The Queen is pleased to appoint Major General the Honourable Seymour Hector Russell Hale Monro CBE LVO DL as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Moray to succeed Lieutenant Colonel Grenville Johnston CVO OBE TD, who retired on 28 January 2020.

Major General Monro was born in Edinburgh and educated at Glenalmond College in Scotland. He was commissioned into the Queen’s Own Highlanders in 1970 from RMA Sandhurst and was awarded the Sword of Honour. He commanded the 1st Bn QO HLDRS in Belfast and in the First Gulf War. Subsequently, he commanded the 39 Inf Bde in Belfast and later was the UK’s Director of Infantry. His last military appointment was as Deputy Commander of the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps in Italy.

Major General Monro later became Executive Director of the Atlantic Salmon Trust and Adjutant of The Queen’s Body Guard for Scotland and later Chairman of the Highlanders’ Museum at Fort George where he was responsible for its £2.75 million upgrade project. He has also been Chairman of the Prince’s Trust in the Highlands and of the Findhorn, Nairn and Lossie Fisheries’ trust. He was also on the board of Cairngorm Mountain Ltd.

He was instrumental in establishing The Highland Military Tattoo at Fort George in 2014 and was its Executive Chairman and Tattoo Director until it ceased in 2017. He was also Honorary Air Commodore of 2622 (Highland) Sqn RAuxAF at RAF Lossiemouth from 2008 to 2019.

He is currently Chairman of the Northern Meeting Piping trust. He is also Honorary President of Forres and District Pipe Band, of the Forres Branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland, of Forres in Bloom and of the Brisbane Observatory Trust in Largs. He is also Chairman (Designate) of the Leanchoil Trust which will turn the former cottage hospital in Forres into a Veterans’ Activity Centre and a local community health and wellbeing hub.

The further consultation into Highways England’s proposed Lower Thames Crossing will give people the chance to have their say on latest changes to the multi-billion pound project.

The changes have been made after detailed analysis of the 29,000 responses received during the last consultation held in 2018, and new technical information following surveys and ground investigations.

The Lower Thames Crossing will provide a new 14.3-mile 70mph road connecting Kent, Thurrock and Essex, with the world’s third-widest bored tunnel.

It will almost double road capacity across the River Thames east of London, connecting communities, reducing delays and providing more reliable journeys.

The eight-week consultation began today (00:01 29 January) and will end at 23:59 on 25 March.

People can respond in the consultation by visiting one of 20 events in Kent, Essex and Thurrock, by completing an online survey through the Lower Thames Crossing website, sending a form via Freepost, or sending an email. More details can be found on the Lower Thames Crossing web pages.

Chris Taylor, Director of Highways England’s Complex Infrastructure Programme, said:

The Lower Thames Crossing is Highways England’s most ambitious project in 30 years, designed to improve journeys across the southeast and open up new connections and opportunities for people and businesses.

Getting the views of the local community and businesses is crucial to designing a project that will offer the best value, maximise the benefits for all, while reducing the impact on local communities and the environment. This consultation is a chance for people to review and comment on a number of changes made since our last consultation in 2018, and to help shape this once-in-a-generation project.

The updates to the design include:

• providing direct access between Gravesend and the A2/M2 eastbound, and a redesigned Gravesend East junction and link roads to reduce congestion;
• extending the southern tunnel entrance (in Gravesend) 350 metres south to move the road away from properties in Chalk and reduce impact on protected bird habitats in the Ramsar Marshes and the Thames Estuary;
• removing the rest and service area and maintenance depot after further investigation and consideration of the issues raised during statutory consultation, which means the junction at Tilbury is no longer required;
• moving the alignment of the route between Tilbury and the A13 junction by approximately 60 metres (north-east) to avoid pylons and overhead cables;
• redesigning some slip roads around the A13/A1089 junction to move roads away from properties, improve safety at the junctions, and improve visual impact, and;
• removing one lane southbound between the M25 and A13 junction to reduce the amount of land required, while still providing sufficient capacity.

Other updated plans on show include:

• more details on the construction plans for the Lower Thames Crossing;
• a revised development boundary resulting from of the design changes, proposed utility diversions and additional land required for environmental mitigation, and;
• a set of proposals for maintaining, improving and upgrading the walking, cycling and horse-riding network around the Lower Thames Crossing.

Once the consultation closes in March, Highways England will analyse the new responses ahead of finalising its plans to seek planning consent for the project, through submitting a Development Consent Order (DCO).

As part of the DCO application, Highways England will submit a Consultation Report, explaining how the issues raised during both consultations were considered and responded to.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Legislation creating the powers for the UK to operate as an independent coastal state and manage its fish stocks sustainably outside the EU is being introduced into Parliament today (29th January 2020).

The introduction of the Fisheries Bill delivers a legal guarantee the UK will leave the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) at the end of the Transition Period, in December 2020 – allowing the UK to control who may fish in our waters, and on what terms, for the first time since 1973.

The Bill ends current automatic rights for EU vessels to fish in British waters. In future, access to fish in UK waters will be a matter for the UK to negotiate and we will decide on the rules that foreign vessels must follow.

As well as powers to implement new deals negotiated with the EU and other coastal states, set quotas, fishing opportunities and days at sea, the Bill includes new measures for Devolved Governments and a single set of UK-wide fisheries objectives to ensure that fish stocks, and the marine environment, are better protected.

Changes to funding rules enabling the UK government to provide financial support for the breadth of what is currently funded by the EU’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, such as training and port improvements, are also included in the legislation.

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers said:

This new Fisheries Bill takes back control of our waters, enabling the UK to create a sustainable, profitable fishing industry for our coastal communities, whilst securing the long term health of British fisheries.

Leaving the EU’s failed Common Fisheries Policy is one of the most important benefits of Brexit. It means we can create a fairer system which will allow marine habitats to thrive, with new powers to support our fishing sector and conserve our wonderful Blue Belt at home and abroad.

Fisheries Minister George Eustice said:

The Fisheries Bill gives us the powers to implement our own independent fisheries policy, improve our marine habitats and make decisions based on the health of our fish stocks not vested interests.

For many people in coastal communities, taking back control and leaving the Common Fisheries Policy is at the heart of getting Brexit done, and this Bill delivers for the environment, fishermen and the Union.

Barrie Deas, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said:

The central purpose of the Bill is to give UK Ministers powers to manage UK fisheries after we leave the Common Fisheries Policy. We very much welcome that.

New provisions in the Bill mean the UK will take into account climate change impacts on its fisheries, with a new objective to move us towards ‘climate-smart fishing’ in UK waters. Last year we became the first major economy in the world to pass laws to end our contribution to global warming by 2050 and the Fisheries Bill will complement this.

A new legal requirement for all fish stocks to be fished at sustainable levels is also at the heart of the Bill – delivering on the government’s manifesto commitment to ensure there will be sustainability plans for each fish stock.

The Bill includes powers to ensure fisheries management decisions are taken strategically, for the benefit of the whole marine environment. Fisheries management plans will be will be tailored to the UK’s ‘mixed fisheries’, which have lots of fish stocks swimming together and where certain fishing practices can have a significant impact on the marine environment.

The plans will also recognise that many of our fish stocks are ‘shared stocks’ as they will swim in both the UK’s and other coastal states’ waters. For these stocks, negotiation with other coastal states is crucial as sustainable catches cannot be achieved through UK action alone.

The Bill also boosts the government’s flagship Blue Belt programme by ensuring the Marine Management Organisation has the powers it needs to provide advice and assistance on sustainable fisheries, marine planning, licensing and conservation overseas.

Background information

The Bill’s provisions on sustainable fishing will be underpinned by the requirement for the UK government and the Devolved Administrations to publish a Joint Fisheries Statement to coordinate fisheries management where appropriate, and Fisheries Management plans to achieve sustainable stocks.

The Bill will also ensure:

• EU vessels’ automatic access right to fish in UK waters is removed
• Foreign boats will be required to be licensed to fish in UK waters and will have to follow the UK’s rules
• Fisheries are managed in a sustainable way – balancing social, economic, and employment benefits while preventing the over exploitation of fish stocks
• The UK fisheries administrations will seek to ensure increased benefits from fish caught by UK boats
• Sensitive marine species, such as dolphins, are protected and the bycatch of unwanted fish reduced
• The UK fisheries administrations will continue to collect robust scientific data on fish stocks and shares it to manage shared stocks sustainably
• UK boats can continue to access any part of UK waters, as they do now regardless, whether they are registered in England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland

Following the release of US proposals for Middle East peace, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said:

We welcome the release of the United States’ proposal for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This is clearly a serious proposal, reflecting extensive time and effort.

A peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that leads to peaceful coexistence could unlock the potential of the entire region, and provide both sides with the opportunity for a brighter future.

Only the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian territories can determine whether these proposals can meet the needs and aspirations of the people they represent.

We encourage them to give these plans genuine and fair consideration, and explore whether they might prove a first step on the road back to negotiations.

Further information

Published 28 January 2020

As the United Nations celebrates its 75th Anniversary our ambitions should be high, not least, of course, as this is the decade of action to achieve the SDGs. So we have an opportunity for us all here at the United Nations both to reflect on what 75 years of cooperation have achieved and how well we’ve got to today, but also how to renew this organization for a new generation.

Colleagues, our current way of working is unsustainable, and that threatens the success of the 2030 agenda and the longevity of the United Nations. We believe strongly in the revitalization of the organization. We believe that we must take further steps to streamline the agendas and working methods of this body and align its committees. We need to avoid duplications and overlaps between the General Assembly and ECOSOC. And we need to live up to the commitments made in previous revitalization negotiations, including on streamlining the number of resolutions, side events and reports.

Let me pick up, Madam President, on a couple of points we’ve covered today on Financing for Development. This is an issue of the highest importance for the United Kingdom. We all know there is a $2.5 trillion financing gap for the delivery of the SDGs. And this is the moment to redouble our efforts. Our goal should be to create self-sustaining economies, which can mobilize private sector investment and raise tax. And let me note that at the Africa Investment Summit in London on the 20th of January, attended by 21 African countries, £1.5 billion of British government investments were announced to create 100,000s of jobs and mobilise over £2.5 billion of additional private investment for Africa.

So private sector financing is socially, environmentally responsible, should play a central role in development. And in that context, I note the UK hosting of the COP 26 climate talks later this year where we believe it’s an opportunity to look at green finance and it greening the financial system as a whole. Thank you also for setting out plans to launch a panel on financial integrity. I want to reiterate in this regard the further development of this panel must be undertaken in an inclusive and transparent manner. There is already a significant amount of work going on with relevant UN bodies and other international organisations in this important area, and we would like to ensure a focus on the implementation of those efforts. In particular, the work of the UNODC, the UN Convention Against Corruption, the OECD and the Financial Action Task Force.

Finally, Madam President, let me just set out the continuing importance the United Kingdom gives to the Secretary-General’s reforms and the implentation of them here at the United Nations, in particular in development system reform will have opportunities to discuss those in the boards in the coming weeks. And we look forward to actively participating with our colleagues here in the HRPF, QCPR and of course, working with both you as Presidents of these important organizations.

Thank you very much.