News story: Finsbury Park terrorist attack

You can apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA), under the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012, if you were injured or bereaved as a result of this incident. You can also call the CICA helpline on 0300 003 3601.

You do not need a paid representative, such as a solicitor or claims management company, to apply to CICA for compensation.

Our Guide provides information about free independent advice that may be available from local support services or other charitable organisations.



News story: DIT DSO assists UK SMEs at Seawork 2017

The annual Seawork exhibition and conference took place at the Mayflower Park, Southampton between Tuesday 13 and Thursday 15 June 2017.

Once again DIT DSO led on UK government help at the exhibition. They were able to offer UK companies a wide range of advice, information and support aimed at increasing overseas defence and security sales.

DIT DSO’s principal customers were UK SMEs, who received informal advice or attended pre-booked appointments to meet DIT DSO experts to discuss more specific export opportunities.

HM government zone stand

The stand was manned throughout by the DSO Small Business Unit and the Military Export Support Team. They were joined at the show over the 3 days by a number of DIT DSO colleagues from the regional directorates and high growth team.

The stand also had a senior Royal Naval presence on all 3 days to engage with:

  • visiting overseas naval officials
  • colleagues from the Ministry of Defence (MoD)
  • UK companies

Access to the stand was also extended to Department for International Trade (DIT) colleagues from the regional international trade and MoD business advisory teams.

Seawork

Seawork International is the largest and fastest growing commercial marine and workboat event to be held in a working port. This annual conference and exhibition is in its 20th year and is an important fixture on the DIT DSO exhibition programme.

The show itself largely focuses upon civil and commercial maritime sales. This provided DIT DSO with an excellent opportunity to engage with new potential customers and to showcase the possibilities and benefits of diversifying into the overseas military market.

Examples of the range of kit that military colleagues have helped to sell in the past provided an attractive draw to the stand. This helped potential exporters understand just how wide and diverse the overseas defence and security markets can be.

DIT DSO hope to have started a good number of UK companies on a new journey into international trade.



Detailed guide: Safe passage for eels

Existing water obstructions

You may need to construct an eel pass if you own or occupy land with, or are in charge of, a

  • dam
  • weir
  • sluice
  • other in-river obstruction

The Environment Agency will write to you if you must construct an eel pass to allow eels to migrate safely past the structure.

Contact the Environment Agency and ask for your local fisheries officer to confirm a completion date for the work at your site.

You may need to apply for a permit or permission to do the work. Check the guidance to see if you need a:

Check with your local planning authority if you need planning permission.

You must pay for the construction, operating and maintenance costs.

If you do not do the work the Environment Agency can:

  • issue you a warning letter
  • serve you with a formal caution
  • prosecute you if they think it’s in the public interest
  • construct the eel pass and charge you for the work

Existing water abstraction structures

In most cases you must install an eel screen if you do both of the following:

  • own or occupy land with, or are in charge of, a water abstraction structure
  • abstract at least 20 cubic metres of water per day

Water abstraction structures include:

  • pumping stations
  • hydro-electric power stations
  • irrigation pumping systems

Check when you do not need to install an eel screen.

A screen will keep eels out of the structure and allow them to migrate safely past it.

You must have a temporary exemption notice in place until you have completed the work. Contact the Environment Agency to get your exemption notice and the date by which to complete the work.

You may need to apply for a permit or permission to do the work. Check the guidance to see if you need a:

Check with your local planning authority if you need planning permission.

You must pay for the installation, operating and maintenance costs.

If you do not do the work before your exemption notice expires the Environment Agency can:

  • issue you a warning letter
  • serve you with a formal caution
  • prosecute you if they think it’s in the public interest
  • install the eel screen and charge you for the work

When you do not need to install an eel screen

If you can prove that your abstraction structure does not affect eel migration, the Environment Agency may give you a permanent exemption from screening.

If you can provide evidence that it’s not cost beneficial to install an eel screen, the Environment Agency may give you an exemption from screening for a specified period. You must prove that the cost of installing a screen is greater than the benefit of protecting eel at your intake. Contact the Environment Agency to find out how to do these calculations.

But you will still need to protect eels, for example by:

  • installing a fish recovery and return system
  • installing a fish friendly pump or turbine
  • protecting eel in another way, such as creating a new eel habitat

New licence and permit applications

You must make sure eels can migrate safely past your new structure or flood risk activity when you apply for any of the following:

  • impoundment licence
  • abstraction licence
  • flood risk activity environmental permit

Impoundment licence

In most cases, when you apply for an impoundment licence you must include information on how eels can pass safely around, over or through your development.

You may not need to include an eel pass if your structure is both greater than:

  • 100 kilometres from the tidal limit
  • 150 metres above sea level

Check with the Environment Agency and ask for your local fisheries officer.

Apply for an impoundment licence.

Abstraction licence

In most cases you must include a screen at an abstraction point to keep eels out of the abstraction structure. You must submit information on how you will include a screen as part of your licence application.

You may not need to include an eel screen if your structure is both greater than:

  • 100 kilometres from the tidal limit
  • 150 metres above sea level

Check with the Environment Agency and ask for your local fisheries officer.

Apply for an abstraction licence.

Flood risk activity environmental permit

When you apply you must submit details of eel passage, such as an:

  • elver pass
  • eel by-pass structure

Read the guidance on how to apply for a flood risk activity permit.

Sanctions

If you do not comply with the conditions of your licence or permit the Environment Agency can:

  • issue you a warning letter
  • serve you with a formal caution
  • prosecute you if they think it’s in the public interest
  • impose a civil sanction where the law allows or you may be able to offer a civil sanction enforcement undertaking.

Contact the Environment Agency

National Customer Contact Centre

PO Box 544

Rotherham

S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506 See call charges

Ask for your local fisheries officer.

Minicom (for the hard of hearing) 03702 422 549

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm



News story: CMA recommends release of BAES from long-standing undertakings

The undertakings – put in place in 1999 – require BAES as the prime contractor to, where possible, allow other contractors in the defence industry access to its resources for the purposes of a Ministry of Defence (MoD) programme.

A group of independent panel members at the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has now advised the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) that changes of circumstances mean they are no longer appropriate. This follows a comprehensive review and consultation on the proposal they be removed.

The review looked at 4 defence sectors (warships, submarines, combat aircraft and munitions) and found that there have been relevant changes of circumstances. For example:

  • the MoD has moved away from a competitive procurement process and made better use of long-term exclusive agreements and alliances;
  • BAES has sold or closed its businesses in several sectors; and
  • the capabilities of other defence contractors have developed such that any potential reliance on BAES has diminished.

This has meant a smaller role for the prime contractor model where competing suppliers might need to use the undertakings to facilitate access to BAES’ resources. The group’s view is that there is also little prospect of this situation changing in the foreseeable future.

The CMA began reviewing these undertakings in July 2016 after a request by BAES. The undertakings were originally given by British Aerospace plc (now BAES), to the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, following its merger with the Marconi Electronic Systems business of General Electric Company plc, in 1999. Following Office of Fair Trading (OFT) reviews, the Secretary of State released BAES from most of the undertakings by 2007.

The remaining undertakings were designed to allow other actual or potential prime contractors to compete for contracts where they might need to sub-contract BAES’ resources. BAES has also been obliged to appoint a compliance officer to ensure this requirement is met. The group has now advised that BAES should be released from these remaining undertakings.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will now consider this advice and is expected to make a decision shortly.



News story: Universities rated in Teaching Excellence Framework

UK university teaching quality recognised for the first time.

The Higher Education Funding Council for England has today (22 June 2017) published the first set of ratings for the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

It has revealed that the majority of UK universities are offering quality teaching to their students – 59 providers were rated ‘gold’, 116 rated ‘silver’ and 56 rated ‘bronze’.

The ratings will help students decide which university or college to apply to and encourage teaching and learning excellence across the UK.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson said:

These results, highlighting the extraordinary strengths of our higher education system, will help students choose which university or college to study at.

The Teaching Excellence Framework is refocusing the sector’s attention on teaching – putting in place incentives that will raise standards across the sector and giving teaching the same status as research.

Students, parents, employers and taxpayers all have a shared interest in ensuring higher education equips the next generation of graduates for success.

Universities taking part have been assessed by an expert panel in 3 areas:

  • teaching quality
  • the learning environment
  • the educational and professional outcomes achieved by students

As set out in its white paper, Success as a knowledge economy (May 2016), the government will shortly begin a lessons learned exercise into this first trial year of the TEF. The findings of the lessons learned exercise will inform the operation of the TEF in 2018 and the intention to move to subject level assessments.