Secretary of State announces appointment of new Commissioner for The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains

Press release

The Secretary of State, Rt.Hon Brandon Lewis CBE MP, is delighted to announce the appointment of Rosalie Flanagan as the new Commissioner for The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains.

Rosalie has over two decades of experience of working at the heart of devolved government in Northern Ireland, including notable roles as Permanent Secretary at the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and as Director of Executive Services in the Office of First Minister and deputy First Minister. Since her retirement in 2013 she has remained active in public life, including through her work as a Member of Independent Review Panel for the Assessment of Paramilitary Activity. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said: “We are delighted that Rosalie Flanagan has accepted the post of Commissioner for the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains. Rosalie brings a wealth of experience to this vital role.”

The Commission has had great success in locating the remains of eleven of the Disappeared and continue in their efforts to locate the remains of three individuals: Robert Nairac, Columba McVeigh and Joseph Lynskey. The Commission remains committed to doing everything that can reasonably be done to bring an end to their loved ones harrowing ordeal.

Notes to Editors

Background

  1. The Independent Commission for the Location of Victims’ Remains was established by an intergovernmental agreement between the British and Irish Governments, signed on 27 April 1999, and by legislation enacted in the two jurisdictions. The Department of Justice, in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Office, provides financial support for the Commission. The Commission is responsible for facilitating the location of the remains of victims of paramilitary violence who were murdered and secretly buried arising from the conflict in Northern Ireland.

  2. The Commission has in place a confidential free-phone number and post office box address through which information can be passed to it. Any such information will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be used for any purpose other than locating the remains of victims. Further information about the Commission and its activities and about the Disappeared is available at www.iclvr.ie

Terms of appointment

  1. Length of appointment: Starting 13 January 2021; to be reviewed in January 2024 Remuneration: £650 per day Pension: The position is not pensionable Time requirements: Approximately 12 days annually

  2. In accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for appointees’ political activity in defined categories within the last five years to be made public. Mrs Flanagan has not been engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

  3. This appointment is not regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Published 13 January 2021



The Intellectual Property Office and Aardamn 2019/2020 competition

News story

The intellectual Property Office’s Cracking Ideas Competition launched in October 2019. It was open to schools and young people aged 5 – 11.

Robot

The resources included learning and activity packs. These highlight the importance of intellectual property in the children’s designs.

More than 1500 youngsters took part in the competition, from all over the Uk. Taking their inspiration from Wallace & Gromit to create their helpful and unusual designs.

Dominic Marday, aged 9, from London came up with the winning entry, called Literation. A robot that moves around looking for rubbish, eats the rubbish and sorts it for recycling.

The winning entry will feature in the new Wallace & Gromit augmented reality adventure called “The Big Fix Up”, which will be a new foray in the world of augmented reality for the duo. Fans will see them in their latest business venture, Spick and Spanners, as they take on a contract to “Fix Up” Bristol.

The new activity will launched on 18 January 2021. It will bring Wallace and Gromit to life in an entirely new way. You will be able to download a free app, play along at home and step directly into the world of Wallace & Gromit.

Fans can find out more about the new characters, and pre-order the FREE app via The Big Fix Up.

Published 13 January 2021



Cambridge exporter recognised in New Year’s Honours List 2021

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss MP has congratulated UK exporters, business leaders and DIT staff who have been recognised with Honours for their exceptional and outstanding service to international trade, investment, and exporting.

Those honoured represent a diverse range of businesses, from sourcing PPE for the pandemic, green energy, trade policy negotiations and to services exports in the creative industry such as cross-cultural theatre productions.

The New Year’s Honours List also recognises the work and dedication undertaken by those who worked during the pandemic to keep the country safe.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said:

All those being honoured have made a terrific contribution to the UK over the past year, whether it be leading the fight against coronavirus or helping champion free and fair trade across the world. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their hard work.

More trade and investment is vital to delivering the jobs and economic growth we need to recover from the pandemic and build back better. Our innovative and go-getting exporters are critical to that, and we will continue to support them as they look to sell more of their wares overseas this coming year and beyond.

Exporters recognised in the list include Stuart Gibbons, DIT Export Champion and Managing Director of Le Mark Group, an international family-run business base in Cambridgeshire that supplies products to the arts and entertainment industries, including labels, floors and crew wear. The Houghton-based company sells directly and supports a global network of over 150 distributors. It has a turnover of £6.5 million, with exports accounting for approximately 20%.

Le Mark’s export growth was significantly supported by the Department for International Trade. Before working with DIT, Le Mark primarily supplied UK domestic clients. Through DIT’s export initiatives such as Passport to Export, the company began its strategic growth into export markets. International Trade Advisers’ support over the years enabled funded research projects that took Le Mark to new continents. Adopting the strategy to use native language speakers overseas supported the company’s growth into non-EU countries such as Russia and was vital to strengthen business relationships.

The company has built a reputation for product excellence and award-winning British design and innovation. Stuart Gibbons, in his role of DIT Export Champion, now also continues to encourage and advise British regional companies to embark on the path of exporting, which significantly increased his company’s turnover.

Stuart Gibbons, Managing Director at Le Mark:

To be noted and honoured for what I consider to be a personal passion of mine, was something I had never imagined.

I have had the privilege to work on some excellent projects with talented people both at Le Mark and around the world. I will continue to support British exporting companies wherever I can. What an incredible and positive way to start 2021.

Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade, said:

I am extremely proud of DIT colleagues recognised for their hard work for the Department on international trade issues.

It is also excellent to see so many British exporters and business leaders recognised in the 2021 New Year Honours List, showcasing the success of British exports abroad.

Many congratulations to them, and to all recipients.

Exporters and business leaders in the New Year’s Honours List 2021 include:

  • Kirsty Hamilton; Associate Fellow, Chatham House (OBE)
  • Stuart Paul Gibbons; Managing Director, Le Mark Group (OBE)
  • Sharon Pursey; Co-Founder, SafeToNet (OBE)
  • Steve Crane; Chief Executive Officer, business Link Japan and Executive Director of Export to Japan (OBE)
  • Matthew Hurn; Chief Financial Officer, Mubadala Investment Company, Chairman, Association of Corporate Treasurers, Middle East (OBE)
  • Ella Spira, Co-founder, Sisters Grimm (MBE)
  • Piertra Mello-Pittman, Co-Founder, Sisters Grimm (MBE)
  • Laura Bounds, Managing Director, Kent Crisps (MBE)
  • Manoj Varsani, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Hammock (MBE)
  • Paul Jonathan Morris, Founder and Chief Executive Addmaster UK Limited (MBE)
  • Zoe Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, Sparkol (MBE)
  • Daniel Leigh Brooks, Chief Executive Officer, Virtual Human Resources (MBE)

Staff from the Department for International Trade (DIT) have also been recognised in the 2021 New Year Honours list, including:

  • Matthew Davies; Deputy Director, Trade Agreements Continuity Programme (OBE)
  • Deborah Clarke; Country Director, Department for International Trade Malaysia (OBE)
  • Ruchi Nanda – Lately Account Manager, Trade, Investment and Business Support (MBE)
  • Jasmine Baker – Head of Insurance and Asset Management British Embassy Beijing (MBE)
  • Chris Dunn – Head of Infrastructure and Environment (China), Energy, Infrastructure, Creative and Sports Directorate (MBE)


Self Assessment customers use online tax payment plans to help spread the cost

Almost 25,000 Self Assessment customers have set up an online payment plan to manage their tax liabilities in up to 12 monthly instalments, totalling £69.1 million, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed today (13 January 2021).

In October, HMRC increased the threshold for self-serve Time to Pay arrangements from £10,000 to £30,000 for Self Assessment customers. Once they have completed their 2019 to 2020 tax return and know how much tax they owe, customers can use the self-serve facility to set up monthly direct debits and spread the cost of their tax bill.

The 31 January Self Assessment deadline is less than 3 weeks away but for almost 25,000 customers, who have completed their tax returns and set up an online payment plan since 1 October 2020, they can start 2021 knowing their tax liabilities are under control.

Karl Khan, HMRC’s Interim Director General for Customer Services, said:

We know the past year has been tough for many businesses and self-employed people, which is why we’re helping them spread the cost of their tax bill into monthly payments.

Self Assessment customers can use the self-serve Time to Pay facility for amounts up to £30,000 with almost 25,000 customers already benefiting from the service.

The self-serve Time to Pay threshold was increased to help businesses and individuals who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Supporting Self Assessment customers to manage their tax bills can help ease their financial commitments into more manageable monthly payments. To date, the average value of payment plans set up online is £2,821.

Customers can apply for the payment plan via GOV.UK. However, they must meet the following requirements:

  • they need to have no:

    • outstanding tax returns
    • other tax debts
    • other HMRC payment plans set up
  • the debt needs to be between £32 and £30,000
  • the payment plan needs to be set up no later than 60 days after the due date of a debt

Customers who are required to make Payments on Account, and know their bill is going to be lower than the previous tax year, can reduce their payments. Visit GOV.UK to find out more about Payments on Account and how to reduce them.

Be aware of copycat HMRC websites and phishing scams. Customers should always type in the full online address www.gov.uk/hmrc to get the correct link for their Self Assessment tax return online securely and free of charge.

They also need to be alert if someone calls, emails or texts claiming to be from HMRC, saying that they can claim financial help, are due a tax refund or owe tax. It might be a scam. Check GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact.

Find more information on Self Assessment.

The Self-serve Time to Pay data is online payment plans created between 1 October 2020 and 11 January 2021.

Customers using self-serve Time to Pay will be required to pay any interest on the tax owed. Interest will be applied to any outstanding balance from 1 February 2021.

If your Self Assessment debts are over £30,000, or you need longer than 12 months to pay your debt in full, you may still be able to set up a Time to Pay arrangement by calling the Self Assessment Payment Helpline on 0300 200 3822.

Follow the National Cyber Security Centre’s 6 essential steps to keep yourself and your business secure online by visiting CyberAware.gov.uk.



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