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Tag: Press Release

  • PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces the reappointment of the Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State announces the reappointment of the Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 20 April 2023.

    The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Right Honourable Chris Heaton-Harris MP, has announced the reappointment of Danny Kinahan as the Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland.

    Background

    The Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioners Office was established in September 2020 to provide a voice for veterans living in Northern Ireland to ensure fairness and safe access to services.

    Terms of Appointment

    The appointment is for a further term of three years, ending on 31 August 2026.

    • The position is a part-time appointment.
    • The position attracts a fixed remuneration of £306 per day plus expenses, with an expectation of a time requirement of 110 days per year.
    • The position is not pensionable.

    Biography

    Danny Kinahan was appointed to the position of Veterans Commissioner for Northern Ireland on 27 August 2020. He is a former Army Officer, who served as Ulster Unionist Party MP for South Antrim for two years from 7 May 2015 – 3 May 2017. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for six years prior to serving as an MP.

    Danny is also the co-ordinator and co-creator of the Westminster Northern Ireland Veterans’ Support Group and is the Deputy Lieutenant for County Antrim.

    Regulation

    This appointment is not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

    Political Activity

    All appointments are made on merit and with regards to the statutory requirements.  Political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories to be made public.  Danny Kinahan previously declared membership of the Ulster Unionist Party and worked as a district councillor. He stood down from political life prior to taking up the appointment.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Vehicle tester and traffic examiner strike – April to June 2023 [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Vehicle tester and traffic examiner strike – April to June 2023 [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 20 April 2023.

    Some vehicle testing and enforcement services might be affected by strike action at times during April 2023, May 2023 and June 2023.

    Some Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) staff who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) and Prospect unions are planning to take strike action during April 2023, May 2023 and June 2023. This includes:

    • vehicle standards assessors
    • specialist vehicle standards assessors
    • traffic examiners
    • vehicle examiners

    There is different guidance about driving examiner strikes in April 2023.

    The strike action is part of national industrial action by the PCS and Prospect unions over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms.

    When the strike will be held

    The strikes will affect different parts of Great Britain at different times.

    Dates Areas affected Unions taking strike action
    Monday 17 April and Tuesday 18 April North-east England and Scotland PCS
    Thursday 20 April and Friday 21 April North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber PCS
    Monday 24 April and Tuesday 25 April East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London PCS
    Thursday 27 April London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales PCS
    Friday 28 April All areas of Great Britain PCS
    Wednesday 10 May All areas of Great Britain Prospect
    Wednesday 7 June All areas of Great Britain Prospect

    The strike action on Wednesday 10 May and Wednesday 7 June 2023 is likely to affect DVSA’s vehicle services including:

    • MOTs for heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), buses and trailers
    • MOT demonstration tests (specialist tests for people qualifying as an MOT tester)
    • vehicle approval tests

    DVSA does not expect the strike action on other days to affect MOTs for HGVs, buses and trailers, but will not know for certain until the strike action takes place.

    MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles

    MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles are not affected by the strike action. They will be taking place as planned.

    Services for MOT testers

    If you’re an MOT tester with an MOT demonstration test booked on the dates of the strike action, you should still go for your appointment, unless DVSA contacts you to tell you not to go.

    Not all vehicle examiners are union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

    DVSA will automatically rearrange your demonstration test if it cannot go ahead because of the strike action.

    MOTs for HGVs, buses and trailers

    You should go to your vehicle test appointment as planned if it’s on the date of strike action.

    Not all DVSA staff are union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

    If your MOT cannot go ahead

    You will need to book another appointment with an MOT centre if your test cannot go ahead because of the strike action.

    Find an MOT centre for HGVs, buses and trailers.

    Tell DVSA if you cannot book a new test if both of these apply to you:

    • you have contacted your local test centres and have been unable to book a test
    • your MOT expires this month or has already expired

    Report that you cannot book an HGV, bus or trailer MOT.

    If you manage an ATF

    Contact your network business manager if a vehicle standards assessor has not attended your site within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time.

    To help customers with a test booked, DVSA encourages you to contact them directly once you know if their test will be affected.

    Vehicle approval tests

    You should go to your vehicle approval test appointment as planned if it’s on the date of strike action, unless DVSA contacts you to tell you not to go.

    Not all specialist vehicle standards assessors are union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

    If your vehicle approval test cannot go ahead DVSA will automatically rebook your vehicle approval test for you if it cannot go ahead because of the strike action.

    You’ll be sent the new details. You do not need to contact DVSA.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Driving examiner strike [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Driving examiner strike [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 20 April 2023.

    Some driving tests might be affected by strike action at times during April 2023.

    Some driving examiners who are members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union are planning to take strike action at times during April 2023.

    The strike action is part of national industrial action by the PCS union over pay, pensions, jobs and redundancy terms.

    There is different guidance about vehicle tester and traffic examiner strikes in April, May and June 2023.

    What types of tests might be affected

    The strike action might affect:

    • car driving tests
    • motorcycle tests
    • lorry, bus, coach and minibus driving tests (these are known as vocational tests)
    • tractor or specialist vehicle driving tests
    • approved driving instructor (ADI) part 2 (driving ability) or part 3 (instructional ability) tests
    • ADI standards checks
    • moped and motorcycle compulsory basic training (CBT) checks – but not the training courses themselves

    The strike action will not affect theory tests.

    Driving tests with private test providers

    Your test will not be affected by the strike action if you’re taking it with a private test provider. This includes some:

    When the strikes will be held

    The strikes will affect driving test centres in different parts of Great Britain at different times.

    Dates Areas affected
    Monday 17 April and Tuesday 18 April North-east England and Scotland
    Thursday 20 April and Friday 21 April North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber
    Monday 24 April and Tuesday 25 April East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London
    Thursday 27 April London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales
    Friday 28 April All areas of Great Britain

    Check which driving test centres are affected

    The PCS union has told DVSA the strike action will affect driving examiners employed at the driving test centres listed on this page.

    Tests might also be affected at other driving test centres that are not listed. DVSA will not know this until the day of the strike action.

    North-east England and Scotland

    These areas include these test centres:

    Aberdeen North, Aberdeen South (Cove), Airdrie, Ayr, Bishopbriggs, Blyth, Darlington, Darlington LGV, Dumfries, Dundee, Durham, Edinburgh (Currie), Edinburgh (Musselburgh), Elgin, Gateshead, Glasgow (Anniesland), Glasgow (Baillieston), Glasgow (Shieldhall), Gosforth, Grangemouth, Greenock, Hamilton, Hartlepool, Inverness (Seafield Road), Irvine, Kilmarnock LGV, Kirkcaldy, Livingston, Middlesborough, Paisley, Perth (Arran Road), Peterhead, Stirling and Sunderland.

    Tests at other driving test centres in these areas might also be affected.

    North-west England and Yorkshire and the Humber

    These areas include these test centres:

    Atherton (Manchester), Barnsley, Barrow In Furness, Beverley LGV, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolton (Manchester), Bradford (Heaton), Bradford (Thornbury), Bredbury (Manchester), Bridlington, Bury (Manchester), Carlisle, Carlisle LGV, Chadderton, Cheetham Hill (Manchester), Chester, Chorley, Crewe, Doncaster, Grimsby Coldwater, Halifax, Heckmondwike, Heysham, Horsforth, Huddersfield, Hull, Kendal (Oxenholme Road), Knaresborough, Leeds, Macclesfield, Nelson, Norris Green (Liverpool), Northallerton, Pontefract, Preston, Rochdale (Manchester), Rotherham, Sale (Manchester), Scarborough, Scunthorpe, Sheffield (Handsworth), Sheffield (Middlewood Road), Southport (Liverpool), Speke (Liverpool), St Helens (Liverpool), Steeton, Upton, Wakefield, Wallasey, Walton LGV, Warrington, West Didsbury (Manchester), Widnes (Liverpool), Workington and York.

    Tests at other driving test centres in these areas might also be affected.

    East of England, East Midlands, West Midlands and parts of London

    These areas include these test centres:

    Ashfield, Barking (Tanner Street), Barnet (London), Basildon, Birmingham (Garretts Green), Birmingham (Kings Heath), Birmingham (Kingstanding), Birmingham (Shirley), Birmingham (South Yardley), Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield), Bishops Stortford, Borehamwood (London), Boston, Brentwood (London), Burton on Trent, Bury St Edmunds, Buxton, Cambridge (Brookmount Court), Chelmsford (Hanbury Road), Chesterfield, Colchester, Coventry, Derby (Alvaston), Dudley, Featherstone, Goodmayes (London), Grantham (Somerby), Hinckley, Hornchurch (London), Ipswich, Kettering, Kings Lynn, Leicester (Cannock Street), Leicester (Wigston), Leighton Buzzard (Stanbridge Road), Letchworth, Lichfield, Lincoln, Loughborough, Loughton (London), Lowestoft (Mobbs Way), Ludlow, Northampton, Norwich (Jupiter Road), Norwich (Peachman Way), Nottingham (Chilwell), Nottingham (Colwick), Nuneaton, Peterborough, Peterborough LGV, Redditch, Rugby, Shrewsbury, Southend-on-Sea, St Albans, Stafford, Stevenage, Stoke on Trent (Cobridge), Stoke on Trent (Newcastle under Lyme), Telford, Tilbury, Warwick (Wedgenock House), Watford, Watnall, Wednesbury, Weedon LGV, Wolverhampton, Worcester and Worksop.

    Tests at other driving test centres in these areas might also be affected.

    London, south-east England, south-west England and Wales

    These areas include these test centres:

    Aberystwyth (Park Avenue), Ashford (Kent), Aylesbury, Banbury, Bangor, Barnstaple, Basingstoke, Belvedere (London), Bletchley, Bodmin, Bridgend, Bristol (Avonmouth), Bristol (Brislington), Bristol (Kingswood), Bromley (London), Burgess Hill, Caernarfon LGV, Camborne, Canterbury, Cardiff (Llanishen), Cardigan, Carmarthen, Cheltenham, Chertsey (London), Chichester, Chingford (London), Chippenham, Crawley, Dorchester, Eastbourne, Enfield (Brancroft Way), Enfield (Innova Business Park), Erith (London), Exeter, Exeter LGV, Farnborough, Folkestone, Gillingham, Gillingham LGV, Gloucester, Greenford (London), Guildford, Hastings (Ore), Hendon (London), Herne Bay, Hither Green (London), Isleworth (Fleming Way), Lancing, Launceston, Lee On The Solent, Llanelli, Llantrisant, Maidstone, Merthyr Tydfil, Mill Hill (London), Monmouth, Morden (London), Newbury (Hambridge Lane), Newport (Gwent), Newport (Isle Of Wight), Newton Abbot, Oxford (Cowley), Pembroke Dock, Pinner (London), Plymouth, Plymouth LGV, Poole, Portsmouth, Reading, Rhyl, Sevenoaks, Sidcup (London), Slough (London), Southall (London), Southampton (Maybush), Southampton LGV, Swansea, Swindon, Taunton, Tolworth (London), Tottenham, Tunbridge Wells, Uxbridge (London), Wanstead (London), Weston-Super-Mare, Winchester, Wood Green (London), Wrexham, Wrexham LGV, Yeading (London) and Yeovil.

    If you want to change your driving test date now

    Not all examiners are PCS union members, and even if they are, they might choose not to go on strike.

    However, you can change your test to another date if you want to.

    You must give at least 3 clear working days’ notice to change your test date, or you’ll have to pay again.

    What to do if you do not change your test

    You should go to your driving test appointment as planned if it’s on the date of strike action, unless DVSA contacts you to tell you not to go.

    DVSA will call you to tell you what to do if you’re taking an instructor test including:

    • ADI part 2 (driving ability) tests
    • ADI part 3 (instructional ability) tests
    • ADI standards checks
  • PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of 2 members to the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of 2 members to the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 20 April 2023.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointments of Pauline McCabe and Jake Hard as members of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody (IAPDC) for 3 years from 1 July 2023.

    Established in 2009, the IAPDC forms part of the Ministerial Council on Deaths in Custody in England and Wales. The IAPDC provides expert advice and challenge to ministers, departments and agencies with the central aim of preventing deaths in custody.

    These appointments are made by the Secretary of State for Justice in consultation with the Department of Health and Social Care and the Home Office, who co-sponsor and co-fund the IAPDC.

    Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    Biographies

    Dr Jake Hard

    Dr Hard is a GP with over 16 years of experience working in prison and is the Clinical Director in HMP Cardiff. Dr Hard was the Chair of the RCGP Secure Environments Group from 2016 to 2022 and has published work with the IAPDC. He is also the Clinical Lead for the NHSE Health & Justice Information Service.

    Pauline McCabe

    As an international criminal justice advisor, Ms McCabe delivers projects in policing and prison reform, oversight and monitoring mechanisms and death in custody investigation, on behalf of UNICEF, Penal Reform International (PRI), Department for International Development (DFID) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Europe and Central Asia. She has investigated deaths, complaints and serious incidents as the Prisoner Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (2008 to 2013). Ms McCabe is also a visiting Professor at the University of Ulster and was awarded an OBE for services to prisoners’ welfare.

     

  • PRESS RELEASE : Public sector access to Royal Mail Postcode Address File agreed to 2028 [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Public sector access to Royal Mail Postcode Address File agreed to 2028 [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 20 April 2023.

    England, Scotland and Wales are now in one combined agreement that gives public sector bodies up-to-date address information across the UK.

    A new 5 year contract providing access to the Royal Mail Postcode Address File (PAF) for public bodies has been agreed to 31 March 2028.

    The PAF is the UK’s most up-to-date and widely used postal address database. The public sector’s access is procured centrally by the Geospatial Commission so that usage is free at the point of use for delivery of vital public services by the UK government, devolved administrations, local authorities, emergency services, health services, and search and rescue organisations.

    For the first time the new contract combines previously separate agreements for England and Wales, and Scotland, and continues to allow public sector bodies across Great Britain to benefit from access to 1.8 million UK postcodes and over 30 million business and residential addresses.

    The contract now also incorporates Royal Mail Not Yet Built and Multiple Residence data. By using Not Yet Built the public sector can identify and deliver services to the addresses of properties that are at the planning and construction stage. The Multiple Residence data will allow the public sector to identify individual dwellings within multiple occupancy buildings that share a front door.

    Find out more about all of the public sector contracts the Geospatial Commission manages.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government urges public to check their photo identification ahead of polls [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government urges public to check their photo identification ahead of polls [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 20 April 2023.

    The Government is encouraging people to check that they have accepted photo identification ahead of local elections and apply for a free voter authority certificate if needed.

    With two weeks until local elections take place, the Government is encouraging people to check that they have accepted photo identification ready and apply for a free voter authority certificate if needed.

    Anyone voting in person in local elections taking place in England on Thursday 4th May 2023 will need an accepted form of photo identification to cast their vote.

    This brings the rest of the UK in line with Northern Ireland, which has had photo identification to vote in elections since 2003, and will ensure that elections are better protected from the potential for voter fraud.

    While the vast majority of voters already own an accepted form of identification, which includes driving licences, blue badges, NUS Totum cards and Freedom passes, voters who do not have accepted photo identification can apply for a free local Voter Authority Certificate by post or online 24 hours a day, up until Tuesday 25 April at 5pm.

    The Government is working with the Electoral Commission, local authorities and stakeholders to ensure voters are aware of the changes. The Commission has been running a public awareness campaign since January, running widely across all major channels.

    Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said:

    It’s vital you check now if you have the photo identification needed to vote in English local elections taking place in May.

    While the vast majority of voters already own an accepted form of identification, anyone who needs to can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate before 5pm on Tuesday.

    For more information please check your polling card and find more details online.

    Accepted forms of photo identification and further information are available on gov.uk and the Electoral Commission website.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with Taoiseach Varadkar of Ireland [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak meeting with Taoiseach Varadkar of Ireland [April 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 April 2023.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Belfast today.

    The leaders discussed their common goal of ensuring power sharing returns to Stormont as soon as possible.

    They reflected on the huge achievements of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and the enduring spirit of cooperation that it had created. They agreed to maintain close dialogue on issues like dealing with the legacy of the past.

    They both agreed on the huge economic potential of the people of Northern Ireland and the Prime Minister outlined the UK Government’s work to increase investment in Northern Ireland.

    Reflecting on the strong ties between the UK and Ireland, the Prime Minister said that our countries share many interests and values. He expressed his hope that we will be able to deepen collaboration on shared challenges such as energy security, cyber security and sustainability.

    The leaders agreed to stay in close touch.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement on Nicaragua [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement on Nicaragua [April 2023]

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

    On the fifth anniversary of the April 2018 pro-democracy protests in Nicaragua, the UK calls upon the Nicaraguan Government to reinstate democracy, re-establish the rule of law, and restore respect for human rights.

    In the five years since the protests, the Nicaraguan Government has continued to disregard its national and international commitments to respect and uphold human rights and fundamental democratic and civic freedoms. Thousands of civil society organisations have been outlawed, independent media operators have been silenced, and hundreds of representatives of civil society, pro-democracy activists, journalists, and opposition officials and politicians have been imprisoned, stripped of their citizenship and had their assets seized.

    The UK shares deep international concern at the situation in Nicaragua. We call on President Ortega and the Nicaraguan Government to restore full respect for the human rights of all Nicaraguans and allow international human rights bodies including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to return to Nicaragua to carry out their legitimate mandates. We continue to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, and for those Nicaraguans who have been deprived of their nationality to have it restored, and for all those people who have been wrongfully stripped of their assets to have them returned.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Defence Secretary meets US defence and security leaders in Washington, DC [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Defence Secretary meets US defence and security leaders in Washington, DC [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 19 April 2023.

    UK Defence Secretary has concluded a planned visit to Washington, DC.

    Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace has concluded a planned visit to Washington, DC to conduct meetings with senior US defence and security leaders.

    He met with his counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd J Austin III, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and General Mark Milley, to discuss a range of defence and security issues of mutual concern including support to Ukraine in its war against Russia, NATO, and the AUKUS trilateral security pact.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

    It’s been an honour and a great pleasure to meet again with my friend Lloyd Austin III.

    The US is our closest ally and defence partner, with shared values that serve to promote open and free democracies across the world, alongside continued peace and security.

    We discussed ways to strengthen our defence cooperation, breaking down barriers and increasing our interoperability through the AUKUS trilateral agreement – and we turned our attention again to our unwavering support for Ukraine.

    The Defence Secretary also discussed the importance of the trilateral work under way to make the AUKUS agreement a generational success with the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee.

    Speaking during their meeting at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III said:

    We have no closer partner or ally than the United Kingdom.

    AUKUS is an historic opportunity that shows how strong we can become when we work together.

    It shows our deep commitment to a free and open Indo Pacific and it is testament to our shared values and the long-term investments we are making in our forces.

    I am confident AUKUS will break down barriers and usher in a new era of US-UK defence co-operation.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The violence must stop to give dialogue and peace a chance to succeed [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : The violence must stop to give dialogue and peace a chance to succeed [April 2023]

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

    Statement by Ambassador Kariuki at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Great Lakes region.

    Thank you, President. I will focus on the situation in eastern DRC and regional processes to end the conflict.

    The United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by intensifying violence and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes region, particularly in eastern DRC. We strongly condemn the continuing violence by all armed groups, including the UN-sanctioned M23 armed group. In the limited areas from which they have withdrawn, the horrors perpetrated by M23 are gradually being exposed, with allegations of mass rapes and summary killings.

    The redeployment of resources to tackle M23 has also undermined the protection of civilians elsewhere. There have recently been horrifying accounts of executions and attacks on civilians by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and CODECO. We call for comprehensive investigations into allegations of human rights and international humanitarian law abuses by armed groups and for those responsible to be held accountable. All support to these non-state armed actors must stop.

    President, we reiterate our full support for regional diplomatic efforts, including the Nairobi and Luanda processes, which promote de-escalation and aim to create the conditions for lasting peace in the region. We are making a financial contribution to the Nairobi process to this end. We urge all parties to respect commitments made under these processes, including the withdrawal of M23, to end of all support of armed groups, and to stop the use of incendiary hate speech. We welcome Special Envoy Xia’s support to these processes and encourage increased engagement as the conflict worsens.

    We welcome M23’s handing over of some locations to the EAC Regional Force, but any withdrawal must be complete and in line with the agreed process through the Luanda roadmap. We hope the forthcoming Angolan troop deployment will help reinforce this withdrawal.

    President, there is only one way out of this conflict. The violence must stop to give dialogue and peace a chance to succeed. The United Kingdom calls upon countries in the region, members of this Council, and Special Envoy Xia to intensify efforts to de-escalate the situation, improve regional cooperation, address security challenges, improve humanitarian access, and bring peace to the Great Lakes region.

    Thank you.