News story: Imperial War Museum Trustees: Desmond Bowen and Suzanne Nicholas

The Foreign Secretary has appointed 2 new Trustees to the Board of the Imperial War Museum following an open competition, each for a period of 4 years.

Desmond Bowen CB CMG

Mr Bowen is appointed Trustee with effect from 22 December 2017.

Mr Bowen was a civil servant from fast stream entry in 1973 until 2008 when he retired from the position of Director General for Security Policy at the Ministry of Defence. During his career he served as First Secretary at the British Embassy in Paris, as Defence Counsellor in the UK delegation to the negotiation on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, as Director of the cabinet of the NATO Secretary General in Brussels, as Director General in the Cabinet Office running the overseas and defence secretariat. As an officer in the Parachute Regiment between 1970 and 1973 Mr Bowen served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus and West Germany.

Since his retirement, Mr Bowen has been a member and Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s advisory board on disarmament matters; a visiting Professor at Reading University School of Politics and International Relations and Staff Counsellor of the UK intelligence and security agencies.

He is currently a mentor for the Royal College of Defence Studies twice-yearly strategic exercises and a consulting member of the International Institute of Strategic Studies and team leader for their workshops on nuclear doctrine with India and Pakistan. In 2008 he was awarded the US Secretary of Defense Medal for outstanding public service.

Suzanne Nicholas

Ms Nicholas is appointed Trustee with effect from 1 January 2018.

Ms Nicholas is currently Director for Counter-Terrorism at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, where she has been in service since 1995. Her previous roles have included Head of the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and Head of Counter Terrorism policy. Between 2009 and 2012 Ms Nicholas led teams responsible for delivery against national security objectives, including in preparation for the Olympic Games in London.

Prior to this she ran a research project for the British High Commission in Islamabad, presenting findings to the Home Office and FCO and spent a period of time in Jerusalem as Associate Producer of a BBC TV series on the Arab Israeli conflict.



Press release: Guardi’s Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi at risk of leaving the UK

The Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, by Francesco Guardi.

Arts Minister John Glen has placed a temporary export bar on the Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi by Francesco Guardi to provide an opportunity to keep it in the country.

The extraordinary painting is at risk of being exported from the UK unless a buyer can be found to match the asking price of £26,796,000 (including VAT of £591,000).

With its masterful colouring and dynamic composition in which a series of gondolas bisect the Grand Canal, The Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi showcases Guardi’s atmospheric style and the elegant depiction of light that would come to dominate his later works.

Arguably Guardi’s masterpiece, the painting is considered to be one of the ultimate expressions of Venetian vedute, or view painting. Alongside Canaletto and his nephew Bellotto, Guardi was one of the great Venetian view painters of the 18th century.

He was much admired in the 19th century for his impressionistic depictions of Venice and the Lagoon, which inspired many generations of artists visiting the city, most significantly Turner.

The painting is believed to have been commissioned in 1768 by the relatively unknown grand tourist, Chaloner Arcedeckne, making it of great importance to the study of the British relationship with Venice and Grand Tour commissions.

Arts Minister John Glen said:

This magnificent painting is a true masterpiece that encapsulates the vibrant atmosphere and light of 18th century Venice.

I very much hope that it can be kept in the UK, where it can be appreciated and admired by future generations for many years to come.

The decision to defer the export licence follows a recommendation by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest (RCEWA), administered by The Arts Council.

RCEWA member Aidan Weston-Lewis said:

At more than six feet across, this beautifully composed, bustling view of one of the classic stretches of the Grand Canal is one of the most spectacular and attractive Venetian view paintings in this country. Commissioned by a British visitor to Venice in the late 1760s, it has remained in the UK ever since and has frequently been on public display. Its departure from these shores would be a regrettable loss.

The RCEWA made its recommendation on the grounds of the painting’s outstanding aesthetic importance and outstanding significance for the study of the development of Guardi, Venetian view painting and the study of Grand Tour patronage and taste.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred until 4 July 2018. This may be extended until 4 January 2019 if a serious intention to raise funds to purchase it is made at the recommended price of £26,796,000 (including VAT of £591,000).

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 0845 300 6200.

An image of the painting can be downloaded via our flickr site.

ENDS

For media information contact: Yasmin Kaye Senior Communications Officer Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Tel: 0207 211 6489 Email: yasmin.kaye@culture.gov.uk

Notes to editors

  1. Details of the painting are as follows: The Rialto Bridge with the Palazzo dei Camerlenghi, late-1760s Oil on canvas, 119.7 x 204.3 cm Signed ‘GUARDI’ (lower left) In very good condition. Probably commissioned in Venice in 1768 by Chaloner Arcedeckne, in whose family it remained for the next 123 years, when it was acquired by Sir Edward Cecil Guinness, later 1st Earl of Iveagh. Then by descent and inheritance.
  2. The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by The Arts Council, which advises the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.
  3. The Arts Council champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people’s lives. It supports a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. www.artscouncil.org.uk.


News story: Malpractice for GCSEs, AS and A levels: 2017

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News story: David Belsham re-appointed to the Prudential Regulation Committee

Today (5 January 2018) the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, announced the re-appointment of Prudential Regulation Committee (PRC) external member David Belsham for an additional term of three years. David Belsham’s second term on the PRC will begin on 1 May 2018 and end on 30 April 2021.

The Prudential Regulation Committee is responsible for the most important decisions of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), the UK’s micro-prudential regulator, which supervises banks, insurers and major investment firms.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

David Belsham has brought extensive experience and expertise to the Prudential Regulation Committee throughout his first term as external member, so I am very pleased to announce his re-appointment. I am confident his insights will continue to enhance stability and resilience in the UK’s financial sector.

David Belsham has been a member of the PRC and its predecessor, the PRA Board, since May 2015. He is a qualified actuary and spent his most of his career with British insurer Prudential, where he was the Executive Director for the UK and appointed actuary for Prudential’s UK and Europe insurance entities. He retired from Prudential in 2014.

Further Information

  • the PRA’s most important decisions are taken by the Prudential Regulation Committee, chaired by the Governor of the Bank of England. The Prudential Regulation Committee has a majority of external members, including the Chief Executive of the Financial Conduct Authority and six others selected for their experience and expertise in financial services
  • the government has today also announced the appointment of Charles Randell as Chair of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Payment Systems Regulator (PSR). Mr Randell has resigned as an external member of the Prudential Regulation Committee. He will leave this position before joining the FCA and PSR as Chair. HM Treasury and the Bank of England will begin recruiting a successor soon.


Speech: There’s a need for quicker progress on Ogoniland clean-up

Good morning everyone. I would like to thank the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People for inviting me to give a short goodwill address to mark the 26th anniversary of Ogoni Day.

My name is Harriet Thompson, and I am the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria. I am delighted to be here with you to open this 3-day event to “highlight the importance of building better communities in critical times: social movement’s role in advancing peaceful, just and inclusive societies”. In this day and age it is clear that violent protest is not the answer and I commend the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People for its longstanding promotion of non-violent advocacy. In the last year we have seen oil production levels rise as Federal Government and militant groups have engaged in dialogue to find a peaceful solution to the issues in the Niger Delta. Although progress has been slow and we would all like to see more achieved in 2018, this is a good example of how non-violent methods can achieve better, more sustainable solutions.

Driving through part of Ogoniland as I approached the Birabi Memorial Grammer School I have been appalled at the level of degradation and environmental damage caused by oil pollution. The cost of pollution is enormous affecting health, livelihoods, the economy and therefore driving conflict. More needs to be done to ensure the devastating effects on clean air, water, farming and agriculture are combated. It is imperative that there is quicker progress on the Ogoniland clean-up this year, nearly 7 years after the UNEP report was published. As we move closer to the elections of 2019, we must do all that we can to ensure there is stability and to bring peace in this important region of Nigeria.

In 2016, the UK’s then Minister for Africa visited Ogoniland and saw first-hand the devastating impact of pollution from the oil industry on local communities. We are pleased that one billion US dollars has been committed by the Federal Government and international oil companies for the Ogoniland cleanup. We hope that recent meetings on the issue will result in a concerted push to deliver a safe environment for the people living in Ogoniland now facing very difficult circumstances. We hope that efforts can be made to secure safe water to drink, cleaner air to breathe and better job opportunities. And we hope for better solutions to combat the damaging effects of oil bunkering and illegal refineries.

In November last year the British High Commissioner and Heads of Mission from other Embassies met with the Minister for Environment and we were encouraged to be told that work on the cleanup is progressing. The mechanisms are now in place to ensure that when the cleanup does begin it has the maximum positive impact and that resources are used efficiently and effectively. The UK along with our partners look forward to work on the cleanup starting in the next few months, as promised by the Minister for Environment at our meeting. The UK stands ready to support in whatever way we can including providing technical support and supporting activity which can help reduce conflict and improve job creation.

Sustaining and protecting the environment will require small as well as large scale action from all of us – from major industry working to minimise the pollution, to international organisations, national and state governments setting goals and frameworks, funding initiatives and driving forward programmes. It also needs individual citizens to take responsibility for the local environment where they live.

I thank the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People for their continued peaceful efforts to push for the protection of human rights for all its Ogoni people. And the Federal Government of Nigeria, International Oil Companies and International Community for working together to ensure peaceful advocacy is rewarded and that these efforts are not in vain.