Domestic Violence, Jobs and Calais

Briefing for today from the Conservative Government:

New figures today show that a record number of people in England and Wales are being convicted of violent crimes against women.

We have made protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims and survivors of sexual abuse a key priority. It is therefore encouraging to see more victims and survivors reporting these terrible crimes and the perpetrators brought to justice.

 Since 2010 we have allocated £40 million to help victims of domestic abuse and violence and have extended this funding for another year. Funding for female rape crisis centres has been put on a more sustainable footing and we continue to support those organisations which work with victims of sexual abuse, including child sexual abuse.  

 We hope that this increase in convictions will give victims of these terrible crimes greater confidence to come forward and to speak out about hideous offences that have too often been ignored.

Today, the Environment Secretary, Elizabeth Truss, will announce that over 8,000 datasets will be made publicly available to help create jobs across the whole country.

Our beautiful countryside is a central part of the economy and we are determined, as part of our long-term economic plan, to secure its future.

 We want farmers, rural businesses and entrepreneurs to be able to benefit from the developments in new technology so that it is easier for them to grow and create new jobs. To support this, the Government will make more than 8,000 datasets publicly available for the first time – the biggest data giveaway Britain has ever seen.

 By seizing the opportunities this will provide we can help farmers and rural businesses and entrepreneurs to flourish, creating a truly One Nation economy that gives people in every part of the country the chance to get on in life and enjoy a brighter, more secure future.

There is continued coverage of the migrant situation in the port of Calais.

As the Prime Minister said yesterday, the scenes we have witnessed in Calais are totally unacceptable. 

 We are putting additional resources into the port of Dover to enhance screenings and detections there. We have also been advised the French authorities are sending further policing to deal with law and order issues, and we will be keeping in close contact with them. This action builds on the additional investment we have already been making in Calais and other ports – which includes an extra £12 million to reinforce security, a £2 million upgrade of detection technology, and a £1 million extension of dog searching capacity.

 This action is about maintaining the safety, security and integrity of the border, which is our absolute focus.

Greece.

We continue to urge our euro area colleagues to act swiftly and responsibly to resolve current uncertainty and ensure economic and financial stability

 Given the present risk in Greece of a potential default and a potential exit from the euro, we are taking all steps to prepare and protect ourselves from such eventualities.