The government has today announced a repayment scheme for potential victims of modern slavery who received asylum support in England and Wales between 1 March and 8 November 2018.

This comes after a High Court ruling on 8 November found those affected had lost out on support.

Following the ruling, the Home Office immediately reinstated a top up payment to this group and has put in place a process for contacting all affected individuals who are entitled to a back-payment.

From today, anyone who was in receipt of support through the National Referral Mechanism and Asylum Support Regulations who received less than £65 a week between 1 March and 8 November 2018 can claim a back payment.

People who are currently receiving support will receive a letter from the Home Office setting out how much they are entitled to and when they will be paid. Those who are no longer receiving support can apply for a back payment using an application form.

Published 17 January 2019

The members have been appointed to the housing agency’s new Multidisciplinary Framework to provide technical advice, services and design input to help Homes England prepare brownfield and surplus public sector land for residential development. Their expertise will help increase the pace, scale and quality of development and accelerate delivery of new homes in areas of greatest demand.

The Framework, due to be launched on 2 February, 2019, will enable procurement of £100m worth of services. It will also be available to other public sector bodies and will form part of the suite of Homes England Frameworks.

Stephen Kinsella, Executive Director for Land, at Homes England, said: “We want to work with ambitious partners who can help us accelerate housing development, deliver value for money, use their skills, knowledge and capacity to significantly increase housing delivery across the country.

“Members appointed to the new Framework bring with them a wealth of knowledge and housing expertise that will enhance the work of Homes England. This will help us meet our ambition to accelerate housebuilding and deliver the 300,000 homes needed each year by the mid-2020s.”

Homes England is supporting the private sector where development remains hindered by complex delivery and economic constraints. As part of this, Homes England aims to purchase land, remediate contaminated brownfield sites, as well as fund and deliver primary infrastructure.

The successful members of the new Multidisciplinary Framework are:

• AECOM Limited • Amey OW Limited • Arcadis Consulting (UK) Ltd • Atkins Limited • BDP • Curtins Consulting Limited • East Hampshire District Council – RegenCo • Gleeds Advisory Ltd • GVA • Jacobs U.K Limited • Karakusevic Carson Architects LLP • Mace Limited • Ove Arup & Partners Ltd • Pell Frischmann Consultants Ltd • Peter Brett Associates LLP • Tibbalds CampbellReith Joint Venture • Turner & Townsend Project Management Limited • Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited • WSP UK Ltd • WYG Engineering Limited

The Framework is due to be launched on 2 February, 2019. Further information can be found here.

Twenty highly skilled housing specialists have been appointed by Homes England to help speed up housebuilding across England.

Twenty highly skilled housing specialists have been appointed by Homes England to help speed up housebuilding across England.

The serious violence engagement events, led by Home Office ministers, bring together local partners to take action in communities. They raise awareness of the government’s Serious Violence Strategy, which places local action at its core. The events also highlight the national and regional support available, discuss local action already underway and spot new opportunities to work together to tackle the issue.

Over 100 partners from police, health, education, social services, youth offending services, housing, local authorities and the voluntary sector in the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and West Mercia attended today’s event at The Studio in Birmingham.

Speaking at the event, Policing Minister Nick Hurd said:

We are determined to support these communities. That means support for tough law enforcement, with more resources and powers for the police.

Just as important is our £17 million support for local preventative work that guides young people away from crime and bad decisions that have devastating consequences.

The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, David Jamieson, said:

The minister’s visit to the West Midlands is very welcome.

I’m pleased Mr Hurd wants to see the problems we face in the region up close and today provided him with an opportunity to talk to victims and policing professionals alike.

It’s no secret that there is a serious problem with violent crime across many parts of the country and the minister has taken a keen interest in the innovative projects underway in the West Midlands.

As part of his visit to the West Midlands, Nick Hurd visited community police in Handsworth and went on walk around with local officers. If the local Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) chooses to increase the council tax precept, funding for West Midlands police will increase by £34.2 million in the coming financial year. The region also received £1.8 million from the government’s £17 million Early Intervention Youth Fund to support community groups and charities guide vulnerable young people away from violent crime.

Other speakers at the event included PCCs for the West Midlands, David Jamieson, and for Warwickshire, Philip Seccombe, as well as the West Midlands Chief Constable David Thompson, the Deputy Director of Public Health England West Midlands Dr Lola Abdulu, and Darren Laville from local charity The Epiphany People.

These events form part of the delivery of the 61 commitments in the Serious Violence Strategy and the government’s commitment to working with communities to strengthen their response to the issue and ensure everything is being done to protect young people from harm.