Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Healthcare studies more affordable as financial support increased [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 1 September 2023.

Government increases financial support to make healthcare studies more affordable.
- Travel and accommodation support for healthcare students to be raised by 50% as part of government efforts to boost training
- Uplift will mean students are appropriately reimbursed for cost of travelling for clinical placements
- Follows publication of NHS Long Term Workforce Plan which committed to huge expansion of education and training places
Eligible students on nursing, midwifery, allied health professions, medical and dental courses will be able to claim 50% more for travel and accommodation expenses while more students from low-income families will be given financial help, the government has announced today (Friday 1 September 2023).

Students will be able to claim more money for any trips taken as part of their training, such as clinical placements in hospitals. For example, a student who travels 1,000 miles by car or motorcycle during their placement will now receive £420 compared to £280 under the previous rates.

The government will also raise the means-testing threshold for the NHS Bursary Scheme raising the amount a student’s parent or partner can earn before they are eligible for support from £24,279 to £26,076.

Minister of State for Health, Will Quince, said:

Working in the NHS is incredibly rewarding and we want to ensure a diverse range of students can pursue a career in nursing, midwifery or medicine.

We have therefore listened to students’ concerns and are taking action to ensure they are appropriately reimbursed for any additional costs of travelling for clinical placements, as well as boosting means-tested and childcare support for medical students.

Ahead of the biggest ever expansion of education and training places as part of the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, this will help to support the next generation of NHS staff in their training.

Today’s increase comes on top of existing support including a non-repayable training grant for eligible nursing, midwifery and allied health professional students of £5,000 per academic year, plus up to £3,000 available for childcare support or those studying certain specialisms, such as radiography or mental health nursing.

The changes will come into effect from today, in time for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

The 50% increase in travel and accommodation costs will include:
- travel on the student’s own pedal cycle: from current 20p to 30p per mile, for general maintenance and wear and tear
- travel in or on the student’s own motor vehicle: from current 28p to 42p per mile
- commercial accommodation such as a hotel or bed and breakfast: from current £55 to up to £82.50 per night
- non-commercial accommodation, including staying with a friend or relative, but not parents: from current £25 to up to £37.50 per night
Changes to the NHS Bursary Scheme for medical students will:
- uplift the means-testing threshold to £26,076 from £24,279. This is the amount a student’s parents or partner can earn before their income becomes deductible from the student’s means-tested bursary, and will increase the amount of means-tested funding available to support medical students
- uplift childcare allowance to align with the rates provided by the Department for Education for earlier years of study, meaning medical students will be able to claim more support for childcare costs, where needed
The NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) provides non-taxable and non-repayable funding to eligible nursing, midwifery, and allied health professional (such as paramedics or physiotherapists) students on pre-registration healthcare courses. The NHS Bursary provides funding support to eligible medical and dental students.

The NHS Bursary travel and dual accommodation rates have remained unchanged since 2015, and the LSF rates since its inception in 2017.

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by over £2.4 billion of funding for the next 5 years, will help to train more staff and retain dedicated existing staff to help cut waiting lists, one of the government’s top 5 priorities. It will also reform the way we work, including by embracing the very latest technological innovations.

By 2031, as part of the biggest ever workforce training expansion in NHS history, undergraduate medical school training places will double to 15,000 a year with more places targeted in areas with the greatest shortages to level up training and tackle health disparities. As part of this the government will be working with the General Medical Council to create new medical schools.

Adult nursing and midwifery training places will also nearly double, with more than 24,000 additional places a year.

The NHS will ramp up the number of apprenticeships so students can earn while they learn – widening opportunities to start a career in the NHS beyond traditional training routes. As a result, nearly a fifth of all clinical staff will train through apprenticeship routes by 2030, up from just 7% today. Up to 2,000 people a year will also achieve university medical degrees through an apprenticeship by 2036 to 2037.

Dr Navina Evans, Chief Workforce, Training and Education Officer for NHS England, said:

Changes to the Learning Support Fund and NHS Bursary Scheme is a welcome boost for healthcare students.

Financial support is key to helping to attract a diverse range of students onto healthcare courses, many of which may be mature students with families they need to financially support while they learn.

While on clinical placements, healthcare students are honing their skills and providing frontline care to patients. It is vital that we ensure that those that need support aren’t left out of pocket during these training periods.

We know that making the NHS an attractive place to work and train is vital to achieving the ambitions laid out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and hope this increased funding will go some way to achieving that.
September 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Domestic abusers tagged on release and blocked from harassing victims from prison [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 1 September 2023.

Hundreds of victims of domestic abuse will be better protected as perpetrators who still pose a risk once they are released from prison will be made to wear electronic monitoring tags.
- new scheme to tag hundreds of prison leavers at risk of abusing partners
- service that blocks harassment from behind bars has protected over 2,700 victims
- extra work to protect victims from domestic abusers behind bars and after release
Through the scheme, which will launch in the East and West Midlands, any offender who poses a threat to a former partner or their children can now be forced to wear an electronic tag, protecting victims from further trauma.

Offenders who are tagged can be banned from going within a certain distance of a victim’s home, with the tags monitoring their whereabouts or making them abide by a strict curfew. Offenders who breach these rules face being returned to prison.

Up to 500 prison leavers will, for the first time, be made to wear a GPS or curfew tag as part of an initial pilot which is expected to be rolled out across England and Wales next year.

The government has also announced today that over 2,700 victims have been protected from further harassment from their imprisoned abusers thanks to a Prison Service scheme launched last summer.

The Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service ensures offenders are unable to dial a victim’s number from prison phones or send out threatening letters to their address. Its relaunch last year through a simple online form and greater publicity has spared thousands from threats and abuse.

Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, said:

Survivors of domestic abuse show great strength and bravery in coming forward, and it is right that every tool is used to protect them from further harm.

The tagging of prison leavers at risk of committing further domestic abuse is a further protection we are introducing to help victims rebuild their lives and feel safe in their communities.

Louise, a survivor of domestic violence, said:

The thought of my abuser trying to make contact – either from behind bars or once released – was one that left me feeling anxious and powerless.

These measures provide reassurance that we as survivors are being better protected from these efforts to intimidate and terrorise us.

More than 3,000 reports have been made to the Unwanted Prisoner Contact Service since its relaunch in June 2022 – representing a 4,779% increase compared to the old offline scheme. Of the 2,700 unique users who have filed reports, 93% are female with many being victims of domestic violence.

The service has also been used to disrupt criminal activity, such as the use and possession of illicit mobile phones by prisoners from behind bars. A recent case saw a prisoner’s sentence extended by 30 months, as a result of intelligence submitted via the online portal.

Crucially, the scheme allows domestic violence charities and other support services to file reports on behalf of the victims, saving them from having to think about their abuser.

The introduction of the domestic abuse tagging pilot is part of the government’s wider monitoring programme which was extended in 2021 to include two world-first projects, tagging thieves, burglars and robbers using location data to pin them to the scenes of further crimes and imposing alcohol monitoring tags on offenders post-custody.

Should an individual breach their licence conditions, such as entering an exclusion zone or breaching a curfew, then the offender faces going back behind bars.

The Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales, Nicole Jacobs, says:

I welcome announcements from government today to tackle perpetrators of domestic abuse. The domestic abuse electronic tags pilot is a positive step forwards in protecting victims.

By blocking perpetrators from contacting victims, the Unwanted Prisoner Contact scheme sets an important standard that the criminal justice system will not be used to further domestic abuse, making a difference for survivor’s safety, recovery, and freedom from abuse.

For too long, the onus has been on victims of domestic abuse to protect themselves from harm. I will continue to work with government to ensure a whole suite of measures is in place to protect victims and prevent domestic abuse, including improving probation practice and the use of evidence-based perpetrator interventions.

Valerie Wise, National Domestic Abuse Lead at the charity Victim Support said:

Unwanted contact from offenders is frightening and stressful – it is often used to intimidate survivors and continue campaigns of abuse.

Early indications that survivors are making use of this service is positive news. We hope it will continue to make it easier and quicker to stop this behaviour, so that survivors can move on and rebuild their lives.

These measures build on the government’s intention to end violence against women and girls, building on the landmark Domestic Abuse Act which introduced a range of measures to protect victims. This includes the introduction of new offences for non-fatal strangulation and image-based abuse and banning the cross-examination by abusers in the family courts.

The government has also quadrupled funding for victim services and recruiting hundreds more Independent Domestic Violence Advisers.
September 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Zimbabwe election 2023 – UK Minister for Africa’s statement [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 August 2023.

Minister for Development and Africa Andrew Mitchell gave a statement following the Zimbabwe elections.

The United Kingdom commends the people of Zimbabwe for demonstrating patience and resilience in exercising their democratic rights, and especially for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere on election day and beyond.

We share the view of the Election Observation Missions’ preliminary statements that the pre-election environment and election day fell short of regional and international standards. Issues included limited transparency from the electoral commission, the lack of level playing field, the passing of repressive legislation, long delays in the opening of some polling stations, and reports of intimidation of voters. The UK takes note of the announcement by the Chair of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of results on 26 August. However, we are concerned by a lack of transparency in the tallying of results, as well as the arrests of domestic observers.

We urge all parties and citizens to continue to follow constitutional processes in the coming weeks, allow space for inclusive dialogue, and act with restraint.

September 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Japan’s discharge of treated Fukushima-Daiichi water: UK statement [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 August 2023.

An FCDO spokesperson gave a statement on Japan’s first discharge of treated water from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear site.

On 24 August 2023 Japan undertook its first discharge of treated water from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear site.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

The UK is fully supportive of the Government of Japan in taking such action.

The UK government would like to restate its full satisfaction with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) monitoring and judgement that Japan’s release of treated water from the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear site is safe and consistent with internationally accepted nuclear safety standards.

The UK wishes to underscore the routine nature of aqueous discharges of tritium. It is standard practice throughout the nuclear industry globally.

September 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on 30 August 2023 – FCDO statement [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 August 2023.

Following the ballistic missile launches by North Korea on 30 August 2023, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office released a statement.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on 30 August are a breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

Illegal ballistic missile launches continue to destabilise the peace and security of the Korean Peninsula.

The UK will always call out these violations of UNSCRs.

We strongly urge North Korea to return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation.

September 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The UN Interim Force in Lebanon plays a critical role in maintaining peace and stability – UK Statement at the Security Council [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 August 2023.

Explanation of vote by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Lebanon.

Let me begin by joining others to thank France for their efforts as penholder.

In the spirit of compromise and consensus, The UK has voted in favour today.

The UK is a strong supporter of UNIFIL. It plays a critical role in maintaining peace and stability across the Blue Line, preventing any further escalation that would be catastrophic for the region.

Resolution 1701 has always been clear – UNIFIL is authorised to take all necessary action to ensure the freedom of movement of its personnel and to fulfil its duties. This resolution clearly upholds that principle.

We are pleased the language clarifying UNIFIL’s long-standing mandate to exercise freedom of movement – which allows UNIFIL to conduct independent patrols and respond quickly to blue-line violations, and was added last year to that end, has been retained. However, it is unacceptable that UNIFIL is still unable to access some locations along the Blue Line border, including Green Without Borders sites. Particularly given Hezbollah’s self-acknowledged stockpiling of weapons in violation of resolution 1701.

The support UNIFIL provides to the Lebanese Armed Forces [LAF] has had a positive impact on the situation across the Blue Line. So, it is disappointing that the logistical support – an important signal of cooperation – was removed from this year’s mandate. The UK has long been a proud supporter of the Lebanese Armed Forces and we will continue our support to the LAF and Internal Security Forces in Lebanon as the pillars of Lebanon’s stability.

With this mandate passing we look to UNIFIL to provide stability that Lebanon needs and we pay tribute to its personnel.

September 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Police pledge to pursue any reasonable lead to solve more crime [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 31 August 2023.

Police forces have committed to pursuing all leads where there is a reasonable chance it could result in catching a perpetrator and solving a crime.

The ‘back-to-basics’ approach will mean police forces across England and Wales are expected to take advantage of footage made available by CCTV, vehicle dashcams, phones and smart doorbells to help identify suspects and place them at the scene of the crime.

While the pledge applies to all crimes, the Home Secretary expects police and crime commissioners to hold forces to account for a drastic change in the way police approach crimes like phone theft, car theft, shoplifting and criminal damage to bring more offenders to justice and restore public confidence in local policing.

This will mean that if there is tangible evidence, such as details of a website where a victim’s stolen goods appear, the police should request information to help identify the suspect. Alternatively, if a stolen mobile phone can be tracked with an app and there is a reasonable chance the police could recover it, then action should be taken.

This comes as the government confirms that over 50,000 drug tests for cocaine and opiates have been conducted on suspects arrested in the past year, with over half of these coming back positive. This testing is crucial for preventing further crime, as offenders are diverted towards life-changing intervention and treatment services. We are also expanding the powers for police to test for specified Class B drugs, such as cannabis and ketamine when parliamentary time allows.

In a bid to clean up communities across the country, the Home Secretary also encourages officers to make full, legitimate use of their stop and search powers to get drugs off the streets.

Today’s announcement builds on work the government is doing to cut crime and build stronger communities, with over 20,000 additional police officers on our streets and overall crime cut since 2010.

The government has also given the police the powers and resources they need to keep our streets safe. As well as putting more officers into our communities than ever before, police in England and Wales have received record levels of investment, with up to £17.2 billion this year.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

The police have made progress in preventing crime across the country with neighbourhood offences like burglary, robbery and vehicle theft down by 51% since 2010.

Despite this success, since I became Home Secretary I’ve heard too many accounts from victims where police simply haven’t acted on helpful leads because crimes such as phone and car thefts are seen as less important – that’s unacceptable. It has damaged people’s confidence in policing.

Criminals must have no place to hide. The police’s commitment today is a huge step forward towards delivering the victim-focused, common-sense policing the public deserve.

The commitment today has been worked up and agreed by the Home Office, in tandem with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and College of Policing, and is formally defined as an agreement to pursue all ‘reasonable lines of enquiry’ in relation to all crime types.

It builds on the previous commitment from all police forces to attend the scene of all home burglaries, to ensure better evidence gathering and make victims feel safer, which is now being actioned across the country.

The Home Secretary has also asked for plans from police and crime commissioners and chief constables on how they intend to improve visibility in communities to make our streets safer and improve confidence in local policing.

Minister for Crime and Policing Chris Philp said:

There is no such thing as a minor crime. All crimes, where there is a reasonable lead to follow up should be investigated. This will keep the public safe, catch more criminals and avoid disorder escalating. Crimes such as shoplifting, phone theft, car theft and burglary profoundly affect business and the public, and all merit proper investigation where there are leads to follow.

There are now record numbers of police officers and record funding that has gone into policing, including for more patrols in hotspot areas of crime, and to make neighbourhoods more secure with better street lighting and CCTV. Along with camera images, combined with facial recognition, this will mean many more offenders can be brought to justice.

I welcome this recognition and agreement from the policing sector that more can – and will – be done to solve crime. I believe it will improve performance and transform the public’s perception of their local force – as we have seen in Greater Manchester already.

There are already forces who are making commitments and delivering improvements to boost investigations and give the police more opportunities to catch offenders, for example Greater Manchester Police. They have made significant changes to the service they provide to the public, including an impressive 44% year on year increase in the number of charges recorded by the force.

Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson said:

The provision of additional officers; improved leadership; and an efficient but sustainable plan which focusses on the very basics of the job, has equipped Greater Manchester Police to significantly improve the policing services delivered to the communities within Greater Manchester and, crucially, victims of crime.

Additionally, an increased focus on vehicle crime in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in the first three months of 2023 led to 59 arrests and the recovery of 100 stolen vehicles, and MPS data suggests an 8% reduction in vehicle theft in the same period.

To support police forces to deliver on their commitment, the College of Policing have drafted new guidelines and have already updated the policing manual on best practice for investigating crime to support effective decision-making by officers (the Authorised Professional Practice).

The College of Policing is also developing specific good practice guidance on conducting residential burglary investigations. Setting the standard in respect of the initial response and the subsequent investigation, it emphasises the importance of attending the scene as early as possible to maximise evidence for the investigation, and this concept should be carried through to all crime types.

The public expect to get a timely response from the police which is why the Home Secretary and Policing Minister have today written to Chiefs and PCCs setting out their expectation for all emergency 999 calls to the police to be answered in less than 10 seconds and for all non-emergency contact, whether 101 or online, to be responded to as quickly as possible.

Operational decisions will always be a matter for individual police chiefs and their force, and it is right that each incident is looked at on a case-by-case basis, on the evidence available and in proportion to the crime.

September 3, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New guidance for schools impacted by RAAC [August 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 31 August 2023.

New guidance for education settings advises that any space or area with confirmed RAAC should no longer be open without mitigations in place.

New measures to minimise the impact of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in education settings have been published today, Thursday 31 August, by the government.

While building maintenance is the duty of councils and academy trusts, new RAAC cases have reduced the Department for Education’s confidence that school and college buildings with confirmed RAAC should remain open without mitigations in place.

As a result, following careful analysis of new cases, the department is taking the precautionary and proactive step to change its approach to RAAC in education settings, including schools. This decision has been made with an abundance of caution and to prioritise safety of children, pupils, and staff ahead of the start of the new term.

The vast majority of schools and colleges will be unaffected by this change.

Just over 50 settings have already been supported to put mitigations in place this year, including through additional funding for temporary accommodation, and all children are receiving face to face learning.

This week, the department has contacted all 104 further settings where RAAC is currently confirmed to be present without mitigations in place, to ask them to vacate spaces or buildings that are known to contain RAAC.

The majority of these settings will remain open for face-to-face learning on their existing site, because only a small part of the site is affected by RAAC. A minority will need to either fully or partially relocate to alternative accommodation while mitigations are put in place because of the extent to which RAAC is present.

The government has been aware of RAAC in public sector buildings since 1994. In 2018, the Department for Education published guidance for schools about the need to have adequate contingencies in place for the eventuality that RAAC-affected buildings need to be vacated at short notice.

Officials from the department have also contacted responsible bodies directly to remind them of the need to ensure that these plans are in place. The small proportion of schools that are impacted are being contacted directly by a Department for Education case worker and full support will be provided. The department will continue to work with all education settings to identify RAAC and provide support where it is confirmed to be present.

Parents will be contacted by their school if pupils are moving to a temporary location while remediation works are being carried out. Guidance for parents is available.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said:

Nothing is more important than making sure children and staff are safe in schools and colleges, which is why we are acting on new evidence about RAAC now, ahead of the start of term.

We must take a cautious approach because that is the right thing to do for both pupils and staff.

The plan we have set out will minimise the impact on pupil learning and provide schools with the right funding and support they need to put mitigations in place to deal with RAAC.

While some short-term disruption is inevitable as a result of this change, all available measures are being taken to minimise disruption to learning. The Department for Education is providing further support including:
- Providing funding for essential immediate works needed to remove any immediate risk and, where necessary, to support the provision of temporary buildings for schools and colleges affected. The Department will work closely with responsible bodies to manage RAAC in the long-term, supported by capital funding provided to the sectors each year, and through the school rebuilding programme.
- Assigning a dedicated caseworker to each school/college affected, who will work with them to assess their particular needs and implement individually designed mitigation plans. This could include using other spaces on the school or college site, using spaces in nearby schools or elsewhere in the local area, or putting in place safety measures in the affected area. If needed, the caseworker will be onsite to support the school.
- Issuing further guidance to schools and colleges on identifying and managing RAAC. This will set out how the Department will provide support and funding to schools and other settings so that face-to-face education continues safely.
- Project delivery, property, and technical experts will be on hand to support schools to put face-to-face education measures in place.
Since 2015, £15 billion has been invested to keep schools safe and operational, whilst buildings at 500 schools will be transformed over the next decade through the School Rebuilding Programme. Settings in the poorest condition and those with evidence of potential safety issues are being prioritised, including some now known to contain RAAC.

Settings that are concerned about the presence of RAAC should continue to inform the department through its ongoing questionnaire. Parents will be contacted by their school if pupils are moving to a temporary location while remediation works are being carried out.
August 31, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement on Russia’s continued pursuit of weapons from the DPRK [August 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 August 2023.

The United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea have issued a joint statement following Russia’s negotiation of potential deals with North Korea for significant quantities and multiple types of munitions, to be used against Ukraine.

Good morning everyone, and thank you very much for being here, I would like to make a statement in my national capacity on behalf of Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

At the top, I would like to note that we are tracking reports that the DPRK has conducted another launch this morning. And as we investigate further, we call on the DPRK to refrain from engaging in provocative behaviour and instead accept one of our numerous offers for dialogue.

We are here today to share new, deeply troubling information: Arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing. As was highlighted during Friday’s Council meeting, Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu stood beside Kim Jong Un during the DPRK’s recent military parade – which showcased the DPRK’s Security Council-prohibited ballistic missile advancements. It is shameful that the Russian Federation – a permanent member of the Security Council – participated in a celebration of the DPRK’s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons delivery systems.

The United States is now able to share that Shoigu’s visit was more than just a photo op. Russia used this visit to the DPRK to try to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunition to Russia. Since then, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un have exchanged letters pledging to increase their bilateral cooperation. Our information further indicates that, following Shoigu’s visit, another group of Russian officials traveled to the DPRK for follow-up discussions about potential arms deals between the DPRK and Russia.

Russia is negotiating potential deals for significant quantities and multiple types of munitions from the DPRK to be used against Ukraine. These potential deals could also include the provision of raw materials that would assist Russia’s defense industrial base. In its pursuit of these weapons, Russia will violate Security Council resolutions, including resolutions Russia itself voted for. Any such arms deal would be a serious violation of resolutions the Security Council adopted, unanimously, after the DPRK’s past nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches.

Those resolutions prohibited all Member States, including Russia, from procuring any arms from the DPRK. This sends the wrong message to aspiring proliferators: that if you sell Russia arms, Russia will defend – even enable – your pursuit of nuclear weapons. On numerous occasions, the DPRK has publicly said it will not sell arms to Russia. We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by the public commitments Pyongyang has made.

This is not the first time Russia has moved to violate Security Council resolutions to pursue its illegal war against Ukraine. There is now incontrovertible evidence that Russia has procured drones from Iran in violation of another resolution it voted for, Security Council Resolution 2231. Russia has since used those drones in punishing attacks against critical infrastructure in Ukraine. And we are very disappointed the UN has not carried out its mandate to investigate and document Russia’s outrageous violations.

Russia’s pattern of behavior – flouting its responsibilities as a member of the Security Council, propping up proliferating regimes – is unacceptable. The United States is therefore taking direct action – by exposing and sanctioning individuals and entities working to facilitate arms deals between Russia and the DPRK. On August 16th, we designated additional entities tied to an already sanctioned evasion network attempting to support illicit DPRK-Russia arms deals.

We cannot – and we will not – stay silent as we receive more information that Russia continues to turn to rogue regimes to try to obtain weapons and equipment in order to support its brutal war of aggression. We will continue to work with allies and partners to identify, expose, and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment from the DPRK or any state that is prepared to support Russia’s war in Ukraine. And we will keep strengthening cooperation to address the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

This is a pressing matter of international peace and security, and it is one that demands the Council’s attention. Thank you.

August 31, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government to make it easier to sack rogue police officers [August 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 31 August 2023.

Government announces changes to rules governing police officers’ disciplinary, vetting and performance processes.

Police chiefs will chair independent public hearings responsible for removing corrupt officers from their force under new plans to strengthen the police dismissals process announced today (Thursday 31 August).

In a move to ensure the public are getting the high level of professionalism and service they deserve from our police, speed up the process of removing rogue officers, and to restore confidence in forces, the government has unveiled a raft of changes to the rules governing officers’ disciplinary, vetting and performance processes.

The law will be changed to ensure all officers must be appropriately vetted during their service and to enable officers who fail a re-vetting test whilst in post to be sacked.

Under the new system, a finding of gross misconduct will automatically result in a police officer’s dismissal, unless exceptional circumstances apply, speeding up the removal of officers not fit to serve.

Chief constables (or other senior officers) will also be given greater responsibilities to decide whether officers should be sacked, increasing their accountability for their forces, and will now chair independent misconduct panels. An independent lawyer will continue to sit on the panel, providing independent advice and helping to maintain rigour, but in a supporting legally qualified person (LQP) position. The outcome will be determined by a majority panel decision, as it is now, and hearings will continue to be held in public to maintain transparency.

Police chiefs will also be given a right to challenge decisions and there will be a presumption for former officers and special constables’ cases to be heard under fast-track procedures chaired by senior officers, cutting bureaucracy and saving taxpayers’ money, while making sure those failing to uphold standards are removed more swiftly.

The reforms follow a comprehensive review of the police disciplinary system launched following the conviction of David Carrick, who is spending 30 years behind bars for numerous serious sexual offences committed whilst he was a serving police officer.

We will also explore with police and crime commissioners (PCCs) and other stakeholders extending rights of challenge to PCCs, to allow democratically elected commissioners to hold those making dismissals decisions to account.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

Corrupt police officers and those who behave poorly or fail vetting must be kicked out of our forces. For too long our police chiefs have not had the powers they need to root out those who have no place wearing the uniform.

Now they can take swift and robust action to sack officers who should not be serving our communities.

The public must have confidence that their officers are the best of the best, like the vast majority of brave men and women wearing the badge, and that’s why those who disgrace the uniform must have no place to hide.

Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

Public trust must be restored – this is an important step to ensure we are ridding forces of rogue officers, for the sake of communities and for those officers who are dedicated, hardworking and brave.

Confidence in our police forces has been rocked recently.

These changes will ensure that police chiefs will have the ability to act fast to remove officers guilty of serious misconduct or who are poorly performing.

Other measures announced today include:
- working with the sector to create a list of criminal offences which would automatically amount to gross misconduct upon conviction
- streamlining of the performance system to ensure it’s effective at removing officers who demonstrate a serious inability or failure to perform their duties
- issuing new guidance to all forces to support the effective discharge of under-performing probationary officers using Regulation 13 powers
- improving data collection on performance and dismissals across all forces, including data on protected characteristics; and
- speeding up the system by allowing chief constables to delegate their responsibilities to other senior officers
These reforms build on wider work underway to transform the culture within policing and raise standards across the board. Last month, the College of Policing strengthened vetting standards, introducing a requirement for officers to be re-vetted following the conclusion of misconduct proceedings that do not end in a dismissal and making clear that checks must be carried out to identify any officers who have been barred from serving to ensure they cannot re-join the police.

The government also established the Angiolini Inquiry following the murder of Sarah Everard to understand how a serving police officer was able to carry out such a horrendous crime and to uncover any systemic issues in policing, such as vetting, recruitment and culture, as well as the safety of women in public spaces. It is also looking at David Carrick’s criminal behaviour and the decision making around his police vetting.

Furthermore, police forces have now completed the data washing exercise to check all officers and staff against national police databases, and are now manually analysing the information to identify leads for follow up.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Chair, Chief Constable Gavin Stephens said:

We welcome the change that will ensure any officer guilty of gross misconduct is automatically dismissed, and that any officer who fails vetting can be sacked.

It is also right that chief constables take the lead on the misconduct process. We are resolute in our commitment to rid policing of those not fit to serve the public and the changes in the dismissals process announced today significantly strengthens our ability to do so.

Chief constables are the employers and so it is right they should lead the process with support from independent legally qualified panel member/s. Not only will this streamline the process, but it will ensure the swift and effective removal of anyone who does not meet the high standards our communities deserve.

Misconduct proceedings are rightly open, fair and balanced, operating under detailed guidance which protects both our officers and the public we serve. Today’s announcement further supports this and our determination to root out the abusers and corrupt individuals who blight our service.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said:

I’m grateful to the government for recognising the need for substantial change that will empower chief officers in our fight to uphold the highest standards and restore confidence in policing.

The flaws in the existing regulations have contributed to our inability to fully address the systemic issues of poor standards and misconduct.

Chief officers are held to account for the service we deliver and for the standards we uphold which is why I have been persistent in calling for us to have the powers to act decisively and without bureaucratic delays when we identify those who have no place in policing.

In addition to these measures to tackle corrupt police officers, the Home Office is also launching a consultation on a new national framework for how police powers – including stop and search and use of force – are scrutinised at a local level. This delivers on a commitment made by government in its response to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report.

The Community Scrutiny Framework aims to assist PCCs and police forces to establish and maintain effective community scrutiny panels in their local area and ensure a consistent approach nationally.

Community scrutiny panels allow members of the community to review individual police interactions with the public and provide observations and feedback via local police and crime commissioners and the police. This can support police officers to use their powers more confidently with the backing of their communities and aid public understanding of how and why police powers are used.

Today’s announcement is also supported by publication of a review examining public perceptions of policing. The review establishes police visibility, availability, and attendance at incidents as critical to public perceptions of policing, and efforts to improve trust and confidence.

Chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Donna Jones, said:

Police and crime commissioners are committed to ensuring police officers who commit criminal acts or are proved to have acted in a corrupt way, are not only removed from operational duties as a matter of urgency, but that they are dismissed from police forces as quickly as possible. For this to happen the process to remove police officers must be one that is expedited with minimal barriers that cause delay.

Therefore I welcome the minsters announcement today to speed up the process enabling Chief Constables to sack corrupt police officers quicker.

The Home Secretary has also made clear that strong leadership at all ranks is essential to drive a positive culture and improve standards in policing.

The College of Policing has launched its new professional framework, which sets new consistent national standards for leadership, which will be delivered to all ranks through training by the College’s National Centre for Police Leadership. A new two-year development programme will also enable the most talented serving police inspectors to advance to superintendent more quickly.

Police entry routes will also be streamlined, including a new non-degree entry route which will be rolled out in the Autumn, with successful candidates beginning their training in Spring 2024.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, CEO at the College of Policing, said:

There is no place in policing for anyone who behaves in a way that damages the public’s trust in us to keep them safe. I welcome today’s announcement which means chiefs officers can swiftly root out those who are damaging policing and falling far short of our commitment to public service.

I was a chief constable in two police forces and I know first-hand the frustration of having to keep officers that I would have otherwise sacked. Last year I began asking for this to change to take place and it means chief officers will be in control of who walks the streets in their uniform.

I know from more than 30 years in policing that the vast majority of officers are dedicated public servants who work hard every day to keep people safe. They do not wish to work alongside officers who commit crimes or impact the trust people have in us. The process will be fair but those who commit serious misconduct can expect to be sacked.
August 31, 2023