LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: The consultation seeks views from operators, local authorities, passenger groups and other stakeholders on whether current standards remain fit for purpose and how they should evolve to reflect changes in the industry, legislation and technology. Statutory Document No. 14, which sets out how traffic commissioners approach regulatory action where services fail to meet expected standards, has not undergone a sign...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Parents and carers across England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are being encouraged to take an additional safeguarding step when hiring self-employed workers and personal employees, as the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) launches its new Every Check Helps public awareness campaign. The campaign aims to help parents and carers understand what information may be available when employing so...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: Dear Mister President Arevalo, On the occasion of the Anniversary of your Independence, my wife and I extend to Your Excellency and to the people of Guatemala our heartfelt congratulations and warmest good wishes. This day serves as a valued opportunity to reflect upon the enduring friendship between our nations. I am deeply encouraged by the strength of our bilateral ties and remain committed to fostering eve...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news: * Youth Justice Minister Jake Richards convened local leaders and experts in Manchester to tackle youth crime * Roundtable explored how greater local leadership could help services work together, intervene earlier and prevent offending * Kate Green appointed Expert Adviser on Youth Justice Devolution to help shape government reforms in England Local leaders and experts from across youth justice, policing, child...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued text of the following speech: Thank you, Mr Chair. As a military commander, Ratko Mladić presided over crimes that are among the worst committed in Europe since the Second World War. Mladić was convicted by an independent UN tribunal of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The denial and whitewashing of his crimes is an affront to international law and directly undermines regional stability and trust. Glorif...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued text of the following speech: It's lovely to be with you all and I just want to say thank you, Michelle, and to the whole team for welcoming me here this morning. It's been a very exciting time to take on my new brief as Minister of State for Social Care and Mental Health, and it's wonderful to see you all today. Now, I just want to start my contribution with a little story, because in the House of Commons nearly 13 years ago a ba...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued text of the following speech: President, last week marked a significant step forward in Syria's compliance with its international obligations, with theIAEA closure of Syria's longstanding safeguards file by consensus. After fifteen years of obstruction by the Assad regime, this decision is an important symbol of Syria's commitment to meeting its international obligations. And wealso commend Syria's constructive engagement with th...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued text of the following speech: Thank you, Mr Chair. I want to thank Germany for raising this issue today. The United Kingdom stands in full solidarity with Germany following Russia's reckless attack in Leipzig. We commend the German government on both its rapid and effective investigation, and its robust response to this attack. This was yet another attempt by the Russian state to undermine our collective security, to sow division...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued text of the following speech: Thank you, Chair. I warmly welcomeDeputy HeadTurcanto the Permanent Council-thank you for your report. I would like to extend my personal thanks to you and your team for your support and hospitality to myAmbassadorduring his recent visit toDushanbe, where he saw first-hand the work you are doing across all threeOSCEdimensions of security.  I would like to highlight several areas of the Pr...
LONDON, Sept. 17 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued text of the following speech: Thank you to the US for their work on this important mandate. For over twenty years, the international community has sought to address the threat posed by Iran's nuclear and missile programmes. The United Kingdom has consistently championed a diplomatic solution. Regrettably, Iran has too often chosen escalation over cooperation, creating the circumstances that continue to demand the Council's atten...