Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Former Armed Forces personnel training foreign militaries could be prosecuted under National Security Act [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 17 September 2023.

Under the National Security Act, former RAF, Royal Navy and Army pilots training foreign militaries may be prosecuted for sharing military tactics.

Former UK Armed Forces personnel who train foreign militaries around the world can be prosecuted under new offences within the National Security Act.

It comes after the Ministry of Defence issued a security alert last year, revealing that a number of former Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and Army pilots had been training the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Air Force, having being contracted through a private South African company and attracted by high salaries.

Specifically, the new Act includes the section 1 offence of ‘obtaining or disclosing protected information’ and defines ‘information’ to include tactics, techniques and procedures.

This means that pilots risk being prosecuted for sharing such sensitive information with foreign powers. Once the powers come into force, the Ministry of Defence can pass relevant information to police forces, who can investigate offences under the Act.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Anyone found to be acting against the UK’s interests by training our competitors’ militaries can now expect to be pursued and brought to justice.

The government has acted decisively following the identification of this threat, and has made rapid changes to legislation to help shut it down.

Since the security alert, the Ministry of Defence believes that publicity the practice received has been successful in encouraging these pilots to reconsider their activity, and in discouraging other personnel from taking part.

At the time of the alert, the MOD recognised that further measures were needed in order to disrupt the activity. One such critical measure was including this activity within the National Security Act, to allow criminal charges to be pressed.

As well as legislating against the activity, the UK has also been working closely with our allies, some of whom are also seeing similar activity with their former military personnel, to help highlight and tackle this internationally.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

We face growing threats from foreign states.

In recent years we’ve seen attempts to harm our people, damage our economy and undermine our democracy. We’ve also seen attempts from countries such as China to solicit national secrets from former Armed Forces personnel.

This new Act provides our world class law enforcement and intelligence agencies with new and updated tools to tackle security challenges such as these – and hold those responsible to account.

The National Security Act became law in July this year and has brought together new measures to modernise counter-espionage laws and address evolving threats to our national security.

With this new legislation, the UK is now a harder target for those states who seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, which include espionage, foreign interference (including in our political system), sabotage, and acts that endanger life, such as assassination. It provides law enforcement and intelligence agencies with new and updated tools to deter, detect and disrupt modern-day state threats.

The recently published Defence Command Paper 2023 and the Integrated Review Refresh 2023 sets out the UK’s approach to China as an enduring and epoch-defining challenge to British interests through its increasingly assertive and coercive behaviour. The documents say how the government will respond by increasing protections to national security, deepen cooperation with partners and increase engagement with China.

Military personnel who have any concerns or are aware of suspicious activity are encouraged to call the MoD confidential crime line.

September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK to announce action to help achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals at the UN General Assembly [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 September 2023.

The Deputy Prime Minister will head up the UK delegation for the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.
- Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will head up UK delegation in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level Week
- he and other Ministers will set out how the UK is increasing efforts to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, a series of commitments to make the world a fairer, healthier and more prosperous place by 2030
- Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is due to arrive in New York today (Sunday), and will meet counterparts from the US, France, Egypt, Barbados and Indonesia as well as attend G7 and migration meetings
The world must recommit to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if we are to achieve them by 2030, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will tell the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York next week.

As the halfway point between the launch of the SDGs in 2015 and the target for their delivery in 2030 approaches, he, the Foreign Secretary and the wider UK delegation will make clear countries urgently need to visibly and vocally recommit to the Goals to make the world healthier, fairer, and more prosperous.

The Deputy Prime Minister will lead the UK delegation and travel to New York on Tuesday – he will attend the UN Security Council session on Thursday. He will attend the UN Security Council session on multilateralism and Ukraine on Wednesday to recommit our steadfast support to Ukraine and to hold Russia to account for its illegal actions, both in Ukraine and its cynical attempts to undermine global food supplies and security, causing worldwide suffering in the world’s poorest nations.

The Deputy Prime Minister will also deliver the UK’s address to the General Assembly on Friday where he will call on nations to cooperate to ensure the benefits of revolutionary new technologies like AI are felt equally, while also preventing their misuse. He will also hold meetings on AI with leading technology companies and discuss AI regulation with other countries ahead of the UK’s AI Safety Summit.

He will also attend UN meetings on boosting global health and announce new UK support for strengthening health systems. He will also discuss climate action and growing global investment in Africa.

The Foreign Secretary, arriving in New York tomorrow (Sunday), will meet key allies and stress the need to keep up the pressure on Russia, making it clear to Putin that he cannot “outlast” the international backing for Ukraine.

He is due to hold talks tomorrow (Monday) and on Tuesday with, among others, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi.

Tomorrow (Monday) the Foreign Secretary will co-convene an event on Artificial Intelligence (AI) chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

It will bring together governments, tech firms and NGOs to discuss how AI can accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The Deputy Prime Minister will also be discussing the challenges and opportunities of AI with global partners and UK and US tech firms operating in the USA during his visit, ahead of the UK hosting the AI Safety Summit in November.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said:

“I’m delighted to be leading the UK delegation to the UN General Assembly on behalf of the Prime Minister.

“The UK has always worked closely with the UN to create a safer, healthier and more prosperous world. I look forward to using this year to discuss the challenges and opportunities of AI, so that the benefits of this revolutionary technology are felt fairly across the world, and how Britain can be at the forefront of that effort.

“Alongside this we’ll be announcing new support to tackle climate change, boost global economic growth and prevent future pandemics.

“But the principles of the UN are being challenged by Russia’s appalling actions in Ukraine: deliberately attacking and terrorising civilians and seeking to hold the world to ransom by blocking vital food supplies.

“I will be challenging Russia at the Security Council and other nations to strengthen international support for Ukraine’s freedom.”

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

“Only a functioning multilateral system can address the complex and interconnected global challenges we are facing. But our system is under strain, particularly from intensifying geopolitical rivalry. The Sustainable Development Goals are seriously off-track, and we need to come together to recommit and accelerate their delivery by 2030.

“Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, but its invasion of Ukraine is a clear breach of the UN Charter. Our citizens rightly demand that we curb illegal migration and boost economic growth. Climate change and new technologies like AI present extreme risks, but also unprecedented opportunities.

“Putin is counting on the misguided assumption that he can outlast international support for Ukraine. We will not be deterred. It is in all our interests, to ensure that Russia is defeated and evicted from Ukraine’s sovereign territory as quickly as possible.”
September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government to introduce legal costs cap to support victims [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 September 2023.

Legal costs will be capped in lower damages clinical negligence claims to support victims, speed up justice and protect taxpayers and NHS England cash.
- Limits to be placed on how much lawyers receive from lower damages clinical negligence claims
- This will save an estimated £500 million over the next decade which could be spent on patient care
- Changes will better support victims and preserve access to justice
Legal costs will be capped in lower damages clinical negligence claims to support victims, speed up justice and protect taxpayers and NHS England cash.

During the past 16 years claimants’ legal costs have risen four-fold for claims of up to £25,000. The amount spent by NHS England on clinical negligence claims has also risen from £0.6 billion to £2.6 billion despite the number of claims remaining stable.

This has created a situation where the claimants’ legal costs are disproportionate and on average double what the claimant themselves receives.

These costs are funded from the core NHS budget. It is estimated that introducing this system of fixed recoverable costs would save NHS England £500 million during the next decade, which could be spent on patient care.

Minister for Health, Maria Caulfield, said:

We want a fairer system for victims of clinical negligence which provides speedier justice while also protecting NHS and taxpayer funding.

Those providing legal representation are due fair remuneration for providing these services but this should not be out of proportion to the claim or be to the detriment of justice or front line services.

By introducing fixed recoverable costs for clinical negligence claims of £25,000 or below, we’re ensuring a better balance between costs and compensation.

The decision follows a consultation, which the government has now responded to. It concluded that claimant legal costs are too high and the length and complexity of the legal process can also be disproportionate given the relative straightforwardness of many claims at this level. This also means people who have been harmed are waiting longer to receive compensation.

Introducing a system of fixed recoverable costs is expected to speed up the process and at a lower and more proportionate cost while protecting victims and ensuring access to justice continues.

This will not impact on higher value claims and would only affect the level of the claimants’ legal costs, not the compensation for the claimant.

The rate of fixed recoverable costs under the recommendations are higher than those proposed in the consultation. The bolt-on amounts for those claims involving protected parties or children, will rise from £650 to £1,800.

The scheme will also give defendants responsibility for paying the costs of neutral evaluation, where an experienced legal professional evaluates the claim to speed up the process without the need to go to court.

A further 6-week consultation is also being launched to address whether disbursements – legal costs incurred over and above claimants’ legal costs such as court fees – should be included within the fixed costs.

The new rules are expected to come into force in April 2024.

Background information

The National Audit Office report ‘Managing the costs of clinical negligence in trusts’ identified claimant legal costs as a significant driver of the rise in the overall cost of clinical negligence claims in recent years.

These reforms follow Sir Rupert Jackson’s (then Lord Justice Jackson’s) 2017 recommendation that the Civil Justice Council (CJC) develop a bespoke, streamlined system of fixed recoverable costs. In 2022 we consulted on proposals closely aligned to the CJC’s 2019 report recommendations on the fixed recoverable costs process and developed with extensive input from claimant and defendant representatives.

Fixed recoverable costs in lower value clinical negligence claims: consultation outcome

Fixed recoverable costs in lower damages clinical negligence claims – a supplementary consultation on disbursements
September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK ramps up vital life-saving support for Libya [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 September 2023.

The UK has ramped up crucial life-saving support to flood-hit Libya, allocating increased funding and deploying an essential emergency medical team.
- new UK funding to support response to devastating floods in Libya
- UK to deliver life-saving provisions including emergency shelter, solar lanterns, and water filters to disaster-affected areas
- Emergency Medical Team to be deployed to carry out rapid medical assessments on the ground
The UK has ramped up crucial life-saving support to flood-hit Libya, allocating increased funding and deploying an essential emergency medical team.

This additional support builds upon the initial package worth up to £1 million announced earlier this week (13 September), which will be used to provide vital provisions including emergency shelter items, portable solar lanterns and water filters.

The UK is also deploying an emergency medical team led by health and sanitation experts from NGO UK-MED to conduct rapid medical assessments in disaster-affected areas. The Emergency Medical Team will coordinate with local authorities, international organisations and other EMT partners on the ground to understand the immediate and growing humanitarian health needs in Libya following the devastating storms.

The UK has increased its financial support to the response to both the floods in Libya and the earthquake in Morocco, allocating a package worth up to £10 million.

Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord Ahmad said:

It is harrowing to see the loss of life and scenes of devastation in Libya following the floods.

The UK is committed to supporting the Libyan people during this extremely difficult time. We will increase UK funding to the crisis response and deliver crucial life-saving provisions, including shelter, water filters and medical assessments.

Earlier this week (13 September), the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, spoke with the Chairman of Libya’s Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Mnefi, to convey his condolences and the UK’s commitment to supporting Libya in the aftermath of this tragedy. Lord Ahmad also spoke to Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator at the UN, Martin Griffiths, to discuss the international response to the crises in Morocco and Libya.

The UN has announced $10 million in response to the flooding from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), to which the UK is one of the largest donors. The UK has committed £52 million towards the UNCERF’s vital work in 2023.

The UK is working with trusted partners on the ground to identify the most urgent basic needs, including on shelter, healthcare and sanitation and stands ready to provide further support.
September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The UK calls on South Sudan’s leaders to deliver the free and fair elections the South Sudanese people deserve – UK statement at the UN Security Council [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 September 2023.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on South Sudan.

Thank you President. Thank you also to SRSG Haysom, ASG Msuya and Ms Juan for their briefings today.

This September marks five years since the South Sudanese parties came together to sign the Peace Agreement.

The United Kingdom welcomes the progress achieved since then, and that disputes are now largely resolved through political dialogue, not conflict.

But we remain concerned that progress is too slow and too limited. The past five years have been characterised by missed deadlines and multiple extensions.

So, we call on South Sudan’s leaders to demonstrate the political will to deliver the free and fair elections that the South Sudanese people deserve.

President, the United Kingdom welcomes the recent establishment of an Election Security Committee and the presentation of the National Elections Act to Parliament.

But as highlighted by SRSG Haysom, in addition to adopting the necessary legislation and reconstituting the relevant electoral bodies, there are fundamental decisions and logistical preparations that require urgent attention.

We call on the South Sudanese authorities to create the necessary political and civic space to allow for free and credible elections.

President, as the horrifying violence continues across the border in Sudan, over 260,000 people have now been registered arriving into South Sudan. This comes on top of what were already unprecedented levels of humanitarian need in South Sudan.

The United Kingdom commends the Government of South Sudan’s provision of transportation and the UN system and humanitarian partners in their response to the crisis.

We urge the South Sudanese government to create a more enabling environment for humanitarian action, and commit itself to longer-term, more durable solutions that address the increasing humanitarian need.

In closing, at this important time in South Sudan’s history we urge South Sudan’s leadership to deliver on the outstanding tasks to make democratic elections a reality.

Thank you.

September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government to ban ‘American XL Bully’ [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 15 September 2023.

The Government has announced today that ‘American XL Bully’ dogs will be banned.

‘American XL Bully’ dogs will be banned following a series of horrific attacks, the Government has announced today (15 September).

On the back of a number of shocking ‘American XL Bully’ attacks, the Environment Secretary will urgently convene experts to define the ‘American XL bully’ breed type in the next week.

This is a vital first step towards adding it to the list of dogs banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

This group will include police, canine and veterinary experts, and animal welfare stakeholders.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey said:

Dog attacks are devastating for victims and their families and it is clear that more now needs to be done to stop them and protect the public. That is why we are taking decisive action to ban the American XL Bully.

This is on top of the work the Government has been doing for some time with the police and local authorities to encourage responsible dog ownership and make sure the full force of the law is being applied.

Under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, a definition of the ‘American XL Bully’ breed type needs to be specified – including clear assessment criteria for enforcement authorities – in order to impose a ban. The Government must then lay a Statutory Instrument to add it to the list of dogs banned under the Act. This will make it an offence to own, breed, gift or sell an XL bully. We will do this by the end of the year.

We need to safely manage the existing population of these dogs, therefore there will be a transition period. Further details on how the transition period will work will be provided in due course. Current XL Bully dog owners do not need to take any action at this stage however, if XL Bully owners do not come forward during the transition period, they will be committing a criminal offence if they are subsequently found to be keeping one of these dogs.

Owners whose dogs are dangerously out of control are already breaking the law, and we already have a full range of powers to apply penalties to them. Under the Dangerous Dogs Act, people can be put in prison for up to 14 years, be disqualified from ownership or their dangerous dogs can be euthanised.

Further detail on next steps for developing a ban and information for owners will be provided in due course.

September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : AUKUS Partners update the IAEA Board on naval nuclear propulsion [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 September 2023.

The United Kingdom, Australia and the United States updated the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors on AUKUS naval nuclear propulsion.

The below statement was delivered by Australia on 14 September 2023 under agenda item 12: Any Other Business.

Thank you, Chair.

I have the honour of speaking on behalf of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Chair,

We thank Director General Grossi for his update in his written introductory statement to this Board on Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program. As the Director General noted, bilateral technical consultations between the IAEA and Australia on Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program are ongoing, including in relation to the development of an Article 14 arrangement. We remain fully committed to ensuring our approach meets the highest non-proliferation standard.

Chair,

Colleagues will recall that, at the previous meeting of the Board, the Director General reported (in GOV/INF/2023/10) that Australia had submitted the required declarations under its CSA, AP, and Subsidiary Arrangements; the IAEA had conducted in-field verification activities, including a design information verification visit; and discussions on the technical aspects of an arrangement pursuant to Article 14 of Australia’s CSA had been initiated.

Chair,

The Director General has confirmed the IAEA will develop a robust safeguards approach for Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program which will enable the Agency to continue to meet its technical safeguards objectives established for Australia.

Since the June Board meeting, Australia’s bilateral technical consultations with the IAEA have continued. These discussions encompass technical and legal aspects of an Article 14 arrangement for Australia, including in relation to possible verification and monitoring activities and voluntary transparency measures.

As has been confirmed by the Director General, these ongoing bilateral consultations are taking place on the basis that Australia’s Article 14 arrangement will not remove nuclear material from IAEA oversight.

Throughout the lifecycle of Australia’s program, the Agency will be able to continue to verify and conclude that there has been no diversion of declared nuclear material, no misuse of facilities, and no undeclared nuclear material or activities.

Chair,

We wish to make clear that, contrary to what some delegations have suggested, we do not seek to impose a template or model Article 14 arrangement. When developing an Article 14 arrangement for Australia or another state, the Agency will need to account for state-specific factors.

The Director General has committed to transmitting the Article 14 arrangement, once developed, to the Board for appropriate action. As we have said previously, we fully support this approach.

Chair,

AUKUS partners have already addressed during this Board meeting some of the more egregious disinformation we have heard from other delegations, and I do not intend to go over that again.

In line with our abiding commitment to transparency, however, we welcome the opportunity to update the Board and, as appropriate, we will continue to address genuine questions from interested delegations regarding our non-proliferation approach through this and other fora.

Thank you, Chair.

September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Statement by AUKUS partners to the IAEA Board of Governors [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 September 2023.

UK Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Corinne Kitsell, gave a statement on behalf of Australia, the UK and the US on AUKUS.

The below statement was made on 14 September 2023 under agenda item 9: Transfer of the nuclear materials in the context of AUKUS and its safeguards in all aspects under the NPT.

Chair,

I take the floor on behalf of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States to respond to comments made regarding Australia’s acquisition of naval nuclear propulsion technology.

In response to the inclusion of this politically motivated and unnecessary agenda item, we refer Board members to our note verbale dated the 7th of September. In order to support the Board’s efforts to dedicate its limited time to address genuinely pressing issues, we have not taken procedural action against the addition of this agenda item in meetings of the Board. But to be clear, in common with many other Board members, that does not mean we support it.

As we have done at previous Board meetings, an update will be provided on Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion programme under Any Other Business. We had intended to provide only a short reply under this item. However, due to the serious nature of some of the misleading assertions we have heard here today, as well as having been circulated in a recent nonpaper, it is important that we directly address some of the more egregious claims.

We recognise that there are genuine questions amongst Member States regarding naval nuclear propulsion in Comprehensive Safeguard Agreement (CSA) states. We will continue to engage in good faith with states, consistent with our approach to maintaining open and transparent engagement.

Unfortunately, attempts at genuine discussion of this issue continue to be subject to ever-evolving attempts designed to sow mistrust in the Agency or undermine its independent mandate. We have now seen several iterations of political manoeuvring by certain states to misrepresent the AUKUS partners’ responsible and transparent approach to implementing their safeguards obligations. We have heard many differing and often self-contradictory arguments in this effort. Many of these arguments have been abandoned by their proponents when it became clear they carried no weight or did not reflect reality, only to be replaced by new disinformation.

Chair,

The Director General has been clear that the Agency already has ‘the necessary experience to develop the arrangements related to the use of nuclear material for naval nuclear propulsion in accordance with the Statute and relevant safeguards agreements’. Australia’s nuclear fuel cycle will remain under IAEA oversight, in accordance with the provisions in Australia’s CSA and AP, throughout the lifecycle of Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion program. The Director General has confirmed that it will be necessary for Australia’s Article 14 arrangement to allow the Agency to continue to fulfil its technical safeguards objectives. Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States remain fully committed to ensuring the IAEA is able to fulfil its mandate.

Chair,

Contrary to the disinformation being perpetuated by some member states, the Director General has also confirmed that – for any CSA state acquiring naval nuclear propulsion technology – he will transmit an Article 14 arrangement to the Board for ‘appropriate action’.

As with the implementation of other provisions of states’ CSAs, the practical arrangements to be applied in Australia under Article 14 are the subject of bilateral in-confidence negotiations between Australia and the IAEA. Once negotiated, the arrangement will be brought to the Board. This is entirely consistent with the exchange of letters between Australia and the Director General in 1978. To suggest that the Board will be bypassed is false. We do not accept attacks on the mandate, independence, expertise or professionalism of the Director General and the Secretariat.

It is deeply concerning that some states are calling into question the ability of the Director General to perform the functions vested in him by the Statute and by decisions of the Board. The politicisation by some states of this technical issue risks undermining the independence of the Agency – the cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime. As stated by the Director General this is part of the legal framework set out in the CSAs concluded on the basis of INFCIRC/153, which the Board has authorized the Director General to conclude and implement. We have full confidence in the Director General that he will continue to fulfil his mandate with professionalism and integrity.

Chair,

Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States continue to oppose proposals for a standing agenda item, a new ‘intergovernmental’ or other parallel process, or any effort that would undermine and politicize the independent technical mandate of the IAEA. We do not accept politically motivated attempts to disrupt the Agency’s implementation of safeguards agreements. We reject any suggestion that the Agency does not have a mandate to engage bilaterally with Member States on issues relevant to the implementation of safeguards.

All states rely on the rights – and obligations – enshrined in safeguards agreements to engage bilaterally and in confidence with the Agency. To impose new limits or conditions on this right would threaten Member States’ confidence in the Agency’s ability to implement its safeguards mandate and could risk relegating the Agency’s implementation of safeguards to a secondary position. This is completely inconsistent with the letter and spirit of the legal framework and would threaten to send us down a dangerous path.

Chair,

We welcomed the Director General’s decision to report to the June 2023 Board meeting on developments related to Australia’s naval nuclear propulsion programme, as well as his separate report on Brazil’s naval nuclear propulsion programme. The Director General has confirmed he will continue to provide reports on naval nuclear propulsion programmes as appropriate, and we support his prerogative in this regard.

We welcome constructive Board discussions on NNP on the basis of reports by the Director General, including under apolitical agenda items when there are substantive developments to discuss falling within the IAEA’s remit.

Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States will continue to keep the Board updated on our ongoing engagement with the IAEA, including under Any Other Business at this meeting. We urge colleagues to reject deliberate efforts to disrupt the Agency’s independence and integrity.

Thank you, Chair.

September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : French couple jailed for smuggling children inside furniture [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 15 September 2023.

A French couple have been jailed for almost 10 years after they trapped Vietnamese migrants, including children, inside sofas to smuggle them into the UK.

Junior Toussaint and Andrene Paul, both from near Paris, were sentenced to a combined 9 years and 11 months at Hove Crown Court today after pleading guilty to assisting unlawful migration to the UK.

The pair had worked together as delivery drivers in France and used furniture to hide a Vietnamese woman and three children in the back of a hire van.

They had travelled from Dieppe to Newhaven Port in the early hours of 2 April this year.

Border Force officers became suspicious when they searched the van and saw movement from inside the adapted sofas, which were buried underneath a mattress and other furniture.

Shocking images taken at the time of the search show two migrants packed inside with no means of escape without assistance from the smugglers.

Others were hidden among other fixtures including a chest of drawers. One migrant was found crushed underneath a settee.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said:

This case is another shocking example of the sickening tactics used by criminals who will think nothing of trapping women and children in appalling conditions to illegally enter our country.

We are working night and day to stay one step ahead of the smuggling gangs and ensure they are swiftly brought to justice.

And our landmark Illegal Migration Act will decisively break their business model by removing the incentive to make a dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journey from the safety of France.

The defendants told officers they had no knowledge of the migrants’ presence in their van and had been driving it to help with furniture removal in London.

Fingerprint checks carried out by Border Force later proved Toussaint’s involvement in the smuggling attempt. He pleaded guilty to assisting unlawful immigration.

Paul, who had also denied her involvement, was found to have made a series of suspicious visits to the UK earlier in the year. She pleaded guilty when video evidence of her previous activity was shown in court.

Chris Foster, Deputy Director of Criminal and Financial Investigations at the Home Office, said:

Criminals are going to increasingly extreme lengths to smuggle people across the UK border for profit due to our efforts to clamp down on them. This sentence today reflects the severity of their crimes.

Our teams save lives by identifying and intervening in smuggling attempts like this one. I want to thank my officers who work tirelessly to investigate those responsible and ensure they face the full weight of the law.

September 19, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Industry to have their say on increasing role of hydrogen in energy system [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 15 September 2023.

Industry and consumer groups are invited to offer views on increasing the amount of hydrogen used in the UK’s gas network.
- Industry and consumer groups to offer views on new hydrogen technology
- following consultation, hydrogen blended into current gas networks could increase by up to 20%
- forms part of government efforts to grow the economy and support the future hydrogen market
The government has, today (Friday 15 September), invited views from industry and consumer groups on increasing the amount of hydrogen used in the UK’s gas network to fuel homes and businesses, in a move to help cut emissions, strengthen energy security and create new skilled jobs.

Energy Minister Lord Callanan has launched a consultation on the UK pursuing a process of ‘blending’, to accelerate the creation of a new hydrogen industry.

Hydrogen currently makes up around 0.1% of the gas used in people’s homes and businesses – but proposals could see the volume of hydrogen in the network increase gradually over time, up to a maximum of 20%.

This blending of hydrogen with natural gas in the network could boost hydrogen production – which would in turn cut carbon emissions and strengthen energy security, helping to stabilise bills for families and businesses by making them less susceptible to volatile gas prices.

The views from industry and consumer groups – combined with forthcoming advice from the Health and Safety Executive – will help inform next steps on the use of hydrogen, including through blending.

Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance Lord Callanan said:

We want to capture the full economic potential that comes with using hydrogen as a cleaner, reliable energy source – with the opportunity to create tens of thousands of new skilled jobs.

Blending hydrogen into our gas supply – through existing gas infrastructure – would open the doors to an expansion of its use as a fuel, one which could help us cut emissions and stabilise bills for families and businesses.

The consultation launched today marks the next step in government’s plans to reach 10GW of hydrogen production capacity by 2030 – creating over 12,000 new jobs and putting the UK at the forefront of the growing hydrogen market.

Already the government has committed to support the design of business models that will help early projects develop new technology – so hydrogen can be used as a cleaner home-grown energy source that will help stabilise bills for customers.

The energy sector, consumer groups and wider industry have until 27 October 2023 to submit their views to the government’s consultation on ‘Hydrogen Blending into GB gas distribution networks’. The feedback will help inform government’s decision on whether to proceed with blending.
September 19, 2023