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  • PRESS RELEASE : Charity Commission statement on Kids Company Judgment [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Charity Commission statement on Kids Company Judgment [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Charity Commission on 20 May 2025.

    The collapse of Kids Company was a matter of significant public, media and Parliamentary interest at the time, with ramifications for the wider charitable sector, notably on public trust and confidence in charities.

    Today’s High Court judgment has upheld our finding of mismanagement of the charity’s finances and has confirmed that it was based on “ample evidence”. Furthermore, the judgment firmly rejected allegations we predetermined the outcome of the inquiry, stating the threshold for this was “not met in this case by a wide margin”.

    The court has confirmed it was entirely reasonable for the Commission to have drawn independent regulatory conclusions on the demise of Kids Company, based on all the evidence available, in keeping with the role Parliament has set us.

    The judgment notes we took care in the inquiry report to point out areas in which the charity’s trustees were acting within their duties and responsibilities, and where we found external criticism of the charity was unfounded. Our inquiry report stated clearly there was “no dishonesty, bad faith or inappropriate personal gain in the operation of the charity”.

    While the court has dismissed the challenge on all but two grounds, and is clear that the overall findings of our report were not ‘irrational’, we acknowledge its finding that we made important errors in relation to two paragraphs of the report and will act to remedy this.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Construction begins on new Civil Service office in Blackpool [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Construction begins on new Civil Service office in Blackpool [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 20 May 2025.

    Construction has begun on a new office building for Ministry of Defence (MOD) civil servants as part of Blackpool’s Talbot Gateway redevelopment.

    A groundbreaking ceremony has taken place for a new MOD office within the Talbot Gateway redevelopment in Blackpool.

    The regeneration programme sees Blackpool Council working with development partner Muse Places and construction company VINCI Building on the new 53,000 sq. ft MOD building which will hold up to 1,100 staff from Defence Business Services (DBS).

    As MOD’s shared services organisation, DBS provides corporate services across the information and technology, finance, procurement and people function to the whole of defence, including serving military, veterans and civilian staff, as well as other government departments. The move from a leased site within the local area concludes the consolidation of DBS’ northwest estate into a single, purpose-built office owned by the MOD, securing future jobs and saving the taxpayer money long term.

    Representatives from DBS signed the contract for the new building on 31 March 2025 with them coming together last week at a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction.

    The DBS project is being delivered under the MOD’s Defence Estate Optimisation portfolio, which is investing £5.1 billion in a more modern and sustainable defence estate. This includes new and refurbished military accommodation and housing for over 40,000 service personnel and their families, as well as technical, training and office space for over 64,000 personnel, including civilian staff. Construction will be managed on behalf of the MOD by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, working closely with Blackpool Council, development partner Muse Places, main contractor VINCI Building and DBS.

    The building is scheduled for completion in 2027.

    Ross Porter, Defence Infrastructure Organisation Programme Manager, said:

    After several years of pre-construction work and a huge collaborative effort from all parties involved, progressing this project to the construction stage is a great milestone to reach. We’re very much looking forward to delivering a first-class office facility for MOD staff in the area, as part of the Defence Estates Optimisation Portfolio.

    Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said:

    This is another major step forward in our plans to make Blackpool better. We’re very grateful to government for recognising Blackpool’s economic potential and continuing to invest and help us create quality jobs for local people.

    Officers from both the council and government have worked exceptionally hard to make this deal possible. With over 8,000 workers and students coming to the town centre in the next few years, this provides a phenomenal opportunity and confidence for local businesses to continue to invest and hire more local people.

    Alan McBride, Technical Director at Muse, said:

    It’s great to see work commencing on phase five of Talbot Gateway’s regeneration. This future-proofed, sustainable workspace for the Civil Service will bring increased footfall into the town centre, spur further economic growth in the heart of Blackpool, and build on the momentum we’ve generated alongside our long-standing partners, Blackpool Council, for more than 15 years.

    Gary Hughes VINCI Building’s Regional Director said:

    We’re delighted to have been appointed on this key project at Talbot Gateway to continue our working partnership with Blackpool Council and Muse. We will ensure we continue to provide local opportunities through the development of our local supply chain, whilst generating significant education and training opportunities with local schools, colleges and education groups as we progress on site.

  • NEWS STORY : Allegations Made About Sir Adrian Montague Misleading Parliament as he Admits “Misspeaking”

    NEWS STORY : Allegations Made About Sir Adrian Montague Misleading Parliament as he Admits “Misspeaking”

    STORY

    The chair of Thames Water, Sir Adrian Montague, has conceded he “may have misspoken” when telling MPs that senior executive bonuses worth up to 50% of salary were “insisted upon” by the company’s creditors. His clarification to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) select committee casts doubt on whether Parliament was accurately informed about the controversial retention payments, leading to a fear that the chair had deliberately misled Parliament.

    Last week, Sir Adrian told MPs that lenders behind Thames Water’s £3 billion emergency loan had demanded substantial bonuses to retain key staff amid “hair-raising” financial pressures. Those comments sparked criticism, given the company’s warning that it had come “very close to running out of money entirely.”

    However, documents seen by the Guardian newspaper, including the loan term sheet and a recent High Court judgment, indicate that while creditors agreed to the scheme, they did not require it. In a letter to the EFRA committee made public today, Sir Adrian said:

    “I appreciate that in the heat of the moment I may have misspoken when I stated that the creditors insisted on the management retention plan.”

    He went on to explain that the retention plan “rose from our discussions related to our liquidity extension transaction” and was agreed as part of a broader effort to safeguard experienced executives during a period of uncertainty. Thames Water is likely to issue further clarifications about their chair “misspeaking” later today.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Single case of atypical BSE confirmed on a farm in Essex [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Single case of atypical BSE confirmed on a farm in Essex [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 20 May 2025.

    A single case of atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) has been confirmed on a farm in Essex, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) confirmed today (Tuesday 20 May).

    The animal showed some clinical signs of BSE and was humanely culled on farm and tested as part of Defra’s routine surveillance programme. There is no risk to public health or food safety from this case and the animal, as fallen stock, was not destined to enter the food chain.

    Atypical BSE is a naturally occurring, non-contagious disease in cattle which occurs spontaneously. It is distinct from classical BSE which is linked to contaminated feed.

    Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said:

    “A single case of atypical BSE has been confirmed on a farm in Essex. The animal died on farm and was tested as part of our strict routine controls and surveillance regime.

    “Atypical BSE is distinct from classical BSE and is a spontaneously and sporadically occurring, non-contagious disease which is believed to occur at a very low level in all cattle populations. This is proof that our surveillance system for detecting and containing this type of disease is working.”

    Dr James Cooper, Deputy Director of Food Policy at the Food Standards Agency said:

    “There is no food safety risk. There are strict controls in place to protect consumers from the risk of BSE, including controls on animal feed, and removal of the parts of cattle most likely to carry BSE infectivity.

    “Consumers can be reassured that these important protection measures remain in place and that Food Standards Agency Official Veterinarians and Meat Hygiene Inspectors working in all abattoirs in England will continue to ensure that the safety of consumers remains the top priority.”

    Great Britain’s overall risk status for BSE remains at ‘controlled’ and there is no risk to food safety or public health.

    The World Organisation for Animal Health and trading partners have been informed of the case. This does not affect the UK’s ability to export beef to other countries.

    BSE is a notifiable animal disease. If you suspect it, you must report it immediately by calling the Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact your local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence. This applies to pet and small holder animals as well as commercial cattle.

    ENDS

    Notes to editors:

    • Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy is a chronic degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of cattle. It is not contagious, so it does not spread from animal to animal or between holdings.
    • Classical BSE was first diagnosed in the United Kingdom in 1986.
    • Atypical BSE is distinct from classical BSE and occurs at a very low level in all cattle populations. It is reported occasionally in countries with active BSE surveillance programmes.
    • The last case of atypical BSE in the UK was in December 2024 in Scotland. There has been a total of 4 cases since 2015 (including this latest case).
    • [The case was identified as a result of strict control measures we have in place. It was not destined for the human food chain and the Food Standards Agency have confirmed there is no risk to human health as a result of this isolated case.]
  • PRESS RELEASE : Director, Carl Barnes, disqualified for 11 years after dishonestly securing Covid loan for Lincoln plumbing and heating company [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Director, Carl Barnes, disqualified for 11 years after dishonestly securing Covid loan for Lincoln plumbing and heating company [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 20 May 2025.

    Carl Barnes, the director of Central Plumbing & Heating Lincoln Ltd, made false statements about the company’s turnover to secure a Bounce Back loan .

    • Carl Barnes applied for a Bounce Back loan of £47,500 for Central Plumbing & Heating Lincoln Ltd.
    • He declared the company had a turnover of £340,000 when in reality it was nothing.
    • Barnes has been banned as a company director for 11 years. The Secretary of State accepted a voluntary disqualification undertaking offered by him.

    The director of a plumbing and heating company has been banned for 11 years after overstating his company’s turnover by hundreds of thousands of pounds to secure a Covid Bounce Back loan.

    Carl Barnes, of Ollerton Road, Retford, was the director of Central Plumbing & Heating Lincoln Ltd, which was incorporated in April 2016.

    The company, based on Wavell Drive in Lincoln, made a small profit in its first year of trading, but dormant accounts were filed by Barnes in the following years.

    In August 2020, the 45-year-old falsely claimed the company had a turnover of £340,000 for 2019, despite the actual turnover being £0.

    He received a Covid Bounce Back loan for the company of £47,500 which it was not entitled to.

    Barnes was disqualified as a director for 11 years on 17 April 2025, with the ban beginning on 8 May 2025.

    Kevin Read, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Carl Barnes exploited the Bounce Back Loan Scheme by providing false information about his company’s turnover.

    His dishonesty has resulted in this significant director disqualification, which prevents him from forming or managing a company for more than a decade.

    The Insolvency Service will continue to investigate those who abused this scheme – designed to help small businesses during the pandemic – and bring them to justice.

    Central Plumbing & Heating Lincoln Ltd went into liquidation in October 2022.

    The disqualification order prevents Barnes from being involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

    Further information

    • Carl Philip Barnes is of Ollerton Road, Retford, Nottinghamshire. His date of birth is 14 June 1979.
  • NEWS STORY : Homes England Tops Targets with Nearly 37,000 New Completions and 38,000 Starts in 2024/25

    NEWS STORY : Homes England Tops Targets with Nearly 37,000 New Completions and 38,000 Starts in 2024/25

    STORY

    Homes England has surpassed all three of its key housebuilding milestones for 2024/25, provisional figures published today reveal. The government’s housing and regeneration agency enabled the completion of 36,757 new homes—exceeding its target of 36,484—while construction started on 37,782 homes against a target of 33,095. It also unlocked land capable of delivering a further 78,986 homes, comfortably outstripping its goal of 59,956.

    This performance comes amid the government’s drive to build 1.5 million homes during this Parliament. By partnering with local authorities, combined mayoral authorities and private developers, Homes England has stepped up interventions in places such as Nottingham, York and Bristol, and forged strategic “place partnerships” with regions including Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough.

    Matthew Pennycook, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, said:

    “Homes England is playing a crucial role in our Plan for Change to deliver 1.5 million new homes and the biggest rise in social and affordable housing in a generation. Exceeding these targets shows the agency’s vital contribution to unlocking land, backing SME builders and regenerating communities across England.”

    Pat Ritchie, Chair of Homes England, added:

    “I’m immensely proud of our 2024/25 results. Our colleagues’ passion for housebuilding and regeneration shines through these figures. As we move to a more regionally focused model, we’ll be even better placed to meet local housing needs and support the government’s growth agenda.”

    Eamonn Boylan, Chief Executive of Homes England, remarked:

    “Since January, I’ve been impressed by our team’s dedication. By exceeding our delivery targets and deepening collaboration with mayors and councils, we’re ensuring everyone has a place they’re proud to call home.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Interim Chair appointed to the Legal Services Board Wales [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Interim Chair appointed to the Legal Services Board Wales [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 20 May 2025.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Catherine Brown as Interim Chair of the Legal Services Board Wales.

    Ms Brown is appointed until 31 December 2025.

    The appointment of the LSB Chair is made by the Lord Chancellor, under the Legal Services Act 2007, after consulting the Lady Chief Justice.

    The appointment is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Ministers consulted the Commissioner before making the appointment. This will ensure that the LSB has a Chair while a recruitment exercise is run.

    Biography

    Catherine Brown is an experienced non-executive board member, chair, and chief executive who has worked in the private and public sectors. Ms Brown was previously CEO of the Food Standards Agency and is now serving as the first Chair of the Enforcement Conduct Board; a new independent oversight body for the civil enforcement sector. Ms Brown was vice chair of the Wellcome Trust advisory group on increasing diversity and inclusion in science and served as an Equal Opportunities Commissioner. She is currently chair of the Internet Watch Foundation; a charity that exists to prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material on the internet.

    Ms Brown has been a member of the Board of the LSB since 2019 and has been Chair of the LSB’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and then Senior Independent Director prior to her appointment as Interim Chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK announces major sanctions in support of Ukraine [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK announces major sanctions in support of Ukraine [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 20 May 2025.

    As President Putin ruthlessly intensifies his strikes against innocent Ukrainians, the UK is ramping up pressure with raft of 100 new sanctions.

    • UK announces wide-ranging sanctions on Russia as Putin launches his biggest ever drone attack against Ukraine
    • 100 sanctions targets across Russian military, energy, financial sectors and those conducting Putin’s information war against Ukraine
    • UK and partners are also working to tighten the Oil Price Cap, further restricting critical oil revenues for Putin’s war machine

    As President Putin ruthlessly intensifies his strikes against innocent Ukrainians, the UK is ramping up pressure with raft of 100 new sanctions.

    The latest sanctions targets include entities supporting Russia’s military machine, energy exports and information war, as well as financial institutions helping to fund Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

    On Saturday, Russia fired 273 drones at Ukrainian cities, the biggest drone onslaught of the war. A strike on a bus in Sumy killed 9 civilians.

    Putin has so far not put in place the full, unconditional ceasefire that President Trump has called for, and which President Zelenskyy endorsed over 2 months ago.

    The UK’s latest sanctions action comes as the EU prepares to announce its 17th package of sanctions against Russia, in a co-ordinated effort to secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

    Today’s measures sanction the supply chains of deadly Russian weapons systems, including Iskander missiles.  This will protect Ukrainian lives, and our collective security by disrupting Russia’s military machine.

    Putin has repeatedly fired Iskander missiles into crowded civilian areas with a callous disregard for life. He used these weapons during the strike against Sumy on 13 April that killed 34 civilians including children, some of them heading for Palm Sunday services.

    UK and other Western sanctions are having a severe effect on Russia’s economy.  Russian GDP shrank in the first quarter of the year and the non-defence economy has been in recession for some time. Security and defence spending is now over 40% of the federal budget, and Putin has had to raise taxes and slash social spending in order to continue the war.

    Every rouble by which we cut Kremlin revenues diminishes Putin’s ability to sow chaos, division and disorder across the world and protects the British people, increasing security and prosperity at home.

    As the Prime Minister set out at the European Political Community summit on Friday, people in Ukraine and across the world have paid the price for Putin’s aggression and now he must pay the price for avoiding peace.

    Foreign Secretary, David Lammy said:

    Putin’s latest strikes once again show his true colours as a warmonger.

    We urge him to agree a full, unconditional ceasefire right away so there can be talks on a just and lasting peace.

    We have been clear that delaying peace efforts will only redouble our resolve to help Ukraine to defend itself and use our sanctions to restrict Putin’s war machine.

    Today’s sanctions also target 14 more members of the Social Design Agency (SDA), which carries out Kremlin-funded information operations that are designed to undermine sovereignty, democracy, and the rule of law in Ukraine and across the world.

    The UK previously sanctioned the SDA and several of its leaders in 2024.  We are now targeting all levels of the organisation.

    In addition, today’s measures will strike at the heart of Putin’s efforts to get around our sanctions and help block his failing attempts to reconnect to the international economy.

    Today’s action targets 46 financial institutions that help Russian attempts to evade sanctions, as well as the St Petersburg Currency Exchange, and the Russian Deposit Insurance Agency which insures Russian banks. These new sanctions will further isolate the Russian economy and disrupt Russia’s revenue streams.

    Finally, the UK will also sanction 18 more ships in the ‘shadow fleet’ carrying Russians oil, along with the fleet’s enablers. The Prime Minister announced 110 shadow fleet related sanctions ahead of his visit to Kyiv earlier this month.

    Today’s targets include John Michael Ormerod, a British national who procured ships for Russia’s shadow fleet, and 2 Russian captains of shadow fleet tankers. This action imposes a personal cost on those who are supporting Russia’s trade in oil and is another step in the Foreign Secretary’s personal mission to constrain the Kremlin and a crucial part of the Plan for Change to ensure a secure Britain.

    The UK is also working with partners to tighten the Oil Price Cap that limits the price that Russia can charge for its oil if transported using G7 services like insurance and shipping. We are reviewing the $60 crude price level, with a view to lowering the cap closer to the cost of production and hitting Putin where it hurts by striking at his oil revenues.

    Background

    The Full list of today’s targets can be found here

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK and Ukraine hail scientists’ role in the fight for freedom [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK and Ukraine hail scientists’ role in the fight for freedom [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology on 20 May 2025.

    • From healthcare to energy, collaboration with UK researchers is supporting Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction, and the UK’s Plan for Change
    • Academic, business and political leaders gather in London later today to celebrate UK-Ukrainian joint science endeavours – and look ahead to more
    • Science, tech and innovation are a key pillar of UK-Ukraine 100 Year Partnership: the long-term pact to support long-term security and growth for both our countries

    The critical role that Ukraine’s scientists and researchers are playing in the battle for their country’s freedom, and its hopes for a brighter future, working hand-in-hand with UK colleagues, will be celebrated at an event at the British Academy in London later today (Tuesday 20 May).

    The UK is resolute in its support for Ukraine, as the country defends itself in the face of Russia’s illegal and barbaric invasion. Our backing is cemented by the landmark 100 Year Partnership, unveiled by the Prime Minister and President Zelenskyy in January, of which strong and deep science and technology ties form a key part.

    Joint work by the UK and Ukraine’s researchers is not only supporting Ukraine’s freedom and future, but also unlocking benefits to the UK economy, and more besides, all of which bolsters the Plan for Change. In one joint project, on health, the University of Warwick have worked with Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics to train AI models to quickly and accurately triage shrapnel wounds. And work by Manchester, Aston and Aberystwyth Universities and Ukrainian experts to boost Ukraine’s electricity grid with green energy, is also being applied to help Britain adapt as we get more energy from renewables, and as energy-intensive industries like data centres grow.

    Meanwhile efforts like the UK-Ukraine Techbridge are helping bring innovative new technologies to bear on critical tasks like clearing landmines and unexploded bombs. The TechBridge is also focused on AI, health, cyber security, education, and agritech, and is building opportunities in both countries for trade, upskilling, and investment.

    Much of this important work will be showcased at London’s historic British Academy later, at an event hosted by the UK’s Science Minister and Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Education and Science, who will be joined by a host of academic, business and research leaders. Lord Vallance will announce an additional £100,000 for the UK-Ukraine Techbridge at the event, as well as £400,000 for trilateral efforts to harness digital technologies to improve government across the UK, Ukraine and Estonia.

    UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

    Freedom is an essential ingredient for scientific progress. Without it we are denied the ability to act on the curiosity that sparks so many breakthroughs, or to get the answers that make us think that maybe we have been wrong about the way we have thought about something in the past.

    Science is also international, which means that Ukraine’s inventions and innovations are ones that the UK and the entire world ultimately benefits from, and vice versa. We only stand to gain from working with Ukraine to keep the flame of freedom alive, and it is only natural, that the joint endeavours of our researchers, are critical to those efforts.

    Ukraine’s Minister for Education and Science, Oksen Lisovyi, said

    For Ukraine, science is not only about development — it is also about resistance. Today, our researchers are working side by side with international partners not only to support the country in its most difficult times, but also to lay the foundations for recovery. This collaboration is a mutual investment in freedom, humanity, and the future. We are grateful to the United Kingdom for a partnership built on shared values and trust.

    The UK-Ukraine partnership on science, innovation and technology has already delivered important work, starting with the:

    Since it was launched in 2022, it has helped over 170 Ukrainian experts endangered by the war to relocate to just under 70 UK universities, and continue their work on a temporary basis – as well as funding their research with £22.5 million. The UK Government has also supported the UK-Ukraine Twinning Initiative, which has enabled Ukrainian researchers to keep making progress, despite wartime disruption, by pairing up UK and Ukrainian universities. This has provided remote access to UK facilities and equipment, and avenues for joint funding, including £5 million of Research England grant funding to support new research partnerships.

    We are also harnessing the AI, data science and digital expertise of the UK, Ukraine and Estonia with a view to enhancing digital government and public services through technology and innovation under an initiative on trilateral cooperation.

  • NEWS STORY : MHRA Celebrates Faster Trial Approvals and Seeks Input on Real-World Data Use

    NEWS STORY : MHRA Celebrates Faster Trial Approvals and Seeks Input on Real-World Data Use

    STORY

    Marking International Clinical Trials Day, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) today hailed “remarkable” progress under its new risk-proportionate clinical trial regulations and launched a six-week public consultation on using real-world data to support future trial designs. Since introducing the most significant overhaul of UK trial rules in over 20 years, the MHRA reports that 100% of clinical trial applications have met statutory approval timelines, with the combined MHRA–Health Research Authority review now taking an average of 40 days, down from 150. Chief Executive Lawrence Tallon emphasised that one in eight trials in the UK test treatments in humans for the first time, and that these reforms will help bring cutting-edge therapies to patients more swiftly.

    Lord O’Shaughnessy, author of the landmark 2023 review into the UK’s commercial trial landscape, praised the agency’s delivery on his recommendations, saying that the MHRA is once again taking a global lead with world-class approval times and fresh reforms to boost speed and flexibility. Professor Sir Martin Landray, CEO of Protas, added that this “regulatory enlightenment” is vital if the UK is to remain at the vanguard of innovative trial methodologies against life-threatening diseases.