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News story: YJB publishes its business plan for 2017-18

This plan reflects changes to the YJB’s functions which were effective from 1 September 2017.

On 16 November 2017, the YJB published its business plan for 2017-18. This plan reflects changes to the YJB’s functions which were effective from 1 September 2017.

The plan includes some of the achievements and challenges for the youth justice system. Achievements include the substantial fall in the number of children in the youth justice system. Challenges include reducing reoffending rates, the disproportionately high number of children from black and some ethnic minority backgrounds and looked-after children.

The plan sets out what the YJB is doing in 2017-18 which includes a list of business activities. The YJB’s work with the government on its youth justice reforms is a major part of this activity. This means that as well as its planned business activities, the YJB is reviewing how it carries out its functions. This is to ensure that it operates most effectively to meet the needs of children in today’s youth justice system.

Next year the YJB will publish a new strategic plan along with its annual business plan.

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News story: Civil news: housing and debt and/or HPCDS opportunity

Housing and debt services in Buckinghamshire

Expressions of interest are invited from 2013 Standard Civil Contract holders for the delivery of housing and debt services in the Buckinghamshire procurement area.

This opportunity is for the delivery of services until new contracts start on 1 September 2018.

It is open to all holders of the 2013 Standard Civil Contract, and is not limited to current housing and debt providers.

We are interested in hearing from organisations able to meet the requirements of the 2013 Standard Civil Contract in full.

However, we will also consider applications from organisations which feel unable to fully meet the ‘permanent presence’ or the ‘supervisor’ requirements.

Housing Possession Court Duty Schemes

Expressions of interest are also invited from 2013 Standard Civil Contract holders currently delivering housing and debt services.

This is for the delivery of the following Housing Possession Court Duty Schemes (HPCDS) until new contracts start on 1 October 2018:

  • Milton Keynes (delivered at Milton Keynes County Court and Family Court) and/or
  • Blackpool & Preston (delivered at Blackpool County Court and Family Court and Preston Combined Court Centre)

These opportunities are open to all 2013 Standard Civil Contract holders currently delivering housing and debt services, and is not limited to current HPCDS providers.

However, we will give preference to those who hold a HPCDS exclusive schedule at the office from which they bid to run the scheme.

How to apply

You can apply to deliver any of these services by downloading and completing the relevant expression of interest document from our civil tenders’ page on GOV.UK – see below.

Organisations interested in delivering any these services must complete and return the relevant expression of interest document(s) by the deadline of 12pm on Thursday 30 November 2017.

It is important to note that this process is separate to the tender process for 2018 civil contracts.

Further information

civil.contracts@legalaid.gsi.gov.uk – to return the expression of interest document(s)

Civil tenders – to find out more and download documents

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Press release: Disqualification on the menu for Indian restaurant director

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a disqualification undertaking from Mr Muhammad Nazrul Haque effective from 3 November 2017. The disqualification prevents Mr Haque, from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company until November 2023.

Mr Haque’s disqualification follows an investigation by the Insolvency Service which found that he had failed to ensure that relevant immigration checks were completed and documents retained. This resulted in the Home Office issuing a penalty notice for £20,000 for employing two illegal workers.

Kolkata Foods Limited and was placed into Liquidation on 12 December 2016 with an estimated deficiency to creditors in excess of £28,000.

Robert Clarke, Senior Investigator, with the Insolvency Service, said:

The Insolvency Service pursues directors who fail to pay fines imposed by the government for breaking employment and immigration laws. We have worked closely in this case with our colleagues at the Home Office to achieve this disqualification.

The public has a right to expect that those who break the law will face the consequences. If you fail to comply with your obligations then the Insolvency Service will investigate you.

A Home Office spokesperson said:

Illegal working is not victimless. It undercuts honest employers, cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities and defrauds the taxpayer.

Businesses should be aware that they have a duty to check that their staff have permission to work in the UK.

We are happy to work with employers who play by the rules but those who do not should know that they will not go under our radar.

Mr Haque’s date of birth is 21 March 1972 and he resides in Didcot.

Kolkata Foods Limited (CRO No. 09009064) was incorporated on 24 April 2014 and traded as an Indian Restaurant from 222 Broadway, Didcot, OX11 8RS.

Mr Haque was a director from 24 April 2014 to Liquidation. The Company went into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation on 12 December 2016 with an estimated deficiency of £28,895.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

  • act as a director of a company
  • take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
  • be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

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News story: Derailment at Wimbledon

Passenger train derailment near Wimbledon station, south-west London, 6 November 2017.

At around 05:51 hrs on 6 November 2017, the rear coach of a passenger train derailed while it was travelling at around 19 mph (31 km/h). This occurred shortly after the train had left Wimbledon station with approximately 146 passengers on board. The accident caused several minor injuries to passengers and considerable infrastructure damage.

We have undertaken a preliminary examination into the circumstances surrounding this accident. Having assessed the evidence which has been gathered to date, we have decided to publish a safety digest.

The safety digest will shortly be made available on our website.

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Press release: New Operation Stack options set out

Measures that will help improve the road network’s resilience when there are interruptions to services across the English Channel are being set out by Highways England today (Wednesday 15 November).

The steps include a fresh look at options for holding large numbers of lorries at a site near the M20, and an interim solution that would hold freight traffic on the M20 while keeping the motorway open in both directions for other vehicles.

They follow the Government’s announcement today that it has withdrawn its July 2016 decision to approve plans for a lorry area at Stanford West.

Highways England project director John Kerner said:

The disruption that people in Kent suffered in summer 2015 underlines the need for long term improvements to how traffic is managed when cross-channel services are interrupted.

Improvements at the port, and changes we have made to traffic management on the A20 near Dover, have delivered real improvements and have also helped prevent Operation Stack from being implemented. Along with our partners we are better prepared than ever, but a better plan for dealing with more widespread disruption is still needed.

Now that the Government has withdrawn the decision to build a lorry area at Stanford West, we have been asked by the Transport Secretary to immediately develop both an interim and a permanent solution to reduce the local traffic impacts if there is cross-channel disruption.

Highways England is committed to delivering the Government’s aim of finding a solution that makes Operation Stack less disruptive for people and businesses in Kent, and the improvements we are taking forward will help to do just that.

Highways England have developed a number of options that, while continuing to hold HGVs on the M20, would allow non-port traffic to continue to travel in both directions reducing the levels of traffic disruption seen in Operation Stack. This could, for example, be through holding HGVs in the centre of the motorway rather than on the coastbound carriageway. Different technologies ranging from steel barriers to movable barrier systems could be deployed to deliver these solutions.

A decision on the interim option being taken forward will be made in early 2018, with delivery complete by March 2019.

The Transport Secretary has also tasked Highways England with starting the process to develop a permanent alternative to Operation Stack, incorporating a lorry park, through the normal planning process, including a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

Highways England is currently reviewing the scope, scale and location of potential solutions. The work will take into account changes since the original concept of the lorry park was promoted, in particular the UK’s exit from the European Union but also the need for ‘business as usual’ lorry parking in Kent. Specific investment decisions on both the longer-term and interim solutions will be subject to normal considerations of affordability and value for money. Highways England intends to consult on the options in early 2018 with a view to submitting a planning application in 2019.

The measures announced today build on significant progress that has been made in recent years.

Since the unprecedented deployment of Operation Stack in summer 2015, Highways England has installed new traffic lights and lane control at the end of the A20 dual carriageway on approach to Dover. The arrangements, known as Dover TAP, have helped to prevent Operation Stack being called on at least six occasions. Improvements to holding capacity made in the Port of Dover and at Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal have also had a positive effect.

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.

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