This afternoon the Prime Minister spoke with President Erdogan of Turkey. The leaders discussed the ongoing Turkish operation in Afrin in Syria, with the Prime Minister recognising the right of Turkey to secure its border. The Prime Minister and President Erdogan agreed on the need to protect civilians and avoid a deterioration in the humanitarian situation. The Prime Minister also underlined that the UK would continue to work with Turkey to tackle the threat posed by the PKK more broadly.

The Prime Minister recognised the important role that Turkey is playing in Syria, both in the Counter-Daesh Coalition and in hosting more than 3 million refugees from the conflict. She reiterated her strong belief that the long-term stability of Syria can only be secured through a political settlement and restated the importance of the primacy of the UN-led talks in Geneva to achieve this.

The Prime Minister and President Erdogan welcomed the continuing industrial collaboration between the UK and Turkey, including through the recent Turkish Airlines deal with Airbus. They agreed to continue to discuss ways to enhance the UK’s trade relationship with Turkey as we leave the EU.

The Prime Minister also reaffirmed her strong desire for a resolution to the case against Amnesty International staff.

Large industrial water treatment and boiler room.

Following his guilty plea at Hereford Magistrates’ Court, Gillum (aged 75), was fined £3,340 and ordered to pay £8,669.54 in costs, along with a £150 victim surcharge.

The charge was brought by the Environment Agency under Regulations 12(1)(a) and 38(1)(a) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 and 2016, also sections 34(5) and 34(6) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Gillum traded as Leominster Scrap Metal, from a site off North Road, Leominster between August 2015 and September 2017.

Following a report from a member of the public, Environment Agency officers investigated claims of an illegal scrap metal facility in operation. Officers found piles of miscellaneous scrap metal around the Site. They could see the ground contaminated with oil and found scrap motor vehicles, gas cylinders, wheels, batteries and metal sheeting. Burning of waste had also taken place.

Mr Gillum was advised that he needed an Environmental Permit or an exemption, to carry out the activities at the site. A few months later, an exemption was registered, however on a visit to the site in November 2015, Environment Agency officers noted that conditions of the exemption were not being met. The exemption was de-registered in April and following further illegal activity at the site, an enforcement notice was served in July 2016 requiring Gillum to remove all waste from the site. This Notice was not complied with.

Environment Agency Officers required that Gillum provided waste transfer notes relating to his business. Another enforcement notice was issued, but Gillum failed to provide the required documents. Gillum was interviewed under caution in November 2016, where he confirmed that he was a registered waste carrier and admitted that he had operated the scrap metal business for a few years.

Speaking after the case, an Environment Agency officer in charge of the investigation said:

This case demonstrates that we are willing to take tough action on illegal operations such as Leominster Scrap Metal. Our investigations started with a tip-off from a member of the public, and has resulted in a successful prosecution.

In mitigation, the court took into account that Gillum has traded for 25 years and has suffered some ill health. Gillum apologised for not “moving with the times” or appreciating the consequences of his actions. He said that he was not aware of the sensitive receptors around his site, but had spent £15,000 to put in the necessary infrastructure.

If you see or suspect illegal waste activities, report it anonymously to Crimestoppers: www.crimestoppers-uk.org or call 0800 555 111 or via the Environment Agency Incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a new statutory inquiry into the Cymmer Workmens Hall and Institute (810098). The investigation was opened on 7 September 2017.

The charity, based in Wales, operates a social club and funds educational activities. Its property is used by local community groups.

The Commission has previously provided advice and guidance to the trustees regarding substantial levels of non-primary purpose trading that the charity has undertaken and the charity’s failure to submit Statement of Recommended Practice compliant accounts.

The Commission is also concerned that there appears to be only one active trustee of the charity.

The charity was included and subsequently removed from the Commission’s class inquiry in 2014 after submitting the outstanding accounts, but fell into default and became part of the class inquiry again in February 2017. After further reminders from the Commission the charity submitted late accounts for 2014 and 2015 but these were not compliant with the Statement of Recommended Practice.

The investigation is examining:

• the administration, governance and management of the charity by the trustees, with specific regard to:
  • ensuring any trading carried out by the charity is compliant with current legislation
  • the charity’s control systems
  • how the charity complies with its governing document
  • risks to the charity, its property and reputation
• the extent to which any failings or weaknesses identified in the management and administration of the charity, during the conduct of the inquiry, were a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees
• the extent to which the charity is able to operate on a proper footing and whether steps need to be undertaken to modify the operating structure and governing document framework of the charity and social activities associated with the charity’s property

The purpose of an inquiry is to examine issues in detail, investigate and establish the facts so that the regulator can decide what action needs to be taken to resolve the serious concerns, if necessary using its investigative, protective and remedial powers to do so.

A meeting with the one active trustee has already taken place and an order under S84 Charities Act 2011 has been issued to the charity requesting the submission of all outstanding documents by 6 March 2018. To date, the trustee has co-operated fully with the inquiry.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

The charity’s details can be viewed on the Commission’s online charity search tool.

Ends

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work, see the about us page on GOV.UK.
2. Search for charities on our check charity tool.
3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.