Tag: 2024

Post Office – 2024 Letter to Postmasters Impacted by the Horizon Project
The letter sent by the Post Office on 24 May 2024.

Dear postmasters,

The Horizon IT Scandal is one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in our history. Some of you have endured financial ruin, the loss of homes, livelihoods, and reputation. We have a duty to right these wrongs and deliver justice to you as quickly as possible. That’s why we introduced this Act, and why we acted quickly to make sure it was passed by Parliament before the general election.

Parliament’s decision means that hundreds of convictions of innocent postmasters have been quashed. This clears your names, delivers justice, and ensures swift access to the financial redress that postmasters deserve.

Convictions will be quashed if they meet the criteria set out in the Act, but in summary you will be eligible if:
- prosecutions were brought about by the Post Office or CPS (or in Northern Ireland, the state prosecutor or the police)
- offences were carried out in connection with Post Office business between 1996 and 2018
- your conviction(s) were for relevant offences such as theft, fraud and false accounting
- your conviction(s) were against postmasters, their employees, officers, family members or direct employees of the Post Office working in a Post Office that used the Horizon system software
- the conviction has not been considered by the Court of Appeal
Updating court and criminal records

At this stage you do not need to take any further action. The Ministry of Justice has established a casework team who are in the process of identifying individuals in England & Wales whose convictions have been quashed by the Act and will write to them in the coming weeks to inform them of the quashing of their convictions. The Department of Justice is responsible for identifying and notifying individuals in Northern Ireland.

The Ministry of Justice casework team will then provide details of convictions to His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and the Police, and those agencies will amend court and police records to reflect the changes brought about by the legislation. The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) acting for the Police Service will entirely delete any records relating to quashed convictions from the Police National Computer.

Completely deleting the conviction record from the Police National Computer will mean the information is not available for any operational Police or law enforcement investigations, and in addition will no longer show up on any criminal record check, such as a DBS check. The Department of Justice, Northern Ireland Courts & Tribunals Service and Police Service of Northern Ireland will take similar steps to amend records in Northern Ireland.

We will write to you again to confirm when your relevant court and criminal records have been updated.

Claiming financial redress

If you have had your convictions quashed under this legislation you will be entitled to financial redress. Work to establish the new redress scheme is underway and it will be in place by the summer, in line with previous government commitments. We will provide further information on how you can register for this scheme in due course.

When you should contact us

We will provide further updates on progress but expect that most relevant convictions will have been identified and letters sent by the end of July. If you have not heard from the Ministry of Justice casework team or the Department of Justice by the end of July, we would encourage you to contact them directly to ensure that your conviction has been considered.

To make us aware of your conviction, or for any further queries, please email: PostOfficeConvictions@justice.gov.uk, or, for Northern Ireland, PostOfficeHorizon@justice-ni.gov.uk

If you would prefer you can write to:

Post Office Convictions

Unit 8B
Berkley Way
South Tyneside
Tyne & Wear
NE31 1SF

Or for Northern Ireland:

Post Office Convictions (Northern Ireland)

Legacy Litigation & Projects Unit
Massey House
Stormont Estate
Belfast
BT4 3SX
June 3, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act receives Royal Assent [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 24 May 2024.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has become law after receiving Royal Assent.
- The Act will give the UK’s competition regulator tools to stop technology businesses with strategic power from misusing their position to disadvantage competitors and consumers.
- The law will also create penalties for traders that break consumer protection law and allowing the Competition and Markets Authority to enforce consumer law directly.
- Under the rules, it will be easier for consumers to manage subscriptions by providing clearer pricing, banning fake reviews, and giving consumers greater control over what they are purchasing online.
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act has become law after receiving Royal Assent.

The Act paves the way to give consumers rights across the UK, with greater control and clarity over online purchases.

It does this by requiring businesses to provide clearer information to consumers before they enter a subscription contract, remind consumers that their free trial or low-cost trial is coming to an end, and ensure consumers can easily exit a contract.

Unavoidable hidden fees will also need to be included in the initial cost or clearly illustrated at the start of the purchasing journey. This will ensure consumers are clear from the offset about what they’re spending.

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act will also give new tools to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to address the challenges to competition in digital markets.

These tools will allow the competition regulator to set tailored ‘conduct requirements’ which require a powerful tech company to change the way it operates if it is not treating users fairly. These rules could give consumers the room to freely choose the services they use, or stop companies from withholding information consumers need to make good decisions.

The Act also gives the regulator powers to intervene and direct a firm to change its behaviour to boost competition – whether that is to benefit people using smartphones or businesses dependent on cloud services.

The Act will also give new powers to the CMA to closely monitor road fuel prices and report any sign of malpractice to the government.

Only a handful of the most powerful global technology companies will be subject to these new rules if, following an investigation, they are deemed to hold ‘strategic market status’.

If companies fail to comply with decisions made by the CMA, they could be subject to fines reaching tens of billions of pounds. These fines and other measures will be balanced by rigorous checks and balances.
June 3, 2024
Keir Starmer – 2024 Speech on a Safer Britain

The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 3 June 2024.

Thank you, let me start by saying thank you Louise – for your service. What a fantastic contribution you will make to Parliament as the Labour MP for North East Derbyshire. And thank you John – for all your support and your leadership on this vital issue.

Now, this week is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, so I want to start by remembering the bravery of those soldiers who sailed from the South of England to the beaches of France. The individual courage and the collective strength of our troops whose sacrifice that day turned the tide of the Second World War, brought liberation to Europe, and secured our freedom.

This week and every week – we will remember them.

And we will honour them.

Some gave their lives so we could live freely. Others returned home to build a new Britain. We salute those who remain with us today and keep the memory of their fallen comrades alive. And we recognise with one voice, as a nation, that our debt can never be paid in full.

But of course – we can honour their sacrifice with our decisions today. And we must. Because sadly, the world we live in today is perhaps more dangerous and volatile than at any time since then, and frankly, for my generation, that’s a shock.

I mean, I remember vividly the day the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. I remember how I felt. A sense of freedom, of possibility, of peace. European countries once again free to choose their own futures, new allegiances being made, friendships forged out of the scars of war.

And above all, a sense – as the wall came down – nothing like that could happen again. An end of an era.

I didn’t think that in my lifetime I would see Russian tanks entering a European country again. The rumble of war rolling across our continent, soldiers kissing their children goodbye, desperate families fleeing across European borders in search of safety.

But in that moment, as we saw those pictures from Kyiv, I understood.

The post-war era is over and a new age of insecurity has begun. An era where the burden of history – for people and nations will once again, be heavier on our backs.

National security is the most important issue of our times. Something which, of course, is always true, and which for us, if we are privileged to serve our country, will become our solemn responsibility.

That’s not something I say lightly: the security and defence of our nation is personal to my family. Like so many families, I have relatives who served in the second world war. My mum’s brother, my uncle Roger, served in the Falklands on HMS Antelope. And I remember the terrible wait when his ship was bombed.

My mum’s fear as she sat by the radio every day, listening for news, and then the relief, a long week later, when we found out he had survived. So I know the courage, the service, and the sacrifice that allows us to sleep soundly at night from our forces and their families.

I know it. I respect it. And I will serve it – with every decision. It is part of my story, and the reason why I said – from day one of my leadership – that the Labour Party had to change.

Change for a purpose. To respect your service, face the future in this dangerous world, and above all – to keep Britain safe. That is why, with my changed Labour Party, national security will always come first.

That’s a message I took to Kyiv last year when I visited President Zelensky. A pledge of unwavering British support in the face of Russian tyranny. But we have to be resolute, not just in our support for Ukraine but also – in this era, at home.

We must face down malign actors who try to attack and weaken our nation, and not just through traditional warfare over air, land and sea, but with hybrid threats – to our energy supply, cyber security, information warfare.

Now – I would prefer if politics were kept out of this issue – even at this election. Throughout the whole of this Parliament. I have deliberately not been partisan over issues of national security.

Yet just before this election, the Tories questioned this Labour Party’s commitment to national security. And I will not let that stand. The people of Britain need to know that their leaders will keep them safe – and we will. Furthermore, the truth is that after 14 years of the Tories, we are less safe and less secure.

You don’t have to take my word for it. The Tory’s own former defence secretary says the government has failed to take defence seriously. We have the smallest army since the time of Napoleon, at a time when other countries are firmly on a war footing.

So – even as we work tirelessly for peace, we have to be fit to fight.

So let me be unequivocal. This Labour Party is totally committed to the security of our nation. To our armed forces. And, importantly, to our nuclear deterrent.

Just a few weeks ago I visited BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness. I was the first Labour leader to visit in 30 years.

I saw the nuclear submarines being made. I saw an industry that supports the local community and I met workers who are proud to be doing their bit for our national security.

They deserve our full support, and they will get it. The nuclear deterrent is the foundation of any plan to keep Britain safe – it is essential.

That’s why Labour has announced a new triple-lock commitment to our nuclear deterrent. We’ll maintain Britain’s Continuous at Sea deterrent 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Deliver all the needed future upgrades and we will build four new nuclear submarines like the ones I saw in Barrow. That won’t just keep us safe, it will also support good jobs and growth across the UK.

One of my first visits after I became leader of the Labour Party was to Plymouth, the frontline of defence in this country. Devonport alone employs 2,500 service people and civilians, it supports 400 local businesses, and it generates around 10% of Plymouth’s income.

And when I was there, I met the shipbuilding apprentices – talented, ambitious young people. And I looked them in the eye and promised that I would fight for the future of Plymouth’s defence industry. And I will.

Because it’s only by harnessing and supporting the strength of proud communities like Plymouth, Barrow, Aldershot, and so many more, that means we can safeguard our security and our growth for the decades to come.

I mean look at Ukraine now. Industrial capacity is an absolutely critical part of security. So with Labour, Britain will be fit to fight. Within the first year of a Labour government, we will carry out a new strategic defence review. And we’re absolutely committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence as soon as possible, because we know our security isn’t just vital for our safety today, it’s absolutely central to our success for the future.

National security and economic security must go hand in hand.

And we also know that playing our part on the world stage makes us stronger and better off at home. So make no mistake: I am absolutely committed to rebuilding relationships with our allies. I went to the Munich Security Conference back in February, I met with world leaders from the US, Europe and the Middle East and I met the Secretary General of NATO. And I pledged to each of them that with a Labour government, the UK would be a point of stability in a chaotic world, that we would always meet our international obligations, take our responsibilities seriously and be a leader on the world stage once more.

Because when I spoke about D-Day at the beginning I wasn’t just talking about respect for our past, I was thinking about our future as well. Because that is the best example of what cooperation can achieve in the face of fascism and aggression.

Our joint endeavour, our shared values, our common respect for freedom, democracy, liberty, that’s what we were fighting for and that fight never stops.

There is a narrative you see sometimes that our values are a point of weakness. That’s what Putin thinks.

But he’s wrong. Ukraine has shown that, and we must be prepared to stand up as well, because those values are our cause and our strength.

Let me be clear. This is not a party-political issue, this is a national issue. It affects every single individual, every community, and Labour will always put our country first. We will serve working people across our nation, and respect our armed forces as they continue to protect our country.

But on July 4th there is a choice. And you can choose to rebuild a country that is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with European allies, that leads the way in standing up for our values and our freedom, all around the world, and that will never shy away from doing our duty at home and abroad.

A stronger, safer, more secure Britain with Labour.

That is the choice. It’s time to stop the chaos, time to turn the page and rebuild our country, together.

Thank you very much.

June 3, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Six new trustees appointed to the Theatres Trust board [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 24 May 2024.

The Secretary of State has appointed Vicky Browning, Anna Collins, Liam Evans-Ford, Tracy-Ann Oberman, Saratha Rajeswaran and Michele Taylor as trustees of the Theatres Trust.

Vicky Browning

Appointed for a 3 year term commencing 01 April 2024. .

Vicky’s career spans both the commercial and charity sectors. Having spent nearly 15 years leading charities, she is currently enjoying a series of roles as an interim chief executive, most recently for national advocacy charity POhWER and cross-sector collaboration body WIG (the Whitehall & Industry Group).

Previously, she led ACEVO, the network of civil society leaders for over five years, joining from CharityComms, the membership network for communications professionals in UK charities, where she was director for seven years.

A former magazine journalist, editor and publisher, Vicky worked at Haymarket Publishing, the UK’s largest privately owned publishing company for 16 years during the nineties and noughties, including a stint launching a new title in New York. She then enjoyed six years as an independent publishing consultant, offering management consultancy, product development and marketing services to a range of clients, before moving to the charity sector.

Anna Collins

Appointed for a 3 year term commencing 29 April 2024.

Anna Collins spent her early career in Scotland managing front of house operations for ATG and Glasgow Life across their portfolio of cultural venues. Anna became freelance in 2012 when she managed a London 2012 Olympic venue, followed by leading the development and operation of a new build competition venue for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth games.

For the last ten years she has been providing strategic leadership for clients undertaking significant new build and refurbishment projects within the Arts. Previous clients include, The Guardian News and Media Group, The National Theatre, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Northamptonshire Council and The Factory International. More recently Anna acted as Project Director for the RIBA-award winning Mountview Academy of Performing Arts’ new home in Peckham, and for the last two years has been leading the Dunard Centre project, the UKs first Nagata / Chipperfield designed concert hall which will become a flagship venue for the Edinburgh International Festival.

Anna also sits on the committee of Edinburgh’s Royal High School project to develop Thomas Hamilton’s grade A listed building into a new performance space. Anna has a keen interest in architecture and is the co-founder of an award winning, sustainable accredited architecture practice alongside her husband.

Liam Evans-Ford

Appointed for a 3 year term commencing 01 April 2024.

Liam is Executive Director and CEO at Theatr Clwyd, taking up the post in 2016. Theatr Clwyd is the biggest producing theatre in Wales and the third biggest client of the Arts Council of Wales. During his time the organisation has increased its annual turnover from £5m to £7.2m, won UK Theatre, Olivier, and Stage awards for their work, and progressed an ambitious and essential £40m+ Capital redevelopment of the 1970’s building in Flintshire. The theatre has also been recognised for leading the way on social impact and has major partnerships and social prescription models in place with the NHS, Social Services and numerous housing associations, runs William Aston Hall, a 1000 seat concert venue in Wrexham, as well as Theatr Clwyd Music Trust which delivers music lessons to over 70 schools and 3000 young people each week.

Before joining Clwyd Liam was Associate Producer and Capital Development Associate at York Theatre Royal; General Manager and Producer at Sheffield Crucible Theatres.

Liam is Chair of Creu Cymru, the development agency for theatres, arts centres and theatre producers in Wales; sits on the Business Advisory Board for the North Wales Growth Deal, the Strategic Advisory Group for the North East Wales Investment Zone, and the Advisory Group for the UK wide Access Scheme, All In.

Tracy-Ann Oberman

Appointed for a 3 year term commencing 01 April 2024.

Tracy Ann Oberman is an actress , writer and theatre creator. She studied drama at Manchester University and is an alumni of Central School of Speech and Drama. Tracy Ann has had an extensive career both on stage and screen. She has been a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre and has worked extensively across the country’s regional theatres and in the West End. Tracy Ann recently made British UK theatre history playing the first female, Shylock in the hugely successful Merchant Of Venice 1936 which toured the country and transferred into the Criterion Theatre Piccadilly. She is passionate about theatre creativity and making the theatre experience exciting, enjoyable and accessible for all.

Saratha Rajeswaran

Appointed for a 3 year term commencing 01 April 2024.

Sara is Chief of Staff to the Group CEO at Aviva plc, a leading Insurance, Wealth and Retirement business in the UK, Ireland and Canada. Sara has almost twenty years’ experience in executive advice, corporate affairs and political consultancy. Previous roles include Director of External Affairs at the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association, Associate Director and Edelman and Chief of Staff to the CEO and Strategy Adviser to the Chairman of Network Rail. Sara has also worked for the UK Government as Special Adviser to two consecutive Environment Secretaries.

Sara co-authored A Portrait of Modern Britain with Rishi Sunak at Policy Exchange in 2014 and was a researcher to Professor Alison Wolf for her book The XX Factor: How Working Women Are Creating a New Society. Sara is also a Trustee of the National Centre for Social Research.

Sara studied Modern History and Politics at The Queen’s College, Oxford, then went on to train in classical voice at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama, performing across the UK at many of the country’s great regional theatres.

Michele Taylor

Appointed for a 3 year term commencing 01 April 2024.

Michèle Taylor is Director for Change at Ramps on the Moon, having run her own business as a Disability Equality strategist and trainer since 1992. She has been a key part of the Ramps on the Moon endeavour since its inception, supporting arts organisations to enrich the stories they tell and the ways they tell them by elevating the place of disabled people in the mainstream performing arts.

Michèle has been working with cultural and heritage organisations over more than 30 years to embed systemic and structural change to ensure that their practices, policies and premises are open to disabled people. She has been the access consultant on a number of award-winning buildings, and she contributed to the second edition of Theatre Buildings, A Design Guide (ed. Margaret Shewring, 2024)

She is an accredited coach, registered psychotherapist, and has an MA in fine art photography.

In January 2022 her work was recognised when she was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List for services to disabled people and theatre.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees of the Theatres Trust are not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Vicky Browning, Anna Collins, Liam Evans-Ford, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Michele Taylor have declared no significant political activity. Saratha Rajeswaran was a Special Adviser at DEFRA from 2019-2021.

June 1, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : New Chair appointed to The Royal Parks Board [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 24 May 2024.

The Secretary of State has appointed Dame Mary Archer as Chair of The Royal Parks Board from 24 July 2024 until 23 July 2028.

Dame Mary Archer

Appointed for a 4 year term commencing 24 July 2024.

Dame Mary Archer is Chancellor of the University of Buckingham and a scientist by background. Her research interests lay in non-thermal methods of solar energy conversion to power and fuels, and she was the founder chair of the National Energy Foundation. She is a Companion of the Energy Institute and was awarded the Institute’s Melchett Medal in 2002 and the Eva Philbin award of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland in 2007. She recently joined the Board of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero as a non-executive director.

Dame Mary chaired the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum Group from 2015–2023. She has had a long association with the NHS, sitting on the board of Cambridge University Hospitals from 1993 and chairing it from 2002 to 2012. In 2012, she was appointed DBE for services to the NHS.

Among other commitments, Dame Mary is a Liveryman of the Salters’ Company and the incoming chair of the Salters’ Institute of Industrial Chemistry. She holds honorary DSc degrees from the University of Hertfordshire, Imperial College London and the University of Bradford.

Remuneration and Governance Code

The Chair of The Royal Parks Board is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Dame Mary Archer has not declared any significant political activity. This appointment is subject to confirmation by the new administration as set out in the cabinet office pre-election guidance.

June 1, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Levelling Up Partnership funding confirmed [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 24 May 2024.

Five areas in England and Scotland have agreed details of their Levelling Up Partnership funding.

Boston, Stoke-on-Trent, Wakefield, the Scottish Borders and Tendring were previously announced as areas which would receive a Levelling Up Partnership to support regeneration.

In Boston we are investing £13m in regeneration and improving access to community sports facilities, including £7m for Boston Leisure Centre and £3.2m to complete Boston United’s community sports complex which supports young people and will include 30 affordable homes. Alongside this, we are investing over £1.5m for projects to support community groups and boost tourism and £2.8m for Boston College to acquire and develop the Haven Wharf site to open a digital and creative campus.

In Stoke-on-Trent, we are supporting the city by investing almost £6.5m to regenerate the historic and heritage buildings; investing £2.5m to improve recreational facilities and create a new wellbeing campus; and fund the redevelopment of a 19th century building in Burslem, bringing the building back into public use.

In Wakefield we are investing over £10m to support regeneration and boost skills, including renovating the Grade II listed Crown Court, £3.25m for Production Park to support the creation of 200 high skilled jobs, £1.5m for the Hepworth Art Gallery and a public art walking route; and building a new voluntary and community sector hub in the city centre.

In the Scottish Borders, we are investing over £11m to support local economic development, including hotel development in Galashiels, Crook Inn Bunkhouse, purchase of business units in Eyemouth, and a brownfield fund pot for Hawick. £2.3m will support the bus network, and £6m will support refurbishment and retrofitting of buildings, youth services and village halls.

Subject to local Cabinet approval, Tendring’s Levelling Up Partnership will likely include measures such as £3m to redevelop Clacton Leisure Centre to provide sports facilities and integrated health and wellbeing services, £2m to unlock the delivery of an urgent treatment centre and primary care facility at Clacton Hospital, and £2.5m to provide a new walking route across Tudor Fields, alongside other interventions to support regeneration.

All the Levelling Up Partnerships will be subject to business case.

June 1, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces Boundary Commission re-appointment [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 24 May 2024.

NI Secretary, Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has announced the re-appointment of Vilma Patterson to the Boundary Commission for NI for a further five years.

Background

The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland’s role is to review the number, names, designation and boundaries of parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland and to submit reports with recommendations to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for making appointments to the role of members to the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland. The appointment is made in accordance with Schedule 1 of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986.

Biography of Appointee

Vilma Patterson MBE was formerly a Director and Shareholder of John G Duff (Annadale) Ltd and is a past member of the Training Committee for the Construction Industry Training Board for Northern Ireland. She was the founding Chair of the Women in Business Network and a former Board Member of the Women on the Move Network which works to support and encourage female entrepreneurship.

Ms Patterson has previously held a number of appointments, including Chairman of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland, non-executive member of the Audit Committee of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland and a Civil Service Commissioner for Northern Ireland. Vilma was also a Member and Chair of the Independent Monitoring Board for HMP Maghaberry 1996 to 2008, Chairman of the Association of Members of Independent Monitoring Boards for Northern Ireland and a member of the Parades Commission for Northern Ireland from 2006-2010. From 2011 to 2013 she was a member of the Prison Service Pay Review Body and a Member of the Armed Forces Pay Review Body from 2015-2020. She is currently a member of the Parole Commission for Northern Ireland.

Terms of Appointment
- This position is part-time for a period of five years ending on 30 June 2029.
- The position attracts a daily remuneration of £505.50 per day.
- The position is not pensionable.
Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements. Political activity plays no part in the appointment process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.

Vilma Patterson has declared that she has not been politically active in the past five years.

Regulation

The appointment is regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment (OCPA).

Statutory Requirements

The appointment is made by the Secretary of State in accordance with Schedule 1 Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986.
June 1, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : New Chair of the Consumer Council for Water appointed [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 24 May 2024.

Robert Wilson will take on the role for a three-year term.

Robert Wilson has today (Friday 24 May) been confirmed as the new Chair of the Consumer Council for Water.

Robert will succeed the departing Chair, Robert Light, for a three-year term commencing on 6 June 2024.

The appointment has been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments published by the Cabinet Office.

Biography
- Robert Wilson is an experienced businessman, Chairman and Non-Executive Director across the private, public and charity sectors.
- Robert has been involved in supporting consumers in the transport sector with Transport Focus, the independent watchdog representing the interests of rail, tram, bus and coach passengers, as well as in the water industry as a Board member at the Consumer Council for Water for the past five years.
- He is a former Member of Parliament and Minister.
Notes to editors:
- All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.
- The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) is the independent, statutory body that represents all water and sewerage consumers across England and Wales. It provides advice and information on water matters and investigates complaints. It is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
June 1, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : British Ambassador promotes economic development and environment protection in Quetzaltenango [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 May 2024.

The British Ambassador to Guatemala Nick Whittingham visited Quetzaltenango on 23 May to strengthen ties with the new authorities and advance UK priorities.

Ambassador Whittingham engaged with government officials, civil society, and private sector. He reinforced the UK commitment to addressing shared priorities on boosting economic development, promoting democratic values and accountability, and tackling climate change.

The Ambassador met with the Governor of Quetzaltenango, Aldo Herrera Scheel; and the Mayor, Juan Fernando López. He highlighted the opportunities to continue boosting trade through the UK-Central America Association Agreement, the possibility of sharing UK experiences in sectors such as agriculture, green-infrastructure and financial services, and the impact of UK assistance on protecting the environment and reducing poverty in rural communities.

With representatives of the private sector, Ambassador Whittingham learnt more about the work of the Management Groups and their role in promoting local economic development, with the aim of improving the standard of living of the population, through the generation of jobs and increased income. He also visited the production plant of Ron Zacapa, the emblematic Guatemalan rum, which is distilled in the highlands of Quetzaltenango 2,300 metres above sea level.

Finally, the Ambassador visited Association 32 Volcanoes jointly with the organization Rescue the Planet to promote initiatives amongst youngsters that could reduce the consumption of single-use plastics, and to share ideas on small steps that could contribute to preserve forests and water sources.

June 1, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Licensed drug testing continues at music festivals this summer [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 24 May 2024.

Confiscated and surrendered drugs will be tested to identify toxic substances in circulation and help prevent drug-related overdoses.

A continuation of long-standing government policy, licences have been issued under strict conditions to drug testing organisations to operate at some of the leading festivals in the UK.

Confiscated or surrendered drugs will be tested on site and public alerts will be cascaded to festival goers if extremely potent drugs are detected to protect the public as much as possible and help prevent drug-related harm. The message to festival goers is there is no safe way to take illegal drugs.

This will also provide an important source of data for the government’s early warning system in tracking the prevalence of emerging threats, such as synthetic opioids, so that police and health support services can take swift action to contain the problem should any be identified.

Back-of-house drug testing does not see drug samples returned to an individual or provide them with tailored information on the content of their sample, as we are clear there are no safe ways to take illegal drugs.

More licences are expected to be issued in the coming weeks.

As in previous years, organisations wishing to deliver back-of-house drug testing must apply for a Home Office licence to operate responsibly, in line with government policy to ensure that they do not condone drug use which is illegal.

There has been no change in the government’s position on drug testing at festivals. It has long been a requirement for anyone handling controlled drugs, including drug testing services, to acquire a licence.

The Home Office continues to keep an open dialogue with any potential applicants who wish to apply for a licence, including organisations that deliver drug testing services, to ensure the strict requirements attached to back-of-house drug testing are fully understood.

Information about controlled drugs licences for companies that possess, manufacture, produce or supply controlled drugs in England, Wales or Scotland can be found in the controlled drugs: domestic licences guidance.

June 1, 2024