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  • Stephen Timms – 2000 Speech to the Entrepreneurial Economy Conference

    Stephen Timms – 2000 Speech to the Entrepreneurial Economy Conference

    The speech made by Stephen Timms, the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury, on 9 May 2000.

    Introduction

    Sir Peter and friends, I am delighted to be able to join you at this important conference.

    The global economy is changing at a speed difficult for any of us to keep up with. As the Prime Minister has said, the wind of economic change has never blown through our economies with such force as it is doing today.

    So this afternoon, I want to discuss the Government’s view of how we can equip ourselves to meet the challenges of this ever faster change – and achieve the prize of a modernised economy which, because opportunity and security are open to all, is both enterprising and fair.

    Stability

    After the election, our first economic objective was to achieve a new stability in the British economy. And we are now delivering a platform of stability and steady growth, with inflation low and the public finances under control.

    We can illustrate the scale of what has been achieved with what is now a pretty impressive set of superlatives:

    More people are now in work than ever before in our history. The rate of unemployment is at its lowest for 20 years and still falling and there are one million vacancies on offer across all parts of the UK.

    And what is particularly important I think is the dramatic fall in youth unemployment. Across the country, it’s at its lowest level for 25 years. Everybody sees there are incalculable benefits of having so many young people familiar now with the habits and disciplines of having a job, when so many young people have been robbed of that for so long in the past.

    We are investing now a bigger share of our national wealth than any major competitor in the European Union, and a bigger share even than the US.

    Inflation in Britain has now been lower for longer than at any time in the past 30 years. And British inflation today is the lowest of any member of the European Union.

    The state of the public finances is sound. In contrast to the deficit of £28 billion in 1997, this year we will make a debt repayment of £12 billion. So, the monetary and fiscal foundations we are building on are strong foundations. And we are determined to keep them that way.

    But our prudence is not for its own sake. It’s for a purpose. And that purpose is well summed up by the four ambitions that Gordon Brown first set out last November for Britain to achieve in the coming decade:

    our prosperity ambition: that we should be bridging the productivity gap with our competitors, after decades of lagging behind;

    the full employment ambition: that we should achieve employment opportunity for all, and that we should have a higher proportion of people actually in jobs than we have ever managed before, and do so on a durable basis;

    the education ambition: that for the first time, at least half of our school leavers should go on to study for a degree by the end of the decade;

    and finally our antipoverty ambition: that we should halve the number of children living in poverty by 2010, on the way to the Prime Minister’s ambition of eradicating child poverty altogether within 20 years.

    Four ambitions which I think are now attainable and which encapsulate our commitment to a modern and decent Britain where opportunity and security are not just for a few but for everybody.

    In the past, enterprise was open to some but all too often it was a closed circle which excluded too many.

    In the Britain we want – a Britain where there is opportunity for all, fairness to all, and responsibility accepted by all – we must have enterprise open to all as well.

    Our economy will be so much stronger – and our society too – if we can release the dynamism, the creativity and the potential of all of our people.

    The pace of reform has to match the pace of change. The societies which will prosper will be those that are open, flexible, and able to distinguish between fundamental values they must keep and policies they must adapt. Those that move too slowly, or are in hock to vested interests, reacting negatively to change, will quickly fall behind.

    I want to outline today the three fundamental areas of reform we need to push through for success in our aims:

    First, competition – creating the right competitive environment for business;

    Second, by tackling the cultural barriers to enterprise; and

    Third, by transforming the relationship between Government, business and our citizens.

    First, creating the right competitive business environment.

    We won’t achieve our aims if small businesses or enterprising individuals are denied access to the marketplace and pushed aside by vested interests. In future we need to be the champion of opening up competition, and so opening up enterprise to all. We have already rewritten our outdated framework of competition law.

    We have given the Office of Fair Trading new powers and new money to police anti-competitive practices which damage businesses and consumers alike. And now we will be consulting on the next stage, withdrawing Ministers from the decision process on merger cases.

    For banking, having accepted Don Cruickshank’s main recommendations, we will legislate to ensure the UK payments system is open to new competition.

    In our capital markets to, we must ensure there are no barriers to competition and innovation, that there are no unnecessary constraints restricting investment decisions, and that investors have every opportunity and encouragement to back dynamic small and growing companies.

    For the professions, the Office of Fair Trading has now set out a detailed remit to examine how best to ensure that the rules of professional bodies do not unnecessarily restrict or distort competition.

    Tax

    But more competition is not enough on its own. Almost by definition, an enterprise economy needs high levels of entrepreneurship and investment.

    But at the moment, too few businesses in the UK realise their potential because there is not enough investment to capitalise on our entrepreneurial talent and to enable firms to seize the new growth opportunities.

    That is why when we came into government we cut the long term rate of capital gains tax for business assets held for ten years or more.

    This year, we very greatly extended the numbers who benefit from lower capital gains rates, shortening the business assets taper from 10 right back down to 4 years. That is a step change in the incentives for investment and a huge boost in particular for many small and medium sized businesses – and an equally huge boost to the incentives to set up new ones.

    Two days after the Budget, I attended a breakfast meeting hosted by one of the larger accountancy firms. A senior tax partner there said the Budget had put him out of his old job because so many tax loopholes had been closed. But thanks to capital gains tax reform, he expects to have a new job – encouraging clients to invest more in enterprise and in their own future. I hope the accountants here today will feel the same. It’s the start of a new, proinvestment era and you have a key role to play in making a success of it. We have also radically widened the definition of business assets to include all shareholdings in unquoted companies and all employee shareholdings, encouraging more of those who are involved in the success of a business to invest in its future and to secure the rewards from their investments.

    The Budget also recognised the important role share options can play, particularly for young, growing businesses which often don’t have enough cashflow to reward their employees fully in cash.

    Now, Enterprise Management Incentives will enable companies with gross assets less than 15 million pounds to recruit and retain their 15 key employees, with tax advantaged shares options worth up to 100,000 pounds, normally without any Income Tax or National Insurance charge.

    And I have been asked by the Chancellor to conduct a consultation on a technical solution to the tax treatment of share options in unapproved schemes, and I?m moving quickly to fulfil his request, and, I hope, to resolve quickly the serious technical problem that currently exists.

    Taken together, our measures are the biggest boost for employee shareholding our country has ever seen, a boost for enterprise and a boost for security and fairness as well.

    And now – with the lowest corporate tax rates for businesses ever; the lowest ever capital gains tax rates for long term investors; and – at 22 pence – the lowest basic income tax rate for 70 years – bit by bit we are making Britain the place for companies to start, to invest, to grow and to expand.

    Cultural barriers to enterprise

    The second key area of reform is to break down all the entrenched cultural barriers to enterprise.

    Not only must the work ethic be reinvigorated in every community of Britain but there needs to be a dynamic business culture which encourages enterprise open to all.

    When we were elected in 1997, we put the restoration of the work ethic at the centre of our social and economic policy.

    The role for government today is to remove the barriers to work and let everyone move ahead. To ensure that we give everyone the chance to contribute to the enterprise economy, if they can.

    So we are building a new and modernised welfare state – one that in addition to its traditional and necessary function of giving security to those who cannot work, promotes work, makes work pay and give people the skills they needed to get better jobs – matching new opportunities with new responsibilities for the unemployed to take up the opportunities.

    And already, over 400,000 young people have joined our New Deal programme and almost 200,000 have found jobs- the vast majority sustained jobs. Now we are extending the opportunities and obligations to the long term adult unemployed as well.

    The rewards of work are being raised for working families as well. Already over one million people are receiving the Working Families Tax Credit, guaranteeing every working family with some one working full time a minimum weekly income of over 200 pounds today, and 214 pounds from next April.

    And we want to see this new culture of enterprise extend to every part of the country, so that in places where in the past it was assumed that you would never get a job, in the future people will be starting their own enterprises and making a success of them for their own benefit and for the benefit of their communities.

    Education

    Rights and responsibilities are at the heart of our education programme too.

    In an economy where there is an increasing premium on skills and where people need to be properly equipped to cope with change, we will devote more resources to education, including IT, so that everyone – at all ages – can move ahead.

    So we have extended nursery education, reoriented our primary school system around numeracy and literacy, with startlingly good results, doubled the annual capital spending on schools, and committed resources for an extra 800,000 people in further and higher education by 2002.

    And to close the digital divide we are investing 1.7 billion pounds in our national IT strategy. Connecting all schools and libraries through the National Grid for Learning and providing. money for teacher and librarian training. Offering cheap PCs to low-income families. And creating up to 1000 IT Learning Centres to enable disadvantaged communities across the country to acquire basic ICT skills.

    Our £1.7 billion investment will deliver a new network of computer learning with a single purpose: that the whole of Britain is equipped for the information age. So that the opportunities of the new technologies are shared by everyone.

    For people in work, our proposals for a million Individual Learning Accounts and a University for Industry recognise that people should not only upgrade their skills throughout life but they should be encouraged to take responsibility for doing so.

    Our University for Industry will use the latest technology, including the Internet, to do in this decade for lifelong learning what in the 1970s the Open University did for university learning.

    Enterprise Insight

    Finally, we want young people in every area of the country to see that enterprise really is open to them.

    Every one of us here has a role to play in building this new enterprise culture.

    In two days time, on the 11th of May, the Prime Minister will be launching a business led national enterprise campaign, together with the British Chambers of Commerce, the CBI and the Institute of Directors.

    The campaign, under the name Enterprise Insight, will raise awareness about the role and value of business and enterprise, with a national network of businesses ambassadors – including Reuben Singh, Alan Sugar, Richard Branson and others – who will take part in young people’s forums, roadshows, seminars and media events throughout the country.

    Please get involved in what ever way you can.

    The new campaign will build on the steps business and government are already taking to boost enterprise skills nationwide, from school to adulthood.

    Government

    The third and final area for reform is Government itself.

    Some say in these heady times of change that government is a defunct piece of machinery which no longer has any relevance to the way a modern economy is run.

    Certainly the winds of change challenge government to reform as much as any business or individual.

    That’s why, last month, the Prime Minister proposed a challenging target for Government – to offer all services online by 2005.

    We need to transform relationships between government and citizen by delivering services on-line. And we need to do it quickly.

    We also need to transform policy-making by managing government online.

    The first step is to develop a clear strategy. So Andrew Smith, my colleague as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and Patricia Hewitt, as our eminister, are heading a crosscutting spending review to look at all aspects of Government and e-commerce.

    We want businesses and people to be able to access government anywhere and anytime.

    From a computer. A mobile device. A TV. A kiosk in a post office or in a shopping centre.

    The Small Business Service, headed by David Irwin who is next on the programme, will offer a single electronic point of entry, for all small businesses – providing advice and information, backed up by new call centres.

    The challenge to us is to make government content, and government services, available across all our networks – wired and wireless – to all the devices.

    But as well as reforming the ways of government, perhaps even more importantly, government must articulate the case for reform by allying it to a purpose for the reform; to a vision of the future; to the values that underpin it. That’s how political direction and leadership can exert their own beneficial modernising influence.

    Conclusion

    So we have begun with a new platform of stability and we are determined to maintain it. And with these three key areas of reform – for a more competitive business environment, for a modern enterprise culture and for a transformed Government – we are optimistic our new enterprise economy can rise to the challenges ahead – delivering opportunity and security to everybody.

    Our objectives are two-fold – to build an enterprise economy and a fair society. The two go together. They are not alternatives. Doing well and doing good go hand in hand. An enterprise economy is the route to jobs and prosperity. And a fair society where there are opportunities for all will have an economy which is more competitive and more productive.

    The challenges are enormous but if we work together the prize is an enormous one too – a modern enterprise economy offering optimism for the future, ready to provide opportunity and greater prosperity to all our people in the years ahead.

    Thank you for the contribution you are making – let’s work together to make this a success for all our people.

  • Louise Haigh – 2022 Comments on Rail Fare Increase

    Louise Haigh – 2022 Comments on Rail Fare Increase

    The comments made by Louise Haigh, the Shadow Transport Secretary, on Twitter on 22 December 2022.

    The Tories have just announced a brutal near-record 6% rail fare rise.

    This savage fare hike will be a sick joke for millions reliant on crumbling services.

    People up and down this country are paying the price for twelve years of Tory failure.

  • PRESS RELEASE : £3.6 million social prescribing funding to bolster mental health support and ease pressure on GPs [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : £3.6 million social prescribing funding to bolster mental health support and ease pressure on GPs [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 23 December 2022.

    More than £3.6 million of government funding awarded to the National Academy of Social Prescribing to support mental health and wellbeing, including impacts of loneliness.

    • Social prescribing helps improve mental health by connecting people to community services, reducing pressure on GPs and overprescribing
    • Additional funding builds on previous success which supported 36 projects, helping more than 10,000 people

    Thousands of people will continue to access innovative types of mental health support, proven to improve healthy living, reduce overprescribing and save capacity for GPs, following £3.6 million of government funding for the National Academy of Social Prescribing (NASP).

    Social prescribing can help those experiencing grief, addiction, dementia and loneliness through a wide range of community-led social activities, services and opportunities that have proven benefits to people’s health and wellbeing.

    This could include gardening clubs for people to socialise and learn new skills, new exercise classes to build confidence and become healthier, as well as financial advice for people with money worries, among many other initiatives.

    The grant will support NASP to build on its previous successes such as the Thriving Communities Fund, which has established 36 projects helping more than 10,000 people and championed local community and voluntary groups.

    It has also introduced an academic collaboration to develop a robust evidence base for social prescribing and the benefits it can bring to the nation’s health. It will continue to build innovative partnerships between the health system and the voluntary sector to ensure that social prescribing reaches those most in need.

    With Christmas approaching and many people feeling the negative impacts of loneliness over the festive period, social prescribing provides people with the tools to help manage their mental health and meet others in their community.

    Minister of State for Care Helen Whatley said:

    “Social prescribing is an unsung hero in getting thousands of people the support they need to get through hard times – whether it be low self-esteem, dementia or loneliness.

    “I’m really pleased that we’ve agreed new funding for the National Academy of Social Prescribing, so it can continue the valuable work it does day in and day out to support the health of the country.”

    Mental Health Minister Maria Caulfield said:

    “With many people struggling with their mental health and loneliness, particularly over the festive period, social prescribing offers a proven innovative approach to support their wellbeing.

    “Mental health is a priority and it’s vital people have access to the tools and support they need – this funding will provide much-needed help to people with a wide range of needs, as well as easing pressure on GPs and freeing up appointments.”

    In 2019, the government set out a manifesto commitment to extend social prescribing and expand the NASP.

    Examples of the opportunities which could be bolstered by the funding include:

    • Supporting NASP to continue driving forward the recommendations from the Power of Music report, using musical activities to help people with dementia;
    • The delivery of Social Prescribing Day 2024 internationally, bringing together people across local, national and global platforms to share learning and promote successes within social prescribing;
    • the creation of products – such as podcasts – to showcase the benefits of a connected social prescribing system;
    • launching new social prescribing evidence reviews, which will be published in spring.

    Professor Dame Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing, said:

    “We are delighted to have continued support from the Department for Health and Social Care, in recognition of the positive impact that social prescribing is having on the health and wellbeing of our communities. As a frontline GP, I know that if someone comes to me because they are lonely or isolated, social prescribing is likely to be the best support I can offer.

    “I’m incredibly proud of what NASP has achieved since it’s conception. Over the last couple of years, despite the limitations of the pandemic, we have funded remarkable social prescribing projects, published compelling evidence summaries and have signed up 25 countries to develop social prescribing services across the world. With this funding, we are thrilled to be able to continue this work to achieve our ultimate goal: to help people live the best lives they can.”

    Minister for Loneliness Stuart Andrew said:

    “The festive period can be a particularly lonely time for many people given the greater emphasis on spending time with friends and family.
    “Through social prescribing healthcare professionals are able to connect those in need to a range of community-led services, helping to improve mental wellbeing, build networks and reduce loneliness.

    “This additional £3.6 million funding for the National Academy of Social Prescribing will provide an even greater level of support for those who need it most.”

    James Sanderson, Director for Personalised Care and Community Services at NHS England, said:

    “Giving people more choice and control over their own health and care was an important part of the NHS Long Term Plan, and we have already far exceeded our ambitions, providing personalised care including social prescriptions to millions of people.

    “This funding should put even more options and evidence into the hands of local NHS teams, to help them better support the record number of people experiencing mental health issues since the start of the pandemic.”

    Case study

    Social prescribing can help people with a wide range of issues, including grief, and support those battling addiction.

    Dale, who lives in North London recently joined the Men’s Woodwork Group, run by St Margaret’s House – who also received a grant from the Thriving Communities fund. After leaving rehab, where he received treatment to help with alcohol and drug addiction, the group gives Dale a space to connect and be creative.

    He said:

    “There’s a famous saying: ‘the opposite of addiction is connection’. For me, creative endeavour is key. Before I was consumed by addiction, I was a head singer in a choir but I let a lot of that lapse. I just want to engage again, have some sort of semblance of a life.

    “I think social prescribing is integral to what people need. You need contact with people who are different from you. Every different type of person you come across is a lesson.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Tens of thousands protected from homelessness thanks to £654 million funding boost [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Tens of thousands protected from homelessness thanks to £654 million funding boost [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 23 December 2022.

    The Homelessness Prevention Grant will support vulnerable people in England who are homeless or at risk of losing their home.

    • £654m funding package will see councils target support at those who need it the most including vulnerable families and people at risk of rough sleeping
    • £24 million to help provide temporary accommodation for victims of domestic abuse and their children
    • Part of a wider £2 billion package of support to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the next three years

    Tens of thousands of vulnerable people will be protected from homelessness by a £654 million funding package government announced today, (Friday 23 December).

    All councils in England will receive their share of funding from the Homelessness Prevention Grant to provide vital support to those who need it the most in their local areas over the next two years.

    The money will be used to provide temporary accommodation for families, help individuals at risk of becoming homeless pay deposits for new homes and mediate with landlords to avoid evictions.

    £24 million of the funding will help councils support homeless domestic abuse victims, ensuring no one has to stay with their abuser for fear of not having a roof over their head.

    Today’s funding follows a £50 million top up to the grant for this year, announced last month, and forms part of the Government’s wider £2 billion package of support to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, outlined earlier this year.

    Councils have a statutory duty to ensure no family is left without a roof over their heads and today’s funding announcement will help them to carry out this duty.

    The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said:

    The government is determined to end rough sleeping and tackle homelessness because for too many people, the opportunity to celebrate Christmas in a warm and safe environment is beyond reach.

    We know that words alone are not enough. That is why government is investing £2 billion over the next three years to give some of the most vulnerable people a roof over their heads, along with targeted support to rebuild their lives.

    Today’s announcement will provide vital support to families who are at risk of rough sleeping, including by providing temporary accommodation and helping with deposits.

    Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan, said:

    Everyone should have a safe and secure home. This Government is determined to prevent homelessness and to get vulnerable families and individuals the support they need. Whether it’s emergency housing, support to pay a deposit, or mediation to prevent eviction, today’s package will provide help to those who need it the most at the discretion of those who know them best.

    Councillor Alex Dale, Leader of North East Derbyshire District Council, said:

    We are really proud of the services the Homelessness Prevention Grant allows us to fund.

    Homelessness is something that can affect anyone, especially during these challenging times, and that’s why we use the grant to serve as many local residents as we can.

    Since the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act in 2018, over 500,000 households have had their homelessness successfully prevented or relieved.

    Councils can use the money flexibly based on their knowledge of the local area and the local housing market. Many councils use the funding to offer mediation services for landlords and tenants to prevent evictions or implement special programmes to identify root causes of homelessness.

    Pathways of Chesterfield, for example, provides a range of services that help break down the barriers that have led someone to homelessness and give them tools to move forward.

    Julian, a beneficiary of Pathways said:

    This support will also get me into fulltime work now that I have a place of my own. It was a comforting experience. Until you’ve been in this position it’s hard to put into words. As Pathways housed me, it’s been a massive positive impact on my mental health.

    To make sure distribution of funding reflects current pressures and demand in areas across England, the department consulted councils and other interested stakeholders on amending the funding arrangements for the grant earlier this year. Today’s allocations reflect this new formula.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary call with the family of Harry Dunn [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary call with the family of Harry Dunn [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 December 2022.

    A statement from the Foreign Secretary following his call with the family of Harry Dunn this afternoon.

    Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly said:

    I had the opportunity to speak with the Dunn family today, and listen carefully to their concerns and hear about the pain they have gone through.  They have shown incredible resolve getting justice for Harry.

    We have learnt important lessons from this tragic incident, including improvements to the process around exemptions from diplomatic immunity and ensuring the US takes steps to improve road safety around RAF Croughton.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Haitian actors must a agree a route forward to address insecurity, humanitarian and economic crises – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Haitian actors must a agree a route forward to address insecurity, humanitarian and economic crises – UK Statement at the UN Security Council [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 December 2022.

    Statement by Alice Jacobs, UK Deputy Political Coordinator at the UN, at the Security Council meeting on Haiti.

    Thank you, President and to our briefers –– including the new 2653 Committee Chair for their first update. I also welcome foreign ministers of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and the Permanent Representative of Canada.

    President, the United Kingdom remains deeply concerned by the ongoing dire humanitarian situation in Haiti, which is being compounded by chronic insecurity and political gridlock.

    As we heard today so clearly from the DSG and SRSG La Lime, the actions of armed gangs have displaced thousands, limited free movement of people and goods and denied citizens access to medical services during a resurgent Cholera outbreak.

    The United Kingdom remains convinced that the perpetrators and sponsors of the gang violence must be held to account and denied the capacity to spread further instability and suffering.

    So we are pleased to see progress on sanctions that are imperative in tackling criminal behaviour. These sanctions are a necessary tool to break the cycle of criminal violence that so disastrously impacts the Haitian people.

    However, sanctions alone will not work. This is why the International Community must consider seriously any request for assistance from the Haitian government and society, including on security.

    This must support and empower Haitian efforts to improve the security situation on the ground to create the conditions for elections, so that the Haitian people may choose their next government.

    The United Kingdom continues to support action that moves Haiti closer to security and stability, with a return to democratic processes as soon as possible.

    We therefore welcome signs of movement towards resolving the political gridlock. But there must now be determined efforts to reach a political consensus. An urgent route forward is needed to address the insecurity, humanitarian and economic crises and avoid further deterioration of the situation.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK condemns North Korea for supplying arms to Russian mercenary group fighting in Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK condemns North Korea for supplying arms to Russian mercenary group fighting in Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 22 December 2022.

    The UK supports the US assessment that North Korea has completed an arms delivery to Russia for the use by the Wagner Group in Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

    Following the US release of information that North Korea has been supplying arms to the Russian mercenary group Wagner, in breach of UN Security Council resolutions, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

    The UK supports the US assessment that North Korea has completed an arms delivery to Russia for use by the Wagner Group, which paid for this equipment and has thousands of troops in Ukraine. This is a clear breach of UN Security Council Resolutions. The fact that President Putin is turning to North Korea for help is a sign of Russia’s desperation and isolation. We will work with our partners to ensure that North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

    Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin has been under UK sanctions since 2020. In November 2022 the UK sanctioned two individuals for conscripting prisoners to the Wagner Group, which has been linked to some of the worst atrocities in Russia’s illegal war.

    Background:

    President Putin has increasingly turned to Wagner, owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin for military support in Ukraine. Prigozhin is spending more than $100 million per month to fund Wagner’s operations in Ukraine. Wagner is recruiting prisoners, including those with serious medical conditions, to fight in Ukraine.

    For months, the Russian military has been relying on Wagner to lead combat operations in parts of the Donbas. In certain instances, Russian military officials are actually subordinate to Wagner’s command. We estimate that Wagner has 50,000 personnel deployed to Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts.

    Wagner is playing a major role in Bakhmut where its ill-equipped and ill-trained forces are suffering heavy casualties. Approximately 1,000 Wagner fighters have been killed in the fighting in recent weeks, and 90 per cent of those fatalities were convicts. In recent dates, Ukraine appears to have repulsed an offensive by Wagner forces in Bakhmut.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with European Commission President Von der Leyen [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with European Commission President Von der Leyen [December 2022]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 December 2022.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen this afternoon.

    The leaders agreed that the UK and the EU would remain steadfast in our military economic and diplomatic support for Ukraine and in countering Russian aggression.

    They looked forward to working closely together in 2023 in the G7, under the Japanese presidency, and the G20, under the Indian presidency.

    On the Northern Ireland Protocol, they agreed on the importance of working together to agree a solution.

  • Ministerial Code – 2022 December Update

    Ministerial Code – 2022 December Update

    The text of the Ministerial Code, updated on 22 December 2022.

    Foreword by the Prime Minister

    Our country faces profound challenges at home and abroad. People face rising prices, and families are feeling the squeeze. So it is incumbent on everyone, at every level of this government, to work like never before to deliver for the British people.

    First and foremost, we will ensure economic stability, bringing compassion and fairness to the challenges we face. We will deliver on the promise of the 2019 manifesto: strengthening the NHS, investing in schools, and controlling our borders. We will level up across the entire country. And we will embrace the opportunities of Brexit, building an economy where innovative businesses can invest and create jobs.

    We will work day and night to deliver this. And as we go about our tasks, we will uphold the Principles of Public Life, ensuring integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level. I know Ministers enter government because they believe in public service. They work hard because they want to make a difference to others. They do their jobs knowing it is an incredible privilege to serve. In everything we do, we must keep those thoughts at the forefront of our minds to earn the trust of the British people.

    Together, we have the power to improve lives across the UK. Our country faces a difficult moment, but if we can pull together in the finest tradition of public service, I know we can build a better future for all.

    Rishi Sunak

    1. Ministers of the Crown

    General principle

    1.1 Ministers of the Crown are expected to maintain high standards of behaviour and to behave in a way that upholds the highest standards of propriety.

    1.2 Ministers should be professional in all their dealings and treat all those with whom they come into contact with consideration and respect. Working relationships, including with civil servants, ministerial and parliamentary colleagues and parliamentary staff should be proper and appropriate. Harassing, bullying or other inappropriate or discriminating behaviour wherever it takes place is not consistent with the Ministerial Code and will not be tolerated.

    1.3 The Ministerial Code should be read against the background of the overarching duty on Ministers to comply with the law and to protect the integrity of public life. They are expected to observe the Seven Principles of Public Life , set out at Annex A, and the following principles of Ministerial conduct:

    • a. The principle of collective responsibility applies to all Government Ministers;
    • b. Ministers have a duty to Parliament to account, and be held to account, for the policies, decisions and actions of their departments and agencies;
    • c. It is of paramount importance that Ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity. Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister;
    • d. Ministers should be as open as possible with Parliament and the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest, which should be decided in accordance with the relevant statutes and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 ;
    • e. Ministers should similarly require civil servants who give evidence before Parliamentary Committees on their behalf and under their direction to be as helpful as possible in providing accurate, truthful and full information in accordance with the duties and responsibilities of civil servants as set out in the Civil Service Code ;
    • f. Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests;
    • g. Ministers should not accept any gift or hospitality which might, or might reasonably appear to, compromise their judgement or place them under an improper obligation;
    • h. Ministers in the House of Commons must keep separate their roles as Minister and constituency Member;
    • i. Ministers must not use government resources for party political purposes; and
    • j. Ministers must uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service and not ask civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the Civil Service Code as set out in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010.

    1.4 It is not the role of the Cabinet Secretary or other officials to enforce the Code. The Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser has a role, set out in Terms of Reference published by the Prime Minister, in advising the Prime Minister and Ministers about adherence to the Code. Ministers are expected to provide the Independent Adviser with all information reasonably necessary for the discharge of his role. Investigations into adherence to the Ministerial Code may occur:

    • a. If there is an allegation about a breach of the Code, and the Prime Minister, having consulted the Cabinet Secretary, feels that it warrants further investigation, the Prime Minister may ask the Cabinet Office to investigate the facts of the case and/or refer the matter to the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ interests.
    • b. Where the Independent Adviser believes that an alleged breach of the Code warrants further investigation and that matter has not already been referred to him, he may initiate an investigation.  Before doing so, the Independent Adviser will consult the Prime Minister who will normally give his consent.  However, where there are public interest reasons for doing so, the Prime Minister may raise concerns about a proposed investigation such that the Independent Adviser does not proceed.  In such an event, the Independent Adviser may still require that the reasons for an investigation not proceeding be made public unless this would undermine the grounds that have led to the investigation not proceeding.

    1.5 The Code provides guidance to Ministers on how they should act and arrange their affairs in order to uphold these standards. It lists the principles which may apply in particular situations. It applies to all members of the Government and covers Parliamentary Private Secretaries in paragraphs 3.7 – 3.12. The Business Appointment Rules (paragraph 7.25) and Radcliffe Rules (paragraph 8.10) continue to apply to former ministers after they leave office.

    1.6 Ministers are personally responsible for deciding how to act and conduct themselves in the light of the Code and for justifying their actions and conduct to Parliament and the public. However, Ministers only remain in office for so long as they retain the confidence of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister and the appropriate consequences of a breach of those standards.

    1.7 Where the Prime Minister determines that a breach of the expected standards has occurred, he may ask the Independent Adviser for confidential advice on the appropriate sanction. The final decision rests with the Prime Minister. Where the Prime Minister retains his confidence in the Minister, available sanctions include requiring some form of public apology, remedial action, or removal of ministerial salary for a period.

    1.8 Ministers must also comply at all times with the requirements which Parliament itself has laid down in relation to the accountability and responsibility of Ministers. For Ministers in the Commons, these are set by the Resolution carried on 19 March 1997 (Official Report columns 1046-47), the terms of which are repeated at 1.3 b. to e. above. For Ministers in the Lords, the Resolution can be found in the Official Report of 20 March 1997 column 1057. Ministers must also comply with the Codes of Conduct for their respective Houses and also any requirements placed on them by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority.

    2. Ministers and the government

    General principle

    2.1 The principle of collective responsibility requires that Ministers should be able to express their views frankly in the expectation that they can argue freely in private while maintaining a united front when decisions have been reached. This in turn requires that the privacy of opinions expressed in Cabinet and Ministerial Committees, including in correspondence, should be maintained.

    Cabinet and Ministerial Committee business

    2.2 The business of the Cabinet and Ministerial Committees consists in the main of:

    • a. questions which significantly engage the collective responsibility of the Government because they raise major issues of policy or because they are of critical importance to the public;
    • b. questions on which there is an unresolved argument between departments.

    Collective responsibility

    2.3 The internal process through which a decision has been made, or the level of Committee by which it was taken should not be disclosed. Neither should the individual views of Ministers or advice provided by civil servants as part of that internal process be disclosed. Decisions reached by the Cabinet or Ministerial Committees are binding on all members of the Government. They are, however, normally announced and explained as the decision of the Minister concerned. On occasion, it may be desirable to emphasise the importance of a decision by stating specifically that it is the decision of His Majesty’s Government. This, however, is the exception rather than the rule. Ministers also have an obligation to ensure decisions agreed in Cabinet and Cabinet Committees (and in write-rounds) are implemented. Ministers should take special care in discussing issues which are the responsibility of other Ministers, consulting ministerial colleagues as appropriate.

    2.4 Matters wholly within the responsibility of a single Minister and which do not significantly engage collective responsibility need not be brought to the Cabinet or to a Ministerial Committee unless the Minister wishes to inform his colleagues or to have their advice. No definitive criteria can be given for issues which engage collective responsibility. The Cabinet Secretariats can advise where departments are unsure, however, the final decision rests with the Prime Minister. When there is a difference between departments, it should not be referred to the Cabinet until other means of resolving it have been exhausted. It is the responsibility of the initiating department to ensure that proposals have been discussed with other interested departments and the outcome of these discussions should be reflected in the memorandum or letter submitted to Cabinet or a Cabinet Committee.

    Attendance at Cabinet and Cabinet Committees

    2.5 Cabinet and Cabinet Committee meetings take precedence over all other Ministerial business apart from the Privy Council, although it is understood that Ministers may occasionally have to be absent for reasons of Parliamentary business and international commitments. A Minister may delegate attendance at Cabinet Committees to a junior Ministerial colleague (although there may be exceptions for particular meetings at the discretion of the Chair), but officials cannot attend Cabinet Committee meetings in place of a Minister. There are restrictions on officials attending Cabinet Committees. If exceptionally officials or advisers need to attend, they should inform the secretariat. The Ministerial chair of the Committee must agree attendance of officials and advisers in advance.

    Publication of policy statements and consultation papers

    2.6 Before publishing a policy statement (white paper) or a consultation paper (green paper), departments should consider whether it raises issues which require full collective ministerial consideration through the appropriate Cabinet Committee. The expectation is that most such papers will need collective agreement prior to publication. Any Command Paper containing a major statement of Government policy should be circulated to the Cabinet before publication. This rule applies to Papers containing major statements even when no issue requiring collective consideration is required.

    Cabinet documents

    2.7 Ministers relinquishing office should hand back to their department any Cabinet documents and/or other departmental papers in their possession.

    2.8 On a change of Government, the Cabinet Secretary on behalf of the outgoing Prime Minister, issues special instructions about the disposal of Cabinet papers of the outgoing Administration.

    Access by former Ministers to official papers

    2.9 By convention and at the Government’s discretion, former Ministers are allowed reasonable access to the papers of the period when they were in office. With the exception of former Prime Ministers, access is limited to former Ministers personally. Subject to compliance with the ‘Radcliffe’ Rules (paragraph 8.10), former Ministers may have access in the Cabinet Office to copies of Cabinet or Cabinet Committee papers which were issued to them when in office, and access in the relevant department to other official papers which they are known to have handled at the time. The requirements of paragraph 2.13 below also apply.

    The Law Officers

    2.10 The Law Officers must be consulted in good time before the Government is committed to critical decisions involving legal considerations.
    2.11 By convention, written opinions of the Law Officers, unlike other ministerial papers, are generally made available to succeeding Administrations.

    2.12 When advice from the Law Officers is included in correspondence between Ministers, or in papers for the Cabinet or Ministerial Committees, the conclusions may if necessary be summarised but, if this is done, the complete text of the advice should be attached.

    2.13 The fact that the Law Officers have advised or have not advised and the content of their advice must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority.

    Security of Government Business

    2.14 Ministers have an important role to play in maintaining the security of Government business. They should ensure that they follow the advice about Security of Government Business. If in doubt about any particular arrangements, Ministers should, in the first instance, consult their Permanent Secretary for advice.

    3. Ministers and appointments

    General principle

    3.1 Civil service appointments must be made in accordance with the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Ministerial involvement in such appointments is set out in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles . Public appointments should be made in accordance with the requirements of the law and, where appropriate, the Governance Code issued by the Cabinet Office. Ministers have a duty to ensure that influence over civil service and public appointments is not abused for partisan purposes.

    Special advisers

    3.2 With the exception of the Prime Minister, Cabinet Ministers may each appoint up to two special advisers. The Prime Minister may also authorise the appointment of special advisers for Ministers who regularly attend Cabinet. All appointments, including exceptions to this rule, require the prior written approval of the Prime Minister, and no commitments to make such appointments should be entered into in the absence of such approval. All special advisers will be appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers (pdf, 193 KB) and the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers (pdf, 764 KB).

    3.3 All special advisers must uphold their responsibility to the Government as a whole, not just to their appointing Minister. The responsibility for the management and conduct of special advisers, including discipline, rests with the Minister who made the appointment. Individual Ministers will be accountable to the Prime Minister, Parliament and the public for their actions and decisions in respect of their special advisers. It is, of course, also open to the Prime Minister to terminate employment by withdrawing his consent to an individual appointment.

    3.4 The Government will publish an annual statement to Parliament setting out the numbers, names and paybands of special advisers, the appointing Minister and the overall paybill.

    Departmental Boards

    3.5 Secretaries of State should chair their departmental board. Boards should comprise other Ministers, senior officials, a Lead Non-Executive and non-executive board members, (largely drawn from the commercial private sector and appointed by the Secretary of State in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines). The remit of the board should be performance and delivery, and to provide the strategic leadership of the department.

    Parliamentary Private Secretaries

    3.6 Cabinet Ministers and Ministers of State may appoint Parliamentary Private Secretaries. All appointments require the prior written approval of the Prime Minister. The Chief Whip should also be consulted and no commitments to make such appointments should be entered into until such approval is received.

    3.7 Parliamentary Private Secretaries are not members of the Government. However, they must ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their role as a Parliamentary Private Secretary, and their private interests.

    3.8 Official information given to them should generally be limited to what is necessary for the discharge of their Parliamentary and political duties. This need not preclude them from being brought into departmental discussions where appropriate, but any such access should be approved by the relevant appointing Minister. They should not have access to information classified at secret or above. Any proposal to visit a secure government establishment requires the approval of the Head of the establishment.

    3.9 Parliamentary Private Secretaries are expected to support the Government in divisions in the House. No Parliamentary Private Secretary who votes against the Government can retain his or her position.

    3.10 Parliamentary Private Secretaries should not make statements in the House nor put Questions on matters affecting the department with which they are connected. They are not precluded from serving on Select Committees, but they should withdraw from any involvement with inquiries into their appointing Minister’s department, and they should avoid associating themselves with recommendations critical of or embarrassing to the Government. They should also exercise discretion in any statements outside the House.

    3.11 Where it is proposed to take a Parliamentary Private Secretary or other Parliamentarian on an official visit overseas, the Prime Minister’s approval is required. Official overseas travel by a Parliamentary Private Secretary, or other Parliamentarians, should be exceptional.

    3.12 Parliamentary Private Secretaries, particularly those in departments with planning responsibilities, should take special care when making representations to Ministers about planning issues. In particular, they should not discuss planning cases with interested parties or imply that they have any influence over planning decisions. In representing their constituency interests they should abide by the guidance in section 6 of this Code. Permanent Secretaries should be advised of any such interests.

    4. Ministers and their departments

    General principle

    4.1 The Prime Minister is responsible for the overall organisation of the executive and the allocation of functions between Ministers in charge of departments.

    Approval criteria

    4.2 The Prime Minister’s approval must be sought where changes are proposed that affect this allocation and the responsibilities for the discharge of ministerial functions. This applies whether the functions in question are derived from statute or from the exercise of the Royal Prerogative, or are general administrative responsibilities.

    4.3 The Prime Minister’s written approval must be sought where it is proposed to transfer functions:

    • a. between Ministers in charge of departments; and
    • b. between junior Ministers within a department unless the changes are de minimis.

    4.4 In addition, the Prime Minister’s written approval should be sought for proposals to allocate new functions to a particular Minister where the function does not fall wholly within the field of responsibilities of one Minister, or where there is disagreement about who should be responsible.

    4.5 Unresolved disputes concerning the allocation of functions should be referred to the Cabinet Secretary before a submission is made to the Prime Minister.

    Ministers outside the Cabinet

    4.6 The Minister in charge of a department is solely accountable to Parliament for the exercise of the powers on which the administration of that department depends. The Minister’s authority may, however, be delegated to a Minister of State, a Parliamentary Secretary, or to an official. It is desirable that Ministers in charge should devolve to their junior Ministers responsibility for a defined range of departmental work, particularly in connection with Parliament.

    4.7 A Minister’s proposal for the assignment of duties to junior Ministers, together with any proposed “courtesy titles” descriptive of their duties should be agreed in writing with the Prime Minister, copied to the Cabinet Secretary.

    4.8 Ministers of State and Parliamentary Secretaries will be authorised to supervise the day-to-day administration of a defined range of subjects. This arrangement does not relieve the Permanent Secretary of general responsibility for the organisation and discipline of the department or of the duty to advise on matters of policy. Any conflict of view between junior Ministers and the Permanent Secretary should be resolved by reference to the Minister in charge of the department. If the dispute cannot be resolved it should be referred to the Prime Minister and the Cabinet Secretary.

    Arrangements during absence from London

    4.9 Departments should ensure appropriate arrangements are made for Ministerial cover when Ministers are absent from London.

    4.10 The Prime Minister’s prior approval should be sought for the arrangements for superintending the work of a department when the Minister in charge will be absent. Special care must be taken over the exercise of statutory powers. Ministers should seek legal advice in cases of doubt.

    Maternity leave and other extended absence by a Minister

    4.11 Under the provisions of the Ministerial and other Maternity Allowances Act 2021, Ministers may take paid maternity leave (of up to six months) at the Prime Minister’s discretion. While doing so, the Minister will be designated as a “minister on leave”. During this period, the Minister will cease to perform ministerial functions and will not count towards the statutory limits that exist on ministerial numbers and salaries.

    4.12 Ministers may also seek the permission of the Prime Minister for an extended absence in other circumstances, such as ill health, adoption or paternity. Where the Prime Minister agrees to such a request, the Minister must not exercise their functions as a Minister during their period of absence unless this is agreed by the Permanent Secretary and the Minister who is temporarily covering the Ministerial responsibilities.

    Royal Commissions/ Public Inquiries

    4.13 The Prime Minister must be consulted in good time about any proposal to set up:

    • a. Royal Commissions: these can only be set up with the sanction of the Cabinet and after The King’s approval has been sought by the Prime Minister;
    • b. Public inquiries under the Inquiries Act 2005.

    4.14 The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice should also be consulted where there is a proposal to appoint a judge to the above.

    5. Ministers and civil servants

    General principle

    5.1 Ministers must uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service, and not ask civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the Civil Service Code and the requirements of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Ministers should be professional in their working relationships with the Civil Service and treat all those with whom they come into contact with consideration and respect.

    5.2 Ministers have a duty to give fair consideration and due weight to informed and impartial advice from civil servants, as well as to other considerations and advice in reaching policy decisions, and should have regard to the Principles of Scientific Advice to Government.

    The role of the Accounting Officer

    5.3 Heads of departments and the chief executives of executive agencies are appointed as Accounting Officers. This is a personal responsibility for the propriety and regularity of the public finances for which he or she is responsible; for keeping proper accounts; for the avoidance of waste and extravagance; and for the efficient and effective use of resources. Accounting Officers answer personally to the Committee of Public Accounts on these matters, within the framework of Ministerial accountability to Parliament for the policies, actions and conduct of their departments.

    5.4 Accounting Officers have a particular responsibility to see that appropriate advice is tendered to Ministers on all matters of financial propriety and regularity and more broadly as to all considerations of prudent and economical administration, efficiency and effectiveness and value for money. In line with the principles set out in Managing Public Money, if a Minister in charge of a department is contemplating a course of action which would involve a transaction which the Accounting Officer considers would breach the requirements of propriety or regularity, the Accounting Officer will set out in writing his or her objections to the proposal, the reasons for the objection and the duty to inform the Comptroller and Auditor General should the advice be overruled.

    5.5 If the Minister decides nonetheless to proceed, the Accounting Officer will seek a written instruction to take the action in question. The Accounting Officer is obliged to comply with the instructions and send relevant papers to the Comptroller and Auditor General. A similar procedure applies where the Accounting Officer has concerns about whether a proposed course of action offers value for money. This notification process enables the Committee of Public Accounts to see that the Accounting Officer does not bear personal responsibility for the actions concerned.

    Senior Responsible Owners

    5.6 Senior Responsible Owners of the Government’s major projects (as defined in the Government’s Major Project Portfolio) are expected to account to Parliament, for the decisions and actions they have taken to deliver the projects for which they have personal responsibility. This line of accountability relates to implementation (not policy development).

    Former Accounting Officers and Senior Responsible Owners

    5.7 Former Accounting Officers and Senior Responsible Owners may be invited to return to give evidence to departmental Select Committees and the Public Accounts Committee on matters for which they were previously responsible. Where a Committee wishes to take evidence from a former Accounting Officer or Senior Responsible Owner, the request should be agreed where there is a clear rationale for doing so.

    6. Ministers’ constituency and party interests

    General principle

    6.1 Ministers are provided with facilities at Government expense to enable them to carry out their official duties. These facilities should not generally be used for party or constituency activities.

    Use of Government property/ resources

    6.2 Government property should not generally be used for constituency work or party political activities. A particular exception is recognised in the case of official residences. Where Ministers host party or personal events in these residences it should be at their own or party expense with no cost falling to the public purse. (See also paragraph 7.10).

    6.3 Official facilities and resources may not be used for the dissemination of material which is essentially party political. The conventions governing the work of the Government Communication Service are set out in the Government Communication Service’s Propriety Guidance – Guidance on Government Communications. Particular care should be taken to ensure that official social media accounts are not used for party political or constituency purposes.

    Constituency interests

    6.4 Where Ministers have to take decisions within their departments which might have an impact on their own constituencies, they must take particular care to avoid any possible conflict of interest. Within departments, the Minister should advise their Permanent Secretary and, in the case of junior Ministers, their Secretary of State and Permanent Secretary of the interest and responsibilities should be arranged to avoid any conflict of interest.

    6.5 Ministers are free to make their views about constituency matters known to the responsible Minister by correspondence, leading deputations or by personal interview provided they make clear that they are acting as their constituents’ representative and not as a Minister.

    6.6 Ministers are advised to take particular care in cases relating to planning applications in their constituencies or other similar issues. In all such cases, it is important that they make clear that they are representing the views of their constituents, avoid criticism of Government policies and confine themselves to comments which could reasonably be made by those who are not Ministers. Once a decision has been announced, it should normally be accepted without question or criticism.

    6.7 Particular care also needs to be taken over cases in which a Minister may have a personal interest or connection, for example because they concern family, friends or employees. If, exceptionally, a Minister wishes to raise questions about the handling of such a case they should advise their Permanent Secretary and write to the Minister responsible, as with constituency cases, but they should make clear their personal connection or interest. The responsible Minister should ensure that any enquiry is handled without special treatment.

    Lottery bids

    6.8 In order to avoid the impression that Ministers are seeking to influence decisions on awards of Lottery money, Ministers should not normally give specific public support for individual applications for Lottery funding. Where a Minister wishes to lend support to a specific project within their constituency they should do so on the very clear understanding that it is in a constituency capacity.

    Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration cases (Parliamentary Ombudsman)

    6.9 Ministers in the Commons who are asked by members of the public to submit cases to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration should act no differently from other MPs in deciding whether to refer complaints to the Commissioner on the merits of the individual case.

    6.10 Where a complaint from a constituent is against the Minister’s own department the Minister should ask a neighbouring MP to take up the constituent’s case on his or her behalf.

    7. Ministers’ private interests

    General principle

    7.1 Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise.

    Responsibility for avoiding a conflict

    7.2 It is the personal responsibility of each Minister to decide whether and what action is needed to avoid a conflict or the perception of a conflict, taking account of advice received from their Permanent Secretary and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ interests.

    Procedure

    7.3 On appointment to each new office, Ministers must provide their Permanent Secretary with a full list in writing of all interests which might be thought to give rise to a conflict. The list should also cover interests of the Minister’s spouse or partner and close family which might be thought to give rise to a conflict.

    7.4 Where appropriate, the Minister will meet the Permanent Secretary and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ interests to agree action on the handling of interests. Ministers must record in writing what action has been taken, and provide the Permanent Secretary and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ interests with a copy of that record.

    7.5 The personal information which Ministers disclose to those who advise them is treated in confidence. However, a statement covering relevant Ministers’ interests will be published twice yearly.

    7.6 Where it is proper for a Minister to retain a private interest, he or she should declare that interest to Ministerial colleagues if they have to discuss public business which in any way affects it and the Minister should remain entirely detached from the consideration of that business. Similar steps may be necessary in relation to a Minister’s previous interests.

    Financial interests

    7.7 Ministers must scrupulously avoid any danger of an actual or perceived conflict of interest between their Ministerial position and their private financial interests. They should be guided by the general principle that they should either dispose of the interest giving rise to the conflict or take alternative steps to prevent it. In reaching their decision they should be guided by the advice given to them by their Permanent Secretary and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ interests. Ministers’ decisions should not be influenced by the hope or expectation of future employment with a particular firm or organisation.

    Steps to be taken where financial interests are retained

    7.8 Where exceptionally it is decided that a Minister can retain an interest, the Minister and the department must put processes in place to prohibit access to certain papers and ensure that the Minister is not involved in certain decisions and discussions relating to that interest.

    7.9 In some cases, it may not be possible to devise a mechanism to avoid a conflict of interest. In any such case, the Prime Minister must be consulted and it may be necessary for the Minister to cease to hold the office in question.

    Official residences

    7.10 Where a Minister is allocated an official residence, they must ensure that all personal tax liabilities, including council tax, are properly discharged, and that they personally pay such liabilities. Ministers who occupy an official residence will not be able to claim accommodation expenses from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (See also paragraph 6.2).

    Public appointments

    7.11 When they take up office, Ministers should give up any other public appointment they may hold. Where exceptionally it is proposed that such an appointment should be retained, the Minister should seek the advice of their Permanent Secretary and the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ interests.

    Non-Public Bodies

    7.12 Ministers should take care to ensure that they do not become associated with non-public organisations whose objectives may in any degree conflict with Government policy and thus give rise to a conflict of interest.

    7.13 Ministers should not therefore normally accept invitations to act as patrons of, or otherwise offer support to, pressure groups, or organisations dependent in whole or in part on Government funding. There is normally less objection to a Minister associating him or herself with a charity, subject to the points above, but Ministers should take care to ensure that in participating in any fund-raising activity, they do not place, or appear to place, themselves under an obligation as Ministers to those to whom appeals are directed and for this reason they should not approach individuals or companies personally for this purpose. In all such cases, the Minister should consult their Permanent Secretary and where appropriate the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ interests.

    Membership of Select Committees/All Party Parliamentary Groups

    7.14 In order to avoid any conflict of interest, Ministers on taking up office should give up membership or chairmanship of a Select Committee or All Party Parliamentary Group. This is to avoid any risk of criticism that a Minister is seeking to influence the Parliamentary process. It is also to avoid being drawn into a situation whereby their membership of a Committee could result in the belief that ministerial support is being given to a particular policy or funding proposal.

    Trade Unions

    7.15 There is, of course, no objection to a Minister holding trade union membership but care must be taken to avoid any actual or perceived conflict of interest. Accordingly, Ministers should arrange their affairs so as to avoid any suggestion that a union of which they are a member has any undue influence; they should take no active part in the conduct of union affairs, should give up any office they may hold in a union and should receive no remuneration from a union. A nominal payment purely for the purpose of protecting a Minister’s future pension rights is acceptable.

    7.16 Where Ministers become involved in legal proceedings in a personal capacity, there may be implications for them in their official position. Defamation is an example of an area where proceedings will invariably raise issues for the Minister’s official as well as his or her private position. In all such cases, Ministers should consult the Law Officers in good time and before legal proceedings are initiated so that they may offer guidance on the potential implications and handling of the proceedings.

    7.17 Similarly, when a Minister is a defendant or a witness in an action, he or she should notify the Law Officers as soon as possible. Preferably, this should be before he or she has instructed his or her own solicitors in the matter.

    Nomination for prizes and awards

    7.18 From time to time, the personal support of Ministers is requested for nominations being made for international prizes and awards, for example, the annual Nobel prizes. Ministers should not sponsor individual nominations for any awards, since it would be inevitable that some people would assume that the Government was itself thereby giving its sponsorship.

    Foreign decorations

    7.19 The rules governing the acceptance of foreign awards set by the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals apply. Ministers should not normally, whilst holding office, accept decorations from foreign countries. Where such an award is offered directly to a Minister and it would be difficult or embarrassing to decline, they can receive the award but should inform the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) as soon as possible. Generally, permission to wear will not be granted but the minister will be able to retain the award as a keepsake. Where the FCDO considers the case for restricted permission to wear might merit a national interest case exception, the FCDO will consult the Prime Minister who will make the final decision.

    Acceptance of gifts and hospitality

    7.20 It is a well-established and recognised rule that no Minister should accept gifts, hospitality or services from anyone which would, or might appear to, place him or her under an obligation. The same principle applies if gifts etc are offered to a member of their family.

    7.21 This is primarily a matter which must be left to the good sense of Ministers. But any Minister in doubt or difficulty over this should seek the advice of their Permanent Secretary.

    7.22 Gifts given to Ministers in their Ministerial capacity become the property of the Government and do not need to be declared in the Register of Members’ or Peers’ Interests. Gifts of small value, currently this is set at £140, may be retained by the recipient. Gifts of a higher value should be handed over to the department for disposal unless the recipient wishes to purchase the gift abated by £140. There is usually no customs duty or import VAT payable on the importation of official gifts received overseas. HMRC can advise on any cases of doubt. If a Minister wishes to retain a gift he or she will be liable for any tax it may attract. Departments will publish, on a quarterly basis, details of gifts received and given by Ministers valued at more than £140.

    7.23 Gifts given to Ministers as constituency MPs or members of a political party fall within the rules relating to the Registers of Members’ and Lords’ Interests.

    7.24 Departments will publish, quarterly, details of hospitality received by Ministers in a Ministerial capacity. Hospitality accepted as an MP or Peer should be declared in the Register of Members’ or Lords’ Interests respectively.

    Acceptance of appointments after leaving ministerial office

    7.25 On leaving office, Ministers will be prohibited from lobbying Government for two years. They must also seek advice from the independent Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACoBA) about any appointments or employment they wish to take up within two years of leaving office. Former Ministers must ensure that no new appointments are announced, or taken up, before the Committee has been able to provide its advice. To ensure that Ministers are fully aware of their future obligations in respect of outside appointments after leaving office, the Business Appointment Rules are attached at Annex B. Former Ministers must abide by the advice of the Committee which will be published by the Committee when a role is announced or taken up.

    8. Ministers and the presentation of policy

    General principle

    8.1 Official facilities paid for out of public funds should be used for Government publicity and advertising but may not be used for the dissemination of material which is essentially party political. The conventions governing the work of the Government Communication Service are set out in the Government Communication Service’s Propriety Guidance – Guidance on Government Communications.

    Media interviews, speeches etc

    8.2 In order to ensure the effective coordination of Cabinet business, the policy content and timing of all major announcements, speeches, press releases and new policy initiatives should be cleared in draft with the No 10 Press and Private Offices at least 24 hours in advance. All major interviews and media appearances, both print and broadcast, should also be agreed with the No 10 Press Office.

    8.3 In all cases other than those described in paragraph 6.6, the principle of collective responsibility applies (see also paragraph 2.1). Ministers should ensure that their statements are consistent with collective Government policy. Ministers should take special care in referring to subjects which are the responsibility of other Ministers (see also paragraph 2.3).

    8.4 Ministers must only use official machinery, including social media, for distributing texts of speeches relating to Government business. Speeches made in a party political context should not be distributed via official machinery.

    8.5 Ministers invited to broadcast on radio, television and/or webcasts in a political or private capacity should consider if such a broadcast would have a bearing on another department’s responsibilities, in which case they should clear the matter with the ministerial colleague concerned before agreeing to the invitation.

    Press articles

    8.6 Ministers may contribute to a book, journal or newspaper, including a local newspaper in their constituency, provided that publication will not be at variance with their obligations to Parliament and their duty to observe the principle of collective Ministerial responsibility. No payment should be accepted for such articles.

    8.7 Any Minister wishing to practice regular journalism must have the prior approval of the No 10 Press Office.

    Payment for speeches, media articles etc

    8.8 Ministers should not accept payment for speeches or media articles of an official nature or which directly draw on their responsibilities or experience as Ministers or with a view to donating the fee to charity. If the organisation in question insists on making a donation to a charity then it should be a charity of the organisation’s choice. This is to avoid any criticism that a Minister is using his or her official position to influence or take the credit for donations to charity.

    Books

    8.9 Ministers may not, while in office, write and publish a book on their ministerial experience. Nor, while serving as a Minister, may they enter into any agreement to publish their memoirs on leaving their ministerial position.

    8.10 Former Ministers intending to publish their memoirs are required to submit the draft manuscript in good time before publication to the Cabinet Secretary and to conform to the principles set out in the Radcliffe report of 1976 (Cmnd 6386).

    Surveys

    8.11 Ministers are sometimes asked to give interviews to persons engaged in academic research or in market opinion surveys or questionnaires. Ministers should bear in mind the possibility that their views may be reported in a manner incompatible with their responsibilities and duties as members of the Government and such interviews should normally be declined.

    Publication of White and consultation papers

    8.12 Care should be taken to avoid infringing Parliamentary privilege when publicity is being arranged for White Papers and similar documents. A procedure is available whereby Confidential Final Revise proof copies can be made available. In some cases for instance, where commercially sensitive material is involved, no copies should be made available to the media before publication. See also paragraph 2.6 for clearance of the content of White Papers and similar documents.

    Complaints

    8.13 Ministers who wish to make a complaint against a journalist or a particular section of the media to the appropriate regulator, must have the approval of the No 10 Chief Press Secretary. Paragraph 7.16 is also relevant in relation to defamation proceedings.

    Meetings with external organisations

    8.14 Ministers meet many people and organisations and consider a wide range of views as part of the formulation of Government policy. Meetings on official business should normally be arranged through Ministers’ departments. A private secretary or official should be present for all discussions relating to Government business. If a Minister meets an external organisation or individual and finds themselves discussing official business without an official present – for example at a social occasion or on holiday – any significant content should be passed back to the department as soon as possible after the event. Departments will publish quarterly, details of Ministers’ external meetings. Meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives will be published on a quarterly basis regardless of the purpose of the meeting.

    Statistics

    8.15 Ministers need to be mindful of the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice (pdf, 577 KB) which defines good practice in relation to official statistics, observance of which is a statutory requirement on all organisations that produce National Statistics in accordance with the provisions of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.

    Pre-release access rules

    8.16 Ministers also need to have regard to the Pre-Release Access to Official Statistics Order, which places strict conditions on access to official statistics in their final form and significantly limits access ahead of publication. The Order requires Ministers to restrict pre-release access to a minimum number of persons and prohibits any statement or comment to the press ahead of release of the statistics.

    9. Ministers and parliament

    General principle

    9.1 When Parliament is in session, the most important announcements of Government policy should be made in the first instance, in Parliament.

    Timing and form of announcement

    9.2 Even when Government announcements are not of major importance their timing may require careful consideration in order to avoid clashes with other Government publications, statements or announcements or with planned Parliamentary business. The Offices of the Leader of the Commons, the Chief Whip and the Prime Minister should be given as long an opportunity as possible to comment on all important announcements.

    9.3 Every effort should be made to avoid leaving significant announcements to the last day before a recess.

    Oral Statements

    9.4 Ministers should not give undertakings, either in or outside the House of Commons, that an oral statement will be made to the House until the agreement has been given by the private secretaries to the Prime Minister, the Leader of the House of Commons and the Chief Whip. The Leader of the House of Lords and Lords Chief Whip should be consulted where a statement is to be made in the House of Lords in the first instance.

    9.5 A copy of the text of an oral statement should usually be shown to the Opposition shortly before it is made. For this purpose, 15 copies of the statement and associated documents should be sent to the Chief Whip’s Office at least 45 minutes before the statement is to be made. At the same time, a copy of the final text of an oral statement should in all cases be sent in advance to the Speaker.

    9.6 Every effort must be made to ensure that where a former Minister or a Ministerial colleague and/or a fellow MP/Peer is mentioned in a statement or report which prompts a Ministerial statement, he or she is given as much notice as is reasonably possible.

    Select Committee Reports

    9.7 Any Minister or Parliamentary Private Secretary who receives a copy of a Select Committee report in advance of publication excluding copies sent to departments at the Confidential Final Revise stage should make no use of them and should return them without delay to the Clerk of the relevant Committee. Civil servants, including special advisers, are also covered by this ruling.

    10. Travel by ministers

    General principle

    10.1 Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements. Official transport should not normally be used for travel arrangements arising from party or private business, except where this is justified on security grounds.

    Overseas visits

    10.2 Ministers should make it their personal responsibility to approve the size and composition of Ministerial delegations for which their department is responsible, including any accompanying special advisers, keeping delegations as small as reasonably possible. Ministers will wish to be satisfied that their arrangements could be defended in public.

    10.3 Departments will publish quarterly, details of all travel overseas by Ministers.

    10.4 When Ministers travel on official business, their travel expenses should be borne by the departmental vote. Offers of free travel should not normally be accepted. The only exception to this is in the case of an offer of transport from an overseas government provided no undue obligation is created.

    10.5 When holding meetings overseas with Ministers and/or officials from overseas governments, or where official business is likely to be discussed, Ministers should always ensure that a private secretary or Embassy official is present. If a Minister meets an external organisation or individual and finds themselves discussing official business without an official present – for example at a social occasion or on holiday – any significant content should be passed back to the department as soon as possible after the event. Ministers should seek guidance in advance from their Permanent Secretary, who should consult the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in cases of doubt.

    Non-scheduled flights

    10.6 Only members of the Cabinet and Ministers in charge of Departments have discretion to authorise special flights either for themselves or other Ministers within their Departments. Non-scheduled flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or Parliamentary business or security considerations preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. Use of special flights by Parliamentary Secretaries should only be approved in exceptional circumstances.

    10.7 Non-scheduled flights must not be diverted for journeys to or from party business or constituency visits. When the time factor is critical, diversions from direct routes may, however, be authorised to collect or deliver a Minister to an airfield near his or her home provided that the only extra cost results from the extra flying time needed to carry out the additional landing and take-off.

    10.8 In addition, Ministers travelling on business of the defence departments or visiting a Service or Defence Establishment may use Ministry of Defence aircrafts in accordance with rules and procedures approved by the Secretary of State for Defence.

    Ministers recalled from abroad

    10.9 If a Minister is abroad with permission and is called home for ministerial or Parliamentary reasons – including to vote – the cost of the extra journey back and forth may be met by public funds.

    UK visits

    10.10 Ministers intending to make an official visit within the United Kingdom must inform in advance, and in good time, the MPs whose constituencies are to be included within the itinerary.

    10.11 Similar courtesies should be extended when UK Ministers are visiting the constituencies of members of the Scottish Parliament, the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

    10.12 Ministers who are planning official visits to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland should inform the Secretary of State concerned.

    Use of official cars

    10.13 Ministers are permitted to use an official car for official business and for home to office journeys on the understanding that they are using the time to work. Where practicable, Ministers are encouraged to use public transport.

    10.14 The number of Ministers with allocated cars and drivers will be kept to a minimum, taking into account security and other relevant considerations. Other Ministers will be entitled to use cars from the Government Car Service Pool as needed.

    Party political occasions

    10.15 Where a visit is a mix of political and official engagements, it is important that the department and the party each meet a proper proportion of the actual cost.

    10.16 The Prime Minister, and any other Minister for whom the security authorities exceptionally consider it essential, may use their official cars for all journeys by road, including those for private or party purposes.

    Air miles

    10.17 Air miles and other benefits earned through travel paid for from public funds, other than where they are de minimis for example, access to special departure lounges or booking arrangements which go with membership of regular flier clubs, should be used only for official purposes or else foregone. If it is impracticable to use the benefits for Government travel, there is no objection to Ministers donating them to charity if this is permissible under the terms of the airline’s scheme and the charity is one chosen by the airline.

    Travelling expenses of spouses/partners

    10.18 The expenses of a Minister’s spouse/partner when accompanying the Minister on the latter’s official duties may occasionally be paid from public funds provided that it is clearly in the public interest that he or she should accompany the Minister. The agreement of the Prime Minister must be obtained on each occasion before travel.

    Annex A

    Read the Seven Principles of Public Life.

    Annex B

    Read the Business Appointment Rules for former ministers.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Sir Laurie Magnus appointed as the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Sir Laurie Magnus appointed as the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests [December 2022]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 December 2022.

    Sir Laurie Magnus CBE has been appointed as the Prime Minister’s new Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests.

    The Independent Adviser performs an important role, rooted in the Ministerial Code, as a source of impartial advice on the proper management of Ministers’ private interests and on adherence to the Code itself.

    The Code has also today been re-issued, with the inclusion of a new Foreword by the Prime Minister.

    The Prime Minister has been clear that he expects the Government to have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level. Sir Laurie will carry out the role in line with the established Terms of Reference, published in May 2022, which set out the core functions of the role as:

    • Advising Ministers on their private interests, including overseeing the publication of the List of Ministers’ Interests
    • Investigating alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code
    • Providing advice on amendments to the Ministerial Code to the Prime Minister
    • Providing ad hoc advice, at the request of a Minister, in relation to the Ministerial Code

    Sir Laurie Magnus was appointed as the Prime Minister’s Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests on 22 December 2022.

    Sir Laurie is Chairman of Historic England (formerly known as English Heritage), having been appointed in September 2013 to lead its relaunch under the Historic England brand name and the transfer of management of its properties to a new charity, the English Heritage Trust. This role is a regulated public appointment, overseen by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. He was previously Deputy Chairman of the National Trust from 2005 to 2013.

    Sir Laurie will bring to the role of Independent Adviser over 40 years’ experience in the financial services sector, with particularly relevant professional experience of audit, compliance and corporate governance. He holds a number of advisory and non-executive roles within the finance sector, drawing on this expertise.

    In the not for profit sector, Sir Laurie was until recently Chairman of the Windsor Leadership Trust, an independent charity providing experiential leadership programmes for senior leaders across all sectors of society, and Deputy Chairman of the Benefact Trust, providing charitable financial support to churches and Christian charities in the UK and Ireland. Sir Laurie also served as a member of the Board of the Culture Recovery Fund, established by Government to provide financial support to the culture and heritage sectors during the COVID pandemic.

    Sir Laurie is also a member of Historic England’s Business and Finance Committee, Remuneration and Appointments Committee, and is a member of the English Heritage Board of Trustees.