Boris Johnson will announce that he has appointed Oliver Dowden as Minister representing veterans in Cabinet during a visit to a military base in Scotland today.

Oliver Dowden will work closely with Johnny Mercer who has been appointed Minister for Defence People and Veterans. That role will now be a joint Ministry of Defence and Cabinet Office position, in order to allow the Minister to direct the work of the new Office for Veterans’ Affairs. The two ministers will share responsibility for veterans’ affairs.

This is the first time that veterans’ affairs will be overseen by dedicated ministers in the Cabinet Office to ensure the whole of government pulls together to deliver the life-long support our veterans deserve.

The newly created Office for Veterans’ Affairs inside the Cabinet Office will be staffed by officials from the Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence (and others as necessary). The best experts from across Whitehall will now be working together in the Cabinet Office hub on an holistic approach to veterans’ affairs.

The Office will work with departments to coordinate and drive government policy on veterans’ welfare, spanning mental and physical health, education and employment. The head of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs will report jointly to both Ministers.

Oliver Dowden and Johnny Mercer will immediately begin work to establish the structure of the new Office, reporting progress to the Prime Minister by 30th September.

In addition, Oliver Dowden will jointly chair the Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board with the Defence Secretary, to ensure no veteran is disadvantaged because of their service.

Speaking ahead of today’s visit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

The brave men and women who serve in our military truly represent the pinnacle of British character. We are rightly admired throughout the world for our Armed Forces, and it is a stain on our national conscience that any veteran who has served should be abandoned by the country they have fought so courageously to protect.

It is absolutely right that the government should do all it can to support our armed forces from the day they enlist and for the rest of their lives. Veterans have given so much to the UK. They have so much to offer our workplaces and wider society and it would be a dereliction of duty not to harness that potential.

By taking responsibility for the full gamut of veterans’ civilian lives – from ensuring they get the medical treatment they require, to further training and skills after they have transitioned from service to keep them in good jobs, to targeted interventions to prevent the scourge of veteran homelessness – Oliver Dowden, Johnny Mercer and our brand new Office for Veterans’ Affairs will do just that.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

People join our armed forces prepared to give their lives in defence of their country. In return, government and society owe them a debt long after their service is finished. As a veteran myself, I know the struggles that some people face. The Ministry of Defence welcomes the new Prime Minister’s appointment of the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Minister for Defence People and Veterans to ensure the needs of veterans are addressed right across government.

Minister for the Cabinet Office Oliver Dowden said:

Our veterans have made extraordinary sacrifices for this country and it’s only right that we repay their commitment with the right support and care when they leave service. I’m honoured to take on this role as a champion for veterans across government and will be a voice for their interests at the Cabinet table.

The new Office for Veterans’ Affairs will coordinate essential work being carried out across Departments to ensure our servicemen and servicewomen receive unparalleled support across all areas of life. From mental health to employment, this government will deliver the care our veterans deserve.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Johnny Mercer said:

For the first time in its history, the UK Government will have an Office for Veterans’ Affairs to pull together all functions of government to ensure that when our Armed Forces personnel leave service, they are looked after in the manner that they deserve.

I am delighted with this role, and am resolutely determined to reset this country’s relationship with her veterans. I entered parliament to do precisely this; I am grateful for the opportunity this Prime Minister has given me to do this, and I look forward to getting on with the task at hand.

In attendance as members of the NSC were the Hon. Deputy Premier as acting Minister for Home Affairs, the Hon. Minister for Border Control, the Hon Deputy Governor, the Hon. Attorney General, the Commissioner of Police, incoming Commissioner of Police and the Superintendent of HM Prison.

At this meeting the NSC:

Received an update from the Commissioner of Police on:

• the procurement of a replacement police aircraft which should be in country by November 2019. Its main purpose will be to support the Police Maritime unit tackling illegal migration, DECR’s work tackling illegal fishing and transporting high risk prisoners between Grand Turk and Providenciales
• the recent delivery of three armoured Land Rovers for use in response to high risk situations and specialist training which will be delivered for their use
• leadership and firearms training for police officers
• number plate recognition capabilities being brought into service
• reported crimes which stood at 505 between 1 April 1st to 30 June 2019, representing a reduction of 16% against the same period in 2018
• enforcement of licensing hours on Grand Turk and Providenciales in particular. The roles of both the Liquor Licensing Authority and Magistrate’s Court and issues that need to be addressed through awareness raising, compliance checks, enforcement action and training

Received an update from the Hon Minister Immigration on:

• concerns over illegal migration and the removal of over-stayers. Three sloops landed and a further two sloops were intercepted between April and June 2019 culminating in 391 apprehensions (other than landings) and 83 repatriations from vessels, down 59% for the same period in 2018. Of these, 177 have been repatriated and 29 have been deported
• the pull factors – human smuggling, human trafficking and modern slavery
• the implementation of recommendations provided in a report by UK Immigration experts for enhancing the work of the immigration control regime
• the Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) which was introduced at the airports and cruise port on 1 June 2019, improving both security to the Islands and visitor experience
• a draft Code of Conduct for Immigration Officers and separate draft Repatriation Policy which will shortly be brought to Cabinet
• capital expenditure on operational equipment now delivered and provision for finger printing capabilities; and
• a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Bahamas on the patrolling of TCI waters which is expected to be completed for submission to TCI in August 2019, reinforcing the work of the Immigration Task Force and Police Maritime Unit

Received an update from the Superintendent of HM Prison on:

• the implications of and arrangements for high risk trials for serious offences between July and October 2019
• proposed legislative amendments and changes needed for criminal trials by video link incl. a remand centre/prison on Providenciales
• planned works on the new Prison block, fencing and procurement mobile phone jamming equipment;
• hurricane preparedness and immediate minor works
• capital expenditure and prison infrastructure

Received an update from the Premier on the draft National Security Strategy (NSS):

• a draft NSS, strongly supported by HE the Governor, will be discussed at the next NSC in September 2019; and
• the Premier presented the outgoing Commissioner of Police a commemorative pin in thanks for his leadership during his tenure

[unable to retrieve full-text content]His Excellency the Governor, Nigel Dakin, chaired the 18th meeting of the Cabinet on Tuesday, 23 July 2019, at the Office of the Premier, Grand Turk.

The fourth round of Pakistan-United Kingdom Bilateral Consultations on Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament was held in Islamabad on 23 July 2019. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan delegation was led by Mr. Mohammad Kamran Akhtar, Director General (Arms Control & Disarmament). The United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office delegation was led by Ms. Samantha Job, Director for Defence and International Security.

The talks were held in an open and constructive atmosphere, with the two sides discussing issues on international arms control and non-proliferation agenda. The delegations also discussed issues relating to global and regional security and stability, as well as areas of cooperation and collaboration in multilateral fora.

There was agreement that these talks were valuable and remain an important element of the ongoing engagement between both countries on Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament issues. The two sides agreed to hold the following meeting in London next year.

For further information:

For updates on the British High Commission and for more information on the Chevening Programme, please follow our social media channels:

Home Secretary Priti Patel will use her first full week in the role to urge the UK’s most important strategic allies to commit to coordinated action on a range of security concerns.

Protecting the public from emerging threats needs continued and closer cooperation between international allies, the Home Secretary will tell a security summit in London this week.

Over the next two days, the Home Secretary will host discussions with her counterparts from the so-called ‘Five Eyes’ countries – Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US plus the UK – on our most pressing shared challenges.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

This is an exciting moment for the UK as we look to respond to a challenging and rapidly changing global environment, strengthening our influence on the world stage to promote our prosperity and security.

The UK is a global leader on national security and child protection and we are committed to working with our close partners on shared challenges.

This year’s Five Country Ministerial (FCM), the second that the UK has hosted, will focus on the theme of ‘Emerging Threats’ and how best to address the opportunities and risks that new technologies pose. Among other topics, ministers will discuss cyber security, encryption and online harms.

Attorneys General will also join some of the meetings. The UK Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox will also host the ‘Quintet’ meetings of Attorneys General this week.

Ministers will attend an Industry Roundtable on countering online child sexual exploitation and abuse which will involve discussions with industry leaders such as Facebook, Google and Microsoft.

Discussions will also focus on the role of technology to tackle child abuse online.

The Home Office recently announced significant innovations to the Child Abuse Image Database, enabling the auto-categorising of millions of indecent images of children- aimed at speeding up investigations.

The UK is regarded as world-leading in technological advances to identity perpetrators and protect victims.

A key Government ambition is to work with international partners to develop and share new technology, including unique identifiers known as hashes, to bolster collective investigation capabilities and tackle the global nature of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Sitting alongside senior officials, Ministers will also consider a joint approach to respond to the continued threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters and how best to work together to bolster border security.

Since its inception in 2013, the annual FCM has developed from an intelligence sharing alliance to a private ministerial-led meeting where the most pressing shared national security threats are discussed.

This deepening of international collaboration means that the FCM plays a vital role in increasing collective resilience to a wide range of existing and emerging national security threats.

Achievements to date include supporting the establishment of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, the expansion of information sharing on border, immigration and security matters, and the strengthening of measures to combat modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking.

In attendance will be:

• Australian Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton MP
• Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale MP
• Canadian Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen MP
• Canadian Associate Deputy Minister of Justice Francois Daigle
• New Zealand’s Minister of Justice Andrew Little MP
• New Zealand’s Attorney General David Parker MP
• US Attorney General William Barr
• US Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security David Pekokse