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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : ‘Unsafe and undignified’ – the nation’s hospitals [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : ‘Unsafe and undignified’ – the nation’s hospitals [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the BMA on 31 January 2023.

    Hospital doctors have laid bare the perilous state of ‘broken’ emergency departments this winter, describing ‘unsafe and undignified’ conditions for patients. Twelve hospitals declared critical incidents and some discharged patients to hotels as surges in COVID and flu exacerbated already creaking services working beyond capacity while GPs continued to face record demand.

    There were 1,593 excess deaths in England and Wales in the week to 30 December. Deaths in hospitals were 14.8 per cent above the five-year average. South Wales consultant gastroenterologist Peter Neville has seen patients in chairs, corridors and the back of ambulances queued outside emergency departments.

    ‘It’s always rammed,’ he told The Doctor. ‘The environment is increasingly intolerable to practise as a professional – and we’ve had this throughout the year. We’re assessing patients in environments simply not fit for purpose. It’s humiliating and degrading to ask somebody to take their shirt off in an open corridor.’

    Noting ‘a lot more’ sick leave and burnout, he said: ‘I’ve never known it anywhere near as bad as now. Staff have had enough. If conditions don’t improve, the NHS will fall.’

    Simon Walsh, deputy chair of the BMA consultants committee, said: ‘Staff are papering over the cracks. The reality is we’re delivering care in corridors, in spaces that weren’t designed for patients.

    The urgent and emergency care system is broken.’ NHS England’s December data shows 54,532 patients waited more than 12 hours in emergency departments.

    There were 347,707 12-hour waits last year, four times that of the last 10 years combined.

    Adrian Boyle, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said 300 to 500 people a week were dying owing to delays and problems with urgent and emergency care. ‘We need to increase capacity in hospitals,’ he said.

    ‘We cannot continue like this – it is unsafe and undignified.’ Rob Galloway, an emergency medicine consultant in the south of England, said: ‘If there were two plane crashes a week there would be COBRA meetings and we would have the Army in.

    A&Es are not just busy; they are dangerous and people are dying. ‘It’s the busiest I’ve seen in 22 years. COVID and flu were the straws that broke the camel’s back; it’s scary.’ The Government announced an extra £250m ‘to speed up hospital discharge’ on 9 January but Dr Galloway said it was too late.

    He suggested opening Nightingale Hospitals as care hubs and believes the only reason the Government hadn’t was because it would be ‘admitting failure’. The crisis intensified as the BMA opened its industrial action ballot for junior doctors in England, calling for restoration of pay to 2008/09 levels; since then it has eroded by 26.1 per cent.

    If junior doctors vote to strike, they will walk out for 72 hours in March. The ballot closes on 20 February.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Consultative ballot plan for consultants [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Consultative ballot plan for consultants [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the BMA on 31 January 2023.

    The BMA is to hold a consultative ballot of NHS consultants in England next month – in a move described as a ‘significant escalation’ towards industrial action.

    The ballot will not be a legal ballot for industrial action, but will ask consultants whether they would be prepared to strike in future. The outcome will then be used to inform the BMA whether to proceed to a statutory ballot on industrial action, which would centre around cuts to consultants’ pay and the failure to address the pensions crisis.

    It comes as the NHS is at severe risk of losing its most senior doctors as more than a decade of real-terms pay cuts and punitive pension tax rules leave consultants with little option but to reduce their hours or leave the NHS entirely.

    With mounting waiting lists and ever-increasing demands on the NHS, the BMA said the health service cannot afford to lose doctors who are willing and able to work. Doctors leaders said urgent action is needed to prevent the haemorrhage of senior staff.

    Pay erosion

    BMA figures show years of pay erosion have resulted in the average consultant in England facing a real-terms take-home pay cut of nearly 35% since 2008/09. Alongside escalation in the direction of industrial action, the BMA said the allegedly ‘independent’ pay-review process, which has overseen these cuts, has been constantly interfered with by government and must be reformed so it can deliver fair pay for doctors.

    Thousands of doctors have already reduced their hours or left the NHS after they have incurred large, additional tax bills on their pensions by exceeding the annual or lifetime allowances.

    The Parliamentary health and social care committee has described the pension tax crisis driving doctors out of the NHS a ‘national scandal’ contributing to ‘the greatest workforce crisis in its history’, yet despite the BMA outlining the necessary solutions, the Government has taken little action.

    In the face of this inaction, doctors leaders believe the country is ‘walking blindly’ into one of the biggest staffing crisis the NHS has ever seen – and the association has no choice but to consult its members in England to determine their views on whether they would be prepared to take industrial action.

    Action needed

    Vishal Sharma, BMA consultants committee chair, said: ‘Despite repeatedly outlining our concerns to Government, ministers have been unwilling to act. The NHS is on its knees, patients are suffering and staff morale has never been lower.

    Senior doctors are cutting their hours or leaving the NHS in their droves, driven out of jobs they love by unfair pension tax rules and brutal cuts to their pay. This is having a catastrophic impact on the country’s health as waiting lists for treatment spiral out of control and patients struggle to get the care they need.

    ‘Unless there is action by Government to address consultants’ concerns, waiting lists will simply continue to hit new record highs and staff shortages will only worsen as more senior doctors leave the NHS. The only way out of this crisis is to fix pay, fix pensions and fix the pay review body.

    ‘Consultants would not take industrial action lightly. But in the absence of meaningful solutions from government, we’ve been left with no option but to consult our members’ views on whether they wish for us to hold a formal ballot for industrial action.’

  • PRESS RELEASE : Mick Lynch urges junior doctors to ‘take courage’ in pay restoration vote [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Mick Lynch urges junior doctors to ‘take courage’ in pay restoration vote [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the BMA on 17 January 2023.

    Union leader Mick Lynch told junior doctors they are on ‘the right side of the argument’ with pay restoration and should be confident they have public support for industrial action.

    The RMT general secretary, who has become a symbol for the wider trade-union movement in recent months, spoke at a BMA rally attended by more than 250 doctors and medical students in Westminster on 14 December.

    His speech urged doctors to encourage their colleagues to vote in the industrial action ballot and warned a failure to stand up could pave the way for the NHS to become a ‘gig economy’.

    Headline speaker Mr Lynch said: ‘Don’t be fearful. We’ve gone beyond that stage. Don’t be worried about your careers. They can’t keep anyone in the profession, so you don’t need to worry about jobs in the future – there will be jobs aplenty for doctors.

    ‘You’ve got to take courage that your cause is right. It’s the same cause as all the other disputes.

    ‘This is the fight of our generation, and the fight of our lives. It’s a fight about the future of our health sector, the NHS, a fight for your patients and a fight for the nature of society that we live in. So we cannot lose. And we won’t lose – because we’ve already started to win.’

    Pay rise

    Mr Lynch noted the level of burnout among medical professionals, saying many have ‘nothing more to give’ with GPs at a practice his wife works at as a nurse working 12- to 14-hour shifts as well as attending local-area meetings.

    ‘It’s impossible for health workers to give any more,’ he said. ‘What we need on the table is pay restoration. We need an automatic pay rise which addresses the cost-of-living crisis. You can’t take a round of applause down to Lidl or Tesco and cash it in. You need cash in your bank account so you can pay your bills.’

    Highlighting the high levels of student debt many junior doctors take on before they begin earning, he said: ‘You cannot afford to subsidise the NHS. That’s what they’re asking you to do by not paying you properly. You are not receiving the full value of your labour, your learning and your qualifications. And if we don’t stand up for it now, we will have lost the opportunity for a generation.

    ‘Take courage. You are on the right side of this argument. The public is with you, the country is with you. The country is crying out for change. We have to win it industrially, now. We must commit to winning this struggle for our people, so that we change this country, change our society. Victory to the doctors.’

    Highlighting the need to ensure enough members take part, thereby preventing a similar result to that of a recent ballot by teachers’ union NASUWT, which fell short of the 50 per cent turnout required despite nine in 10 votes in favour of strikes, he urged doctors in attendance to ‘talk to your colleagues back in the workplace, back on the wards’ to encourage them to vote.

    ‘It is over the teapot you’re going to win this vote,’ he added. ‘You have to convince those people to vote yes in this ballot. It’s the rank and file that ultimately wins the ballots.’

    He called on the BMA to integrate into a wider workers’ movement to help ‘maximise influence’ and ‘win at the negotiations’.

    He praised the BMA’s phrase ‘pay restoration’ as a message, adding: ‘While you are losing your pay, the super-rich in this country have never been richer. Oligarchs are running this society, they control the media, the press and will try and control the debate about your dispute going forward. We have to show them we’re together.’

    Society’s future

    Addressing junior doctors and medical students as ‘the future’ as ‘some of the brightest, most talented and hopeful people in the country’, Mr Lynch said the wider trade union movement was about ‘what kind of society do we want to run in this country’.

    He asked: ‘Is it going to be this degraded, diluted, every-person-for-themselves society, or is it going to be an egalitarian society that strives for equality, strives for a redistribution of wealth?

    ‘It’s not just about taxation, and how much you earn. That’s obviously important [but] it’s about the wealth of our society, that we create as workers and is made by all of us. It should be shared as fairly and compassionately as possible.’

    Mr Lynch said the wave of industrial action, across sectors, was being driven by ‘the state of our society, our economy and our politics’ and said politicians ‘do nothing for us unless we kick them, or prod them, into a position’.

    He warned that if NHS workers don’t take a stand now, they risked being gradually moved into a ‘gig economy’.

    ‘They are deliberately driving people to casual work, locum work, agency work, bank work. When they do that, your hourly rate might be slightly higher but you can say goodbye to your conditions, wave goodbye to your pensions. They will do that to make the changes they want to get the cheap workforce and degrade our NHS. Then they will bring through the spectre of privatisation, which is already with us. There are snakes consuming our NHS.’

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK sets out plans to regulate crypto and protect consumers [February 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK sets out plans to regulate crypto and protect consumers [February 2023]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 1 February 2023.

    The plans will provide clarity to consumers and businesses.

    • The government will set out ambitious plans to robustly regulate cryptoasset activities – providing confidence and clarity to consumers and businesses alike
    • Consultation proposals include strengthening rules for crypto trading platforms and a robust world-first regime for crypto lending
    • Announcement delivers on financial services roadmap by embracing technological change and innovation, delivering on the Prime Minister’s plan to grow the economy

    Ambitious plans to protect consumers and grow the economy by robustly regulating cryptoasset activities have been announced by the government.

    Cryptoassets – commonly known as ‘crypto’ – are a relatively new, diverse and constantly evolving class of assets that have a range of potential benefits, as well as posing risks to the consumer.

    As is common in emerging technology markets, the crypto sector continues to experience high levels of volatility and a number of recent failures have exposed the structural vulnerability of some business models in the sector.

    Our robust approach to regulation mitigates the most significant risks, while harnessing the advantages of crypto technologies. This enables a new and exciting sector to safely flourish and grow, boosting jobs and investment.

    Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Griffith said:

    “We remain steadfast in our commitment to grow the economy and enable technological change and innovation – and this includes cryptoasset technology.

    “But we must also protect consumers who are embracing this new technology – ensuring robust, transparent, and fair standards.”

    Under plans set out by the government today (1 February), it will seek to regulate a broad suite of cryptoasset activities, consistent with its approach to traditional finance.

    These proposals will place responsibility on crypto trading venues for defining the detailed content requirements for admission and disclosure documents – ensuring crypto exchanges have fair and robust standards.

    The proposals will also strengthen the rules around financial intermediaries and custodians – which have responsibility for facilitating transactions and safely storing customer assets. These steps will help to deliver a robust world-first regime strengthening rules around the lending of cryptoassets, whilst enhancing consumer protection and the operational resilience of firms. As part of this approach, the consultation will seek views on improving market integrity and consumer protection by setting out a proposed crypto market abuse regime.

    In addition, to address industry concerns about the small number of Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) authorised cryptoasset firms who can issue their own promotions, HM Treasury is also introducing a time limited exemption. Cryptoasset businesses that are registered with the FCA for anti-money laundering purposes will be allowed to issue their own promotions, while the broader cryptoasset regulatory regime is being introduced.

    This approach delivers on the original policy intention of the measure to promote innovation, enhance consumer protection and ensure that cryptoasset promotions can be held to equivalent standards as promotions of financial services products with similar risk profiles.

    Further information

    • Today’s consultation (published 1 February) will close on 30 April 2023, after which, the government will consider feedback and work to set out its consultation response. Once legislation is laid, the Financial Conduct Authority will consult on its detailed rules for the sector
    • In April 2022, the then Economic Secretary, John Glen MP, set out ambitious plans for the UK to become a global hub for cryptoasset technology
    • Today’s announcement delivers against these plans, positioning the UK as a safe jurisdiction for cryptoasset activity to take place, fostering innovation and providing firms clarity over the planned regulatory framework.
    • The consultation builds on previous HM Treasury proposals, which focused on stablecoins and the financial promotion of cryptoassets
    • Proposals are centred around a number of important cryptoasset activities – including exchange activities, custody activities and lending activities, which the government is intending to bring into the regulatory perimeter for financial services
    • For each activity the consultation sets out key design features of the regime covering themes such as prudential requirements, data reporting, consumer protection, location policy and operational resilience
    • The consultation paper also proposes regimes for a range of cross-cutting issues which apply across cryptoasset activities and business models, including market abuse and cryptoasset issuance and disclosures
  • PRESS RELEASE : Trade talks and training troops top of the agenda at annual UK-Australia summit [February 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Trade talks and training troops top of the agenda at annual UK-Australia summit [February 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 1 February 2023.

    Foreign and Defence Secretaries to host Australian counterparts for talks in London and Portsmouth.

    • Foreign and Defence Secretaries to host Australian counterparts for talks in London and Portsmouth
    • Annual ‘AUKMIN’ ministerial meeting will cover cooperation on climate, security and trade
    • Security initiatives include joint UK-Australia training exercises on Salisbury Plain

    The fields of Salisbury Plain and historic dockyards of Portsmouth will be the backdrop to significant talks between the UK and Australia’s defence and foreign ministers today, as both nations discuss how to intensify efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will host their Australian counterparts, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, in London, Salisbury and Portsmouth this week for the annual UK-Australia ‘AUKMIN’ summit.

    Following bilateral talks with their opposite numbers on Wednesday, the group will visit Salisbury Plain to see Australian and UK troops training Ukrainian soldiers. The joint programme, which also involves forces from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, is part of an acceleration of efforts by the UK and allies to ensure Ukraine wins the war and secures a lasting peace.

    On Thursday the group will gather for meetings at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth to discuss the countries’ long-term cooperation to promote prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as well as broader cooperation on climate, security and trade. The UK’s work with Australia to promote open societies and economic security in the region area is crucial to boosting trade with the Indo-Pacific and delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country. The Indo-Pacific is set to account for half of global growth by 2050.

    Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

    The UK and Australia are the best of mates and for over a century we have been hard-headed champions of freedom and democracy.

    In an increasingly volatile world, we are pursuing a forward-looking agenda with Australia as a trusted partner and friend. Together we are promoting prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific, boosting trade, and pursuing our vital climate targets.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP said:

    Australia is our close and valued defence partner, with historic ties spanning the decades.

    The Australian Armed Forces are providing vital training for the brave Ukrainian men and women here in the UK, learning the skills they will need to return and defend their country.

    We are also progressing our collaboration over the AUKUS programme, promoting security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.

    The ministers will also look at how the UK and Australia can step up their commitments to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees, including by transitioning to renewable energy, promoting low-emission technologies as part of a joint Clean Tech partnership the two countries signed in 2021, as well as supporting island states in the Pacific who are on the front line of the climate emergency.

    More widely, they will take stock of progress on AUKUS – a defence and security pact between the UK, US, and Australia which will deliver a nuclear-powered submarine capability to Australia. They will also continue discussions on the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a £9 trillion free trade bloc, and progress towards the UK ratifying the bilateral free trade agreement with Australia, expected to come into force in spring this year.

    The iconic venue for talks in the historic naval town reflects the two nations’ shared seafaring heritage. The summit also affirms the UK’s ongoing commitment to Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, and follows a busy 18 months of UK engagement in the region, including the visit of the Carrier Strike Group, the AUKUS agreement, our Prime Ministers meeting at the G20 in Bali, and Indo-Pacific Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s visit to Australia at the end of last year.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Government backing helps launch world first self-driving bus [February 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Government backing helps launch world first self-driving bus [February 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 1 February 2023.

    Passengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.

    • The world’s first full-sized, self-driving bus service is among the projects being awarded funding from the UK government
    • £81 million in combined government and industry funding is being made available for commercial self-driving passenger and freight services, which could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel improving especially for those who don’t drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error
    • automated buses in Edinburgh, shuttles in Belfast and lorries in Sunderland get support

    Passengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.

    The project is one of seven successful projects from around the UK, and forms the most advanced set of commercial, self-driving passenger and freight operations anywhere in the world.

    The grants, part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Connected and Automated Mobility programme, will help British companies seize early opportunities to develop experimental projects into offerings ready for the market.

    The joint government and industry funding winners are:

    • CAVForth II – Fusion Processing – £10.4 million to launch the world’s first operational, full-sized, self-driving bus service, in Edinburgh, with Stagecoach and Alexander Dennis
    • V-CAL – North East Automotive Alliance – £8 million to roll out self-driving and remotely piloted HGVs between the Vantec and Nissan sites in Sunderland
    • Hub2Hub – HVS – £13.2 million to develop a new, zero emissions, self-driving HGV with Asda
    • Sunderland Advanced Mobility Shuttle – City of Sunderland Council – £6 million to build and trial a self-driving shuttle service to the University of Sunderland and the Sunderland Royal Hospital
    • Project Harlander – Belfast Harbour – £11 million to deploy a self-driving shuttle service around Belfast Harbour
    • Multi-Area Connected Automated Mobility – Conigital – £15.2 million to establish a remote driving control hub, to oversee self-driving vehicles operating in Solihull and Coventry, with the NEC and local councils.
    • Project Cambridge Connector – Greater Cambridge Partnership – £17.4 million to trial on-demand, self-driving taxis, to complement existing transport services in parts of Cambridge

    £42 million in government funding is being matched by industry.

    Business Secretary Grant Shapps said:

    In just a few years’ time, the business of self-driving vehicles could add tens of billions to our economy and create tens of thousands of jobs across the UK. This is a massive opportunity to drive forward our priority to grow the economy, which we are determined to seize.

    The support we are providing today will help our transport and technology pioneers steal a march on the global competition, by turning their bright ideas into market-ready products sooner than anyone else.

    Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

    Self-driving vehicles including buses will positively transform people’s everyday lives – making it easier to get around, access vital services and improve regional connectivity.

    We’re supporting and investing in the safe rollout of this incredible technology to help maximise its full potential, while also creating skilled jobs and boosting growth in this important sector.

    Almost £600,000 is also being awarded for feasibility studies, looking into how self-driving technology could improve public transport in four parts of the UK. These projects will look into potential routes where automated vehicles could operate exclusively from other traffic, to relieve congestion on the A414 through Hertfordshire and Essex, parts of Eastern Cambridge, Birmingham and Solihull, and Milton Keynes.

    Innovate UK Executive Director for Net Zero, Mike Biddle, said:

    The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) sector is of crucial importance to the UK, with the potential to deliver safer, cleaner and more efficient transport systems across a wide range of settings.

    This latest, multi-year round of government’s Commercialising CAM funds builds on the success of previous collaborative R&D programme, stimulating innovation to ensure the UK is at the forefront of the transition towards the commercialisation of self-driving services.

    Self-driving vehicles could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel, especially for those who don’t drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error. Forecasts predict that by 2035, 40% of new UK car sales will have self-driving capabilities, with a total market value for connected and automated mobility worth £41.7 billion to the UK. This could create nearly 40,000 skilled jobs in connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology.

    The government is also committed to introducing legislation that will enable the safe and timely rollout of self-driving vehicles on UK roads. Under a proposed ‘safety ambition’ for self-driving vehicles to be equivalent in safety to a competent and careful human driver, vehicles will need to meet certain standards to be allowed to ‘self-drive’ on the roads throughout the lifetime of the vehicle. Organisations overseeing self-driving vehicles could face sanctions if standards are not maintained.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Corruption crackdown under new government anti money laundering laws [February 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Corruption crackdown under new government anti money laundering laws [February 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 1 February 2023.

    Overseas organisations owning UK land must have publicly declared their true owners, under world leading UK laws to crack down on dirty money.

    • Oligarchs and non-compliant organisations face severe restrictions on their ability to buy and sell property and could risk future additional penalties
    • further investigatory powers and investment of up to £20 million of allocated spending on economic crime being deployed to tackle money laundering through companies

    Overseas companies owning UK land who have not registered their beneficial owners with Companies House could now face penalties such as sale restrictions and tough fines, the government has announced.
    Foreign companies were required to declare their beneficial owners on the Register of Overseas Entities by Tuesday 31 January, under world leading new anti-money laundering measures introduced by the government to flush out corrupt elites.

    Now that the deadline has passed, foreign companies that have not submitted information to Companies House could face severe sanctions, including financial penalties or prosecution.

    The register was introduced as part of a package of tough economic measures announced in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting the illicit wealth of supporters of the Putin regime. The register also exposes criminals using overseas companies to launder money. Recently scammer Dr Ruja Ignatova, the “Cryptoqueen” on the FBI’s most wanted list, was publicly declared the beneficial owner of two intermediaries in Guernsey due to the new requirements.

    Business Minister Lord Callanan said:

    There is nowhere for the criminals and corrupt elites to hide. We will be using all the tools at our disposal, including fines and restrictions, to crack down on foreign companies who have not complied.

    Unregistered companies are already automatically rejected from registering ownership of any new land by HM Land Registry. Any UK buyers will be unable to transfer their title to the deed of any property purchased from non-compliant organisations, frustrating attempts to sell. Criminals purchase a safe investment like land and property through opaque corporate structures to clean their dirty money. The Register brings transparency to these overseas based structures, and the restrictions halt the flow of money for those who do not comply.

    Companies House is now assessing and preparing cases for enforcement action. Further regulations will also empower Companies House to impose financial penalties on land owned by non-compliant organisations, as well as pursue other legal avenues.

    It is estimated that 19510 out of a total of 32440 registered overseas organisations have declared their beneficial owners. The information gained has also been invaluable for tax and revenue services, bringing transparency to opaque offshore trusts often used to obscure assets for tax purposes.

    Companies House and the Insolvency Service will also gain enhanced powers from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, which has just completed scrutiny in the House of Commons. Through the investment of up to £20 million of allocated spending, both organisations will recruit new teams of intelligence and analytical experts to further boost their capability to tackle money laundering and aid law enforcement.

    Louise Smyth, Chief Executive Officer of Companies House said:

    The implementation of the Register of Overseas Entities has been another huge step forward in the transformation of Companies House and our role in helping combat economic crime.

    We cannot be clearer in our message to these entities; if you ignored warnings and fail to register before the deadline, you will face consequences. This includes not only the prospect of restrictions on your land or property but also a possible fine, prison sentence, or both.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Second anniversary of the Myanmar coup – Foreign Ministers joint statement [February 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Second anniversary of the Myanmar coup – Foreign Ministers joint statement [February 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 February 2023.

    A joint statement from 22 Foreign Ministers and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs on the two year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar.

    A joint statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union, and the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, the Federated States of Micronesia, Georgia, Ghana, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States, on the two year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar:

    On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military staged a coup d’état and seized power against the will of the people, plunging the country into a deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis.

    Over the last two years, the people of Myanmar have courageously demonstrated their commitment to a democratic country, demanding respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and showing determined resilience in the face of unspeakable atrocities.

    Since the coup, the military regime has violently cracked down on any form of opposition, including peaceful protests. Credible reports indicate that thousands of civilians, including children, have been jailed, tortured and killed.

    There are mounting reports that air strikes, bombardments and the mass burning of villages and places of worship have targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure. Reports of torture and sexual violence by the security forces are widespread. The prolonged conflict has seen thousands of civilian casualties, over 17 million people in need and 1.5 million people displaced from their homes.

    We welcome and support the central role of ASEAN in addressing the crisis in Myanmar, including the efforts of the ASEAN Chair and ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar.

    We welcome the UN Security Council Resolution 2669 (2022) on the situation in Myanmar which calls for the immediate cessation of violence and the upholding of universal human rights, the provision of full and unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of civilians. It calls on the military regime to effectively and fully implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, and to immediately release all arbitrarily detained prisoners, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. It reaffirms our support for the ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar and the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar and encourages their close coordination. It also urges all parties in Myanmar to work constructively with both Envoys to commence dialogue to seek a peaceful solution.

    The military overruled the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar as expressed in the November 2020 General Election, when they seized power on 1 February 2021. We reiterate our call for the return of Myanmar to a democratic path. The military regime must end violence and create space for meaningful and inclusive dialogue to allow for any democratic process to resume.

    We once again call on all members of the international community to support all efforts to hold those responsible for human rights violations and abuses to account; to cease the sale and transfer of arms and equipment which facilitate atrocities; and to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of Myanmar’s people, including its most vulnerable communities.

    We remain resolute in our support for all those working peacefully towards an inclusive and democratic future for the people of Myanmar.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK ready to boost CPTPP’s economic clout, says Trade Minister on Asia-Pacific visit [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK ready to boost CPTPP’s economic clout, says Trade Minister on Asia-Pacific visit [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 31 January 2023.

    Trade Minister Greg Hands heads to Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore for high level trade talks and to promote UK’s accession to CPTPP.

    • Trade Minister Greg Hands embarks on three-day trip to Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore
    • High level trade talks will focus on benefits of UK joining CPTPP, which would take trade bloc’s GDP to £11 trillion
    • Visit underlines UK’s post-Brexit shift to boost trade with Indo-Pacific region – predicted to account for majority of global growth by 2050

    Trade Minister Greg Hands arrives in Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore on Wednesday [1 Feb] for high level trade talks on how the UK joining CPTPP will boost the economic clout of the world’s most dynamic trade bloc.

    The UK’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will add another like-minded partner and strong voice to this powerful alliance, taking the trade bloc’s GDP to £11 trillion. It will give UK businesses tariff-free access on over 99% of goods to a market of around 500 million customers.

    As a major economy and strong advocate of free trade, our membership will support the trade bloc to shape the high standards of global trade – particularly in the face of increased protectionism.

    With the next round of CPTPP negotiations taking place soon, the Minister will express the UK’s desire to finalise accession at the earliest opportunity – a top priority for both the Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch and the Minister.

    Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands said:

    Joining CPTPP will add even more economic clout to this exciting and dynamic trade alliance, helping it grow to £11 trillion or from 12 to 15% of global GDP.

    This visit will also strengthen our bilateral trade relationships with Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore – which total £32bn. These fast-growing economies represent huge opportunities for our life sciences and technology sectors.

    Starting in Vietnam, the Minister will head to Hanoi for talks with Vice Minister for Trade & Investment Tran Quoc Khanh. He will also celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

    He will then head to Malaysia to sit down with the Minister of International Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul Aziz and the Minister of Economy YB Rafizi Ramli.

    Malaysian investment into the UK has grown considerably, jumping 57% between 2020 and 2021 to £2.4 billion, with the recent £9 billion redevelopment of Battersea Power Station by a Malaysian consortium symbolising this success.

    Finishing in Singapore, Hands will meet with the Minister for Trade and Industry, Minister Gan to discuss CPTPP and the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) signed last summer.

    The UK-Singapore DEA is the world’s most innovative trade agreement. The Minister will see first-hand how it is fuelling digital trade, benefitting UK and Singaporean businesses.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Thousands more victims to avoid trauma of courtroom cross-examination under plans to boost barrister fees [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Thousands more victims to avoid trauma of courtroom cross-examination under plans to boost barrister fees [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 31 January 2023.

    Vulnerable victims in up to 4,600 cases involving crimes including sexual abuse and rape will be able to avoid giving their evidence in a full courtroom every year according to new estimates from the Ministry of Justice.

    • New estimates predict potential tripling in use of video technology for vulnerable victims every year
    • Victims in up to 4,600 cases of sexual violence could pre-record evidence ahead of main trial
    • Barristers’ fees boosted to support expansion

    The estimates are published alongside new legislation which will for the first-time mean barristers are paid specifically for this work as part of the Government’s £138m extra annual investment in criminal legal aid.

    Since September, victims of crimes including rape and sexual assault have been able to pre-record their cross-examination ahead of trial in every Crown Court in England and Wales following a Government-funded rollout of new technology.

    This helps victims avoid the stress of giving evidence under full glare of a live trial setting, which many find traumatic.

    This latest forecast shows that up to three times as many victims and witnesses could now be supported in this way compared to in the last two years, helping more of them achieve justice and boosting rape convictions.

    The increase in fees will see lawyers paid £804, including VAT, for carrying out this work and ensure they are further incentivised to undertake the pre-recorded parts of these trials, potentially boosting capacity further.

    Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said:

    We have overhauled the support victims of rape receive and this latest investment will mean more have their voices heard in court without retraumatising them.

    Paying barristers specifically for this work will help make sure more victims have this option and is another part of our work to boost rape convictions.

    Pre-recorded cross-examination technology is available to certain victims of sexual and modern slavery offences in all Crown Courts in England and Wales. It is also available to vulnerable victims, such as children and those whose quality of evidence is likely to be diminished because of a mental or physical condition.

    Measures allow for evidence to be given as close to the time of the offence as possible while memories remain fresh, increasing the likelihood of vulnerable witnesses achieving justice.

    It is designed to maintain a defendant’s right to a fair trial and any decision to pre-record evidence is made by a judge on a case-by-case basis.

    This new fee for lawyers taking evidence in this way will apply to all new cases from tomorrow (1 February 2023). It will come on top of existing fees for attending court and ground rules hearings where a judge can consider any special measures for vulnerable victims and witnesses.

    This £4 million investment is part of the Government’s £138m annual increase in criminal legal aid spending.