Sir Alan Duncan said:

Crimea is part of Ukraine, and its annexation by Russia is a breach of international law.

The opening of this bridge represents yet another violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty, and a further example of Russia’s reckless behaviour. We continue to work with partners to oppose the annexation, including by maintaining a robust package of sanctions.

The UK also remains deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Crimea, where we have seen the systematic persecution of minority groups and of those who voice their opposition to Russia’s illegal annexation of the territory. We call again for Russia to release all Ukrainian political prisoners held in Crimea and in Russia, and to allow unrestrained access for international human rights monitoring bodies to the peninsula.

Further information

• Follow Sir Alan Duncan on Twitter @AlanDuncanMP

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, said:

This Government is committed to delivering a United Kingdom that works for everyone and so I welcome today’s Labour Market Statistics, which show a continued strength in the Northern Ireland economy.

The unemployment rate is down to its lowest ever level of 3.1% from over 8% in the wake of the recession and, crucially, the employment rate is up to one of the highest rates on record at 69.7%.

More than 15,000 new jobs were created over the last year, meaning more people with the security of a regular pay packet to provide for themselves and their families.

The AAIB has sent inspectors to Lasham, Hampshire, to investigate an accident involving a glider

Lord Henley, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will be giving a keynote speech at the 2018 Government Chemist conference. The conference will be opened by the Government Chemist, and will focus on the challenges presented to the resilience of the food chain, in terms of food safety, security, authenticity and sustainability, especially as trading conditions and regulations evolve.

Conference programme – Day 1

• Welcome and introduction – Government Chemist

• Referee cases outcomes – Michael Walker, LGC

• Application of whole genome sequencing for public health interventions around foodborne pathogens – Kathie Grant, PHE England

• Keynote speech – Lord Henley, BEIS

• The role of Public Analysts in ensuring food chain resilience – Jon Griffin, Association of Public Analysts

• Regulating our future – modernising food regulation in the UK – Catriona Stewart, FSA

• The European Commission Knowledge Centre for Food Fraud and Quality – Franz Ultberth, JRC

• The Scottish Food Crime Unit: how FSS is using science to verify the authenticity of the food chain in Scotland – Lynsey Scullion and Duncan Smith, Food Standards Scotland

• Road map for the harmonisation of DNA testing for meat speciation – Tim Wilkes, LGC

• TBC – James Donarski, FERA

Conference programme – Day 2

• Are your genes to blame when your jeans don’t fit? – Giles Yeo, Cambridge University

• How the food industry is preparing for EU exit – Helen Munday, Food and Drink Federation

• Food Safety Challenge – Hong Kong Perspective – Tom NG, Hong Kong Government Chemist Laboratory

• Antimicrobial resistance – Jim Huggett, LGC

• The Hand That Feeds: A musical about food crime – Kate Cooper, Birmingham City Council

• Early warning systems to detect, predict and assess food fraud – Yamine Bouzembrak, RIKILT

• Authenticity tools for detecting food fraud – Selvarani Elahi, LGC

• Accelerating rice improvement in South Asia – Katherine Steele, Bangor University

Download the conference programme and booking form

Government Chemist Conference 2018 programme and booking form

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Get the latest updates to the programme by signing up for alerts on the Government Chemist page or on Twitter #foodchainresilience_gc18.

We are joining other big businesses to back the ‘This is Me’ campaign.

Our ‘This is Me’ video features employees from across the NDA Group to show people that anyone can suffer from mental health issues and that it’s okay to talk.

This is me: NDA Group employees

Adrian Simper, NDA’s Director of Strategy and Technology, said:

As the NDA’s executive sponsor for mental health, my job is to help us change the way we think about mental health, to make it as important as physical wellbeing.

Mental Health Awareness Week marks the start of a step change for the NDA. In this video, we’ve teamed up with the rest of the Group to show that all kinds of people suffer from mental health problems and that it is ok to talk about it.

Sellafield Ltd’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion lead Alan Rankin, said:

This is Me is a fantastic campaign and we are proud to be getting involved with some of the biggest companies in the North West region. We are keen to end the stigma associated with mental health and to let people know that it is okay not to be okay.

The first step towards improving your mental health is often having a conversation, so we want our staff to know that it’s okay to talk about their mental health.

Employees are invited to join events this week and raise money for mental health charities.

The This is Me campaign challenges the stigma around mental health at work and aims to break the culture of silence by supporting people to tell their own stories.

The campaign was created by Barclays in association with the Lord Mayor’s Appeal in the City of London. The North West launch is the first time that the campaign has been launched outside the capital.

Businesses including Barclays, Manchester Airports Group, PwC, and United Utilities, along with Manchester City, Manchester United and Everton football clubs, make up some of the organisations coming together as part of the campaign.

It is being supported by the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, who said:

Good mental health is fundamental to all our lives – an essential and precious resource that needs to be protected and enhanced. That’s why I’m pleased to be supporting This is Me, which is now being rolled out across the region, showing once again how we are leading the way by being the first region outside of London to adopt the campaign.

For responsible employers in Greater Manchester and the North West of England, this tool offers a vital opportunity to normalise conversations about mental health, build an open and supportive culture, and contribute to the health and happiness of their workforce, allowing them to thrive.

Alan Rankin added:

Around 1 in 4 people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year, and by 2030 the estimated cost of staff mental health related issues nationally is set to rise to £32.7 billion.

As responsible businesses we all have an obligation to get involved and take an active interest in the wellbeing of our staff whilst creating environments where those in need can get the help and support required both now and in the future.