• Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
• If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home

Do not meet others, even friends or family.

You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.

Victims of terrorism will be offered more support including counselling and practical advice on finances and media intrusion, thanks to a new fund announced by the Home Secretary.

Organisations will be able to bid for up to £500,000 this year, to provide advice and support to individuals and their families affected by a terrorist incident.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said:

Victims of terror have suffered more than many of us can ever imagine, which is why I am determined to ensure they receive the support they need.

This funding will allow groups to provide practical and emotional support to individuals as they attempt to work through these traumatic events.

The announcement is part of the Home Secretary’s efforts to improve support for victims of terrorism and follows the announcement in January of £500,000 increased funding for the Victims of Terrorism Unit and a commitment to carry out a comprehensive review of the support available.

Bidders to the fund must be able to provide specialist advice and support to individuals across England and Wales, based on professional judgement and an understanding of the unique needs of victims of terrorism.

In addition to statutory services, there are private and voluntary organisations that offer ongoing support to UK residents affected by terrorism at home or abroad. This new grant scheme will offer additional funding to those charities and organisations that apply successfully to the scheme to help support this important work.

This could include specialist advice and support on dealing with emotional distress, media intrusion, compensation and legal processes.

The competition will be launched in April and the grant will be advertised through Contract Finder.

The Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, with the agreement of the Prime Minister, has today announced the appointment of Alex Chisholm as the new Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office and Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service.

Alex will succeed Sir John Manzoni, whose departure from the Civil Service has been long-planned but who has agreed to stay on to support the Government’s response to coronavirus over the next few months.

Alex is currently serving as Permanent Secretary at the Department of Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, and was previously Chief Executive of the Competition & Markets Authority.

The Chancellor for the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove said:

I am delighted Alex has been chosen as the Cabinet Office’s new Permanent Secretary, and Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service. He is an outstanding public servant who has also had a successful career in business and regulation. I look forward to working with him.

In the medium term, much of Alex’s work will necessarily be coronavirus response related. But Alex will be responsible for supporting ministers to develop and then drive forward a reform programme for the Civil Service, building on the Government’s existing efficiency programme. He will also supervise all the Cabinet Office’s various work programmes including on preparing for the end of the transition period, strengthening the union, and defending our democracy.

I want to add my thanks to Sir John Manzoni for his service. Over the last few years, the cross-departmental functional governance programme has become embedded as part of Whitehall’s machinery, leading to significant savings for the public purse and improved performance. I wish Sir John all the very best for the future.

Welcoming Alex’s appointment, the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service, Sir Mark Sedwill, said:

I have asked Alex to lead the ongoing transformation of the Civil Service to further enhance its efficiency, effectiveness and agility, creating the high-performance, innovative and digitally powered service we need for the times we are in. He will also bring proven leadership skills to help guide and support the 7,000 talented staff who work across the Cabinet Office and its Arm’s Length Bodies.

I would also like to place on record my sincere thanks and appreciation for all that my colleague Sir John Manzoni has accomplished over the last five years in the role. This includes his leadership on Civil Service modernisation, in particular embedding our functional approach and improving our digital and commercial capability, which has been a significant contribution to effective government. I wish him well in the next phase of his career.

Commenting on his appointment, Alex Chisholm said:

I am truly thrilled to be asked to lead the Cabinet Office and Civil Service reform at this time. The present emergency is a powerful reminder of how important the work of Government is to the whole country.

I look forward to working with Ministers, colleagues in the Cabinet Office, Permanent Secretaries across government and public service leaders, to deliver for the government and the public together.

Sir John Manzoni, who has been CEO of the Civil Service since 2014, said:

I wish Alex every success in his new roles. He will benefit from the fact – as I have done – that the UK Civil Service is truly world-class, with brilliantly talented people at every level of the organisation.

It has been a privilege to work alongside so many of them in the Cabinet Office and beyond. Civil servants do extraordinary things every day to serve and support their fellow citizens. We are seeing this demonstrated more than ever as we manage the coronavirus pandemic.

The Cabinet Secretary, with the approval of the Prime Minister, has approved the appointment of Jeremy Pocklington as the new Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

Jeremy succeeds Dame Melanie Dawes who left the Civil Service in February, and has been acting Permanent Secretary since her departure. 

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP said:

Jeremy’s appointment as Permanent Secretary at MHCLG is excellent news for the department and the government.

He is a highly talented and dedicated senior civil servant who has been a great support to me since I became Secretary of State and most recently as we work intensively to respond to Covid.

I look forward to working with him in the months ahead to deliver on the Department’s priorities.

The Cabinet Secretary, Sir Mark Sedwill, said:

I am delighted that Jeremy has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary at MHCLG. He has done an excellent job as Acting Permanent Secretary and will provide much needed leadership continuity to the Department as we support the government in navigating the challenges ahead.

Commenting on his appointment, Jeremy Pocklington said:

I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary at MHCLG.

It’s an honour to be leading the Department as we respond to the nation’s current challenges and support those who need our help most.

MHCLG has a critically important agenda to level up all parts of our country, support local government and deliver the homes the country needs.

I look forward to building on the Department’s welcoming and inclusive culture and working closely with all our stakeholders to deliver for the government and the public.

Jeremy will take up his post with immediate effect.

Jeremy became MHCLG’s Director General for Housing in August 2018.

He has been Acting Permanent Secretary since his predecessor, Melanie Dawes, left the Civil Service in February.

Before that he was Director General, Energy and Security at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Prior to this he was Director General of Markets and Infrastructure Group at the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).