Recruitment Vacancy in the Corporate Services Team

News story

Details of vacancy for a Facilities and Administrative Officer in the Corporate Services Team.

Lectern with VMD logo

This interesting job puts you at the heart of the VMD’s Corporate Services Team within our Business Support Division. The team provides a range of services which support the business and its staff to deliver the VMD corporate objectives.

Job Title

Facilities and Administrative Officer in the Corporate Services Team

Grade

AO

Salary & Pension

£24,369 -£24,369 per annum with Pension Scheme

Annual Leave entitlement

Commencing at 25 days

Role

You will be a point of contact for VMD colleagues and contractors and you will work closely within a small team as well as more widely across the organisation. Your main duties will range from coordinating accommodation requirements, supporting travel needs, as well as facilities management and procurement.

How to apply

You must make your application via Civil Service Jobs where you will find a full job description including salary details.

Closing Date

18th May 2022

Published 20 April 2022




Scottish Secretary Alister Jack responds to February 2022 GDP

News story

Our priority is a strong and steady recovery while tackling rising cost of living, says Secretary of State.

Figures for Scotland’s GDP for February 2022 have been published here today.

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said:

The UK Government-funded vaccine and booster programme is enabling us to live with Covid while protecting our most vulnerable, but we are acutely aware of the new global challenges our economy faces, including from the war in Ukraine.

Our priority remains on a strong and steady recovery and we are helping to tackle the rising cost of living.

We’ve introduced a package of measures worth £22 billion this financial year. That includes boosting take-home pay by raising the National Insurance threshold and ploughing £9.1 billion into our energy support package – with £290 million in Barnett Consequentials funding council tax rebates in Scotland. That’s in addition to the record £41 billion per year funding settlement for the Scottish Government for next three years.

We can, and will, level up all areas of the UK and build back better from these troubled times.

Scotland saw an estimated GDP increase of 0.4% in February, and is now 1.3% above the pre-coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic levels seen in February 2020. Scottish economic output rebounded at the start of 2022 after a fall at the end of 2021.

UK GDP increased 0.1% in February and is 1.5% above its pre-pandemic levels.

Published 20 April 2022




Insolvency Service tackles further Bounce Back Loan abusers

The Insolvency Service has successfully secured restrictions against a gym operator and roofer after they falsely applied for bounce back loans.

In separate applications, Junaid Dar (31), from Birmingham, and David Michael Godderidge (40), from Tamworth, falsely applied for close to £60,000 from the Bounce Back Loan scheme, intended to support businesses during the pandemic.

In Junaid Dar’s case, the Insolvency Service began to investigate his conduct after his company, JDarPT Ltd, entered into liquidation in July 2021.

Investigators uncovered that Junaid Dar legitimately applied for a Bounce Bank Loan after he submitted accurate financial statements and in May 2020, received £13,000.

However, Dar also applied for additional loans by applying to two separate financial institutions. The company received in total a further £32,500 in loans which it was not entitled to.

Junaid Dar is now banned from running companies for 11 years, effective from 27 April 2022.

David Godderidge applied for his own bankruptcy in October 2021 and declared himself as a self-employed roofer.

While assessing David Godderidge’s assets to make payments to his creditors, the Official Receiver uncovered in September 2020 that he had provided incorrect information to obtain a Bounce Back Loan far greater than he was entitled to.

The self-employed roofer had instructed a third party to make the loan application on his behalf using inflated turnover figures before spending the £13,000 Bounce Back Loan on gambling in just 3 weeks.

Due to the risk he posed to other creditors, the Official Receiver sought to extend David Godderidge’s bankruptcy restrictions. His bankruptcy undertaking extends his restrictions for 7 years and means he is limited to what credit he can access, and he cannot act as a company director without the permission of the court.

In both cases, the Liquidator and Trustee in bankruptcy are assessing Junaid Dar and David Godderidge’s abilities to repay the funds and will pursue if they have the means.

Sue Macleod for the Insolvency Service, said:

Bounce Back Loans were made available for trading businesses adversely affected by the pandemic and were issued based on accurate financial statements.

Both Junaid Dar and David Godderidge cynically applied for loans far greater than they were entitled to and clearly thought they could get away it. Thankfully our interventions uncovered their abuse and their restrictions will prevent them from abusing their position in the future.

Notes to editors

Junaid Dar is of Birmingham and his date of birth February 1991. Company JDarPT Ltd (Company Reg no. 10690408).

David Michael Godderidge is of Tamworth, Staffordshire and his date of birth is February 1982. Details of his Bankruptcy Restriction Undertaking is available on the Individual Insolvency Register.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.

Contact Press Office

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:




British High Commissioner meets Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

World news story

British High Commissioner Christian Turner on Wednesday met Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif at PM House.

British High Commissioner meets Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Congratulating the Prime Minister on assuming office, the High Commissioner stressed the deep people-to-people ties between the two countries, in this 75th anniversary year of bilateral relations.

The High Commissioner and the Prime Minister discussed the strong bilateral development relationship, with the High Commissioner noting that UK aid has enabled nearly 16m children (including 7.4 million girls) to attend school since 2011.

The High Commissioner and the Prime Minister looked forward to working closely together on this and other areas of shared interest, including global challenges and strengthening trade and investment links.

Notes to editors:

Since 2011, UK aid has: helped over 15.8m children in primary and second school, of which 7.4m are girls; provided training in new skills for almost 250,000 people (of which 47% are women); helped 6.6 million people (53% women) access microfinance loans; and SME loans.

For further information:

For updates on the British High Commission, please follow our social media channels:

Contact
British High Commission
Islamabad
tel. 0300 500 5306

Published 20 April 2022




An inspection of juxtaposed controls

News story

The inspection team anticipate reporting to the Home Secretary by May.

Eurostar Train

The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration has commenced an inspection of juxtaposed controls.

The team will visit Border Force locations at Coquelles Eurotunnel terminal and Paris Gare du Nord Eurostar terminal in the coming weeks. The scope of this inspection will focus on the quality, including consistency and proportionality, of decision-making by Border Force staff in relation to the application of the Immigration Rules.

While this inspection was not included in my 2022-2023 inspection plan, my Plan does include scope for re-inspections or unannounced inspections to reflect in-year developments and areas of emerging interest.

The inspection team anticipate reporting to the Home Secretary by May.

David Neal Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, April 2022

Published 20 April 2022