Jun52017

News story: London Bridge incident

HM Government
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Following the attack in London Bridge, it is important that businesses remind their staff to stay alert and vigilant. The tragic events this year remind us that attacks can occur at any time or place without warning.
Businesses are encouraged to review their security plans to ensure that the measures they should already have in place, are current and have been recently tested to ensure staff are prepared and confident.

The London Bridge attack saw the use of a vehicle as a weapon and bladed weapons, however you should ensure that your planning and responses consider the full range or potential terrorist attack methodologies including IEDs (person borne, placed or vehicle) following the Manchester attack.

The police and our partners continue to do everything we can to protect the security of our citizens, public institutions, critical national infrastructure, places and businesses. The public can expect to see additional police – both armed and unarmed officers – across London. In response to the ongoing threat the public will see an increased policing and security presence across the country at key sites, such as train stations and other crowded places to help protect communities.

Protective Security Advice

Stay Safe – Run Hide, Tell:

Advice for the public on the steps they can take to keep themselves safe in the rare event of a firearms or weapons attack.

Recognising the terrorist threat:

Advice for businesses on planning for a terrorist incident and what action to take in the event of an attack.

Advice for security managers to improve your security stance:

Advice for security managers of crowded places to improve their security stance.

Personnel security, good guarding practice

Depending upon their responsibilities an effective security guard must be able to demonstrate they can respond effectively to a number of scenarios including:

Preparedness

Are your first aid kits and crisis incident kits (grab bags) checked regularly, complete and accessible? Link to citizenAid

Search Planning

Do you have plans to search your site to deal effectively with either bomb threats or for secreted threat items, and are your staff familiar with those plans?

Do you have a person and vehicle, search and screening policy and plan that you can implement should there be a threat increase?

Business as usual search and screen (looking for prohibited items) should, when done well, provide a very good capability to detect larger terrorist items concealed about the person

  • ensure the search and screening regime in place at the venue is done well
  • consider provisional search and screening on the approach or outside the venue, for example a visual check inside jackets and bags
  • ensure you maintain your search and patrol regime for the lifecycle of the event including prior to the commencement, during and post event
  • provide effective public address messaging of people as they approach, asking people to prepare for additional search and screening. This should reduce unacceptable delay
  • prior notification (at point of sale or media) of these extra security measures and encouraging people to arrive early, will smooth peaks and allow safe and effective searching

Response

Have you reviewed your evacuation, invacuation and lockdown plans in response to terrorist attack?

Physical Security

Have you checked CCTV systems? Are they all working correctly? Are the date/time stamps accurate? http://www.cpni.gov.uk/advice/Physical-security/CCTV/

Security Culture

Are all staff identifiable and wearing identification? Do you encourage staff to challenge anyone in their building not displaying ID? http://www.cpni.gov.uk/advice/Personnel-security1/Workplace-behaviour-campaign/

Reporting suspicious transactions

If you are suspicious of a transaction or attempted transaction, or discover a theft or disappearance that cannot easily be explained, report it to the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321 or email Chemical.Reporting@Met.Police.UK.

Home Office guidance on selling chemical products responsibly

Storage and sale of explosive precursors

Guidance for the public, businesses and laboratories on using, storing and selling explosives precursors and poisons.

Blast

Remember to stay away from glass and out of line of sight for any devices. See the minimum cordon distances. Once the security services arrive cordons may be deployed, the following are minimum distances.

100 meters – Briefcase or Rucksack

200 meters – Suitcase, wheelie bin, small car

400 meters – Larger items, lorries and vans

News updates

NaCTSO will continue to update our advice as needed, in the meantime please continue to use our current advice. Please check back regularly to these pages for updated information or register for updates here.

You can follow @metpoliceuk and @Terrorism Police UK for Twitter updates on the incident.

Useful information that may assist when deploying the tactical options:

Find out more about the Action Counters Terrorism campaign.

If you see anything that causes you concern or raises your suspicions do not hesitate to call the Police confidentially on 0800 789 321 or in an emergency 999. If you get caught up in the rare event of a weapons attack we urge you to follow the Run, Hide, Tell advice.

Jun52017

Labour launches New Deal to fix the housing crisis

Labour
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Labour
Leader Jeremy Corbyn and Shadow Secretary of State for Housing John Healey will
today (Monday 5 June 2017) launch ‘Labour’s New Deal on Housing’ – the party’s
long-term plan to fix the housing crisis. They will promise to give priority to
those let down most by failings in the housing market and in Conservative
housing policy.  

Setting
out more detail on the Party’s plans to deal with the country’s housing crisis
and build at least a million new homes, the published plan will include: 

·        
A New Deal for first-time
buyers on ordinary incomes, including 100,000 new discounted FirstBuy Homes, a
two year stamp duty holiday for first-time buyers, and an extension and
re-focusing of Help to Buy so that it is only for first-time buyers;

·        
A New Deal for those 1.2
million on council waiting lists with a huge increase in affordable
housebuilding to be building 100,000 genuinely affordable homes a year by 2022,
including the biggest council housing programme in over 30 years;

·        
A New Deal for private
renters with a consumer rights revolution including three-year tenancies
with an inflation cap on rent rises and new minimum property standards.

 Labour
will also criticise Conservative Minsters for “seven years of failure” on
housing, and highlight that since 2010 we have seen:

·        
Housebuilding at the lowest
level under any political party in peacetime since the 1920s;

·        
The lowest level of new
affordable housebuilding in 24 years;

·        
Almost 200,000 fewer
home-owners, with 900,000 fewer under 45s owning their own home;

·        
Rents rising faster than
incomes for many;

·        
More families forced into
temporary accommodation, with 120,000 children spending last Christmas without
a home of their own; and

·        
Rough sleeping homelessness
more than doubled.

 Jeremy
Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party, said:

 “A
Labour government will start on fixing the housing crisis immediately. High
prices, excessive rents and the chronic lack of affordable housing are ruining
the lives of young people, families and aspiring homeowners.

“As
part of our massive housebuilding commitment, Labour will ensure 100,000
FirstBuy Homes are available at discounted rates to local first time buyers.
This will transform the housing market and put the needs of younger house
buyers and local workers first.

“Labour
will usher in a new era in council housebuilding to build more council homes
than at any time for over 30 years so that the broken market is fixed to
provide homes for the many, not investment opportunities for a wealthy few.”

 John
Healey, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, said:

“After
seven years of failure, the Conservatives have no plan to fix the housing
crisis and Theresa May only offers more of the same. Labour offers a New Deal
on housing between the people of this country and a new government. It is a
bold, long-term plan for housing to help those being let down most by a broken
housing market and failing Conservative policy – young first-time buyers,
private renters and people needing new social rented homes.

“Our
first Labour housing priority will be help for young first-time buyers. Under
the last Labour government, a million more families became home-owners but now
the Tories are failing first-time buyers on middle incomes. Under the
Conservatives since 2010 homeownership has fallen by 200,000 with younger
families on ordinary incomes the hardest hit.

 “Labour’s
new FirstBuy Homes will give aspiring first-time buyers on ordinary wages
who’ve been failed for the last seven years hope that things can change.

 “After
seven years of failure, a Labour government will shift the housing market
decisively towards first-time buyers on ordinary incomes.”

 Ends

 Notes to
editors

·         ‘Labour’s New Deal on housing’
will be launched today (Monday) by Jeremy Corbyn and John Healey.

·         
More than two-thirds of people
now believe there’s a housing crisis, and Labour has a strong lead as the best
Party to handle the housing crisis: [https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/mdbxkz6bif/YG%20Trackers%20-%20Best%20Party%20On%20Issues.pdf]

Jun52017

Electronic visa issuance for entering Russia through border crossing points in the free port of Vladivostok

Russia
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A directive on the peculiarities of issuing visas in the form of an electronic document and entry to Russia with such visas by citizens of foreign countries included in the respective list has been approved. The mechanism of issuing electronic visas will be introduced phase-by-phase starting on 1 August 2017 as the border crossing points are equipped with the necessary software and hardware. The introduction of simplified entry to Russia via border crossing points on the territory of the free port of Vladivostok will contribute to the investment attractiveness of the Far Eastern Federal District and the expansion of business contacts to facilitate the implementation of projects with foreign participation and increase the number of foreign tourists.

Reference 

Prepared by the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East in accordance with the Federal Law No. 28-FZ of March 7, 2017, On Amendments to Certain Legislation of the Russian Federation, regarding regulation of specifics of entry to Russia via border crossing points of the free port of Vladivostok for foreign citizens with visas in the form of an electronic document.

The Government’s Executive Order No.692-r of April 14, 2017, approved a list of countries whose citizens are issued visas in the form of an electronic document as they arrive through border crossing points on the territory of the free port of Vladivostok (hereinafter – the List). The List includes 18 countries.

The signed executive order approves a Directive on peculiarities of issuing visas in the form of an electronic document and entry to Russia with such visas by citizens of foreign countries included in the List.

Federal executive bodies are instructed to equip the border crossing points with the needed software and hardware, to design and launch a specialised site for processing foreigners’ applications for an electronic visa, and an automated information system for informing transport companies about issued visas.

To obtain an electronic visa, a foreign national must complete an application for such a visa on a special site of the Russian Foreign Ministry no later than four days prior to the expected arrival date.

In case of a positive decision the Russian Foreign Ministry will configure the e-visa and send its data to the state system of migration and registration, and identification document manufacturing, issuance and control (hereinafter – the Mir system).

An e-visa issuance notification will be posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s special site. The electronic visa is valid for 30 calendar days from the date of notification.

The mechanism of e-visa introduction will be put in effect gradually starting August 1, 2017 as the border crossing points are equipped with software and hardware.

Corresponding amendments were also made in the Mir system as approved by the Government Executive Order No. 813 of August 6, 2015.

The introduction of a simplified visa entry to Russia via border crossing points in the free port of Vladivostok will increase the investment attractiveness of the Far Eastern Federal District and the number of business contacts to facilitate the implementation of projects with foreign participation and increase the number of foreign tourists.

Jun52017

Approval of the Concept for Russky Island development

Russia
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As part of Federal Programme, the Socioeconomic Development of the Russian Far East and the Baikal Region. The Concept is aimed at setting up a legal and economic environment for the development of Russky Island as an international research, education and technology cluster. The Concept envisions that budget financing of investment projects may not exceed 30 percent of announced private investment.

Reference 

The signed Executive Order approves the Concept for Russky Island Development (hereinafter referred to as the Concept).

The Concept identifies goals, tasks, guidelines and mechanisms for the development of Russky Island.

The objective of the Concept is to create legal and economic conditions for developing Russky Island as an international research, education and technology cluster.

The Concept is to be implemented in 2017-2027 in two stages.

Stage I (2017–2022) envisions creating conditions necessary for attracting private investments (setting-up a territory of priority socioeconomic development is presumed, and construction of road and utilities infrastructure).

During the first stage, in particular, an international cooperation centre is to be built with congress, exhibition, hotel and office infrastructure, a nuclear medicine centre, a tourist recreation centre with the natural environment of Russky Island, a multi-purpose family center with an aqua park, a Vladivostok Fortress tourist compound, an innovation and cultural centre.

During the second stage (2023–2027) investment projects are to be implemented and Russky Island infrastructure to be further developed (infrastructure of the Far Eastern Federal University, establishing a technical-innovations park etс.).

Measures on building infrastructure for investment projects on Russky Island will be funded from the federal budget as part of the federal programme, the Socioeconomic Development of the Russian Far East and the Baikal Region.

The Concept specifies that budget co-funding of investment projects may not exceed 30 percent of the announced private investments.