HM Government

Theresa May will today urge internet firms to go ‘further and faster’ to stop the spread of terrorist material – including the development of new technology to stop it from ever appearing on the web in the first place.

The Prime Minister will co-host a meeting on preventing terrorist use of the internet today (Wed 19 September) at the UN General Assembly in New York, with French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

She will welcome the progress made by the biggest internet companies towards stopping the spread of terrorist content.

But the Prime Minister will say that the internet firms can still do more to stop the spread of evil material by groups such as Daesh which promotes terrorism or provides information on how to make bombs or attack pedestrians with vehicles.

In particular, she wants them to ‘develop new technological solutions to prevent such content being uploaded in the first place.’

Britain, France and Italy will also say that, where terrorist content does appear, they want a target of one to two hours for taking it down. This is the period during which most of the material is disseminated.

The PM-hosted event will be attended by a string of the world’s biggest tech companies.

They include Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter, who in June agreed to the establishment of a new Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism. Google will also play a key role.

The Prime Minister will tell the event that Daesh material is still available on the internet for ‘too long’ after being posted.

She will also warn firms that, as they remove content more quickly, terrorist groups will adapt – and the tech firms must do the same.

She will say:

Terrorist groups are aware that links to their propaganda are being removed more quickly, and are placing a greater emphasis on disseminating content at speed in order to stay ahead.

Industry needs to go further and faster in automating the detection and removal of terrorist content online, and developing technological solutions which prevent it being uploaded in the first place.

Internet companies are already making progress towards the automatic identification of terrorist content.

Google and YouTube have announced they are increasing their use of technology to help automatically identify videos.

Twitter suspended 299,649 accounts between Jan 1 and June 30 this year. Some 75 per cent of accounts were suspended before their first Tweet.

Facebook have also stated publicly that they are looking at developing artificial intelligence to automate the identification of terrorist material.

The Prime Minister will also urge other world leaders to join the battle against online extremism.

Speaking ahead of the event, she said:

We need a fundamental shift in the scale and nature of our response – both from industry and governments – if we are to match the evolving nature of terrorists’ use of the internet.

I call on others to join the UK, France, and Italy in pledging their support for this approach.

This is a global problem that transcends national interests. Governments must work with and support the efforts of industry and civil society if we are to achieve real and continuing progress and prevent the spread of extremism and terrorist use of cyberspace.

In order to succeed, we must be united in our determination to fight terrorist exploitation of the internet.’

Today’s meeting follows pressure from the Prime Minister for action at the G7 summit in Italy earlier this year.

In the wake of the cowardly attacks on London, Manchester and other global cities, the internet firms agreed to the establishment of the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism in June.

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The governments of the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have announced a new Military and Security Cooperation Agreement, signed today in Jeddah by the Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon and the Saudi Crown Prince HRH Mohammed bin Salman.

Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon said:

The security of the GCC, of all Gulf Countries, is critical to UK security. I am delighted to have signed today with HRH the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia a new Military and Security Cooperation Agreement between our two countries; this Agreement further cements the UK’s long standing relationship with our key Gulf partner.

The agreement will promote cooperation between our two countries across the Defence and Security sectors, helping Saudi Arabia better protect her national security, including counter-terrorism, intelligence, training and education, medical services and logistics.

The agreement was signed during a wider visit to the Middle East, in which the Defence Secretary met British personnel serving in Iraq. He also visited the Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, where the UK is working closely with US as the two largest contributors to the Coalition’s military campaign.

During his time in Iraq, Sir Michael met with personnel from the Mercian Regiment, Engineer Regiment, Intelligence Corps, and Medical Regiments at Erbil and Taji where they have been involved in training Iraqi Security Forces, Kurdish Forces and Ninewah police.

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The Prime Minister will co-host a reception for Commonwealth leaders tonight in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York where she will set out the need for a wholesale revitalisation of the Commonwealth if it is to thrive and serve its 2.4 billion citizens into the 21st century.

She will also launch the theme for the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting – Towards a Common Future – and set out the four main goals for the summit, due to be held in the UK next spring:

• prosperity:

  boosting intra-Commonwealth trade and investment

• security:

  increasing cooperation across security challenges including global terrorism, organised crime and cyber attacks

• fairness:

  promoting democracy, fundamental freedoms and good governance across the Commonwealth

• sustainability:

  building the resilience of small and vulnerable states to deal with the effects of climate change and other global crises

The biggest meeting of Heads of Government the UK has ever hosted, the summit will take place in iconic venues in London and Windsor including Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle from 16-20 April 2018. It will bring together up to 52 Commonwealth leaders, up to 52 Foreign Ministers and thousands of people from across business and civil society, representing the Commonwealth’s vibrant and diverse global network.

Also speaking at the reception will be co-host Prime Minister Muscat of Malta as the current Commonwealth chair, the Commonwealth Secretariat Secretary-General, and youth representatives drawn from across the Commonwealth who will help to deliver the Commonwealth Youth Forum at next year’s summit.

In her speech, the Prime Minister will outline the need for the Commonwealth to have a clearer purpose, and be better able to address the global challenges we face. With 60% of its population under 30, she will also talk about the need for the Commonwealth to respond to the concerns and priorities of its young people.

Speaking ahead of the reception, the Prime Minister said:

As the world changes, so must the Commonwealth if it is to rise to the new challenges that the 21st century presents. It is the responsibility of all members to ensure we are working together towards a common future that will meet the needs of all our peoples, particularly our youth. I look forward to this unique organisation coming together at next year’s Heads of Government Meeting to pursue an ambitious agenda for a more prosperous, secure, fair and sustainable future for everyone.

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Mark Hugh Collie, director of Linoland Limited, a flooring factory outlet store in Glasgow, has given an undertaking to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy that he will not act as a director of a company for a period of 4 years, beginning 24 August 2017.

Collie’s disqualification comes after an investigation found he failed to ensure the company complied with its statutory obligation to file VAT returns and make payments in full to HM Revenue & Customs as and when due, short-changing the public purse by over £200,000.

On 17 August 2016, Linoland Limited, with liabilities of £221,877, was placed into compulsory liquidation following a winding up petition lodged by the company itself. Collie was the sole director during the company’s existence.

An investigation conducted by HMRC found that between 1 October 2010 and 31 January 2016, when Linoland failed to submit its VAT returns, Collie also concealed sales and purchase transactions from Linoland’s accounting records and annual accounts.

On 14 December 2015, HMRC issued Corporation Tax assessments for three consecutive tax years between 31 July 2011 and 31 July 2013, for tax due on concealed profits totalling £64,455, which attracted penalties of £39,357.

On 27 May 2016, HMRC issued a VAT Notice of Assessment for the period 1 October 2010 to 31 January 2016 in the sum of £97,047 for lost revenue which Linoland had to pay unless the outstanding VAT returns disclosing the true position were submitted.

Collie failed to submit the outstanding VAT returns or make payment of the assessments issued by HMRC and on 25 July 2016 he chose to put Linoland into liquidation, leaving HMRC with an outstanding liability of £202,859. HMRC believes Collie personally benefitted from £164,827 of this money.

Robert Clarke, Head of Company Investigation at the Insolvency Service said:

The majority of businesses pay their taxes and rates as required. However some, such as Linoland Limited, don’t play by the rules and want an unfair advantage over their competitors. In this case the director has taken monies from the company that ought to have been paid to HMRC to be spent on public services.

This ban should serve as a reminder to any directors tempted to do the same: the Insolvency Service will vigorously investigate you and seek to remove you from the marketplace.

Notes to editors

Linoland Limited (CRO No SC344188) went into compulsory liquidation on 17 August 2016 with a deficiency to creditors of £216,132. The company was incorporated to retail floor coverings.

Mark Hugh Collie is of Glasgow and his date of birth is 15 September 1971.

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.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

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Ben Michael Winchester, who failed to ensure his company did not make unsolicited phone calls to the public, has been disqualified as a result.

He has given an undertaking to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, which prevents him from being directly or indirectly involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company for six years from 24 July 2017.

Winchester was the director of Falcon and Pointer Limited from June 2015 until he resigned on 9 October 2015. During that time he failed to ensure that the company complied with the Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2014 and as a result the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) received 5,535 complaints about automated direct marketing calls made by the Company. An audit undertaken by the Claims Management Regulator (CMR) in October 2015 further identified that the company was making unsolicited voice broadcast calls.

On 21 March 2016 the ICO issued a fine as a result of the above breaches for £175,000 but this remained unpaid by the date of the liquidation on 3 June 2016.

Commenting on the disqualification, Aldona O’Hara, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service said:

Directors who breach the rules made to protect members of the public can expect to be investigated by the Insolvency Service and enforcement action taken to remove them from the market place.

Notes to editors

Falcon and Pointer Limited (Company Registration No. 06131381) was incorporated on 22 February 2007 and traded from Suite C, 4th Floor Princess House, Princess Way, Swansea SA1 3LW.

Ben Michael Winchester (date of birth 19 May 1983) was the sole appointed director of the Company from 4 June 2015 until the date of his resignation on 9 October 2015 when Mr Andrew Kissick was appointed.

The company went into liquidation on 3 June 2016. On 3 July 2017, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a Disqualification Undertaking from Mr Winchester, effective from 24 July 2017, for a period of six years.

The matters of unfit conduct being that: Ben Michael Winchester failed to ensure that between June 2015 and 9 October 2015, when he resigned as a director, Falcon & Pointer Limited complied with the Conduct of Authorised Persons Rules 2014 (CAPR),

Between 26 June 2015 and 31 October 2015 the ICO received 5,535 complaints about automated direct marketing calls made by the company.

During an audit undertaken by the CMR on 8 October 2015 the following rule breaches were identified;

• Making unsolicited voice broadcast calls.
• Failure to undertake sufficient due diligence.
• Failure to provide consumers with sufficient time to consider pre-contractual information (including terms and conditions) before entering into a contract/taking fees during the initial call process.
• Claims processing and refunds.

On 7 January 2016, the CMR wrote to Falcon advising them that the decision had been taken to cancel the company’s authorisation with effect from 12 January 2016.

On 21 March 2016 the ICO issued a monetary penalty as a result of the above breaches in the sum of £175,000 to be paid by 20 April 2016.

The above sum remained outstanding as at the date of liquidation on 03 June 2016.

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.

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

read more