Tag: 2022

PRESS RELEASE : Two offenders, Zachary Jagger and Charlie Hearn, receive increased sentences for violent offending [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 4 November 2022.

Two offenders who left victims needing hospital treatment have both been given longer prison terms after their cases were heard together at the Court of Appeal following referrals under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

On 14 November 2021, Zachary Jagger, now 27, got involved in a group altercation after being refused entry to a party at a private residence. Following the fight, he left the scene before returning with the other offender Charlie Hearn, now 29, and the two got involved in another group fight.

While driving back to the group fight, Hearn and Jagger met two victims who had been on their way home after an evening out. These two victims were not involved with the party or the group fight. Hearn threatened one victim with a Stanley knife and slashed another on the back with the blade, causing a 23 cm laceration which required stitches. Jagger and Hearn then returned to the scene of the group fight, during which Jagger got back into his car and intentionally drove at the group twice.

Jagger then deliberately drove into another victim twice, who Hearn attacked with the Stanley knife. The victim was left with a double leg fracture and a laceration to her face.

In a separate incident in 2019 Jagger attacked a victim, inflicting a wound that required 30 stitches. Hearn was not present on this occasion.

On 10 August 2022, Jagger was sentenced to 6 years’ imprisonment with an extended licence of 4 years at Chelmsford Crown Court for offences including wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, affray and dangerous driving. Hearn was sentenced on the same day at Chelmsford Crown Court to 4 years’ imprisonment for offences including unlawful wounding, threatening another with a blade and affray.

Both of the offenders’ sentences were referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme for being too low.

On 03 November 2022, the Court found both sentences to be unduly lenient. Jagger’s sentence was increased to 13 years’ imprisonment with an extended licence of 3 years, while Hearn was ordered to serve a sentence of 6 years’ imprisonment with a 3-year extended licence.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson MP said:

These were intensely vicious attacks that left the victims with serious wounds, with some needing hospital treatment. I did not believe that the original sentences adequately reflected the violent nature of the offending that occurred, so I welcome the decision of the Court of Appeal to sentence both Jagger and Hearn to longer sentences.

November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida [November 2022]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 November 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida this morning.

The leaders agreed the UK and Japan were incredibly important allies, who played a vital role in ensuring global stability and prosperity.

Reiterating the importance of ensuring a free and independent Indo-Pacific, the Prime Minister said that the UK was aligned with Japan on the challenges in the region.

Both leaders condemned the recent North Korean missile launches, and the Prime Minister said it was vital the international community remained closely coordinated on the best way forward.

Turning to trade, both Prime Ministers shared the view that the Pacific trade bloc, CPTPP, was an important framework and the UK’s accession offered a unique opportunity to support prosperity across the world.

Discussing progress on the UK’s Future Combat Air System, the leaders agreed that deeper cooperation on the next-generation fighter jet programme would underline the close relationship between the two nations.

Both leaders looked forward to meeting in person soon.

November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Europe’s top tech scale-ups announced at Web Summit [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 4 November 2022.
- Four winners revealed from across Europe
- Winners represent range of sectors, including digital health, cyber security and artificial intelligence
- All finalists to receive a personalised business development package, connecting them to the UK
The UK Government’s 2022 tech scale-ups programme, the Tech Rocketship Awards, reached its conclusion today. The Awards identified the brightest and best tech companies and will accelerate the global growth of its winners, through curated programmes connecting them with the UK’s ecosystem of investors, incubators and High Potential Opportunity (HPO) clusters.

The Grand Finale saw eight finalists battle it out in live ‘dragons den’ style pitches in front of an expert panel of judges at the residence of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Portugal, Chris Sainty. The finalists were invited to the UK pavilion at Web Summit afterwards for an awards ceremony.

The Tech Rocketship Awards Categories were: AI, 5G, Agri-Tech, Digital Health, Cybersecurity, Climate Tech and a Trailblazers Award – Diversity in Tech.

Winners:
- Gold – Digital Health – Enbiosis (Turkey): Analyses the human gut microbiome using metadata and AI to provide personalized health and wellness solutions.
- Silver – Cyber Security – Facephi (Spain): Provides secure user digital identity verification and specialises in digital onboarding and biometric authentication solutions.
- Bronze – Artificial Intelligence – Jungle AI (The Netherlands): Applies AI to increase the uptime and performance of electromechanical assets such as wind turbines, solar farms or industrial production lines.
- Trailblazers Award (Promoting Diversity in Tech) – Digital Health – Resistomap (Finland): The first end-to-end platform in the world that monitors antibiotic resistance bacteria and pre-warns clients in case of a potential outbreak.
Chris Barton, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe said:

There is no better place for ambitious tech companies to grow than the UK. This is the number one country in Europe for Unicorns, and UK tech VC investment is the third largest in the world. Our tech sector is the home of forward-thinking innovators, venture capital, R&D clusters and opportunities for growth across the whole of the UK.

Tech Rocketships will provide the lucky winners with a rocket-powered, fully-tailored direct route to the financiers, incubators, tech-savvy customers, and all the infrastructure needed to help them make that next great leap from ambitious scale-up to unicorn.

Kenan Poleo, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for EECAN (Eastern Europe Central Asian Network) said:

Turkish companies responded brilliantly to the Tech Rocketship Awards. The awards offer companies in the vibrant Turkish tech ecosystem a rocket-powered, fully-tailored direct route to the financiers, incubators, tech-savvy customers, and infrastructure needed to help them make that next great leap from ambitious scale-up to unicorn.

Priya Guha, Venture Partner, Merrian Ventures & Non-Executive Director at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Digital Catapult said:

I was thrilled to be part of the judging panel for this year’s Tech Rocketship Awards and to hear from some of the incredible European tech businesses that are looking to the UK to scale-up and go global.

Whilst they represented a breadth of sectors from biotech to artificial intelligence to AgriTech, all of them will find the UK a great place to scale. In the UK, we have a wealth of diverse tech talent in researchers, developers and experienced scale-up leaders. We also have an open and welcoming business environment and competitive set up costs, all of which will be invaluable to these companies. The UK is rich in opportunity for tech businesses and I look forward to seeing how the UK will be part of the success stories for these fantastic award winners.

The panel of judges was led by experienced entrepreneurs, dealmakers and representatives of government and industry:
- Priya Guha, Venture Partner, Merrian Ventures, Non-Executive Director at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Digital Catapult
- Dr Mike Short CBE, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department for International Trade (DIT)
- Jude Ower MBE, Founder & CEO of Playmob, Global Entrepreneur Programme Dealmaker, DIT
- Christian Kumar, Chief Executive Officer, Capital Kinetics
More information about the next awards will soon be communicated to find the next cohort of top tech businesses. Companies can already sign up for further details.

Full details about the competition, including terms and conditions are on the Tech Rocketship Awards website.

All finalists:
- 5G – Neutroon (Spain): Open-API cloud platform that makes private LTE/5G and Neutral Host simple and scalable for operators and end-users.
- Cyber Security – Facephi (Spain): Provides secure user digital identity verification and specialises in digital onboarding and biometric authentication solutions.
- Climate Tech – Monolithos (Greece): Manufactures direct-fit aftermarket automotive catalytic converters.
- Digital Health – Enbiosis (Turkey): Analyses the human gut microbiome using metadata and AI to provide personalized health and wellness solutions.
- Artificial Intelligence – Jungle AI (The Netherlands): Applies AI to increase the uptime and performance of electromechanical assets such as wind turbines, solar farms or industrial production lines.
- AgriTech – Blue White Robotics (Israel): The ‘robots-as-a-service’ platform provides solutions for building autonomous farms.
- Cyber Security – Authenteq (Germany): Is the world’s first fully automated identity verification eKYC™ platform. Their AI-powered system allows companies and services to onboard users in just 35 seconds.
- Digital Health – Resistomap (Finland): Is the first end-to-end platform in the world that monitors antibiotic resistance bacteria and pre-warns clients in case of a potential outbreak.
November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK statement on the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 November 2022.

An FCDO Spokesperson issued a statement on the two-year anniversary of the beginning of the conflict in Ethiopia, two days after the signing of a peace agreement between the Ethiopian Government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.

FCDO Spokesperson:

” The UK welcomes the important step towards peace taken by the Ethiopian Government and Tigray People’s Liberation Front in signing a cessation of hostilities on 2 November, and commends their choice to end the devastating two-year-long conflict.

“We are grateful to the leadership shown in brokering this critical agreement by African Union Commission Chairperson Faki, African Union High Representative to the Horn of Africa Obasanjo, former South African Deputy President Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Kenyan President Kenyatta, and the South African Government in hosting the talks.

“It is now crucial that all parties in Ethiopia, with support from its friends in the international community, move to implement the agreement. Most critically, humanitarian aid must be urgently delivered to all those in conflict-affected areas.

“Peace creates opportunities for justice, reconciliation and reconstruction. The UK, as a longstanding friend and partner of Ethiopia, stands ready to work alongside the Ethiopian Government and others to support the recovery of conflict affected areas. We look forward to seeing the benefits of peace for the people of Ethiopia.”

November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Sheffield soldier of the Great War laid to rest 105 years after his death [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 4 November 2022.

Private (Pte) Herbert Greaves, a 28-year-old who served with 6th Battalion The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI), was buried with full military honours at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Heninel Communal Cemetery Extension, near Arras in France on Thursday (3 November).

The service was organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’ and supported by 5th Battalion The Rifles who bore his coffin.

Pte Greaves’ remains were uncovered in 2019 during maintenance work on the footpath outside the CWGC cemetery where they had laid for 102 years.

Pte Greaves was born in Walkley, Sheffield, in 1889. He was married to Jane and they had a son, who was also named Herbert, and a daughter, also Jane.

Pte Greaves has 3 surviving grandchildren. They had not seen each other since the death of their grandmother nearly 60 years ago. It was only after the chance discovery of their grandfather’s remains that they were put back in touch with each other by JCCC. One of Pte Greaves’ grandson’s, David Dickson, attended the burial service along with his family.

David Dickson, grandson of Pte Greaves said:

Elated is the word I’d use; when our son read out the email from Rosie Barron at JCCC to say they had actually discovered the remains of our grandfather, it was quite emotional. He suddenly became a real person to us. We managed to connect with our cousin whom we hadn’t seen for many years, who did the DNA test. He managed to find a photo of our grandfather amongst his father’s papers so we could put a face to the name. We were quite excited at the prospect of attending the burial service with full military honours at Henninel Communal Cemetery Extension.

Rosie Barron, JCCC said:

Pte Greaves remained missing for over 100 years, although he lay just metres from the entrance to Heninel Communal Cemetery Extension. Having come so close to having a known grave, in the heat of war, he became lost. He now rests amongst his comrades and his story is complete. Although not all of Pte Greaves’ grandchildren were able to attend his burial service, it has been a privilege to meet them and to have played a part in solving the mystery surrounding their grandfather’s death.

Pte Greaves joined The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry following the outbreak of World War 1. He initially served with 2nd Battalion, was wounded in September 1916 and at some stage he transferred to 6th Battalion. He died on 15 May 1917 during the Battle of Arras.

How Pte Greaves was identified

Based on the location of the find, JCCC determined it was most likely the remains belonged to a soldier of 6th Battalion KOYLI. The soldier had been bandaged, so it was considered likely that he had been wounded and treated prior to his death.

Further research found that although 6th Battalion were in the line east of Heninel between 6 and 15 May 1917, on 10 May their position in the line had changed, when they took over positions in the line further south. They remained in these new positions until being relieved on 15 May.

When their positions changed, so did their medical evacuation chain. From 10 May 1917, they began to use the crossroads north of Heninel Communal Cemetery Extension, known as ‘Hairpin Bend’ as a loading post for ambulances. JCCC found it likely he had been wounded after that date, been treated in the line and then brought to Hairpin Bend to be placed on an ambulance for evacuation. He may then have died there and been left at Heninel Communal Cemetery Extension for burial.

Once the remains had been linked with 6th Battalion KOYLI, and a likely casualty identified, relatives were traced and DNA testing against the remains was carried out by the JCCC contractor. This confirmed the identity of this casualty as Private Herbert Greaves.

The service was conducted by the Reverend Martin Robbins CF, Chaplain to 9 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps. The Reverend Robbins said:

Private Greaves is just one of many young men and women who answered the call of the nation in its time of need. He typifies the selfless commitment of his generation who put themselves in harm’s way to protect the way of life of others whom he would never know. To that end it is only fitting and right that we lay him to rest alongside his brothers in arms, with the dignity and respect he deserves. I feel incredibly honoured to be asked to do this on behalf of his family and fellow service men and women, who continue in the that same service of selfless commitment, protecting our nation and its way of life.

The grave will now be marked by a headstone provided by the CWGC, who will care for his final resting place in perpetuity. Director for the France Area at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Xavier Puppinck, said:

Pte Greaves paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for his country 105 years ago. It is our honour to be part of today’s ceremony to lay this brave man to rest, and to renew our commitment to remember him and his fallen comrades.

November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Prime Minister Morawiecki of Poland [November 2022]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 4 November 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki this morning to discuss how the UK and Poland could continue to bolster the security of NATO’s eastern flank.

The Prime Minister said Poland’s leadership in Europe following the invasion of Ukraine had stood out, and underlined the close alignment between the UK and Poland on international security and many other issues.

Discussing the situation in Belarus, the Prime Minister said the UK was keeping a close watch on developments and stood by Poland in the face of continued Russian aggression.

As part of deterrence efforts across the eastern flank, the UK was increasing the capability of its forces, and had increased activity with the Joint Expeditionary Force in the Baltic region, the Prime Minister added.

Both agreed on the need to send a continued strong signal to Putin that intimidation would not work.

The Prime Minister said he looked forward to deepening the strong defence and security links between the UK and Poland, which he said would benefit the security of both countries, and Europe as a whole.

November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Lord Stewart of Dirleton reappointed as Advocate General [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Scottish Office on 4 November 2022.

The Prime Minister has reappointed Lord Stewart of Dirleton KC as Advocate General for Scotland.

The Advocate General for Scotland is one of the Law Officers of the Crown and advises the government on Scots law matters.

Commenting on his reappointment, Lord Stewart said:

“I am honoured to have been reappointed as Advocate General for Scotland.”

“I look forward to working with the Attorney General, the Solicitor General for England and Wales, Government lawyers and the Civil Service to play my part in making the law and politics work together at the heart of the UK constitution.”

Lord Stewart’s biography

Lord Stewart was appointed Advocate General in October 2020. He was reappointed as Advocate General on 27 October 2022.

He was called to the Bar in 1993 and took silk in 2011. He specialises in criminal law, and has advised on other matters including defamation and intellectual property.

November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK brings carbon market experts together ahead of COP27 [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 November 2022.

On Monday 10th October 2022, the UK Government and the Government of Ghana held a Carbon Market Development Roundtable at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.

The event brought together generators, traders, verifiers, and other professionals to review and improve the current climate finance regulations, the market, and understand new and existing ways to support the growth of new networks to make the climate finance market successful in Ghana.

Speaking ahead of the workshop, Mrs Thompson said:

The benefits of carbon markets are two-fold: they bring finance and they bring protection. Ghana’s beautiful forests and green spaces put the country in prime position to benefit from a well-functioning carbon market.

Our event today has brought together the right people from across industry, civil society, government, and business to focus on getting Ghana access to the world’s growing carbon markets. Together we are making sure that Ghana gets the right investment now to protect the country’s vital natural resources for generations to come.

Attendees at the Carbon Market Development event spent time discussing and interrogating information and policies to support the growth of Ghana’s carbon market. Discussions were followed by a networking event hosted by the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, and key policy officials from the High Commission.

Ghana has already taken important steps towards developing carbon markets as a climate finance opportunity. The country’s Environmental Protection Agency has drafted a new National Framework to govern and support carbon markets, while projects to generate carbon credits in Ghana are under development. The UK government recognises the importance of these developments and is working hard, in the run-up to COP27, to bring the right people together to help this market grow.

Organisers hope that the discussion and ideas generated at the event will now help to grow the understanding and support for Ghana’s own carbon market. As well as supporting the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Framework.

November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK invests in West Africa’s agriculture sector [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 November 2022.

In Ghana, COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have exacerbated the challenges of climate change, including energy, financial, and food security. The UK, Ghana, ECOWAS, and many other partners are working together to ensure that Ghana is playing its role in the West Africa region to produce more rice, facilitate trade, and reduce costs to the consumer.

Through the Africa Food Trade and Resilience programme, the UK government alongside strategic partners is investing £450,000 to establish the ECOWAS Rice Observatory and its national chapter, known as the ‘Ghana Competitive Africa Rice Platform’. This new public-private sector platform will identify and spur reforms to increase investment into the ECOWAS rice value chain.

This support for Ghana and other ECOWAS countries will:
- reduce the £2.6 billion annual cost of importing rice to West Africa
- potentially create more than 385,000 new jobs in the rice value chain across West Africa
British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson said:

The numbers speak for themselves: there is so much potential for growing the rice sector here in Ghana and across West Africa. The ECOWAS Rice Observatory will support the growth of the rice industry and increase trade and investment opportunities in the market.

At a time when many countries around the world are facing food insecurity as a result of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine, I am confident this project will strengthen the food system here in Ghana and across the region, now and in the future.

The CARP launched in Accra (1st November 2022), at a ceremony led by its new Chairperson, Mr Yaw Poku, alongside the Chief Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Patrick Robert Ankobiah, and the British High Commissioner, as well as representatives of ECOWAS, the German development agency, GIZ, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.

The ERO provides a platform for rice stakeholders to understand patterns of demand and production, seize trade, investment, and reform opportunities, understand the impacts of climate change, and work towards resilient food security in the future.

As well as supporting the ERO, the UK is working with international partners to secure finance to respond to the global food crisis driven by climate change, and COVID-19. Now, Russia’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine is exacerbating existing economic fragility and food insecurity.

In October, British High Commissioner Harriet Thompson visited AgDevCo’s Babator Irrigated Farming Hub in Ghana’s Savannah Region. Engaging 764,000 small-scale farmers and creating or sustaining 15,600 jobs across the continent, AgDevCo is a key investor in African agriculture, backed by UK Government investment. Earlier this year, AgDevCo sold Ghana’s biggest active irrigated farmland to regional multi-national company Oba Pack, having spent many years developing the site.
November 4, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Construction starts on UK’s first all-electric prison [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 4 November 2022.

The new prison – opening in 2025 – will hold nearly 1,500 prisoners who will spend their time behind bars learning the skills they need to find work on release, as part of the government’s drive to cut re-offending and keep the public safe.

The site will be the first prison in the UK to run solely on electricity, with solar panels and heat pump technology meaning it will use 78% less energy than HMP Wormwood Scrubs – a traditional Victorian prison – cutting energy costs to taxpayers by over £1.1 million a year.

The government will launch a competition later this year to select an operator to run the new prison. Companies bidding will be challenged to produce a ‘jobs blueprint’ setting out how they would work with local businesses to train-up prisoners with the skills most sought by local employers. The plan forms part of the government’s drive to cut re-offending and make our streets safer by helping ex-offenders find work and put crime behind them.

Minister for Prisons and Probation, Damian Hinds, said:

The new prison at Full Sutton will protect the public and the public purse, using the latest technology to cut energy costs.

Giving prisoners the skills in demand by local businesses will help them find work and turn over a new leaf – cutting reoffending and making our streets safer.

The new jail will be supporting former prisoners into meaningful work before it even opens its doors – with at least 50 ex-offenders to be employed by construction firm Kier.

The building project is also set to boost jobs in East Yorkshire, with a quarter of those working on the build and 40% of the construction spend falling within 50 miles – filling order books for local supply chain businesses.

Ministers today launched the public consultation to choose the name of the new facility – inviting people in and around Full Sutton to offer suggestions which reflect the culture and history of the area.

Councillor Jonathan Owen, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said:

I welcome the start of the construction of the new prison which, when completed, will provide a great boost to the local economy and employment market with the creation of over 600 jobs as well as providing a focus on skills and training to get prisoners into jobs on their release.

The new site will set a gold-standard for energy efficiency – set to use 68% less energy from the national grid than even the newly-built HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, and draw 18 GWh less energy from the electricity and gas networks every year than HMP Belmarsh – which is equivalent to powering 1,200 homes for a year.

The start of construction at Full Sutton follows hot on the heels of HMP Five Wells in Wellingborough, Britain’s first ‘smart’ prison which opened in March. Work is also nearing completion at HMP Fosse Way, the new 1,700-place prison set to open at Glen Parva in Leicestershire next year.

Liam Cummins, Group managing director of Kier Construction, said:

Breaking ground at Full Sutton yesterday was a major milestone for this new prison. It builds on our successful partnership with the MoJ, where we have been operating successfully in close collaboration for the past decade.

We will deliver this new prison as a cutting-edge facility, built on engineering excellence that we have utilised on other projects, and using innovative sustainable methods which will achieve net zero in operation.

Alongside this, we’ll create hundreds of jobs throughout the lifecycle of the project, supporting local people and the supply chain, as well as providing opportunities for prisoners on release.

Jason Millett, CEO for Consult at Mace, said:

Mace has worked closely with the MoJ to deliver the New Prisons Programme, completing at HMP Five Wells earlier this year and bringing practical delivery experience to the entirety of the programme.

The new prison at Full Sutton will be a world-leading example of how a focus on net zero development can create positive, sustainable change. This milestone is a fantastic achievement for our teams and demonstrates our strength in delivering against the decarbonisation agenda.

November 4, 2022