Halifax Mannin Ltd and Hey Design Services Ltd have been placed in provisional liquidation following a hearing at the High Court on 18 December 2018.

This followed applications issued by the Insolvency Service on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Halifax Mannin’s registered office is in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, and Hey Design Services’ registered office is in Birmingham.

The Official Receiver has been appointed as the provisional liquidator and has responsibilities to protect the companies’ assets pending the outcome of a petition to wind up the companies in the public interest.

As provisional liquidator the Official Receiver will:

• take control of the companies from those currently responsible
• take steps to protect the companies’ assets
• provide a point of contact for those who have had dealings with the companies

The provisional liquidator also has the power to investigate the affairs of the companies to protect assets including any third party, or trust monies, or assets in the possession of, or under the control of the companies.

The cases are now subject to High Court action and no further information will be made available until the petitions are heard on 1 March 2019.

All public enquiries concerning the affairs of the companies should be made to: The Official Receiver, Public Interest Unit, 2 Floor, 3 Piccadilly Place, London Road, Manchester, M1 3BN.

Halifax Mannin Ltd – company registration number 10894972 – was incorporated on 2 August 2017. The company’s registered office is at The Old Police House, Trawsfynydd, Blaenau Ffestiniog LL41 4RW.

Hey Design Services Ltd – company registration number 09851082 – was incorporated on 2 November 2015. The company’s registered office is at 22 Ellerton Road, Birmingham B44 0QD.

The petitions were presented under s124A of the Insolvency Act 1986. The Official Receiver was appointed as provisional liquidator of the companies on 18 December 2018 by HHJ Halliwell, a Judge of the High Court.

Company Investigations, part of the Insolvency Service, uses powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Further information about live company investigations is available here.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available here.

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7637 6498

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

Hundreds of thousands of students will benefit from two new digital tools that will help them make the best choice about what and where to study at university, as winners of the £300,000 government competition were unveiled today (19 December).

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore announced the two winning tech companies, who will create mobile apps to level the playing field for all students, by giving them access to graduate outcomes data at their fingertips.

Two contracts worth £150,000 each have been awarded to AccessEd, which offers students a ‘personalised careers assistant’, and The Profs who will create a game format for players to understand the consequences of their decisions through simulations of graduate career paths.

Last month the Department for Education published landmark research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, showing the vast majority of graduates earn more at 29 than those who did not go to university, but there are cases where students are not receiving the best returns from their course.

The new digital tools are one part of the department’s drive to revolutionise student choice, particularly for the most disadvantaged students, who often may not receive help or encouragement on their university choice.

Universities Minister Chris Skidmore said:

For young people choosing the best university and course for them is a life-changing decision – and we want to make sure they get it right.

Going to university can provide a wealth of opportunities and benefits for graduates, but we know that what you study and where you study really matters, so students need to see all of that information to get value for money.

These new digital tools will help to give power back to students and transform their choices, so that no matter their background they can choose the right course for them that will help them to succeed in their future careers.

The two contracts have been awarded to the winners of the Open Data Competition, which was launched via Innovate UK’s Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) for companies to develop digital tools that allow prospective students to access and compare earnings and employment outcomes from different degrees.

AccessEd is a social enterprise and will develop their ThinkUni app, offering students a ‘personalised careers assistant’ by bringing together cutting-edge data on universities, courses and financial outcomes in a tailored and accessible way.

The Profs is an award-winning tuition company and will develop its digital tool, The Way Up, offering prospective students the chance to simulate a range of different graduate career paths through an innovative game.

Following the launch of the competition in June in tandem with the Open Data Institute and ODI Leeds, five finalists unveiled their prototypes at a showcase event at Imperial College on 1 November, and tested the digital tools with prospective students. AccessEd and The Profs will launch a public beta for prospective students to start using by the end of March 2019.

Research published by the government in June 2018 showed that what students study and the institution they choose really matters to their future life chances. In many other areas of life, from utility bills to hospital care, technology has put better information at our fingertips.

The competition is part of a wider revolution in transparency in higher education data, with the government already having published a wide range of data on likely earnings, employability, and teaching quality at universities.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid today (Wednesday 19 December) set out plans for a new single, skills-based immigration system which marks the end of free movement.

The new immigration system will introduce a new route for skilled workers which favours experience and talent over nationality. It will enable employers to have access to the skills they need from around the world, while ensuring net migration is reduced to sustainable levels.

The White Paper proposals will, in line with the recommendations made by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC);

• remove the annual cap on the number of work visas issued
• widen the skills threshold to include people with qualifications equivalent of A levels
• ends the requirements for labour market tests by employers wanting to sponsor a worker.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid said:

Today’s proposals are the biggest change to our immigration system in a generation.

We are taking a skills-based approach to ensure we can attract the brightest and best migrants to the UK.

These measures will boost our economy and benefit the British people.

There will also be a new route for workers at any skill level for a temporary period. This will allow all businesses have the staff they need as we move to the new immigration system but ensure they have the incentive to train young people in the future.

The 12-month visa will provide access to the labour market, but no access to benefits. People arriving on this route will not be able to bring family members with them, won’t accrue rights to settle in the UK and will have a 12-month cooling off period once their visa expires. These proposals will be discussed with business as part of the extensive engagement programme planned.

The White Paper proposals will also ensure there is no limit on the number of genuine international students, who can come to the UK to study. Proposals extend the time they can stay post-study to find employment to six months for those who have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree and 12 months for those who have completed a PhD.

The White Paper proposes measures to improve border security checks and support frictionless flow of legitimate passengers’ checks. These include:

• creating a single, consistent approach to criminality by aligning both EU and non-EU criminality thresholds
• ending the use national ID cards as a form of travel documentation for EU citizens as soon as is practicable, given these documents are more insecure and open to abuse than passports
• introducing an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme to allow vital information to be collected at an earlier stage before visitors, who does not require a visa, travel. This will give visitors greater certainty that they will be able to enter the UK on arrival
• allowing citizens from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, USA, Singapore and South Korea to use e-gates to pass through the border on arrival, alongside EU and UK citizens

The Immigration and Social Security Coordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill to be published on Thursday 20 December ends free movement and creates the legal framework for the future borders and immigration system. It also creates the legal framework for a future, single benefits system that will apply to both EU and non-EU nationals and maintains the Common Travel Area between the UK and Ireland.

The new immigration and borders system will be implemented in a phased approach from 2021 following an extensive 12-month programme of engagement with businesses, stakeholders and the public by the Home Office.

Read the White Paper.

Read the executive summary.

What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by 193 member states attending the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York in 2015. The Goals are part of the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development. The Sustainable Development Goals comprise a total of 169 targets, which seek to tackle a wide range of issues facing both developed and developing countries. These issues include poverty, inequality, climate change, inclusive societies and access to health and education.

What is the Voluntary National Review?

All 193 member states are expected, at least once, to review national progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and present the report to the United Nations High Level Political Forum. This process is called a Voluntary National Review and is part of Agenda 2030. In 2018, 47 countries presented a Voluntary National Review including Canada and Spain. The UK will be presenting its Voluntary National Review in July 2019 at the High Level Political Forum alongside 50 other countries.

Why is the Voluntary National Review important?

The Voluntary National Review will be our opportunity to use evidence from across the UK (government, civil society and the private sector) together with data on the global indicators to assess UK progress on all 17 Goals. It is a stepping stone towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

What information will be in the Voluntary National Review?

The Voluntary National Review will cover all 17 Goals. It will demonstrate the UK’s domestic and international activity and will be underpinned by data. The United Nations has set five focus Goals for 2019. Our report is expected to go into more depth on these Goals. The Goals are – 4 (education), 8 (work and economic growth), 10 (reduced inequalities), 13 (climate action) and 16 (peace and justice).

How can I contribute to the Voluntary National Review?

The Government is committed to ensuring the Voluntary National Review is inclusive and transparent. The Sustainable Development Goals are for everybody and we want to hear from a wide range of stakeholders either through our Voluntary National Review website or directly through a variety of events that will take place across the country. The Government encourages any group, organisation, or individual contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals in the UK to share what they are doing.

Who is leading the Voluntary National Review?

The Department for International Development (DFID) is leading co-ordination and the overall drafting process for the Voluntary National Review. DFID is being supported by the Cabinet Office and other UK Government Departments to prepare for the Voluntary National Review. DFID is also working closely with the Devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure the Voluntary National Review reflects activity across the whole of the UK.

What are the key dates associated with the Voluntary National Review?

Below is a list of key activities and deadlines for the UK’s Voluntary National Review:

• Ongoing engagement to inform initial drafting between October and December.
• Sharing case studies of how people and organisations are contributing to delivering the Sustainable Development Goals through the Voluntary National Review website, if possible by 11 January 2019.
• Roundtable events with different groups of stakeholders on emerging messages and key findings in the new year (precise timing to be confirmed).
• Submission of a main messages document to the United Nations by 17 May 2019.
• Submission of the full Voluntary National Review to the United Nations by 14 June 2019.
• Presentation of the Voluntary National Review at the ministerial meeting of the United Nations High Level Political Forum from 16-18 July 2019.
• The first Head of Government-level review of the Sustainable Development Goals at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2019.

Who can be contacted for more information on the Voluntary National Review?

If you have a have a query, please get in touch at SDGs@dfid.gov.uk.

How has the UK Government implemented the Sustainable Development Goals?

All UK Government Departments are responsible for delivering the Goals in those policy areas for which they have responsibility. Departments have highlighted how their priority programmes and activities will contribute to delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals in their Single Departmental Plans which provide the basis for the Government’s planning and performance framework.

High level summaries of Single Departmental Plans were published on 23 May this year, together with examples of how Government policies are contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ban on the outdoor use of metaldehyde introduced to protect wildlife