Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Training for Ukrainian judges begins under UK legal supervision [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 14 December 2022.

A training programme for Ukrainian judges set to conduct trials for war crimes has begun as part of UK efforts to secure justice for the country’s citizens.

A training programme for Ukrainian judges set to conduct trials for war crimes has begun as part of UK efforts to secure justice for the country’s citizens.

More than 90 judges will undergo the UK funded sessions, which are being held in the region under the supervision of Sir Howard Morrison KC, a former Judge at the International Criminal Court. Sir Howard was appointed by the former Attorney General in March to act as an independent advisor to the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, now Andriy Kostin, as part of a wider package of support for the war-torn country.

Attorney General Victoria Prentis KC said:

Ukraine is navigating a horrifying catalogue of war crimes, with 50,000 cases recorded so far – the UK is committed to helping them secure justice.

The training for judges is an important step in making sure those who are committing unthinkable atrocities against innocent civilians are held to account.

We are throwing the full force of our support – including some of the UK’s finest legal minds – to make sure that happens.

The training is just one part of a £2.5m justice and accountability package of UK assistance directly to Ukraine. In May, the UK, the US and EU, established the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group to directly support the War Crimes Units of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine – to assist in streamlining coordination, avoiding duplication, and providing advice and practical assistance.

The package also includes the deployment of Mobile Justice Teams to the scene of potential war crimes, forensic evidence gathering and support from UK experts in sexual violence in conflict.

A further £1million was pledged in funding for the International Criminal Court, whose work includes an investigation into the brutalities being committed by Russian forces as the ongoing conflict continues.

Sir Howard Morrison KC said:

The first sessions have now taken place, they had a focus on international and humanitarian law with an emphasis on trying war crimes cases and producing a full judgment in an international court of law.

The judges are of course very experienced in Ukrainian domestic law, but many have never tried war crimes before, and it is specialised business.

Andriy Kostin is doing an excellent job and faces a task almost unparalleled in modern history as he prepares to take the Russian forces responsible for these abhorrent crimes to trial during a live conflict.

At the G7 justice ministers meeting in Germany this month, the UK co-signed the Berlin declaration in a pledge of ‘unwavering solidarity to Ukraine”.

December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : New over £650m support package for Ukrainians sees increased ‘thank you’ payments for longer-term hosts [December 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 14 December 2022.

Thousands of families who opened their homes to Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s illegal war will now receive a package of further support.
- Homes for Ukraine hosts to receive £500 a month as a ‘thank you’ for ongoing support after Ukrainian’s first year of sponsorship
- £150m additional funding for local authorities across the UK to help support Ukrainian guests move into their own homes and reduce the risk of homelessness
- Councils in England to get new £500m fund to acquire housing stock for those fleeing conflict (including from Ukraine and Afghanistan) and reduce homelessness
- New potential hosts urged to come forward and apply to re-match existing guests through the scheme
Thousands of families who opened their homes to Ukrainians fleeing Putin’s illegal war will now receive a package of further support, as government urges new potential hosts to come forward and apply for re-matching.

Over 100,000 Ukrainians have sought sanctuary in the UK through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, one of the fastest, biggest and most generous visa programmes in British history.

Now, in recognition of their ongoing support amidst the rising cost-of-living, all sponsors will receive an increased ‘thank you’ payment of £500 a month for guests who have been in the country for over a year.

‘Thank you’ payments will also be extended from 12 months to two years, so that guests who may not yet be ready to move into independent accommodation can stay in sponsorship for longer where sponsors are willing to extend arrangements.

In cases where sponsorships can no longer continue, councils in all parts of the UK will receive help to house Ukrainians through a one-off pot of government funding worth £150 million, as well as a new £500m Local Authority Housing Fund in England. Local Authorities are best placed to understand the support needed for local communities and, as is typically the case for various local authority funding, they will also be able to use this £150 million of funding to support other people at risk of homelessness.

This housing £500m fund will be reserved for councils in England to obtain housing for those fleeing conflicts (including in Ukraine and Afghanistan) and is expected to provide up to 4,000 homes by 2024, reducing the impact of new arrivals on existing housing pressures and eventually providing a new and permanent supply of accommodation for local communities.

Secretary of State, Michael Gove said:

“I am immensely proud of this country’s dynamic and heart-warming response to the aggression of Putin’s war.

“We have stood firm with Ukraine but we owe special thanks to the tens of thousands of families across the UK who opened their homes and their hearts to Ukrainians fleeing war.

“In recognition of their ongoing support, I’m pleased to confirm that they will see their ‘thank you’ payments uplifted for their second year of sponsorship”

Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan said:

“I am proud that the people of Britain continue to stand by our Ukrainian friends. Our brilliant sponsors and our local councils are at the very heart of this country’s response to Putin’s appalling war in Ukraine.

“Hosting a Ukrainian family is a massive commitment and from the amazing sponsors I’ve met, I also know that the rising cost of living is putting additional pressures on both household and local finances. That is why we are increasing ‘thank you’ payments to keep this incredibly successful programme going.

“But our work is not done yet. The crisis in Ukraine continues and I urge anyone who is able to, to come forward and volunteer as a sponsor.”

The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain said:

‘Ukrainians everywhere are grateful to the government and the British people for opening their homes and hearts to Ukrainians fleeing their homes as a result of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. We welcome today’s announcement, which recognises the commitment of sponsors during difficult economic times, and will provide additional support and reassurance to Ukrainian families as they rebuild their lives and seek to overcome the trauma of war.’

So far over 100,000 visas have been issued through the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and 22,000 Ukrainian guests have arrived in Scotland, 6,000 in Wales, and 700 in Northern Ireland, including those sponsored directly by the Scottish and Welsh Governments.

In some cases, where guests ‘rematch’ with new sponsors – these sponsors will be eligible for the increased payment if the guest is in their second year here in the UK.

In light of wider pressures on the public finances and to reflect the fact that a fraction of Ukrainian arrivals return to Ukraine, after arriving in the UK, the Government is having to take tough decisions including to reduce the council tariff to £5,900 per person for arrivals entering the UK from 1 January 2023.

Councils will continue to receive the previous year one amount for any Ukrainian already in the UK. Local Authorities will continue to receive separate funding in 2022-23 for the Ukraine education tariff under the rates and terms previously set out (a per child tariff of £3,000 for early years, £6,580 for primary and £8,755 for secondary and payments calculated on a pro-rata basis); and the Ukrainians families will also continue to receive government support on skills training, job centre access and welfare payments.

The £500m Local Authority Housing Fund can be used by councils in England to buy housing stock, build new homes, convert existing non-residential properties, and refurbish delipidated housing or empty homes into accommodation for families. Due to the unique challenges presented by the different groups this money will be used to target the specific needs of each cohort in a particular area.

We always anticipated that a proportion of sponsorships would fail, or would come to an end due to changing circumstances. Our wider package, together with the £2bn funding provided for homelessness and rough sleeping at the 2021 Spending Review and the £50m top-up to the Homelessness Prevention Grant this year, are designed to help prevent potential homelessness numbers rising as rapidly as they otherwise could have done. The UK Government will continue to work with the Ukrainian government, the devolved administrations, local authorities and charities and voluntary groups to support guests and sponsors under the Scheme.

All arrivals in the UK have the right to work, and to receive benefits and access public services from day one. According to the latest figures from the ONS, 56% of Ukrainian adults surveyed who had arrived in or before June were in work. 66% of those out of work are intending to look for work in the next month and 17% were already in the private rented sector. The Government is keen to ensure that Ukraine guests receive the support they are entitled to while they are in the UK, and in particular are helped into employment and suitable accommodation, as soon as possible.
December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Welsh community groups receive over £1m in UK Government Funding [December 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 14 December 2022.

Projects in Denbighshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion will receive a share of £150 million in the latest round of the UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund.

The UK Government has supported community venues across Wales that were at risk of being lost forever with £1.1 million of levelling up funding from The Community Ownership Fund.

The UK Government’s £150 million Community Ownership Fund helps community groups take ownership of local institutions falling into disrepair and give them a new lease of life so they can continue to provide vital services, create more opportunities for local people and boost local economies

The five projects celebrating newly-successful bids in Wales include a social enterprise in Pembrokeshire, a 180 year old village shop in Llandyrnog and a group that has taken over a former hotel to offer vital support to people with chronic and life limiting conditions.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said:

I want to see the places that local communities cherish survive and thrive for future generations – that is levelling up in action.

Whether it’s town halls or the village shops that mean so much to rural communities, the Community Ownership Fund is breathing new life into Welsh institutions by putting them into the hands of local people.

Welsh Secretary David TC Davies said:

Last year we launched three new funds – the Levelling Up, Community Renewal and Community Ownership funds – which have so far seen more than 175 projects right across Wales given more than £165m for schemes ranging from improvements to road infrastructure in the Rhondda to money for Gwynedd locals to help buy their community pub.

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

Levelling up is at the centre of the UK Government’s ambitions and communities across Wales will be transformed over the coming years as this funding continues.

Dr Alan Axford OBE, HAHAV’s Chair of Trustees said:

We are amazed and delighted to have been awarded such a substantial grant from COF. This investment will be transformational, enabling us to protect, Plas Antron – our ‘Living Well Centre’. The building makes such a difference to the quality of life for hundreds of people across Ceredigion each year, many of whom are isolated and vulnerable.

Without the COF grant, Plas Antaron was at risk of being lost with time rapidly running out for us to secure the funding required to finalise the purchase.

We would like express our sincerest thanks to the UK Government, The Welsh Government, and everyone locally who has assisted in fundraising towards this vital project, for their life-changing support.

Successful projects confirmed include:
- The ‘Haverhub’ in Pembrokeshire, a social enterprise nestled in the heart of the historic Quay Street and Riverside Quarter, will take ownership of their building so they can provide a variety of educational courses for local people.
- Over £170,000 will help dedicated volunteers at the Aberystwyth and District Hospice provide vital support to people with chronic and life limiting conditions and their carers. The grant will give the local community the funds they need to buy their premises outright.
- The doors of an 180-year old village shop in Llandyrnog will fly open once again to warmly welcome local people. The shop will act as a community hub for the village and support people’s mental health with £200,000 in funding
- In Ceredigion, the Aberporth Village Hall will be rebuilt brick by brick into an environmentally friendly community hub to act as a one-stop-shop for tourists and local business.
The move forms part of the government’s drive to level up local communities across the country, create more opportunities for local people and boosting local economies as a result.

Combined with Round 1 projects, this additional funding takes the overall total to £16.74m for 70 Community Ownership Fund projects, with £1.6m so far allocated to Wales.
December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Russia has attempted to break the foundations of European security – UK statement to the OSCE [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 14 December 2022.

Ian Stubbs (UK delegation to the OSCE) thanks Belgium as OSCE FSC chair for focusing on Russia’s unprovoked, barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Thank you, Mr Chair. I would like to start by thanking you for your stewardship over the past trimester, and your dedicated team who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the Forum for Security Cooperation (FSC) has remained relevant and able to fulfil its mandate during these extraordinarily challenging times.

It is absolutely right that this Forum has focused on Russia’s unprovoked, barbaric and illegal invasion of Ukraine. Russia has attempted to break the foundations of European security, violating the UN Charter and flagrantly disregarding the Helsinki Final Act’s core principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force. Under Belgian leadership this trimester, we have shown that these principles and this Forum matter, and that we will stand up to defend both.

Mr Chair, the Security Dialogues conducted under your chairpersonship focused different thematic lenses on Ukraine. On Children and Armed Conflict, we discussed the harrowing impact that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had on Ukraine’s 7.5 million children – on their health, education, family life and futures. On Women, Peace and Security, we saw how Ukrainian women have constituted a large majority of the victims of the heinous atrocities committed by the Russian Forces. And how they have been instrumental across the breadth of humanitarian, political, and security efforts in the defence of their country – a sad reminder of the need for full, equal and meaningful participation of women during and after conflicts to achieve better outcomes.

Mr Chair, it is nearly 300 days since the world watched in horror as Russia conducted its attack on Ukraine. Since 24 February, we have seen the extraordinary determination of the Ukrainian people as they defend their homeland. With support from their partners, Ukraine has shown that agility, ingenuity, mission command, and effective operational and tactical planning can have a devastating effect against a so-called super power.

In response, we have seen an out-manoeuvred and frustrated Russian military unleash horrendous amounts of violence on civilians and critical national infrastructure. We have watched Russia resort to blunt edged attrition to reduce entire cities, towns and villages they could not take to rubble. We have watched Putin and his military leadership attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure to deprive families of shelter, light, and heat this winter. These actions are a great moral stain upon the Russian military, and one which will never be forgotten.

Here in Vienna, we have watched our Russian colleagues use this Forum as a mouthpiece to try to justify the unjustifiable. Despite their privileged ability to watch uncensored news from around the world, they have perpetuated a campaign of lies, threats and propaganda. They have concocted increasingly ridiculous false claims and made allegations of an epic scale, which do not stand up to the scantest of scrutiny. They have shattered the trust and belief that all of us in this room seek a secure and stable region and work in good faith to achieve it.

In the face of Russia’s lies, we have highlighted the truth:

That Putin made a grave miscalculation when he chose to invade a sovereign neighbour.

That Putin and his Generals have sent thousands of Russia’s own citizens to their deaths, poorly trained, poorly equipped and poorly led. Mobilising amateurs and convicts to the battlefield to provide numbers and mass in place of fighters and effective leadership.

That the persistent and institutional poor decision making by the Kremlin is having a terrible impact on the Russian people – needless deaths; grieving families; discontent; and isolation. Millions of young Russians will bear the cost for years to come for an invasion they did not choose, nor vote for.

Mr Chair, no one can deny the Belarusian regime is an active supporter of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. However, Russia is increasingly attempting to use Belarus to distract from its own failures. We call on the Belarusian regime to recognise this, desist from supporting Russia’s attempts to stoke further instability in the region and stop its support of Russia’s illegal invasion, which itself constitutes a breach of international law.

Mr Chair, we hope that your focus and approach to the FSC this trimester will be a legacy that continues. The UK looks forward to working with the incoming Bosnia and Herzegovina Chair in what will continue to be a challenging period for the FSC, the OSCE and European Security writ large.

However, none of it measures against the challenges our Ukrainian friends face as they fight for their homeland in a war they did not choose and against an enemy who has demonstrated a disregard for international law, sovereignty, and human rights. This must remain at the forefront of our minds and efforts throughout the winter and into the next trimester. The UK and the international community will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. Thank you.

December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK Government must act now to support households in Northern Ireland – Andy Allen [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 12 December 2022.

Ulster Unionist Communities spokesperson Andy Allen MBE MLA has written to the Energy Minister, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland calling for the release of at least £200 of the £600 committed by Westminster to households in Northern Ireland before the end of December.

Speaking as confusion continues to grow on when and how the energy support payments would be delivered to households in Northern Ireland, Mr. Allen said:

“It is a complete failure that, while households across England, Scotland and Wales have been receiving financial support since October, the Government at Westminster is still debating how and when equivalent support will be delivered to Northern Ireland households.

“As temperatures continue to drop, families throughout Northern Ireland – many who were expecting support to arrive last month – are struggling to heat their homes or put food on the table with many having to ration food, electricity and heating.

“I have already highlighted that local energy companies have indicated that they can deliver the original scheme to every household with an electricity account – a model that seems to no longer be preferred by Westminster – although I have no idea why they have changed their mind at the 11^th hour.

“I have today written to the Energy Minister, Grant Shapps, copying in the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, asking them to urgently release at the very least £200 of the energy support for each household in Northern Ireland, to be distributed by local energy companies before the end of December. While this is less than people are expecting, it could provide some support for those families and individuals facing the bleakest winter imaginable, whilst the Government works with the utmost urgency to deliver their alternative model.

“This would place Northern Ireland in a similar position to the rest of the UK, who will have received just under £200 for energy support by the end of this month. It is the least Westminster can do to help alleviate increasing hardship. Of course, this should be complemented by an Executive to deliver further short-term support measures alongside the development of medium to longer-term intervention.

“It is imperative the Government acts with urgency to deliver the support which was promised.”

December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Robin Swann welcomes confirmation of health pay awards in Northern Ireland [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 8 December 2022.

The Former Ulster Unionist Minister of Health Robin Swann has welcomed the decision from the Department of Health to implement the independent pay review body’s recommendations for health staff.

Robin Swann said:

“This is very welcome but belated confirmation that our health workers in Northern Ireland will receive the same rate of pay as their counterparts in England and Wales. Earlier this year when the recommendations were announced, I made it clear that I accepted the increases and stated I wished to see them implemented as quickly as they could legally be delivered.

“Restoring pay parity was the very first decision I took as Minister in early January 2020 and it’s been shameful that due to lack of a functioning Executive, a gap in pay had developed once again over recent months.

“Whilst I fully appreciate that the national pay recommendations of at least an extra £1,400 per year or a 4.5% increase still falls short of what many HSC staff are seeking in the midst of the current cost of living crisis, it’s an outrage that they had to wait so long into the year for even the basic increase to be implemented.

“I wrote to the Secretary of State over a month ago urging him to intervene and so I very much welcome the recent clarity on public sector pay policy which has now legally allowed this decision to be taken.

“I am concerned however that given the ongoing budgetary uncertainty at Stormont and the fact that the budget for 2022/23 has only just been agreed four months from the end of the year, that the funding for this essential pay award may come at the expense of investing critical resources at the continued efforts underway to tackle waiting times. I really hope it isn’t an either-or situation, but if necessary, the Department of Health locally must be provided with the additional funds. Patients and key service improvements in areas such as cancer & mental health mustn’t be allowed to fall victim to the damaging political and budgetary delays outside of their control.

Robin Swann concluded: “Given we are now only a couple of weeks away from Christmas it’s my sincere hope that the increases in pay, backdated to April 2022, can be included in the December pay of our health workers.”

December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Mary Lou McDonald’s comments are an insult to the Irish People – John Stewart [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 30 November 2022.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s East Antrim MLA John Stewart said:

“On television on Monday night Mary Lou McDonald was asked if she believed IRA violence was justified. In response she said ‘I believe what was justified was the right of the Irish people to stand against British Imperialism and to fight for our freedom.’

“Her comments encapsulate perfectly the parallel universe in which those who endorse or seek to justify physical force republicanism operate.

“The IRA were not acting on behalf of the Irish people – no matter how you might choose to define the term ‘the Irish people.’

“The Irish people did not endorse the IRA campaign because their political wing – Sinn Fein – received a very small vote during the 1970s and 1980s and was so small it could not be said to constitute an endorsement of anything.

“The Irish people did not authorise or carry out atrocities such as Bloody Friday, Claudy, Birmingham, La Mon, Enniskillen or Warrington. Nor did the Irish people ask for the murder of Garda Jerry McCabe, Garda Gary Sheehan, Private Patrick Kelly or Prison Officer Brian Stack let alone the many RUC officers, Prison Officers and Soldiers murdered in Northern Ireland.

“Those were solely the work of the Provisional IRA. They were terrorist acts by people who had no mandate and who operated under no lawful authority.

“To claim that those responsible were in any way acting on behalf of the Irish people is to insult the Irish people and try to make them complicit in foul and brutal murders.

“No normal democratic political party would find itself in the position Sinn Fein chooses to place itself in time and time again, where it can’t condemn terrorist murders without trying to caveat or equivocate.”

December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Nicholson slams ‘disgusting’ attack on local Orange hall [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 29 November 2022.

Armagh Ulster Unionist councillor Sam Nicholson has hit out at a ‘disgusting’ attack on his local Orange Hall at Crosskeys Road, Keady.

Mr Nicholson said:

“I am totally disgusted at the low life thugs who under the cover of night have sprayed sectarian and offensive slogans across the front of my local Orange Hall, which is the home of Crosskeys LOL 88.

“It is a despicable act and abhorrent that anyone could stoop so low. Our local community feels violated by this incident and people in the area are shocked and saddened that there are those who would seek to inflict misery and heartache upon our lodge and our band. We simply want to be respected and be able to celebrate our Orange culture but clearly our very existence is too much for some who are so insecure in their own culture and identity that they feel the need to attack the symbols of others.

“This is nothing less than narrow-minded bigotry. It is not just an attack on bricks and mortar, this is an attack on Unionists and the Orange Order and the many people in the community who use this facility. I utterly condemn those responsible. There can be no place in society for this bitterness and hatred and it speaks volumes about the perpetrators.

“I have been in contact with the police to report this matter and also share the views and distress of the local community.

“I also call on all political leaders to condemn those who continue to attack Orange halls. It speaks volumes that this hall has to have security shutters across all its windows and doors in the first place.

“I appeal to anyone with information to report it to the PSNI by contacting them on 101.”

December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : McCready condemns cowards behind attacks in the North West [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 23 November 2022.

Londonderry Ulster Unionist Councillor Ryan McCready has described the people behind the spate of recent attacks in Londonderry and Strabane as absolute cowards and warned that local people will not be intimidated.

Alderman Ryan McCready said:

“Over this past week there have been a number of attacks in Londonderry and Strabane. These have been attacks on the entire community and the one heartening thing is the outright condemnation that has resulted from right across the political spectrum and from every shade of opinion.

“My message to the people responsible is very straightforward. You are absolute cowards, nobody wants you in society, you are the dregs of society and the people of this City and district will stand up to you and won’t be intimidated.

“The days of the men and women of violence using intimidation, threats or real violence are long gone. People want the chance now to live in peace with their neighbours. They know that violence is futile and only ends up creating misery and filling prisons and graveyards.

“They want their children to be able to go to school and receive their education that opens the pathway to jobs and opportunities. They want to be able to go to work and provide for their families. And they want their elderly relatives to live in their own homes free from fear. All that was disrupted by security alerts and bomb attacks this past week.

“If anyone has a problem with policing or politics then let them stand for election and seek the support of the people of Londonderry, Strabane or anywhere else in Northern Ireland. That is how change is achieved, with the support of the people.

“Once again I would appeal to anyone who can help the police to catch these gangsters to come forward with information and get these people removed from society so we can return to living without fear.”

December 14, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Nesbitt praises bravery of police officers following Strabane attack [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ulster Unionists on 18 November 2022.

The Ulster Unionist Party’s Policing Board representative Mike Nesbitt MLA said:

“Last night’s attack on police officers in Strabane was an attack on the entire community.

“In addition to the widespread disruption caused to the local community in that area of Strabane, two police officers will have been traumatised and my thoughts and best wishes are with those officers, their families and their colleagues at this time.

“Every single community in Northern Ireland is entitled to a police service. Nobody has the right to attack anyone, least of all police officers whose role is to keep us all safe and to solve crime. The bravery of our police officers is in total contrast to the cowardice of those who skulk in the shadows and plot to attack them.

“Whether you want a new Ireland, a united Ireland or a partitioned Ireland, you have no right, no authority and no mandate to murder police officers or anyone else.

“Whoever was responsible for this attack is trying to drag this country back to a past we have long since left behind. They have nothing positive or of any use to offer and they need to be caught, brought before the courts and punished to the full extent of the law.”

December 14, 2022