Change of British High Commissioner to The Bahamas: Mr Thomas Hartley

Press release

Mr Thomas Hartley has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in succession to Mrs Sarah Dickson OBE.

Mr Thomas Hartley has been appointed British High Commissioner to the Commonwealth of The Bahamas in succession to Mrs Sarah Dickson OBE who is going to another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Hartley will take up his appointment during August 2022.

Full name: Thomas Hartley

Married to: Jennie Hartley

Children: Three

CURRICULUM VITAE

Date	Role
2018 to present	Accra, Deputy High Commissioner
2015 to 2018	Beirut, First Secretary. Washington, Middle East Foreign Policy Team, Summer 2017
2013 to 2015	FCO, Team Leader, Multilateral Policy Directorate
2012 to 2013	Home Office, Deputy Director, Organisational Change
2011 to 2013	Hartley & Son (career break)
2010	Home Office, Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Baroness Neville-Jones DCMG, Security Minister
2009 to 2010	Home Office, Private Secretary to the Rt Hon Admiral Lord West DSO, Security Minister
2006 to 2009	Ministry of Defence, Team Leader, Strategy Directorate
2005	Civil Service Fast Stream

Published 28 June 2022

Norfolk man fined after fishing illegally during close season

Press release

Angler spotted just inside pause period to allow fish to spawn and develop.

A poster displays the dates of the close season for coarse fishing, alongside an Environment Agency officer with his back to the camera — The angler didn’t abide by the rules on when he could fish

Andrzej Krainski, of Eastern Road, Watton, in Norfolk, was caught fishing during the close season on 15 March 2022 at Swanton Morley on the River Wensum.

The case was heard at Folkestone magistrates’ court, where Krainski pleaded guilty by post. The court fined him £220 and imposed a £34 victim surcharge and £135 in costs.

Krainski was caught fishing on the first day of the 2022 river fishing close season, which is in place to allow an uninterrupted spawning period and helps to protect vulnerable species. It also provides an opportunity for the Environment Agency and partners to carry out projects up and down the country to further enhance habitats vital for improving fish-spawning.

Lesley Robertson, enforcement team leader for the Environment Agency in East Anglia, said:

This case shows we pursue offenders through the courts and won’t hesitate to take enforcement action where anglers break rules. Anyone found fishing illegally may face prosecution and a fine of up to £2,500.

We urge anyone with information about illegal fishing to contact us on 0800 807060.

The Environment Agency carries out enforcement work all year round and is supported by police forces and the Angling Trust. Fisheries enforcement work is intelligence-led, targeting known hot-spots and where illegal fishing is reported.

Anyone with information about illegal fishing activities should report it to our incident hotline: 0800 807060. You can also report it to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Andrzej Krainski pleaded guilty by post to breaching National Byelaw 2 of the Environment Agency Byelaws made on 12 July 2010. The offence was contrary to National Byelaw 6, confirmed 23 March 2010, made pursuant to sections 210 and 211, schedule 25 of the Water Resources Act 1991. He was sentenced at Folkestone magistrates’ court on 27 May 2022.

The closed coarse fishing season runs from 15 March to 15 June inclusive.

Published 28 June 2022

Blueprint for new immigration removal centre

The Home Office has announced initial plans for a new Immigration Removal Centre (IRC) in Oxfordshire.

Today (28 June 2022) the department has started the first stages of the procurement to operate a new IRC on the site of the former Campsfield House.

The new IRC, which will be a secure facility and will accommodate men only, will not be operational until at least late 2023. The Home Office will be engaging local authorities, the local MP, police and other partners as plans are developed.

Tom Pursglove MP, Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration, said:

Those who have abused the immigration system, including foreign national criminals who have devastated the lives of their victims, should be in no doubt of our determination to remove them. This is what the British public rightly expects.

Opening a new immigration removal centre, as part of the New Plan for Immigration, will help ensure there is sufficient detention capacity to safely accommodate individuals ahead of removal.

Detention is an essential part of a fair but firm immigration system and is used to ensure those who have no right to be in the UK, including foreign criminals, are returned, if they refuse to leave voluntarily. Individuals are only returned when the Home Office and, where applicable, the courts deem it is safe to do so.

Once operational, the centre will provide local employment opportunities. Campsfield is anticipated to accommodate up to 400 men, foreign criminals and immigration offenders, in a combination of refurbished and new-build accommodation.

The welfare of all those in immigration detention is of the upmost importance. We will therefore take into account Stephen Shaw’s reviews on welfare in detention as Campsfield is redeveloped. As with all other IRCs, the centre will have a full range of primary healthcare facilities.

Today’s announcement comes as the new powers as part of the Nationality and Borders Act come into force which will strengthen our ability to deter illegal immigration, tackle criminality and secure our borders.

Hajj pilgrims urged to be mindful of MERS-CoV advice

News story

UKHSA is reminding Hajj pilgrims to be aware of the risk of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The risk of infection to UK residents travelling to the Middle East remains very low – the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), the National Travel Health Network and Centre (NaTHNaC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) do not currently advise any travel restrictions to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) in relation to Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV).

We urge pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah to look out for these symptoms:

fever
coughing
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

If individuals experience these symptoms within 14 days of leaving the KSA, they should call their GP immediately or NHS 111 and mention their travel history.

Camels can be a source of infection, so avoiding contact with them as well as not consuming any camel products will help you from contracting MERS-CoV.

MERS-CoV can also spread person-to-person if there is close contact, so it is important to practise good hand and respiratory hygiene – this includes covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing and washing your hands with soap and water regularly.

Dr Gavin Dabrera, lead for MERS-CoV at UKHSA, said:

We strongly advise travellers to avoid contact with camels and consumption of camel products in the KSA and to practise good hand hygiene.

Pilgrims returning from Hajj and Umrah with symptoms of fever and cough or shortness of breath within 14 days of leaving the KSA, should call their GP immediately or NHS 111 and report their travel.

Dr Dipti Patel, director of NaTHNaC, said:

Our information sheet for pilgrims includes information on health regulations, vaccine requirements and recommendations and other general health advice for those planning to travel for Hajj and Umrah.

Pilgrims are strongly advised to follow our specific guidance about staying safe and healthy when travelling.

Published 28 June 2022

Contingent liabilities – one year on

The Contingent Liability Central Capability (CLCC) has just published its inaugural progress report. It summarises the CLCC’s achievements and sets out a vision for the coming years.

The CLCC was established in UK Government Investments (UKGI) in partnership with the Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) in 2021.

Managing risk

Government’s contingent liabilities are complex and varied. It is vital that when government takes on risk, the risk is well understood and managed.

Estimating the likelihood of an event occurring, the timing and potential costs requires finance teams to undertake complex analysis on the outcome of uncertain future events.

Skills and expertise

The government is leading the way in seeking to drive efficient management of its balance sheet. The CLCC has a key role to fulfil in supporting these objectives.

It brings together a unique combination of skills and expertise of people who analyse and advise on the government’s contingent liabilities including:

actuaries seconded from GAD
credit risk experts
Civil Service policy and analytical professionals

Report results

The interim report includes some examples of how the CLCC has given advice on new and existing contingent liabilities which the government holds.

This includes using loss estimates provided by GAD to inform advice given to government departments.

An example is the work GAD carried out around the government’s indemnity to nuclear operators for personal injury liabilities 10 to 30 years after an incident. The CLCC, using loss estimates provided by GAD, advised government departments on practical ways of dealing with these contingent liabilities. This included fair allocation of risk and reward between private sector insurers and the government.

Actuary Jacqui Draper led on the nuclear risk project. “We undertook extensive modelling of the 10 to 30 years personal injury indemnity before adapting our model to allow for a risk-sharing arrangement between industry and government.”

Achievements

The report sets out the CLCC’s first year achievements, the current landscape of contingent liabilities across government and its future work.

Siobhán Duffy, Director, Contingent Liability Central Capability said: “We are proud of what we have achieved in the first 12 months as a new unit within government. However, delivering our objectives will be a multi-year effort requiring further close collaboration with departments.”