Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State launches Good Friday Agreement education resources [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 23 March 2023.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris has today (Thursday 23 March) launched important new educational resources for pupils in Northern Ireland and across the UK as part of the programme to mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

During a visit to Carrickfergus’ Ulidia Integrated College, whose pupils became the first in the UK to use the new materials, the Secretary of State attended an assembly using the materials to tell the story of the journey to the world-renowned peace deal, and its continuing role today.

The free, optional resources support secondary school and college teachers in Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales to give an assembly on the Agreement using a short animated video, and to lead a follow-up classroom discussion.

They have been developed independently by The National Archives and in collaboration with academics, teachers and other experts, with consultation from curriculum and school bodies across the UK. This first group of resources will be followed later this year by classroom materials.

During the visit to Ulidia Integrated College, the Secretary of State viewed the new Assembly video resource alongside pupils and teachers, before discussing with the young people what the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement anniversary means to them. He then met with pupils using the new materials for classroom discussion.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said:

“Thanks to the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, Northern Ireland’s young people have grown up in peace and safety, looking forward to a future of hope and opportunity.

“That’s why I’m incredibly proud to launch this new education package, which will give young people in Northern Ireland and across the UK the chance to deepen their appreciation and understanding of the Agreement’s benefits and encourage them to engage with this historic anniversary.

“It’s particularly relevant that I’m launching this initiative in an integrated school, a symbol of reconciliation, which the Agreement promoted.”

Jeff James, Keeper and Chief Executive of The National Archives said:

‘This important resource gives young people the opportunity to study and discuss the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement using material from the original documents. It allows students to consider topics that affect them and their communities, at a level which is meaningful to them and to gain an understanding of how important the Agreement is.’

UK Government Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

“The 25th anniversary of the signing of the Agreement is significant not just for Northern Ireland but for the whole of the UK.

“It is absolutely right that we recognise the progress that has been made since 1998 and these free, optional resources for school assemblies can help build an understanding of our complex history.”

Teachers, and those who wish to use the free educational resources developed by The National Archives, can download the materials here.

March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: interim Ombudsman appointment [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 23 March 2023.

Appointment of the interim Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England.

This letter confirms the appointment of Paul Najsarek as the interim Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman by His Majesty the King, on the advice of the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The letter also confirms his appointment as Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England, the official body which runs the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman service.

This interim appointment has been made for a term of 6 months from 1 April 2023. A recruitment campaign for a permanent Ombudsman is underway and is expected to conclude in autumn 2023.

Text of Letter (in .pdf format)

March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK and Welsh governments work together to deliver two Freeports in Wales [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 23 March 2023.

The UK and Welsh governments jointly confirm that two new Freeports, one in Anglesey and one in Port Talbot and Milford Haven, have been successful in their bids.
- The UK and Welsh governments jointly confirm that Anglesey Freeport and Celtic Freeport have been successful in their bids to establish new Freeports
- Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces successful sites on joint visit with the First Minister – delivering on commitments to grow the economy and level up
- Backed by up to £26 million each in UK Government funding, the two Freeports will help to level up Wales and bring new, high-skilled jobs
- New sites expected to bring forward an estimated £5 billion of private and public investment and create around 20,000 new, high-skilled jobs
Two new Freeports, one in Anglesey and one in Port Talbot and Milford Haven, will help to create jobs, drive growth and level up opportunities across Wales, the UK and Welsh governments have jointly announced today (Thursday 23 March).

The new sites are estimated to bring forward almost £5 billion in private and public investment and create over 20,000 new, high-skilled jobs, backed by up to £26 million each in UK Government funding. This will help to boost the economy and address gaps that are currently holding back investment.

Freeports are special areas within the UK’s borders where different economic regulations apply. Alongside a comprehensive package of benefits, the sites will enjoy tax and customs incentives to boost investment, creating thousands of high-quality jobs in some of our most disadvantaged communities.

The Prime Minister will meet with the First Minister Mark Drakeford as part of ongoing joint working to deliver for people across Wales.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Wales is a thriving part of the UK, and today’s new Freeports will see businesses and opportunities for people in and around Anglesey, Port Talbot and Milford Haven go from strength to strength.

Everyone deserves equality of opportunity and working closely with the Welsh Government has helped to deliver these fantastic new sites.

Today’s Freeports show the hard work being done day in, day out to bring new, high-skilled jobs to communities across Wales and deliver on my promise to grow the economy.

First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford said:

I am pleased to confirm the Celtic Freeport in Milford Haven and Port Talbot and Anglesey Freeport have been selected as Wales’ new freeports.

The Welsh Government has a clear economic mission to transform the Welsh economy, creating a stronger, fairer and greener future. The designation of these sites as Wales’ first freeports will reinforce that mission, building on the significant investments and partnerships we have made in these regions over many years.

The joint working between governments on the freeport programme should serve as a blueprint for future intergovernmental work on a whole range of issues.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

Wales has huge untapped potential, and that’s why we have worked in partnership with the Welsh Government to agree not one but two Freeports for Wales.

This is the result of both governments working together to deliver for Wales, providing yet another example of Wales benefiting from its place in a strong United Kingdom.

I am absolutely confident these new Freeports will be transformational for Wales, helping to grow the economy, level up and spread opportunity.

Secretary of State for Wales, David TC Davies, said:

The creation of two Freeports in Wales is absolutely fantastic news and a huge boost to Wales, growing the economy and creating thousands of jobs.

The UK Government and this Prime Minister have long been committed to expanding Freeports to Wales and we have more than delivered on that pledge with the two successful bids confirmed today.

The Freeports programme is already benefitting businesses and levelling up communities elsewhere in the UK. I look forward to seeing greater investment and prosperity delivered for Wales as a result of this announcement.

Wales’ Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:

I would like to congratulate the Celtic and Anglesey teams for their exceptional bids to be awarded freeport status. Due to the compelling set of proposals presented to us, I have agreed with the UK Government that a second freeport in Wales can be supported.

Our ports are an intrinsic part of our rich industrial history. They will be an engine room of our future economy and these bids are designed to accelerate that journey. From off-shore energy to advanced manufacturing, they will help create tens of thousands of new jobs – which will support our highly ambitious plans to reach net zero by 2050.

This will help harness our abundant economic potential domestically and internationally, whilst promoting fair work and sustainability here in Wales.

I look forward to seeing our freeports delivering meaningful economic and social benefits for Wales.

Anglesey and Celtic Freeports will support businesses to create high-quality, well-paid new jobs, promote growth and regeneration, and make a significant contribution to achieving the UK’s net zero ambitions.
- Anglesey Freeport aims to attract £1.4 billion worth of investment in the green energy sector and create at least 3,500 jobs, generating half a billion in additional Gross Value Added by 2030. The Freeport will have a focus on marine energy technology and low carbon energy and will embark on a variety of infrastructure programmes including the Holyhead port redevelopment and the restoration of the railhead and track.
- Celtic Freeport aims to attract significant inward investment including £3.5 billion in the hydrogen industry as well as the creation of 16,000 jobs, generating £900 million in Gross Value Added by 2030. The Freeport will focus on low carbon technologies like floating offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture, utilisation and storage and biofuels to support the accelerated reduction of carbon emissions. This will be supported by the development of land and quayside space and bringing a disused railhead back into operation, to enable infrastructure to support development.
The UK Government’s Plan for Wales commits to strengthening Wales’ place at the heart of a prosperous UK, growing the economy, levelling up and spreading opportunity right across Wales.

Bidding opened earlier this year and groups submitted their proposals for Freeport status, which were jointly considered by the UK and Welsh governments. As part of the process, the successful locations had to demonstrate to officials and ministers from both governments how they would regenerate local communities, establish hubs for global trade and foster an innovative environment to support levelling up.

A rigorous joint selection process was followed with the successful applicants both showing a strong determination to create high quality jobs in the green energy sectors.

The UK and Welsh governments will work closely with the Freeports to ensure they deliver maximum positive impact and become operational as soon as possible.

This builds on the UK Government’s successful Freeport programme in England, where all 8 Freeports are open for business, and collaboration with the Scottish Government to deliver two new Green Freeports in Inverness and Cromarty Firth and Firth of Forth. As announced in the Budget, the UK Government also aims to establish at least one Investment Zone in Wales, which will work hand in hand with the Freeport programme to generate sustainable economic growth and level up communities in Wales and across the UK.

The Government will also work with the unsuccessful bidder to consider how they can build on the plans set out in their bids to deliver jobs and growth in their region outside the Freeports programme.
March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government bans unregulated accommodation for young people in care [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 23 March 2023.

All supported accommodation providers for looked after 16- and 17-year-olds will be required to register with Ofsted and meet standards from October 2023.

Children in or leaving care aged 16 and 17 will be better protected through new regulations that ban unregulated accommodation.

The new regulations include the introduction of new mandatory quality standards in supported accommodation and a robust Ofsted inspection regime, with all providers needing to be registered.

The measures mean that from October 2023, all providers of accommodation for children in care or care leavers up to the age of 18 will be regulated by Ofsted, putting an end to children living in poor quality homes with no meaningful oversight. Providers can start registering from April 2023, with mandatory registration beginning in October.

The consultation response, published today (Thursday 23 March), sets out key features of an Ofsted regulatory regime, including enforcement powers and offence provisions, such as right of entry powers and the prosecution of providers who do not register.

The response also outlines the standards that providers will have to follow, covering physical surroundings of homes, as well as how children are kept safe and the mental and emotional support they should be given.

The approach follows consultation with children, young people, and people working in the sector on the standards and approach to regulation. The measures are backed by £142m in funding over three years, including £17.2m to Ofsted and £123m towards local authorities.

The consultation response follows the publication of the Government’s children’s social care strategy, and delivers on recommendations made in the Independent Review into Children’s Social Care. The introduction of these regulations is a key part of delivering the commitments set out in the strategy – that all children live in safe and stable homes.

Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Claire Coutinho said:

Every child deserves a safe and stable home with a support network that looks out for them. Supported accommodation at its best does that, while also helping young people in care develop the confidence they need to lead a fulfilling life after care. But we know that for too many, standards have fallen short.

I am determined that this kind of accommodation comes up to the same high standard across the country, which will help give children a better chance of success in the future.

The new regulations are a vital step in achieving our ambition to transform children’s social care with radically improved standards and outcomes, as set out recently in our plan for children’s social care, Stable Homes, Built on Love.

Ofsted will begin piloting inspections with specially trained staff later this year to develop their approach and guidance ahead of inspections beginning nationally from April 2024.

Under the new regulations, providers will also be required to complete a review of the support they are offering young people every six months. This review will have to include the views and experiences of the children and young people living in the accommodation and will be used to make sure the accommodation meets the needs of everyone who lives there. Reviews will be submitted to Ofsted, which will inspect accommodation at least every three years.

To support providers to meet the new requirements, the Department for Education has awarded the National Children’s Bureau a £750k contract up to April 2024 to provide practical support, information, and good practice resources targeted directly at providers and local authority commissioners.

Anna Feuchtwang, Chief Executive of the National Children’s Bureau, said:

With the Government introducing new regulations and standards designed to improve the quality of supported accommodation for 16 and 17-year-olds in care and leaving care, it is important that those providing this accommodation are effectively prepared to register under the new regime and to implement the new ways of working.

The National Children’s Bureau is undertaking a range of activity on behalf of DfE to prepare the supported accommodation sector for this journey, and we will be working with young people in care and care leavers to ensure their voices and experiences are embedded at both programme and local levels.

The government is investing over £123 million over the next three years to support local authorities to respond to these changes, and offset the costs associated with the reforms. The funding will be distributed via grant payments from April 2023.

March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : President Putin’s reported visits to Crimea and Mariupol – UK statement to the OSCE [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 March 2023.

Ambassador Bush says that the international community knows the truth behind Putin’s actions in Mariupol, and throughout Ukraine.

Thank you, Mr Chair. President Putin’s visit to Crimea last weekend, on the 9th anniversary of Russia’s illegal annexation, and his reported visit to Mariupol, were a transparent attempt at distraction. They showed callous disregard for the suffering he is inflicting on Ukrainian soil. My statement today will focus on the truth behind Putin’s actions in Mariupol, and throughout Ukraine.

Mr Chair, footage released over the weekend purported to show Putin on a walking tour of a new residential compound in Mariupol. What it did not show was the scale of the destruction Russia’s military wreaked on the city last year. In an update provided by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in June 2022, it estimated that 90% of residential buildings in Mariupol had been damaged or destroyed in Russia’s attacks.

As we know all too well, Russian attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure have impacted the entire country. Since Russia intensified its missile, and drone strikes on critical national infrastructure in October, whole regions, and millions of people, have been left without electricity, heating and water for prolonged periods. The UN Human Rights Council Independent International Commission of Inquiry report, published on 15 March, concluded that attacks on energy-related infrastructure “were disproportionate”, “constituted the war crime of excessive incidental death, injury, or damage” and “may amount to a crime against humanity or other inhumane acts”.

Putin did not stop when the extent of the harm he was causing became apparent – even when accounts were broadcast around the world of mothers unable to provide hot food and clean water for their children, of hospitals operating in the dark, and schools hit by missile strikes. Putin remained cruelly determined to break the will of the Ukrainian people. It did not work.

Mr Chair, this weekend Putin also reportedly visited an art school, a children’s centre and a playground. However, Russian State media did not reference in its coverage that children have been amongst those most impacted by Putin’s invasion. These children will bear the physical and psychological scars for years to come – robbed of stability, safety, education, and their homes. Many have been injured, lost family members and friends, and have been separated from their families. The recent Commission of Inquiry report stated that in some cases Russia’s transfer or deportation of children, within Ukraine and to Russia, may amount to a war crime, thereby constituting grave violations of international humanitarian law.

Putin’s reported visit to Mariupol this weekend has served to once again highlight the indelible mark he has left on the city. His reported visit reminds us of the maternity hospital hit by a Russian missile strike last year, which killed a mother and her new-born baby; it reminds us of the attack on the drama theatre, in which hundreds of civilians were hiding with a visible ‘children’ sign; and it reminds us of the people forced to flee Mariupol, and the thousands injured and killed as they sought safety.

Putin could bring these atrocities to an end immediately, by ceasing attacks on civilians and civilian national infrastructure, and by withdrawing his forces from Ukraine’s sovereign territory. He chooses not to.

Mr Chair, the UK is determined to pursue justice for those in Mariupol, and throughout Ukraine. On Monday, Justice Ministers from around the world convened in London, for a meeting co-hosted with the Netherlands, to support efforts to investigate war crimes. We must ensure those responsible for these horrendous crimes know that they cannot act with impunity. The International Criminal Court’s announcement last week is an important step in ensuring those responsible are held to account. The UK, alongside the international community, will continue to provide the International Criminal Court with the funding and expertise to ensure justice is served. We will support Ukraine, for as long as it takes.

Thank you.

March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Plans to protect children under new mediation reforms [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 23 March 2023.

Government to fund mandatory mediation for separating couples.
- move aims to protect children from the damaging impact of bitter courtroom battles
- millions in further financial support to families as voucher scheme extended
Thousands of children could be protected from witnessing their parents thrash out family disputes through the courts, following plans to mandate mediation for separating families announced today (23 March 2023).

In a major shake-up to the family justice system, proposals will see mediation become mandatory in all suitable low-level family court cases excluding those which include allegations or a history of domestic violence. This will mean separating couples have to attempt to agree their child custody and financial arrangements through a qualified mediator with court action being a last resort.

It is expected the move could help up to 19,000 separating families resolve their issues away from the courtroom, while also reducing backlogs, easing pressures on the family courts and ensuring the justice system can focus on the families it most needs to protect.

In the meantime, the government’s Family Mediation Voucher Scheme will be extended until April 2025 backed by an additional £15 million in funding. The scheme provides separating couples with vouchers worth up to £500 to help them solve disputes through mediation and has so far supported over 15,300 families.

Making mediation compulsory will allow the family courts to better prioritise and provide protection for the most serious cases with safeguarding concerns where it is not an option, such as domestic abuse and child safety. It is estimated that 36,000 vulnerable families each year will benefit from faster hearings and quicker resolutions as a result.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice Dominic Raab MP said:

When parents drag out their separation through lengthy and combative courtroom battles it impacts on their children’s school work, mental health and quality of life.

Our plans will divert thousands of time-consuming family disputes away from the courts – to protect children and ensure the most urgent cases involving domestic abuse survivors are heard by a court as quickly as possible.

The overhaul could also introduce a new power for judges to order parents to make a reasonable attempt to mediate with possible financial penalties if they act unreasonably and harm a child’s wellbeing by prolonging court proceedings.

Research has shown parental conflict can be exacerbated by lengthy and acrimonious court proceedings, which can lead to higher rates of anxiety and depression, anti-social behaviour and reduced academic performance among children.

Mediation is a process in which couples work through their differences with a trained and accredited mediator to reach agreements such as how to split assets or arrange child contact times, rather than have a judge decide for them.

The voucher scheme has highlighted the benefit it can have on separating couples and their children. An analysis of the first 7,200 users of the scheme shows 69% of participants have reached whole or partial agreements away from court.

Currently administered by the Family Mediation Council, extending funding takes the total package of support provided by the government through the scheme to £23.6 million.

Estimates suggest 1 in 4 families who have child arrangements settled by judges have been to court before in the past 3 years. Increased use of mediation should lead to more agreeable resolutions for families, saving taxpayer money in the long term.

In turn, mediation provides a cheaper and more cost-effective solution for families, sparing them from expensive legal bills.

Chair of the Family Mediation Council, John Taylor, said:

Family mediation can play a really positive role in producing better outcomes for separating families, and in reducing the burden on courts. This consultation shows that Ministers recognise its value in helping separating couples make parenting and financial arrangements without the stress and delays involved in going to court.

It builds on the government’s successful £500 voucher scheme, which is encouraging separating couples to consider family mediation to resolve their disputes. The next few weeks will help shine further light on a process that has the potential to help many thousands more shape the futures of all their family members.

To better support children the proposals would extend the use of co-parenting programmes across the country by making them compulsory before court. Currently families are often referred to these programmes by judges during court proceedings.

These courses encourage parents to take steps for themselves and develop agreements without court intervention, making sure parents are putting their child’s needs first when separating. A pilot study found that around 78% of parents who attend both co-parenting programmes and mediation sessions took steps to withdraw their court cases.

Chief Executive of the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), Jacky Tiotto, said:

Cafcass strongly welcomes the focus on supporting more parents to agree how they will care for their children and spend time together without the need to make an application to the family court when they are separating.

We work with in excess of 145,000 children every year and we see the harm to which children are exposed in long adversarial court proceedings. Programmes that encourage parents to consider together what is safe and in the best interests of their children help to keep the focus on what children want and need as they grow up.

The proposals will be subject to a government consultation which will run for 12 weeks from today, closing on 15 June 2023.
March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Spring Finance Bill 2023 published [March 2023]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 23 March 2023.

The Bill enshrines the Chancellor’s pro-business tax and employment measures that were announced at the Budget into law.
- The Spring Finance Bill 2023 was published today (23 February) legislating for tax changes announced at the Budget.
- Bill delivers the Chancellor’s pro-business tax and employment measures to help grow the economy.
- Generous tax package for businesses worth over £27 billion to come into force on the 1st April – UK capital allowances regime remains top of the OECD.
The Bill enshrines the Chancellor’s pro-business tax and employment measures announced at the Budget into law.

The measures in the Spring Finance Bill 2023 reward businesses that invest and innovate, recognising how they support growth.

They include two new major capital allowances – full expensing and a 50% First Year Allowance – worth £27 billion over the next three years and amounting to an effective £9 billion a year corporation tax cut for companies.

The Bill also includes pensions tax changes to support 15,000 doctors and other highly-skilled individuals to stay in work, as well as the Brexit Pub Guarantee, an increase in Draught Relief from August to ensure the duty on an average pint of beer at the pub does not increase. Tax incentives to help the creative sector and the new 50% domestic Air Passenger Duty rate are also featured in the Bill.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Victoria Atkins said:

“This Finance Bill will drive forward our commitment to making the UK the best place to do business.

“It cuts corporation tax for businesses by £9 billion a year and is expected to boost investment by 3% helping grow the UK economy.”

With the new 25% corporation tax rate coming in for the top 10% most profitable companies from 1 April, to help get debt down after hundreds of billions in Covid-19 and energy bills support, and the super-deduction ending, the Chancellor used his Spring Budget to ensure that the UK’s tax system fosters the right conditions for enterprise, investment and growth.

Jeremy Hunt confirmed two major capital allowances – 100% full expensing and a 50% First Year Allowance – which ensures that the UK’s capital allowances regime continues to be the joint most competitive in the G7 and OECD. Together these are worth £27 billion over the next three years. An effective £9 billion a year corporation tax cut for UK businesses.

Full expensing lets taxpayers deduct 100% of the cost of certain plant and machinery investments from their profits before tax. It is available from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026. It provides the same generosity as the super-deduction, saving firms up to 25p in every £1 of qualifying investment and is for main rate assets – such as construction, warehousing and office equipment.

The 50% First-Year Allowance lets taxpayers deduct 50% of the cost of other plant and machinery, known as special rate assets, from their profits during the year of purchase. This includes long life assets such as solar panels and lighting systems.

The Office for Budget Responsibility predict together that these capital allowances changes will increase investment by 3% during each year it is in effect.

The Spring Finance Bill 2023 also delivers on the Prime Minister’s priority to cut NHS waiting lists so people can get the care they need more quickly, by removing tax-barriers that the medical community have made clear stop doctors working. On 6 April 2023, the pensions annual tax-free allowance will increase by 50% from £40,000 to £60,000, the Money Purchase Annual Allowance will rise from £4,000 to £10,000, and the Lifetime Allowance charge will be removed. The Office for Budget Responsibility estimate around 15,000 individuals will remain in the labour market as a result of the changes to the annual and lifetime allowances, many of whom will be highly skilled individuals, including senior doctors in the NHS.

As well as reforms to capital allowances and pensions tax, the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced other measures that are also featured in today’s Finance Bill to boost investment and get the economy growing. These include:
- Confirming an increase in Draught Relief to ensure the duty on an average pint of beer at the pub does not increase, and confirming duty rates for other alcohol will go up by RPI (10.1%) on the same day that historic alcohol duty simplification reforms and new reliefs take effect (1 August 2023). Only possible by leaving the EU.
- OECD Pillar 2 Global Minimum Tax rules in the UK – internationally agreed by 135 jurisdictions in October 2021 – will help protect the UK tax base against aggressive tax planning and reinforce the competitiveness of the UK by levelling the playing field for UK firms.
- Extending creative sector reliefs. Theatres, orchestra and museums and galleries will benefit from a further 2 years of tax relief rates of 45%/50%. The museums and galleries exhibitions tax relief sunset clause will be extended for a further 2 years to allow these organisations to fully benefit from the extension of the highest rates.
- Air passenger duty reforms. From 1 April 2023, a new domestic band will apply to flights between airports in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, cutting APD by 50% to bolster UK connectivity. A new ultra long-haul band will also take effect, ensuring that those who fly the furthest, and have the greatest impact on emissions, incur the most duty.
The Bill received its first reading in Parliament on Tuesday 21 March, with the majority of measures coming into effect for financial year 2023-24. It will now follow the normal passage through Parliament.
March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New compensation scheme opens for postmasters who exposed Horizon scandal [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 23 March 2023.

Postmasters who first took High Court legal action against Post Office over the Horizon IT system and exposed the scandal can now apply to a new compensation scheme.
- New scheme will make sure these postmasters receive full and fair compensation.
A new scheme to compensate the postmasters who exposed the Post Office Horizon Scandal from the 1990s is now open.

The postmasters who took the first High Court legal action against the Post Office agreed a settlement worth £43 million plus legal costs in 2019. The case marked a turning point in the Post Office Horizon scandal and led to the Government setting up the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry we see today.

However, much of the money from the settlement was taken up by the associated costs of funding their landmark case. They were also ineligible for the Historical Shortfall Scheme that was created to compensate others who were affected by Post Office and Horizon.

The scheme opening today recognises the unique position of these postmasters and will make sure they will have access to compensation on the same basis as other postmasters who were so badly wronged by the actions of Post Office and the Horizon system.

Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

The trailblazing postmasters who exposed the Horizon scandal were instrumental in securing justice for all of those affected.

We will keep fighting for the postmasters and their families, and it is right that they will now receive full and fair compensation for the pain and suffering caused by this scandal.

Starting in the late 1990s, the Post Office began installing Horizon accounting software, but faults in the software led to shortfalls in branches’ accounts. The Post Office demanded sub-postmasters cover the shortfalls, and in many cases wrongfully prosecuted them between 1999 and 2015 for false accounting or theft.

In December 2022, government announced an Independent Advisory Board to guide ministers on the scheme chaired by Professor Chris Hodges. Members of the advisory board include Lord Arbuthnot, Kevan Jones MP and Professor Richard Moorhead.

Professor Chris Hodges, Chair of Independent Advisory Board, said:

The advisory board welcomes the creation of this GLO compensation scheme. Whilst compensation cannot truly deal with the injustices faced by the victims of the post office scandal, we do believe it can help. Critical to that is a process independent of the post office, fair in its handling of the issues and evidence, and as speedy as possible.

Today’s announcement comes following significant progress on compensation for other postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal.

On the Overturned Historical Convictions Compensation, as of Tuesday 7 March, Post Office has paid out over £17.5 million in compensation to those with overturned historical convictions. 79 of the 84 postmasters and former postmasters with overturned historical convictions had received interim payments, totalling over £10.2 million.

On the Historical Shortfall Scheme, as of Friday 3 March, 96% of eligible claimants to the Historical Shortfall Scheme have now received offers of compensation, totalling £82.9 million. Post Office are working to issue offers to remaining claimants as soon as possible.
March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK affirms support for Romania and Black Sea region [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 March 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hosts Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu in London for signing of Strategic Partnership and opening of bilateral forum.
- Foreign Secretary emphasises ongoing strength of UK-Romania relationship at joint forum, and signs renewed Strategic Partnership with Romanian counterpart
- Support for Ukraine and the broader Black Sea community was at the top of the agenda, as well as the nations’ collective defence through NATO
- Joint forum to take place annually going forward, to maintain strong partnership
The UK will bolster its strong partnership with Romania today (Thursday 23 March), with the Foreign Secretary set to emphasise the particular importance of standing shoulder to shoulder with Romanian partners in the face of Russia’s aggression in neighbouring Ukraine.

Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu is in London this week to meet the Foreign Secretary and sign a renewed strategic partnership to strengthen and maintain the UK and Romania’s deep historical connections and economic ties, from our strong trading relationship to shared objectives through NATO.

The strategic partnership was first established in 2003, setting out our shared commitment to grow relations between the two countries, and the Foreign Secretary will recognise this week that the strengthening of the UK and Romania’s relationship is of significant importance in the context of the invasion of Ukraine, and the security challenges faced in Europe in 2023.

The two Ministers will also open a joint bilateral forum at the Foreign Office in London, bringing together government and business representatives, parliamentarians, academics and civil society to discuss the future of UK-Romania cooperation, covering a range of fields from economic, trade and energy cooperation, to civil society and education.

The forum presents an opportunity for the UK to emphasise its unwavering support for Romania and the Black Sea region, which forms a central bulwark in the UK’s defence system in the region. It comes after the government announced new resilience funding in Moldova this month, underlining the UK’s support for territorial integrity as part of work with Russia’s neighbours, to help address the threat on their doorstep.

Opening the forum today, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is expected to say:

As discussions with my friend Bogdan Aurescu demonstrate, our countries could not be closer on the biggest issues affecting our nations, the whole of Europe, and indeed the whole world.

We now have 1.2 million people who are able to call themselves both Romanian and British – some of which are here today – up and down the UK. It is absolutely right that in 2023, we refresh our ambition and confirm our commitment to work closely together in foreign policy, defence, education, science, crime-fighting, stopping human trafficking, trade and investment.

The Foreign Secretary and Minister Aurescu will commit to collective defence through NATO, and to working together to strengthen the transatlantic relationship, with a particular view to countering Russia’s aggressive action in the Black Sea region.

Romania holds the longest border with Ukraine in all of NATO, and has consequently provided support to nearly 4 million Ukrainian refugees, with more than 100,000 making the country their temporary home. The British Embassy in Bucharest has also offered support in education, allowing Ukrainian teachers to continue to teach their curriculum in Romania. The Foreign Secretary will pay tribute to the generous support provided by Romania since the invasion.

Today’s session will also see the two nations pledge to work together to strengthen energy security and tackle climate change, expand connections between people and businesses, and to promote growth in both countries following the pandemic.
March 23, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 March 2023.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly held a meeting with His Excellency Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan, in London.

The Foreign Secretary hosted His Excellency Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in London on 22 March.

The Ministers affirmed their commitment to maintaining the strong strategic partnership between the UK and Jordan, based on the rich and positive shared history between our two countries and peoples. The Foreign Secretary highlighted the UK’s decision this month to include Jordan as an early participant in our Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme as a reflection of our close ties. The scheme will bring many benefits in facilitating business and tourism travel for Jordanian visitors to the UK.

The Foreign Secretary praised Jordan’s role, under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II, as a force for stability in the Middle East and a generous host of refugees. The UK is continuing to provide humanitarian and development assistance to Jordan. The Foreign Secretary expressed his grave concern about the recent increase in violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and affirmed the UK’s active support for steps to de-escalate tensions, including the recent meetings of the parties hosted by Jordan in Aqaba and Egypt in Sharm El-Sheikh. The UK remains committed to a two-state solution to the conflict.

The Ministers discussed the situation in Syria following the tragic earthquake of 6 February. The Foreign Secretary underlined the importance of unimpeded humanitarian access so that aid reaches populations in need in Syria, including through continued cross-border access to northern Syria. He affirmed the UK’s support for a political settlement in Syria in line with Security Council Resolution 2254.

The Foreign Secretary emphasised the UK’s commitment to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and underlined the need for Russia to immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all its forces from Ukraine, as set out in UN General Assembly resolutions that have received overwhelming international support.

March 23, 2023