I remain very concerned by the Hong Kong authorities’ unprecedented rejection of a visa for senior British journalist Victor Mallet. In the absence of an explanation from the authorities we can only conclude that this move is politically motivated.

This undermines Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law, and increases the pressure on the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework.

I urge the Hong Kong authorities to reconsider this decision. Confidence in Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms is an essential component of its future success.

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has been shortlisted for a PinkNews Award in the Public Sector category, which recognises the contributions of public sector organisations in championing the inclusion and rights of LGBTQI employees and those in the wider community.

MoJ has been at the forefront of LGBTQI inclusion in the workplace in the past 2 years, coming 13th in the 2018 Stonewall Top 100 employers Index, alongside playing a central role in advancing LGBTQI equality legislation and support for LGBTQI service users. This is a result of a range of work within the department, but also our participation and lobbying of LGBTQI issues at a wider public-sector level.

We support and celebrate our LGBTQI employees in a variety of ways, such as:

• LGBTQI networks – PiPP (Pride in Prison and Probation) and Spirit
• specific learning and development opportunities
• promoting LGBTQI employees and allies at all levels as role models
• hosting events and initiatives for key LGBTQI dates in the diversity calendar

Charlotte Jackson, Head of Inclusive Workplace, said:

We have LGBTQI people working across our whole department, in many locations, in lots of different roles, and at all grades. It shows that your sexuality or gender identity is not a barrier. We have a strong support network for LGBTQI staff on every part of their employee journey, both in terms of support from Spirit and PiPP and the workplace policies, culture and employee assistance services which underpin that.

Richard Heaton, Permanent Secretary of the MoJ, said:

I am convinced that promoting inclusion and celebrating diversity make the Ministry of Justice a better place to work, and a stronger supporter of a safe and fair society. I’m very proud of the efforts of many inspiring people and networks to improve LGBTQI inclusion.

If the Ministry of Justice sounds like the kind of workplace you’d like to join, we’d love you to apply – see our latest jobs here.

The narrow-headed ant is England’s rarest ant, with the only English population remaining on a small nature reserve run by the Devon Wildlife Trust and the A38 trunk road verge near Chudleigh Knighton.

Highly territorial, this rare woodland creature might be tiny at 10-12mm long but has big importance to the entire ecosystem with the seeds of many plants dependent upon them in areas of newly regenerating forest.

The nests, which can contain several queens and up to 1,000 worker ants, are nestled on a lush A38 verge and adjoining land. We’ve joined forces with Devon Wildlife Trust and charity Buglife to try and secure a future for these miniature heroes in the UK’s ecosystem.

Highways England ecologist Leo Gubert said:

People might think it strange that a road authority would get involved in the survival of a rare ant but they are so endangered every nest counts.

We carry out regular surveys at the nest sites and have an ongoing habitat management plan including scrub and grass clearance as these ants are very particular about where they live.

As more areas of wildlife habitat are lost a wide variety of insects, plant and mammals are finding a safe haven on our roadside verges and by ensuring our network is as wildlife friendly as possible and by enhancing habitats alongside our roads, we might, ultimately, be able to contribute to the halt of biodiversity loss in the UK.

In the South West, we’re working with partners including Devon Wildlife Trust, Buglife and Natural England on the ‘Back from the Brink Project’ . The aim is to conserve and enhance the overall status of narrow-headed ants as part of an overarching project to save 20 species from extinction and benefit over 200 more throughout England.

Andrew Bakere, Devon Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve officer for Chudleigh Knighton, said:

We’re proud that the narrow headed ant’s last refuge in England is on the nature reserve we manage at Chudleigh Knighton Heath. The presence on the roadside verge of one of Devon’s busiest roads is a reminder just how precarious the state of much of our wildlife is. We hope that in the future it will spread to find a secure home elsewhere.

We’re committed to a national Biodiversity Plan which is being supported by a £30 million national investment programme over the next five years. The plan recognises road verges and associated land can be managed to provide areas of habitat, relatively free from human access, that may be scarce in the surrounding landscape.

These road verges can also be used to connect fragmented habitats in the wider landscape, enabling plant and animal populations to move and interact, and so become stronger and more resilient.

Narrow-headed ant facts

• You can identify the Narrow-headed ant by the deep notch at the back of its head.
• The narrow-headed ant lives at woodland edges, heathlands and open areas within forests, and is associated with areas of forest regeneration.
• High territorial narrow-headed ants stalk other invertebrates, and will cooperate to take prey larger than themselves.
• When attacking prey or if threatened, they have a secret weapon – acid! A gland in their abdomen produces formic acid, which they can fire up to 10cm, with great accuracy.
• They have also been known to jump on the backs of other species of ants and rip their heads off.
• This ant once lived throughout the UK, including the New Forest, Dorset, the Isle of Wight and Cornwall.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

We are issuing advice to those wishing to donate to help the survivors of the earthquake and tsunami that recently struck Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia.

This follows the launch of the Indonesia Tsunami Appeal by the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) on Thursday 4 October 2018. DEC member charities and their local partners are working closely with the Indonesian authorities to get aid to those who urgently need it, as well as helping survivors to cope with the trauma of recent days.

Public support is essential for charities delivering urgently needed clean drinking water, food, medical care and shelter – so it is vital that donations reach genuine charities.

We want people to be able to give confidently to charities working to relieve that need, such as through the DEC appeal to its member charities.

The DEC brings together 14 leading UK aid charities to maximise fundraising and quickly deliver effective emergency relief. They are all registered charities.

Most fundraising is genuine, but we are warning that fraudsters and criminals may sometimes take advantage of public generosity at times of increased giving, using various methods such as fake appeal websites, email appeals that falsely use the name of genuine charities, or appeals from fake charities.

• check the charity’s name and registration number on our online register of charities – it can help you make an informed decision before donating by providing information about each charity, including its charitable purposes and activities, registered contact details, and its compliance and financial history and accounts
• take care when responding to emails or clicking links to a charity’s website to ensure that they are genuine – instead, search online for your preferred charity to check you have the right web address
• if you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a request for donations that appears to come from a charity, don’t hesitate to contact that charity directly to request further information
• when approached by collectors on the street, check whether they are wearing a proper ID badge and that any collection tin is sealed

If you think that a collection or appeal is not legitimate, report it to the police. If you think the collection is fraudulent report it to Action Fraud over the phone at 0300 123 2040 or online.

You can also complain about a charity on our website.

Any concerns about fundraising standards should be sent to the Fundraising Regulator.

More information about the appeal for Indonesia is available on the DEC website.