Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : More than £1.2m funding for councils to clean up chewing gum from our streets [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : More than £1.2m funding for councils to clean up chewing gum from our streets [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 6 July 2023.

    Fifty-six councils across the UK to receive funding totalling more than £1.2 million to target chewing gum stains.

    More than 50 councils across the UK are to receive grants totalling more than £1.2 million to remove discarded chewing gum from our streets and prevent it from being littered again.

    Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cardiff, Glasgow, Ipswich, Liverpool, Sunderland and Wiltshire are among those to benefit from the second round of funding from the Chewing Gum Task Force.

    Launched in 2021, the Task Force was established by Defra and is administered by charity Keep Britain Tidy, with funding provided by gum producers. It aims to clean gum off pavements and put in measures to stop it being dropped in the first place, helping clamp down on anti-social littering.

    Estimates suggest the annual clean-up cost of chewing gum for councils in the UK is around £7 million and, according to Keep Britain Tidy, around 77% of England’s streets and 99% of retail sites are stained with gum.

    The Chewing Gum Task Force brings together some of the country’s major chewing gum producers, including Mars Wrigley and Perfetti Van Melle. Together, the producers have pledged up to £10 million over five years via the scheme to tackle gum littering.

    The latest round of funding includes:

    • Grants of up to £25,000 for cleansing with a fully funded bespoke gum litter prevention package.
    • Further grants of up to £25,000 for Antrim and Newtownabbey, Cardiff, Doncaster and Glasgow for the fully funded bespoke gum litter prevention package and long-term monitoring and evaluation carried out by not-for-profit social enterprise Behaviour Change.

    Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said:

    Littering blights our communities, spoils our countryside, harms our wildlife and wastes taxpayers’ money when cleaning it up. That’s why we’re working with gum producers to tackle chewing gum stains.

    After the success of the first round of funding, this next slice will give councils further support to clean up our towns and cities.

    In its first year the task force awarded 44 grants worth a total of £1.2 million, benefitting 53 councils who were able to clean an estimated 2.5km2 of pavement, an area larger than 467 football pitches.

    By combining targeted street cleaning with specially designed signage to encourage people to bin their gum, participating councils achieved reductions in gum littering of up to 80% in the first two months. Monitoring and evaluation carried out by Behaviour Change has shown that a reduced rate of gum littering is still being observed six months after clean-up and the installation of prevention materials.

    Allison Ogden-Newton OBE, Keep Britain Tidy’s chief executive, said:

    Chewing gum litter is highly visible on our high streets and is both difficult and expensive to clean up, so the support for councils provided by the Chewing Gum Task Force and the gum manufacturers is very welcome.

    However, once the gum has been cleaned up, it is vital to remind the public that when it comes to litter, whether it’s gum or anything else, there is only one place it should be – in the bin – and that is why the behaviour change element of the task force’s work is so important.

    Naomi Jones, corporate affairs director at Mars Wrigley UK, said:

    We’re pleased to be supporting the work of the Chewing Gum Task Force again this year. While the majority of consumers already bin their used gum properly, we know there’s still work to be done to change the behaviour of people who are disposing of their gum irresponsibly.

    In its first year, the Task Force’s work saw 2.5km2 cleaned in council areas around the country. Behaviour change interventions achieved chewing gum litter reductions of up to 80%. This year, we’ll be to be funding and partnering with another 56 councils, across the four nations, in 2023.

    In 2022, individual councils received grants of up to £20,000 to fund street cleaning and the purchase of cleansing equipment. Larger grants of up to £70,000 were available to two or more councils working together to achieve a greater impact.

    In Grimsby, machines made by Eco Removal Systems were used to clean unsightly chewing gum stains in the town centre. Due to the crew wearing the machines as backpacks, the team quickly became known as ‘Gum Busters’. The stains were removed using an eco-friendly detergent made from sugar beet. This was heated and sprayed directly on to the gum to vaporise it.

    Four councils – Birmingham, Newport, Glasgow and Belfast – benefitted from a full independent evaluation of their clean-up and prevention signage. A reduction of up to 80% in gum littering after two months was measured as a result of the interventions, through a combination of pre- and post-intervention gum counts and footfall analysis.

    The task force was announced as part of the government’s strategy to support the evolution and regeneration of high streets across the country, which includes 15 Town Deals totalling £335 million to fund community regeneration projects, the transformation of derelict buildings and communities being given the chance to own local pubs, theatres, sports grounds and corner shops.

    Littering is a criminal offence. In the Prime Minister’s Anti-social Behaviour Action Plan, we have committed to raising the upper limit on spot fines later this year from £150 to £500 in England.

    To tackle littering of drinks containers, from 2025 we will introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers where people will be incentivised to recycle their bottles and cans by placing a small deposit on drinks products.

    We have also banned some of the most littered plastic items in England and plan to introduce further bans from October 2023.

    The opening of this next round of funding comes alongside further steps this week to deliver the Prime Minister’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan which sets out the government’s approach to making sure these issues are treated with the urgency they deserve by establishing a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of anti-social behaviour, and giving the police and local authorities the tools they need to tackle the problem.

    Coinciding with Resolve’s ASB Awareness Week, pilot schemes have begun in police force areas to increase police patrols in hotspot areas, helping deter crimes from happening in the first place, and to deliver ‘immediate justice’ whereby offenders will be made to repair the damage they’ve caused to their communities with an aim to start reparative work within 48 hours.

    Earlier this week, the government also opened the first round of the Million Hours Fund, to make an initial £3 million of grants available for youth organisations to provide more out-of-school activities and support more young people in areas of high need this summer – ensuring young people are helped away from bad life choices and are given access to greater support.

    The full list of councils to receive funding is below.

    • Newark and Sherwood
    • North Tyneside Council
    • London Borough of Hackney
    • Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
    • Sevenoaks District Council
    • Rushcliffe Borough Council
    • London Borough of Waltham Forest
    • East Cambridgeshire District Council
    • Liverpool City Council
    • Manchester City Council
    • North Devon Council
    • Sunderland City Council
    • Leeds City Council
    • Braintree District Council
    • London Borough of Newham
    • Tewkesbury Borough Council
    • Canterbury City Council
    • Southend-on-Sea City Council
    • Stoke-on-Trent City Council
    • Colchester City Council
    • Blackpool Council
    • Haringey Council
    • City of London Corporation
    • Ipswich Borough Council
    • City of Doncaster Council
    • Redbridge Council
    • Cumberland Council
    • Middlesbrough Council
    • Lewes District Council
    • Newcastle City Council
    • Pendle Borough Council
    • Milton Keynes City Council
    • Wiltshire Council
    • Wirral Borough Council
    • Oxford City Council
    • London Borough of Lambeth
    • Ealing Council
    • Warrington
    • Wigan Council
    • Cardiff Council
    • Newport City Council
    • Cyngor Gwynedd
    • Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
    • Bridgend County Borough Council
    • Rhondda Cynon Taff County Borough Council
    • Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
    • Vale of Glamorgan Council
    • Mid and East Antrim Borough Council
    • Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council
    • Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
    • Derry City and Strabane District Council
    • Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council
    • Mid Ulster District Council
    • South Lanarkshire Council
    • South Ayrshire Council
    • Glasgow City Council
  • PRESS RELEASE : Report by OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities – UK response [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Report by OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities – UK response [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 July 2023.

    Ambassador Neil Holland voices UK support for the work of the OSCE High Commissioner and calls for the protection of national minorities in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

    Thank you Mr Chair, Welcome, Ambassador, back to the Permanent Council. Thank you for your comprehensive report and your address today.

    The UK is a strong supporter of your mandate: we welcome your institution’s work in promoting human rights for all, particularly national minorities. This is integral to ensuring collective security and stability, and to preventing conflict. High Commissioner, we recall your previous remarks that diversity is strength – the UK is a great believer in this principle.

    Your report rightly highlights the terrible effect that Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion is having on people in Ukraine. We echo your call for the protection of civilians and for humanitarian access in Ukraine, including for national minorities. The Russian government has cynically used minority issues as a false pretext for its unjustifiable aggression. The swiftest and most effective way to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all people in Ukraine is for Russia to withdraw its troops from the whole of Ukraine. Russia must respect international law, and that includes minority rights.

    Once again, we encourage all participating States to fully cooperate with you and your team to enable you to fulfil your mandate without impediment throughout the whole of Ukraine. This includes areas temporarily under Russian control. We welcome your continued dialogue with national minorities in Ukraine, as well as Ukrainian authorities.

    The UK also welcomes the Commission on National Minorities contribution to strengthening Georgia in the face of continued Russian hybrid aggression, including supporting the roll-out of Georgia’s Strategy for Civic Equality and Integration to promote national minority communities.

    We commend your work across the OSCE region, including in Albania, Moldova, and in Central Asia, which has made use of legislation, education, language, and dialogue to improve cohesion and representation for different national minorities. We are pleased to hear that there remains close cooperation between those participating States and your Office.

    As we have emphasised before, the UK greatly values your Office’s research into the intersectionality of gender and national minorities. We fully support women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in all aspects of public life, including in peace and security. It is heartening to know that your Office also recognises the importance of this. We would be in favour of further initiatives which promote gender mainstreaming, and look forward to reports of future progress in this important area.

    To conclude, Ambassador, we thank you and your dedicated team for all your endeavours, and wish you all the best in your future work.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Ukraine – Martin Harris [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Ukraine – Martin Harris [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 July 2023.

    Mr Martin Harris CMG OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to Ukraine in succession to Dame Melinda Simmons DCMG.

    Mr Martin Harris CMG OBE has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to Ukraine in succession to Dame Melinda Simmons DCMG, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.

    Mr Harris will take up his appointment in September 2023.

    On his appointment, Martin Harris said:

    I am delighted to be returning to Ukraine to lead our Embassy’s vital work in supporting the Ukrainian government and people as they defend their country and our common values.

    The UK’s relationship with Ukraine has never been stronger, and we will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

    Martin was previously in Kyiv from 2003 to 2008 where he was Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Martin Harris

    Place of birth:  Edinburgh

    Dates Role
    2017 to 2022 FCDO, Director, Eastern Europe and Central Asia
    2014 to 2017  Moscow, Minister and Deputy Head of Mission
    2010 to 2014 Bucharest, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
    2008 to 2010  Cabinet Office, Deputy Director
    2003 to 2008 Kyiv, Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General
  • PRESS RELEASE : UN HCR53 – Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on Myanmar [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UN HCR53 – Interactive Dialogue with Special Rapporteur on Myanmar [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 July 2023.

    Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Myanmar (oral progress report). As delivered by UK Human Rights Ambassador, Rita French.

    Thank you, Special Rapporteur, for your update.

    The continued deterioration of the human rights situation in Myanmar, in particular the targeting of the Rohingya community and other minorities, is extremely concerning.

    This year has seen further indiscriminate attacks by the military on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including the use of air strikes and arson attacks. Schools, hospitals and places of worship have been targeted. 11th April saw the deadliest attack on civilians since the military coup, with over 165 killed in airstrikes in Sagaing.

    Civilians must be protected. Human rights abuses and violations must cease immediately. We reiterate the calls of UN Security Council Resolution 2669 for an immediate end to violence, and for all parties to respect human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

    We thank the Special Rapporteur for his important update on the Myanmar arms trade. The UK is a longstanding supporter of an arms embargo on Myanmar. We have imposed targeted sanctions to reduce the military regime’s access to finance and arms.

    No member state should sell arms to Myanmar, which fuels violence, instability and atrocities.

    Special Rapporteur,

    What more can the international community do to pressure those who sell arms to the military?

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : More visible policing and swifter consequences for antisocial behaviour [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : More visible policing and swifter consequences for antisocial behaviour [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 6 July 2023.

    Communities across England and Wales will see more police patrolling antisocial behaviour hotspots and perpetrators will face tougher, swifter consequences.

    This marks the next steps in delivering the Prime Minister’s action plan to crack down on antisocial behaviour and build stronger communities.

    From this week onwards, 16 police force areas, including Cleveland, Derbyshire and Northumbria, will be launching either ‘hotspot’ policing initiatives or ‘immediate justice’ schemes. These will see offenders of antisocial behaviour made to wear high-vis vests and repair damage they’ve caused to the community – for example washing police cars, cleaning up graffiti and local parks, or litter picking.

    ‘Immediate justice’ programmes are already underway in Sussex and Derbyshire, and aim for offenders to start work as little as 48 hours after they’ve committed a crime, so that victims know antisocial behaviour is treated seriously. The reparative activity will be up to each force or local council to decide but should be visible to the public, with the community and victims getting a say in the kind of clean-up or repairs undertaken. This will help to restore public confidence that people will be held accountable for their crimes, in turn helping to strengthen communities and build a better future.

    The hotspot policing schemes will see an increase in the number of police patrols in areas with the highest rates of antisocial behaviour, with resource focused on locations where incidents are more frequent such as public transport or parks – helping to step up enforcement action and deter crimes from being committed in the first place so that people feel safer in their communities.

    While these trial areas are being funded as part of the government’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan announced in March, the initiatives are due to be rolled out in all areas of England and Wales from 2024.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

    Everyone should have the right to feel safe on their streets, confident that perpetrators will pay the price of their crimes.

    That’s why tackling antisocial behaviour is a core part of my pledge to build a better future for people all across this country.

    My plan to stamp it out will make sure those responsible for damaging their communities will be swiftly and visibly held to account – so that people know this issue will be treated with the urgency it deserves.

    On top of this the Home Secretary is today announcing an additional £60 million – £1.4 million for every police force area in the country – to invest in crime prevention measures such as better CCTV or street lighting, or local community projects with a particular focus on driving down antisocial behaviour, preventing more burglaries and making streets safer for women and girls – in turn helping to build stronger communities. This is on top of the £120 million we have already invested in 270 projects through the fund since 2020.

    The funding is the biggest pot to date from the government’s Safer Streets Fund and will be directly awarded to police and crime commissioners. There will be no need to bid competitively for the money, freeing them up to focus on listening to local concerns and delivering the projects – for example, working with civil society organisations on training to stop street sexual harassment.

    Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

    People up and down the country are sick of feeling intimidated by yobs in their communities and want to be able to feel safe walking down the street.

    Antisocial behaviour is not ‘low-level’ crime and that’s why I am determined to bring it to a stop by giving police the powers and the funding to stamp it out.

    There will be quick and visible consequences for individuals carrying out this behaviour before they start down the path to more serious criminality.

    I want to see the new funding we’re announcing today invested into more CCTV, better street lighting or gating, to make our streets safer for all.

    The government has also delivered on its manifesto commitment to recruit 20,000 additional police officers, with more across England and Wales than ever before, which means more resource to crack down on antisocial behaviour, solve more burglaries and prevent violent crime.

    The Home Secretary visited Derbyshire Police on Tuesday, who are consulting with the community throughout this week – which also marks Anti-Social Behaviour Awareness Week – on what kind of reparation they would like to see in their area. The Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire also visited Lancashire Police to see the launch of their hotspot policing pilot.

    Rebecca Bryant OBE, Chief Exec Resolve, said:

    We must do better when it comes to supporting victims of antisocial behaviour. As our new research shows, it is a prevalent, widespread problem causing serious harm to its victims and communities.

    We are calling for a greater focus on early intervention and prevention, and more communication around how to report antisocial behaviour and what to expect after making a report. We are working closely with government to raise awareness of this issue.

    The launch of the schemes this week are the next step in the government’s ongoing work to clamp down on antisocial behaviour, as set out in the Prime Minister’s action plan to build stronger communities and a better future for people across the country.

    This includes relaunching the anti-social behaviour case review, formerly known as the community trigger, which gives victims of persistent antisocial behaviour a right to request a review of how their case has been handled, where a local threshold is met, as well as the start of a new pilot to rapidly deploy teams of offenders serving Community Payback sentences to carry out local clean-ups where particularly serious incidents of fly tipping, vandalism and littering have taken place.

    Today also marks the latest round of funding opening under the Chewing Gum Task Force. More than 50 councils across the UK will receive grants totalling more than £1.65 million to remove discarded chewing gum from our streets and prevent it from being littered again.

    Earlier this week, the government also opened the first round of the Million Hours Fund, to make an initial £3 million of grants available for youth organisations to provide more out of school activities and support more young people in areas of high need this summer – ensuring young people are helped away from bad life choices and are given access to greater support.

    These measures form part of the Prime Minister’s Anti-Social Behaviour Action Plan which sets out the government’s approach to making sure these issues are treated with the urgency they deserve by establishing a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of antisocial behaviour, and giving the police and local authorities the tools they need to tackle the problem.

  • PRESS RELEASE : £2.5 million funding boost to support vulnerable EUSS applicants [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : £2.5 million funding boost to support vulnerable EUSS applicants [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 6 July 2023.

    An additional £2.5 million in grant funding will go to 17 organisations across the UK that support vulnerable people in applying to the EU Settlement Scheme.

    The latest grant funding will continue through to spring 2025 and will bring the total amount of support for the grant funded network of organisations to £32 million since 2019.

    This funding will help to ensure that support reaches a range of vulnerable groups, including those with disabilities, the elderly and isolated, children and victims of domestic violence or abuse, to help them apply to the EUSS, including to switch from pre-settled to settled status.

    Home Office grant funding has already supported more than 490,000 vulnerable people in applying to the EUSS, ensuring that they secure their rights in the UK following our departure from the EU.

    The network of grant funded organisations and their delivery partners are part of the wider support available to applicants through charities, community groups and local authorities across the UK. This includes the Assisted Digital service, helping those without appropriate digital access or skills to apply online.

    Barbara Drozdowicz, Chief Executive Officer of the East European Resource Centre, said:

    Thanks to generous support from the Home Office, here at the East European Resource Centre we have been supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable Eastern Europeans since 2019. Over four years we have supported thousands of people with information, advice and casework, reached those in isolation, assisted people with complex life situations.

    Continued support from the Home Office allows us to sustain and seamlessly continue this essential service as welfare and wellbeing, life choices and quality rely now on holding correct immigration status that can be difficult to obtain by more vulnerable sections of our community.

    Louise Humphries, Chief Executive Officer of GYROS said:

    GYROS are delighted to be awarded this funding from the Home Office and we look forward to supporting vulnerable EU nationals with their settled status over the next 2 years.

    Rhys Evans, Project Lead and Service and Development Manager at Settled (Wales) said:

    Settled are delighted to have been granted Home Office funding for EUSS advice work in Wales, in conjunction with our new partners on this project, TGP Cymru. With both organisations already well established in Wales, the new grant will enable us to expand our much needed free, accredited, multilingual advice work to EU / EEA citizens living in Cymru; and especially to particularly vulnerable groups including Roma communities, people who are homeless or have suffered domestic abuse, individuals with physical or mental health conditions, and people with language, literacy, or digital exclusion barriers.

  • PRESS RELEASE : We will not let Russia’s brutality be normalised – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : We will not let Russia’s brutality be normalised – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 July 2023.

    Ambassador Holland condemns Russia’s ongoing aggression as we approach 500 days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    Thank you, Mr Chair. On 1 June, which was the International Day of the Protection of Children, many in this room, including me, called on Russia to stop its persecution of two Ukrainian teenagers, Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanganov. Aged just 16 and 17, these boys endured months of abuse at the hands of the Russian authorities. I was horrified to hear that Tihran and Mykyta were both killed on 24 June. There is never a justification for the abuse and murder of children. Those responsible must face justice. The UK supports those working to uncover the full circumstances of their deaths, and our thoughts are with Tihran and Mykyta’s families.

    I was also appalled by the missile strike on Kramatorsk on 27 June. Three children were among the thirteen people killed as they ate at a restaurant. The award-winning Ukrainian writer and war crimes researcher Viktoria Amelina was also killed. We are also deeply concerned by reports overnight of casualties in Lviv, after missiles struck a residential building. Attacks on civilians, especially children, are completely unacceptable in any circumstance. We will not let this barbarism become normalised. We also note Russia’s continued recklessness in its control of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. We once again call on Russia to return control of the plant to the Ukrainian authorities.

    Mr Chair, 500 days ago today, the Russian Delegation told us that “the key to lasting peace, the restoration of civil accord in Ukraine and the defusing of the tension around this country lies in the implementation of the Minsk agreements in good faith”. That very evening, Russia tore the Minsk agreements apart by recognising Luhansk and Donetsk as so-called “independent states”. For 500 days since, we have seen the same formula from Russia: broken promises, unwarranted aggression, lies, and threats.

    When Russia launched its unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, it trampled on its international commitments. Russia violated the Helsinki Final Act, contravened UN Charter Article 2(4), and breached the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. Their claims of self-defence are manifestly false. Cynical allegations of genocide and Nazism are untrue, not to mention deeply offensive. Indeed, Mr Prigozhin, President Putin’s erstwhile confidant, recently admitted what the whole world already knew. That the justifications given by the Kremlin for the invasion were simply not true. That there was no threat from Ukraine or NATO. That President Putin’s campaign is one of aggression and conquest.

    The UK, along with our partners, will not tire of countering Russia’s disinformation. Russia itself knows that its falsehoods convince no one. That is why it resorts to threats. These threats are designed to deter international support for Ukraine, but only serve to strengthen our resolve, and to damage Russia’s global standing further.

    Mr Chair, Ukraine is fighting for freedom, for peace, but also for truth. And with the help of its partners, Ukraine’s future will be that of a stronger and more prosperous country than ever, safe within its internationally recognised borders. In contrast, Mr Chair, Russia’s reputation will be damaged for years to come.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : What the PM’s action plan to tackle anti-social behaviour means for you [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : What the PM’s action plan to tackle anti-social behaviour means for you [July 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 July 2023.

    We’re making more progress on my plan to tackle anti-social behaviour. Here’s what that means:

    More police in high crime areas

    We’re increasing the police presence in areas with high rates of anti-social behaviour. Resources will be focused on locations like public transport and parks, helping to deter crimes from being committed in the first place.

    Immediate punishment for vandals and drug-users

    We’re making criminals pay for their crimes as soon as 48 hours after they’re been committed. Local police forces and victims get to decide on the punishment, but it should be visible to the public and, importantly, the local community will also get a say in what the punishment should be.

    Offenders could be made to wash cars, clean up graffiti or litter-pick, whilst wearing high-vis vests.

    These plans will be extended to all areas in England and Wales from 2024.

    More money for better crime prevention

    We’re giving an extra £60 million – that’s £1.4 million for every police force in the country – to have better crime prevention measures like CCTV, street lighting or community projects that combat anti-social behaviour. This will help prevent more burglaries and make streets safer for women and girls

    Ridding our streets of chewing gum litter

    More than 50 councils across the UK will receive £1.2 million to remove discarded chewing gum from our streets and prevent it from being littered again.

    “I made a promise in January that we will work tirelessly to crack down on anti-social behaviour. For too long, people have put up with it ruining their neighbourhoods.

    These are not minor crimes. They disrupt people’s daily lives, hold businesses back and erode the sense of safety and community that brings people together.

    That’s why I’m bringing forward a new plan to crack down on this behaviour once and for all – so that everyone can feel proud of where they live.

    This is how the new measures will affect you.

    I’m bringing in tougher punishments for criminals

    Those responsible for offences such as vandalism or graffitiing will start cleaning up their crimes as quickly as possible, aiming for offenders to start work within 48 hours of receiving an order.

    Victims and affected communities will also get a say in deciding what type of punishment or consequences offenders should face, alongside input from local police and crime commissioners.

    We are banning nitrous oxide

    We will ban nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas, putting an end to litter and intimidation in our parks so people feel safer.

    We will test more criminals for illegal drugs

    The police will also now be able to drug test criminals who take illegal drugs like ecstasy and methamphetamine, and we will drug test offenders who have committed a wider range of crimes, like violence against women and girls, serious violence, and anti-social behaviour.

    We’re introducing tougher fines for litter, graffiti and fly-tipping

    We are increasing he upper limit on fines for littering and graffitiing from £150 to £500 and fines for fly-tipping will increase from £400 to £1,000.

    We will also support councils to hand out more of these fines to disrespectful offenders, with councils keeping these fines to reinvest in clean up and enforcement.

    We’re making evictions of anti-social tenants easier

    We are aiming to make it quicker for private landlords to evict anti-social tenants after serving notice, as well as broaden the disruptive and harmful activities that can lead to eviction.

    We will also strengthen rules so previous anti-social behaviour perpetrators are deprioritised for new council housing.

    By establishing a zero-tolerance approach where offenders know they will face the full consequences of their actions – we can prevent more of these crimes from happening in the first place.

    I am determined to tackle these crimes with the urgency they deserve, restoring your confidence that these will be quickly and visibly punished.”

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

  • PRESS RELEASE : International Community to help rebuild Ukrainian legal system and champion rule of law [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : International Community to help rebuild Ukrainian legal system and champion rule of law [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 6 July 2023.

    Justice Secretary to join international efforts to assist Ukraine in re-building of justice system.

    • Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk attending G7 meeting in Japan and meeting ASEAN justice ministers
    • UK Government to also fund new study to help Ukrainian legal system recover

    The UK’s Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary, Alex Chalk, will be working with his international counterparts to champion the rule of law and help rebuild Ukraine’s justice system at the meeting of the G7 Justice Ministers in Japan.

    This is the first time Justice Ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be joining their G7 counterparts at the meeting.

    The UK will be supporting G7 initiatives to aid the Ukrainian justice system, including the development of a new Anti-Corruption Taskforce

    Government will also announce plans to fund a study into challenges affecting the Ukrainian justice system currently under pressure due to the impact of the Russian invasion and identify reforms to address these problems.

    The Ministry of Justice will work with the Government of Ukraine to direct this study towards the most pressing issues hindering investment and confidence in the system, helping to increase transparency and build trust in the judiciary and the consistent enforcement of laws.

    The G7 and ASEAN meeting also represents a unique opportunity for G7 and ASEAN countries to forge closer links between their legal sectors.

    Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk said:

    All of us in the G7 have an important role to play in championing the rule of law as the foundation of global stability and economic prosperity.

    We will also repledge our international support for Ukraine and the independent investigation by the International Criminal Court into war crimes, and discuss how we can better work together to support Ukraine’s justice system.

    The UK, as part of the G7 nations, has played a crucial role in reaffirming international support for holding Russian war criminals accountable for the atrocities committed in Ukraine.

    The UK Government funding of up to £30,000 for the study with Ukraine is in addition to the bespoke package of support the UK has offered to the ICC in the last year in the wake of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, including:

    • £1 million additional funding to support investigations over the past year
    • A dedicated police liaison officer based in The Hague to lead on swift information sharing between the UK and ICC
    • Ongoing defence analysis and monitoring of events in Ukraine, including preservation of any evidence relating to war crimes
    • Delivery of war crimes investigation training to Ukrainian police on behalf of the ICC, in collaboration with the Norwegian Police

    The G7 Justice Meeting complements The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) held in London last month, which galvanised international backing for the country in the face of Putin’s ongoing attacks and raised over $60 billion towards Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction. This includes the UK’s new updated commitments of a further $3 billion of guarantees to unlock World Bank lending to Ukraine and £240 million of bilateral assistance.

    It follows an international Justice Ministers’ conference held in London earlier this year to boost support for the International Criminal Court’s vital investigations into war crimes.

    Over 40 nations were represented at the conference in March, hosted by the UK and the Netherlands, with over £4 million announced in support of the International Criminal Court, including a £1 million contribution from the UK to support the most vulnerable witnesses and victims of war crimes.

    The support of over 50 national experts, including a prosecutor from Japan, has been offered to the Court – bringing their specialist knowledge in policing, forensics, and conflict-related sexual violence as well as crimes against children.

    The G7 meeting takes place from 6 to 7 July 2023 in Tokyo.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Lord Chancellor signs first-ever UK-Japan agreement to share Justice expertise [July 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Lord Chancellor signs first-ever UK-Japan agreement to share Justice expertise [July 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 6 July 2023.

    The United Kingdom and Japan have signed the first-ever Memorandum of Cooperation on Justice issues in Tokyo today (6 July 2023).

    • agreement signed by the Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Alex Chalk and Justice Minister Ken Saitō in Tokyo today
    • new pledge will increase and strengthen collaboration between both Justice ministries
    • Justice Secretary attending the Justice Ministers G7 in Tokyo

    This new commitment will build a platform to increase collaboration between the 2 nations by establishing a regular dialogue to share information, expertise and exchange views on legal and justice matters.

    This will improve policymaking in both countries as officials learn from each other on the best ways to deliver justice for victims.

    The agreement also signals a mutual desire to strengthen cooperation between Japanese and UK legal services sectors, which will be key to the growth of both economies.

    Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk said:

    This is another milestone in the strong and growing relationship between Japan and the UK and evidence of the shared values that underpin our legal systems. It demonstrates Global Britain in action, working hand in hand with our allies to forge closer ties, exchange expertise and connect across markets.

    We are committed to learn from each other, to best help victims and deliver justice for all.

    The Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk met with the Japanese Justice Minister Ken Saitō during the G7 Justice Ministers meeting where the focus has been on assisting Ukraine, promoting the Rule of Law and connecting the G7 and The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, in the field of law and justice.