Tag: Cabinet Office

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 October 2023.

Baroness Ruth Deech has been announced as the preferred candidate for the Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission.

Subject to pre-appointment scrutiny, Baroness Deech will commence the role in November 2023, following Lord Bew’s term coming to an end.

Baroness Deech has a background in law and taught at numerous institutions including Oxford University. She has written extensively about family law and was appointed an honorary King’s Counsel.

She was Principal of St Anne’s College Oxford and a Pro Vice-Chancellor.

In addition to her legal and academic background, Baroness Deech took on extensive regulatory roles including Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Chair of the Bar Standards Board. She was also the first Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.

Baroness Deech was appointed DBE in 2003 and made a life peer in 2005. She sits on the crossbenches as an independent legislator and has chaired committees reporting on the retention of women doctors and on equality and disability.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, said:

Baroness Deech will make an excellent Chair of the House of Lords Appointments Commission. Her extensive legal, academic and regulatory experience will be a huge asset and ensure the Commission can continue its crucial, independent advisory work.

Baroness Deech said:

As a lawyer and an independent peer, the success of HOLAC is important to me. I want the public to have confidence that the Commission will ensure that nominees for appointment to the House of Lords are outstanding individuals who will make significant and effective contributions to the legislative and scrutiny work of the House.

It will also be my aim to work towards a membership representing all regions of the UK and from every walk of life. Maintaining public trust in the Commission’s independence and in the quality of new peers is vital for our constitution.

This announcement follows an open competition for the role.

The appointment will now undergo a pre-appointment hearing, where the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) will hear evidence from the preferred candidate and publish a report setting out their views on the candidate’s suitability for the post.

Notes to editors:

HOLAC was established in 2000. Its functions are to recommend individuals for appointment as non-party political life peers and to vet nominations for life peers, including those nominated by the UK political parties, to ensure the highest standards of propriety.

The Commission’s Chair is appointed for a non-renewable, five-year term of office. More information about the Commission can be found on the House of Lords Appointments Commission website.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 October 2023.

A new pilot will improve health and wellbeing services for veterans living in Northern Ireland, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs has announced.

• Office for Veterans’ Affairs providing £500,000 pilot funding to level up medical and welfare service for veterans in Northern Ireland.
• The new service will provide timely support and guidance to veterans who require healthcare.
• Support will be provided in areas such as mental health, advice on musculoskeletal issues and linking with local services.

A new pilot will improve health and wellbeing services for veterans living in Northern Ireland, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs has announced.

The service, backed by £500,000 of UK Government funding as part of the Health Innovation Fund, will run for 18 months, and will be led by Defence Medical Welfare Service, an independent charity.

The support on offer will include:

• Linking veterans with local services to ensure they are receiving the support available.
• Providing advice on physical health issues such as musculoskeletal problems.
• Pain management and lifestyle.
• Mental health support including help with anxiety, depression, PTSD and bereavement.

The support will be provided by new staff embedded within the Defence Medical Welfare Service and the staff will work across Northern Ireland.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer said:

If we’re going to make the UK the best place in the world to be a veteran, we need to make sure that veterans can access the support they need in all four corners of the UK.

This new pilot service for veterans in Northern Ireland will provide important advice and support in areas such as mental and physical health, as well as where to access the right care.

Backed by £500,000 from our Health Innovation Fund, I’m proud that this is the first Northern Ireland specific funding from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs.

The new service will provide assistance in a variety of ways, including linking veterans with local services to ensure they are receiving the help available; advice on physical health issues such as musculoskeletal problems, pain management and lifestyle.

Mental health support will also be readily available for veterans through the pilot, including help with anxiety, depression, PTSD and bereavement.

The pilot will also provide anonymised data insight into the health needs of veterans in Northern Ireland, and data on the effectiveness of a medical welfare support service.

This data will inform future policy making, and ensure any unmet needs are identified and most efficiently addressed.

The Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland, Danny Kinahan, said:

The launch of the Defence Medical Welfare Service led NI Health Project, will go some way to helping fill the gaps that exist within our healthcare system in providing support for veterans, while they wait for, or undergo medical treatment for both physical and mental health. I am encouraged that this project will help provide the much needed healthcare and associated wellbeing support for veterans living in Northern Ireland, and ensure veterans living here feel more included and valued for their dedicated and selfless service.

CEO of The Defence Medical Welfare Service, Mr Paul Gaffney, said:

DMWS are proud to be working with the support of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs to deliver a new service to veterans in Northern Ireland.

This independent project will support both the physical and mental health needs of veterans taking account of their specialist requirements. DMWS work collaboratively with existing statutory and third sector provision to build improved health and wellbeing outcomes for veterans.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 October 2023.

Women veterans who have suffered sexual trauma in the military will soon have access to improved clinical support within the UK healthcare and charity sector.

• Government to fund development of support for women veterans who have suffered from sexual trauma in the military
• Delivers on three reports that give recommendations to service providers on how quality of and access to support can be improved
• Findings will feed into government’s first Women Veterans’ Strategy, due to be published in spring 2024

Women veterans who have suffered sexual trauma in the military will soon have access to improved clinical support within the UK healthcare and charity sector thanks to a new £200,000 government fund.

This funding will support the rollout of dedicated training and guidance for frontline staff to support women veteran survivors of sexual trauma across healthcare services, military and civilian charities.

The fund has been set up following recommendations in three independent reports commissioned by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA). The reports investigated how the government and charities can improve access to care for female veterans.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP said:

“Women veterans make up 13% of the veteran population in England and Wales and so it’s important that we better understand their health and welfare needs.

“The upcoming Women Veterans’ Strategy will make sure that women veterans have access to support which addresses their unique needs and experiences.”

The reports fulfil part of the government’s Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan to recognise and champion the contribution of women to the armed forces.

Findings from reports by Anglia Ruskin University, veteran mental health charity Combat Stress and Robert Gordon University suggest that women’s experiences in the military require tailored support from statutory and charitable services.

Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, Andrew Murrison MP said:

“Our service women are an integral part of the Armed Forces community and the sacrifices they make to defend our nation are immense. These reports will give us further insight into the experiences of our female veterans and allow us to continue providing support during their service and beyond.”

The recommendations for policymakers, service providers and researchers include:

• Providing staff training across statutory and charity services which focuses on female veterans’ needs, including mental health and sexual trauma
• Increasing partnerships between service and non-military charities to share best practice and provide more appropriate care for female veterans
• Improving signposting to support through marketing, newsletters, online directories or peer networks
• Gathering gendered data across government and charities to ensure more equitable access to support and better outcomes
• Further researching the experiences and needs of female veterans to improve access to support, including transitioning from service, personal finance, housing, employment and healthcare

Sarah Atherton MP, Chair of the Advisory Group to the Women Veterans’ Strategy said:

“These reports improve our evidence base and deepen our understanding of the unique experiences of women veterans. The upcoming Women Veterans’ Strategy is an exciting opportunity to recognise the experiences of women veterans and ensure that we have effective and tailored support to address their needs.”

The OVA’s Women Veterans’ Strategy will take on a number of the recommendations and are collaborating with the researchers to ensure the key findings of the reports are reflected in the upcoming strategy.

Anglia Ruskin University has reported on the experiences of tri-service UK female veterans in accessing support in civilian life. Researchers found that female veterans experienced a number of challenges in civilian life, many related to gendered experiences during their military service and these increased their need for support from statutory and charitable services.

Combat Stress has researched methods on improving access to best-evidenced treatment – such as cognitive processing therapy – for women veterans who had experienced sexual trauma. The report highlighted that women veterans often feel their experiences of sexual trauma are not widely understood by health care professionals or the wider veteran community.

Robert Gordon University investigated the barriers and opportunities for female veterans in accessing service charities. The universities concluded that as female veterans may not self-identify as veterans, and may have different support needs to male veterans due to different experiences of military service, they may be reluctant to access service charities.

The Ministry of Defence is clear that is no place for sexual assault or other sexual offences in the Armed Forces and we are committed to stamping it out and supporting anybody impacted by this terrible behaviour.

As part of the department’s commitment to prevent and address unacceptable sexual behaviour, we have a number of measures in place to tackle this type of offending including zero tolerance policies and strengthen levers to discharge those who are found to have committed sexual offences or unacceptable sexual behaviour.

We continue to use relevant information about sexual offending in the Armed Forces to consider and develop further interventions and measures to try and tackle this type of offending.

Notes to Editors

• Anglia Ruskin’s report ‘Where are all the women?’: Recognition and representation – UK female veterans’ experiences of support in civilian life can be found here: https://www.centreformilitarywomensresearch.com/projects/female-veterans-
• The report by Combat Stress, “ENHANCE Study: Improving Access to Evidence-Based Treatment for Women Veteran Survivors of Sexual Trauma”, can be accessed at: https://combatstress.org.uk/sites/default/files/Files/CombatStress_ENHANCE_Report_230928.pdf
• Robert Gordon University’s report “Improving Access to Service Charities for Female Veterans”, is available at: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2079145

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 9 October 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Robert Thomas and Rebecca White as members of the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee representing voluntary organisations.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointments of Robert Thomas and Rebecca White, for 4 years, commencing 1 October 2023.

The Courts Act 2003 established the Criminal Procedure Rule Committee (CPRC) to make rules governing the practice and procedure of magistrates’ courts, the Crown Court and the Court of Appeal, Criminal Division.

The Act requires the CPRC, which is chaired by the Lord Chief Justice, to make rules that are simple and simply expressed, and that help make the criminal justice system accessible, fair and efficient.

Biographies

Robert Thomas is a Trustee of Intermediaries for Justice; a small charity promoting equality of access to justice for vulnerable people. He is also an HMCTS Appointed Intermediary Services Approved Service Provider. Robert’s first career was as a teacher of English, lecturer and senior manager in schools and colleges. He taught across the age and ability range both in this country and overseas. He has not declared any political activity.

Rebecca White is a Research Associate at the University of Bristol; undertaking research to contribute to improved understanding on the scale and nature of state interventions to tackle female genital cutting/mutilation. She is also a Director of Impact at Supporting Justice; a community interest company that specialises in issues affecting victims and witnesses.

She is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Bristol; exploring victim participation in the trial proceedings at the International Criminal Court, funded through the Economic and Social Research Council. She has not declared any political activity.

These appointments are not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. The recruitment processes complied with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Appointments to the CPRC are made by the Lord Chancellor in consultation with the Lord Chief Justice for England and Wales.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 9 October 2023.

100 regeneration projects will support thousands of new jobs and boost communities.

• 100 regeneration projects will support thousands of new jobs and boost communities.
• Second phase of £180m Brownfield Land Release Fund will unlock sites as part of the long-term plan for housing.
• Government on track to meet manifesto commitment of one million new homes this Parliament.

More than 6,000 new homes will be built on brownfield sites, through money given to councils to transform unused land into beautiful and thriving neighbourhoods.

Across the country, from Hull to Somerset, nearly 100 regeneration projects will receive £60 million from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The investment is part of the second phase of the £180 million Brownfield Land Release Fund, with cash going directly to councils so they can release the land and get building as soon as possible.

Derelict car parks, industrial sites and town centre buildings that have fallen into disrepair will all benefit from the new funding, with the Government supporting communities to bring land back into use.

The Government has been clear it has a brownfield-first approach to building the homes this country needs through its long-term plan for housing and today’s announcement will help deliver that.

Minister for Housing and Planning, Rachel Maclean MP said:

We know we need to build more homes, but this cannot come at the expense of concreting over our precious countryside.

That is why we are doing all we can to make sure we’re making use of wasteland and unused brownfield land, so we can turn these eyesores into beautiful and thriving communities.

This is all part of our long-term plan for housing – making sure we deliver the homes we need across the country.

Cabinet Office Minister, Alex Burghart MP:

This funding will unleash the much-needed redevelopment of brownfield sites: stimulating growth and helping local areas reach their full potential.

It’s fantastic news for business, and even better news for local people who will now see new investment, job opportunities, and family homes in their communities.”

Projects that will benefit from the scheme include:

• Newcastle: £1.82 million to boost wider regeneration by releasing a complex site to deliver 146 build-to-rent homes for communities in Benwell and Scotswood.
• Hull: delivering 99 new homes for affordable rent on the site of a derelict school, backed by £980,000 Government funding to purchase the land as part of the city centre regeneration.
• Sunderland: turning a former riverside industrial site that has been unused for over 20 years into 140 low-carbon build to rent homes at Farringdon Row, with £1.8 million for Sunderland Council to kick-start the project.

Councillor Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Association, said:

We are delighted to continue our work with DLUHC, supporting councils to access the Brownfield Land Release Fund.

Councils have continued to embrace opportunities to bring brownfield sites in their ownership forward for housing, and this fund plays a key role in helping councils to provide the types of homes their communities really need.

This builds on the success of the first round of Brownfield Land Release Fund 2, where funding is enabling the release of land for almost 2,400 homes.

To date, the fund is supporting at least 89 local authorities, over 160 projects, and providing almost £100 million to support councils to release land for almost 8,600 homes. At the same time, the £1 billion Brownfield, Infrastructure and Land Fund will unlock up to 65,000 new homes across England.

The next round of funding through Brownfield Land Release Fund 2 will be announced later this year.

The fund is part of the Government’s long-term plan for housing, setting out how it will deliver its manifesto commitment of 1 million homes over this Parliament. This is backed by £10 billion in housing supply interventions announced over this Parliament.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 5 October 2023.

There are hundreds of public institutions in the UK, from museums and galleries to the NHS, national parks and regulators. They need exceptional people to steer them and make decisions that benefit society.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 29 September 2023.

A new £2.52 million Veterans’ Mobility Fund (VMF) is set to provide veterans across the UK with mobility equipment to improve their quality of life.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 28 September 2023.

Thousands more veterans will receive HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards by the end of the year thanks to a £3 million injection to expand the roll-out to veterans who left service before 2018.

• Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer has visited a MOD printing facility at HMS Sultan in Gosport
• Government has invested £3m to scale up production of HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards to 50,000 cards a month
• Thousands of veterans will be able to apply for an ID card this year, with new option to apply online

Thousands more veterans will receive HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards by the end of the year thanks to a £3 million injection to expand the roll-out to veterans who left service before 2018.

The ID card will allow veterans to quickly and easily prove their veteran status where required, granting them simpler access to key support from the NHS, charities and local authorities. They can also be used to apply for Defence Discount Service Cards and the Veterans Railcard.

Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer visited a facility in Gosport today to see progress made on the ID card rollout, and met with veterans who are already benefiting from the scheme.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP said:

Veteran cards provide ex-service men and women with a tangible connection to the important contributions they have made to the defence of our nation.

We are honouring our commitment to getting ID cards into the hands of veterans by the end of the year so that they can more easily access support.

The veterans I met today are excited about the benefits on offer – benefits which will only continue to grow for them over the coming years as civilians.

Since December 2018, the MOD has been automatically issuing all service leavers with a physical veterans’ card as part of their service leavers pack. When the service opens up later this year, veterans – including all those who left service before 2018 – will be able to apply for a new ID card.

As of July 2023, 71,000 veterans’ cards have already been issued for those who left after 2018. Production will soon start to ramp up to 50,000 cards a month for those who left before that.

Lt Gen Sir Nicholas Pope, Chair of Cobseo, the Confederation of Service Charities said:

Veterans who need timely help, either from the state or from the charity sector, are often frustrated by delays in confirming their status. Veterans’ ID cards provide a significant step forward in speeding up this process and we look forward to supporting their delivery to the entire veteran community.

In the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan (2022-2024) the government committed to exploring the secure, digital verification of veterans’ status, allowing veterans to access a wider range of government services, as well as speeding up Phase 2 of the rollout of ID cards.

With around 2.2 million veterans in the UK, the government has made a £3 million investment to build the technology and processes to deal with large volumes of card applications accurately and securely. This includes testing the online application process with 4,000 veterans to refine the system.

The launch date for this service will be announced by the end of the year. A paper-based application process will also be made available for veterans who are unable to use the online service.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs has been leading government efforts to make the UK the best country in the world to be a veteran. This includes launching Op FORTITUDE, a new housing pathway earlier this year, and providing medallic recognition to nuclear test veterans.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 28 September 2023.

2,500 ambitious tech talents will be recruited into digital roles in government by June 2025 through new apprenticeship and early talent programmes, the Cabinet Office has announced today.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 28 September 2023.

Professionals in the North of England have been urged to apply for senior public sector roles in a bid to increase the regional diversity of the UK’s top public sector appointments and level up the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, came to Darlington on Thursday 28 September to speak to local professionals about applying for public sector appointments which govern over 300 public institutions in the UK.

There is a wide variety of public appointments, from those at local levels, monitoring the operation of national parks or flood defences, to others that help steer the direction of well-known national institutions like the NHS and some of the country’s largest museums.

Over 50 local professionals signed up to attend the event at the Darlington Economic Campus, in one of the Government’s Places for Growth locations, hosted by the Cabinet Office.

As of September 2023, the Government has nearly 50 public sector appointments available across a range of sectors. The vast majority of these roles can be carried out from anywhere in the UK.

Current roles on offer include: Board Members of Natural England; Non-Executive Directors of Homes England; Members of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales; Non-Executive Director of the Insolvency Service; and Chair of the Senior Salaries Review Body.

These appointments are typically part-time, requiring varying time commitments of a few days a year, several days a month or just 2 to 3 days per week.

Speaking at the event, Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

“Public appointees get the chance to improve vital public services, get more involved with their communities, work with a wide range of talented people and make a difference to society. They are extremely rewarding roles and can help accelerate people’s careers.

“People from all backgrounds and areas are essential to govern our public institutions in a way that works for the whole of the UK.

“I thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone who attended the event today and would strongly encourage them to consider applying for a public appointment.”

The Minister was joined at the event by Elizabeth Passey, Chair of The Rural Payments Agency, and past Board Member of The National Lottery Community Fund. Elizabeth was appointed as Chair of the Rural Payments Agency by the Government in 2018, and to the Board of the National Lottery Community Fund in 2014. She has a number of years’ experience in the financial services, public, university, conservation, rural charities and leisure sectors.

Also speaking at the event, Elizabeth said:

“I would offer enormous encouragement to anyone considering a role on a Public Board. The wide diversity of the UK is reflected across these entities, and the roles require local, national and, occasionally, international insight coupled with a large dose of common sense.

“These are skills which so many people acquire during their lives and have the potential to share via a public board, but perhaps don’t think to do so. They are hugely inspiring roles with the potential to help the many many lives which these entities serve. I would encourage anyone to consider what they can offer.”

This event is the first in a series of events to encourage local professionals to apply for public appointments. Subsequent events are planned in Exeter and Edinburgh.