Thank you Mr Chair. Each occasion we have met in Special Permanent Council has marked a further appalling development as President Putin pursues his brutal war of choice in Ukraine. But today we reflect on a new and deeply disturbing low – apparent executions in cold blood on a shocking scale.

As Russian troops have been forced into retreat, we are seeing increasing evidence of appalling acts perpetrated by those invading forces in towns such as Irpin and Bucha. Hundreds of bodies have been discovered as towns have been liberated.

We have watched in horror as reports have emerged of men, women and children – and children – killed and mutilated. Of mass graves. And of footage showing people shot at close range, with their hands and feet bound and their bodies left to lie in the street. What further horrors await discovery? This is a great moral stain upon the Russian army, and one which will never be forgotten.

The perpetrators of these appalling acts must be held to account. Deliberate killings of civilians during Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine must be investigated as war crimes. We will not allow Russia to cover up their involvement in these atrocities through cynical disinformation, and we will ensure that the reality of Russia’s actions are brought to light. We will not rest until those responsible for atrocities, including military commanders and individuals in the Russian Government have faced justice. The United Kingdom has been at the forefront of supporting the International Criminal Court’s investigation into the situation in Ukraine. We led the largest State referral to the ICC in its history. The OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism has an important role to play in contributing to this process, and it will continue to have the United Kingdom’s full support. Nothing is forgotten, and nobody will be forgotten.

Mr Chair, in this room Russian colleagues have told us they had no intention of invading Ukraine – a lie. They told us Ukraine was bombing their own schools and hospitals – a lie. Now they tell us Ukraine is executing their own civilian population. Have they no shame? There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.

Mr Chair, the Russian government still has the chance to stop this senseless war. But while Russia continues instead with its senseless barbarity, it is essential that the international community continues to provide Ukraine with the humanitarian and military support it so dearly needs, and that we step up sanctions to cut off funding for President Putin’s war machine at source. The world is watching, and we will not forget.

I kindly ask that you attach this statement to the journal of the day. Thank you Mr Chair.

Sam Eustace, 36, from Sutton in south London has been disqualified as a director for 11 years.

He was director of Kingsman Property Ltd, which promised landlords guaranteed rent all year around as well as offering investors the opportunity to receive annual returns of 30% by investing money into the rental house for multiple occupancy (HMO) sector.

The company, set up in October 2015 originally as Samuel James Ltd, changed its name to Kingsman Property Ltd in May 2017. The business took at least £6.7 million from would-be investors before it went into liquidation in August 2019.

The subsequent Insolvency Service investigation found that between October 2016 and March 2019, Kingsman Property paid out over £3 million to investors, but that this was funded by money received from new investors rather than any actual return on investment, similar to a ponzi scheme.

Kingsman Property states on its Facebook page that it is “led by a successful entrepreneur who combines his love of property with financial acumen…who is honest and trustworthy.”

The company accounts showed the business was in fact insolvent as early as June 2017, with debts totalling nearly £700,000. Its deficit grew exponentially, and it owed nearly £5 million when it eventually went into liquidation.

Despite this, Sam Eustace paid himself dividends from the company between November 2017 and June 2019 amounting to nearly £400,000.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a disqualification undertaking from Sam Eustace after he admitted causing Kingsman Property to trade with a lack of commercial probity, including offering false representations as to returns on investments. His ban runs from 24 March 2022 and lasts for 11 years.

The disqualification undertaking prevents him from directly, or indirectly, becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company, without the permission of the court.

Martin Gitner, Chief Investigator at The Insolvency Service said:

Sam Eustace knew he was taking people’s hard-earned savings as part of a scam and has left countless people out of pocket.

The Insolvency Service will not hesitate to investigate and use its powers against those engage in this kind of fraud.

Notes to editors

Sam Eustace, also known as Samuel Jaz Eustace, is of Sutton and his date of birth is October 1985.

Kingsman Property Ltd (Company Reg no. 09822551).

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.

Information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct.

Contact Press Office

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Drug-drivers could be required to undertake rehabilitation courses before being allowed back behind the wheel, under new plans to address this underestimated social problem.

Drink-drive related deaths and injuries are now very rare on UK roads, with deaths having fallen 88% between 1979 and 2015. However, there has been an increase in drug-related driving offences, with over 12,000 convicted in 2019 and 44% committed by reoffenders.

In 2020, 713 people were seriously injured in drug-driving collisions, up from 499 in 2016, and some police forces are arresting more drug drivers than drink-drivers. That’s why the government is taking action to protect the public and make drug-driving as much of a social taboo as drink-driving.

Currently, those convicted of drug-driving are handed a driving ban, prison sentence or fine by the courts, but aren’t required to complete rehabilitation courses before resuming driving – unlike drink-drivers.

In a call for evidence, government is asking whether drug-drivers should likewise have to undergo rehabilitation, helping better protect the public.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Drink-driving is now rightly seen as a social taboo by most of us in this country and we have worked hard to drive down drink-drive related deaths.

But, if we are to make our roads safer still, there is no room to be lax on drug-driving, which is why I have launched this call for evidence today.

It’s only right that drug-drivers must undergo rehabilitation before getting back behind the wheel, helping protect the public from this hidden problem and stamping out drug-driving for good.

Statistics show non-attendees to drink-driving rehabilitation courses are over twice as likely to commit a new drink-driving offence within 3 years, so by offering high-risk drug-driving offenders the same support, government hopes to bring down the number of repeat offenders.

RAC head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said:

Drug-driving ruins lives and threatens the safety of all road users. We welcome proposals to offer drug-driving offenders rehabilitation courses, in the same way those caught drink-driving are offered them, because the evidence shows this helps to reduce reoffending and improves road safety.

Professor Kim Wolff, MBE, King’s College London, said:

I was delighted to see the launch of the consultation on a high-risk offender (HRO) scheme for drug-drivers and the drug driving rehabilitation (DDR) course, as part of an ongoing programme of work being undertaken by the Department for Transport (DfT) to improve road safety.

Data gathered over the last 6 years has enabled DfT to identify through an expert panel very high-risk drug-driving behaviours warranting the need for a righ risk offender scheme, which rolled out alongside the DDR, will help improve driver behaviours as well as provide more general societal benefits.

The call for evidence launched today (4 April 2022) will also ask whether we should bring the way specimens are taken in line with current medical practice by using vacuum blood extraction, decreasing the risk of bloodborne viruses to healthcare professionals.

It will also seek views on the relationship between medicinal cannabis and road safety, in another move to ensure road safety policy keeps up to date with changing societal norms.

This is the first of several steps government is taking this year to reduce the problem of drink and drug driving.

Later this year, government will seek views on other drink and drug driving matters, such as failing to stop after a collision and the criminal use of vehicles.

This follows the ongoing success of the government’s THINK! campaign, which has been educating drivers about the dangers of drink-driving since 2000.

• The offer will level up opportunities for the social care workforce by developing their skills and training to deliver the best quality of care. 
• The support laid out by government is the next step in the recovery of the workforce after the pandemic

People working in adult social care in England will benefit from at least £500 million from the Health and Social Care Levy to improve recruitment, retention, progression, and staff wellbeing.

In total the Levy will generate a record £36 billion over the next three years which will be invested in the health and social care system to ensure it has the long-term resource it needs while working to reduce patient waiting times and speed up diagnoses, including to clear the Covid backlog in the NHS.

Half a billion from the £5.4 billion dedicated to adult social care from the Levy, which comes into force on Wednesday 6 April, forms a package of support for the social care workforce as part of the adult social care reform White Paper, People at the Heart of Care.

The funding will attract new staff into the sector and support those already in it by providing significant investment in individual learning and development and supporting staff mental health and wellbeing.

Minister of State for Care and Mental Health Gillian Keegan said:

I am incredibly proud of all the social care staff who have worked so hard, particularly during the pandemic.

As we recover from Covid, we must look to the future and to reform – this £500 million package of support will boost workforce recruitment, allow staff to progress in their careers in the sector and very importantly, ensure staff wellbeing is better supported.

The type of genuinely transformational change cannot be accomplished overnight. We know staff will need continued support, but we hope this package will level up opportunities for current and future social care staff.

The offer laid out by government will be vital in the recovery of the social care system from the pandemic, including:

• A knowledge and skills framework, career pathways and linked investment for learning and development to support progression for care workers and registered managers
• Funding for Care Certificates, alongside significant work to create a delivery standard recognised across the sector to improve transferability across settings, so care workers do not need to repeat the Care Certificate when moving roles
• Continuous professional development budgets for registered nurses, nursing associates, occupational therapists and other allied health professionals
• Investment in social worker training
• Initiatives to provide wellbeing and mental health support and to improve access to occupational health to support staff resilience and recovery following their role in the pandemic
• A new digital hub for the workforce to access support, information and advice, and a portable record of learning and development
• New policies to identify and support best recruitment practices locally
• Exploration of new national and local policies to ensure consistent implementation of the above, as well as higher standards of employment and care provided

The pandemic put unprecedented pressure on the NHS. The number of people waiting for elective care in England is at 6 million – up from 4.4 million before the pandemic – and this is expected to rise, as up to 10 million people didn’t come forward for treatment during the pandemic.

The necessary, fair and responsible Levy will enable the NHS to offer more appointments, checks, scans and operations and reform the way services are delivered so the NHS is fit for the future, rather than simply plugging the gaps.

Backed by the Levy, five local authorities in England have already been announced to implement a new and improved adult social care charging reform system which caps the cost of care. To ensure a smooth transition from the current charging system the five trailblazing local authorities – Wolverhampton, Blackpool, Cheshire East, Newham, North Yorkshire – will put the charging reform plans in place in January 2023 ahead of a national rollout in October next year. The trailblazing areas were selected to ensure a cross section of communities are represented and so any insight, evidence and lessons learned from this initiative will be useful to providers and authorities in all parts of England.

The Levy will initially be based on National Insurance contributions (NICs) and from 2023 will be legislatively separate.

Every individual will contribute according to their means. Those who earn more pay more, with the highest 15 per cent of people paying over half the revenues.

Low earners will be shielded from the levy following action taken by the Chancellor in the Spring Statement last month. From July, the level at which people pay National Insurance on their income will rise to £12,570, saving a typical employee over £330 a year. The change does not affect the funding available to Health and Social Care.

Recognising this year will be tough on household budgets, a £9.1 billion package will see most households receive £350 to help with rising energy bills, including a £150 cash grant via the Council Tax system in April, and a £200 reduction in energy bills in October with the cost smoothed over 5 years.