The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Karen Bradley MP has extended the appointments of eleven members of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.

Joseph McVey, William Gamble, Reverend Lesley Carroll, William McKee, David Rose, Tom Hartley, Hazel Francey and Judith Gillespie have been extended until 31 May 2018 and Geraldine McGahey, Deborah Donnelly and Robin Mullan have been extended until 28 February 2020.

Notes to Editors:

The extensions will allow the introduction of a more staggered approach to future appointments and improve business continuity.

Biographies of Appointees

Biographies can be found here

Terms of Appointment

The positions are part-time.

The position of Commissioner attracts an annual remuneration of £5,000 and the Deputy Chief Commissioner receives an annual remuneration of £10,000.

These positions are non-pensionable.

Political Activity

All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. However, in accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories within the last five years to be made public.

Lesley Carroll declared that she stood for election as an Ulster Unionist candidate at the 2016 Assembly elections. Tom Hartley has undertaken activities on behalf of Sinn Fein, including representing the party on the Commission on Flags, Identity, Culture and Tradition.

Speaking at the Nuclear Industry Association’s (NIA) Decom2018 event, in London, Kate said the aspiration would be achieved by colleagues across the NDA group working together towards a common goal.

Kate takes responsibility for the organisation’s procurement, contract management and commercial activities associated with cleaning up the UK’s civil nuclear legacy.

It is the first major event she has spoken at in her new role, and she took the opportunity to reveal to industry representatives how the NDA is transforming its procurement and contract management capabilities.

Kate, who joined the NDA in November 2017, said:

We are in the process of strengthening our approach to contracting: becoming better, more efficient, clearer, providing best value for taxpayers.

This is about getting better at awarding the contracts but also, equally importantly, making sure the work performed is in line with those contracts and the costs agreed in them. Across government, and within our own group of businesses, this is an emerging theme.

We are also identifying new opportunities to minimise the cost of decommissioning to the taxpayer. One way in which we’re doing this is generating revenue through our intellectual property in international markets.

To date, there have been a number of revenue-generating agreements ranging in value, from £10,000s to millions.

We are in the middle of exciting times across the estate.

The two-day event, which welcomed delegates from around the world, covered topics on nuclear decommissioning, hazard reduction and waste management. It was held at London’s County Hall. Exhibitions from the sector’s top organisations gave visitors the chance to network and learn more about opportunities in the nuclear decommissioning sector.

Tom Greatrex, Chief Executive of the NIA, said:

It was a pleasure to have Kate speak at our Decom2018 conference this week, particularly as this was the first major engagement she has taken part in since she joined the NDA in November 2017.

The NIA’s 2017 Activity Report, published in December found that the nuclear industry provides over 65,000 jobs and £6.4 billion GVA contribution every year, with £1.6 billion of this contribution coming from the North West of England, home to the most complex decommissioning site in the world.

Decom2018 is an important opportunity to showcase such the end of life benefits of nuclear power to the UK, and to set out the agenda for the future.

EU citizens living in the UK and their family members will need to apply under the settlement scheme to obtain their new UK immigration status.

Caroline Nokes confirmed that those applying under the scheme will only need to complete 3 key steps. They will need to prove their identity, show that that they live in the UK, and declare that they have no serious criminal convictions.

The Minister also announced the planned fee for people applying under the scheme. It is proposed that an application will cost £65 and £32.50 for a child under 16. For those who already have valid permanent residence or indefinite leave to remain documentation, they will be able to exchange it for settled status for free.

The Home Office will check the employment and benefit records held by government which will mean that, for many, their proof of residence will be automatic.

Those who have not yet lived in the UK for five years will be granted pre-settled status and be able to apply for settled status once they reach the five-year point. From April 2019, this second application will be free of charge.

The draft Immigration Rules which have been published today providing details of the scheme, deliver on the citizens’ rights agreement with the EU reached in March this year, which also guarantees the rights of UK nationals living in the EU.

Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes said:

EU citizens make a huge contribution to our economy and to our society. They are our friends, family and colleagues and we want them to stay.

This is an important step which will make it easy for EU citizens to get the status they need to continue working and living here.

We are demonstrating real progress and I look forward to hearing more detail on how the EU will make reciprocal arrangements for UK nationals living in the EU.

The new online application system will be accessible through phones, tablets, laptops and computers. The Government will provide support for the vulnerable and those without access to a computer, and continues to work with EU citizens’ representatives and embassies to ensure the system works for everyone.

The settlement scheme will open in a phased way from later this year and will be fully open by 30 March 2019.

The deadline for applications will be 30 June 2021.

The Home Office will continue to engage with stakeholders, including employers, local authority representatives and community groups, about the detailed design of the scheme before the Rules are laid before Parliament.

You can read the EU Settlement Scheme statement of intent on how EU citizens and their families can obtain settled status in the UK.