ในวันที่ 26 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2564 นายโดมินิก ราบ รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงการต่างประเทศและการพัฒนาของสหราชอาณาจักร ได้แถลงคว่ำบาตรผู้คอร์รัปชันชุดแรกภายใต้นโยบายใหม่เพื่อต่อต้านคอร์รัปชันทั่วโลก หรือ The Global Anti-Corruption sanctions regime โดยนโยบายนี้ทำให้สหราชอาณาจักรคว่ำบาตรผู้ที่มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องกับการคอร์รัปชันร้ายแรงทั่วโลกได้แบบเฉพาะบุคคลด้วยการห้ามเดินทางเข้าประเทศ ระงับทรัพย์สิน และระงับธุรกรรมทางการเงินผ่านธนาคารสหราชอาณาจักร เพื่อไม่ให้ผู้ก่อการคอร์รัปชันสามารถได้รับประโยชน์จากระบบเศรษฐกิจของสหราชอาณาจักร

การคอร์รัปชันส่งผลเสียต่อบุคคล ประชากร และระบบเศรษฐกิจโลก บ่อนทำลายประชาธิปไตยและหลักนิติธรรม เป็นภัยต่อความมั่นคงของชาติ รวมไปถึงส่งผลให้เกิดอาชญากรรมระดับองค์กรและทวีความขัดแย้งให้รุนแรงมากขึ้น กว่าร้อยละสองของผลิตภัณฑ์มวลรวมทั่วโลกเสียไปกับการคอร์รัปชันทุกปี และทำให้ต้นทุนในการดำเนินธุรกิจของแต่ละบริษัทเพิ่มขึ้นถึงร้อยละสิบ

นโยบายใหม่นี้จะให้สิทธิ์แก่สหราชอาณาจักรในการจัดการกับการคอร์รัปชันร้ายแรงได้ โดยเฉพาะกรณีการติดสินบนและการยักยอกทรัพย์สิน การจัดการนี้จะช่วยผลักดันระบบการปกครองที่มีประสิทธิภาพ เสริมสร้างสถาบันประชาธิปไตยและหลักนิติธรรมให้เข้มแข็งยิ่งขึ้น และแสดงให้เห็นถึงจุดยืนในการเป็นผู้นำผลักดันสิ่งที่ถูกต้องของสหราชอาณาจักรในเวทีโลก

นายโดมินิก ราบ รัฐมนตรีกระทรวงการต่างประเทศและการพัฒนาของสหราชอาณาจักร กล่าวว่า

“การคอร์รัปชันส่งผลกระทบให้การพัฒนาเป็นไปได้อย่างเชื่องช้า ทำลายความมั่งคั่งของประเทศรายได้น้อยและทำให้ประชากรของประเทศเหล่านั้นต้องติดอยู่กับกับดักความยากจน และสร้างผลเสียแก่รากฐานประชาธิปไตย

“บุคคลที่เราได้คว่ำบาตรไปนั้นเป็นผู้มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องกับหลายกรณีคอร์รัปชันที่ฉาวโฉ่จากทั่วโลก

“สหราชอาณาจักรจะยืนหยัดเพื่อประชาธิปไตย หลักธรรมาภิบาลและหลักนิติธรรม เราจึงขอสื่อสารไปยังผู้มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องในการคอร์รัปชันว่าเราจะไม่ยอมให้คุณและเงินจากคอร์รัปชันของคุณได้อยู่ในประเทศของเรา”

มาตรการคว่ำบาตรใหม่นี้จะทำในรูปแบบเฉพาะบุคคล สหราชอาณาจักรจึงสามารถคว่ำบาตรผู้กระทำความผิดโดยตรงได้โดยไม่จำเป็นต้องคว่ำบาตรทั้งประเทศนอกจากนี้ สหราชอาณาจักรจะดำเนินการบางส่วนโดยสอดคล้องกับสหรัฐอเมริกาซึ่งได้ประกาศนโยบายคว่ำบาตรการคอร์รัปชันเพิ่มเติมในวันเดียวกัน การที่ทั้งสองประเทศออกมาตรการสอดคล้องกันเช่นนี้เป็นการส่งสัญญานอย่างชัดเจนว่าการคิดจะคอร์รัปชันนั้นมีผลเสียมหาศาล

การคว่ำบาตรชุดแรกของสหราชอาณาจักรกระทำต่อบุคคล 22 คน รวมทั้งผู้มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องกับการโกงภาษีครั้งมโหฬารในรัสเซีย การคอร์รัปชันยาวนานในแอฟริกาใต้ และการคอร์รัปชันในละตินอเมริกาที่เอื้อประโยชน์ให้กับองค์กรลักลอบค้ายาเสพติดขนาดใหญ่

นโยบายคว่ำบาตรเพื่อต่อต้านคอร์รัปชันนี้ถือเป็นการต่อยอดจากนโยบายคว่ำบาตรกลุ่มผู้ละเมิดสิทธิมนุษยชนทั่วโลก (the Global Human Rights sanctions regime) ที่สหราชอาณาจักรเริ่มใช้เมื่อในเดือนกรกฎาคม ปีพ.ศ. 2563 ซึ่งส่งผลให้สหราชอาณาจักรดำเนินการคว่ำบาตรปัจเจกบุคคลและกลุ่มต่าง ๆ จากการละเมิดสิทธิมนุษยชนไปกว่า 78 กรณี รวมถึงกรณีในเมียนมา เบลารุส จีน และรัสเซีย

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is sending out about 2.5 million annual renewals packs to tax credits customers from this week. Customers should check their details in the renewal pack and report any change in circumstances to HMRC.

The packs will be sent out over the next 6 weeks and all customers should receive their pack by 4 June.

HMRC recognises that many tax credits customers will have been affected by the pandemic and may have earned less money than in previous years. It is important that customers check the details contained in their annual renewal pack are correct, including income details.

Renewing online is quick and easy. Customers can log into GOV.UK to check on the progress of their renewal, be reassured it is being processed and know when they will hear back from HMRC. Customers can also use the HMRC app on their smartphone to:

• renew their tax credits
• check their tax credits payments schedule
• find out how much they have earned for the year

Tax credits help working families with targeted financial support, so it is important that people don’t miss out on money they are entitled to.

If there is a change in a customer’s circumstances that could affect their tax credits claims, they must report the changes to HMRC. Circumstances that could affect tax credits payments include changes to:

• living arrangements
• childcare
• working hours
• income (increase or decrease)

Customers do not need to report any temporary falls in their working hours as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). They will be treated as if they are working their normal hours until the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme closes.

Criminals can take advantage of tax credits renewals to text, email or phone taxpayers offering ‘rebates’ or threatening them with arrest if they don’t pay bogus tax owed. Many scams mimic government messages to look authentic.

If someone contacts a customer claiming to be from HMRC, asks for bank or other personal details, threatens arrest or demands that they transfer money, it might be a scam. Check GOV.UK for HMRC’s scams checklist, and to find out how to report tax scams and recognise genuine HMRC contact.

Further information

Visit GOV.UK for more information on tax credits.

The deadline for customers to renew their tax credits is 31 July 2021. If customers haven’t received their renewal pack by 4 June, they will need to contact HMRC.

Customers can get help and information on renewing tax credits:

• on GOV.UK: manage your tax credits
• using our webchat service, by going to GOV.UK and searching ‘tax credits general enquiries’
• by tweeting @HMRCcustomers or posting on HMRC’s Facebook page with general queries
• by using the HMRC app, available via your phone’s app store
• by visiting our YouTube videos to help with their renewal
• by calling the tax credits helpline: 0345 300 3900

Contact HMRC straight away if you disagree with any of the information in the letter or need to tell us about any changes.

Tax credits will gradually be replaced by Universal Credit. Customers cannot receive tax credits and Universal Credit at the same time. Visit GOV.UK for more information on Universal Credit.

People can also follow the National Cyber Security Centre’s 6 essential steps to keep themselves and their businesses secure online by visiting CyberAware.gov.uk.

General Aviation (GA) is often referred to as the ‘grassroots’ of aviation and is the bedrock to our successful and world-leading aviation sector.

It’s worth nearly £4 billion to the UK economy, supporting nearly 40,000 jobs. The hundreds of aerodromes up and down the country form an important part of the nation’s transport infrastructure.

General Aviation provides the entry point for careers in aviation and is fundamental to inspiring the next generation of aviation professionals. It supports vital services from law enforcement to life-saving airborne medical and search and rescue teams, and provides future pilots, engineers and other highly skilled professionals a first glimpse of a potential career in aviation.

Therefore, it is only right that the government’s vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for General Aviation as a flourishing, wealth-generating and job-producing sector of the economy. Our ambitions remain high and we have set out our priorities and how we can achieve these in the government’s General Aviation Roadmap, which I am pleased to announce. The roadmap sets out our vision and strategic priorities for the sector, alongside our ambitious programme of work that will help us to deliver this. We will work alongside the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and our GA stakeholders to achieve these ambitions.

I also wish to set out the government’s view that it is clear from the success of our aviation sector there is a national need to protect and enhance our strategic network of GA airfields – to ensure they continue to prosper and drive the economic growth this country needs and to support levelling up right across the country.

Airfields offer potential for highly skilled, dynamic and innovative businesses to grow and flourish – for manufacturing and maintenance of aircraft, aviation services, and for research and innovation.

At the heart of these efforts, we will work with airfields to strengthen their economic and strategic value both locally, regionally and nationally by supporting their development, and promoting mixed-use where there are benefits from offering their unique infrastructure to the wider community including for business, education, cultural and recreational activities. There are already several airfields within the UK, which share their infrastructure with a wide range of industries, as well as providing vital services to other government services. These airfields and many more are not just important to their local economies, but also critical to the success of the aviation sector.

General Aviation will also play a crucial part in our government’s focus on innovation and decarbonisation. Trialling, testing and rolling out the next generation of zero emission technologies within General Aviation will support their development and pave the way for their wider adoption in larger commercial-scale operations – supporting decarbonisation of the wider sector and economy. This will help us reach our net zero target by 2050.

More widely, many aerodromes have been affiliated with operations during World Wars 1 and 2 and have since hosted heritage assets through the form of museums or have become designated historical sites. It is important these sites, which are so important to our heritage are able to thrive and grow to be enjoyed and appreciated by generations to come.

Our aviation heritage is rich, deep and rightly a source of great national pride. Looking forward, the government’s vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for General Aviation as a flourishing, wealth generating and job-producing sector of the economy.

Today (April 27) Minister for Investment Gerry Grimstone has announced the creation of an Investment Council to act as an advisory body to the UK Government on foreign investment, to improve and enhance the UK’s business environment for foreign investors. 

Made up of private sector senior leaders from around the globe in a variety of industries – from technology and energy to infrastructure and financial services – the Council will cement the investor lens in the Government’s inward investment strategy.

The Council, led by Minister Grimstone, will meet twice a year and on an ad hoc basis to provide high-level strategic advice to the Department for International Trade and wider government, operating alongside the recently formed Office for Investment. 

Members will share their experiences in the UK market and views on UK competitiveness, and advise on policy and regulatory changes that could improve the attractiveness of the UK for foreign investors. The aim of the council will be to drive investment into priority areas and sectors, levelling up the whole of the UK through an investment-led recovery. 

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: 

Alongside the Office for Investment, this Investment Council led by Minister Grimstone is a major leap towards ensuring foreign investors are heard and fostering a business environment that is fair and drives innovation and economic growth across the UK. 

Together with our recently established Trade and Investment Hubs, the Investment Council and the Office for Investment signal to our global partners that the UK is ready and open for business as an independent trading nation.  

Minister for Investment, Gerry Grimstone said: 

Investment sits at the heart of our economic recovery. It drives jobs, innovation, and helps to level up the whole of the UK. 

The Investment Council will deliver the expertise of influential global investors right to the heart of Government, offering invaluable private sector insight on how we can make the UK the best place to invest as we build back better, and stronger, from Covid-19. 

The Council will help to ensure that the UK remains one of the most attractive investment destinations in the world and that foreign investment continues to support jobs across the country, with FDI alone creating a total of 56,117 jobs in the last financial year. Outputs from the first meeting will be shared across Government to inform strategy.

The unpaid Council members have been selected in strict accordance with Cabinet Office guidance covering on direct ministerial appointments. The members include: 

• Katherine Bennett, CBE, Senior Vice President UK , Airbus 
• Anne Glover, CBE, CEO, Amadeus Capital Partners
• Andrew Sillitoe, Co-CEO, Apax 
• Gert Dijkstra, Senior Managing Director, All Pensions Group 
• Christian Salbaing​, Deputy Chairman, Hutchison Whampoa (Europe) Limited
• James Bardrick, Head of Citi UK, Citi 
• Tara McGeehan, UK President, Conseillers en gestion et informatique (CGI) UK and Australia
• Alain Carrier, Senior Managing Director & Head of International & Europe​, CPP Investment Board 
• Frank Appel, CEO, Deutsche Post DHL 
• Sam Hockman, CEO Futures & The Public Sector, Engie
• Alison Kay, Managing Partner for Client Service UK&I, Ernst and Young 
• Chow Kiat Lim, CEO, GIC
• Marc Waters, Managing Director, UK, Ireland, Middle East & Africa, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
• Alistair Dormer, Executive Vice President, Hitachi 
• Mark Tucker, Group Chairman, HSBC 
• Ignacio S. Galan, Chairman & CEO, Iberdrola Energy 
• Georgiana (JoJo) de Noronha, President Northern Europe, The Kraft Heinz Company
• Nigel Wilson, CEO, Legal and General 
• Paul Livingston, CEO, Lockheed Martin UK
• Shemara Wikramanayake, CEO​, Macquarie Group 
• Dr Anish Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Mahindra Group
• Mohamed Mansour, Founder and Chairman, Man Capital  
• Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice Chancellor, The University of Manchester / Chair of the Russell Group of Universities  
• Julia Prescot, Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Meridiam
• Hirohiko Miyata, Chief Representative of Europe Bloc; Managing Director of Mitsui & Co. Europe PLC, Mitsui & Co. Europe PLC
• Clare Woodman, CBE, Head of EMEA and CEO, Morgan Stanley 
• Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Deputy Group CEO (Alternative Investments and Infrastructure), Mubadala Investment Company
• Stefano Agostini, CEO, UK & Ireland, Nestle  
• Jason Goodall, Board member and former Global CEO, NTT Ltd
• Alexis Dormandy, CEO, Oxford Sciences Innovation 
• Annette King, CEO UK ​ and Chair: Creative Industries Trade and Investment Board (CITIB), Publicis Groupe UK 
• Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, CEO, RWE Renewables
• William Vereker, Chair, Santander UK
• Liv Garfield, CBE, CEO, Severn Trent Water
• Carl Ennis, CEO, Siemens GB&I
• Jon Parr, President Global Crop Protection, Syngenta
• Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of the Board of Tata Sons, Tata Sons 
• Allison Kirkby, President and CEO, Telia Company AB
• Eva Lindholm, Group Managing Director, Head of Wealth Management UK and Jersey, UBS 
• Robin Watson, CBE, CEO, Wood

Later this year, the UK will host a Global Investment Summit to secure foreign investment in UK green industries of the future. Hosted by the Prime Minister and supported by members of the Royal Family, the summit will galvanise foreign investment in the UK’s green tech and renewable energy industries ahead of the COP26 Climate Summit. 

Jojo de Noronha, President Kraft Heinz Northern Europe said: 

I am hugely supportive of the purpose behind the UK Investment Council. With three manufacturing sites in the UK, including Europe’s largest food factory based in Wigan, we continue to make multi-million-pound investments in state-of-the-art manufacturing to support our growth as well as our ESG commitments.  

I believe we can make a valued contribution to ensuring that investment in the UK drives growth and economic opportunity.”   

Marc Waters, Managing Director, UK, Ireland, Middle East and Africa of Hewlett Packard Enterprise, said: 

At this pivotal moment for the UK’s future in the global economy, the need for sustainable inward investment is more important than ever.  

It is positive to see Government increasing focus on ensuring the UK maintains its competitive advantages in the investment landscape. I look forward to working with this diverse group of business leaders to support Government efforts to bolster UK PLC.” 

 Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, CEO, RWE Renewables GmbH, said: 

I am delighted to be joining the UK Investment Council. The UK is one of the key strategic markets in which RWE is committed to expanding its renewables portfolio. 

Through our investments we are dedicated to helping the UK Government achieve its target to quadruple offshore wind capacity to 40 gigawatts by 2030.  

The Council will help create the right framework for sustainable investment.” 

Annette King, CEO of Publicis Groupe UK, said:  

Maintaining the UK’s attractiveness to foreign investors is vital for productivity, innovation and of course jobs.  

As we emerge from the pandemic, we have a responsibility to build back better, and ensure we are creating the right conditions to attract a wide range of international investment.  

The Investment Council is a smart way to facilitate the right level of private sector input.