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  • PRESS RELEASE : New medical and welfare services for veterans living in Northern Ireland [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New medical and welfare services for veterans living in Northern Ireland [October 2023]

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

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

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

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

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

    The support on offer will include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with the Amir of Qatar [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with the Amir of Qatar [October 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 October 2023.

    The Prime Minister met the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, this morning in Riyadh.

    The leaders agreed that the loss of civilian life following Hamas’ attacks was shocking and tragic. They underlined the imperative of avoiding any escalation in the violence across the region and agreed that leaders had a responsibility to do everything possible to prevent it.

    The Prime Minister thanked Qatar for their efforts to secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas two weeks ago, including British nationals. He said that the UK Government would use all the tools at our disposal to support these efforts and end the torment of the victims and their families. The leaders agreed to stay in close contact to continue these efforts.

    The Prime Minister and the Amir welcomed progress on opening up humanitarian access to Gaza. They agreed on the urgent need to get food, water and medicine to civilians who are suffering.

    The leaders looked forward to meeting again soon to deepen the bilateral relationship between our countries.

  • PRESS RELEASE : County lines gangs smashed in national police blitz [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : County lines gangs smashed in national police blitz [October 2023]

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

    Over 1,600 arrests during county lines crackdown in national police operation last week, with over 100kg cannabis and £1.2 million of Class A drugs seized.

    Drug gangs across the UK were targeted in a national police operation last week, leading to 250 county lines being taken down and 1,613 arrests.

    The County Lines Intensification Week, co-ordinated by the NPCC-led National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC), also saw 103kg of cannabis seized, alongside 40kg of Class A drugs worth over £1.2 million, 33 firearms, 377 bladed weapons, and over £1.2 million in cash, as forces made large gains against these gangs and the products that finance their exploitative criminality.

    710 vulnerable people, including 58 children were also referred by police to safeguarding services through the national operation. Exploitation, coercion, and violence are cornerstones of the county lines trade, and cannabis is used by gangs to trap young people into debt, forcing them to transport their drugs and sell to other children to continue the cycle. By rescuing these vulnerable people from the grip of these gangs and helping them into support services such as the Home Office-funded Catch 22, this cycle of violence and abuse is being broken.

    In one operation attended by the Home Secretary during the National Police Chiefs’ Councils (NPCC) Intensification Week in the West Midlands, £850,000 worth of cannabis was seized from cannabis factories, with more than 850 plants and nearly 6kg of dried cannabis recovered.

    Last week’s enforcement successes come as new Home Office statistics show that since April 2022, 1,700 lines have been taken down though the government’s County Lines Programme, alongside 3,300 arrests and 4,100 vulnerable people referred to support services, highlighting the success law enforcement, government and support services are having in bringing down this heinous criminality.

    Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

    Vile thugs running county lines drug gangs blight our communities and groom the most vulnerable in society for their personal gain.

    Our police officers are working every day to break up these criminal networks pushing illegal drugs on our streets, and since April 2022 they have shut down over 1,700 county lines through the County Lines Programme.

    My message is clear. We will not tolerate illegal drugs of any kind, and we must rid our communities of these criminals.

    National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for County Lines, Commander Paul Brogden, said:

    County Lines drug dealing destroys lives, and we are committed to tackling the supply of illegal drugs, and the exploitation and violence that is frequently associated with it.

    County Lines remains a top priority for policing and our latest intensification week figures show significant inroads policing has made into these criminal networks with 250 county lines closed during the week. Not only that, but we have continued to go after the line holders and arrested over 1,600 criminals involved in county lines and taken extremely dangerous weapons, including 33 firearms off the street.

    Our message is clear to anyone running county lines across the country: we will be relentless in our pursuit of you, we will shut down your county lines, we will take drugs off our streets and we will rescue those who are being exploited by you.

    The intensification week, which ran from Monday 9 October to Sunday 15 October, saw:

    • 250 county lines taken down
    • 1,613 people arrested
    • 458 weapons seized, including 33 firearms, 377 bladed weapons, 3 crossbows, 21 batons and 28 knuckle dusters
    • over £1.2 million worth of Class A and Class B drugs seized
    • £437,000 worth of crack cocaine, £100,000 worth of heroin, 40kg of cocaine and 103kg of cannabis seized
    • £1,284,729.88 in cash seized

    The government established the County Lines Programme in 2019 to tackle the abusive and violent county lines trade, providing forces and victim support services a clear strategy to end the terror these gangs inflict on our streets. Adopted by the 4 forces that face the majority of county lines criminality – Metropolitan Police, Merseyside, Greater Manchester and West Midlands Police – the County Lines Programme closed over 1,700 lines between April 2022 and June 2023, achieving in just over a year 85% of the 3-year target set in the 2021 Drug Strategy.

    Key to the programme is victim support, and the government has put up to £5 million into services such as Catch 22 and Missing People’s SafeCall service to help young people and their families as they escape these gangs. To continue to help these victim support services and front-line workers, updated guidance has also been published by the Home Office today that will aid the identification of potential victims and appropriate safeguarding referral routes, and ensure those who are in need receive help.

    James Simmonds-Read, National Programme Manager at the Children’s Society, said:

    Criminals groom young people in person or online and use terrifying threats and violence to force them into crimes such as carrying drugs and fraud or exploiting them sexually.

    This Awareness Week we want to highlight how exploitation can happen to any young person, anywhere, and as the nights draw in, we especially urge people to spot the signs of exploitation in public places after dark.

    Young people can be targeted at fast food outlets, forced to travel on trains and in taxis late at night, and are abused behind closed doors, in hotels and holiday lets.

    Whether you are on a night out, commuting home, staying overnight for a business trip, or working as a driver or in customer service, you could be the one that gets help.

    Call the police on 101 or 999 if there is an immediate risk. If on a train text British Transport Police on 61016. Alternatively, you can contact the NSPCC for advice on 0808 800 5000.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK-Tunisia Association Council 2023 – joint communique [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK-Tunisia Association Council 2023 – joint communique [October 2023]

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

    The second ministerial meeting of the UK-Tunisia Association Council took place in London on 12 October 2023.

    The British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, the Right Honourable James Cleverly, and Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and United Nations and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, welcomed His Excellency Nabil Ammar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad of the Republic of Tunisia, for wide-ranging talks on the bilateral partnership.

    The talks covered the positive shared history between the 2 countries and peoples, reaffirming the vision of a comprehensive partnership to deepen trade and investment, an education partnership, security cooperation and deeper engagement on the shared challenge of irregular migration. Talks also covered the political situation, the importance of political participation, democratic freedoms and human rights in both countries, as well as regional and international political developments.

    On trade, the Association Council meeting:

    • agreed to advance initiatives to deepen bilateral trade and mutually beneficial investments
    • highlighted their aspiration to develop their economic relations by encouraging UK companies to explore opportunities to invest in Tunisia across a variety of sectors. The 2 countries looked forward to the completion of a number of investment projects, and to work closely on renewable energy under the framework of the UK-Tunisia Memorandum of Understanding
    • reaffirmed the Association Agreement as an effective mechanism for closer economic ties.  A sub-committee was established to support an increase in bilateral trade and investment, and to tackle barriers faced by British and Tunisia companies when accessing each other’s markets

    In addition to trade and investment, the 2 sides discussed:

    • irregular migration: recognising that significant increases in irregular migration flows into North Africa this year, across the Mediterranean and beyond, can only be tackled by close international cooperation. Both countries recognised the exploitative role that organised criminal groups are playing, the real need to disrupt these human trafficking networks, and to invest in encouraging migrants to stay and invest in their home countries
    • security: both sides committing to deeper partnership in tackling terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms, and reaffirmed their support for the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. The 2 parties expressed deep concern regarding the evolution of the terrorist threat in Africa, particularly in the Sahel
    • education: reaffirming a commitment to capitalise on the growing Tunisian interest in British education and the English language, especially among youth, and closer collaboration between British and Tunisian higher education and scientific research institutions
  • PRESS RELEASE : Departure of Canadian diplomats from India: FCDO response [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Departure of Canadian diplomats from India: FCDO response [October 2023]

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

    The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office response to the departure of Canadian diplomats from India.

    A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said:

    Resolving differences requires communication and diplomats in respective capitals.

    We do not agree with the decisions taken by the Indian government that have resulted in a number of Canadian diplomats departing India.

    We expect all states to uphold their obligations under the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The unilateral removal of the privileges and immunities that provide for the safety and security of diplomats is not consistent with the principles or the effective functioning of the Vienna Convention.

    We continue to encourage India to engage with Canada on its independent investigation into the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with the President of the Palestinian Authority [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with the President of the Palestinian Authority [October 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 October 2023.

    The Prime Minister met President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in Cairo today.

    The Prime Minister expressed his deep condolences for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza, including the terrible destruction of the Al Ahli hospital earlier this week.

    The leaders agreed on the need for all parties to take steps to protect civilians, and civilian infrastructure, and minimise the loss of innocent lives. They condemned Hamas’ terrorism and stressed that Hamas do not represent the Palestinian people.

    The Prime Minister underscored his commitment to opening up humanitarian access to Gaza to alleviate the suffering of thousands of people who desperately need food, water and medicine. He updated on his conversations with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Sisi on this subject.

    The Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s long-standing commitment to the two-state solution and to achieving a future where Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New measures to protect children’s learning from strike action [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New measures to protect children’s learning from strike action [October 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 20 October 2023.

    Minimum service levels (MSLs) to protect children and young people’s education are set to be introduced in schools and colleges, the government has announced today (Friday 20 October).

    The proposals will put in place protections for children, young people and parents to ensure education can continue during any future strike action.

    The announcement follows the disruption during industrial action last academic year, which resulted in over 10 days of action in schools, leading to 25 million school days that were lost cumulatively, impacting children and families across the country.

    This was despite the efforts from many school leaders and teachers to keep classrooms open and government guidance stating that teaching for pupils studying for exams and vulnerable children should be prioritised.

    The Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, has today written to union leaders inviting them to discuss proposals on a voluntary basis in the first instance. In her letter she is clear that should a voluntary agreement not be reached the government is committed to using powers granted through the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act that was introduced earlier this year. Such a move would lead to a consultation and is expected to include a range of models for MSLs in education, for parents, teachers, and other stakeholders to provide views on.

    Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan said:

    Last year’s school strikes were some of the most disruptive on record for children, and their parents. We cannot afford a repeat of that disruption – particularly as schools and teachers continue to work so hard to help children recover from the pandemic.

    I am asking the teaching unions to engage with us and agree to put children and young people’s education first – and above and beyond any dispute.

    Proposals to introduce MSLs in schools and colleges follows the announcement made by the Secretary of State to consult on MSLs in universities, to limit the impact of industrial action on students.

    The introduction of MSLs will bring education in line with other key public services such as healthcare and transport. MSLs will provide a better balance between the right of workers to strike, and the importance of education.

    In July, school teaching unions suspended their strikes when the government announced the largest pay award in 30 years for teachers, alongside meeting its manifesto commitment of increasing starting salaries to a minimum of £30,000.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with President el-Sisi of Egypt [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with President el-Sisi of Egypt [October 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 October 2023.

    The Prime Minister met President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt in Cairo today.

    The leaders said that the loss of life in Israel and Gaza over the last few days was truly tragic. They agreed that global leaders should do everything possible to avoid a contagion of conflict in the region, and that every effort must be made to stop terrorism and protect civilians.

    The Prime Minister updated President Sisi on the conversations he has had with leaders in the region during his visit. The leaders agreed on the importance of keeping up dialogue to prevent regional escalation.

    The Prime Minister welcomed efforts by Egypt to reopen the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza as soon as possible. He said that the UK was committed to playing its part in helping the civilians of Gaza and alleviating the dire humanitarian situation there.

    The Prime Minister said that £10 million uplift to the UK’s humanitarian aid to the region was the first manifestation of that commitment. As a next step, the leaders agreed to work together to ensure the process of getting aid into Gaza is as efficient and effective as possible.

    The Prime Minister and President Sisi agreed to keep in close contact over the coming days.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New fund to improve access to support for female veterans [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New fund to improve access to support for female veterans [October 2023]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The recommendations for policymakers, service providers and researchers include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Notes to Editors

  • PRESS RELEASE : World Day against the Death Penalty 2023 : Joint statement to the OSCE [October 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : World Day against the Death Penalty 2023 : Joint statement to the OSCE [October 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 October 2023.

    The UK and other OSCE participating States mark the 21st World Day against the Death Penalty at the OSCE.

    Thank you, Mr. Chair,

    I am delivering this statement on behalf of Andorra, Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, the United Kingdom and my own country Switzerland.

    Nine days ago we observed the 21st World Day against the Death Penalty, which commemorates our collective efforts in the fight against the death penalty and the achievements and progress made in recent years.

    We welcome the continuing trend towards universal abolition of the death penalty. Today, 113 countries worldwide have abolished the death penalty completely, and more than two-thirds of the world’s countries have abolished it in law or practice. We are pleased that one more state, Ghana, has joined the abolitionist movement this year, and we now encourage Ghana to join us in signing the second optional protocol of the international covenant on civil and political rights. Furthermore, we welcome the recent decision of the National Assembly of Armenia to ratify Protocol No. 13 to the European Convention on Human Rights, which provides for the abolition of the death penalty in all circumstances, including during times of war or imminent threat of war.

    At the same time, two OSCE participating States continue to apply the death penalty: Belarus and the United States. Despite the repeated calls for its abolition, Belarus remains the only country in Europe and Central Asia to use the capital punishment. Moreover, the use of the death penalty has been extended twice in the last two years, contrary to the country’s international obligations. We deeply deplore the recent expansion of the use of the death penalty and urge Belarus to reverse this trend and abolish the death penalty as soon as possible.

    Mr. Chair,

    We stand firmly against the use of capital punishment at all times and under any circumstances. The death penalty is not consistent with human rights, including the right to life. The evidence is clear, it does not serve the prevention of crime, violence or violent extremism, as it is not proven to be   a greater deterrent to potential offenders than other severe punishments.

    We call on all states, within the OSCE and beyond, to join the global movement against the death penalty and, in the meantime, to establish a formal moratorium on executions. We also encourage all states to support the resolution on the question of the death penalty that was negotiated at the 54th session of the Human Rights Council.

    In addition to state action, we encourage civil society, political leaders, NGOs, lawyers, local representatives, parliamentarians, reporters, religious leaders and citizens to take actions against the death penalty on October 10th and every day. The Warsaw Human Dimension Conference once again demonstrated the important contribution of civil society actors in the campaign for the universal abolition of the death penalty. Their work has been crucial to the progress made so far.

    Thank you, Mr. Chair.