Statement to Parliament: Commercial spaceflight

We intend to publish a draft spaceflight bill later this month, dedicated to commercial spaceflight in the UK. This legislation will be fundamental to enabling small-satellite launches and sub-orbital flights from the UK, ensuring the UK is well placed to take advantage of a growing global market. The government’s intention is to introduce this Bill formally early in the next session, following a period of scrutiny and engagement with industry and other interest groups.

The space sector is vital to the future of the UK economy, with a strong record of creating high-value jobs and generating wealth across the country. To help the creation of the space launch market in the UK, the UK Space Agency is inviting commercial space consortia to apply for grant funding to take the action that will make our ambitions a reality.

Together, the proposed legislation and grant funding announced today will have the potential to enable commercial spaceflight from a UK spaceport by 2020.

Press release: Training for the Energy Sector discussed during college visit

The minister will be updated by Dafydd Evans, CEO Grŵp Llandrillo Menai and Dr Ian Rees, Grŵp Executive Director Business Development on how the college is progressing in its mission to ensure local people are equipped with the skills to benefit from opportunities in the Energy Sector.

The update will be followed by a tour of the college’s Construction and Energy Centres and an energy sector round table involving Bangor University, Snowdonia Enterprise Zone and Orthios Eco Parks before the minister moves on to the Wylfa Newydd Site.

A myriad of opportunities are expected to come to Anglesey in wake of the anticipated Wylfa Newydd Nuclear Power station and other energy based projects, such as wave power and a biomass plant at the former Anglesey Aluminium site.

A likely topic of conversation during the visit is the work already undertaken with Horizon Nuclear Power.

Just this week in a launch event at Coleg Menai (06/02/2017) Horizon Nuclear Power announced that they would recruit another 12 Apprentices to join their training scheme, bringing the number of Horizon Nuclear Apprentices already in training to 22.

The college has also submitted a planning application for the development of its Llangefni campus that would see college’s Engineering provision relocated to a new £15m Engineering Training Centre in Llangefni.

We look forward to a constructive meeting this morning at Llangefni with Guto. It essential we update our representatives in Westminster on the work that’s being done here in North West Wales to develop Engineering and other Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths skills. With Brexit looming large it’s essential that we have these talks now so that we can prepare for the future.

Guto Bebb, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Wales, said:

I’m delighted to visit Coleg Menai and Wylfa today to see the innovative technology that is set to make a positive impact to Anglesey’s economy. It’s important to hear from Welsh institutions and businesses about the issues and opportunities that they face following Brexit, and continue the conversations that we’ve been holding throughout the summer.

The UK’s Industrial Strategy provides a joined up approach to policy, aiming to deliver a highly skilled and competitive economy that benefits people right across the country. Coleg Menai is a fantastic example of an institution in the North West of Wales working to ensure that young people have the essential employability skills for the global market and to work in an industry that is being developed within their local area.

Greg Evans, Safety & Generation Director at Horizon said:

Coleg Menai and Horizon have already shown how we will work together through paving the way for the new Engineering Training Centre and providing Horizon apprenticeship opportunities for local young people. We will continue to move forward in partnership, with the active support of both the UK and Welsh Governments, to deliver the huge benefits Wylfa Newydd will bring for Anglesey and North Wales for many decades.

Press release: The Foreign Secretary congratulates President Farmajo on his victory in the Somali presidential elections

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson looks forward to meeting newly elected Somali President and working with him on shared priorities.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said:

I congratulate Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on his election as President of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Somalia has made huge progress in its recovery from two decades of civil war, but significant challenges remain that President Farmajo will need to address.

Immediate attention is needed to reduce the risk of famine and improve security, including reforming the Somali security sector, and I look forward to meeting President Farmajo and working with him on these issues.

The UK remains committed to supporting the Somali people – that is why we are hosting a major international conference on Somalia in London this year. The conference will set out our shared objectives and commitments on key issues such as security, constitutional reform, elections and economic recovery. With President Farmajo and the UN, I look forward to agreeing a new partnership between Somalia and the international community.

This is a crucial opportunity to accelerate progress and agree priorities that will help secure a brighter future for Somalia and its people.

Further information

Press release: UK Minister condemns Russia’s Domestic Violence law

Russia’s new legislation sends the wrong message about tackling violence against women and children

On 7 February the Russian Government passed into law an amendment which decriminalises domestic violence in Russia. It reduces ‘battery within the family’ from a criminal to an administrative offence, with weaker sanctions for offenders.

Baroness Anelay, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Human Rights and the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict said:

It is deeply disappointing that Russia has introduced new legislation decriminalising domestic violence. This sends the wrong message about the Russian authorities’ commitment to tackling violence in the home. Victims of domestic violence, which are most often women and children, need more protection, not less.

The UK is committed to addressing domestic violence, and particularly violence against women and girls at home and overseas. Globally, one in three women will experience physical or sexual violence at some point in her lifetime. A 2008 report issued by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs suggest 14,000 women die annually at the hands of husbands or other relatives’ and that domestic violence occurs in one in four Russian families.

Tackling violence; promoting gender equality; and empowering all women and girls are essential to defending human rights. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is supporting women’s rights projects across 28 countries with a total projected spend of more than £3.5 million between 2016 and 2018.

Further information

Press release: Swansea director disqualified for sending thousands of spam text messages

Help Direct UK Limited was a call centre-based business in Swansea, generating and selling marketing leads. The company entered creditor’s voluntary liquidation on 7 December 2015 owing its creditors an estimated £342,447.

Between and 7 April 2015 and 30 April 2015, Help Direct UK Limited sent thousands of unsolicited (‘spam’) text messages to private individuals without their consent, which led to 6,757 complaints being made.

The Information Commissioner (ICO) issued a monetary penalty of £200,000 on 21 October 2015. The company failed to pay the penalty prior to entering creditors voluntary liquidation on 7 December 2015, at which point the company had total assets of £1,287 and total debts of £343,734.

Commenting on the disqualification, Susan MacLeod, Chief Investigator at The Insolvency Service, said:

In this particular case, the company had been warned by the Information Commissioner’s Office about sending unsolicited messages, and had been served with a notice requiring the company to comply with the law. Despite this, the company continued sending thousands of spam text messages which led to over 6,000 complaints from the recipients.

Individuals who demonstrate such disregard for the law are clearly not fit to be a director of a company. Company directors should note that the Insolvency Service will take action to protect the public where directors have failed to adhere to the law.

Andy Curry, enforcement manager at the ICO, said:

This shows that company directors can not leave by the back door as my team is coming through the front door.

It sends a clear message that the companies behind nuisance calls and texts will be held to account.

Notes to editors

Help Direct UK Limited (CRO No. 07904408) was incorporated on 10 January 2012 and traded from Unit 2 Century Works, Peniel Green Road, Llansamlet, Swansea, SA7 9BZ until May 2015, and thereafter from First Floor, Unit 2, Villiers House, Charter Court, Swansea Enterprise Park, Swansea, SA7 9FS.

The Information Commissioner’s Office is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights in the public interest. The ICO is responsible for the enforcement of the Data Protection Act 1998 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.

Leighton John Power’s date of birth is 19 May 1979 and he resides in Brynhyfryd, Swansea. He was a director of the company between 22 April 2013 and its insolvency on 7 December 2015. He was also previously a director of Cryton Limited, which entered Creditors Voluntary Liquidation on 27 September 2013.

On 12 January 2017, the Secretary of State accepted a disqualification undertaking from Mr Power, effective from 2 February 2017, for a period of 6 years. The matters of unfitness, which Mr Power did not dispute in the disqualification undertaking, were that Leighton John Power caused Help Direct UK Ltd to contravene regulation 22 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003 (PECR), which caused the Information Commissioner to issue a monetary penalty of £200,000 on 21 October 2015 which remained outstanding upon the company’s liquidation. In that:

the Information Commissioner identified 659 complaints regarding unsolicited direct marketing text messages sent by Help Direct between 15 December 2013 and 3 April 2014
on 24 February 2015 the Information Commissioner served Help Direct with an Enforcement Notice under section 40 of the Data Protection Act 1998, requiring the company to comply with regulation 22 of PECR by 31 March 2015
between 7 April 2015 and 30 April 2015, Help Direct sent further unsolicited text messages to individuals for the purposes of direct marketing contrary to regulation 22 of PECR, which resulted in 6,757 complaints to Groupe Spéciale Mobile Association’s Spam Reporting Service
on 21 October 2015 the Information Commissioner issued a penalty of £200,000 in respect of Help Direct’s contraventions of regulation 22 of PECR. Help Direct made no payments towards the penalty
Help Direct entered creditors voluntary liquidation on 7 December 2015. The Information Commissioner was the largest creditor in the liquidation, and the penalty materially contributed to the Help Direct’s insolvency

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

act as a director of a company
take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

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