One of the benefits of securing work with government is its record of paying suppliers on time. Over 80% of undisputed invoices to SMEs are paid within 5 days, with the remainder paid within 30 days. These terms make for loyal and happy suppliers, and small businesses would like to see more of the same.

This is why it’s good news that Crown Commercial Service has been hard at work in passing down prompt payment terms to tier one suppliers. They have focused on 32 strategic suppliers to central government ie large companies that secure the greatest amount of contracts. This week marks a milestone in that all 32 strategic suppliers have now signed up to the Prompt Payment Code which is an acceptance that they will follow government’s lead in paying their small business suppliers within 30 days. This is welcome news to thousands of small business owners.

Government is not stopping at the largest of companies; it’s encouraging companies of all sizes to sign up to the Prompt Payment Code, including small ones. Doing so is a way of saying you’ll treat suppliers as you’d like to be treated yourself ie getting paid on time!

Recognising that prompt payment continues to be a big issue for small business, the government has also announced the appointment of a Small Business Commissioner also recently(https://publicappointments.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/appointment/small-business-commissioner/), whose sole focus will be dealing with issues and complaints around late payment. The chosen candidate will have a 4 year tenure which will hopefully be sufficient time to bed-in a culture of prompt payment across the UK corporate scene.

As small business owners, we’ve all been there when it comes to having to chase clients for overdue bills. It puts a strain on client relations and, more critically, puts the business at risk.

These moves to encourage large government suppliers to sign up to the Prompt Payment Code and the appointment of a Commissioner are steps in the right direction of ensuring the survival rate of the smallest firms in Britain.

If you work at Sellafield or live in the local area then over the last year you may have noticed more of our Civil Nuclear Police (CNC) officers out and about speaking to people.

Chances are you have seen one of our Project Servator deployments.

Launched on 4 July 2016, the aim of Project Servator is to deter any hostile threat by detecting suspicious activity in the local area.

Unpredictable and highly visible deployments made up of armed officers, dogs or behavioural detection officers can pop up anywhere and anytime on site or within the surrounding area making it difficult for any hostile threat.

Project Servator, originally started by our colleagues in the City of London Police, was launched by the CNC at Sellafield one year ago.

In that time, there have been more than 1,500 deployments across the area. These have varied from speaking to Sellafield site workers to visiting over 55 local shop keepers, all to promote the “trust your instinct” message. Officers have also given presentations about Servator and what it means to apprentices at Gen2, local schools and colleges and local community groups.

In the last few months there have been 135 deployments where officers have been out in the community, engaging with local residents to encourage them to report anything suspicious. No matter where they go our officers have received a warm welcome with lots of interest in the project and their role in general.

Supt Graham Shaw, who is the Operational Unit Commander for Sellafield, said: “The idea of Servator is to deter any hostile threat, but also to reassure people and let them know we’re there.

“Other benefits include deterring crime in the area. The unpredictable nature of our deployments, both day and night, mean any criminal can be detected.

“The support and involvement from workers on site or residents in the local community, who have either engaged with our officers during a deployment or reported suspicious behaviour, means that together we send a strong message to any criminal – you will be detected.”

Project Servator will continue to develop within the CNC. The number of officers who are involved with Project Servator is set to increase with our roll out across the other sites we police. Our deployments are also taking on a new element with the involvement of plain clothed officers engaging with members of the public during our visible patrols. These officers are highly trained in behavior detection. Their expertise is in noticing the subtle, sometimes unconscious ways in which people behave differently when they are stressed or anxious.

Supt Shaw added “We look forward to developing Project Servator within the CNC and using different unpredictable tactics will continue to help us deter any criminal behavior.”

If you are interested in Project Servator and are part of a community group who would benefit from a presentation, please email servator@cnc.pnn.police.uk for more information.

Remember, trust your instinct and report any suspicious activity directly to the CNC by calling 019467 73999.

Keep up-to-date with Servator deployments, recruitment information or anything CNC by following us on Twitter: @nuclearpolice

Notes to Editors: There is an opportunity to interview Supt Graham Shaw during a Servator deployment in Seascale. He will be available between 10am- 11am on Thursday 6 July 2017.

If you require an interview, please contact Jane Younger on 019467 80710.

Some of the most dangerous and radicalised extremists are now being housed in the government’s first specialist centre at HMP Frankland – helping stem the flow of radicalisation behind bars and preventing their influence over others.

More than 4,500 frontline officers have also received the latest specialist counter-extremism training to identify and challenge extremist views, boosting the government’s ability to tackle this evolving threat. New recruits to the prison service now receive the training as standard, and work will continue at pace to train every prison officer across the estate.

HMP Frankland is the first of 3 separation centres, forming part of the wider government strategy to tackle extremists in prisons. Two further centres are planned to follow at other establishments in the coming months, with the 3 centres combined holding up to 28 of the most subversive offenders.

Offenders are placed in the specialist centres if they are involved in planning terrorism or are considered to pose a risk to national security. Those seeking to influence others to commit terrorist crimes, or whose extremist views are purposely undermining good order and security in the prison estate, may also be placed in the centre.

Prisons Minister Sam Gyimah said:

Extremism must be defeated wherever it is found. The most dangerous and subversive offenders are now being separated from those they seek to influence and convert – an absolutely crucial element of our wider strategy to tackle extremism in prisons and ensure the safety of the wider public.

It is also right we give our hard-working staff the skills and knowledge they need to keep our prisons and communities safe. Over 4,500 frontline staff have now received the specialist training they need to identify and counter the poisonous and repugnant activities of extremists – work that is essential to the safe running of prisons and fundamental to public protection.

The new centre at HMP Frankland was one of the central recommendations of a landmark review into extremism in prisons. The government takes the threat of radicalisation and extremism in prisons extremely seriously and has built on the recommendations in the review to further boost efforts to tackle extremism.

Today’s news forms part of the government’s wider strategy to tackle extremism, which includes:

The formation of a new directorate for Security, Order and Counter-Terrorism – responsible for monitoring and dealing with the evolving threat of extremism.

A launch of a new unit that will analyse intelligence and advise prisons in England and Wales on how to deal with specific threats, as well as instruct and train prison and probation staff on how best to deter offenders from being lured into extremism.

Extremist literature being banned from prisons and the removal of anyone from communal worship who is promoting dangerous views.

A new training package to identify, report and combat extremism being rolled out to all prison officers and new pre-employment vetting check for chaplains and imams was introduced in February 2017.

Notes to editors

The first of a number of offenders were placed in the separation centre last week. For operational security reasons, we will not comment further on the identity or number of offenders held within the centre.