Seeking evidence on ways to reduce litter and increase recycling / reuse of drinks containers, including deposit and reward and return schemes. read more
View the permit issued for European Metal Recycling, Erith under the Industrial Emissions Directive. read more
The next stage of the rollout of Universal Credit to all claimants starts on Wednesday 4 October 2017.
Universal Credit is available in all jobcentres across the country to new single jobseekers and the government has been rolling out the Universal Credit full service to all new claimants, including families and people who cannot work.
In July, Universal Credit full service was successfully introduced to 29 jobcentres across the country, making a total of 101 jobcentres with Universal Credit full service. In October we will introduce it to a further 45 jobcentres across the country.
The commencement order confirming those plans was published today (2 October 2017).
Universal Credit replaces the complex old system of 6 main out-of-work benefits with one simple monthly payment and is paid the same way many working people are.
The expansion is in line with the planned, gradual, safe rollout of Universal Credit.
As a percentage of the total expected caseload on Universal Credit, the number of households claiming Universal Credit is expected to increase from 8% in September to 13% in March 2018.
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Minister Field expressed the UK’s continued support for the Afghan government, highlighting the excellent progress made on reforming the security sector, addressing anti-corruption and making progress on elections. The Minister stressed the need to focus on political solutions as the key to bringing a more peaceful and stable Afghanistan.
He also met with Attorney General Farid Hamidi to discuss the progress made by the Anti-Corruption Justice Centre (ACJC). The ACJC was set up in 2016 with UK funding and technical support, and since its formation, has successfully prosecuted a number of senior Afghan officials, highlighting the move towards ending impunity for corruption in Afghanistan.
The Minister also met with Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai to discuss regional affairs and prospects for peace.
Minister for Asia and the Pacific Mark Field said:
The UK is committed to continuing its support for Afghanistan, and we continue to work closely with the Afghan Government as it seeks to overcome the legacy of over 40 years of conflict.
We work in close partnership with the government, and will continue to provide military, political and developmental assistance as this amazing country moves ever closer to becoming a more prosperous and stable state that provides real opportunities for the Afghan people.
The UK’s combat mission to Afghanistan ended in 2014 but we continue to work closely with NATO on Afghanistan in a number of areas. As the framework nation for the Afghan National Army Officer Academy (ANAOA), the UK has helped to train over 2,500 cadets, intended to be the next generation of military leaders.
By working closely together on corruption, a policy priority shared by both the UK and Afghanistan, our technical assistance is helping to increase accountability and support the Anti-Corruption Justice Centre (ACJC). The first trial took place at the ACJC in November.
All the latest news is available on the Foreign Office page of the gov.uk website at: www.gov.uk/fco
Follow Minister Mark Field on Twitter @MarkFieldUK
read moreToday we have updated the electronic Document Registration Service (e-DRS) which business customers use to send and receive applications to update the register via the portal, our online channel for transactions.
The update to the service will help to speed up the process for removing default Form A restrictions which protect multiple owners’ interests in a property. Find full details of what these restrictions are, what they do, and the circumstances under which we enter them in section 2 of Practice guide 24: private trusts of land.
When customers lodge documents via the portal, they need to tell us the type of registration they are performing, such as registering a new lease or submitting a document to support an application. Customers will now see a new option ‘Removal of default Form A restriction (JP1)’ in the ‘types of registration’ list. When customers use this option to remove a default Form A restriction we can remove the restriction much quicker. This is one of the ways customers can help us improve our overall speed of service.
Form A restrictions are entered in the register when a customer lodges an application where more than one person or company, or a person and a company, is being registered as the owner of a registered estate; and the customer has not given us evidence to support how the joint owners will hold the land or property.
When the Form A restriction is entered in the register, we send the customer an automated stock letter to inform them we have done this. If the customer returns this stock letter to us we can remove the restriction immediately if they send it within 30 days and we have not received an intervening application for the same title.
To return our stock letter via the portal and remove the restriction quicker, customers can simply ‘check’ the new radio button in e-DRS, enter the ‘LR reference’ we provide in our stock letter and upload the document.
In May 2017, we added ‘JP Cancellation of Default Form A restriction’ to the drop-down ‘document type’ list within e-DRS. We have now removed this option from the list and changed it to a radio button because customers told us they often overlooked the option on the drop-down list.
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