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Tag: 2025

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to China – Peter Wilson [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to China – Peter Wilson [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 16 May 2025.

    Mr Peter Wilson CMG has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China in succession to Dame Caroline Wilson DCMG, who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.  Mr Wilson will take up his appointment during August 2025.

    Curriculum Vitae

    Full name: Peter Michael Alexander Wilson

    Year Role
    March 2023 to 2024 FCDO, Director-General for Europe
    Dec 2022 to March 2023 Cabinet Office, Director General, National Security Secretariat, responsible for the UK/France Summit
    March to Sept 2022 No 10 Downing Street, Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister
    2021 to 2022 Brasilia, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
    2017 to 2021 The Hague, Her Majesty’s Ambassador and UK Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
    2013 to 2017 New York, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative, UK Mission to the UN
    2010 to 2013 FCO, Director, Asia Pacific
    2007 to 2010 Beijing, Political Counsellor
    2005 to 2006 Islamabad, Political Counsellor
    2003 to 2004 FCO, Head of Policy, Directorate of Strategy and Innovation
    1999 to 2002 Brussels, Head, European Parliament Team, UK Permanent Representation to the EU
    1995 to 1998 Beijing, Second Secretary, Trade
    1993 to 1995 Language Training (Mandarin)
    1992 to 1993 FCO, Member of the Maastricht Treaty Bill Team
    1992 Joined FCO
    1990 to 1992 Harvard Kennedy School, Masters in Public Administration
  • PRESS RELEASE : Almost million more pupils get access to mental health support [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Almost million more pupils get access to mental health support [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 16 May 2025.

    School mental health support rollout to reach up to 900,000 more pupils this year, covering six in ten children across the country.

    Almost one million more young people will have access to mental health support in school this year, as the government gets on with delivering its manifesto promise for a national rollout taking a huge step in fixing the inherited challenges facing our children.

    Under government plans, all pupils will have access to mental health support in school by 2029/30, delivering on its Plan for Change to improve children’s life chances and tackle the root causes of poor attendance and behaviour.

    The support teams are made up of specialists who offer a range of help to identify and tackle issues early on, from group sessions to build children’s resilience to one-to-ones helping to manage anxiety – not only tackling the crisis of poor mental health among young people, but also driving up school attendance.

    They work directly with school and college staff alongside NHS services to provide professional advice, easing the pressure on school staff and allowing them to help young people get the right support and stay in education. New research has shown a direct link between the severity of children’s mental health problems and their likelihood to miss school.

    The new investment means six in ten pupils will have access to a mental health support team by March 2026, with the rollout prioritised based on NHS identification of local need and reaching the most vulnerable children first.

    It comes as government unveils a new programme to provide intensive support for 500 schools with significant attendance and behaviour challenges. New attendance and behaviour hubs, built around 90 schools with a track record of improving attendance and behaviour standards, will directly target the schools with the highest need as well as providing wider support for a further 4,500 in all corners of the country.

    These will work alongside our new attendance and behaviour ambassadors who will be the link between schools and the government, identifying challenges and working jointly toward solutions.

    This move builds on the progress this government has already made to turn the tide on school attendance, with green shoots already being seen with over three million more days in school than last year.

    Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

    We inherited a system full of challenges and breaking the vicious cycle of poor mental health, low attendance and bad behaviour among children and young people is the most urgent one facing our schools – and this government is already turning the tide.

    Expanding mental health support for young people is one of the single biggest steps we can take to improve children’s life chances, make sure all pupils are getting the very most out of school and deliver excellence for every child.

    Taken alongside new intensive support for schools that are struggling, our free breakfast clubs for millions of children and our wider work to drive up school attendance, this government will continue using all available levers to break the destructive link between background and success and deliver on our Plan for Change.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    Facing mental health problems when you’re young can hold you back in school, damage your potential and leave you with lifelong consequences. It’s devastating and it’s got to change.

    That’s why this government is bringing in vital services to schools, so they can intervene early, support pupils, and help prevent conditions from becoming severe.

    Backed by an extra £680 million in government funding this year, we are transforming mental health services for children – hiring more staff, delivering more talking therapies, and getting waiting lists down through our Plan for Change – so children can have the best possible start in life.

    Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

    There has been a growing crisis in the mental health of children and young people in recent years, with too many people having to wait too long to get the help they need.

    It is reassuring that the government recognises this problem, as well as the impact it is having in schools, and that mental health support will be available to significantly more pupils over the next year.

    This is a welcome step towards reaching a point where all children and young people can access this specialist support if required.

    Poor attendance has a direct impact on a pupils’ attainment, future earnings and life chances – with persistently absent pupils in secondary school earning £10,000 less at age 28 compared to pupils with strong attendance.

    Persistent absence, suspensions and exclusion rates lay bare the broken system that this government has inherited, and while there are green shoots in the data, the government is determined to go further and faster, joining up mental health, wellbeing, attendance and behaviour to drive change for young people.

    Mental Health Support Teams currently reach around seven in ten secondary school pupils.

    The teams are made up of specialists who intervene early with children with mild to moderate mental health issues, empowering them to work through challenges in a calm and supportive learning environment. They also provide timely advice to school and college staff to develop a whole school approach to mental health and liaise with external specialist services such as the NHS, to help young people get the right support and stay in education.

    Mr Gary Lloyd, Head Teacher at The Academy of St Nicholas, Liverpool, which has had access to a mental health support team for a year, said:

    Having a trained, known, trusted professional working with the academy has made such a difference in supporting staff and students.

    They support our wider inclusion strategies – often triaging and getting support to our young people much faster – which is impacting positively on attendance and general happiness within school.

    More widely, the government is recruiting an additional 8,500 mental health workers across children and adult mental health services to reduce delays and provide faster treatment. This will work alongside the further 6,500 teachers so every classroom has a brilliant teacher, to ensure that every child is supported in and outside of school.

    The government is also taking wider action to drive up standards in schools across the country with innovative RISE teams, to ensure every child has a great education. They will work alongside the attendance and behaviour hubs to drive up attendance in underperforming schools so every child can achieve and thrive.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Survey launched to inform NHS dental contract reform [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Survey launched to inform NHS dental contract reform [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 16 May 2025.

    Dentists in England encouraged to take part to inform government plans to improve NHS dentistry.

    • Dentists nationwide encouraged to take part in survey on costs of running dental practices
    • Findings will support government’s plans to reform dental contract by giving a more accurate picture of what is driving up dental costs
    • Research is part of mission to improve access to dental care for patients through government’s Plan for Change

    Dentists across England are being urged to take part in a new nationwide survey to help inform the government’s long-term dental reform programme.

    The survey will gather information on the costs and pressures involved in running a dental practice.

    The research is part of the government’s wider plans to reform the dental contract in England, providing better access to care for patients by making NHS work more appealing to dentists.

    Health Minister Stephen Kinnock said:

    We are working to fix an NHS dentistry sector left broken by years of neglect.

    We have already rolled out an extra 700,000 urgent dentistry appointments and introduced a supervised toothbrushing programme to prevent tooth decay in young children in the most deprived communities.

    More work is needed, but to find the right solution we must make sure we are clear about the problem. Through this survey, we will gain a better understanding of the pressures faced by the sector so we can fix them and deliver better care for patients through our Plan for Change.

    Results of the survey will support the development of the government’s dental reform programme and the annual pay review process conducted by the independent Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB).

    It forms part of the government’s Plan for Change to improve NHS dental services, addressing challenges that have left many patients struggling to access care, amid reports that some have undertaken DIY dentistry.

    The government has started on its manifesto commitment to roll out extra urgent dental care appointments across the country.

    It is particularly targeting areas of dental deserts, where patients have struggled to get appointments, and has rolled out a national supervised toothbrushing programme for 3 to 5 year olds in early years settings – including nurseries and primary schools.

    Practice owners who complete the anonymous survey can also register their interest in participating in follow-up interviews to provide more detailed insights into the financial challenges they face.

    The survey is open to all dental practices across England until 16 June 2025.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New scheme in Oxford to protect every home and business from risk of River Thames flooding [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : New scheme in Oxford to protect every home and business from risk of River Thames flooding [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 16 May 2025.

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed approves purchase to allow new scheme to be built.

    All homes, businesses and crucial infrastructure in Oxford at risk of flooding from the River Thames will be better protected thanks to a major new flood defence.

    This will provide vital reassurances for more than 160,000 residents in the face of our changing climate.

    In another step under the Government’s Plan for Change, Environment Secretary Steve Reed gave crucial approval to the Environment Agency and its partners to purchase land and grant rights within the flood scheme area, which has enabled the flood scheme to progress.

    This project is part of the Government’s record two-year investment of £2.65 billion to build and repair flood defences across the country.

    Floods Minister Emma Hardy said:

    The role of Government is to protect its citizens, but flood defences were inherited in their worst condition on record.

    Through our Plan for Change, a record £2.65 billion is going into building and repairing flood defences over the next two years.

    The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is a vital new piece of infrastructure that will deliver economic growth in Oxfordshire, better protect homes and businesses and deliver new jobs.

    Robbie Williams, Project Director for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme, said:

    We’re delighted to have received approval to progress with purchasing the land needed for the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme to go ahead.

    This is a major step forward for the project, ensuring we can bring this vital flood protection to the city. As we face increasingly unpredictable and extreme weather, the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is more urgently needed than ever.

    We can now all look forward to starting work on putting the scheme into place.

    Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor Champion, Lord Vallance, said:

    Flooding is a risk to both lives, and livelihoods. This scheme will make Oxford more resilient, helping to protect the infrastructure, business premises and homes which all underpin the region’s economy. Our ambitions for the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor can only be met by us stepping up to face challenges like this.

    Safeguarding Oxford in this way reinforces our work to turbo-charge investment and growth in the city and beyond, as part of the Plan for Change.

    This follows the earlier good news that Oxfordshire County Council resolved to grant planning permission for the scheme – this decision is separate from the Compulsory Purchase Order.

    The Environment Agency made a Compulsory Purchase Order for the land, which – as there were objections from some of the landowners – went to a public inquiry. An independent Inspector listened to the objections and to the case for confirming the order and reported her recommendations to the Secretary of State to make a final decision.

    The new scheme is designed to cope with major floods of a scale Oxford last experienced in 1947. This is far bigger in size than any of the floods Oxford has experienced in recent decades. With a changing climate, it is expected there would be more frequent heavy rainfall leading to potential flooding.

    The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is designed to work with the natural floodplain to the west of Oxford, which will be lowered to increase its capacity. A new stream will be created, fed by the River Thames, meandering through gently sloping grazing meadows. People will be able to walk and cycle alongside the new stream, with views of wildflowers and wetland. The Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme aims to enhance the natural floodplain to the west of Oxford by lowering it to increase its capacity.

    With the Compulsory Purchase Order confirmed, the Environment Agency can now exercise its statutory powers to acquire the rights and interests in the affected land. Once this process is complete, construction is expected to start in late 2026.

    Led by the Environment Agency, the Oxford Flood Alleviation Scheme is one of the biggest flood schemes currently proposed in England.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Seven-year ban for Suffolk car wash owner, Vittorio Dragoti, who employed illegal workers [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Seven-year ban for Suffolk car wash owner, Vittorio Dragoti, who employed illegal workers [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 16 May 2025.

    Four illegal workers were discovered by Immigration Enforcement officers.

    • Vittorio Dragoti employed four illegal workers from Romania at his Fiveways Car Wash in Suffolk
    • The workers were found with no right to work in the UK by Immigration Enforcement last year
    • Dragoti has been banned as a company director until May 2032

    The owner of a Suffolk hand car wash has been banned as a company director for seven years after employing four illegal workers.

    Vittorio Dragoti, 28, hired the workers from Romania at the Fiveways Car Wash on the Fiveways Roundabout near Barton Mills.

    The workers were discovered when Immigration Enforcement officials visited the car wash in 2024.

    Dave Magrath, Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Company directors have clear statutory obligations to recruit people who have the right to work in the UK.

    Consumers deserve to have confidence that workers providing services to them are not working illegally. And the workers themselves deserve to not be put in such a vulnerable position by people who may exploit their immigration status.

    Vittorio Dragoti’s disqualification as a company director is a result of ongoing close collaboration between the Insolvency Service and our partners at the Home Office to clamp down on rogue directors.

    Dragoti, of Queensway, Mildenhall, was the sole director of Vito’s Car Care Limited since March 2019.

    Immigration Enforcement officials found the four Romanian men aged between 18 and 49 with no right to work in the UK when they visited the car wash in April last year.

    Vito’s Car Care was fined £180,000 for the immigration breach. The fine currently remains unpaid.

    Cheryl Daldry, the Home Office’s East of England Immigration Compliance and Enforcement lead, said:

    This is a great example of the serious consequences that are in store for business owners who fail to carry out checks on individuals they hire to ensure they have the right to work in the UK.

    Dragoti flouted our employment and immigration rules by employing multiple people with no right to work in the UK, resulting in long term enforcement action against himself and his business.

    “I would like to thank our partners at the Insolvency Service for their help to secure these sanctions against this non-compliant employer.

    The Secretary of State for Business and Trade accepted a disqualification undertaking from Dragoti, and his seven-year ban began on Thursday 15 May.

    The disqualification prevents him from becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court. It does not impact any businesses with similar names or locations.

    Further information

    • Vittorio Dragoti is of Queensway, Mildenhall, Suffolk. His date of birth is 25 August 1996
  • PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer – The world has paid the price for Putin’s aggression. He must now pay for avoiding peace [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer – The world has paid the price for Putin’s aggression. He must now pay for avoiding peace [May 2025]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 May 2025.

    Piling the pressure on the Kremlin will be the focus of discussions at the European Political Community [EPC] today, after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday.

    • Prime Minister to convene leaders at EPC to drive forward response to Putin’s stalling tactics
    • Russian energy expected to be central target in widespread sanctions action in the coming weeks if Russia does not agree a ceasefire
    • Comes as around 40 leaders meet at the European Political Community summit in Tirana today

    Piling the pressure on the Kremlin will be the focus of discussions at the European Political Community [EPC] today, after Putin dodged US arranged peace talks in Istanbul yesterday [Thursday].

    More than 40 leaders will attend the Tirana summit today, discussing shared challenges facing the continent and the threat to global stability and security posed by Putin.

    It comes after President Zelenskyy underscored Ukraine’s position as the party of peace and travelled to Turkey in good faith this week, in preparation for peace talks with Russia.

    But Putin failed to attend.

    Leaders are expected to reiterate calls for a full and unconditional ceasefire today and demand Russia prove that they are serious about bringing its invasion to an end. For more than two months, Russia has failed to substantively respond to the US’ calls for a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire and genuine peace talks.

    Work has already begun on what further sanctions can be implemented to degrade Russia’s ability to prolong the war if Russia does not agree to a ceasefire.  Today, leaders are expected to progress the conversations held in Kyiv at the weekend about sanctions, with a focus on Russian energy revenues.

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    People in Ukraine and across the world have paid the price for Putin’s aggression in Ukraine and across Europe, now he must pay the price for avoiding peace.

    Putin’s tactics to dither and delay, while continuing to kill and cause bloodshed across Ukraine, is intolerable.

    For the past three years, Ukraine has been fighting for peace and security, while Russia has sent thousands of young men and women to their deaths and compromised global stability.

    Alongside the US and more than 30 other partners, we have been clear that we will not stand for Russia kicking a ceasefire down the road.

    A full, unconditional ceasefire must be agreed and if Russia is unwilling to come to the negotiating table, Putin must pay the price.

    During the summit, the Prime Minister is expected to lead a security roundtable with the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson, as well as discussing with key partners including France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Ukraine latest efforts with the US to secure peace and an end of the bloodbath in Ukraine. It comes as Putin repeatedly ignored requests for peace talks in Istanbul this week.

    The Kremlin’s biggest source of tax revenue is oil exports, and with forecasts cut by almost a quarter because of Western sanctions and compounding slowing global growth prices, further measures are likely to cause significant pain. Oil and gas tax revenues were already a third lower in dollar terms 2024 than in 2022, the first year of the war; and they are already down by almost 20% year-on-year in February and March.

    The Prime Minister is clear that supporting Ukraine, and degrading Russia’s economy and ability to prolong the war as they wreak havoc across Europe, is vital to protecting national and Euro-Atlantic security, and delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change.

    Russian aggression is plain for all to see. Just this week the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk revealed that the Russia Secret Service was behind a major blaze at a Polish shopping centre, while in a landmark decision, the International Civil Aviation Organisation ruled that the Russian Federation was behind the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in July 2014, killing 298 people, including 10 UK citizens.

    Last week, the Prime Minister announced the UK’s largest ever package of sanctions on Russia’s Shadow Fleet. The sanctions will apply further pressure on the Russian economy, which is stalling as Putin’s national wealth fund starts to run out, the non-defence sector is in recession and global oil prices are falling.

    Russia’s defence and security spending is now 40% of all federal spending and 8% GDP – a post-1990 high and double the size of federal social services spending.

  • PRESS RELEASE : All parties to conflict must reunite families and grant access to information on missing persons: UK statement at the UN Security Council [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : All parties to conflict must reunite families and grant access to information on missing persons: UK statement at the UN Security Council [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 May 2025.

    Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

    I will make three points.

    First, as we’ve heard, the impact of those missing in conflict is lasting and devastating with families forced to live without knowledge of the fate of their loved ones.

    As we’ve heard, the ICRC registered 56,000 new cases of missing persons in 2024 alone.

    The United Kingdom supported the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 2474.

    This requires parties to armed conflict to help reunite and reconnect separated families, to collect and protect information on missing persons, and to return remains to relatives.

    Yet in too many cases these requirements have not been fulfilled.

    As Ms Lee made clear, despite decades passing, DPRK has still not shared information about those it abducted with their families.

    It is critical that all parties and stakeholders comply with resolution 2474 and IHL provisions, and that the ICRC and relevant actors are granted access to information on persons reported missing and to those detained or taken hostage.

    Second, conflicts around the world continue to tear people away from their loved ones.

    This includes in Ukraine, where thousands remain missing, including tens of thousands of children forcibly deported to Russia.

    In Syria, over 130,000 people remain missing, and we welcome the new Syrian Government’s commitment to establish a national commission to clarify their fate.

    Third, I want also to highlight the unimaginable ordeal faced by hostages held by Hamas.

    This Council has heard first-hand from former hostages Eli Sharabi and Noa Argamani of the cruel and dehumanising treatment they were subjected to.

    Hamas must be held accountable for its despicable actions.

    We welcome the release of Edan Alexander who was reunited with his family this week. But as we heard from Ms Chen today, many more families continue to wait in agony.

    This also includes the families of Avinatan Or, Yossi Sharabi, and Shay Levinson, who have strong links to the UK.

    President, a ceasefire in Gaza is the best way to bring the hostages home, end the suffering of Palestinians and bring us back to much needed peace. Far too many have lost their lives and been torn away from their families.

    No-one should have to suffer this fate, whether in Gaza or elsewhere in the world.

    It is time for the spirit of SCR 2474 to be realised for the sake of all those who remain missing.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of Governor of the Falkland Islands – Colin Martin-Reynolds [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of Governor of the Falkland Islands – Colin Martin-Reynolds [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 May 2025.

    Mr Colin Martin-Reynolds CMG has been appointed Governor of the Falkland Islands and His Majesty’s Commissioner for South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in succession to Ms Alison Blake CMG. Mr Martin-Reynolds will take up his appointment during July 2025.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Colin Martin-Reynolds

    Date Role
    2023 to 2025 FCDO, Director, Organisational Improvement
    2022 to 2023 FCDO, Director, Covid-19 Inquiry Unit
    2019 to 2022 Bogota, Her Majesty’s Ambassador
    2018 Pre-posting training (including Spanish language training)
    2013 to 2018 FCO, Chief Information Officer
    2011 to 2013 Brasilia, Deputy Head of Mission
    2008 to 2010 FCO, Programme Director, Corporate Services Programme
    2004 to 2008 Washington, First Secretary then Counsellor Change Management and Consul-General
    2002 to 2004 FCO, Deputy Head, Human Resources Directorate
    2001 to 2002 FCO, Team Leader, Southern Africa Section, Africa Directorate
    1998 to 2001 FCO, Private Secretary to Minister of State
    1997 to 1998 FCO, Political Section, United Nations Department
    1995 to 1997 Worldwide, short-term assignments
    1994 to 1994 Kyiv, Political Section
    1992 to 1994 Nicosia, Political Section
    1990 to 1992 FCO, Desk Officer, Migration Department
  • PRESS RELEASE : Violent man’s sentence extended after abusing against ex-partner [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Violent man’s sentence extended after abusing against ex-partner [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 15 May 2025.

    A violent man who assaulted and harassed his ex-partner in a sustained campaign of abuse has had his sentence extended after the Solicitor General intervened.

    Jordan Crewe (27), from Caerphilly, has had his two-year sentence increased after the Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP referred his case to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

    The court heard that Crewe was sentenced to 16 months in March 2022 for harassment and malicious communication offences committed against his ex-partner. The court also placed Crewe under a 12-year restraining order.

    On the same day that Crewe was released on license in the October, he immediately breached his bail conditions when he barged into his ex-partner’s home before assaulting her and deflating her tyres.

    The next day, Crewe visited his ex-partner’s home and, even after he was recalled to prison, continued to harass his ex-partner, sending abusive letters, messages and phone calls. He also asked his ex-partner to drop the charges against him.

    Crewe was released from prison in May 2023 under strict conditions not to contact his ex-partner unless for extenuating circumstances.

    However, a year later Crewe reignited his campaign of harassment. Over three months, Crewe sent unsolicited text messages asking the victim where she was, he activated a tracker app on the victim’s phone without her consent, he didn’t allow his ex-partner to see her family without him present and controlled what she wore.

    Crewe sent videos where he simulated committing suicide, groped her in public, assaulted her and bit his ex-partner’s face.

    The abuse and harassment culminated in an incident on New Years Eve where the victim was in a car with Crewe before he shouted at her, threatened to assault the victim’s family, and eventually assaulted his ex-partner in her car.

    In a victim personal statement read to the court, the victim said that she was a happy bubbly person but now a shell of the person she was before. She also added that the mental and emotional abuse suffered will stay with her forever.

    The Solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said:

    Jordan Crewe’s tirade of abuse against his ex-partner was appalling.  He carried out a systematic campaign of violence and coercive control.  Thankfully the Court has recognised the severity of Crewe’s actions and increased his sentence.

    On 18 February 2025, Jordan Crewe was sentenced to two years at Cardiff Crown Court for one count of harassment, one count of strangulation, one count of Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm, and one count of controlling or coercive behaviour.

    On Thursday 15 May 2025, the Court of Appeal extended Crewe’s sentence to two years and ten months’ under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State visit highlights NI company’s major growth under Windsor Framework [May 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State visit highlights NI company’s major growth under Windsor Framework [May 2025]

    The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 15 May 2025.

    Secretary of State for Northern Ireland visits food distribution company, PRM, as figures from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency show the Northern Ireland economy grew faster than the UK as a whole in the final quarter of 2024.

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland today [Wednesday 14 May] visited PRM, a leading food distribution company based in Lisburn. While there, he learned more about the significant growth the company has seen from having the benefit of dual market access provided under the Windsor Framework. This status, unique only to Northern Ireland, allows the free movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and the EU.

    PRM has said that dual market access to both the UK and EU is a major factor behind its growth strategy, which over the past year has enabled it to commit to a £15m investment in its Lisburn headquarters paired with the creation of 40 additional jobs.

    The NI Composite Economic Index (NICEI) from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) shows that in each of the five sectors it tracks, Northern Ireland grew in output between October and December 2024. Output rose by 0.9% in Q4, contributing to a yearly growth in output of 3.6% across NI. Whilst for the UK overall, Q4 growth was 0.1% and yearly growth was 1.4%.

    Today’s visit follows the Prime Minister’s recent announcement of two new trade deals with the US and India. Both deals will open up new export opportunities for businesses across Northern Ireland, providing them with full market access to two of the world’s largest economies and enabling them to grow further and thrive. Sectors said to benefit the most from these trade deals include agricultural food products, biotechnology manufacturing and whiskey.

    Speaking after his visit, the Secretary of State, Hilary Benn, said:

    “PRM’s expansion is a great example of how dual market access is helping Northern Ireland’s businesses to expand and create more jobs.

    “With full access to both the UK and EU markets, and now new trade opportunities with the US and India, Northern Ireland  is uniquely placed for success.

    “These are tangible  benefits that are strengthening Northern Ireland’s economy and creating prosperity.”

    Philip Morrow, CEO and Founder of PRM Group, said:

    “While Brexit brought with it understandable apprehension, there’s no doubt that the Windsor Framework has unlocked unique advantages for businesses and individuals in Northern Ireland.

    “We have found ourselves in a very favourable position perfectly positioned between the UK and EU with full access to both markets. That’s an enviable place to be, and it’s been instrumental in shaping our investment decisions and future growth.

    “At PRM, it’s allowed us to commit £15 million to expanding our Lisburn headquarters and create over 40 new jobs. Businesses here have been handed the key to the best of both worlds and that’s something we should champion, celebrate and capitalise on.”

    Our Plan for Change sets out a bold vision for Northern Ireland’s economic future – to go further and faster in driving growth, attracting investment, and putting more money in the pockets of working people. Expanding international trade, cutting red tape and supporting innovation are key pillars to this plan.

    The government continues to operate the Duty Reimbursement Scheme, allowing companies to claim back any additional duties paid on goods deemed “at risk” of entering the EU, ensuring fairness and competitiveness.