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PRESS RELEASE : Refunds still available for 4,000 people who didn’t submit their debt relief order application [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 16 May 2025.

People who started a debt relief order application before April 2024 but did not complete the process are being offered refunds for any fees paid.
- Almost 4,000 people are still due a refund for debt relief order applications they paid for but did not submit
- The Insolvency Service has written to those due a refund and £65,000 has already been reimbursed since March
- Refunds worth a total of £500,000 are still available going back to 2016 for those who did not finish the application process
The Insolvency Service is trying to refund money to 4,000 people who made payments towards a debt relief order (DRO) but did not submit their application.

Before April 2024, a £90 fee was payable when making a DRO application.

Applicants could choose to pay in full or in instalments.

However, many thousands of people made a payment towards the fee, but did not submit their application.

The £90 fee was scrapped by the Government in April 2024 to make things easier for people with debts to access the help they need.

The Insolvency Service still has £500,000 to return to individuals who paid towards these incomplete applications, going back to 2016.

The agency has already written to 5,000 people due a refund, with around 1,000 responding and £65,000 being reimbursed since March so far.

Another letter is due to be sent out in the coming days.

Caroline Shanahan, senior leader in the Personal Insolvency Team at the Insolvency Service, said: “We sent letters to all 5,000 people who are due a refund, but many of them have not come back to us. There are still about 4,000 people who have not responded.

We want to return their money as soon as possible, but they need to contact us after receiving the letter.

In some cases, people may have changed their email address or moved home, meaning we do not have their current details to contact them. Those people can still apply for a refund if they paid towards a debt relief order that was not submitted, they just need to get in touch and let us know.

Applications for DROs are made through authorised intermediaries. Up until April 2024, payments were made by the individual as part of the application process, either in full or in instalments.

The Insolvency Service is keen to provide refunds directly to the individuals who made payments towards the application fee but did not complete their application for whatever reason.

If you are owed a refund

If you feel you are due a refund after making a payment but not submitting a debt relief order application, please contact dro.preorder@insolvency.gov.uk

To request payment into your bank account or building society, please include the following details:
- Debt Relief Order application number (if known)
- Your name
- Your address
- Your telephone number
- Bank/building society Name
- Account name (as shown on bank statement)
- Bank account number (full 8 numbers)
- Bank sort code (full 6 numbers)
- Building Society roll number (if applicable)
All applications will be fully verified against system inform to prevent fraudulent claims.

If you would like to request a cheque instead, please state this in your email.

If your contact details have changed since making the application, please include your previous name and address alongside your current details.

If payment was made by a charity or third party on your behalf, please provide the details of the organisation that made the payment.

You can also write to us, including the above information in your correspondence, at: The Insolvency Service DRO Team, C/O Met Office, Fitzroy Road, Exeter, EX1 3PB.

ENDS

Further information
- Letters were sent to individuals this week, dated May 2025.
- Any interested parties with further questions can call the Insolvency Service customer service helpline on 0300 678 0016. It is open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5pm and on Fridays from 9am to 3pm
May 20, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces the reappointment of Justin Kouame to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 16 May 2025.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Hilary Benn MP, has announced the reappointment of Justin Kouame to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

Background

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (the ‘NIHRC’) was created by the Northern Ireland Act 1998, as part of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

The NIHRC was established in 1999 and operates as an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by the Northern Ireland Office.

Its powers and duties are set out in legislation, and it operates in compliance with UN General Assembly resolution 48/134 (the ‘Paris Principles’) on National Human Rights Institutions. The NIHRC’s functions include keeping under review the adequacy and effectiveness in Northern Ireland of law and practice relating to the protection of human rights and promoting understanding and awareness of the importance of human rights in Northern Ireland.

Further information about the work of the Commission can be found at: https://nihrc.org/about-us

A biography for Justin Kouame can be found at: https://nihrc.org/about/who-we-are/our-people/justin-kouame

Terms of Appointment
- This position is part-time for a period of three years ending on 31 August 2028.
- The position receives a fixed annual remuneration of £7,500.
- The position is not pensionable.
Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

Mr Kouame has declared that he has not been politically active in the past five years.

Regulation

The appointment is regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA).

Statutory Requirements

The Secretary of State makes appointments to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in accordance with the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
May 20, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Regulator orders reform to governance at Islamic Centre of England [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Charity Commission on 16 May 2025.

The Charity Commission has issued the Islamic Centre of England Limited with a formal Order under Section 84 of the Charities Act, compelling the trustees to provide rigorous oversight of future speakers and online activity by the charity among other actions.

The Order has been issued in the context of a finding of misconduct and / or mismanagement during the regulator’s ongoing inquiry into the charity, to address the charity’s previous failures and to ensure that its governance is improved for the future.

The move follows the appointment of two additional trustees at the charity – a centre of Islamic worship in north London – and the conclusion of extensive work by an Interim Manager appointed by the Commission to take temporary control of essential aspects of the charity’s running and to review its governance.

The regulator opened an inquiry into the Islamic Centre of England in November 2022 to investigate serious governance concerns. The Commission appointed the Interim Manager in May 2023 and, in parallel with her work, continued to investigate concerns about the running of the charity.

Breaches of previous advice and Orders

The Commission has taken regulatory action during the inquiry, which remains ongoing, on wide-ranging governance issues and breaches of previous advice and orders. These included more recently failure to fully comply with the Order appointing the Interim Manager and failure to fully comply with directions. The Commission considers these, and a range of other past breaches, mismanagement and misconduct in the administration of the charity. The trustees currently dispute some of these legal findings.

Section 84 Order

The Section 84 Order requires the trustees to take a range of actions to improve the charity’s operations, governance and financial oversight, with clear deadlines for compliance. Among these are that the trustees are instructed to ensure that all religious services, speakers and events further the objects of the charity and are in its best interests, complying with due diligence processes put in place by the Interim Manager. Similarly, the trustees are required to ensure the charity’s website and social media content is exclusively in furtherance of the charity’s purposes and that trustees and staff document their decisions appropriately. The Commission will continue to closely monitor the trustees’ compliance with these and other actions in the Order, and can take further regulatory action if the trustees fail to do so.

Changes to trustees

During the course of the Commission’s inquiry a requirement was removed from the charity’s governing document for one trustee to be the official UK religious representative of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the occupant left this role. This addressed regulatory concerns about the charity’s failure to manage the conflicts of interest and apparent lack of independence this caused, which were at odds with charity law.

Separately, the Interim Manager had overseen the appointment of the two new trustees and taken steps to improve the charity’s management and governance, particularly regarding speakers and events. The Commission has now discharged the Interim Manager, Emma Moody, after she implemented specific improvements asked of her by the Commission, with further improvements to be delivered by the trustees under the Order.

Charity Commission Chief Executive, David Holdsworth, said:

The law requires, and the public expect, charities to operate exclusively for the public benefit. The vast majority of charities do so successfully, making a difference every day. As this case shows, when a charity fails to operate in line with its legal duties we will step in to take action. We now expect the trustees to take the required action directed by the Commission and will not hesitate to use further legal powers should that be necessary.

The Commission’s statutory inquiry is ongoing. It is the Commission’s practice to publish a report setting out its findings, regulatory actions and conclusions once an inquiry has concluded.

ENDS

Notes to editors
1. A statutory inquiry is the Commission’s most serious form of investigation: How the Charity Commission investigates charities – GOV.UK and our policy on media reporting of current regulatory work is available on gov.uk: How the Charity Commission reports on its regulatory work – GOV.UK.
2. The statutory inquiry into Islamic Centre of England is ongoing. How long our inquiries take vary from case-to-case. When an inquiry concludes we publish a report that detail the issues looked at, what actions were undertaken and what the outcomes were. These are on gov.uk.
3. The Interim Manager’s duties included overseeing a successful process to recruit two new trustees to help to improve the charity’s governance, which is the focus of the Commission’s ongoing inquiry. There is information about the role of an Interim Manager on gov.uk.
4. The Commission previously issued a statement to tackle misinformation about why the Centre was temporarily closed. This issue pre-dated the appointment of an Interim Manager.
5. In legislation set by Parliament, a charity is an organisation set up with exclusively charitable purposes for the public benefit and subject to the High Court’s jurisdiction. Please see further information about what is a charity. Once an organisation is registered as a charity it can only be removed in extremely limited circumstances such as where it is no longer operating. It is not open to the Commission to remove charitable status as a sanction.
May 19, 2025

PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to China – Peter Wilson [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 May 2025.

Mr Peter Wilson CMG has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in succession to Dame Caroline Wilson DCMG, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Wilson will take up his appointment during August 2025.

Curriculum Vitae

Full name: Peter Michael Alexander Wilson

Year	Role
March 2023 to 2024	FCDO, Director-General for Europe
Dec 2022 to March 2023	Cabinet Office, Director General, National Security Secretariat, responsible for the UK/France Summit
March to Sept 2022	No 10 Downing Street, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
2021 to 2022	Brasilia, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
2017 to 2021	The Hague, Her Majesty’s Ambassador and UK Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
2013 to 2017	New York, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, UK Mission to the UN
2010 to 2013	FCO, Director, Asia Pacific
2007 to 2010	Beijing, Political Counsellor
2005 to 2006	Islamabad, Political Counsellor
2003 to 2004	FCO, Head of Policy, Directorate of Strategy and Innovation
1999 to 2002	Brussels, Head, European Parliament Team, UK Permanent Representation to the EU
1995 to 1998	Beijing, Second Secretary, Trade
1993 to 1995	Language Training (Mandarin)
1992 to 1993	FCO, Member of the Maastricht Treaty Bill Team
1992	Joined FCO
1990 to 1992	Harvard Kennedy School, Masters in Public Administration

May 19, 2025

PRESS RELEASE : Almost million more pupils get access to mental health support [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 16 May 2025.

School mental health support rollout to reach up to 900,000 more pupils this year, covering six in ten children across the country.

Almost one million more young people will have access to mental health support in school this year, as the government gets on with delivering its manifesto promise for a national rollout taking a huge step in fixing the inherited challenges facing our children.

Under government plans, all pupils will have access to mental health support in school by 2029/30, delivering on its Plan for Change to improve children’s life chances and tackle the root causes of poor attendance and behaviour.

The support teams are made up of specialists who offer a range of help to identify and tackle issues early on, from group sessions to build children’s resilience to one-to-ones helping to manage anxiety – not only tackling the crisis of poor mental health among young people, but also driving up school attendance.

They work directly with school and college staff alongside NHS services to provide professional advice, easing the pressure on school staff and allowing them to help young people get the right support and stay in education. New research has shown a direct link between the severity of children’s mental health problems and their likelihood to miss school.

The new investment means six in ten pupils will have access to a mental health support team by March 2026, with the rollout prioritised based on NHS identification of local need and reaching the most vulnerable children first.

It comes as government unveils a new programme to provide intensive support for 500 schools with significant attendance and behaviour challenges. New attendance and behaviour hubs, built around 90 schools with a track record of improving attendance and behaviour standards, will directly target the schools with the highest need as well as providing wider support for a further 4,500 in all corners of the country.

These will work alongside our new attendance and behaviour ambassadors who will be the link between schools and the government, identifying challenges and working jointly toward solutions.

This move builds on the progress this government has already made to turn the tide on school attendance, with green shoots already being seen with over three million more days in school than last year.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

We inherited a system full of challenges and breaking the vicious cycle of poor mental health, low attendance and bad behaviour among children and young people is the most urgent one facing our schools – and this government is already turning the tide.

Expanding mental health support for young people is one of the single biggest steps we can take to improve children’s life chances, make sure all pupils are getting the very most out of school and deliver excellence for every child.

Taken alongside new intensive support for schools that are struggling, our free breakfast clubs for millions of children and our wider work to drive up school attendance, this government will continue using all available levers to break the destructive link between background and success and deliver on our Plan for Change.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

Facing mental health problems when you’re young can hold you back in school, damage your potential and leave you with lifelong consequences. It’s devastating and it’s got to change.

That’s why this government is bringing in vital services to schools, so they can intervene early, support pupils, and help prevent conditions from becoming severe.

Backed by an extra £680 million in government funding this year, we are transforming mental health services for children – hiring more staff, delivering more talking therapies, and getting waiting lists down through our Plan for Change – so children can have the best possible start in life.

Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

There has been a growing crisis in the mental health of children and young people in recent years, with too many people having to wait too long to get the help they need.

It is reassuring that the government recognises this problem, as well as the impact it is having in schools, and that mental health support will be available to significantly more pupils over the next year.

This is a welcome step towards reaching a point where all children and young people can access this specialist support if required.

Poor attendance has a direct impact on a pupils’ attainment, future earnings and life chances – with persistently absent pupils in secondary school earning £10,000 less at age 28 compared to pupils with strong attendance.

Persistent absence, suspensions and exclusion rates lay bare the broken system that this government has inherited, and while there are green shoots in the data, the government is determined to go further and faster, joining up mental health, wellbeing, attendance and behaviour to drive change for young people.

Mental Health Support Teams currently reach around seven in ten secondary school pupils.

The teams are made up of specialists who intervene early with children with mild to moderate mental health issues, empowering them to work through challenges in a calm and supportive learning environment. They also provide timely advice to school and college staff to develop a whole school approach to mental health and liaise with external specialist services such as the NHS, to help young people get the right support and stay in education.

Mr Gary Lloyd, Head Teacher at The Academy of St Nicholas, Liverpool, which has had access to a mental health support team for a year, said:

Having a trained, known, trusted professional working with the academy has made such a difference in supporting staff and students.

They support our wider inclusion strategies – often triaging and getting support to our young people much faster – which is impacting positively on attendance and general happiness within school.

More widely, the government is recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. This will work alongside the further 6,500 teachers so every classroom has a brilliant teacher, to ensure that every child is supported in and outside of school.

The government is also taking wider action to drive up standards in schools across the country with innovative RISE teams, to ensure every child has a great education. They will work alongside the attendance and behaviour hubs to drive up attendance in underperforming schools so every child can achieve and thrive.

May 19, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Survey launched to inform NHS dental contract reform [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 May 2025.

Dentists in England encouraged to take part to inform government plans to improve NHS dentistry.
- Dentists nationwide encouraged to take part in survey on costs of running dental practices
- Findings will support government’s plans to reform dental contract by giving a more accurate picture of what is driving up dental costs
- Research is part of mission to improve access to dental care for patients through government’s Plan for Change
Dentists across England are being urged to take part in a new nationwide survey to help inform the government’s long-term dental reform programme.

The survey will gather information on the costs and pressures involved in running a dental practice.

The research is part of the government’s wider plans to reform the dental contract in England, providing better access to care for patients by making NHS work more appealing to dentists.

Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said:

We are working to fix an NHS dentistry sector left broken by years of neglect.

We have already rolled out an extra 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments and introduced a supervised toothbrushing programme to prevent tooth decay in young children in the most deprived communities.

More work is needed, but to find the right solution we must make sure we are clear about the problem. Through this survey, we will gain a better understanding of the pressures faced by the sector so we can fix them and deliver better care for patients through our Plan for Change.

Results of the survey will support the development of the government’s dental reform programme and the annual pay review process conducted by the independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).

It forms part of the government’s Plan for Change to improve NHS dental services, addressing challenges that have left many patients struggling to access care, amid reports that some have undertaken DIY dentistry.

The government has started on its manifesto commitment to roll out extra urgent dental care appointments across the country.

It is particularly targeting areas of dental deserts, where patients have struggled to get appointments, and has rolled out a national supervised toothbrushing programme for 3 to 5 year olds in early years settings – including nurseries and primary schools.

Practice owners who complete the anonymous survey can also register their interest in participating in follow-up interviews to provide more detailed insights into the financial challenges they face.

The survey is open to all dental practices across England until 16 June 2025.
May 19, 2025
NEWS STORY : Transglobal Solutions License Revoked and Director Maricel Taranu Indefinitely Disqualified After Serious Safety Failings

STORY

In a decisive regulatory action, the Deputy Traffic Commissioner for the East of England has revoked the operator’s licence of Transglobal Solutions Ltd (licence OF2038634) and indefinitely disqualified its sole director and transport manager, Maricel Taranu, following a public inquiry into widespread safety and compliance breaches.

Key Findings & Timeline

DVSA probes began in May 2024 when an HGV was stopped with its tachograph undownloaded for 155 days and driven 580 km without a driver’s card. Subsequent checks revealed unlicensed, untaxed vehicles operating without MOTs and serious maintenance defects—including loose wheel nuts and a disintegrated tyre—posing “a serious danger to road safety”.

Repeated non-engagement: Taranu failed to supply drivers’ hours and maintenance records, missed arranged inspections, and falsely claimed his vehicles were off the road while ANPR data proved otherwise. In a public inquiry held on 29 April 2025 in Cambridge, the inquiry proceeded in Taranu’s absence after the operator neglected to attend or submit evidence. A Romanian police website later revealed a warrant for Taranu’s arrest on drink-driving and licence-offence convictions in Romania.

Regulatory Action

Deputy Traffic Commissioner Nicolas Denton concluded that Transglobal Solutions lacked both a stable UK establishment and the requisite financial standing, and that Taranu had demonstrably lost the repute required of a transport manager. Denton revoked the operator’s licence with immediate effect and imposed indefinite disqualifications on both the company and Taranu from holding any operator licence, as well as barring Taranu from acting as a transport manager or director of any transport-licensing company.

“This is one of the worst operators I have ever come across”, Denton said. “Mr Taranu has shown an utter indifference to the law and to road safety. There should be no room in the industry for such reckless behaviour.”

DVSA inspectors have been instructed to impound any Transglobal-operated HGVs found on the road post-revocation. This landmark decision underscores the regulator’s zero-tolerance stance on operator non-compliance and dangerous vehicle maintenance standards.

May 19, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New scheme in Oxford to protect every home and business from risk of River Thames flooding [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 16 May 2025.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed approves purchase to allow new scheme to be built.

All homes, businesses and crucial infrastructure in Oxford at risk of flooding from the River Thames will be better protected thanks to a major new flood defence.

This will provide vital reassurances for more than 160,000 residents in the face of our changing climate.

In another step under the Government’s Plan for Change, Environment Secretary Steve Reed gave crucial approval to the Environment Agency and its partners to purchase land and grant rights within the flood scheme area, which has enabled the flood scheme to progress.

This project is part of the Government’s record two-year investment of £2.65 billion to build and repair flood defences across the country.

Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

The role of Government is to protect its citizens, but flood defences were inherited in their worst condition on record.

Through our Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion is going into building and repairing flood defences over the next two years.

The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is a vital new piece of infrastructure that will deliver economic growth in Oxfordshire, better protect homes and businesses and deliver new jobs.

Robbie Williams, Project Director for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, said:

We’re delighted to have received approval to progress with purchasing the land needed for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme to go ahead.

This is a major step forward for the project, ensuring we can bring this vital flood protection to the city. As we face increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather, the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is more urgently needed than ever.

We can now all look forward to starting work on putting the scheme into place.

Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion, Lord Vallance, said:

Flooding is a risk to both lives, and livelihoods. This scheme will make Oxford more resilient, helping to protect the infrastructure, business premises and homes which all underpin the region’s economy. Our ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor can only be met by us stepping up to face challenges like this.

Safeguarding Oxford in this way reinforces our work to turbo-charge investment and growth in the city and beyond, as part of the Plan for Change.

This follows the earlier good news that Oxfordshire County Council resolved to grant planning permission for the scheme – this decision is separate from the Compulsory Purchase Order.

The Environment Agency made a Compulsory Purchase Order for the land, which – as there were objections from some of the landowners – went to a public inquiry. An independent Inspector listened to the objections and to the case for confirming the order and reported her recommendations to the Secretary of State to make a final decision.

The new scheme is designed to cope with major floods of a scale Oxford last experienced in 1947. This is far bigger in size than any of the floods Oxford has experienced in recent decades. With a changing climate, it is expected there would be more frequent heavy rainfall leading to potential flooding.

The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is designed to work with the natural floodplain to the west of Oxford, which will be lowered to increase its capacity. A new stream will be created, fed by the River Thames, meandering through gently sloping grazing meadows. People will be able to walk and cycle alongside the new stream, with views of wildflowers and wetland. The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme aims to enhance the natural floodplain to the west of Oxford by lowering it to increase its capacity.

With the Compulsory Purchase Order confirmed, the Environment Agency can now exercise its statutory powers to acquire the rights and interests in the affected land. Once this process is complete, construction is expected to start in late 2026.

Led by the Environment Agency, the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is one of the biggest flood schemes currently proposed in England.

May 19, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Seven-year ban for Suffolk car wash owner, Vittorio Dragoti, who employed illegal workers [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 16 May 2025.

Four illegal workers were discovered by Immigration Enforcement officers.
- Vittorio Dragoti employed four illegal workers from Romania at his Fiveways Car Wash in Suffolk
- The workers were found with no right to work in the UK by Immigration Enforcement last year
- Dragoti has been banned as a company director until May 2032
The owner of a Suffolk hand car wash has been banned as a company director for seven years after employing four illegal workers.

Vittorio Dragoti, 28, hired the workers from Romania at the Fiveways Car Wash on the Fiveways Roundabout near Barton Mills.

The workers were discovered when Immigration Enforcement officials visited the car wash in 2024.

Dave Magrath, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services at the Insolvency Service, said:

Company directors have clear statutory obligations to recruit people who have the right to work in the UK.

Consumers deserve to have confidence that workers providing services to them are not working illegally. And the workers themselves deserve to not be put in such a vulnerable position by people who may exploit their immigration status.

Vittorio Dragoti’s disqualification as a company director is a result of ongoing close collaboration between the Insolvency Service and our partners at the Home Office to clamp down on rogue directors.

Dragoti, of Queensway, Mildenhall, was the sole director of Vito’s Car Care Limited since March 2019.

Immigration Enforcement officials found the four Romanian men aged between 18 and 49 with no right to work in the UK when they visited the car wash in April last year.

Vito’s Car Care was fined £180,000 for the immigration breach. The fine currently remains unpaid.

Cheryl Daldry, the Home Office’s East of England Immigration Compliance and Enforcement lead, said:

This is a great example of the serious consequences that are in store for business owners who fail to carry out checks on individuals they hire to ensure they have the right to work in the UK.

Dragoti flouted our employment and immigration rules by employing multiple people with no right to work in the UK, resulting in long term enforcement action against himself and his business.

“I would like to thank our partners at the Insolvency Service for their help to secure these sanctions against this non-compliant employer.

The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Dragoti, and his seven-year ban began on Thursday 15 May.

The disqualification prevents him from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. It does not impact any businesses with similar names or locations.

Further information
- Vittorio Dragoti is of Queensway, Mildenhall, Suffolk. His date of birth is 25 August 1996
May 19, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer – The world has paid the price for Putin’s aggression. He must now pay for avoiding peace [May 2025]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 May 2025.

Piling the pressure on the Kremlin will be the focus of discussions at the European Political Community [EPC] today, after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday.
- Prime Minister to convene leaders at EPC to drive forward response to Putin’s stalling tactics
- Russian energy expected to be central target in widespread sanctions action in the coming weeks if Russia does not agree a ceasefire
- Comes as around 40 leaders meet at the European Political Community summit in Tirana today
Piling the pressure on the Kremlin will be the focus of discussions at the European Political Community [EPC] today, after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday [Thursday].

More than 40 leaders will attend the Tirana summit today, discussing shared challenges facing the continent and the threat to global stability and security posed by Putin.

It comes after President Zelenskyy underscored Ukraine’s position as the party of peace and travelled to Turkey in good faith this week, in preparation for peace talks with Russia.

But Putin failed to attend.

Leaders are expected to reiterate calls for a full and unconditional ceasefire today and demand Russia prove that they are serious about bringing its invasion to an end. For more than two months, Russia has failed to substantively respond to the US’ calls for a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire and genuine peace talks.

Work has already begun on what further sanctions can be implemented to degrade Russia’s ability to prolong the war if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire. Today, leaders are expected to progress the conversations held in Kyiv at the weekend about sanctions, with a focus on Russian energy revenues.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

People in Ukraine and across the world have paid the price for Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and across Europe, now he must pay the price for avoiding peace.

Putin’s tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, is intolerable.

For the past three years, Ukraine has been fighting for peace and security, while Russia has sent thousands of young men and women to their deaths and compromised global stability.

Alongside the US and more than 30 other partners, we have been clear that we will not stand for Russia kicking a ceasefire down the road.

A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price.

During the summit, the Prime Minister is expected to lead a security roundtable with the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, as well as discussing with key partners including France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Ukraine latest efforts with the US to secure peace and an end of the bloodbath in Ukraine. It comes as Putin repeatedly ignored requests for peace talks in Istanbul this week.

The Kremlin’s biggest source of tax revenue is oil exports, and with forecasts cut by almost a quarter because of Western sanctions and compounding slowing global growth prices, further measures are likely to cause significant pain. Oil and gas tax revenues were already a third lower in dollar terms 2024 than in 2022, the first year of the war; and they are already down by almost 20% year-on-year in February and March.

The Prime Minister is clear that supporting Ukraine, and degrading Russia’s economy and ability to prolong the war as they wreak havoc across Europe, is vital to protecting national and Euro-Atlantic security, and delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.

Russian aggression is plain for all to see. Just this week the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that the Russia Secret Service was behind a major blaze at a Polish shopping centre, while in a landmark decision, the International Civil Aviation Organisation ruled that the Russian Federation was behind the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in July 2014, killing 298 people, including 10 UK citizens.

Last week, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s largest ever package of sanctions on Russia’s Shadow Fleet. The sanctions will apply further pressure on the Russian economy, which is stalling as Putin’s national wealth fund starts to run out, the non-defence sector is in recession and global oil prices are falling.

Russia’s defence and security spending is now 40% of all federal spending and 8% GDP – a post-1990 high and double the size of federal social services spending.
May 19, 2025