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Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : New counter fraud team saves taxpayers £311 million in first twelve months, beating target by more than £100 million [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New counter fraud team saves taxpayers £311 million in first twelve months, beating target by more than £100 million [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 13 November 2023.

    • The Public Sector Fraud Authority far exceeded its £180m target and saved taxpayers £311 million in its first year, according to its annual report published today
    • The savings come from counter fraud schemes designed to prevent and identify fraud across the public sector – with the Authority created by the Prime Minister when he was Chancellor in 2022
    • Baroness Neville-Rolfe hails the saving as a “fabulous result for taxpayers, which shows the government has the right plan to fight fraud as we take the long term decisions needed to change this country for the better.”

    The Public Sector Fraud Authority has saved taxpayers £311 million in its first year of operation, according to the authority’s first annual report, published today to mark the start of International Fraud Awareness Week. The savings figure compares favourably with the original target of £180 million set when the authority launched last year – meaning more money which could be spent on schools, the health service, policing and more.

    These savings were identified through several activities led by the Public Sector Fraud Authority and working with other public bodies that helped prevent, identify and recover public money lost to criminals, including:

    • National Fraud Initiative saved £170,000,000 by collaborating with more than 1000 public bodies to compare sets of records to identify discrepancies that exposed fraud
    • Covid-19 Loan Schemes Fraud Analytics Programme uses advanced tools combined with public and private sector data to identify and recoup money stolen by fraudsters during the pandemic. The annual report shows the programme delivered respective savings of:
      • £99,476,014 by using government data to identify fraud in the Bounce Back Loan Scheme
      • £40,509,531 from loans that were repaid after the government blocked companies from being removed from the Companies Register due to outstanding loans.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the creation of the Public Sector Fraud Authority while serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer in March 2022. The authority launched just five months later in August 2022, following intensive joint working between the Cabinet Office and His Majesty’s Treasury.

    Since then, the authority’s first annual report shows it has hired more than 30 new counter fraud experts, introduced technical counter fraud training for professionals across the public sector and established a secondee programme to share expertise between private sector businesses such as EY and Deloitte and public sector bodies such as HMRC and DWP.

    The Public Sector Fraud Authority also signed a partnership with the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Fraud Prevention Centre, to share best practice and facilitate secondments between the two organisations.

    This month the authority launched a new artificial intelligence tool developed as part of a £4 million partnership with the tech unicorn Quantexa, which was signed in January 2023. The tool, known as the Single Network Analytics Platform, analyses millions of data points from across the public sector to identify patterns and connections that may indicate fraudulent activity. Companies House is the tool’s first user and it will soon be rolled out to other public sector bodies.

    Last week Baroness Neville-Rolfe chaired the authority’s first roundtable with leaders from 12 industry bodies, private businesses and law enforcement agencies, illustrating the government’s continued commitment to learn from and collaborate with experts outside government.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said:

    The £311 million saving is a fabulous result for taxpayers, which shows the government has the right plan to fight fraud as we take the long-term decisions needed to change this country for the better. Every pound stolen by fraudsters is one pound less spent on vital public services, such as schools or hospitals or on reducing the burden of tax.

    In the past year, we’ve transformed the government’s approach to public sector fraud. We’re training new experts across government and giving them the skills they need to prevent fraud from happening in the first place. When fraud does occur, we’ve partnered with the private sector to use the very latest technology to identify criminal networks and recover public money. It is exciting to be rolling out our new fraud busting AI tool in partnership with Quantexa.

    But there’s more work to do. Last week I sat down with industry bosses to discuss further action we can take to reduce the money lost to criminals. By forming partnerships, both within government and across the private sector, we will remain prepared for the ever-changing threat posed by fraudsters.

    Mark Cheeseman OBE, Chief Executive of the Public Sector Fraud Authority, said:

    The strength of our performance this year shows the depth of our commitment to transform the fight against criminals defrauding public money.

    Over the past twelve months we’ve stepped up the government’s use of AI in counter fraud, launched new training courses to upskill public servants, and signed partnerships with businesses to share best practice between the public and private sector.

    All this work is a sure foundation we can build on in the years ahead, as we begin to roll out more tools and programmes across the public sector.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Somerset cheesemaker, Alvis Brothers Ltd, fined £20,000 for third pollution offence [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Somerset cheesemaker, Alvis Brothers Ltd, fined £20,000 for third pollution offence [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Environment Agency on 13 November 2023.

    Somerset cheese making company, Alvis Brothers Ltd, who make Lye Cross Farm cheeses, has been ordered to pay fines and costs of over £23,700 for a third case of causing pollution from their farm, near Bristol.

    The company, of Lye Cross Farm, Redhill, Bristol, admitted a charge of causing discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting matter and fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs totalling £3520.20, and a victim surcharge of £190. The case was brought by the Environment Agency.

    Alvis Brothers Limited supply a number of large supermarket chains, including Waitrose, Ocado and Asda, and export to more than 40 countries.

    Bristol magistrates heard on Friday that the company had similar offences from 2013 and 2019. District Judge Matthews said that this was another case of the company failing to self-report a pollution incident to the Environment Agency because “they hope to get away with pollution incidents.” She ordered the Farm Operations Director, Nick Green, to tell the court under oath how many times they had self-reported a pollution incident, to which he replied “zero.”

    The court heard that in September 2020, following reports of white discolouration in a watercourse, Environment Agency officers went to a tributary of the Congresbury Yeo, downstream of Lye Cross Farm. The watercourse was milky both in colour and odour.

    The source of the pollution was found to have been caused by a blockage in a pipe that took wash water from their cheese production facility to their onsite treatment works which had subsequently overflowed to the watercourse. The blockage had consisted of a plastic bag containing gloves and other plastic.

    In a later interview under caution, Mr Green, on behalf of the company, admitted the offence and said the company was sorry and pointed out the measures taken after they became aware of the pollution spill to mitigate the effect on the watercourse.

    The Environment Agency maintained in court that the materials that caused the blockage were everyday items clearly inappropriately disposed of, there appeared to be no form of alarm to notify of the blockage to the drainage system or of a spill and while the pollution was clearly visible it was not reported to the Environment Agency.

    The judge said that in view of the company’s history of offending, she was not surprised that their offer to the Environment Agency of paying an Environmental Undertaking sum – an alternative penalty to a criminal conviction – was rejected.

    Following the court hearing, Senior Environment Officer, Jo Masters said:

    This is the third time Alvis Brothers Limited has been prosecuted since 2015 for polluting the watercourse. We strive to work with farmers to prevent pollution through advice and guidance, but we are clear we will take action where offending is repeated and offenders aren’t willing to change their practices to ensure environmental protection. Incidents can be reported to our incident hotline 24/7, 365 days a year on 0800 80 70 60.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Kosovo – Jonathan Hargreaves [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Change of His Majesty’s Ambassador to Kosovo – Jonathan Hargreaves [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 November 2023.

    Mr Jonathan Hargreaves has been appointed His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo in succession to Mr Nicholas Abbott who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment.  Mr Hargreaves will take up his appointment in early 2024.

    Curriculum vitae

    Full name: Jonathan Mark Richard Hargreaves

    Married to: Kate Wilson Hargreaves

    Children: Two

    Date Role
    2020 to present FCDO, UK Special Representative for Syria
    2017 to 2020 Department for International Development (DFID), Deputy Director, Middle East and North Africa Division
    2014 to 2017 DFID, Head of Governance, Open Societies and Anti-Corruption Department
    2012 to 2014 DFID Jerusalem, Head of Office, and Head of DFID Palestinian Programme
    2008 to 2012 DFID Kenya/Somalia, Deputy Head, and Somalia Programme Manager
    2006 to 2008 UK Stabilisation Unit, Team Leader/Senior Adviser
    2005 to 2006 DFID, Top Management Group, Adviser, White Paper Team
    2002 to 2005 DFID, Governance Adviser, Great Lakes and Horn of Africa
    2000 to 2002 DFID, Governance Adviser, Central and South Eastern Europe
    1997 to 2000 KPMG, Consultant, Public Services Consulting
    1996 to 1997 Dansk Energi Management, Belgium, Consultant
    1994 to 1996 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania, Adviser
    1993 to 1994 United Nations Development Programme Lithuania, Programme Officer
    1991 to 1993 European Commission, Brussels, Desk Officer

     

  • PRESS RELEASE : Violent robbers ordered to serve longer in prison [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Violent robbers ordered to serve longer in prison [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 13 November 2023.

    Three men with a history of violence who robbed a man in a Bristol takeaway have their prison sentences increased after the Solicitor General intervened.

    Jack Walker, of Yate, Abdifatah Sharif, of Easton, and Billy Madden, of Hartcliffe, saw their sentences increase after the Solicitor General referred their sentences to the Court of Appeal as being unduly lenient.

    The court heard that on 18 February 2023, the three men entered a takeaway on Stockton Croft with their faces hidden. The trio approached a man demanding the keys to his car before violently attacking him.

    They repeatedly punched the victim in the face and head before Jack Walker threatened him with a large machete. The men left the takeaway with the victim’s bag, which contained £3,000, €400, his passport, a silver ring, and a pair of sunglasses.

    Thirty minutes later, Walker targeted a second victim, who was riding an electric scooter.  Walker punched the victim in the face and threatened to stab him before taking the victim’s bag and scooter worth £600.

    The Solicitor General, Michael Tomlinson KC MP, said:

    The level of violence and brutality used by these men in this case was particularly heinous.

    The courts have quite rightfully increased their sentences and I hope it send a clear message that we will pursue violent offenders through the court to protect the public from harm.

    Walker, Sharif and Madden were sentenced on 18 August 2023 at Bristol Crown Court after pleading guilty

    Walker was sentenced to 20-month’s imprisonment for two counts of robbery and one count of possessing a bladed article. Sharif was sentenced to 26 months’ imprisonment for one robbery offences and possession of class A drugs. Madden was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment for one offence of robbery.

    On Friday 10 November, the Court of Appeal increased Walker’s sentence to five years imprisonment, Sharif’s to three years and four months imprisonment and Madden’s to two years and 10 months imprisonment.

    The trio’s sentences were referred under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Brothers who recruited vulnerable youngsters to supply crack and heroin as part of a £100K County Line Operation have their sentence increased [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Brothers who recruited vulnerable youngsters to supply crack and heroin as part of a £100K County Line Operation have their sentence increased [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 13 November 2023.

    Two brothers who recruited vulnerable young people to supply crack cocaine and heroin worth more than £100,000 in Shropshire have been ordered to serve longer in prison after their sentence was strengthened by the Court of Appeal.

    James Mason, 33 and his brother Joshua, 25 from Liverpool were part of an organised crime gang which operated the County Line, called the Boris Line from between Merseyside and Oswestry, a market town in Shropshire, between July 2018 and February 2020.

    County Lines typically involves using vulnerable children and young adults to supply drugs as a form of forced or compulsory labour. Nine young people were recruited as runners to supply crack and heroin for the gang – one was just 14 – and many were known to Children’s Services.

    The Boris Line was controlled by their associate – Adam McCardle – but both brothers took an active role travelling between the two locations to supply drugs and sending regular messages to hundreds of drug users in Oswestry offering their products.

    When the home of James Mason was raided in July 2019, Police found large quantities of heroin and crack cocaine as well as drug paraphernalia and £10,000 in cash. They also found a black Samsung phone, which, turned out to be the Boris Line telephone.

    Both brothers pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine and heroin but were put on trial for conspiracy to require a person to commit forced or compulsory labour.

    In August this year, James Mason was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment and Joshua was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

    On Thursday 9 November, the Court of Appeal increased the sentence for both brothers after the Solicitor General referred them under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

    Solicitor General Michael Tomlinson KC MP said:

    There is no doubt that class A drug use has a devastating impact on local communities and the young age of some of the people recruited to act as runners for this gang makes this case even more appalling.

    Thankfully, the court recognised the damage caused by these brothers and they have been ordered to spend longer in jail. I hope this case serves as a strong warning that those responsible for distributing hard drugs on our streets will be punished.

    James Mason’s sentence was increased to a total of 10 years imprisonment and Josh Mason’s sentence was increased to a total of eight years imprisonment.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New undersea capability to strengthen AUKUS partnership [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New undersea capability to strengthen AUKUS partnership [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 13 November 2023.

    As part of the AUKUS partnership, a joint exercise took place testing new capability, ADV Guidance, that will increase protection of underwater infrastructure.

    • New technology successfully trialled by Australian, UK and US maritime forces.
    • New Australian Undersea Support Vessel in service.
    • Trial marks a positive step forward for AUKUS delivery, and a promising development in UK’s autonomous maritime capabilities

    The UK, US and Australia have strengthened their maritime forces, introducing new uncrewed undersea vessels to extend the range and lethality of their warfare capabilities.

    As part of the AUKUS partnership, the nations have taken part in a joint exercise off the east coast of Australia to test new equipment that will increase the protection of critical underwater infrastructure. During the exercise, Australia’s new Undersea Support Vessel, ADV Guidance, hosted a range of undersea capabilities while they were tested and trialled at sea.

    A recent addition to the Australian fleet, the ADV Guidance’s primary role is to support undersea and surveillance systems trials and includes the ability to host a small team of sailors as well as on-board and off-board systems, with both crewed and uncrewed capability. Earlier this month, Lieutenant General Rob Magowan, the UK’s Deputy Chief of Defence Staff for Military Capability, joined international representatives to witness the showcase of a range of advanced undersea capabilities deployed from ADV Guidance.

    The UK’s Offshore Patrol Vessel HMS Tamar, which is on a 5-year deployment to the Indo-Pacific, also played a key role in the exercise. HMS TAMAR used a combination of divers and autonomous underwater vehicles to conduct mine countermeasure operations, and monitor critical infrastructure, including pipelines and communication cables.

    Last week, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key visited Australia to address the Australian Sea Power Conference, discussing the UK’s commitment to the collective security of the region.

    First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key said:

    The recent AUKUS trials and exercise demonstrate the advances being made possible by our tri-lateral collaboration under the partnership. It is hugely exciting to see the strength of our three nations, coming together through the AUKUS partnership to successfully develop and demonstrate a range of underwater capabilities that are crucial to ensuring safety and security in the region and more broadly.

    AUKUS is a landmark security and defence partnership between Australia, the UK, and the US to support a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening regional global security. This exercise is a significant step forward for delivery of the undersea warfare capabilities work stream under the second pillar of AUKUS.

    AUKUS Pillar 2 seeks to strengthen trilateral capabilities in cutting-edge military technologies, increase interoperability, and drive knowledge-sharing and innovation. AUKUS partners are developing a suite of advanced capabilities including autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and other key technologies for the three AUKUS nations. Pillar 2 complements trilateral efforts under AUKUS Pillar 1 to deliver a conventionally-armed nuclear-powered submarine capability to Australia.

    Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AO, Royal Australian Navy, said:

    Submarines are critical to the defence of Australia. Our submarines, and other military assets, will increasingly work with autonomous systems below and on the surface of the ocean to extend range and lethality.

    AUKUS Pillar Two is about delivering advanced capabilities, including through technologies that extend reach and range.

    As we have seen in the Ukraine conflict, scalable autonomous and semi-autonomous systems have the capacity to transform warfighting. The Defence Strategic Review (DSR) identified asymmetric capabilities like these as critical in the defence and protection of the nation.

    These technologies originate from a range of industries, like the off-shore oil and gas and communications industries. They have been modified to carry a military payload to become force multipliers, working in concert with our ships, submarines and aircraft, and to serve as a key deterrent.

    What we get by working with industry in this way is speed, what we get by doing it together under the AUKUS partnership is scale, where the sum of the whole is greater than its parts.

     Admiral Samuel Paparo, U.S. Navy said:

    These exercises accelerate our combined development of advanced military capabilities. In a dynamic strategic environment and the escalation of competitors’ coercive activities, AUKUS is not just about the exchange of submarines and capabilities, it is an expansion of our continued trust in and commitment to our allies.

    We are prioritizing capabilities that improve our warfighter’s ability to see, understand, decide and act – then work together to bolster integrated deterrence.

    Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States are developing and fielding joint advanced military capabilities to promote security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The strategic alignment of our national defense strategies anchored by shared values is driving unprecedented collaboration in advanced technologies.

    Our trilateral exercises develop and deliver interoperable, threat-informed capabilities key to the warfighter, and contribute to sustained defense industrial-based collaboration. Meanwhile, the AUKUS partners are investing in trilateral projects that are enhancing our scientific and technological capacity to build enduring advantages for the future.

    Earlier this month, the Australian Deputy Prime Minister joined the UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps on a visit to Rolls Royce in Derby – the location where the nuclear reactors will be built for the SSN-AUKUS submarines under the AUKUS collaboration.

  • PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK statement on Djibouti [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK statement on Djibouti [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 13 November 2023.

    Simon Manley, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, delivered a statement during Djibouti’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council.

    Thank you, Mr President,

    Bienvenu à Genève M. Ali Hassan Bahdon, Ministre de la Justice. We welcome Djibouti’s collaboration with her partners to combat human trafficking and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and champion girls’ education.

    Further action is, however, needed and we recommend that Djibouti:

    1. Works collaboratively and transparently on combatting trafficking, with clear data and milestones in place to assess progress ahead of the next UPR.
    2. Takes all necessary steps to implement proposed FGM legislation, with a roadmap that outlines regional cooperation, consulting religious leaders as well as political leaders.
    3. Ensures that school-based counselling programmes are provided for pregnant girls and adolescent mothers, with peer review and evaluation mechanisms in place.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Government must now ‘draw a line’ under disgraceful Rwanda scheme [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government must now ‘draw a line’ under disgraceful Rwanda scheme [November 2023]

    The press release issued by Amnesty International on 15 November 2023.

    In response to the Supreme Court unanimous judgment today ruling that the UK Government’s Rwanda policy is unlawful, Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK’s Chief Executive, said:

    “This judgment is vital to protect people seeking asylum in this county, but the Government must now draw a line under a disgraceful chapter in the UK’s political history.

    “The deal with Rwanda – a country with a track record of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, torture and the repression of free speech – was massively ill-conceived and cruel.

    “It is now time for the Government and the new Home Secretary to not only abandon the idea of doing a deal with Rwanda, but to scrap the underlying policy of refusing to process people’s asylum claims and the Illegal Migration Act that has entrenched that dismal policy.

    “This policy has made complete chaos of the UK’s asylum system and this shameful deal has simply exacerbated the mess.

    “The only responsible, effective and decent response to this judgement should be to get down to the serious task of fairly and efficiently determining people’s claims.

    “The idea that the UK should withdraw from the European Convention to pursue this failed policy is nonsensical and should be immediately binned. The Government should make policies which fit with the law, not fit the law around their policies.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : £267 million to boost local drug and alcohol treatment [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : £267 million to boost local drug and alcohol treatment [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 13 November 2023.

    Every local authority across England to be allocated additional funding to help combat drug and alcohol misuse.

    • Funding will boost treatment, helping to cut crime
    • Part of government’s landmark 10-year drug strategy to improve quality and access of drug and alcohol treatment by reducing drug use to a 30-year low

    Local authorities across England will benefit from almost £267 million of government funding next year to improve drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services.

    The funding, which will be rolled out in April 2024, will enable local authorities to:

    • recruit more specialised staff to work with people with drug and alcohol problems
    • support more prison leavers into treatment and recovery services
    • help reduce crime by increasing the number of people receiving structured drug and alcohol treatment, as well as improving the quality of treatment provided, which in turn helps make streets safer by getting people out of drug use addictions which is known to drive offending

    Health Minister Neil O’Brien said:

    Drug addiction drives about half of all crimes, so by investing in high quality and greater availability of treatment we can reduce crime rates and save lives.

    We aim to raise the number of people getting drug and alcohol treatment to a record high by investing through the long-term investment we’ve been making over the last 3 years.

    Today’s allocations will see £267 million go directly to local authorities and their partners to improve services, increase capacity and quality of treatment and recovery systems, and is based on the recommendations made by Dame Carol Black in her independent review.

    More people will benefit from residential rehabilitation or inpatient detoxification, while improvements to the recovery services will sustain people’s treatment and help to reduce relapse rates.

    This funding is in addition to £95.4 million made available in 2022 to 2023 and £154.3 million for this year – with an overall additional investment of £421 million into drug and alcohol treatment since April 2022.

    From Harm to Hope, published in December 2021, sets out the government’s 10-year ambition to ensure as many people as possible can get the treatment they need by significantly increasing the number of treatment places and recovery services.

    Over the first 3 years of the strategy, the additional investment in treatment and recovery will help prevent nearly 1,000 drug-related deaths – reversing the upward trend in drug deaths for the first time in a decade.

    The strategy also sets out that illegal drug use such as heroin and crack addiction are connected to half of all homicides, and nearly half of all burglaries, robberies and other acquisitive crimes. Dame Carol Black’s independent review of drugs found the best way to tackle this issue is by boosting the capacity of the treatment and recovery system.

    Professor Dame Carol Black, independent adviser to the government on combating drug misuse, said:

    A key aim of my report was to make sure vulnerable people with substance misuse problems can access the support and tools needed to recover and lead full lives.

    Today’s allocations of almost £267 million will go directly to local authorities and their partners, meaning they can deliver treatment that is tailored to meet local needs.

    The end goal is to get many people into world-class recovery and treatment system, reduce drug use and drug related crime – and ultimately save lives.

    Delivering quality treatment provision is core to recovery, and in addition to this significant investment additional grant funding has gone into accommodation and employment support.

    The government’s work to clamp down on criminal gangs profiting from the trade in illegal drugs is backed by £300 million investment (over 3 years). Since the County Lines Programme was launched in 2019, police activity has resulted in over 4,700 lines closed, 14,800 arrests and 7,200 safeguarding referrals.

    Examples of the work supported in 2023 to 2024 include:

    • Lancashire launching a specific service to support women affected by problem alcohol and drug use who are engaged in the criminal justice system. This includes targeted support within police custody suites, enhanced support to help women engage in treatment, and providing safe spaces for women to access mental health support
    • Halton further strengthening its investment in its recovery support services and recovery community, including the expansion of its Recovery Café in Widnes – a service user and volunteer led initiative in Widnes, which supports people in their recovery
    • in Devon, the local authorities expanding their early support response to young people who have been identified with co-occurring substance use and mental ill health through providing a 7 day a week service. Targeted key workers and specialist nurses will provide rapid assessment of young people admitted to hospital and expediate access to alcohol and drug treatment
    • Hartlepool establishing a non-fatal overdose (NFO) team to improve service response to people vulnerable to death. This specialist team proactively engages the community of people identified at higher risk of overdose, as well as accepting referrals for people who have recently experienced an NFO. The team offer brief, intensive interventions aiming to reduce the risk of repeated overdose

    This funding is prioritised for areas with the highest need, based on the rates of drug deaths, deprivation, opiate and crack cocaine prevalence and crime, considering of the size of the treatment population.

    Alice Wiseman, Policy Lead for Addiction at the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), said:

    At a local level, directors of public health and their teams work together with a range of services, including amazing organisations and people from the voluntary and community sector, to deliver effective, life-changing drug and alcohol treatment services.

    As well as supporting people to overcome addiction, the programmes we support really empower people by listening to those with lived experience to shape treatment so that it makes a difference not only to individuals, but to the whole community.

    We know this work is incredibly valuable, both for individuals and communities, but it does require the long-term commitment of this 10-year strategy. The extra funding announced today is very welcome and will enable us to support more people in this way.

    Treatment will be available for a wide range of substances, including heroin, crack, powder cocaine, ecstasy and cannabis – the latter remaining the most common substance (87%) for which young people receive treatment.

    This investment should have clear links to support the plans from Combating Drugs Partnerships on how it will reduce drug-related crime, including improving access and take up of quality treatment for those dependent on opiates and crack cocaine.

    To support this, the government has targeted work across the criminal justice system to increase referrals, including a new police-led referrals into treatment plan, led by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and supported by the Home Office and Department of Health and Social Care.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Deputy Prime Minister reviews national security powers to respond to geopolitical and tech threats [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Deputy Prime Minister reviews national security powers to respond to geopolitical and tech threats [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 13 November 2023.

    • Against a backdrop of geopolitical uncertainty, the Deputy Prime Minister is calling for businesses’ feedback about the way the government screens investment to protect the UK’s economic security.
    • The National Security and Investment Act, which came into force in January 2022, gives the Deputy Prime Minister the power to scrutinise investment and take action to protect assets that are vital to the UK’s national security.

    13 November 2023: The Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, has today announced the publication of a ‘Call for Evidence’ on potential updates to the National Security & Investment Act to ensure the government’s investment screening powers remain up to date, proportionate and transparent for businesses, while protecting national security.

    The ‘Call for Evidence’ will be open for nine weeks and close on 15 January 2024. In this time, the government expects to receive feedback from a variety of stakeholders, including domestic and international businesses, investors, academia, and advisory firms. None of the changes are expected to require primary legislation.

    All of the responses will contribute towards an internal review of the government’s investment screening powers, including:

    • the scope of mandatory notification requirements, to ensure that businesses and investors only need to notify the government about deals that warrant consideration on national security grounds – including the 17 sensitive areas of the economy subject to mandatory notification requirements, such as Artificial Intelligence, to ensure they remain up to date
    • the notification and assessment processes, to minimise the administrative burden imposed on businesses while ensuring the government gets the information it needs
    • the content of government guidance, to ensure businesses understand the aims of the National Security & Investment Act and how to comply

    The National Security & Investment Act gives the Deputy Prime Minister the power to scrutinise, impose conditions on or block the acquisition of businesses and assets that are vital to the UK’s national security. It has been used in a proportionate and targeted way since coming into force in January 2022.

    As set out in the latest figures published in July, the vast majority of businesses have not needed to interact with the investment screening powers at all. Among those who have, the government has been clearing around 93 per cent of notifications without calling in deals for further assessment, allowing investment to flow.

    Where necessary and proportionate, the government has issued 17 final orders to impose conditions on or block or unwind specific deals to protect national security.

    Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:

    At a time of rising tensions around the world the UK Government must stay ahead of the game to ensure our legislation to protect economic security keeps pace with rapid technological advances.

    At the same time, the best way to foster economic security is through a strong and open economy. That’s why we’ve been using the powers effectively so far, only intervening when absolutely necessary to protect national security. Yet two years on, it’s right that we formally engage with stakeholders to ensure the process remains as frictionless and effective as possible as we take the long-term decisions for the country.

    The significance of semiconductors and critical minerals is well established, but their importance has only increased since the NSI Act came into force. That’s why we’re considering carving out these industries into stand alone sectors under the National Security & Investment Act.

    I encourage businesses and advisors from any relevant sector, anywhere in the world, to share their experience of the investment screening process.

    Nusrat Ghani MP, Minister of State Responsible for the Investment Security Unit, said:

    The Deputy Prime Minister and I regularly meet with business leaders from around the world, gathering feedback about the government’s approach to national security and economic investment. Our conversations make it clear that effective national security regulations provide a sure foundation for secure growth.

    This Call for Evidence is the natural next step in our engagement with businesses. Against a rapidly changing geopolitical backdrop, I’m pleased that we’re considering ways to ensure the investment screening process remains frictionless for those looking to invest and grow businesses here in the UK.