Child rapist has sentence increased following referral to the Court of Appeal

News story

A man who raped a child and sexually assaulted another has had his sentence increased under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

A man who raped a child and sexually assaulted another has received an increased sentence after his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General, Alex Chalk QC MP.

On separate occasions the offender, who cannot be named for legal reasons, raped and sexually assaulted one child under the age of 13 and sexually assaulted another child under the age of 13. In addition to these offences, he recorded the rape and created indecent images of children, distributing one of them.

On 17 December 2021, having pleaded guilty, the offender was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and a licence period of 5 years.

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

On 23 February 2022 the Court of Appeal found his original sentence to be unduly lenient and increased it to 14 years and 8 months’ imprisonment with a 5 year extended licence.

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

These were horrific acts of sexual violence against two children, including rape. No sentence can completely repair the damage caused by this man’s appalling actions, but I do welcome this increased sentence which better reflects the gravity of the crimes he committed.

Published 23 February 2022

Home Secretary meeting with ‘Five Eyes’ counterparts

News story

Home Secretary discusses issues relating to Ukraine with security counterparts from the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Home Secretary Priti Patel convened and chaired a virtual meeting with her ministerial counterparts from the ‘Five Eyes’ alliance yesterday evening.

Ministers from the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand discussed the concerning developments in and around Ukraine and how to work together to protect domestic resilience and homeland security across the 5 countries.

They condemned Russia’s actions and reiterated that the international community should be united in its response.

The Home Secretary briefed her counterparts on the sanctions that the Prime Minister announced in response to the Russian aggression in Ukraine and underlined the need for like-minded countries to coordinate their response to this challenging situation.

The ministers agreed that it would be especially important to continue cooperation on cyber defence, given increased potential for cyber-attacks, and to counter disinformation. Ministers also agreed on the need for cooperation to combat illicit finance in the current circumstances.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

Our trusted Five Eyes partners represent a vital international alliance with whom we can work and collaborate to help protect our homelands and stand up to aggressors.

The current situation in Ukraine is deeply concerning but by working with long-standing friends and allies, we are showing our solidarity with Ukraine and demonstrating that the international response to Russia’s actions will be united and robust.

Published 23 February 2022

UK proposes anti-dumping measures on Wire Rod imports be kept

Press release

The UK TRA has proposed that existing anti-dumping measures on imports of Wire Rod from China are kept.

In its initial findings, the UK’s Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has today (23 February 2022) proposed that existing measures on imports of iron and steel Wire Rod be maintained. The TRA’s provisional findings, contained in the Statements of Essential Facts, would mean that the UK’s Wire Rod industry continues to be protected from dumped Wire Rod from China. A 30 day period for comments is now open.

Investigation findings

Following a transition review, the TRA has recommended that anti-dumping measures be kept on bars and rods of hot-rolled iron, non-alloy steel or alloy steel other than of stainless steel from China.

Wire Rod in the UK is predominantly used in construction, tyre reinforcement and steel springs in vehicles. The UK market for Wire Rod is estimated to be worth more than £740 million per year.

Historically, the UK was an attractive market for Chinese exporters of Wire Rod before the existing measure was imposed. Since the measure was imposed by the European Union in 2008, the volume of imports dropped significantly. The TRA’s investigation found evidence of high production and significant inventories of Wire Rod in China suggesting that dumping would be likely to occur again if the measures were removed.

The TRA has recommended that the measures on Wire Rod be maintained at their current levels until 30 January 2026 – that is five years subsequent to the date when the measure would have expired (30 January 2021) had no transition review been initiated.

Following today’s publication, there will be a 30-day period in which interested parties can comment on the report. Comments can be submitted by Interested Parties to the TRA via the Trade Remedies Service website.

The TRA will then consider and produce a Final Recommendation, which will be sent to the Secretary of State for International Trade who will make the final decision on whether to uphold the TRA’s recommendation.

Notes to editors:

The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) is the independent UK body, established in June 2021, as the first non-departmental public body of the Department for International Trade, that investigates whether trade remedy measures are needed to counter unfair import practices and unforeseen surges of imports.
Read more about the TRA’s mission in its Business Plan.
Anti-dumping duties allow a country or union to take action against goods sold at less than their normal value, which is defined as the price for ‘like goods’ sold in the exporter’s home market.
Read the full Statement of Essential Facts in the anti-dumping transition review.
Trade remedy investigations were carried out by the EU Commission on the UK’s behalf until the UK left the EU. Forty-four EU trade remedy measures of interest to UK producers were carried across into UK law when the UK left the EU and the TRA is currently reviewing each one to assess whether it is suitable for UK needs.

Published 23 February 2022

Free cyber skills training for thousands of school pupils

Cyber Explorers will teach 11 to 14-year-olds essential digital skills to meet demand for future talent in the cyber security sector
Schools in Newport, Newry, Inverclyde, Birmingham and Bradford among first areas to benefit from extra learning events

Thousands of secondary school students will learn essential cyber security skills for free through a new online learning platform being rolled out in schools across the country.

The move is part of government plans to create a highly-skilled and more diverse pipeline of talent for the UK’s fast-growing and in-demand cyber security industry.

Cyber Explorers aims to introduce 30,000 11 to 14-year-olds to important security concepts such as open-source intelligence, digital forensics and social engineering.

Along with the help of both the friendly Cyber Ranger and the knowledgeable Cyber Squad, students will explore a variety of scenarios and collect virtual badges for making smarter choices online. Using characters, quizzes and activities, the free website will show students how digital, computing and cyber skills can lead to a range of career paths, including social media content creation, sports technology and medical research. Brand new content and characters will launch over the coming weeks.

Last week new data published by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport showed cyber security in the UK is growing from strength to strength. The sector is now worth more than £10 billion and more than 6,000 new jobs were created last year.

But only a third of companies are confident they will be able to access the digital skills they need in the years to come. The lack of relevant training is a barrier, keeping young people from some of the country’s most innovative and exciting careers.

Cyber Minister Julia Lopez said:

For years the UK has led the world in cyber security but we’re now looking ahead to the future. This sector is home to some of our most exciting, innovative jobs and they must be open to everyone.

Cyber Explorers will give thousands of young people the opportunity to learn digital skills they need for the modern workplace and get the best possible start on their journey towards a career in cyber.

Girls and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds are underrepresented in IT courses at GCSE and equivalent levels and the trend continues into today’s cyber workforce. Just 16 per cent of roles in the sector are filled by women and many senior roles are not fully representative of wider society.

Designed to engage younger students before they choose subjects for their GCSEs and equivalent qualifications, Cyber Explorers aims to improve the diversity of pupils picking computer science courses at Key Stage 4.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Steve Barclay, said:

The UK’s cyber security industry is growing from strength to strength and we must continue to unlock the opportunities it brings to our economy by investing in the right skills and training.

Cyber Explorers is a fantastic opportunity to encourage a new generation to learn the essential digital skills they need for the future and get the best possible start to their careers, as well as meet demand for future talent in the sector.

Suitable for in-classroom teaching, after school clubs and independent learning at home, the programme has been specifically developed to help teachers and parents introduce digital skills to young people while complementing the wider school curriculum.

The new platform is being rolled out as part of the government’s National Cyber Strategy. It will complement the existing CyberFirst programme of activities led by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

A series of events will be run by local businesses and networks in Newport, Birmingham, Bradford, Newry and Inverclyde to ensure young people from ethnic minority and socially deprived backgrounds have the support and access they need to benefit from the programme.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said:

Cyber security is a growing industry in the UK, with a huge variety of exciting career paths on offer that help defend our digital world.

Supporting young people to develop cyber skills is vital for addressing the sector’s skills gap and for keeping the UK the safest place to live and work online.

Cyber Explorers will play a key role in making cyber more accessible to young people, complementing the wider CyberFirst programme and inspiring students to pursue careers in the field.

ENDS

Notes for Editors

About Cyber Explorers

Cyber Explorers is the latest HM Government backed initiative to complement the existing CyberFirst programme of activities, which is led by the National Cyber Security Centre. It is ensuring more opportunity through education, providing the right skills, and retraining and helping to develop societal infrastructure.
Cyber Explorers can be accessed through schools. Teachers can register for their students to gain access to the platform at www.cyberexplorers.co.uk.

About the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ

The NCSC is the UK’s lead technical authority on cyber security and offers unrivalled real-time threat analysis, defence against national cyber attacks and tailored advice to victims when incidents do happen. The NCSC leads the CyberFirst programme which offers a range of activities for young people to learn about the exciting world of cyber security, including free courses for all age groups from 11-17 and a university bursary and apprenticeship scheme.

Visa fees scrapped for Non-UK Service Personnel

At present, all non-UK personnel leaving service who wish to settle in the UK have to pay the full fee of £2,389 for indefinite leave. This fee will now be waived for those with at least six years’ service or who are discharged due to an illness or injury attributable to their service.

The fee waiver will also apply to eligible veterans currently living in the UK who have not regularised their immigration status.

Currently there are over 9,000 non-UK citizens serving in the UK armed forces from countries around the world including Australia, Canada, Fiji, Ghana, India, Jamaica, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, St Lucia and South Africa, many of whom may consider applying for indefinite leave to remain in the UK when their service ends.

The Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel made the announcement while visiting personnel set to benefit from the change at London District, the headquarters of British Army units in London.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Last year we sought views from non-UK personnel about how we can best support and recognise their incredible contribution to the UK Armed Forces. I am delighted to announce that eligible personnel and veterans who have served for a period of six years or more, and wish to settle in the UK, will no longer have to pay the visa fee.

It is only right that we have taken this important step to express our sincere gratitude to the brave men and women from outside of the UK who have made such a valuable contribution to the defence of this country.

Today, it was a pleasure to meet personnel who will benefit from this change. I wish them all the best for the future.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

There are thousands of brave men and women across the Commonwealth who have served our country with distinction in the military over the years.

Waiving the visa fee for those Commonwealth veterans and Gurkhas with six years’ service who want to settle here is a suitable way of acknowledging their personal contribution and service to our nation.

This is a significant step towards improving the process for eligible non-UK citizens serving in our Armed Forces in attaining settlement.

The Ministry of Defence and the Home Office work closely with non-UK citizens who serve in the UK Armed Forces to ensure they are fully aware of the support available to them and their families to settle in the UK. The new policy will improve this support even further.

Current support includes working with the Joining Forces Credit Union to offer financial advice, savings packages and loans to help personnel pay for visa costs.

It is expected the new policy will come into effect this Spring.

The Government’s response to the public consultation can be found here.