Today Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson announced that Jeremy Fleming has been appointed to succeed Robert Hannigan as Director GCHQ, with the agreement of the Prime Minister.

Jeremy Fleming has been Deputy Director General of MI5 since 2013. He will succeed Robert Hannigan, who announced in January his decision to step down once a successor was in place. He will take up his post around Easter. The appointment was made following a recruitment process chaired by National Security Adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant.

Announcing the appointment, the Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said

Jeremy Fleming is a dedicated public servant whose work over two decades in the intelligence services has helped to keep our country safe. I congratulate Jeremy on his appointment as Director of GCHQ at an important time for the service. I know that he will continue the excellent work of Robert Hannigan in leading this outstanding organisation, when the skill and ingenuity of the UK intelligence community are critical to defending Britain from cyber attacks, terror plots and other activities that threaten us and our allies.

National Security Adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant said:

Jeremy Fleming emerged from a strong and competitive field as the outstanding candidate to become the next Director, GCHQ. He is a national security professional of the highest standard, who is widely respected across the national security community, in the UK and overseas. I would also like to thank Robert Hannigan for his excellent leadership of GCHQ over the last 3 years, including for the important role he played in preparations for the 2017 Investigatory Powers Act and in the setting up of the National Cyber Security Centre.

New GCHQ Director, Jeremy Fleming said:

It is a great privilege to be asked to lead GCHQ as it approaches its centenary in 2019. The organisation has a distinguished past and an increasingly important role to play in keeping Britain safe in the digital age. From managing cyber risks posed by nation states to preventing terror attacks, keeping our children safe online and supporting our Armed Forces, the exceptional men and women of GCHQ operate on the new frontline of global challenges.

I’d like to pay tribute to Robert Hannigan, who over the last few years has led GCHQ through the transformation of some of our most important national security capabilities. I look forward to building on his legacy and in particular, the role he has played in increasing the transparency of GCHQ’s crucial work and in expanding its cyber mission through the work of the National Cyber Security Centre.

Outgoing GCHQ Director, Robert Hannigan said:

I’m delighted that the Foreign Secretary has appointed Jeremy Fleming to be the new Director. I’ve known Jeremy for many years and he is a great friend and colleague. He comes with deep intelligence experience and expertise.

Notes to editors

• Jeremy Fleming biography: Jeremy Fleming joined government from the private sector in 1993. He is a career MI5 officer with significant professional experience of national security and intelligence work, including international and Northern Ireland counter-terrorism, counter-espionage, cyber, and protective security. Jeremy joined the Board of MI5 in 2005 with responsibility for Technology. He was seconded to the Home Office in 2007 to be the Director of Strategy for the newly formed Office for Counter Terrorism and led on the revision of the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. On return to MI5, he became the Director for intelligence Collection, overseeing a significant uplift in digital capabilities. He was promoted to Assistant Director General in 2011 and led MI5’s preparations for the London 2012 Olympics. Jeremy was appointed Deputy Director General of MI5 in April 2013, with responsibility for the agency’s core operational work. He has played a lead role in shaping the organisation to disrupt the changing face of the threat from terrorist groups and hostile state actors.

• All questions should be directed to GCHQ press office: 01242 221461 ext 33847; pressoffice@gchq.gsi.gov.uk

Further information

20 Mar 2017

The Scottish Conservatives will vote against the SNP government’s plan to take Scotland back to an immediate referendum campaign.

Ahead of the two-day Holyrood debate, the party said a majority of Scots did not want a separation re-run, and it was the wrong course of action to take.

Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said:

“The SNP’s motion makes it clear that Nicola Sturgeon is determined to fire the starting gun on another divisive referendum campaign this week.

“At a time when we should be coming together as a country, it is the wrong course of action to take.

“A clear majority of Scots say they don’t want to go through the uncertainty of another referendum at this time.

“Worse, Nicola Sturgeon wants to trigger an immediate campaign while still hiding the facts on independence, such as the currency, EU membership and the price tag it would entail.

“Nicola Sturgeon wants to set a date but she won’t tell us the plan. It is utterly irresponsible.

“We all had a vote on our membership of the UK three years ago. The SNP promised to respect that result. Yet now Nicola Sturgeon is using Brexit as an excuse to take us back to the division and uncertainty of the past.

“We believe a referendum cannot happen while the Brexit process is being played out.

“And we believe a referendum should not happen when there is no public or political consent for it to happen.

“It is a reasonable and rational position to hold. Scotland is saying loud and clear to Nicola Sturgeon – now is not the time.”

The UK will champion the passion and experience of grassroots British charities working on the frontline to deliver for the world’s poorest, International Development Secretary Priti Patel said today.

Speaking at the Bond annual conference Ms Patel announced an innovative fund dedicated to supporting small development and humanitarian organisations to scale up the excellent work they already do to help the poorest and most vulnerable communities in the world.

This fresh new approach to supporting small UK charities will increase the reach of their interventions to deliver even more effectively for the world’s poorest and most marginalised people.

International Development Secretary Priti Patel said:

Britain’s small charities do amazing, often highly innovative work in some of the world’s poorest places. Often staffed by volunteers, their dedication to the most disadvantaged in the world is remarkable.

Giving Britain’s small charities financial support will give a real boost to the excellent work they do. I will increase DFID’s support for these grassroots charities as I believe that smaller charities are a crucial part of the Great British offer on international development.

The Secretary of State also announced a new partnership between the DFID, the Charity Commission and the wider sector. This new partnership will provide training to small and medium sized organisations working overseas on development to build their skills and capabilities and increase their effectiveness, at the same time as increasing public trust and support for development work.

Chairman of the Charity Commission William Shawcross said:

We are delighted to be working closely with DFID on this project. British charities have a proud history in the delivery of overseas aid and development in dangerous places.

Helping small and medium sized charities deal with today’s huge risks is crucial. This work will be key in building capacity to ensure these charities can operate to the highest standards. We hope this new project with DFID will lead to even deeper co-operation between us.

Dhaka Ahsania Mission UK (DAM UK) Programme and Fund Manager Emma Crump said:

As the sole employee of a small UK registered international development NGO working in Bangladesh, we fully welcome a fund specifically tailored to charities like ours. Small NGOs like Dhaka Ahsania Mission UK (DAM UK) often have minimal staff and resources yet carry out vital and unique work reaching some of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities around the world. Small NGOs often have a greater degree of adaptability and specialist knowledge that is directly informed from the communities they work closely with.

Many charities in a similar position to us are funded by dedicated supporters who feel passionate about our work and are essential in assisting that work to continue. Small charities often dedicate their minimal staff and resources towards sourcing larger or multi-year funds, yet for many, the scale and complexity of the application process renders it an unsustainable option. This is despite the work the charity is doing being of great value and often distinctive.

Accessing tailored UK aid funding for small NGOs would enable us to scale up our work, carry out longer term initiatives and focus on sharing our learning. We would feel much more confident in applying for a fund that recognises the challenges faced by small NGOs. An opportunity such as this has great potential to help small NGOs build their organisational capacity and become more robust.

Notes to editors:

• DFID will be launching the new Small Charities Challenge Fund this summer. This Fund will be specifically targeted at small UK-registered civil society organisations with an annual income of less than £250,000.
• This will be the first time DFID has set up a fund dedicated purely to charities of this size.
• The launch of the Small Charities Challenge Fund is in response to the consultation with smaller charities during DFID’s Civil Society Partnership Review.
• Smaller organisations are a crucial part of the great British offer on international development.
• DFID’s new partnership with the Charity Commission will provide support to strengthen small and medium sized organisation’s skills and capabilities when it comes to managing humanitarian and development projects overseas.

Following publication of the Civil Society Partnership Review, DFID’s main funding for civil society organisations are:

• UK Aid Match – a scheme that match-funds public donations to charity appeals for projects to reduce poverty in developing countries, giving the British public a say in what international development issues are important to them. Doubling UK Aid Match is a manifesto commitment.
• UK Aid Direct – providing grants to small and medium-sized civil society organisations, primarily for work to directly tackle poverty in poor communities around the world.
• UK Aid Connect – a new partnership approach that will allow civil society organisations to work collaboratively, bringing together knowledge, practice and expertise for solutions to some of the most difficult development problems.
• UK Aid Volunteers – which will include the manifesto commitment to triple in size the International Citizen Service (ICS) youth volunteering scheme and provide opportunities for new partnerships with volunteering agencies.

20 March 2017

The Green Party is calling on the Government to invest in public transport, walking and cycling after a study revealed new roads built in England have almost all failed to either relieve congestion or boost local economies [1].

Caroline Russell, Green Party transport spokesperson and London Assembly member, said:

“Constant expansion of the road network will trap more and more people into depending on cars for their daily journeys, which simply creates new gridlock in different places and drives a perpetual cycle of demand for ever more roads.

“We need a complete rethink of our transport system with serious investment in buses, trams and trains along with safe routes for walking and cycling. People need an alternative to car use and we must protect our towns, cities and countryside from the pollution and congestion that comes with new roads.”

Notes:

1. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/20/new-roads-create-more-traffic-fail-local-economies-cpre?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Tweet

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