Third UK-Poland Inter-Governmental Consultations took place at Lancaster House, London on Thursday 20 December 2018

Thank you Mr President and may I say at the outset how much we welcome this initiative by Cote d’Ivoire to bring this issue back to the Council’s agenda, which I think we last considered in 2013, so it’s a timely moment to look at this.

May I also welcome UNODC Executive Director Fedotov’s briefing and thank UNODC for their efforts in this area, including of course through their regional programme for West Africa.

Mr President, conflict, corruption and ungoverned spaces all allow criminality to flourish. This can take many forms. It includes of course the trafficking of drugs, but not only drugs. It includes the trafficking of people and it includes the trafficking of weapons. Organised criminal networks can also support and facilitate the emergence and operations of terrorist groups. Indeed it’s quite frequent and common that in their early stages, terrorists groups rely upon income from organised crime.

Sadly, West Africa has been affected by these issues over recent years and we have seen that it is marginalised groups who often suffer the most, whether that’s children, whether that’s women, whether that’s children, whether that’s minority ethnic groups.

Now Mr President, the impact of this criminality is not only felt by individuals but its felt in communities and its felt by States. It undermines the rule of law, human rights and the ability of states to provide services, and pursue the 2030 Agenda for all of their citizens. Cross-border criminal networks, smuggling and trafficking goods and people across states’ jurisdictions can also constitute a threat to international peace and security. Drug trafficking is one form of this challenge but we saw the same argument convincingly made in this Council’s Resolutions 2331 and 2388 on trafficking of people.

Now as we’ve heard today, this has unfortunately been the case in the West African region, where, as UNODC has outlined, the region has become a significant consumption and transit zone for heroin and cocaine, enabling flows towards destination markets. The money and the violence that accompanies this trade has devastating consequences.

Drug trafficking as I’ve said can be both a means by which armed groups raise funds but also a source of conflict in themselves. Criminal gangs can corrupt and weaken a state at just the time that a strong state with strong institutions is needed to prevent conflict. I agree very much with those around the table who have talked about the importance of considering this issue holistically within the prevention and peace building setting.

Mr President, we should note and welcome the efforts in the region, particularly the work of the G5 Sahel, for greater stability and in tackling terrorism. We need to support ECOWAS, SRSG Chambas and UNOWAS’ excellent efforts as well as those initiatives that address the drivers of instability, including of course climate change, poverty, marginalisation and corruption.

The UK is playing its part. We are increasing our staffing and expertise on tackling organised crime in the region and we’re working with our partners in the region to counter trafficking, strengthen the rule of law and border security as well as supporting development and provisional services.

Mr President, there is no silver bullet to ending drug trafficking and organised crime in West Africa or indeed anywhere else. It will take a comprehensive approach by the states in the region, supported by the United Nations family holistically and its international partners. We welcome the renewed focus on criminality brought by you today by you in calling this meeting and stand ready to assist those countries suffering from this insidious threat as we ourselves suffer as well.

Thank you Mr President.

The Women’s Mental Health Taskforce final report sets out its principles for better gender- and trauma-informed care.

The Women’s Mental Health Taskforce was set up in 2017 in response to evidence of deteriorating mental health among women and poor outcomes for those using support services.

The taskforce’s report draws on women’s own lived experience of mental ill health. It encourages commissioners, providers and practitioners to promote best practice in their organisations, while considering women’s individual, gender-specific needs.

The report looks at:

• the influence of women’s roles as mothers and carers on their needs, which is rarely considered in the care they receive
• the trauma experienced by many women in inpatient facilities when they have been victims of violence and abuse in the past

It also considers other issues that often affect women and girls more than men and boys.

For example, eating disorders are more common among women and girls than men and boys. Young women and girls are also more at risk of self-harm.

The report outlines a series of recommendations to be led by the Department of Health and Social Care and its arm’s length bodies.

The recommendations include:

• clearly considering women’s needs in all future mental health policy development
• improving trauma-informed care
• supporting routine enquiry about violence and abuse in future policy development
• using the principles of the taskforce to inform service design and delivery for women’s mental health
• recognising that women’s identities, and often their roles as mothers and carers, are important in individual treatment and in-service planning
• ensuring the safety of women in residential mental health care by ending breaches of single-sex wards, and improving practice and reporting processes around sexual harassment and sexual violence

The taskforce was chaired by the Minister for Mental Health, Inequalities and Suicide Prevention Jackie Doyle-Price and Katharine Sacks-Jones, the Chief Executive of women’s charity Agenda.

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price said:

Women are more likely to experience common mental health conditions than men – this is particularly stark among young women, who are 3 times more likely than young men to experience a common mental disorder, such as anxiety or depression.

Yet, too often, we hear stories of women who describe feeling powerless when it comes to their mental health treatment, those who feel neglected by inadequate aftercare or, more alarmingly, those who feel at risk in inpatient services, whether that’s because of breaches in single-sex wards or the fear of restraint or observations by male staff members.

This just isn’t good enough. I’m determined that this report will take an important first step towards our aim of tackling the injustices facing women, while ensuring that no vulnerable woman slips through the net. I appeal to partners across the health, justice and social care systems to work together to drive forward our ethos and ensure that women receive the high-quality care they deserve.

Mental health is a top priority for this government and will be a key part of the upcoming long-term plan for the NHS, which will help us drive the outcomes of this report forward.

Chief Executive of Agenda Katharine Sacks-Jones said:

The Women’s Mental Health Taskforce was set up in light of rising rates of mental health problems among women and girls. The taskforce heard how many women struggled to get appropriate support from mental health services and were sometimes left further traumatised by the treatment they had received. This is not good enough.

The taskforce identified an urgent need for support that better responds to the realities of women’s lives including their experiences of abuse and trauma and their roles as mothers and carers.

We call upon government and leaders across the health service to heed the findings of this report and use the principles it sets out to improve the response to women’s mental health, so that all women get the help they need when they need it.

A new law that will help to boost standards in rented homes and give tenants more powers to hold their landlord to account has been welcomed by Housing and Homelessness Minister, Heather Wheeler MP today (20 December 2018).

Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act, landlords of both social and privately rented properties must make sure that their properties meet certain standards at the beginning and throughout a tenancy. If they fail to do this, tenants have the right to take legal action – making this a landmark moment for the rented sector.

The Private Members’ Bill, which has received Royal Assent today, supports ongoing government action to protect tenants and drive up standards in rented properties.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Heather Wheeler MP said:

Everyone deserves a safe and decent place to live, regardless of whether you own your home or rent it.

That’s why government has introduced a range of measures to help ensure that people who are renting have good quality and well-maintained properties to call home.

This new law is a further step to ensure that tenants have the decent homes they deserve.

The government has introduced a range of powers for local authorities to enable them to crack down on the small minority of rogue landlords and agents who let unfit properties. This includes fixed financial penalties of up to £30,000 and banning orders – possibly for life – for the most serious offenders.

We have also extended mandatory licensing for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) to improve living conditions of tenants in shared homes and tightened up rules on smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Private tenants can also apply for a refund of up to twelve months’ rent if their landlord does not deal with health and safety hazards in their home.

We are also banning unfair letting fees and capping tenancy deposits, saving renters around £240 million a year. The Tenant Fees Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, will bring an end to unnecessary, costly fees imposed by landlords or property agents. This will stop tenants being charged unnecessarily and put hard-earned cash back in their pockets.

Other government steps to reform and improve renting include:

• The launch of a national database of rogue landlords and agents to keep track of those that are renting out unsafe and substandard accommodation;
• A comprehensive review of the rating system used by local authorities to assess the presence of serious risks to the health and safety of occupants;
• Mandatory client money protection – by which rental money held by letting agents is safeguarded against theft and fraud – for all agents;
• Requirement for all landlords to belong to a mandatory redress scheme and;
• New, mandatory five yearly electrical installation safety inspections

This is all part of ongoing government activity to make the private rented sector fairer and more transparent – making a housing market that works for everyone.

Further Information

• The government has worked with Karen Buck MP and has received cross-party support to draft and publish the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill.

The Bill ensures:

• That all landlords (both social and private sector) must ensure that their property is fit for human habitation at the beginning of the tenancy and throughout; and
• Where a landlord fails to do so, the tenant has the right to take legal action in the courts for breach of contract on the grounds that the property is unfit for human habitation.
• The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced a range of measures to tackle rogue landlords:
• Banning orders to stop rogue landlords renting out in future – with potential unlimited fines and prison sentences if these are breached;
• Civil penalties of up to £30,000 as an alternative to prosecution to punish landlords for serious offences – came into force April 2017;
• Extended Rent Repayment Orders to cover illegal eviction and failure to comply with a statutory notice – and, from April 2018, breach of banning order – came into force in April 2017.
• Our rogue landlord database has been operational since April 2018 and is available for use by councils to crack down on poor and unfair practice in the private rented sector, and to help target their enforcement action. We have committed to making information held on the database available to the public when Parliamentary time allows.
• In October 2018, we extended the existing licensing scheme for HMOs to protect tenants from overcrowding and poor housing conditions, including in smaller HMOs, and set out new rules on bedroom sizes and rubbish storage space.
• In October 2018, we also announced reviews of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) used by local authorities to assess whether a property contains potentially serious risks to the health and safety of the occupant and of carbon monoxide alarm requirements in the home.
• The Tenant Fees Bill will help to make the lettings market fairer and protect tenants from significant fees at the outset, renewal and termination of a tenancy. The Bill successfully passed through the House of Commons with cross-party support and is now progressing through the House of Lords. Implementation is subject to Parliamentary timetables although it is expected in 2019.
• Our consultation Strengthening consumer redress in the housing market looked at how we could make seeking redress clearer and simpler for consumers. We are considering the responses to the consultation and will respond shortly.
• In July 2018, we announced that we will require all private landlords to carry out five yearly mandatory electrical installation checks. We are working to bring these regulations into force as soon as possible, subject to Parliamentary approval and timetables.
• We recently consulted on overcoming the barriers to longer tenancies in the private rented sector and sought views on a three year longer tenancy model. We are considering the responses to the consultation and will respond shortly.

The Environment Agency has served a ‘notice of liability’ for a pollution incident that killed at least 100,000 fish in Lincolnshire.