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PRESS RELEASE : Best of British business celebrated as the first King’s Awards for Enterprise Recipients revealed [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 21 April 2023.

148 recipients announced in The King’s Awards for Enterprise – the UK’s most prestigious business awards.
- Winners include Fever-Tree Drinks, the UK’s largest soft drinks exporter and Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, which provides opportunities for military veterans.
- Applications for The King’s Awards for Enterprise 2024 open on Coronation Day, 6th May 2023.
The first ever recipients of The King’s Awards for Enterprise have been announced today (21 April), celebrating the achievements of UK businesses.

This year, 148 businesses representing every part of the United Kingdom and a diverse range of sectors have been recognised by His Majesty The King as among the best in the country awards.

Businesses like these are central to delivering on one of the Government’s five priorities to grow our economy – from creating new opportunities and supporting people into work through to developing new innovations and exporting the best of Britain around the world.

Minister for Enterprise Kevin Hollinrake said:

I congratulate the first ever recipients of The King’s Awards for Enterprise, who exemplify the talent, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit of British business.

I wish them every success and commend the invaluable contributions they make to communities both at home and overseas, helping to grow the UK economy.

This year’s winners include:
- Fever-Tree Drinks, based in London, are the UK’s largest soft drink exporter. The company’s premium mixers are distributed in more than 90 countries worldwide, with teams in key regions including the US, Canada, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The company receives The King’s Award for International Trade for Outstanding Continuous Growth in overseas sales over the last six years.
- Scotland’s Bravest Manufacturing Company, a social enterprise based in Renfrewshire that provides employment opportunities to injured military veterans and people with disabilities. They have been awarded The King’s Award for Promoting Opportunity.
- Naturaw Pet Food Ltd. a Yorkshire based manufacturer of natural unprocessed, raw meat-based dog food produced in a solar powered factory. The company has developed completely plastic-free packaging, and sources all their high welfare meat from Britain, ensuring the highest level of animal welfare and low food miles. They have been awarded The King’s Award for Sustainable Development.
The King’s Awards for Enterprise was previously known as The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, and the new name reflects His Majesty The King’s desire to continue the legacy of Queen Elizabeth II by recognising outstanding UK businesses. The Award programme, now in its 57th year, has awarded over 7,000 companies since its inception in 1965.

This year’s King’s Awards for Enterprise are given for outstanding achievement in:
- Innovation (47)
- International trade (78)
- Sustainable development (15)
- Promoting opportunity (through social mobility) (9)
His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenants will be presenting the Awards to businesses locally throughout the year.

Eligible businesses are free to apply for one or more categories. The recipients pass a robust assessment process, judged by experts from industry, academia, the voluntary sector and senior officials in Whitehall.

On that basis, each year, The King’s Awards for Enterprise recipients are recommended by the Prime Minister.

The full list of Awardees across the four categories can be found in the London Gazette.
24/04/2023
Amanda Spielman – 2023 Comments on Improving Ofsted
The comments made by Amanda Spielman, the Chief Inspector of Ofsted, on 21 April 2023.

In recent weeks there has been much debate about reform of school inspections. The media has carried stories from teachers about their past Ofsted experiences and calls for change from unions and others. I want to acknowledge the continuing debate and the strength of feeling, and I want to set out some of the things we’re doing and reflect on the suggestions of more radical reform.

The Secretary of State for Education has been clear that Ofsted inspection is a vital part of the school system. As she said, our independent assessments provide important assurance to parents, the wider community and to government that pupils are receiving a high-quality education and are being kept safe. Our current inspection process was introduced in 2019 after extensive consultation with the education sector, and we have had good feedback from the vast majority who have experienced a new-style inspection.

Looking for ways to improve

However, Ofsted is always looking out for ways it can improve. Just as every headteacher knows there are always things that can be done better in schools, so our inspectors – mostly former heads – know that about Ofsted. We regularly discuss changes with representative groups, unions, Ministers and others – I met the Secretary of State just this week to discuss our plans. Since the tragic news about Ruth Perry first broke these conversations have intensified, and I want to bring some of that out into the open.

We are making changes. One of the most critical areas we look at on inspection is safeguarding. Keeping children safe is so important that a school can be graded inadequate if safeguarding is poor – even if everything else in a school is done well. The Secretary of State said this week that safeguarding is vital. We won’t be soft on safeguarding, but it’s an area which isn’t always well-understood. It’s sometimes mis-characterised as an exercise in paperwork, but as everyone who works in schools knows, it’s much more than that. We need to see that schools understand and manage the risks of children coming to harm. We need to know that prompt action is taken when it happens.

However, we do recognise that some gaps in schools’ knowledge or practice are easier to put right than others. We are looking at how we can return more quickly to schools who have work to do on safeguarding but are otherwise performing well. That should enable us to see fast improvements and reflect them in our judgements.

It’s also important that when school leaders disagree with our judgements there is a robust system of review. We are currently piloting changes to our complaints process which I hope will make it more responsive – so that issues can be addressed during the inspection rather than considered afterwards, which creates delay and frustration. I also want to ensure that when a complaint is made about our work, people feel that they have had a fair and thorough hearing.

Supporting school leaders during inspections

We want to emphasise some of the things that can be done to support school leaders during inspections. We recognise that there is some uncertainty about who can sit-in on meetings between inspectors and school staff, to provide that support. So we want all heads and teachers to know they can have a colleague from the school or trust join discussions with inspectors if they wish. Also, while we strongly recommend provisional inspection outcomes aren’t shared with parents before the report is finalised, headteachers and responsible bodies can share that information with others in confidence. We’ve asked headteacher unions and school trust representatives to help us share this information with their members.

Now that we can routinely inspect all schools graded outstanding after government lifted the exemption, many are facing inspection having not been through one for some time. To help heads in those schools, we are arranging seminars to talk them through the process, and for those yet to be inspected we will provide additional clarity about the broad timing of their next visit. This builds on many briefings we have given about inspection over the past few years, attended by thousands of teachers and leaders. We really want to de-mystify the process and do what we can to reduce the pressure that we know headteachers feel about inspection.

Debate around grading

However, I also want to be honest about some of the more far-reaching suggestions that have been put forward. Four weeks ago I described the debate around grading as a legitimate one. I certainly recognise that distilling all that a school is and does into a single word makes some in the sector uncomfortable, particularly when there are consequences of the grade awarded.

But as I’ve said previously, the overall grade currently plays an integral part in the wider school system. Ofsted inspects, showcases good practice and, where necessary, diagnoses if there are significant issues at a school. That’s where the role we have been given stops. School improvement is the role of schools themselves, and school trusts, facilitated and supported by government. It can take many forms, and government uses Ofsted’s overall grade to determine how best to support improvement. We also know that many parents find the grading system useful, whether that’s in choosing a school or to understand the one their child attends. So any new approach would need to meet the needs of the whole system.

I would like there to be as much attention paid to the full report and the 4 sub-judgements as the overall judgement. Taken together, the sub-judgements present a rounded picture:
- How good is the education at this school?
- What’s behaviour like?
- How well does the school support children’s personal development?
- How well is it led and managed?
These are the questions parents want answers to.

I’m grateful for the thoughtful contributions I’ve had from many people within the education world. We are not deaf to the calls for change, or insensitive to the needs of schools and their staff; we will continue to listen carefully to the experiences and views of those we inspect. I’m sure the changes described here do not go far or fast enough for some, but I’ve also tried to explain the complexities and boundaries within which we do our important work.

Education is the greatest gift any society can give its children – and teachers deserve our gratitude for the invaluable job they do. Inspection doesn’t exist to do teachers down, far from it, it exists to help children get the education they deserve and to celebrate great practice, of which there is plenty. The part we play is small in comparison to those who work in our schools – but it’s in children’s interests that we work constructively together. In that spirit, we will continue to explore ways to make our work as effective and collaborative as it can be.
24/04/2023
Rishi Sunak – 2023 Message for Eid al-Fitr

The message issued by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, on 20 April 2023.

As Ramadan comes to an end, I would like to send my warmest wishes to Muslims in the UK and around the world as they mark Eid al Fitr.

Eid is a timely opportunity to acknowledge the shared values which bind us together, particularly your compassion and dedication to contribute to charity and philanthropy. This was evident earlier this year, through the community’s outstanding response to support the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.

As families and friends come together to celebrate, I pay tribute to the incredible contribution the Muslim community makes to the country. Whether it be in business, sports, media, our public services, or of course our NHS and armed forces, British Muslims are helping to make the country the success it is.

Eid Mubarak to everyone observing it today. I look forward to welcoming representatives from the British Muslim community to Downing Street to celebrate.

24/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Report of the Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 April 2023.

Ambassador Neil Bush responds to the report presentation by Ambassador Kilian Wahl, Head of the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

Firstly, I would like to welcome Ambassador Wahl to the Permanent Council for the first time since taking on the role as Head of Mission in November. Thank you for the work of your team over the last year, and for this comprehensive report.

The United Kingdom highly appreciates the work and added value of the OSCE Mission to Skopje – in particular the Mission’s support to government reforms, monitoring of security-related developments, and your early action to address emerging issues. I was delighted to be able to visit the Mission in February and hear first-hand about your programme activity and engagement with civil society in North Macedonia.

We positively note the achievements of the Mission over the past 12 months, set out in detail in your report. In particular, we welcome your continued activity to promote social cohesion – including your assistance in implementation of the government’s ‘National Strategy for One Society and Inter-culturalism’. We similarly appreciate your connected work on integrated education, particularly in supporting the city of Skopje in implementing joint curricula classes in different languages, and in assisting the drafting of the government’s Concept for General Secondary Education – which incorporates the principles of anti-discrimination, gender equality, inclusion and inter-ethnic integration. These are essential principles in any society.

The UK welcomes the Mission’s achievements this year on anti-corruption, including the training of municipal integrity officers, and engagement in regional trial monitoring to combat organised crime and corruption in the wider Western Balkans region. We also highly value the Mission’s continued engagement on countering terrorism, including your capacity building on conducting effective online monitoring – helping to safeguard North Macedonia’s national security interests.

Ambassador Wahl, we are again pleased to see the Mission’s continued focus on gender, and welcome the Mission’s progress on mainstreaming a gender perspective into programmatic work. Your report highlights some excellent initiatives, such as training and mentorship programmes for female police officers to strengthen their skills for future leadership roles, the Mission’s efforts to analyse the gender aspects of corruption, and your support to the drafting of North Macedonia’s new Gender Equality Law. We commend the Mission’s continued engagement on gender issues, and encourage a sustained focus in the coming year.

Mr Chair, I would like to take this opportunity to also recognise the role of the Mission to Skopje in supporting North Macedonia in delivering its priorities as OSCE Chair-in-Office in 2023, including in the delivery of events such as the Skopje Conference on Addressing Anti-Semitism, in February.

The UK reiterates our strong support for North Macedonia’s priorities and continued efforts as Chair, including towards agreeing a Unified Budget for 2023 – which remains essential to the effective running of all field operations and institutions. You can rely on the continued support of the UK in addressing these shared challenges.

Thank you, Ambassador Wahl. Thank you, Mr Chair.

24/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : 57th round of Geneva International Discussions – UK statement to the OSCE [April 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 April 2023.

Ambassador Bush voices strong UK support for the Geneva International Discussions (GID) as well as for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Thank you, Mr Chair. The United Kingdom continues to strongly support the Geneva International Discussions (GID) and the work of the GID Co-Chairs against a highly challenging geopolitical environment. As the only international forum that brings together all sides from the conflict, the GID plays a vital role in trying to achieve a lasting resolution.

The UK reaffirms full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. We call on the Russian Federation to reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. We applaud Georgia’s commitment not to use force in resolving the conflict and condemn any suggestion that Georgia or its allies, including the UK, would seek a military solution against Russian aggression.

We welcome local level collaboration that achieves tangible results for those living within the conflict-affected area through the Ergneti Incident Prevention and Response Mechanism and partial reopening of the two crossing points in the South Ossetia region. However, we regret that important issues, including Internally Displaced Persons, refugees, water, and gas were not discussed by the working groups following a walkout by some of the participants, and we call for the full re-opening of crossing points.

We also call upon the Russian Federation to immediately fulfil its obligation under the ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions, to fulfil its commitments to allow unfettered access for the delivery of humanitarian assistance and to cease all borderization tactics. Thank you.

24/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Imprisonment of Vladimir Kara-Murza: Joint Statement to the OSCE [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 April 2023.

Canadian Ambassador Jocelyn Kinnear gives a statement on behalf of four OSCE participating States on prosecution and imprisonment of Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Madam Chair, I am delivering this statement on behalf of Canada, Iceland, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

We are deeply alarmed by the prosecution of opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was sentenced this week to 25 years’ imprisonment on politically motivated charges of treason, discrediting the armed forces and assisting an undesirable organization.

We firstly want to pay tribute to Mr Kara-Murza, a champion for human rights and opposition voices, who has shown immense courage in speaking out against the aggression of the Russian state. I also want to recognise his wife, Evgenia, and commend her on her tireless efforts to promote her husband’s cause.

These charges were brought against Mr. Kara-Murza for engaging in legitimate criticism of the political situation in Russia. As he himself observed in his closing statement to the court – he is in jail for his political views, for speaking out against the war in Ukraine and against Putin’s regime.

It is evident that Russia continues to completely disregard respect for democratic principles and for universal human rights—including freedom of speech—in relation to its own people and to others around the world. This court ruling is yet another violation of Russia’s international human rights obligations.

The Kremlin’s persecution of opposition voices and civil society actors is an abhorrent effort to silence those who hold Russia accountable for it actions.

In addition to Mr. Kara-Murza’s sentencing, this month has also seen:

the closure of Moscow’s Sakharov Center;

the designation of yet more civil society actors as “foreign agents” and “undesirable organizations” including Norwegian non-governmental ecological organization Bellona;

the blocking of websites, including Canada’s MacDonald-Laurier Institute, the Woodrow Wilson International Science Center, and the British Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House);

the prosecution of multiple individuals for anti-war commentary.

The Kremlin has further continued in its attempts to intimidate, harass and silence independent journalists, including through the detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

We look forward to wholeheartedly supporting the work of the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Russia and we will ensure Russia does not discredit their findings.

Tragically, we could name dozens of other political prisoners. But today Mr. Kara-Murza stands as a symbol of the courageous and principled defence of democratic values and human rights in Russia. The Kremlin’s attempts to silence its domestic critics only makes their voices more powerful.

We will therefore join others amplifying his voice and quote from his closing statement to the court:

“But I also know that the day will come when the darkness over our country will dissipate. When black is called black and white is called white; when at the official level it will be recognized that two times two is still four; when a war is called a war, and a usurper a usurper; and when those who kindled and unleashed this war, and not those who tried to stop it, are recognized as criminals. This day will come as inevitably as spring comes to replace even the most frosty winter.”

We stand with the people of Russia who are fighting for democracy and human rights.

We will continue to press for a better future for the Russian people and we call upon the Russian government to respect its human rights obligations and to allow dissenting voices to express their views without fear of persecution.

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.
24/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : ‘Severe consequences’ for cladding companies who refuse to remediate, government warns investors [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 April 2023.

Housing Secretary warns cladding shareholders of “severe consequences” for manufacturers if they do not bring forward comprehensive remediation package.
Shareholders in three cladding companies, whose shocking practices were uncovered in evidence heard at the Grenfell Inquiry, have been warned by the government that the manufacturers they invest in will face “severe consequences” if they do not come forward with a comprehensive financial package to fix unsafe buildings.

Michael Gove has written to investors in Kingspan, Arconic, and Saint-Gobain and urged them to use their “position of influence” to encourage the firms to “engage constructively in helping us reach a just resolution for all concerned.” Shareholders who received letters include Blackrock, Vanguard, and Fidelity Management and Research, as well as investors like Norges Bank, the central bank of Norway, who tell their employees it is important to promote “a high level of ethical awareness and integrity” in their work.

Shareholders were warned that if the manufacturers do not come forward with a comprehensive financial package, then the focus of the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities “will be trained upon them” and “the consequences for that firm are likely to be severe.”

The letters add that there will likely be consequences for shareholders’ reputations, in addition to their financial stake, if he is forced to use “the legal and commercial tools available” to ensure the position of the cladding companies “becomes extremely uncomfortable.” Mr Gove also said he is considering whether further tools will need to be handed to regulators or the government.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Michael Gove said:

I have always been clear that those responsible for the building safety crisis must pay. But despite the fact that their products continue to put lives at risk, some cladding firms have no intention of doing what’s right and addressing their moral and financial obligations to innocent residents.

Today we ask responsible investors to use their influence to encourage these companies to come forward immediately with a comprehensive financial package for remediation work. It cannot be right that cladding companies continue to profit whilst so many innocent, hardworking people face financial hardship and misery.

To those cladding companies who fail to do the right thing: you will face severe consequences and I will use all commercial and legal tools available to me to ensure you take responsibility.

To date, the three construction product manufacturers – who together were responsible for manufacturing the majority of cladding used on the Grenfell Tower – have not contributed a penny to the cost of fixing buildings in the United Kingdom that their products have made unsafe. Evidence at the Grenfell Inquiry uncovered shocking behaviour by the three companies, including the sale of flammable products that were wholly inappropriate for their end use, apparent mis-selling of construction products through inaccurate marketing information, and misappropriating safety test results thereby perpetuating the sale of high-risk products on the market.

The Secretary of State wrote to the bosses of Kingspan, Arconic and Saint-Gobain over the last month to ask them to meet officials from his department and explain how they will scope, identify, and pay for remediation works. The invitation followed Kingspan saying publicly that they would be willing to pay for remediation costs where its products had been used inappropriately. While Kingspan agreed to meet DLUHC officials, none have yet committed to any new remediation funding.

Efforts to make cladding companies pay are proceeding in tandem with measures used by the Department to ensure developers and freeholders contribute to remediation costs of unsafe buildings.

As of today, there are 46 signatories on the landmark Developer Remediation Contract, which for the first time in law commits developers to fixing all life-critical fire-safety defects in English buildings over 11 metres they had a role in developing or refurbishing. Further to this, the Department’s Recovery Strategy Unit has ramped up litigation against irresponsible freeholders who will not remediate buildings they are responsible for, including recently against GreyGR, owned by billion-pound railway pension fund RailPen.

The Department is also publishing today an Independent Review by Paul Morrell and Anneliese Day KC, looking at the current testing regime for construction products.

The report was commissioned in response to evidence heard by the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry about the behaviours of manufacturers and those responsible for advising on the fire-performance of products, including serious failings in the system for testing construction products that involved cladding.

Peter Caplehorn, Chief Executive of the Construction Products Association, commenting on the report said:

We are very pleased to see the publication of this Review. Paul has immense experience from the many senior roles he has played in both industry and government. We respect him for his intellect, understanding and objective approach to the challenges facing our industry.

This report should be required reading for policy-makers and industry leaders alike, coming at a critical time not only for the future of the UK product testing and certification sector, but for the wider culture and practices of UK construction as well. The recommendations cover a wide range of urgent issues, and the CPA and its members will be focusing on developing the necessary responses and actions in consultation with department officials.

“It is also very pleasing to see solid support for the work we are doing in developing and implementing the Code for Construction Product Information, a fundamental foundation for reform in the sector.”

The Department will carefully consider the recommendations of the Independent Review and we will set out proposals for reforms in due course.

The full Independent Review can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-the-construction-product-testing-regime

Further information

Letters will be sent to investors including Vanguard, Blackrock, Fidelity Management and Research, Norges Bank and Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations.
24/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Funding to help developing countries phase out use of damaging climate gases announced [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 20 April 2023.

Environment Secretary announces developing countries will receive £4 million to phase out the use of chemicals found in refrigeration and cold supply chains.
£4 million dedicated to phase out the use of chemicals found in refrigeration and cold supply chains

Funding will support climate-friendly technologies in developing countries that help reduce food and vaccine loss, as well as increase farming productivity

Announcement made as a delegation of scientists visit London for talks and attend No10 reception

Developing countries will receive £4 million to drive down the emissions of harmful hydrofluorocarbons generated by outdated air conditioning units, cooling refrigeration and cold supply chains, the government has announced today (20th April).

Hydrofluorocarbons are industrial chemicals primarily used for cooling and refrigeration. They are amongst the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, and when emitted have a global warming potential thousands of times that of carbon dioxide.

The funding will help deliver an African Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold Chain – based in Kigali, Rwanda – which delivers training to farmers, healthcare workers and technicians to uptake more climate friendly and energy-efficient cooling.

As well as reducing emissions, developing nations will be better placed to store food and medicines more efficiently with the use of more efficient technologies. These will also help to improve farming productivity and reduce poverty, as for many crops up to 40% of the harvested produce is lost before being sold.

The Environment Secretary has made the announcement as she is set to welcome a delegation of climate scientists from the UN Montreal Protocol’s Assessment Panels to a reception in No.10 Downing Street later today.

The scientists will discuss the next steps of the Montreal Protocol, designed to protect the earth’s ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of harmful ozone-depleting substances and then extended to cover hydrofluorocarbons through the Kigali Amendment.

The UK is a global leader in the fight against climate change, integral to the agreement of the Protocol and leading the world in the ambition to keep global warming under 1.5 °C through our presidency of COP26 and leadership at COP15 placed nature at the heart of tackling the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss.

The Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

The UN Montreal Protocol has played a vital part in protecting our ozone layer from harmful depleting substances and, as a global leader in the fight against climate change, I am delighted to be able to welcome the scientists leading the charge on this to Downing Street.

This funding will help developing countries to play their part in tackling climate change and communities across the world with storing food and medicines more efficiently – as well as support farmers to increase their productivity.

Alongside improvements to cooling equipment efficiency, UK leadership for early action on hydrofluorocarbons under the Montreal Protocol could avoid up to a degree of warming by the end of the century. The UK continues to cut consumption of hydrofluorocarbons at a faster pace than required under the Kigali Amendment to the UN Montreal Protocol – since 2015, levels have been reduced by 55% and by 2030 this will have phased down by 79% under existing legislation.

On top of today’s announcement, a further £1.2 million is being allocated towards the development of a roadmap and virtual modelling tools to help developing countries pilot techniques before they are implemented – enabling them to deploy the most efficient and cost-effective approach to more sustainable cooling.

The UK is a global leader in supporting efforts to halt the decline in nature and restore the natural world, with UK leadership helping to deliver an ambitious new global deal for nature to protect 30% of our land and ocean by 2030 at the UN Nature Summit COP15 in December.

Through UK programmes such as the Darwin Initiative, the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, and the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund the UK is supporting developing countries around the world to restore habitats, tackle the trade in illegal wildlife and deal with the drivers of habitat loss that put the environment at risk.

Professor Toby Peters, Professor in Cold Economy at University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University, and leading the collaboration of UK Universities supporting the work in Africa and India, said:

Sustainable and equitable cooling and cold-chain is now more than ever critical infrastructure in a warming world. This programme for the first time delivers in an integrated approach that includes on the ground training and support for subsistence farmers and their communities, financeable business models and the network of skilled engineers needed to support equipment installation and maintenance. This work is underpinned by the evidence strategies required to increase investment into the development of sustainable cold-chain and community cooling.
24/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Landowner John Price sentenced for destruction of River Lugg, Herefordshire [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 20 April 2023.

Natural England and Environment Agency see justice delivered for nature as landowner sentenced for destruction of part of the River Lugg in Herefordshire.
- Natural England and the Environment Agency welcome the sentencing of John Price for the destruction of 1.5km of the protected River Lugg in 2020
- Habitats of otters, kingfishers, trout and salmon were among those destroyed
- The damage is the worst case of riverside destruction seen by the organisations and could take several decades to be fully restored
- This is the first prosecution under Farming Rules for Water
Natural England and the Environment Agency have today welcomed the seriousness with which the Court has treated the severe and lasting damage to the River Lugg, which destroyed habitats and wildlife on a stretch of one of the country’s most unspoiled rivers.

John Price appeared today at Kidderminster Magistrates Court where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £600,000 and disqualified from being a director of a limited company for three years. In addition, a Restoration Order under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was imposed requiring Mr Price to carry out a number of actions to restore the river.

The sentence is the result of legal action launched last year by Natural England and the Environment Agency following a joint in-depth investigation into environmental harm caused by the work in 2020 and 2021.

The River Lugg before destruction by the landowner

Mr Price used heavy machinery including bulldozers and excavators to dredge and reprofile a 1.5km stretch of the River Lugg at Kingsland, Herefordshire, destroying the riverbed and banks. The unconsented works were in breach of several regulations, including the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018, also known as the Farming Rules for Water; and operations prohibited in the notification of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which persisted despite Mr Price being issued with a Stop Notice.

Due to the exceptionally high diversity of wildlife, the River Lugg is a designated SSSI, with 121 river plant species that live in the river and provide habitat for invertebrates, fish and birds. The damage to the river and banks removed the habitats of hundreds of these species including otters, kingfishers and salmon as well as destroying trees, aquatic plant life and invertebrates. It is predicted to take decades to re-establish mature trees to provide the stability, cover and shade to restore the diversity of the river. Fish, plants, native crayfish and birds may take years to make a gradual return to previous populations.

In sentencing Mr Price, the Judge noted that neither the Environment Agency nor Natural England did anything to encourage these works.

Speaking after the verdict, Emma Johnson, Area Manager for Natural England said:

“The destruction of this section of the River Lugg was devastating for the abundance and range of species which thrived in this river. The River Lugg is one of the most iconic rivers in the UK and to see this wanton destruction take place was devastating. This is why we have used our powers as regulators to see that justice was done and to act as a stark warning to others that we will take the strongest action against those who do not respect the laws that protect the environment and wildlife we all cherish. “We want to ensure that Mr Price now takes the necessary actions which we hope, in time will restore this much-loved stretch of river to its former condition.”

Martin Quine, Environment Agency Place Manager for Herefordshire added:

“We welcome the outcome of this prosecution for the unconsented works on the River Lugg.

“The Environment Agency is working hard to restore the health of our rivers. It is a complex task that can only be achieved in partnership with landowners. We provide advice and guidance but will impose sanctions or prosecute where appropriate to protect the environment and ensure those who breach regulations are held to account. The vast majority of landowners and users fully cooperate with this process.

“While Mr Price’s justification for the works was to help prevent flooding to local properties, his actions did not have any flood prevention benefit. The destruction of river banks is not appropriate flood management. It is important that the Judge recognised that the works significantly weakened flood prevention measures rather than improved them.“We urge landowners never to take extreme measure such as this and instead to always work closely with the Environment Agency around river management to agree the best solutions for both landowners and the environment.”

As a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Lugg is afforded the highest level of environmental protection. Works to SSSIs or any watercourses must be done in such a way that protects the environment and does not cause any impact on flooding. Such works can only be undertaken after securing permits from the Environment Agency.
24/04/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government launches new cyber security measures to tackle ever growing threats [April 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 April 2023.

New and enhanced cyber security measures will better protect the UK government’s IT systems, which run key services for the public, from growing cyber threats.
All government departments and a select number of arm’s length bodies to have their cyber security reviewed under new, more stringent measures.

The new cyber security regime, known as GovAssure, will be run by the Government Security Group, part of the Cabinet Office.

GovAssure delivers on a key part of the Government Cyber Security Strategy by improving cyber resilience and help government organisations protect themselves from growing hostile cyber threats.

New cyber security measures will increase the UK’s cyber resilience and protect the UK government’s essential IT functions from ever growing threats. Under the new rules, all central government departments will have their cyber health reviewed annually through new, more robust criteria.

Known as GovAssure, the new cyber security scheme will be run by the Cabinet Office’s Government Security Group (GSG), with input from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

GovAssure was announced by Chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, at a speech to CyberUK in Belfast.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden said:

Cyber threats are growing, which is why we are committed to overhauling our defences to better protect government from attacks. Today’s stepped up cyber assurance will strengthen government systems, which run vital services for the public, from attacks. It will also improve the country’s resilience; a key part of our recent Integrated Review Refresh.

GovAssure introduces a number of changes in the way government protects itself from cyber threats. These include:

Using NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) to review the assurance measures all government departments have. The framework includes measures such as setting out indicators of good practice for managing security risk and protecting against a cyber attack and was designed for making critical national services resilient to attack.

Departments will also be assessed by third parties to increase standardisation and validate results.

Centralised cyber security policy and guidance to help government organisations identify best practice.

In January 2022, the UK government launched the first ever Government Cyber Security Strategy (GCSS) which laid out the significant challenges facing government security and a clear vision for improving resilience. Today’s announcement delivers on a key part of the aim of the strategy of significantly hardening government systems from cyber attack.

Government Chief Security Officer, Vincent Devine said:

This is a transformative change in government cyber security. GovAssure will give us far greater visibility of the common cyber security challenges facing government. It will set clear expectations for departments, empower hard-working cyber security professionals to strengthen the case for security change and investment, and will be a powerful tool for security advocacy.

Lindy Cameron, CEO, National Cyber Security Centre said:

We are committed to ensuring the UK continues to be a leading global cyber nation, which is why we have supported the development of the Cyber Assessment Framework to improve the security of our most critical information systems.

The government’s adoption of the Cyber Assessment Framework through GovAssure will significantly improve resilience.
24/04/2023