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PRESS RELEASE : £3.5m grant funded installation of 500 electrical vehicle charging points across Barnet [November 2022]
The press release issued by Barnet Council on 2 November 2022.

Barnet Council is pleased to announce that following last year’s award of a further £3.5m in grant funding, work has begun on the next phase of electric vehicle (EV) charge point installations.

The six-month installation, in partnership with Trojan Energy, will see 510 charge points installed to 34 residential streets across the borough.

The new Trojan charge points are sunken into the ground, flat and flush, appearing as a disk in the pavement. The charging points are connected to the power grid and residents will be able to connect to them using a Trojan lance, which will supply power of up to 22kWh. These charge points will be available for residents to use to charge their electric, or plug-in hybrid, vehicles, building a comprehensive and fit for purpose network to support electric vehicles, ensuring that charging demand will continue to be met as it grows.

Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Barnet Environment and Climate Change Committee Chair said:

“The installation of hundreds more EV charging points is part of our wider sustainability programme to transform Barnet into a net zero borough.

“As part of our commitment to care for people, places and planet, we are supporting a sustainable transport infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions and encourage the use of electric vehicles.

“Installing chargers in key locations will help EV owners top up their charge levels on the go and make our air cleaner.”

Although the upfront costs of buying an electric car are generally higher than petrol and diesel alternatives, the gap is gradually narrowing. The day-to-day running costs over the lifetime of the vehicle are substantially better with an electric car, while residents will also benefit from reduced parking permits, and exemption from ULEZ and congestion charges, as well as Vehicle Excise Duty.

Phase one of installation works across the borough of Barnet, will see 15 residential charge points installed at each of the following locations:
- Gloucester Grove, Burnt Oak
- Orange Hill Road, Burnt Oak
- Watling Avenue, Burnt Oak
- Annesley Avenue West, Colindale
- Annesley Avenue East, Colindale
The EV charge point installation is one of the sustainability schemes being rolled out by Barnet Council to help reach our target to become a net zero borough by 2042.
02/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Firefighters launch consultative ballot on pay [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Fire Brigades Union on 31 October 2022.

Firefighters and fire control staff are being balloted today over to whether accept a 5% pay offer from employers.

The Fire Brigades Union’s executive council is recommending that members vote to reject the offer, which represents a significant real-terms pay cut and follows a decade of real-terms pay cuts in the fire and rescue service.

This is a consultative ballot on the pay offer itself, with rejection not automatically leading to strike action.

In this consultative ballot, members can vote online or by post. Online and postal ballots are being sent out today Monday 31st October, with the ballot closing on Monday 14 November.

It is known that members using online ballots means a higher return, and so members are advised to register their email address with the union so they can receive an electronic ballot.

Members can do this by emailing membershipservices@fbu.org.uk. Please note that only personal email addresses can be accepted, not fire service email addresses, and it would also be helpful for members to include their date of birth, brigade and membership number (if you know it) in the email.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:

We are a democratic union led by our members. It is firefighters and control staff who will decide any action that the union takes on pay. Firefighters have been treated appallingly by their employers, and by the government over the last decade. Pay is down by nearly £4,000 in real terms and that is why the union’s executive council is recommending that members reject this latest offer.

Our members worked throughout the pandemic to help protect their communities. They delivered food, moved the bodies of the dead and delivered other vital extra duties. To try and thank them with a massive real-terms pay cut is absolutely disgusting. Our members have had enough.

02/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : A statement from the Archbishop of York – IICSA Final Report [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Archbishop of York on 20 October 2022.

I stand alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury in re-iterating our apology to those whom the Church of England has grievously failed, and I fully share his commitment to learn from our failures and move to a place where we get things right. The recommendations made today will be studied and responded to.

The publication of the final report from IICSA marks a moment of profound recollection and is a clarion call for the absolute need for things to continue to change.

I am hugely grateful for the work of the Inquiry, for the way in which they have shone a light on the failure of institutions, including the Church of England, to safeguard children. I am also grateful for their recommendations and demands that things must be different. More importantly I am humbled by and appreciate the many victims and survivors who have told their stories and who consistently call us to both repent and change.

Safeguarding must be our priority and I commend the response from the Church’s lead safeguarding bishop, Bishop Jonathan Gibbs.

Read the full report here

02/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Personal statement from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby following the publication of IICSA report [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 20 October 2022.

Personal statement from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby following the publication of IICSA report:

“The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) report published today contains recommendations for 15 major institutions which have clearly failed children. That includes the Church of England.

For that we must continue to be truly sorry. It is critical that we make sure that everyone is safe, and we must commit whole-heartedly to safeguarding. It is one of the highest priorities for the Church because, as the report shows, we still have not got it right.

I wrote to the then Home Secretary in 2014 calling for an Inquiry and I am acutely aware of how painful the process has been for the survivors and victims who have shared their experiences. They have done so with much courage, and I thank them for coming forward.

In 2020 when the previous IICSA report was released, specifically related to the Church of England, I said the Church cannot and will not make excuses for what has happened. I stand by that today.

We are already learning and acting on the Inquiry’s previous findings and recommendations. Now we will examine and respond to today’s wider recommendations published.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone at IICSA who has worked so hard on this report. I commend the response from the Church’s lead safeguarding bishop, Bishop Jonathan Gibbs.

Read the final report here.

02/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : East Midlands directors banned for Bounce Back Loan abuse [November 2022]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 2 November 2022.

Muhammad Rais, 42, from Leicester, has been disqualified for 9 years for exaggerating the turnover of his takeaway business to claim £31,000 of Bounce Back Loans to which the company was not entitled.

And Lee Mankelow, 42, of Arnold, Nottinghamshire has been disqualified as a director for 6 years, after claiming £50,000 from the loan scheme to support his timber supply business through the pandemic, before paying it all to a former director of the company.

The two directors received the money as part of a government scheme to support businesses that were facing hardship during the Covid outbreak.

Companies were entitled to claim Bounce Back Loans of up to 25% of their 2019 turnover, to a maximum of £50,000, for the economic support of their business.

Lee Mankelow was the director of Wolf Timber Ltd, which traded as a builders/providers of timber products. The company, however, entered into liquidation in December 2020 before Wolf Timber Ltd’s insolvency triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

Investigators uncovered that Mankelow applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in June 2020, after the company had seen a rise in online business during Covid lockdowns.

Mankelow, however, transferred the full £50,000 the day after he received the loan to a former director of the company, breaching the terms of the loan which stated that the money must be used to support the business.

Investigators found no evidence to support Mankelow’s claims that the money was used to pay the wages, bonuses, dividends and expenses of the former director who had stayed on as an employee of the company.

And Muhammad Rais was the sole director of Lokma BBQ Ltd in Leicester until the company went into liquidation in January 2022.

The company came to the attention of the Insolvency Service following its liquidation before investigators uncovered that Rais applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan, stating that the takeaway’s turnover the previous year had been £200,000.

However, Lokma BBQ’s actual turnover for 2019 had been around £74,000, resulting in the company receiving £31,000 of government-backed loans which it wasn’t entitled to.

Rais has agreed with the liquidator to re-pay £8,000 of the money owed through monthly installments.

The disqualifications prevent Mankelow and Rais from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

Tom Phillips, Assistant Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services for the Insolvency Service, said:

“Bounce Back Loans were put in place to provide vital support to help viable businesses through the pandemic. Both Mankelow and Rais completely abused the government-backed loans to further their own interests, which was totally unacceptable.

“Mankelow and Rais’ bans should serve as a stark warning to other directors who may have misused financial support during the pandemic that we have the ability to bring your actions to account and remove you from the corporate arena.”

Notes to editors

Lee Mankelow is of Arnold, Nottinghamshire, and his date of birth is August 1980

Wolf Timber Ltd (Company number: 12174859)

Muhammad Rais is of Leicester and his date of birth is April 1980

Lokma BBQ Ltd (Company Reg no.11232141)

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:
- act as a director of a company
- take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
- be a receiver of a company’s property
Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.
02/11/2022
Richard Foord – 2022 Comments on Matt Hancock Going on I’m a Celebrity

The comments made by Richard Foord, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton, on Twitter on 1 November 2022.

This is just ridiculous. As MPs it’s our role to represent our constituents and help them with issues they’re facing – not take weeks off to go on reality TV. If Mr Hancock wants to spend his time outside of Parliament, then frankly he should resign.

02/11/2022
PRESS RELEASE : Call for Evidence launched to identify geospatial opportunities [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 2 November 2022.

The Geospatial Commission has launched a Call for Evidence that urges stakeholders to contribute to the government’s evolving strategy to accelerate the UK’s use of location data.

In 2020, the Geospatial Commission published an ambitious five year strategy aimed at unlocking the value of location data and technology in the UK. The strategy committed to a mid-point refresh in order to remain relevant and focused in its priorities.

Location data already unlocks significant economic value and can address a multitude of challenges across sectors. We have seen the core geospatial ecosystem in the UK grow from £2 billion in 2009 to £6 billion in 2018, an average annual growth rate of 10% for that period.

Cabinet Office Minister, Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

Location data is driving economic growth and unlocking innovation – from the mapping of underground pipes and cables to drone-enabled deliveries. This Call for Evidence asks for your help to inform the UK’s priorities for location data in sectors across the economy

The Call for Evidence is the next step in the UK’s strategy development to allow the government to hear more about the latest geospatial market context: the challenges, proven successes and potential opportunities such as the role of location data in hybrid reality – the geoverse. Responses will help to define and update the strategy’s priorities, in alignment with the wider geospatial ecosystem as it matures.

The opportunities that come from geospatial tools and applications reach across the UK economy. The government therefore urges stakeholders from all industries to respond, to comment on opportunities and barriers for the use of location data.

Geospatial Commission Director, Thalia Baldwin, said:

Location data and technologies are fundamental to how our economy and society functions today. They provide live information for individuals on travel, exercise and deliveries, and support long term decisions for organisations on where to invest and build, such as electric vehicle charge-points. Demand is increasing and innovative applications of location data are vast. We welcome your ideas.

02/11/2022
Tom Tugendhat – 2022 Speech on Overseas Chinese Police Stations in UK

The speech made by Tom Tugendhat, the Minister for Security, in the House of Commons on 1 November 2022.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is a great pleasure to be here on my first outing at the Dispatch Box to speak about something that, as the House will know, I take extremely seriously. Reports of undeclared police stations in the United Kingdom are, of course, extremely concerning and will be taken seriously. Any foreign country operating on United Kingdom soil must abide by UK law. I have discussed this matter with the police and I am assured that they are investigating allegations of unlawful activity. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further on operational matters.

I will take the opportunity, however, to reassure the House of the Government’s resolve to take the matter seriously. I will also shortly make a statement to the House on safeguarding our democracy. The protection of people in the United Kingdom is of the utmost importance. Any attempt to illegally repatriate any individual will not be tolerated. This egregious activity is part of a wider trend of authoritarian Governments perpetrating transnational repression in an effort to silence their critics overseas and undermine democracy and the rule of law. For example, we have been aware for some time of efforts to interfere in our academic freedoms and university sector, and we have been taking steps to protect our institutions.

This Government are committed to tackling the challenge of transnational repression wherever it originates. It would be unacceptable for any foreign Government to feel able to operate in that way in the United Kingdom, and it must be stopped. The Home Office works closely with Departments across Whitehall and with devolved Administrations to ensure that our national security is protected and that, in particular, those who have chosen to settle here are free to engage in our democratic society without fear of the regimes that they have tried to leave behind.

Through our excellent police forces and the agencies that work with them, we take a proactive approach to protecting individuals and communities from all manner of threats. Where we identify individuals who may be at heightened risk, we are front-footed in deploying protective security guidance and other measures where necessary. I pay tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith) and particularly my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton (Alicia Kearns), who has taken over the best job in Parliament as Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. They have worked tirelessly on this issue, including with our close international partners.

The upcoming National Security Bill will strengthen our legal powers to deal with transnational repression. Coercion, harassment or intimidation linked to a foreign power that interfere with the freedoms of individuals will be criminalised under the new foreign interference offence in the Bill. Existing criminal offences against a person, such as assault, may also have sentences increased using the state threats aggravating factor in the Bill where they are undertaken for, on behalf of or with the intention to benefit a foreign power. The Bill will introduce a new foreign influence registration scheme, for which many hon. Members have campaigned, including my hon. Friend the Member for Rutland and Melton. That will provide greater transparency around foreign interference in our society.

It is clear, however, that we can and must do more. I have therefore asked officials to step up the work to ensure that our approach to transnational repression is robust, and I have asked our Department to review our approach to transnational repression as a matter of urgency. I will provide an update on that work to the House in due course.

Alicia Kearns

I thank Mr Speaker for granting this urgent question. I take this opportunity to welcome my right hon. Friend to his place and say how reassured I am to have someone of his expertise leading on this important area for our national security.

There are troubling reports of a widespread network of Chinese police stations operating worldwide, including three in our country in Croydon, Hendon and Glasgow. Publicly, those stations are harmless administrative centres for Chinese nationals, but reports suggest that they are actually used to hunt down dissidents and alleged Chinese criminals. The Chinese Government have admitted their existence, so I have some questions for the Minister. What is the legal basis for their operations on UK soil? Are Chinese officials involved in their administration? I welcome that the Minister has tasked an investigation, but will he commit to update the House on it in due course?

Finally, the British national overseas scheme was world leading, but we have a duty to protect those who come here and seek refuge on our soil. Does he agree that, following the Chinese consul general’s attack on a Hongkonger only a couple of weeks ago, we are playing a dangerous game in sacrificing our sovereignty and the safety of not just British nationals, but refugees at the altar of not wanting to upset an authoritarian state?

Tom Tugendhat

I again pay tribute to the work that my hon. Friend has done over recent weeks, in particular, and years in alerting this House and the country to the threats that we have faced from authoritarian regimes around the world. I pay particular tribute to her leadership of the China Research Group, on which I was honoured to work with her before.

The reports that my hon. Friend mentions are not exclusive to this country. Sadly, we have seen authoritarian states exercising repressive tendencies abroad and seeking to extradite, or indeed inveigle, citizens of their own country back to their homeland to extract punishment. That is simply unacceptable. The protections of the UK state need to apply to all those in the United Kingdom and it is absolutely essential that those protections are afforded to all. That is why I am working, and will work further, with the police and agencies to ensure that we are on top of this offence and that, should evidence be shown and proof be given, action will be taken.

I also thank my hon. Friend enormously for her comments about the British national overseas scheme. She is right that that was not only world leading but essential for protecting British nationals in the face of an authoritarian dictatorship, and that those who come here under the scheme should be afforded the same protections, rights and dignity as all British nationals everywhere.

02/11/2022
Emma Hardy – 2022 Speech on BBC Local Radio Proposed Reduction in Provision

The speech made by Emma Hardy, the Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, in the House of Commons on 1 November 2022.

Thank you for granting the urgent question, Mr Speaker. Let me also welcome the Minister to her place and many of the comments she has made today. BBC local radio stations are vital as sources of information and for sharing communal experiences. I recently attended the Radio Humberside “Make a Difference Awards”, which highlighted the work of local people in their communities. In March last year, Chris Burns, the head of audio and digital for BBC England, celebrated these awards saying:

“The power of radio is huge when it comes to connecting local communities in their hour of need.”

I agree. Local radio, especially Radio Humberside, brings a feeling of belonging and companionship, especially to those who are isolated from everyday interactions. Local radio stations also hold democratically elected local politicians to account, and during the covid lockdowns they provided an invaluable service, enabling and publicising local support initiatives and disseminating up-to-the-minute news.

Local radio has 5.7 million listeners—more listeners than Radio 1 and Radio 5 Live—and it is the embodiment of public service broadcasting, remaining true to the principles behind the creation of the BBC 100 years ago. The plans announced yesterday for changes to the content of local radio—without any consultation at all of local communities—effectively mean that local radio will cease to exist after 2 pm. At Radio Humberside, 139 redundancies are predicted; as well as the impact on the individuals affected, those redundancies represent a collective loss of local expertise and knowledge and of campaigning community voices.

Does the Minister agree that local listeners should have been consulted? Does she agree that the loss of provision will be damaging to local communities as they lose an important voice for their experiences and concerns about local services, democracy and accountability? Finally, does she agree that local radio cannot call itself local when it stops being local after 2 pm?

Julia Lopez

I thank the hon. Lady for her comments and for highlighting the work done by Radio Humberside, as well as the power of radio to connect us in times of need and to ensure local democratic accountability. The mission and public purposes of the BBC include provision of output and services to the UK’s nations, regions and communities. That provision is a key part of the BBC’s remit and we hold the BBC to account for it via Ofcom; it is also something we will look at very closely in the mid-term review.

The hon. Lady highlighted the loss of local expertise. BBC local radio stations have traditionally been a fantastic way to develop local talent which has gone on to be incredibly important national talent, so we have concerns about that. She talked about the need for consultation. I would have hoped to have had more chance to examine these proposals before they were released, and I shall be talking to the BBC about that next week. I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising these issues.

02/11/2022
Robert Jenrick – 2022 Statement on Manston

The statement made by Robert Jenrick, the Home Office Minister, on 1 November 2022.

Manston Update:

Thanks to the hard work and professionalism of Home Office and Border Force staff, military personnel and our contractors we have made good progress.

Numbers of migrants have fallen substantially today and we expect them to do so again tomorrow.

Unless we receive an unexpectedly high number of migrants in small boats in the coming days, numbers will fall significantly this week.

It’s imperative that the site returns a sustainable operating model and we are doing everything we can to ensure that happens swiftly.

02/11/2022