Veterans UK celebrates the 75th anniversary of VE Day

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This Friday the nation will join together to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Veterans UK VE day 75. Crown Copyright. All rights reserved

VE 75 Celebrations

The special day will evoke memories of the jubilant scenes on the streets as Britons cast off the shackles of war – but the service and sacrifice of the WW2 generation will not be forgotten.

At 11am there will be a national two-minute silence, which will also honour those so devastatingly affected by the coronavirus crisis, and DBS staff are invited to participate from their homes. There is no right or wrong way to take part – some may wish to stand at their windows, step outside while remaining socially distanced, watch the broadcast on TV or simply sit in quiet reflection.

Whilst the UK is unable to celebrate this day as originally planned, it is important that we do everything we can to virtually mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day on Friday 8 May. You can tune into TV coverage on the day to pay tribute and respect to the Second World War Generation. There will be various dedicated shows across radio stations and TV channels.

Timeline of events

What’s on…

Just because we can’t all be together right now, doesn’t mean we can’t all be involved. There is something for everyone to try whilst you’re at home…

Looking for some home-schooling inspiration? Look no further…with teaching remembrance with the British Legion

Have your VE Day plans been cancelled? Not to worry…

Join the RBL for a VE Day Singalong

Why not get involved on Twitter with the hashtag #ThisIsYourVictory to share with us what you’re doing to spend VE Day at home.

Published 7 May 2020

Bristol boy inspired by Captain Tom wins PM award

News story

A six-year-old boy from Bristol who raised over £280,000 for NHS charities has been awarded the Prime Minister’s daily Point of Light today.

A six-year-old boy from Bristol who raised over £280,000 for NHS charities has been awarded the Prime Minister’s daily Point of Light today.

Frank Mills, who has spina bifida, is following in the footsteps of his hero Captain Tom by walking every day to raise money for the NHS. Frank’s initial fundraising target of £99 – in honour of Captain Tom’s age when he began – has been met nearly 3,000 times over. Having learned to walk only 18 months ago, Frank continues to walk every day.

In a personal letter to Frank, the Prime Minister said:

Every day I say thank you to someone in our country for doing something special. And today I want to say thank you to you! Your daily walks are an amazing fundraising feat.

I know you have watched Captain Tom on the television and I think you are brave and brilliant just like him.

Well done and thank you for all you have achieved for our wonderful NHS.

Reacting to the Prime Minister’s announcement, the Mills family said:

What started as a very simple, spur of the moment response to seeing Captain Tom Moore do his fundraising walk, with the hope of raising £99, has become an incredible amount of money raised for an excellent charity by people very generously responding to Frank’s effort. As a family we’ve been utterly overwhelmed not only by the amount of money given but by the lovely messages of support and encouragement left on his Just Giving page. We feel thanks really should go to all those who made it happen!

And Frank’s response was:

Cool!

The Prime Minister’s UK daily Point of Light award was first launched in April 2014 to recognise outstanding individuals making a difference where they live. Frank is the 1367th person to be recognised. As Britain unites to fight the spread of coronavirus, the award is focusing exclusively on people serving their community through the pandemic.

Published 7 May 2020

Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO – Sixtieth Series of Meetings

World news story

This UK statement was delivered at the Sixtieth Series of Meetings in Geneva

Flags — The Assembly takes place in Geneva.

The United Kingdom aligns itself with the Group B statement. We commend H.E. Ambassador Zniber, the Chairman of the WIPO General Assemblies, H.E. Ambassador Rivasseau, the Chair of the Coordination Committee, Dr Francis Gurry, WIPO Director General, and all other colleagues who have made it possible for this important session of the WIPO Assemblies to proceed in these unique and unprecedented times.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank DG Gurry for his long lasting dedication to intellectual property in general and to the World Intellectual Property Organization in particular. We look forward to reflecting fully upon the twelve years of his leadership and accomplishments during the sixty-first series of meetings of WIPO Assemblies scheduled for September 2020.
This delegation would like to congratulate Mr Daren Tang on his election and appointment as the next Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization. This is an important moment, commencing a transition period from one leadership of this organisation to another. In this regard, the UK wishes to thank the chairs and vice-chairs of the General Assembly and the Coordination Committee, Director General Gurry, as well as the WIPO Legal Counsel and his team for guiding us through the electoral process.
The decisions made during this transition period will inevitably affect the functioning of the organisation under the new leadership. Therefore, we anticipate that the DG Elect will participate in discussions to enable a smooth transition on 1 October and ensure that this important organisation functions well in the years to come.
The UK delegation sees numerous challenges and opportunities going forward. The fundamental elements underlying the success of the WIPO are keeping the organisation, the international IP system and the IP narrative fit for purpose.
Fit for purpose for businesses to secure international protection effectively. We wish to engage in a discussion on a vision of the international IP system in 10 years and beyond. This includes clear pathways that enable services to be provided digitally from end-to end, as well as enhancing document-sharing services like the DAS. The current COVID-19 crisis poses both challenges as well as opportunities in this sense.
Fit for purpose for a robust IP narrative that informs complex discourse on global innovation and creativity. We call for a strong WIPO engagement strategy encompassing the use of its convening power as well as its knowledge base and resources. In our view, this will help deliver on the organisation’s core mandate “to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world” for both IP stakeholders and global decision makers.
Fit for purpose for practitioners and policy makers around the globe to develop sound policies and advice. The UK welcomes the efforts so far on understanding the impact of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies relating to intellectual property. This delegation wishes to continue and strengthen this work stream going forward.
Fit for purpose for Member States and the organisational structure to govern the WIPO well. We will continue to stress the importance of the principles of accountability, transparency, ethics, independence, as well as efforts to minimise the organisation’s environmental footprint. Likewise, we wish to discuss the current structure of WIPO committees and potential improvements.
The UK wishes Mr. Tang great success in his new role as Director General and looks forward to cooperating closely with him and his team in the coming six years.

Published 7 May 2020

Former head of RAF to be appointed chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Sir Stephen Hillier announced as new chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority
Hillier to support the government in leading the aviation industry through COVID-19 and future challenges presented by the virus
Hillier will also support the government’s vision to decarbonise and modernise the industry, and to inspire young people into aviation careers

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today (7 May 2020) announced the former head of the Royal Air Force, Sir Stephen Hillier, as his preferred candidate to become the new chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

Following an open competition, Sir Stephen was selected by the Transport Secretary as the candidate best suited to lead the Civil Aviation Authority through the COVID-19 response and recovery. He will balance airlines’ immediate needs resulting from reduced passenger demand, with consumer issues such as the refund backlog due to cancelled services.

Sir Stephen will oversee the enhancement of the Civil Aviation Authority’s reputation as a leading aviation regulator, as the UK leaves the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). This will include preparing the organisation to certify the design of new aviation products and formulating proposals for new aviation safety legislation.

Hillier will also build on the government’s vision to innovate and modernise the aviation industry, making flying greener and more efficient, as well as driving cutting-edge technologies to ensure the UK maintains its position as a world leader in aviation.

The government has invested in STEM based programmes co-ordinated through general aviation organisations to inspire the next generation of pilots and engineers into the industry. Sir Stephen will help progress this work to ensure general aviation continues to be the grassroots driving force behind the entire aviation sector, with many of the UK’s top aviation specialists and pilots having experienced their first taste of aviation at their local airfield.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

This is an extremely challenging time for the aviation industry, unlike anything we have faced, so the need for an inspiring and experienced leader is vital. I’d like to thank Dame Deirdre Hutton for her support and leadership over the last 11 years and to welcome Sir Stephen Hillier.

Sir Stephen’s incredible knowledge and experience in aviation will be invaluable during this period and I’m confident he will excel addressing the challenges presented by COVID-19. I am also excited to work with him and support the Civil Aviation Authority’s new vision once the industry is back on its feet.

Hillier’s primary task will be working to ensure the UK maintains its excellent aviation safety and security record. He was the head of the RAF from 2016 to 2019, having served in the RAF for almost 40 years. He is a qualified pilot and flying instructor, and has significant experience in managing multiple agencies and suppliers as part of an earlier role as the Ministry of Defence’s principal military customer for equipment and infrastructure. He will take up his post as Non-executive Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, starting on 1 August 2020.

Sir Stephen Hillier said: 

I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to help lead the Civil Aviation Authority through the enormous challenges which lie ahead: maintaining our excellent safety record and promoting the UK’s world-leading aviation sector, while dealing with the consequences of COVID-19 and guiding us through our departure from EASA.

Dame Deirdre Hutton, Chair of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said:

It has been a great privilege and an honour to chair the UK Civil Aviation Authority board for the past 11 years.

It has been an extraordinary period starting with the closure of pan-European airspace due to the Icelandic volcano and ending with the current challenges of COVID-19.

The organisation’s ability to deal with crisis situations is exemplary and I am deeply grateful to all my colleagues for their focus and determination.

The organisation has changed immeasurably, and I am proud of the way we have revolutionised our approach to safety regulation, launched a world leading innovation hub and put consumers at the heart of what we do.

It has been immensely rewarding and I am delighted that I pass the chair to someone who will undoubtedly successfully steer the organisation through the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Sir Stephen replaces Dame Deirdre Hutton DBE, who steps down after 11 years as the chair. During this period, Dame Deirdre has overseen a period of significant change at the Civil Aviation Authority, notably the introduction of risk-based safety regulation and putting consumers and the heart of the organisation. Dame Deirdre has also guided the organisation through many crisis situations including the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, the Icelandic volcano that led to the closure of pan-European airspace and the repatriation of hundreds of thousands of UK travellers following the collapse of both Monarch Airlines and Thomas Cook.

This role is subject to a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing by the Transport Select Committee, which will take place later this year. The final confirmation of the appointment will follow that hearing, and Sir Stephen is expected to start work as Chair on 1 August 2020.

HMRC announces new Directors General for Borders and Trade

Jim Harra, Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary of HMRC, has today (7 May 2020) announced that Katherine Green and Sophie Dean have been confirmed in post as Directors General for Borders and Trade, a role they have held on an interim basis since December 2019.

This appointment comes after an external competition and was approved by the Prime Minister and Cabinet Secretary.

The announcement comes at a crucial time as the UK prepares to leave the transition period following our departure from the EU on 31 January. HMRC has continued to play a key role during the transition period, helping to prepare for our new relationship with the EU and rest of the world after 30 December this year.

Katherine and Sophie bring a wealth of experience and relevant skills between them to the role, having previously worked at HM Treasury (HMT) covering a variety of policy and operational roles including Budget coordination, small businesses tax, financial services, private secretary to the Chancellor, and latterly as operations director and finance director on the HMT board.

Katherine and Sophie will job-share the role, adding to HMRC’s efforts to create an inclusive and flexible working environment at all levels.

Sophie and Katherine said:

We’re delighted to take up this opportunity on a permanent basis. We know how important it is that HMRC is ready to respond to the opportunities and challenges of our new relationship with Europe and the rest of the world after December this year.

A huge amount of work has gone into preparing for the end of the transition period, and we and our team look forward to delivering for the UK.

Jim Harra, Chief Executive and First Permeant Secretary of HMRC, said:

I’m delighted to announce the appointment of Sophie and Katherine to their roles as Directors General for Borders and Trade. As you would expect, competition was tough and the standard of candidates high, so this is a great achievement.

I look forward to their continued contribution to HMRC’s Executive Committee, and to their leadership at a pivotal time for the UK and for HMRC, as we steer our way through the transition period.