The PM and King Salman held talks on a wide range of subjects, including security and strengthening ties between businesses in Saudi Arabia and the UK. The Prime Minister pointed out that security relationships between the 2 counties had saved many lives in the UK.

They also discussed working together to address the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

During the meeting at the Royal Palace, King Salman awarded the Prime Minister the Order of King Abdulaziz. The Saudi Arabian Order of Merit was established in 1971 by King Faisal.

The honour has in the past been awarded to other G7 heads of state, including President Obama, Prime Minister Abe, and Prime Minister Modi.

Diane Abbott, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, responding to Theresa
May’s remarks on freedom of movement, said:

“Theresa May has let the cat out of the bag. Freedom of movement
will continue after we have left the EU.

“But this is not what voters were told either before or since the
referendum.

“This latest broken promise is symptomatic of the Tories’
dysfunctional approach to Brexit.

“EU workers and their UK employers deserve certainty about their
future but are being badly let down by this Government.”

The Prime Minister has approved the appointment of four new members to the Security Vetting Appeals Panel. They are James Barron CBE, Sally Berlin, Nicholas Griffin QC and Claire Stokes, who have all been appointed with effect from 1 April 2017.

The new appointments replace Sue Jarvis, Stephen Monk, Claire Smith and Robert Wright who recently retired from the Panel after several years of service. At the same time, the appointments of the Chair, Sir George Newman and Deputy Chair, Sir Stephen Silber have been extended to 31 March 2019 and 31 March 2018 respectively.

The Security Vetting Appeals Panel was set up in 1997 to provide an independent means of challenging a decision to refuse or withdraw national security vetting clearance. It is available to hear appeals from individuals in government departments, the armed forces and other organisations, or their contractors, who have exhausted the internal appeals process and remain dissatisfied with the outcome.

The Chair and Deputy Chair are retired members of the judiciary, with other members having relevant experience at a senior level both inside and outside government. They form a panel from which 3, including the Chair or the Deputy Chair, are normally selected on each occasion when the Panel is required to hear an appeal.

These appointments have been made in accordance with the Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies.

Launched in 1987, payroll giving is a way to give to charity straight from your wages or pension without paying tax on it.

Over the course of three decades, the scheme has raised over £1.8 billion for good causes thanks to the generosity of employees. More than a million UK employees currently give in this way.

As part of the celebrations, the Association of Payroll Giving Organisations and the Institute of Fundraising Payroll Giving Special Interest Group are showcasing six individuals and what payroll giving means to them. From employee donors to HR managers, find out about their payroll giving stories.

How to get involved:

• Find out more about how to donate through payroll giving
• If you are an employer, you can find out how to set up a scheme
• Show your support for payroll giving on social media by joining the Thunderclap and using the #PayrollGivingAt30 hashtag

Jeremy Corbyn, Leader of the Labour Party said:

“Ken Livingstone’s comments have been grossly
insensitive, and he has caused deep offence and hurt to the Jewish community.

“Labour’s independently elected National
Constitutional Committee has found Ken guilty of bringing the party into
disrepute and suspended him for two years.

“It is deeply disappointing that, despite his long
record of standing up to racism, Ken has failed to acknowledge or apologise for
the hurt he has caused. Many people are understandably upset that he has
continued to make offensive remarks which could open him to further
disciplinary action.

“Since initiating the disciplinary process, I have
not interfered with it and respect the independence of the party’s disciplinary
bodies. But Ken’s subsequent comments and actions will now be considered by the
National Executive Committee after representations from party members.”

Ends