HM Government

Most people will be watching the Queen in some capacity this Christmas.

The traditional amongst us will tune in dutifully at 3pm to Her Majesty’s Christmas message, full of turkey and fit to burst.

But thanks to tax reliefs in the creative sector, we can also enjoy Claire Foy’s seminal performance as a young Elizabeth Windsor in the award-winning Netflix series, The Crown.

Tax probably isn’t the first thing that springs to mind over the festive period. But when you’re settling down after lunch to binge on this:

Or this:

Or even this:

It’s all been made possible thanks to a government scheme, which makes it cheaper to make a TV show or film that is culturally British (or European).

Whether you’re addicted to Shelby shenanigans or doctors and daleks, productions such as Peaky Blinders and Dr Who all benefit from government tax relief because they’re culturally British in some way – either through their content (hello 1920s, gangster-infested Birmingham), or because of how much of it is shot in this country.

It also includes the proportion of stars and crew who are from Britain.

We’re looking at you, McGregor:

And you to, Styles:

Tax and TV shows aside, pleasing everyone can be impossible, especially during the festive season, and especially after a few sherries.

But a firm favourite for the whole family has to be this year’s Paddington 2 – a perfect production for adults and children alike… and presumably with royal endorsement, after the famous bear danced a merry jig with the Duchess of Cambridge earlier this year.

© P&CO Ltd./SC2017

So gather round the tree, don a paper hat, and raise a glass to the best of British cinema.

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‘Key ‘A’ roads across the country could benefit from up to £100 million each of funding as government releases consultation on the Major Roads Network (MRN) today (23 December 2017).

The MRN consultation proposes that 5,000 miles of ‘A’ road – that’s over 20 times the length of the UK’s longest motorway – are brought into scope for new funding from the National Roads Fund for upgrades and improvements.

Upgrade schemes which could be considered are:

• bypasses
• missing links between existing routes
• road widening
• major junction improvements
• the use of technological and safety enhancements along stretches of the network

Under the proposals in the consultation, each successful bid will be eligible for up to £100 million of government funding under the proposals and will help cut congestion, unlock housing and boost economic growth.

A new MRN

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said:

For decades, these major local roads have been underfunded and not properly maintained.

We are spending record amounts on improving our roads and we want more of our busiest roads to benefit from guaranteed investment.

This will unlock no end of benefits for communities by improving motorists’ journeys, taking traffic away from built up areas, as well as enabling new housing to be built and creating jobs.

The consultation on the ‘A’ roads which will make up the MRN and the level of funding per scheme starts today and will last 12 weeks.

It is planned that a review of the MRN will mirror the planned investment in the strategic road network – motorways and large A roads managed by Highways England. This means improvements on both networks will deliver more benefits for users.

Under the proposals, road upgrades will be developed by councils and, where possible, sub-national transport bodies – a regional body which influences funding decisions such as Transport for the North – meaning they will be designed by the areas to deliver the best solutions for their roads.

From 2020 the National Roads Fund will be paid for by Vehicle Excise Duty, which raised about £6 billion last year.

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The holiday home where Dame Daphne Du Maurier wrote her first novel has been given Grade II listed status by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.

The Former shipyard was the holiday home of the Du Maurier family where author wrote ‘The Loving Spirit’ and ‘Gerald: A Portrait’.

Originally developed as a boatyard and quayside in the 1800s, Ferryside in Cornwall was bought by the Du Maurier family in 1926 and it was there she wrote The Loving Spirit, which was published to critical acclaim in 1931 and later Gerald: A Portrait, a biography of her father.

She is said to have written the book after discovering the wreck of schooner ‘Jane Slade’, named after a woman who became the inspiration for the main protagonist in The Loving Spirit. Its owner gave Du Maurier the figurehead which she had installed underneath her bedroom window and a replica now resides in the same location. Du Maurier later remembered “The Loving Spirit was inspired by the sense of freedom that my new existence at Ferryside brought”.

The building is a former shipwright’s workshop, yard and quay, constructed of local granite in the early 1800s. It is an important survivor of Cornwall’s maritime heritage and reflects the social developments in the region. The changing needs of the owners of Ferryside are also shown in the alterations and extensions to the building over the last 200 years. At Ferryside the original quay was turned into a domestic garden, the sail loft becoming bedrooms and a bathroom, and the former boat store becoming the family sitting room.

The Du Maurier family’s transformation of the building into a holiday home in the late 1920s reflects a wider trend for second homes which began in the 19th century. These second home buyers formed a crucial part of the Cornish economy in the 20th century. The protection of the house and quay is in recognition of its connection to Dame Daphne Du Maurier and to reflect on its wider architectural and historical significance.

Christian Browning, Dame Daphne Du Maurier’s son said:

My mother adored the house and fell in love with Cornwall which was to be the backdrop of her most famous novels. I feel sure that she would be immensely proud that Historic England have granted Ferryside a Grade II listing.

It was my grandmother, Muriel du Maurier, who in 1926 purchased what was then a run down boatyard called Swiss Cottage and turned it into an enchanting holiday home for her family and renamed the house Ferryside. It was here that my mother wrote her first novel, ‘The Loving Spirit’.

I am most grateful to my friend, Collin Langley and his Team who embarked on the difficult task of researching the history and origins of the building and his book ‘A Cottage by the Sea’ must have been of great help to Historic England in their decision to give the house a Grade II listing, which is much appreciated by my family.

Heritage Minister John Glen said:

Ferryside is the site where Dame Daphne Du Maurier’s love affair with Cornwall began – the region that inspired her works, which are some of the greatest novels of the 20th century. I am pleased that Ferryside and its quay have been listed and I hope that both the building and Du Maurier’s work continue to inspire people for many years to come.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England said:

Ferryside is one of many precious, historic buildings across England which have the power to captivate and delight. The former shipwright’s workshop and its quayside setting inspired Dame Daphne du Maurier and her work, and the building in turn reflects the family’s life there. These places bring our history to life; they give it a personal dimension which transcends time.” ​

ENDS

For further information and images please contact Faye Jackson in the DCMS press office on 020 7211 6263 or faye.jackson@culture.gov.uk

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Thank you Mr President.

Last week we sat in this Council and listened to the many ways that North Korea has violated multiple UN resolutions and the will of the Security Council. The illegal nuclear programme. Multiple launches of ballistic missiles. The appalling human right violations.

We condemned, in the strongest possible terms, these reckless acts by North Korea. And we called on them to stop immediately all that activity in defiance of this Council. We also offered Kim Jong-Un a clear choice. A different path which leads to prosperity and security.

However, last Friday, the DPRK’s Permanent Representative defiantly made clear that North Korea has no intention of changing its path. They have no intention of abandoning their nuclear programme.

Instead, unbelievably, they claimed that they will be a responsible nuclear power. They show no sense of responsibility to their neighbours, over whom they fire their ballistic missiles. They show no sense of responsibility to the people they force into modern slavery.

As North Korea’s missile capabilities advance, so too do the contempt and disregard they show for this Council. They have repeatedly and wilfully rebuffed our unanimous will. They continue to act in brazen violation of their legal obligations and they seek to undermine our systems and our collective values.

Last week we all confirmed we must use all the diplomatic and economic tools at our disposal to deliver the uncompromising message that this path is unacceptable.

Today we are doing just that. Through the adoption of this Resolution we are showing the regime that our will is strong and that these provocative actions have severe consequences.

Today we have banned the import of nearly 90% of refined petroleum products to North Korea. These products are used by the regime to resource their illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programs. By cutting off this supply we will restrict their ability to develop and deploy these weapons.

We have also banned North Korean exports of food products, machinery and industrial and electrical equipment. We have taken another important step to end the exploitation of North Korean workers who are sent overseas with the sole aim of generating earnings for the regime.

We have taken these steps to restrict the income the DPRK uses to fund its prohibited nuclear and ballistic missile programs. I congratulate the United States on this diplomatic achievement and we join them in leaving no stone unturned in pursuit of a diplomatic solution.

We call on all states to implement this Resolution, and previous Resolutions, fully. It is only by all of us doing this that they will have the intended impact.

These measures are not designed to hurt the North Korean people. We are not targeting the ordinary citizens of North Korea. There are humanitarian exemptions and protections in place to protect the people who already suffer so much at the hands of the Government. It is the regime that bears full responsibility for the measures we have enacted today. Any consequences the people suffer are because of the regime’s reckless choices. The choice to develop its nuclear programme over providing for its people.

We must stand united and be clear that we are adopting these measures today to force Kim Jong-Un to see that he has the choice of two paths. The current path does not advance the prosperity and security of North Korea. It instead poses a very real threat to the entire international community.

So we once again call on North Korea to change course. Let us all once again call on them to prioritise the well-being of their people over their illegal pursuit of nuclear weapons. Let us once again call on them to engage, meaningfully, with the international community.

The United Kingdom will continue to work with members of this Council, our allies, our partners, to increase diplomatic pressure. This resolution just enacted gives us the opportunity to do just that. We must all enforce these new measures and work together using all the diplomatic and economic tools at our disposal to deliver this clear, uncompromising message to the Kim regime.

Thank you.

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I welcome the unanimous adoption of the UNSC resolution on North Korea. The international community has shown that it is united in its condemnation of North Korea’s reckless behaviour.

This resolution takes vital steps to reduce the export revenues that the North Korean regime diverts away from its people to fund its illegal nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

These further measures adopted show Kim Jong-Un that he has the choice of two paths. To either continue the current path of provocation and isolation or to put the wellbeing of the North Korean people first. We urge North Korea to change its course.

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