Press release: Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Lebanon in September 2018
Change of Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Lebanon in September 2018 – GOV.UK
Mr Chris Rampling MBE has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Lebanon.
Mr Chris Rampling MBE has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Lebanon.
Mr Chris Rampling MBE has been appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Lebanon in succession to Mr Hugo Shorter who will be transferring to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Rampling will take up his appointment in September 2018.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Full name: Christopher Maxwell Rampling MBE
Married to: Lies Lauwers
Children: Two
2014 to 2018
UK Permanent Representation to the EU’s Political and Security Committee, & Foreign, Defence and Development Counsellor
2013 to 2014
FCO: Head Corporate Services Programme
2013
Secondment to The Prince’s Trust
2009 to 2013
British Embassy Amman: Deputy Head of Mission
2007 to 2009
FCO: Deputy Head, Counter Proliferation Department
2005 to 2007
FCO: Team Leader, Turkey Team
2002 to 2005
British Embassy Tripoli: Political and Press Officer
2000 to 2002
FCO: Arabic language training
1999 to 2000
FCO: Desk Officer, Turkey/Malta
1999
Joined FCO
Further information
Published 16 July 2018
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News story: S4C New Appointments
Owen Derbyshire
Owen Derbyshire is founder and CEO of Properr Software and Principal Consultant at Twenty One Group. His non-executive director roles include the youth enterprise group Promo Cymru and technology company Solviq. He also sits on the Welsh Government’s Welsh Language Partnership Council and the Welsh Language Technology Board.
Anita George
Anita George is co-founder of The Hillcrest Partnership, an independent consultancy providing corporate governance advisory services to the financial services sector and family businesses. She is a lawyer who previously worked across several sectors in the UK and Hong Kong, most recently as Director of Legal Affairs at Kerogen Capital. She is a Trustee of The Ashley Family Foundation and of Westside Academy Trust, and a former board member of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Rhodri Williams
Rhodri Williams recently left his position as Ofcom’s Director in Wales, a role he had undertaken since 1 January 2004. His current non-executive positions include Chair of Gwent Independent Film Trust, Member of the Welsh Government Next Generation Broadband Wales Programme Board and Member of the Welsh Government Public Sector Broadband Aggregation Project Board. Other previous roles include Member and Chair of the Welsh Language Board (1997-2004).
The roles are remunerated at £9,650 per annum. These appointments have been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election.
Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:
“S4C fulfils a crucial role in the fabric of the UK’s creative, dynamic and fast-moving broadcasting industry and occupies a hugely significant place in the cultural landscape. “The recent publication of independent review and the forthcoming move of the channels’ HQ to Yr Egin in Carmarthen is certain to re-energise the broadcaster, giving it the stability and certainty that it needs to continue to go from strength to strength in the future. “Bringing Anita, Owen and Rhodri to the Board table will strengthen S4C’s ability to embrace the new opportunities that lie ahead. They are leaders in their fields and their expertise, experience and fresh perspectives will further enhance and strengthen the Board at this important and exciting stage in the channel’s history.”
Chair of S4C Huw Jones, said:
“The three new members have a wide range of experience and skills which will be very relevant to S4C’s work in the years ahead. It gives me great pleasure to welcome them to the Authority Board.”
Press release: Making it easier to drive through roadworks – responding to driver feedback
Drivers could be allowed to travel at increased speed through motorway roadworks depending on what day of the week they are travelling, under new plans from Highways England.
Following earlier trials to increase the speed limit through roadworks from 50mph to 55mph or even 60mph, the company is going to test if varying speed limits could safely be operated within a set of roadworks without increasing the risks to either drivers or road workers.
For example the speed could be increased to 60mph on a Sunday if there is less activity taking place, and then brought back down to 50mph when road workers are working within a few feet of passing traffic.
It is also exploring if different speed limits could operate within one set of roadworks. This could mean people commute to work on one carriageway at 50mph as they are nearer the workforce, but drive home on the other carriageway at 60mph as the road workers are further away.
Jim O’Sullivan, Chief Executive of Highways England, said:
People understand roadworks are necessary but are also frustrated by them. At the same time we have to ensure as they drive through them that they, and our road workers, are safe.
So we are always thinking of new ways to improve journeys at the same time as keeping everyone as safe as we can. That is why over the next 12 months we will test changes to the design and operation of roadworks.
We are also working hard to give drivers more and better information about their journeys and to prepare our network for the future, for example the testing of roadside and vehicle technology, so we can continue to keep people, and the country, connected.
During roadworks narrow lanes are installed to provide a safe working area for the workforce. Doing this means as many lanes as possible can remain open to traffic. Currently Highways England operates a 50mph (or lower) limit in narrow lanes but this year they will test whether it is safe to operate at 60mph in certain circumstances. This might include consideration of the width of the narrow lanes or the type of temporary safety barriers that are used.
Locations for the trials are yet to be agreed. Once underway Highways England will monitor the speed of vehicles, flow of traffic, look at incident data and gather customer feedback to determine its success.
making roads safer – planned major road projects and targeted safety schemes are forecast to prevent 200 deaths or serious injuries by 2020;
improving services to drivers by telling them what is going on in roadworks or traffic jams;
delivering major road schemes to create extra space for more traffic, ease congestion, and improve the reliability of journeys: during this year eight are due to open to traffic, work will start on six projects and 16 will be in construction;
maintaining and renewing the existing strategic road network – this will include resurfacing 1,118 lane miles of road surface: nearly the same number of lane miles as the entire M1 carriageway (1,248 lane miles);
keeping the network open to traffic by maximising lane availability so that it does not fall below 97% in one rolling year;
working overnight to reduce the impact on road users during the day – last year (March 2017 to Feb 2018) 85% of roadworks were completed overnight, a five per cent increase from the year before (April 2016 to November 2017);
clearing at least 85% of motorway incidents within one hour to give road users back the lanes they need;
reducing the impact of the strategic road network on its surroundings, be that on people living near the roads or the environment, such as through the special funds for noise mitigation (free double-glazing), air quality, biodiversity schemes, and investing in new litter bins at motorway service areas;
recruiting – growing Highways England as a company and working with the supply chain to retain and attract the skills needed. This includes increasing the number of apprentices and graduates.
looking to the future – continuing to explore and seek innovative approaches which could change the way roads are operated and maintained. Highways England will also progress the work with its industry partners on the research and testing into connected and autonomous vehicles.
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.
Press release: Consultation on revised guidance for goods and passenger transport industries
The Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain is today (16 July 2018) launching a [consultation] (https://whitehall-admin.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/admin/consultations/860037) on proposed changes to the Statutory Documents.
The publications describe how commissioners apply the law and take a proportionate approach to their regulatory powers.
They are reviewed regularly to provide clearer guidance and show transparency in the way traffic commissioners come to their decisions.
Many of the amendments recognise changes in the law and appeal decisions made by the Upper Tribunal.
13 of the 15 documents have been reviewed, with the changes covering key areas of operator licensing, including:
• Stronger guidance on the practice of ‘fronting’ (document 1 – good repute & fitness) • Greater emphasis on the importance of completing applications (document 1 – good repute & fitness) • Improved guidance around continuous and effective management and disqualification (document 3 – transport managers) • A new section on support for tribunal users (document 9 – case management) • Improved guidance on the main occupation criteria (document 13 – small PSVs) • Updated guidance on what happens when periods of grace expire (several documents) • A new section on driver employment status (document 5 – legal entities)
Richard Turfitt, the Senior Traffic Commissioner for Great Britain, said:
“The traffic commissioners are justifiably proud of our efforts to modernise. The Statutory Documents are necessarily based on legal developments but few regulators are able to demonstrate the same level of transparency in their decision making as that achieved through their publication.
“Although many of the proposed amendments reflect changes in the law and decisions made at appeal, we want industry to have a chance to review the Documents before we re-issue them.”
The consultation will run from 16 July 2018 to 27 August 2018.
Speech: China celebrates 35 years of Chevening
It is absolutely wonderful to welcome you all in celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the Chevening Programme in China and around the world. Today, we welcome members of the Chevening alumni community, friends and colleagues from across the Embassy to meet one another, share memories and achievements, and to celebrate the successes of the UK government’s flagship scholarship scheme – Chevening.
Last Wednesday, 1,647 scholars from 138 countries including around 70 from China gathered in Alexandra Palace in London to attend the 2017/18 Chevening Farewell Event, having reached the end of their time in the UK as a Chevening Scholar. During this event, it was announced that the global Chevening alumni community has reached quite incredible heights – this year, Chevening welcomes its 50,000th scholar.
Almost 4,000 of these individuals come from China, consisting of passionate individuals who are engaged in world issues, respondent to global challenges, intent on deepening knowledge and understanding between the UK and China, and who contribute towards the future successes and strengthening of our bilateral relationship.
Ambassador Woodward together with Mr. Lu Qinfang – China’s first recipient of the Chevening Scholarship, and families of the Chevening China Alumni Community.
This is a network to treasure and to be proud of, consisting of individuals from every walk of life and region across China. All of you have studied in universities across the United Kingdom. All of you have completed a dissertation. All of you have contributed towards building your own academic communities of thinkers and believers, and all of you continue to contribute to the wider international community of Chevening alumni. All of you are inspiring role models for current and future Chevening scholars and fellows, encouraging them to aspire to the highest levels in their chosen fields. For that, I offer my sincerest and most earnest congratulations and very best wishes for the future.
On August 6, we open applications for the 2019/20 Chevening Scholarship Programme, and on August 24 we celebrate with recently-selected 2018/19 Chevening Scholars before their departure for the UK. For these events and others, we commission your support as recipients of this award, encouraging and empowering exceptional individuals around you to do something special and apply for Chevening.
You will always act as an inspiration for all young people across China, and we welcome your participation in promotional events held all across China. For more information, please speak directly with representatives of our Chevening Team.
Today, it is our hope that all of you will look back on the last three and half decades with warmth and happiness. We hope that you enjoy your time with friends old and new, and share thoughts and ideas inspired by your time as a Chevening Scholar or Fellow. In reflecting your past triumphs, we may enjoy a collective sense of satisfaction for all the good you have done and continue to do, looking firmly towards a bright future for China and for our bilateral relationship during this Golden Era for UK-China relations.
The Chevening Programme continues to sow the seeds for a Global Partnership that works for all, creating a global community of future leaders that are able to respond to the greatest challenges of our time.
I hope that your experience with Chevening has given, and continues to give you, great experiences, wisdom and knowledge, meaningful and lifelong friendships, and inspiration for a wonderful future.
I would like to finish with a poem that was read to scholars during the 2017 Chevening Orientation by Michael Hastings, Lord Hastings of Scarisbrick CBE, Global Head of Citizenship at KPMG.
What is success?
To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!
Applications for 2019/20 Chevening Scholarships open on August 6 2018 and close on November 6 2018 – applicants can be of any background, representative of any sector and from any region across Mainland China. To learn more, visit www.chevening.org/apply or contact representatives of the Chevening Team in China by emailing chevening.beijing@fco.gov.uk.