• The Foreign Secretary is in Germany from Thursday to Sunday to attend the G7 and NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meetings
• She will use both meetings to galvanise work with allies to win the battle for Ukraine, saying that the only acceptable scenario is victory for the Ukrainian people
• She will say that sanctions should not be lifted until there is a complete Russian withdrawal and peace is agreed

The Foreign Secretary has called on international allies to go “further and faster” together to support the Ukrainian resistance and constrain any further aggression by the Putin war machine.

At a meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers on Thursday night she urged partners to commit to further waves of sanctions for as long as Russian troops are in Ukraine, and to agree that sanctions must remain in place until there is a complete Russian withdrawal and peace agreed.

The Foreign Secretary said that Ukraine also needs a clear pathway to NATO-standard equipment. This includes the immediate provision of NATO-standard artillery shells, which the Ukrainian military needs urgently, the provision of training and expertise by NATO members, as well as a plan set out by NATO allies by the end of the summer for a transition over to this equipment.

She also talked about how the G7 must help Ukraine rebuild from the war, building on the principle of a Marshall Plan for Ukraine, and provide financial and technical assistance.

At the G7 on Thursday, the Foreign Secretary said:

Putin is humiliating himself on the world stage. We must ensure he faces a defeat in Ukraine that denies him any benefit and ultimately constrains further aggression…

To help Ukraine, we need to go further and faster.

The best long term security for Ukraine will come from it being able to defend itself. That means providing Ukraine with a clear pathway to NATO-standard equipment…

Sanctions must remain in place while Russian troops are in Ukraine and peace is threatened… We must never lift sanctions in sensitive areas including critical technology like quantum.

Today (Friday 13th May), the G7 Foreign Ministers will be joined by the Ukrainian and Moldovan Foreign Ministers at the meeting in Schleswig-Holstein where they will discuss the current state of play in Ukraine, and how the G7 can support these countries in their fight against Russian aggression.

On Saturday (14th) the Foreign Secretary will travel to Berlin to meet NATO Foreign Ministers for an informal meeting. The Foreign Secretary will underline that the UK and its allies must develop a strengthened and modernised NATO with a global outlook, ready to tackle global threats.

The visit follows the Prime Minister’s visits to Sweden and Finland earlier this week (11th May) to sign historic declarations with Sweden and Finland to reinforce their security and fortify Europe’s defences.

Students are to benefit from updated Ofqual guidance on how to make exams and other assessments as accessible as possible to all. 

The new guidance is published today following a 12-week consultation, in which there was strong support from respondents, students and their representatives, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). 

A range of SEND groups responded to this consultation. They include the Autism Education Trust, British Dyslexia Association, National Deaf Children’s Society, National Autistic Society, the Royal National Institute of Blind People and BATOD (British Association of Teachers of the Deaf).

Ofqual received 163 responses to this consultation. Of the 125 online respondents, 111 agreed or strongly agreed that the draft guidance will help awarding organisations to design and develop assessments that are as accessible as possible for learners.

The guidance supports awarding organisations to design assessments to meet rules on accessibility. 

The guidance published today explains that, in their exams and assessments, awarding organisations should:

• use accessible and appropriate language  
• use clear and consistent layout 
• use source material, context, images and colour in ways that do not disadvantage students 
• consider how Reasonable Adjustments could be made to the exam or assessment to make sure disabled students are not disadvantaged

Today, the decisions following consultation are published. These explain that a qualification that requires candidates to have a command of complex language must continue to test students on this. For example, an English exam might test use of complex sentence structures, or analogy, inference and allusion. Conversely, maths papers testing numeracy should not contain overly complex text. 

Ofqual Chief Regulator Dr Jo Saxton said: 

It’s crucial that assessments in every subject have integrity and are accessible, to give all students a fair opportunity to demonstrate what they know and can do, and to achieve results which reflect this. 

Exams and assessments must remain rigorous but must not unfairly disadvantage any student because of poor design or presentation. 

This isn’t about making exams and assessments easier, but about breaking down the barriers that stop young people achieving their true potential and making sure that exams actually test the things they are designed to test.

If an exam is intended to assess understanding of complex language, then of course the questions will use complex language. But if an exam is assessing numerical skills, it does not need to include complex language which could get in the way of some students showing those skills.

This will be particularly important for students with SEND, but actually it matters for all students. If students know their subject matter and are well-prepared, they should be able to get on and demonstrate what they know and can do in their assessments, so that the examiner can assess it. This requires questions and tasks in all subjects, however demanding they are, to be framed clearly and unambiguously.

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said:

We welcome these decisions which affect the regulation of written exams. It is right that exams are as accessible as possible for everyone, and it is therefore good that Ofqual is supporting exam boards to make papers more accessible. Questions should not rely on learner’s cultural capital, nor should they be overly wordy, but should test the knowledge or skill that is being assessed. This should help to make exam results more valid in the future.

Caireen Sutherland, Royal National Institute of Blind People Head of Education, said:

It is very important that exams, as a crucial part of the education system, are fully accessible if all children and young people with vision impairment are to achieve their full potential. We work closely with Ofqual and in previous consultations they have taken on board RNIB advice and reflected it in their guidance. This included involving Qualified Teachers of Vision Impairment (QTVIs) in reviewing exam grades. We were pleased to have the opportunity to provide feedback as part of their recent consultation.

Paul Simpson and Teresa Quail, co-National Executive Officers from BATOD (British Association of Teachers of the Deaf), said:

BATOD has for many years had a strong and productive relationship with Ofqual and has found all colleagues receptive to our concerns and willing to do what is possible while maintaining the integrity of the examinations. For this reason we warmly welcome the publication of the accessibility guidance.

The Autism Education Trust said:

The Autism Education Trust welcomes and supports the Ofqual Accessibility Guidance to make exams and other written assessments more accessible for children and young people with special educational needs.

This is a positive step towards creating a more inclusive education system that recognises that adjustments must be made to support the needs of all autistic children and young people to reach their potential and receive a fair chance to demonstrate their skills and abilities in exams and assessments.

This new guidance will also support students, including those from other countries, for whom English is an additional language.

Military personnel from across the three services have been recognised for outstanding bravery, commitment, and commendable service in the latest Armed Forces Operational Honours and Awards List, published today.

Recipients have all shown outstanding courage and dedication while on operations, with numerous recipients recognised for their exceptional contribution to the evacuation of Afghan and British nationals from Afghanistan during Operation Pitting.

Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace said:

I would like to congratulate the inspiring Servicemen and women who have been recognised in the Armed Forces Operational Honours and Awards List. The awards highlight the skill and bravery of Service personnel across a breadth of challenges at home and abroad.

Operation Pitting was the largest British evacuation since WWII thanks to our brave personnel, while those working on the Carrier Strike Group have made a vital contribution to our global security. Back home, our people helped save lives even when off duty – demonstrating unrivalled commitment to the service of their country.

Operation Pitting case studies

For his role as Commander Joint Force Operations, Brigadier Daniel Blanchford Royal Marines has been awarded the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). With a global remit to deliver the UK’s extreme high readiness crisis response headquarters, he led highly effective responses to the repatriation of UK nationals from overseas during the COVID-19 pandemic and the disaster relief response to the explosion in Beirut Port. When the Taliban’s assault on Afghanistan took place, he generated, deployed, and commanded a force of more than 1,000 military, diplomats, civil servants, and UK Border Force personnel to deliver Operation Pitting.

Brigadier Daniel Blanchford said:

It is an honour to have been recognised in the Ops list, but this is really a story about the incredible and humbling work from all the soldiers, sailors, aircrew, RAF Police and movements team whose selfless and compassionate commitment around the clock in very difficult conditions enabled us to evacuate 15,000 vulnerable Afghans.

Wing Commander Kevin Harry Thomas Latchman RAF has been awarded the Air Force Cross (AFC) after demonstrating exceptional leadership and gallantry in the face of imminent danger during Operation Pitting. Following a suicide bomb explosion at Kabul airport, his crew loaded distraught passengers into the cargo hold. As he commenced take-off, a convoy of three vehicles entered the runway approximately 1,000 feet in front. With no time to stop, he successfully navigated the aircraft to clear the vehicles, which fleeted below the wing by only 10 feet. His superior airmanship saved the lives of 377 people onboard the aircraft.

Wing Commander Kevin Latchman said:

Operation Pitting was an incredible experience for all who took part, and I was very proud of my Squadron for their courage and professionalism in such a dynamic environment.  For me, this was the most significant occurrence in my career and I am honoured to receive recognition.

Private Ahmed Fahim of the 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment has received a Mention in Despatches (MID) for his unflinching courage and compassion working for much of the time as the sole military interpreter during Operation Pitting. Performing duties which far exceeded his rank, he worked tirelessly to calm distressed Afghans and reassure nervous Taliban fighters now in control of security in Kabul. In the aftermath of a suicide attack which killed over 175 people, he rushed into the desperate crowd to rescue a severely wounded baby, enabling her to receive medical care just in time to save her life.

Private Ahmed Fahim said:

I am so proud that I saved some lives the day the IED went off near the Abbey Gate, Kabul Airport. I remember pulling out the injured and the dead bodies and someone handed me a small baby from the crowd. I started running towards the doctor, looking at the baby while running and I did not stop running until I reached the medics. A few hours later I was told by the doctor that the baby survived and that was the greatest happy news for me that day.

Lieutenant Colonel Chloe O’Brien of the Royal Logistics Corps, who played a pivotal role in the preparation of the 1,000-strong Joint Task Force during Operation Pitting, has been awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service (QCVS). Working to continuously evolving requirements, her leadership of logistic support to humanitarian efforts in hot, unsanitary conditions was instrumental in the success of the operation and undoubtedly saved lives, providing critical care for vulnerable Afghans.

Lieutenant Colonel Chloe O’Brien said:

It was a challenging deployment which was truly an immense team effort of which I am very proud to have been a part of.

Also receiving a QCVS is Corporal Jamie Lee Found of the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment for his leadership in protecting the Evacuee Handling Centre and managing the crowds seeking to board evacuation flights from Kabul Airport last August. For hours he provided hands-on management of his personnel, directing his team to form a shield wall. He worked tirelessly in the face of extreme adversity, dealing with multiple casualties and fatalities caused by the crush of those trying to flee.

Corporal Jamie Lee Found said:

It was an operation we’ve not really seen before – not the norm we would train for. We’ve done public order training to prepare us for certain situations but for the humanitarian side of it, I don’t think there’s any way you can train for that.

Other case studies

Lieutenant Commander Andrew Dennis Royal Navy has been awarded the QCVS for outstanding performance in protecting the health of nearly 4,000 Service personnel serving on the Carrier Strike Group. Effectively liaising with more than 40 countries to coordinate COVID-19 policies, he personally developed and managed the successful vaccination programme across the Strike Group that resulted in every individual being fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Lieutenant Commander Andrew Dennis said:

It was a complete surprise to receive an award, and a great feeling to be recognised for my work with the CSG. Getting nine ships to sea safely from a COVID-19 perspective was really challenging. Policies had to be agile and working across Government was essential to creating a safe environment enabling us to successfully deploy.

The full Armed Forces Operational Awards List can be found on gov.uk here

• The support service will help anyone who has been through, is at risk of, or is going through, conversion therapy

• It is the first government-funded service of its kind in the world

• Galop is the nation’s leading anti-violence LGBT charity

Today (Friday May 13) the Minister for Equalities, Mike Freer, has announced that Galop has been selected to deliver a first of its kind, Government-funded support service for victims of conversion therapy.

Anyone who considers themselves as having gone through, or being at risk of, LGBT conversion therapy will be able to use the service, which will be accessed via phone or online.

Once users make contact via a helpline, they will be provided with initial pastoral support, information, and tailored advice.

This new funding comes as the Government continues to prioritise public safety and strengthening the rights of victims.

Galop already works with the Home Office to deliver its LGBT domestic abuse helpline. They will bring their experience in providing understanding, support and guidance to LGBT victims of abuse and violence to delivering this vitally important service for LGBT people.

Minister for Equalities, Mike Freer, said:

“Conversion therapy blights people’s lives, and it will never achieve its intended outcomes.

“This practice has no place in modern society and we are taking action to ensure it is banned in the UK.

“We have chosen Galop to deliver this new service as they can draw on their significant expertise to deliver a successful service that provides victims of conversion therapy with effective and compassionate support.”

Leni Morris, Galop CEO, said:

“For the past 40 years, Galop has been serving the needs of the LGBT+ community, and providing victims of abuse and violence with somewhere to turn.

“We have been working with victims and survivors of so-called “conversion therapy” for many years, and we see the long-term, even life-long, effects this type of abuse can have. The people we work with often face significant barriers in finding information and seeking support when they are subjected to this kind of abuse, and we are glad to be able to use this funding to extend and expand the information and support available to all victims of conversion practices in the UK.

“The National Conversion Therapy Helpline is a vital lifeline for our community, and we are pleased it will continue to be here for all LGBT+ people who need it.”

The announcement is part of the Government’s mission to keep everyone across the UK safe, and it comes as the Queen’s Speech set out the intention to ban conversion therapy.

Galop was appointed after a competitive open tender process. Their existing Conversion Therapy Victim Support helpline will continue to operate, whilst Government funding is used to develop an instant messenger chat function and online centre of expertise about the damage caused by conversion therapy and how best to support those going through it.