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PRESS RELEASE : Putin fears the emergence of Ukraine as a modern, democratic state: UK statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 November 2023.

UK military advisor, Nicholas Aucott, says Putin’s regime has long sought to rewrite public memory and manipulate history.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine is a constant reminder to this Forum of the difficult and dangerous times in which we live. It is all the more tragic that a member of this Forum, Russia, has wilfully threatened security in the region through the illegal invasion of another nation state. This week, we were again confronted with the horrendous consequences of this war in which Russian strikes on Kherson have killed further civilians, including a three-month old baby.

As Russia prepares for its third wave of assaults around Avdiivka, it does so following heavy rain in the area, where the ground has become muddy and in which conditions are difficult to operate. Russia continues to demonstrate a lack of regard for the lives of its own soldiers. In the face of a resolved Ukrainian defence, we can expect further Russian losses on top of the quarter of million casualties Russia has already sustained in this misguided military venture.

Conversely, the Ukrainian military has registered successes in Luhansk striking Russian SA-21 long-range Surface-to-Air Missile launchers, exposing Russia’s struggle to respond to modern precision strike weapons. Ukraine has damaged a newly-built Russian naval corvette in Kerch. It has also diminished Russia’s ability to replenish its forces through the destruction of Russian landing craft, containing armoured vehicles, off the western coast of Crimea. At the same time, Ukraine continues to exert pressure on Russian forces by conducting operations on the left bank of the Dnipro. Ukrainian’s strategic gains stand in stark contrast to Russia’s woeful performance on the battlefield.

Symbolic of Russia’s isolation on the global stage, Russia has turned to other authoritarian regimes in North Korea and Iran for the provision of weapons, violating UN Security Council resolutions including resolutions Russia itself voted for.

We condemn Russia’s repeated violations of international law, including the UN Charter. Russia’s illegal invasion of another sovereign state is also in direct contravention of the Helsinki Final Act and the Budapest Memorandums on Security Assurances.

Madam Chair, Putin’s regime has long sought to rewrite public memory and manipulate history. And has been seeking to persecute and silence all those, including Russian individuals and organisations, that for over 30 years have sought to expose Soviet era atrocities. Most recently, Putin has issued a revisionist history published as a collection of documents entitled, “On the historical unity of the Russians and Ukrainians”. It is a backward-looking narrative because Putin fears the emergence of Ukraine as a modern, democratic state. The United Kingdom and its allies will work to counter such efforts at disinformation. Our resolute conviction and intensity in our support to Ukraine will not falter. We will continue to enhance Ukraine’s long-term security and strengthen its defence while Ukraine fights to regain territory. In the face of Russia’s self-inflicted strategic calamity, we will stand with Ukraine until it prevails. Thank you.

22/11/2023
Robert Halfon – 2023 Speech to the Committee of University Chairs
The speech made by Robert Halfon, the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, in London on 15 November 2023.
Good morning and thank you for that introduction. The Committee of University Chairs promotes the highest standards of governance across the UK’s higher education sector. I am delighted to join you today to talk about lifelong learning, and how our reforms will open up your courses to new students like never before.

From my travels around the country, I know that education is not and cannot be for young people only. Indeed, the definition of lifelong learning, it being the continuous, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge, expertise, and skills, alludes to that fact that learning is not restricted to childhood or young adulthood but occurs throughout working life. Lifelong learning is therefore an essential part the education offer in this country. As a component of the ladder of opportunity, it contributes to education’s true purpose: to provide a route for people of all backgrounds to gain valuable skills and well-paid work. And it has never been more relevant than to today’s workforce. With an ageing population, an ever-increasing demand for skilled professionals, big data, and automation and artificial intelligence generating what is set to be, a technological revolution of unparalleled proportions, it is apparent to all that individuals will need continuous access to education and retraining throughout their lives.

That is why the Lifelong Learning Entitlement will, truly, be transformative for both further and higher education. The entitlement will be equivalent to four years of higher education funding – £37,000 currently – and will galvanise people to train, retrain, and upskill across their working lives. This could be through a full-time degree, or individual modules, or other courses like higher technical qualifications or HTQs. HTQs are designed in collaboration with employers, so students can be confident that they will gain the skills needed to get on in their chosen career. HTQs lead to prestigious, sustainable jobs such as software developer, quantity surveyor and nursing associate – the jobs that employers are crying out for people to fill. So, from the 2025 to 2026 academic year, the LLE will be available for:

Full courses at level 4 to level 6, such as a degree or higher technical qualifications.

Modules of high-value technical courses at level 4 to level 5.

This will allow people to adapt to the ever-evolving demands of the world’s sixth-largest economy. The LLE presents solutions and offers answers to this multitude of changes and opportunities. It only takes a spark to start a fire, and the trailblazing initiative that is the LLE will revolutionise this country’s landscape of education and opportunity and alter for the better people’s perception of possibility in adulthood.

Education is, without doubt, society’s greatest leveller. Firing the imagination, it opens new doors and ensures nobody is left behind. The Prime Minister has described education as the closest thing we have to a silver bullet: the best economic, social, and moral policy. Widening access to higher education this century has transformed our nation, but we need to do more. And so, we are. With the LLE, we are lighting a fire to forge an ambitious future and provide pathways for everyone, whether that be through education or employment, reskilling, or upskilling.

So, the LLE will level-up access to later-life learning. It will bring FE and HE together to create a new universal student-finance system. It will enable the configuration of funding around modular, flexible provision, allowing learners to study at their own pace and in a way which suits them. It will expand maintenance support to all eligible learners and all targeted support grants are being extended to part-time courses for the first time. We will be expanding support for living costs to technical courses at levels 4-5, which remain pressing, whatever and however you study. It will remove the restrictions on students taking courses at the same or a lower level to ones they’ve already done. This will allow both new and retuning learners the freedom and the funding to upskill or retrain as best serves the next step in their careers. It will offer people regular start dates, opportunities, as they’ll be able to pick up a module at any time and move more seamlessly between institutions. And finally, it will allow learners to see their loan balance through their very own LLE personal account so they can make informed choices about the courses and learning pathways available.

This is what is unique about the LLE. This change to student finance will offer diverse educational opportunities, enabling students to learn at a pace that suits them, fitting study around work, family, and personal commitments. Because whether through full-time degrees, individual modules or higher technical qualifications, we want learners to have a real choice in life. They should not feel limited to just one path or one shot at success.

We have already made tremendous progress at pace on the LLE. Most recently, for example, and something of which I am particularly proud, the Lifelong Learning (HE Fee Limits) Bill became law in September. It has created a new system for applying fee limits, ensuring that the fee cap is calculated on the same basis, whether a learner is studying individual modules separately, or studying them together on a typical full-time course.

During the passage of the act, I committed to provide further information on fee limits so providers could prepare for the LLE’s introduction. I am pleased to announce that this information is today being published on gov.uk. In this, we are setting out the list of chargeable numbers of credits for every course type, as well as the number of credits that can be charged for in any single course year.

Of course, not all programmes are credit-bearing courses. Courses such as medicine, veterinary science and dentistry are exceptions, and their fee limits will be set using a default number of credits.

The publication also includes the list of course types to which this default system applies, to give providers and learners all the information they need to prepare for 2025.

It also gives me great pleasure to say that we are also setting out further detail today on learner entitlement. The LLE will be available to both new and returning learners. Whilst new learners will be able to access the full entitlement (equivalent to 4 years full-time tuition), those returning to higher-level education will be able to access their residual tuition loan entitlement. They can use this to access any LLE course, whether a full degree, short course, or a module. This opens up the entitlement to people of many different educational backgrounds, allowing them to refresh their skills or seek brand-new qualifications.

Details of how we will calculate residual entitlement are also being published today. We will consider both the cash value of loans taken out by learners, and the modern equivalent cost for those who studied under previous funding regimes. In doing so, we have prioritised value for taxpayers, and ensure that learners who want to use the LLE to retrain or upskill can do so on an equitable basis.

The Lifelong Learning Entitlement represents a significant leap forward in providing accessible, adaptable, and inclusive education. It embodies this government’s commitment to empower individuals to furnace their own education pathways, adapt to change, and contribute to a stronger and healthier economy. Truly, I am so excited to be consistently making great strides on the LLE and its plethora of constituent parts. And I am so enthusiastic that this once-in-a-generation reform of our higher-education sector will enable people to move seamlessly between further education and higher education, taking the opportunities that best serve their career stage and fit around their commitments.

However, this can’t happen without your support. I hope that the higher-education sector will embrace the burning ambition of the LLE. It has the power to light the proverbial fire, to benefit learners, employers, and universities alike.

For learners, the LLE will kindle a desire for personal and professional development, allowing them the opportunity to learn, reskill or upskill. For universities and colleges, the LLE will spark discourse about efficient and effective education delivery, inspiring them to think differently, more radically, and to trigger spirited and significant collaboration and co-operation between higher and further education. For employers, the LLE will ignite the talent foundry and cast a stronger and larger labour force. This will allow them to bridge skills gaps in their workforce, encouraging staff to upskill via modular learning and progress professionally in a way that is responsive to their needs.

I hope I have painted an exciting picture of the developments to come. Together with other DfE initiatives like skills bootcamps, apprenticeships, and our adult learning offer apprenticeships, the LLE forms part of our blazing desire to enhance human capability and productivity, so that every person in this country can pursue the education that they need and deliver on their full potential. I hope you see the possibilities that this landmark reform will present to the sector, and I look forward to working with you to make those possibilities a reality for universities, colleges, and students.

As we move forward, therefore, let us embrace this revolutionary reform and transformative journey together. Education should inflame curiosity and creativity. It should fuel a passion for learning and a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Just as a fire spreads and grows, so should education spark a desire to explore and discover new things. With the LLE, we hope that lifelong learning will become the norm. Even more so, we hope students catch a spark and light a fire. We want our education system to be about those fires. So very many of them.

Thank you.
22/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : William Hogarth’s satirical painting ‘Taste in High Life’ at risk of leaving the UK [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 15 November 2023.

A temporary export bar has been placed on William Hogarth’s painting Taste in High Life.
The painting is valued at almost £2.5 million

Export bar will allow time for a UK gallery or institution to acquire the painting for the nation

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has placed an export bar on William Hogarth’s satirical painting ‘Taste in High Life’.

The work, valued at £2,468,000 (plus VAT of £93,600 which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution), is at risk of leaving the UK unless a domestic buyer can be found to acquire the work for the nation.

The 18th-century painting provides an important insight into public sentiment during the period, notably the ambivalence and tension that emerged with Britain’s growing commercial and consumer culture, as well as female patronage of the arts.

‘Taste in High Life’ holds an important position in Hogarth’s body of work, helping to elevate satire in the painted form to a high art. Hogarth became prominent in the 18th century for his satirical commentary on the upper classes, which would also feature in his celebrated series ‘Marriage A-la-Mode’.

The painting was commissioned by Mary Edwards (1705–43), an English heiress said to be the richest woman in England at the time. The painting is based on her own experience of high society and is therefore shaped by her personal disenchantment with fashionable life, particularly expressing her scathing attitude to contemporary tastes.

Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

Hogarth’s Taste in High Life provides us with extraordinary insights into eighteenth-century society with his famously biting satirical edge.

As one of Britain’s most celebrated artists, it is right that a UK buyer has the opportunity to purchase this work so it can continue to be studied and enjoyed as an important part of our history.

The Minister’s decision follows the advice of the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest.

Committee Member Mark Hallett said:

William Hogarth’s Taste in High Life is a pivotal picture in the career of one of Britain’s greatest artists, prefiguring as it does the extraordinary achievement of his famous Marriage A-la-Mode series, now housed in London’s National Gallery. The picture is also the product of the unique, highly collaborative relationship Hogarth enjoyed with one of eighteenth-century Britain’s most important female patrons of the arts, Mary Edwards. Packed with the satirical details so closely associated with the artist, and at the same time expressive of the wider anxieties and prejudices of the Georgian age, it is a picture that fully deserves to stay in the UK and to receive further investigation and research.

The Committee made its recommendation on the basis that the painting met the first and third Waverley criteria for its outstanding connection with our history and national life and its outstanding significance for the study of art history, the history of 18th-century British cultural life, and female patronage.

The decision on the export licence application for the painting will be deferred for a period ending on 14 March 2024 inclusive. At the end of the first deferral period owners will have a consideration period of 15 Business Days to consider any offer(s) to purchase the painting at the recommended price of £2,468,000 (plus VAT of £93,600 which can be reclaimed by an eligible institution). The second deferral period will commence following the signing of an Option Agreement and will last for six months.

Notes to editors:

Lord Parkinson discussed the Waverley criteria in a speech.

Organisations or individuals interested in purchasing the painting should contact the RCEWA on 02072680534 or rcewa@artscouncil.org.uk.

Details of the painting are as follows: William Hogarth (1697-1764) Taste in High Life 1742. Oil on canvas, 63.5 x 76.1 cm. Inscribed ‘THE / MODE / 1742’ on the pedestal of Venus. The work is unglazed and appears to be in fair and sound condition.

Provenance: Commissioned from the artist by Mary Edwards (1705-1743) for £60; her sale, Cock’s, London, 28-29 May 1746, lot 49 (as ‘Mr. Hogarth, Taste a-la-Mode’), 5 guineas; bought by Mr. Birch; with John Birch, surgeon of Essex Street, Strand, by 1782 until 1814 or later; the Revd. Robert Gwilt (1811-1889) by 1843; sold by his executors, Christie’s, London, 13 July 1889, lot 95, 215 guineas; bought by Davis for C. Fairfax Murray; Charles Fairfax Murray (1849-1919); Louis Huth (1821-1905), 28 Hertford Street, Mayfair and Possingworth Park, East Sussex; his sale (‘Catalogue of the Highly Important Collection of Fine Pictures and Drawings of Louis Huth, Esq. Deceased’), Christie’s, London, 20 May 1905, lot 104, 1,250 guineas; bought by Agnew, on behalf of Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh; thence by descent; Old Master & 19th Century Paintings Evening Auction, Sotheby’s, London, 5 July 2023, lot.34.

The Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest is an independent body, serviced by Arts Council England (ACE), which advises the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on whether a cultural object, intended for export, is of national importance under specified criteria.

Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Its strategic vision in Let’s Create is that, by 2030, England should be a country in which the creativity of everyone is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. ACE invests public money from the government and the National Lottery to support the sector and deliver the vision. Following the Covid-19 crisis, ACE developed a £160 million Emergency Response Package, with nearly 90 per cent coming from the National Lottery, for organisations and individuals needing support. It is also one of the bodies administering the government’s unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund.
22/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda [November 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 November 2023.

The Prime Minister spoke to the President Paul Kagame of Rwanda this morning.

While he welcomed the Court’s confirmation that the principle of sending illegal migrants to a safe third country is lawful, the Prime Minister expressed his disappointment at the overall outcome and recognised that there are challenges we must overcome.

He thanked President Kagame for his Government’s work over the last 15 months and the extra assurances we have already agreed as they said they would continue to work together to address the Court’s concerns.

Both leaders reiterated their firm commitment to making our migration partnership work and agreed to take the necessary steps to ensure this is a robust and lawful policy and to stop the boats as soon as possible.

22/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK statement on Cameroon [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 15 November 2023.

The UK delivered a statement during Cameroon’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council.
Thank you, Mr President,

The United Kingdom welcomes the government’s publication of an annual human rights report as an important way to raise awareness and increase transparency.

We encourage the government to further strengthen this reporting, including by providing more detail on efforts taken to hold perpetrators to account.

We recommend that Cameroon:

Develop effective measures to prevent and address acts of violence, including attacks and threats against civilians, medical personnel or patients, particularly in the Northwest and Southwest Regions, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2286.

Introduce stronger legal protections for persons in marginalised and vulnerable situations, including by reinforcing legislation to ensure accountability for acts of violence against persons belonging to ethnic minority groups.

Amend the 2014 Law on the Suppression of Acts of Terrorism to align it with international human rights standards and guidelines issued by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism.

Thank you.
22/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister’s statement on Supreme Court judgement [November 2023]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 15 November 2023.

The Prime Minister issued a statement following the Supreme Court’s judgement on the Rwanda plan.

We have seen today’s judgment and will now consider next steps.

This was not the outcome we wanted, but we have spent the last few months planning for all eventualities and we remain completely committed to stopping the boats.

Crucially, the Supreme Court – like the Court of Appeal and the High Court before it – has confirmed that the principle of sending illegal migrants to a safe third country for processing is lawful. This confirms the Government’s clear view from the outset.

Illegal migration destroys lives and costs British taxpayers millions of pounds a year. We need to end it and we will do whatever it takes to do so.

Because when people know that if they come here illegally, they won’t get to stay then they will stop coming altogether, and we will stop the boats.

22/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Protections for families and crack down on rogue landlords [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 15 November 2023.

Private landlords banned from having ‘no DSS’ and ‘no children’ policies and Decent Homes Standard introduced in the private rented sector for the first time.

Changes put forward to the Renters (Reform) Bill to crack down on rogue landlords, protect vulnerable residents and improve the decency and safety of homes for millions of tenants are being introduced today (15 November).

The Government has tabled amendments to make it illegal for landlords and agents to have blanket bans on renting to people who receive benefits or who have children – ensuring families aren’t discriminated against when looking for a home to rent and protecting the most vulnerable. Landlords will still be able to carry out referencing checks to make sure a tenancy is affordable and have the final say on who they let their property to. This will apply to England and Wales and will be extended to Scotland via a further amendment at Report Stage.

Alongside this, a Decent Homes Standard (DHS) will be applied to the private rented sector for the first time. The new standard will set a clear bar for what tenants should expect from their home ensuring it is safe, warm and decent. It will be set following further consultation and will help to meet the target of reducing non-decency in rented homes by 50% by 2030.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said:

Everyone deserves a home that is safe, warm and decent. But far too many live in conditions that fall well below what is acceptable. As part of our Long-Term Plan for Housing we are improving housing standards across the entire private rented sector, while also ending discrimination against vulnerable people and families who are being unfairly denied access to a home.

Local Authorities will be given new enforcement powers to require landlords to make properties decent, with fines up to £30,000 or a banning order in the worse cases. Tenants will also be able to claim up to 24 months rent back through rent repayment orders up from 12 previously.

Councils will also be given stronger powers to investigate landlords who rent substandard homes, providing them with the tools they need to identify and take enforcement action against the criminal minority and help drive them out of the sector.

The amendments will now be considered at Committee stage for the Bill in the House of Commons and are a vital next step in delivering a fairer system for both tenants and landlords. The changes will support the majority of good landlords by making existing rules clearer and more enforceable.

The wider reforms in the Bill are a once-in-a-generation change to housing laws to ensure the 11 million tenants across England will benefit from safer, fairer and higher quality homes. This includes a ban on ‘no fault’ evictions to protect tenants and give them the security to call out poor standards without fear of losing their home. It also gives tenants a legal right to ask for a pet and creates a new Ombudsman to resolve issues with their landlords more quickly.

The reforms are part of the Government’s long-term plan for housing that includes speeding up the planning system and reducing delays to ensure we can build the homes that communities want and need.

22/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK attends first CPTPP meeting since signing up to the massive Indo-Pacific trade bloc in July [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 15 November 2023.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch in California for her first in-person meeting with CPTPP countries since she was in New Zealand to sign the deal in July.
Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch in California for her first in-person meeting with CPTPP countries since she was in New Zealand to sign the deal in July

British business welcome membership for supporting jobs, boosting sales and bringing economic growth

News comes as the Bill implementing CPTPP starts passage through Parliament and British businesses gear up to take advantage of opportunities the UK’s membership presents

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch is in San Francisco today [Wednesday 15 November] to meet Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) Ministers in-person for the first time since she was in New Zealand to sign the deal on the UK’s membership in July.

CPTPP is a vast global free trade area consisting of 11 countries, home to 500 million people, across Asia Pacific and the Americas, and now the UK. Once the UK joins the group, CPTPP will be worth £12 trillion – 15% of global GDP – and over 99% of UK goods exports to CPTPP countries will face zero tariffs.

The meeting coincides with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference taking place in San Francisco at which world leaders from across the region including President Biden will be present.

The news comes after the government introduced the Bill needed to bring the CPTPP deal into force to parliament as part of the King’s Speech last week.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

I’m delighted to be here in San Francisco, meeting my CPTPP counterparts and advancing Britain’s rightful place on the world stage.

As CPTPP’s first ever new member, and the only European member, we are linking the UK to some of the world’s most dynamic economies, giving British businesses first-mover advantage in some of the fastest-growing markets in the world, and supporting jobs and economic growth right across the country.

While in San Francisco, the Secretary of State will also meet with Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California, to progress talks on a UK-California Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will aim to boost trade and investment and reach our net zero targets. California would be the 5th biggest economy in the world if it were a country, presenting huge opportunities for UK businesses. The meeting comes just a day after she signed a UK-Florida MoU to boost trade and investment.

UK companies are already thriving in CPTPP markets and planning to expand further once the trade deal is in force.

UK geocoding app what3word’s groundbreaking location technology divides the world into a grid of 3×3 metre squares, each with a unique combination of three words: a what3words address. The tech is being used all around the world, from search and rescue operations to deliveries in Vietnam, and car navigation in Japan.

The business believes the UK’s membership of CPTPP will help increase uptake across the automotive, logistics, e-commerce, and emergency services sectors in member countries.

What3words Business Director for APAC Joe Poynter said:

International expansion and strong cross-border relationships are at the heart of our journey at what3words. It’s how we’ll get everyone, everywhere using and interacting with our technology. We’re thrilled to be part of this dynamic alliance to enhance our operations across the CPTPP member nations and beyond.

British premium chocolate producer and cacao grower Chocolat Madagascar also predicts CPTPP will enable it to grow in new markets, Australia and Singapore, and existing markets, Japan, Canada and New Zealand.

CPTPP countries account for 15% of its current sales but it forecast this will grow to 30% in the next three years thanks to the UK’s CPTPP membership reducing import duties to zero, giving the business a new competitive edge.

Director at Chocolat Madagascar Neil Kelsall said:

The CPTPP agreement has come at a fantastic time for Chocolat Madagascar, as we strategically look to embrace the new opportunities in countries like Australia and Singapore. We are confident that these emerging markets will boost our sales volumes and help the company to grow.

Becoming part of CPTPP will support economic growth and jobs in every region and nation of the UK. Key benefits include:

Eligibility for zero tariffs on more than 99% of UK goods exports to CPTPP countries, including additional access on cheese, chocolate, gin, whisky, and cars.

Potentially cheaper prices for British consumers thanks to reduced tariffs on high-quality imported goods like fruit juices from Chile and chocolate from Mexico.

Less red tape for UK services exporters, who make up almost 55% of UK exports to CPTPP.

Flexible ‘rules of origin’ which allow British companies to trade more freely across the bloc.

Modern rules for digital trade across all sectors which could make exporting cheaper, simpler, and more competitive.

Background

The CPTPP meeting is taking place on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in San Francisco.

To bring this agreement into force, the following must take place:

Parliament will scrutinise the deal under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act.

The Trade (CPTPP) Bill has to be agreed by Parliament.

Necessary secondary legislation has to be passed by Parliament to make the changes required to our procurement regime to meet the terms of the agreement.

In line with our commitment to transparency and scrutiny, the government:

Published the full text as soon as it was signed, along with a full independently scrutinised impact assessment.

Ensured the Trade and Agriculture Commission, a panel of independent experts, had over four months to report on the agreement. The Trade & Agriculture Commission’s report on the CPTPP is expected at the end of November.

International treaties are negotiated and then entered into force by the government. Treaties do not always require legislation to come into force, but on some occasions changes to domestic law might be needed to implement a trade deal.

In this instance, the UK is already largely consistent with the CPTPP agreement. CPTPP preserves the right to regulate to protect human, animal and plant life and health. The UK will continue to uphold our high standards in all our trade agreements, including CPTPP. Decisions on these standards remain a matter for the UK and will be made separately from any trade agreements.
22/11/2023
Victoria Atkins – 2023 Speech at the NHS Providers Conference

The speech made by Victoria Atkins, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 15 November 2023.

Hello, everyone.

I want to start by thanking you all for all the fantastic and vital work you do.

I’m sorry I can’t be with you in Liverpool. But I’m really looking forward to getting to know you and working with you in the weeks and months ahead.

It’s a genuine pleasure and a privilege to be your Health and Social Care Secretary.

My belief in our National Health Service, and its founding principles, is one of the reasons I came into politics.

Now, I know you might hear this a lot. But for me, it is truly personal.

Like families up and down the country, I owe our NHS a lot. It has cared for me and my family, and brought my wonderful son into the world.

And I want to make sure that it’s here in fighting fit form for our children and our grandchildren, just as it’s been here for us.

We have got a lot of work to do. As we continue to bed-in the reforms government brought forward last year to create strong and integrated care systems across England.

This will be a shared endeavour.

And it will require all of us to work in partnership. Across our acute hospitals, mental health, community, general practice, and pharmacy.

As we reduce the pressures that I know you’re facing, we give patients the best possible care, and deliver the Urgent and Emergency Care Recovery Plan for winter.

We know winter will be challenging. But this year, we have all started to prepare earlier than ever before.

And using our recovery plan, we can continue to expand capacity, build resilience, and deliver better care. This has to be our number one priority.

And I recognise that this requires working collaboratively with other organisations and sectors. For example, working with the police to support people suffering from mental health crises.

And I’m also very conscious that I’m not just the Secretary of State for the NHS – I’m also the Secretary of State for Social Care.

Our unpaid carers and social care workers look after millions of people every single day. And I cannot wait to work with them too.

Now, we’ll face challenges along the way. But believe me, I am an optimist. Together, we can overcome these challenges, and take the long-term decisions that will build a brighter future for our NHS.

And this is the approach I will take to industrial action.

I’m acutely aware of how the strikes have disrupted patient care, and I’m committed to getting around the table.

Because, I want to see a fair and reasonable resolution.

This winter will be challenging, but I know that rising to such challenges is what you all do so well.

You’ve overcome a once in a generation pandemic. You’ve tackled the longest waits for care it left behind. And you’re delivering reforms that will give patients more choice and control over their care.

We’ve got clear recovery plans in place. Financial certainty for the rest of the year. And the first-ever, fully funded, reform-focused, long-term workforce plan. Something that I know NHS Providers have been a strong champion for.

Now, I started this speech by thanking you. I mean it sincerely to you and all of the incredible people who work in our NHS and social care services.

So, let’s roll up our sleeves and get on with the job. Now is the time to deliver for patients, and deliver for our NHS.

22/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New Government Planner to help thousands of disabled university students into work [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 15 November 2023.

Hundreds of thousands of disabled university and higher education students are set to benefit from a new Government planner to help ease their transition into work.
- New Adjustment Planner to be rolled out to all universities and higher education colleges across UK
- The planner collects key information about a student’s adjustment needs which can be easily shared with prospective employers
- Trial results show disabled students using the planner are more confident entering employment
Hundreds of thousands of disabled university and higher education students are set to benefit from a new Government planner to help ease their transition into work.

Following a successful pilot at several top universities, the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) Adjustment Planner will be rolled out to all students in higher education in time for the next academic year.

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said:

“Searching for a job post-university as a disabled student can be stressful but our new Adjustment Planner has been proven to make that process easier, helping more disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work.

“I am delighted this is now being rolled out to higher education institutions across the UK, removing barriers to employment and helping more disabled people reach their full potential.”

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

“Ensuring that people with disabilities have access to the same opportunities to climb the ladder of opportunity is crucial if we are to build a world-class skills nation that benefits everyone.

“As a longstanding champion of social justice, I am delighted that disabled people will now be able to access Adjustment Passports across all higher education institutions. No matter what region or sector, disabled people can feel confident and secure they will be supported both during their studies and when they enter the workplace.”

The voluntary planner will collate the relevant needs of students which can then be simply passed on to employers – negating the need for repeated assessments and conversations for adjustments such as specific desks and chairs, assistive software or arranging travel to the workplace.

The planner will also reduce the need for an Access to Work assessment and enable all students exiting higher education to benefit from the scheme faster. This will ensure disabled people have the equipment they need to work effectively.

The planner also contains helpful advice on what types of funding and government support is available to help employers unlock the potential of millions of disabled people across the UK.

Professor Deborah Johnston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at London South Bank University (LSBU), said:

“Making the transition from education to the workplace is never easy and for students with a disability it can be even more difficult. Conversations around disability can often be misunderstood by employers and those with a disability can felt frustrated by the system they face which can act as a barrier to employment.

“The Adjustments Planner pilot scheme has overwhelmingly shown that disabled students feel more confident that their needs will be understood and met by their new employers with the planner in place.  The new Adjustments Planner goes a long way to improving the transition from education to the workplace and ensures those with a disability are given the correct support they need.”

The scheme was initially piloted at the University of Wolverhampton, Manchester Metropolitan University and King’s College London. Surveys of disabled students at these sites later showed overwhelmingly positive feedback from students and staff.

Universities Disabilities Access Ambassador, Geoff Layer, said: “I welcome this initiative as it is a key step forward in enhancing the graduate employment opportunities for disabled students.

“The research that was undertaken by the Disabled Student Commission clearly highlighted the need for such interventions to secure greater inclusivity in the workplace.”
22/11/2023