Pulse.Assent

Following the meeting held in London on 22 January 2018, a Foreign Office spokesperson said:

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson hosted US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

During their meeting, which took place at the Foreign Secretary’s official London residence in Carlton Gardens, the two ministers discussed a full range of bilateral and international issues, underscoring the strength of the UK/US relationship. Today’s meeting followed on from Secretary Tillerson and Foreign Secretary Johnson’s meeting in Vancouver last week.

On Iran, they reflected on recent developments and discussed the UK and US’s respective views on the Iran nuclear deal. The Foreign Secretary emphasised that the UK believes the Iran nuclear deal is working, and that the UK would work closely with US, European and international partners to tackle Iran’s disruptive behaviour in the region.

On Syria, the Foreign Secretary expressed his support for Secretary Tillerson’s recent speech on the Syrian crisis. The Secretary of State and Foreign Secretary discussed how to move towards a political process that would lead to the end of the Asad regime.

On Yemen, they agreed on the importance of moving forward towards a political solution that would end the humanitarian suffering.

The Foreign Secretary and Secretary Tillerson will meet again in Paris tomorrow for discussions on Syria and Yemen with their European and Middle Eastern counterparts.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook
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The Charity Commission has been awarded funding from the Government of £5 million per year to help it respond to significant increases in demand on its core regulatory functions, including registration and compliance.

This funding has been awarded as a interim solution, while the Commission considers longer term, more sustainable funding models.

This includes the regulator consulting on whether the largest charities should make a modest contribution to the Commission’s enabling work, aimed at helping over half a million trustees across England and Wales manage their charities effectively and efficiently. The Commission now plans to launch a formal consultation later in the year.

Tracey Crouch MP, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, says

The Charity Commission does vital work regulating this vibrant sector and ensuring the public can support charities with confidence.

I am delighted that this funding will mean the Commission can meet the increasing demands for its services and help charities continue to improve lives up and down the country. It is important that the sector continues to innovate, and this includes the Commission considering a range of funding models for the future.

William Shawcross, Chairman of the Charity Commission, says:

I am pleased that the additional transitional funding from Government acknowledges the unprecedented rise in demand on the Commission’s services in recent years. The new money will help us continue to increase the effectiveness of our core regulatory functions in the short term, as we explore this longer term solutions.

It is right that we consider whether those in the sector with the broadest shoulders should make a contribution towards aspects of our work, and I am pleased that we will shortly be publishing a consultation on whether and how we do this. We would plan to use these funds to increase and improve the services and support we offer and want to encourage charities to step forward and feed in their thoughts.

The Commission is now working on detailed proposals, including whether to charge large charities. It expects to launch a consultation that will ask for charities’ views on:

• The practicalities and implications of a system for charging the largest charities.

  The details are under consideration by the Commission, but it expects to consult on proposals that would see it receiving around £7.5million a year through contributions from the 2,000 largest charities on the register, namely those with annual incomes of over £5million.

• The enabling work charities and trustees would like to see the Commission expanding or developing.

  The Commission will be keen to hear from charities of all sizes and types about their current and future needs for support and enabling work from the Commission. This element of the consultation is likely to focus in particular on smaller charities. Recent research revealed that 80% of trustees are responsible for charities that do not have paid staff; they consequently look to the Commission for authoritative advice and guidance on managing their charities effectively and efficiently.

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 check charity tool.

Scots from a variety of business sectors, food and drink suppliers, educational institutions and politics will join the Prime Minister and Mr May, the Secretary of State for Scotland and others for a three-course meal in the State Dining Room.

Glasgow-based ‘MasterChef: The Professionals’ winner Gary Maclean will take over the Downing Street kitchen for the day to prepare the menu, made up of fresh produce from a range of Scottish suppliers.

Guests will be welcomed into Downing Street by a piper from the Scots Guards.

The Prime Minister, who will give a welcome address to guests this evening, said:

Scotland is a greatly valued part of our United Kingdom and its contribution to the UK is immense – economically, socially, and culturally.

And Robert Burns is a great example of that, as one of our finest poets, famous world-wide.

I’m very much looking forward to this evening and the chance to celebrate a great poet, a great nation and an enduring Union.

Some of the courses being prepared by the head chef, who is also a senior lecturer at Glasgow City College, are the very ones that impressed the judges during the BBC2 cookery show.

Mr Maclean said:

I’m incredibly honoured to cook for the Prime Minister and showcase the best Scottish produce, sourced from local farms and dairies for this evening’s Burns Supper.

A Burns Supper is an institution in Scottish life and it’s wonderful to be able to be part of such a celebration of the works of our national bard in Downing Street.

Mr Maclean will be joined in the kitchen by his team, which includes his fellow MasterChef contenders, Matthew Healy and James Villiers, and James McGuire, who works for Braehead Foods.