I will attend the only formal Transport Council under the Bulgarian Presidency (the Presidency) taking place in Luxembourg on Thursday 7 June.

The Council is expected to reach a general approach on a proposal to revise the current regulation on safeguarding connectivity and competition in international air transport, which is intended to provide protection against subsidisation and unfair pricing practices in the supply of air services from non-EU countries. The government places great importance on effective competition and liberalisation as a key enabler of international connectivity and considers that the proposed general approach is satisfactory.

Following this, the Council will be considering a general approach on a proposed directive on port reception facilities. The proposal aims to achieve a higher level of protection of the marine environment by reducing waste discharges at sea, as well as improved efficiency of maritime operations in port by reducing the administrative burden and by updating the regulatory framework. In negotiations, the UK has been generally supportive of the aims of the proposal but required clarification and consideration of the impacts to ensure that the final directive does not disproportionality impose additional or unnecessary burdens. We have also been successful in securing compromise and flexibility within the proposal, to ensure that the improvements to the directive do not unduly burden small ports and small ships.

Next, the Council will consider a number of files in phase one of the mobility package (published in May 2017). Firstly, the Presidency will give a progress report focusing on proposals designed to improve the clarity and enforcement of the EU road transport market (the ‘market pillar’), and proposals on the application of social legislation in road transport (the ‘social pillar’).

The Council is expected to reach general approaches on 2 of the proposals in the package. The first of these is a proposal to revise the current directive on the European electronic road tolling service (‘EETS’). The UK views the proposals for a revised EETS directive favourably. The proposal contains provisions that will assist the enforcement of toll and road user charge collection. The second is a proposal on goods vehicles hired without drivers, which is intended to make it easier for undertakings to hire vehicles registered in a member state other than that where the undertaking is established. This is not a matter with significant practical implications for the UK given the relative rarity of operators hiring goods vehicles in this way in the UK. We are content for both of these general approaches to be agreed.

Following this, the Presidency has prepared 2 progress reports on proposals from phase 2 of the mobility package (published November 2017). The Presidency will provide an update on the state of play thus far on proposals to amend the current directive on combined transport, which aims to encourage and facilitate modal shift away from the roads and onto alternative means of transport and reduce congestion, and the proposal to broaden the scope of the current directive on clean and energy-efficient vehicles, where the UK is leading the transition to cleaner road transport.

Next, there will be a progress report on the proposed revision to the regulation on rail passengers’ rights and obligations. The UK shares the Commission’s objective of strengthening the rights of rail passengers. We therefore support in principle the proposal’s aim of standardising and improving passenger rights, including by improving access for people with disabilities or reduced mobility.

Under any other business, the Commission will present phase 3 of the mobility package (published May 2018), followed by information on the action plan for military mobility, and an update on the implementation of the EU cycling strategy. The delegations from Sweden and Greece will then provide information on automated and connected driving and functioning of the fair competition framework in the aviation sector within the EU, respecitvely. The Commission will then provide information on the state of play for EU summer-time arrangements, and finally, the Austrian delegation will present the transport work programme of their forthcoming Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Last year we consulted with the charity sector about the annual return for 2018. Based on the outcome of this consultation we are introducing a tailored annual return later this summer. It will include some new questions that charities can start preparing for now.

We recognise that for some charities the new questions will create additional work, so we have made some questions voluntary this year to give you time to put in place the systems to collect the information more easily, requiring less effort in future years.

We will let you know when the new annual return system is available to use. You can sign up for GOV.UK email alerts to keep up-to-date with the latest information we publish on our website.

Income from outside the UK

To get a better understanding of the income sources from outside of the UK, we are introducing questions about the breakdown of sources of income from each country a charity receives funds from.

The options we’ve provided for you to choose from are:

• overseas governments
• overseas charities
• other overseas institutions
• individual donors resident overseas
• unknown

Some charities will need to make changes to their financial systems to collect and sort the information required more easily. For this reason, we have made those parts of the question set relating to other private institutions outside the UK (other than charities, Non-Governmental Organisations and Non-Profit Organisations) and individual donors outside the UK voluntary for annual return 2018.

These questions will be mandatory from 2019 onwards.

Overseas expenditure

We will build on the current annual return questions about charitable expenditure overseas, to establish how charities transfer and monitor funds sent overseas.

We are doing this because all money transfer processes bear risks, and it’s important that charities take appropriate steps to manage these.

We recognise that some charities will need to make changes to their record keeping to answer parts of this question. For this reason the questions about methods of transferring money outside the regulated banking system, and about monitoring controls and risk management, will be voluntary for annual return 2018.

These questions will be mandatory for the annual return 2019 onwards.

Salary and benefits in charities

Our research into public trust and confidence in charities shows that the public is concerned about high levels of pay in charities.

Because of this we will be asking charities to provide more information about salaries to increase accountability.

In the annual return for 2018 we will ask for a breakdown of salaries across income bands, and the amount of total employee benefits for the highest paid member of staff.

But, in response to concerns raised during the consultation, we will not publish details of benefits given to the paid member of staff on the public register.

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries International 1100416. The inquiry was opened on 27 March 2018.

The charity’s objects include propagating Christianity through various channels including seminars and conventions, counselling programmes for the distressed, bereaved and the vulnerable, education through bible studies, evangelical training and teaching, as well as the publication and distribution of educational print and media.

The charity has repeatedly failed to submit returns and financial information to the Commission on time and its accounts for 2014 and 2015 were qualified by its auditors. The Commission has been in active engagement with the trustees of the charity since September 2017 having been made aware of potentially significant losses to the charity. The Commission is concerned about the apparent failures within the administration and management of the charity which have resulted in an environment in which such losses could occur, and continued to occur over a prolonged period.

The charity operates through a network of approximately 40 separate branches, which are allowed a degree of autonomy from the main charity in respect of administration and financial matters. However, the Commission has identified concerns as to the adequacy of the trustees’ oversight and control over the individual branches. The Commission also has concerns about the trustees’ failure to promptly report serious incidents to the Commission and to the police.

In order to address these concerns, a statutory inquiry has been opened.

The inquiry will examine the following regulatory issues:

• the governance, management and administration of the charity by the trustees, with specific regard to:

  • the extent of financial loss to the charity and the circumstances which led to the losses
  • whether adequate steps were or are being taken to recover such losses
  • whether reasonable steps were or are being taken to safeguard charity funds and assets
  • the adequacy of the trustees’ oversight and control of the charity’s branches
  • the adequacy of serious incident reporting by the trustees

• the extent to which the trustees have complied with their duties and responsibilities under charity law, including the trustees compliance with legal obligations for the preparation and filing of the charity’s accounts and returns

• whether and to what extent any issues or weaknesses in the administration of the charity

  • were as a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees and
  • require rectification by the trustees or the Commission

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.

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the 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.

The sailors, marines, soldiers and airmen who helped pave the way for the liberation of Europe have been honoured on the 74th anniversary of the Normandy Landings.

Services of remembrance were held in Bayeux, France to mark 74 years since Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy on 6th June 1944, paving the way for the liberation of France and the end of the Second World War.

Veterans of D-Day have also been invited to register with the Royal British Legion to take part in the 75th anniversary commemorations planned for June 2019.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

The Normandy Landings were the vital springboard to the liberation of Europe and the end of the Second World War. The breath-taking bravery and ingenuity shown during those days still echo through today’s armed forces.

At D-Day 75 the eyes of the world will be on these men once more. To enable us to do them justice it’s important we find as many veterans as possible and let them know how to participate. We will never forget the debt we owe for the peace and freedom we now enjoy.

The Royal British Legion is working with partners including the Government, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Normandy Memorial Trust and the Spirit of Normandy Trust to plan significant commemorations to mark D Day 75 both in France and the UK.

Contacting the Royal British Legion or registering on the Legion’s D Day 75 website will enable the partners to communicate with the veterans and their families as plans are confirmed and more details are released.

Last year, the Prime Minister announced funding for the new memorial in Normandy. The Prime Minister and French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the inauguration of the project in June next year as part of the 75th anniversary commemorations.

At the conference, Secretary Williamson held a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the region including Vietnam, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and Singapore.

During his meeting with Singapore Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen, Secretary Williamson signed a Memorandum of Understanding that aimed to strengthen the deep and broad defence and security relationship the two countries enjoyed. Secretary Williamson also delivered an address at the plenary session of the conference entitled ‘Raising the bar for regional security cooperation’ where he emphasised the UK’s commitment to regional security cooperation and its robust support of a rules based international order.

To conclude his visit to Singapore, Secretary Williamson hosted Singaporean and international media representatives on-board the Royal Navy’s HMS Sutherland where he spoke about the UK’s commitment to enforcing international sanctions against North Korea; the Five Power Defence Arrangements and to ensuring free navigation in international waters.

Reference:

• About the International Institute of Strategic Studies
• About the Shangri-La Dialogue
• Speeches delivered at the Shangri-La Dialogue
• Defence Secretary outlines plans for Indo-Pacific security at global summit
• About HMS Sutherland
• Secretary Williamson’s plenary session speech:
• Secretary Williamson’s plenary session speech (Video)