On 15 January 2018, a winding up order was made against Carillion Plc and the court appointed the Official Receiver as the liquidator. The companies involved in the liquidation are:

• Carillion Plc, company number 03782379
• Carillion Construction Ltd, company number 00594581
• Carillion Services Ltd, company number 02684154
• Planned Maintenance Engineering Ltd, company number 00737307
• Carillion Integrated Services Ltd, company number 03679838
• Carillion Services 2006 Ltd, company number 03011791

To ensure continuity of public services, the companies will employ workers on the same terms and conditions as before:

• employees should continue to turn up for work and will be paid as normal
• any employee worried about their pension situation can ring The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) on 0300 123 1047 for free and impartial guidance
• The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) has also set up a special helpline number for members of these pension schemes: 020 7630 2715. Those already receiving their pensions will continue to receive payment
• a dedicated website has been set up to provide information for anyone affected – see www.pwc.co.uk/carillion and a dedicated helpline – 0800 063 9282

Information for employees

I work for Carillion – what should I do?

You should continue to turn up for work as usual and you will be paid. Please visit www.pwc.co.uk/carillion for more information.

What about my pension?

Anyone worried about their pension situation can ring The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) on 0300 123 1047 for free and impartial guidance. TPAS has also set up a special helpline number for members of these pension schemes: 020 7630 2715. Those already receiving their pensions will continue to receive payment.

I’m worried about my job

JobCentre Plus, through its Rapid Response Service, stands ready to support any employee affected by this announcement.

Getting help with your application for redundancy payments

If you worked directly for the liquidated companies under an employment contract, and your employment ceases then you will be entitled to redundancy and other related payments from the Insolvency Service.

Self-employed contractors and agency workers who provide services to the companies are not eligible to apply for redundancy payments.

If you were an employee of the liquidated companies and your employment ceases you will receive from the Special Managers a case reference number (e.g CN12345678). Once you have this information you can apply online.

Further information

If you have any further questions, you can also contact the dedicated helpline: 0800 063 9282.

Information for suppliers

Customers, suppliers and sub-contractors should call their usual operational points of contact in the Group and visit the website www.pwc.co.uk/carillion.

Information for creditors

You will need to register as a creditor in the liquidation if:

• you haven’t been paid for goods or services you’ve supplied to the Carillion companies in liquidation
• you have paid these companies for goods or services that you haven’t received

Self-employed contractors and agency workers who provided services to Carillion are not entitled to redundancy payments and should speak to your usual point of contact in the companies.

What happened?

Carillion Plc entered into insolvency on 15 January 2018 along with a number of subsidiary companies in the group. All companies will continue to operate, providing continuity of public services, until further notice.

The Official Receiver has been appointed by the Court as liquidator of Carillion Plc and is now responsible for the day-to-day control and management of the liquidated companies in the group. Partners at PwC have been appointed as Special Managers to assist.

What contracts did Carillion hold?

Government contracts with Carillion include services for hospitals, schools, prisons and transport. Carillion delivered around 450 contracts with government, representing 38% of Carillion’s 2016 reported revenue. Key central government contracts are held with Department for Education, Department for Health and Social Care, Ministry of Justice and Department for Transport. These are not the cause of the company’s present financial difficulties.

Further information

If you have any further questions, you can contact the dedicated helpline on 0800 063 9282.

Today (15 January 2017) the Rt Hon David Lidington CBE MP Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster announced the government will continue to deliver all public sector services following the insolvency of Carillion PLC.

After meeting with their bankers and lenders, Carillion has announced its decision to initiate insolvency proceedings. The Official Receiver has been appointed by the court as liquidator along with partners at PwC that have been appointed Special Managers.

Government will provide the necessary funding required by the Official Receiver to maintain public services.

Those already receiving their pensions will continue to receive payment. A dedicated web page and helpline have also been set up for workers who may be concerned or have questions about their personal situation.

The Rt Hon David Lidington CBE MP said:

It is regrettable that Carillion has not been able to find suitable financing options with its lenders but taxpayers cannot be expected to bail out a private sector company.

Since profit warnings were first issued in July, the Government has been closely monitoring the situation and has been in constructive discussion with Carillion while it sought to refinance its business. We remained hopeful that a solution could be found while putting robust contingency plans in place to prepare for every eventuality. It is of course disappointing that Carillion has become insolvent, but our primary responsibility has always been keep our essential public services running safely.

We understand that some members of the public will be concerned by recent news reports. For clarity – All employees should keep coming to work, you will continue to get paid. Staff that are engaged on public sector contracts still have important work to do.

Since its inception in the 1990s private finance has helped to deliver around £60 billion of much-needed capital investment in infrastructure in the UK across a range of projects and we will continue to maintain partnerships with responsible firms in future.

Further information

1. For media enquiries on government’s response to Carillion insolvency contact Cabinet Office Communications: 020 7276 2210/07074 667 000 (out of hours).

2. Carillion held approximately 450 contracts with government, representing 38% of Carillion’s 2016 reported revenue. Key central government contracts are held with DfE, DHSC, MoJ, MoD, and DfT. For media enquiries about departmental services contact: DfE: 0207 783 8300/ 020 7783 8300 (out of hours) ; DHSC: 0207 210 3872/ 07050 073 581 (out of hours); MoJ: 020 3334 3536/07659 173 270 (out of hours); DfT: 0207 944 3021/ 020 7944 4292 (out of hours); MoD: 02072187907 (out of hours)

3. Anyone worried about their pension situation can ring The Pension Advisory Service (TPAS) on 0300 123 1047 for free and impartial guidance. TPAS has also set up a special helpline number for members of these pension schemes: 020 7630 2715. JobCentre Plus, through its Rapid Response Service, stands ready to support any employee affected by this announcement.

4. The Official Receiver works for the Insolvency Service, which is an agency of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He is liquidator of the companies and his job is to realise the assets of the company, deal with creditors’ claims, and investigate the cause of failure. The Official Receiver also has a duty to investigate generally the business, dealings, and affairs of the company. In his role as liquidator, the Official Receiver is an officer of the court and is independent from government. The legal and practical consequence of liquidation is that the liquidator takes over the day-to-day control of the company. In liquidation, the directors will have no continuing role in controlling and managing the company. The liquidator’s primary duties are to the creditors and the cost of the liquidation are paid from the company’s assets. For media queries about the Insolvency Service call: 020 7596 6187

Schoolchildren meeting engineers at an Inspiring the Future event organised by Year of Engineering partner Education and Employers.

Watch the PM’s message.

As Thai Pongal begins, Tamil families here in the UK and around the world are coming together to celebrate. It’s a time to cast out the old and embrace opportunities to come. A time to give thanks not just for the harvest, but also for friends, family and neighbours.

And it’s also a great opportunity for all of us to reflect on the contribution made by Britain’s Tamils. Your community punches well above its weight, making a real difference to countless lives right across the country.

I want this to be a country where everyone, regardless of their background, can play their part and achieve their ambitions. Our Tamil community is a fantastic example of what that looks like, helping make Britain the diverse, successful country we are all so proud of.

So to everyone celebrating today and in the days to come, let me wish you all a happy Thai Pongal, and an auspicious year ahead.

Two documents, known as memorandums of understanding (MOUs), were initialled by Minister of Immigration Caroline Nokes and Indian Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday (January 11).

The new two-way deals reflect increased co-operation between the 2 countries which already enjoy a close relationship.

The MOU on criminal records exchange will lead to British and Indian law enforcement bodies sharing criminal records information, fingerprints and intelligence. This will assist the police in protecting the public from known criminals, including sex offenders. It will also allow the courts in both countries to access more information to support tougher sentencing decisions.

Meanwhile the agreement on returns paves the way for a quicker and more efficient process for documenting and returning Indian nationals who have no right to be in the UK to India. This has proven difficult in the past due to some Indians not having the required paperwork or travel documentation for them to be accepted back in their home country.

This agreement commits both countries to taking a more flexible approach to verifying the identity and nationality of individuals, which will help speed up the returns process.

Ms Nokes said:

I was very pleased to welcome the Indian Home Affairs Minister to the UK. The agreements we’ve signed cover the important issues of returns and criminal records exchanges to the mutual benefit of both countries. The Minister’s visit forms part of our ongoing dialogue and demonstrates the strong and positive relationship between our 2 nations.

As my predecessor in this role noted during his visit to India last November, we are determined to create a ‘living bridge’ of people, ideas, institutions and technology between our 2 great countries. These new agreements are yet another example of the value we place on our strong partnership.

Details of the types of information exchanged through the MOUs and operational procedures, together with the details of any restrictions on using or disclosing the information will be the subject of further negotiations. However, the documents recognise the need to respect privacy, civil liberties and human rights.

Mr Rijiju was visiting London at the invitation of Ms Nokes’ predecessor, the Rt Hon Brandon Lewis, following their successful meeting in India in November 2017.

In addition to formalising the 2 agreements, Mr Rijiju also visited Heathrow Airport to see first-hand how Border Force uses technology such as biometrics and e-passport gates.