Baroness Anelay, Minister for Human Rights, said

Good morning and welcome to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. I would like to thank those of you who have helped to organise this event today, in particular Ambassador Mark Regev and his team at the Embassy of Israel.

Importance of Holocaust Memorial Day

The Holocaust was one of the darkest periods in our history. Sometimes we would prefer to forget, because what happened is too painful to remember. But it is only by remembering that we can learn from the past and ensure that history does not repeat itself.

Continuing to raise awareness in this way is essential because intolerance and hate still afflict our societies today. Antisemitism in particular is still an issue. That is why the UK has led the international community in adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of Antisemitism. We will use it to guide our work and to make clear that antisemitism has no place in our society.

How Can Life Go On?

The theme of this year’s Memorial Day is “how can life go on?” It explores the immense obstacles that must be overcome when rebuilding communities torn apart by hate. It focuses on the world’s Jewish communities after the Second World War, but it is a theme that remains highly relevant today.

Today’s event will focus in particular on antisemitism. I believe that the value of remembering the Holocaust comes when we think about the conditions that allowed such horrors to prevail. When we recall it was the existence of widespread antisemitism across Europe, that meant the Nazis’ desire to purge society of anyone who did not fit their ideal found fertile ground. When we reflect on what we might possibly have done in the same circumstances. And when we examine our own prejudices and seek to combat them, and to prompt others to do likewise.

This year’s theme reminds us that, even as the world’s Jewish communities began to rebuild their shattered lives, they continued to suffer antisemitic attacks. Shockingly, there were a number of pogroms immediately after the Holocaust, for example one in Poland where 42 Jews were murdered. Sadly, even today we cannot declare that antisemitism has been defeated. We all of us need to be vigilant in standing up against it.

That is why I am delighted that we are joined today by inspirational individuals who have dedicated their lives to raising awareness about the causes and consequences of the Holocaust.

Professor Yehuda Bauer is the author of the Stockholm Declaration and has worked tirelessly to ensure that the world remembers the Holocaust and learns lessons from it.

Dorit Oliver-Woolf survived the Holocaust and went on to enjoy a successful musical career. She has dedicated her life to educating others about the Holocaust.

We will also hear from Dr Dave Rich of the Community Security Trust, and from our Young Ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust, Iqra Arshad and Toni-Ann Cover.

Conclusion

I would now like to invite Ambassador Regev to the podium, to introduce Professor Bauer. While he makes his way up, I will conclude using the words of the Stockholm Declaration:

Our commitment must be to remember the victims who perished, respect the survivors who are still with us, and reaffirm humanity’s common aspiration for mutual understanding and justice.

Thank you.

The Environment Agency is reminding anglers of the importance of having a rod licence after a County Durham man was fined for fishing illegally.

Dean Ferguson, 49, of Browning Hill, Coxhoe, failed to appear for his court hearing at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 23 January.

In his absence he was fined £660, ordered to pay £127 costs and a victim surcharge of £66.

Intelligence-led patrols

Shortly before midnight on the night of Saturday 6 August 2016, Environment Agency Fisheries Enforcement Officers were carrying out intelligence-led patrols on the River Wear in Durham city.

They saw Ferguson start fishing in the river using a double-handed salmon rod, and almost immediately he had foul-hooked a sea trout, which means the fish was hooked somewhere other than in the mouth.

He was stopped by the officers who searched his vehicle, and found the foul-hooked fish. Ferguson also admitted he did not have a valid rod licence.

He was summonsed to appear at court for the offences. It’s illegal to fish without a licence, and to fail to return to the water any fish that is foul-hooked.

‘Vital’ that anglers abide by law

Kevin Summerson, Fisheries Technical Specialist for the North East, said:

It’s vital that anglers abide by the law to protect the future of the sport and the quality of our rivers and fisheries.

We won’t hesitate to take action to stop illegal fishing and hopefully this will act as a deterrent for any angler thinking of cheating the system.

All the money raised from rod licence sales is used to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefiting anglers.

Rod licence income funds improvements

During 2016 in the North East there were six serious fisheries offences resulting in £460 in fines and £600 costs, plus forfeiture of equipment and a crushed vehicle.

There were a further 54 offenders prosecuted for 59 rod licence offences resulting in fines of £14,327, with four offenders also given conditional discharges.

Anyone discovered committing offences could face a substantial fine at court.

All income from rod licence sales is used to fund Environment Agency work to protect and improve fish stocks and fisheries, including improving habitats for fish and facilities for anglers, tackling illegal fishing and working with partners to encourage people to give fishing a go.

Buying a rod licence is quick and easy – you can buy them online at the Post Office.

From 21 July to 21 January, the Enquiry Line set up by the Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) to provide information about the Pubs Code has received 435 enquiries. 91% of the enquiries were from tied pub tenants or their representatives.

The top issues raised by callers were:

In the same period the PCA also received 121 referrals for arbitration, 42 more since November 21st. The top issues that have been referred are:

• whether a full response had been given by a pub-owning business to a request for an MRO Proposal
• duties of the pub-owning business in relation to Rent Assessment Proposals

Mr Newby said:

Calls are continuing to be received by the PCA at a high rate and referrals for arbitration are still rising. This is a very significant level of engagement from tied pub tenants.

I am receiving a great deal of information and I am building a good picture of what is happening in the industry and the issues to prioritise but to strengthen that picture more information is helpful.

If I am to take action on Code-related issues it needs to be evidence-based and I would encourage tenants to come forward with that evidence where they believe they have experienced inappropriate practices. I would urge them to contact the Enquiry Line confident that their identities will be protected.

He added:

The figures I have released today also demonstrate the scale of the task for the PCA. I am working with my team to deal efficiently and effectively with the referrals. In recent weeks I have increased my office resources to support this work and I expect some of the early cases to be completed shortly.

I am committed to resolving all arbitrations without undue delay. However, some are complex cases and as the legislation is new, many are the first of a kind.

They cannot be completed overnight and each party must be given an opportunity to make their case. Individual cases and the requirements of the parties will be different in each case. There can be no one size that fits all in terms of the length of time a case will take.

Mr Newby said he had also held a wide range of meetings with tenants, their representatives and stakeholder organisations:

A major part of my role is to raise awareness of the new rights and protections tied pub tenants have under the Pubs Code and to encourage compliance from the industry.

I have held a wide range of meetings to spread the message and the vast majority of responses I have received have been positive and encouraging. I am always willing to meet interested parties who wish to engage constructively and support the PCA’s mission to create a fair and lawful environment for tied pub tenants.

Notes to editors: The Pubs Code came into force on 21st July 2016. Its two key principles are that there should be fair and lawful dealing by pub-owning businesses in relation to their tied tenants and that tied tenants should be no worse off than if they were free of tie.

The Pubs Code Adjudicator is responsible for promoting and enforcing the Code. The PCA Enquiry Line is open Monday to Thursday, 9:30am to 5pm and Friday, 9:30am to 4pm on 0800 528 8080. Fact sheets explaining the Pubs Code are available on the PCA website

For further information contact Sheree Dodd office@pca.gsi.gov.uk

John Healey MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Housing,
commenting on the latest rough sleeping statistics released today, said:

“It is a national scandal that in England in the 21^st
century the number of people forced to sleep rough on our streets is spiralling
upwards – and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

“These figures are a terrible reminder of the consequences of
Conservative Ministers’ seven years of failure on housing.

“The number of people sleeping rough fell under Labour but has
more than doubled since 2010, and has risen every year under the
Conservatives. 

“This is a direct result of decisions made by Conservative
Ministers: a steep drop in investment for affordable homes, crude cuts to
housing benefit, reduced funding for homelessness services, and a refusal to
help private renters.

“Ministers’ long-promised housing white paper will fall at the
first hurdle if it does not set out how they will end the national shame of
rough sleeping, as Labour has committed to do.”