Appointment of Residentiary Canon at Westminster Abbey: 26 April 2021

Press release

The Queen has approved the appointment of the Reverend Patricia (Tricia) Hillas as a Residentiary Canon at Westminster Abbey.

The Queen has approved that the Reverend Patricia (Tricia) Hillas, Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and Priest in Charge of St Mary at Hill, be appointed as a Residentiary Canon at Westminster Abbey in succession to the late Reverend Canon Jane Sinclair.

Tricia was educated at the University of London and the University of East London and trained for ministry with the North Thames Ministerial Training Course, validated by the University of Middlesex. She served her title at St Mark’s Kensal Rise in the Diocese of London and was ordained priest in 2003.

Tricia was appointed Vicar of St Barnabas, Northolt Park in the Diocese of London in 2005. Additionally, she took on the role of Sub-dean, assisting the Area Dean in the parishes of Greenford, Perivale and Northolt.

In 2014, Tricia was appointed Canon Pastor at St Paul’s Cathedral in the Diocese of London.

In 2020, she took up her current roles as Priest in Charge of St Mary at Hill in the Diocese of London and Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Tricia will fulfil her new role whilst continuing to act as Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle but will relinquish the role of Priest in Charge at St Mary at Hill, City of London.

Published 26 April 2021

DBS has launched an official Facebook page

News story

The page will be used to promote our services.

Decorative image that reads 'DBS has launched an official Facebook page'.

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) has launched an official Facebook page.

The page, which launched today, can be found here, and will be using the account to promote our services, and provide users with the most up-to-date guidance and information.

Customers should continue to use existing communication channels to communicate with DBS if necessary, as opposed to contacting us via Facebook:

DBS is also on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Information about social media use, including how we moderate our accounts, can be found here.

Published 26 April 2021

The IPO’s free online tools helping SMEs take their ideas to market

We are taking this opportunity to explore how the IPO’s IP for Business tools and training can help SMEs take their ideas to market.

It is never too early to consider your intellectual property (IP). Every business starts with an idea. Every business will own or use IP. Your IP can include your web site, business name or logo. IP assets can also include innovative technology, know how, designs and secret recipes.

The IPO’s IP for Business tools show businesses and business advisors how to manage and benefit from IP. They help you:

understand how intellectual property (IP) works
find out what you can protect using patents, copyright, trade marks and designs
understand how to manage and use IP
consider your IP within your business planning
use your IP to protect your investments and products

The IP Health Check will help you identify and understand the IP assets you own in your business. First, complete our simple questionnaires. You will receive a free confidential report full of advice and recommendations.

Businesses and business advisors can learn more about intellectual property rights with our IP Equip e-learning tool. Four simple modules cover the basics of copyright, designs, trade marks and patents.

Does your SME work with other businesses and people? Use our non-disclosure agreement template. Our B2B toolkit provides advice and guidance to help you collaborate with other businesses. This includes preparing for initial discussions and negotiating contracts. It also covers best practice and resolving collaboration issues.

IP can play an important role in equity finance. Investors will want to understand how a business has protected its IP. IP for Investment will help you identify and assess your IP assets in the context of your business strategy.

If you want to trade with other countries, our attaché network can support you. It is important to have the appropriate IP protection for your business when trading in overseas markets.

Is your business involved in university to business research collaboration? Our Lambert toolkit features a set of model agreements and helpful guide.

We have developed our IP Masterclass course for business advisor professionals. This provides them with the competence and confidence to have conversations with businesses about their IP assets.

For more information on how you and your SME can take your ideas to market, why not visit our events calendar?

OPSS supports AMDEA product registration campaign

News story

OPSS is backing efforts to make it easier to contact consumers in the event of a recall.

The UK trade Association for the Manufacturers of Domestic Electrical Appliances AMDEA is raising awareness of how consumer registration of new and in-use household appliances, can help keep homes safe.

Product Registration allows consumers to be contacted more quickly in the event of their appliance being subject to a recall, enabling them to take the appropriate action.

Consumers are being encouraged to register new and in-use household appliances with the manufacturer or using the registermyappliance.org.uk.

A Consumer attitudes to product safety research report undertaken on behalf of BEIS and OPSS found that 83% percent of surveyed respondents who registered a product were primarily motivated by getting or extending a warranty.

The survey also found the reasons respondents did not register appliances was because they did not want to or did not believe it was necessary (46%) or because they did not know they could (17%).

OPSS is working with AMDEA to increase the registration of household appliances by persuading consumers it will help make their homes safer.

The OPSS messages are:

Register all your appliances

Check that all your household appliances are registered so you will know if they have been recalled. Many manufacturers will allow you to register household appliances that are up to twelve years old. Most household products can also be registered through registermyappliance.org.uk.

Check whether small appliances are registered

Faulty toasters and kettles can cause fires. Register with the manufacturer to get recall notices before it is too late.

Landlords make sure your products are covered in properties you own

Check that all the household appliances are registered so that you are contacted quickly if they are recalled.

Check that products are registered in rented accommodation

Check that the owner has registered the household appliances. If they have not you should register the products yourself.

OPSS is keen for others to share the above messages and Product Registration Campaign materials with the hashtag #regmyappliance2021 on social media to encourage consumers to register their household appliances.

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Published 26 April 2021

UK carrier strike group will sail to India on its maiden deployment

As a representation of the ‘Indo-Pacific tilt’ in the UK’s foreign policy, the HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier – the largest ship ever built by the Royal Navy – will sail to India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the wider region. The Carrier will visit West Coast Ports where it will engage in a series of events to maximise bilateral relations benefitting both countries’ trade and political alliances. The ship will conduct a series of joint exercises with Indian Military Forces in the Indian Ocean, expanding our interoperability and enhancing our capabilities to defend against shared threats and protect our democratic values.

Throughout the deployment, the UK will support freedom of passage through vital global trading routes and demonstrate commitment to a recognised international system of norms and behaviours that benefit all countries. It will also help to establish a maritime partnership with India to support our mutual security objectives in the Indian Ocean.

The UK Government’s landmark review of foreign, defence, development and security policy, published last month, committed the UK to becoming the European country with the broadest, most integrated presence in the Indo-Pacific in support of trade, shared security and values.

UK Secretary of State for Defence, Ben Wallace MP, said:

The UK and India are natural defence partners, particularly in world class research, development and training. The Carrier Strike Group’s collaboration with India will build the foundations for this relationship to flourish even further.

The deployment is a symbol of Global Britain in action, and powerfully demonstrates our commitment to India, the Indo-Pacific region, and confronting threats to international order.

Last December, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab travelled to meet Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in New Delhi to make progress towards agreeing a landmark UK-India roadmap for greater joint cooperation, including on defence and security, trade, health and climate change.

Later this year, the UK has invited Prime Minister Modi to attend the G7 Summit in Cornwall, UK, in recognition of India’s role as the world’s largest democracy and as a vital partner to the UK in tackling global challenges like climate change and coronavirus.

The Carrier Strike Group will travel over 26,000 nautical miles from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea, from the Gulf of Aden to the Arabian Sea, and from the Indian Ocean to the Philippine Sea.

Further information

The Strike Group will also comprise Type 45 destroyers HMS Defender and HMS Diamond, Type 23 anti-submarine frigates HMS Kent and HMS Richmond, and tanker and storage ships Fort Victoria and RFA Tidespring.

On the flight deck there will be eight F-35B Lightning II fast jets, four Wildcat maritime attack helicopters, seven Merlin Mk2 anti-submarine and airborne early warning helicopters, and three Merlin Mk4 commando helicopters.

The UK and India have a bi-annual exercise programme across all the services where Indian and British forces undertake joint exercises: Exercise Ajeya Warrior for the Army, Exercise Konkan for the Navy, and Exercise Indra Dhanush for the Air Force.

The UK has the world’s fifth largest defence budget – highest in Europe and second highest in NATO. It is also the second largest defence exporter in the world.

For media queries, please contact:

Sally Hedley, Head of Communications
Press and Communications, British High Commission,
Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021. Tel: 24192100

Mail to: BHCMediaDelhi@fco.gov.uk