Malcom Burns, Principal Scientist and Special Advisor to the Government Chemist, helped develop, organise, co-chair and deliver a DNA extraction workshop with the EU Reference Laboratory (EURL) for GMOs in feed and food. This workshop was organised by the European Commission and held at the Joint Research Centre (JRC) in Ispra (Italy) in June 2017. The three day event was attended by over 30 experts representing 19 EU member states and other countries as far afield as Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil.

The workshop consisted of a number of seminars and interactive discussion sessions on different approaches and quality control criteria for DNA extracted from food and feed samples. The workshop was designed to bring together the knowledge and collective expertise and experiences of scientists working in the topical area of extracting DNA from challenging matrices.

As well as co-chairing sessions, Malcolm chaired the interactive session on the second day of the workshop. Each of the participants was asked to present their experiences in relation to DNA extraction, promoting further valuable discussions, comments, suggestions and solutions from the group.

Feedback from the workshop as a whole was very positive, and included how useful the participants found the interactive session which was led by Malcolm using an innovative new format. The workshop will result in a summary document being produced detailing issues commonly encountered when extracting DNA from food and feed samples, as well as associated potential solutions for these issues.

The three-day event provided a forum to discuss and agree best measurement practice in the area of DNA extraction from food and feed, and an EU Guidance Document is in preparation to capture the key principles in this area as a direct result of the workshop.

For more information about the work the Government Chemist does, contact us:

The Home Secretary has today, Tuesday 27 June, secured the support of the ‘Five Eyes’ members in urging communication service providers to do more in removing terrorist and violent extremist content online.

In a two day trip 26 to 27 June to Ottawa, Canada as part of a Five Country Ministerial, she joined her counter-parts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US to take a united stand against international threats.

Ministers from the five countries put their name to a joint letter, tackling terrorist use of the internet (PDF, 72.7KB, 1 page) welcoming an announcement from Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and Google to begin forming a new global industry body but stressing that it is critical progress is made quickly.

The letter makes clear there should be no safe space for terrorists and extremists to communicate online their unlawful goals. Hateful content used to recruit and radicalise people should be removed faster as much of it is still freely accessible.

The cross country support for the letter comes after the Home Secretary held a roundtable in March with major internet providers to encourage them to prevent the dissemination of high quality propaganda. Now, these companies are working on an industry wide form that will share information, provide technical solutions and give support to small companies.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:

The issue of terrorism transcends borders and a truly global effort is needed to end the spread of hateful propaganda. The commitment from my fellow Five Eyes members to a shared approach to Communication Service Providers and their backing of the new industry forum is a vital step forward.

In our darkest hours, the international community has stood together. The ties between our countries give us a strong foundation to end the spread of the poisonous propaganda used to recruit and radicalise people across the world. Today’s letter is a statement that our countries will never let terrorists win.

The Home Secretary has today, Tuesday 27 June, secured the support of the ‘Five Eyes’ members in urging communication service providers to do more in removing terrorist and violent extremist content online.

In a two day trip 26 to 27 June to Ottawa, Canada as part of a Five Country Ministerial, she joined her counter-parts from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the US to take a united stand against international threats.

Ministers from the five countries put their name to a joint letter, tackling terrorist use of the internet (PDF, 72.7KB, 1 page) welcoming an announcement from Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and Google to begin forming a new global industry body but stressing that it is critical progress is made quickly.

The letter makes clear there should be no safe space for terrorists and extremists to communicate online their unlawful goals. Hateful content used to recruit and radicalise people should be removed faster as much of it is still freely accessible.

The cross country support for the letter comes after the Home Secretary held a roundtable in March with major internet providers to encourage them to prevent the dissemination of high quality propaganda. Now, these companies are working on an industry wide form that will share information, provide technical solutions and give support to small companies.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said:

The issue of terrorism transcends borders and a truly global effort is needed to end the spread of hateful propaganda. The commitment from my fellow Five Eyes members to a shared approach to Communication Service Providers and their backing of the new industry forum is a vital step forward.

In our darkest hours, the international community has stood together. The ties between our countries give us a strong foundation to end the spread of the poisonous propaganda used to recruit and radicalise people across the world. Today’s letter is a statement that our countries will never let terrorists win.

2014 – 2017 New Delhi, Minister Counsellor (Political & Press) 2013 – 2014 New Delhi, Prosperity Counsellor 2010 – 2013 Riga, Her Majesty’s Ambassador 2007 – 2010 Maputo, High Commissioner 2004 – 2006 FCO, Head of Sustainable Development and Commonwealth Group, Global and Economic Issues Directorate 2001 – 2004 Brasilia, Deputy Head of Mission 1999 – 2001 FCO, Deputy Head, Human Rights Policy Department 1995 – 1999 Washington, First Secretary (Chancery) 1993 – 1995 FCO, Arab/Israel Desk, Middle East and North Africa Directorate 1990 – 1993 FCO, Team Leader, Economic Relations Department 1987 – 1990 Mexico City, Second (later First) Secretary (Chancery) 1985 – 1987 FCO, Desk Officer for Argentina, South America Department

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a seven year disqualification undertaking from Mr Banaras which bans him, from 12 June 2017, from acting as a company director or from managing, or in any way controlling, a limited company until 2024.

North East Meats Limited (NEM) which traded from Boosbeck,Cleveland, went into liquidation on 20 August 2015 owing £1,128,393. An Insolvency Service investigation into NEM found that from at least 12 March 2014 Mr Banaras failed to maintain, preserve and deliver up records that were adequate to explain the financial position of NEM.

In the absence of complete records, it was not possible to determine the legitimacy of at least £195,476 of credit stated to have been granted to a connected company for the destruction of purchased livestock. Furthermore, NEM’s books and records had no evidence to verify the destruction of at least 2,827 such animals. It was also not possible to determine the legitimacy of management charges paid by NEM to a connected company totalling £450,000.

Aldona O’Hara, Chief Investigator of Insolvent Investigations Midlands & West at the Insolvency Service, said:

Company Directors have a duty to ensure that their companies maintain proper accounting records and following insolvency, deliver them to the office-holder in the interests of fairness and transparency.

Without a full account of transactions it is impossible to determine whether a director has discharged their duties properly, or is using a lack of documentation as a cloak for impropriety.

This director has paid the price for failing to do that, as he cannot now carry on in business other than at his own risk.

Notes to editors

Mr Banaras’ date of birth is 8 October 1973 and he resides in Middlesbrough.

North East Meats Limited (CRO No. 08610295) was incorporated on 15 July 2013 and traded from The Abattoir, High Street, Boosbeck, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Cleveland, TS12 3AG.

Mr Banaras was the sole director from 15 July 2013 to 20 August 2015 (the date of liquidation).

The matter of unfitness, which Mr Banaras did not dispute in the Disqualification Undertaking, was that from at least 12 March 2014, the date upon which NEM first granted a credit note to a connected company, Mr Banaras failed to ensure that NEM maintained and/ or preserved adequate accounting records. Or in the alternative Mr Banaras failed to deliver up to the liquidator such records as were maintained.

As a consequence of the inadequate books and records it was not possible to:

• verify the legitimacy of at least £195,476 of credit granted by NEM to a connected company.
• verify the legitimacy of management charges paid by NEM to a connected company totalling £450,000.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability * partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings. Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures. Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

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