Diamond Emblem 1 report published

News story

Fatal person overboard from a motor cruiser at Great Yarmouth Yacht Station, River Bure, England.

Today, we have published our accident investigation report into a person overboard after Diamond Emblem 1’s stern made hard contact against the embankment wall at Great Yarmouth Yacht Station on the River Bure on 19 August 2020, resulting in the loss of one life.

The report contains details of what happened, subsequent actions taken and recommendations: read more.

Andrew Moll, Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, said:

Boating holidays provide an excellent way of experiencing the UK’s network of inland waterways and the vast majority of the many trips completed each year are safe and uneventful. However, this tragic accident demonstrates that boating is not without risk. A serious situation can quickly develop from benign circumstances if adequate precautions are not in place to mitigate the risks associated with controlling the boat and preventing people from falling overboard.

Large motor cruisers with sophisticated controls are becoming increasingly common and are often driven by members of the public who have limited or no proficiency in boat handling. It is imperative that complex multi helm controls incorporate appropriate technical features and indications to minimise the likelihood of an inadvertent loss of control. Adequate protection around exposed deck areas is equally important in ensuring that no one falls into the water. Furthermore, handovers, including in-water demonstrations, and hire boat documentation need to be complete and rigorous in order to ensure that hirers have sufficient proficiency to safely handle the vessel in their charge.

Following this investigation, I have made recommendations to enhance the governance, oversight and safety of hire boat operations. I have also recommended to the boat’s operator that they address various aspects of the safe operation of their boats. This includes enhancing its handover procedures and undertaking a thorough assessment of the risks of people falling overboard from its hire craft to ensure that the hazards are appropriately mitigated. Such an assessment is essential to ensuring that another similar accident to this does not happen again.

The above photograph is courtesy of Norfolk Constabulary.

Published 5 May 2022




The UK remains committed to investing in UN conflict prevention and peacebuilding

Mr President, Excellencies, colleagues,

“To take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to peace” – this was the commitment we made in the first sentence of the first article of the United Nations Charter.

But today, two billion people live in countries affected by conflict. Russia’s war of choice in Ukraine has increased that number, and wrought untold suffering on the people of a peaceful country.

The United Kingdom stands with the overwhelming majority of countries around the world in deploring Russia’s aggression and calling on President Putin to cease his senseless war.

Mr. President, few conflicts today are so unequivocal. More often, they are driven by a mixture of political, economic, social and environmental factors. But the vast majority are preventable. And prevention is where we need to focus, if we are to live up to the commitments of the Charter.

This means investing in peacebuilding. This is why we are here today. Because instability jeopardises development and puts lives and livelihoods at risk.

The United Kingdom has been steadfast in its support – political and financial – for United Nations peacebuilding. We have contributed over 230 million dollars to the Peacebuilding Fund since its inception. But the Fund is still sustained by only a handful of major donors. Others need to step up.

As co-Chair of the Group of Friends of the PBF, the United Kingdom is deeply committed to the Fund. But the Fund is not a silver bullet. National governments and international development partners all need to play their part. This includes the UN development system.

The United Kingdom is also working to advance prospects for innovative financing for peacebuilding. And to deepen strategic partnerships with the international financial institutions. In addition to our multilateral contributions, our deep bilateral partnerships focus on durable peace and inclusive development, rather than quick fixes that risk saddling countries with unsustainable debt.

Today, the world can quite literally no longer afford the cost of conflict. The current global economic climate is straining both stability itself, and the resources available to support that stability. This is a dangerous spiral. We need to explore all possible solutions. And we need to increase impact across all resource strands.

The United Kingdom remains fully committed to maximising investment in UN conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

Thank you




UK provides further humanitarian aid focused on most vulnerable in Ukraine

  • £45 million in UK funding confirmed for UN and humanitarian organisations working in Ukraine and the region
  • Support will protect the most vulnerable, including women and children, both in Ukraine and fleeing the conflict
  • Further UK medical equipment, food and other urgent lifesaving aid to be delivered in coming weeks

A package of UK support will help reach the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced today (Thursday 5 May).

United Nations (UN) agencies and charities working on the ground to provide care, support and protection for those in Ukraine and at its borders will receive £45 million in UK funding, as part of a wider package of support.

Nearly 16 million people are reported to be in need of humanitarian assistance within Ukraine. Over five million refugees have arrived in European countries since the conflict started, making it the fastest-growing refugee crisis since the Second World War.

Women and children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and harm. Of the £45 million, £15 million will go to the UN Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), to provide immediate life-saving assistance and help tackle sexual and gender-based violence through targeted services, legal support and crisis accommodation. A further £15m will go to UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, to fund vital services like nutrition for pregnant women and mental health support for children.

The Foreign Secretary is also announcing today that the UK will provide further deliveries of medical supplies, on top of more than five million items already delivered, including wound care packs to treat over 220,000 patients and around 380,000 packs of medicine.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said:

Britain has stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Ukraine throughout this conflict. As one of the largest humanitarian donors we will continue to make sure those bearing the brunt of Putin’s vile war have the lifesaving aid they need.

British aid is supporting the most vulnerable in Ukraine, particularly women and children, who are facing increased risk of sexual violence and exploitation.

These latest allocations mean the UK’s full £220 million package of support has now been committed to governments and partners to deliver support in Ukraine and the surrounding region.

Following a request from the Government of Ukraine, the UK has already committed up to £2 million in vital food supplies like dried food, tinned goods and water to areas of Ukraine encircled by Russian forces. Seventeen trucks of food with over 50,000kg of pasta, 10,000kg of rice, 60,000 tins of corned beef and over 80,000 litres of water have already been delivered.

The UK has already tripled its humanitarian support to Poland, providing £30 million to ensure vital supplies reach those in need, both inside Ukraine and those fleeing the conflict.

We are also playing a critical role providing expert assistance to countries bordering Ukraine. The UK is deploying a specialist team to Poland to assist the Ukrainian government with gathering evidence and prosecuting war crimes, including experts in conflict-related sexual violence.

Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said:

The war in Ukraine has caused immense human suffering and as always, the highest price is paid by civilians. This generous contribution from the United Kingdom will enable the UN’s Ukraine Humanitarian Fund to scale up the delivery of fast, effective and life-saving aid to people who are caught up in this unfolding nightmare.

Managed in-country, the Fund is uniquely positioned to support partners, including front-line local and national NGOs, providing an agile response to the fast changing needs on the ground.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

  • The £45 million funding will support the following organisations to deliver support on the ground:
    • £15 million for the UN Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), to provide immediate life-saving assistance, including healthcare, food, shelter, and water and sanitation, and to help tackle sexual and gender based violence through targeted services and legal support and crisis accommodation for women and girls. This builds on £18.5 million already given to UHF by the UK. The UK is the largest donor to the UHF, with our funding already helping to reach over two million people with lifesaving aid.
    • £15 million for UNICEF to provide protection and support for vulnerable groups including women and children in Ukraine, such as nutrition support to pregnant women, mental health support for children and their caregivers, and access to safe water.
    • £10 million for humanitarian organisations operating in Moldova and other border countries to protect vulnerable groups, including women and children fleeing the conflict, ensuring they can meet their basic needs and that children who are far from their schools at home are able to access education.
    • £5 million for the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) in Ukraine deliver life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable, This includes provision of health care, safe water and shelter, and sexual and gender-based violence services to tackle discrimination, safeguarding and trafficking. This builds on £10 million already given to IFRC by the UK, which has helped to reach more than a million people in Ukraine and the region with food, water, medicine and other relief items.
  • The UK will provide £20 million for humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian refugees temporarily located in Poland, as well as working with the Polish government to provide support inside Ukraine, including basic services.
  • UK funding of up to £3 million is helping provide specialist expertise to the UN through the UN Standby Partnership scheme, including safeguarding specialists, data analysis specialists and experts on cash assistance.



UK and Japan set to rapidly accelerate defence and security ties with landmark agreement

  • PM will host Japanese leader Fumio Kishida in London today as an RAF fly-past marks his first Guest of Government visit to the UK.

  • Leaders expected to agree in principle a landmark new defence agreement to deepen military ties in the Indo-Pacific.

  • UK and Japan expected to agree joint action to help key economies reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies.

  • Meeting will boost trade links as PM announces new trade envoy to Japan and plans to lifts remaining restrictions on food produce from Fukushima.

The Prime Minister will host his Japanese counterpart today to deepen the UK’s relationship with our closest Asian security partner, and rapidly accelerate collaboration across defence, trade and green energy.

The leaders will agree in principle a Reciprocal Access Agreement, allowing Japanese and British forces to work, exercise and operate together, boosting the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific and further safeguarding global peace and security. The UK will be the first European country to have such an agreement with Japan.

The landmark defence partnership, which will see UK and Japanese Armed Forces deploy together to carry out training, joint exercises and disaster relief activities, will build on our already close collaboration on defence and security technology, such as the Future Combat Air System programme.

Symbolic of the UK and Japan’s close ties, the leaders will observe a Royal Air Force fly past and inspect a Guard of Honour as part of the official welcome to the United Kingdom for Prime Minister Kishida. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

As two great island democracies, and the third and fifth largest economies in the world, the UK and Japan are focussed on driving growth, creating highly skilled jobs and ensuring we remain technology superpowers.

The visit of Prime Minister Kishida will accelerate our close defence relationship and build on our trade partnership to boost major infrastructure projects across the country – supporting our levelling up agenda.

As two G7 leaders and each other’s closest security partners in Asia and Europe respectively, tomorrow’s bilateral meetings are expected to focus on Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and how international alliances can continue to exert maximum pressure on President Putin’s regime while supporting Ukraine and other European countries affected by the barbaric invasion.

They are also expected to agree closer collaboration as part of the UK’s Clean Green Initiative, allowing the UK and Japan to work together to support countries in Asia develop renewables, supporting their transition to green energy and helping to provide alternative supplies to Russian oil and gas.

Deepening trade and investment ties, the Prime Minister will also announce a new trade envoy to Japan – accelerating the strong trade and investment relationship between the two countries.

Greg Clark MP has been chosen to spearhead the next chapter between the UK and Japan, as Japanese companies invest billions of pounds into the UK economy through major infrastructure projects, including windfarms and high speed rail. The announcement comes as the UK negotiates accession to CPTPP, an Indo-Pacific trade block worth $11trn. Japan is chair of the UK accession working group to CPTPP.

During the meeting at Downing Street, the leaders are expected to enjoy food products from the Fukushima region, including Japanese popcorn, as part of the marking the lifting of remaining restrictions on food products from the Japanese region.




UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces new Trade Envoy to Japan

Press release

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed a Trade Envoy to Japan.

  • Prime Minister Boris Johnson appoints Greg Clark MP as new Trade Envoy to Japan to reinforce the strong UK-Japan trading relationship.
  • New Trade Envoy will help UK businesses take advantage of opportunities in the third-largest economy in the world.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today (Thursday 5 May) appointed Greg Clark MP as Trade Envoy to Japan.

Clark has held positions in HM Treasury and then the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, where he served as Secretary of State.

The UK has applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), one of the largest and most exciting free-trading clubs in the world. Japan is its largest economy and the UK’s 13th largest trading partner. Strengthening our relationship is key to the UK’s tilt towards the Indo-Pacific region, expected to be home to half the world’s 2.3 billion middle-class consumers by the end of the decade. Trade Envoys promote UK trade and encourage inward investment from across the world.

Clark’s appointment takes the total to 37 Trade Envoys covering 77 markets across the globe. Trade Envoys are parliamentarians appointed by the Prime Minister, drawn from both Houses and across the political sphere. The role is unpaid and voluntary.

UK International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

I welcome the Prime Minister’s appointment of Greg Clark MP as the new Trade Envoy to Japan. Our Trade Envoys play a vital role in promoting Global Britain across the world, and our trade deal with Japan provides huge opportunities for UK businesses.

The Indo-Pacific region is powering global growth, and Japan is a vital partner for us in the region. I look forward to seeing TE Greg Clark’s excellent work there.

Greg Clark MP said:

I am delighted to have been appointed the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Japan. As Business Secretary from 2016 to 2019, I enjoyed strong relationships with Japan as a hugely significant trading partner with the UK. I look forward to building on this in the role, championing UK businesses and creating more opportunities for our two countries to deepen our already strong ties.

Published 4 May 2022