Tag: Cabinet Office

• 15 recipients include a civilian who lost his life intervening in an armed attack and a woman who saved an elderly neighbour from a burning building
• Civilian gallantry awards recognise the bravery of people who’ve put themselves in danger to save, or attempt to save, someone’s life
• Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden congratulates the recipients and expresses thanks for their courage

15 people who carried out heroic actions have been named in the 2023 Civilian Gallantry List.

The awards recognise the bravery of people who put themselves at risk to save, or attempt to save, another person’s life.

Recipients will be awarded either The Queen’s Gallantry Medal or The Queen’s Commendation for Bravery, with future awards to be approved by His Majesty The King and taking his name. This is the first list of recipients since May 2021. Today’s awards are particularly special as they are from the final Civilian Gallantry List to be approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, after 70 years of awards.

The general public are invited to nominate individuals who they believe have shown acts of exemplary bravery in saving the lives of others. The awards are approved by the Sovereign, after nominations are assessed by the George Cross Committee.

On behalf of the Government, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden congratulates the award winners and expresses thanks for their courage in the face of extreme danger.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden said:

We all hope we’d react with courage in the face of danger. These people have lived through that test, and responded in the most admirable way.

Their selfless actions have saved lives, and I want to express profound thanks for their willingness to put themselves in danger to protect others.

They are all extremely worthy winners of the final Civilian Gallantry awards of Her Majesty the late Queen.

• Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, appoints 16 members from across the UK to the BSL Advisory Board
• Appointment follows visit by the Minister and Board co-chair Craig Crowley to Royal School for the Deaf Derby
• Approximately 151,000 people in the UK use BSL – the BSL Act recognised it as a language of England, Wales and Scotland

Appointees include: Zoe Fudge-Ajadi and Vicki Ashmore, Deaf/Blind tactile BSL signers who co-founded the charity BRIGHT Deafblind BSL; Asif Iqbal MBE, a rehabilitation officer for deaf and hard of hearing people who has spent his career in the public and not for profit sectors to increase representation and remove barriers for d/Deaf and disabled people; and the Scott Garthwaite, the Punk Chef, of Michelin star restaurant Hambleton Hall.

The appointments come after the Minister met teachers and pupils at the Royal School for the Deaf Derby, accompanied by BSL Advisory Board co-chair and trustee of the school, Craig Crowley MBE FRSA. Around 120 children, aged 3 to 19, attend the school which offers a broad range of subjects taught in the languages best understood by each child, and supports children to develop their language using their preferred method of communication.

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

“Meeting the pupils at the Royal School for the Deaf Derby and seeing how they are supported according to their individual needs was truly inspiring. Communication is a basic human right, and the British Sign Language Act makes it a reality for these children.

“The BSL Board will guide us on our path to implement these important changes, and I am pleased to be working with them, and learning from them, so that together we can make the UK a more inclusive and accessible society.”

BSL Board co-chair, Craig Crowley MBE FRSA, said:

“I am delighted that the Minister for Disabled People saw first-hand in Derby the important value of BSL in education, which has certainly made a huge difference in terms of basic human rights in Sign Language and Deaf culture.

“I am really looking forward to welcoming onboard the new members of the BSL Advisory Board and together we begin our BSL journey towards implementing important milestones from the BSL Act 2022.”

The Board’s remit will be:

• advising on the use of BSL in public communications and policy delivery
• advising on how to tackle key issues facing Deaf people, such as how to increase the numbers of BSL interpreters

Recognising BSL as a language in England, Scotland and Wales for the first time, the BSL Act 2022 has made a significant difference to Deaf BSL users and signers across the country. The Board will provide expert advice, informed by their own experiences, to the Government on the implementation of the Act. A senior civil servant will serve as the other co-chair.

The main criteria for appointment for all independent members included a lived experience of BSL, alongside a willingness to work collaboratively in assisting the Government to be more accessible. The members have been appointed for three-year terms.

The members of the board are:

• Craig Crowley MBE FRSA
• Gaye Hampton
• Erin McCluskey
• Brian Kokoruwe
• Scott Garthwaite
• Mangayarkkarasy Sutharsan
• Kate Reed
• Joanna Atkinson
• Asif Iqbal MBE
• Sylvia Simmonds
• Theresa Devine
• Richard MacQueen
• Ahmed Mudawi
• Martin Thacker
• Richard Platt
• Zoe Fudge-Ajadi and Vicki Ashmore
• Samantha Stocken

Co-chair

Craig Crowley MBE FRSA

Craig Crowley is CEO of Action Deafness, a Deaf-led charity providing BSL interpreting and community support. He was founder Chair and Honorary President of UK Deaf Sport and obtained an MBE in 2006 in recognition of his service to Deaf Sport. He has also been a former Trustee of Signature and founding Trustee of the National Register of Communication Professionals working with Deaf People. He currently serves as a Trustee for the Royal School for the Deaf Derby.

Members

Gaye Hampton

Gaye works as a Project Manager in Directions Plus where she works to get Deaf people into work across 11 counties in Wales. She is also a qualified Translator and an advisor to Signature (a national charity and the leading awarding body for Deaf communication and language qualifications in the UK) and the National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People (NRCPD). She also sits on the Wales Council for Deaf People.

Erin McCluskey

Erin is a student who was a member of the Scottish Youth Parliament from 2019-2021 and passed a Motion in relation to public services and ensuring accessibility for BSL users. She is a Trustee for the West Scotland Deaf Children’s Society and works for the British Deaf Association in Scotland, as a freelance outreach worker.

Brian Kokoruwe

Brian is a Deaf Equality Trainer and set up deafinitequality.com nearly ten years ago. He is a qualified Teacher of the Deaf and holds MA Deaf Education International. He has written 3 books on Deafness. He worked on National Sensory Impaired Partnership (NatSIP’s) DfE contract for Sensory Impairment; also at College with responsibility for learners with medical conditions; at Citizens Advice and RAD. Since COVID he has been part of NHS Patient Participation Groups and is a Trustee of Manchester Deaf Centre.

Scott Garthwaite

Scott is a Deaf chef at a Michelin star restaurant, Hambleton Hall. He has been a committee member of two Deaf social clubs in the North East and manager of a Deaf football team, also in the North East. Scott has a media presence as the ‘Punk Chef’ with many TV appearances and uses his social media to promote Deaf awareness.

Mangayarkkarasy Sutharsan

Mangayarkkarsy works as Director of Empowering Deaf Society – a charity that delivers employment support, advocacy and advice in BSL. She is a Trustee of Suvai Deaf East Community (reaches 480 Deaf people across London). She is a qualified BSL teacher and ran her own BSL training company Deaf Touch Ltd till 2014. She also formerly worked at the Royal Association for Deaf People.

Kate Reed

Kate works as Headteacher of Deaf Provisions across Primary and Secondary with a Deaf-led team. She previously worked with the Department for Education (DfE) at a national level as an Inclusion Expert for Deaf Education and SEND for several years. She is a member of BATOD and committee for Deaf Teachers of the Deaf. In 2020, she was awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship for ‘International Research of Deaf Education.

Since 2017 she has worked with Manchester University and Leeds University to support Teachers of the Deaf, and since 2016, she has worked with the BSL Consortium for Education.

Joanna Atkinson

Joanna is a clinical specialist and lecturer specialising in neuropsychology. She provides cognitive, brain injury and mental health assessments, therapy and rehabilitation with Deaf adults and children. She works with BSL users with brain conditions including dementia, stroke, developmental disorders and head injuries. Her scientific research has led to new BSL diagnostic tools and new understanding of how people think in BSL, how the brain processes BSL and the nature of BSL hallucinations and other clinical phenomena. She is a member of the British Deaf Association, SENSE, Deafblind UK and British Society of Mental Health and Deafness.

Asif Iqbal, MBE

Asif is Deaf and is a Rehabilitation Officer for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people with Camden Council. He has spent his career in the public and not for profit sectors – local and central government along with health services – to increase representation and remove barriers for deaf and disabled people. Asif has been President of the Harrow and Brent United Deaf Club since 2009 and is a past Chair of Camden Disability Network.

He is also a Chair of Hearing Loss Professionals UK Network, sharing knowledge and expertise with NHS England and key stakeholders. Asif has also appeared on various TV shows including BBC2’s !mpossible, LetterBox and Channel 4 Political Slot. He has been an extra on Coronation Street and Eastenders.

Asif was awarded MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2011 for public service.

Sylvia Simmonds

Sylvia is a freelance Deaf Advocate, advocating for Deaf people in a variety of areas including family law, mental health, education, employment, and discrimination disputes. She specialises in legal work with a focus on cultural mediation in court and BSL translation of legal documents. As part of the COVID-19 pandemic she took on a large project focusing on making information accessible to BSL users.

She has been involved with the British Deaf Association for 39 years as vice chair, trustee, and member of staff. She was LGBTQ+ advisory to the World Federation for the Deaf and was a Trustee of the Deaf Womens Health Organisation and is currently on the Data Ethics Committee of Thames Valley Police.

Theresa Marie Devine

Teri is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adult). She works as Associate Director for Strategic Programme – Inclusion at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID). She is currently a Trustee at Forth Valley Sensory Centre and also a member of the Justice of the Peace Advisory Committee (Glasgow) Committee. She was formerly Vice Chair of Dumfries and Galloway Hard of Hearing Group (07/2011 – 09/2017).

Richard MacQueen

Richard works for Deaf Action as Head of Video Production. He is a Trustee for National Registers of Communication Professionals working with Deaf and Deafblind People, and formerly Deaf Links (2010 -2016).

Ahmed Mudawi

Ahmed works as a TV presenter for ‘This is Deaf’ under BSL Zone. He is studying to be a qualified translator and deaf relay interpreter. He provides Deaf awareness training, and is a member of St Johns Community Deaf Club in London; a member of the British Deaf Association (BDA); a member of Clapham Deaf Club; a member of ASLI (Association Sign Language Interpreter); and Colour Interpreters Network.

Martin Thacker

Martin works as Deputy Director at the National Deaf Children’s Society; Vice President of Chesterfield and North East Derbyshire Deaf Society; Committee member of North Derbyshire Deaf Forum; Member of Derbyshire Constabulary Deaf Advisory Group; and Member of CODA UK. He is also a Conservative Councillor on North East Derbyshire District Council, for the Brampton and Walton ward.

Richard Platt

Richard is Chairman of Ipswich Deaf Children’s Society. He is also a committee member of the Children’s Hearing Services Working Group.

Zoe Fudge-Ajadi and Vicki Ashmore

Representing Deafblind tactile BSL signers.

Zoe is Deafblind and Vicky is a Deaf/Deafblind interpreter. Together they are co-founders and Director/Assistant Director of BRIGHT Deafblind. Vicky is also a Board member of Bromley Reform Synagogue.

Samantha Stocken

Samantha is a  teacher, volunteer in a hospital, and trustee for Gloucestershire Deaf Association (GDA), Samantha advocates for her son who is Deaf. She is an Educational Consultant in Gloucestershire who works as “Deaf Aware”, so she can support schools where d/Deaf children attend or have d/Deaf parents/carers.

• Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart to officially cut the ribbon on new Hub, calling it an “important day for Peterborough”
• Fletton Quays site to house over 1,000 staff from several departments and government bodies including Home Office and DEFRA
• New Hub forms part of £120 million Peterborough regeneration project

A new government hub in Peterborough has been officially opened by Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart today.

The Hub is in Fletton Quays, an area undergoing a £120 million regeneration, and will house more than 1,000 government staff from a number of departments and agencies. Staff from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Home Office’s Passport Office will be based there permanently, with room for more roles which may relocate to the city from London.

Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burghart said:

It’s fantastic to be in Peterborough to open our brand new Government Hub. This is a very important day for the city.

As today shows, this Government is investing in Peterborough and the East of England to create jobs and opportunities for the long-term.

The project is part of the government hubs programme, which has also seen the announcement of new hubs across the country including Glasgow, Belfast, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester, Nottingham, Cardiff, Birmingham and Bristol.

These hubs will support the government’s drive to move 22,000 government roles out of London by 2030, moving them into communities across the United Kingdom.

Lord Murray, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office, said:

Being part of this new Government hub continues to reinforce HM Passport Office’s long-term commitment to the city of Peterborough.

Quay House offers brand new, purpose built, facilities that will help us to deliver increasingly high standards of service for our customers in the East and Midlands for many years to come.

To date, more than 900 roles have been relocated out of the capital and into the East Midlands and East of England, with departments including the  Ministry of Justice expanding their presence there.

The government will also launch a civil service recruitment campaign in the region in April as part of the drive to offer roles previously located in Whitehall to people in the East of England and East Midlands, ensuring the government is maximising use of the area’s vast talent pool.

The new Hub is part of a £120m regeneration of the Fletton Quays site led by the Peterborough Investment Partnership and the site’s developer, Bride Hall, which is expected to generate over £340 million of private sector revenue for the area.

Clive Anderson, Director of Capital Projects at the Government Property Agency, said:

Quay House in Peterborough is the Government Property Agency’s first new build Hub. It will provide inclusive, flexible, digitally-connected workspaces to support greater productivity, create cost efficiencies and enhance carbon reduction. This has been achieved by consolidating four remote sites into one new city centre building, with 1,000 civil servants now supporting local businesses.

We are all extremely proud to deliver this new Hub in Peterborough, and to be delivering the Government Hubs Programme in support of key government initiatives such as Levelling Up, Civil Service Reform and Net Zero. I welcome our clients and customers to their new place of work.

• The savings are expected to be made over next 15 years in Whitehall efficiency drive
• Modern technology and automation being used to free up civil servant time
• Services of all government departments brought together in clusters to make better use of data across departments

Around £1.8 billion could be saved over the next 15 years in the latest Whitehall drive to modernise costly back-office systems across the civil service, according to initial government estimates.

The Shared Services Strategy for Government was launched two years ago to offer better value for money for the taxpayer through the use of cheaper and more efficient HR and finance systems.

In the last 24 months, significant developments have been made, including the creation of five ‘clusters’ which will bridge gaps between 18 departments and more than 100 arms length bodies to create a single system used by all for the first time.

Individual departments replacing their own systems would cost more than £1.7 billion whereas the shared services clusters estimate that they will generate around £1.8 billion pounds of benefits for around £900 million cost. This would be delivered through £500m of financial savings and £1.3bn in efficiencies.

Minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin said:

The strategy was created to offer better cross-government, streamlined services that relieve the burden of bureaucracy. We want to free up civil servants’ time to focus on what they do best: engaging with, and delivering for the British public.

This transformational programme is underway and demonstrates the important steps we’re taking to be more collaborative.

The strategy offers greater interoperability by linking different back-office computer systems and making better use of real time data. This will help join up departments and present a clearer workforce picture. The new structure could be critical for future cross-government challenges, ensuring the government is more resilient to urgent crises.

Examples of ‘clusters’ include Defence which brings the services of the Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces and veterans together which will ensure departments are working off the same HR and finance systems to deliver major savings for the taxpayer.

Another example is the ‘Hera programme’ which has been implemented by the Overseas cluster. It centred around moving three very different legacy business systems into one within six months. It has transformed business processes and offered a new finance and HR system with wider capabilities for over 20,000 FCDO civil servants.

Nathan Moores, Shared Services Strategy Director, said:

I’d like to thank all colleagues across the five Clusters, the functions including Civil Service HR, Government Finance Function, Crown Commercial Service and the Functional Convergence Programme for their hard work, dedication and commitment to collaborating on the strategy over the last two years.

I’m so proud of what has been achieved so far, we have seen phenomenal progress, collaboration and delivery across government. We are on a journey to ultimately improving the daily working lives of civil servants by creating more joined-up systems and services, saving time and money for the taxpayer.

I look forward to working with all colleagues over the next 12 months and delivering further milestones set out in the strategy.

This year sees the strategy moving full force into delivery mode. Clusters will procure goods and services by engaging with suppliers and will aim for final business case approval.

Ambitious new plans for stepping up the government’s fight against fraud have been unveiled today (Thursday 2 March).

The Counter Fraud Profession Strategy outlines how the new Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) will increase the skills, standards and capability of staff within government and beyond working on protecting public services from fraud.

As well as investing in counter fraud investigation skills, the cornerstone of the profession, the new strategy increases the focus on skills in fraud prevention and identification.

The government is also upskilling those that lead public sector counter fraud work and ensuring the 7,000 counter fraud professionals working across the public sector continue to develop their knowledge and skills. This will include 250 fraud risk experts trained by the end of 2023.

Cabinet Office Minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

The challenge we face from fraud is stark. That is why I am proud to announce the launch of the updated Government Counter Fraud Profession Strategy, which will continue to enhance the capability and expertise of those fighting hard to protect taxpayers’ money.

Apprenticeships are also a key focus of the new strategy, with the PSFA launching in 2024 a new Apprenticeship in Counter Fraud. This will run alongside the existing Fraud Investigation Apprenticeship.

The new strategy has been developed and will be delivered in collaboration with government, law enforcement and industry counter fraud and learning experts. It will create a diverse and skilled pipeline of counter fraud talent to prevent fraud against the public sector.

The Public Sector Fraud Authority is partnering with experts including from Cifas, University of Coventry and the Australia Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Centre to deliver the strategy.

It is estimated the cost of fraud and error against the public sector is at least £33 billion per year. Although often hidden, fraud is the most pervasive crime in the UK and must be rooted out.

Mark Cheeseman, Interim CEO of the PSFA and Head of the Government Counter Fraud Profession said:

Fraudsters are a committed, capable and evolving adversary and the public sector is just as affected by this hidden crime as other sectors.

The launch of the new Government Counter Fraud Profession (GCFP) strategy sets out how the government is investing in building and modernising its fraud fighting capability.

The GCFP was launched in 2018 to develop a common structure for counter fraud capability across government and for those leading the fight against the crime.

At its inception the Profession had 3,000 members across 17 organisations including HM Revenue and Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions, and the Serious Fraud Office.

Since then it has grown exponentially and it now has around 7,000 members across 48 organisations, including policing and local government.

The Cabinet Secretary is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA). Dame Angela, who is currently Chief Scientific Adviser for the Ministry of Defence, was selected by the Prime Minister following an open competition. Dame Angela will be the first woman to hold the role of GCSA and will take up the post on 1 April.

The role of the GCSA is to provide independent scientific advice to the Prime Minister and members of cabinet, advise the government on aspects of policy on science and technology and ensure and improve the quality and use of scientific evidence and advice in government.

The GCSA is also Head of the Government Science and Engineering Profession and is part of the executive team of the newly formed Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak welcomed the appointment and said:

Delivering improved public services, creating new jobs and growing our economy through cutting-edge industries can only be made possible by advances in science, technology and innovation.

I’m delighted that Dame Angela is taking on this role to advise the government on how we make this happen – building on Sir Patrick’s instrumental work over the past five years, which included helping the country through some of our greatest challenges from the pandemic to climate change.

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

The UK is starting a hugely exciting new chapter in our future in scientific innovation and I congratulate Dame Angela McLean on her appointment as the new Government Chief Scientific Adviser.

Dame Angela is well respected across the science community and I hope this appointment will inspire more women and young girls to see STEM subjects as an exciting career choice.

I look forward to working with her to build on the immense work of Sir Patrick Vallance to ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of the science and technology revolution.

The Cabinet Secretary, Simon Case said:

This is an excellent appointment for the Civil Service, to a vital position for the government and the country. I congratulate Angela on her role and look forward to the contribution she will make in leading the science community across government.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Patrick for his outstanding contribution and commitment to public service, evident not only in the leading role he played during the Covid-19 Pandemic but also in the great strides he has made in improving scientific capability across government.

Commenting on her new role, Dame Angela said:

I am delighted to take on this role at such an important time in our country for Science Innovation and Technology. All of us in government are going to greatly miss Sir Patrick, and I look forward to working with colleagues to build on the work he has led during his time as GCSA.

My long-term mentor, the late Lord Robert May, held the post of GCSA between 1995 and 2000 and that personal connection adds a particular depth to my sense of honour in being asked to take on this role.

Biography – Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS

Professor Dame Angela McLean DBE FRS has been the Chief Scientific Adviser for the Ministry of Defence since September 2019.

She is a Professor of Mathematical Biology in the Department of Zoology at Oxford University, and a Fellow of All Souls College. Her research interests lie in the use of mathematical models to aid our understanding of the evolution and spread of infectious agents.

She is also interested in the use of natural science evidence in formulating public policy and has co-developed the Oxford Martin School Restatements: an activity which restructures and presents the evidence underlying an issue of policy concern or controversy in a short, uncharged, intelligible form for non-technical audiences.

During the Covid-19 pandemic she regularly attended SAGE and co-chaired SPI-M-O, the sub-group of SAGE that prepared advice for government using epidemiology, data analysis and mathematical modelling. In those roles she played a substantial part in generating scientific advice for government on the management of the pandemic.

She established Mathematical Biology at the Biotechnology and Biological Science Research Council’s Institute for Animal Health in 1994. Before this, Angela was a Royal Society Research Fellow at Oxford University and a Research Fellow at the Institut Pasteur in Paris.

As the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) to MOD, Dame Angela is its principal adviser on science and technology, with responsibility for directing research through the MOD’s core S&T research portfolio.

In 2009 Angela was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. She has been awarded the Gabor Medal in 2011 and the Weldon Memorial Prize in 2018. She received her damehood in the 2018 Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

• The Office for Veterans’ Affairs has today made £200,000 available to organisations to bid for in support of nuclear test veterans.
• Organisations will be able to bid for up to £70,000 each to run community led programmes that help to recognise and support Nuclear Test Veterans and their families.
• The fund represents a crucial further step in our continued drive to recognise the historic contributions of nuclear test veterans to our nation’s security.

Charities and Organisations across the UK are set to benefit from £200,000 in funding, as a funding scheme is opened to build community led programmes to recognise and support nuclear test veterans and their families.

The fund which opens today for organisations to apply, comes off the back of the announcement last November of a medal to recognise the service of nuclear test veterans.

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

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer said:

To this day the nuclear deterrent remains the cornerstone of our defence and that is substantially due to the service and contribution of the brilliant nuclear test veterans.

It is only right that we support and recognise the experiences of our nuclear test veterans, so future generations can learn from their experiences.

The funding provided today kickstarts that process, and I look forward to seeing the fantastic projects put forward by our third sector partners.

In order to receive funding the projects must satisfy at least one of three criteria, directly support nuclear test veterans and their families, memorialise nuclear test veterans and their experiences, or provide educational activities to raise public awareness of their service. The decisions on funding will be made by a government steering group.

The funding opening for bidding today is a further step in recognising the contributions made by our service personnel during the height of the Cold War, at a key moment in our history as a nation. The funding will allow projects to progress at speed, to honour those who were involved in keeping our country safe.

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs will also continue their work with academic institutions to create a living history project, further raising awareness of nuclear test veterans and their experiences.

• Organisations can apply for funding here.