The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has today confirmed the appointment of Marion Leslie as Non-Executive Chair. Marion will chair the UKHO Board in this independent position, after a year as interim Non-Executive Chair and six years as a Non-Executive Director at the UKHO.

The Board supports, challenges, and validates the UKHO business strategy and oversees the organisation’s performance. Marion leads the Board as Chair, acting in the interests of the Ministry of Defence and key stakeholders, and supports and provides guidance to Peter Sparkes, UKHO’s Chief Executive.

UKHO exists to support safe, secure, and thriving oceans. The UKHO is a world-leading centre for hydrography, specialising in marine geospatial data that supports defence and global shipping, while helping customers and partners to unlock a deeper understanding of the world’s oceans and coastal environments. The UKHO serves Defence and wider government, has a thriving navigation business, and is developing future maritime products and services.

Working closely with the UKHO CE and executive leadership team, the Chair and the Board offer support and challenge to ensure that there is a clear focus on transformation, increasing revenues, building partnerships, and exploring new markets.

Away from the UKHO, Marion is the Head of Financial Information at SIX Group and a member of SIX Group’s Executive Board. She is also a member of the BME Board of Directors.

Named as one of Swiss Finance’s Women to Watch in 2022, Marion was also included in the World Federation of Exchanges Women Leaders List 2021 and named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in European Finance by Financial News in 2020 and 2021. In 2017, she was nominated in the Cranfield University Female FTSE 100 Women to Watch Board Report and, in 2014, won the Award for Achievement at the Women in Banking and Finance Awards.

Commenting on the appointment, Peter Sparkes, Chief Executive at the UKHO, said:

The position of Non-Executive Chair plays a pivotal role supporting the UKHO Board in the delivery of its corporate goals. We look forward to continuing to work with Marion who, as Interim Non-Executive Chair, has played an integral role in propelling the UKHO’s digital journey. Marion has helped us to identify and realise the opportunities that our ongoing transformation will bring and supports our vital work in enabling safe, secure, and thriving oceans.

Marion said she was delighted to accept the role full-time after being in post on an interim basis:

I am thrilled to continue to lead the UKHO’s talented Board and support the UKHO as it continues to create world-class products and services for safe navigation and maritime decision support, both for defence and for the commercial world. It is a wonderful organisation with deep expertise, and I feel privileged to be part of its journey.

The Non-Executive Director role that Marion held for six years has in turn been filled by Tash Toothill, Director, Enterprise Transformation at Lloyds Banking Group. Tash also becomes the Chair of UKHO’s Remunerations Committee.

Since arriving at Lloyds Banking Group in 2019, Tash has led enterprise transformation across risk, finance, people, payments, fraud, and financial crime, supporting Lloyds Banking Group’s aim to help Britain prosper and build the best bank for customers.

Before joining Lloyds Banking Group, Tash was Head of Enterprise at Amazon, with responsibility for developing Amazon’s payments solutions and evolving voice commerce experience on Alexa. She has also worked extensively across Europe as Senior Vice President for Visa. In that role, she created an omni-channel payment experience across in-store, online and mobile, helping global retailers, fuel brands, hotels, and airlines to leverage digital technologies for a frictionless customer journey.

Speaking on the appointment of Tash as a Non-Executive Director of the UKHO, Peter Sparkes said:

I am delighted by Tash Toothill’s appointment as a Non-Executive Director of the UKHO, and as Chair of our Remunerations Committee. Tash possesses a wealth of digital transformation acumen and experience that will help us to drive forward our ambitious change programme, ensuring the UKHO remains a partner of choice and that our assured ADMIRALTY products and services continue to be relied upon by the world’s mariners.

Tash said she was relishing the opportunity to help advise the UKHO’s board:

Joining an organisation with such a rich history and tradition in the maritime sector is a great honour. I’m excited about working with and helping guide the UKHO as it continues delivering digital products and services that support the future of navigation.

Tax-Free Childcare puts more money back in the pockets of working families by providing much needed financial support towards the cost of childcare for children aged 11 or under, or up to 17 if the child has a disability. For every £8 paid into a Tax-Free Childcare online account, families will automatically receive an additional £2 in government top-up.

Families receive up to £500 every three months (£2,000 a year) per child, or £1,000 (£4,000 a year) if their child is disabled, helping towards the cost of before and after-school clubs, childminders and nurseries, holiday clubs and other approved childcare schemes.

In June 2022, HMRC paid out £41.6 million in top-up payments, which was shared between approximately 391,000 families across the UK.

Families can find out what childcare support is best for them via Childcare Choices.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

Tax-Free Childcare can make a big difference to families, helping with the bills for things like wraparound care for school children, nurseries, childminders and holiday clubs. It’s easy to register – search ‘Tax-Free Childcare’ on GOV.UK.

More than one million families in the UK are entitled to some form of government childcare support and the government is encouraging those eligible to not miss out on their entitlements.

For thousands of families who use Tax-Free Childcare, the money they save each month on their childcare costs is money that goes back into their pockets. Accounts can be opened at any time of the year and can be used straight away, and money can be deposited at any time and used when needed. Any unused money that is deposited can be simply withdrawn at any time.

Read more information about Tax-Free Childcare and how to register.

Parents and carers could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare if they:

• have a child or children aged 11 or under. They stop being eligible on 1 September after their 11th birthday. If their child has a disability, they may get up to £4,000 a year until they are 17

• earn, or expect to earn, at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average each earn no more than £100,000 per annum

• do not receive tax credits, Universal Credit or childcare vouchers

A full list of the eligibility criteria is available on GOV.UK.

Latest Tax-Free Childcare statistics were released on 17 August 2022. Data is available up to June 2022.

HMRC has produced a refreshed Tax-Free Childcare guide for parents, which explains the reasons and benefits for signing up to the scheme.

Each eligible child requires their own Tax-Free Childcare account. If families have more than one eligible child, they will need to register an account for each child. The 20% government top-up is then applied to deposits made for each child, not household.

Account holders must confirm their details are up to date every three months to continue receiving the government top-up.

Childcare providers can also sign up for a childcare provider account via GOV.UK to receive payments from parents and carers via the scheme.

The government is offering help for households. Check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support, including help with childcare costs, you could be eligible for.

Gordon West, of Benfleet, Essex, was caught fishing without a licence on 23 November 2021 at Martham Pits, Norfolk. John Ellingham, of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, was caught fishing during the close season on 1 May 2022 on the River Bure near Wroxham, Norfolk. Sam Reynolds, of Bacton, Norfolk, was caught fishing without a licence and having left 2 rods unattended on 5 April 2022 at Coston Carp Lakes, Coston, Norfolk.

All 3 cases were heard at Hastings Magistrates Court. The court fined West £220 and Reynolds £197 and ordered them both to pay a £34 victim surcharge and £135 in costs. Ellingham was fined £138 and ordered to pay a £34 victim surcharge and £65 costs. All 3 fines total £992 – this is 22 times more than the current price of a £45 fishing licence.*

Enforcement Team Leader, Lesley Robertson, said:

These cases show we pursue offenders through the courts and won’t hesitate to take enforcement action where anglers break rules. Anyone found fishing illegally may face prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500.

The close season is in place to allow an uninterrupted spawning period and helps to protect vulnerable species. It also provides an opportunity for the Environment Agency and partners to carry out projects up and down the country to further enhance habitats vital for improving fish spawning.

All anglers need a valid Environment Agency fishing licence. The money raised through the sales of fishing licences is re-invested and enables us to improve all fisheries, including rivers, for anglers.

Our fisheries enforcement officers routinely undertake licence checks, and we urge anyone with information about illegal fishing to contact us on 0800 807060.

Licences now run 365 days from the day of purchase offering 12 full months of fishing.

Any angler aged 13 or over, fishing on a river, canal or still water needs a licence. A 1-day licence costs from just £6, and an annual licence costs from just £30. Concessions are available. Junior licences are free for 13 to 16 year-olds.

For more information or to buy a fishing licence visit the GOV.UK website or call the Environment Agency on 0344 800 5386. Alternatively, you can purchase a licence from your local Post Office branch.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by police forces and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities should report it to our incident hotline number 0800 807060. You can also report it to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

*£45 is the cost of a 12-month trout and coarse 3-rod fishing licence.

Charges:

Gordon West and Sam Reynolds pleaded guilty to breaching Section 27(1)(a) of the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Act 1975.

Sam Reynolds pleaded guilty to breaching Byelaw 10 of the Environment Agency National Byelaws which came into force on 27 May 2001 made pursuant to Section 210 and Schedule 25 of the Water Resources Act 1991 and contrary to Section 211 of the said Act.

John Ellingham pleaded guilty to breaching National Byelaw 2 of the Environment Agency Byelaws made on the 12 July 2010 and contrary to National Byelaw 6 confirmed 23 March 2010 made pursuant to sections 210 and 211 schedule 25 of the Water Resource Act 1991.

They were sentenced at Hastings Magistrates’ Court on 29 July 2022.