Pulse.Assent

The four men were detained by the Russian authorities for expressing opposition to the illegal annexation of Crimea, and given lengthy jail sentences following trials which appeared to fall well short of international standards. These cases, including over 70 others against Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, underline the Russian Federation’s systematic persecution of those who voice their opposition to Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.

A Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said:

We are deeply concerned about the welfare of the four Ukrainian nationals held by Russia, who are on hunger strike in protest against Russia’s continued detention of Ukrainian political prisoners. Their imprisonment, and that of many more Ukrainians who have been jailed by Russia, appears politically motivated. We call on the Russian authorities to release them immediately.

Russia’s control over Crimea remains illegal and illegitimate, and is a flagrant violation of a number of Russia’s international commitments.

Notes to Editors:

The four Ukrainian nationals who are on hunger strike while being detained by the Russian authorities are:

• Oleg Sentsov
• Oleksandr Kolchenko
• Oleksandr Shumkov
• Volodymyr Balukh

Further information

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Today (Tuesday, 5 June) UK Government Ministers have set out final proposals to back Heathrow expansion– moving Britain a significant step closer to more flights, more jobs and greater economic growth.

Marking an important milestone in building a global Britain, the UK Government has published the proposed Airports National Policy Statement (NPS), backing Heathrow expansion through developing a new Northwest Runway.

A new runway at Heathrow would bring real benefits to people across Wales. It would mean that there is more room for flights from airports across the UK to Heathrow and connections with its long-haul destinations.

It would mean a greater choice of airlines at Heathrow and international destinations for people going on holiday, visiting friends or family or travelling for business. The increased competition at the airport is also expected to drive down fares for passengers.

Western Rail Link is planned to allow a faster rail route for passengers travelling to Heathrow from south Wales without having to go into London.

Across the country, expansion would provide benefits of up to £74 billion to passengers and the wider economy and create tens of thousands of local jobs. It will better connect the UK to the rest of world with an extra 16 million long haul seats available by 2040.

Heathrow is already the UK’s biggest airport for passengers and freight and the Northwest Runway will almost double the airport’s capacity for goods, allowing businesses across the country to increase their exports and take advantage of new global customers.

The UK Government and Welsh Government are working closely together to ensure Wales plays a key part in the airport’s supply chain. Last month, Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns addressed representatives from Heathrow Airport in north Wales as part of a campaign to bring one of four Heathrow logistics hubs to Wales. He will also meet SMEs from Wales at the next Heathrow Business Summit in Cardiff in July where they can learn of the opportunities available to them at the UK’s busiest travel hub.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

The UK Government’s proposals to back Heathrow expansion send a clear message about our ambitions for Britain’s future.

They are plans that have had my full backing from the outset. From logistics hubs to supply chain opportunities, Wales has a once in a generation opportunity to play a part in the delivery one of the most exciting infrastructure endeavours seen in Britain for generations.

By expanding Heathrow, we can plug every region of Britain into the global economy – showing that we are open for business, confident about who we are as a country, and ready to trade with the rest of the world.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

Expansion at Heathrow presents a unique opportunity to deliver a multi-billion pound boost to our economy, strengthen our global links and maintain our position as a world leader in aviation.

As we leave the EU, the UK must remain one of the world’s best-connected and outward-looking countries and a third runway at Heathrow is the best option to deliver this.

We have listened to views through our consultations and will ensure a world-class package of measures to help any local communities affected by the expansion.

The NPS takes into account public and industry feedback and recommendations made by the Transport Committee to ensure that airport expansion in the South East will be delivered in a way that is cost-efficient, sustainable and in passengers’ best interests.

Heathrow will be privately financed and costs will not fall on the taxpayer. To make sure expansion is delivered with consumers’ interests at heart, the Government has asked the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure the scheme remains affordable while meeting the needs of passengers.

To protect the environment, planning consent would only be granted on the basis that the new runway is delivered within existing air quality obligations.

Over the next few weeks Parliament will have the opportunity to debate and vote on the NPS.

The review will be led by Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE and is expected to report in, later in 2018.

The review will explore why the proportion of applicants for public appointments who declare a disability, is low compared to the UK population as a whole. It will also explore how the process could be improved, to encourage more applications from disabled people.

It is part of the Government’s Diversity Action Plan which also includes an ambition that by 2022, half of all public appointees should be female and 14% should be from ethnic minorities, bringing representation on public boards in line with the wider population of England and Wales.

Public appointments are high profile and influential positions on boards of public bodies which run, regulate and advise our public service. These can include Chairs and other senior non-executive positions and range from Court Visitors to Commissioners and Ombudsmen.

Minister for Implementation, Oliver Dowden said:

It is essential that public appointees are truly representative of the society they serve. Diverse public boards are more effective, benefiting from fresh perspectives, new ideas, vigorous challenge and broad experiences. It is both morally right to ensure greater participation from disabled people but I also believe it will lead to better decision-making.

I’m thrilled to announce that Lord Holmes will be leading the review. He combines expertise in accessibility, diversity and inclusion, as well as a wealth of personal experience on public boards.

The Lord Holmes of Richmond MBE said:

I’m delighted that the government is looking seriously at this issue. Public appointments play a fundamental role in shaping society as well as within the organisations themselves. I look forward to working with the government to better understand and improve the recruitment process so that we can address the reality that whilst talent is everywhere, opportunity is not.

Today’s announcement was made at the Public Chairs’ Forum Diversity, Inclusion and Equality for Boards event, where the Minister spoke to Chairs of Public Bodies about his ambition for diversity in public appointments. It follows a commitment made in the Government’s Diversity Action Plan, launched in December 2017, to commission a review into the barriers facing those with visible and non-visible disabilities when considering public appointments.

The fund follows the launch of the successful Mutuals Support Programme in January. This fund provided 12 organisations with support to set up or grow as Public Service Mutuals.

Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said:

We want to support the development, growth and sustainability of mutuals. Our funding boost has already enabled dozens of organisations to flourish.

This next round will strengthen our commitment and allow many institutions, staff, and their customers, to benefit from more independence, faster decision-making and less bureaucracy in the future.

To apply for funding email the Mutuals Team at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on: mutuals@culture.gov.uk.

Funding will be open until 17.00hrs on Friday 29 June.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

Public service mutuals are organisations that have left the public sector but continue delivering public services.

To apply for support from this programme you must currently, or intend to, fulfil our definition of a Public Service Mutual, which is an organisation that: i) has left the public sector (also known as ‘spinning out’) ii) continues to deliver public services and aims to have a positive social impact iii) has a significant degree of staff influence or control in the way it is run.

If you’re an existing mutual, you must be in your first five years of operation, or delivering your original or extended contract which has not been retendered, or both.

You must be able to demonstrate how support from this programme will help your organisation grow or diversify its operations.

All applicants will be required to demonstrate their commitment to their project and the mutual model by providing matched funding, in cash, towards the support needed.

The government has today introduced new legislation to Parliament to give police new powers to investigate hostile state activity at the border.

The measure, announced by the Prime Minister following the attack in Salisbury, forms part of the Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Bill.

Using the new power, the police or dedicated immigration or customs officers will be able to stop, question, search and detain an individual at a port, airport or border area to determine whether he or she is, or has been, engaged in hostile activity.

Home Secretary, Sajid Javid said:

We judge that it was highly likely that the Russian state carried out the appalling attack in Salisbury which demonstrates why the police need robust powers to investigate, identify and challenge those acting against our interests.

This is a necessary and proportionate response to the threat and will, of course, be subject to strict safeguards and robust oversight to assure its proper use.

The power will be subject to robust oversight by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner Sir Adrian Fulford and the bill includes provisions for safeguards to protect legally privileged and journalistic material.

The UK faces a sustained threat from hostile state actors seeking to undermine national security in a variety of ways, including espionage and, as the attack in Salisbury made clear, violence against individuals.

As announced in the government’s strengthened counter-terrorism strategy, the legislation will also introduce a variety of new laws to respond to the unprecedented terrorist threat, allowing earlier intervention to disrupt terrorism. These include:

• amending certain terrorism offences to update them for the digital age, to reflect contemporary patterns of radicalisation and to close gaps in their scope
• strengthening the sentencing framework for terrorism-related offences and the power for managing terrorist offenders following their release from custody, including by increasing the maximum penalty for certain offences, to ensure that the punishment properly reflects the crime and to better prevent re-offending
• strengthening the powers of the police to prevent terrorism and investigate terrorist offences

The bill will also amend the Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act 1993 so that the government-backed terrorism reinsurer, Pool Re, can extend its business interruption cover to include losses that are not contingent on physical damage to commercial property.