Pulse.Assent

November 7, 2017November 7, 2017

Press release: Welsh Lifeboat charities pocket slice of £1 million UK Government fund to boost search and rescue efforts

The money has been made available by the inshore and inland rescue boat grant fund and is the fourth round of funding under this 5-year, £5 million scheme.

Five charities across the length and breadth of Wales will use the funding to purchase new lifeboats and maritime equipment including lifejackets, helmets, boots, ropes, knives and torches.

They are:

Ferryside Lifeboat – £7,363.20
Loughor Inshore Rescue – £10,242.08
North Wales Mountain Rescue Association – £28,155.44
Porthmawr SLS – £17,380.62
Rhoose Lifeguards – £5,679

UK Government Minister in Wales Guto Bebb said:

Wales benefits from countless volunteer and charitable organisations working round the clock to help during emergencies on our rivers, lakes and inshore waters, as well as during flooding and other extreme weather. This funding supports the vital rescue services they provide.

Supporting our volunteers remains an integral part of the UK Government’s ongoing drive for a fairer society. I am delighted to see Welsh rescue services benefitting in this latest round of funding, ensuring they have the equipment and resources they need to provide their crucial, life-saving services.

Maritime Minister John Hayes said:

Every day water rescue volunteers risk their safety to protect the lives of people across the UK. Their dedication and highly specialised skills are absolutely crucial to providing inshore and inland rescue services.

This extra money means that the volunteers and charities can purchase the lifeboats and equipment they need. It means that assistance is never far away for those in need or in distress on or around our waterways.

Since its launch in 2014, the grant has provided water rescue services up and down the UK with funding for new boats, vehicles and equipment.

A total of 62 organisations will receive a share of the £1m funding for 2017-18 after their bids were considered by an expert panel.

Chaired by the Department for Transport and made up of representatives from DfT, DEFRA, devolved administrations, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, RNLI and the Royal Yachting Association, the panel assessed bids taking into account:

How the equipment listed supports or enhances the organisation’s rescue capability
Evidence that the items funded represent good value for money
Applicants were also required to match fund 10% of the costs of funded items, and to provide a letter of support from the authority that tasks them to rescues

Sir Alan Massey, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said:

These smaller, independent charities are the lifeblood of our communities, playing a vital role in supporting the daily lives of thousands of people across the UK.

We often need to remind ourselves that these brave women and men may be called at any time of the day or night to assist persons in difficulty. Those persons may be lost or injured, in trouble at sea, or needing to be rescued from fast-flowing water or floods.

It’s essential that funding like this is available to independent lifeboats so that they have the proper emergency equipment to aid in rescues. This funding will help meet their goals and ease their financial burden.

Link: Press release: Welsh Lifeboat charities pocket slice of £1 million UK Government fund to boost search and rescue efforts
Source: Gov Press Releases

November 7, 2017November 7, 2017

Press release: Re-appointment of Churches Conservation Trust member: 6 November 2017

The Queen has approved the re-appointment of Beth McHattie as a Member of the Churches Conservation Trust for a period of three years from 7 November 2017.

Beth McHattie is currently the Communication Consultant at Allchurches Trust and was a formal Deputy Director of Communications and Head of Media at English Heritage, and before that was Head of Corporate Press at Sotheby’s.

Link: Press release: Re-appointment of Churches Conservation Trust member: 6 November 2017
Source: Gov Press Releases

November 7, 2017November 7, 2017

Press release: New legislation to prepare UK for future trade and customs policy

The government is making crucial progress on the domestic legislation needed for Brexit, taking forward the next two Brexit Bills to Parliament.

The Trade Bill and the Customs Bill will allow the UK to set the groundwork to becoming an independent global trading nation, providing necessary certainty for businesses and international trading partners to make the most of this opportunity.

Key measures in the Trade Bill include provisions for the UK to implement existing EU trade agreements, helping ensure that UK companies can continue to access £1.3 trillion worth of major government contracts in other countries and creating a new trade remedies body to defend UK businesses against injurious trade practices.

Further tax-related elements of the UK’s trade policy will be legislated in the Treasury’s Customs Bill – Taxation (Cross-border Trade) Bill – as part of the creation of a new UK tariff regime. This includes the trade remedies and unilateral trade preferences which provide preferential trade access to UK markets for developing countries.

International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said:

For the first time in over 40 years the UK will be able to shape our own trade and investment agenda – and we are determined that businesses and consumers can take advantage of this opportunity.

We are getting on with delivering a successful Brexit, by seeking a deep and special partnership with the EU, and by boosting our existing trading relationships with old partners while opening up access to new and exciting markets across the world.

The Bills follow engagement with stakeholders including the Scottish and Welsh Governments and Northern Ireland leaders after the Trade and Customs White Papers were published in October.

Trade Bill

The Trade Bill laid in Parliament today will:

create powers to assist in the transition of over 40 existing trade agreements between the EU and other countries
enable the UK to become an independent member of the Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) ensuring UK companies have continued access to £1.3 trillion worth of government contracts and procurement opportunities in 47 countries
establish a new independent UK body, the Trade Remedies Authority, to defend UK businesses against unfair trade practices
ensure the UK Government has the legal abilities for gathering and sharing trade information

Customs Bill

The government also laid resolutions for the Customs Bill, which will enter Parliament shortly. The Bill will allow the government to create a standalone customs regime and amend the VAT and excise regimes. It will:

charge and vary customs duty on goods
specify which duties are payable on which goods
set preferential or additional duties in certain circumstances – for example, to support developing countries
maintain a functioning movement of goods from the day we leave the EU by continuing the VAT and excise regimes in line with the final deal reached in negotiations

ENDS

Further information

For more information on the Trade Bill please contact the DIT press office on 020 7215 2000.
For more information on the Customs Bill please contact the HMT press office on 020 7270 5000.

Link: Press release: New legislation to prepare UK for future trade and customs policy
Source: Gov Press Releases

November 7, 2017November 8, 2017

BS ISO 9123:2017 Hydrometry. Stage-fall-discharge relationships

Liquid flow
Streams
Flow rates
Water
Flow
Channel flow
Flow measurement

Link: BS ISO 9123:2017 Hydrometry. Stage-fall-discharge relationships
Source: BSI Standards

November 6, 2017November 6, 2017

Press release: Foreign Secretary comment on UN Security Council Presidential Statement on Burma

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I am pleased that today (6 November) the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has spoken with one voice on the appalling situation in Rakhine State, Burma. More than 600,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to Bangladesh, amidst horrifying reports of gross human rights violations. The humanitarian situation remains desperate.

The UK has repeatedly called on the Burmese security forces to protect all civilians and act now to stop the violence and allow humanitarian aid to urgently reach all those who need it. The UNSC has today joined us in that call, with this historic Presidential Statement on Burma.

I am encouraged to see State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi making important steps forward, including establishing a domestic body to deliver humanitarian and development assistance in Rakhine, and making efforts to promote interfaith and intercommunal harmony, including a recent visit to northern Rakhine. The UK will be watching closely to ensure that the Burmese security forces do not attempt to frustrate these efforts.

I also applaud the work of the Bangladesh government, which is working hard to ensure the refugees receive urgent aid. The recent agreements between Burma and Bangladesh are welcome, and I hope they can now make swift progress on the voluntary, safe, and dignified returns of refugees to Burma. The Burmese security forces must take steps to ensure the right conditions are in place for refugees to return.”

Further information

Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter: @BorisJohnson and Facebook.

Follow the Foreign Office on Facebook & Twitter.

Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Media enquiries

For journalists

Email
newsdesk@fco.gov.uk

Newsdesk
020 7008 3100

Link: Press release: Foreign Secretary comment on UN Security Council Presidential Statement on Burma
Source: Gov Press Releases

November 6, 2017November 7, 2017

Press release: Communities Secretary takes action on council publications

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has today (6 November 2017) issued directions to 2 councils to stop publishing their newspapers so frequently, or risk court action.

The London Boroughs of Hackney and Waltham Forest are currently publishing their respective newspapers on a fortnightly basis despite the Publicity Code recommending that councils do not put out a newspaper more than quarterly.

The Publicity Code sets out a series of principles to which all councils must have regard when producing publicity material. The vast majority of councils follow the Code in relation to the frequency of publication.

Ensuring council newspapers are released no more than quarterly aims to protect local democracy by making sure the independent local press do not face unfair competition.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said:

An independent free press is vital for local democracy and it’s important that we support them in holding local leaders to account.

Councils shouldn’t undermine local democracy by publishing their own newspapers more often than quarterly.

While the majority of councils abide by the Publicity Code, Hackney and Waltham Forest have ignored repeated requests to stop publishing their council newspapers so frequently. In the interests of local democracy, I will therefore use my powers to require them to do so.

Protecting the press, protecting democracy

Waltham Forest and Hackney have previously received written notices from the Communities Secretary indicating his intention to issue directions requiring them to comply with the Publicity Code around the frequency of publication of council newspapers.

Since then, the Communities Secretary has carefully considered all the representations from them about their free fortnightly newspapers. In doing so, he had regard to the Equalities Statement on enforcing the Publicity Code before coming to his decision to issue directions to both borough councils.

Once a direction has been issued the council is required to take the necessary decision to comply within 14 days or could face court action.

Further information

The Publicity Code sets out 7 key principles for local authority publicity. It notes any publicity should:

be lawful
be cost-effective
be objective
be even-handed
be appropriate
have regard to equality and diversity
be issued with care during periods of heightened sensitivity

In 2011, the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity – the Publicity Code – was updated, and approved by Parliament, to make clear that no council newspaper or magazine should be published more than 4 times a year. The legislation on the Code was strengthened by the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014.

The Communities Secretary has the power to issue a direction requiring a specified authority to comply with some, or all, of the Publicity Code. Sections 4A and 4B were inserted into the Local Government Act 1986 via provisions in the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 which gave the Secretary of State this power.