to China went up 32% last year alone. But as Foreign Minister Wang said, it is not just about the bilateral relations. It’s also about the way we work with China as a permanent member of the Security Council; in other parts of the UN; in international hotspots like Syria; in organisations like the World Trade Organization. And we had very comprehensive discussions about areas where we are in strong agreement such as the importance of free trade and building prosperity across the world, in upholding the rules-based international order, but also areas where we have different views such as human rights. In all cases our discussions were frank and open – we talked about absolutely everything and they were very constructive.

Two things I think of particular interests to the people back home was the offer made by Foreign Minister Wang to open discussions about a possible free trade deal done between Britain and China post-Brexit, and we said that’s something we welcome and we said that we will explore. We also brought up some important consular cases including the case that’s worrying a lot of the people in the UK of the Simpson children, and Foreign Minister Wang said that he would look into that case whilst also of course respecting the independence of the Chinese legal system.

In summary I would say China and Britain have very different systems, but we do have a lot in common. We in the UK think the rise of China, China’s economy and Chinese power, can and must be a positive force in the world. And we want to work very hard to strengthen and deepen our relationship to make sure that’s the case.

Link: Press release: Foreign Secretary remarks during press conference in Beijing, 30 July 2018
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: 9-year ban for restaurant boss after failing to pay correct tax

Azam Ali was the sole registered director of the company Pabna Restaurant Ltd (Pabna), which traded as an Indian restaurant in Pontefract, West Yorkshire.

The restaurant began trading in 2006 as a family business owned by Azam Ali’s brother before Azam Ali took over the business in 2011. He then incorporated it as a limited company in March 2012.

The company catered to the West Yorkshire area and traded from property which the company owned in Ropergate, Pontefract. But in April 2017, the company entered into voluntary liquidation having not paid the right amount of tax.

The Insolvency Service carried out investigations following the company’s liquidation and found that Azam Ali caused the company to suppress and conceal sales figures, which meant the company under-declared and underpaid the correct amount of tax.

As a result, on 7 June 2018 the Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Azam Ali where he did not dispute the Insolvency Service’s findings.

Effective from 28 June 2018, Azam Ali is now banned from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company for 9 years.

Commenting on the disqualification, Lawrence Zussman, Deputy Head of Investigations for the Insolvency Service said:

The majority of businesses comply with statutory legislation. However, some companies fail to do so and deliberately underpay their taxes.

The ban of Azam Ali demonstrates our determination to clamp down on those directors who avoid paying the correct levels of tax and we will levy hefty periods of disqualification whether they cooperate or not.

Notes to editors

Azam Ali stated he is of Bangladeshi nationality and gave his date of birth as November 1978.

Pabna Restaurant Ltd (Company Reg no. 07990640) and traded from property which the company owned at 19, Ropergate, Pontefract WF8 1LG.

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Details of Azam Ali’s disqualification is found here.

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

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

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

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

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

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

Press Office

The Insolvency Service

4 Abbey Orchard Street
London
SW1P 2HT

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

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

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Link: Press release: 9-year ban for restaurant boss after failing to pay correct tax
Source: Gov Press Releases