Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : New investigative unit launched to handle serious criminal offences across defence [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 5 December 2022.

A new, tri-service and independent body has been launched to investigate criminal offences within the Armed Forces, including rape and sexual assault, the Defence Secretary has announced.

The Defence Serious Crime Command (DSCC) and Defence Serious Crime Unit (DSCU) has the jurisdiction to investigate the most serious crimes alleged to have been committed by persons subject to service law in both the UK and overseas.

The unit, based in Southwick Park, replaces the existing Special Investigation Branches (SIB) and in its place forms an independent crime capability for Defence as part of its commitment to reforming the Service Justice System (SJS). This includes implementing the recommended changes to improve the experience for victims, who will be at the heart of the investigative process.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

This Unit is a step change to improving the quality and capability of the Armed Forces to investigate serious crimes. Fully independent, it will create a critical mass of experience and personnel to ensure our investigations are thorough, high quality and timely.

Lieutenant General James Swift, Chief of Defence People said:

All members of the Armed Forces should have the confidence to report a crime and know that it will be fully investigated.

The Defence Serious Crime Unit becoming operational today will be completely independent of the Chain of Command. This will give our Service men and women reassurance that their concerns will be taken seriously, investigated independently and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Colonel Mark John, Provost Marshal (Serious Crime) said:

This marks a significant improvement for Defence Policing and an opportunity we have seized. We have taken onboard key learnings, best practice and insight from civilian police forces to ensure that victims are central to the investigation. We will continue to work closely with a wide array of partners to maximise the effectiveness of this unit.

The new unit will deliver a more effective policing service staffed by officers trained to the same standard as their civilian counterparts.

All DSCU investigators will be sexual offences investigator trained as standard; special investigators will be sent on the Sexual Offences Liaison Officers courses delivered by the College of Policing, as well as to the Family Liaison Officers Course, the Senior Investigating Officers Course and the Achieving Best Evidence (ABE) interview course.

The unit operates as part of the DSCC which was established in April this year and will also see a new Victim and Witness Care Unit (VWCU) being set up. This will ensure victim care is central to every stage of the investigative and judicial process. This has been done in consultation with specialist external organisations, such as the Survivors Trust and the office of the Victims Commissioner and is expected to be fully operational in early 2023.

The DSCU is further proof that the SJS is fit for purpose, as recognised in the judge led ‘Henriques Review’ in 2020. The SJS will continue to support and provide justice for our personnel wherever they are in the world, which isn’t possible in the civilian justice system. All of this has been implemented alongside work to raise awareness of sexual offending, reporting mechanisms and implications to ensure that service personnel know that they will be believed and that we will act upon any allegation of an offence.

December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Government kickstarts £2.6 billion investment in communities as UK takes back control of EU funding [December 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 5 December 2022.

People across the country will benefit from £2.6 billion of investment as the UK approves spending plans for funding previously run by the European Union.
- UK Government approves local spending plans for UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
- UKSPF matches and succeeds EU funding in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and gives local leaders greater say in how the money is spent.
- Funding will turbo-charge levelling up: supporting local businesses, boosting skills, reviving high streets and improving local pride.
People across the country will benefit from £2.6 billion of investment in skills, improved high streets, support for local business and more green spaces as the UK takes back control and approves spending plans for funding previously run by the European Union.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund succeeds EU structural funding but instead of Brussels deciding how and where the money is spent, the UK Government has been working closely with local leaders in every corner of the UK to direct funding where it is most needed.

Under the spending plans approved today, England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all receiving at least as much as they did before, while also being free from bureaucratic EU processes and having greater say in how the money is used.

Councils in England, Scotland and Wales have drawn up the plans with a wide range of local partners that deliver for people in their areas. They have chosen to spend the money on a range of initiatives, such as supporting people into decent jobs, helping local businesses to grow and fighting anti-social behaviour, and can now begin to deliver these. In Northern Ireland, DLUHC is managing the Fund and has developed a plan in close collaboration with councils, businesses and the community and voluntary sector.

Levelling Up Minister Dehenna Davison said:

“We are taking full advantage of being outside the European Union and unlocking billions of pounds of investment to help level up communities and spread opportunity across the UK.

“The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will have tangible benefits for people up and down the country, from a young entrepreneur in need of a helping hand or those who want to gain the skills they need to secure a decent, well-paid job.

“The UK government has worked closely with local leaders across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, giving them a greater say in how this money is spent and ensuring funding is directed to where it is most needed.”

Across the UK, the money will be spent on levelling up in three key areas:
- Communities and place: projects could include improving parks and green spaces, sports facilities and access to arts and culture to foster a greater sense of pride in place.
- Supporting local business: this include support for entrepreneurs, as well as research and development grants for local businesses to help develop innovative products and services.
- People and skills: projects could include specialist support for people with a health condition facing additional barriers into decent jobs. This may include basic life skills, digital training and education in English and maths. As part of the Fund, a multi-million pound adult numeracy programme, Multiply, has been allocated across the UK to support people with no or low-level maths skills to improve their economic and life prospects.
The UK Government’s flexible approach also means that councils and local partners will have the opportunity to adapt each plan to reflect new economic priorities over the period to 2025.

Today, the UK Government is publishing the UKSPF Investment Plan for Northern Ireland, which set outs how the fund will be delivered. This has been designed to improve pride in place, increase life chances and support growth by investing in key priorities for Northern Ireland.

Funding for the UKSPF will be £2.6 billion between 2022 and 2025, with this figure reaching £1.5 billion per year by March 2025, delivering on the UK Government’s commitment to match EU structural funds for each nation.

Local areas across England will see £1.58 billion, Scotland £212 million, Wales £585 million and Northern Ireland £127 million made available under the fund.
December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Government explores national initiatives to boost the British semiconductor industry [December 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 5 December 2022.

Research project launched to explore ideas to build on UK semiconductor sector’s strengths in design, compound semiconductors and advanced technologies.
- Study, as part of the government’s upcoming semiconductor strategy, will consider how to grow chip design start-ups and testing facilities as well as bring together industry, customers and government to address shared challenges
- Semiconductors underpin almost every electronic device on the planet with the UK among world leaders for chip design
A new national institution could be established as part of plans to boost the infrastructure underpinning the UK’s industry through the government’s upcoming semiconductor strategy.

The strategy will aim to unlock the full potential of British microchip businesses, support jobs and skills to grow the UK’s domestic industry and ensure a reliably supply of semiconductors.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is today commissioning a research project to look into the feasibility of new national initiatives to bring the nation’s industry together to tackle shared challenges and help businesses scale up.

It will look at whether better access to prototyping and manufacturing facilities for chip firms is needed to tackle barriers to innovation and grow the industry. It will also cover opportunities to make specialist software tools more available for start-ups and ways to develop cutting-edge packaging processes, the point in the supply chain where chips are prepared for use.

Semiconductors are materials which conduct electricity more than insulating substances like glass, but less than pure conductors, like copper, and can be altered to meet the electrical needs of a circuit or device. They are found in almost every electrical circuit powering device from phones and cars to ventilators and power stations.

The UK’s semiconductor industry has expanded rapidly over the last decade, with global revenue increasing by 95 per cent between 2012 and 2021. The UK has established a number of major industry strengths, including in chip design, research and compound semiconductors.

Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

We rely on semiconductors – they are in everything from our smartphones, kitchen appliances, and cars all the way through to the supercomputers that support our weather reporting, energy sector and countless other areas of our economy.

In the UK we are leading the world in areas including design and research. We want to build on these successes and keep our semiconductor sector on the cutting edge.

This study will help us meet our ambition and could lead to a new national institution and greater research facilities.

The study will consider how to improve infrastructure in five key areas: industry coordination, silicon prototyping, open-access manufacturing for compound semiconductors, advanced packaging and intellectual property.

The results will inform how the government could deliver on some of the ambitions set out in the forthcoming semiconductor strategy, which will be published as soon as possible and is not dependent on the completion of the feasibility study.

The proposed initiative is one of many options under consideration and does not represent the full breadth of the strategy.

The study will set out the delivery model a national initiative could take to have the most positive impact on the industry, including whether or not the different infrastructure capabilities are centralised in one organisation.
December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Constitutional arrangements in Sudan: Quad and Troika joint statement [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 December 2022.

Statement from Norway, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the USA:

Members of the Quad and Troika (Norway, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States) welcome the agreement of an initial political framework. This is an essential first step toward establishing a civilian-led government and defining constitutional arrangements to guide Sudan through a transitional period culminating in elections. We commend the parties’ efforts to garner support for this framework agreement from a broad range of Sudanese actors and their call for continued, inclusive dialogue on all issues of concern and cooperation to build the future of Sudan.

We urge all Sudanese actors to engage in this dialogue urgently and in good faith. We acknowledge the military has made clear it is ready to step back from politics and engage constructively in the ongoing dialogue. We call on all parties to put Sudan’s national interest above narrow political ends. We also fully support the UNITAMS-AU-IGAD (the Tripartite Mechanism) role in facilitating these negotiations and call on all parties to do the same. Quad and Troika members support this Sudanese-led process and condemn spoilers attempting to restrict political space and undermine Sudan’s stability and democratic transition.

A concerted effort to finalize negotiations and reach agreement quickly to form a new civilian-led government is essential to address Sudan’s urgent political, economic, security, and humanitarian challenges. This is the key to unlocking the resumption of international development assistance and deeper cooperation between the government of Sudan and international partners. We are working with partners to coordinate significant economic support to a civilian-led transitional government to help address the challenges facing the people of Sudan.

December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : British High Commissioner, Dr Christian Turner CMG, to leave Pakistan [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 5 December 2022.

The British Foreign Secretary, The Rt. Hon. James Cleverly MP, has announced the appointment of Dr Christian Turner CMG to a senior diplomatic position in London as Director General Geopolitical (Political Director) at the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). This is a position equivalent to Under Secretary of State.

Currently serving as the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, a position he has held since December 2019, Christian Turner is expected to depart the country and take up his new role in London by mid-January 2023. This follows the end of a standard three year diplomatic posting.

Over his three years as High Commissioner, Christian Turner oversaw the UK’s COVID-19 repatriation efforts, welcomed a UK Foreign Secretary visit, lobbied for and secured direct flights from the UK to Pakistan, initiated a drive to double UK-Pakistan trade by 2025, ensured that the UK was at the forefront of the international Pakistan flood crisis response and played a pivotal role in the promotion of sports diplomacy and the return of the England Men’s cricket team to Pakistan following a 17 year absence.

The British High Commissioner, Christian Turner, said the following:

The last three years have been some of the most rewarding of my life, both professionally and personally. I will continue closely to follow Pakistan’s future in my new role in London.

December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : More than £400m saved as government takes fight to public purse bandits [December 2022]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 5 December 2022.
- Latest figures show more than £400m of taxpayer money has been saved by the National Fraud initiative (NFI), bringing total counter fraud savings to £2.4bn
- Cutting edge data tool helps identify businesses and people trying to steal public money
- Fraudulent disabled passes and bogus benefit claims blocked in crackdown
The equivalent healthcare costs for 129k people in England over the last year has been kept in the government coffers by fraud-fighters, new figures published by the Cabinet Office have revealed.

More than £400 million has been saved for the public purse using cutting-edge data matching software, as the Government clamps down on benefits and tax fraud.

The National Fraud Initiative enables organisations to use data and match records so they can pick up where people or businesses are taking the government for a ride. Since its inception, it’s identified and helped recover around £2.4bn.

The latest figures show around 42,000 fraudulent disabled blue badges were being used and more than 225,000 cases where discounted travel cards of people who had died or didn’t qualify for concessions have now been blocked.

Around 7,000 people who were clogging up the social housing waiting lists of 102 councils despite not being eligible have been identified and removed, opening up affordable housing for those who need it.

Minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin said:

British people work hard for every penny and they rightly expect the government to put everything they’ve got into protecting taxpayers’ money.

“Money stolen from the government through fraud is theft from every taxpayer.

This report shows we saved the taxpayer £443 million. When the country is tightening its belt, government must do the same.

To be even more effective, earlier this year, we set up a new anti-fraud authority which is designed by and led by fraud experts whose express mission is to take the fight to fraudsters.

One case study was in Sandwell where an individual was offered social housing. They then claimed to a neighbouring council that they were homeless and were offered temporary housing. The use of NFI data-matching allowed the fraud to be identified and the individual is now in arrears of nearly £100,000.

Another came in Tameside where a hospitality business which was ineligible for small business support lied to two councils about its size and received more than £40,000 in rates relief.

Interim CEO of the Public Sector Fraud Authority Mark Cheeseman said:

Every day, people are attacking taxpayer funded services for their own gain. The Public Sector Fraud Authority, where the National Fraud Initiative is now based, is part of a wider investment across government to rise to this challenge.

In a difficult context, these latest results are still the best since the National Fraud Initiative started in 1996 – stopping more fraud than at any other point in its history and protecting public money and public services. This achievement is a testament to the work of public servants across the United Kingdom, including Local Authorities and NHS Trusts, who are striving to find and stop fraud.

The newly-established Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) has been backed by £25 million of new funding with a target of saving £180 million for the taxpayer by April 2023.

The PSFA houses the National Counter Fraud Data Analytics Service which includes the NFI, putting the use of data and analytics at the heart of the response to fraud. The new Authority will be working across the government to better understand fraud and solidify defences.

Chief Secretary to the Treasury John Glen said:

This government is coming down hard on fraudsters, using cutting edge data to track them and recover public money.

We’re boosting that work with an extra £280 million to tackle benefit fraud and £79 million to tackle tax fraud. No one is above the law.

At the Autumn Statement, the government announced that it will invest £79 million to tackle tax fraud. HMRC will be given £48 million to strengthen HMRC’s approach to serious fraud, allowing HMRC to pursue more cases, while another £31m will increase HMRC’s capacity to deal with complex tax risks amongst wealthy taxpayers. Together, this investment is expected to raise £725m over the next five years.

An additional £280 million in funding for the Department for Work and Pensions to tackle fraud and error across the benefits system will also help to save £410 million in the next two years and £2.2 billion per year by 2027/28.
December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Action to bolster NHS workforce and retain senior doctors [December 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Health and Social Care on 5 December 2022.

Plans set out to amend NHS pension rules to retain more experienced NHS clinicians and remove barriers to staff returning from retirement.
- Proposals will enable staff to work more flexibly up to and beyond retirement age and protect from excessively high tax charges
- Reforms will help open up extra appointments so patients can see their GP and hospital consultants more quickly
All NHS staff, including senior doctors, will benefit from proposed plans to fix pension rules, supporting them to remain in work for longer and boosting the workforce as the NHS continues to take action to tackle the Covid backlogs.

Building on actions set out in Our Plan for Patients in September, the government has today launched a consultation on changes to the NHS Pension Scheme, to retain experienced NHS clinicians and remove the barriers to staff returning from retirement, such as the 20,000 former NHS staff who returned to support the NHS at the height of the pandemic.

The proposals include introducing flexibilities to allow retired and partially retired staff to return to work or increase their working hours without having payments to their pension reduced or suspended. This will allow staff to claim a portion or all of their pension benefits but continue working and contributing to their pension.

The proposals also fix the unintended impacts of inflation, so senior clinicians aren’t taxed more than is necessary. These measures will enable skilled and experienced staff to continue to contribute to the NHS up to and beyond retirement age.

This means more clinicians to provide appointments, ease winter pressures and deliver care to patients, as well the retention of crucial knowledge and experience to ensure patients are receiving first class care.

Health and Social Secretary, Steve Barclay, said:

The generous NHS Pension Scheme is one of the best in the country, but it’s not working as it should for everyone.

We need a system where our most experienced clinicians don’t feel they have to reduce their workload or take early retirement because of financial worries. I also want to make it easier for staff that want to return to work to support the NHS to be able to do so without penalties.

These proposed changes will help open up extra appointments so patients can see their GP and consultants more quickly. With record numbers of doctors and nurses working in the NHS alongside record funding, I’m focused on giving people the security of knowing the NHS will be there for them when they need it.

The consultation will be open for 8 weeks and reforms are expected to be implemented in late spring 2023. Major reforms being proposed include:
- A new partial retirement option to support older staff who want to work more flexibly and enable them to access part of their pension whilst continuing to contribute to their pension pot. This would allow NHS staff to partially retire, or for those that have retired to return to the workforce, to either claim all or a portion of their pension but continue working and building more pension benefits. Staff will be able to work more flexibly up to and beyond retirement age
- Removing limits on hours recently retired staff can work giving them control over the hours they work in the first calendar month after returning. This is a barrier for retired staff considering returning to the NHS which will be removed, helping increase capacity.
- Allowing retired staff to re-join the pension scheme making returning to work in the NHS more attractive by ensuring senior clinicians and NHS staff can continue to contribute to their pensions from their NHS work
- Fixing the interaction between the pension tax system and inflation to ensure senior clinicians have more headroom against the £40,000 pension tax annual allowance. This means senior doctors are either less likely to receive a tax charge, or will receive a smaller tax charge, reducing the likelihood of early retirement
- Allowing staff working in Primary Care Networks (PCNs), such as GPs and general practice staff, to access the NHS Pension Scheme. Previously they have had to apply for time-limited access on an ad-hoc basis. These proposals will mean they can potentially benefit.
Minister of Health, Will Quince, said:

The changes we are proposing to the NHS Pension Scheme will offer senior clinicians more flexibility and control over how and when they work, putting the decision about their career directly in their hands.

As a result, experienced, senior staff will no longer feel forced to retire early, ultimately benefiting patients by ensuring their expertise remains in the NHS for longer so we can continue to deliver world-class healthcare.”

The plans form part of the government’s commitment to build a stronger health service for the long term and follows the Autumn Statement announcement of up to £8 billion for health and social care in 2024/25. This is on top of previous record funding, and plans to publish a comprehensive workforce plan – due next year – alongside delivering 50,000 more nurses by 2024.

There are over 34,170 more doctors and over 44,820 more nurses working in the NHS since 2010 – a record number of staff. This is as well as 4,000 new trainee doctors accepting GP training placements – hitting the government’s target for GP specialty trainee recruitment for the fifth year running.

With more than 21,000 more primary care staff supporting patients – including nurses and pharmacists – since September 2019 the government is on track to meet its target of 26,000 additional staff by March 2024.
December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : European research funding should be protected [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 21 November 2022.

Minister fears losing opportunities to find new markets.

Innovative Scottish projects may be threatened in the future if the UK Government fails to continue funding European research collaborations, Employment Minister Richard Lochhead has warned.

Mr Lochhead’s concerns are for the future of European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) grants which have been worth more than £72.5 million to Scottish projects since 2014.

Projects previously supported by the grants include a joint scheme between the University of Stirling, NHS Highland and NHS Western Isles to use video technology to help dementia patients stay at home rather than go into residential care and a project developing tools powered by zero emissions hydrogen.

Mr Lochhead has written to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove calling for UK investment in ETC programmes, which are due to end in 2023, to continue for a further four years.

Read Mr Lochhead’s letter in full here.

December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : First Minister comments as COP27 concludes [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 20 November 2022.

Breakthrough with loss and damage fund.

Commenting on the conclusion of COP27 in Egypt, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said:

“COP27 has finally seen an acknowledgement by developed countries that the people least responsible for global warming are the ones suffering its worst consequences and that we have an obligation to support those experiencing the impacts of the climate crisis in the here and now.

“The agreement to establish a fund for loss and damage is truly groundbreaking and is a testament to 30 years of hard campaigning by the global south and civil society. I am pleased that Scotland, in being the first developed country ever to make a financial contribution, has been able to play a small part in that journey working with others over the last twelve months to build the momentum that has led to today’s decision.

“There remains a lot of detail to be worked out over the next year ahead of COP28, but from the inclusion of loss and damage on the agenda, to the agreement to establish a fund, this COP has delivered a real breakthrough for vulnerable and developing countries.

“It is deeply disappointing that the recognition of loss and damage has not been matched by greater action to prevent a worsening of the climate crisis. Keeping 1.5 alive and delivering the fastest possible transition away from fossil fuels is key to preventing greater loss and damage in the future. Alongside loss and damage we needed to see progress on adaptation and mitigation, on the submission of new national contributions, a pathway to 2030 and a strengthening of the language of the Glasgow Pact.

“It is simply not good enough that countries failed to make progress on that agenda, and that there has been such a strong push back on action we all know is needed if 1.5 is to remain truly within reach. It is vitally important that countries recommit themselves to doing everything they can to ensure we keep 1.5 alive and to building a coalition ahead of COP28 that protects and drives progress against any further push back.

“Despite that disappointment, and the challenges faced by civil society in having their voice heard in Egypt, the breakthrough on loss and damage is what I hope COP27 will be remembered for, and that is a vital step forward for the developing world.”

December 5, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Retained EU Law Bill should be ‘withdrawn completely’ [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 15 November 2022.

Alternative amendments proposed if legislation goes ahead.

Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson has once again urged the UK Government to withdraw the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill in its entirety.

Mr Robertson said that should the UK Government press ahead with the Bill, the legislation should be amended to mitigate the most severe impacts of the Bill and to prevent divergence from the high standards and protections previously provided by EU law.

The Scottish Government has today published a list of amendments which include removing the proposed ‘sunsetting’ of over 2,400 pieces of law and taking away the proposed power of UK Ministers to act in areas of devolved policy without the consent of Scottish Ministers.

Details of the proposed amendments have been outlined in a letter from Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson to Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Grant Shapps. This follows the lodging of a Legislative Consent Memorandum recommending the Scottish Parliament withholds consent for the Bill.

Background

The Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill seeks to revoke over 2,400 pieces of EU legislation that were included in the UK statute book at the end of the Brexit transition period. Scottish Ministers have repeatedly highlighted their concerns that the Bill puts standards at risk, including regulations protecting rights for pregnant women at work, environmental standards and requirements to label food for allergens.

December 5, 2022