The Government Legal Department is one of 70 public and private sector employers included in the 2018 Business in the Community’s Best Employers for Race listing.

The listing which is unranked and published in alphabetical order recognises good practice on workplace race equality and inclusion and celebrates organisations making a difference in this area.

To be considered, employers must demonstrate that they are creating inclusive workplace cultures and taking action on leadership, progression and/or recruitment. They must also show how their policies are positively impacting Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) employees within their organisations.

Stephen Braviner Roman, GLD Diversity champion said:

We’re really pleased to have been recognised as a leading employer for race equality and inclusion in the UK. Our diversity is crucial to our ability to provide high quality service and professional excellence to our clients. We’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work place for all colleagues to ensure that we are attracting and retaining the best talent with our unique and fulfilling careers.

Published 26 November 2018

Householders have a legal ‘duty of care’ to ensure they only give their waste to a licensed carrier. Today (26 November), new financial penalties of up to £400 for householders who fail to properly exercise this responsibility, and whose waste is found fly-tipped, have moved a step closer as legislation is laid in Parliament.

Potential fly-tipping by rogue operators, and the risk of a penalty, can be simply avoided by using certified waste carriers, which can be checked easily by visiting the Environment Agency’s website, where you can enter the business name or registration number to immediately confirm their status as an approved company.

The government has also issued guidance to ensure councils use these new powers proportionately and make clear fines should not be used as a means of raising revenue. To strike the right balance householders should not be fined for minor breaches, and the guidance also stresses that consideration should be given if the individual is a vulnerable person due to age related ill-health or a mental or physical disability.

The new penalties, which are expected to come into force early next year, will make it easier for councils to tackle fly-tipping and provide an alternative to putting cases through the courts which can be a lengthy and costly process.

In 2016-17 clearing up fly-tipping incidents cost councils in England £57.7 million, with around two thirds of all fly-tipped waste containing household waste.

Latest figures show our tough actions to crack down on fly-tippers are delivering results, with no increase in the number of incidents for the first time in five years.

Environment minister Thérèse Coffey said:

Fly-tipping is an unacceptable blight on our landscapes. Many people do not realise they have a legal duty to look up waste carriers and we want councils to step up and inform their residents.

We must all take responsibility and make sure our waste does not end up in the hands of criminals who will wilfully dump it and these new powers will help us to crack down on rogue waste carriers.

To tackle the potential over-zealous enforcement on households, in 2015 the Government removed criminal penalties for breaches of household bin requirements in favour of a new civil penalty system.

Councils were urged to use letters or notices on bins to remind households of appropriate practices, and this measured and balanced approach, set out in further guidance produced earlier this year, continues to allow councils to focus their efforts on the small minority who cause genuine harm to the local environment through irresponsible behaviour.

Today’s move comes as the government publishes the response to its consultation on tackling poor performance in the waste sector more widely. New measures include a requirement for all waste facilities to have a written management plan to minimise the risks of pollution to the environment, and making it harder for applicants with relevant past offences to obtain a permit to operate a waste facility.

The involvement of serious and organised criminal gangs in the waste sector appears to be increasing, and these gangs are often involved in large-scale dumping. Environment Secretary Michael Gove recently commissioned an independent review into organised crime in the waste sector. Recommendations from the review will be considered as part of the forthcoming Resources and Waste Strategy where we will set out our approach to tackling all forms of waste crime.

• We support local partners through the National Fly-Tipping Prevention Group (NFTPG) which has published a series of fly-tipping prevention guides for householders, businesses and landowners, outlining best practice for the prevention, reporting, investigation and clearance of fly-tipping.
• 88% of councils agreed a new fixed penalty notice would help tackle fly-tipping.
• A waste facility is any site with a permit to handle, treat, or store waste. Examples include recycling centres, tyre processors, and vehicle wreckers.
• Last year councils issued 69,000 on-the-spot fines for fly-tipping offences.

The government has today signed new arrangements with each of the Crown Dependencies (the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Isle of Man) to maintain and reaffirm our close customs relationships.

This ensures that, when the UK leaves the EU, traders moving goods between the UK and Crown Dependencies (and vice versa) will continue to pay no customs duty and the UK and the Crown Dependencies will maintain a common external tariff.

The new arrangements will come into force when the UK, alongside the Crown Dependencies, leaves the EU Customs Union.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Mel Stride said:

These new agreements place our customs relationships on a firm footing for the future, and reflect the shared objective of the UK and Crown Dependency governments to ensure a continuation of our current customs relationships when the UK leaves the EU.

The UK government continues to work towards a deal with the EU. These new arrangements are compatible with any future agreement on customs reached with the EU.

The arrangements underline the Prime Minister’s stated commitment to ensure that the UK’s departure from the EU delivers for the whole UK family, including the Crown Dependencies, and builds on the positive collaboration that has taken place between the UK and Crown Dependency governments since the 2016 referendum.

In the case of the Isle of Man — where there is an existing agreement covering customs, VAT and excise matters —modifications have been made to the customs aspects of the agreement but existing arrangements for VAT and excise-related issues remain unchanged.

A full list of contract-holders able to carry out civil legal aid work under the 2018 Standard Civil Contract is now available.

This follows publication of the outcome of the procurement process for the award of the new 2018 contract.

The notice of outcome document lists in full the organisations and offices that have been awarded contracts, along with the category of law that they offer.

Contracts have been awarded to 1,578 organisations.

Further Information

Civil 2018 contracts tender – to download list of successful applicants

Directory of providers – updated directory

Published 26 November 2018

We have published new, tougher rules for providers and employers applying for and securing a place on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP).

The strengthened approach will mean only ‎providers that meet the tougher registration requirements can access government funding. The‎ move follows a review of the RoATP, taking on board valuable feedback from provider representative bodies, providers and employers, and forms part of the Government’s continued commitment to improving the quality of apprenticeship training.

To secure a place on the RoATP, providers and employers must now prove they have actively traded for 12 months, are financially stable (evidenced by their financial information), skilled and are able to deliver quality apprenticeship training, before they apply, rather than when they begin delivery. The 3-month trading history requirement for supporting providers has been retained to enable new providers to build a delivery track record.

Acting on feedback from the sector, the register will open for applications on 12 December 2018 and will remain open throughout the year, with no closing date. This means providers can apply when they feel they are ready and can prove they have the appropriate capacity, capability and skills in place to meet the registers robust entry requirements. Two applications in a 12 month period will be allowed. ‎

ESFA is also considering the introduction of provider earnings limits and in the coming months, will be seeking views from the sector on these. The limits will ensure control, not just for quality reasons but the potential size and expansion of providers.

Anne Milton, Skills and Apprenticeship Minister said:

“Apprenticeships are giving people of all ages and background the chance to gain the skills they need to secure a good job and progress in their careers.

“It is vital that the training apprentices are receiving continues to be of the highest quality. Our new tougher approach builds on the robust checks already in place to provide even greater assurance that public money for apprenticeships is being used effectively .

“I would like to thank all those who took the time to respond to our review. Your feedback has been invaluable and has helped us to shape this new process.”

Eileen Milner, ESFA chief executive said:

“Thank you to all those that participated in our review of the Register of Apprenticeships Training Providers. We all share one thing in common – stamping out poor quality apprenticeship provision.

“Our new RoATP application process ensures that only those that can stand up to our tough quality assurance entry requirements can access government funds to deliver apprenticeship training. We are also being tougher on subcontractors entering the market, to ensure a focus on quality training and mitigate risk to government funds.”

Additionally, providers with an outstanding or good grade from Ofsted (no more than 3 years before applying) will be exempt from certain questions on the leadership and management of their delivery. This also applies to universities funded by the Office for Students.

The new register requirements:

• All organisations delivering apprenticeship training must be on the RoATP. By August 2019, it will be a funding rule requirement for all subcontractors delivering apprenticeship training to be listed on the RoATP including those delivering less than £100k a year as a subcontractor.
• Main providers and employer providers must directly deliver apprenticeship training. Employers and providers that only want to operate as a subcontractor will need to apply to become a supporting provider.
• Providers not currently listed on the RoATP and want to be an apprenticeship training provider may apply when the RoATP re-opens for applications from 12 December 2018.
• As the register is now open throughout the year, with no closing date, providers only need to apply at the point they are ready to deliver.
• All providers currently on the RoATP will have to go through the new process; we will invite them to re-apply in phases during 2019.
• Supporting providers (subcontractors) can only receive funding of up to a maximum of £500,000 per year, and this is limited to £100,000 in their first year if they have no recent history of apprenticeship delivery.

Further guidance information on the application process can be found here.