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Tag: 2024

  • PRESS RELEASE : Cyberflashing, epilepsy-trolling and fake news to put online abusers behind bars from today [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Cyberflashing, epilepsy-trolling and fake news to put online abusers behind bars from today [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 31 January 2024.

    New offences have been introduced to criminalise cyberflashing, fake news intended to cause non-trivial harm and other online abuse.

    • New offences introduced to criminalise cyberflashing, fake news intended to cause non-trivial harm and other online abuse.
    • Offences from the Online Safety Act kick in from today, meaning criminals can face up to five years behind bars for their demeaning and dangerous actions.
    • Love Island stars, children’s charities, eight-year-old campaigners, and more collaborated to bring “Zach’s Law” and other rules into effect.

    Abusers, trolls, and predators online now face a fleet of tough new jailable offences from today (Wednesday 31 January), as offences for ‘cyberflashing’, sending death threats, and ‘epilepsy-trolling’ are written into the statute book after the Online Safety Act gained Royal Assent.

    These new criminal offences will protect people from a wide range of abuse and harm online, including threatening messages, the non-consensual sharing of intimate images known as ‘revenge porn’, and sending fake news that aims to cause non-trivial physical or psychological harm.

    Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

    From today, online abusers and trolls will be prosecuted and put behind bars for their cowardly and menacing acts – ensuring the public are protected and can have better peace of mind when online.

    Our pioneering Online Safety Act is already setting a global standard, and pivotal protections like these will keep sick individuals off our streets and unable to endanger Brits online.

    Dubbed “Zach’s law”, a new offence will also mean online trolls that send or show flashing images electronically with the intention of causing harm to people with epilepsy will be held accountable for their actions and face prison.

    The campaign for this offence began when Zach – who has epilepsy and was then aged eight – was raising money for the Epilepsy Society and was looking at Twitter responses to his campaigning efforts. It became clear that online trolls had flooded the Epilepsy Society’s profile with images and GIFs designed to trigger a seizure for people with epilepsy. While Zach was thankfully unharmed, several others with the condition reported seizures after following the fundraiser online.

    Clare Pelham, Chief Executive, Epilepsy Society:

    In this country we have a fine tradition of standing up to bullies. And with this new offence, Zach’s Law, the government is offering the full protection of the criminal law to people with epilepsy who are deliberately assaulted by flashing images sent by cowardly bullies.

    We are the first country in the world to do this and the Epilepsy Society has already been contacted by victims abroad who hope their governments will follow our example.

    Following the campaigning of Love Island star Georgia Harrison, bitter ex-partners and other abusers who share, or threaten to share, intimate images on or offline without the consent of those depicted will face jail time under new offences from today.

    Those found guilty of the base offence of sharing an intimate image could be in prison for up to 6 months, or 2 years if it is proven the perpetrator also intended to cause distress, alarm or humiliation, or shared the image to obtain sexual gratification.

    Cyberflashing on dating apps, AirDrop and other platforms will also result in perpetrators facing up to two years behind bars where it is done to gain sexual gratification, or to cause alarm, distress or humiliation.

    Sending death threats or threatening serious harm online will also carry a jail sentence of up to five years under a new ‘threatening communications’ offence that will completely outlaw appalling threats made online that would be illegal if said in person.

    A new false communications offence will bring internet trolls to justice by outlawing the intentional sending of false information that could cause ‘non-trivial psychological’ or physical harm to users online. This new offence will bolster the government’s strong commitment to clamping down on dangerous disinformation and election interference online.

    In the wake of sickening content, often targeted at children, that encourages users to self-harm, a new offence will mean the individuals that post content encouraging or assisting serious self-harm could face up to 5 years behind bars.

    Richard Collard, Associate Head of Child Safety Online at the NSPCC, said:

    Children can be particularly vulnerable to content that encourages or assists self-harm and everything possible should be done to protect them from it while they are online.

    We hope this new offence will act as a deterrent to people deliberately spreading this extremely dangerous material. At the same time the focus must remain on tech companies and their duty under the Online Safety Act to design safety into their platforms and stop this content from being suggested and shared in the first place.

    While much of the Online Safety Act’s protections are intended to hold tech companies and social media platforms to account for the content hosted on their sites, these new offences will apply directly to the individuals sending threatening or menacing messages and bring justice directly to them.

    Some of the offences that commence from today will be further bolstered too, when the wide-ranging Criminal Justice Bill completes its passage through Parliament.

  • PRESS RELEASE : £15 million boost for cultural venues to level up access to the arts across England [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : £15 million boost for cultural venues to level up access to the arts across England [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 31 January 2024.

    Fourth round of the Cultural Development Fund launched for cultural organisations across England to level up access to the arts, heritage and culture.

    • Funding expected to be supporting projects on the ground from this summer, creating new jobs and helping to grow the economy
    • Builds on 20 existing projects up and down the country which have benefited from £76.8 million of funding since 2019

    Cultural venues big and small are set to benefit from a £15 million boost as part of the Government’s Cultural Development Fund, which continues to level up access to the arts across the country.

    Successful bidders will share a pot of £15.2 million as part of the fourth round of the popular scheme. The funding will help create local job opportunities and new training places while supporting local cultural institutions as they look to attract tourists and new businesses, helping to grow the economy.

    So far, 20 projects have received a combined total of £76.8 million since 2019, with arts centres, community venues and heritage buildings among the beneficiaries. Previous funding rounds are already making a real difference, with places like Barnsley, Worcester, Plymouth, Stockport and the Isle of Wight receiving transformative investment.

    This year’s round will be the first time since 2019 that projects in London are able to apply to the fund as well, expanding the range of places that can benefit from Cultural Development Fund investment.

    Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

    I’ve been pleased to see how Government investment through the Cultural Development Fund is already making a real difference to people’s lives. The further funding announced today will extend our work to level up access to arts and culture, ensuring that everyone has high-quality opportunities on their doorstep, no matter where they live.

    I encourage applicants to put forward ambitious proposals which will make a real difference to the lives of even more people across the country, and help to preserve the UK’s position on the world stage as a cultural and creative powerhouse.

    Previous projects include:

    • Plymouth City Council received £3.8 million from the Cultural Development Fund round one. As a result of the project, Market Hall at Devonport has become a destination for businesses, schools and many more looking to access the facilities or enjoy the immersive experiences, events, workshops and children’s clubs on offer.
    • The University of Kent was awarded £4.8 million in round one for buildings in Medway, Purfleet and Thurrock to be re-developed for creative use by communities.
    • In round two, Barnsley Museums were awarded £3.9 million to transform Elsecar Heritage Centre into a cultural and creative industries hub by supporting additional community activity and culturally-focused public realm works.
    • Middlesbrough Council Cultural Services was awarded £4.3 million in round two to help deliver a package of construction projects, making Centre Square into a hub for creativity, and boosting digital skills. Events spaces and galleries will also be added to Carnegie Library and Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art thanks to the fund.
    • £2.7 million awarded to Morecambe Winter Gardens in round three will regenerate a Grade II-listed site to create a venue with capacity of up to 2,500 to support local and national promoters and artists in North Lancashire and Cumbria.
    • Also in round three, North Devon Council was awarded £3 million to refurbish two Grade II-Listed Buildings in Barnstaple, creating an accessible learning and performance venue in Bridge Chambers, and co-working, office and studio space for creative industries, visual arts, community and environmental groups.

    The Cultural Development Fund was launched in 2019 to level up the country through investment in culture and the creative industries. By unlocking local growth and productivity, the fund increases access to the arts and regenerates communities through investment in cultural initiatives.

    Arts Council England delivers this fund on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

    Guidance has been published today to provide further information for those considering making an application.

    Darren Henley, Chief Executive of Arts Council England, said:

    The Cultural Development Fund brings the transformative power of creativity and culture to more people in more places, across the country. By investing in the infrastructure that cultural organisations need, we can help them make an even bigger impact on the places where they’re based, benefiting the communities they work with. We’re pleased to continue delivering it on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, building on the successes of the programme so far.

    The Cultural Development Fund also builds on further support for the cultural sector through the other two strands of the Cultural Investment Fund; the Libraries Improvement Fund and the Museum Estate and Development Fund, which have also provided more than £50 million over two rounds.

  • PRESS RELEASE : £1,000 National Insurance cut boosts Britain’s paychecks [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : £1,000 National Insurance cut boosts Britain’s paychecks [January 2024]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 31 January 2024.

    Millions of UK workers see boost in take home pay today as cut to National Insurance shows in January’s payslip as part of plan to reward work and boost growth.

    • Progress made on economy means government is able to cut taxes for hard working people
    • Saving worth £450 for an average worker earning £35,400 a year

    Millions of workers are going to start seeing a boost to their take home pay today as January’s pay comes into bank accounts across the UK.

    With millions of monthly earners getting paid today (Wednesday 31 January 2024), a household with two average earners will be starting to see a nearly £1,000 a year benefit from the Chancellor’s record personal tax cut.

    Thanks to the progress made against its economic priorities, the government announced it will cut National Insurance by 2p from 12% to 10% at the Autumn Statement and made sure it took effect within weeks of the announcement, as part of its plan to reward work and grow the economy. The change is a more than 15% reduction in National Insurance, saving £450 this year for the average salaried worker on £35,400.

    Millions of people working different jobs across hundreds of industries will now be better off. To a pub landlord that’s £418 a year, a bus driver £328, a nurse £527. A teacher will pay £635 less in National Insurance contributions this year.

    Today’s historic NICs cut takes effect with the government having faced the legacy of Covid-19, and global instability with war in Ukraine and the Middle East.

    In the past year, inflation has halved; the economy has recovered more quickly from the pandemic than first thought; and debt is on track to fall. The government is sticking to the plan and is building a stronger economy where hard work is rewarded and ambition and aspiration are celebrated.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

    “I never shied away from making the tough decisions needed yesterday to cut taxes today.

    “This January pay boost for hard-working Brits is part of our plan to grow the economy and build a brighter future where hard work is always rewarded, relieving pressure on UK workers by putting around £450 back in their pockets.”

    The cut means that for those on average salaries, personal taxes would be lower in the UK for single parents with no children than every other G7 country, based on the most recent OECD data. The UK also has the most generous starting allowances for income tax and social security contributions in the G7.

    To mark the tax cut, earlier this month HMRC launched an online tool to help people understand how much they could save in National Insurance this year.

    The tool uses salary information to give employees personalised estimates of how much they could save because of the government’s changes, and is hosted on the government’s cost of living support website on gov.uk.

    The last major cut to the current personal tax system of today’s magnitude was when the National Insurance personal allowance increased from £9,880 to £12,570. This was the largest ever cut to a personal tax starting threshold, allowing working people to hold on to an extra £2,690 free from tax whilst last year taking around 2.2 million people out of paying tax altogether.

    The cut to National Insurance combined with above-inflation increases to tax thresholds since 2010 means that the average earner will pay over £1,000 less in personal taxes than they otherwise would have done.

    The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) says that, by 2028-29 this tax cut will increase the number of people in employment by 28,000 alongside a substantial economic benefit from those in work increasing their hours which the OBR forecast will be equivalent to 79,000 on a full-time equivalent basis. Overall, the OBR says that by 2028-29 this measure will increase the number of hours worked by new and existing employees by 0.3%, or 94,000 in full-time equivalent terms.

    At the Autumn Statement the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the biggest package of tax cuts to be implemented since the 1980s. In addition to today’s action, he announced a National Insurance cut for 2 million self-employed people, which will take effect on 6 April 2024 and is worth £350 for the average self-employed person on £28,200. He also made full expensing permanent, which at £11 billion per year is the biggest business tax cut in modern British history helping businesses invest for less. Over 200 business leaders told the government that it would have the single most transformational impact on business investment and growth.

    The OBR says these two measures will increase the number of people in work and grow the economy.

    He also announced the biggest ever increase to the National Living Wage, froze alcohol duty for six months and extended cuts to business rates relief for the high street.

    Further information

    Today’s tax cut combined with above-inflation increases to tax thresholds since 2010 means that the average earner will pay over £1,000 less in personal taxes than they otherwise would have done – this is based on the mean earnings for all employees from ASHE 2023. The income tax and employee NICs liability is compared to a hypothetical counterfactual where tax rates are kept unchanged and thresholds are uprated in line with inflation every year.

  • PRESS RELEASE : International community urged to come together or face losing the global contest of ideas, Lord Chancellor to warn in landmark speech in Washington [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : International community urged to come together or face losing the global contest of ideas, Lord Chancellor to warn in landmark speech in Washington [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 31 January 2024.

    The international accords that have guaranteed freedom, security and prosperity since 1945 are “fraying at the edges” as a direct result of Russia’s illegal war, the Lord Chancellor will tell Washington today.

    • Justice Secretary to issue rallying cry in support of international co-operation during visit to US
    • International rules-based order under threat thanks to actions of Russia and Iran
    • Lord Chancellor to also visit New York to see tough community sentences that cut crime and keep public safe

    Justice Secretary Alex Chalk will address American legislators, members of the judiciary and legal professionals at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington D.C to underline the importance of the rule of law, especially in the face of hostile states who believe “might is always right”.

    The Lord Chancellor Alex Chalk will say:

    “The truth is we are in a global contest of ideas, a contest between rule of law nations like ours and those who offer an authoritarian alternative – a solution that says agreements don’t matter, values don’t count, rights are mere impediments. Instead, ‘might is always right’. And it means that a global post-War consensus, which we assumed was unshakeable, now needs shoring up. Rather than letting complacency reign, we must reinforce the rule of law foundations on which it was built.”

    Against a backdrop of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Lord Chancellor will set out how crucial it is there is accountability and repercussions when one country chooses to rip up the rule book.

    This has been exemplified by the UK’s role in expediting the International Criminal Court’s investigation into Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The UK has worked with the USA and the European Union to establish the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group, which is supporting Ukraine’s Prosecutor General in the domestic investigation and prosecution of more than 120,000 currently alleged conflict-related crimes, with both funding and expertise.

    The Lord Chancellor will go on to argue this instability is leaving many people feeling they have to leave their home country – sometimes illegally – which is putting huge pressure on countries like the UK and the United States, and challenging democracies. He will go on to say:

    While rule of law underpins prosperity, its absence feeds poverty, insecurity and instability.

    This has led to record levels of migratory movements, and fuelled illegal migration. It is clear that unmanaged illegal migration disregards borders and is putting undue pressure on the national systems of rules-based countries like ours – as countries whose sovereign legislatures believe in, and consciously have chosen to be part of, the international rules based order.  The actions of criminal gangs smuggling people across borders brings those very rules into disrepute, particularly if they are perceived to afford, perversely, an unfair advantage to those who break the immigration rules rather than those who abide by them.

    He will highlight the need for international and domestic law to evolve and adapt to the challenges posed by insecurity:

    Both international and domestic law must evolve if they are to meet the challenges posed by insecurity, and to win the global contest of ideas. Because, as Thomas Paine famously said in the eighteenth century, “a state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation.

    The unique genius of the common law, of course, is its flexibility – its readiness to adapt and respond to societal changes and perspectives. I dare say we need some of that same spirit when to comes to the challenge of uncontrolled migration, and the evolution of the rules-based system as a whole.

    He will add that the global community must work together and defend international order at a time when it is under threat by saying:

    To show that we can evolve and adapt while our opponents remain rigid and dogmatic. That is one of the most powerful ways that we can make the case for the rules-based order.

    The Lord Chancellor will also visit New York to see how the state is delivering tough community sentences using the latest technology to cut crime and keep the public safe.

    The problem-solving courts are stopping repeat offending in its tracks by giving low-level offenders the stark choice of getting clean through specialist substance misuse treatment to kick the drug or drink addictions driving their criminality – or face jail.

    This innovative scheme has seen a huge reduction in drug charges over a 15-year period as a direct result of its approach – and is similar to Intensive Supervision Courts currently being piloted on this side of the Atlantic.

    This is part of wider work the government is doing through the Sentencing Bill, which will be back before Parliament shortly. This will ensure tougher sentences for those convicted of the worst murders and sexual offences, promote rehabilitation and reduce crime by limiting use of counter-productive short sentences – the so-called revolving door of prison.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Three years since the military coup in Myanmar – foreign ministers’ joint statement [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Three years since the military coup in Myanmar – foreign ministers’ joint statement [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 January 2024.

    The foreign ministers of 8 countries and the European Union High Representative gave a statement marking 3 years since the military coup in Myanmar.

    Joint statement by the foreign ministers of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs on behalf of the European Union, marking 3 years since the military coup in Myanmar:

    Three years ago, on 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government, undoing a decade of progress.

    Under the military regime, violence against civilians has escalated, with thousands jailed, tortured and killed. Airstrikes, shelling and arson have been used to destroy civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools, healthcare facilities and places of worship. Systematic discrimination against members of religious and ethnic groups, including Rohingya, is rife. Many are displaced and continue to face horrific conditions, and others have been forced to flee across Myanmar’s borders. The military’s actions have fuelled a growing humanitarian crisis with 2.6 million people displaced from their homes, and more than 18 million people in need.

    We condemn in the strongest possible terms the military regime’s ongoing atrocities and human rights violations, such as sexual and gender-based violence, and the restriction of fundamental freedoms including freedom of expression, through peaceful protests and the media. We reiterate our call for the Commander-in-Chief and the military to change course, immediately ceasing violence against civilians, releasing all unjustly detained political prisoners, allowing full humanitarian access and creating space for inclusive dialogue with all stakeholders.

    We strongly encourage unified efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to resolve the crisis. We commend the constructive efforts of the ASEAN Chairs and Special Envoys. We call on the military regime to implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus and engage meaningfully and positively with ASEAN representatives, in order for Myanmar to transition towards an inclusive democracy.

    We continue to support the full implementation of United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution 2669 (2022) and underline our support for UN Security Council activities to support ASEAN’s efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis. We call on the UN to strengthen its efforts on Myanmar including via the timely appointment of a Special Envoy and a Resident Coordinator and urge UN Member states to maintain their support to address urgent humanitarian needs in Myanmar.

    We call on all members of the international community to support efforts to push the Myanmar military to cease violence, to bring about genuinely inclusive dialogue, in order to establish a credible, peaceful democratic future for Myanmar;  to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of people in Myanmar and refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries, including its most vulnerable communities, and to cease providing the Myanmar military with the arms and equipment that are necessary for them to commit atrocities.

    Three years on from the military coup, we continue to stand in solidarity with the Myanmar people and their desire for an inclusive and genuine democracy in Myanmar.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Dual agreements cement UK-Canada science and innovation ties [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Dual agreements cement UK-Canada science and innovation ties [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 31 January 2024.

    A new agreement on AI compute, one of the fundamental building blocks which sits at the heart of how AI is used and developed.

    • UK and Canada strengthen collaboration across science and innovation to unlock new advances for the public good
    • new agreement struck on compute, a vital tool in the development of AI
    • UK and Canada to explore opportunities to work together and with likeminded countries on compute capability
    • countries to explore new shared resource to further their joint research on AI

    The UK and Canada have signed a dual set of agreements which cements their collaboration on science and innovation, while also laying out a new agreement on AI compute – one of the fundamental building blocks which sits at the heart of how AI is used and developed.

    Signed by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan and Canadian Minister for Innovation, Science, and Industry François-Phillippe Champagne in Ottawa, the Memorandum of Understanding on compute is the latest step in the two countries’ efforts to collaborate on AI research and development. At its core is a commitment to explore how both countries can support researchers and industry with the secure and affordable access to computing capacity, which is needed to drive the training and use of AI systems on both sides of the pond. This includes examining opportunities for collaborations on areas of shared strategic importance such as biomedicine and working both together and with likeminded countries on models for collaboration on compute capability.

    Compute is a vital component in the development of AI, enabling a wide range of tasks from processing data to training the latest wave of AI models, making access to computing power increasingly essential. Given the rapid development of the technology, access to compute power is also a vital tool in conducting state of the art research.

    Alongside today’s agreement on compute, the UK and Canada have also signed a refreshed partnership to further strengthen wider collaboration on science and innovation. This agreement identifies a number of key technologies such as quantum, AI, semiconductors, engineering biology, and clean energy technology where the UK and Canada will redouble efforts to foster research and bring innovative new solutions to market to help tackle shared global challenges. An additional focus on scientific diplomacy will see both countries exchanging expertise on issues such as international standards, governance and regulation of new technologies, helping to inform discussions with international forums such as the G7 and G20.

    Academics and researchers from both countries are increasingly sharing data and developing new partnerships, and have done since the first partnership on science and innovation was agreed in 2017. Between 2020 and 2023 alone, some £350 million was awarded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) on collaborative programmes with Canada. This includes the first industry led partnership between any two countries to develop quantum technologies, and an £8 million project in partnership with the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami on arctic ecosystems which funds research projects around climate-driven changes in Inuit Nunangat.

    The landmark agreements signed today come as Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan continues a three-day visit to Canada, which has already seen a range of engagements with leading AI companies in Toronto. The Secretary of State will conclude her visit with discussions in Montreal, including a meeting with Yoshua Bengio – world leading AI professor and Turing prize winner – as he leads work on the State of Science report unveiled at November’s AI Safety Summit.

    UK Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Michelle Donelan said:

    The UK’s unique partnership with Canada across science, innovation, and technology is built on a shared desire to be an active force for good on the global stage.

    Today’s agreements deepen that relationship even further, as we commit to working side-by-side to address the defining technological challenges of our generation.

    My visit this week and the foundations we have laid will ensure we can continue to lead the way in harnessing the opportunities of new innovations across science and technology for decades to come.

    Canadian Minister for Innovation, Science, and Industry, François-Phillipe Champagne said:

    Canada and the UK have a deep relationship that encourages collaboration to help both countries thrive. Today’s Memorandums of Understanding on scientific research, innovation and AI compute will drive positive impacts across all fields of research and innovation, help businesses accelerate commercialization, and link our leading researchers together.

    These agreements will strengthen our AI companies and enable our researchers, as well as encourage sharing research excellence with the Global South to build international capacity and address worldwide challenges.

    The UK and Canada represent a joint global powerhouse, with our combined economies worth a total of £4 trillion. The refreshed collaboration on science and innovation agreed today re-enforces the joint commitment to work hand-in-glove across science, innovation, and technology, and is centred on three distinct pillars. The first, a focus on deep science and technology, will see a re-doubling of efforts to work closely on areas of advanced R&D, particularly in the fields of quantum, AI, semiconductors, and engineering biology. Closer ties will also be developed on “commercialising innovation” to support the adoption of emerging technologies and foster research to bring commercial applications to market on both sides of the Atlantic. The renewed partnership will be marked with biennial meetings of the Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee, which will continue to identify priority areas of collaboration between the two countries.

    In marking the new partnership on Compute, the UK and Canada have also set out their ambition to explore opportunities for collaborations on areas of shared importance like climate research and biomedicine. The agreement also highlights the importance of close collaboration on sustainability in compute, particularly given the significant resources which are required and the subsequent need for improved energy efficiency and measures which will work to reduce associated carbon emissions and environmental impacts.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Executive Vice-President Šefčovič [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary’s meeting with Executive Vice-President Šefčovič [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 January 2024.

    The Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron spoke to Executive Vice President Šefčovič on 31 January 2024.

    Executive Vice-President Šefčovič and the Foreign Secretary spoke today (31 January). It followed a call between the Executive Vice-President and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Chris Heaton-Harris.

    The Executive Vice-President and the Foreign Secretary both agreed on the high importance of seeing the Northern Ireland Executive restored and delivering for the people of Northern Ireland.

    The Foreign Secretary ​explained the package of measures being set out in Parliament today, as the next step in the process to see the Northern Ireland institutions restored. The Executive Vice-President noted that the Commission will analyse carefully the texts published today.

    They discussed ​the proposed joint UK-EU solution on Tariff Rate Quotas​, published ​the previous day, ​which would be considered at the next meeting of the UK-EU Joint Committee after completion of relevant procedures ​on both sides. This would deliver benefits for Northern Ireland importers and was another demonstration of the positive outcomes constructive joint working could achieve.

    This reflected their shared commitment to the full implementation of the Windsor Framework.

    The Commission will continue to exchange with the UK through the channels set up by that Framework.

    The Executive Vice-President and Foreign Secretary noted ongoing work on the other areas of cooperation including on support for Ukraine and agreed to stay in touch​.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Taoiseach Varadkar of Ireland [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Taoiseach Varadkar of Ireland [January 2024]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 30 January 2024.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar of Ireland.

    The Prime Minister spoke to the Taoiseach today to update him on the UK Government’s negotiations with the DUP and Northern Ireland parties, following last night’s positive step from the DUP. The Prime Minister said he is confident that the steps taken pave the way for the restoration of power sharing in the Northern Ireland Executive.

    The Prime Minister outlined the terms of the agreement, alongside the significant support being prepared to stabilise public services. He hoped this would provide a strong basis for the long-term political stability of Northern Ireland.

    Both leaders agreed that it was in the people of Northern Ireland’s interests to have stable devolved government, and that this was also beneficial to relations between the UK and Ireland.

    Turning to bilateral matters, the leaders addressed the Irish Government’s launching of an Inter-State Case on the UK Government’s Legacy Act.

    The Prime Minister expressed his disappointment at the timing and course of action in December, coming at such a sensitive time. He noted that the Irish Government had yet to respond to important questions about its own approach to legacy issues, including with regard to investigations into the 1998 Omagh bombing. The UK government would continue to pursue answers to those questions which had been laid out by the Secretary of State, including with regard to the lack of criminal prosecutions in Ireland.

    The Prime Minister updated the Taoiseach on his recent visit to Kyiv. He outlined how the UK would continue to proactively support Ukraine in its battle for self-defence. The UK had thought it important to begin the year with a strong signal of support – including with a new package of funding and the first of the bilateral security arrangements which G7 and other countries had committed to last year. The Prime Minister expressed hope that others would follow suit soon.

    The leaders agreed both governments would stay in close contact in the coming days, as steps are taken to see fully functioning devolution restored, as set out in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

  • PRESS RELEASE : ‘Worst case’ of making false records commissioner has seen – Maxwell Nyamukapa [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : ‘Worst case’ of making false records commissioner has seen – Maxwell Nyamukapa [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 30 January 2024.

    Traffic Commissioner for the West Midlands, Miles Dorrington recently heard the case of J.Max Transport Ltd and the director and transport manager, Mr Maxwell Nyamukapa.

    The commissioner said “since my appointment into this jurisdiction in 2008, this is the worst case I have ever presided over concerning a person who was both the director, transport manager and driver who was convicted of knowingly making false records.”

    The Traffic Commissioner heard of the 35 convictions recorded against Mr Nyamukapa – 20 convictions for knowingly making a false record and 15 for failing to make a record. Mr Nyamukapa admitted he had deliberately committed the false record offences. He said he did so to keep his business afloat due to the increased fuel prices created by the war in Ukraine. The commissioner noted that every operator was adversely affected by that increase in fuel prices but that did not in any way allow them to deliberately break the rules and falsify records as a result. The vast majority of operators remained compliant and in doing so some went out of business; but they made the choice to go out of business rather than to break the strict rules. Mr Nyamukapa’s explanation for why he made the conscious decision to break the rules again and again and again was wholly without any lawful foundation or merit. It was clear that he had gained, as a result of deliberately falsifying his records, an unfair commercial advantage over other operators who remained compliant.

    He was deemed to have lost his good repute and disqualified as a transport manager for 5 years to mark the severity of his conduct, the risk he posed to road safety, the unfair commercial advantage he gained.

    He was also disqualified for five years from holding or obtaining any type of operator’s licence in any traffic area, from being a director or partner in any company or partnership that holds or applies for any type of operator’s licence in any traffic area and he is also disqualified from being a majority shareholder in a company that applies for or holds any type of operator’s licence in any traffic area or from being a director, or majority shareholder of a company that is a subsidiary to a company that holds or applies for any type of operator’s licence in any traffic area.

    Further to this, Mr. Dorrington revoked Mr Nyamukapa’s substantive LGV and his provisional PCV driving entitlements and to disqualify him from holding any form of LGV and/or PCV driving entitlement again for a period of 3 years with immediate effect.

    Mr Dorrington finished with a warning to the operator, “I will be asking the DVSA to check that you have not breached any of my orders. If you are found to have done so I will ask the DVSA to prosecute you in the criminal courts and to impound any vehicle operated in contravention of my decision to revoke your operator’s licence.”

    More details can be found here.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Lord Parkinson speech at the Annual Banquet of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Lord Parkinson speech at the Annual Banquet of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 30 January 2024.

    Lord Parkinson addressed the Annual Banquet of the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars to champion the arts and heritage sector.

    It is a great pleasure – and honour – to be with you this evening, celebrating one of the newest livery companies, at the home of one of the oldest.

    Although you certainly count as new by the standards of the Livery Companies, you are already firmly established.  Next month marks ten years since you achieved Livery status – and I have been pleased to witness numerous examples of the Company’s work and generosity in my two and a bit years as Minister for Arts and Heritage.

    I saw a shining example – quite literally – just a few days ago at the London Art Fair, where I witnessed Simon Bussy’s painting of Mansion House, brilliantly restored and shining brightly again thanks to the conservation you enabled through your partnership with the Association of Independent Museums.

    This splendid painting – of a scene well known to every Lord Mayor – used to hang in the library at Charleston, the Sussex retreat of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, great friends and admirers of Bussy.

    I am delighted to say that the painting will return to Charleston this spring, where I hope you will get the chance to see it in its renewed glory.

    I was an admirer of the Bloomsbury Set before I became Arts Minister – but they have loomed larger in my Ministerial life than I expected. I have a painting by Duncan Grant on the walls of my office – one of eighteen shared with visitors to Government buildings across the world through the Government Art Collection.

    His work also provided a surprising ice-breaker when I was first appointed as Minister.

    Among the most joyful things which cross my desk are the applications for works of art or cultural gifts to be accepted for the nation in lieu of tax. They are always fascinating reading – and, unlike most Ministerial submissions, beautifully illustrated.

    The first case I received was for a collection of works by Duncan Grant which had been kept secret for many years – 422 erotic sketches.

    As the note which Grant left with them explained, ‘These drawings are very private’.  Whether to spare my blushes, or in case I opened the submission on the bus home, my new Private Secretary had covered the more sensitive parts with some tactfully-placed Post-It Notes.

    After cautious but careful inspection, I agreed that they should indeed be accepted for the nation – and was delighted to see them in the flesh (so to speak) eighteen months later at a brilliantly-curated exhibition at Charleston – a visit which proved quite the challenge for the official photographer.

    So being Arts Minister is not without its hazards. Like this worshipful company, the office is a relatively young one – Jennie Lee, the first Minister for the Arts, was appointed sixty years ago. In the years since then, some have questioned what it’s for – or even whether it is needed at all.

    In a 1979 speech to the Centre for Policy Studies, the novelist Kingsley Amis argued – only semi-polemically – that the best policy for the arts is to have no policy at all.

    ‘Think of a Minister for the Arts with no functions at all,’ he said: ‘his title a pure honorific like Warden of the Cinque Ports, a symbolic figure to be seen only at first nights or private views.’

    Now, it is certainly a good discipline for any Minister to consider whether his or her job is really necessary and how to minimise interference in the lives of people whose area of work they may receive. For me it was quite an existential challenge.

    Fortunately, Master, your kind invitation to join you this evening provides the perfect rejoinder. For, while we have enjoyed a delicious and convivial dinner in magnificent surroundings, I know that the Arts Scholars are about far more than splendid evenings like this – and that you work tirelessly throughout the year to address many of the same things that we do in Government:

    To champion and sustain the world-class arts sector we are proud to have here in the UK; to support the growth and diversity of the professions which underpin it through education, opportunity, and career development; ​to support the brilliant work of museums and other cultural organisations here in London and across the UK; to help preserve our heritage for future generations; and to ensure that everyone can enjoy the life-changing benefits of the arts – and play their full part in enriching the cultural life of our nation.

    For the past few months, a panel of experts jointly appointed by me and by Ministers at the Department for Education have been working to shape a new Cultural Education Plan: promoting the social value of cultural education, and making sure all children have access to high-quality provision; strengthening the talent pipelines into our cultural and creative sectors; and unlocking a lifetime of opportunity for the next generation.

    That plan will build on significant work already underway – such as the National Plan for Music Education, accompanied by £25 million to provide musical instruments in schools, and the Heritage Schools Programme, which works with teachers to connect students with the past all around them.

    Along with the scholarships, internships, and teaching resources you so generously provide, I hope this will help more people from all backgrounds to pursue a career as arts scholars.

    And we need to harness their full talents to maintain the dynamic and successful sector of which we are all so proud.

    The UK’s art market is the second biggest in the world – behind only the United States, and larger than all of the European Union put together. But that is an achievement hard won by our brilliant arts professionals – who face increasing competition from across the world.

    The UK is proudly a global marketplace for some of the world’s most important artworks, antiques, and antiquities.

    Our commercial galleries and dealers play a vital role in cultivating the careers of the UK’s visual artists.

    That’s why London has the greatest concentration of artists of any city anywhere in the world – and why so many other towns and cities across the country are similarly fizzing with artistic talent.

    I’m proud that the Government Art Collection is helping to show off some of the talent from my own native city of Newcastle, by bringing artworks from the Laing Art Gallery to hang in 10 Downing Street through its ‘Museum in Residence’ scheme. I’m looking forward to celebrating that partnership in Number 10 tomorrow.

    Before I do, I will be joining many from Westminster and the arts world to celebrate the life of Peter Brooke, Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville – a founding Liveryman of this company, and former Secretary of State for National Heritage.

    I was pleased to learn just now that the badger – or brock – crest atop your coat of arms is in tribute to him.

    As Lord Brooke – and all those who have had the privilege of working at our Department in its various guises – have known, we rely on the expertise of the many market professionals who advise us on cultural property matters – so I am glad to have this opportunity to acknowledge their work and the value we attach to it.

    I know that steps to streamline customs processes are keenly anticipated.

    We want to have the world’s most effective border – and I am grateful to all those who have made time to engage with our officials on the development of the new Single Trade Window.

    Progress is also being made on simplifying the Temporary Admission procedure, which we know is important to those who trade internationally.

    We agree there is scope to make the procedure more accessible – so will be engaging further with the sector on potential changes in the coming weeks.

    I could not stand in Goldsmiths’ Hall without mentioning the Cheapside Hoard – the greatest single collection of Elizabethan and Stuart jewellery in the world, discovered on Goldsmiths’ Company land in 1912.

    For the past quarter of a century, such finds have been covered by the Treasure Act, and the Portable Antiquities Scheme – so generously supported by the Arts Scholars in memory of your Past Master Geoff Egan.

    Its latest report was published last week, detailing the many fascinating objects which were found, reported, and now located in museums across the country for all to enjoy.

    These include an intriguing carved bone rosary bead from the fifteenth century found by a mud-larker on the Thames, and a stunningly beautiful gold dress fastener dating from 1000 BC.

    As a historian and as a Minister, it was with real pride that I took through Parliament changes to the definition of ‘treasure’ last year.

    Broadening the definition means that we can look forward to even more artefacts, hidden for generations, being seen by the public in museums across the country.

    Just over a year ago, on the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, I took the opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness of the Criteria which are used to designate our national treasures.

    Over the last seven decades, the Waverley Criteria have saved many hundreds of important works for the nation. I wanted to ensure that they remain relevant and effective for the next seven years and beyond.

    After careful consideration with those closest to the process, I plan to introduce some small changes which will provide further clarity on how certain aspects of the process work, and strengthen procedures overall.

    But I was pleased that the resounding message was of continuing and widespread support for the Waverley Criteria themselves.

    And, of course, I cannot mention the saving of national treasures without touching on the sensational acquisition of Sir Joshua Reynolds’s ‘Portrait of Mai’ by the National Portrait Gallery.

    The campaign to save it benefited from the extraordinary generosity of the Art Fund, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, private individuals, and members of the public – and it relied on a truly innovative and exciting partnership between the National Portrait Gallery and the Getty in Los Angeles – which will mean it can be enjoyed by people across the UK, and far beyond.

    Omai was the most famous portrait of its time. It is now, rightly, a show-stopper at the brilliantly refurbished gallery. I am delighted that it was named Apollo magazine’s Acquisition of the Year.

    So I end as I started, by paying tribute to the generosity and dedication of our experts and scholars, who do so much to promote and protect our arts and heritage for future generations.

    It is therefore a great honour to propose a toast:

    ‘To the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars’.