Thank you David for that very kind introduction and can I say on behalf of everyone, thank you Deloitte for hosting this event this evening. In particular Denis Woulfe, a member of the Women’s Business Council, who I know was instrumental in making this all possible. Thank you for everything you do on this agenda.

I’m delighted to be here during such an important time for gender equality. Around the world, business leaders, politicians and even Hollywood celebrities are talking about the gender pay gap (GPG).

I think you all have a copy of the report which is fantastic and I encourage you all to read it.

And the Prime Minister couldn’t have been clearer when he said at our Party Conference “You can’t have true opportunity without real equality”. And that’s why one of the first things he announced after the general election was a pledge to eliminate the gender pay gap in a generation.

This is not only the right thing to do but it’s also important for our country. The UK economy is dependent on us harnessing the talent of women, capitalising on the wealth of skill that they bring to our workplaces.

McKinsey estimate that the UK could add £0.6 trillion of additional annual GDP in 2025 by fully bridging the gender gap.

As Ann Francke, who you’re going to hear from shortly puts it so well in the report being launched today “What business leader in their right mind would turn away returns like this?”

The business case is clear, and that’s why I’m so pleased to see so many companies from so many different sectors here today – I know that by working together, we can achieve great things.

The Lord Davies Review is an excellent example of what we can achieve through partnership. Over the last five years, we have more than doubled the number of women on our FTSE 100 boards.

And importantly, we announced only yesterday that Sir Philip Hampton, the Chair of GlaxoSmithKline, will take forward a new review on women on boards which will specifically look at gender diversity and the executive pipeline.

Sir Philip is one of the world’s most influential business leaders and chair of one of the world’s most powerful companies. And when I spoke to him just last week, he told me what a huge privilege it was to work on this agenda.

We need more men to have that attitude. Women’s equality is important for everyone – for women, men, for business and for the next generation.

I don’t believe that it is only incumbent on women to speak out for women’s equality, and I don’t believe that it is for women alone to fight for this – we all have a responsibility. So I’m delighted to see such a diverse audience here tonight.

Sir Philip will be working alongside Dame Helen Alexander, chair of UBM, along with a steering group of inspirational business leaders from all walks of life. This work is crucial to tackling the gender pay gap and I look forward to working with Sir Philip as his review takes shape.

And we mustn’t forget that already Think, Act, Report has created a vast community of best practice on maximising female talent. Around 300 businesses are signed up, collectively employing over 2.5 million people. If you haven’t signed-up yet, I’d urge you to do so and benefit from the advice and support offered.

Together we can continue to drive change and dispel the myths that have often stalled progress.

One of the biggest myths – and often a source of confusion – is around what we even mean by the gender pay gap. Too many still conflate this with equal pay.

Now, the principle of equal pay was won in Dagenham over forty years ago (although that doesn’t mean it still doesn’t need to be enforced), whereas the gender pay gap is something far more complex – something we must all work together to crack – marking the average difference between men and women’s hourly earnings.

Progress

Sometimes we can be too hard on ourselves. We have made significant progress in recent years with the current gender pay gap being the lowest on record. We’ve virtually eliminated the gap for full-time workers under 40 and the gap for the over-40s is shrinking too.

We also have more women in work than ever before: one million more since 2010, women’s salaries are rising, and there are now around over one million women-led SME businesses – more than ever before.

But let me be clear, we cannot be complacent. I want to say something very simple: in our society, which places principles like fairness and opportunity at its heart – ANY gap is still too great.

I know that if we are to end the gender pay gap in a generation we need to do much more. And that’s why one of the first announcements following the election, was the commitment to act on our manifesto pledge to require companies with more than 250 employees to publish the difference between the average pay of their male and female employees.

With over £40 billion paid in bonuses in the UK in 2014-15 and a gender bonus gap of 57%, I welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement last year that bonuses would also be part of the reporting requirements.

Since then, as you’ve just heard from David at Deloitte, more and more companies are already publishing gender pay information.

We have been learning from those who have already published. Like Tesco, who publish a median gender pay gap, Deloitte who publish a mean gender pay gap and Mitie who publish the numbers of men and women working at different pay bands.

And we have been testing what works using real employee data – because we want this to work in the interests of employers as well as employees.

And we are not alone. Around the world countries like ours are using transparency to drive and accelerate change so that we all have a fair chance at success in the workplace.

Just last week President Obama announced new pay transparency rules for US companies arguing that “women are not getting the fair shot that we believe every single American deserves”.

I expect that every company here today will be aware of these regulations and many of you have provided useful feedback to the first consultation document, which received over 700 responses. Thank you if you took the time to take part.

We will be outlining the full details of these regulations very shortly in the form of a second consultation on the draft regulations themselves where we will ask again for your input.

We are determined to get this right, to ensure that the regulations are fit for purpose and workable for business.

Why transparency is important

However, many people might question what difference these regulations will actually make, if pay transparency will really overturn years of ingrained cultural practices and decades of gender imbalance in business.

The fact is, transparency is one of the most powerful tools that we have for shaping behaviour and driving change.

Transparency will cast a light on the challenges of progressing in the workplace and create the pressure we need to drive change. This will enable the impact of workplace policies and practices to be monitored and discussed.

And don’t just take it from me; take it from the businesses who have already started to benefit from this increased transparency:

• Easyjet have said that “being transparent and reporting on gender is helping them to focus on how they can continue to make progress”.

• BHP Billiton, who you will hear from shortly, said “experience shows that those items that get measured and disclosed are better understood and acted upon”.

• And PWC have said that their “reputation and brand has benefited from gender pay disclosure”.

That’s why events like today are so important - they are about showing what can be achieved through increased transparency.

We have to celebrate this change in business culture and share best practice – and I’m so pleased to see so many of our important trailblazers in the audience today including my former ministerial colleague Jo Swinson. I believe that your determination and achievements will inspire others to follow suit.

And I’m delighted that the Government Equalities Office, alongside Business in the Community will be once again holding the Think, Act, Report Transparency Award later this year.

This is another fantastic opportunity to showcase the range of information already being published. I know Deloitte, BHP Billiton and Sodexo are shortlisted for this year’s award and I’d like to wish them the very best of luck.

I’m also clear that what we expect of business we should expect of ourselves and that’s why I welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement last year that the gender pay gap regulations will be extended to the public sector.

The public sector pay gap is currently 18.5%, only just below the national average, and although some public bodies already publish pay gap data, I want to ensure that this good practice spreads across all larger public authorities.

Tackling the causes of the Gender Pay Gap

Transforming the workplace

So as I’ve said, transparency is one of the greatest tools we have for eliminating the gap, but we must also tackle the root causes. Women working in the UK still earn on average less than men because too few women get to the top and too many are concentrated in lower pay sectors.

To tackle this we must deliver a workplace fit for the 21st century and that’s why we are breaking down the barriers preventing women from progressing to the top:

• More than 20 million employees can now request flexible working, providing more choice for working parents;

• we’ve introduced shared parental leave because we know childcare is an issue that affects both mothers and fathers, and;

• we’ve committed to double the free hours of childcare provided for working parents of 3- and 4-year-olds, from 15 hours to 30 hours a week – and we are moving closer to realising this manifesto commitment as our Childcare Bill makes its way through Parliament.

Now many of the businesses in this room have already introduced policies aimed at modernising the workplace and ensuring that their female employees are able to reach their full potential:

• So our host Deloitte have introduced a ‘Return-to-work programme’ – the first of its kind in professional services in the UK, to help senior women who have had time away reconnect with the company.

• Ford has introduced on-site childcare and dedicated Maternity Advisers for pregnant female employees.

• And last week I was at KPMG in Canary Wharf where I heard about the fantastic work being done on diversity, including through the well-established KPMG Network of Women.

Occupational segregation

But as many of the companies in the audience will know, occupational segregation is also a significant contributing factor to the gender pay gap.

Many of the highest paying sectors are disproportionately made up of men while women remain concentrated in lower paid occupations. For instance, women make up 92% of secretaries but only 9% of engineers.

Research shows that those working in science or technological careers are paid, on average, 19% more than other professions.

That’s why we are breaking down the traditional belief that some careers are only ‘for the boys’ through initiatives like the Your Life campaign and the Your Daughter’s Future programme.

We are making good progress with a record 12,000 more STEM A-level entries from girls since 2010.

But if we truly want to close the gender pay gap then we must do more.

We have had some powerful female role models in the past like Ada Lovelace whose passion and vision for technology, have made her a powerful symbol for modern women in the sector. Building on her legacy are women like Roma Agrawal, whose childhood love of Lego inspired her to create iconic buildings like The Shard and inspire today’s women and girls to study STEM subjects.

And I’m delighted that the report published here today highlights some of the excellent work which is already being done to improve female representation in STEM.

Conclusion

I’m a firm believer that actions speak louder than words and that’s why I’m passionate about driving this agenda forward, starting with our drive for pay transparency.

But government cannot do this alone, and that’s why events like today and your commitment are so important. We need you, the businesses of Britain, to seize this opportunity so that together we can make the changes we want to see in our society.

I want to thank you all for the work you have done so far and for your continuing commitment.

Your achievements demonstrate what business can do and how important it is in hiring and retaining the best talent. Every business should commit to ending the gender pay gap because in today’s competitive global market, women who don’t feel truly valued will simply look elsewhere. And who can blame them?

Thank you.

The event took place in London at 1 Wimpole Street.

Jim Pennycook, Head of Operations at CDE,introduced CDE and gave an overview of proof-of-concept research funding opportunities for innovative science and technology providers.

Technical experts from Dstl (the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) provided specific information about the themed competition: detect and treat hearing loss and tinnitus. This competition has up to £500,000 available for fully funded phase-1 projects.

View the presentation slides from the morning session.

In addition, Bruce Hardie, CDE’s Technology Manager, talked about how to create an effective proposal for CDE funding and CDE’s enduring competition.

View the presentation slides from the afternoon session.

Attendees were able to book a face-to-face meeting with CDE and Dstl subject matter experts to discuss potential proposals to the ‘detect and treat hearing loss and tinnitus’ themed competition

There were networking opportunities with other potential bidders, current Dstl suppliers, CDE, Dstl and military experts.

About CDE

CDE funds novel, high-risk, high-potential-benefit research. We work with the broadest possible range of science and technology providers, including academia and small companies, to develop cost-effective capabilities for UK armed forces and national security.

CDE is part of Dstl.

With heavy rain across the south east over the last week, flows on the River Thames have increased. These high flows have coincided with spring tides (when tides are usually at their highest during the tidal cycle) so the Environment Agency will close the Thames Barrier at 11:30am on Wednesday 10 February to reduce the risk of flooding in London and along the Thames catchment.

The Thames Barrier is one of the largest moveable flood barriers in the world, protecting 125 square kilometres of central London, encompassing 1.25 million people and the infrastructure that London depends on.

It stretches 520 metres across the River Thames at Charlton and each gate takes 10 to 15 minutes to close (1 and a half hours for total closure of the barrier), and the control room is manned 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Steve East, Engineering Manager at the Thames Barrier said:

We are closing the barrier to protect London from the threat of flooding due to the high level of rain last week combined with high tides from the sea.

We are urging people to check their flood risk, prepare for flooding, follow the advice from emergency services and never risk driving through flood water. Practical advice on preparing for flooding can be found on GOV.UK or by calling Floodline on 0345 9881188.

Thank you Lord Mayor for those opening words, and for generously hosting this morning’s event in such an impressive venue.

I am delighted to be here today and particularly glad to see such strong representation from the financial sector. In this room are senior figures from world-leading banks, law enforcement and government. The chief executives of some of the biggest banks and payment providers in the world, responsible for countless transactions, worth millions of pounds, every second. And we are joined by those responsible for regulating and stewarding the financial system – Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, and Tracey McDermott, Acting Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority, and Harriett Baldwin, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury.

Together the people in this room are responsible for one of the great engines of our economy and an incredible creator of jobs, wealth and economic power in this country – the financial services industry. It is the reason that London is the world’s pre-eminent financial centre and a hub for the global exchange of currency, capital and shares.

Our economy relies on the financial system and everyone in this country benefits from its global success. But the scale and volume of financial activity also brings serious risks of economic crime and real opportunities for criminals to defraud hardworking taxpayers and vulnerable pensioners of their savings and earnings.

Fraud shames our financial system. It undermines the credibility of the economy, ruins businesses and causes untold distress to people of all walks of life. Some of you will know first-hand the financial and emotional impact of being defrauded, and the industry leaders in the room will know the true financial cost of fraud to their businesses, from reimbursing consumers to repairing your reputations with affected clients. But for too long, there has been too little understanding of the problem and too great a reluctance to take steps to tackle it.

Last year, the Office for National Statistics estimated that there were 5.1 million frauds in the UK. The City of London’s size and openness to global trade makes it particularly exposed to the risk of international money laundering and the frauds that are inevitably linked to it.

And it is clear that fraud is often coordinated by organised criminal gangs, increasingly using online channels to dupe unwitting individuals and access their accounts. There is growing evidence they do so from jurisdictions out of reach of traditional policing, using technology that make them difficult to investigate. And we know that individuals travelling to join Daesh in Syria have used frauds to fund their travel. In one successful prosecution, a group linked to a terrorist investigation was found to have defrauded or attempted to defraud elderly and vulnerable victims of a total in excess of £1 million.

So I am delighted that we are joined by those leading the law enforcement response –Ian Dyson, the new Commissioner of the City of London Police and Lynne Owens, the new Director General of the National Crime Agency.

So everyone in this room has an interest in stamping fraud out and disrupting the criminals that lie behind it. Fraud is not and never has been a victimless crime and its impact is much wider than is commonly recognised.

That is why today is so important. It represents a united front of government, law enforcement and industry in preventing, identifying and cracking down on fraud.

A unified front against fraud

Today’s event builds on some excellent joint working across the financial sector and law enforcement to tackle fraudsters. Many of the banks and card companies in this room, and more broadly, are investing heavily in increasingly sophisticated security systems to detect and prevent fraud. Industry has funded the Dedicated Card and Payments Crime Unit, where police work alongside professional fraud investigators to disrupt fraudsters and gather evidence to secure convictions. And the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, operated by the City of London Police, helps identify established and emerging frauds and those who are committing them.

At the same time, the Home Office and law enforcement offer targeted prevention advice through sources such as Cyber Streetwise and GetSafeOnline to encourage individuals and businesses to adopt safer behaviours to protect against fraudulent activity.

But as everyone in this room knows, we need to go further. New technology is facilitating new ways to commit cyber crime and to defraud members of the public. Organised criminals are becoming more sophisticated in their actions and “buying in” expertise to mount increasingly complex frauds that can wipe millions off the value of accounts at a keystroke. Even public sector institutions are attractive to fraudsters, who either attempt to hack databases or impersonate institutions to defraud people and businesses. Quite simply, we are not making up enough ground on the criminals and people’s livelihoods are at risk.

The Joint Fraud Taskforce

So today, I am delighted to officially launch the Joint Fraud Taskforce, which will bring the collective powers, systems and resources of banks, payment providers, police, wider law enforcement and regulators to bear on this threat.

We will achieve this in a number of ways. First, we must build a better understanding of the threat. So we will bring together expert knowledge from each Taskforce member to identify and map key threats, vulnerabilities and drivers of fraud. This greater understanding will ensure that the activities of the Taskforce can be clearly focussed on areas that can and should be tackled.

We must concentrate efforts to improve our collective response on fraud. This means focusing on targeting high harm nominals and improving fast-track intelligence sharing between banks and law enforcement. It is only by systematically sharing information and data between banks and law enforcement investigators that we will be able to identify suspicious financial flows, track fraudulent funds through the system, and prove fraudsters are profiting from such illegal activity to support convictions.

We will focus the Taskforce efforts on victims too. By better data sharing and matching we hope to speed up the identification of victims and potential victims and address the barriers preventing the refund of funds to scam victims. And this work cannot just be digital in scope, with closer cooperation between bank staff and the police to identify potential victims when they present themselves in branch too.

Finally, the Taskforce will identify and tackle the vulnerabilities that the fraudsters depend on to successfully target the public and businesses. These are often simple fixes that can have big results, like our work with telephone providers to reduce the amount of time a telephone line stays open after one person has dialled, closing a loophole which criminals used to pretend to be from a bank or other legitimate organisation. Or they can be innovative technical solutions, such as the development of Chip-and-Pin introduced in 2006 to tackle specific types of card fraud. Since its introduction, counterfeit card fraud has dropped 72% since it peaked in 2008, and fraud losses on the UK high street have fallen 78 % since 2004.

A true partnership between industry, law enforcement and government

I want the Joint Fraud Taskforce to signal a new type of partnership - truly collaborative, driving our collective action to reduce the numbers of victims; reduce the impact of fraud; and increase the prosecution and disruption of fraudsters.

And I will do everything I can to ensure it is a success.

But if the taskforce is to achieve everything it needs to, I need your support. The Taskforce can only work if there is genuine collective ownership and commitment from everyone in this room.

So my ask is simple – lend your expertise to this new body. Come forward to lead specific work. Encourage your brightest and best to offer their leadership and expertise. Join your intelligence teams, your data experts, and your customer care teams with law enforcement to improve the response to fraud. The Taskforce will be open and transparent, the public will hear of its successes, your businesses will be less at risk of fraud, and your customers will know that you have been part of something truly worthwhile.

We know this approach works. Some of you will know that we launched the Joint Money Laundering Intelligence Taskforce last year. That Taskforce has already had an impact through its collaborative approach to tackling the increasing threat from serious and organised crime groups involved in high-end money laundering. Working together, members of that taskforce have developed cases, identified and closed banks accounts, issued alerts on methodologies, obtained 50 new court orders and made 8 arrests.

It is a clear demonstration of what can be achieved in a relatively short space of time when the industry, law enforcement and government come together with a common aim.

We are going to hear shortly from representatives in banking and law enforcement who have already recognised the importance of the Joint Fraud Taskforce and become actively involved. They have committed their organisations to supporting its work, bringing knowledge, expertise and fresh new thinking to the table. I cannot stress enough how valuable this collective work is, and I urge you to make the decision to get involved.

Thank you again for taking time to be here this morning and I look forward to listening to the other speakers, and I would like to invite Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England to say a few words.

During a two day visit to Senegal, Mr Duddridge signed an Energy Africa Partnership Agreement with the Senegalese Minister for Energy. This Agreement will see the UK and Senegal work together to boost access to clean, affordable solar energy in Senegal.

The Minister also met with the President and the Foreign Minister to discuss security cooperation, regional politics, economic growth and business opportunities between the UK and Senegal.

Following the visit, the Minister said:

I am delighted that Senegal has joined the Energy Africa campaign. This is an exciting step towards affordable, clean energy for all. I look forward to working with Senegal on a range of issues in the future, from increasing trade collaboration to addressing international security challenges following Senegal’s election to the UN Security Council.

The Minister also met with local business leaders and young entrepreneurs in Senegal in order to highlight economic and business opportunities as well as discuss ways to strengthen UK-Senegal trade relations.

Further information

The Energy Africa campaign was launched by the Department for International Development in October 2015 and aims to accelerate universal energy access in sub-Saharan Africa by boosting the continent’s household solar market.

• Follow Foreign Office Minister James Duddridge on Twitter @JamesDuddridge

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice

• Follow the Foreign Office on Facebook and Google+

Presentations from the Homes and Communities Agency’s housing design seminar held at the University of Sheffield, at 3 February 2016.

The well-attended event informed and inspired partners to deliver high quality and well-designed places and included

• the latest national picture in terms of policy development and the use of standards
• case studies from HCA and partners who have successfully delivered good quality new homes
• research on parking provision within residential developments, and how to improve layouts to increase resident satisfaction
• a focus on offsite manufacture, including several companies that are in the process of, or already delivering a variety of modular homes

Download videos and presentations:

01 - Naz Parkar - Homes and Communities Agency (PDF, 1.48MB, 14 pages)

02 - Jane Briginshaw - Homes and Communities Agency (PDF, 1.19MB, 17 pages)

03 - Helen Forman - Homes and Communites Agency (PDF, 1.67MB, 18 pages)

04 - Tom Ground - L&G Homes (PDF, 1.83MB, 19 pages)

05 - Alistair O'Reilly - Laing O'Rourke (PDF, 2.55MB, 16 pages)

06 - James McMillan - Modular Allianz (PDF, 772KB, 20 pages)

07 - Oliver Novakovic - Barratt (PDF, 848KB, 11 pages)

08 - Owen Daggett - Joseph Rowntree Foundation (PDF, 1.81MB, 19 pages)

09 - Richard Partington - Studio Partington (PDF, 2.15MB, 28 pages)

10 - David Roberts - Igloo (PDF, 3.85MB, 23 pages)

11 - Cany Ash - Ash Sakula (PDF, 9.86MB)

12 - David Rudlin - URBED (PDF, 5.5MB, 54 pages)

Sections of the coastbound A2 will be resurfaced as the existing surface has reached the end of its life. It will involve four weeks of overnight carriageway or slip road closures.

Highways England asset manager for Kent Kevin Bown said:

We will be resurfacing sections of the A2 to provide safe and reliable journeys for the hundreds of thousands of drivers that rely on the A2 each day. We have carefully planned the work to take place overnight, when we know traffic flows are lowest to minimise disruption.

The work will take place overnight, between 9pm and 5am.

The coastbound A2 will be closed at two locations in different phases, with access to Bluewater shopping centre and Ebbsfleet station from the diversion route, on separate nights.

The coastbound A2 will be closed between the Bean (B255) and Ebbsfleet (B259) junctions. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the B255, A226 and B259.

The coastbound A2 will be closed between the exit and entry slip roads at the Bean junction. A clearly signed diversion will be in place via the exit and entry slip roads.

The dates of each closure will be publicised in advance.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Home Secretary Theresa May today announced a new taskforce to crack down on fraud in the UK, saying that “fraud shames our financial system”.

The Joint Fraud Taskforce will be made up of made up of key representatives from government, law enforcement and the banking sector. The Taskforce will create a new era of collaboration, resulting in shared intelligence, a unified response and greater awareness of the risk of fraud among consumers.

The Taskforce will include the City of London Police, National Crime Agency, Financial Fraud Action UK, the Bank of England, Cifas and CEOs of the major banks.

At a roundtable attended by key sector bodies and co-chaired by the Lord Mayor and the Home Secretary, members came together to sign a declaration of their commitment to tackling fraud and reducing its devastating impact.

Setting out the work for the new Taskforce, the Home Secretary said:

Our economy relies on the financial system and everyone in this country benefits from its global success. But the scale and volume of financial activity also brings serious risks of economic crime and real opportunities for criminals to defraud hardworking taxpayers of their savings and earnings.

Fraud shames our financial system. It undermines the credibility of the economy, ruins businesses and causes untold distress to people of all walks of life. For too long, there has been too little understanding of the problem and too great a reluctance to take steps to tackle it.

I am delighted to officially launch the Joint Fraud Taskforce, which will bring the collective powers, systems and resources of banks, payment providers, police, wider law enforcement and regulators to bear on this threat.

The work of the Taskforce will include:

• understanding the threat – working to identify key priorities for the Taskforce and spot intelligence gaps and vulnerabilities
• collective response – fast-tracking intelligence sharing between banks and law enforcement for a more coordinated approach to serious and organised crime gangs, including the creation of a new top ten most-wanted fraudsters
• victims and vulnerability – more efficient identification of victims and potential victims, including national roll-out of intervention training for bank staff
• behaviour change - finding out why victims fall prey to fraud and helping to raise awareness of the steps they can take to protect themselves
• tackling systemic vulnerabilities - removing the weak links in systems and processes, which fraudsters can exploit

This new Taskforce will build on ongoing work across the financial sector and law enforcement to protect consumers, such as the Dedicated Card and Payments Crime Unit, where police work alongside industry fraud investigators to disrupt fraudsters and secure convictions, which the Home Secretary visited this morning. She also met officers from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, operated by the City of London Police, and heard about their work identifying established and emerging frauds and those who are committing them.

At the NATO Defence Ministerial in Brussels the Defence Secretary outlined a maritime package that will see the UK almost double its deployments to NATO at sea in 2016.

For the first time since 2010 the UK will contribute to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), an enduring commitment to having NATO warships at sea, which will include two deployments planned this year:

• the deployment of HMS Iron Duke, a Type 23 Frigate, from January to July, operating in the Baltic sea;

• deployment of a Type 45 Destroyer to the SNMG1 from October to November.

The deployments, involving around 400 Royal Navy personnel, reflect the emphasis placed on NATO in last year’s Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said:

Increasing our NATO deployments sends a strong message to our enemies that we are ready to respond to any threat, and defend our allies.

2016 will see a particular focus on the Baltic region with our ships sent there as part of the Maritime Group, the Mine Counter Measure Group and the Baltops exercise.

The UK’s maritime commitment in 2016 will also see:

• the provision of the NATO Response Force 2* Maritime Component Commander, Rear Admiral Alex Burton, who holds a key leadership role in the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force maritime component throughout 2016.

• the deployment of three Mine Sweepers – around 130 Navy personnel in total – to NATO’s Standing Naval Mine Counter Measure Group, each for four months. This programme will include covering the Baltic Sea, North Atlantic, North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

• Agreement for NATO to use our National Exercise Joint Warrior in North Scotland and the North Atlantic in October of this year to train and certify the NATO Response Force maritime and air component commanders for their NRF commitments in 2017, involving upwards of 550 naval personnel.

• The contribution of two Frigates to major anti-submarine warfare exercise Dynamic Mongoose, and the UK’s largest warship HMS Ocean to Exercise Baltops in the Baltic region.

• The commitment of a Fleet Diving Unit to Exercise Open Spirit in Lithuania and Exercise Northern Challenge in Iceland.

The Defence Secretary also spoke about NATO’s deterrence stance in the face of Russian aggression, called on Allies to commit, ahead of the NATO Warsaw Summit in July, to meeting the NATO target to spend 2% of GDP on Defence within a decade, and updated on the UK’s role in the TACET initiative, which he announced in October.

Following Mr Fallon’s announcement of the UK’s role in TACET, the UK will be fully operational as part of TACET by the Warsaw summit, and this will be as a ‘Lead Nation’ for the initiative, alongside Germany and the US. The UK will take the lead on Airfield Operations; Infantry and Mechanised Infantry tactics; and aspects of Maritime Mine Counter-measures focusing on diving.

This action resulted in an additional liability of £267,126 to HMRC, at a time when the company had ceased trading.

Mr Carcary (58) was the sole director of BAUR (Scotland) Ltd, a plumbing and heating company, of Glasgow, from 21 July 2011 until it went into liquidation on 4 July 2014 with an estimated deficiency of £38,885.

According to professionally prepared and signed accounts for the year ended 31 March 2012, Mr Carcary’s DLA had an overdrawn balance of £104,735. Despite this, Mr Carcary continued to draw funds from the company through his DLA. At 31 March 2013, when the company ceased trading, the DLA had an overdrawn balance of £273,747, an increase of £271,031 over the whole period.

The company’s accountants stated Mr Carcary had advised them it was not his intention to repay this money and that he intended it to be his remuneration from the company and not a debt. Mr Carcary was advised that this would create a sizeable PAYE and National Insurance liability payable by the company. The accountant declared a net bonus of £225,702 to clear the DLA which created a PAYE and National Insurance liability to HMRC payable by the company of £267,126.

As a result of these transactions the company’s financial position became significantly worse and the company had no reasonable prospect of being able to pay the additional liability as it had ceased to trade.

Mr Carcary gave an undertaking to the Insolvency Service not to act as a director or be involved in the management of a limited company from 19 February.

Commenting on the disqualification, Robert Clarke, Head of Company Investigation at the Insolvency Service said:

Directors who put their own personal financial interests above those of creditors damage confidence in doing business and are corrosive to the health of the local economy.

This ban should serve as a warning to other directors tempted to help themselves first; you have a duty to your creditors and if you neglect this duty you could be investigated by the Insolvency Service and removed from the business environment.

The undertaking signed by Mr Carcary sends a clear message to other company directors that if they run a business in a way that is detrimental to either its customers or its creditors, they will be investigated by the Insolvency Service and as a result removed from the business environment.

Notes to Editors

BAUR (Scotland) Limited (SC280977) went into compulsory liquidation on 4 July 2014 with a deficiency to creditors of £38,885, which subsequently increased to £52,593. The company operated as a “Plumbing and Heating supplier”, latterly from the director’s home address.

Gary Carcary is from Glasgow and his date of birth is 7 November 1958.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

In addition that person cannot act as an insolvency practitioner and there are many other restrictions are placed on disqualified directors by other regulations.

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Further information on director disqualifications and restrictions are available.

The Insolvency Service (in Scotland) deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice. It may also use powers under the Companies Act to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice. Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

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Letter from Lord Maude to the Prime Minister, Wednesday, 10 February 2016

Lord Maude wrote:

Thank you for asking me to be your Minister for Trade after the election. It is a huge task to turn round the UK’s flagging export performance. Since May, we have agreed a new whole of government export strategy. UKTI has new leadership and a reform plan which will both cut its own costs and increase the practical and financial support for exporting businesses. However, implementation of all this will take several years. When I accepted the position, I made it clear that I did not want to stay in government for much longer. I now want to move on and it is a good moment for my successor to take on this task of implementation.

It has been a pleasure to work with you for the 10 years of your party leadership and premiership. When I was Party Chairman, we drove radical change through a party that had lost 3 general elections and seemed out of kilter with modern Britain. Our subsequent work in opposition to prepare for government ensured that our party was better equipped than any in history to implement its programme.

As Minister for the Cabinet Office throughout the last Parliament, we cut the costs of government in 2014-2015 by nearly £20 billion compared with Labour’s last year. We saw the Civil Service downsized like-for-like by over 20%. We exited numerous properties that were redundant. We started to transform government procurement by importing and developing much tougher commercial capability, and switching the focus from process and compliance to delivering the best outcome. We set up the world-leading Major Projects Leadership Academy and the Major Projects Authority, which have begun to transform huge government projects, saving billions and delivering much more effective performance.

We created over 100 public service mutuals, spin-outs from the public sector that saw a dramatic improvement in their productivity and quality. All of this was long overdue; and none of it is complete. I am confident that with the right level of commitment and attention to detail the government could achieve at least as much again in the years ahead.

We also moved from being a government infamous around the world for the most expensive and least successful IT projects to being the world leader in digital government, with our approach emulated in Australia, the US and many other countries. Our transparency and open data programme led to the UK being ranked the most open government in the world by several international bodies. All of this has helped nurture a flourishing tech start-up culture.

Finally, our work on social investment has made the UK the world leader in this field. Big Society Capital, which we set up in less than 2 years after the idea had lain unimplemented for a decade, is the world’s first social investment bank.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve and for your commitment and support for what were often controversial reforms. It has been a pleasure to work with you, and I look forward to continuing to support you and the government in the years ahead.

Letter from the Prime Minister to Lord Maude, Wednesday, 10 February 2016

The Prime Minister David Cameron wrote:

Thank you very much for your kind letter today, informing me of your decision to step down from the government. I know that this will not have been an easy decision for you to have made – especially following so many years of exemplary service on our front bench – but I understand completely your decision to move on and you have my support in doing so.

It is difficult to adequately pay tribute to such a substantial political career: almost 30 years dedicated public service, including over 25 years on the Conservative front bench, over half of which have been in government. You have served continuously as part of my own front bench team since I became Party Leader in 2005, with a decade as part of the Shadow Cabinet and Cabinet.

When you stood down as a Member of Parliament last year, I had no hesitation in nominating you to become a Conservative peer in the House of Lords to enable you to continue your public service. And by appointing you as Minister of State for Trade and Investment, you have also been able to continue bringing your considerable experience to our work in government.

In this important role, you have helped transform the government’s export strategy; provided key leadership to help guide and expand UKTI’s responsibilities; and in doing so, you have put a plan in place to turn around our export performance, ensuring UK businesses succeed in international markets, and encouraging overseas companies to look at the UK as the best place to set up or expand their business. As you say in your letter, this is just the start and there is still much work to do – but your role has been instrumental in putting us on the path to success, and I am incredibly grateful for all you have done in this post over the past year.

I would also like to express my gratitude for your exceptional work as Minister for the Cabinet Office during the last Parliament. You cite some genuine achievements in your letter that you can take real pride in. In particular, your efficiency drive was helping save the taxpayer almost £20 billion a year by the end of the period. What is more, your work to set up the Government Digital Service and put rocket boosters under the digital reform agenda was – as I said recently – one of the great unsung triumphs of the last Parliament.

On a political level, through these roles in government, and previously in opposition, your commitment to the Conservative Party has been unwavering. You have always looked for ways to secure our party’s future and have campaigned fervently in every set of elections over the years. As Party Chairman, you laid the foundations for what we have achieved as a political organisation over the past decade, putting us on a footing to return to government and leading the way in professionalising our party’s organisation at CCHQ and around the country.

So whether in government, in opposition, or when Party Chairman, you have always looked for opportunities for improvement; driven our policy implementation; and helped shape our future direction. Never one to sit on the sidelines, you have left a legacy to be enormously proud of – and one that will stand the test of time.

Above all, you have always been a good, candid friend, and a tremendously loyal colleague. You have supported me through thick and thin from the very beginning – and that is something I will not forget. I know you will continue your loyal public service from the House of Lords, raising issues of importance to you and the country, and supporting the government and our party as we continue our work to provide security and opportunity for families across Britain.

For now, this comes with my profound thanks for all you have done, and my very best wishes for the future.

The winding-up orders by the High Court on 3 February, at which the companies had each filed no evidence and did not oppose the proceedings and were not present or represented at the hearings, followed an Insolvency Service investigation that revealed well over 5 million carbon credits were sold to the public for sums in excess of £36 million.

At one stage there were nearly 90 individual broker companies involved in the scheme, many of which have been forcibly closed already as a result of the Insolvency Service’s intervention.

The Official Receiver now appointed to administer the liquidation of these latest companies will be glad to hear from investors who have dealt with them.

Welcoming the Court’s decisions Chris Mayhew, Company Investigations Supervisor, said:

This stoke of boiler rooms was one giant scam emitting the now all too familiar hot air on an industrial scale, persuading ordinary people to part with their hard earned savings to invest in near worthless voluntary carbon credits which were aggressively peddled to them by these companies at significantly inflated prices.

Thanks to the hard work of investigators, Chris Gray and Joe Peacock and by working closely with other regulators, this operation has been effectively curtailed. This is not the end of the matter and I would once more urge investors to be green, not gullible and to hang up on cold calling con artists.

The Insolvency Service will act whenever serious failings are discovered and ‘close the deal’ on unscrupulous companies to prevent them from profiting by their bullying and deceitful tactics and inflicting misery on ordinary people.

Notes to Editors:

Alpine Consult Limited

Company registration number 7222266, was incorporated on 13 April 2010. The registered office of the company has been:

• 2 Ebner Street, London, SW18 1BT from incorporation to 26 May 2011
• Finsgate, 5-7 Cranwood Street, London, EC1V 9EE from 26 May 2011 to 31 January 2013
• International House, 1-6 Yarmouth Place, London, W1J 7BU from 31 January 2013 to 15 June 2015
• Litton House, Saville Road, Peterborough, PE3 7PR from 15 June 2015 to present date

The recorded directors of the company have been James David Brown from incorporation to present date and Thomas Leo Knifton from incorporation to 1 September 2012. The secretary throughout is shown to have been Mr Brown.

The company was the initial sole supplier of the carbon credits ultimately marketed and sold to members of the public for investment by the various broker companies until it was replaced by Environmental Acquisitions Limited in or around April 2012.

Between September 2011 and April 2012 the company received £808,000 for the supply of carbon credits. The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Environmental Acquisitions Limited

A company registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVI number 1705590) was incorporated on 5 April 2012.

The registered office is PO Box 3175, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The sole recorded director of the company from incorporation to present date has been White Port Finance Ltd, a company registered in the Bahamas (company number 163753 (B) ).

The ultimate beneficial owner of the company is Thomas Leo Knifton.

The company’s administrative office is shown to be c/o Monaco Corporate Secretariat in Monaco.

Environmental Acquisitions Limited replaced Alpine Consult Limited as the sole source of carbon credits for the scheme and between 25 April 2012 and 27 July 2012 issued invoices totalling £2,310,000 for the supply of carbon credits ultimately marketed and sold to the public for investment by the various broker companies.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Blue Horizons Trading Ltd

company registration number 07732231, was incorporated on 8 August 2011.

The registered office throughout was 78 York Street, London, W1H 1DP until 17 August 2015 when the company resolved to enter into creditors voluntary liquidation with reported assets of £760 and reported liabilities of £117,741. Robert James Thompson of 10b Fleet Business Park, Sandy Lane, Church Crookham, Fleet, Hampshire GU52 8BF was appointed voluntary liquidator.

The recorded directors of the company throughout have been Richard Lea Brindle and Richard Smith. No secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from Level 33, 25 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5LQ and 1 Farnham Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 4RG and operated the websites www.blueh.co.uk and www.bluehorizonscarbon.com

Between January 2012 and February 2013, the company sold 348,502 ‘safe and simple’ carbon credits to the public for investment for £2,186,502 generating a profit of at least £1,472,072. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £2.25 each and sold to investors for between £5.40 and £7 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Burlington Energy Markets Ltd

company number 08082882, was incorporated on 25 May 2012 and dissolved on 3 February 2015.

The registered office throughout has been 32 Threadneedle Street, London, EC2R 8AY. The recorded directors of the company have been Thomas William Don White from incorporation to 18 September 2012 and Charles James Duffield throughout. No secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from 27 Throgmorton Street, London, EC2N 2AQ and operated a website www.burlingtonenergymarkets.com

The company marketed and sold carbon credits to the public for investment. promising ‘a better rate of return than banks’ of 10 per cent in 6 months. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £2.15 each and sold to investors for between £7.50 and £7.65 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Charles Stratton Limited

company number 07723582, was incorporated on 1 August 2011.

The registered office throughout has been 1 Grosvenor Crescent, Belgravia, London, SW1X 7EF. The recorded directors of the company have been Sami Raja from incorporation to 1 November 2011 and Ansar Ali from incorporation to 5 September 2012. No successor directors (or company secretary) are shown to have been appointed.

The company operated a website www.charlesstratton.co.uk

Between October 2011 and January 2013, the company sold 175,105 carbon credits for £1,037,109 to the public for investment promising returns ‘better than other investments’ of between 50 and150 per cent within 18 months. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £2 each and sold to investors for between £5.35 and £6.40 each.

The full extent of its business is presently undetermined.

Claremont James Ltd

company number 07915497, was incorporated on 19 January 2012.

The registered office has been:

• 17 New Road Avenue, Chatham, Kent, ME4 6BA from incorporation to 13 April 2012
• c/o 37th Floor, 1 Canada Square, London, E14 5AA from 13 April 2012 to 18 April 2013
• 33rd Floor, 25 Canada Square, London, E14 5LQ from 18 April 2013 to present date

The recorded directors of the company have been Brendan Cullen from incorporation to 5 March 2012 and James Jarman from 8 February 2012 to present date. No secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from 33rd Floor, 25 Canada Square, London, E14 5LQ and operated a website www.claremontjames.com

Between February 2012 and February 2013, the company sold 70,924 carbon credits to the public for investment for £501,758 generating a profit of at least £320,901. Investors were once more promised returns ‘better than other investments’ of between 50 and 150 per cent within 18 months. In respect of one project, credits available at 60 pence each were bought by the company for £1.90 each and sold to investors for between £5 and £7.50 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

CNI (UK) Limited

company number 08380328, was incorporated on 29 January 2013 in the name Alfred Henry Shelco 2 Limited.

The name of the company was changed to its present style on 31 January 2013. The registered office throughout has been Finsgate, 5-7 Cranwood Street, London, EC1V 9EE. The recorded directors of the company have been Edward Jonathan Carlton from incorporation to 24 October 2014 and Michael Fortun from 24 October 2014 to present date. The secretary of the company from incorporation to 20 June 2013 is shown to have been Sevim Cesim. No successor secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from International House, 1-6 Yarmouth Place, London, W1J 7BU and operated a website www.cni-uk.com.

The company is shown to have taken over the carbon offsetting and consultancy business of a related company of similar name in or around April 2013, adopting a near identical website.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Clear View Partnership Ltd

company number 08107590, was incorporated on 15 June 2012.

The registered office throughout has been 90 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1QN. The recorded directors of the company have been Yomtov Eliezer Jacobs for one day only on incorporation; David Pierce from incorporation to 30 September 2012 and Ashley Hunte from 15 June 2012 to present date. No company secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from Level 18, 40 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5NR and operated a website www.clearviewpartnership.com

Between January and February 2013 the company sold 25,765 carbon credits for £156,601 to the public for investment generating a profit of at least £99,918. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £1.90 each and sold to investors for £6 each with the promise of likely good returns of ‘14 per cent a year’.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Eden Brown Group S.L.

A company registered in Spain (number CIF: B65190092) was incorporated on 07 October 2009.

It is shown to be located at Lugar World Trade Centre Ed, Sur, Piso 2, Muelle Barcelona Spain. The company’s sole recorded director since 06 November 2009 has been Michelle Sylvana Blackwood.

The company operated a website www.edenbrowngroup.com

Between March 2012 and January 2013 the company sold 137,800 carbon credits to the public as a ‘phenomenal investment opportunity’ for £788,789 generating a profit of at least £487,039. In respect of one project, credits available at 37 pence each were purchased for £1.90 each and sold to investors for £6 each with the promise of growth ‘in the order of 8 to 10 per cent per a year’.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undermined.

Enviro Associates Limited

company registration number 07526052, was incorporated on 11 February 2011.

The registered office has been:

• 1 Scott Road, Eastleigh, Southampton, Hampshire, SO5O 9FW from incorporation to 31 March 2011
• Southgate Chambers, 37-39 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9EH from 31 March 2011 to 29 June 2011
• International House, 1-6 Yarmouth Place, London, W1J 7BU from 29 June 2011 to present date

The recorded directors of the company have been Luke Michael Ryan from incorporation to present date and Paul Michael Seakens from 1 June 2011 to 1 December 2012. The secretary of the company throughout has been Vaeron Limited (company number 07337101 and ordered into liquidation on 16 February 2015 on the petition of HMRC for £111,094 in respect of unpaid PAYE, NIC, student loan repayment deductions, corporation tax and VAT). The liquidator of Vaeron Limited is James Richard Duckworth of 284 Clifton Drive South, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, FY8 1LH).

The company traded from Southgate Chambers, 37-39 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9EH and operated a website www.enviroassociates.org.uk

Between October 2011 and February 2013 the company sold 301,066 carbon credits to the public for investment for £1,451,140 generating a profit of at least £683,422. In respect of one project, credits available at 50 pence each were bought by the company for £2.25 each and sold to investors for between £4 and £7 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Global Carbon Exchange Limited

company number 07661064, was incorporated on 7 June 2011.

The registered office has been:

• Burnhill Business Centre, 50 Burnhill Road, Beckenham, BR3 3LA from incorporation to 04 August 2011
• Burnhill House, 50 Burnhill Road, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 3LA from 04 August 2011 to 23 August 2012
• 86-90 Paul Street, 3rd Floor, London, EC2A 4NE from 23 August 2012 to present date

The recorded directors of the company have been John Wildman for one day only on incorporation and Stephen Arthur May from incorporation to present date. The company secretary for one day only on incorporation was Sameday Company Services Ltd. No successor secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from Burnhill Business Centre, 50 Burnhill Road, Beckenham, BR3 3LA and operated a website www.gcxglobal.com

Between January and June 2013 the company sold a total of 39,283 carbon credits to the public for investment for £271,986 generating a profit of at least £171,814. Investors were promised ‘steady high yield growth over 3-5 years’ of 15 per cent a year. In respect of one project, credits available at 50 pence each were bought by the company for £2.25 each and sold to investors for between £4 and £7 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Harman Royce Limited

company number 07848560, was incorporated on 15 November 2011.

The registered office from incorporation to 21 February 2013 was 3rd Floor, 14 Hanover Street, London, W1S 1YH and from 21 February 2013 to present date 111 Rye House, 113 High Street, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 8JN.

The recorded directors of the company have been Sami Raja from incorporation to 7 August 2012; Sandeep Singh Dosanjh from incorporation to 7 August 2012 and Lynn Ann Marie Howard from 11 July 2012 to present date. The secretary of the company is shown to have been Mr Dosanjh from incorporation to 7 August 2011. No successor secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from 3rd Floor, 14 Hanover Street, London, W1S 1YH and operated a website www.harmanroyce.com

Between February 2012 and January 2013 the company sold 204,164 carbon credits to the public for investment for £1,288,704 generating a profit of at least £1,002,875. Investors were assured that the company ‘sourced carbon credits at the best price possible’ and that the market would ‘grow substantially’ and that by 2020 the credits would be worth £20 each. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £1.10 each and sold to investors for between £5.40 and £6.45 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Karlsson Chase Limited

company number 07874575, was incorporated on 8 December 2011.

The registered office throughout has been 5 Harbour Exchange Square, London, E14 9GE. The sole recorded director of the company has been Adam Philip Hawkins, initially from incorporation to 31 August 2012 and then re-appointed from 01 December 2012 to 19 June 2015. No successor director is shown to have been appointed. No company secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from 5 Harbour Exchange Square, London, E14 9GE and 23 Austin Friars, London, EC2N 2PR and operated a website www.karlssonchase.com

Between April 2012 and February 2013 the company sold 60,299 carbon credits to the public for investment for £443,893 generating a profit of at least £311,236. Investors were told that they ‘could not lose’. In respect of one project, credits available at 52 pence each were bought by the company for £1.75 each and sold to investors for between £6.25 and £6.50 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Liberty Alternative Investments Limited

company number 07915141, was incorporated on 18 January 2012 in the name Viridian Equity Ltd.

The name of the company was changed on 1 February 2012 to Liberty Carbon Investment Ltd and on 24 September 2012 changed to its present style. The registered office throughout has been 3 The Fountain Centre, Lensbury Avenue Imperial Wharf, London, SW6 2TW. The recorded directors of the company have been Michelle Blackwood from incorporation to 14 February 2012; Henry Richard Wallace Shaw from 14 February 2012 to 16 April 2013 and Michelle Blackwood-Maccow from 16 April 2013 to present date. Mrs Blackwood-Maccow is shown to have been company secretary throughout.

The company operated a website www.libertyalternativeinvestments.com

Between May 2012 and January 2013 the company sold 116,822 carbon credits to the public for investment for £701,512 generating a profit of at least of £374,411. Investors were promised ‘good’ returns within months. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £2.50 each and sold to investors for between £5.80 and £6.25 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is undetermined.

New Frontier Partnership Ltd

company number 07323673, was incorporated on 22 July 2010 in the name Raymead Consultants Ltd.

The name of the company was changed to its present style on 4 July 2011. The registered office throughout has been 9 Wimpole Street, London, W1G 9SR. The recorded directors of the company have been Graham William Manuel from incorporation to present date and Michael Paul Duff from 4 July 2011 to 12 October 2012. No company secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company operated a website www.newfrontierpartnership.com

Between November 2012 and January 2013, the company sold 14,012 carbon credits to the public for investment for £64,016 generating a profit of at least £31,789. Investors were promised ‘significant profits’ for example ‘double or triple money in one year’. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £2 each and sold to investors for between £4.30 and £4.78 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Oswald Bradshaw Limited

company number 07836589, was incorporated on 7 November 2011.

The registered office from incorporation to 14 May 2013 was 1 Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 7QD and from 14 May 2013 to present date 111 Rye House, 113 High Street, Ruislip, Middlesex, HA4 8JN. The recorded directors of the company have been John Oakes from incorporation to present date; Colby Frank Short from incorporation to 20 August 2012 and Sami Raja from incorporation to 31 January 2012. The company secretary from incorporation to 31 January 2012 is shown to be Mr Raja. No successor secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from 1 Liverpool Street, London, EC2M 7QD and operated a website www.oswaldbradshaw.com

Between December 2011 and January 2013 the company sold 75,311 carbon credits to the public for investment for £409,683 generating a profit of at least £296,717. Investors as the company’s ‘private clients’ were promised that credits could be made available to them at ‘well below market value’ and that they would then make significant gains as the carbon market was the fastest growing market in the world. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £1.20 each and sold to investors for between £4.87 and £4.94 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Pure Carbon Ltd

company number 07694165, was incorporated on 5 July 2011.

The registered office has been:

• 145-157 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PW from incorporation to 18 May 2012
• Level 17, Dashwood House, 69 Old Broad Street, London, EC2M 1QS from 18 May 2012 to 22 June 2012
• 90 Brixton Hill, London, SW2 1QN from 22 June 2012 to present date

The sole recorded director throughout has been Steven Joseph Sulley. No company secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from 65-69 East Road, London, N1 6AH and operated a website www.pcarbon.co.uk

Between February 2012 and February 2013 the company sold 513,779 carbon credits to the public for investment for £3,191,054 generating a profit of at least £2,369,008. Investors were offered ‘market leading prices’ and that they would ‘make money’ by selling the credits to businesses investing in Brazil. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company for £1.90 each and sold to investors for between £5.75 and £7 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Seasaw Limited

company number 07743753, was incorporated on 17 August 2011.

The registered office of the company has been:

• Nena House, Ground B, 77-79 Great Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3HU from incorporation to 15 June 2012
• International House, 1-6 Yarmouth Place, Mayfair, London, W1J 7BU from 15 June 2012 to 26 June 2012
• International House, 1-6 Yarmouth Place, London, W1J 7BU from 26 June 2012 to 20 September 2012
• c/o Rodliffe Accounting Ltd, 5th Floor (744-750) Salisbury, Finsbury Circus, London, EC2M 5QQ from 20 September to 4 January 2013
• International House, 1-6 Yarmouth Place, Mayfair, London, W1J 7BU from 4 January 2013 to 22 October 2014
• 16 Juniper Drive, London, SW18 1GH from 22 October 2014 to 16 January 2015
• 16 Horizon House, Juniper Drive, London, SW18 1GH from 16 January 2015 to present date

The sole recorded director throughout has been Edward Jonathan Carlton. No company secretary is shown to have been appointed.

Between August 2011 and February 2013 the company received payments being the proceeds from the sale of carbon credits for investment to the public totalling £148,074.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

Strategic Carbon Solutions Ltd

company number 07795725, was incorporated on 3 October 2011.

The registered office throughout has been 145-157 St John Street, London, EC1V 4PW.

The sole recorded director of the company throughout has been Robert John Turner. No company secretary is shown to have been appointed.

The company traded from 66 New Street, 4th Floor, Birmingham, B2 4DU and operated a website www.strategiccarbonsolutions.com

Between November 2011 and January 2012 the company sold 82,830 carbon credits to the public for investment for £583,861. Investors were promised capital growth of 42 per cent a year as businesses in Brazil would subsequently buy them from investors. In respect of one project, credits available at 45 pence each were bought by the company (price unknown) and were sold to investors for between £5.75 and £7 each.

The full extent of the company’s business is presently undetermined.

The petitions to wind up the foregoing 19 companies were presented in the High Court on 27 April 2015 under the provisions of section 124A (and in the case of the overseas companies section 221(1) ) of the Insolvency Act 1986 following confidential enquiries carried out by Company Investigations under section 447 of the Companies Act 1985, as amended.

The grounds for winding up the companies were their lack of commercial probity by participating in and benefitting from an objectionable scheme to sell VER carbon credits to the public as an investment opportunity.

Also presented in the High Court at the same time were petitions to wind up a further 10 companies on grounds of public interest and those petitions remain opposed (including in the case of Viceroy Jones Ltd, its restoration to the register) and are listed for trial in the High Court in early 2017. No further details regarding the action taken against those companies will be made available until the petitions against them have been determined by the Court.

The opposing 10 companies are:

• Opus Capital Limited (company number 08380328)
• Gemmax Solutions Limited (company number 07260486)
• Opus Capital Investments Limited (company number 07768323)
• Otium Ventures plc (company number 05874310)
• Vaeron Finance Limited (company number 07241915)
• Tocan Limited (company number 07662985)
• Opus Clearing Limited (company number 07670885)
• Gemmax Solutions Nominees Limited (company number 08481505)
• Yarmouth Place Limited (company number 08331161)
• Viceroy Jones Ltd (dissolved company number 0791260)

In ordering on 3 February 2016 these 19 companies into liquidation on grounds of public interest, Mr Registrar Briggs said:

… the companies have each been involved to some degree or other in a scheme to market and sell VER carbon credits to the public for investment … none of the companies appears today to defend the petitions … I am satisfied that the Secretary of State’s unopposed allegations are made out … the investigator Mr Peacock has in support produced an extensive witness statement and he exhibits the material relied upon … this shows that the credits were marketed and sold to the public at inflated prices … credits were sold at up to 28 times greater than the cost of the credits … false information was given and the public misled … in my judgement this absence of commercial probity by preying on individuals and depriving them in this way of their property requires me to order the companies into liquidation in the public interest … additionally in some instances accounts and annual returns have not been filed … in my judgement in order to protect the public from an immoral and considerable scheme to sell credits to the public at huge mark ups it is right that winding up orders are made and I do so order.

A carbon credit is a certificate or permit which represents the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) and can be traded for money. The Financial Conduct Authority’s consumer information on carbon credit trading and what to consider before investing can be found at: http://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/scams/investment-scams/carbon-credit-trading

The Financial Conduct Authority has published help for those most at risk of investment fraud:http://www.fca.org.uk/news/national-campaign-will-target-those-most-at-risk-of-investment-fraud

Company Investigations, part of the Insolvency Service, uses powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS). Further information about live company investigations is available.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

By virtue of the appointment of the Official Receiver all public enquiries concerning the affairs of the companies should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit , 4 Abbey Orchard Street, London, SW1P 2HT. Telephone: 0207 637 1110 Email: piu.or@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

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Neither Ms Goh nor any Counsel appointed on her behalf attended the hearing in the proceedings, which followed an investigation by the Insolvency Service, working with the Home Office.

Ms Goh of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, a director of Golden Paragon Ltd from 24 February 2011 to 17 September 2013, was found on 9 May 2013, to be employing three workers who were not eligible to work in the UK, while she was a director.

The business, a restaurant, went into liquidation on 17 September 2013, owing £184,187 to creditors, including £15,000 for a fine imposed by Home Office Immigration and Enforcement for employing illegal workers.

On 22 December 2015, District Judge Looma, sitting at the County Court in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, made a Disqualification Order against Ms Goh for 7 years, from 12 January. The Order bans Ms Goh from acting as a company director or from managing or in any way controlling a limited company until 2023.

Sue MacLeod, Chief Investigator of Insolvent Investigations, Midlands & West at the Insolvency Service, said:

Illegal workers are not protected under employment law, and as well as cheating legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities, these employers defraud the taxpayer and undercut honest competitors. This should serve as a warning to other directors who may feel tempted to break the law.

The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 makes employers responsible for preventing illegal workers in the UK. To comply with the law, a company must check and be able to prove documents have been checked prior to recruitment showing a person is entitled to work.

Notes to editors

Golden Paragon Ltd (CRO No.07541020) was incorporated on 24 February 2011 and traded from The Leazes, Barrack Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4LA.

Ms Guat Gor Goh was the sole registered director from 24 February 2011 to 17 September 2013 (the date of liquidation).

Ms Guat Gor Goh’s date of birth is July 1964 and she is known to have resided in Newcastle.

The matters of unfitness that were laid before the court and which resulted in the Order were that:

• Guat Gor Goh caused Golden Paragon Limited (GP) to employ three illegal workers, in contravention of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006. Following a visit on 09 May 2013 from the Home Office Immigration and Enforcement Team (HOIE), trading ceased on 05 September 2013 and GP went into liquidation on 17 September 2013
• on 13 September 2013, the Home Office Immigration and Enforcement Civil Penalty Compliance Team issued a Civil Penalty of £15,000 to Golden Paragon Ltd. The Penalty Notice stated that Golden Paragon Ltd would be fined £5,000 for each of the three illegal employees. The penalty included a reduction of £2,500 per illegal employee as the company had been cooperative with the enquiries of Home Office Immigration and Enforcement

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

In addition that person cannot act as an insolvency practitioner and there are many other restrictions are placed on disqualified directors by other regulations.

Further information on director disqualifications and restrictions is available.

All public enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to: Insolvent Investigations, Midlands & West, 4th Floor, Cannon House, 18 Priory Queensway, Birmingham B4 6FD. Tel: 0121 698 4000. Email: Adminteam.Midlands&west@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

An Independent Reporting Commission to promote progress towards ending paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland is a one of a number of measures in a new Bill introduced to Parliament today.

The Northern Ireland (Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan) Bill delivers some of the key aspects of the 17 November 2015 Fresh Start and Stormont House agreements, which ended a financial and political impasse that threatened the survival of the devolved institutions.

In addition to establishing the Independent Reporting Commission, the proposed legislation:

• Modifies the pledge of office by Northern Ireland Ministers to include fresh obligations to work together on their shared objective of ridding society of all forms of paramilitary activity and groups, and introduces a parallel undertaking for members of the Assembly;
• Extends the period allowed for the appointment of Northern Ireland Ministers once the Assembly is elected from seven to 14 days; and
• Makes provision to promote fiscal transparency and support the Executive to deliver a stable and sustainable budget.

Welcoming the legislation, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Theresa Villiers MP said:

Today’s Bill is another step towards a brighter, more secure future for Northern Ireland. It implements key parts of November’s Fresh Start agreement and the 2014 Stormont House agreement.

A new Independent Reporting Commission charged with holding the UK Government, Executive and Irish Government to account is important. Alongside the declaration that paramilitary activity will never be tolerated and a Joint Agency Task Force established last year, it provides a basis of a unified effort to rid Northern Ireland of the malign influence of these groups for good.

As the Bill progresses through Parliament, the United Kingdom Government will continue to work alongside Northern Ireland’s political leaders and the wider community to help build a society where politics works, the economy grows and society is stronger and more united. It is an ambitious programme but also vital if Northern Ireland is to prosper.

Since the Fresh Start Agreement, new welfare reform legislation has been put in place, a Joint Agency Task Force on organised crime established and a panel appointed to make recommendations on disbanding paramilitary groups. Work also continues with victims’ representatives and others on finding a way forward to address the legacy of Northern Ireland’s past.

In addition, substantial financial support from the UK Government unlocked by the political deal is already benefiting Northern Ireland, including:

• £40 million refunded welfare deductions pumped back into Northern Ireland spending
• Up to £200 million capital borrowing unlocked to facilitate a public sector voluntary exit scheme which is projected to save the Executive approximately £160 million each and every year
• Up to £100 million of additional capital borrowing to support additional important investment in Northern Ireland More detail on progress can be found hereNI Stormont Agreement and Implementation Plan Bill. Delegated Powers document (MS Word Document, 40.5KB).

The contract, worth £20 million, is to refurbish the runway as well as link taxiways and provide a new section airside perimeter road, new visual aids, aeronautical lighting and signage. The station is primarily a fast jet training base, with pilots mostly flying Hawk aircraft. The strength of the existing taxiways is sufficient for Hawk aircraft but not for other aircraft such as Hercules, Tornados and Typhoons.

The runway which will be refurbished was last fully resurfaced in 1995, though there have been temporary repairs to some areas. The new works should extend the life of the runway by a further 25 years. Defence Equipment and Support announced a £1.1 billion investment in fast jet training on sites across the UK, including RAF Valley, last week.

Alan Baker, DIO’s Project Manager, said:

We’re pleased to have awarded the contract for the work at RAF Valley and are looking forward to getting underway. DIO invests in infrastructure to support the armed forces to live, work, train and deploy and the work at RAF Valley will be an important part of that, especially in the light of the investment in fast jet training announced by Defence Equipment and Support.

RAF Valley will remain as an operational station for the majority of the works, with a maximum period of four weeks when flying must cease to permit construction in some areas. The works are expected to take just over a year with construction commencing in March 2016 and completing in February 2017.

• Commission has ongoing investigation into funds raised
• Commission froze bank accounts of an individual to protect charitable funds
• Individual is now disqualified from being a charity trustee in the future

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, welcomes the conviction of an individual today for terrorism offences.

Mr Adeel Ul-Haq, was convicted of a terrorist financing offence, namely the offence of entering into a funding arrangement, contrary to section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2000. This followed a criminal investigation by the North East Counter Terrorism Unit (‘NE CTU’) involving purported charitable fundraising for those affected by the Syria Crisis (‘the Crisis’). The Individual was also convicted of assisting others to commit an act of terrorism, contrary to section 5 of Terrorism Act 2006.

The Individual had been soliciting charitable donations via his Twitter account in support of ‘humanitarian aid convoys’ and other aid efforts to assist those affected by the Crisis.

On 15 April 2014, following information from the NE CTU the commission opened a statutory inquiry into funds raised for charitable purposes and held on charitable trusts in the name of the Individual. The commission believed those funds were at risk and took immediate temporary and protective action to protect charitable funds personally held by the Individual. The commission’s inquiry was not announced publicly due to the ongoing criminal investigation.

On 25 April 2014 the commission exercised its powers and froze the bank account of the Individual into which charitable donations had been paid. On 21 July 2014, to secure the proper application of the donated funds, the commission directed the bank in which the funds were held to transfer them to another charity to apply to assist those affected by the Crisis.

The commission went on to take further regulatory action and, on 17 September 2014 made an order to remove the Individual from his role as a trustee of charitable funds. Consequently he is now disqualified from acting as a trustee or charity trustee in the future.

Since the regulatory action taken in September 2014, the commission‘s investigation has been placed on hold pending the outcome of these criminal proceedings. In accordance with its policy, the commission will publish an inquiry report once its investigation has concluded.

Michelle Russell, Director of Investigations, Monitoring and Enforcement said:

We are pleased with today’s verdict and that the commission has been able to protect funds donated by the public to assist those affected by the Syria Crisis. If you raise funds for humanitarian work or other charitable purposes, you assume the role and responsibilities of a trustee over those funds and are accountable for their proper use, even if you have not registered as a charity or you are not acting on behalf of one. Our investigation shows that individuals will not get away with abusing charitable funds.

We have worked with the NE CTU since 2014 to assist their investigation and so as to enable us to take action to protect and ensure the proper application of charitable funds. This process is unfinished and we will pursue all options to recover and apply any other charitable funds that can be identified.

Our message to the donating public is not to let this put you off giving to charity but the best way of doing so safely is to always check if someone asking for funds is collecting for a registered charity and that they are confident that they know what the funds will be spent on - anyone can check whether a charity is registered before they give, see who its trustees are, what activities they carry out and whether they are compliant with filing their annual returns by using our online register of charities.

Full advice for the public on giving safely can be found on GOV.UK. (See Notes to editors)

Ends

PR 08/16

Notes to editors

Advice on safer giving for the public:

• before giving, check the charity’s name and registration number, you can verify this on GOV.UK
• when dealing online with charities, exercise the same caution as with any other internet transaction - for example, to donate online, visit the charity’s own website and always type the website address into the browser yourself rather the following a link
• be wary of unsolicited emails from charities you have never heard of and do not click on links contained within them; also, you should ignore requests to donate through a money transfer company as this is a popular scam
• genuine fundraising materials should include the charity’s name, registered number and will normally include a landline contact number and/or website address - be wary of those that list only a mobile number; it is a legal requirement for registered charities with an income above £10,000 a year to state it is a registered charity when fundraising on a range of documents, including websites, advertisements and other documents such as receipts
• after making these checks, if you think that a collection or appeal is not legitimate, report it to the police; and if you think the collection is fraudulent report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or through their website
• never feel under pressure by a fundraiser into making a donation immediately
• if you think a collector does not have a license - report it to the relevant Local Authority Licensing Team or the Metropolitan Police (if in Greater London); also let the charity and Action Fraud know if you can
• if in any doubt, contact your favourite charity directly to find out how to make a donation

1. The Charity Commission (the commission) is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. See GOV.UK for further information.
2. To look for information about registered charities please see the register of charities.
3. More information on the commission’s work in preventing and tackling the abuse of charity for terrorist purposes is explained in our Tackling abuse and mismanagement report.

Following decisions against them at the Charity Tribunal and High Court, the trustees of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Britain (the leading Jehovah’s Witness charity in the UK) have asked the Court of Appeal to permit their legal challenge to the statutory inquiry into their activities that was opened by the commission in 2014. No decision was reached today.

The commission is investigating how Watch Tower safeguards children and adults at risk. It has been seeking access to the registered charity’s records since 2014. Watch Tower disputes the legal basis of the commission’s inquiry and its order seeking documents from the charity. Today’s hearing forms part of its longstanding litigation against the commission. The commission has argued that the Charity Tribunal is the appropriate venue for such cases. It has warned that if the Court rules otherwise, it may risk excluding less well-funded charities from accessing justice via the less costly Tribunal.

The commission is committed to robustly investigating allegations that charities do not have adequate safeguarding policies and practices. It continues to defend its statutory inquiry into Watch Tower. It encourages people who have been affected by safeguarding in congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in England and Wales to make contact with the inquiry lead investigator Jonathan Sanders at jonathan.sanders@charitycommission.gsi.gov.uk

Members of the public can contact the commission with any safeguarding or other concerns about charities via Complain about a charity.

The government has issued new guidance to the Director of Fair Access (DFA), setting out the government’s clear ambitions for the progress universities should be making to boost social mobility and raise young people’s aspirations.

The guidance builds on the Prime Minister’s announcement of a new requirement for universities to routinely publish data on the backgrounds of their applicants to shine a light on their admissions processes.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson said:

Going to university opens doors to a brighter future, but too many students are still missing out. We are asking universities to go further and faster than ever before, especially the most selective institutions. This guidance for the first time identifies the groups of students where most attention is needed, such as white boys from the poorest homes and students with specific learning difficulties. We want to see smarter spending from universities, with more outreach into neighbourhoods with low university entry rates and much deeper partnerships with local schools.

The guidance sets out the government’s advice to the Director of Fair Access outlining the priorities for widening access and success for disadvantaged students.

All higher education providers charging tuition fees over the basic amount, currently £6,000, must have an agreement containing benchmarks proposed by the university on measures to improve access, student success and progression for disadvantaged students, which must be approved by the Director of Fair Access.

The government’s ambitions include meeting the Prime Minister’s goals of:

• doubling the proportion of university entrants from disadvantaged backgrounds by the end of this Parliament from 2009 levels
• increasing the number of BME students going to university by 20% by 2020

Under the guidance, access agreements will also be expected to:

• further build partnerships with schools to target neighbourhoods with low university participation rates, leveraging the National Networks for Collaborative Outreach to help schools and colleges offer university experiences to their pupils to inspire them into higher education
• better support students with learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, Asperger’s Syndrome and ADD/ADHD – the first time that guidelines have made a specific mention of supporting them as a target group

Universities’ access agreements will be monitored and reviewed annually by the DFA and their progress published, to help ensure they are meeting their obligations.

Professor Les Ebdon, Director of Fair Access to Higher Education, said:

I am very pleased to receive this latest guidance, and look forward to working with Ministers and the whole higher education sector as we strive we achieve the Prime Minister’s fair access goals. To coincide with this Ministerial guidance, I will be issuing new access agreement guidance to universities and colleges. For the first time this guidance specifically asks institutions to consider how they can work to widen access to white men from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This group is among the least likely to enter higher education.

I will be expecting to see an increase in outreach work – with universities working to raise aspirations and attainment among people from disadvantaged backgrounds – so that nobody with the potential to benefit from higher education feels that their background holds back their ambition.

Universities’ funding through their access agreements has risen from £404 million in 2009 to £745 million this coming year. The guidance also highlights the need to increasingly focus this spending where it will have a genuine impact on young people most in need. In particular:

• outreach to disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This will inspire students into higher education, rather than more tokenistic efforts such as offering small numbers of bursaries which can often lead to cherry-picking the best students at the expense of others who also have the potential to benefit
• tackling drop-out rates to ensure students are able to complete their courses and progress on to rewarding careers. There is a considerable disparity in non-completion rates, ranging from 1.2% to 25.2% at English institutions, which the guidance highlights as an area for new access agreements to focus improvement on

Although recent data shows that applications from students from disadvantaged backgrounds are at an all-time high, there is still much more to be done:

• only 10% of young white British men from the most disadvantaged backgrounds progress to university
• 11% of black students did not continue their studies after the first year, compared to an average of 7.1%
• elite universities have a particular challenge, only 6% of young entrants to Russell Group universities are from disadvantaged backgrounds, and only 3% at Oxford

Notes to editors:

1. According to UCAS data for their end of cycle report in 2015, the entry rate for the most disadvantaged 18 year-olds has risen under the current funding system to 18.5%, the highest ever recorded: making disadvantaged young people in England around a third more likely to enter university in 2015 than 5 years ago.

2. The guidance also supports the government’s wider HE reforms, and the introduction of a new Teaching Excellence Framework which will put teaching quality and student outcomes at the heart of how universities operate and are assessed.

3. The guidance will be published on OFFA’s website. Media queries for the Director of Fair Access should be directed to Sean Beynon Tel: 0117 931 7022.

4. Interview requests for Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities, should be directed to Joanna Robotham Tel: 020 7215 5973

“It is time for businesses in Wales to step up and seize exporting opportunities with both hands,” Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns will say today during a visit to Gower based businesses making their mark in global markets.

Mr Cairns will visit A1K9, the leading personal and family protection dog training company in the world who have sold more than 1,000 highly trained dogs to customers and their families to over 30 countries worldwide.

Mr Cairns will also visit Adwell Foods that produce a range of hot drinks such as Welsh Brew Tea and have had huge success exporting to the USA.

The visit comes ahead of the arrival of the UK Government’s ‘exports roadshow’ in Wales as part of the Exporting is GREAT campaign - a new five year national initiative which will provide advice and expertise to support businesses at every step on their exporting journey. The aim is to get 100,000 additional companies in the UK exporting by 2020.

Starting its two week tour in Pembroke Dock on 15 Feb, a 32 tonne, 40ft long UKTI Export Hub truck will visit ten locations across south, mid and north Wales and will host a series of seminars, drop-in sessions and one-to-one meetings with exporting experts working in markets across the globe.

Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns said:

Wales is bursting with innovative and world-class companies that are boosting our economy, creating jobs and changing lives across the country. But now is the time to raise the bar and show the world just what Wales has to offer.

The UK Government is working tirelessly to make the UK the best country in the world to do business with - making it easier, faster and simpler for companies to start exporting.

It is now time for businesses in Wales to step up and seize these opportunities with both hands. Taking the time to visit the export hub on its tour of Wales could be their first step.

Our mission is to become the world’s greatest exporting nation, capturing the imagination of the Welsh public, boosting business confidence and national pride, and empowering more Welsh companies to go out and succeed in global markets.

Adwell Foods Ltd of Swansea who distribute their extensive range of Welsh Brew Tea and Welsh specialty Tea Birds, throughout the UK retail and food service sectors have secured a new export contract, which will facilitate distribution of their teas along the east coast regions of the USA, where there remains strong Celtic connections with Wales.

Managing director Alan Wenden said:

This new agreement will further extend our existing trade with the USA.

The brand continues to grow in this market, where many Welsh societies wish to retain their connection with Wales.

During a recent visit to north Wales, Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb and Trade and Investment Minister Lord Maude set a challenge for businesses and the Welsh Government to make 2016 “the year of outstanding Welsh export success”.

Businesses across Wales are encouraged to attend an Exporting is GREAT event during the ten-leg hub roadshow across south, mid and north Wales (15-26 Feb) and speak to experts on a range of exporting issues, including:

• Export finance
• Export documentation
• Legal issues, such as agency and distributor agreements
• Foreign currency
• Support for growing your export business
• Access to export opportunities

Today the MAIB has published a second safety bulletin as a result of the investigation into the mooring line failure on board Liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier Zarga while alongside at South Hook LNG terminal, Milford Haven resulting in serious injuries to a deck officer on 2 March 2015.

The safety bulletin contains safety lessons for the marine industry regarding close-fitting jacketed synthetic fibre ropes with low twist constructions being more prone to failure under normal operating conditions than other mooring rope constructions.