Tag: 2023

PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s illegitimate “elections” convince nobody – UK Statement to the OSCE [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 September 2023.

Ambassador Neil Holland says that Russia is using violence and aggression to try and rewrite the rules, redraw borders and ignore the will of the Ukrainian people.

Thank you, Mr Chair. I want to begin by condemning Russia’s appalling missile attack on a market in Kostyantynivka, eastern Ukraine. Those responsible must be held to account. Intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population and civilian objects constitutes war crimes.

Mr Chair, as Russia fails to achieve its objectives on the battlefield, its desperation grows. Russia is imposing so-called “elections” on the Ukrainian oblasts it claims to have annexed last year, as well as in Crimea. This is a further violation of Ukraine’s sovereign and territorial integrity and the UN Charter. Alongside torture, forced deportations and summary executions, it is yet another despicable tactic to repress Ukrainian civilians. Civilians who have continued bravely to resist Russian aggression in the face of unspeakable atrocities. Civilians who are determined to remain part of an independent and sovereign Ukraine.

Mirroring last year’s sham referendums, these illegitimate “elections” are straight out of the Kremlin playbook. Media have reported door-to-door visits of armed military forcing residents to partake in the vote. However, just like in September 2022, the results will have no credibility. These so-called elections are simply another way for Moscow to fuel its propaganda machine and attempt to legitimise its illegal presence in Ukraine.

Mr Chair, Russia is seeking to deceive the world to further its territorial ambition. However, as the international community made overwhelmingly clear at the United Nations General Assembly last year, Russia’s attempts to take Ukrainian territory by force or intimidation will never be recognised. Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Crimea are all irrefutably part of Ukraine. Falsified elections will never change that.

Using its repressive measures in Crimea as a blueprint, Russia has expanded restrictions on human rights and fundamental freedoms to the temporarily controlled territories of Ukraine. At every level, President Putin is attempting to eliminate any trace of Ukrainian statehood and identity. Forcefully deporting children. Restricting Ukrainian language and culture. And imposing Russian laws, currency, media and passports.

As part of its brutal campaign of repression, Russia has taken political prisoners in areas it temporarily controls, as well as in illegally annexed Crimea. These political detainees are kept in appalling conditions. Two such political prisoners, Dzhemil Gafarov and Kostiantyn Shiring, have already died while being held captive. In contravention of international law, Russia is not providing prisoners with adequate access to medical care. Many are in agony, often with life-threatening illnesses. The United Kingdom calls for the immediate release of all Ukrainian political prisoners held by Russia, especially those who require urgent medical assistance. Russia must, and will, be held accountable for the horrific suffering it is visiting upon Ukrainian detainees.

Mr Chair, Russia is using violence and aggression to try and rewrite the rules, redraw borders and ignore the will of the Ukrainian people. Russia has demonstrated complete disregard for international law and the core principles upon which this organisation was founded.

We reaffirm that the only path to peace is if Russia ceases its illegal war, withdraws all its forces and military equipment from Ukraine, and respects the will of the Ukrainian people for a wholly independent and democratic Ukraine.

September 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Son and mother receive suspended jail sentences for waste offences at Huddersfield fire site [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 8 September 2023.

A son and mother responsible for illegal waste activity at a site in Huddersfield, which then set on fire in 2016 causing significant risk to the environment, have been sentenced.

Samuel Hunter, aged 31 of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, and Jacinta Hunter, aged 59 of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, were given a 24-month custodial sentence, and 12-month sentence respectively, suspended for two years.

Samuel Hunter must undertake 300 hours of unpaid work, the maximum number of hours a court can order. Jacinta Hunter must undertake 80 hours of unpaid work.

The two defendants, who were director and manager of Hunter Group (Yorkshire) Limited also known as Sam H Services Limited, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to charges of waste offences at a site in Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield, and were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday 6 September. The defendants accepted they had kept waste which posed a fire risk in a manner likely to cause pollution or harm to human health.

The company had premises at Scotland Yard, Queens Mill Road, Huddersfield, and held an environmental permit from the Environment Agency, which has conditions in place to ensure any waste activity does not impact on the environment.

Following site inspections by the Environment Agency in 2015 and 2016, the site was found to be repeatedly in breach of its permit, as huge piles of waste were found pushing against a perimeter fence which was broken in places. Shredded waste was found stored between a roofed area of the site and a wall, when it should have been in a building or held in bays.

The Environment Agency ordered the waste be moved and the fences repaired, but return inspections found that no improvements had been made.

Following continued breaches of the permit, and concerns over the waste falling through the fence and potentially polluting a river, two enforcement notices were issued. When advice had been given to make improvements, Samuel Hunter was verbally abusive to officers on more than one occasion.

Environment Agency officers were concerned that rubbish including wood, rubble and scrap metal including a gas bottle was hanging over the wall against the damaged fencing towards the river. In one place where the boundary fence was completely missing, some waste had fallen into the river, so was at risk of causing pollution.

A further visit found waste being stored had increased significantly, was rotting and being stored in large steaming piles.

Fire risk

West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service attended and advised Samuel Hunter that the site was a fire risk and that he needed to introduce fire breaks between the waste piles.

An Environment Agency officer estimated the volume of waste on site to be between 825 and 1383 tonnes. Disposal of this quantity of waste at landfill would cost between £98,880 – £165,912. The amount charged by the company for accepting the waste onto site was estimated to be £120 per tonne. In June 2016 another individual began running the company and site.

The court then heard how on 18 August 2016 a fire broke out at the site and a large amount of runoff had accumulated behind the premises of a nearby glass factory from the firefighting activities.

This was a major concern as it was about to overflow into the river or flood the building where the glass company had important compressor machinery. To avoid this, West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service deployed a small pump to move this runoff onto the access road so it would flow into the sewer network, which meant the road was closed for the entire day on 19 August 2016.

On 25 August 2016 Kirklees Council took the decision to bring machinery onto site to dig into the waste pile and move the waste around on the site to help the fire service extinguish the fire.

The fire was still smouldering on the 30 August 2016. It took Kirklees Council till March 2017 to remove all the waste from the site to reduce the risk of ongoing fires. The total amount paid by Kirklees Council for clearance of the site amounted to £1,142,131.

‘Flagrant disregard for the law’

In sentencing, the Judge was satisfied both defendants had committed the offences deliberately with a flagrant disregard for the law which he described as a financial decision. Jacinta Hunter had followed Samuel Hunter’s lead as he was the controlling mind of Hunter Group (Yorkshire) Limited. He said Samuel Hunter should be ashamed of his behaviour when he described his interactions with Environment Agency officers to whom he had been foul and abusive.

In mitigation, the defence said the Hunters were trying to act within the law and were not rogue operators. Jacinta Hunter said she hadn’t been given enough time to meet the deadlines to rectify issues at the site. Samuel Hunter maintained he had done everything he could.

Ben Hocking, Yorkshire Environment Manager at the Environment Agency said:

The seriousness of this sentence sends out a message that waste crime will not be tolerated.

This case followed action from the Environment Agency with support from our colleagues at West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and Kirklees Council. Despite repeatedly being warned, waste was still brought onto site causing a risk to the environment and contributing to a fire which affected the surrounding community and businesses, and left authorities with significant clear up costs.

Waste criminals undercut legitimate business, damage our environment, and are a blight on local communities. We encourage people to report any illegal waste activity to our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060.

A timetable was set for Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings to deprive the defendants of any financial benefit arising from their offending, so there were no financial orders for costs against the defendants at this hearing.

September 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Fraudulent presidential election in Belarus – 2023 joint statement to the OSCE [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 September 2023.

UK and others mark the three-year anniversary of the fraudulent presidential election in Belarus.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

I am delivering this statement on behalf of the United Kingdom, Canada, Iceland, and my own country Norway. As we mark the three-year anniversary of the deeply flawed and fraudulent 2020 presidential election, I wish to reiterate our steadfast solidarity with the Belarusian people in the face of relentless, systematic repression, and our support for their hopes of a free and democratic future. The 2023 Moscow Mechanism report and its predecessor in 2020 both found compelling evidence of widespread, continued human rights violations against all parts of Belarusian society.

To quote briefly from Professor Ascencio’s report earlier this year: “so far, the Government of Belarus has not taken any steps to put an end to this situation, nor to provide effective remedies for the victims. On the contrary, the repressive policy has been steadily increasing over the past two years”. In July, the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus described the current human rights situation as catastrophic, and only getting worse.

We have continuously called on the Belarusian regime to put an end to these egregious human rights violations against its own citizens, and to undertake the necessary free and fair elections for the Belarusian people to determine their own leaders and their own future.

However, the regime has consistently ignored the recommendations from a range of independent experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Belarus, the UNCHR examination, the Moscow and Vienna Mechanisms, the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s fact-finding report and the International Labour Organisation’s Commission of Inquiry.

Three years on from the fraudulent elections, the regime is still relentless in brutally targeting its own citizens, systematically liquidating civil society organisations and clamping down on independent journalists, trade unions, human rights defenders and many ordinary people. There are now over 1,500 political prisoners in detention, many of whom are starved of contact with the outside world and subject to cruel and degrading treatment, including torture. We are deeply concerned by cases of deaths in custody and call upon the Belarusian authorities to respect their international human rights obligations and OSCE commitments, including providing access to appropriate medical treatment for those in detention.

Furthermore, the regime is facilitating human rights violations beyond its borders in Ukraine through the support it continues to provide to Russia’s illegal invasion. Lukashenko has used Putin’s war of aggression to increase his own illegal repression, violently supressing peaceful anti-war protests and arresting anyone who openly opposes the war.

We will continue to hold the Belarusian regime to account for their human rights violations and support to Russia’s illegal war. This includes through targeted sanctions packages and support for accountability measures to ensure that those responsible will one day face justice. We welcome the ongoing work of the International Accountability Platform for Belarus and UN in documenting and preserving evidence.

In conclusion, Mr Chair, we urge the Belarusian regime to reconsider the path their government is taking and to address the recommendations made in the Moscow Mechanism reports of both 2020 and 2023. We urge the Belarusian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners. And we call on Belarus to respect their OSCE commitments on democracy and human rights and to engage in political dialogue. It is for the people of Belarus to determine their own future.

Thank you, Mr Chair.

September 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces appointment of five members to the Board of Tourism Northern Ireland [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 8 September 2023.

The Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has today announced the appointment of five members to the Board of Tourism Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has today announced the appointment of Mrs Aileen Martin, Mrs Linda MacHugh, Mr Ciaran O’Neill, Ms Áine Gallagher and Mr Colin Johnston as new Tourism Northern Ireland (Tourism NI) Board Members. In the absence of Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive, this appointment was made under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022.

The Members have taken up post with effect from 8 August 2023.

These new Members will bring a wealth of private and public sector experience to the Board of Tourism NI to the benefit of the local tourism sector. The successful candidates have extensive backgrounds in such areas as corporate governance; financial management; strategic thinking; business improvement and the hotel and hospitality industry, and their significant knowledge and skills will play a key role in ensuring that this important sector goes from strength to strength in what promises to be an exciting time for tourism in Northern Ireland.

Biography

Aileen Martin is a Director of Hastings Hotels, Chair of John Atcheson Trust and Rosie’s Trust and President of Northern Ireland Polio Fellowship. From November 2023 she will also be a Non-Executive Director of Action Cancer.

Linda MacHugh recently retired after 18 years as a senior civil servant during which she held a number of positions including Director of Urban Regeneration Strategy, Principal Private Secretary to the First Minister, Director of Water & Drainage Policy and Director of Corporate Support Services in the Department for Infrastructure (DfI). She also led the Local Government Reform Programme and was Acting Deputy Secretary in DfI.

Prior to joining the Civil Service, Linda supported and promoted the textiles and clothing sector as Director of the NI Textiles and Apparel Association and the Irish Linen Guild and was a Board member of the NI Textiles & Clothing Training Council. She also spent 11 years as a Trustee of the Meningitis Research Foundation.

Ciaran O’Neill is Managing Director at the Bishop’s Gate Hotel Derry, an award-winning establishment that opened its doors in 2016. Beyond his professional achievements, Ciaran has made lasting contributions to the industry landscape. A decade of service on the Board of Visit Derry reflects his dedication to promoting tourism and its growth. His 14-year tenure on the Board of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation culminated in his role as President in 2016.

Ciaran’s dedication extends to nurturing future talent in the tourism sector through his role as Chair of the Hospitality and Tourism Skills Network (HATs) and his commitment to education as Chairperson of the Board of Governors at St Cecilia’s College.

Áine Gallagher is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland, having trained with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Belfast. She is a former Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and Non-Executive Member of the Advisory Group of the Northern Ireland Audit Office and was Director of Operations for Culture Company 2013 Ltd, the company established by the then Derry City Council to develop and deliver the inaugural UK City of Culture in 2013. She was Director of Finance and Corporate Services for Northern Ireland Hospice and worked for Invest NI for two separate terms, most recently in 2021-22. Since 2018, Áine has provided consultancy services to clients in the public, private and voluntary sectors on strategic planning, governance, organisational effectiveness, funding and finance, management reporting, capital and development projects, as well as growth, improvement and cultural programmes.

Colin Johnston has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Joining Galgorm Collection in 2001, Colin held several senior management roles before taking the helm as Managing Director in 2016. During this time Colin managed the integration and £60 million development phase at Galgorm as well as spearheading the development of the £10 million renovations of The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat and more recently has been involved in the acquisition and development of The Old Inn, Crawfordsburn. Colin was instrumental in setting up Galgorm’s Spa Scholarship in 2018 and was a founding member of the Northern Ireland Hospitality School which launched in 2021. More recently Colin has been appointed onto the Board of Hospitality Ulster and is chair of the Careers & Skills Group.

Details of body

Tourism NI has responsibility for the development of tourism product and experience across Northern Ireland and is also responsible for the marketing of Northern Ireland as a tourist destination to visitors within Northern Ireland and from the Republic of Ireland.

Tourism NI’s primary responsibility remains the marketing of Northern Ireland on the Island of Ireland and working with partners to attract visitors from across the globe. However, it also continues to play a vital role in supporting recovery of the tourism and hospitality industries from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and setting them on the path back to sustainable growth. Going forward the organisation will make an important contribution to the Department for the Economy’s 10x economic vision and aims to ensure that tourism contributes to the creation of a dynamic, competitive economy.

Tourism NI Homepage

Terms Of Appointment

The appointments will be for 3 years commencing on 8 August 2023. Members are expected to attend Board meetings, sub-committee meetings and other events, amounting to at least 1 day per month. In addition, Members will be expected to attend occasional evening engagements. Remuneration is £5435 per annum. Non pensionable.

Regulation

In the absence of Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive, these appointments were made under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022, and in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland (CPANI) Code of Practice.

Political Activity

None of the appointees have declared any political activity in the last five years.

September 12, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s military invasion of Georgia – Joint statement to the OSCE [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 September 2023.

Ambassador Holland delivers a joint statement on behalf of the OSCE Group of Friends of Georgia to mark fifteen years since Russia’s invasion of Georgia.

I have the honour of delivering this statement on behalf of Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. I will read a short version and the longer version will be distributed.

Mr. Chair, we reaffirm our full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.

Fifteen years since the Russian Federation’s military invasion of Georgia, we remain deeply concerned over the continued occupation of Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and underline the need for the peaceful resolution of the conflict based on full respect for international law and commitments, including the UN Charter and the Helsinki Final Act.

We condemn Russia’s military aggression against Georgia in 2008 in blatant violation of international law and express our concern that Georgia has been a target of Russia’s hybrid tactics as well as conventional warfare ever since regaining its independence. We express our deep concern over Russia’s ongoing military presence as well as military exercises and violation of airspace in Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions. We also reiterate our condemnation of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.

We welcome Georgia’s compliance with the EU-mediated 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement. We call upon Russia to fulfil immediately its clear obligation under the ceasefire agreement to withdraw its forces to pre-conflict positions. We call upon Russia to reverse its recognition of the so-called independence of Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions and to ensure safe and dignified return of all internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees to their homes in a manner consistent with applicable international law.

We note the January 2021 judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and its consequences, including its findings that Russia has exercised effective control over Georgia’s regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia following the ceasefire agreement, including through its military presence. We recall the decision of the ECHR of 28 April 2023, which ordered the Russian Federation to pay up to 130 million euros in favour of conflict-affected Georgian citizens. We call on the Russian Federation to fully comply with these judgments.

We are particularly concerned over the ongoing installation of barbed wire fences and other artificial barriers along the administrative boundary lines (ABLs) and by the closure of so-called crossing points in the South Ossetia region of Georgia for the last four years. The partial and temporary re-opening of the so-called crossing points cannot be viewed as satisfactory. All so-called crossing points with Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions of Georgia must be reopened for all Georgian citizens residing on both sides of the ABLs.

We remain deeply concerned by ongoing arbitrary detentions around the ABLs involving vulnerable groups, and in some cases people with severe health problems. We, call for the immediate and unconditional release of Irakli Bebua, Kristine Takalandze, Asmat Tavadze, and all those under arbitrary detention.

We support the effective continuation of Geneva International Discussions, as the only format with the Russian Federation to address implementation of the EU-mediated ceasefire agreement, as well as the security, human rights, and humanitarian challenges stemming from the unresolved Russia – Georgia conflict. We underline the necessity of progress on the core issues of the discussions, including on the non-use of force, establishing international security arrangements in Georgia’s Abkhazia and South Ossetia regions and ensuring the safe, dignified, and voluntary return of IDPs and refugees in accordance with international law.

We express our support for the Incident Prevention and Response Mechanisms (IPRM) in Ergneti and Gali and emphasise the important role they can have in preventing any escalation of the conflict and in helping to protect the safety and security of people on the ground. We express our great concern over the lengthy suspension of the Gali IPRM and urge its resumption without further delay or pre-conditions, in line with the ground rules.

We welcome the multi-stakeholder process for developing a comprehensive “State Strategy for de-occupation and peaceful conflict resolution” by the government of Georgia and the launch of the strategic review of the reconciliation and engagement policy. We support the Georgian government’s ‘A Step to a Better Future’ peace initiative and its “A peace fund for a better future”.

The Group of Friends of Georgia will continue to raise awareness of the conflict and of developments on the ground, hold Russia accountable for its obligations and commitments, and advocate for the conflict’s peaceful resolution.

September 8, 2023
Wes Streeting – 2023 Speech on the Countess of Chester Hospital Inquiry

The speech made by Wes Streeting, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the House of Commons on 4 September 2023.

I strongly echo the sentiments of the Secretary of State and thank him for advance sight of his statement. I welcome the appointment of Lady Justice Thirlwall to lead the inquiry into the crimes committed by Lucy Letby, and I strongly welcome his appointment today of Baroness Lampard to lead the statutory review in Essex. I look forward to receiving further updates from the Secretary of State as soon as possible.

Turning to the case of Lucy Letby, there are simply no words to describe the evil of the crimes that she committed. They are impossible to fathom. Although she has now been convicted and sentenced to a whole-life order, the truth is that no punishment could possibly fit the severity of the crimes she committed. With Cheshire police’s investigation having expanded to cover her entire clinical career, we may not yet know the extent of her crimes. What we do know is that her victims should be starting a new school term today. Our thoughts are with the families who have suffered the worst of traumas, whose pain and suffering we could not possibly imagine, and who will never forget the children cruelly taken from them. We hope that the sentencing helped to bring them some closure, even though the cowardly killer dared not face them in court.

I wish to pay tribute to the heroes of this story: the doctors who fought to sound the alarm in the face of hard-headed, stubborn refusal. This murderer should have been stopped months before she was finally suspended. Were it not for the persistent courage of the staff who finally forced the hospital to call in Cheshire police, more babies would have been put at risk. I am sure the whole House will want to join me in recognising Dr Stephen Brearey and Dr Ravi Jayaram, whose bravery has almost certainly saved lives.

Blowing the whistle on wrongdoing is never easy, which is why it should not be taken lightly. Indeed, we can judge the health of an institution by the way that it treats its whistleblowers. The refusal to listen, to approach the unexplained deaths of infants with an open mind and to properly investigate the matter when the evidence appeared to be so clear is simply unforgivable. The insult of ordering concerned medics to write letters of apology to this serial killer demonstrates the total lack of seriousness with which their allegations were treated.

I welcome the fact that the Secretary of State has changed the terms of the inquiry and put it on a statutory footing. There must be no hiding place for those responsible for such serious shortcomings. It is welcome that the inquiry will have the full force of the law behind it, as it seeks to paint the full picture of what went wrong at the Countess of Chester Hospital, and it is right that the wishes of the families affected have been listened to. I welcome the fact that they will be involved in the drawing up of the terms of reference.

I ask the Secretary of State, people right across Government and people who hope to be in government to make sure that, in future, in awful cases such as this, families and victims are consulted at the outset. Can he assure the House that the families will continue to be involved in decisions as the inquiry undertakes its work?

Mr Speaker, no stone can be left unturned in the search for the lessons that must be learned, but it is already clear that there were deep issues with the culture and leadership at the Countess of Chester Hospital. This is not the first time that whistleblowers working in the NHS have been ignored, when listening to their warnings could have saved lives. Despite several reviews, there is no one who thinks that the system of accountability, of professional standards and of regulation of NHS managers and leaders is good enough.

Why were senior leaders at the Countess of Chester Hospital still employed in senior positions in the NHS right up to the point that Lucy Letby was found guilty of murder? The absence of serious regulation means that a revolving door of individuals with a record of poor performance or misconduct can continue to work in the health service. Does the Secretary of State agree that that is simply unacceptable in a public service that takes people’s lives into its hands?

The lack of consistent standards is also hampering efforts to improve the quality of management. I am sure the Secretary of State will agree that good management is absolutely vital for staff wellbeing, clinical outcomes, efficient services and, most of all, patient safety. The case for change has been made previously. Sir Robert Francis, who led the inquiry into the deaths at Mid Staffs, argued in 2017 that NHS managers should be subject to professional regulation. In 2019, the Kark review, commissioned by the Secretary of State, called for a regulator to maintain a register of NHS executives, with

“the power to disbar managers for serious misconduct”.

In 2022, the Messenger review commissioned by the right hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid) recommended a single set of core leadership and management standards for managers, with training and development provided to help them meet these standards. We must act to prevent further tragedies, so I welcome the Secretary of State’s announcement that his Department is reconsidering Kark’s recommendation 5. Labour is calling for the disbarring of senior managers found guilty of serious misconduct, so I can guarantee him our support if he brings that proposal forward.

The Secretary of State should go further. Will he now begin the process of bringing in a regulatory system for NHS management, alongside standards and quality training? Surely we owe it to the families and the staff who were let down by a leadership team at the Countess of Chester Hospital that was simply not fit for purpose.

Finally, I know that I speak for the whole House when I say that the parents of Child A, Child C, Child D, Child E, Child G, Child I, Child O and Child P are constantly in our thoughts, as are the many other families who worry whether their children have also been victims of Lucy Letby. We owe it to them to do what we can to prevent anything like this from ever happening again. As the Government seek to do that, they will have our full support.

Steve Barclay

I thank the hon. Gentleman for the content of his response and the manner in which he delivered it. I think it underscores the unity of this House in our condemnation of these crimes, and our focus on putting the families at the centre of getting answers to the questions that arise from this case. I join him in paying tribute to those consultants who spoke up to trigger the police investigation and to prevent further harm to babies. I note the further work that the police are doing in this case, and also pay tribute to the police team, which I had the privilege of meeting. They have worked incredibly hard in very difficult circumstances in the course of this investigation.

As the hon. Gentleman said, the families are absolutely central to the approach that we are taking. That is why I felt that it was very important to discuss with them the relative merits of different types of inquiry, but their response was very clear in terms of their preference for a statutory inquiry. I have certainly surfaced to Lady Justice Thirlwall some of the comments from the families in terms of the potential to phase it. Of course, those will be issues for the judge to determine.

On the hon. Gentleman’s concerns around the revolving door, clearly a number of measures have already been taken, but I share his desire to ensure that there is accountability for decisions. As Members will know, I have been vocal about that in previous roles, and it is central to many of the families’ questions on wider regulation within the NHS.

The hon. Gentleman mentioned the importance of good management. I am extremely interested in how, through this review and the steps we can take ahead of it, we give further support to managers within the NHS and to non-exec directors. The Government accepted in full the seven recommendations of the Messenger review. The Kark review was largely accepted. There was the issue of recommendation 5, which is why it is right that we look again at that in the light of the further evidence.

It is clear that a significant amount of work has already gone in. A number of figures, including Aidan Fowler and Henrietta Hughes, have focused on safeguarding patient safety, but in the wake of this case we need to look again at where we can go further, which the statutory inquiry will do with the full weight of the law. I am keen, however, that we also consider what further, quicker measures can be taken. Indeed, I have been in regular contact with NHS England to take that work forward.

September 8, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : MDP welcomes new Deputy Chief Constable [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 8 September 2023.

Following the appointment of Chief Constable Melanie Dales in May, the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) has appointed former Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, Kier Pritchard, as their new Deputy Chief Constable.

This week, the MDP welcomed Kier Pritchard, former Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, as their new Deputy Chief Constable.

Kier began his career with Wiltshire Police in 1993 and dedicated his service to his home force, following in the footsteps of his late father who served in Wiltshire Constabulary. He has performed many operational roles within front-line policing, criminal investigation, public protection and intelligence.

In 2012, as Detective Chief Superintendent Head of Protective Services, he provided leadership across the specialist operations command for firearms and roads policing, and led the force response to all crime, intelligence, safeguarding and covert policing. As the ACPO child death portfolio holder he developed the national investigative doctrine to professionalise the police and multi-agency response to sudden and unexplained child death.

Kier operated as Assistant Chief Constable Operations from 2014 and graduated from the strategic command course in March 2016. As ACC he led the force response and community policing functions, intelligence directorate, criminal justice, prevention command and the emergency crime and communications centre. As ACC he was the Chief Officer lead for an operational collaboration between Avon and Somerset Police, Gloucestershire Constabulary and Wiltshire Police in the delivery of specialist firearms, roads policing, dog units, firearms training and major crime capabilities.

In 2018, Kier was appointed Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police, a position he held for five successive years until his retirement in June 2023. Upon his appointment, he led the force and partners through two unprecedented major incidents in the city of Salisbury and surrounding town of Amesbury following the Novichok nerve agent attack.

As Chief Constable, Kier chaired the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Resilience Forum (LRF) where he coordinated partnership activity in both preparation and response to major events and emergencies, including the protection of our critical national infrastructure. He led the LRF through multiple major incidents, including Covid-19 and the partnership response to extreme weather.

Kier also held the NPCC portfolio for the Emergency Services Mobile Communication Programme where he worked with the Home Office programme team and national stakeholders to prepare the police service for transition from the Airwave radio system to the new Emergency Services Network.

He is proud to have served as a detective in each rank during his career with Wiltshire Police and to have operated as a hostage and crisis negotiator.

Kier was also a College of Policing assessor and executive coach to underrepresented members of the national talent programme, and in 2021 he graduated from the Cabinet Office National Leadership Centre development programme, where he further harnessed his passion for working with partners and cross-sector leaders.

As MDP DCC, Kier will support Chief Constable Melanie Dales in leading the force and delivering an effective policing service for Defence.

Chief Constable Melanie Dales said:

I am delighted that Kier will be joining us as Deputy Chief Constable. His breadth of senior leadership experience in policing will help strengthen the force as we continue to build our capability to serve Defence, improve our culture, and evolve to face new challenges.

We are all very much looking forward to welcoming Kier to the force and working with him in his new role.

In his spare time, Kier loves running and being with his family. He is married to Anna, a senior crown prosecutor for Wessex CPS, and is the proud father of five children (four sons and one daughter).

Commenting on his appointment as MDP DCC, Kier said:

I am proud to have been given this opportunity to help lead the MDP, as a force which provides unique, specialist policing to protect the nation’s defence and national infrastructure.

It will be an honour to serve Defence, and I am looking forward to the new and exciting challenges this will bring, working together with military and policing colleagues.

September 8, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak announces support to alleviate global impact of Putin’s weaponisation of Ukrainian grain [September 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 September 2023.

UK will host international food security summit later this year and increase support for vulnerable people worst hit by rising food prices.
- UK will host international food security summit later this year and increase support for vulnerable people worst hit by rising food prices.
- Comprehensive MoD Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operation in the Black Sea deterring Russian attacks on cargo vessels following Putin’s withdrawal from Black Sea Grain Initiative.
- Comes as the Prime Minister travels to India for a meeting of G20 leaders, which Vladimir Putin is expected to avoid for the second year in a row.
Global leaders must make it clear Putin’s withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative has increased Russia’s global isolation and protect those whose lives have been devastated by Putin’s illegal war, the Prime Minister will say as he travels to the G20 Summit in India today (Friday).

Families both in Ukraine and across the world continue to suffer as a direct result of Putin’s brutal invasion 18 months ago. Russia has displaced 11 million people from their homes, manipulated global energy prices and made daily life more difficult for households across the planet.

In July Putin demonstrated his indifference to the human consequences of his actions yet again when he withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative. Under this initiative, brokered in July 2022, ships carrying Ukrainian grain were freely able to transit from Black Sea ports without fear of attack.

The deal was providing a lifeline for millions of people around the world who depend on Ukrainian grain exports. In its first year, the agreement enabled 33 million tonnes of food to reach those who needed it in 45 countries around the world. Putin’s decision to rip up the initiative has reduced global grain supply at a critical time for vulnerable people – when prices rise, the poorest pay.

Since July, Russia has also damaged or destroyed at least 26 civilian port facilities, warehouses, silos and grain elevators. These attacks have directly reduced Ukraine’s export capacity by one third and destroyed enough grain to feed more than 1 million people for an entire year.

Tomorrow, G20 leaders will gather in Delhi to discuss the biggest challenges the world is facing, including the spike in the cost of living driven by Putin’s actions. For the second year in a row, the Russian President is not expected to attend.

At the summit, the Prime Minister will stress the importance of those who do choose to attend demonstrating their leadership, both in helping the world’s most vulnerable people to deal with the terrible consequences of Putin’s war and in addressing wider challenges like climate change and the stability of the global economy.

The Prime Minister said:

Once again, Vladimir Putin is failing to show his face at the G20. He is the architect of his own diplomatic exile, isolating himself in his presidential palace and blocking out criticism and reality.

The rest of the G20, meanwhile, are demonstrating that we will turn up and work together to pick up the pieces of Putin’s destruction.

That starts with dealing with the terrible global consequences of Putin’s stranglehold over the most fundamental resources, including his blockade of and attacks on Ukrainian grain.

Before Putin’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine was the world’s 5th largest wheat exporter, 4th largest corn exporter and 3rd largest rapeseed exporter. Grain ordinarily accounts for 41% of Ukrainian export revenue, and almost two thirds of the grain exported by the country goes to the developing world.

Russia’s sudden withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and the consequent spike in global food prices, will cost lives around the world – further destabilising economies and putting people at risk of starvation.

The UK is spearheading efforts to help vulnerable people and economies deal with the impact of Putin’s actions. The Prime Minister will announce today that the UK will convene an international food security summit in November.

Supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the event will bring together government representatives from across the world, including vulnerable countries, with international organisations, NGOs, researchers and private sector companies, to tackle the causes of food insecurity and malnutrition.

We will use our intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance to monitor Russian activity in the Black Sea, call out Russia if we see warning signs that they are preparing attacks on civilian shipping or infrastructure in the Black Sea, and attribute attacks to prevent false flag claims that seek to deflect blame from Russia.

As part of these surveillance operations, RAF aircraft are conducting flights over the area to deter Russia from carrying out illegal strikes against civilian vessels transporting grain.

Since pulling out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, Russia has declared that all ships transiting to Ukrainian Black Sea ports will be treated as military vessels – irrespective of the cargo they are carrying. It has acted upon this assessment by firing shots and boarding a cargo ship bound for one of Ukraine’s Danube ports, action which may constitute a violation of International Humanitarian Law.

Alongside military efforts to deter Russian attacks, the UK will also contribute £3 million in funding for the World Food Programme to continue work started under President Zelenskyy’s ‘Grain from Ukraine’ initiative, which was established in November last year to send Ukrainian grain to countries whose people are suffering from the high global price of staple foods.

In its first six months, the Grain from Ukraine programme allowed 170,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain to be delivered to countries including Somalia and Yemen. The uplift in UK funding announced today will enable further grain shipments to go to countries in need as identified by the World Food Programme. Ukraine has been a hugely important source of food for the World Food Programme this year. This year- up until July when Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative- WFP procured 80% of its global wheat grain from Ukraine.
September 8, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : FCDO statement – President Abbas comments [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 8 September 2023.

The FCDO condemns recent antisemitic remarks made by President Abbas.

A FCDO spokesperson said:

The UK condemns the recent antisemitic remarks made by President Abbas.

The UK stands firmly against all attempts to distort the Holocaust. Such statements do not advance efforts towards reconciliation.

September 8, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : The Prime Minister’s words on Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II [September 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 8 September 2023.

On the one year anniversary of her passing, the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reflects on the life and service of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Today, on the solemn anniversary of the passing of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, our thoughts are with His Majesty King Charles III and the whole Royal Family.

With the perspective of a year, the scale of Her Late Majesty’s service only seems greater. Her devotion to the nations of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth only seems deeper. And our gratitude for such an extraordinary life of duty and dedication, only continues to grow.

I treasure my memories of those occasions when I met Her Late Majesty, in particular the private audience I had with her at Buckingham Palace before presenting my first Budget as Chancellor. I was struck by her wisdom, by her incredible warmth and grace, but also her sharp wit.

People across the UK – whether they had the good fortune to meet Her Late Majesty or not – will be reflecting today on what she meant to them and the example she set for us all. We will cherish those memories.

The bond between country and monarch is sacred. It endures. So, while we continue to mourn Her Late Majesty’s passing, we should be proud that this remarkable legacy of service – and this remarkable bond – continues to grow today under the reign of His Majesty The King.

September 8, 2023