Flags on UK Government Buildings will fly at full mast on Tuesday 24th April 2018 from 0800 – 2000hrs in celebration of the birth of TRH Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s third child.

Other organisations and local authorities may choose to follow suit. Devolved administrations are responsible for issuing instructions for the flying of the Union Flag on buildings in their estate and others as necessary.

We’ve published a new fee calculator and paper forms for AGFS work in the Crown Court.

Revised fee guidance and documents showing offence bandings have already been made available.

These reflect the new way of calculating criminal advocate payments for Crown Court legal aid work.

Paper forms should only be used when the Crown Court online billing system is not available.

Further information

Graduated fee calculators

AF1: claim for advocate graduated fees – paper form

Legal aid: crime claim forms

Crown Court Fee Guidance – to view supporting guidance and frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Offence bandings in AGFS – to find the correct offence banding for a claim

servicedevelopment@justice.gov.uk – to submit questions about the revised AGFS

Earlier this week another employment rate record high was broken – the sixteenth record broken since 2010.

Figures released by the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday showed that since 2010, over 3.2 million more people have moved into work – that’s over 1,000 people entering employment a day, every day.

We now have the lowest unemployment rate for 42 years at 4.2%, and additionally wages are now outpacing inflation, meaning more money in people’s pockets. This reality is a far cry from the predictions made at the time of the Brexit vote.

In fact the jobs record is extending across the whole of the country, with the employment rate having risen – and the unemployment rate having fallen – in every region of the UK since 2010.

These headline figures don’t just sound impressive – they are and should be celebrated.

Jobs transform lives, and each job gives more people the security that comes from a regular wage for them and their family. A job provides for career progression and with it wage progression which benefits and unemployment don’t. It is therefore important that the government is prepared for the future, and grasps the opportunities Brexit brings.

And this is exactly what we are doing as we move forward in our progress to leave the European Union, positioning ourselves as a global country that is open to working with the world.

This week we welcomed 52 leaders to London from the Commonwealth – where we discussed the importance of free and fair trade for us all. And with 90% of global growth coming from outside the EU in the coming years it’s key that we prioritise/unlock our relationships with these growing economies – boosting our trade links to prosper post-Brexit and delivering jobs and growth at home and for the Commonwealth.

And we have strong foundations to build on. Our manufacturing sector is enjoying its longest unbroken run of growth for 50 years, and order books for British manufacturers are stronger than at any time since August 1988.

With less than a year to go until we leave the EU, our work continues to improve and liberalise trading markets to capitalise on future trends.

With the digital economy growing 32% faster than the wider economy and creating jobs 3 times more quickly, e-commerce offers previously unknown possibilities for SMEs and individuals, particularly women, to take part in the globalised economy. Etsy, the online marketplace, recently announced that 87% of its sellers are women.

Technology has always fundamentally changed the jobs market and this will continue as we see new developments. Just as in the past the employment market adapted to the invention of technologies such as the cash machine, we too need to adapt and embrace new innovations such as artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and virtual reality. Yet, tech also becomes an enabler and allows the jobs market to be far more inclusive – supporting employment across the board.

The pace of change we see in robotics, automation and the rise of social media and the gig economy has introduced seismic and revolutionary changes in the jobs market already which shows no sign of slowing down. Indeed, the World Economic Forum suggests that 65% of children entering primary school today will end up working in a job that doesn’t exist yet.

Post-Brexit, we must not only recognise the trading possibilities available, but ensure we, as a nation, are able to unlock the full opportunity they provide. That is why we need to know where the jobs of the future will be, and make sure UK citizens are equipped to benefit. And that is exactly what we are doing. Working across government – and with industry – looking at the growth areas of the future.

For the government the priority is not just about getting people into work, but actively supporting people to progress and develop within their career and changes in career as people re-train throughout their lives. Building up resilience to cope with the pace of change in the jobs market.

We can do that through the new benefit, Universal Credit, providing personalised support through work coaches which is responsive to changes in employment status.

The world of work is rapidly changing with new jobs emerging all the time- and that is as much due to technological advancements as it is Brexit. However, whilst the former may be the catalyst, it is Brexit that provides the opportunity to cope with these changes.

We need to ensure our labour market remains the envy of the world and that is how we must shape our Brexit vision. Together, we are working across government to ensure we are prepared to support people, places and businesses to adapt to and benefit from new technology and other changes to the world of work.

Today and tomorrow (22nd and 23rd April) the Foreign Secretary will be in Toronto for a meeting of Foreign Ministers from the G7 countries. During the summit the Foreign Secretary will discuss issues ranging from gender equality and women’s empowerment, to non-proliferation and disarmament, to conflict prevention and stability. For the session on counter-extremism the Foreign Secretary will be joined by Home Office Security Minister Ben Wallace.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I am proud to represent the UK at this meeting of the top economies and international powers in the world. Last week London hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, and later this week I will travel to Brussels for a NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

The UK and Canada are the only two countries that are members of all these organisations – evidence not just the closeness of the UK-Canada relationship, but of the UK’s influence in the world. Influence that will continue long after we leave the European Union.

The G7 is a group of likeminded partners who work to protect the rules-based international system. I welcome unanimous G7 support in recent week both for the joint UK/US/French action in Syria, and for the UK’s response to the terrible poisonings in Salisbury. I look forward to continuing that work in Toronto this week.

Notes to editors

• The G7 countries are the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. The EU, represented by High Representative Federica Mogherini, will also attend the meeting.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @BorisJohnson and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

As a result of UK lobbying, the World Bank Group has committed to focus significantly more of its resources on poorer countries, increasing from 63% to 70% by 2030, while ensuring richer countries will pay more to borrow.

The UK is to commit more money, $547m (approx.) over five years to the World Bank alongside a wider package of agreed reforms. These will include the World Bank Group making efficiency savings of $1.8bn by 2030, through pay restraints.

Historically, each $1 shareholders have invested in the World Bank Group has delivered up to $50 in financing for governments and businesses in developing countries, making it excellent value for money.

The World Bank has a track record of immunising children, getting them fed and educated. Between 2017 and 2020 the World Bank Group is expected to train and recruit 10 million teachers and vaccinate 180 million children.

International Development Secretary, Penny Mordaunt, the UK Goveror to the World Bank, said:

It is in all our interests to make sure the World Bank Group is in the right shape to tackle the global challenges of today and of the future.

This crucial, landmark agreement between the Bank, and the international community, will increase lending to some of the poorest countries in the world to deliver better, sustainable health provision, education and jobs to those who need them most.

Notes to editors

• The UK is to commit more money $547m (approx.) over five years
• As a result of UK lobbying, the World Bank Group has committed to focus significantly more of its resources on poorer countries, increasing from 63% to 70% by 2030.

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