MOJ’s update to the Employment Tribunal confirms to all affected fee paid judicial office holders the MOJ approach to claims for pre 7 April 2000 service. In our last update, we described the methodology by which pension entitlement will be calculated for eligible judges. We undertook to work with the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) to develop worked examples to give a clearer indication of how this methodology will work in practice for eligible judges who began their fee-paid service prior to 31 March 1995. The GAD paper is published on this page for information.
Ministry of Justice statement in fee-paid judicial litigation: July 2019
A man who lit a series of fires in a revenge arson attack has had his sentence increased under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.
In December 2017 Darren Finnemore, 49, was subject to a police enquiry, and sought revenge in January 2018 against those he considered responsible for the investigation.
In order to cause a distraction, Finnemore first started 2 fires in the bin areas outside flats while the residents were asleep. Residents had to be rescued by emergency services after smoke from the fires stopped them from escaping, with many requiring medical assistance. It took the fire brigade almost 6 hours to tackle the fires and extensive damage was caused to the flats.
After lighting those fires, Finnemore visited the property of those he considered responsible for the investigation against him and posted a burning magazine through their letterbox. The flames went out before anything inside the flat caught fire, and Finnemore was arrested later that morning.
Finnemore was originally sentenced to 5 years’ imprisonment at Leicester Crown Court in June 2019. Following the Solicitor General’s referral, this has been increased to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Commenting on the increase, Solicitor General Michael Ellis QC MP said:
“Finnemore put the lives of many of his neighbours at significant risk. It is extremely fortunate that more people weren’t seriously harmed, and this is now reflected in the length of his sentence.”
| About the transaction: Cleveland Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Sector | Infrastructure: rural transport |
| Project location | Sri Lanka |
| UKEF support | Buyer credit |
Cleveland Bridge has designed and built a number of iconic landmarks including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tyne Bridge. The company designs its modular bridges in the UK and they are easily assembled to meet the specific needs of each project.
This project has been designed to accelerate Sri Lanka’s development through improvements in its rural transport infrastructure. Families and businesses will benefit directly; the bridges will reduce the distance people need to travel to reach essential services such as healthcare and education, and bring rural communities closer together by cutting transport costs.
Don Underwood, Commercial Consultant, Cleveland Bridge said:
We are delighted UKEF has chosen to support this project, and Cleveland Bridge’s continued growth. UKEF’s flexible support is hugely important for our international success, helping us build confidence with our overseas customers and access financing to deliver dynamic projects.
We work with banks to provide flexible, innovative, and competitive financing solutions. We support UK exporters, international project sponsors and buyers of UK goods and services.
Published 3 September 2019
Seaweed sourced from the pristine waters of the Scottish Outer Hebrides will now be distributed throughout Europe by Univar Solutions – a leading global ingredients distributor.
Univar Solutions was selected by Seaweed & Co. to distribute its PureSea® range of natural seaweed ingredients to the food and beverage markets in countries including Denmark, France and Germany. PureSea® ingredients are easy and convenient to use in almost any food, beverage and nutrition product, and are a natural source of iodine.
Established in 2015, Seaweed & Co. is a leading supplier of seaweed sustainably sourced in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. Its products are processed in a factory on the Isle of Lewis which employs 15 people and is expanding to accommodate increased demand for seaweed production.
The new distributor agreement with Univar Solutions will see Seaweed & Co.’s PureSea® ingredients shipped to food and nutrition manufacturers and brands across Europe, providing consumers with the many health and nutritional benefits of seaweed.
I am delighted to see businesses like Seaweed & Co. expand their reach throughout Europe by tapping into the growing demand for high quality UK produce.
There are numerous opportunities for UK companies overseas, which is why the Department for International Trade is committed to boosting UK trade and prosperity across the continent of Europe and not just the European Union – whether that’s by providing advice on market opportunities, connections to buyers or overcoming market access barriers.
Seaweed & Co. has supplied seaweed for ‘Off the Eaten Path’ – a range of vegetable snacks made by PepsiCo, the second largest food and beverage business in the world. Its ingredients have also been used in the M&S Smoked Hebridean Seaweed Mayonnaise.
The company also sells directly to customers through its Weed & Wonderful range which helps individuals easily incorporate seaweed into their everyday life and reap its health benefits. Co-founded by Kaiser Chiefs lead singer Ricky Wilson, the Weed & Wonderful range includes seaweed infused oils and seaweed capsules – all of which are available in health food stores across the UK including Holland and Barrett and Whole Foods Market.
Seaweed & Co. currently exports to countries including Israel, South Korea, Australia, Canada and the US, but will now expand further into Europe with support from Univar Solutions and cater to emerging consumer interest in plant-based diets. The business also plans to expand into Asia where food products from Scotland are recognised and valued for their premium quality.
The global commercial seaweed market is set to reach £17.5 billion by 2024 thanks to increased demand for organic, natural and sustainably sourced products. Seaweed not only supports thyroid health, metabolism and cognitive function, but also adds flavour to food and is often used as a replacement for salt.
Seaweed is undoubtedly the future. It ticks so many boxes for food, health and nutrition, and is absolutely on-trend. We have spent the past 4 years developing a supply chain and PureSea® range of ingredients that can meet the rapidly rising demand on a large and global scale.
Working with Univar Solutions is opening up a vast opportunity and network for my company, into Europe and beyond. As a partner they bring a huge amount of expertise, credibility and knowledge, which we are all extremely excited about.