Tag: 2023

PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine [October 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 27 October 2023.

The Prime Minister spoke to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy this morning to reiterate the UK’s support for Ukraine.

The Prime Minister underscored the UK’s long term and unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and reiterated that the conflict in the Middle East would not change that.

The principle of a rules based order, in which people could live in peace and stability, needed to be protected both in Ukraine and the Middle East, the Prime Minister added.

President Zelenskyy updated on the situation on the battlefield and the leaders praised the courage and success of Ukraine’s Armed Forces as they continued to push Russian forces back.

They also discussed the situation in the Black Sea and underlined the importance of ensuring grain was able to depart Ukrainian ports. The UK would continue to support Ukraine’s efforts to keep grain following, and work with allies to coordinate defensive support to help protect critical national infrastructure, the Prime Minister added.

The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Defence Secretary travels to Middle East on regional security mission [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 26 October 2023.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates this week to drive forward work to maintain regional stability, protect civilians and strengthen the UK’s defence partnerships.

He met with leaders in both countries as part of the UK’s coordinated diplomatic efforts to prevent a wider conflict in the Middle East and ease tensions across the region, with officials and ministers working closely with more than 40 nations. The Defence Secretary also met his counterpart in Washington DC last week to coordinate the UK and US’s response to the crisis.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

I’m here in the Middle East to work with some of our most valued defence partners to prevent escalation and protect all civilians.

Only by working together can we stop more innocent families being plunged into suffering.

On Wednesday, the Defence Secretary held talks in Riyadh with Defence Minister His Royal Highness (HRH) Khalid bin Salman. He underscored the UK’s priority of protecting civilians and deterring an escalation that undermines regional stability. The recent deployment of UK military assets in the eastern Mediterranean supports this priority by deterring any malign interference in the conflict.

De-escalation was also top of the agenda in Abu Dhabi, where the Defence Secretary met with President HRH Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Defence Minister Mohammed Al Bowardi. He underlined that the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf partners have a key role to play as interlocutors, mediators and leaders.

The visit came as the UK delivered twenty-one tonnes of life-saving aid for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including wound care packs, water filters and solar lights. The aid is part of the £30 million increase in humanitarian support for the Occupied Palestinian Territories announced by the Prime Minister.

The UK remains committed to mitigating the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza and calling for international humanitarian law to be respected, while standing alongside the people of Israel against the terrorist group Hamas.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government calls time on councils running four-day weeks [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 26 October 2023.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities tells councils to cease any four-day working week trials immediately.

Councils should stop any four-day week trials immediately and rule out adopting the practice in future to ensure taxpayers’ money is well spent, according to new government guidance issued to the sector today.

The publication comes after letters from Minister Rowley to South Cambridgeshire District Council, calling on the local authority to cease its trial over value for money concerns.

The guidance sets out the government’s position that removing 20% of a local authority’s potential capacity does not offer value for money for residents. It makes clear that value for money for taxpayers is paramount and no further focus should be given by councils on this issue. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) is also exploring measures to ensure the sector is clear this should not be pursued.

Minister for Local Government Lee Rowley said:

“The Government is being crystal clear that it does not support the adoption of the four-day working week within the local government sector.

“Local authorities that are considering adopting it should not do so. Those who have adopted it already should end those practice immediately.

“Those councils who continue to disregard this guidance are now on notice that the Government will take necessary steps in the coming months ahead to ensure that this practice is ended within local government.”

The guidance says:

“Councils which are undertaking four-day working week activities should cease immediately and others should not seek to pursue in any format. Value for local taxpayers is paramount and no further focus should be given by local authorities on this matter. The department is also exploring other measures to ensure that the sector is clear that this working practice should not be pursued.”

The Government continues to support an individual’s right to request flexible working, which allows individual employees to apply for changes to the hours, timing, or location of work, which is clearly different to a blanket four-day working week on a full salary, across the whole organisation.

In July, DLUHC launched the new Office for Local Government (Oflog) to increase councils’ accountability for their performance. Oflog will ensure the sector can access clear and high-quality performance data and examples of great practice from other councils.

The department is also leading a pilot called Future Councils to accelerate digital and cyber improvements across the sector. The pilot is currently funding eight councils to innovate on solutions that unblock systemic barriers to change and improve services for residents.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Robust new laws to fight corruption, money laundering and fraud [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 26 October 2023.

Robust laws to fight fraud, counter corruption and bolster legitimate business received Royal Assent today.

The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act introduces world-leading powers which will allow UK authorities to proactively target organised criminals and others seeking to abuse the UK’s open economy.

Companies House will receive enhanced abilities to verify the identities of company directors, remove fraudulent organisations from the company register and share information with criminal investigation agencies

Law enforcement agencies will benefit from greater powers to seize, freeze and recover cryptoassets, while groundbreaking legal reforms will allow the courts to dismiss spurious lawsuits which seek to stifle freedom of speech. Prosecutors will be better able to hold large corporations accountable for malpractice.

These changes will level the playing field for all businesses, ensuring the UK’s open economy remains a world class centre for businesses to grow and prosper.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

I am committed to ensuring criminals do not profit from their offending and this landmark act will help law enforcement clampdown on the tactics they use.

It will have a big impact on our ability to fight organised crime, including terrorist funding, fraud and money laundering, and that will ultimately help keep us all safe.

Business Minister Kevin Hollinrake said:

We’re providing Companies House with the tools to take a much harder line on criminals who take advantage of the UK’s open economy, ensuring the reputation of our businesses is not tarnished by the UK playing host to the world’s scammers.

These reforms will remove the smoke and mirrors around companies hiding behind false identities, provide further protection to the public from companies fraudulently using their addresses, and deliver better data to support business and lending decisions across the economy, enhancing the UK’s reputation as a great and safe place to do business.

Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk said:

We will not stand by while wealthy individuals abuse our courts with malicious lawsuits designed to gag reporters exposing their misconduct.

This act reinforces our unwavering commitment to protect freedom of speech, and end the brazen exploitation of our legal system by corrupt elites.

The powers given to Companies House form the biggest shakeup to the service in its 180-year history.

Once the powers come into force, the agency will take immediate steps to improve the quality of information on the company register.

Invalid registered office addresses, such as those used fraudulently to set up companies, will be removed.

Verification checks will assess the identities of people setting up and managing companies, stopping criminals hiding behind false names or registering companies with fictional characters. This will help prevent fraudulent appointments and avoid people involved in money laundering hiding behind false names.

Changes to public beneficial ownership registers will also close loopholes that allow corrupt actors to use opaque companies to move and hide money.

It will additionally provide businesses with greater clarity on who they are working with, while allowing civil society organisations to expose corrupt actors, and for the public to increase their trust in governments.

Tackling illicit finance is a global issue with 30 other countries, including Nigeria and France, having public registers of beneficial ownership. Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are also implementing their own commitments.

Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, United Nations and the Commonwealth said:

Tackling illicit finance requires global cooperation and the UK will continue to work with our international partners to strengthen their registers of beneficial ownership, to reduce money laundering, create a level playing field for businesses and bolster national security.

Companies House Chief Executive Louise Smyth said:

These new powers are without doubt the most significant change for Companies House in our long history.

We have known for some time that UK companies have been misused by criminals to commit fraud, money laundering, and other forms of economic crime and our thoughts have always been with those affected.

We will now play a much greater role in preventing further abuse of the register. We will be taking unprecedented steps to crack down on fraudulent activities, help victims quicker and clean up the register by removing information we know to be incorrect.

This will underpin our efforts to improve the quality and reliability of our data, which will in turn hugely increase the value of the register for businesses across the UK and beyond.

The act will additionally give judges new powers to deal with strategic lawsuits against public protection, known as SLAPPS, involving economic crime.

These are court cases used by the powerful individuals to intimidate opponents. Russian oligarchs seeking to prevent public interest journalism are prominent users of such suits.

Major reforms to corporate criminal liability will also provide prosecutors with game changing powers to hold companies criminally liable for malpractice.

The creation of a criminal offence, called ‘failure to prevent fraud’, will hold a large organisation criminally liable if it benefits from a fraud that is committed by a member of staff.

An update to a legal principle known as the ‘identification doctrine’ will also ensure businesses can be held criminally liable for the actions of their senior managers who commit an economic crime.

Both changes remove the ability for a large company to hide behind complex management structures to evade scrutiny. This ensures a level playing field for all businesses and will help remove criminal money from the economy.

Chief Crown Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, Andrew Penhale, said:

Economic crime can have a devastating impact on individuals, businesses, and our economy.

The CPS is supportive of all reforms which helps to improve transparency and drive better corporate behaviours.

The introduction of a failure to prevent fraud offence and reform of the identification doctrine will better enable prosecutors to hold large companies to account for offences committed under their watch. It should result in greater care to prevent fraud before it happens.

Nick Ephgrave, Director of the Serious Fraud Office, said:

This is the most significant boost to the Serious Fraud Office’s ability to investigate and prosecute serious economic crime in over 10 years.

This new law will help prevent crime, as big businesses can no longer turn a blind eye to fraud.

We welcome the expansion of our search powers, which will help speed up our investigations.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) will additionally gain greater powers which compel businesses to hand over information which is suspected to be used for money laundering or terrorist financing.

Unnecessary reporting by businesses will also be reduced, enabling the private sector and law enforcement to focus their existing resources on tackling high value and priority activity.

New powers will additionally allow law enforcement to target illicit cryptoassets. The NCA’s National Assessment Centre estimates that over £1 billion of illicit cash was transferred overseas using cryptoassets in 2021.

The act has introduced provisions for police and the NCA to seize cryptoassets more easily and convert them into money before a forfeiture hearing has taken place. In exceptional circumstances, there will also be a power to destroy seized cryptocurrency.

Graeme Biggar, Director General of the National Crime Agency said:

This act is long awaited and welcome. For too long criminals and corrupt elites have abused UK company structures to launder their illicit wealth; the new powers given to Companies House will help us tackle those who abuse our economy.

This act also gives the NCA and police greater powers to seize and recover cryptocurrencies, and we welcome the creation of a criminal offence which holds organisations criminally liable if they fail to prevent fraud by their employees.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Further action to cut methane emissions from livestock [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 October 2023.

Defra has committed to working with industry to reduce methane emissions in livestock through the use of methane-suppressing feed products.

Following a call for evidence run jointly with the Devolved Governments to better understand the opportunities and challenges associated with products, Defra has confirmed it will work closely with industry and farmers to encourage their widespread adoption in England. The move delivers on the commitment in the Environmental Improvement Plan to explore innovative ways to reduce agricultural emissions.

With these innovative methane-suppressing feed products expected to enter the market from 2025, Defra’s summary of responses lays out plans which could, for instance, include guidance, advice and support through schemes such as the Farming Innovation Programme, Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, Environmental Land Management schemes, or the introduction of a tailor-made programme.

The summary of responses has been developed jointly with the devolved administrations and builds on wider UK action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – including through the Net Zero Growth Plan.

Defra’s ultimate objective is to establish a mature market, encourage uptake and mandate the use of these products in appropriate cattle systems across England, as soon as feasibly possible and no later than 2030.

Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

We are fully committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the UK by 2050 and it is vital that we continue to explore ways to assist farmers in sustainable food production while also further reducing emissions from agriculture.

We will continue to work closely with industry to develop a mature market and mandate the use of safe and effective methane suppressing feed products in suitable cattle systems in England as soon as feasible.

These plans align with the government’s response also published today to the 2023 Climate Change Committee Progress Report which recommended the mandatory addition of methane-inhibiting additives to feed products for UK beef and dairy systems.

The agricultural sector in the UK accounted for 10% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, with methane emissions contributing substantially to this figure.

Ruminant livestock, particularly cows and sheep, are identified as the primary drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in the agricultural sector. However, research has provided promising evidence that feed products with methane-inhibiting properties can significantly reduce these emissions, particularly in the case of confined cattle.

The publication of the summary of responses has been delivered in close collaboration with the Devolved Administrations of Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK children and adults to be safer online as bill becomes law [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 26 October 2023.
Online Safety Act receives Royal Assent in the Houses of Parliament, putting rules to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online into law

the Act makes social media companies keep the internet safe for children and give adults more choice over what they see online

Ofcom will immediately begin work on tackling illegal content and protecting children’s safety

The Online Safety Act has today (Thursday 26 October) received Royal Assent, heralding a new era of internet safety and choice by placing world-first legal duties on social media platforms.

The new laws take a zero-tolerance approach to protecting children from online harm, while empowering adults with more choices over what they see online. This follows rigorous scrutiny and extensive debate within both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

The Act places legal responsibility on tech companies to prevent and rapidly remove illegal content, like terrorism and revenge pornography. They will also have to stop children seeing material that is harmful to them such as bullying, content promoting self-harm and eating disorders, and pornography.

If they fail to comply with the rules, they will face significant fines that could reach billions of pounds, and if they don’t take steps required by Ofcom to protect children, their bosses could even face prison.

Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

Today will go down as an historic moment that ensures the online safety of British society not only now, but for decades to come.

I am immensely proud of the work that has gone into the Online Safety Act from its very inception to it becoming law today. The Bill protects free speech, empowers adults and will ensure that platforms remove illegal content.

At the heart of this Bill, however, is the protection of children. I would like to thank the campaigners, parliamentarians, survivors of abuse and charities that have worked tirelessly, not only to get this Act over the finishing line, but to ensure that it will make the UK the safest place to be online in the world.

The Act takes a zero-tolerance approach to protecting children by making sure the buck stops with social media platforms for content they host. It does this by making sure they:

remove illegal content quickly or prevent it from appearing in the first place, including content promoting self-harm

prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content including pornographic content, content that promotes, encourages or provides instructions for suicide, self-harm or eating disorders, content depicting or encouraging serious violence or bullying content

enforce age limits and use age-checking measures on platforms where content harmful to children is published

ensure social media platforms are more transparent about the risks and dangers posed to children on their sites, including by publishing risk assessments

provide parents and children with clear and accessible ways to report problems online when they do arise

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

This landmark law sends a clear message to criminals – whether it’s on our streets, behind closed doors or in far flung corners of the internet, there will be no hiding place for their vile crimes.

The Online Safety Act’s strongest protections are for children. Social media companies will be held to account for the appalling scale of child sexual abuse occurring on their platforms and our children will be safer.

We are determined to combat the evil of child sexual exploitation wherever it is found, and this Act is a big step forward.

Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk said:

No-one should be afraid of what they or their children might see online so our reforms will make the internet a safer place for everyone.

Trolls who encourage serious self-harm, cyberflash or share intimate images without consent now face the very real prospect of time behind bars, helping protect women and girls who are disproportionately impacted by these cowardly crimes.

In addition to protecting children, the Act also empowers adults to have better control of what they see online. It provides 3 layers of protection for internet users which will:

make sure illegal content is removed

enforce the promises social media platforms make to users when they sign up, through terms and conditions

offer users the option to filter out content, such as online abuse, that they do not want to see

If social media platforms do not comply with these rules, Ofcom could fine them up to £18 million or 10% of their global annual revenue, whichever is biggest – meaning fines handed down to the biggest platforms could reach billions of pounds.

The government also strengthened provisions to address violence against women and girls. Through the Act, it will be easier to convict someone who shares intimate images without consent and new laws will further criminalise the non-consensual sharing of intimate deepfakes.

The change in laws also now make it easier to charge abusers who share intimate images and put more offenders behind bars. Criminals found guilty of this base offence will face up to 6 months in prison, but those who threaten to share such images, or shares them with the intent to cause distress, alarm or humiliation, or to obtain sexual gratification, could face up to two years behind bars.

NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless said:

Having an Online Safety Act on the statute book is a watershed moment and will mean that children up and down the UK are fundamentally safer in their everyday lives.

Thanks to the incredible campaigning of abuse survivors and young people and the dedicated hard work of Parliamentarians and Ministers, tech companies will be legally compelled to protect children from sexual abuse and avoidable harm.

The NSPCC will continue to ensure there is a rigorous focus on children by everyone involved in regulation. Companies should be acting now, because the ultimate penalties for failure will be eye watering fines and, crucially, criminal sanctions.

Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom Chief Executive, said:

These new laws give Ofcom the power to start making a difference in creating a safer life online for children and adults in the UK. We’ve already trained and hired expert teams with experience across the online sector, and today we’re setting out a clear timeline for holding tech firms to account.

Ofcom is not a censor, and our new powers are not about taking content down. Our job is to tackle the root causes of harm. We will set new standards online, making sure sites and apps are safer by design. Importantly, we’ll also take full account of people’s rights to privacy and freedom of expression.

We know a safer life online cannot be achieved overnight; but Ofcom is ready to meet the scale and urgency of the challenge.

In anticipation of the Bill coming into force, many social media companies have already started making changes. TikTok has implemented stronger age verification on their platforms, while Snapchat has started removing the accounts of underage users.

While the Bill has travelled through Parliament, the government has worked closely with Ofcom to ensure protections will be implemented as quickly as possible once the Act received Royal Assent.

From today, Ofcom will immediately begin work on tackling illegal content, with a consultation process launching on 9th November 2023. They will then take a phased approach to bringing the Online Safety Act into force, prioritising enforcing rules against the most harmful content as soon as possible.

The majority of the Act’s provisions will commence in two months’ time. However, the government has commenced key provisions early to establish Ofcom as the online safety regulator from today and allow them to begin key preparatory work such as consulting as quickly as possible to implement protections for the country.
November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces appointment of a new Chair and Members to the Board of National Museums Northern Ireland [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 26 October 2023.

The Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has today announced the appointment of a new Chair and seven new Board Members to National Museums Northern Ireland.
The Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has today announced the appointment of Gordon Milligan OBE as the new Chair of National Museums Northern Ireland. In addition, seven new Board Members have been appointed:

Keith Charlton

Ryan Cornett

Sally Montgomery OBE

Peter Osborne

Therese Rafferty

Fiona Ryan

Mark Walker

In the absence of Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive, these appointments have been made under the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2022.

All eight individuals took up their roles on 1 October 2023. They bring a range of skills and attributes to the Board, with backgrounds covering areas such as: leadership; delivering results; governance and accountability; collaborative working; commercial management; and financial management. This experience will strengthen the Board, allowing it to champion and advance the work of National Museums Northern Ireland.

Biographies

Gordon Milligan OBE

Mr Milligan had served as an Executive at Translink where his responsibilities have included transformational change and leadership across corporate teams. Having served a period as Interim Chief Executive he was appointed Deputy Chief Executive in 2015. His experience includes leadership roles within large Global and National organisations including Bombardier Aerospace, Nortel Networks and Dubia Agrifood. He has served as an Executive member on both private and public sector boards. He has Non-Executive board experience and is currently Chair of the Institute of Directors in Northern Ireland, Chair of the Labour Relations Agency and is a visiting professor at the Ulster University Business School. Gordon was awarded the OBE in the 2023 New Year Honours for serve to Business and Human Resources Management in Northern Ireland. He has an MBA, is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development.

Keith Charlton

Mr Charlton has a wide range of experience in the private sector across the retail, manufacturing, tourism and leisure industries. As an entrepreneur, he co-founded award-winning Belfast based tourism business Bunk Campers and the ecommerce leisure retailer Camperco. As Group Managing Director, he was responsible for leading and developing group strategy and overseeing all commercial aspects of the business. He has European board level risk management and corporate governance experience and purchasing, sales and marketing expertise from various industry roles. He does not currently hold any other public appointments

Ryan Cornett

Mr Cornett has several years’ experience managing investment portfolios for a broad range of clients including private individuals, trusts, charities and corporate entities. He is on the board of a local charity, the John Hewitt Society, which provides opportunities for individuals across Northern Ireland to explore issues of difference and identity through literature and creative writing. He does not currently hold any other public appointments.

Sally Montgomery OBE

Dr Montgomery OBE is a trained educator and was formerly Head of Education at the Ulster Museum, Project Director and founding CEO of W5. At W5 she used her experience of exhibition management, including communication and marketing plans. As a Director of the Titanic Foundation, she was successfully involved in securing funds for heritage assets. She has held a number of Board and advisory positions and is currently a member of the Historic Monuments Council (unremunerated).

Peter Osborne

Mr Osborne has run his own business within the private sector, and held executive and non-executive roles with organisations that have managed significant capital and revenue expenditure, and managed relationships and major change. He currently sits as an Independent Member on the Northern Ireland Policing Board, as well as its Audit & Risk Assurance Committee.

Therese Rafferty

Ms Rafferty is a graduate of Queen’s University, the University of Ulster, and an alumnus of Boston College, Massachusetts, Therese has held senior roles over a career of 35 years in higher education and local government, the most recent being Head of Regeneration in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council. Her experience includes the delivery of a wide portfolio of capital development programmes and environmental initiatives, financial and corporate planning, performance and risk management, and corporate governance. Therese is a previous member of the Programming Committee for the FE McWilliam Gallery and Studio in Banbridge and oversaw its construction and accreditation. She has held a number of previous Board positions and is currently a Board member of the Agri-Food & Biosciences Institute.

Fiona Ryan

Ms Ryan is the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse. Her previous leadership roles include Chief Executive in the areas of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence and public health advocacy. She was appointed by the Irish Department of Justice to the monitoring committee of successive national Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Strategies. Her early career was spent in media as a journalist and External Affairs. She has worked in Belfast, Dublin and at European level. She has a Masters in Business Administration.

Mark Walker

Mr Walker has gained extensive financial and strategic management knowledge and experience as a senior manager in banking with Danske Bank and as Group Finance Director at Randox Laboratories, an international private sector biotech organisation. His experience is underpinned by knowledge and understanding of corporate finance and strategic and financial management. He is a Board Member of NIACRO, Thrive Audience Development and is an independent member of Clanmil Housing Association Audit & Risk Committee. He does not currently hold any other public appointments.

Details of body

National Museums Northern Ireland is the corporate name of the Board of Trustees of the National Museums and Galleries of NI, established under the Museums and Galleries (NI) Order 1998. It is a Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Communities (DfC).

It is made up of four museums – the Ulster Museum, the Ulster Folk Museum, the Ulster Transport Museum and the Ulster American Folk Park – and serves as custodian for 1.4 million objects in Northern Ireland’s national collection. Its main statutory functions are to care for, preserve and add to the objects in its collections, interpret and exhibit them to the public, and to promote the awareness, appreciation and understanding by the public of art, history and science, the culture and way of life of people and the migration and settlement of people.

Terms Of Appointment

The Chair position attracts remuneration of £10,000 per annum with a time commitment of at least 36 days per year.

Member positions are not remunerated. The time commitment is approximately one day per month. but reasonable expenses (including travel, subsistence and other reasonable expenses in line with NICS rates) are paid with a time commitment of one day per month.

All Board positions receive reasonable expenses (including travel, subsistence and other reasonable expenses in line with NICS rates) and are for a term of up to four years.

Regulation

These appointments have been made in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland (CPANI) Code of Practice.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, the Commissioner for Public Appointments for Northern Ireland requires the political activity of appointees to be published. All eight appointees have not declared any political activity in the last five years.
November 2, 2023
Rishi Sunak – 2023 Speech on AI

The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, at the Royal Society in London on 26 October 2023.

I’m delighted to be here at the Royal Society, the place where the story of modern science has been written for centuries.

Now, I’m unashamedly optimistic about the power of technology to make life better for everyone.

So, the easy speech for me to give – the one in my heart I really want to give…

…would be to tell you about the incredible opportunities before us.

Just this morning, I was at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

They’re using Artificial Intelligence to build a model that can look at a single picture of your eyes…

…and not only diagnose blindness, but predict heart attacks, strokes, or Parkinson’s.

And that’s just the beginning.

I genuinely believe that technologies like AI will bring a transformation as far-reaching…

…as the industrial revolution, the coming of electricity, or the birth of the internet.

Now, as with every one of those waves of technology, AI will bring new knowledge…

…new opportunities for economic growth, new advances in human capability…

…and the chance to solve problems that we once thought beyond us.

But like those waves, it also brings new dangers and new fears.

So, the responsible thing for me to do – the right speech for me to make – is to address those fears head on…

…giving you the peace of mind that we will keep you safe…

…while making sure you and your children have all the opportunities for a better future that AI can bring.

Now, doing the right thing, not the easy thing, means being honest with people about the risks from these technologies.

So, I won’t hide them from you.

That’s why today, for the first time, we’ve taken the highly unusual step…

…of publishing our analysis on the risks of AI…

…including an assessment by the UK intelligence communities.

These reports provide a stark warning.

Get this wrong, and AI could make it easier to build chemical or biological weapons.

Terrorist groups could use AI to spread fear and destruction on an even greater scale.

Criminals could exploit AI for cyber-attacks, disinformation, fraud, or even child sexual abuse.

And in the most unlikely but extreme cases, there is even the risk that humanity could lose control of AI completely…

…through the kind of AI sometimes referred to as ‘super intelligence’.

Indeed, to quote the statement made earlier this year by hundreds of the world’s leading AI experts:

“Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war”.

Now, I want to be completely clear:

This is not a risk that people need to be losing sleep over right now.

I don’t want to be alarmist.

And there is a real debate about this – some experts think it will never happen at all.

But however uncertain and unlikely these risks are, if they did manifest themselves, the consequences would be incredibly serious.

And when so many of the biggest developers of this technology themselves warn of these risks…

…leaders have a responsibility to take them seriously, and to act.

And that is what I am doing today – in three specific ways.

First, keeping you safe.

Right now, the only people testing the safety of AI…

…are the very organisations developing it.

Even they don’t always fully understand what their models could become capable of.

And there are incentives in part, to compete to build the best models, quickest.

So, we should not rely on them marking their own homework, as many of those working on this would agree.

Not least because only governments can properly assess the risks to national security.

And only nation states have the power and legitimacy to keep their people safe.

The UK’s answer is not to rush to regulate.

This is a point of principle – we believe in innovation, it’s a hallmark of the British economy…

…so we will always have a presumption to encourage it, not stifle it.

And in any case, how can we write laws that make sense for something we don’t yet fully understand?

So, instead, we’re building world-leading capability to understand and evaluate the safety of AI models within government.

To do that, we’ve already invested £100m in a new taskforce…

…more funding for AI safety than any other country in the world.

And we’ve recruited some of the most respected and knowledgeable figures in the world of AI.

So, I’m completely confident in telling you the UK is doing far more than other countries to keep you safe.

And because of this – because of the unique steps we’ve already taken – we’re able to go even further today.

I can announce that we will establish the world’s first AI Safety Institute – right here in the UK.

It will advance the world’s knowledge of AI safety.

And it will carefully examine, evaluate, and test new types of AI…

…so that we understand what each new model is capable of…

…exploring all the risks, from social harms like bias and misinformation, through to the most extreme risks of all.

The British people should have peace of mind that we’re developing the most advanced protections for AI of any country in the world.

Doing what’s right and what’s necessary to keep you safe.

But AI does not respect borders.

So we cannot do this alone.

The second part of our plan is to host the world’s first ever Global AI Safety Summit next week, at Bletchley Park – the iconic home of computer science.

We’re bringing together the world’s leading representatives…

…from Civil Society…

…to the companies pioneering AI…

…and the countries most advanced in using it.

And yes – we’ve invited China.

I know there are some who will say they should have been excluded.

But there can be no serious strategy for AI without at least trying to engage all of the world’s leading AI powers.

That might not have been the easy thing to do, but it was the right thing to do.

So, what do we hope to achieve at next week’s Summit?

Right now, we don’t have a shared understanding of the risks that we face.

And without that, we cannot hope to work together to address them.

That’s why we will push hard to agree the first ever international statement about the nature of these risks.

Yet AI is developing at breath taking speed.

Every new wave will become more advanced, better trained, with better chips, and more computing power.

So we need to make sure that as the risks evolve, so does our shared understanding.

I believe we should take inspiration from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change…

…which was set up to reach an international scientific consensus.

So, next week, I will propose that we establish a truly global expert panel…

…nominated by the countries and organisations attending …

…to publish a State of AI Science report.

Of course, our efforts also depend on collaboration with the AI companies themselves.

Uniquely in the world, those companies have already trusted the UK with privileged access to their models.

That’s why the UK is so well-placed to create the world’s first Safety Institute.

And at next week’s Summit I will work together with the companies and countries to deepen our partnerships.

My vision, and our ultimate goal, should be to work towards a more international approach to safety…

…where we collaborate with partners to ensure AI systems are safe before they are released.

And so to support this, we will make the work of our Safety Institute available to the world.

That’s the right thing to do morally, in keeping with the UK’s historic role on the international stage.

And it’s also the right thing economically, for families and businesses up and down the country.

Because the future of AI is safe AI.

And by making the UK a global leader in safe AI, we will attract even more of the new jobs and investment that will come from this new wave of technology.

Just think for a moment about what that will mean for our country.

The growth it will catalyse, the jobs it will create, the change it can deliver –for the better.

And that’s the third part of our plan – to make sure that everyone in our country can benefit from the opportunities of AI.

We’ve already got strong foundations.

Third in the world for tech, behind only the US and China.

The best place in Europe to raise capital.

All of the leading AI companies – choosing the UK as their European headquarters.

The most pro-investment tax regime…

The most pro-entrepreneur visa regime, to attract the world’s top talent…

…and the education reforms to give our own young people the skills to succeed.

And we’re going to make it even easier for ambitious people with big ideas to start, grow, and compete in the world of AI.

That’s not just about having the technical skills, but the raw computing power.

That’s why we’re investing almost a billion pounds in a supercomputer thousands of times faster than the one you have at home.

And it’s why we’re investing £2.5bn in quantum computers, which can be exponentially quicker than those computers still.

To understand this, consider how Google’s Sycamore quantum computer…

…can solve a maths problem in 200 seconds, that would take the world’s fastest supercomputer 10,000 years.

And as we invest more in our computing power, we’ll make it available for researchers and businesses, as well as government…

…so that when the best entrepreneurs in the world think about where they want to start and scale their AI businesses, they choose the UK.

And finally, we must target our scientific efforts towards what I think of as AI for good.

Right across the western world, we’re searching for answers to the question of how we can improve and increase our productivity.

Because that’s the only way over the long-term to grow our economy and raise people’s living standards.

And in a million different ways, across every aspect of our lives, AI can be that answer.

In the public sector, we’re clamping down on benefit fraudsters…

…and using AI as a co-pilot to help clear backlogs and radically speed up paperwork.

Just take for example, the task of producing bundles for a benefits tribunal.

Before, a week’s work could produce around 11.

Now – that takes less than an hour.

And just imagine the benefits of that rolled out across the whole of government.

In the private sector, start-ups like Robin AI are revolutionising the legal profession…

…writing contracts in minutes, saving businesses and customers time and money.

London-based Wayve is using sophisticated AI software to create a new generation of electric, self-driving cars.

But more than all of this – AI can help us solve some of the greatest social challenges of our time.

It can help us finally achieve the promise of nuclear fusion, providing abundant, cheap, clean energy with virtually no emissions.

It can help us solve world hunger, by making food cheaper and easier to grow…

…and preventing crop failures by accurately predicting when to plant, harvest or water your crops.

And AI could help find novel dementia treatments or develop vaccines for cancer.

That’s why today we’re investing a further £100m to accelerate the use of AI…

…on the most transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases.

Now I believe nothing in our foreseeable future will be more transformative for our economy, our society, and all our lives, than this technology.

But in this moment, it is also one of the greatest tests of leadership we face.

It would be easy to bury our heads in the sand and hope it’ll turn out alright in the end.

To decide it’s all too difficult, or the risks of political failure are too great.

To put short-term demands ahead of the long-term interest of the country.

But I won’t do that.

I will do the right thing, not the easy thing.

I will always be honest with you about the risks.

And you can trust me to make the right long-term decisions…

…giving you the peace of mind that we will keep you safe…

…while making sure you and your children have all the opportunities for a better future that AI can bring.

I feel an extraordinary sense of purpose.

When I think about why I came into politics…

Frankly, why almost anyone came into politics…

It’s because we want to make life better for people…

…to give our children and grandchildren a better future.

And we strive, hour after hour, policy after policy, just trying to make a difference.

And yet, if harnessed in the right way, the power and possibility of this technology…

…could dwarf anything any of us have achieved in a generation.

And that’s why I make no apology for being pro-technology.

It’s why I want to seize every opportunity for our country to benefit in the way I’m so convinced that it can.

And it’s why I believe we can and should, look to the future with optimism and hope.

Thank you.

November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Back to work boost for disability benefit claimants as ground-breaking employment scheme expanded [October 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 26 October 2023.

A pilot scheme for disabled people and people with health conditions to explore barriers to work will be rolled out to 12 new areas.
- Health and employment pilot scheme to be expanded with £1.3 million government investment
- Thousands could be helped in pilot expansion
- Twelve new sites across England and Wales to benefit from programme
A pilot scheme for disabled people and people with health conditions to explore barriers to work will be rolled out to 12 new areas as part of the next generation of welfare reforms being introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The government is taking long-term decisions to reform the welfare system so it better supports disabled people and people with long-term conditions into work, growing the economy and changing lives.

Today’s announcement marks the next step in this agenda, with thousands more out of work benefit claimants set to receive additional support to chart a path back to work with an employment and health practitioner.

Under the new initiative, the claimants and health practitioners develop a ‘work ability plan’ over a one-hour conversation, identifying barriers to employment and actions and support to overcome them. The plan is then shared with their work coach to continue support to overcome their barriers and move them towards work.

It means health claimants can highlight and begin to overcome any work barriers prior to undergoing a Work Capability Assessment, potentially realising a job outcome sooner.

As committed to in the White Paper, following a successful trial in Leeds which has helped hundreds of people move towards work, Employment and Health Discussions will now be expanded to 12 additional sites across England and Wales.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP said:

We are pushing ahead with the next generation of welfare reforms to ensure benefit claimants get as much support as soon as possible to move towards work and the more prosperous life that brings.

This pilot is an important part of that, helping people understand what they need to do to move towards employment through a simple and effective conversation. The findings will help us build the new disability benefits system once the Work Capability Assessment is removed later this decade.

Minister for Disabled People Tom Pursglove MP said:

We know that many people eager to return or start work face complicated barriers to making this a reality. Having an initial conversation with a supportive health professional can have a hugely positive influence on their confidence and help set them on the journey to sustainable employment.

These voluntary discussions will offer new avenues to many people who are keen to enter the workplace and transform lives for the better.

The DWP is expanding this model to a dozen new sites following the success of the Leeds pilot, which was launched in May 2022 and has seen hundreds of conversations supporting claimants towards work.

Building on this, the expanded pilot seeks to help benefit claimants with health conditions to understand better how they could find a path towards employment. The discussions typically involve a one-hour conversation where a ‘work ability plan’ is developed between the practitioner and claimant.

This plan involves identifying how the claimant’s health interacts with their work and how to address these barriers, including signposting to further support to help them self-manage any problems. When a personalised plan is finalised, the details are shared with a work coach who then helps move them towards long-term employment.

Initial feedback from those involved in the Leeds pilot showed that most claimants were able to understand their own health better, which in turn allowed them to communicate this better with others, including their Work Coach and potential employers.

Many also felt more confident about what they are able to do, and how to overcome barriers they face – making them more inclined to take further steps towards the labour market. This pilot therefore represents a first step to help claimants understand where employment support is and how to access it.

Other help includes Universal Support, an employment programme which will ramp up to support at least 50,000 people a year from 2025 to 2026. The latest phase of this programme, backed by £53 million, began across the country in September to provide personalised support to help more people with complex barriers into work with ‘on the job’ support.

And with one in five health and disability claimants across the country assessed as having limited capability for work-related activity wanting to work with the right support, the government is also consulting on changes to the Work Capability Assessment. These proposals reflect increased Government support and the rise of flexible and home working and better employer support for disabled people and people with health conditions.

The proposals will help these claimants access support whilst forming a bridge to the eventual removal of the assessment, which will complete a reframing of the disability benefits system.

The DWP will therefore use the findings from the expanded Employment and Health Discussions pilot in the longer-term to inform the structure of the wider benefits system once the Work Capability Assessment is removed, focusing on what disabled people and people with health conditions can do, rather than what they can’t.

Additional Information

The 12 new sites, in addition to Leeds, which have come online are: Aberdare, Bradford, Chelmsford, Doncaster, Durham, Hull, Lancaster, Newcastle, Norwich, Sunderland, Wigan and York.
November 2, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Giles Adams appointed to the British Library Board [October 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 26 October 2023.

The Secretary of State has appointed Giles Adams as a Board Member of the British Library for a term of 4 years commencing 2 October 2023.

Giles Adams

Giles recently retired as a Partner at KPMG UK having worked on financial services regulation in the Enterprise Risk Advisory practice for the last 25 years. He advised a wide range of UK and international banks and investment firms on both prudential and non financial risk management issues, regulatory compliance and governance matters. Before joining KPMG he worked for 12 years as a bank and markets regulator at the Bank of England.

Giles read English, Politics and History of Art at the University of York followed by a Master’s degree in History of Art from the University of Sussex.

Giles has been a Trustee of Historic Buildings and Places (one of the nine National Amenity Societies consulted on all Listed Building Consents) since 2018.

Giles is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Board Members of the British Library are remunerated at £9,130 per annum. This appointments has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The Governance Code requires that any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years is declared; this is defined as holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation or candidature for election. Giles Adams has not declared any significant political activity.

November 2, 2023