Tag Archives: HM Government

Thank you, it’s great to be here to welcome our American friends to Somerset House.

And this is an appropriate setting for today’s (13 September 2017) conference.

Because Somerset House has had a unique, formative influence on modern America.

230 years ago, this building was visited by the American architect, Charles Bulfinch.

And it was this building — with its classical dome and columns — that inspired Charles Bulfinch’s subsequent architectural style.

It was a style that Bulfinch carried with him back to America.

And which informed his designs for many of America’s great public buildings.

Such as Massachusetts State House, the Old Connecticut State House, and Harvard’s University Hall.

And when Bulfinch was appointed by President James Monroe as Architect of the Capitol building in Washington, he gave that building its first dome and neoclassical wings.

Which means that there’s direct lineage from the dome that sits on this building, and the columns of its façade to the iconic architecture of American democracy, expressed in so many public buildings in the United States.

And that lineage is representative of the relationship that this country enjoys with the United States.

Yes, there’s our shared culture and values.

But also our joint commitment to commerce and trade.

Today, the USA is the UK’s largest export market and second largest import market.

Last year, trade between the UK and the USA amounted to 227 billion dollars.

The stock of investment we hold in each other’s economies currently stands at 1 trillion dollars.

We’re 2 low tax, low regulation economies.

And so much of our trade is made possible by the unceasing passage of ships moving across the Atlantic Ocean.

Liverpool to New York.

Southampton to Baltimore.

Portsmouth to Charleston.

Belfast to Boston.

And many others.

Famous ports, whose names ring out with history, proclaiming hope, opportunity and prosperity from shore to Atlantic shore.

And we meet today at a special moment in our country’s history.

A point at which we are about to step away from the European Union.

I have long argued that Britain’s future lies not in federal union within the EU.

But as a global, trading nation, like America able to write all its own laws and sign its own trade deals.

This has always been an internationalist country.

London is the most diverse city in Europe.

And Britain has always looked beyond Europe to the wider world, especially to the English-speaking nations with which we share so many ideas, values and customs

Brexit is an opportunity for us to build those international links.

So I am delighted that the US and the UK governments have established a joint Trade and Investment Working Group, dedicated to strengthening our relationship.

The working group is laying the groundwork for a comprehensive free trade agreement between our 2 nations.

That can only be good news for ports on both sides of the Atlantic.

And so I am delighted to open today’s conference, and look forward to hearing your ideas, of how our ports can continue to support our mutual prosperity.

Thank you.

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Air, Rail and Marine Accident Investigation Branches at the Emergency Services Show, 20-21 September

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Senior policy makers from around the world met in London yesterday (12 September 2017) to discuss cross-border cooperation to further boost the global Islamic finance industry at the 4th annual meeting of the Global Islamic Finance and Investment Group (GIFIG).

Islamic finance, or Sharia-compliant finance, has seen remarkable growth over the last decade. The value of the industry more than doubled between 2008 and 2015, and the sector is full of potential to grow further still, providing greater choice and giving people the financial products that can meet their values.

The annual meetings of GIFIG form a key part of the UK’s commitment to support the development of the industry globally, and ensure that London, which is already home to the largest Islamic finance market outside the Muslim world, retains its top position.

The meeting was co-chaired by Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Barclay who said:

The UK is recognised as the leading Western centre for Islamic finance, and I want us to play a big part in the future of the sector. London is the most globally connected financial centre, providing a nexus of expertise in financial, professional and supporting services. And with our strong links with other outward looking economies, including those with significant Muslim populations, we are ideally placed to play a central role.

I am delighted to welcome representatives from so many countries interested in the development of Islamic finance to London to discuss how we make sure that people from all walks of life have access to appropriate finance.

This year’s meeting of GIFIG looked at areas where countries with an interest in Islamic finance can work better together to support the development of the industry. Discussions also covered responses to the industry’s on-going market and regulatory challenges and synergies between Islamic and other areas of finance.

The UK has a track record of supporting Islamic finance. UK firms have been involved in Islamic finance since the 1980s and the UK has been at the forefront of key developments in Europe ever since. The UK today is one of the few jurisdictions worldwide that accommodates Islamic finance within a single and secular regulatory framework. There are now over 100,000 Islamic finance retail customers in the UK, benefiting from Sharia-compliant current accounts, home finance, savings, investment and other products.

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With an autumnal nip in the air, the Environment Agency is urging anyone with a domestic heating oil tank to check their tank is in a good state of repair before getting heating oil delivered for the winter.

Leaks and spills from a domestic heating tank can be difficult and expensive to clean up; leaked oil can end up in groundwater supplies and drains, many of which lead directly into rivers, streams, lakes and even garden ponds.

If oil does get into drains it could pollute watercourses; harming livestock, wildlife and plants. Our vital drinking water can also come from the same surface and groundwater supplies so protection is important.

Oil is poisonous to fish, other wildlife and smothers plants – just two litres of oil could seriously pollute the volume of fresh water needed to fill an Olympic-size swimming pool.

Steve Brown from the Environment Agency said:

Heating oil can cause serious problems if it gets into the water environment.

The clean-up costs could be tens of thousands of pounds; and these costs fall to the owner of the leaking tank. These costs are not always covered by household insurance policies. A serious case of land contamination from a leaking oil tank could also severely affect the value of property in the area.

This is why it’s vital that oil is only ever stored in tanks that are in good condition. Both the tank and its pipe work should be regularly inspected and people should never buy more oil than they can safely store.

If anyone does find a spill, please contact us straight away so that we can reduce the impact on the environment.

To report an oil spill people should contact the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

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Arnoldes Jocys, 19, pleaded guilty yesterday (12 September) at the start of his scheduled four day trial at Hull Crown Court and was sentenced immediately to 27 months’ imprisonment. He had been charged with facilitating a breach of the UK’s immigration laws.

Jocys had been stopped by Border Force officers at the Port of Hull on the morning of 16 May. He had arrived on an overnight ferry from Rotterdam and was driving a Mercedes Sprinter van.

When questioned by officers, Jocys said he was delivery driver and that he was carrying a mixed load of vodka, beer, cigarettes, furniture and barbecues.

Mark Robinson, Border Force Assistant Director with the Humber Command, said:

Jocys was nervous when he was being spoken to and when the rear of the van was searched it became obvious why. As officers unloaded the contents, they found, hiding behind a sofa, two Chinese men. The cargo area had been filled floor to ceiling with goods. It was clear the Chinese men could not have found their way into the vehicle without assistance.

Jocys, of no fixed UK address, was arrested and the case was passed to Immigration Enforcement’s Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) Team. In interview, the two Chinese men said they had been placed into the van in Belgium, although they could not say by whom. They were returned to Belgium later the same day (16 May).

Subsequent forensic examination found that the rear and side doors of the van had been fitted with a new locking system which meant they could only be opened with a key from the outside.

Mike Reed, CFI Inspector, said:

This evidence supported the prosecution case that the two illegal migrants could not have got into the rear of the van without Jocys’ knowledge.

This was a shameless attempt to bypass the UK’s immigration controls that was prevented thanks to the expertise of my colleagues in Border Force. With the evidence they provided, alongside our own investigations, we have been able to bring a would-be people smuggler to justice.

I hope that this case sends a clear message to anyone else tempted to get involved in criminality of this type – you will be caught and brought before the courts.

Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

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