Tag Archives: HM Government

2016 – present United Kingdom Special Envoy to the Horn of Africa 2013 – 2016 Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) 2012 – 2013 FCO, Director Africa 2010 – 2012 FCO, Ambassador to the Republic of Sudan 2007 – 2010 FCO, Ambassador to Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo 2006 – 2007 UK Regional Co-ordinator Southern Afghanistan 2002 – 2006 FCO, Deputy Head of Mission, Madrid 2000 – 2002 FCO, Deputy Head, Policy Planning Staff 1997 – 2000 FCO, Deputy Head of Mission, Havana 1995 – 1997 FCO, Head, Pakistan and Afghanistan Section, South Asian Department 1988 – 1990 Founder, Leading Edge Training Systems 1980 – 1994 English language teacher in Cyprus, Saudi Arabia, Peru, Brazil, Spain and the UK read more

International Development Secretary Priti Patel today visited Essex Fire and Rescue Service in Colchester where she met members of the UK’s International Search and Rescue (ISAR) team.

DFID supports these lifesavers when they are sent to the front line in response to rapid onset emergencies such as earthquakes or floods, where they use their expertise to help rescue people from collapsed buildings, search for missing individuals and coordinate local rescue efforts.

There are 265 personnel around the UK who stand ready to be deployed as part of the UK ISAR team and these individuals, along with their humanitarian counterparts in the health service and across NGOs will be publically thanked for their efforts on Saturday 19 August, when at Westminster Abbey the UK will celebrate the UN’s World Humanitarian Day.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:

The whole country should recognise these brave men and women who, without a moment’s hesitation, can deploy to some of the world’s most dangerous and challenging places to save lives.

The members of Essex Fire and Rescue Service that I met today show the very best of British values. For 365 days a year, they stand ready to respond to a natural disaster, selflessly choosing to risk their own lives to save others and alleviate human suffering.

By providing this British expertise and helping countries better prepare for and deal with long-term crises, we are playing our part in building a more stable, secure and prosperous world for all which is firmly in Britain’s interest.

The World Health Organisation has recently recognised DFID’s deployable field hospital, which the ISAR team help to deploy, as meeting world class standards. ‎

This is just one demonstration of the UK’s vital global leadership role, in continuing to raise the bar and push others to step up their own response‎.

The Chancellor today (27 July 2017) announced that Sir Dave Ramsden has been appointed as the new Deputy Governor of Markets and Banking at the Bank of England.

Her Majesty the Queen has agreed, on the recommendation of the Chancellor and Prime Minister, to appoint Sir Dave effective from 4 September 2017 and for a renewable term of five years.

Sir Dave will replace Charlotte Hogg, who announced in March that she was resigning her position. The role of Chief Operating Officer will be announced separately by the Bank today.

As the Bank’s Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking, Sir Dave will have specific responsibility for managing the balance sheet of the Bank. He will look after the execution of financial stability and monetary policy decisions via balance sheet operations, the management of the government’s foreign exchange reserves, the gold custody services, the operation of the Real Time Gross Settlement System, the effective risk management of these operations and the gathering of market intelligence relevant to policy decisions. Sir Dave will also be a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, the Financial Policy Committee, the Prudential Regulation Committee and the Court of the Bank of England.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

I’m delighted to appoint Sir Dave Ramsden as the next Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking. Sir Dave’s unrivalled experience at the centre of UK economic policy for more than two decades gives him the thorough grounding needed to be successful in his new role. His departure will be a loss to the Treasury but he will be a huge asset to the Bank and I wish him every success.

Sir Dave Ramsden said:

I am honoured to be joining the Bank and to be given the opportunity to contribute to the Bank’s mission to maintain monetary and financial stability, at such an important time for the UK economy.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, said:

I am delighted that Dave Ramsden has been appointed as Deputy Governor for Markets and Banking. As an outstanding public servant, he will bring a wealth of experience and economic expertise to the Bank’s policy committees.

As part of the major study, the government’s independent advisers on migration will also look at how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy.

The Home Secretary has today (27 July) asked the government’s independent advisers on migration to complete a detailed assessment of the role of EU nationals in the UK economy and society.

Amber Rudd has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to examine the British labour market, the overall role of migration in the wider economy and how the UK’s immigration system should be aligned with a modern industrial strategy.

The commission represents an extremely important piece of work, with free movement ending when we exit the EU. Plans for the UK’s future immigration system are being developed which will enable the government to control the flow of migration from Europe.

The Home Office will ask the MAC to focus the study on patterns of EU and EEA (European Economic Area) migration, considering regional distribution; skill levels; industry sectors and the role of the self-employed, part-time, agency, temporary and seasonal workers.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:

Leaving the European Union gives us the opportunity to take control of immigration from the EU. We will ensure we continue to attract those who benefit us economically, socially and culturally.

But, at the same time, our new immigration system will give us control of the volume of people coming here – giving the public confidence we are applying our own rules on who we want to come to the UK and helping us to bring down net migration to sustainable levels.

The study I am asking the Migration Advisory Committee to complete is a major step in ensuring we create a system that works in the best interests of the country.

The Home Secretary also underlined there will be an implementation period when the UK leaves the EU to ensure there is no ‘cliff edge’ for employers or EU nationals in the UK.

In addition to the MAC commission, there will be an extensive cross-government programme of engagement over the coming months with stakeholders from a number of sectors, including business, industry, trades unions and educational institutions.

The MAC, which comprises of a group of internationally recognised experts in their field, will assess and build on the internal cross-government work that has already been completed.

More than 1,600 new special free school places will be created across England as 19 local authorities invite applications to run new special free schools.

It will mean 19 new schools, providing high quality provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities, will be built through the government’s ambitious free schools programme that provides choice, innovation and higher standards for parents.

Organisations ranging from successful Multi-Academy Trusts to specialist charitable organisations can now apply to the 19 local authorities, setting out how they will be able to meet the specification for each project. Criteria have been developed by the local authorities, in conjunction with the Department for Education, to ensure they meet the needs of each local community and provide much-needed places for special educational needs and disability (SEND) pupils.

Among the special free school specifications published today are:

• A 200-place school with both early years and post-16 places for pupils between the ages of three and 19 in the Borough of Bedford.
• A 100-place school with post-16 provision for pupils between the ages of five to 19 with complex communication and interaction needs, Autism spectrum disorder and other social and mental health needs in Doncaster.
• A 125-place school for pupils between the ages of four and 16 with social communication needs and Autism spectrum disorder in Hampshire.
• A 150-place school with early years and post-16 provision for pupils between the ages of two to 19 with Autism spectrum disorder in Croydon.

Schools System Minister, Lord Nash, said:

Free schools are providing many good new school places in response to the needs of communities across the country. This process will give local authorities the chance to identify expert organisations with proven track records in SEND provision to run special schools that will help hundreds of children fulfil their potential.

The new schools are part of the most-recent wave of free schools approved in April, and are separate from government plans to open 30 free schools in partnership with local authorities – as recently announced by Education Secretary, Justine Greening. Since 2015, the government has committed £5.8 billion of basic need funding to deliver the school places needed by 2020.
Applications close on 24 November.

Notes to Editors

• On 12 April 2017, the Department for Education announced the approval of 131 new free schools, including approval of plans to launch special free school competitions in Bedford, Blackpool, Bradford, Cheshire East, Croydon, Doncaster, Enfield, Essex, Hampshire, Havering, Herefordshire, Hounslow, Manchester, Portsmouth, Redbridge, Sheffield, South Gloucestershire, Suffolk and Sunderland.
• More than 9 in 10 free schools have been approved in areas where a need for more school places has already been identified, and the remainder have been created by local communities deciding they wanted more choice. Free schools are ensuring more parents have access to a good local school place for their children.
• There are currently 346 open free schools, 38 studio schools and 48 university technical colleges, which will provide over 234,000 places when at capacity.

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