I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, Sultan of Oman.

He was an exceptionally wise and respected leader who will be missed enormously. He will be remembered for his devotion to the development of Oman into a stable and prosperous nation, and as the father of the nation who sought to improve the lives of the Omani people.

I had the pleasure of meeting His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and was struck by his commitment to peace and understanding between nations and between faiths. He leaves a profound legacy, not only in Oman but across the region too.

The UK is a proud friend and enduring partner of Oman, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Omani people.

Published 11 January 2020

The anniversary, which takes place on Sunday 12 January, has also been commemorated at the Houses of Parliament with the Minister of State for the Armed Forces Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister for Defence Veterans and Personnel Johnny Mercer, and Commander Strategic Command General Patrick Sanders.

The Ministry of Defence hosted a reception in a Thameside pavilion at the House of Commons on 9 January to pay tribute to LGBT service personnel, past and present.

Personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, as well as defence civil servants, were joined by senior figures in defence to commemorate the ban on LGB members of the Forces being lifted on 12 January 2000.

Pictures show military buildings, including the Ministry of Defence head office and Navy Headquarters, being lit in rainbow colours. Edinburgh castle and Wellington Barracks will also be lit this weekend and LGBTQ+ flags are being raised.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

The Armed Forces have changed and evolved considerably in recent years to become the diverse, modern employer they are today.

This anniversary is a timely reminder of the fantastic contribution the LGBT community makes to the military, and our commitment to creating a truly inclusive place to work.

Johnny Mercer, Minister for Defence People and Veterans, said:

The only way to perform at your best in the Armed Forces is to put your whole self into what you do, which isn’t possible if you are hiding who you are.

We’re here to celebrate the fact that our Armed Forces are moving towards being even more inclusive and accepting than ever before, ensuring we are equal opportunity employers.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Minister of State for the Armed Forces, said:

When we look at what has already been achieved, we see that what we have witnessed over the last 20 years is nothing less than a culture-change for our Armed Forces.

We are committed to ensuring that every individual who is part of Defence can carry out their vital work free from discrimination and reach their full potential, as they protect our nation and way of life.

20 years ago being gay would have earned a dishonourable discharge from the Armed Forces. As a result of the changes made in the following years, all three services were recognised in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index in 2019, with the Royal Navy reaching 15th.

Among many changes made since 2000, Civil Partnered couples now receive the same benefits as married couples, and since last year same-sex couples have been able to co-habit in all Service Accommodation. Defence has a LGBT+ Champion and a range of active military and civilian LGBT+ staff networks that support personnel. The Parliamentary reception hosted LGBT Armed Forces personnel past and present, as well as Stonewall and members of the Royal British Legion. This event is one of many being hosted throughout the year to celebrate the Ministry of Defence’s commitment the LGBT community.

Today (Friday 10 January) the Home Office is introducing legislation that will shake up how complaints made against the police are handled and improve the discipline system for officers.

The changes, which will come into effect on 1 February, ensure that complaints can be dealt with quickly, effectively and proportionately, not just for the benefit of the public but also for the police.

As well as simplifying the complaints system, the changes mean Police and Crime Commissioners will have a greater role to increase independence and improve complaints handling.

Policing and Crime Minister Kit Malthouse said:

The vast majority of our brilliant police are extremely professional, and standards remain high.

When police forces fall short of these standards, it is important to have a system that can quickly establish what has gone wrong, hold officers to account where necessary and ensure lessons are learned.

These reforms will deliver this and ensure the public can maintain confidence in the integrity of our world-class police.

The reforms will also deliver a more efficient system for dealing with police misconduct, making the investigation processes simpler and therefore quicker, including a requirement to provide an explanation where investigations take longer than 12 months.

Importantly, the reforms aim to make the discipline system more proportionate and encourage a much greater emphasis on learning from mistakes.

National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for complaints and misconduct, Chief Constable Craig Guildford, said:

We have listened very carefully to the views of officers, the public and everyone involved in the complaints process throughout this work. This package addresses the valid concerns over timeliness, accountability and proportionality and puts the focus on learning, reflection and fairness.

These reforms are aimed at all levels across the police service and have come together after work with the Home Office, Police Federation, the IOPC and the Superintendents Association. There will be greater involvement for local supervisors and a move away from punishment and blame for lower level misconduct to a focus on learning and development.

The huge majority of police officers serve the public to the highest standard. Society rightly expects the service to act with honesty and integrity and any instance of gross misconduct falling below that standard will continue to be dealt with robustly.

The Home Office has worked closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), staff associations and others to develop a comprehensive package of improvements. These include:

• simplifying the complaints system, making it easier to navigate and putting a greater emphasis on handling complaints in a reasonable and proportionate manner. An enhanced role for Police and Crime Commissioners will strengthen independence
• further measures to increase the IOPC’s effectiveness and independence in investigating all serious and sensitive matters involving the police
• focusing the formal discipline system on breaches of professional standards that would result in formal disciplinary action, enabling line managers to focus on improving individual learning and behaviours in response to lower level conduct matters – based on a new Reflective Practice Review Process
• there are new provisions to improve the efficiency and transparency of misconduct investigations
• increasing the transparency of appeals against misconduct findings by replacing the current retired police officer as a member of the panel with an independent layperson and introducing new provisions to improve the timeliness and efficiency of proceedings

The College of Policing, as the professional body for the police in England and Wales, has developed training for all officers, HR teams and professional standards departments to support the service in implementing the reforms.

The Queen has approved the appointment of Mr Andrew Selous MP as Second Church Estates Commissioner.

Notes to Editors

Andrew Selous has been a Member for South West Bedfordshire since 2001. He is a confirmed member of the Church of England.

Published 10 January 2020