Author Archives: HM Government

Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Andrea Leadsom, has reappointed Julia Aglionby, Andy Clements, Teresa Dent and Simon Lyster for second terms to the Board of Natural England.

Additionally, Nigel Reader’s second term of appointment has been extended by 12 months from 1 June 2017.

The reappointments will take effect from 14 July 2017 for two years, with the exception of Andy Clements who has been reappointed for three years.

Board members provide non-executive leadership challenge and support to the executive through regular Board meetings, committees and groups. They also undertake individual lead roles on relevant issues and with local operational teams.

All appointments to the Natural England Board are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. The appointments comply with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

Natural England is a non-departmental public body, set up under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. Its remit is to ensure the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations.

There is a requirement for appointees’ political activity (if significant) to be declared. None of the appointees have declared any significant political activity during the past five years.

Natural England Board Members receive £11,808 per annum based on a time commitment of 36 days.

Dr Julia Aglionby

Julia Aglionby is a Chartered Surveyor and Agricultural Valuer who advises on uplands and common land matters and is the Executive Director of the Foundation for Common Land.

She is a consultant with H and H Land and Property and a member of the Newcastle University School of Agriculture’s Industrial Advisory Board. Julia has previously been Director of the National Centre for the Uplands and a non-executive director of Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency. She has worked as an environmental economist for the Overseas Development Administration in Indonesia.

Julia lives in Cumbria on a farm run as a social enterprise focusing on local food and agricultural education.

Dr Andy Clements

Dr Andy Clements is a naturalist and ornithologist, and has a science background.

Since 2007 he has been the Chief Executive Officer of the British Trust for Ornithology and he is also a Trustee of National Biodiversity Network and he is the founder Chair, and now member, of the Council of the Cambridge Conservation Initiative.

Andy has previously worked for the government’s nature conservation agencies, where he held various senior positions from 1982 until 2006 and helped to establish Natural England.

Teresa Dent CBE

Teresa Dent has been the Chief Executive Officer of the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust since 2001, a charity whose remit is wildlife conservation with a special interest in game species. She is also Chairman of the Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Partnership, a board member of the Langholm Moor Demonstration Project and a director of the Game and Wildlife Scottish Demonstration Farm.

Teresa is a fellow of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and previously was a partner with Strutt and Parker working as a farming and business management consultant.

Dr Simon Lyster

Simon Lyster is currently a non-executive Director of Northumbrian Water Group, Chairman of World Land Trust, and Trustee of Rural Community Council of Essex, Kilverstone Wildlife Charitable Trust and Conservation International (UK).

He was previously Chief Executive of Leadership for Environment and Development International and before that Director General of The Wildlife Trusts. Prior to that he was Head of Conservation Policy at the World Wide Fund for Nature UK.

Simon is qualified as a lawyer, a member of the International Council of Environmental Law and author of the book ‘International Wildlife Law’. He runs a small farm business at his home in Essex, and is a Deputy Lieutenant for the county of Essex.

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The Foreign Secretary has appointed Thomas Hughes and Susan Inglish as Independent Governors of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy

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Lord Shinkwin appointed Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) by Equalities Minister Justine Greening.

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“Zoti Kryetar i Parlamentit, Ministra, Shkëlqesi, zonja dhe zotërinj Kam kënaqësinë t’ju mikpres në ditën tonë kombëtare në të cilën festojmë ditëlindjen e nëntëdhjetë-e-një të Madhërisë së Saj, Mbretëreshës. Shpresoj që shqipfolësit mes nesh të më falin që po e vazhdoj fjalimin tim të shkurtër në anglisht.”

As many of you will know the Queen’s official birthday is in June but this year we are celebrating her real birthday which is on 21 April. The Queen was born 91 years ago in 1926, just 14 years after the birth of Albania, and she has ruled for 55 years. Her Majesty is a symbol of continuity in a changing world.

Queen’s Birthday Party 2017 in Tirana

This has been a year of change for the UK. Here in Albania not only have we changed the date we are celebrating our national day but we have also changed our Ambassador! Back in Britain the people have voted for a rather bigger change, deciding last June that we would leave the European Union. This will mean even more change for the UK as we move to a different relationship with our European friends and partners. Some things will change. But much will not.

Our Prime Minister, Theresa May, is fond of saying that we are leaving the EU not Europe. This remains our continent and its peace, security and stability will remain just as important to us in two years time as it has done in the past and does today. Our foreign interests will not diminish with Brexit but increase. We will see the UK take a more, not less active role in the World. This is particularly true of our engagement with the Western Balkans, which remains an area of real importance to the UK and is especially true of our engagement with Albania.

Queen’s Birthday Party 2017 in Tirana

This year, we will double the number of British diplomats in Tirana. This big increase in staff is partly to help us work more closely with the government of Albania to tackle the threat from organised crime but it is also a reflection of the broadening of our relationship. For example, from next month we will have a resident Defence attaché here in Tirana for the first time in more than a decade. This is a reflection of our close defence relations which last year saw further training for British troops in Albania and this year sees our two armed forces working together as part of NATO’s very high readiness forces.

The British Council is also increasing its presence in Albania and continues to bring to Albania the best of UK culture and education. The British Council has also been active helping to reform higher education and the university accreditation process. All of this shows that our relationship with Albania is both deep and wide. Albania matters to the UK.

We want an Albania with which we can work together as partners. One with a strong, fair, justice system and one where the politicians work to find solutions not to create problems. We want to see an Albania that promotes political dialogue rather than political confrontation. We want to see an Albania on the path to membership of the European Union. We want to see a successful and prosperous Albania.

I should like to end with just a few words of thanks to those who have made this evening possible. Thank you to our sponsors. Thank you to my excellent, and expanding staff at the Embassy and thank you to my wife Kerry for all her support.

Which leads me to the toast. It is traditional that we have just one toast which is to the Queen. So please raise your glasses to toast Her Majesty “the Queen.”

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The appointments of Gerard Grech, Priya Guha and Simon Devonshire have been confirmed today (21 April 2017) by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Innovate UK finds and drives science and technology opportunities that will grow the UK’s economy – delivering productivity, new jobs and exports and keeping the country globally competitive in the race for future prosperity.

The board regularly reviews the management and performance of Innovate UK and ensures the organisation delivers its strategic priorities and that resource is allocated effectively in the delivery of these objectives.

Gerard Grech is currently the chief executive officer of Tech City UK.

Priya Guha is Ecosystem General Manager of RocketSpace, a London start-up space. Priya was a UK diplomat for 20 years, with her most recent post being British Consul General to San Francisco.

Simon Devonshire OBE is co-founder of Talent Cupboard and was Entrepreneur in Residence at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

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.

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