The Department for Transport has announced the appointment of Captain Andrew Moll as the new Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, the head of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). He has been the interim Chief Inspector since his predecessor, Steve Clinch, retired in June of this year, and he takes up the post with immediate effect.

Andrew joined the MAIB in 2005 as a Principal Inspector, and assumed the post of Deputy Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents in 2010. Prior to this, he spent 27 years as an officer in the Royal Navy, rising to the rank of Captain. He left the Royal Navy in 2005 specifically to join the MAIB.

Following the announcement, Andrew said:

I will build on the MAIB’s reputation for excellence in accident investigation, by ensuring that all investigations continue to meet the standards of rigour, objectivity and integrity for which the Branch is widely acclaimed. By working closely with the industry and other stakeholders, while maintaining the essential independence of the Branch, I will ensure that the UK remains at the forefront of marine safety.

Published 22 October 2018

A new to goal to eliminate the ethnicity pay gap in the NHS has been announced, with black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) representation in senior leadership to match that across the rest of the NHS by 2028.

Recent NHS ethnicity pay analysis revealed ethnicity pay gaps. The data shows that senior white NHS managers are paid thousands more than managers from ethnic minority backgrounds, with fewer BAME staff reaching the most senior levels.

Diversity across the NHS is above the national average, with BAME staff making up 17% of the non-medical NHS workforce. However, only 11% of senior managers are BAME. This drops to 6.4% at a very senior level.

In light of the figures, Health Minister Stephen Barclay set a goal for the NHS to ensure BAME representation at very senior management levels will match that across the rest of the NHS workforce within 10 years.

In addition, a number of the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) arm’s length bodies, including NHS England, Public Health England and Health Education England, have signed up to the new Race at Work Charter. This will recognise organisations who sign up to the 5 calls to action from the McGregor-Smith review: one year on to:

• appoint an executive sponsor for race
• capture data and publicise progress
• commit at board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
• make clear that supporting equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers
• take action that supports ethnic minority career progression

In September the NHS became one of the first public sector organisations to publish breakdowns of pay for all staff by ethnic group, with some individual trusts already publishing their own data and taking action.

DHSC is working with NHS Improvement, NHS England and Health Education England to implement the goals for leadership equality.

Health Minister Stephen Barclay said:

The NHS is a leading light of talent for people from all communities and backgrounds, with diversity levels far in excess of the national average. However, it is unacceptable that this is still not reflected at the very top of the organisation – this kind of inequality has no place in a modern employer and I’m determined to tackle it.

That’s why I have set an ambitious goal for the NHS to ensure its leadership is as diverse as the rest of the workforce within the next ten years, supporting a culture that allows diversity to thrive at all levels.

Yvonne Coghill, Director of the Workforce Race Equality Standard for NHS England, said:

Having an NHS workforce that is representative of the population improves patients’ care, safety and overall satisfaction with the health service.

The annual Workforce Race Equality Standard is an honest and open analysis which shines a light on where we need to perform better for our staff. Although I’m confident that the NHS in England is moving in the right direction – as shown by the recent increase in senior managers from BAME backgrounds and more NHS trusts having board-level BAME representation – it’s equally clear that we have some way still to go.

Dr Natalie Byrom, Director of Research and Learning at The Legal Education Foundation (TLEF), has been seconded to HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) for a period of three months. Her role is to advise on strategies to enhance academic engagement and improve the availability of data for research purposes.

Natalie’s remit focusses specifically on four areas of work. These are to:

1. Improve HMCTS’s understanding of key stakeholders’ needs and what data are required to measure the impact of reform.
2. Recommend pragmatic short-term changes to improve how HMCTS supports those seeking to carry out research using HMCTS data.
3. Understand how the HMCTS future data strategy can best support how data are made available to researchers securely and appropriately. This will inform the creation of data sharing principles for HMCTS.
4. Establish a range of externally-funded data engineering fellowships. These will improve the preparation of new and existing datasets for internal and external use.

Recommendations arising from the secondment will be made publicly available on both TLEF and HMCTS websites.

In announcing the secondment, HMCTS CEO, Susan Acland-Hood said:

I am delighted to welcome Natalie to HMCTS. I have long said that how we better manage our data and make it available for academics and researchers to use is a fundamental element of reform. Natalie’s expertise will be integral to quickening our progress in this crucial area.

TLEF Chief Executive, Matthew Smerdon added:

As the process of court reform is implemented, it is vital to understand more about how people progress through the courts system and how the impact of reform on access to justice is measured. Natalie has been leading a major project for the Foundation on developing and applying empirical approaches in this field. This role provides an excellent opportunity to develop this work further.

Published 22 October 2018

The visit will showcase the breadth and depth of the relationship between the UK and The Netherlands, including through trade, innovation and security.

The State Visit is an excellent opportunity to celebrate and deepen our connections. Our relationship may be changing but we are confident that the Netherlands and the UK will continue to have a close relationship and work together to tackle global issues.

The UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt will also use the opportunity to meet with his Dutch counterpart Stef Blok. Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

The UK and The Netherlands have a rich, long history between our people and of course our Royal Families. So it is a pleasure to welcome His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to the United Kingdom, reflecting our enduring commitment to this partnership.

Together we work to further peace and security across the globe, tackling threats from terrorism and cyber and promoting values of freedom. I look forward to celebrating our connections and shared successes with Foreign Minister Stef Blok, looking at ensuring this continues for years to come.

From the 17th Century to the present day, trade relations between our countries continue to flourish; The Netherlands is the UK’s third largest trading partner. Only this year, Heineken announced an investment of £44m – creating over 1,000 jobs in the UK – while fellow Dutch company NewCold has invested £100m in a new distribution centre in Wakefield, adding a further 70 jobs in the next two years to the current team of 200.

DIT Minister for Investment Graham Stuart and Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Europe, Andrew Mitchell, will be hosting the UK-Netherlands Innovation Showcase at Mansion House on Wednesday. As world leaders in Global Innovation, the showcase will celebrate Dutch and British collaboration in finding innovative solutions for the Grand Challenges of tomorrow, including clean growth, solutions for the aging society, AI and data and the future of mobility.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said:

The Dutch State Visit is an opportunity to celebrate the UK and the Netherlands’ more than 400-year long trading heritage. As the UK forges an independent trade policy for the first time in more than four decades, my international economic department is working with the Dutch – our North Sea Partners – towards a bright trading future too.

The Innovation Showcase will demonstrate the huge opportunities for our economies – two of the world’s most innovative – to collaborate even further, creating jobs and prosperity for generations to come.

As part of the State Visit Their Majesties will visit HMS Belfast and the visiting Dutch Offshore Patrol Vessel, HNLMS Zeeland, moored alongside. This visit will celebrate 45 years of cooperation between the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps and the Royal Marines, culminating with a joint on-water capability demonstration on the Thames.

The Royal Marines and Royal Netherlands Marines have long served together on operations across the globe – most recently offering humanitarian support to islands affected by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean. Speaking ahead of the visit to HMS Belfast, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

Our forces have worked closely with the Netherlands amphibious forces for more than 45 years, demonstrating world-class military integration. Right now, our Royal Marines are working alongside their Dutch counterparts in Norway as part of the Defence Arctic Strategy, which shows our deep-shared commitment to European security. This State Visit allows us to take stock and celebrate an enduring alliance with one of our closest defence partners.

Their Majesties will also visit Pop Brixton, a pioneering space in South London that supports independent businesses from Brixton and Lambeth, and meet with Prime Minister Theresa May in Downing Street on Wednesday (24th October).

Further information