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Tag: 2022

  • PRESS RELEASE : Compulsory body-worn cameras for bailiffs to protect vulnerable [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Compulsory body-worn cameras for bailiffs to protect vulnerable [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 13 December 2022.

    Vulnerable people struggling with debt will be better protected from rogue bailiffs under government plans to make body-worn cameras compulsory.

    • new rules to curb aggressive tactics from private bailiffs to protect those struggling with debt
    • new independent oversight body launched
    • body-worn cameras will improve behaviour and support complaint investigations

    The move seeks to crackdown on the intimidating and aggressive behaviour of some private enforcement agents, commonly known as bailiffs, who prey on the most-at-risk.

    While the majority act professionally and already voluntarily wear body-worn cameras, the government will make this a legal requirement to ensure all bailiffs are held accountable for their behaviour and make it easier for complaints to be investigated.

    The courts will also be given a broader range of sanctioning powers, such as fines and training requirements, to punish high court enforcement agents who act inappropriately.

    It comes as the government has also provided its backing to the Enforcement Conduct Board – a new independent oversight body that aims to hold the debt enforcement sector to account, drive up standards, and establish a clear set of guidelines for best practice.

    Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab said:

    We’re determined to protect vulnerable households which includes ensuring they’re not harassed by rogue bailiffs.

    While the majority of bailiffs act above board, body-worn cameras will make sure those who abuse their powers can be held to account.

    A review of the fees bailiffs can recover will also be launched in due course. It will ensure these are set at an appropriate level and consider whether more can be done to encourage debts to be settled without the upset and alarm that can be caused by  a visit to a person’s home.

  • Ben Wallace – 2022 Statement on Skynet 6

    Ben Wallace – 2022 Statement on Skynet 6

    The statement made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, in the House of Commons on 12 December 2022.

    I am pleased to inform the House that I am today laying a departmental minute to advise that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has received approval from His Majesty’s Treasury to recognise new contingent liabilities associated with the Skynet 6 programme. This programme, as set out in the defence Command Paper “Defence in a Competitive Age”, will provide the MOD with a world class, modern military satellite communications network to support our and our allies’ operations globally. This will be achieved through new capital investment in the ground stations, spacecraft and user terminals that form the Skynet strategic capability. These new contingent liabilities are specifically related to the launch of our first next generation satellite, known as Skynet 6A, which is scheduled to take place in financial year 2025-26 using a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral. This follows four Skynet 5 satellites (A, B, C and D) currently in orbit, which will be initially supplemented, and then incrementally replaced by 6A and a further four satellite systems being procured through the Skynet 6 enduring capability (EC) project. His Majesty’s Treasury approved the proposed three contingent liabilities and Chairs of the Public Accounts Committee and Defence Committee were notified on 23 June 2020.

    Three contingent liabilities are recognised.

    The first contingent liability relates to loss of capability of the Skynet 6A system. The MOD will take ownership of the Skynet 6A spacecraft at launch and has not sought to secure insurance for the launch or acceptance phases, as it was assessed as not providing value for money. The post mitigation worst-case financial exposure of risk of loss of capability related to these events, assuming the need to re-procure a spacecraft with similar capabilities, has been assessed at a value of £720 million.

    The second contingent liability relates to long delay of launch. The MOD has agreed to bear the allowable costs of a launch-related delay which arise for reasons entirely outside of the control of the contractor. A long launch delay would result in the MOD incurring additional storage, prelaunch insurance, maintenance, launch service provider and other delay-related allowable costs. The post mitigation worst-case financial exposure of a long launch delay has been assessed at a value of £253 million.

    The third contingent liability relates to a cross-waiver of liability in favour of the Skynet 6A launch service provider. Cross-waivers are standard practice in space launches. The MOD has agreed a cross waiver of liability in favour of SpaceX and related parties in respect of damage to Ministry of Defence property and personal injury, death or property damage incurred by Ministry of Defence employees. This liability is assessed as unquantifiable due to the nature, scope, range, and scale of possible scenarios that might occur, which means that it is not currently possible to provide a realistic estimate of cost.

    The attachment can be viewed online at: http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2022-12-12/HCWS436/.

  • Drew Hendry – 2022 Speech on British Council Contractors in Afghanistan

    Drew Hendry – 2022 Speech on British Council Contractors in Afghanistan

    The speech made by Drew Hendry, the SNP MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, in the House of Commons on 12 December 2022.

    Thank you, Mr Speaker.

    I, too, congratulate the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) on securing this important urgent question. It is morally indefensible that, more than a year after the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, there are still innocent Afghans who worked for the British Government and military who have received zero support from this Government and the Home Office. It is not acceptable to use terms such as “something like.” Exactly how many former British Council staff, including support staff, are still living in Afghanistan in fear of their lives and livelihoods? When the Government say they have brought 6,300 Afghans to “safety,” what exactly does that mean? How many of them are former British Council employees?

    The Taliban’s so-called kill list is an active threat. Do the Government know how many of their former employees are on that list? Finally, it is appropriate that 540 staff are working on the Ukraine schemes but, if the Government are taking Afghanistan as seriously as they are supposed to be, why do the figures show a maximum of eight people working on the Afghan schemes?

    Mr Mitchell

    The frustration expressed by the hon. Gentleman is shared by many of us. It is not possible to quantify the figures in precisely the way he requests, but I will ensure that we write to him with the closest possible approximation.

  • Fabian Hamilton – 2022 Speech on British Council Contractors in Afghanistan

    Fabian Hamilton – 2022 Speech on British Council Contractors in Afghanistan

    The speech made by Fabian Hamilton, the Labour MP for Leeds North East, in the House of Commons on 12 December 2022.

    I again thank the hon. Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) for securing this urgent question. He has been a great champion of the British Council in this place. We know that hundreds of British Council contractors are still stranded in Afghanistan following this Government’s botched evacuation from Kabul. Earlier this year, the Minister told the House that the Government were “supporting those in need” and that 50 British Council contractors had been evacuated. However, a recent report in The Guardian indicated that, as the hon. Gentleman said, the Government had not granted a single ACRS application since the programme was opened—not one. Furthermore, fewer than 10 staff are currently working on the scheme at the FCDO.

    I am contacted frequently by British Council contractors who are suffering terribly, and I would be grateful if the Minister would allow me to raise these cases with him privately. Many of those that are still in Afghanistan are former security guards who protected British staff at the embassy, and they undertook an extremely difficult task during the evacuation in August last year. We owe so much to those courageous British Council contractors, and the fact that they are still in Afghanistan and facing daily violence and threats as a result of their co-operation with the UK is nothing short of a disgrace.

    The last time I put these questions to the Government, answers were not forthcoming, so I am hopeful that this time I might be able to get some clarity. Can the Minister tell us how many former British Council contractors are still stuck in Afghanistan, what measures are being put in place to evacuate the rest of the British Council contractors still stranded in Afghanistan and what engagement he has had with regional partners to facilitate safe passage for British Council staff who attempt to leave? And message does it send to other British Council contractors who work in challenging environments around the world if the UK Government will leave these contractors stranded in this way?

    Mr Mitchell

    I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments, and he is quite right to express deep concern about those who are caught in this way. He asks me whether he may raise cases privately with me, and of course the answer is yes. I will make arrangements for those meetings to take place straight after this urgent question is over. He asks a number of questions, and if I do not answer them fully, I will ensure that we write to him. He is right to say that we keep in very good contact with regional partners in countries to try to advance this issue. This particular stream only opened in June this year. The Foreign Office has processed and is informing something in the region of 200 of those who are eligible in principle, and if the dependants are added to that, it is something like 750. So those are proceeding, and it is of course up to the Home Office to procure the necessary security clearance prior to them securing entry clearance. So, the process is going on, but I fully accept his frustration—it is a frustration we all share in this matter—and as I say, perhaps we can proceed with a private meeting, as he has requested.

  • John Baron – 2022 Speech on British Council Contractors in Afghanistan

    John Baron – 2022 Speech on British Council Contractors in Afghanistan

    The speech made by John Baron, the Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay, in the House of Commons on 12 December 2022.

    Thank you for granting the urgent question, Mr Speaker. Let me start by both welcoming the Foreign Secretary’s speech on foreign policy this morning, which called for a long-term, resilient approach that will build the long-term, trusting relationships that this country needs for the future, and underlining the fact that that is precisely the purpose of the British Council, which has been building connections for this country throughout the world, quietly, consistently and effectively, since the 1930s. I hope that the Minister sees, as I do, the key role that the British Council can play in helping to achieve those objectives.

    I make no apologies for asking this urgent question, because people’s lives are at risk. I went through the regular channels a year ago, and was told that progress was being made, which is more or less what the Minister has just said. I raised it again in October/November, but there has been no response. The progress has not been made.

    For more than 16 months since Operation Pitting and the fall of Kabul, about 200 British Council contractors and their families have been stuck in Afghanistan. As has recently been highlighted in the media, many of them are in hiding and in fear of their lives, unable to seek medical advice when it is necessary for themselves and their families, and family members have died as a consequence. As the Minister said, British Council contractors are eligible under ACRS pathway 3, but those 200 or so contractors remain stuck in Afghanistan because of a blockage of red tape here in the UK. Until that blockage is cleared they will remain in danger, possibly for a second Afghan winter. Since its launch in January, the scheme has not repatriated a single person from Afghanistan: I have received confirmation of that from the British Council. In July and August, an application window closed for the contractors to submit expressions of interest. British Council employees worked at pace with the FCDO to identify those who had actually worked with them, yet there has still been no progress whatsoever. Having used all the regular channels, I would now like to ask the Minister to do all he can before Christmas to clear these blockages and get these contractors back to the UK.

    Mr Mitchell

    I thank my hon. Friend for what he has said. He eloquently extols the brilliance of the British Council. I had some responsibility for it 10 years ago, and I know very well that what he says about it is entirely correct. He is quite right about the eligibility, and we very much understand the urgency to which he refers. This particular pathway process started on 20 June and remained open for eight weeks. The Foreign Office has looked at every single one of the applicants, and the process is moving through. I would just say that, although it is taking a lot of time, it is right that officials should look carefully at each and every one of those cases. There is a balance to be struck, but I will ensure that my hon. Friend’s words and concerns are reflected across Government as a result of this urgent question.

  • Andrew Mitchell – 2022 Statement on British Council Contractors in Afghanistan

    Andrew Mitchell – 2022 Statement on British Council Contractors in Afghanistan

    The statement made by Andrew Mitchell, the Minister of State at the Foreign Office on 12 December 2022.

    The Minister who is responsible for Afghanistan—the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Leo Docherty)—is travelling. I am a poor substitute, but I am most grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) for raising this very important matter.

    During Operation Pitting, nearly all British Council staff and some contractors were evacuated and offered resettlement through the Afghan relocations and assistance policy. Some British Council contractors, plus dependants, remain in Afghanistan and are eligible for consideration for resettlement under the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme. The scheme will see up to 20,000 people from Afghanistan and the region resettled in to the United Kingdom. It provides a safe and legal route for some of those affected by events in Afghanistan to come to the United Kingdom and rebuild their lives.

    The first year of ACRS pathway 3 is focused on eligible at-risk British Council and GardaWorld contractors, as well as Chevening alumni, honouring the commitments made by the Government to those three groups. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office opened an online process on 20 June this year to seek expressions of interest in resettlement from those groups. They have played a key role in supporting the UK mission in Afghanistan, and it is right that we are honouring the commitments made during the evacuation to support those at risk. Up to 1,500 people from Afghanistan and the region will be referred for resettlement in the UK in the first year of pathway 3, including eligible family members.

    The FCDO received more than 11,400 expressions of interest, which are being assessed in terms of eligibility. People are being notified of the outcome, and we are sending names to the Home Office for security checks. Once the checks have been completed, we will provide advice on the next steps for those who are being referred for a place on the ACRS. It remains a priority to honour the commitment made to eligible at-risk British Council contractors, and to offer a route for resettlement in the UK under the scheme. I want to thank the council for its excellent co-operation with the FCDO to date, as we work together to resettle eligible contractors under pathway 3.

    We are doing everything we can to bring the first British Council and other arrivals under pathway 3 to the United Kingdom as soon as possible, where we will help them to rebuild their lives. Anyone who is eligible and resettled through the ACRS will receive indefinite leave to remain in the UK, and, under existing rules, will be able to apply for British citizenship after five years in the UK. This is one of the most ambitious resettlement schemes in our country’s history, and we are proud to offer a safe and legal route to those affected by events in Afghanistan.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Scottish Secretary comments on December 2022 labour market stats [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Scottish Secretary comments on December 2022 labour market stats [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 13 December 2022.

    Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

    Scotland’s labour market continues to demonstrate its resilience, with unemployment remaining close to historic lows and the number of employees on the payroll continuing to rise.

    The UK Government is committed to helping people find and progress in work, and to drive sustainable economic growth. The Chancellor set out a number of measures in the Autumn Statement to put public finances on a secure footing and to promote economic growth – steps that are already making a positive contribution to tackling inflationary pressures.

    Background

    Figures from the ONS show unemployment in Scotland at 3.3 per cent in Scotland, down 0.8 p.p since the same time last year. Scotland’s employment rate is at 75.9 per cent, an increase of 1.4 p.p over the last year.

  • PRESS RELEASE : £102 million government backing for nuclear and hydrogen innovation in the UK [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : £102 million government backing for nuclear and hydrogen innovation in the UK [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 13 December 2022.

    • Government further commits to the future of nuclear power by investing £77 million to support nuclear fuel production and next generation advanced nuclear reactors in the UK
    • further £25 million funding announced for innovative new technologies that will generate clean hydrogen from biomass and waste
    • government also seeks views on proposals to make domestic gas boilers more efficient and be hydrogen-ready from 2026, to prepare for any future transition to using low-carbon hydrogen for heating

    The UK government is today (13 December 2022) announcing new funding to support clean energy production in the UK, following Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent impact on global energy prices.

    Today’s funding includes £77 million to bolster nuclear fuel production and support the development of the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors, along with £25 million for technologies that can produce hydrogen from sustainable biomass and waste, while removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

    Nuclear investment

    The government is today committing to new and innovative nuclear energy with the announcement of funding worth up to £60 million to kick start the next phase of research into the new cutting-edge High Temperature Gas Reactor (HTGR), a type of Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR), which could be up and running by the early 2030s. The funding, from the Advanced Modular Reactor R&D programme, aims to get a demonstration project of the engineering design up and running by the end of the decade.

    HTGRs are typically smaller than conventional nuclear power stations, more flexible, and could be built at a fraction of a cost. It is hoped that as well as safely creating electricity to power homes, HTGRs will bolster the UK’s energy sovereignty and security, by reducing reliance on expensive fossil fuels, as well as generate by-products such as low-carbon hydrogen.  By generating temperatures of up to 950 degrees, HTGRs provide a source of clean, high temperature heat that could help decarbonise industrial processes in the UK.

    Today’s funding for HTGR innovation is supported with a further £4 million funding for the AMR Knowledge Capture Project, as a complementary project to the AMR Research, Development and Demonstration programme.  The project seeks to facilitate knowledge capture and sharing to reduce the time, risk, and cost of the programme delivery.

    Also announced today is up to £13 million for nuclear fuel fabricators Westinghouse in Preston, which has strategic importance to producing fuel for the current UK advanced gas cooled reactor fleet. The funding will mean the UK has the option of being less reliant on imports from abroad and helps the company develop the capability to making both reprocessed uranium and freshly mined uranium.  This is a significant investment at the Westinghouse Springfields site in Lancashire safeguarding hundreds of highly skilled jobs in the northwest.

    As well as bolstering UK energy security, ministers hope it will also deliver export opportunities for the sector and position the UK as a key international supplier of nuclear fuel and fuel cycle services.

    The news comes a fortnight after ministers announced the further revitalisation of the UK nuclear industry, by confirming the first state backing of a nuclear project in over 30 years, with an historic £700 million stake in Sizewell C in Suffolk. The power station will produce enough electricity to power the equivalent of 6 million homes for over 50 years.

    Energy and Climate Minister Graham Stuart said:

    This funding package will strengthen our energy security, by ensuring we have a safe and secure supply of domestic nuclear fuel services – while also creating more UK jobs and export opportunities.

    Hydrogen innovation

    Set to become a super-fuel of the future, accelerating the use of hydrogen will be key to the UK’s greener energy future, alongside the government’s work to deploy renewables and nuclear to strengthen the UK’s energy security.

    To support this, the government has committed £25 million to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) – a unique ‘negative emission’ technology that can permanently remove waste from the atmosphere by absorbing CO2 during the growth of the sustainable biomass and the organic content.

    Hydrogen BECCS technologies will have a key role to play on the UK’s path to net zero emissions, providing hydrogen as a clean fuel for hard-to-decarbonise sectors such as transport and heavy industry. Today’s funding will go directly towards progressing BECCS projects from the design stage to demonstration, supporting the technology to eventually become integrated as part of our everyday energy system.

    Energy Minister Lord Callanan said:

    With its potential to go one step further than net zero, and be carbon negative – removing greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere – this hydrogen technology will be crucial to achieving our climate goals.

    Our £25 million government funding to develop this technology will help unlock private investment and generate new green jobs – all while cutting carbon emissions.

    This programme forms one of many steps the government is taking to develop a thriving low-carbon hydrogen sector as part of the UK’s green industrial revolution.

    Also announced today are proposals to set higher efficiency standards for new gas boilers, which could help households save on energy bills by cutting their use of expensive fossil fuels. Improving boiler efficiency will cut carbon emissions on the way to phasing out new and replacement natural-gas-only boilers from 2035. The proposal estimates 21 million tonnes of CO2 can be saved by 2050, the equivalent of taking nearly 9 million cars off the road for a year.

    In a further move towards making household heating more efficient, the government is also consulting on a proposal for all new domestic-scale gas boilers sold from 2026 to be capable of being powered by hydrogen, to prepare for any potential future transition to the use of low-carbon hydrogen for heating.

    Also published today is the ‘UK Hydrogen Strategy update to the market: December 2022’, summarising the government’s action to advance the hydrogen economy since the last update this summer. Activity undertaken by government in the last few months includes:

    These documents strengthen the policy and regulatory landscape for the UK’s hydrogen sector, to provide further certainty for investors and industry alike.

    Stakeholder reaction

    Tarik Choho, President of Nuclear Fuel at Westinghouse, said:

    There is a strong global appetite for diversified and secure sources of supply of fuel and services and the UK’s nuclear excellence and experience, particularly at Springfields, offer utilities an attractive option.

    We are delighted the UK government recognises the role of Springfields, and its workforce, as a strategic asset that supports a clean and secure energy future.

    Jane Toogood, UK Hydrogen Champion, said:

    It’s good to see the next stage of implementation of the Hydrogen Strategy, particularly the consultation on the proposal to make new gas boilers hydrogen-ready. To maintain market confidence and investment, industry needs the Government to keep up the momentum, particularly on decisions to create demand for hydrogen and progress the hydrogen business models.

    Mike Foster, Chief Executive of Energy and Utilities Alliance and The Heating and Hotwater Industry Council, said:

    Mandating hydrogen-ready boilers is an important step towards decarbonising homes. The government are absolutely right to support this no-regrets option. Boiler manufacturers have already made their ‘price promise’ so that a new hydrogen-ready boiler will cost the same as a natural gas appliance. So this means 1.7 million homes a year will be ready for net zero at no extra cost to the consumer, helping us hit our 2050 target.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New UK sanctions target senior Russian commanders following strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : New UK sanctions target senior Russian commanders following strikes on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 December 2022.

    UK announces a new package of sanctions in response to Russia’s continued strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.

    • Sanctions targeted at high-level Russian officials for their roles in the Russian military and its inhumane, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine
    • Commanders of military units implicated in missile strikes on Ukrainian cities among those sanctioned
    • Designations also focus on Iranian businessmen and a military official involved in the production and/or supply of military drones used to carry out attacks.

    The UK has today (13th December) announced a new package of 16 sanctions targeting senior Russian commanders for their involvement in the Russian military, and Iranian businessmen and officials involved in the production and/or supply of drones to the Kremlin.

    The announcement comes as Russia steps up its campaign of terror against Ukraine, striking at crucial energy infrastructure and plunging its people into the dark and freezing cold of winter.

    Twelve senior commanders of Russian military forces, including units implicated in attacks on Ukrainian cities, have been sanctioned. Major General Robert Baranov, identified by a Bellingcat investigation as the commander of a unit responsible for programming and targeting Russian cruise missiles, is among those targeted.

    More than 6,000 Ukrainian civilians are estimated to have died since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, primarily as a result of Russian missile and artillery strikes. Intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law – those responsible must be held to account.

    Iranian-manufactured drones have played a central role in these evil attacks on civilians. On 9 December, the US released information showing Iran has become one of Russia’s top military backers, sending hundreds of drones to Russia in violation of its international legal obligations, which have been used to attack Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and kill civilians.

    Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

    The UK stands with Ukraine. Russian forces’ calculated attacks on cities and innocent civilians in Ukraine will not go unanswered.

    The Iranian regime is increasingly isolated in the face of deafening calls for change from its own people and is striking sordid deals with Putin in a desperate attempt to survive.

    Putin wants to break Ukraine’s spirit, but he will not succeed. Ukraine will win, and Ukraine will rebuild.

    The Iranian regime’s brutal repression of its own people and the threat it poses in the Middle East have left Iran isolated internationally and in desperate need of support from Putin. Today’s sanctions include individuals facilitating the production of these drones, including the co-owner and Managing Director of MADO, the company responsible for manufacturing engines for the drones which have been used by Russia in Ukraine.

    UK sanctions are taking the wheels off the Russian war machine and forcing its military to compromise on vital weaponry and equipment. Defence Intelligence reports suggest that Russian armed forces are struggling to replenish their missile reserves, while they are increasingly forced to rely on second rate drones supplied by Iran to keep up their inhumane bombardments of the Ukrainian people.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Conservative comment on social care worker pay rise [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Welsh Conservative comment on social care worker pay rise [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Welsh Conservatives on 13 December 2022.

    Commenting, Welsh Conservative and Shadow Social Services Minister Gareth Davies MS said:

    “It is about time the Labour Government delivered on Welsh Conservative calls for a higher wage for social carers, something we called for in the last election.

    “It is a shame it took so long to deliver, especially when it would have cost only £9m last year to tie carer pay to NHS pay-scales.

    “Now we need to see the other improvements we want for carers from a right to respite to upskilling carers to take on more fulfilling responsibilities. This would be in addition to free bus travel and grants to access education, training, and employment for young carers.

    “The Budget has to be one of delivery, and this is what the Welsh Conservatives will be pushing for.”