Tag Archives: HM Government

On 12 November, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland asked Trevor Reaney to provide advice on salaries and allowances for Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, said:

“I would like to thank Trevor Reaney for his thoughtful advice on the approach to the salaries and allowances of MLAs in the continued absence of an Executive or sitting Assembly.

“This is a matter of significant public concern and it is right to take a considered approach. This is why I asked Mr Reaney to provide me with this advice, which I will consider carefully before responding. “

Mr Reaney’s advice is published in full here. Mr Reaney is a former Clerk and Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Assembly and a current member of the National Assembly for Wales Remuneration Board.

PDF, 427KB, 22 pages

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Media Enquiries should be directed to the Northern Ireland Office Press Office.

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People who target transport operators with laser devices could be jailed for up to 5 years under new laws designed to protect the public.

The Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Bill, which was published today (Wednesday, 20 December 2017),will also expand the list of vehicles, beyond just planes, which it is an offence to target with lasers.

Drivers of trains and buses, captains of boats and even pilots of hovercraft will be among those protected by the new legislation.

The bill will make it easier to prosecute offenders by removing the need to prove an intention to endanger a vehicle.

And it will remove the cap on the amount offenders can be fined – which is currently limited to £2,500 – paving the way for substantial sanctions. Fines could be issued in isolation or alongside a prison sentence.

The police will also be given additional powers to catch those responsible for the misuse of lasers.

Animation video

Aviation Minister, Baroness Sugg said:

Lasers can dazzle, distract or blind those in control of a vehicle, with serious and potentially even fatal consequences.

The government is determined to protect pilots, captains, drivers and their passengers and take action against those who threaten their safety.

Alongside their existing powers of arrest and the ability to search a person once arrested, officers will no longer need to establish proof of intention endanger to a vehicle, aircraft or vessel, making it easier to prosecute swiftly. It will be an offence to shine or direct a laser towards a vehicle if it dazzles or distracts the operator, if done deliberately or if reasonable precautions to avoid doing so are not taken.

Laser pens have become a growing concern with the beam from the devices capable of affecting the ability of transport operators to control their vehicles.

Last year, the Civil Aviation Authority received reports of 1,258 laser incidents, with Heathrow the most frequent location for reports of the devices being used recklessly.

Earlier this year, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ran a call for evidence on the selling of laser pointers and is considering the findings before formally responding in the new year.

BALPA General Secretary, Brian Strutton said:

This is good news for transport safety. BALPA pilots and other transport workers have raised the growing threat of laser attacks for some time.

The government’s announcement of a bill to tackle the misuse of lasers is therefore very welcome and we will work with DfT to ensure its effective and speedy implementation.

BALPA also welcomes the BEIS consultation on restrictions to the supply of certain lasers which we hope will move forward quickly.

Laser promotional video

National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Lasers, Commander Simon Bray said:

Recklessly shining a laser at an aircraft or another moving vehicle is deeply irresponsible and dangerous. By causing a distraction or, in some cases, short or long-term eye damage, laser attacks can lead to catastrophic incidents.

These new and robust measures send a clear message to perpetrators: laser attacks are a crime and serious consequences will follow from committing this offence.

It is essential that the police have the powers required to support these measures and we will continue to work with the government to ensure that these powers are in place.

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Thank you Mr President.

And thank you to our briefers. Jeff, for your comprehensive presentation of the Secretary-General’s fourth report. Jo, for your update on the Joint Commission. And Sebastiano, for your summary as facilitator of the 2231 format and indeed for all of your excellent work in that capacity and that of your team.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is one of the greatest diplomatic successes in recent memory. The continued endorsement of the deal, through Resolution 2231, is another considerable achievement and also a responsibility for all of us. We remain committed to its full and equitable implementation by all parties.

As the Secretary-General’s latest report demonstrates, the nuclear components of the deal are working. Iran is complying with its nuclear commitments. For our part, we are committed to ensuring that the Iranian people see tangible benefits, including from sanctions relief. I encourage all Member States to uphold their commitments. We welcome the Secretary-General’s recommendation to further promote understanding of 2231 and of the Procurement Channel. We are committed to supporting these efforts.

However, despite this progress, four elements of the report are concerning. They relate to provisions of Annex B. They hinder the full realisation of the reciprocal benefits of the deal and they undermine faith in Iran’s long term commitment to regional stability.

Firstly, we are deeply concerned by reported transfers of Iranian ballistic missile parts and related technology to the Houthis in Yemen. Such transfers would be a violation of Resolution 2231 which prohibits the transfer to and from Iran of ballistic missile technology and related materiel. These transfers would also violate Resolution 2216 which prohibits the sale or transfer of arms and related materiel to the Houthis.

The Houthi missile attack on Riyadh on 4 November deliberately targeted a civilian area. And earlier today, we heard reports of a further missile attack on Riyadh, this time aimed at the Yamama Palace. Both would have caused suffering and chaos had they landed as intended. This is clearly unacceptable and risks escalating the situation.

The transfer of weapons to the Houthis threatens regional security and stability. Their use is prolonging the conflict in Yemen and contributing to heightened regional tensions.

It is essential that the UN conducts a thorough investigation and informs the Security Council of its conclusions as soon as possible. We strongly support the Secretary-General’s call for a joint meeting of the 2140 Committee and the 2231 format. This will allow for a coherent discussion of the use of ballistic missiles against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia while also considering next steps to address this threat.

Secondly, we are concerned by the continued reported violations of restrictions on arms-related provisions. Evidence of these activities is mounting. The latest report indicates that the arms seized from a dhow near the Gulf of Oman and an unmanned surface vessel recovered in Yemeni waters are both of Iranian origin. These activities, which are contrary to our Security Council Resolution, give us further cause for concern over Iran’s involvement in that conflict.

Thirdly, we are concerned by evidence relating to Iranian ballistic missile-related activities. Paragraph Three of Annex B calls upon Iran not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles that are designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such technology. The launch of the Simorgh space launch vehicle on 27 July made use of such technology and as such was inconsistent with Resolution 2231.

Finally, we are concerned by reports of multiple travel ban violations, including new infringements by Major General Qasem Soleimani. This is particularly disturbing given the public nature of the violation.

Putting all these issues together, it is clear that these activities are having a detrimental impact on regional security and are undermining Iran’s integration with the international community.

We remain committed to the full implementation of 2231 to uphold the historic agreement, and we are committed to working with all parties to make this a reality. But we cannot stand by and allow a Security Council resolution to be ignored and the situation in the region to be further destabilised. We urge Iran to respect all provisions of Resolution 2231 and we are prepared to work with council members to ensure that those responsible are held accountable for any proven violations.

The JCPoA and its implementation through Resolution 2231 are important elements of the international community’s non-proliferation architecture and they are essential to supporting regional and global security. We are all responsible for ensuring its success. We all must honour our commitments. Iran is no exception.

Thank you.

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The Prime Minister called President Trump earlier this afternoon. She began by offering her condolences over the loss of life in the terrible train crash in Washington state. They discussed the different positions we took on the recognition of Jerusal… read more

Thank you Mr President.

The United Kingdom welcomes the renewal of Resolution 2165 today. For a further twelve months, Resolution 2393 will allow us to continue to deliver urgently needed humanitarian aid across conflict lines and borders to reach the people of Syria.

We thank the penholders for their work and we regret that the adoption was not unanimous. Especially since the penholders ensured over many, many weeks that they listened to concerns of all Council members and took on board proposals from many of us, including Russia.

The renewal of Resolution 2165 gives the people of Syria a small ray of hope. The delivery of cross-border aid provides a lifeline for millions of Syrians, who it would be impossible to reach in a sustained manner from within Syria.

However, we must take stock. It is three years since Resolution 2165 was first passed. Despite the intention to ease the suffering of the Syrian people, the situation for them has actually got worse. 13 million people are still in need of humanitarian assistance. And that’s 2 million more than when we adopted Resolution 2165. On top of that, an additional 2.3 million people have fled Syria. Countless others have been killed. In some areas malnutrition has increased fivefold in this year alone.

Yes, the renewal of this resolution will ensure aid will continue to reach some of the millions who depend on it. But despite this resolution, the vast majority of 420,000 people in 10 besieged areas will be denied access to aid because of blockages imposed by the regime.

94 per cent of those people are in Eastern Ghouta. Eastern Ghouta is a so-called de-escalation zone. These zones are meant to ensure a cessation of hostilities and an increase in the amount of humanitarian aid. In reality, there is little or no actual de-escalation going on in Eastern Ghouta. The de-escalation designation has been used by the regime to cut off access to life-saving medical and food aid. The regime is starving the people of Eastern Ghouta to death in contravention of International Humanitarian Law.

The situation has now reached a critical point. More than ten per cent of all children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition. It’s the highest rate recorded since the conflict began. Medical facilities are overwhelmed. 572 people urgently need a Medivac – a medical evacuation. Including 65 who are under the age of five. 18 children are at imminent risk of death.

So once again I urge Russia to use all its influence over the regime to ensure the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance and to ensure that those in urgent medical need can be evacuated. It is just a 30 minute journey from Eastern Ghouta to Damascas to receive treatment. It really is a matter of life and death.

We call on Russia to use its influence over the regime so that one more person does not die waiting for treatment. 15 is already too many. So that another child does not die for want of a 30-minute journey. Six is already too many. Those who require treatment must be allowed to leave now.

The people of Eastern Ghouta have suffered enough. Take Karim. He is a two month old baby. His mother was killed by regime artillery bombardment. He lost his eye and had his skull broken in the same attack. We must stand in solidarity with Karim. The siege must be lifted immediately.

Ultimately, the suffering of the Syrian people will only end when the conflict ends. There must be a political settlement. We must all unite to support Staffan de Mistura. The Geneva talks represent the only sustainable path to peace and all international efforts must support that process.

We commend the opposition who have maintained their commitment to direct negotiations without preconditions and have engaged constructively with the talks. The opposition’s efforts presented a perfect opportunity for the last round of talks to make real progress on the substance of a political transition.

These hopes were dashed by the regime. They showed their utter contempt for the talks; they arrived late, they took a long weekend in Damascus, they refused to engage in direct negotiations with the opposition.

Mr President, the Assad regime has made aid a weapon of war. They are restricting humanitarian access to besieged populations.

Blocking aid convoys from the UN and other impartial humanitarian organisations after approving them is abominable and it must stop.

The renewal of the resolution today is a clear signal to the regime that the international community is united in our determination to ensure that aid must not be used as a weapon. Aid must be delivered at speed, unhindered, to those who need it, full stop.

Thank you.

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