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Tag: 2022

  • PRESS RELEASE : Independent panel appointed to oversee partnership with Rwanda

    PRESS RELEASE : Independent panel appointed to oversee partnership with Rwanda

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 2 September 2022.

    New monitoring committee will provide independent assurance of the UK-Rwanda Migration and Economic Development Partnership.

    The UK and the Government of Rwanda have today (Friday 2nd September), announced the appointment of a new panel consisting of eight experts, who will provide independent oversight of the Migration and Economic Development Partnership between the UK and Rwanda.

    The Independent Monitoring Committee is made up of members with a diverse range of expertise, including within the human rights, migration, asylum, international law and business sectors. They will be responsible for reviewing and reporting on the delivery of the partnership, including monitoring the end-to-end operations from the UK to Rwanda.

    This will include reviewing and reporting on the implementation of the commitments made in the arrangement between the two governments, outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding.

    Home Secretary, Priti Patel said:

    Our world-first migration partnership will help to stop dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys being made to the UK, while giving people the opportunity to claim asylum in Rwanda and rebuild their lives.

    I am proud to be working with the Rwandan government on this world-leading policy, and our new Monitoring Committee will play a key role in holding both governments to account so we can deliver on our commitments to the British public and save lives.

    Rwandan Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Dr. Vincent Biruta, said:

    Rwanda looks forward to working with the UK to implement the innovative Migration and Economic Development Partnership, which will offer a safe, secure home for people seeking protection, as well as a chance for migrants to live, work and develop alongside Rwandans.

    The members of the Monitoring Committee are experienced and highly committed individuals who will ensure that the programme is delivered to high standards and becomes a sustainable solution to the global imbalance in human capital opportunities, a major factor that is driving irregular and dangerous migration.

    The Monitoring Committee will highlight any areas of concern immediately to the co-chairs of the Joint Committee, a panel of senior officials from both governments.

    It includes experts from around the world, who have a wealth of experience across migration policy, international law and academia.

    Members appointed by the UK Government

    Harish Salve QC

    Harish Salve is internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading legal counsels, who formerly served as Solicitor General of India and is a senior advocate at the Indian Bar. He is an experienced and senior immigration lawyer whose practice includes public international law and human rights. A highly experienced senior lawyer; he has built a global reputation for international commercial arbitration and litigation. His practice also encompasses public international law and human rights.

    Karina Kielbinska

    Karina Kielbinska is an international business management and marketing expert with a wealth of experience across the private and public sector. Most recently she served as Chair of the Independent Monitoring Board (IMB) for Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre, which plays a crucial role in giving independent oversight of prisons and places of immigration detention, to ensure the conditions and humane treatment of people in detention. Previously she has worked as a global marketing director for GlaxoSmithKline and held marketing director roles at Cadbury both in the UK and Australia.

    Morten Lisborg

    Morten Lisborg is a Danish independent migration and policy advisor with over 20 years’ experience across the sector in various roles. He has worked with migration and refugee issues for numerous agencies and organizations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and in Europe. Morten has published several reports and articles on challenges related to the current European asylum system and provides policy advice to Danish political parties. In 2020 Morten was appointed as a member of the Danish Council for Development Policy.

    Alexander Downer

    Alexander Downer is an immigration expert currently serving as Executive Chair at the International School for Government, King’s College London. He was appointed in February 2022 to lead a wide-ranging, independent review of Border Force to assess its structure, powers, funding and priorities to ensure it can keep pace with rapidly evolving threats and continue to protect the border.

    Members appointed by the Rwandan Government

    Diko Mukete

    Diko Mukete is the Vice Chair of the Board of Rwanda Finance Limited. He is on the Management Board of the African Legal Support Facility in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He is an experienced economist and lawyer with a 25 year career at the African Development Bank (AfDB), where he led several successful economic and financial policy dialogues with governments across Africa. He is a Barrister-at-Law of Gray’s Inn, London, and a member of the Cameroon Bar Association.

    Julien Kavaruganda

    Julien Kavaruganda is founder and senior partner of K-Solutions & Partners, a corporate law firm in Kigali in Rwanda, and an experienced lawyer who has held various leadership posts in regional bar associations. He practiced at the Brussels Bar Association in Belgium, before joining the Rwanda Bar Association where he is the immediate past president. He is also Vice Chairman of the Kigali International Arbitration Centre, and on the Board of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association.

    John P Sendanyoye

    John P Sendanyoye is a retired senior official of the International Labour Organization (ILO), where he headed the Service Sectors Team and previously served as Regional Programming Officer for Africa and Asia and the Pacific in Cote d’Ivoire and Thailand respectively. He has vast experienced in international labour activities including global dialogue on the impact of financial crisis on workers, and has published numerous papers and articles related to his work in ILO.

    Marie Sylvie Kawera

    Marie Sylvie Kawera has been a commissioner of Rwanda’s National Commission for Human Rights since 2017, where she is actively involved in the monitoring, evaluation and investigation of diverse human rights issues. Previously, she has been a lawyer and adviser to civil society organizations and political parties.

    The candidates were chosen following a rigorous selection process led by the Joint Committee. Appointments were jointly agreed by the co-chairs of the Joint Committee.

  • Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2022 Speech to the Australian Chambers of Commerce

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan – 2022 Speech to the Australian Chambers of Commerce

    The speech made by Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Department for International Trade, in Adelaide, Australia on 2 September 2022.

    Good afternoon everyone

    Thank you, David and Don, for your warm welcome and to the Australian British Chamber of Commerce for inviting me to speak today.

    I want to acknowledge the Kaurna people of the Adelaide Plains and pay respect to their elders past, present and emerging.

    It’s great to be here in Adelaide, the final stop on my Australia and New Zealand trade tour.

    This great city doesn’t just regularly top lists of the most liveable and friendly places on the planet…

    It’s also known for its progressive spirit.

    This is, the city where the Aboriginal flag was flown for the first time – just over the road in Victoria Square.

    And speaking as a female politician, it’s thought provoking to reflect that South Australia was among the first places in the world to give women the vote, back in 1894.

    Today, South Australia has gained a formidable reputation for both complex industry and creative forward thinking:

    Alongside the food and drink produced by your agricultural sector and sold around the world…

    You are growing an extraordinary naval engineering and advanced manufacturing sector; I have been able to catch up with some great UK businesses welcomed here, from BAE systems working on your next generation of frigates, to MacTaggart Scott and Babcock, focused on providing critical technology and long-term support to your Navy.

    The dynamic combination of industry, research, and entrepreneurs, is making new Adelaide districts like Lot 14 and Tonsley, hotbeds for the cyber security, quantum computing and renewable energy sectors…

    South Australia isn’t just meeting the challenges of the modern, globalised world, it’s embracing them.

    So, it was great that in January our Foreign Secretary and the South Australian Premier cemented our partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding.

    Over the last four days, I have seen for myself that the bonds connecting the UK with Australia are stronger than ever.

    We, of course have the historical, cultural, sporting and linguistic ties that have linked our nations over the centuries…

    And the visitors we each welcome every year from one another’s countries –are now back on the rise following Covid-19.

    We also have a shared perspective on the world:

    Our joint belief in the values of democracy, free and fair trade, and the rules-based international order.

    We welcome Australia’s ongoing commitment to a free, stable and open Indo-Pacific region, based on the rule of law, human rights, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    Right now, close to home for us, we are feeling those shared values threatened in Europe by Putin’s illegal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

    War on European soil, with an aggressor challenging the democratic and sovereign rights of a country, a neighbour, to exist.

    In times like these, deep and longstanding friendships like the one we have with Australia, are more important than ever.

    Together, we show the world that we stand up for liberty, that we will fight back against tyranny and we will defend, for our citizens, the shared values on which our societies are built.

    And those values are at the heart of how we are using the power of free trade to reinforce the UK and Australia’s enduring partnership.

    Our commercial relationship is, of course, already flourishing…

    Last year, we did over £14 billion worth of business with one another.

    British design and engineering will be integral to the new Qantas direct flights between Sydney and London. With Rolls-Royce engines manufactured in Bristol, and Airbus aircraft wings made in North Wales, soon to be powering even closer links between our countries…

    While Clare Valley Riesling and Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon are firm favourites in UK supermarkets.

    Almost every day there’s another example of a new investment or commercial deal between our nations.

    But our trading partnership is about much more than the simple exchange of goods and services – excellent though these are!

    Our mutual trade is a powerful means of addressing some of the biggest issues of the day… working together in multilateral fora such as the G20, the OECD and with the like-minded World Trade Organization members that make up the Ottawa Group.

    Just a few months ago at the WTO, we collaborated on the global response to the food security crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine, along with a series of other major challenges.

    Don and I are both very much focused on building this close and productive relationship.

    Right now, we’re working closely on the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership.

    The UK is aiming to accede by the end of this year, and joining CPTPP is a demonstration of our foreign policy focus aligning with the global economic tilt towards the Indo-Pacific.

    For the UK, the benefits of membership are compelling: Access to a high standards, free trade area – a powerful trade bloc, growing at pace which we look forward to joining.

    As a like-minded friend to Australia and other CPTPP nations – we will bring a new, strong and persuasive voice to the partnership… and unrelentingly make the case for upholding our values, protecting high standards and increasing collaboration on joint priorities.

    e are, of course, also furthering our bilateral relationship through the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement, which we signed a few months ago.

    When the deal was first discussed, Prime Minister Boris Johnson famously said Australia would give us Tim Tams, while we would give you Penguin Bars.

    I’ve no doubt that the fierce debate on the delights of UK versus Australian confectionery and Marmite versus Vegemite will, much like our conversations around cricket, continue long into the future…

    (I’m a Marmite girl, sorry!)

    But this agreement is a win-win for businesses in both our countries.

    Together we have achieved a world class, comprehensive and modern deal.

    It won’t just end tariffs on goods and slash red tape for businesses. It will open opportunities for our citizens to live and work in each other’s countries.

    The FTA will allow us to enhance regulatory financial services cooperation, keep our digital markets open and boost collaboration.

    I’ve no doubt that the deal’s focus on technology and innovation is going to be an amazing springboard for businesses, both in the UK and across Australia…

    And firms here in Adelaide like Fivecast…the digital intelligence start-up that is now one of South Australia’s hotly tipped companies and which is expanding into the UK, will be at the heart of that success!

    Our Free Trade Agreement also sets out our mutual commitment to answering the big questions around labour standards, gender equality, environmental sustainability, and clean energy to tackle the impacts of climate change.

    As hosts of COP 26 last year in Glasgow, the UK set out our determination to help the world tackle the threats of climate change, not only by walking the walk at home with our 10-point plan, but also a sour number one foreign policy priority.

    Our FTA opens the door to close collaboration between us as we both move to low carbon economies, to share our experiences, from the political to technical, from financial frameworks to challenging technologies.

    A great example of this cooperation is, Wrightbus, a Northern Ireland-based business, providing hydrogen fuel cell powertrain technology to manufacturer called Volgren – so that you can develop zero emissions buses at pace, here in Australia.

    Our Free Trade Agreement marks the start of a golden age of commerce between our countries.

    A new door opened for our entrepreneurs and businesses to easily share goods, ideas, their people’s talents and innovations.

    The UK is focused on ratifying the agreement as soon as possible.

    The reason I have to head home tomorrow is because I’ll be presenting the enabling legislation for the FTA to the House of Commons on Tuesday – the next stage towards implementing this legislation, so our firms and citizens can start to enjoy its benefits.

    I know your government is focused on moving ahead at pace too.

    It is important to remember, that all the hours we’ve spent around the virtual negotiating tables will mean very little, if the Agreement’s benefits are not fully realised.

    And I am the first to say that we shouldn’t expect busy companies to wade through 32 chapters and technical legal language either.

    So, for the UK, an important next step will be spell out to our businesses, in practical terms, how they can harness the deal to grow.

    We’ve already started this work and we’re liaising with our Australian partners on this process.

    Fostering closer trade ties with Australia has a strategic, as well as an economic dimension.

    Last year your leaders decided to start a new chapter in your naval defence journey, by rolling in a new closer relationship with the UK and the USA.

    This new trilateral defence partnership is committed to the preserve of security and stability in the Indo Pacific.

    Our AUKUS partnership will be a 50 year bond, starting with us working with Australia to start your requisition of nuclear-powered submarines.

    I am personally committed to ensuring that the whole ecosystem…which is required to build, upskill and maintain our own UK submarine enterprise will be right alongside you, our Australian friends and allies, as you start on this complex and technically demanding defence commitment.

    This will span everything from construction, to creating a nuclear engineering skills ecosystem, to training of your sailors, to the through-life, maintenance, support and decommissioning of your AUKUS submarines. This is an extraordinary journey you are embarking on

    As well as the initial part of the journey the actual building of the submarines, AUKUS – is a deep strategic partnership – and reflection our mutual trust and long-term cooperation:

    Through shared training of your and our submariners, to collaborating on our plans and sharing expertise – we will cement our nations’ geopolitical ties and better position ourselves to meet future challenges together.

    The UK and Australia are continually exploring new opportunities to work, trade and invest together.

    In fact, name pretty much any field and there’s an exciting joint project underway:

    Last year, we launched the Space Bridge, which will open new trade, investment, research and collaboration opportunities for our respective space sectors.

    In July, we signed a deal to allow British raw milk cheesemakers to sell their produce to Australia for the first time.

    While a few days ago, in Sydney, I launched our Net Zero Innovation Handbook, which has been developed by our Digital Trade Network.

    The handbook aims to highlight to Australian businesses, some of the exciting opportunities unlocked by UK companies on their net zero journeys.

    It’s really valuable reading, so if you haven’t already, I’d encourage you to have a look.

    Ladies and Gentlemen

    I hope I have given you a sense of the scale of our joint ambition today.

    I am very much focused on developing future trade and investment opportunities that will allow our relationship to flourish. I know Don is doing the same.

    So one last thought:

    Trade brings our nations closer, our businesses grow stronger and our citizens enjoy the rewards.

    And from everything I’ve seen on this trip I know our businesses do want us to work more closely together…

    So that we can build both our economic strength, and with it greater security…

    …whether that’s through providing the clean energy that will power our homes and businesses, or by assuring safe international waters that enable the world’s shipping to move goods around the world.

    We’ve achieved so much together already but we can look forward with anticipation that for our countries, there is a genuinely exciting future ahead…

    Through our renewed and revitalised trading relationship that will bring immense benefits to us all.

    Thank you

  • Committee on Fuel Poverty – 2022 Letter to Liz Truss

    Committee on Fuel Poverty – 2022 Letter to Liz Truss

    The letter sent by the Committee on Fuel Poverty to Liz Truss on 2 September 2022.

    (in .pdf format)

  • Committee on Fuel Poverty – 2022 Letter to Rishi Sunak

    Committee on Fuel Poverty – 2022 Letter to Rishi Sunak

    The letter sent by the Committee on Fuel Poverty to Rishi Sunak on 2 September 2022.

    (in .pdf format)

  • PRESS RELEASE : Expansion of polio sewage surveillance to areas outside London

    PRESS RELEASE : Expansion of polio sewage surveillance to areas outside London

    The press release issued by the UK Health Security Agency on 2 September 2022.

    UKHSA and MHRA are expanding polio sewage surveillance to a range of areas outside of the capital.

    Following the findings of poliovirus in sewage samples collected from the London Beckton Sewage Treatment Works, which covers parts of North and East London, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) working with the Medicines and Healthcare product Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are now expanding the surveillance to a range of areas outside of the capital.

    This is on a precautionary basis to determine whether the virus is spreading to other areas. To date, sewage sampling has been conducted in London and Glasgow, and no polio virus has been detected in Glasgow.

    The additional sites where the sampling will be rolled out are Sewage Treatment Works covering parts of Birmingham, Blackburn with Darwen, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, City of Bristol, Bury, Castle Point, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Luton, Manchester, North Tyneside, Newcastle upon Tyne, Gateshead, Nottingham, Preston, Salford, Sheffield and Watford.

    These areas have been chosen on the basis of an assessment of risk, which takes into consideration a number of factors. This includes demographics – population groups living in the area with links to countries overseas where wild poliovirus is still found or where live oral polio vaccine is still used; areas with low polio vaccination coverage; areas with pockets of under-vaccinated communities; and areas adjacent to the locations in London where poliovirus has been detected.

    The sewage sampling strategy will continue to be reviewed and adapted as new evidence emerges. Nationally the overall risk of paralytic polio is considered low because most people are protected from this by vaccination.

    Dr Vanessa Saliba, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

    “No cases of polio have been reported and for the majority of the population, who are fully vaccinated, the risk is low.

    We are now expanding the sewage sampling nationally to areas that are at highest risk of new poliovirus importations and areas most likely to see spread of poliovirus from London. We are in touch with public health colleagues in these areas and will work closely with local areas as the need arises.

    In the meantime it is vital parents across the country check their children are fully vaccinated for their age. Following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), all children aged 1 to 9 years in London need to have a dose of polio vaccine now – whether it’s an extra booster dose or just to catch up. It will ensure a high level of protection from paralysis. This may also help stop the virus spreading further.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Political Members appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life

    PRESS RELEASE : Political Members appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life

    The press release issued by Downing Street on 2 September 2022.

    The Prime Minister has today confirmed the appointment of three political members to the Committee on Standards in Public Life. Jeane Freeman is appointed as the Scottish National Party Member, Baroness Finn is as the Conservative Party Member, and Margaret Beckett has been reappointed as the Labour Member for the Committee.

    The Prime Minister has today confirmed the appointment of three political members to the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL). Jeane Freeman will commence her role on 1st December 2022, Baroness Finn on 21st November 2022, and Margaret Beckett’s new term begins on 1st November 2022.

    Jeane Freeman

    Jeane Freeman OBE is the former SNP MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley constituency from 2016 to 2021.

    Jeane Freeman was the Minister for Social Security 2016-2018 and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport, 2018-2021 in the Scottish Government.

    Outside of politics she has been appointed an honorary professor at Queen Margaret University (QMU) and appointed to a University of Glasgow role within the University’s College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences.

    Baroness Finn

    Baroness Finn, of Swansea, became a Conservative peer in 2015, and has served as a special adviser in the Cabinet Office, the Foreign Office and Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, and to the Prime Minister in 10 Downing Street. She has been a member of the advisory council of Transparency International, a trustee of the think tank Demos, a Parliamentary Fellow at St Antony’s Oxford, a member of the advisory board of the Centre for Politics, Philosophy and Law, King’s College, London, and served as a Non-Executive Director of the Cabinet Office.

    Margaret Beckett

    The Rt Hon Margaret Beckett DBE MP was originally appointed to the Committee on Standards in Public Life on 1 November 2010 and was most recently reappointed on 31 October 2019.

    Margaret Beckett has been Labour MP for Derby South since 1983. She was Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 1997-1998, President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons 1998-2001, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 2001-2006, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs 2006-2007, and Minister for Housing and Planning 2008-2009. She has also been Chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee. Margaret is a member of the Labour National Executive Committee (1980-1981, 2012-) and is Chair of the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy.

    Lord True, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office welcomed the new Members appointments, and Margaret Beckett for her continued work on the Committee saying:

    “I would like to congratulate Jeane Freeman and Baroness Finn on their appointment to the Committee and I am grateful to Margaret Beckett for her continued service to the Committee. I have no doubt that all these appointees will continue to display their strong commitment to the principles of public life.”

    Notes:

    The Committee on Standards in Public Life:

    • The Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) is an independent advisory non-departmental public body that advises the Prime Minister on ethical standards across the whole of public life in the UK. It conducts broad inquiries, collecting evidence to assess institutions, policies and practices and makes recommendations to the Prime Minister where appropriate.
    • The Committee promotes the Principles of Public Life, which outline the ethical standards those working in the public sector are expected to adhere to. The Principles apply to all public office holders and private and voluntary organisations delivering services paid for by public funds.

    Political Members are appointed for three-year renewable terms.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK monkeypox case numbers continue to decline

    PRESS RELEASE : UK monkeypox case numbers continue to decline

    The press release issued by the UK Health Security Agency on 2 September 2022.

    The latest UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) technical briefing has been published, showing further decline in the number of new monkeypox cases being identified.

    As of 26 August, there are 3,389 confirmed and highly probable cases of monkeypox in the UK. 3,239 of these are in England. Although new cases continue to be identified in all regions of the country, the number of new cases continues to slow.

    Out of 3,215 confirmed cases in England where gender information was available, 3,174 were men (99%) and 41 were women. 70% of cases are in London. The median age of cases in the UK is 36.

    Available data shows that the virus continues to be transmitted primarily in interconnected sexual networks of gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) and there is no robust evidence of sustained transmission outside these networks.

    Some new cases which may be linked to travel continue to be identified.

    UKHSA genomic surveillance indicates that all recent cases have fallen within Clade IIb.

    As of 30 August 2022, a total of 38,079 administered doses of vaccine have been recorded, of which 33,918 doses have been administered as pre-exposure vaccination, primarily to GBMSM. A further 1,992 doses have been given to healthcare workers managing monkeypox cases and 2,169 doses have been given to close contacts of cases.

    Dr Meera Chand, Director of Clinical and Emerging Infections, UKHSA, said:

    It is encouraging that the number of new monkeypox cases in the UK continues to fall, however the outbreak in the UK and around the world is not over. Please remember to check yourself for symptoms such as rashes and blisters, particularly if you have had new sexual partners recently and before you have sex with new partners.

    If you do have symptoms, please take a break from sex, and call 111 or a sexual health clinic. Symptoms can take up to 3 weeks to appear.

    If you are eligible for a vaccine, please wait to be called forward by the NHS and you will receive one once supply is available in your area. We are working with the manufacturer to ensure delivery as quickly as possible.

    Close contacts of those with monkeypox no longer need to isolate for 3 weeks. However, if you have been in close contact with someone with monkeypox, please take a break from close contact with others, including sex. This will help limit the chances of you passing on the virus if you do have it.

    We are contact tracing to identify those who have monkeypox, and to provide this information to their close contacts, but your sexual partner may choose to let you know directly.

    UKHSA will continue to publish regular technical briefings as the response to the outbreak continues.

  • PRESS RELEASE : £120,000 flag from sledge of British polar explorer at risk of leaving UK

    PRESS RELEASE : £120,000 flag from sledge of British polar explorer at risk of leaving UK

    The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 2 September 2022.

    A temporary export bar has been placed on a sledge flag from Captain Henry Kellett’s arctic expeditions.

    • Export bar is to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the flag
    • Sledge flags like this were used on voyages by British explorers and they continued to be used in the Antarctic in the early 20th century
    • This flag is one of the earliest known still in existence and dates to the early 1850s

    A rare sledge flag owned by British Naval Officer Captain Henry Kellett, who was involved in two major arctic expeditions, is at risk of leaving the UK unless a buyer can be found.

    Captain Henry Kellett, a proud Irishman, was a famous arctic explorer involved in expeditions charting the Northwest Passage – the sea route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean – which had become a focus for British science, trade and geographical exploration.

    During the search for Sir John Franklin’s lost 1845 expedition, Captain Kellett’s voyages helped map out the northern extremes of North America for Britain. The sledge flag, one of the earliest known in existence, helps to tell the story of British obsession in the 19th century with arctic exploration and serves as an important reminder of the tragedy of Franklin’s failed voyage.

    Sledge flags were unique to British polar explorers and helped to forge an identity among officers and crew for each sledge sent from the ship.

    Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

    “This flag serves as a reminder of Britain’s rich maritime history, helping to tell the story of early British sailors and their travels in search of new places. Its cultural and historical significance should be a driving force to keep it in the country. I hope a buyer comes forward for this treasure soon.”

    The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The Committee agreed that this is a fascinating example of a sledge flag and that the unique design of this flag, along with its importance within the context of British history, is of outstanding significance.

    The Chairman of the RCEWA, Sir Hayden Phillips, said:

    “The stories that surround this Sledge Flag make it come alive. Captain Kellett commanded HMS Resolute, one of many ships which, over at least three centuries, had sought to fulfil a British maritime obsession – finding the North West Passage. The flag and the ship were also linked to the constant late 19th century search for Sir John Franklin’s doomed expedition. Like his ships, crushed by the ice, Resolute had to be abandoned but was recovered and restored by the US Government and presented to Queen Victoria. She then ordered the crafting from its oak timbers an ornate desk which She presented to the President of the United States. This Sledge Flag, of unique design, is redolent with our history and should live here.”

    The Committee made its recommendation on the grounds that the departure of the sledge flag from the UK would be a misfortune owing to its close connection with British history and national life.

    The decision on the export licence application for the flag will be deferred for a period ending on 1 st December inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the flag at the recommended price of £120,000 (plus VAT of £24,000 which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution).

    The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for three months. Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by the minister. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Archbishop’s gift to Queen Elizabeth I at risk of leaving the UK

    PRESS RELEASE : Archbishop’s gift to Queen Elizabeth I at risk of leaving the UK

    The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 2 September 2022.

    A temporary export bar has been placed on a manuscript gifted to Queen Elizabeth I by Archbishop Matthew Parker.

    • Export bar is to allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the manuscript
    • The manuscript was part of a gift from the Archbishop and was intended to impress the Queen

    A manuscript which formed part of a gift from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Matthew Parker to Elizabeth I is at risk of leaving the country unless a buyer can be found.

    The historically rich manuscript is made up of nine roundels and forms a fragment of a gift to Queen Elizabeth I in the early 1550s. The roundels were likely folded and integrated into a now-lost gold salt cellar.

    The use of shell gold around the miniatures suggests that the manuscript was gifted with the intention of impressing the Queen.

    Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

    “Archbishop Parker is a figure of great historical and theological consequence, and this beautiful manuscript is a significant example of Elizabethan gift exchange. I hope a buyer comes forward for this piece so it can be used to learn more about both the Archbishop and Queen Elizabeth I.”

    The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest. The Committee agreed that the manuscript had enormous research value, specifically regarding Archbishop Matthew Parker’s relationship to Queen Elizabeth I and material gift culture. The literary allusions on the roundels further suggested Matthew Parker’s engagement with classical humanist culture that was not typically associated with the clergy and would lead to illuminating further study.

    Committee Member Peter Barber said:

    “These evocative, obscurely-worded and miraculously preserved roundels take us back to power politics and culture at the heart of Elizabeth I’s court. They are a tangible record of a vital and dangerous moment in our religious and political history when the delicately-crafted Anglican Settlement seemed to be in danger, but their wording still has to be fully interpreted and understood.

    While Tudor gift lists and sometimes the gifts themselves survive, such intrinsic – but cryptic – evidence for the mentality behind the gift -giving is perhaps unique. I fervently hope the roundels will remain in this country where outstanding collections and libraries – not least that of Archbishop Parker himself – would enable their plentiful remaining mysteries to be investigated and explained with a thoroughness that would simply not be possible elsewhere in the world.”

    The Committee made its recommendation on the grounds that the departure of the manuscript from the UK would be a misfortune owing to its outstanding significance to the study of Matthew Parker and gift-giving culture in the Elizabethan period.

    The decision on the export licence application for the manuscript will be deferred for a period ending on 1 December 2022. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 business days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the manuscript at the recommended price of £9,450 (plus VAT of £390 which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution).

    The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an option agreement and will last for three months. Offers from public bodies for less than the recommended price through the private treaty sale arrangements, where appropriate, may also be considered by the minister. Such purchases frequently offer substantial financial benefit to a public institution wishing to acquire the item.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Two Trustees reappointed to Royal Museums Greenwich

    PRESS RELEASE : Two Trustees reappointed to Royal Museums Greenwich

    The press release issued by the Department of Digital, Culture and Media and Sport on 2 September 2022.

    The Prime Minister has reappointed Dr Fiona Butcher and Dr Helen Czerski as trustees of Royal Museums Greenwich.

    Dr Fiona Butcher

    Reappointed for a four-year term from 3 September 2022 until 2 September 2026.

    Dr Fiona Butcher is the General Counsel and Company Secretary of Trinity College London, an international awarding organisation and educational charity. Before moving in-house, she worked in the fields of EU and competition law, regulation and compliance at a magic circle firm and at three regulators, including as the Legal Director of Ofwat. She holds law degrees from Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

    Dr Butcher has a keen interest in art history and holds a PhD from the Courtauld Institute of Art, where she specialised in Modern British Art and wrote her doctorate on British landscape painting in the early Cold War period. In addition, she has worked in the Interpretation Department at Tate Britain and contributed to various art publications.

    Dr Helen Czerski

    Reappointed for a four-year term from 3 September 2022 until 2 September 2026.

    Dr Helen Czerski is a physicist and oceanographer with a passion for science, sport, books, creativity, hot chocolate and investigating the interesting things in life.

    She is an Associate Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University College London and her research focus is the physics of breaking waves and bubbles at the ocean surface. She has worked on research ships in the Antarctic, the Pacific, the North Atlantic and the Arctic.

    Helen has been a regular science presenter on the BBC for ten years, covering the physics of the natural world and the physics of everyday life in BBC2 landmark documentaries and a range of BBC4. She is a frequent voice on the radio, on podcasts and also live stage performances.

    Helen writes regularly about science, and her first book Storm in a Teacup won the Italian Asimov Prize and the Louis J. Battan Author prize from the American Meteorological Society. She was awarded the Institute of Physics Gold Medal in 2018 for her work on physics communication, and an Honorary Fellowship of the British Science Association in 2020. She was one of the 2020 Royal Institution Christmas Lecturers, giving her Lecture on the topic of the ocean.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Trustees of Royal Museums Greenwich are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Dr Fiona Butcher and Dr Helen Czerski have not declared any significant political activity.