'We Do Not Tolerate Sham Marriages', Says Green

An increase in suspected sham marriages has been accompanied by a rise in enforcement action, the Home Office said today. Registrars reported 934 suspected sham marriages in 2010, compared to 561 the previous year. But 155 arrests have been made by UK Border Agency officers in recent targeted operations. UK Border Agency officers also work closely with registrars, including providing advice, in order to help them identify marriages that may not be genuine. Minister for Immigration Damian Green said: “We will not tolerate immigration abuse, including sham marriages. The UK Border Agency investigates all reports of suspected sham marriages - and recent enforcement action has resulted in 155 arrests. The most effective action is to increase our enforcement efforts and work closely with registrars and churches to identify marriages that may not be genuine.” The Home Office has also been using a certificate of approval scheme to help minimise the occurrences of sham marriages. The scheme meant people not legally permanently settled in the UK needed Home Office permission to marry. But in 2008, Law Lords ruled that the powers discriminated against foreign nationals on human rights grounds. And changes made following subsequent court rulings have weakened the scheme, meaning that it is no longer an effective method of countering the practice of sham marriage. The certificate will therefore be scrapped shortly. This week has seen eight people arrested for arranging sham marriages in London and Yorkshire.

Anne Milton Celebrates Services In The Community

Ten winning teams from across the country have met with Health Minister Anne Milton in London to receive their awards for the Transforming Community Services Multi Professional Leadership Challenges 2011. The teams, made up of nurses, allied health professionals, GPs, other clinicians and patients, received their awards for their innovative ideas to improve primary or community care services within their local area over the coming year. Each team represented a different region after presenting a business case to a panel of experts at a local event held in February/March this year. Every team was assessed on their leadership skills and the potential for the idea to improve the quality and productivity of services. The event not only represented the culmination of these Challenges, but also marked the completion of the two year Transforming Community Services programme. The programme was established to give a real focus to community services and support strong leaders in clinical roles to deliver the very best outcomes for patients, families and communities. Practitioners, clinical leaders, and other professional bodies were also be present to celebrate the programme’s successes and achievements and to look towards the future of community services. The programme played a crucial role by improving the quality and provision of community services and promoting health and wellbeing.

Summer Time Begins

Summer time will start on Sunday 27 March at 1.00 am GMT throughout European Union Member States. The clocks go forward an hour. This means that at 1.00 am (GMT) the UK will move to 2.00 am British Summer Time (BST).

(BMcN/GK)