Today the Prime Minister spoke to President Vucic of Serbia about the situation in Ukraine.

Both the Prime Minister and President Vucic reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and the Prime Minister praised Serbia’s decision to condemn Putin’s war in the historic United Nations General Assembly vote earlier this week.

The UK would continue to support Serbia’s efforts to promote stability in the wider region, the Prime Minister added.

The leaders agreed to continue to work together on a range of issues, including across the energy sector.

President Vucic thanked the Prime Minister for the UK’s leading role during this time of crisis.

British nationals and people settled in the UK can bring extended family members to the UK.

This means that people in the UK with parents, grandparents, adult children and siblings from Ukraine will be welcomed to the UK, subject to security checks.

See UK visa support for Ukrainian nationals for details of how and where to apply.

Please note, the British Embassy in Vienna, Austria, has no role in visa applications.

A Ramsgate man guilty of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to do so has had his sentence increased after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP.

Adam Fleming, 27, inflicted life-changing injuries on his ex-partner after he severely beat her in the home they shared. His attack left the victim with a traumatic brain injury, meaning she now requires full nursing care and has to use a wheelchair.

On 7 December 2021, Fleming was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment with an extended licence period of 4 years.

Following the sentencing, the Solicitor General referred Fleming’s sentence to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence (ULS) scheme.

On 03 March 2022 the Court of Appeal found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 17 years and 6 months’ imprisonment plus 4 years on licence.

Speaking after the hearing, the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP said:

Adam Fleming’s savage attack has left his former partner with life-changing injuries, and she will never be able to live independently again as a result. No sentence can rectify the appalling damage done by Fleming, but the increased sentence shows that cowardly domestic abusers can expect to go to prison for a long time.

In a recent case, whilst the Traffic Commissioner for the East of England, Richard Turfitt, found William Morris of Linline Transport to have lost his good repute, he took account of some wider health issues, facing the industry.

The operator and Transport Manager had encountered mental health challenges for some time, made worse by the challenging conditions of the pandemic. Like many operators and drivers contributing to the national effort, he continued to work as a ‘key worker’ during the first lock down. The uncertainty of the pandemic and the lack of understanding about how the virus was transmitted, coupled with issues around container haulage, further impacted on his health.

The commissioner acknowledged that the availability and health of professional drivers is rightly a matter of national concern, given the reliance placed on the transport industries. It is important to recognise the additional pressures placed on drivers. HSE’s publicly available guidance defines stress as ‘the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demand placed on them’. It recognised that those suffering from stress may not be best placed to make decisions about any necessary control measures.

The commissioner said “Drivers must feel able to report issues with their health and to talk about their problems. Driving can be a solitary job, placing drivers at even greater risk. Goods vehicles are essential for delivering products, upon which our economy and society rely, but those vehicles are useless without qualified and healthy drivers. As a society, we must not lose sight of the importance of the driver and that driver’s welfare; that includes their mental health. That challenge needs to be recognised across what frustratingly continues to be a male-dominated industry, and where evidence tells us that it may be harder to challenge societal expectations and gender stereotypes.”

Further details can be found here.

For advice and guidance on mental health, visit Every Mind Matters.