Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Chief Executive of Brent Council to retire [October 2022]

The press release issued by Brent Council on 31 October 2022.

Brent Council’s long-serving Chief Executive Carolyn Downs has announced that she is to retire in the spring.

After a career in local and central government that has spanned more than four decades, concluding with more than seven years as Chief Executive of Brent Council, Carolyn will step down at the end of April 2023.

Carolyn’s career in local government began in 1982 in Haringey’s library service. Following 8 years in Haringey, Carolyn moved on to Stevenage and then Calderdale councils before, in 2003, becoming the first female Chief Executive at Shropshire County Council where she lead the Council to become one of the first ever County unitary authorities. After that, she became deputy permanent Secretary and Director General of Corporate Performance at the Ministry of Justice. Carolyn then became Chief Executive of The Legal Services Commission and subsequently Chief Executive of The Local Government Association for four years.

Having established herself as one of the most respected leaders in local government, the self-confessed ‘public sector devotee’ joined Brent as Chief Executive in June 2015.

During her time at the helm of London’s fifth largest borough and one of the most diverse boroughs in Britain, Brent established itself as a pioneering council that ‘set trends and didn’t follow them’. During her tenure, the supply of affordable housing increased significantly, with Brent delivering more housing completions last year than any borough in the history of the Greater London Authority. The number of people in temporary accommodation has fallen while Brent achieved its best ever Ofsted rating for the quality of its children’s services.

Brent was named London Borough of Culture 2020 by the Mayor of London and later that year was crowned the LGC’s ‘Council of the Year’ with the judges commenting: “Brent has embraced its communities in a celebration of diversity, lifting up the whole borough. The council demonstrates how to convene place and communities – an antidote to today’s fractured society. It impressed on multiple fronts, showing leadership in the round.”

The council was also often seen as leading the way during local government’s response to the COVID pandemic with Brent breaking new ground on the procurement of PPE, hyper local testing and its approach to engaging with local communities.

Carolyn said: “Brent is a very special place and it has been an enormous privilege to work here. Brent truly is the borough of cultures – with a mixture of challenges and opportunities as varied as the residents we serve. From building new council homes to building community cohesion and resilience, everything we do is focused on improving the lives of local people.

“Despite the challenges faced by local Government we have achieved a lot together and one of the things that pleases me the most is the consistently high levels of residents’ and staff satisfaction over recent years.”

The life-long Manchester United fan and keen tennis player added: “It will soon be time for me to hang up my boots and spend a bit more time on my other passions including spending some more time with my wonderful family. Nobody can do this job alone and I will be leaving Brent knowing it is in a good place and with fantastic managers in place across the whole council.

“I have been fortunate to work with a hugely talented group of officers as well as ambitious and supportive elected members and the many amazing voluntary and community groups who all make Brent what it is today. Brent’s diversity shines through both our workforce and elected members. Although there will be plenty of time to say farewell over the coming months, I do want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone I have worked with for what have been seven of the happiest years of my career.”

Cllr Muhammed Butt, Brent Council Leader, said: “Carolyn’s huge knowledge and experience has been a massive asset to Brent during some of toughest years local government has ever faced. Her central role in supporting our borough get through the Covid pandemic showed her tireless commitment to public service. I would like to thank Carolyn for her stewardship and leadership over the years and the mutual respect that is evident between members and officers is a testament to her approach. I will always respect her wise advice which has helped us to become best in class in a number of areas as we have worked together with our communities to deliver a better Brent.”

To ensure a smooth transition, recruitment for a new Chief Executive will begin shortly with the council looking to make an appointment early in 2023.

November 2, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Barnet Council sets out bold vision for working together with communities [October 2022]
The press release issued by Barnet Council on 1 November 2022.

Councillors last night (31 October) committed to do more to listen to residents and involve them in designing council services and addressing issues that affect them.

The council will put communities at the heart of everything it does, reach out and involve people who are less often heard to address inequalities better, highlighting the good work already underway and the key changes that will be made.

‘Together: The Community Participation Strategy 2022’ was approved at the Community Leadership and Libraries Committee. It commits Barnet Council to five principles that will guide its work: listening, going to where communities are, learning through doing, being transparent and valuing community power.

The strategy also outlines four ‘pathfinder projects’ through which the council will explore new ways of working in participation, engagement and co-production:
- ‘Leader Listens’ events will see the Leader of the council, Cllr Barry Rawlings engaging with residents about how to change council services to make them more accessible and effective for their communities;
- The Citizens Assembly on Climate Change and Biodiversity will provide a platform for residents to help shape the council’s sustainability strategy;
- The council’s Arts and Culture Strategy will trial an innovative co-production approach, with creative and cultural listening, participation and development events in communities across the Borough; and
- The council will transform how it empowers ‘grassroots’ community action through its partnership work with the charity, community, faith and social enterprise sectors.
Cllr Sara Conway, Chair of the Community Leadership and Libraries Committee, said: “We’re excited to make this commitment to changing the way Barnet works with local communities. Community participation means recognising that residents and community groups have the experience, skills and insight to be more directly involved in designing and developing solutions that improve local services and places.

“There are already examples around the council of where we are working better at involving residents in engagement and co-production. As the council enters a period of significant transformation, we will put the inclusion, participation and celebration of communities at the heart of everything we do.”
November 2, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : £3.5m grant funded installation of 500 electrical vehicle charging points across Barnet [November 2022]
The press release issued by Barnet Council on 2 November 2022.

Barnet Council is pleased to announce that following last year’s award of a further £3.5m in grant funding, work has begun on the next phase of electric vehicle (EV) charge point installations.

The six-month installation, in partnership with Trojan Energy, will see 510 charge points installed to 34 residential streets across the borough.

The new Trojan charge points are sunken into the ground, flat and flush, appearing as a disk in the pavement. The charging points are connected to the power grid and residents will be able to connect to them using a Trojan lance, which will supply power of up to 22kWh. These charge points will be available for residents to use to charge their electric, or plug-in hybrid, vehicles, building a comprehensive and fit for purpose network to support electric vehicles, ensuring that charging demand will continue to be met as it grows.

Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Barnet Environment and Climate Change Committee Chair said:

“The installation of hundreds more EV charging points is part of our wider sustainability programme to transform Barnet into a net zero borough.

“As part of our commitment to care for people, places and planet, we are supporting a sustainable transport infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions and encourage the use of electric vehicles.

“Installing chargers in key locations will help EV owners top up their charge levels on the go and make our air cleaner.”

Although the upfront costs of buying an electric car are generally higher than petrol and diesel alternatives, the gap is gradually narrowing. The day-to-day running costs over the lifetime of the vehicle are substantially better with an electric car, while residents will also benefit from reduced parking permits, and exemption from ULEZ and congestion charges, as well as Vehicle Excise Duty.

Phase one of installation works across the borough of Barnet, will see 15 residential charge points installed at each of the following locations:
- Gloucester Grove, Burnt Oak
- Orange Hill Road, Burnt Oak
- Watling Avenue, Burnt Oak
- Annesley Avenue West, Colindale
- Annesley Avenue East, Colindale
The EV charge point installation is one of the sustainability schemes being rolled out by Barnet Council to help reach our target to become a net zero borough by 2042.
November 2, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Firefighters launch consultative ballot on pay [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Fire Brigades Union on 31 October 2022.

Firefighters and fire control staff are being balloted today over to whether accept a 5% pay offer from employers.

The Fire Brigades Union’s executive council is recommending that members vote to reject the offer, which represents a significant real-terms pay cut and follows a decade of real-terms pay cuts in the fire and rescue service.

This is a consultative ballot on the pay offer itself, with rejection not automatically leading to strike action.

In this consultative ballot, members can vote online or by post. Online and postal ballots are being sent out today Monday 31st October, with the ballot closing on Monday 14 November.

It is known that members using online ballots means a higher return, and so members are advised to register their email address with the union so they can receive an electronic ballot.

Members can do this by emailing membershipservices@fbu.org.uk. Please note that only personal email addresses can be accepted, not fire service email addresses, and it would also be helpful for members to include their date of birth, brigade and membership number (if you know it) in the email.

Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said:

We are a democratic union led by our members. It is firefighters and control staff who will decide any action that the union takes on pay. Firefighters have been treated appallingly by their employers, and by the government over the last decade. Pay is down by nearly £4,000 in real terms and that is why the union’s executive council is recommending that members reject this latest offer.

Our members worked throughout the pandemic to help protect their communities. They delivered food, moved the bodies of the dead and delivered other vital extra duties. To try and thank them with a massive real-terms pay cut is absolutely disgusting. Our members have had enough.

November 2, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : A statement from the Archbishop of York – IICSA Final Report [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Archbishop of York on 20 October 2022.

I stand alongside the Archbishop of Canterbury in re-iterating our apology to those whom the Church of England has grievously failed, and I fully share his commitment to learn from our failures and move to a place where we get things right. The recommendations made today will be studied and responded to.

The publication of the final report from IICSA marks a moment of profound recollection and is a clarion call for the absolute need for things to continue to change.

I am hugely grateful for the work of the Inquiry, for the way in which they have shone a light on the failure of institutions, including the Church of England, to safeguard children. I am also grateful for their recommendations and demands that things must be different. More importantly I am humbled by and appreciate the many victims and survivors who have told their stories and who consistently call us to both repent and change.

Safeguarding must be our priority and I commend the response from the Church’s lead safeguarding bishop, Bishop Jonathan Gibbs.

Read the full report here

November 2, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Personal statement from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby following the publication of IICSA report [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 20 October 2022.

Personal statement from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby following the publication of IICSA report:

“The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) report published today contains recommendations for 15 major institutions which have clearly failed children. That includes the Church of England.

For that we must continue to be truly sorry. It is critical that we make sure that everyone is safe, and we must commit whole-heartedly to safeguarding. It is one of the highest priorities for the Church because, as the report shows, we still have not got it right.

I wrote to the then Home Secretary in 2014 calling for an Inquiry and I am acutely aware of how painful the process has been for the survivors and victims who have shared their experiences. They have done so with much courage, and I thank them for coming forward.

In 2020 when the previous IICSA report was released, specifically related to the Church of England, I said the Church cannot and will not make excuses for what has happened. I stand by that today.

We are already learning and acting on the Inquiry’s previous findings and recommendations. Now we will examine and respond to today’s wider recommendations published.

Finally, I would like to thank everyone at IICSA who has worked so hard on this report. I commend the response from the Church’s lead safeguarding bishop, Bishop Jonathan Gibbs.

Read the final report here.

November 2, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : East Midlands directors banned for Bounce Back Loan abuse [November 2022]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 2 November 2022.

Muhammad Rais, 42, from Leicester, has been disqualified for 9 years for exaggerating the turnover of his takeaway business to claim £31,000 of Bounce Back Loans to which the company was not entitled.

And Lee Mankelow, 42, of Arnold, Nottinghamshire has been disqualified as a director for 6 years, after claiming £50,000 from the loan scheme to support his timber supply business through the pandemic, before paying it all to a former director of the company.

The two directors received the money as part of a government scheme to support businesses that were facing hardship during the Covid outbreak.

Companies were entitled to claim Bounce Back Loans of up to 25% of their 2019 turnover, to a maximum of £50,000, for the economic support of their business.

Lee Mankelow was the director of Wolf Timber Ltd, which traded as a builders/providers of timber products. The company, however, entered into liquidation in December 2020 before Wolf Timber Ltd’s insolvency triggered an investigation by the Insolvency Service.

Investigators uncovered that Mankelow applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in June 2020, after the company had seen a rise in online business during Covid lockdowns.

Mankelow, however, transferred the full £50,000 the day after he received the loan to a former director of the company, breaching the terms of the loan which stated that the money must be used to support the business.

Investigators found no evidence to support Mankelow’s claims that the money was used to pay the wages, bonuses, dividends and expenses of the former director who had stayed on as an employee of the company.

And Muhammad Rais was the sole director of Lokma BBQ Ltd in Leicester until the company went into liquidation in January 2022.

The company came to the attention of the Insolvency Service following its liquidation before investigators uncovered that Rais applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan, stating that the takeaway’s turnover the previous year had been £200,000.

However, Lokma BBQ’s actual turnover for 2019 had been around £74,000, resulting in the company receiving £31,000 of government-backed loans which it wasn’t entitled to.

Rais has agreed with the liquidator to re-pay £8,000 of the money owed through monthly installments.

The disqualifications prevent Mankelow and Rais from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

Tom Phillips, Assistant Director of Investigation and Enforcement Services for the Insolvency Service, said:

“Bounce Back Loans were put in place to provide vital support to help viable businesses through the pandemic. Both Mankelow and Rais completely abused the government-backed loans to further their own interests, which was totally unacceptable.

“Mankelow and Rais’ bans should serve as a stark warning to other directors who may have misused financial support during the pandemic that we have the ability to bring your actions to account and remove you from the corporate arena.”

Notes to editors

Lee Mankelow is of Arnold, Nottinghamshire, and his date of birth is August 1980

Wolf Timber Ltd (Company number: 12174859)

Muhammad Rais is of Leicester and his date of birth is April 1980

Lokma BBQ Ltd (Company Reg no.11232141)

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:
- act as a director of a company
- take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
- be a receiver of a company’s property
Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.
November 2, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Call for Evidence launched to identify geospatial opportunities [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 2 November 2022.

The Geospatial Commission has launched a Call for Evidence that urges stakeholders to contribute to the government’s evolving strategy to accelerate the UK’s use of location data.

In 2020, the Geospatial Commission published an ambitious five year strategy aimed at unlocking the value of location data and technology in the UK. The strategy committed to a mid-point refresh in order to remain relevant and focused in its priorities.

Location data already unlocks significant economic value and can address a multitude of challenges across sectors. We have seen the core geospatial ecosystem in the UK grow from £2 billion in 2009 to £6 billion in 2018, an average annual growth rate of 10% for that period.

Cabinet Office Minister, Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

Location data is driving economic growth and unlocking innovation – from the mapping of underground pipes and cables to drone-enabled deliveries. This Call for Evidence asks for your help to inform the UK’s priorities for location data in sectors across the economy

The Call for Evidence is the next step in the UK’s strategy development to allow the government to hear more about the latest geospatial market context: the challenges, proven successes and potential opportunities such as the role of location data in hybrid reality – the geoverse. Responses will help to define and update the strategy’s priorities, in alignment with the wider geospatial ecosystem as it matures.

The opportunities that come from geospatial tools and applications reach across the UK economy. The government therefore urges stakeholders from all industries to respond, to comment on opportunities and barriers for the use of location data.

Geospatial Commission Director, Thalia Baldwin, said:

Location data and technologies are fundamental to how our economy and society functions today. They provide live information for individuals on travel, exercise and deliveries, and support long term decisions for organisations on where to invest and build, such as electric vehicle charge-points. Demand is increasing and innovative applications of location data are vast. We welcome your ideas.

November 2, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with Prime Minister Rutte of the Netherlands [1 November 2022]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 November 2022.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte, this afternoon.

The Prime Minister thanked Prime Minister Rutte for his warm congratulations on his appointment, and said he looked forward to working closely with the Netherlands.

The leaders highlighted how as transatlantic facing countries, they both faced a unique set of challenges and opportunities.

Discussing illegal migration, the leaders reflected on the difficulties posed by people smuggling gangs and discussed how the UK and the Netherlands could work with partners on a joint approach.

Both agreed on the need for deeper cooperation on shared challenges.

The leaders agreed to stay in close touch in the coming weeks.

November 1, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Northern Ireland Secretary of State holds talks with party leaders after restoration of Executive deadline passes [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 1 November 2022.

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP spoke with NI party leaders following the failure to restore the NI Executive.

Following the meetings in Belfast, he stressed that he was now under a legal duty to call an election as set out in the New Decade New Approach agreement.

Mr Heaton-Harris also highlighted the serious situation that the lack of an Executive has left the people of Northern Ireland facing, including rising cost of living challenges, growing pressure on health services and a concerning financial overspend situation with no clear strategy for balancing the budget.

He expressed particular concern about the state of Stormont’s finances, which half way through the financial year are forecasting a £661m overspend.

Mr Heaton-Harris also discussed MLA pay, and how he would be looking at taking action on this should the Executive fail to re-form. Since the election in May, MLAs have been paid more than £3 million, despite not being able to conduct business.

He met Vice President of Sinn Féin Michelle O’Neill, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the Alliance Party Naomi Long and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party Doug Beattie. He will meet Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney on Wednesday.

Commenting after the meetings, Heaton-Harris said:

“I had conversations with party leaders today and expressed how disappointed I am that under current legislation the legal duty now falls on me to call an election. I listened to the party leaders’ various views on calling that election.”

“There are important issues of government to be dealt with due to the absence of ministers.

“I am particularly worried that the Executive has an enormous black hole in its budget, which potentially has serious implications for the delivery of many of Northern Ireland’s public services. Measures to set a budget will be required in the short term.

“I will provide a further update on next steps in due course.”

November 1, 2022