Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has met with Defence Ministers from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) nations to provide plans for ongoing support for Ukraine against the invasion from President Putin’s forces.

The ministers discussed what increased measures can be brought forward to support Ukraine against Russia’s brutal assault and how the group will work together to promote European security, complementing NATO activity.

The Defence Secretary met with his counterpart Kalle Laanet in Tallinn, Estonia to discuss the crisis and the impact on wider security across Europe. Like the UK, Estonia has also sent a range of defensive and non-lethal aid to Ukraine to help the country defend itself, providing javelin anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft ammunition as well as food and medical equipment.

Minister Laanet awarded Ben Wallace with the Ministry of Defence Cross of Merit, First Class – the highest decoration conferred by the Ministry – for his commitment to European defence and security.

In Copenhagen, Denmark, the Defence Secretary met with a number of his counterparts from the JEF nations to see off Danish Frigate HDMS Niels Juhl. The vessel is providing a naval escort to support the deployment of Danish land forces in Estonia, where they serve alongside UK troops as part of the recently strengthened NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) battlegroup. The Danish ship will be joined by Royal Navy frigate HMS Northumberland and Swedish corvette HSwMS Karlstad before accompanying a supply ship delivering specialist vehicles and equipment.

Ben Wallace also held a bilateral meeting with the Danish Defence Minister, Morten Bødskov and laid a wreath at the Danish National Memorial in Kastellet, central Copenhagen.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is an attack on our freedoms, our values and the security of Europe. He has sought to break our defensive alliances, which is why now, more than at any point in the history of the JEF, our partnership is so vital.

We are united in our resolve across the JEF nations to support Ukraine. Our values are Ukraine’s values and we will continue to provide lethal and non-lethal aid, alongside sending additional forces to Estonia serving with our Danish allies.

The UK is playing a leading role in supporting Ukraine, including providing defensive anti-tank weapons and non-lethal aid including helmets and medical supplies. Britain has also imposed comprehensive sanctions covering Russian elites, companies and financial institutions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In response to the crisis, the UK has also bolstered its contribution to NATO’s eFP in Estonia, where British and Danish troops have been deployed together alongside other NATO nations since 2018. The JEF supply mission will support this long-standing UK contribution.

The JEF is a coalition comprising of 10 nations working together to deliver forces at high readiness across a range of roles, complementing NATO and European security. Its members are Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK.

Defence Ministers from all ten countries met less than two weeks ago in Belvoir Castle, issuing a joint statement condemning Russia’s aggression towards Ukraine.

The JEF has carried out successful exercises in recent months, including Exercise Joint Protector 2021. In the coming months, militaries will be working together across its core areas of the North Atlantic, High North and Baltic Sea Region, with a particular focus on the upcoming command and control Exercise Joint Protector later in 2022, followed by the Live Exercise JEF Warrior in 2023. JEF will also conduct an exercise demonstrating freedom of movement in the Baltic Sea in a show of the group’s solidarity.

Every local authority across England and Wales is now using the Family Public Law service online to apply for a court order to safeguard the welfare of children.

Launched in 2020 as part of our reform programme, using the online service, MyHMCTS, allows local authorities, courts and legal representatives to access the court information they need at any time and from any location. It makes court proceedings relating to children quicker and more efficient, giving families greater certainty.

Adam Lennon, Deputy Director, Family commented:

COVID-19 has shown the importance of MyHMCTS in providing a modern, flexible service that meets the needs of busy local authority teams. We have already processed almost 6,000 applications through the new system and we know that instant access to documents means cases can progress quicker, leading to more timely decisions for children.

We’re really pleased with the way the service has been adopted. We’ve worked closely with local authorities across England to understand the way they work and listened to their challenges. We used that information to plan a phased approach to introducing the service across the country at a pace that meets their needs.

Benefits of using the service

The service was developed in partnership with local authority legal teams. It provides the flexibility they need to progress cases and allows them to document every stage, improving transparency.

Legal professionals can upload documentation directly to the court file. This means all parties can view reports and court bundles, which contain all the information relevant to the application, and collaborate on draft orders at the hearing to begin the process of deciding the future of the child. Orders can be approved faster as a result, giving more time for parties to comply with directions and providing families with greater certainty.

Existing court proceedings relating to children are also more efficient. Judges receive automatic notifications when applications are received so they can begin assessing information sooner.

The future of the service

As we continue to improve the service, this year local authorities will be able to make placement applications to request a child be placed with a named person. We’ll give local authorities the option to select the court they want to issue applications to, so that they can choose the most appropriate court for their circumstance.

Later this year, local authorities will be able to issue standalone applications for secure accommodation for young people, applications for child assessment and applications to withhold contact with a child in care.

Solicitors will be able to issue standalone applications for discharge of care and applications for supervision or contact with a child in care. This will mean that they can apply in the same way as care proceedings and will not need to make paper applications at the local court.

For more information, you can contact publiclawandadoption@justice.gov.uk.