A man who sprayed ammonia in another man’s face after breaking into his home has had his sentence increased following an intervention from the Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox QC MP, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

David Hudson first confronted James Sanders three days before the break-in, grabbing him, kneeing him in the head and punching him to the ground. Later, the offender followed Mr Sanders – who was walking his dog – home and forced his way into the flat whilst holding a squeezy bottle and a Stanley knife.

When the dog bit Hudson on the ankle Mr Sanders tried to retrieve the dog, at which point the offender squirted liquid into the victim’s eye, causing irritation to his eyes and throat. Hudson was arrested at Stanstead Airport when returning from Spain, having fled there after the incident. Fortunately, the victim did not suffer lasting physical injury.

Hudson was originally sentenced to 8 years and 9 months’ imprisonment at Basildon Crown Court in March. His sentence has now been increased to 14 years’ comprising a 10 year imprisonment and a 4 year extended licence following a hearing at the Court of Appeal.

Speaking after the hearing, the Attorney General said:

“While I am relieved the victim did not suffer any permanent physical damage, the fact is that throwing a corrosive substance can cause severe and lifelong injuries. The Court of Appeal has rightly increased Hudson’s sentence to reflect this.”

Ladies and gentlemen

It’s great to be at the Advanced Propulsion Centre to launch the West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy.

Just up the road is WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) founded – of course – by Professor Lord Bhattacharyya to whom this Local Industrial Strategy is dedicated.

And it didn’t take long before WMG became the envy of the world.

In 1993, the French government sent a team to this campus – who hailed WMG as:

Europe’s most outstanding example of how a university should interact with industry.

Four years later, the German government called WMG:

A future role model of German universities.

While Singapore were even more direct, saying that:

Singapore should look at WMG and clone it.

Our Local Industrial Strategies are all about building on local strengths like these.

And this morning I was delighted to visit the site for the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre in which WMG is playing a central role.

Announcing 28 million pounds of additional funding to make sure that this centre has the best possible equipment to develop the processes which will make electric cars part of everyday life.

The West Midlands Local Industrial Strategy is the very first such strategy to be launched.

And I’d like to congratulate Andy Street and everyone who has been involved on this remarkable achievement. But far from being the end of the journey this is just the beginning.

By next year we want every person in England to be covered by a Local Industrial Strategy.

So 3 million down – only 53 million to go!

Local Industrial Strategies are about doing things differently.

And in the last 18 months we’ve seen exciting conversations taking place between central government and places across our country.

Not government telling places what they’re good at.

Or regions coming to Whitehall begging bowl in hand.

But central and local working together as equals, from the outset.

Combining the clout and convening power of central government with the expertise and energy of local places. We are now working with all Mayoral Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships to develop Local Industrial Strategies.

And we’re looking beyond the ‘usual suspects’.

With the second wave of strategies including places like Leicester and Leicestershire, Cheshire and Warrington, and even my Secretary of State’s old stomping ground of the Tees Valley.

So ladies and gentlemen,

Last November, Professor Lord Bhattacharyya ended one of his last speeches with the words:

Together, we can honour our past triumphs … by investing in our future success.

Today, through this Local Industrial Strategy we are investing in the West Midland’s future success.

So now let’s work together and inspire others to follow in your footsteps.

Communities Secretary, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP has today (16 May 2019) set out the process for establishing a working definition of Islamophobia.

Speaking during a backbench debate on the issue, Mr Brokenshire said he welcomed the work undertaken by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British Muslims to develop a definition but confirmed that the Government will not be adopting their proposed wording.

Speaking at the debate, the Communities Secretary  agreed that there needs to be a formal definition of Islamophobia. He made clear that the APPG definition raises practical and legal challenges.

The APPG proposal defines Islamophobia as “a type of racism”, which is not in line with the definition enshrined in the Equality Act 2010. The Communities Secretary said that conflating race and religion in conflict with legal definitions could cause confusion, undermine free speech and may not adequately address sectarian hatred.

He announced the government will instead appoint 2 expert advisers to lead a new study in close collaboration with the cross-government Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group.

This new work will build on the definitions of Islamophobia currently being considered, including the APPG definition. It will also draw on a wide range of opinions, to ensure that it commands broad support amongst Muslims. 

The Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

I am deeply concerned at hatred which is directed against British Muslims and others because of their faith or heritage. This is utterly unacceptable and does not reflect the values of our country.

To get a firmer grip on the nature of this bigotry and division we agree there needs to be a formal definition of Islamophobia to help strengthen our efforts.

I know that there are strong feelings on this issue. That’s why I’m announcing the appointment of 2 experts to work closely with the cross-government Working Group, to thoroughly examine the options available to us that ensures wide-ranging acceptance and will have the positive effect intended.

Input from the Working Group is an essential part of informing our approach to combatting religiously motivated hatred, supporting victims and holding perpetrators to account. Their work on this important task will be invaluable.

Formed in 2012, the Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group comprises independent experts, academics and Muslim community representatives. It provides crucial advice and challenge to the government, to ensure that policies meet the needs of communities.

The process for appointing the 2 advisers will begin shortly.

This government has done more than any other to tackle anti-Muslim hatred.  This includes:

• Funding of Tell MAMA, a dedicated third-party reporting organisation that offers victim support. Between 2016 and 2020 we will have provided the organisation with £2.5 million to raise awareness on anti-Muslim hatred and to increase reporting of hate crimes.
• Supporting and refreshing the cross-government working group on anti-Muslim hatred, which includes a broad range of representation of eminent community representatives, academics, and hate crime practitioners to advise and challenge the government on tackling Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate crime.
• Ensuring for the first time, that police forces, are required to disaggregate religious hate crime data to allow us to better identify Islamophobia.
• Doubling the Places of Worship Fund to £1.6 million – to physically protect mosques and other places of worship and reassure our communities – and making it easier for people to apply for this funding from July 2019.
• A new £5 million fund to provide security training and a consultation on what more can be done to protect faith communities.

The A66 is both a nationally important road, linking Penrith in Cumbria with Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire and a key regional route. It is a hugely important route for freight traffic across the United Kingdom and as the main link to the Lake District and North Pennines to the East of England.

Upgrading the A66 route will provide enormous benefits to people living locally but will also change the way people travel round the UK, improving connections from Scotland to the east coast of England and Belfast’s port traffic, via Stranrear, onwards to ports including Hull and Felixstowe.

Highways England is now developing plans to fully dual the remaining single carriageway sections of the A66, which total 18 miles of the 50 mile route and this is the first opportunity for members of the public to get involved.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

We are investing a record £13 billion to improve journeys across the North of England.

Dualling the A66 will not only mean drivers’ journeys are quicker, safer and more reliable across the Pennines, but is part of our pledge to ensure that the business opportunities of the Northern Powerhouse spread out from the great cities of the North of England to every city, town and rural community from the Midlands to the Scottish Lowlands.

Highways England chief executive Jim O’Sullivan said:

The A66 connects businesses, communities and families across the north of England, and this highly anticipated upgrade is great news for the local, and regional economies and will improve the national road network.

We’re pleased to be going out to the local community to consult on the options for the scheme. I would like to thank all our local partners who have supported us to get the project to this stage and I would encourage everyone with an interest in the scheme to get involved with this consultation.

Today’s consultation launch sets out the ideas for each of the remaining section of single carriageway. They include:

• Allowing through traffic from the M6 or the north east to bypass congested Kemplay Bank Roundabout
• Dualling the existing three mile section between Penrith and Temple Sowerby including a new junction arrangement for Center Parcs at the western end and an optional short bypass to avoid High Barn at the eastern end
• A new bypass north or south of Kirkby Thore and north of Crackenthorpe – following the route of the old railway line or the old Roman road
• Providing an upgrade of the five mile single carriageway between Appleby and Brough – freeing up the existing A66 for local access-only traffic as well as walkers, cyclists and horse riders
• Re-designing and improving the junction with the A67 at Bowes to allow full westbound and eastbound access and exit to and from a newly dualled 1.9 mile section of the single carriageway
• Dualling the existing road between Cross Lane and Rookley with options for a short bypass of St Mary’s Church and Old Rectory at the eastern end of the 1.8 mile section
• Similarly, dualling the existing four mile section between Stephen Bank and Carkin Moor but with three different options, including short bypasses – for the eastern end

The consultation will also offer opportunities to find out details about how each option will balance local access needs with the needs of trans-Pennine traffic, while also catering for slow moving vehicles such as farm traffic, walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

Transport for the North’s Major Roads Director, Peter Molyneux, said:

We welcome the launch of this consultation on options for dualling the remaining sections of the single carriageway of the A66, linking the M6 and the A1(M). This will improve east/west connectivity on this vitally important route, which will enable economic growth and improved opportunities across the north.

More information about the project, including consultation events and a sign-up link for regular email updates, is available on our A66 Northern Trans-Pennine scheme page.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

As part of the Legal Support Action Plan, the Ministry of Justice committed to closing CLA mandatory telephone gateway in the Education, Discrimination and Debt categories by Spring 2020.

To replace these services we intend to open a tender process for a mixture of specialist telephone and face-to-face CLA services.

What does the headline intentions document cover?

Prior to the procurement process opening later this month, we have published our headline intentions which outline:

• contracts for which we will be inviting tenders
• requirements bidders will need to meet
• the procurement process for contracts
• procurement timetable

How will clients access services?

We intend that from 1 September 2019 all potentially eligible clients seeking help in Education or Discrimination will be able to choose to receive either remote advice or face to face advice having been guided through the suitability of the options available to them by the CLA helpline.

Can interested organisations tender now?

No. These procurement opportunities will open later this month. Tenders will need to be submitted via our e-Tendering system. Further communications will be issued, including an update to the tender pages of the LAA website when the procurement process opens.

When will we know more?

Full details of the timetable will be published in the Information For Applicants, however, an indicative timetable of the procurement process is set out below:

Further information

Headline intentions document – for full information on scope of the tender process, details about the contracts available, the procurement timetable, and the requirements of the process.