Tag Archives: HM Government

113 Service personnel have been granted state honours, and 50 civilians have also been honoured either for work in the Ministry of Defence or in other aspects of UK Defence.

The Defence personnel named in the Birthday Honours List for 2017 are listed below; the full list is available here

Amongst those who were granted state honours are the following:

Cpl Amber Rose Hollands, 25, received an MBE for her work as a Combat Medical Technician whilst deployed in Sierra Leone with 1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards. She was the only female in a 58-strong Short Term Training Team that deployed to Sierra Leone to train the nation’s Army in peace support operations.

Working in stifling 36 degrees heat and 90% humidity, Amber was one of two medics who delivered medical training to over 130 Sierra Leonean troops. The Short Term Training Team also trained more than 850 troops in basic military skills.

Amber said:

I am very proud to receive this honour. Communication was a challenge in Sierra Leone because some of the troops found it difficult to understand my accent. I had to adapt and slow down my speech. I also asked two of the Sierra Leonean medics to translate.

Col Mike Butterwick, whose work with the British Muslim community during his time as deputy Commander of 4th Infantry Brigade based at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire has seen him awarded a CBE, said being told the news left him in “total shock” and “slightly embarrassed”.

He said:

I am completely overwhelmed by the award, but it reflects the energy the whole of the 4 Brigade team put into making a difference in this vital area. What we tried to do was change the perceptions of the military in Muslim communities we are working in.

I am humbled by this award. This is the start of what I hope will continue for many years to come.

Flt Sgt Mark Elliman received an MBE for his role as Acting Warrant Officer Fuels and Lubricants at RAF Akrotiri, supporting Op SHADER and the successful running of the station.

He said:

I am humbled, grateful and overjoyed to receive the MBE. My family will be so proud. I work with a fantastic team who have supported me with professionalism, honesty and pure hard work.

My time working at RAF Akrotiri as part of Joint Forces Command has been challenging but exciting due to the serviceability and resilience of fixed assets. Contingency and forward planning has been at the forefront of delivering aviation fuel without compromising output.

Jonathan Lyle, Chief Executive of Dstl, has been made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in recognition of his contribution to Defence science and engineering over the past 41 years.

He said:

I have had the priviledge to work with so many talented and committed people. I am deeply honoured to have been recognised with the CB and really do feel this is a reflection of a combined team effort across the lab.

Royal Navy Awards

PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH

As Knight Commander

Vice Admiral Simon Robert LISTER, CB, OBE

As Companions

Surgeon Vice Admiral Alasdair James WALKER, OBE, QHS

Rear Admiral Simon Paul WILLIAMS, CVO

PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

As Commanders Rear Admiral Timothy Miles LOWE, QCVS

Rear Admiral John Robert Hamilton CLINK, OBE

Brigadier Richard Anthony Winchcombe SPENCER, OBE As Officers Commodore Richard Mark ALLEN

Captain Mark John CAMERON

Colonel Michael John TANNER, QCVS

Commander James WYPER

As Members

Warrant Officer 1 Logistician (Catering Services) Wayne BURBURY

Lieutenant Commander Simon James CHURCH

Warrant Officer 1 Engineering Technician (Marine Engineering) Iain CUNNINGHAM

Chief Petty Officer Air Engineering Technican (Avionics) Andrew Smyth FLEMING

Lieutenant Deborah Daphne HARMER

Leading Logistician (Writer) Claire HUGHES

Lieutenant Commander (Acting Commander) James Alistair Delange KIRKWOOD

Commander Robert Graeme SPENCE

Commander Stephen Michael THOMAS

Commander Michael Leslie WOOD

QUEEN’S VOLUNTEER RESERVE MEDAL

Sergeant David HOLMAN

ARMY AWARDS

PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH

As Companions

Major General Mark Jarvis GAUNT

Major General John Robert PATTERSON

PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

As Commanders

Colonel Michael Robert BUTTERWICK

Colonel William Pemble Owen ENGLISH

Brigadier Colin Thomas McCLEAN, MBE

Brigadier Tom Richardson COPINGER-SYMES, OBE

Major General Ralph William WOODDISSE, MBE, MC

As Officers

Lieutenant Colonel Hamish George Gordon CORMACK, MBE, The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment

Lieutenant Colonel Christopher David DAVIES, MBE, The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment

Lieutenant Colonel Jamie Ian HARTLEY, The Rifles

Colonel Thomas Jonathan MURRAY

Colonel Andrew Keith ROBINSON

Colonel Christopher John Strathern ROSE

Colonel Khashayar Dominic SHARIFI

Lieutenant Colonel Jason SHEFFIELD, Royal Tank Regiment

Colonel Jonathan Roderick Henry TIMMIS

Acting Colonel Richard George WALKER, Corps of Royal Engineers

As Members

Major Levi Vincent ASHLEY, The Royal Logistic Corps

Major John Mark BARRY, The Rifles

Major Richard Allan BELL, Royal Corps of Signals

Major Denis BURTON, The Royal Welsh, Army Reserve

Major Kevin Charles CAMMACK, Royal Regiment of Artillery

Major David CAMPEY, Corps of Royal Engineers

Colonel Frances Elizabeth CASTLE, ADC

Sergeant Arun Lewis COFAX, Corps of Royal Engineers

Lieutenant Colonel Dominic Martin Lyall COOPER, The Royal Logistic Corps

Major Richard John CRANE, The Royal Logistic Corps

Captain Anthony Angelo DAVIES, Corps of Royal Engineers

Warrant Officer Class 2 Marc David ELLIOTT, Corps of Royal Engineers

Warrant Officer Class 1 Gavin Arran EMMERSON, The Royal Logistic Corps

Major Simon William EVERETT, The Royal Irish Regiment

Lieutenant Colonel Alison Helen FALCON, The Royal Logistic Corps, Army Reserve

Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Mark GEE, Royal Regiment of Artillery

Major Prembahadur GURUNG, The Royal Gurkha Rifles

Captain Andrew HAINES, Royal Regiment of Artillery, Army Reserve

Acting Major Tobias Robin Sanford HARRIS, The Parachute Regiment

Sergeant Andrew Craig HARRISON, Corps of Royal Engineers

Major William Derek HODGKINSON, The King’s Royal Hussars

Corporal Amber Rose HOLLANDS, Royal Army Medical Corps

Colonel Stephanie Lotte Eleanor Louise JACKMAN, TD, Army Reserve, The Royal Logistic Corps

Acting Lieutenant Colonel Ami JONES, Royal Army Medical Corps, Army Reserve

Acting Lieutenant Colonel Norman Owen JONES, ARRC, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, Army Reserve

Major Pauline MURRAY-KNIGHT, Adjutant General’s Corps (Staff and Personnel Support Branch)

Acting Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Thomas LAMB, Combined Cadet Force

Lieutenant Colonel Catherine Charlotte Anne LIVINGSTONE, Royal Army Medical Corps, Army Reserve

Major Paul LOGIE, Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Captain James William LYONS, Army Air Corps

Major David Robert MACKLIN, The Rifles

Warrant Officer Class 1 Iain Crichton MARTIN, The Royal Logistic Corps

Warrant Officer Class 2 Rolf Alan MASON, Royal Regiment of Artillery

Corporal Jessica Layla MASTERMAN, The Royal Logistic Corps

Lance Corporal Rossa Dominick McPHILLIPS, Intelligence Corps, Army Reserve

Colour Sergeant David Malcolm MILLS, Irish Guards

Captain Ian David STOKES, Royal Regiment of Artillery

Warrant Officer Class 2 Karen Ann STYLES, Adjutant General’s Corps (Staff and Personnel Support Branch)

Major Fergus Keegan SULLIVAN, Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Major William John TOWER, Coldstream Guards

Acting Major Richard Simon WOOD, The Parachute Regiment

Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas Robert Edward WOOLGAR, The Royal Lancers

ROYAL RED CROSS

As an Ordinary Associate of the Royal Red Cross, Second Class

Major Jennifer Ann BUCK, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps

Major Rosemary GODFREY, Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, Army Reserve

QUEEN’S VOLUNTEER RESERVES MEDAL

Major Paul Harry JACKSON, General List, Army Reserve

Staff Sergeant Hayley Elizabeth JUST, Corps of Royal Engineers, Army Reserve

Colonel Mark Christopher SHERIDAN

Staff Sergeant Careen Gillian THORN, The Royal Logistic Corps, Army Reserve

ROYAL AIR FORCE AWARDS

PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MOST HONOURABLE ORDER OF THE BATH

As Companions

Air Vice-Marshal Malcolm Andrew John BRECHT, CBE

Air Vice-Marshal Edward Jackson STRINGER, CBE

PROMOTIONS IN AND APPOINTMENTS TO THE MILITARY DIVISION

OF THE MOST EXCELLENT ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE

As Commanders

Group Captain Stephen Alec BENTLEY

Air Commodore Dawn Allison MCCAFFERTY

As Officers

Wing Commander Gareth John BRYANT

Wing Commander Mark Thomas DUNLOP

Wing Commander James Alexander FREEBOROUGH

Wing Commander Andrew MASSIE

Wing Commander Elizabeth Joan NICHOLL

Wing Commander Michael John Edward SUTTON

As Members

Warrant Officer Anthony Joseph BARKER

Squadron Leader Darren BASSETT

Warrant Officer Alan Roy BUTTERFILL

Wing Commander Davis Charles COX, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Flight Sergeant Mark James ELLIMAN

Sergeant Alan Albert FENNEY

Sergeant Matthew Ian FOSTER

Squadron Leader Adrian MORRIS

Warrant Officer Michael George MORRIS

Squadron Leader Hugh John Warr NICHOLS

Flight Lieutenant Derek Vincent OLDHAM, Royal Auxiliary Air Force

Warrant Officer Adrian Mark PATON

Warrant Officer Michelle SMITH

ROYAL RED CROSS

As an Ordinary Associate of the Royal Red Cross, Second Class

Corporal Clare Louise HARVEY

Flight Lieutenant Laura Jane HODSON

QUEEN’S VOLUNTEER RESERVES MEDAL

Sergeant Philip Baden BOWER, Royal Auxiliary Air Force

Senior Aircraftman Shane Victor STANIFORTH, Royal Auxiliary Air Force

CIVILIAN RECIPIENTS

COMPANION, ORDER OF THE BATH (CB)

Jonathan Henry LYLE, For services to Defence

COMMANDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (CBE)

Alan Frank SMITH, For voluntary service to RAF personnel

OFFICERS, ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (OBE)

William John CHRISPIN, For services to Defence acquisition and to military capability

Maj Gen Patrick Anthony John CORDINGLEY, For voluntary service

John Sebastian COX, For services to the Royal Air Force and aviation heritage

Michael GOODHAND, For services to Disaster Relief

Dr Deborah Katherine GOODWIN, For services in support of Armed Forces staff education

Ms Carmel Jane GRANT, For services to Army reform

Dr Julie Patricia GREEVES, For services to military operational effectiveness

Philip HORROCKS, For services to Defence

Dr Cheryll Denise PITT, For services to aviation safety

Paul John RUSSELL, For services to Defence

Rakesh SHARMA, For services to defence capability

Richard THOMASON, For services to Defence

Mrs Melanie Dawn WATERS, For services to ex-Service personnel

MEMBERS, ORDER OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE (MBE)

Mrs Saeeda ALI, For services to Defence

Andrew Donald BALLANTYNE, For services to Defence

Lt Colonel Robert Henry Lynn BLOMFIELD TD, For services to the Reserves and Cadets

Peter Alan BLYTH, For services to the Reserve Forces & Cadets on Tyneside

Patrick Joseph CONWAY, For services to industrial relations and the community in Yeovil, Somerset

Christopher DAVIES, For services to drug awareness in the Armed Forces

Captain (Rtd) Gaubahadur GURUNG, For services in support of Service personnel

Mohamed Amin ISSA, For services to the Defence Centre for Languages & Culture

David McALLISTER, For voluntary service to Service personnel

Frederick MILLES, For services to Defence

Mrs Irene MILNE, For services in support of military operations

Miss Nicola Ann MURDOCH, For services to Armed Forces personnel and their families

Philip NEAME, For voluntary service to Reserve Forces and Cadets

Mrs Angela Gwen O’SULLIVAN, For voluntary service to First Aid

Nicholas Mark SALES, For services to Defence

Richard SALMON, For services to Defence

Grahame SHEPHERD, For voluntary service to the children of military personnel

Mrs Dawn WALKER, For services to Defence

Colonel Michael Robert Lorne WARD, For voluntary service to veterans

THE BRITISH EMPIRE MEDAL (BEM)

Mrs Carol Margaret BRATTY, For voluntary service to ex-Service personnel personnel

Mrs Eileen Fiona BUCHAN, For voluntary service to young people

Mrs Carol Margaret CHAPMAN, For voluntary service to St John Ambulance

Mrs Helen CHAPMAN, For services to Defence

Dean FAULKNER, For voluntary service to St John Ambulance

Barry Anthony FURNESS, For voluntary service to ex-Service personnel

Raymond GRIFFITHS, For voluntary service to ex-Service personnel

Mrs Marie HAWTHORNE, For voluntary service to the Army Cadet Force

Dr Samantha Georgina HEALY, For services to apprenticeship and graduate programmes in the Defence Industry

Ronald William Godfrey JONES, For voluntary service to ex-Service personnel and their families

Jacqueline LONGDEN, For services to veterans

Mrs Mary McGOWAN, For voluntary service to First Aid in Aberdeen

Mrs Barbara Liddle MORTIMER, For voluntary service to ex-Service personnel

Mrs Trudi SHAW, For services to Defence

Mrs Teresa Maria SMITH, For voluntary service to the Sea Cadet Corps

Miss Marie TAYLOR, For services to veterans and the community in York

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To mark 100 years of the Order of the British Empire, this year’s awards are the most diverse ever. In this centenary year the Honours List has granted a great number of awards to individuals from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background.

Awards include:

• a damehood for Professor Xiangqian Jiang​, Director, UK EPSRC, Future Advanced Metrology Hub, University of Huddersfield, for services to Engineering and Manufacturing
• a knighthood for Professor Alimuddin Zumla​, Professor of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University College London, for services to Public Health and Protection from Infectious Disease
• a knighthood for Professor Mir Zahedi​, Technical Director, Chas A Blatchford and Sons, for services to Engineering and Innovation
• a CBE for Kenneth Tharp​, lately Chief Executive, The Place, for services to Dance
• a CBE for Helen Adu​, aka the singer Sade for services to Music
• an OBE for Professor Mahendra Varma​, for services to Cardiology in Northern Ireland
• an OBE for Asif Haseeb for services to Racial Equality, Health and Education in Scotland and Pakistan
• an MBE for Tarek Malouf​, Founder of the Hummingbird Bakery
• an MBE for Imam Monawar Hussain for services to Interfaith Relations and the community in Oxfordshire
• an MBE for Babak Erfani, Chairman of Archway, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Network

In total 1,109 people have received an award:

• 962 candidates have been selected at BEM, MBE and OBE level (303 at BEM, 438 at MBE and 221 at OBE)
• 74% of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either in a voluntary or paid capacity
• there are 554 successful women candidates in the list, representing 50% of the total
• 10% of the successful candidates come from a BAME background, the greatest ever number of BAME recipients in an Honours list
• 6.5% of the successful candidates consider themselves to have a disability (under the Equality Act 2010)

The centenary of the Order of the Companion of Honour

This year also marks the centenary of The Order of the Companion of Honour (CH). To mark the occasion the independent committees have recommended the following nine appointments:

• Dame Beryl Grey​, ballerina
• JK Rowling​, author
• Sir Paul McCartney​, musician
• Sir Mark Elder​, conductor
• Sir Terence Conran​, designer and restaurateur
• Delia Smith​, cook
• Lord Stern​, climate change expert
• Sir John Sulston​, scientist
• Dame Steve Shirley​, philanthropist

Also in the list is:

• a damehood for 100 year old actress, Olivia de Havilland​
• a knighthood for composer and conductor, George Benjamin​
• a damehood for actress, Julie Walters​
• a knighthood for Billy Connolly for services to Entertainment and to charity
• a damehood for actress, June Whitfield​
• a damehood for mezzo soprano, Sarah Connolly​
• a CBE for actress, June Spencer​
• a CBE for illustrator, cartoonist and author, Raymond Briggs​
• an OBE for Judy Murray for services to Tennis, Women in Sport and charity
• an OBE for actress, Patricia Hodge​
• an OBE for British and Irish rugby player, Rory Best​
• an OBE for actress, Sarah-Jane Lancashire​
• an OBE for David Walliams for services to charity and the Arts
• an OBE for Natasha Kaplinsky​, for services to Holocaust Commemoration
• an MBE for Steven Davis​, Captain of the Northern Ireland Football Team
• an MBE for Ed Sheeran​ for services to Music and charity

Women

The proportion of women who have received Honours at the highest levels (CBE and above) has increased to 43%. The awards include:

• a damehood for Dr Angela Strank ​Chief Scientist and Head of Downstream Technology, BP
• a damehood for Helena Morrissey​, for services to Diversity in Financial Services
• a damehood for Cilla Snowball​, CEO and Group Chairman, AMVBBDO Advertising Agency
• a damehood for Professor Parveen Kumar​, Professor of Medicine and Education, Bart’s and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London
• a damehood for Professor Theresa Marteau​, Honorary Professor and Director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit, University of Cambridge
• ​a damehood for Carmen Callil​, Founder of Virago Press
• a CBE for Barbara Gubbins​, Chief Executive, County Durham Community Foundation
• a CBE for Professor Pamela Taylor​, Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, Cardiff University
• a CBE for Councillor Judith Blake​, Leader, Leeds City Council
• a CBE for Beverley Bell​, lately Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain
• a CBE for Jennifer Price​, Chief Executive, Sport England
• a CBE for Professor Norma Dawson​, Professor of Law, Queen’s University of Belfast

Philanthropy

Recommendations from the field of philanthropy include:

• a knighthood for Leonard Blavatnik, who for over a decade has built a record of outstanding personal philanthropy in the UK to education, cultural and charitable causes including a commitment in 2010 of £75 million to Oxford University to establish the Blavatnik School of Government
• a CBE for William Parente for services to the Arts and Philanthropy who commissioned the £3million Harley Gallery to display his family’s art collection to the public for the first time and with no charge
• a CBE for Lady Joan Jarvis​, now aged 90, who has been a dedicated supporter of many social welfare causes all of her life, particularly supporting Cancer Research and the Royal National Institute of Blind People

Local communities

In total, 74 per cent of awards in the Birthday Honours List will go to people who have undertaken outstanding work in or for their local community​, following the Prime Minister’s strategic steer that she would like more honours to go to people really contributing to society and their communities. Those receiving awards include:

• an MBE for Razia Ismail​, Chair and Founder, Aaghee, for services to Women in the Asian Community in Birmingham – a women’s rights campaigner, she has taken an active role in promoting minority women with a range of activities designed to reach the most disadvantaged in the community
• MBEs for Sheila and Trevor Fairhurst​, Co-Founders of CarlyFund.co.uk – since the tragic death of their teenage daughter in 2006, they have highlighted the plight of those suffering domestic abuse and raised funds for counselling victims
• an MBE for Michael Fitzgerald who for over 50 years has been at the forefront of volunteering in Maidstone providing services to the community, particularly the homeless
• an MBE for Elizabeth Burton-Phillips​, Founder, DrugFAM – she founded the charity in 2006 and provides a lifeline of caring and professional support to families, friends and carers who are struggling to cope with a loved one’s addiction to drugs or alcohol

The Prime Minister has also provided a strategic steer to the Main Honours Committee that the honours system should support children and young people to achieve their potential, enhance life opportunities, remove barriers to success and work to tackle discrimination. Some prominent awards that reflect these priorities are:

• a CBE for Aisha Gill​, Professor of Criminology, University of Roehampton, for services to tackling forced marriage, Honour Crimes and violence against women
• a CBE for Gillian McNeil​, Director and Chief Executive, Theirworld, for services to the health and education of vulnerable children and women
• a CBE for Mark Wood​, Chair of the NSPCC, for services to children and young people

Education

Around 11 per cent of honours are for work in Education. The Honours Education Committee has recommended:

• a damehood for Hilary Boulding​, Principal of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, for services to Education and Culture in Wales
• a knighthood for Professor Vito Muscatelli​, Vice-Chancellor and Principal, University of Glasgow

Other senior awards in Education include:

• a CBE for Helena Mills​, CEO of Burnt Mill Academy Trust in Essex
• a CBE for Andy McNab ​for services to adult literacy

There is also a BEM for school crossing patrol warden, Effie Walker​, who started her job when Colgrain Primary School opened in 1973, for her service to Education and the community in Helensburgh, Argyll and Bute.

Health

Health makes up 9 per cent of all honours. There is a rich breadth of vocations recognised within the health sector. There is:

• a GBE (Knight Grand Cross) for Sir Michael Rawlins​, Chair of the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for services to the Safety of Medicines, Healthcare and Innovation
• a GBE for Professor Sir David Weatherall​, Regius Professor of Clinical Medicine Emeritus, The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, for services to Medicine
• a knighthood for Professor Simon Lovestone​, Professor of Translational Neuroscience, University of Oxford

Recommendations at MBE include an award for Dr Nikita Kanani​, GP and Chief Clinical Officer of the NHS Bexley Commissioning Group.

Industry and the Economy

Industry and the Economy make up 12 per cent of this honours list. The Economy Committee has recommended a knighthood for Mark Boleat​, lately Chairman, Policy and Resources Committee, City of London Corporation, for services to the Financial Services Industry and to Local Government in London.

A number of strong entrepreneurs and those supporting entrepreneurship are also recognised, including:

• a CBE for Robert Keiller​, Chairman, Scottish Enterprise
• an OBE for Ashley Tabor​, Founder and Executive President, Global
• an MBE for Emily Brooke​, Founder and CEO, Blaze

And within the technology sector the awards include:

• a CBE for Melvyn Morris​, Non-Executive Chairman, King Digital Entertainment plc
• an OBE for Arvind Kapur​, Chairman, National Space Centre and Founder and Director, Signum Corporate Communications Ltd
• an MBE for Dr Mark Mason​, lately CEO, Mubaloo, for services to the Digital Economy

Science and Technology

Science and Technology make up 3 per cent of the total. There is:

• a knighthood for Professor Hugh Godfray​, Hope Professor of Zoology, University of Oxford
• an MBE for Professor Rebecca Lunn​, Professor, University of Strathclyde, a female leader in the field of UK engineering and science

Sport

Awards for Sport make up 5 per cent of the total. There is an OBE for olympian Heather Stanning who announced her retirement from rowing at the end of 2016 having balanced her sporting achievements with a successful career in the Army.

Awards to grassroots sport include a BEM for David Meldrum who has given over 60 years of service to Rothesay Brandanes Amateur Football Club in Argyll and Bute. Over the years he has held every post in the Club and in his playing days, played every position.

Law and Order

In Law and Order​, the awards include:

• a knighthood for His Honour Peter Thornton​, lately Chief Coroner
• a CBE for Rose Fitzpatrick​, Deputy Chief Constable, Police Scotland
• a CBE for His Honour Judge Marc Dight​, Senior Circuit Judge, Central London County Court

The recommendations for state servants include:

• a KCB (Knight Commander) for Tom Scholar​, Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury
• a KCB for Chris Wormald​, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health

Parliamentary

The Parliamentary and Political Service Committee has recommended a damehood for Claire Clancy​, Chief Executive and Clerk of the National Assembly for Wales.

Other awards include an MBE for Sandra Major​, a constituency worker of the late Jo Cox, who had been with her when she died.

Finally, ​there is an MBE recommended for George (Johnny) Johnson​, for his contribution to remembrance and to the community in Bristol. Mr Johnson participated in the famous 1943 Ruhr and Eder bombing raids by the “Dambusters” 617 Squadron and was recognised for this with the Distinguished Flying Medal. He supports mental health organisations in his local area, is still actively involved with the British Legion, and regularly conducts presentations to schools on the Dambuster raid of 1943.

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The award recognises Natasha’s incredible personal commitment to preserving the memory of the Holocaust for future generations, following her work to record the testimony of more than 100 British Holocaust survivors and Bergen Belsen liberators as part of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation’s major national project.

Over a period of 15 months and on an entirely pro-bono basis, Natasha conducted 112 testimony interviews. The majority of these moving personal stories were recorded for the first time. The invaluable body of testimonies created by Natasha cover a wide range of experiences of Nazi persecution, including camp survivors, children in hiding, refugees who escaped to Britain – some of whom then served with the British Army – and children who arrived in Britain on the Kindertransport, an organised rescue effort for Jewish children in Germany and Nazi-occupied countries before the outbreak of war. The collection also includes Charedi survivors, a Roma survivor and recordings of British soldiers involved in the liberation and relief of Bergen Belsen Concentration Camp.

Natasha’s work gave all these people the chance to record their history, preserving it so that their voices can be used to educate future generations about the lessons of the Holocaust and to challenge them to think about their own role in fighting hatred and prejudice in all its forms. The testimonies will have a permanent home in the new education centre that will accompany the National Memorial which is to be built next to Parliament in Westminster.

Natasha Kaplinsky said:

“Meeting the survivors and their families has been an incredible privilege. Their testimonies detail humanity’s darkest hour. They are also stories of incredible strength, compassion, inspiration and forgiveness.

“Through their testimony they offer up challenges for us all to consider about our world and the way we treat each other, and to remind us of the constant need to stand up against hatred and prejudice in all its forms.”

Natasha’s empathetic, sensitive and personal style ensured that survivors felt comfortable sharing their experiences and the impact they had on their lives. Reflecting on their interview, one survivor commented:

“You handled me and my testimony with great sensitivity, which made it easier for me to talk about the painful events in my life. I cannot say I enjoyed the interview as it brought back so many painful memories, but at the end I was pleased to have done it… Future generations must know what happened.”

The national project began after an independent, cross-party commission found there was an urgent need to record and preserve further testimony of British survivors and liberators. It has been led by the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation.

Sir Peter Bazalgette, chair of the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation, said:

“Natasha has undertaken an extraordinary project, single-handedly interviewing 112 British Holocaust survivors and liberators. Using her expertise, professionalism and compassionate approach, she was able to draw out stories sympathetically and sensitively, supporting survivors to recount their testimony.

“Natasha has helped to create an indelible record of the Holocaust, curating a particularly British story for future generations to learn from. This is something we can all be grateful for.”

The testimonies will be made available online so that they can be explored by individuals and educational projects around the UK. This new digital resource will add to the existing testimony available and form part of a rich network of recorded testimonies to aid remembrance and education.

Watch an example of excerpts from the testimonies.

About Natasha Kaplinsky

Natasha Kaplinsky is one of the UK’s leading broadcasters having worked for Sky News, BBC and ITV. Natasha is patron of a number of charities and an Ambassador for Save The Children. In 2014 she became a member of the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission and in 2015 she was appointed by the Prime Minister to the board of the United Kingdom Holocaust Memorial Foundation.

About the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation

The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation (UKHMF) was created to implement the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission report in 2015, ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust and its lessons are preserved and remain current for future generations. Alongside the programme to record and preserve the testimony of Holocaust survivors, UKHMF is leading the creation of a new national Holocaust Memorial and accompanying education centre that will explain the facts of the Holocaust and challenge visitors to explore its lessons for society today. UKHMF has cross-party support and is chaired by Sir Peter Bazalgette.

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A globally respected trade negotiator, tasked with sealing deals with the UK’s key trading partners, has been appointed today by the Prime Minister and the International Trade Secretary.

Internationally recognised expert Crawford Falconer will act as head of profession for trade negotiators and will bolster the Civil Service’s trade negotiation skills, bringing over 25 years of public service in trade and foreign affairs.

As the Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser and Second Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade (DIT) he will be responsible to the Secretary of State for International Trade, The Rt Hon Dr Liam Fox MP for negotiating with ministers the best global trade deals that will benefit the whole of the UK.

The new expert Second Permanent Secretary post was created to support the establishment of a world-class trade negotiation function and lead this new profession within the Civil Service, reporting to the DIT Permanent Secretary.

Together with his team Crawford will:

• develop and negotiate free trade agreements and market access deals with non-EU countries
• negotiate plurilateral trade deals on specific sectors or products
• make the department a ‘centre of excellence’ for negotiation and British trade
• support the UK’s membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO)

Since its formation in July 2016, the headcount at DIT has increased to a global workforce of over 3,000 people. The Trade Policy Group that includes policy and country specialists, as well as expert economic analysts and lawyers, has itself quadrupled in size.

International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox said:

Britain is a great global trading nation and, as we leave the EU, we will embrace the world and seek to build an outward-looking Britain that is confident on the world stage.

We’re attracting the very best global talent to DIT as an international economic department. Crawford brings extensive experience of trade negotiation and foreign affairs and will play a key leadership role, with ministers and the first Permanent Secretary as we further build our trade capability

Welcoming the appointment Sir Jeremy Heywood said:

As the UK’s first Chief Trade Negotiation Adviser, Crawford Falconer will play a crucial role in building the Department for International Trade’s trade negotiation capability, enabling the new department to take forward its vital mission of promoting free trade and supporting UK business on the global stage. I am delighted that we have been able to secure someone for this role with a long and distinguished track record in international trade negotiations.

Crawford Falconer is an excellent addition to DIT’s senior team and I look forward to working with him.

Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary at DIT, said:

Crawford Falconer brings a wealth of global trade expertise to the Department for International Trade from over 25 years of working on trade policy in the New Zealand government, the OECD and academia.

International trade drives the prosperity of the UK and the world. As we build our relationships to create a more global Britain, Crawford will be central to our work to secure the best trade deals that deliver for businesses and consumers.

Crawford Falconer said:

As the UK prepares to leave the EU, it will be top of the government’s agenda to turn the enormous new opportunities opening up for the UK into win-win agreements with our trading partners around the globe.

That will bring tangible new gains to us at home, and it will bring gains to those trading partners that join us. As the world’s fifth largest economic power, the UK will bring much needed leadership to the international trade agenda. I am absolutely delighted to join this hugely exciting new journey.

DIT has already established a series of 9 ‘working groups’ with 15 countries including India, China and Australia and high-level dialogues to explore the best ways of progressing our trade and investment relationships.

The announcement comes as Dr Fox prepares to visit his US counterparts in Washington (Monday 19 June 2017) to explore ways of deepening trade and economic links on what will be his first international visit since being reappointed International Trade Secretary.

A New Zealand/UK dual-national, Crawford Falconer is currently Professor of Global Value Chains and Trade at Lincoln University. This follows a long career at the heart of NZ’s Foreign Office, specialising in trade. He was latterly the NZ Deputy Secretary and Vice Minister for International Trade and Foreign Affairs. He is a former NZ Ambassador to the WTO, and the holder of a variety of trade-related posts within the ministry.

Further information

Contact the DIT Media and Digital Team on 020 7215 2000.

Follow us: @tradegovuk, gov.uk/dit

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