Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Trade talks and training troops top of the agenda at annual UK-Australia summit [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 1 February 2023.

Foreign and Defence Secretaries to host Australian counterparts for talks in London and Portsmouth.
- Foreign and Defence Secretaries to host Australian counterparts for talks in London and Portsmouth
- Annual ‘AUKMIN’ ministerial meeting will cover cooperation on climate, security and trade
- Security initiatives include joint UK-Australia training exercises on Salisbury Plain
The fields of Salisbury Plain and historic dockyards of Portsmouth will be the backdrop to significant talks between the UK and Australia’s defence and foreign ministers today, as both nations discuss how to intensify efforts to support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace will host their Australian counterparts, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, in London, Salisbury and Portsmouth this week for the annual UK-Australia ‘AUKMIN’ summit.

Following bilateral talks with their opposite numbers on Wednesday, the group will visit Salisbury Plain to see Australian and UK troops training Ukrainian soldiers. The joint programme, which also involves forces from Canada, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, is part of an acceleration of efforts by the UK and allies to ensure Ukraine wins the war and secures a lasting peace.

On Thursday the group will gather for meetings at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth to discuss the countries’ long-term cooperation to promote prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as well as broader cooperation on climate, security and trade. The UK’s work with Australia to promote open societies and economic security in the region area is crucial to boosting trade with the Indo-Pacific and delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the country. The Indo-Pacific is set to account for half of global growth by 2050.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK and Australia are the best of mates and for over a century we have been hard-headed champions of freedom and democracy.

In an increasingly volatile world, we are pursuing a forward-looking agenda with Australia as a trusted partner and friend. Together we are promoting prosperity and security in the Indo-Pacific, boosting trade, and pursuing our vital climate targets.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace MP said:

Australia is our close and valued defence partner, with historic ties spanning the decades.

The Australian Armed Forces are providing vital training for the brave Ukrainian men and women here in the UK, learning the skills they will need to return and defend their country.

We are also progressing our collaboration over the AUKUS programme, promoting security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.

The ministers will also look at how the UK and Australia can step up their commitments to limit global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees, including by transitioning to renewable energy, promoting low-emission technologies as part of a joint Clean Tech partnership the two countries signed in 2021, as well as supporting island states in the Pacific who are on the front line of the climate emergency.

More widely, they will take stock of progress on AUKUS – a defence and security pact between the UK, US, and Australia which will deliver a nuclear-powered submarine capability to Australia. They will also continue discussions on the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a £9 trillion free trade bloc, and progress towards the UK ratifying the bilateral free trade agreement with Australia, expected to come into force in spring this year.

The iconic venue for talks in the historic naval town reflects the two nations’ shared seafaring heritage. The summit also affirms the UK’s ongoing commitment to Australia and the Indo-Pacific region, and follows a busy 18 months of UK engagement in the region, including the visit of the Carrier Strike Group, the AUKUS agreement, our Prime Ministers meeting at the G20 in Bali, and Indo-Pacific Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s visit to Australia at the end of last year.
February 1, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK Government backing helps launch world first self-driving bus [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 1 February 2023.

Passengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.
- The world’s first full-sized, self-driving bus service is among the projects being awarded funding from the UK government
- £81 million in combined government and industry funding is being made available for commercial self-driving passenger and freight services, which could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel improving especially for those who don’t drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error
- automated buses in Edinburgh, shuttles in Belfast and lorries in Sunderland get support
Passengers will be boarding the world’s first fully sized, self-driving bus service in Edinburgh from the Spring, after it was awarded a share of £81 million in joint UK government and industry support for self-driving transport technology.

The project is one of seven successful projects from around the UK, and forms the most advanced set of commercial, self-driving passenger and freight operations anywhere in the world.

The grants, part of the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles Connected and Automated Mobility programme, will help British companies seize early opportunities to develop experimental projects into offerings ready for the market.

The joint government and industry funding winners are:
- CAVForth II – Fusion Processing – £10.4 million to launch the world’s first operational, full-sized, self-driving bus service, in Edinburgh, with Stagecoach and Alexander Dennis
- V-CAL – North East Automotive Alliance – £8 million to roll out self-driving and remotely piloted HGVs between the Vantec and Nissan sites in Sunderland
- Hub2Hub – HVS – £13.2 million to develop a new, zero emissions, self-driving HGV with Asda
- Sunderland Advanced Mobility Shuttle – City of Sunderland Council – £6 million to build and trial a self-driving shuttle service to the University of Sunderland and the Sunderland Royal Hospital
- Project Harlander – Belfast Harbour – £11 million to deploy a self-driving shuttle service around Belfast Harbour
- Multi-Area Connected Automated Mobility – Conigital – £15.2 million to establish a remote driving control hub, to oversee self-driving vehicles operating in Solihull and Coventry, with the NEC and local councils.
- Project Cambridge Connector – Greater Cambridge Partnership – £17.4 million to trial on-demand, self-driving taxis, to complement existing transport services in parts of Cambridge
£42 million in government funding is being matched by industry.

Business Secretary Grant Shapps said:

In just a few years’ time, the business of self-driving vehicles could add tens of billions to our economy and create tens of thousands of jobs across the UK. This is a massive opportunity to drive forward our priority to grow the economy, which we are determined to seize.

The support we are providing today will help our transport and technology pioneers steal a march on the global competition, by turning their bright ideas into market-ready products sooner than anyone else.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Self-driving vehicles including buses will positively transform people’s everyday lives – making it easier to get around, access vital services and improve regional connectivity.

We’re supporting and investing in the safe rollout of this incredible technology to help maximise its full potential, while also creating skilled jobs and boosting growth in this important sector.

Almost £600,000 is also being awarded for feasibility studies, looking into how self-driving technology could improve public transport in four parts of the UK. These projects will look into potential routes where automated vehicles could operate exclusively from other traffic, to relieve congestion on the A414 through Hertfordshire and Essex, parts of Eastern Cambridge, Birmingham and Solihull, and Milton Keynes.

Innovate UK Executive Director for Net Zero, Mike Biddle, said:

The Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) sector is of crucial importance to the UK, with the potential to deliver safer, cleaner and more efficient transport systems across a wide range of settings.

This latest, multi-year round of government’s Commercialising CAM funds builds on the success of previous collaborative R&D programme, stimulating innovation to ensure the UK is at the forefront of the transition towards the commercialisation of self-driving services.

Self-driving vehicles could revolutionise public transport and passenger travel, especially for those who don’t drive, better connect rural communities and reduce road collisions caused by human error. Forecasts predict that by 2035, 40% of new UK car sales will have self-driving capabilities, with a total market value for connected and automated mobility worth £41.7 billion to the UK. This could create nearly 40,000 skilled jobs in connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technology.

The government is also committed to introducing legislation that will enable the safe and timely rollout of self-driving vehicles on UK roads. Under a proposed ‘safety ambition’ for self-driving vehicles to be equivalent in safety to a competent and careful human driver, vehicles will need to meet certain standards to be allowed to ‘self-drive’ on the roads throughout the lifetime of the vehicle. Organisations overseeing self-driving vehicles could face sanctions if standards are not maintained.
February 1, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Corruption crackdown under new government anti money laundering laws [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 1 February 2023.

Overseas organisations owning UK land must have publicly declared their true owners, under world leading UK laws to crack down on dirty money.
- Oligarchs and non-compliant organisations face severe restrictions on their ability to buy and sell property and could risk future additional penalties
- further investigatory powers and investment of up to £20 million of allocated spending on economic crime being deployed to tackle money laundering through companies
Overseas companies owning UK land who have not registered their beneficial owners with Companies House could now face penalties such as sale restrictions and tough fines, the government has announced.
Foreign companies were required to declare their beneficial owners on the Register of Overseas Entities by Tuesday 31 January, under world leading new anti-money laundering measures introduced by the government to flush out corrupt elites.

Now that the deadline has passed, foreign companies that have not submitted information to Companies House could face severe sanctions, including financial penalties or prosecution.

The register was introduced as part of a package of tough economic measures announced in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, targeting the illicit wealth of supporters of the Putin regime. The register also exposes criminals using overseas companies to launder money. Recently scammer Dr Ruja Ignatova, the “Cryptoqueen” on the FBI’s most wanted list, was publicly declared the beneficial owner of two intermediaries in Guernsey due to the new requirements.

Business Minister Lord Callanan said:

There is nowhere for the criminals and corrupt elites to hide. We will be using all the tools at our disposal, including fines and restrictions, to crack down on foreign companies who have not complied.

Unregistered companies are already automatically rejected from registering ownership of any new land by HM Land Registry. Any UK buyers will be unable to transfer their title to the deed of any property purchased from non-compliant organisations, frustrating attempts to sell. Criminals purchase a safe investment like land and property through opaque corporate structures to clean their dirty money. The Register brings transparency to these overseas based structures, and the restrictions halt the flow of money for those who do not comply.

Companies House is now assessing and preparing cases for enforcement action. Further regulations will also empower Companies House to impose financial penalties on land owned by non-compliant organisations, as well as pursue other legal avenues.

It is estimated that 19510 out of a total of 32440 registered overseas organisations have declared their beneficial owners. The information gained has also been invaluable for tax and revenue services, bringing transparency to opaque offshore trusts often used to obscure assets for tax purposes.

Companies House and the Insolvency Service will also gain enhanced powers from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill, which has just completed scrutiny in the House of Commons. Through the investment of up to £20 million of allocated spending, both organisations will recruit new teams of intelligence and analytical experts to further boost their capability to tackle money laundering and aid law enforcement.

Louise Smyth, Chief Executive Officer of Companies House said:

The implementation of the Register of Overseas Entities has been another huge step forward in the transformation of Companies House and our role in helping combat economic crime.

We cannot be clearer in our message to these entities; if you ignored warnings and fail to register before the deadline, you will face consequences. This includes not only the prospect of restrictions on your land or property but also a possible fine, prison sentence, or both.
February 1, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Second anniversary of the Myanmar coup – Foreign Ministers joint statement [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 February 2023.

A joint statement from 22 Foreign Ministers and the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs on the two year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar.

A joint statement by the High Representative on behalf of the European Union, and the Foreign Ministers of Albania, Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, the Federated States of Micronesia, Georgia, Ghana, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States, on the two year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar:

On 1 February 2021, the Myanmar military staged a coup d’état and seized power against the will of the people, plunging the country into a deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis.

Over the last two years, the people of Myanmar have courageously demonstrated their commitment to a democratic country, demanding respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and showing determined resilience in the face of unspeakable atrocities.

Since the coup, the military regime has violently cracked down on any form of opposition, including peaceful protests. Credible reports indicate that thousands of civilians, including children, have been jailed, tortured and killed.

There are mounting reports that air strikes, bombardments and the mass burning of villages and places of worship have targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure. Reports of torture and sexual violence by the security forces are widespread. The prolonged conflict has seen thousands of civilian casualties, over 17 million people in need and 1.5 million people displaced from their homes.

We welcome and support the central role of ASEAN in addressing the crisis in Myanmar, including the efforts of the ASEAN Chair and ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar.

We welcome the UN Security Council Resolution 2669 (2022) on the situation in Myanmar which calls for the immediate cessation of violence and the upholding of universal human rights, the provision of full and unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of civilians. It calls on the military regime to effectively and fully implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus, and to immediately release all arbitrarily detained prisoners, including President Win Myint and State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. It reaffirms our support for the ASEAN Special Envoy to Myanmar and the UN Special Envoy to Myanmar and encourages their close coordination. It also urges all parties in Myanmar to work constructively with both Envoys to commence dialogue to seek a peaceful solution.

The military overruled the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar as expressed in the November 2020 General Election, when they seized power on 1 February 2021. We reiterate our call for the return of Myanmar to a democratic path. The military regime must end violence and create space for meaningful and inclusive dialogue to allow for any democratic process to resume.

We once again call on all members of the international community to support all efforts to hold those responsible for human rights violations and abuses to account; to cease the sale and transfer of arms and equipment which facilitate atrocities; and to meet the urgent humanitarian needs of Myanmar’s people, including its most vulnerable communities.

We remain resolute in our support for all those working peacefully towards an inclusive and democratic future for the people of Myanmar.

February 1, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK ready to boost CPTPP’s economic clout, says Trade Minister on Asia-Pacific visit [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for International Trade on 31 January 2023.

Trade Minister Greg Hands heads to Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore for high level trade talks and to promote UK’s accession to CPTPP.
- Trade Minister Greg Hands embarks on three-day trip to Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore
- High level trade talks will focus on benefits of UK joining CPTPP, which would take trade bloc’s GDP to £11 trillion
- Visit underlines UK’s post-Brexit shift to boost trade with Indo-Pacific region – predicted to account for majority of global growth by 2050
Trade Minister Greg Hands arrives in Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore on Wednesday [1 Feb] for high level trade talks on how the UK joining CPTPP will boost the economic clout of the world’s most dynamic trade bloc.

The UK’s membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will add another like-minded partner and strong voice to this powerful alliance, taking the trade bloc’s GDP to £11 trillion. It will give UK businesses tariff-free access on over 99% of goods to a market of around 500 million customers.

As a major economy and strong advocate of free trade, our membership will support the trade bloc to shape the high standards of global trade – particularly in the face of increased protectionism.

With the next round of CPTPP negotiations taking place soon, the Minister will express the UK’s desire to finalise accession at the earliest opportunity – a top priority for both the Trade Secretary, Kemi Badenoch and the Minister.

Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands said:

Joining CPTPP will add even more economic clout to this exciting and dynamic trade alliance, helping it grow to £11 trillion or from 12 to 15% of global GDP.

This visit will also strengthen our bilateral trade relationships with Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore – which total £32bn. These fast-growing economies represent huge opportunities for our life sciences and technology sectors.

Starting in Vietnam, the Minister will head to Hanoi for talks with Vice Minister for Trade & Investment Tran Quoc Khanh. He will also celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

He will then head to Malaysia to sit down with the Minister of International Trade and Industry, Tengku Zafrul Aziz and the Minister of Economy YB Rafizi Ramli.

Malaysian investment into the UK has grown considerably, jumping 57% between 2020 and 2021 to £2.4 billion, with the recent £9 billion redevelopment of Battersea Power Station by a Malaysian consortium symbolising this success.

Finishing in Singapore, Hands will meet with the Minister for Trade and Industry, Minister Gan to discuss CPTPP and the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) signed last summer.

The UK-Singapore DEA is the world’s most innovative trade agreement. The Minister will see first-hand how it is fuelling digital trade, benefitting UK and Singaporean businesses.
February 1, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Thousands more victims to avoid trauma of courtroom cross-examination under plans to boost barrister fees [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 31 January 2023.

Vulnerable victims in up to 4,600 cases involving crimes including sexual abuse and rape will be able to avoid giving their evidence in a full courtroom every year according to new estimates from the Ministry of Justice.
- New estimates predict potential tripling in use of video technology for vulnerable victims every year
- Victims in up to 4,600 cases of sexual violence could pre-record evidence ahead of main trial
- Barristers’ fees boosted to support expansion
The estimates are published alongside new legislation which will for the first-time mean barristers are paid specifically for this work as part of the Government’s £138m extra annual investment in criminal legal aid.

Since September, victims of crimes including rape and sexual assault have been able to pre-record their cross-examination ahead of trial in every Crown Court in England and Wales following a Government-funded rollout of new technology.

This helps victims avoid the stress of giving evidence under full glare of a live trial setting, which many find traumatic.

This latest forecast shows that up to three times as many victims and witnesses could now be supported in this way compared to in the last two years, helping more of them achieve justice and boosting rape convictions.

The increase in fees will see lawyers paid £804, including VAT, for carrying out this work and ensure they are further incentivised to undertake the pre-recorded parts of these trials, potentially boosting capacity further.

Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Dominic Raab said:

We have overhauled the support victims of rape receive and this latest investment will mean more have their voices heard in court without retraumatising them.

Paying barristers specifically for this work will help make sure more victims have this option and is another part of our work to boost rape convictions.

Pre-recorded cross-examination technology is available to certain victims of sexual and modern slavery offences in all Crown Courts in England and Wales. It is also available to vulnerable victims, such as children and those whose quality of evidence is likely to be diminished because of a mental or physical condition.

Measures allow for evidence to be given as close to the time of the offence as possible while memories remain fresh, increasing the likelihood of vulnerable witnesses achieving justice.

It is designed to maintain a defendant’s right to a fair trial and any decision to pre-record evidence is made by a judge on a case-by-case basis.

This new fee for lawyers taking evidence in this way will apply to all new cases from tomorrow (1 February 2023). It will come on top of existing fees for attending court and ground rules hearings where a judge can consider any special measures for vulnerable victims and witnesses.

This £4 million investment is part of the Government’s £138m annual increase in criminal legal aid spending.
February 1, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK sanctions Myanmar aviation fuel businesses marking 2 years since coup [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 31 January 2023.

The UK announced sanctions to increase pressure on the Myanmar military junta, coinciding with the 2-year anniversary of the coup that ousted an elected government.
- UK announces further round of sanctions to ratchet up pressure on Myanmar military junta
- announced ahead of 2-year anniversary of 1 February coup
- sanctions target enablers of air force bombing campaign and repression of the civilian population
Companies supplying the Myanmar Air Force with the aviation fuel to carry out its relentless bombing campaign against innocent people have been targeted by the UK in the latest round of sanctions, announced to coincide with the second anniversary of the brutal coup that ousted Myanmar’s elected government.

Two companies and 2 individuals, all associated with what is known as the Asia Sun group, and integral to the aviation fuel industry in Myanmar, have been sanctioned. The group supplies fuel to the Myanmar Air Force enabling its barbaric air raiding campaign in an attempt to maintain power, killing thousands and displacing hundreds of thousands of Myanmar’s people in the process.

The first of February 2023 marks 2 years since the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically-elected government, led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and installed a military regime. Since then, they have used violence and atrocities to maintain power and supress any opposition voices.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Our sanctions are meticulously targeted to deliver maximum impact, reducing the military’s access to finance, fuel, arms and equipment.

The junta must be held to account for their brutal crackdown on opposition voices, terrorising air raids and brazen human rights violations.

The UK has led a strong, coordinated international response to support the people of Myanmar, their democratic demands and right to fundamental freedoms.

The UK has worked with partners including Canada, the United States and the European Union since the coup to impose coordinated and targeted sanctions against the military regime, its business interests and those who facilitate and profit from its brutal campaign.

Since the coup, the UK has now sanctioned 18 individuals and 30 entities, targeting those responsible for the coup, the subsequent violence, and those facilitating it. These sanctions raise the cost for those aligned with and supporting the regime’s campaign of terror. The UK will continue to use economic statecraft to restrict the military’s access to finance and arms and increase the pressure on them to engage with calls for a return to democracy.

As part of its commitment to a free and open Indo Pacific, the UK has led the international community’s work to support a peaceful resolution in Myanmar and a return to democracy; and pushing for progress towards accountability and justice. It has also played a key role in calling on countries around the world to end the sale and transfer of arms and equipment which facilitate the military’s atrocities.

At the United Nations, the UK successfully passed a Security Council Resolution on the crisis, the first of its kind, to apply further pressure on the military junta to end its violence. It also strongly supports ASEAN’s Five Point Consensus, which demands the military immediately ceases its violence and engages in constructive dialogue with all parties.

Background

Those sanctioned today are:
- Asia Sun Trading Company Limited and Cargo Link Company Limited, both part of what is known as the Asia Sun group which dominates the aviation fuel sector in Myanmar and are involved in the transfer of aviation fuel to the Myanmar Air Force
- Zaw Min Tun: Director and sole shareholder of Asia Sun Trading
- Win Kyaw Kyaw Aung: former Director and shareholder of Asia Sun Trading
View all UK financial sanctions against Myanmar.

Myanmar is the region’s most desperate humanitarian crisis. Following the coup, over 17.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance, including over 1.5 million displaced, of which more than half a million are children.

Humanitarian access is extremely challenging. The UK has led international efforts to channel resources to non-governmental organisations based in Myanmar which are on the frontline, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

Asset freeze

An asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person.

Travel ban

A travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, providing the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971.

View the full UK Sanctions List.
February 1, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Violent offences reduced in areas with multi-agency partnerships [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 31 January 2023.

An estimated 136,000 violent offences have been prevented in areas of England and Wales delivering government-funded programmes to reduce serious violence.

Eighteen areas of England and Wales most blighted by violent crime have been receiving targeted funding for the past three years, to increase police patrols in crime hotspots and provide more support to at-risk young people.

An independent evaluation published today of the government’s ‘hotspot’ policing programme and network of Violence Reduction Units (VRUs) has revealed promising signs the approach is working, with 136,000 violence without injury offences estimated to have been prevented in areas with the programmes.

There are also positive indications that homicides and hospital admissions for violent injuries are reducing in these locations as a result of this funding.

The results come as the new Serious Violence Duty comes into force today, which was brought in by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 and places a legal duty on public bodies to work together to drive down serious violence.

Policing Minister Chris Philp said:

These are outstanding results. Early interventions, which support at-risk kids to make the right choices in life, are helping to keep our communities and streets safer.

Serious violence is a complex issue, which is why we are putting multi-agency working at the centre of our approach.

Violence Reduction Units, hotspot patrols and the recruitment of 20,000 additional police officers will see every community become a safe and prosperous place to live.

Set up in 2019, VRUs are a pioneering multi-agency initiative that brings together local partners in policing, education, health, and local government, to identify vulnerable children and adults and steer them away from a life of crime and violence.

With prevention better than cure, VRUs and GRIP patrols not only reduce violent incidents but see wider benefits. In their third year of operation, for every £1 invested by the Home Office in this serious violence prevention work, there was a return of £4.10 in savings to society.

The Violence Intervention Project (VIP) navigator scheme by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Violence Reduction Unit engages with young people in custody suites, at a time they are most likely to accept help. Support workers create a ‘teachable moment’ to offer support and access to services to steer them back on track.

One eighteen-year old, James (name has been changed), was helped by the VIP team after being caught in possession of a knife and drugs. Weekly mentoring, engagement with a substance misuse worker, and enrolment on a construction course and a gym has helped him stick to his bail conditions. He has not reoffended, has been more open about his mental health and now understands how decisions at this stage of his life can impact his future.

Grace Strong, Director of the Leicestershire Violence Reduction Network said:

The VIP team are seeing hundreds of young people a year and offering them tailored support to make positive changes in their life and reducing their risk of being involved in further serious violence.

These vulnerable young people are becoming supported and empowered, and it is extremely positive for everyone to see them achieve goals that they never thought to be possible.

West Yorkshire VRU runs a similar scheme, in conjunction with the local hospital, to reach those presenting in A&E due to a violent incident.

Dr Alice Downs, Paediatric Emergency Consultant & Department Safeguarding Lead for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said:

When young people come into our hospitals as a result of violent crime we have a small window of opportunity to offer brief intervention using youth workers to empower the young person to make better life choices.

Working with the Violence Reduction Unit has enabled us to establish a team of Navigators who can explore the circumstances that have led to the young person’s hospital attendance, and address these to try and prevent similar incidents occurring.

Their attendance in our Emergency Department provides a valuable opportunity to intervene, improve lives, reduce morbidity and death from violent crime. This in turn should reduce the substantial impact on families and the cost to the NHS.

Building on the successes of VRUs, from today, multi-agency working is a legal obligation for public bodies across England and Wales, through the Serious Violence Duty. Police, health, fire and rescue services, local government and criminal justice partners will now be required to collaborate to find and address the causes of serious violence in their local area.

The duty will aim to continue driving down serious youth violence (as measured by under 25 hospital admissions for assault by a sharp object) across England and Wales, which has already fallen by 20% across England and Wales since March 2020.

February 1, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Vision for nature recovery launched [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 31 January 2023.

Tony Juniper marks the launch of the Environment Improvement Plan.

Thank you SoS for inviting me to speak at what is a defining moment for Nature recovery in this country. As your speech emphasised so clearly, Nature is not a nice to have but vital for our survival, and which is why this Environmental Improvement Plan published today is so important, and so welcome.

We now all know that we are facing into a series of environmental challenges that are very serious, pressing and which are connected to one another. At the global level the heating of our planet and the depletion of Nature are twin evils which drive each other on and place our economies and societies in peril. Their effects are very much felt in England where, in Nature terms, we’ve become one of the poorest countries on Earth.

Countries are beginning to recognise that if we are to secure our future we need to tackle these huge challenges, and do it in an integrated and joined up manner. After the UK government helped to forge global common cause at COP 15, the new Environmental Improvement Plan is a very visible demonstration of this country’s commitment to taking the urgent practical steps needed to reach the targets agreed in Montreal, and indeed those set out domestically while that summit was in progress and as required by the 2021 Environment Act.

The result we have before us today is an ambitious and integrated plan, setting out a package that is broad and geared towards hitting targets. What is required now is a concerted effort across government and society to translate its intent into action.

This can be done, so long as priority is attached to it and we remain focussed on joined-up delivery based on partnerships. Success will not only bring benefits for our depleted natural environment, but also for jobs, food and water security, public health and investment.

The economic benefits arising from Nature recovery are increasingly well understood. Pollination by bees and other insects are worth annually nearly £700 million, sustaining a farming industry worth over £120 billion. In England’s peatlands some 580 million tonnes of carbon are locked away in the ground and out of the atmosphere, at the same time filtering high-quality water into rivers that is worth up to £888 million annually.

A high-quality natural environment attracts visitors and business opportunities. The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site has brought millions of pounds into the local economy and supports up to 2000 jobs, while the England Coast Path generates spending of more than £18 per person per day and health savings of £62 per trip.

Nature recovery thus makes sense at many levels and must begin with halting its long-term decline by 2030. This will not be simple and will take significant new partnerships and integration of effort across the “Four Fs” of farming, forestry, flooding and freshwater.

Each of these elements has its own distinct pressures and goals, but with a holistic approach they can create a real momentum towards meeting the environmental targets and the basis for doing that is in the plan being launched today.

Action to deliver this five-year plan is already well under way and Natural England is proud to be at the forefront of that. In recent years we have been repurposed and revitalised and we are making great strides in working with a wide range of partners to bring Nature recovery to life.

One example is the way we’ve sought to expand the role of National Nature Reserves, designating new sites and joining up neighbouring ones to enable Nature restoration at significant scale.

Over the last three years we have increased the total area of NNRs by 13,000 hectares – equivalent to almost 15% of the total area declared in the previous 67 years since their inception in 1952. We will continue with this programme of expanding NNR coverage through five new significant designations per year during the course of the EIP.

NNRs are among the battery packs of core protected areas that will power the Nature Recovery Network that we and our partners are creating across the country. Containing the finest examples of wildlife, habitat and geology they will also help to power wider Nature Recovery Projects that are now springing into life.

A great example of this is the Somerset Wetlands, where we declared a super NNR last year, which incorporated six existing NNRs within new lands where Nature recovery can take place and which is also at the heart of a new Nature Recovery Project that is ten times the size and which was announced a week later.

We already have six of these large scale Nature Recovery Projects in place and a further 19 are in the pipeline, many of them, like Purple Horizons in the West Midlands, taking Nature recovery into the heart of towns and cities, where many people lack the health and wellbeing benefits that come with connection to the natural world. This and other projects like it will help give effect to the EIP goal of ensuring that every person is no more than 15 mins walk from green space.

On this theme, today also sees Natural England launch a new Green Infrastructure Framework that gives local authority planners and developers the tools and advice they need to ensure that thriving Nature is firmly embedded in their plans for their communities, giving people more opportunity to enjoy the wonders of the natural world.

Today marks a significant new opportunity to change Nature’s fortunes for the better in this country. The EIP charts an ambitious path, and if we can build the partnerships needed to succeed we could during the years ahead begin to see the transformation that we know we must make, marking the moment when we turn from charting Nature’s decline and instead chart its recovery.

January 31, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Dame Jane Francis appointed Royal Society Trustee of the Natural History Museum [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 31 January 2023.

The Secretary of State has appointed Dame Jane Francis to the Board of the Natural History Museum for 4 years.

Dame Jane Francis

Appointed for a four year term commencing 1st February 2023.

Jane Francis is Director of the British Antarctic Survey, a research centre of the UK Natural Environment Research Council. She is involved with international polar organisations, such as the Antarctic Treaty and European Polar Board, and on several advisory boards of national polar programmes.

Jane Francis is a geologist by training, with research interests in past climate change. She has undertaken research projects at the universities of Southampton, London, Leeds and Adelaide, using fossils to determine the change from greenhouse to icehouse climates in the polar regions over the past 100 million years. She has undertaken over 15 scientific expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctica in search of fossil forests and climates of the past.

Jane was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (DCMG) in recognition of services to UK polar science and diplomacy. She was also awarded the UK Polar Medal by H.M The Queen, the Royal Geographical Society’s Patron’s Medal and the 2022 Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Award for Planetary Health. Jane is Chancellor of the University of Leeds and a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Trustees receive no remuneration, except for expenses reasonably incurred in performance of their duties. This appointment has 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. Dame Jane Francis has not declared any significant political activity.

January 31, 2023