Tag: Cabinet Office

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 24 May 2023.

A new team of experts will surge into departments to help prevent fraud in public services.

• New team part of the government’s £1billion crackdown on fraud, lead by the Public Sector Fraud Authority.
• Central team of experts will help to prevent fraud by identifying areas of services which are most at risk.
• Specialists will also help Civil Servants to ‘design out’ fraud when new schemes and services are being launched.

A new team of experts will surge into departments to help prevent fraud in public services.

The team, which starts work today, is the latest tool in the government’s £1bn crackdown on fraud against the public sector, led by the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA).

The new service will provide expert advice and support to help departments and public bodies to better understand how fraudsters attack government schemes and services and take action to make those attacks less likely to succeed.

It will deploy teams of experts into critical points, such as when the government announces new spending programmes or policies, to scrutinise and improve oversight of spending before funds are issued, to ensure that fraudsters cannot profit from the public purse.

The team is made up of counter-fraud experts, who have had specialist training and are experienced in preventing and detecting fraud. They will help services to harness the latest tools and techniques, such adopting a fraudsters mindset to stress test fraud controls, in a similar way to how ethical hacking operates, to strengthen the government’s fraud defences.

Cabinet Office Minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

We know that fraudsters, both in the UK and overseas, are targeting public funds and so we must do everything we can to stop them.

The public expects us to protect taxpayers money, so this new service steps up the government’s fraud defences through more rigorous identification of the threats we face and specialist support for public services.

The Risk, Threat and Prevention Service is a global first, with no other government in the world currently providing such a cross-government resource and capability to identify and counter fraud.

It will develop new tools for government to use, including the Global Fraud Risk Assessment, which will track and analyse common fraud patterns so that teams can ensure that services are designed in a way which does not leave them exposed to fraud.

The team will also develop a High Fraud Risk Portfolio which will identify the areas of the public sector most at risk of fraud. This will enable departments to better prioritise the allocation of counter fraud resources and expert advice, so that fraud risks are mitigated more efficiently.

These new tools will allow the government to better target counter-fraud resource. The Risk, Threat and Prevention Service will lead fraud squads, which will surge into departments, to analyse and design services which are far less open to the risk of fraud.

This early intervention will help ‘design out’ fraud at the early stages of a new government service or policy starting, preventing the need for investigators to have to try and recoup money in the future. The savings delivered by the new team will help deliver the Prime Minister’s commitment to growing the economy, by reducing public money lost to fraud and ensuring funding reaches the services it is intended for.

The service has been built over the past eight months. The government appointed Mark Cheeseman OBE, an internationally recognised expert, as the Authority’s first Chief Executive last week.

He said:

Across the world fraud is getting more complex and pervasive, but we  know that the investment in understanding and preventing fraud pays off.

The creation of the new Risk, Threat and Prevention Service, a first for the government, will help us to continue innovating, and improving, across the system at finding, fighting and stopping fraud.

Government has invested £1bn in taking action against public sector fraud in this spend review period, and has recovered more than £3.1bn of fraud losses in the last two years, including within Covid-19 schemes. Significant progress has been made by establishing the PSFA which is stepping up the government’s efforts to protect taxpayers’ money. Government continues to expand its Counter Fraud Profession, develop new technologies and boost skills and training to further protect the public purse.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 15 May 2023.

Government and business leaders co-chaired the second meeting of the National Cyber Advisory Board at CyberUK, discussing how to support the delivery of the National Cyber Strategy.

Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, and Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking Group UK, Sharon Barber, co-chaired the second meeting of the National Cyber Advisory Board on Wednesday 19th April. The meeting took place at CYBERUK, the government’s flagship cyber security conference held in Belfast.

In the meeting, the board reflected on the UK’s achievements within cyber since the launch of the National Cyber Strategy. The board discussed how it can further support the successful implementation of the National Cyber Strategy by challenging and validating current government assumptions on cyber. The board also debated how it can inform the government’s top level approach to ransomware, which remains a tier one national security threat.

The Board discussed progress against its three areas of priority focus:

• Build cyber skills throughout the economy by introducing better recruitment practices, such as standardised job specifications, and exploring how to accelerate the development of entry-level talent.
• Strengthen the security of supply chains, an area critically needing cross-industry improvement, and improve efficiency in the assurance process, through standardised supplier questionnaires.
• Increase businesses’ awareness of the risks posed by cyber attacks to drive greater action on cyber resilience.

The board expects to announce progress and actions in these areas at the next meeting, scheduled for October 2023.

These priority areas have been driven through the NCAB working groups on Cyber Skills and Diversity, Risk and Crisis Management, and Supply Chains, composed of NCAB members and government.

The National Cyber Advisory Board, a key commitment of the National Cyber Strategy, first met in November 2022. Since then, the Board has run workshops with the UK Cyber Security Council on increasing gender diversity in cyber, visited cutting-edge businesses from across the UK, including two net-zero businesses in Belfast, Translink and Artemis, and established the NCAB working groups.

Deputy Prime Minister and Co-Chair of the Board, Oliver Dowden, said:

My conversations with businesses make clear that in today’s interconnected world, security and prosperity go hand in hand. That’s one of the reasons why the National Cyber Advisory Board is central to our National Cyber Strategy.

Only by working together can we combat the evolving threat posed by criminals, hacktivists, and foreign states, and ensure that the UK remains one of the most attractive destinations for entrepreneurs and investors from all over the world.

Co-Chair of the Board and Chief Security Officer at Lloyds UK, Sharon Barber, said:

The second meeting of the National Cyber Advisory Board demonstrates the value of cooperation between the government and businesses. Working together to combat the shared threats we face helps to ensure the UK remains a safe place to invest and do business.

The Board encourages businesses to get involved with one of the many brilliant initiatives taking place across industry to strengthen our national cyber ecosystem and build the UK’s cyber resilience

The National Cyber Advisory Board embodies the ‘whole of society’ approach to cyber, which is a critical part of the National Cyber Strategy. The approach fosters the sharing of expertise and knowledge and provides the basis for stronger collaboration with partners in the UK and around the world.

Interested in contributing to the aims of the National Cyber Advisory Board? Please get involved in the following opportunities:

• Engaging with your local cyber cluster through the UK Cyber Cluster Collaboration (UKC3), signing up to the Cyber Runway programme and industry training such as the NCSC for Startups Programme.
• Completing NCSC’s Cyber Action Plan questionnaire, using the new NCSC “Check your Cyber Security” tool to identify and fix issues, and reading NCSC’s Cyber Security advice for Small and Medium Organisations.
• Continuing to report scam emails, texts, and websites to NCSC.

Full membership of the Board:

• Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Co-Chair)
• Sharon Barber, Chief Information Officer, Lloyds Banking Group (Co-Chair)
• Julian David, CEO, Tech UK
• Claudia Natanson, Chair, Board of Trustees, UK Cyber Security Council.
• Stephen Bonner, Executive Director, Regulatory Futures, Information Commissioner’s Office
• Debbie Forster, Co-founder and CEO, Tech Talent Charter
• Nick Godfrey, Director, Office of the CISO, Google Cloud
• Saj Huq, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Innovation, Plexal
• Chris Johnson, Pro Vice Chancellor, Engineering and Physical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast
• Rachel Laursen, Global CISO and Head of Technology Risk, Marks and Spencer
• Emma Smith, Cyber Security Director, Vodafone
• Don Smith, Vice President, Secureworks
• Yasmin Brooks, Co-Lead Global Cyber & Data Practice, Brunswick Group
• Alison Dyer, Chief Information Security Officer, ASOS
• Gareth Williams, Vice President Operations & International – Cyber Defence Solutions Business Line, Thales
• David Meads, Chief Executive, UK and Ireland, CISCO
• Stuart Aston, National Security Officer, Microsoft.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 11 May 2023.

• Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP met leading disabled golfers at the inaugural G4D Open
• Minister surveyed the action at the new international Championship for disabled golfers
• 80 golfers from across the world competing at Woburn Golf Club

Tom Pursglove MP joined more than 80 talented competitors from across the world taking part in the inaugural G4D Open (10-12 May) at the Duchess Course at Woburn Golf Club.

The championship is one of the most inclusive ever staged, featuring nine sports classes across multiple impairment groups.

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove, MP, said:

“Sport should be open to everyone. It sparks hope and brings together people from every background. I’m deeply honoured to have attended the G4D Open and seen so many world-class disabled golfers in action.

“One of the most inspiring things about the G4D Open is that the adaptations enable players at the Championship to have the same opportunities to play as everyone else.

“This ethos is so important and will be at the heart of our Disability Action Plan as we strive to make the UK a more inclusive and accessible society for everyone.”

Attending the second day of competition with Tim Hollingsworth OBE – the Government Disability and Access Ambassador for Sport – Minister Pursglove met some of the players, hearing how they got into the sport and took part in a practical demonstration to see first-hand the adaptions that make golf accessible to everyone.

The Championship is held in partnership with The R&A and the DP World Tour and supported by EDGA (formerly the European Disabled Golf Association).

Tim Hollingsworth OBE, Government Disability Access Ambassador and Chief Executive of Sport England, said:

“It is a real pleasure to join the Minister in supporting The G4D Open at Woburn and witness first hand the skills and talents of competitors from across the world.

“Golf is a wonderful sport for both our physical and mental health and wellbeing and there has been a lot of hard work in recent years for it to become more inclusive. That’s at the heart of Sport England’s Uniting the Movement strategy – tackling the inequalities that exist to ensure that everyone has the chance to play sport and be active in their everyday lives.”

Among the players competing in the Championship is world number one disabled golfer, Kipp Popert. The English golfer was born with a form of Cerebral Palsy called Spastic Diplegia and spent most of his teenage years undergoing surgery and treatment on his legs and feet.

The 24-year-old, who competes in able-bodied and disabled events, is hoping his performances will help inspire others into the sport.

World number one ranked disabled golfer Kipp Popert said:

“What The R&A, DP World Tour and EDGA are doing for grassroots golf for disabled people has been brilliant and important, but those getting into the game need something to aspire to and that is what I’m trying to achieve.

“I hope people watching the G4D Open come away thinking that anyone can play golf. It doesn’t matter what your disability is.”

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 4 May 2023.

Madeleine Alessandri CMG has been appointed Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC).

The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has announced the appointment of Madeleine Alessandri CMG as the new Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and head of the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO). Madeleine will replace Simon Gass who is stepping down after four years in the role.

Madeleine is currently Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office and was previously the UK’s Deputy National Security Adviser and Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Resilience and Security. Madeleine brings a wealth of experience from these roles and her career in the Diplomatic Service and in National Security in the UK and overseas.

The Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case, said:

I am extremely pleased that we have appointed Madeleine to this critically important role. Madeleine’s time as a Permanent Secretary and deep experience of working in national security will serve her well as the new Chair and make her very well placed to lead the JIO.

I should also like to thank Simon Gass for his dedication and service as JIC Chair over the last four years. I am very grateful to Simon for his leadership across the intelligence community during a particularly challenging period. His contribution to the national security of this country and our partners has been immense.

Commenting on her appointment, Madeleine Alessandri said:

It is a huge privilege to be joining the JIO team. I am delighted to have this opportunity to lead the UK’s world-class professional intelligence analysis community.

Simon has expertly steered the JIO through an extraordinary period of geopolitics and leaves the organisation in a very strong position. I look forward to building on this and working with the team to capture the opportunities ahead. I wish Simon all the best for the future.

Outgoing JIC Chair, Simon Gass said:

It has been a privilege to lead the Joint Intelligence Committee at a time when detached and thoughtful analysis has been vital for Britain’s national security in a complex and tempestuous world.

I pay tribute to analysts in the Joint Intelligence Organisation and across the government intelligence assessment community for their professionalism and ingenuity in using secret intelligence and other information sources to produce insights which have helped decision-makers navigate difficult policy choices. I am delighted that Madeleine has been appointed to continue the journey.

Madeleine will take up her new post on 1 July. Plans are being made to run a competition to identify her successor at NIO and an announcement will be made in due course.

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

£250,000 in government funding has been awarded to Universities and National Life Stories, the UK’s leading oral history fieldwork charity from the British Library, to chronicle and study the experiences of British nuclear test veterans.

• £250,000 in government funding awarded to universities and the National Life Stories from the British Library, for a study into British nuclear test veterans.
• University academics will also record the ‘life stories’ of nuclear test veterans across the UK.
• Nuclear test veterans across the country urged to come forward to share their unique stories and have them archived in history

£250,000 in government funding has been awarded to Universities and National Life Stories, the UK’s leading oral history fieldwork charity from the British Library, to chronicle and study the experiences of British nuclear test veterans.

The British Library will work with academics to conduct and record around 40 ‘life stories’ with veterans around the UK, to investigate and recognise the complex role that test participation played in veterans’ lives.

The two-year project, funded by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, is part of a package of recognition for nuclear test veterans, announced following the introduction of the Nuclear Test Medal in November last year. Applications are now open for veterans and their next of kin to receive their commemorative medals.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer said:

Our nuclear test veterans played a vital role in the creation of the British nuclear deterrent, which continues to keep us safe to this day.

Now we’re making sure their stories are never forgotten, and can be passed down from generation to generation, so that we can remember the sacrifices they made to protect us.

The project will produce a number of resources to commemorate and memorialise nuclear test veterans in this country, including a documentary hosted by the British Library and a national tour of events, promoting the resources made by the project. The University of  South Wales and the University of Liverpool will lead on the project, in partnership with the National Life stories with the British Library.

The project will also create a number of educational resources to be used in schools, to encourage the teaching of nuclear history to the next generation.

The cohort of veterans are ex-service personnel and civilians who contributed to Britain’s nuclear testing programme, including serving in Australia and the South Pacific between 1952 and 1967.

This project aims to engage veterans from across the United Kingdom, to represent the entire cohort of veterans that took part in the tests. Academics are looking to hear from a diverse range of nuclear test veterans, from those who have previously been vocal about their experiences, to those who have never spoken about it before.

Up to 22,000 veterans participated in Britain’s nuclear test programme, with latest estimates suggesting there are 1500 surviving nuclear test veterans to this day.

It is important to commemorate the contribution of our veterans, who to this day have played a vital role in our nation’s security. We urge anyone who was a part of these tests to share their story, regardless of the role they played in the testing.

This project will capture not only the events of the days of the nuclear tests, but will also reflect the long-term impacts that the UK’s nuclear deterrent programme had on the participants and their families.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs were recently given £33 million in the Spring Budget, representing a step change in the Government’s ability to support and care for those who have served our country. This includes a £10 million investment to increase the capacity of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs as it continues to deliver the Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan.

Mary Stewart, the British Library’s Lead Curator of Oral History and Director of National Life Stories said:

I am delighted that this important partnership will add forty in-depth life story interviews to the British Library oral history collection, providing researchers now and in the future unparalleled insights into how veterans’ test experiences affected them throughout their lives.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 25 April 2023.

A campaign designed to promote the UK’s thriving tech sector to American entrepreneurs and investors has been launched in Silicon Valley.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 23 April 2023.

“Keep Calm and Carry On, this is just a test” – that is the clear message from the Deputy Prime Minister on the day of the nationwide test of the national Emergency Alerts system.

Officials from the Cabinet Office National Situation Centre will send out the alert at 3pm and it will be received by every 4G and 5G device across the United Kingdom.

A major awareness campaign was launched to ensure the public knew about the test of the system, with new polling on Friday showing 88% of the British public were now aware.

The system will be an additional tool in the national resilience toolkit when there is an imminent risk to life.

Announcements and signage across the transport network will be in place in the run-up to the test. The alert will be a siren-like sound no more prominent than the loudest ringtone setting on a mobile phone.

People are being urged to remember that this is just a test, akin to a one off fire alarm drill, and no action is required when they receive the test alert today.

Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden, said:

Keep Calm and Carry On – that is the British way and it is exactly what the country will do when they receive this test alert at 3pm today.

The Government’s number one job is to keep people safe and this is another tool in the toolkit for emergency situations, such as flooding or wildfires, and where there is a genuine risk to life. So it really is the sound that could save your life.

I would encourage people to remember that today it is just a test; there is no need to take any action and you can simply swipe it away as you would any other message you receive.

The test will be sent using mobile broadcasting technology which uses cell towers rather than SMS. The test is secure, free to receive and one-way, and does not reveal anyone’s location or collect personal data.

The sound and vibration of the test alert will stop automatically after ten seconds. All people need to do is swipe away the message or click ‘OK’ on their phone’s home screen – just like for a ‘low battery’ warning or notification – and continue to use their phone as normal.

The test message will say:

This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.

In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.

Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.

This is a test. You do not need to take any action.

Best practice of Emergency Alerts in other countries have shown that they work more effectively when there is a real emergency if people have previously received a test, so they know what an alert looks and sounds like.

Emergency Alerts have already been used successfully in a number of countries, including the US, Canada and Japan, where the system has been widely credited with saving lives, for example, during severe weather events. In the UK, alerts could be used to inform people about wildfires or severe flooding.

The Government has worked together with the emergency services and partners, including the Football Association and London Marathon, to make sure the UK-wide test has minimum impact on major events taking place today.

Chief Fire Officer for Hertfordshire, and Resilience Lead on the National Fire Chiefs Council, Alex Woodman, said:

Whilst today’s ten second national test may be inconvenient for some, please forgive the intrusion, because the next time you hear the alert, your life and the lifesaving actions of our emergency services could depend on it. We must use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe and we need everyone to play their part. The new Emergency Alerts system is one way we can do this.

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Civil Contingencies, Assistant Chief Constable Owen Weatherill said:

During times of crises, it’s vital to warn and inform the public at speed. We look forward to further developing the use of the Emergency Alerts capability and the way it can protect and preserve life, as well as supporting policing’s wider response to critical incidents with partner agencies. Alongside partners, we will continue to listen carefully to public feedback and ensure the use of Emergency Alerts has a positive impact.

Emergency Alerts will transform the UK’s warning and informing capability; working with mobile broadcasting technology provides a means to get urgent messages quickly to nearly 90 percent of mobile phones in a defined area when there is a risk to life, and provide clear instructions about how best to respond.

The system will be used very rarely – only being sent where there is an immediate risk to people’s lives – so people may not receive an alert for months or years, if at all.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 21 April 2023.

Up to £8m of funding from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs is now available to tackle veterans’ homelessness head on.

• Up to £8m of funding from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs is now available to tackle veterans’ homelessness head on.
• Organisations are able to bid for up to £1.5 million, over 2 years, to provide wraparound support services for issues such as mental health.
• Funding will address the complex issues faced by some homeless veterans while making sure they have access to accommodation.

The Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (the Trust) is delighted to announce the launch of the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Programme, which will award major grants to help veterans experiencing homelessness.

Under this new programme, the Trust will award grants on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) to projects that will provide specialist care in veterans’ accommodation.

The funding being announced today is expected to provide services for over 900 supported housing places across the UK, supporting veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Organisations are able to bid for up to £1.5 million, over 2 years, to fund wraparound support for issues such as mental health and employment.

By providing specialised support services, we can help address the complex issues faced by some veterans while making sure they have access to accommodation, and give them a greater chance of leading a stable, healthy life so that they don’t return to being homeless in future.

Who’s it for?

The Trust is encouraging charities, housing associations and registered social housing providers to apply for a 2-year grant. We will award a small number of significant grants under this programme. To be successful in your application, you’ll need to be able to clearly demonstrate:

• that you have considerable experience in providing support to veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness
• that your project is adaptable to the needs of veterans, including veterans with high, medium and low-level support needs
• that your project will deliver sustainable outcomes for the veterans accessing them, so that they don’t return to being homeless in future.

It is also vital that projects are collaborative – working with others to meet the needs of veterans. Finally, you will need to show how you would work with Op FORTITUDE – the Government’s new central referral pathway for homeless veterans and veterans at risk of homelessness.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Johnny Mercer, said:

No one, not least those who have served this country, should be homeless. That’s why we’re providing up to £8m to fund tailored support for our veterans in hundreds of housing places across the country.

Only by helping to address the complex issues faced by some veterans, can we end veterans’ homelessness.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 21 April 2023.

The annual State of the Estate report has been published.

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

New and enhanced cyber security measures will better protect the UK government’s IT systems, which run key services for the public, from growing cyber threats.