Businessman Sidney Nicholls was sentenced to one year in prison suspended for two years and ordered to pay £30,000 costs.

Praising staff for their commitment to support Hastings residents, Amber Rudd will also host a summit with local charities, including Citizens Advice, to better understand how people in Hastings are dealing with benefit changes she is making to the welfare system.

There are 4.6 million people in work in the south east, with unemployment down 129,000 since 2010.

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said:

I have long admired the hard work and the empathy of staff at the Hastings jobcentre. Like all staff across the country, they are also unafraid to make sure I hear the unvarnished view.

It’s the dedication and experiences of these staff who have helped inform the changes I have sought to make to Universal Credit.

The changes I am making ensure that behind our supportive staff, is a fairer and more compassionate system.

From scrapping any extension to the 2 child policy limit to stopping unnecessary reassessments for disabled pensioners, we are re-designing the welfare system so that it supports people who want to work and protects the vulnerable from poverty.

The visit is part of Amber Rudd’s fact finding tour about how Universal Credit is working for people across the country.

As a system that has to work for everyone, the Secretary of State’s tour is taking in the experiences of people living across the UK, from coastal communities like Hastings to rural towns and cities, including Taunton and Stoke-on-Trent.

Today’s (15 March 2019) Hastings visit follows the announcement this week that benefit claimants in Harrogate will be the first to move from old style benefits to Universal Credit.

Amber Rudd has already announced changes designed to make Universal Credit fairer, including pilot schemes to provide more frequent payments for new claimants, a new online system for private landlords and a more flexible approach to childcare provisions.

And earlier this month Amber Rudd announced new measures to support disabled people, including stopping unnecessary reassessments for disabled pensioners.

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After setting out a fresh approach to Universal Credit, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd will hear how the changes will help local people in Hastings.

This British Science Week, Glasgow-based company, Tissue Solutions Ltd, demonstrates why the UK is a world leader in life sciences and medical research.

Founded in 2007, Tissue Solutions is a global virtual biobank providing fully consented human tissue and biomaterials to pharmaceutical and biotech companies across Europe, Asia and the U.S to develop new drugs and diagnostics.

The company has since gained international reputation as a high-quality ethical provider of human tissue, working to support scientific discoveries and improve clinical success for oncological diseases, autoimmune diseases and more.

Dr Mike Short, Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for International Trade, said:

Companies like Tissue Solutions ensure that the UK remains a world leader in medical research and innovation. In 2018, the UK exported nearly £25 billion in medicinal and pharmaceutical products alone, showing the global demand for British scientific excellence.

In 2017, the UK Government launched the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy which demonstrates our commitment to the sector. Therefore, I would encourage companies to get in touch with DIT through great.gov.uk if they need support to enter new markets overseas.

The UK has one of the strongest and most vibrant health and life sciences industries in the world, which supports 240,000 jobs and generates a turnover of around £70 billion per year.

British Science Week is an annual celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) across the UK. The event encourages organisations, professionals, and science communicators to get involved in STEM events and activities.

The UK is the number one destination for life sciences inward investment in Europe, and is home to the top 25 global pharmaceutical companies and top 30 medical technology companies.

With 20 employees based in its Glasgow office, Tissue Solutions operates a virtual tissue bank with a client base that includes over 80% of pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in the Fortune 1000.

Dr Morag McFarlane, Chief Executive Officer at Tissue Solutions, said:

Ethically sourced human biomaterials lead to new treatments and are increasingly important for scientific breakthroughs.

We are committed to providing human tissues to researchers worldwide and exporting has always been central to our business. We have grown a lot since 2007, with support from DIT, and now provide a range of tissue related services to the global research community.

Glasgow company achieves international success, as British Science Week (8-17 March) celebrates science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) across the UK.