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Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : Two new appointments and two reappointments to RCEWA for four-year terms [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Two new appointments and two reappointments to RCEWA for four-year terms [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 25 September 2023.

    The Secretary of State has appointed Dr Helen Jacobsen and Dr Caroline Shenton, and reappointed Christopher Baker and Stuart Lochhead to The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.

    Dr Helen Jacobsen

    Appointed for a four year term from 1 September 2023.

    Dr Helen Jacobsen is Executive Director of The Attingham Trust, a charitable educational trust that organises study programmes on historic houses for professionals in the heritage sector. Formerly Senior Curator and Curator of 18th-century Decorative Arts at the Wallace Collection, where she was responsible for furniture, porcelain, clocks, gilt bronze and gold boxes, she has curated exhibitions and published on eighteenth-century decorative art and collecting history. She is a member of the Council of the French Porcelain Society and of the Grants Committee of the Furniture History Society, and is a trustee of the Leche Trust.

    Dr Caroline Shenton

    Appointed for a four year term from 1 September 2023.

    Dr Caroline Shenton is the former Director of the Parliamentary Archives and a former senior archivist at the UK National Archives. Originally a mediaeval historian, she has an MA from St Andrews University and a doctorate on the court of Edward III from Worcester College, Oxford. She qualified as an archivist at UCL, and is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and of the Royal Historical Society. Caroline taught Public History to postgraduates at the Centre for Archives and Information Studies at the University of Dundee for a number of years, and in 2017 was a Political Writer in Residence at Gladstone’s Library. She is now Secretary to Council at Girton College, Cambridge.

    As well as writing various academic and technical publications during her professional career, in 2013 she began to specialise in popular histories of heritage in peril. Her first trade book The Day Parliament Burned Down (OUP, 2012), won the Political Book of the Year Award, beating Alastair Campbell, Nick Robinson and Andrew Marr to top prize. It was also shortlisted for a number of other prizes, and was a Book of the Year for The New Statesman, Daily Telegraph, Mail on Sunday and Herald Scotland.

    Its highly-acclaimed sequel, Mr Barry’s War (OUP, 2016) about the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster, was a Book of the Year in for The Daily Telegraph and BBC History Magazine. Her third book, National Treasures, about the evacuation of London’s galleries and museums in the Second World War, was published by John Murray in November 2021 and was shortlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association Non-Fiction Crown, and was a Book of the Year for London Historians.

    Christopher Baker

    Reappointed for a four year term commencing 1 October 2023.

    Christopher Baker is an Hon. Professor at Edinburgh University and holds a number of non-executive roles and trusteeships. He served for ten years as a Director of the National Galleries of Scotland, where he was responsible for the collection and programme at the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the Yale Centre for British Art and the Paul Mellon Rome Fellow and worked at Christ Church, Oxford, and the National Gallery in London. Christopher is a member of the Spoliation Advisory Panel, the Recognition Committee (Museums Galleries Scotland) and the Advisory Board of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (UKRI).

    He has organised numerous exhibitions in the U.K. and internationally on aspects of British art pre-1900, drawings and watercolours, and old master paintings. His publications include: Fuseli, The Realm of Dreams and the Fantastic (2022, co-author); J. M.W. Turner: The Vaughan Bequest (2018); Landseer: The Monarch of the Glen (2017); Jean-Étienne Liotard (2015, co-author); John Ruskin: Artist and Observer (2014, co-author); Catalogue of English Drawings and Watercolours 1600-1900, National Gallery of Scotland (2011); and The National Gallery [London] Complete Illustrated Catalogue, (1995, co-author).

    Stuart Lochhead

    Reappointed for a four year term commencing 1 October 2023.

    In 2018 Stuart set up his own firm dealing in European Sculpture from the late Mediaeval period to Rodin based in St James’s, London and has since sold a number of important works of sculpture to various international museums, including a sculpture by Giovanni Pisano to the Musée de Cluny, a rare portrait bust by François Girardon to the Château de Versailles, and the original model of Why Be Born a Slave by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux to the Cleveland Museum of Art.

    Upon graduating from the Courtauld Institute of Art in 1994 Stuart Lochhead joined Daniel Katz at his newly opened gallery in Jermyn Street. In the following years Stuart mounted numerous exhibitions in New York and London on European Sculpture. He organised three major loan exhibitions at the gallery on Renaissance and Baroque bronzes from The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, and the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

    Stuart was formerly on the board of the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association, The Sculpture Journal and Chairman of the Courtauld Association. Stuart organised the first gift by a UK company to a museum through the Cultural Gifts Scheme.

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Members of the RCEWA are not remunerated. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Christopher Baker, Dr Helen Jacobsen, Stuart Lochhead and Dr Caroline Shenton have not declared any significant political activity.

  • PRESS RELEASE : British Army trains Ukrainian soldiers in mine disposal skills [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : British Army trains Ukrainian soldiers in mine disposal skills [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 25 September 2023.

    The Royal Engineers are delivering world-leading training to Ukraine’s combat engineers in Poland, with 1,500 mine detectors having been provided to Ukraine by the UK.

    Royal Engineers sappers have delivered crucial explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training to Ukrainian soldiers to disable mines, munitions and other explosive devices that are being used in Ukraine and are currently one of the biggest threats to the safety of civilians in the country.

    Mines present one of the biggest obstacles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as they seek to re-take illegally occupied land. It is critical to the success of the ongoing counter-offensive that Ukraine has the resources to deal with mines; this thorough and tailored training package teaches soldiers munition recognition, disposal methods and search procedures to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs), mines, booby traps and trip wires.

    Training includes how to conduct a threat brief, plan mine-disposal operations, and practical lessons on how to clear not only vast swathes of land, but also trench systems, bunkers and civilian buildings. Final assessments involve search teams covering a complex area with a designated commander.

    Soldiers use metal detectors and personnel mine extraction kits and are taught how to adapt the equipment they have available on the front line. They have also been trained on equipment donated by the UK, including VALLON detectors.

    Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:
    Our support for Ukraine is unwavering and I want to be clear that we will continue to support Ukraine to ensure they win this war and reclaim their sovereignty.

    Putin’s illegal invasion has left Ukraine’s fields and towns covered in deadly landmines and unexploded munitions, which presents an immediate danger to its citizens now, and for years to come.

    The Royal Engineers are using their world-leading experience to train Ukraine’s bomb disposal experts, who can pass on these lifesaving skills to their own recruits and ensure a safer future for all Ukrainians.

    Much of the training takes place within an area designed to simulate conditions similar to those on the frontline, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine are encountering minefields, booby traps, and improvised explosive devices.

    The training package, which was developed following a request from Ukraine, is delivered in Poland by 35 Engineer Regiment EOD&S and is tailored based on feedback provided by Ukrainian sappers, some of whom have served on the frontline since as far back as 2014.

    The UK is also supporting a Canadian-led programme in Poland, teaching basic combat engineering skills to the AFU and both courses have collectively trained approximately 1,000 soldiers with ambitions to train more.

    Considerable equipment and training to Ukraine has been provided by the UK to improve their ability to clear mines. This has included over 1,500 sets of both vehicle-mounted and ‘on-the person’ mine clearing and explosive ordnance disposal equipment, including necessary training.

    More mine-clearance capabilities are expected to be announced in the next round of funding from the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine, which has raised £770million from partners to supply military equipment to Ukraine.

    Captain Chris Wilson, 35 Engineer Regiment EOD&S, who is commanding the EOD training, said:
    We are teaching Ukrainian sappers skills we developed during various deployments, as well as evolving our own techniques based on feedback from Ukraine’s frontline, in order to deliver vital training which will save Ukrainian lives.

    More than 23,500 recruits from the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already received training in the UK since the start of 2022, learning essential frontline skills including trench and urban warfare, leadership, and medical training.

    At the start of 2023, the UK committed to train a further 20,000 Ukrainian recruits – approximately double the amount trained last year – under one of the largest training programmes of its kind in the world.

    Beyond teaching combat skills to recruits, the UK has provided a broad package of other skills including medical training to provide pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance.

    Including both the Op Interflex and the programme for marines, the UK’s training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is supported by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.

    The UK remains fully committed to supporting Ukraine, with a further £2.3bn already earmarked for further military support through 2023, with additional munitions and equipment to be delivered in the coming months. Further UK government assistance continues in the form of humanitarian support and economic aid.

  • PRESS RELEASE : First Anniversary of Moscow Mechanism Report on Russia – Joint Statement to the OSCE [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : First Anniversary of Moscow Mechanism Report on Russia – Joint Statement to the OSCE [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 September 2023.

    UK and 38 other participating States mark the first anniversary of the 2022 Moscow Mechanism Report on the Russian Federation.

    Mr Chair,

    I am delivering this statement on behalf of the following participating States Albania, Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States, inter alia those that on 28 July 2022 invoked the Moscow (Human Dimension) Mechanism on the Threats to the Fulfilment of the Provisions of the Human Dimension Posed by Human Rights Violations and Abuses in the Russian Federation.

    One year ago, the report released on 22 September under the Moscow Mechanism  revealed a clear link between internal repression of human rights and fundamental freedoms and external aggression:

    “To start a war with another country, the elite must be sure that there will be no two-front war (with one front inside and one front outside the country). Therefore, restrictive measures are considered necessary in order not to be disturbed during the preparation for war or after it has started”.

    Today, Professor Nußberger’s report sadly remains topical, as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continues unabated, and as the human rights situation in Russia has deteriorated further. Russia has continued its systemic curtailment of human rights and civic space through further dissolution of independent media, harassment of lawyers, arbitrary imprisonment of civic activists and human rights defenders, and closure of human rights organisations, including Memorial, Moscow Helsinki Group and the Sakharov Center. The wave of repressions against dissenting voices has continued, with an array of unjust and arbitrary sentences issued under the penal code imposed on persons who only exercised their human rights and fundamental freedoms: including those that exercised their freedom of expression, by sharing posts on social media or they exercised their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. While in the past repression hit certain groups disproportionately, such as ethnic and religious minorities (e.g. Chechens, Jehovahs Witnesses), certain professions (journalists or opposition politicians) or persons belonging to particularly vulnerable groups (such as LGBTIQ persons), it is now a generalised phenomenon.

    While larger organized protests have become impossible in Russia, there are still individuals across the country, who – in the face of omnipresent repression and the arbitrary application of Russia’s laws – continue to exercise their right to freedom of expression. Their attempts to oppose the Kremlin’s despotic regime are severely punished. Let me cite a few examples: Vladimir Kara-Murza (sentenced to 25 years), Alexey Navalny (whose term was extended to 19 years in August 2023), Ilya Yashin (sentenced to 8,5 years), Alexey Gorinov (sentenced to 7 years), Maria Ponomarenko (sentenced to 6 years), Olga Smirnova (sentenced to 6 years), but there are many others, such as Igor Paskar (sentenced to 8,5 years), Igor Baryshnikov (sentenced to 7,5 years), Oleg Belousov (sentenced to 5,5 years), Pavel Pekpaev (sentenced to 5,5 years), Parvinahan Abuzarova (sentenced to 3 years), and a number of others awaiting their trials in jail or currently on trial, such as Oleg Orlov, Evgeny Bestuzhev, Alexandra Skochilenko, Evgenia Berkovich, Svetlana Petriychuk, Konstantin Kochanov, Anna Bazhutova, Azat Miftakhov, and Pavel Stepanov. These are just a handful of the individual activists and bloggers that reports describe as targeted for repression simply for expressing opinions contrary to government propaganda and disinformation. An Orwellian dystopia is being realized before our eyes in Russia.

    In August of this year, Memorial, a prominent human rights organisation, and a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, published a 200-page report on political repression in Russia in 2022. The report gives a grim overview of continuing repressions, thus illustrating and confirming the trends detailed in Prof. Nußberger’s report, including the conclusion that numerous Russian laws are clearly incompatible with the rule of law and provide the pretext for targeting opposition voices, resulting in ever intensifying repressions. Under what amounts to military censorship, anti-war protests are completely banned and the extensive application of an entire array of anti-extremism legislation since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has resulted in the use of ever harsher punishments, as the examples listed beforehand show.

    We renew our appeal to Russia to uphold its international commitments and obligations on human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the OSCE principles and commitments. We call on Russia to release all the political prisoners immediately and unconditionally.

    We call on the OSCE to continue giving priority to addressing the most critical issues in the field of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Russia that continue to seriously undermine democratic stability, peace and security throughout the OSCE region and could have even greater unpredictable consequences at national and international levels.

    We continue to remind Russia of one of the cornerstones enshrined in the 1975 Helsinki Final Act. The universal significance of human rights and fundamental freedoms, respect is an essential factor for peace, justice and well-being. We will continue to support those civil society actors whose work accords with the values upon which the OSCE was founded.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : World’s first fully digitalised goods shipment sent from Burnley in billion-pound Brexit boost for British businesses [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : World’s first fully digitalised goods shipment sent from Burnley in billion-pound Brexit boost for British businesses [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 25 September 2023.

    The first ever fully digitalised goods shipment landed in Singapore from Burnley.

    • UK replaces old fashioned paper customs documents with digital ones to make it faster, cheaper and easier for businesses to trade
    • Move expected to reduce processing times by up to 75% and could boost the UK economy by over £1 billion
    • Innovation will enable more businesses to take advantage of our post-Brexit trade deals, including the UK-Singapore digital trade deal

    The first ever fully digitalised goods shipment yesterday [24 September] landed in Singapore from Burnley after the UK introduced world-leading legislation to make trading cheaper and easier for businesses.

    A valve produced by Burnley-based manufacturer Fort Vale set off from Manchester Airport on Thursday, facilitated by UK and Singapore based tech company LogChain, and is set to arrive in Singapore today. For the first time ever, the shipment will be processed entirely digitally, rather than via physical customs documents.

    The news comes following the UK’s digital trade agreement with Singapore, which facilitated electronic trade, as well as the introduction of the UK’s ground-breaking Electronic Trade Documents Act (ETDA) which came into force on Wednesday.

    The Act made the UK the first G7 country to place electronic trade documents on the same legal footing as paper documents. It is estimated the move could generate £1.14 billion for the UK economy over the next decade, supporting the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy.

    Minister for International Trade Nigel Huddleston said:

    Digitalised trade will make it quicker, cheaper and easier for firms to do business around the world, saving them significant sums of money. In a world where everyone pays for things digitally, it’s high time we tear up the pointless paperwork and get with the 21st Century.

    This is a landmark moment for the future of international trade and I am delighted the UK is leading the way in using technology to make things easier for our companies.

    Digitalising trade makes doing business around the globe faster, cheaper and more secure, lowering the risk of fraud and of paper documents being lost, and reducing processing times by up to 75%.

    Collaboration with Singapore to execute this fully digitalised shipment was inspired by the groundbreaking UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement, signed in 2022, which was the first digitally focused trade agreement ever agreed by a European nation, and would have been impossible to agree independently had we remained in the EU.

    With 80% of customs bills based on English law this reform further enhances the UK’s leadership on digital trade and could kickstart digitalisation globally. The UK continues to work with other countries to promote similar reforms.

    Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy Paul Scully said:

    We have made history today, with the simple act of a valve produced in Burnley arriving in Singapore. Following the commencement of the Electronic Trade Documents Act, we’re showing the world that the UK isn’t merely a participant in the digital economy – we are at its forefront.

    This transformative step promises a future where international trade is swifter, more affordable, and inclusive for businesses of every size.

    Global Sales and Marketing Director of Fort Vale Graham Blanchard said:

    Fort Vale are extremely enthusiastic and excited by the prospect of successful digital trade transactions. As an organisation Fort Vale exports around 90% of its products worldwide. A significant number of our key accounts are based in Singapore and as such, the opportunity to be part of this historic moment was something not to miss.

    Fort Vale see the benefits of security, efficiency, cost savings and reduced risk of delays as real positives not only for our organisation, but as a contribution to frictionless trade between the UK and Singapore as a whole.

    Managing Director of BT, Asia Pacific Rodney Kinchington said:

    We are proud to leverage our expertise to help usher in the landmark UK Electronic Trade Documents Act. Further, the combined efforts of the various companies in this consortium through LogChain’s platform highlights our joint commitment to enhance standards (for transparency, efficiency, and security) in global supply chains, and support for the transformative journey into the future of logistics.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Interim appointment of Sue McAllister as HM Chief Inspector of Probation [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Interim appointment of Sue McAllister as HM Chief Inspector of Probation [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 September 2023.

    The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor has announced the interim appointment of Sue McAllister as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Probation.

    The Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon. Alex Chalk KC MP, has announced the appointment of Sue McAllister as the interim Chief Inspector of Probation (HMCI Probation). This interim appointment will commence on 1 October 2023 and end on 1 March 2024 or when a substantive post holder is appointed, whichever is earlier.

    The recruitment of HMCI Probation is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and this interim appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation

    His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Probation (HMIP) is the independent inspector of probation and youth offending services in England and Wales. The Inspectorate offers independent scrutiny of the quality of work undertaken with individual offenders to seek to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.

    Biography

    From 2018 to 2022, Sue McAllister was Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO). During that time, Mrs McAllister led two independent investigations into deaths of babies in custody. The PPO’s report on the death of Baby A at HMP Bronzefield was published in September 2021, and the report on the death of Baby B at HMP Styal was published in January 2022..

    Prior to becoming PPO, Mrs McAllister was the Director of Reducing Offending and Prison Service Director General, Department of Justice (DOJ), Northern Ireland. She has held senior policy roles including Head of Public Sector Bids Unit at the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), and operational management roles in HM Prison Service as Prison Governor, Head of Security Group and Area Manager for the West Midlands.

    Mrs McAllister also led an independent investigation into a serious disturbance at an Immigration Removal Centre for the Home Office and was a member of an independent review into a sensitive death in custody.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Pub frequented by Dylan Thomas among three projects in Wales given £770,057 to secure future [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Pub frequented by Dylan Thomas among three projects in Wales given £770,057 to secure future [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 25 September 2023.

    The Community Ownership Fund supports treasured institutions across the UK so that they can be run by the community, for the community.

    • Legendary poet’s former local given Community Ownership Fund investment to put it back into the hands of local people
    • More than £770,057 now given from the fund to support 3 Welsh projects

    A pub which was frequented by legendary poet Dylan Thomas is one of three Welsh projects set to receive £770,057 in government funding to keep them open for future generations.

    The Vale of Aeron pub in Ceredigion, which was known as a favourite haunt of the Welsh poet when he lived nearby in the 1940s, will use the £300,000 investment for renovations to secure its future and make it accessible to the whole community.

    The Community Ownership Fund supports treasured institutions like pubs, museums and sports clubs across the UK so that they can be run by the community, for the community. In total, an additional £770,057 has been announced for three projects in Wales today so that local people can continue to benefit from them.

    £187,557 will also be given to the Judge’s Lodging Museum in Powys to preserve the historic old court building and sustain its financial resilience so it can continue to be a fully functioning museum.

    Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:

    These three latest Welsh recipients of the Community Ownership Fund are all fantastic projects that will make a huge difference to their local areas.

    We are proud to be supporting people to take control of their local assets. Levelling up is at the centre of the UK Government’s ambitions and communities across Wales will be transformed over the coming years as this funding continues.

    The Community Ownership Fund has now given £4 million for 18 projects in Wales, part of 195 projects now being supported across the UK.

    UK Government minister for Levelling Up Jacob Young said:

    The community institutions we’re protecting today are the pride and joy for many residents, and we’re securing their future through a £12.3 million boost of levelling up funding.

    These places – from pubs to historic railway lines – are the golden thread which run through our social fabric, and keeping them going is vital for supporting communities.

    Changes which came into effect for this round of bids also meant that all projects could bid for up to £1 million in funding, not just sports clubs, and the amount organisations needed to match fund decreased to 20%.

    This also marks the first time that applicants such as the Vale of Aeron pub have been able to benefit from support with the development of their application and business case, through the Community Ownership Fund development support provider, led by Locality.

    The Community Ownership Fund is currently open again for bids and will close on 11th October 2023, and groups are being urged to apply for up to £2m in funding for the very first time.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK appoints new HM Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific to lead trade and investment relationship [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK appoints new HM Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific to lead trade and investment relationship [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 25 September 2023.

    The UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade has appointed Martin Kent as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner (HMTC) for Asia Pacific.

    • Martin Kent appointed as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific
    • With total UK-Asia Pacific trade worth £120.5 billion, the region offers huge potential for UK businesses
    • Kent joins team of nine HM Trade Commissioners supporting UK trade and investment and promoting the United Kingdom across the world

    Martin Kent has been appointed as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, succeeding Natalie Black CBE.

    HMTCs lead the UK’s overseas effort to promote UK trade, investment, trade policy and export finance.

    As the new HM Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific, Kent will generate business opportunities for the UK while contributing to the growth of sustainable, resilient, and productive economies across the region.

    Prior to his new role, Martin Kent was the Minister and Deputy Head of Mission in the British Embassy Tokyo, a Director within the Department for Business and Trade, and also HM Deputy Trade Commissioner for Africa. He started his career with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and has worked across the Asia Pacific region, including in BCG’s Singapore and Australia offices.

    Business and Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch, said:

    Our network of HM Trade Commissioners bang the drum for Britain across the world, promoting UK trade, investment and export finance.

    I am delighted to welcome Martin to this role and am confident he will build on our outstanding track record on trade in the Asia Pacific, expanding opportunities for British businesses in one of the world’s fastest growing markets.

    With total UK-Asia Pacific trade worth £120.5 billion, a growing population and a flourishing trade and investment relationship, the Asia Pacific holds vast potential for UK businesses and consumers.

    HM Trade Commissioner for Asia-Pacific, Martin Kent, said:

    I am delighted to be appointed as His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific. The region is the engine room of the global economy and is a major driver of global economic growth and opportunity for UK businesses.

    I will be focused on securing and implementing high-quality Free Trade Agreements, attracting investment to all parts of the UK, opening markets for UK exporters, and positioning the UK as a beacon for free trade in the Asia Pacific region.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Future of cherished local pubs, museums and sports clubs secured with £12.3m levelling up boost [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Future of cherished local pubs, museums and sports clubs secured with £12.3m levelling up boost [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 25 September 2023.

    Forty-five treasured institutions across the United Kingdom given funding to safeguard future.

    Pubs, museums and sports clubs across the United Kingdom have been given vital funding from Government to secure their future for generations to come.

    Forty-five treasured spaces in our villages, towns and cities will receive more than £12.3m in funding so they can be run by the community, for the community.

    Thanks to the latest funding from the government’s Community Ownership Fund, these institutions will be owned and run by hardworking community groups.

    £1 million will rebuild a historic Yorkshire railway bridge in urgent need of repair, which carries the railway line over Bridgehouse Beck between Keighley and Oxenhope.

    The funding will protect a tourist rail line which is used by more than 250,000 passengers a year, and will improve transport infrastructure in the region so that the local economy can continue to thrive. The original bridge was built in 1867, and the railway line has featured in dozens of films and TV shows over the years including The Railway Children in 1970.

    David Pearson, Co-ordinator for External Finance & Resources at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society, said:

    We’re overjoyed to have received this funding, which will be going towards the complete rebuilding of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s bridge 27 in the middle of the railway at Haworth and in the middle of Haworth village.

    It means that the long term survival of train services on the railway is ensured and means everything to our railway, our villages and our people.

    An educational aerospace discovery centre in Kinross will be created with £300,000 from the fund, offering interactive learning opportunities and exhibitions which will inspire future generations to pursue STEM careers.

    And the Vale of Aeron pub in Ystrad Aeron, Wales, which was known as a favourite haunt of the legendary poet Dylan Thomas, has been given £300,000 for renovations to keep it open and make it accessible to the whole community.

    Jacob Young, Minister for Levelling Up, said:

    Our priority is to support communities and deliver opportunities right across the country, which is why we’re investing £12.3m to secure the future of cherished community institutions.

    These places – from pubs to historic railway lines – are the golden thread which run through our social fabric, and keeping them going is vital for supporting communities.

    Other projects which have received funding include:

    • Lordsfield Swimming Club in Hampshire, a volunteer-run facility which will be sustained for the future with an £835,400 grant so it can provide low-cost swimming to local schools and the wider community.
    • £1.2 million to secure the future of four pubs, including the Vale of Aeron, so they can continue to pull pints for locals.
    • Knutsford Market Hall in Cheshire received £560,000 to ensure it continues to host and support a number of small businesses.
    • Sterts Theatre in Cornwall will be restored with £300,000 so that it can resume its community and professional performances.
    • The Margate School in Kent will be able to undertake essential repairs with £400,000 that will secure a long-term future for the not-for-profit art school.
    • Dartford Gym and Youth Club will undergo essential refurbishment with £244,920 to restore it as a space for local schools, clubs and community organisations to engage in sport and social activities.

    The Community Ownership Fund has now given £49.3 million for 195 projects across the UK. This includes almost £8 million for thirty-three pubs so that local people can still go to their beloved local, and £14.6 million for sixty six community centres so they can continue to play an important role in people’s lives.

    The latest round of allocations includes £770,057 for three projects in Wales, £992,825 for four projects in Scotland and more than £1m for four projects in Northern Ireland.

    Changes which came into effect for this round of bids also meant that all projects could bid for up to £1 million in funding, not just sports clubs, and the amount organisations needed to match fund decreased to only 20%, to allow more places to benefit.

    The George pub in Kent previously benefited from a £250,000 grant from the fund, which allowed it to reopen in May 2023. The pub shut during the Covid-19 pandemic and the owners decided to sell up and retire, but locals were able to get the doors open again because of the funding and are now planning for the future.

    Local resident Alex Withington said:

    We’re going to have a café that opens during the day too. When we did a survey, a lot of people said they wanted somewhere during day to use as well.

    We’re also looking to have a petanque area and a community library in the pub. We’re just so happy to have helped restore The George to the heart of Bethersden for our community.

    The Community Ownership Fund is currently open again for bids and will close on 11th October 2023, and groups are being urged to apply for up to £2m in funding for the very first time.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Royal reappointment of Charlie Taylor as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Royal reappointment of Charlie Taylor as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 September 2o23.

    The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor has announced the Royal reappointment of Charlie Taylor as His Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons.

    The Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor, Rt Hon. Alex Chalk KC MP, has announced the Royal reappointment of Charlie Taylor as the Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCI Prisons) for a second term of 3 years. His reappointment will run from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2026.

    Mr Taylor’s original appointment tenure commenced on 1 November 2020 for a 3 year term to run until 31 October 2023.

    The recruitment of HMCI Prisons is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and this reappointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons

    His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons is an independent inspectorate. The Chief Inspector reports directly to Ministers but operates independently of government and the services under its scrutiny. The Chief Inspector has a duty to report on conditions for and treatment of those in prison, young offender institutions, secure training centres, immigration detention facilities, and court custody suites, customs custody facilities and military detention in England and Wales.

    Charlie Taylor Biography

    Charlie Taylor was initially appointed as HM Chief Inspector of Prisons in 2020 and was re-appointed in 2023. From 2017-2020 Mr Taylor was Chair of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales. Before taking up this role he led the government’s review of the youth justice system. Mr Taylor was Chief Executive of the National College of Teaching and Leadership from its launch in 2013. He is a former head teacher of The Willows, a school for children with complex behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. He was the Coalition Government’s expert adviser on behaviour until 2012 and produced reviews for the Department for Education on alternative provision (for children excluded from mainstream schools) and attendance in schools.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Bus fares in rural England drop 11% thanks to government’s £2 fare cap [September 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Bus fares in rural England drop 11% thanks to government’s £2 fare cap [September 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 22 September 2023.

    The £2 fare cap has cut travel costs, especially in rural areas, where buses are vital for people to get around.

    Millions of people in England have enjoyed cheaper bus travel this year thanks to the government’s unprecedented actions to lower bus fares and protect services.

    Yesterday (21 September 2023), new statistics from the Department of Transport (DfT) showed the overall price of bus fares in England, outside London, has dropped by 7.4% between June 2022 and June 2023, mainly due to the extension of the Get Around for £2 scheme.

    The £2 fare cap has cut travel costs, particularly in rural areas, where buses are crucial for so many people to get around, with the average fare dropping by 10.8% in rural and non-metropolitan parts of England.

    When adjusted for inflation, local bus fares in England, outside of London, for April to June 2023 were comparable to those seen in 2007.

    Roads Minister Richard Holden said:

    Our ‘Get Around for £2’ scheme has slashed overall bus fares for millions across England, as we continue to help people save money on travel, boost transport connections and grow the economy.

    Whether you want to visit loved ones, head to work or attend a medical appointment, taking the bus continues to be a vital link for people to get around.

    Starting in January 2023 and originally scheduled to end on 31 March 2023, the Get Around for £2 scheme has been extended until 31 October this year and will then run at £2.50 until the end of November 2024 thanks to £200 million in government investment.

    The £2 bus fare cap comes alongside the recently announced £300 million to prevent cuts to bus routes and improve the quality of services into 2025. This takes total government spending to keep fares low and support buses to £3.5 billion since 2020.

    DfT has also recently confirmed £129 million to roll out hundreds more zero emission buses, with the first £25 million prioritised specifically for rural communities. This brings total government investment in new zero-emission buses to almost £500 million.

    In June 2023, the government announced a broad range of steps being taken to boost rural communities on housing, transport, digital connectivity and jobs.

    The Unleashing rural opportunity plan outlines how government will deliver the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy and create better-paid jobs and opportunities right across the country. Rural areas already contribute 15% to England’s economy, which amounts to over £250 billion of our national GDP, but the programme seeks to unlock further growth.

    This also builds on rural proofing work by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), whereby all government policy is examined to ensure it is delivering for rural communities.

    Lord Benyon, Minister for Rural Affairs, said:

    We are putting the needs of people and businesses in rural areas at the heart of policy-making. Bus services are a vital part of this, as a lifeline for communities and in supporting local businesses in our rural economy.

    By easing the cost of transport in some of our most remote areas, we can help bring people together and build on the wider work we are doing to help rural communities thrive.