Mr Hugh Elliott has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain and Non-Resident Ambassador to Andorra in succession to Mr Simon Manley CMG. Mr Elliott will take up his appointment during summer 2019.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Full name: Hugh Elliott

Married to: Maria Antonia Elliott

Children: Two

2018 to present	Department for Exiting the European Union, Director of Communication and Stakeholders
2017 to 2018	FCO, Director, International Agreements
2017	FCO, Director, Europe
2013 to 2017	FCO, Director of Communication
2006 to 2013	Global Head of Government Relations, previously International Relations Manager, Anglo American plc
2002 to 2006	Paris, Counsellor, Global Issues/Strategic Threats
1999 to 2002	Buenos Aires, Head of Economic, Political and Public Affairs
1998 to 1999	FCO, Deputy Head, Drugs and International Crime Directorate
1996 to 1998	FCO, Deputy Head then Head, Amsterdam Treaty Unit, EU Directorate
1991 to 1996	Madrid, Third then Second Secretary, EU/Economic
1989 to 1991	FCO, Assistant Desk Officer, East Africa Department

Further information

Published 15 October 2018

All court appointee claims will have to be made on digital claim form CA1 from 1 January 2019.

The digital form has been used successfully since 4 June 2018 and it will be mandatory for all claims to be made this way from 1 January.

Benefits

The CA1 form:

• streamlines the billing process

• allows assessments to be completed with greater accuracy and efficiency

What you need to send

The electronic bundle must be sent for assessment in a single email containing three separate file attachments as follows:

Attachment 1 – CA1 digital claim form

Attachment 2 – copies of the s36 and s38 orders

Attachment 3 – copies of the following documents:

1. copies of any correspondence with the defendant

2. attendance notes

3. invoices/receipts

4. expert reports

5. case summary/details of proceedings

6. advocate’s work log and fee note

Where to find the form

The CA1 forms and accompanying guidance are listed under ‘How to claim back costs’ on this GOV.UK page:

Claims paid out of central funds

Submitting the form

You should send your claim form and electronic bundle to this email address:

courtappointee@justice.gov.uk

There are potentially around 3.5 million disabled adults at greater risk of poor health due to inactivity, and evidence shows they are twice as likely to be inactive to non-disabled people.

To address this, disabled people will be supported by new resources to help them get more active to improve their health.

There are 11.5 million disabled people in England and nearly half (42%) of them are inactive per week compared to 21% of those with no disability, a two-fold difference.

However, 4 in 5 disabled people report they would like to do more physical activity, highlighting continued barriers that prevent them from being active.

Concern around safety is often cited as a major barrier to disabled people undertaking physical activity, but the review has shown that when performed at an appropriate level and intensity, this should not hinder them being more active and will lead to health benefits.

The UK is at the forefront of action to address these inequalities, with new nationally developed resources to help disabled adults get more physically active being launched at the International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congress (ISPAH) in London today, Monday 15 October 2018.

The first is a world first evidence review published by Public Health England (PHE) that highlights a critical need for disabled adults to do more physical activity to improve their health. The second is a new UK Chief Medical Officer (CMO) infographic to make physical activity recommendations more accessible and to support disabled people in getting more active.

These works consider the breadth of impairments, covering long-term physical, sensory, cognitive, and mental health impairments, something that has never been done before in the UK.

They have been developed to address psychological barriers which play the biggest role in preventing disabled people from taking part in physical activity, including the attitudes and perceptions of disabled people and non-disabled people that activity might be unsafe or worsen their disability.

While national physical activity guidelines are currently produced for the whole population, the new evidence shows there is no risk for disabled people undertaking physical activity.

It is recommended that disabled people build up physical activity, concentrating first on frequency, then duration, before finally raising the intensity level. This is especially significant for those that are not active at all and those with other existing health conditions.

The review shows that being more active will improve their health, including improved fitness, muscle strength, undertaking of everyday tasks (for example housework and gardening), wellbeing, and sense of community, as well as reduced risk of diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

Launching PHE’s evidence review at the ISPAH Congress, Duncan Selbie, PHE chief executive, said:

Moving more is important for everyone and we must better support people who face barriers to being active.

We can all find something that suits our needs and abilities from walking to playing ball games or joining a gym.

Alongside the evidence review, the existing UK CMOs’ physical activity guidelines have been made more inclusive of disabled people. An infographic for healthcare professionals and disabled people has been produced that better highlights the benefits and practical steps to getting active to improve health.

The infographic has been developed in collaboration with 350 disabled people, 10 disabilities organisations and 50 healthcare professionals and is endorsed by the 4 UK Chief Medical Officers.

Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said:

Being active is good for our health – both physical and mental.

It is important that disabled people in the UK do not miss out on the benefits that being active can bring. I hope that the new infographic, designed by disabled people for disabled people, will help more people reap the benefits of physical activity in a safe and healthy way.

Barry Horne, Chief Executive for Activity Alliance, said:

These new resources are a step forward in ensuring that the health sector thinks about disabled people as individuals, who can be active, given the right opportunities.

Our research shows that attitudinal, economic and societal barriers continue to prevent so many disabled people from being active. There remains a significant amount of work to do so we welcome PHE’s collaboration on this matter of huge importance to public health.

ISPAH is co-hosted by PHE and Sport England and co-sponsored by the European network for the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA Europe) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

It aims to bring the best international minds together to bridge the gap between physical activity research, policy and practice to tackle health inequalities and support healthier nations across the world.

British Ambassador to Thailand, Mr Brian Davidson, says:

I am delighted to welcome His Royal Highness to the Kingdom of Thailand, and I very much look forward to showing him some of the great successes of UK business in the Kingdom. The Duke will also attend a memorial service to mark the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Burma-Thailand railway. His Royal Highness’ visit demonstrates the importance of the UK/Thailand relationship, and our commitment to further strengthen the ties between our countries.

On his first day in Bangkok, The Duke will tour the Jim Thompson House: the famous Bangkok residence and art collection of the ‘Thai Silk King’.

In Chonburi, His Royal Highness will have the opportunity to tour the Triumph Motorcycles Factory and Senior Aerospace Factory. Both companies are British owned and employ hundreds of staff in Thailand.

The Duke will visit the Habitat for Humanity (HFHT) centre in Kanchanaburi. HFHT aims to improve the quality of life for low-income Thai people by building homes and transforming communities. His Royal Highness is a Patron of Habitat for Humanity in the UK.

To mark the 75th Anniversary of the completion of the Thai – Burma railway, The Duke will attend a remembrance service for the Commonwealth servicemen and women who gave their lives in the construction of the railway. He will also see the well-known Bridge over the River Kwai and tour its museum.

In Chiang Mai, His Royal Highness will visit the Royal Project Foundation Centre where he will learn more about the sustainable projects founded by His Majesty The Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The Royal Project has always had close connections with the UK, in particular Kew Gardens, and provides excellent examples of sustainable development.

The Duke will also visit the Children’s Advocacy Centre Thailand: a notable Thai government initiative that joins international NGOs and Thailand’s police units to combat child abuse, exploitation of children and human trafficking; and Care for Children in Chiang Mai. Care for Children aims to help create a positive alternative to institutional care through local family-based care for disadvantaged children.

On his final night in Thailand, The Duke will be the guest of honour at a charity dinner hosted at the British Ambassador’s Residence. The menu will be curated by Michelin-starred chef Ken Hom, who will also be in attendance. This event is held in partnership with the Siam Piwat Group. All proceeds from the dinner will be presented to Habitat for Humanity in Thailand.

• The Duke of Gloucester is a grandson of King George V and a first cousin to The Queen. He is the second son of the late Duke of Gloucester and the late Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester.

He is a full-time working member of the British Royal Family, attending national and international events in support of The Queen and her duties as Head of State. The Duke is associated with over 150 charities and his patronages reflect his personal and professional interests, which include international humanitarian issues, heritage and the environment and military veterans.

• Triumph Motorcycles (Thailand) Limited currently operate 3 factories in Chonburi. Triumph’s first factory in Thailand was opened in May 2002 and was established for the manufacture of motorcycle components including Frames, Fuel Tanks, Header Systems, Swinging Arms, Engine Covers and Chrome Plated Parts. A second factory was opened in 2006 where a wet painting facility has been established. A third factory, opened in 2007, includes high pressure die casting, machining, engines and motorcycles assembly lines.

• Senior Aerospace (Thailand) Limited are one of the largest aerospace components manufacturer in Thailand. They are principally a manufacturer of aerofoils, aluminium and hard metal structural parts and premium aircraft-seat structure.

• Habitat for Humanity have built, repaired and rehabilitated over 11,500 homes and helped over 46,000 people across Thailand. This also boosts families’ economic and education opportunities and improves health and social integration.

• The Children’s Advocacy Centre also offers care to victims, including access to counsellors or lawyers, after school programmes and basics such as food. It is the first of its type in Southeast Asia.

• Ken Hom is an American chef, author and television show presenter for the BBC. In 2009, he was appointed honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to culinary arts. Ken Hom’s restaurant, MEE, located in Brazil was awarded one Michelin star in 2015 and retained its rating since. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s greatest authorities on oriental cooking. Between 2008 and 2013, he launched the Maison Chin, in Bangkok, where it became known as ‘the best new modern Asian cuisine’ restaurant and won awards.

Loneliness is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, Theresa May said today as she launched the first cross-Government strategy to tackle it.

The Prime Minister confirmed all GPs in England will be able to refer patients experiencing loneliness to community activities and voluntary services by 2023.

Three quarters of GPs surveyed have said they are seeing between one and five people a day suffering with loneliness, which is linked to a range of damaging health impacts, like heart disease, strokes and Alzheimer’s disease. Around 200,000 older people have not had a conversation with a friend or relative in more than a month.

The practice known as ‘social prescribing’ will allow GPs to direct patients to community workers offering tailored support to help people improve their health and wellbeing, instead of defaulting to medicine.

As part of the long-term plan for the NHS, funding will be provided to connect patients to a variety of activities, such as cookery classes, walking clubs and art groups, reducing demand on the NHS and improving patients’ quality of life.

Up to a fifth of all UK adults feel lonely most or all of the time and with evidence showing loneliness can be as bad for health as obesity or smoking, the Prime Minister has also announced the first ever ‘Employer Pledge’ to tackle loneliness in the workplace.

A network of high-profile businesses – including Sainsbury’s, Transport for London, Co-op, British Red Cross, National Grid and the Civil Service – have pledged to take further action to support their employees’ health and social wellbeing.

The Government will also partner with the Royal Mail on a new scheme in Liverpool, New Malden and Whitby which will see postal workers check up on lonely people as part of their usual delivery rounds. Postal workers will be speaking with isolated people to help link them up with support from their families or communities if required.

The Prime Minister also confirmed £1.8m to increase the number of community spaces available – the funding will be used to transform underutilised areas, such as creating new community cafes, art spaces or gardens.

This new funding builds on £20m announced in June to help charities and community groups expand their programmes which bring people together to benefit communities.

Writing in her foreword for the Loneliness Strategy, the Prime Minister Theresa May said:

Loneliness is a reality for too many people in our society today… it can affect anyone of any age and background…

Across our communities there are people who can go for days, weeks or even a month without seeing a friend or family member.

So Jo Cox was absolutely right to highlight the critical importance of this growing social injustice which sits alongside childhood obesity and mental wellbeing as one of the greatest public health challenges of our time.

I was pleased to be able to support the Loneliness Commission set up in Jo’s name and I am determined to do everything possible to take forward its recommendations.

This strategy is only the beginning of delivering a long and far reaching social change in our country – but it is a vital first step in a national mission to end loneliness in our lifetimes.

The Prime Minister has today set out a series of further commitments to help all age groups build connections:

• Adding loneliness to ministerial portfolios at the Ministry for Housing, Community and Local Government, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and the Department for Transport. This is in addition to the Department for Health and Social Care and Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
• Incorporating loneliness into ongoing policy decisions with a view to a loneliness ‘policy test’ being included in departments’ plans.
• Embedding loneliness into relationships education classes so children in primary and secondary schools can learn about loneliness and the value of social relationships. Loneliness will feature in the Department for Education’s resources for teaching from September 2020.
• Pilot projects to support flexible and inclusive volunteering for people such as those with long-term health conditions, which will rolled out in up to five pilot areas in England.
• Meeting tech companies to discuss loneliness – Tracey Crouch and Margot James, the Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries will explore the impact technology has on loneliness and how they can help prevent it.

Minister for Loneliness, Tracey Crouch said:

Nobody should feel alone or be left with no one to turn to. Loneliness is a serious issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds and it is right that we tackle it head on.

Our Strategy sets out a powerful vision for addressing this generational challenge. By bringing together health services, businesses, local authorities, charities and community groups we will raise awareness of loneliness and help people build connections to lead happier and healthier lives.

Minister for Care, Caroline Dinenage said:

Loneliness can be detrimental to our health and it’s unacceptable that so many people still suffer in silence from this social injustice.

That’s why it’s so important we are taking concerted action to tackle the problem, building on previous investment in social prescribing schemes to see healthcare professionals play a vital role in signposting people to local community services. Together we can help build connections, address isolation and support both mental and physical health.

Today the Prime Minister will be meeting a social group from the charity The Cares Family, which has branches in North London, South London, Manchester and Liverpool. The charity arranges social events for young professionals and older neighbours to come together and share their experiences.

Founder Alex Smith of The Cares Family said:

This is a serious strategy that’s not only going to help people feel more connected in their everyday lives but is also inspiring other Governments and communities around the world to see loneliness for what it is: a heart-breaking emotion and a major public health issue.

It’s welcome the Government is acting – that can spur real culture change.

Kim Leadbeater, Jo’s sister, on behalf of the Jo Cox Foundation said:

I am delighted that the strategy for tackling loneliness is being launched today. The work on loneliness has been a hugely important part of Jo’s legacy and it is heartwarming to see how much progress has been made on the subject since her murder.

It is excellent to see that loneliness is now firmly on the Government’s agenda, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in getting us to this point. The important thing now is to turn the dialogue and strategy into action; that is undoubtedly what Jo would want, and for every life that is made less lonely as a result of the work she started and that we have all continued, we will take great comfort. I look forward to this happening in the coming months and years. Thank you.