Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : New fire safety guidance comes into force on 1 October 2023 [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Home Office on 30 March 2023.

Commencement regulations for new fire safety legal provisions within section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 have been laid in Parliament.
Section 156 of the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA) makes a number of amendments to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (FSO) to improve fire safety in all buildings regulated by the FSO. These improvements form Phase 3 of the Home Office’s fire safety reform programme, building on Phase 1 (the Fire Safety Act 2021) and Phase 2 (the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022).

Phase 3 further strengthens fire safety in all FSO regulated premises by:

improving cooperation and coordination between Responsible Persons (RPs)

increasing requirements in relation to the recording and sharing of fire safety information thus creating a continual record throughout a building’s lifespan

making it easier for enforcement authorities to take action against non-compliance

ensuring residents have access to comprehensive information about fire safety in their building

We are not at this stage commencing a requirement for RPs to ensure that anyone they appoint to do a fire risk assessment is competent. We are actively working with the sector to develop a robust roll out plan and will provide more information on this in the coming months.

Guidance to support RPs in understanding and meeting these new requirements will be published before they come into force.

We have today published 3 new fire safety guides on small non-domestic premises, small blocks of flats and for small sleeping accommodation. These replace the old short guide to making your premises safe from fire. We have also published and updated the fire risk assessment checklist.
March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : State Pension Age Review published [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 30 March 2023.
- State Pension age rise to 67 will take place as planned between 2026-2028.
- Review within two years of next Parliament to reconsider rise to age 68.
- Delivers on Government responsibility to ensure the State Pension remains sustainable and fair across the generations.
The Government has confirmed the State Pension age will rise to 67 by the end of 2028, following a review published today.

After carefully considering expert evidence, including two independent reports, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has concluded the planned pension age rise from 66 to 67 for those born after April 1960 remains appropriate.

The Pensions Act 2014 requires the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to regularly review State Pension age. To inform this Review, two independent reports were commissioned – analysis from the Government Actuary based on life expectancy projections and the proportion of adult life spent in retirement, and findings from Baroness Neville-Rolfe which considered relevant factors including life-expectancy trends.

As the number of people over State Pension age increases, the Government must ensure it remains sustainable and fair for current and future generations.

The Government plans to have a further review within two years of the next Parliament to reconsider the rise to age 68.

This gives the Government appropriate time to take into account evidence which is not yet available on the long-term impact of recent challenges, including the Covid pandemic and global inflationary pressures. These events bring a level of uncertainty in relation to the current data on life expectancy, labour markets and the public finances.

This will ensure that the Government is able to consider the latest information to inform any future decision on the State Pension age. This will include life expectancy and population projections updated with 2021 Census data and the latest demographic trends, the economic position and the impact on the labour market of the recently announced package of measures to tackle inactivity.

Given the wide-ranging impacts of changing the State Pension age, it is important to take the time to get any changes right.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride said:

It’s essential the State Pension remains sustainable and fair across the generations. Our balanced approach will help achieve this and ensure we continue to provide security and dignity in retirement for millions of people across the country.

The Government remains committed to the principle of providing 10 years notice of changes to State Pension age, enabling people to plan effectively for retirement. All options for the rise to the State Pension age from 67 to 68 that meet the 10 years notice period will be in scope at the next review.
March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New plan puts UK at the forefront of fight against economic crime [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 30 March 2023.

Government, law enforcement and private sector agree on a new plan to crack down on money laundering, kleptocracy and sanctions evasion.

Corrupt elites and criminal gangs who abuse our financial system will be identified and stripped of their cash through a new plan to tackle economic crime.

The Economic Crime Plan 2 builds on the foundations of its predecessor with new actions to improve the system-wide response to economic crime through enhanced cooperation between government, law enforcement, supervisory agencies and the private sector.

Our response to economic crime will be bolstered by 475 new highly trained financial crime investigators, spread across intelligence, enforcement and asset recovery at key agencies. This increased capacity will be targeted toward the detection and disruption of money laundering, and the recovery of an additional £1 billion in criminal assets over the next 10 years.

Building on our unprecedented package of sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we are now expanding the National Crime Agency’s Combatting Kleptocracy Cell to target more corrupt elites and their enablers, while consolidating the effectiveness of UK sanctions.

As criminals seek new ways to launder their profits, we are investing £100 million in cutting edge technology, including data analytics, to equip law enforcement with the tools they need to stay one step ahead. A new multi-agency crypto cell will be established that combines law enforcement and regulators to pool expertise and more effectively identify, seize and store illicit crypto assets.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

Economic crime undermines the integrity of our financial system and weakens our national security.

Through robust legislation and a strengthened law enforcement response, we’ve come a long way in cracking down on dirty money, but this plan helps us go further.

Backed by our partnership with the private sector, we have the resources and expertise we need to identify criminal networks and confiscate the proceeds of their illicit activities.

Cooperation with the private sector is critical to the plan’s success, which is why we will develop a new approach to public-private prioritisation, which will maximise our collective intelligence and resource to detect and disrupt economic crime.

The UK’s supervisory regime will be strengthened, with increased information sharing between partners, and greater government oversight to ensure effectiveness and compliance with Money Laundering Regulations.

Treasury Lords Minister Baroness Penn said:

Economic crime harms our economy and destroys lives. More funding from government and the new contribution from industry through the new levy will allow us to deliver a step change in our response.

While the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill progresses through Parliament, this multi-stakeholder plan ensures that we can maximise the new powers through strengthened capacity and greater expertise. This will enable us to swiftly and effectively act to identify fake companies and hold criminals to account.

The 3 year plan is backed by £400 million in additional investment to tackle economic crime over the Spending Review Period. This includes £200 million HMG investment and £200 million from the Economic Crime (Anti-Money Laundering) Levy raised from the private sector. This funding will ensure a step-change in our response by supporting the delivery of critical economic crime reforms, including those set out in the Economic Crime Plan. The Plan also commits us to exploring new ways to reinvest suspected illicit funds back into combatting economic crime and supporting victims.

Bob Wigley, Chair of UK Finance said:

Tackling economic crime is a key priority for the banking and finance industry and we welcome the launch of the Second Economic Crime Plan.

Partnerships between the private sector, law enforcement, regulators and government are vitally important. Through this new plan we will continue to work together to ensure our collective system more effectively combats all forms of economic crime.

Graeme Biggar, Director General of the NCA said:

The NCA’s National Economic Crime Centre has led the way in bringing together the public and private sectors to ensure systems are in place to tackle high harm financial crime to protect the UK’s public, financial structures and reputation.

The reforms detailed in the Economic Crime Plan are crucial to move us to the next level in our fight against the dirty money that fuels serious and organised crime. They will enhance our capabilities to identify illicit finance and drive it out of the UK; targeting corrupt elites, and the money launderers criminal gangs rely on.

Michael Izza, Chief Executive of ICAEW, said:

We are supportive of the measures set out in this plan which will help in the fight against economic crime, and we will continue to invest in robust supervision, education and intelligence-sharing.

A key success of the first Economic Crime Plan was developing the partnership between accountancy and the public sector to crack down on money-laundering.

Tackling economic crime and driving dirty money out of the UK’s financial systems will be best achieved by Government working closely with professional body supervisors, and we look forward to collaborating on the actions outlined in the second Economic Crime Plan.

Read the Economic Crime Plan

March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Call for veterans and civilian staff from across the Commonwealth to claim commemorative Nuclear Test Medals [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 30 March 2023.

In recognition of their significant contribution to the UK’s nuclear deterrent testing programme, potentially thousands of veterans and civilian staff, and next of kin, across the UK and Commonwealth can now apply for a commemorative medal.
- Nuclear test programme veterans, civilian staff and their descendants urged to come forward and claim commemorative medals
- Around 22,000 military personnel and civilian staff from the UK and Commonwealth nations are thought to be eligible
- Due to be rolled out from late summer, the medal recognises the critical role of veterans and civilian staff contribution to the UK’s nuclear deterrent testing programme in the 1950s and 1960s
In recognition of their significant contribution to the UK’s nuclear deterrent testing programme, potentially thousands of veterans and civilian staff, and next of kin, across the UK and Commonwealth can now apply for a commemorative medal.

From late summer, the UK Government will be issuing Nuclear Test Medals to eligible service personnel and civilian staff, including posthumous awards to next of kin.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer said:

This important step moves us closer to recognising the work of those civilians and veterans who played a critical role in establishing the UK’s nuclear deterrent and contributing to our enduring international security.

I strongly encourage all eligible veterans and civilian staff to apply for the award, which demonstrates the important role they played in making the UK the third nuclear power, and wear their new medals with pride.

The medal will be awarded free of charge to individuals who participated in the UK Nuclear Test Programme, including the preparatory and clear-up phases, from 1952 to 1967.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Nuclear Test Veterans have made an invaluable contribution to the safety and security of the UK and it’s right that we recognise and value their enduring service to our nation.

The medal also recognises the contribution made by veterans and civilian staff from across Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Kiribati. All service personnel and civilians under UK command, including close partners from the Commonwealth and Pacific region, who participated in, or were present at, the British or American nuclear tests at the Montebello Islands, Christmas Island, Malden Island and Maralinga & Emu Field, South Australia between 1952 and 1967 will be eligible for the medal. This also includes scientists and local employees.

To further recognise the contribution of veterans of Britain’s nuclear tests, the government invested £450,000 into projects which will commemorate and build further understanding of the experiences of veterans who were deployed to Australia and the Pacific.

As part of that funding, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs is launching an oral history project to chronicle the voices and experiences of those who supported the UK’s effort to develop a nuclear deterrent.

Due to start in April 2023, the project will run for two years, giving nuclear test veterans the opportunity to be interviewed, and contribute to an accessible digital archive of testimonies about their time working on the tests.

A further £200,000 fund was launched in February 2023, to support community projects designed to provide bespoke direct support to Nuclear Test Veterans and their families, memorialise and raise public awareness of their service.
March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Green Finance Boost for Nature in UK [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 30 March 2023.

New Green Finance Strategy and Nature Markets Framework to develop growth of green finance.
Plans to accelerate investment in nature have been set out by the Government today (Thursday 30 March) as part of its drive to net zero by 2050.

The Green Finance Strategy published today will set out how the government will encourage green finance for nature-based solutions such as tree planting and peatland restoration and support farmers to access new private sector revenue streams whilst protecting our natural environment.

The government has set a target to raise at least £500 million in private finance to support nature’s recovery every year by 2027 in England, rising to more than £1 billion per year by 2030.  This will support greater biodiversity and contribute to achieving our Environment Targets.

Environment Secretary, Thérèse Coffey MP said:

We need a healthy and thriving natural environment to meet our Net Zero goals and build our resilience to climate change.

Our announcement today sends a signal that the opportunities from investing in our farmland, forestry, peatlands and marine areas are great and offer long term rewards for people and nature.

Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

The appetite to invest in nature exists, and the Green Finance Strategy and the Nature Markets Framework will help unlock that potential and develop markets for a greener UK.

The Environment Agency is working with government to support private sector investment in climate adaptation and nature recovery, including through the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund. Financing work like nature-based flood alleviation schemes will help us reduce the economic costs of climate impacts in the coming decades.

Tony Juniper, Chair of Natural England:

A healthy environment and a vibrant economy go hand in hand. Green finance can unlock Nature’s solutions and help us meet a wide range of goals, from restoring clean water to promoting long term food security, and from resilience to climate change impacts to helping sustain public health. By going high Nature we can also help to go low carbon. Through setting standards and creating a clearer pathways for investment, we can achieve economic goals at the same time as environmental ones.

Measures set out to support green growth today include:

An agreement that by 2024 farmers will be supported to better measure their emission sources through carbon audits and a harmonised approach to measuring carbon emissions.

These changes will support farmers and land managers so they can earn income from Government led environmental land management schemes as well as attract finance from the private sector for sequestering carbon, improving water quality, and greater biodiversity alongside food production.

Publishing a Nature Markets Framework, which sets out the government’s approach to supporting and accelerating growth of these markets and will enable revenue streams from different markets to be combined to support projects with multiple objectives for example increasing biodiversity and improving water quality. To date uncertainty about market development, how public funds interact with private markets, and tax impacts have limited long-term investment – the new Framework will help overcome this.

Providing four pioneering local and combined authority areas (Cornwall; Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland & Furness; West Midlands Combined Authority; and York and North Yorkshire) with funding of up to £1 million each as part of the Local Investment in Natural Capital (LINC) programme. This two-year programme delivered by the Environment Agency and the four local authorities to test ‘what works’ in attracting investment into local priorities for nature.

Working with the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop a range of nature investment standards. Building on the experiences of the UK Woodland Carbon Code and UK Peatland Code, this will increase the range of trusted standards that market participants, including farmers and landowners, can use to access the nature markets.

Government has also set out today how it will support climate and nature action across the world with the publication of its 2030 Strategic Framework for international climate and nature action and International Climate Finance Strategy.

The 2030 Strategic Framework sets an ambitious vision for global climate and nature action up until 2030 to keep 1.5oC alive, build resilience to current and future climate impacts, and halt and reverse biodiversity loss. It will be supported by the new International Climate Finance (ICF) strategy that outlines our commitment to spend £11.6 billion of International Climate Finance between 2021/22 and 2025/26 to help developing countries mitigate, respond and adapt to the challenges of climate change, and has been at the forefront of tackling the twin challenges of nature loss and climate change globally.

During the UK’s presidency of COP26, more than 140 countries which are home to over 90 per cent of the world’s forests made a historic promise to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by the end of this decade. More recently, the UK played a leading role in helping to secure agreement to the ground-breaking COP15 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to halt and reverse the destruction of nature.
March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Home Secretary ramps up security measures to protect Jewish communities [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 30 March 2023.

Jewish communities are to be better protected from vile antisemitic attacks with a £1 million funding boost and a new dedicated police taskforce.

Synagogues and faith schools will be given £15 million for protective security measures in 2023 to 2024 as part of the Jewish Community Protective Security grant, a £1 million increase on last year. This will fund increased protective security, including security guards and other security measures such as CCTV and alarm systems to protect against persistent hate crime, anti-social behaviour, terrorism and state threats.

In addition, senior policing leaders, ministers, the Community Security Trust (CST), and other stakeholders will form a new Jewish Community Police, Crime and Security Taskforce. The taskforce will strengthen accountability and enhance efforts to combat antisemitic crime and violence against Jewish communities. It will provide a regular forum to discuss with operational partners, communal security concerns relating to policing, terrorism, state threats, hate crime, and public order matters. Chaired by the Home Secretary, it will meet for the first time in late spring, and 3 times a year thereafter.

The first meeting is likely to consider whether it is necessary to review operational policing guidance in light of concerns shared by the Jewish community. This could include guidance on specific chants, banners and emblems which are antisemitic, and ensuring that the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) are using their powers to arrest and charge criminals who pose a threat to the Jewish community.

The measures follow the latest Home Office hate crime statistics which show that despite making up less than 1% of the population, almost a quarter of recorded religiously-motivated hate crimes in the UK were against Jewish people in 2021 to 2022.

The Home Secretary announced new measures in a speech at the Community Security Trust’s annual dinner on 29 March.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

Antisemitism is one of the great evils in the world. It is vital that all people, but especially political leaders, challenge antisemitism whenever and wherever they encounter it.

Attacks on the Jewish community are abhorrent. I applaud the police’s efforts to tackle these crimes, but we must go further to ensure the vile criminals who threaten the peace and safety of Jewish communities feel the full force of the law.

I am proud to be working closely with the Community Security Trust and colleagues in policing and beyond to help protect the UK’s Jewish community, go after antisemitic offenders, and stamp out racism in all its forms.

Minister for Security, Tom Tugendhat said:

Antisemitism is abhorrent and I stand hand in hand with the Jewish community against all its manifestations.

We must continue to strive to ensure that every community can live and worship in safety, free from threat.

CST Chief Executive Mark Gardner MBE said:

This announcement by the Home Secretary is hugely welcome, given the continuing threats of terrorism and antisemitism that are faced by British Jews. CST will continue to do everything we can in partnership with the Home Office so as to ensure the best possible security for Jewish schools, synagogues and communities throughout the country.

National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) Lead for Hate Crime, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Hamilton, said:

It is vital that all citizens are able to live their lives free from targeted abuse, and the NPCC supports this funding to help reduce antisemitic hostility suffered by Jewish people in the UK.

The right to live free from targeted abuse is a fundamental right that we all share and we will continue to work to bring offenders to justice. I would encourage anyone who suffers such a crime to report it, either to the police or to the CST. In an emergency, always call 999.

The Home Secretary has also pledged to write to all Home Office public bodies and every chief constable and police and crime commissioner, as well as the National Police Chiefs’ Council, the College of Policing and the Crown Prosecution Service, to reaffirm the government’s support for the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, and encourage its further adoption.

The new funding will bring the total amount allocated through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to £122 million since 2015.

March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : We will never forget the cruelties the people of Bucha have been forced to endure – UK statement to the OSCE [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 March 2023.

Deputy Ambassador Brown says the UK is fully committed to holding Russia to account for its illegal and barbaric actions in Ukraine, including in Bucha.

Thank you, Mr Chair. Russian forces took full control of Bucha by 5 March 2022, and remained there until 30 March. That is one year ago, today. Since then, Bucha has become synonymous with the some of the most despicable horrors unleashed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. My statement today will set out just some of the cruelties the people of Bucha were forced to endure.

When Ukrainian forces liberated Bucha, and foreign journalists arrived shortly after, they saw dozens of dead bodies. First on the streets. Then in gardens, apartments, basements, vehicles, forested areas and improvised individual and collective graves. Many bore signs of summary execution. According to the OHCHR, some civilians were “killed on the spot” and others were detained before being executed – sometimes “several weeks later”. Over time, more and more bodies have been recovered in Bucha. As of 13 September 2022, Kyiv’s regional police force put the total death toll at 422.

Mr Chair, innocent civilians are at the heart of this suffering. People like 69 year old Valeriy, who was killed in his own garden. People like 14 year old Yurii, who was shot in the arm by the same Russian soldier who killed Yurii’s father at a Russian checkpoint. And people like 52 year old Iryna who was found dead, on the side of the road – like so many others. Photos of Iryna’s muddy upturned hand, and her bright red fingernails, became a potent symbol of the human suffering in Bucha.

Two Moscow Mechanism reports have documented clear patterns of serious violations of international humanitarian law, “attributable mostly to the Russian forces”. This includes in Bucha, where experts noted reports of bodies found with their hands tied behind their backs, including in the basement of a children’s health centre; a mass grave containing more than 70 bodies; bodies bearing obvious signs of torture and mutilation; and of torture chambers discovered in a summer camp. In one village in the Bucha district, 18 mutilated bodies of men, women and children were reportedly discovered, some with their ears cut off, others with their teeth pulled out.

The growing body of evidence shows that Russian authorities have committed a wide range of violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law. In Bucha, Irpin, Izyum, Kherson and more. Too many more. The atrocities committed in these locations will forever be a moral stain upon the Russian armed forces. And a moral stain on the Russian diplomats who continue to peddle the Kremlin’s lies to obscure and distract from these crimes. Lies which will never work.

The UK is fully committed to holding Russia to account for its illegal and barbaric actions in Ukraine. These should be independently investigated. Alongside supporting the International Criminal Court, the UK, United States and European Union have established the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group in support of Ukraine’s domestic war crimes prosecutions. Those responsible will face justice.

Mr Chair, when President Zelenskyy was asked recently about his worst memory of Russia’s invasion, he answered “Bucha”. We will never forget those who have been killed in Putin’s barbaric, senseless invasion – including those in Bucha. We will never abandon those who remain. We will stand by Ukraine for as long as it takes. Ukrainians have shown tremendous courage and resilience in the face of such wanton destruction and evil. Ukraine will prevail, rebuild and flourish.

March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Jobs and investment boost for East Midlands as Freeport gets green light [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 30 March 2023.

East Midlands Freeport fully operational after final government sign off.

New high-quality jobs and much-needed investment for the East Midlands region will be unlocked today, as the East Midlands Freeport receives final government sign off.

The Freeport will now receive up to £25 million seed funding from government and potentially hundreds of millions in locally retained business rates to drive growth in the UK’s advanced manufacturing, biomanufacturing, logistics, and low carbon industries.

It will help encourage investment into sectors including automotive, space, and satellites sectors, generating thousands of jobs and boosting the local economy.

This is the seventh Freeport in England to become fully operational, with just one more expected to get final government sign off in due course. Four new Freeports have recently been named in Scotland and Wales.

The East Midlands Freeport is uniquely positioned as the only inland Freeport in England, with connections to major regional transport hubs, such as the East Midlands Airport.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said:

The East Midlands has a thriving manufacturing sector and we want to capitalise on those strengths while also developing new green growth industries.

The East Midlands Freeport, the only inland Freeport, is up and running and will bring high quality jobs, investment and trading opportunities for businesses in the region.

This will help us deliver on our mission to grow the economy and level up right across the UK.

Taking full advantage of the freedoms of leaving the EU, businesses in Freeports are offered generous tax incentives and a simplified customs procedure, unlocking much-needed investment and high-quality jobs.

Steve Griffiths, East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, said:

As the ‘port’ within the Freeport, we welcome today’s news. The Freeport will provide a focal point around which the public and private sectors can collaborate to shape the future economic success of this region. We look forward to working as part of the East Midlands Freeport to make the most of this opportunity and to build on our role as a key gateway for facilitating global trade.

East Midlands Freeport estimates that it will generate over 28,000 new jobs and is already home to world-leading multinational companies, like Toyota Manufacturing UK, and East Midlands Airport – the UK’s busiest ‘pure’ cargo airport.
- The Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site will focus on low-carbon energy and advanced manufacturing, and be redeveloped to become a zero-carbon technology and energy hub for the East Midlands, helping to meet the region’s decarbonisation goals.
- East Midlands Airport and Gateway Industrial Cluster (EMAGIC), home to the East Midlands Airport, will advance the nation-leading advanced logistics market in the East Midlands.
- East Midlands Intermodal Park (EMIP), located adjacent to the nationally significant Toyota manufacturing plant, has the potential to become the next generation of rail connected business parks. The proposed investment will also enable a significant modal shift, from road to rail freight, reducing carbon emissions for businesses within the region and increasing connectivity.
The government’s Freeport programme is moving at pace, with seven sites now fully operational in England, already creating thousands of jobs. The Government confirmed Celtic Freeport in Milford Haven and Port Talbot, and Anglesey Freeport on Ynys Mon chosen as Wales’ first Freeports recently. In January, the Government confirmed two new Green Freeports in Scotland to be established in Inverness and Cromarty Firth and Firth of Forth.

Freeports are central to unleashing economic growth across the entire UK, contributing to the levelling up mission. They will drive the UK’s shift to a dynamic, low-carbon economy, helping businesses to collaborate, innovate, and develop the technologies and supply chains that will underpin our journey to Net Zero.
March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Transport decarbonisation package to help boost net zero ambitions [March 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 30 March 2023.

Measures announced to increase use of electric vehicles, as well as the production of sustainable aviation fuel in the UK.
- government commits nearly £400 million to accelerate electric vehicle charging infrastructure rollout across England
- comes as UK’s world-leading zero emission vehicle mandate published, setting ambitious targets for the sale of new zero emission cars and vans and kickstarting a more competitive electric vehicle (EV) market
- UK’s pioneering production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) boosted by second round of the £165 million Advanced Fuels Fund and launch of SAF mandate consultation
A robust package of measures to turbocharge the UK’s progress towards decarbonising transport, has today (30 March 2023) been unveiled by the government.

The measures will support the shift to electric vehicles (EVs), as well as the production of sustainable aviation fuel in the UK – continuing the country’s transition towards net zero.

The government has today launched the £381 million Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund alongside an additional £15 million for the On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (ORCS). Taken together, the funding will support the installation of tens of thousands of new chargers across the country, increasing EV infrastructure in every area and ensuring the UK’s charging network can support the increasing number of EV drivers and those considering the switch.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Transport is one of the most important sectors for achieving net zero by 2050 and so we must accelerate our efforts to decarbonise how people get from A to B while growing our economy and supporting thousands of green jobs.

From expanding our charging network to boosting the production of cleaner aviation fuel, today’s announcement is a great stride forwards, offering people more choice on how to stay connected while delivering the carbon reductions needed to achieve net zero.

The government has also unveiled its proposals for a world-leading zero emission vehicle mandate which, from next year, will set minimum annual targets for the percentage of new car and van sales that must be zero emission. The proposed mandate makes the UK’s path to zero emission vehicles the fastest in Europe.

The plans support the government’s commitment to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, and from 2035 all new cars and vans must be fully zero emission at the exhaust. Between 2030 and 2034, all new vehicles must be either fully zero emission or be able to drive a significant distance with zero emissions.

The final proposals are being jointly consulted upon by the UK government, alongside Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and are the single largest carbon saving measure identified in the government’s Net Zero Strategy.

The measures build on the progress already made in the transition to electric vehicles, with almost 17% of new cars sold last year being zero emission – supporting thousands of high-skilled jobs in the sector and helping the country to reach its net zero targets.

The new measures will support the wide range of manufacturers in the sector by giving them flexibility through a credits-based trading system, enabling them to bank credits in years when they exceed annual targets for use in future years or trade them with other manufacturers that have fallen short. If manufacturers do not meet their yearly targets, they could face possible fines of up to £18,000 for every vehicle they miss their target by.

Technology and Decarbonisation Minister Jesse Norman said:

As today’s announcements show, the government is doing more than ever to help the UK move away from petrol and diesel and towards electric vehicles.

That means investing in charging infrastructure and giving a clear direction to manufacturers, so they can roll out new electric vehicles faster and more efficiently. Overall, the UK is leading the way in decarbonising transport, a sector that is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases.

Today’s announcement provides long-term certainty to industry, increasing the number of zero emission cars available for people to buy and setting a clear direction for operators to accelerate the installation of chargepoints. With a greater proportion of zero emission vehicles on the UK’s roads, more drivers will benefit from lower overall running costs against their petrol and diesel counterparts. This will support a cheaper second-hand EV market while improving air quality across the country for everyone.

At current rates, aviation would become one of the largest emitting sectors by 2050, which is why it’s imperative the government takes action. The government is therefore today opening the second application round of the £165 million Advanced Fuels Fund, which will help deliver on the commitment for the UK to have at least 5 commercial scale UK sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plants in construction by 2025.

The production and use of SAF in the UK is central to the Jet Zero Strategy. SAF can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 70% while boosting investment, jobs and fuel security.

Aviation Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton said:

Today’s renewed support for sustainable aviation fuel is another step towards making Jet Zero a reality.

Developing a UK SAF industry will not only put the country at the heart of green aviation worldwide, but also boost investment, jobs and fuel security in the UK.

Additionally, a second consultation on the SAF mandate has been launched, which sets out how the mandate will deliver carbon savings, provide incentives to SAF producers and signal to investors the vital role SAF will play in the future of UK aviation. Furthermore, we are building on the global reputation of our academic institutions by confirming that the University of Sheffield will deliver the UK Clearing House to support the testing and certification of new SAF.

Gerry Keaney, BVRLA Chief Executive said:

The ZEV mandate is a critical tool in the UK meeting its ambitious net zero targets. The clarity given today will give fleets and motorists the confidence to continue their decarbonisation journey and accelerate the transition to zero emission transport. Electric vehicles are more popular and accessible than ever.

This mandate brings long-term certainty to the new and used EV markets and will help firms across the automotive supply chain plan for the phase out of petrol and diesel vehicle sales. We look forward to working with the government as it implements this mandate and monitors the impact on the new vehicle market.

Tanya Sinclair, Senior Director, Public Policy, Europe at ChargePoint, said:

At ChargePoint, we welcome this announcement and the certainty it brings to all leading charging industry players. An ambitious ZEV mandate in the UK will guarantee numbers of EVs on the road from 2024 and, therefore, provides a clear signal to infrastructure investors to scale up chargepoint rollout.

Having the right charging infrastructure in place to meet future EV demand will support the growth of the charging sector and thousands of highly skilled jobs across the UK. We look forward to continuing to work with the government on a robust ZEV mandate, introduced as quickly as possible following the consultation period.
March 30, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Inquiry into London-based evangelical Rhema Church finds charity spent funds on gym memberships and other personal expenses, including over £95,000 on overseas trips [March 2023]

The press release issued by the Charity Commission on 30 March 2023.

The Charity Commission has published findings of its inquiry into Rhema Church London which found serious misconduct and/or mismanagement had occurred.

Today (Thursday 30th March 2023), the Charity Commission has published findings of its inquiry into Rhema Church London.

The Commission concluded that the charity’s trustees had failed to fulfil their duties to protect the charity and its assets, and failed to demonstrate any effective oversight of senior staff leading to the serious misconduct and/or mismanagement, including misuse of funds and other assets.

Rhema Church London was established in 1999 to advance the Christian religion and provide education and relief of the aged, infirm and those in poverty. The charity operated an Evangelical Church in Croydon.

During the inquiry, the regulator found evidence that the charity spent approximately £95,000 on trips overseas without any authorisation or clear charitable purpose. The trips, to locations including Italy, Greece and Austria, were led by former pastor, Martin Phelps.

The inquiry also uncovered that day-to-day living expenses such as food, domestic purchases, medical bills, vets’ bills, and gym memberships, all of which appeared to be of a personal nature, were claimed and paid out by the charity in the absence of any expense policy or clear financial controls. The Commission determined the charity’s assets to be at risk and so took action to freeze the charity’s bank accounts in November 2015.

The inquiry also found that cheques totalling £300,000 had been paid to the charity’s former pastor between 2014 and 2015. £225,000 of the £300,000 had been transferred out of the charity’s account and placed into a personal account to reduce monthly mortgage interest payments before being transferred back to the charity. The regulator discovered that no guarantee had been obtained or security measures put in place prior to transferring the significant sum, placing the funds at considerable risk.

The regulator’s investigation also found that most of the charity’s spending was incorrectly categorised and lacked sufficient information to prove it was for charitable purposes. This failure resulted in the charity being liable to pay £543,285.82 in additional taxes. The charity also failed to submit accounts to the Commission on time for five consecutive years.

Due to the serious nature of the concerns, the Commission made use of many of its regulatory powers over the course of the investigation. In 2015, the regulator appointed Interim Managers (IMs) to address issues uncovered by the inquiry and review the charity’s day-to-day governance, as well as consider its future. The Commission disqualified the charity’s former pastor from being a trustee and/or holding any office or employment with senior management functions at any charity for 10 years. The regulator also used its powers to make an Order under section 76(3)(c)(i) of the Charities Act 2011 to sell three properties owned by the charity as part of efforts to settle the charity’s accounts.

Amy Spiller, Head of Investigations at the Commission, said:

Trustees must use their charity’s funds to further the charity’s purposes and ensure there are robust financial controls in place to stop the abuse of these funds.

From our investigation it was clear that trustees at Rhema Church London had failed to meet this obligation, leading to significant misuse of funds by a former senior employee. These expenses did not appear to serve any charitable purpose or benefit to the charity’s beneficiaries.

The Interim Managers worked at length to settle the charity’s accounts and I am pleased they were able to recover over £136,000 which could be put to good use at charities with similar purposes.

The IMs determined the most appropriate course of action was to wind down the charity, satisfy the charity’s creditors and to pass on any surplus funds to a charity with similar objects. Following the closure of the charity and settling of its finances, the IMs were able to recover £136,760.70 which was distributed to three nearby charities which all held similar charitable purposes.

Rhema Church London was removed from the register of charities on the 7th June 2022.

March 30, 2023