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PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement on Transparency and the Inclusion of Civil Society in the Implementation Review Mechanism [December 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 December 2023.

Lord Ahmad’s pre-recorded statement was delivered at the 10th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption.

Joint Statement on Transparency and the Inclusion of Civil Society in the Implementation Review Mechanism

The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), as the only legally binding universal anti-corruption instrument, is a cornerstone of our international anti-corruption framework. We are calling on all States Parties, to build on the foundation of the Convention and energise our collective voice on the implementation of anti-corruption standards to enable citizens across the world to see the impact the UNCAC can have in their societies. We acknowledge that an effective Implementation Review Mechanism (IRM) is crucial to fulfilling our obligations under the Convention and we are committed to the proper functioning of the mechanism.

The States Parties represented in this statement commit to the following actions to make the IRM more effective and ask that other State Parties join these commitments.

We commit to:
- Publishing timelines for our country review and keeping country focal point details updated;
- Publishing the full peer-reviewed IRM country report;
- Publishing how civil society and non-state actors can engage in the review and follow up process.
States Parties may wish to deliver these actions through a number of different ways, such as sharing these documents on their United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) country profile and through domestic platforms, and for countries who are also members of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), including commitments to deliver these actions within their OGP Action Plans.

We also call upon States Parties to recognise that wider participation from national civil society in the UNCAC review process and promoting transparency in the UNCAC IRM are fundamental to fighting corruption. A report by the UNCAC Coalition in 2021/22 showed that despite the Convention’s emphasis on civil society participation through Article 13, the principle of inclusiveness has not been consistently applied in the review mechanism process.

We are collectively calling on States Parties to expand the role of civil society in the fight against corruption, including in line with the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) Political Declaration that contains a commitment to promote the active participation of individuals and groups outside the public sector, such as civil society, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and the private sector, in the prevention of and the fight against corruption and to raise public awareness. Enhancing transparency benefits citizens and societies and is the foundation on which effective anti-corruption efforts are built. We believe it is a vital aspect of ensuring effective accountability regarding implementation of the Convention.

The IRM is an essential, truly invaluable tool in the fight against corruption and we see these commitments as crucial steps for enhancing transparency and ensuring that the review process can better identify how States Parties can improve their efforts to fight corruption.
13/12/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 3 December 1923

3 DECEMBER 1923

Over 700 lives were reported to have been lost in the Val Camonica as a result of the bursting of a dam on Lake Gleno, an artificial lake in the province of Bergamo, in Northern Italy.

Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, made a special appeal to female voters for support of the Government’s fiscal policy in a letter which he sent to Mrs Bridgeman, the chairman of the Women’s Unionist Organisation.

13/12/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 2 December 1923

2 DECEMBER 1923

Lord Kilmarnock, the British High Commissioner in the Rhineland, has received instructions from London to show a conciliatory spirit in the application of the Dusseldorf Agreement arrived at by the Franco-Belgian authorities and the Ruhr magnates regarding the resumption of work and the payment of reparations.

A fine of £5,000 and costs were imposed on Thomas James Priestman, a metal merchant, who was charged here to-day in connection with income tax frauds. The judge said that Priestman had pleaded guilty to serious frauds on the income tax authorities.

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NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 1 December 1923

1 DECEMBER 1923

Herbert Asquith, the former Prime Minister, said that unless Britain had the folly to adopt Sir Robert Horne’s suggestion of an import duty on steel plates, the country would continue to retain by far the most profitable share of the carrying trade of the world.

The Reparation Commission decided to appoint two Committees of experts, one to consider the means of balancing Germany’s Budget and the other to investigate a method of valuing German capital in foreign countries.

13/12/2023
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 30 November 1923

30 NOVEMBER 1923

Stanley Baldwin, speaking in Bradford, said that without an improvement in industrial relations there could be no peace in Europe.

Captain Craig, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Pensions, described as absolutely false the Socialist Party’s charge that the Government were betraying ex-servicemen.

13/12/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK and US target Hamas with new sanctions to isolate terror group [December 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 December 2023.

The UK and US have announced new sanctions on the leaders and financiers of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ).
- UK and US target leaders and financiers of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) with new sanctions in fresh clampdown on terror groups
- Coordinated sanctions aim to isolate Hamas through freezing assets and imposing travel bans
- Foreign Secretary has committed to disrupting acts of terror and ensuring “Hamas has no future in Gaza”.
The UK has sanctioned seven further individuals linked to Hamas, to counter the ongoing threat posed by the terror organisation, cut off its access to finances and impose fresh travel restrictions on individuals linked to the group to disrupt its operations.

Today’s move, coordinated with the United States, is the UK’s second round of targeted sanctions imposed on figures associated with Hamas since the October 7 attacks on Israel.

Mahmoud Zahar, Hamas’ co-founder, is among those targeted in today’s sanctions. Also targeted is Ali Baraka, Hamas’s Head of External Relations, who has publicly defended the October 7 attacks and sought to justify the taking of hostages.

Those being sanctioned today include a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a terror organisation which was also involved in the October 7 attacks.

The sanctions target key figures in the network that has financed Hamas, including individuals in Lebanon and Algeria. These stringent measures show that individuals linked to Hamas will not be able to escape accountability, even if they are operating from outside of Gaza.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron said:

Hamas can have no future in Gaza. Today’s sanctions on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad will continue to cut off their access to funding and isolate them further.

We will continue to work with partners to reach a long-term political solution so that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.

Those now subject to UK travel bans and asset freezes include:
- Mahmoud Zahar – a Gaza-based Hamas leader and co-founder
- Ali Baraka – the Lebanon-based Head of External Relations for Hamas
- Maher Obeid – a political leader who has held senior positions in Hamas
- Akram al-Ajouri – the Syria-based Deputy Secretary General of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Leader of the Al-Quds Brigades, PIJ’s military wing
- Khaled Chouman and Rida Ali Khamis – who have channelled funds to Hamas through their Lebanon-based currency exchanges
- Aiman Ahmad Al Duwaik – an Algeria-based financier for Hamas who has helped run the organisation’s overseas investment portfolio
The UK and the US stand united in their solidarity with Israel and its fight against Hamas, while being clear their actions must be in line with International Humanitarian Law. We continue to support efforts to prevent a regional escalation of the conflict and allow crucial humanitarian aid access to Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary recently visited the region, where he announced the UK would give a further £30m in humanitarian aid to the United Nations and other agencies on the ground. This will provide shelters, blankets, food and medicine to civilians in Gaza.

The UK has already sent 51 tonnes of lifesaving aid to the region and doubled its funding commitment to the Occupied Palestinian Territories this year.

Membership and expressing support for Hamas is an illegal act in the UK, punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Dozens of countries, including the United Kingdom and United States, as well as the European Union, have designated it a terrorist group.

Today’s announcement follows sanctions put in place by the UK last month, which targeted Hamas’ political leader in Gaza, along with other top-ranking officials and financiers. Sanctions form part of a wider tranche of measures aimed at disrupting the group’s acts of terror, including the recently announced international taskforce set up to enable the UK and partners to share financial intelligence.

Further information:
- Hamas and PIJ themselves are already sanctioned by the UK, and are subject to an asset freeze and arms embargo.
- For further information on previous Hamas member sanctioned, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-us-hit-hamas-leadership-with-targeted-sanctions
13/12/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Martyn Henderson OBE appointed interim COO for independent regulator for men’s elite football [December 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 13 December 2023.

Martyn Henderson OBE has been appointed as the interim Chief Operating Officer to lead the preparatory work to set up the new independent regulator for men’s elite football.

Henderson is currently the Chief Executive of the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA). He has been in the role for five years.

During his tenure Henderson has worked with fans, campaign groups and the industry to introduce licensed ‘safe’ standing in top flight football grounds in England and Wales for the first time in nearly 30 years.

He supported the live events sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the leader of the Government’s Events Research Programme, which oversaw the safe return of live events, for which he was awarded an OBE. He also guided the SGSA through an independent review, which found that the SGSA “is seen nationally and internationally as a centre of excellence on sports ground safety, that punches well above its weight”.

Henderson is the first appointment to establish the new independent regulator for men’s elite football, which will be tasked with improving the way clubs are financially and operationally run.

He will take up the new role in early 2024. Further appointments will be announced in due course.

13/12/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Applications open for new £4 million fund to support smaller abattoirs [December 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 December 2023.

The Smaller Abattoir Fund opens with £4 million available to support smaller red meat and poultry abattoirs across England.

The government has today (Wednesday 13 December) launched the £4 million Smaller Abattoir Fund to boost the sustainability and efficiency of red meat and poultry smaller abattoirs across England.

The smaller abattoir sector has an important role in maintaining British food security and ensures a competitive route to market is available to farmers, especially those who supply local butchers and farm shops, for a wide range of meat products. They make it easier for farmers to get their products to market, protect animal welfare by maintaining reduced journey times to slaughter, provide a route to market for farmers who rear rare and native breeds, and offer wider social and economic benefits to rural communities.

The Smaller Abattoir Fund will award capital grants from £2,000 up to a maximum of £60,000 to help support smaller abattoirs across England improve productivity, enhance animal health and welfare, add value to primary products, and encourage innovation and investment in new technologies.

It will support the purchase of a diverse range of capital investments, including items such as cold storage units which can expand refrigeration capacity for processing, allowing abattoirs to increase production rates and help remove the waiting times experienced by many farmers for getting stock processed.

The Fund also drives forward the government’s commitment to advancing animal health and welfare standards, including funding to improve facilities for stressed or fatigued animals to recover from loading and transport operations.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will email all eligible smaller abattoirs directly within the coming days, outlining the application process.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

England’s abattoirs are critical to livestock farmers who provide their high-quality products to local butchers and farm shops up and down the country.

This £4 million fund will not only help smaller abattoir and mobile business owners to innovate, invest and improve standards, but it will give farmers, particularly those who produce native and rare breeds, more stability in getting their products to market.

Today’s announcement delivers on key commitments made on Back British Farming Day in September to identify opportunities to remove unnecessary burdens for smaller abattoirs, support farmers in reaching local and international markets, and ensure that farmers are being paid a fair price for their products.

It also builds on government efforts to increase fairness in the supply chain as set out at the Farm to Fork Summit earlier this year, with new regulations for the dairy and pig sectors to be introduced next year, a consultation on the egg sector currently live and a consultation on horticulture supply chains launching shortly.

John Mettrick, Chair of the Abattoir Sector Group said:

I am delighted that the Smaller Abattoir Fund has launched. This demonstrates that the government recognises the importance of small abattoirs to farmers, butchers, and the whole rural supply chain.

This fund has been developed by Defra, the Food Standards Agency, the Abattoir Sector Group and the meat industry working together, and I would urge abattoir businesses to take advantage of the fund to help develop their businesses for the future.

Susan Jebb, Chair of the Food Standards Agency said:

The Food Standards Agency recognises the challenges faced by small abattoirs and has collaborated with Defra on the development of the Smaller Abattoir Fund.

We are keen to support the use of the fund to improve efficiency, productivity, animal welfare and innovation in this greatly valued and important sector.

The application window for the Smaller Abattoir Fund will remain open for nine months and abattoirs will be able to submit up to three applications up to the maximum funding level of £60,000. A diverse list of capital investments has been developed in close consultation with industry stakeholders – recognising the bespoke nature of abattoirs, this list is not definitive and additional investments may be eligible if applicants can evidence that the item demonstrates compliance with at least one of the Fund’s aims.

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Eligibility Criteria:
- When applying for the fund, applicants will need to clearly demonstrate how the item or project they would like to be funded fits in to one or more of the Fund’s outlined aims to: Improve productivity; Enhance animal health and welfare; Add value to primary products; And encourage innovation and investment in new technologies.
- If successful in the application, Defra will make up 40% of the cost of the item an abattoir applied for.
- The Fund will be a criteria based scheme. Provided applicants meet the scheme criteria, they will be eligible for support. The detailed eligibility criteria will be provided to applicants when the Fund opens.
- The application window will be open for 9 months (until 30 September 2024 or until all the money has been allocated to successful applications).
- Eligible applicants may submit up to three applications, with a total cap of £60,000 per abattoir business across all applications. The minimum grant that can be applied for is £2,000. Detailed information on capital investments by category, aligned with the fund’s goals, will be provided within the application materials.
- The SAF will be accessible to FSA-approved mobile and static red meat and poultry abattoirs in England only. Applicant abattoirs, not the businesses that own them, must be physically situated in England, or in the case of mobile abattoirs, operate only in England. This covers both producer and privately owned abattoirs.
- The SAF will be open to red meat abattoirs processing up to and including 10,000 farmed livestock units (LSU) per annum (i.e., bovines, sheep, goats, pigs, farmed venison), and poultry abattoirs slaughtering up to and including 500,000 birds per annum (i.e., chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, capons, hens). Throughput will be calculated using FSA quality assured throughput data for the 2022 calendar year.
- Each individual business will count as a single applicant rather than the individual abattoirs themselves, and each business will only be eligible to apply for the maximum grant (£60k), regardless of the number of smaller abattoirs they may own. Businesses already in receipt of other public funds may also be restricted in the amount of funding they can apply for, in line with the UK’s Subsidy Control Act.
- An application must not relate to items or a project in an abattoir for which the investment is to be installed or used is subject to ongoing enforcement action or a related prosecution with conviction in the previous 12-month period. In these cases, such items will be deemed ineligible for funding.
13/12/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Boost for electric vehicle drivers as 50,000 public chargepoints installed across the UK [December 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 13 December 2023.

The UK leads the transition to net zero and is on target to install 300,000 public electric vehicle chargepoints by 2030.
- key milestone passed as new stats show there are now more than 50,000 public electric vehicle chargepoints
- boost in charging infrastructure will help the country’s transition to electric vehicles
- moment comes as world-leading zero emission vehicle mandate set to come into effect next year
The UK has taken another step on the road to zero emission driving as new statistics out today (13 December 2023) show over 50,000 public chargepoints have been installed across the country, making it easier and quicker for electric vehicle owners to recharge their cars.

Charging options for drivers continue to grow at pace with today’s stats, produced using data supplied to the department by Zapmap, also showing there are 44% more public chargepoints (52,602) than this time last year.

Today’s figures come as the UK’s world-leading path to reaching zero emission vehicles by 2035 is set to come into effect next year. The zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate requires 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans sold in Great Britain to be zero emission by 2030.

The mandate ensures the country will have the most ambitious regulatory framework for the switch to electric vehicles (EVs) in the world and the 2035 end-of-sale date puts the UK in line with other major global economies, including France, Germany, Sweden and Canada.

This mandate is providing the certainty needed to safeguard skilled British jobs in the car industry and is allowing the private sector to scale up investment in charging infrastructure, helping more drivers make the switch and ensuring the country remains on track to reaching 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030.

Technology and Decarbonisation Minister, Anthony Browne, said:

Passing 50,000 public chargepoints is a key milestone in our journey to zero emission driving and shows the incredible progress we’ve made to provide the infrastructure for drivers to go electric.

With government and private sector investment, we are backing drivers by expanding our charging network – creating jobs and putting us well on the way to our target of 300,000 public chargepoints by 2030.

The UK continues to be a leader in the transition to net zero, with EVs making up 16% of the car market – one of the highest shares in Europe and higher than the EU average of 13%.

Our approach has already attracted record investment in gigafactories and EV manufacturing, including:
- Nissan’s recent investment of over £3 billion to develop 2 new electric vehicles at their Sunderland plant
- Tata’s investment of over £4 billion in a new 40 GWh gigafactory
- BMW’s investment of £600 million to build next-generation MINI EVs in Oxford
- Ford’s investment of £380 million in Halewood to make Electric Drive Units
- Stellantis’ £100 million investment in Ellesmere Port for EV van production
As part of our Plan for drivers, we intend to consult on ways to make installations cheaper and quicker for chargepoint operators, review the grid connections process for chargepoints, and also consult on the expansion of permitted development rights to make installations easier. Additionally, the government’s Connections action plan will overhaul the way projects access the electricity grid and reduce delay time, positively impacting all types of connection customers including EV chargepoint operators.

The government also continues to support the rollout of charging infrastructure in local areas. Applications for the first round of the £381 million Local EV infrastructure fund are currently being assessed. This funding will deliver tens of thousands more chargepoints and transform the availability of charging for drivers without off-street parking.

In addition, the On-street residential chargepoint scheme (ORCS) is open to all UK local authorities. Grants are also available to help businesses make the transition through the government’s Workplace charging scheme (WCS), as well as people in flats and rented accommodation through the Electric vehicle chargepoint grant.

Additionally, new laws recently came into force to provide EV drivers with easier and more reliable public charging, mandating that prices across chargepoints are transparent, easy to compare and that a large proportion of new public chargepoints have contactless payment options.

The regulations also require that providers open up their data, so drivers can easily find an available chargepoint that meets their needs. This will make it easier for drivers to locate chargepoints, check their charging speeds and determine whether they are working and available for use.
13/12/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Doug Chalmers appointed as chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life [December 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 13 December 2023.

Doug Chalmers has been appointed as chair of the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life.

Lieutenant General (Retired) Doug Chalmers CB DSO OBE has been appointed as Chair of the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) following pre-appointment scrutiny by the House of Commons’ Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.

He takes over from Lord (Jonathan) Evans who completed a five-year term.

Doug began his career in the British Army in 1984 as a Private Soldier. He served in the Army for 37 years. Over that time, he was stationed in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Germany, Cyprus and the United States, deploying frequently on operations. His final appointment was as the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations), an office he held from 2018 to 2021. He is currently the Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge and sits on the management board for the University’s Centre for Geopolitics. He is also the Colonel Commandant of the British Army’s Queen’s Division.

Doug Chalmers said:

“I am honoured to be appointed as the new Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public life. Over its nearly 29 years the Committee has an established a strong reputation for providing considered and well researched advice to the Prime Minister on how the standards landscape across public life might evolve. That advice has helped establish many of the standards bodies we see today.

“My time in uniformed service taught me the importance of standards in ensuring sound judgement, behaviour and the building of both trust and confidence. Those years also demonstrated to me that maintaining standards requires active leadership. They also highlighted to me that and that what we mean by standards needs to be constantly discussed and the mechanisms that support them regularly reviewed.

“My current role at Emmanuel College has given me a wider understanding of excellent academic research available in this area. It has provided me with a feel for the perceptions of the next generation about what standards in public life mean to them.

“I will do my best to sustain the quality of the Committee’s work promoting the Nolan Principles across all sectors of public life and look forward to working with the members as we consider the next area for review.”

Doug Chalmers was appointed by the Prime Minister following an open competition under the Cabinet Office Governance Code for Public Appointments. His appointment is for a five-year, non-renewable term and he will take up the role from 12 December.

Notes to Editors
1. Interview requests and media enquiries about the work of the Committee should go to Maggie O’Boyle on 07880 740627.
2. The independent Committee on Standards in Public Life was established by John Major in 1994 to advise the Prime Minister on ethical standards of public life. It advises the Prime Minister on arrangements for upholding ethical standards of conduct across public life in England and promotes the Seven Principles of Public Life, also known as the Nolan principles. The Committee does not investigate individual allegations of misconduct.
3. The current members of the Committee are: Lieutenant General (Retired) Doug Chalmers CB DSO OBE (Chair) Rt Hon Lady Mary Arden DBE, Rt Hon Dame Margaret Beckett DBE MP (Labour), Rt Hon Ian Blackford MP (SNP) Ewen Fergusson, Baroness Simone Finn (Conservative) and Professor Gillian Peele. The Cabinet Office is completing an open competition to fill the vacancy for an independent member on the Committee.
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