Leslie Manasseh has been reappointed to the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) from 17 August 2018 to 16 August 2021.

Leslie Manasseh was the Deputy General Secretary of Prospect; a union of 115,000 specialists, professionals and managers across the private and public sector from 2010 – 2015. The majority of his career prior to this was spent in Connect (formerly the Society of Telecom Executives), initially as the National Organiser and Director of Organisation and Development followed by eight years as the Deputy General Secretary. He was also the President of the TUC from September 2014 to September 2015, having previously been a general council member, since 2002.

The PSPRB provides the government with independent advice on the remuneration of operational prison staff in the England and Wales, and Northern Ireland Prison Services.

Re-appointments to the PSPRB are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This reappointment has been made in line with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments, which governs the appointments process.

Public appointments to the PSPRB are made by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the Justice Secretary in consultation with Northern Ireland.

Having taken over as the Secretary of State with responsibility for media public interest cases I have reviewed the process regarding the proposed merger between 21st Century Fox (21CF) and Sky Plc (Sky). I am content that DCMS and the relevant parties have ensured a scrupulously clear, fair and transparent process and I can now therefore inform the House of the final decisions made by my predecessor as Secretary of State. These decisions were made in a quasi-judicial capacity.

On 5 June the previous Secretary of State made a statement to the House in which he set out his decision in relation to the proposed merger.

He announced that having considered the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) report, he agreed with their findings on the public interest grounds and their finding that undertakings to divest Sky News to The Walt Disney Company (Disney) or to an alternative suitable buyer could potentially remedy the public interest concerns identified.

Following the completion of discussions with the parties, on 19 June he published a consultation on the undertakings offered by 21CF along with new undertakings offered by Disney for the divestment of Sky News to Disney and several associated documents.

We received five responses to the consultation, which closed on 4 July. These responses will be published today on the DCMS website, along with the government’s response to the consultation.

Having considered the responses to the consultation, the previous Secretary of State agreed with the parties a clarificatory change to Disney’s undertakings and changes to the associated brand licensing agreement. In response to specific concerns raised by respondents, he also agreed that where appropriate the Secretary of State will consult with the CMA in relation to these undertakings and will publish the formal written advice given by the CMA. I am content to confirm this position.

The final version of the undertakings have been published along with the other relevant documents on the DCMS website.

The publication of the undertakings marks the final stage of the public interest consideration of this case. It is right that Ofcom, the CMA and my Department have taken such care in ensuring the bid is properly and effectively scrutinised. It is now a matter for the Sky shareholders to decide whether to accept 21CF’s bid.

He will be speaking with a variety of stakeholders about EU exit, the future of farming, and the importance of agricultural innovation to improve output and boost producer’s profits.

Speaking ahead of the visit, Lord Duncan said:

Make no mistake, Scotland’s food and drink is iconic – it is recognised for its quality and heritage all over the world, and is an enormous draw for tourists and investors alike.

And it’s not just salmon and whisky – Scotland’s soft fruits, meat and dairy produce is renowned for flavour and I’m really looking forward to meeting processors, growers and farmers and hearing all about their businesses and their thoughts on how the UK Government can support agriculture in Scotland.

At the Royal Highland Show I spoke about the importance that science and innovation has to play in agriculture and Dourie Farm is a great example of how genetic science can make a positive impact on the farm’s bottom line.

I’m also keen to hear from the teams behind Eyeball brewing and Thistley cross cider. Scotland’s craft drinks industry is booming and the demand is out there. We’ll be discussing the importance of frameworks around labelling, and opportunities for exporting all around the world.

It’s really important that as the UK approaches our exit from the EU that we can hear directly from a range of suppliers about the challenges and opportunities that they see over the years ahead.

Over the two days Lord Duncan will visit Hardiesmill Farm, Gordon; Eyeball Brewery/Thistly Cross Cider, and Belhaven Fruit Farm, Dunbar; Dourie Farm, Port William; and Cream of Galloway, Castle Douglas.

Under the terms of the NCS Charter, appointment of the Chair and members is made by HM The Queen on the advice of the Privy Council and on a recommendation from the Prime Minister.

Brett Wigdortz OBE started his career focused on southeast Asian policy and business work at the East-West Centre in Honolulu, HI and the Asia Society in New York City. He then moved to be a management consultant focused on strategy and organisational effectiveness at McKinsey & Company in their Jakarta, Singapore and London offices.

In 2002, he wrote the original business plan for Teach First and led the organisation for fifteen years, from its launch until October 2017, helping to build it into one of the country’s leading movements to tackle education inequality. Among its achievements are: becoming the UK’s largest graduate recruiter, running an accredited world class teacher training program, building a movement of over 10,000 ambassadors focused on ending educational disadvantage and supporting more than one million children in classrooms across England and Wales.

Wigdortz is the author of Success Against the Odds, a candid account of the first ten years of Teach First. He was awarded an OBE in the 2013 Queen’s New Year’s Honour’s list for Services to Education. He has also won numerous awards over the past 15 years, including Charity Times UK Charity CEO of the Year, Ernst & Young UK Social Entrepreneur of the Year, the Evening Standards’ 1,000 Most Influential Londoners for seven years in a row and Debrett’s 500 Most Influential Britons for six years in a row. He has Honorary Doctorates from the University of Warwick and Birmingham City University.

Wigdortz is Co-Founder and a trustee of Teach For All, a network of more than 45 Teach First partner programs in countries all over the world. He is a trustee of Teach First Israel, was the vice chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation Education Advisory Group and is a judge of the Varkey Foundation’s $1 million Global Teacher Prize. He also helped found and is on the board of the Fair Education Alliance.

Since stepping down as CEO of Teach First to become Founder & Honorary President of the charity, Wigdortz has been working with Jamie Oliver to help him develop a national alliance to halve youth obesity by 2030. His main focus is as co-founder and CEO of Tiney.co, a new digital platform aiming to grow, support and improve the quality of childminders and small nurseries in the UK.

He is a dual US and UK citizen and lives with his wife and three young children in London.

The role is remunerated at £400 a day up to a maximum of £40,000 per annum. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Brett has declared no such political activity.