Joint statement on conclusions of the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska

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Joint statement from the Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States as well as the EU Special Representative in Sarajevo on the Conclusions of the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska.

The Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States as well as the EU Special Representative in Sarajevo have taken note of yesterday’s Conclusions of the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska.

We reaffirm our commitment to the territorial integrity and fundamental structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a single, sovereign state with two entities which have no right to secede from BiH. At a time when the country is facing many challenges including a pandemic, we call on all authorities to focus on serving the needs of its citizens, including reforms needed for economic recovery and progress on the EU path, rather than divisive statements.

The path ahead for BiH is clearly set out in the European Commission’s Opinion and in the OHR’s 5+2 agenda and that is where authorities seeking the end of international supervision need to focus. In the meantime, we continue to support the roles of both the High Representative and EUFOR. EUFOR’s contribution to peace and stability is still essential in BiH and we continue to fully support their work.

We remind that any decision about the eventual closure of the Office of the High Representative (OHR) is to be taken by the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC). The preconditions for the closure of the OHR are clearly defined in the 5+2 agenda, which must be fully implemented. Until then, the High Representative continues to play a key role in the implementation of the civilian aspects of the Dayton Peace Agreement in line with his mandate and the authority given to him by the international community.

In all of this, the High Representative works closely together with all local stakeholders, including the representatives of the Republika Srpska. We encourage all parties in BiH at all levels of government to maintain a constructive atmosphere and put in the work needed to secure a better future for all citizens.

Published 12 March 2021

New arrangements at visitor moorings on the non-tidal River Thames

During a 12-month trial starting on Wednesday 16 November 2016, Thames Visitor Moorings (TVM), a private company run ‘by boaters for boaters’, will take over responsibility for managing usage and collecting fees at 21 of the 22 visitor mooring sites currently operated by the Environment Agency.

The change will bring significant benefits for boaters and the Environment Agency alike.

Boaters will be able to register their arrival (a condition of use) online or by phone at any time of day, and pay any fees using a debit or credit card, or through Paypal. At present, they must register their arrival with the duty lock keeper, who can also take cash payments for any fees due. This can cause problems however if the lock keeper is off-duty, working off-site, busy with other duties, or if the boater doesn’t have any cash to hand.

For the Environment Agency, the new arrangements are expected to boost the income it receives from its visitor moorings and improve its ability to monitor usage and take enforcement action if necessary.

Nick McKie-Smith, the Environment Agency’s Waterways Operations Enforcement Manager for the non-tidal River Thames said:

I’ve got high expectations of this pilot. We’re using a first rate provider who really understands the needs of boaters, and ourselves.

I’m confident the new arrangements will hugely improve the customer experience and compliance at our visitor moorings, and increase our revenue. It’s good news for boaters, and for us.

The Environment Agency and others provide short-stay visitor moorings to facilitate touring on the Thames. Generally, they allow boaters to stay for up to 3 days for a nominal charge to enjoy the facilities and attractions of the local area, before moving on to another location and freeing up the space for someone else to use.

Unfortunately, some boaters stay considerably longer than the maximum allowed, preventing their fellow boaters from using the moorings for their intended purpose.

The Environment Agency introduced new ‘car park’ style terms and conditions at its visitor mooring sites in 2013 and this has vastly improved compliance. These additional new arrangements will improve the management of these sites even further.

Rex Walden is the owner/operator of Thames Visitor Moorings. A residential boater and former chair of the Residential Boat Owners’ Association (RBOA), Rex is also a member of the Thames Navigation Users Forum (TNUF), a group representing boaters’ interests in regular discussions with the Environment Agency.

Rex said:

I use visitor moorings most of the year. I share the challenges and frustrations of boaters but also understand those of the Environment Agency and the wider riverside community. TVM is born out of my experience. It is genuinely ‘by boaters for boaters’ and is intended to make life easier for all of those who use the river and the organisations who manage it.

I hope our activity will help support the development of new visitor moorings being established and an increase in the number of boats using the river.

The Environment Agency is the navigation authority for the non-tidal Thames, 135 miles of navigable waterway from Cricklade in Wiltshire, near the river’s source, to Teddington in southeast London.

Clear signage at the mooring sites sets out the conditions of their use. The only change to the existing conditions under the pilot scheme is that users must register their arrival with Thames Visitor Moorings, online or by phone, rather than with the local lock keeper. All other existing conditions and charges remain the same. At most sites, mooring for up to one day is free, all or part of a second or third day is £5 for each day, the daily rate from then on is £100.

By mooring at any one of the sites, boaters are entering into a contractual agreement to abide by these conditions, which are enforceable under civil proceedings. Any enforcement action will be carried out by NSL Ltd, under existing arrangements, but under the pilot, Thames Visitor Moorings will assist Environment Agency staff to carry out spot checks to identify any non-compliance, details of which will be passed by the Environment Agency to to NSL Ltd for them to act on.

For media enquiries Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, please call 03708 506 506 After this time, please call the duty communications officer on 0800 141 2743 or email communications_THM@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Recent developments in Belarus: UK statement 11 March 2021

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Nick Elliott joins NDA Board as a Non-Executive Board Member

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has today announced the appointment of Nick Elliott to its Board as a non-executive board member for a 3-year term from 15 March 2021.

This appointment has been made by Kwasi Kwarteng, the Secretary of State for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in consultation with Scottish Ministers.

Dr Ros Rivaz, the Chair of the NDA, said:

“I am delighted that Nick is joining us to support our vital and complex work to decommission the UK’s 17 earliest nuclear sites. He will be a great addition to the NDA Board given his wealth of experience in leading major infrastructure and defence projects.

“We are incredibly thankful to Rob Holden who steps down from his role as a Non-Executive on 30 April. His insight, guidance and commitment have been extremely valuable.”

Nick Elliott said:

“It is a great honour to be joining the NDA’s board. I am hugely excited and privileged to be part of the NDA’s world-leading work in nuclear decommissioning and I am looking forward to playing a part in that mission.”

Nick is an executive and board director with significant experience in leading major businesses across infrastructure, railways and defence. His specialisms include programme and project management, commercial and logistics.

His role on the NDA Board will see him chair its Project and Programmes Committee.

In April 2020, he took on the role of Director General of the UK Vaccine Taskforce before joining Turner & Townsend, the global professional services and programme management specialists, in March 2021 where he is currently Director.

Nick initially trained as a civil engineer and went on to serve as an officer in the Royal Engineers on combat engineering, construction and bomb disposal operations and projects worldwide. He is now a serving member of the Staff Corps, a reserve organisation of business leaders which provides specialist advice to the Armed Forces.

His career includes senior roles in Network Rail and the National Supply Chain organisation. He has previously served as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Submarine Delivery Agency and as a Council Member of the Rail Supply Group.

Investors warned about approaches to recover lost funds

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Investors warned of unsolicited approaches by people falsely claiming they can recover lost investments and are acting on behalf of the Insolvency Service.

The Insolvency Service is aware that scammers have been contacting investors dishonestly claiming to be working on behalf of the Official Receiver or the Insolvency Service, with the false promise of recovering lost funds for an up-front fee.

These approaches are always fraudulent. They are known as recovery room schemes, where someone impersonates a legitimate UK corporate entity and claim that they are representing the Insolvency Service/Official Receiver.

To legitimise their contact, recovery room scammers will send fake letters with the Insolvency Service logo, say they are calling on behalf of the Insolvency Service, impersonate a legitimate employee of the Insolvency Service, and also refer investors to social media accounts of Insolvency Service employees.

Another tactic scammers use is called ‘spoofing’ where the caller ID and telephone number seen by an investor is not the scammer’s details but are legitimate phone numbers used by Insolvency Service or other organisations.

Official Receivers or any agent legitimately instructed to act on their behalf will never ask you to pay an up-front fee to get some or all of your investment back.

The Official Receiver can only make a return to you as a creditor in failed schemes if assets are realised in the liquidation of the company you bought your investment from. If there is a distribution to be made, the Official Receiver will write to creditors letting them know and inviting them to submit a proof of debt.

Paying an up-front fee will not make you a priority creditor – you won’t get paid faster or increase the chance of you getting any money back. If you are asked to pay an up-front fee to get your money back by an organisation purporting to be the Insolvency Service or acting on behalf of the Insolvency Service, someone is more than likely attempting to scam you.

The Insolvency Service will always look to co-operate with other government agencies and prosecuting authorities when we’re made aware of recovery room scammers. You should report to us all fraudulent contact from individuals stating they can get your lost investments back for a fee. You can also report these approaches to Action Fraud.
Where we become aware of recovery room schemes, we will look to warn investors. The Financial Conduct Authority also publishes a list of known fraudulent claims management companies, you can check online if a warning has been posted about the company that approaches you. Just because the company that has contacted you is not on this list does not mean that they are not attempting to scam you.
You can avoid many unsolicited telephone calls by registering your phone number with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). The TPS is the official central opt-out register for people who do not want to receive unsolicited sales and marketing calls and is a free service.

Published 12 March 2021