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Therese Coffey – 2023 Letter of Resignation sent to Rishi Sunak

The letter of resignation sent by Therese Coffey to Rishi Sunak on 13 November 2023.

Resignation Letter (in .pdf format)

16/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Brothers who recruited vulnerable youngsters to supply crack and heroin as part of a £100K County Line Operation have their sentence increased [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 13 November 2023.

Two brothers who recruited vulnerable young people to supply crack cocaine and heroin worth more than £100,000 in Shropshire have been ordered to serve longer in prison after their sentence was strengthened by the Court of Appeal.

James Mason, 33 and his brother Joshua, 25 from Liverpool were part of an organised crime gang which operated the County Line, called the Boris Line from between Merseyside and Oswestry, a market town in Shropshire, between July 2018 and February 2020.

County Lines typically involves using vulnerable children and young adults to supply drugs as a form of forced or compulsory labour. Nine young people were recruited as runners to supply crack and heroin for the gang – one was just 14 – and many were known to Children’s Services.

The Boris Line was controlled by their associate – Adam McCardle – but both brothers took an active role travelling between the two locations to supply drugs and sending regular messages to hundreds of drug users in Oswestry offering their products.

When the home of James Mason was raided in July 2019, Police found large quantities of heroin and crack cocaine as well as drug paraphernalia and £10,000 in cash. They also found a black Samsung phone, which, turned out to be the Boris Line telephone.

Both brothers pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin but were put on trial for conspiracy to require a person to commit forced or compulsory labour.

In August this year, James Mason was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and Joshua was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

On Thursday 9 November, the Court of Appeal increased the sentence for both brothers after the Solicitor General referred them under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

There is no doubt that class A drug use has a devastating impact on local communities and the young age of some of the people recruited to act as runners for this gang makes this case even more appalling.

Thankfully, the court recognised the damage caused by these brothers and they have been ordered to spend longer in jail. I hope this case serves as a strong warning that those responsible for distributing hard drugs on our streets will be punished.

James Mason’s sentence was increased to a total of 10 years imprisonment and Josh Mason’s sentence was increased to a total of eight years imprisonment.

16/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New undersea capability to strengthen AUKUS partnership [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 13 November 2023.

As part of the AUKUS partnership, a joint exercise took place testing new capability, ADV Guidance, that will increase protection of underwater infrastructure.
- New technology successfully trialled by Australian, UK and US maritime forces.
- New Australian Undersea Support Vessel in service.
- Trial marks a positive step forward for AUKUS delivery, and a promising development in UK’s autonomous maritime capabilities
The UK, US and Australia have strengthened their maritime forces, introducing new uncrewed undersea vessels to extend the range and lethality of their warfare capabilities.

As part of the AUKUS partnership, the nations have taken part in a joint exercise off the east coast of Australia to test new equipment that will increase the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. During the exercise, Australia’s new Undersea Support Vessel, ADV Guidance, hosted a range of undersea capabilities while they were tested and trialled at sea.

A recent addition to the Australian fleet, the ADV Guidance’s primary role is to support undersea and surveillance systems trials and includes the ability to host a small team of sailors as well as on-board and off-board systems, with both crewed and uncrewed capability. Earlier this month, Lieutenant General Rob Magowan, the UK’s Deputy Chief of Defence Staff for Military Capability, joined international representatives to witness the showcase of a range of advanced undersea capabilities deployed from ADV Guidance.

The UK’s Offshore Patrol Vessel HMS Tamar, which is on a 5-year deployment to the Indo-Pacific, also played a key role in the exercise. HMS TAMAR used a combination of divers and autonomous underwater vehicles to conduct mine countermeasure operations, and monitor critical infrastructure, including pipelines and communication cables.

Last week, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key visited Australia to address the Australian Sea Power Conference, discussing the UK’s commitment to the collective security of the region.

First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said:

The recent AUKUS trials and exercise demonstrate the advances being made possible by our tri-lateral collaboration under the partnership. It is hugely exciting to see the strength of our three nations, coming together through the AUKUS partnership to successfully develop and demonstrate a range of underwater capabilities that are crucial to ensuring safety and security in the region and more broadly.

AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US to support a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening regional global security. This exercise is a significant step forward for delivery of the undersea warfare capabilities work stream under the second pillar of AUKUS.

AUKUS Pillar 2 seeks to strengthen trilateral capabilities in cutting-edge military technologies, increase interoperability, and drive knowledge-sharing and innovation. AUKUS partners are developing a suite of advanced capabilities including autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and other key technologies for the three AUKUS nations. Pillar 2 complements trilateral efforts under AUKUS Pillar 1 to deliver a conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarine capability to Australia.

Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO, Royal Australian Navy, said:

Submarines are critical to the defence of Australia. Our submarines, and other military assets, will increasingly work with autonomous systems below and on the surface of the ocean to extend range and lethality.

AUKUS Pillar Two is about delivering advanced capabilities, including through technologies that extend reach and range.

As we have seen in the Ukraine conflict, scalable autonomous and semi-autonomous systems have the capacity to transform warfighting. The Defence Strategic Review (DSR) identified asymmetric capabilities like these as critical in the defence and protection of the nation.

These technologies originate from a range of industries, like the off-shore oil and gas and communications industries. They have been modified to carry a military payload to become force multipliers, working in concert with our ships, submarines and aircraft, and to serve as a key deterrent.

What we get by working with industry in this way is speed, what we get by doing it together under the AUKUS partnership is scale, where the sum of the whole is greater than its parts.

Admiral Samuel Paparo, U.S. Navy said:

These exercises accelerate our combined development of advanced military capabilities. In a dynamic strategic environment and the escalation of competitors’ coercive activities, AUKUS is not just about the exchange of submarines and capabilities, it is an expansion of our continued trust in and commitment to our allies.

We are prioritizing capabilities that improve our warfighter’s ability to see, understand, decide and act – then work together to bolster integrated deterrence.

Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are developing and fielding joint advanced military capabilities to promote security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The strategic alignment of our national defense strategies anchored by shared values is driving unprecedented collaboration in advanced technologies.

Our trilateral exercises develop and deliver interoperable, threat-informed capabilities key to the warfighter, and contribute to sustained defense industrial-based collaboration. Meanwhile, the AUKUS partners are investing in trilateral projects that are enhancing our scientific and technological capacity to build enduring advantages for the future.

Earlier this month, the Australian Deputy Prime Minister joined the UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps on a visit to Rolls Royce in Derby – the location where the nuclear reactors will be built for the SSN-AUKUS submarines under the AUKUS collaboration.
16/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK statement on Djibouti [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 November 2023.

Simon Manley, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, delivered a statement during Djibouti’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council.
Thank you, Mr President,

Bienvenu à Genève M. Ali Hassan Bahdon, Ministre de la Justice. We welcome Djibouti’s collaboration with her partners to combat human trafficking and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and champion girls’ education.

Further action is, however, needed and we recommend that Djibouti:

Works collaboratively and transparently on combatting trafficking, with clear data and milestones in place to assess progress ahead of the next UPR.

Takes all necessary steps to implement proposed FGM legislation, with a roadmap that outlines regional cooperation, consulting religious leaders as well as political leaders.

Ensures that school-based counselling programmes are provided for pregnant girls and adolescent mothers, with peer review and evaluation mechanisms in place.
16/11/2023
NEWS STORY : Conservative Party Should Break Law on Rwanda Plan Claims Party’s Vice-Chair

STORY

Lee Anderson, the Vice-Chair of the Conservative Party, has said that the Government should break the law following the Supreme Court’s announcement that the policy is illegal. James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, confirmed in the House of Commons that Anderson was not speaking for the Conservative Party and that the Government would abide by the rule of law. Anderson has yet to comment or confirm if he had earlier believed that the Government had been intending to break the law by ignoring the court’s judgement.

RESOURCES

Supreme Court States Rwanda Plan is Illegal

Supreme Court Statement

15/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government must now ‘draw a line’ under disgraceful Rwanda scheme [November 2023]

The press release issued by Amnesty International on 15 November 2023.

In response to the Supreme Court unanimous judgment today ruling that the UK Government’s Rwanda policy is unlawful, Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

“This judgment is vital to protect people seeking asylum in this county, but the Government must now draw a line under a disgraceful chapter in the UK’s political history.

“The deal with Rwanda – a country with a track record of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, torture and the repression of free speech – was massively ill-conceived and cruel.

“It is now time for the Government and the new Home Secretary to not only abandon the idea of doing a deal with Rwanda, but to scrap the underlying policy of refusing to process people’s asylum claims and the Illegal Migration Act that has entrenched that dismal policy.

“This policy has made complete chaos of the UK’s asylum system and this shameful deal has simply exacerbated the mess.

“The only responsible, effective and decent response to this judgement should be to get down to the serious task of fairly and efficiently determining people’s claims.

“The idea that the UK should withdraw from the European Convention to pursue this failed policy is nonsensical and should be immediately binned. The Government should make policies which fit with the law, not fit the law around their policies.”

15/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : £267 million to boost local drug and alcohol treatment [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 13 November 2023.

Every local authority across England to be allocated additional funding to help combat drug and alcohol misuse.
- Funding will boost treatment, helping to cut crime
- Part of government’s landmark 10-year drug strategy to improve quality and access of drug and alcohol treatment by reducing drug use to a 30-year low
Local authorities across England will benefit from almost £267 million of government funding next year to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.

The funding, which will be rolled out in April 2024, will enable local authorities to:
- recruit more specialised staff to work with people with drug and alcohol problems
- support more prison leavers into treatment and recovery services
- help reduce crime by increasing the number of people receiving structured drug and alcohol treatment, as well as improving the quality of treatment provided, which in turn helps make streets safer by getting people out of drug use addictions which is known to drive offending
Health Minister Neil O’Brien said:

Drug addiction drives about half of all crimes, so by investing in high quality and greater availability of treatment we can reduce crime rates and save lives.

We aim to raise the number of people getting drug and alcohol treatment to a record high by investing through the long-term investment we’ve been making over the last 3 years.

Today’s allocations will see £267 million go directly to local authorities and their partners to improve services, increase capacity and quality of treatment and recovery systems, and is based on the recommendations made by Dame Carol Black in her independent review.

More people will benefit from residential rehabilitation or inpatient detoxification, while improvements to the recovery services will sustain people’s treatment and help to reduce relapse rates.

This funding is in addition to £95.4 million made available in 2022 to 2023 and £154.3 million for this year – with an overall additional investment of £421 million into drug and alcohol treatment since April 2022.

From Harm to Hope, published in December 2021, sets out the government’s 10-year ambition to ensure as many people as possible can get the treatment they need by significantly increasing the number of treatment places and recovery services.

Over the first 3 years of the strategy, the additional investment in treatment and recovery will help prevent nearly 1,000 drug-related deaths – reversing the upward trend in drug deaths for the first time in a decade.

The strategy also sets out that illegal drug use such as heroin and crack addiction are connected to half of all homicides, and nearly half of all burglaries, robberies and other acquisitive crimes. Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs found the best way to tackle this issue is by boosting the capacity of the treatment and recovery system.

Professor Dame Carol Black, independent adviser to the government on combating drug misuse, said:

A key aim of my report was to make sure vulnerable people with substance misuse problems can access the support and tools needed to recover and lead full lives.

Today’s allocations of almost £267 million will go directly to local authorities and their partners, meaning they can deliver treatment that is tailored to meet local needs.

The end goal is to get many people into world-class recovery and treatment system, reduce drug use and drug related crime – and ultimately save lives.

Delivering quality treatment provision is core to recovery, and in addition to this significant investment additional grant funding has gone into accommodation and employment support.

The government’s work to clamp down on criminal gangs profiting from the trade in illegal drugs is backed by £300 million investment (over 3 years). Since the County Lines Programme was launched in 2019, police activity has resulted in over 4,700 lines closed, 14,800 arrests and 7,200 safeguarding referrals.

Examples of the work supported in 2023 to 2024 include:
- Lancashire launching a specific service to support women affected by problem alcohol and drug use who are engaged in the criminal justice system. This includes targeted support within police custody suites, enhanced support to help women engage in treatment, and providing safe spaces for women to access mental health support
- Halton further strengthening its investment in its recovery support services and recovery community, including the expansion of its Recovery Café in Widnes – a service user and volunteer led initiative in Widnes, which supports people in their recovery
- in Devon, the local authorities expanding their early support response to young people who have been identified with co-occurring substance use and mental ill health through providing a 7 day a week service. Targeted key workers and specialist nurses will provide rapid assessment of young people admitted to hospital and expediate access to alcohol and drug treatment
- Hartlepool establishing a non-fatal overdose (NFO) team to improve service response to people vulnerable to death. This specialist team proactively engages the community of people identified at higher risk of overdose, as well as accepting referrals for people who have recently experienced an NFO. The team offer brief, intensive interventions aiming to reduce the risk of repeated overdose
This funding is prioritised for areas with the highest need, based on the rates of drug deaths, deprivation, opiate and crack cocaine prevalence and crime, considering of the size of the treatment population.

Alice Wiseman, Policy Lead for Addiction at the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), said:

At a local level, directors of public health and their teams work together with a range of services, including amazing organisations and people from the voluntary and community sector, to deliver effective, life-changing drug and alcohol treatment services.

As well as supporting people to overcome addiction, the programmes we support really empower people by listening to those with lived experience to shape treatment so that it makes a difference not only to individuals, but to the whole community.

We know this work is incredibly valuable, both for individuals and communities, but it does require the long-term commitment of this 10-year strategy. The extra funding announced today is very welcome and will enable us to support more people in this way.

Treatment will be available for a wide range of substances, including heroin, crack, powder cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis – the latter remaining the most common substance (87%) for which young people receive treatment.

This investment should have clear links to support the plans from Combating Drugs Partnerships on how it will reduce drug-related crime, including improving access and take up of quality treatment for those dependent on opiates and crack cocaine.

To support this, the government has targeted work across the criminal justice system to increase referrals, including a new police-led referrals into treatment plan, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and supported by the Home Office and Department of Health and Social Care.
15/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Deputy Prime Minister reviews national security powers to respond to geopolitical and tech threats [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 13 November 2023.
Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, the Deputy Prime Minister is calling for businesses’ feedback about the way the government screens investment to protect the UK’s economic security.

The National Security and Investment Act, which came into force in January 2022, gives the Deputy Prime Minister the power to scrutinise investment and take action to protect assets that are vital to the UK’s national security.

13 November 2023: The Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, has today announced the publication of a ‘Call for Evidence’ on potential updates to the National Security & Investment Act to ensure the government’s investment screening powers remain up to date, proportionate and transparent for businesses, while protecting national security.

The ‘Call for Evidence’ will be open for nine weeks and close on 15 January 2024. In this time, the government expects to receive feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including domestic and international businesses, investors, academia, and advisory firms. None of the changes are expected to require primary legislation.

All of the responses will contribute towards an internal review of the government’s investment screening powers, including:

the scope of mandatory notification requirements, to ensure that businesses and investors only need to notify the government about deals that warrant consideration on national security grounds – including the 17 sensitive areas of the economy subject to mandatory notification requirements, such as Artificial Intelligence, to ensure they remain up to date

the notification and assessment processes, to minimise the administrative burden imposed on businesses while ensuring the government gets the information it needs

the content of government guidance, to ensure businesses understand the aims of the National Security & Investment Act and how to comply

The National Security & Investment Act gives the Deputy Prime Minister the power to scrutinise, impose conditions on or block the acquisition of businesses and assets that are vital to the UK’s national security. It has been used in a proportionate and targeted way since coming into force in January 2022.

As set out in the latest figures published in July, the vast majority of businesses have not needed to interact with the investment screening powers at all. Among those who have, the government has been clearing around 93 per cent of notifications without calling in deals for further assessment, allowing investment to flow.

Where necessary and proportionate, the government has issued 17 final orders to impose conditions on or block or unwind specific deals to protect national security.

Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:

At a time of rising tensions around the world the UK Government must stay ahead of the game to ensure our legislation to protect economic security keeps pace with rapid technological advances.

At the same time, the best way to foster economic security is through a strong and open economy. That’s why we’ve been using the powers effectively so far, only intervening when absolutely necessary to protect national security. Yet two years on, it’s right that we formally engage with stakeholders to ensure the process remains as frictionless and effective as possible as we take the long-term decisions for the country.

The significance of semiconductors and critical minerals is well established, but their importance has only increased since the NSI Act came into force. That’s why we’re considering carving out these industries into stand alone sectors under the National Security & Investment Act.

I encourage businesses and advisors from any relevant sector, anywhere in the world, to share their experience of the investment screening process.

Nusrat Ghani MP, Minister of State Responsible for the Investment Security Unit, said:

The Deputy Prime Minister and I regularly meet with business leaders from around the world, gathering feedback about the government’s approach to national security and economic investment. Our conversations make it clear that effective national security regulations provide a sure foundation for secure growth.

This Call for Evidence is the natural next step in our engagement with businesses. Against a rapidly changing geopolitical backdrop, I’m pleased that we’re considering ways to ensure the investment screening process remains frictionless for those looking to invest and grow businesses here in the UK.
15/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Tribunal Procedure Committee member appointed [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 13 November 2023.

The Lord Chancellor, after consultation with the Lord Chief Justice, has announced the appointment of Matthew Jackson as member of the Tribunal Procedure Committee.

The Lord Chancellor has announced the appointment of Matthew Jackson as member of the Tribunal Procedure Committee (TPC) for 3 years from 7 November 2023 to 6 November 2026.

Mr Jackson was called to the bar in 2011, and practises primarily in employment & discrimination and public law from Cloisters Chambers. He is a member of the Industrial Law Society and Employment Lawyers association and has contributed to the Crown Court Compendium.

He has declared no political activity.

The TPC was established, on 19 May 2008, under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act (TCEA) 2007 to make rules governing practice and procedure in the First-tier and Upper Tribunals. The introduction of the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 transferred responsibility for Employment Tribunal and Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) procedure rules to the TPC.

This appointment is made by the Lord Chancellor,and regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and comply with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.

15/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 November 2023.

Foreign Secretary David Cameron met Indian External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, on 13 November 2023.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

For his first bilateral meeting as Foreign Secretary, David Cameron welcomed Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar in London today.

They discussed shared global challenges, including the concerning situation in Israel and Gaza and Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. In the meeting they also covered the importance of the Indo-Pacific region to global growth and prosperity.

They also reflected on the strength of the UK-India relationship – including meeting the ambition of the UK-India 2030 Roadmap.

The Foreign Secretary and Dr Jaishankar also discussed progressing a free trade agreement and partnerships on defence, science and technology.

15/11/2023