The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 July 2026.
UK Deputy National Security Adviser in Lebanon to reaffirm UK commitment to security and sovereignty.
The UK Deputy National Security Adviser Dame Barbara Woodward concluded a two-day visit to Lebanon (1-2 July), focused on strengthening further cooperation between the UK and Lebanon, supporting regional stability, and reaffirming the UK’s long-standing commitment to Lebanon’s security and sovereignty.
Accompanied by Ambassador Hamish Cowell, Dame Barbara met Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, and Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal. Discussions centred on the UK’s support for Lebanon’s efforts to extend state authority across all Lebanese territory, strengthen state institutions and a political settlement consistent with UNSCR 1701.
Dame Barbara reiterated the UK’s strong support for the Government of Lebanon and welcomed recent historic decisions, including the announcement of the trilateral framework agreement between Lebanon Israel and the United States. This agreement will be central to advancing progress towards withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, disarmament of Hizballah and the full deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces across Lebanese territory.
The visit highlighted the UK’s readiness to play its part in supporting this diplomatic process including through humanitarian and development aid and as a leading supporter of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).
The UK continues to support the Lebanese Armed Forces – Lebanon’s sole legitimate defender – through border security infrastructure, training, and equipment. Dame Barbara commended LAF’s work securing the Syrian border, managing severe challenges in the South, and maintaining stability during an exceptionally difficult period.
Dame Barbara Woodward said:
This visit comes at a pivotal moment as Lebanon and its partners work toward a sovereign and peaceful future. The UK will continue to support diplomatic efforts that deliver lasting peace and security for both Lebanon and Israel.
Diplomacy is the only viable path to a lasting political settlement leading to Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, Hizballah’s disarmament and full LAF deployment across Lebanon.
Ambassador Hamish Cowell said:
An important visit for Dame Barbara to Lebanon. The UK warmly welcomes the announcement of the trilateral framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel and the United States.
The UK remains committed to Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty, working closely with Lebanese and international partners to advance peace and protect civilians.
Ofsted has served a Welfare Requirements Notice on Bright Horizons after identifying safeguarding and welfare failures across parts of the nursery group. The regulator took action after serious safeguarding concerns at one Bright Horizons nursery came to light in September 2025, prompting a wider programme of regulatory activity across the company’s 247 nurseries.
The watchdog said it carried out inspections, site visits and direct engagement with senior leaders at 172 Bright Horizons nurseries. Breaches of requirements were identified in 69 of those settings, with the findings published in individual nursery reports.
Ofsted said the number of concerns and issues relating to oversight across the group had led it to serve the Welfare Requirements Notice. Bright Horizons has been required to address all identified safeguarding and welfare failures by 1 August 2026.
The notice is intended to prompt urgent improvement at the highest level of the organisation. Ofsted said the action was aimed at ensuring higher standards for children across the group.
The regulator has also published an outcome summary on its reports page for each of Bright Horizons’ 247 settings. Ofsted said the summaries relate to organisational arrangements and do not necessarily mean that concerns were identified at every individual nursery.
His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver, said the outcome summary made clear what the Bright Horizons group must do and by when. He said Ofsted would monitor the group’s progress closely.
Oliver said parents should read the latest inspection report or update for their child’s nursery on the Ofsted website. He said the majority of Bright Horizons nurseries were meeting requirements and that reports and updates had already been published for all the nurseries visited by inspectors.
Ofsted said it would continue to monitor Bright Horizons’ response to ensure that the required actions are completed. The regulator said a Welfare Requirements Notice is issued where it considers that a provider is failing, or has failed, to meet one or more of the safeguarding and welfare requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 3 July 2026.
Nearly 200 workplaces have signed up to be “Vanguards” preventing people dropping out of work due to ill-health, in a new milestone for the programme.
Over 250 employers, 10 mayoral authorities and all 3 devolved administrations work with Sir Charlie Mayfield, reshaping how disability and ill-health are supported at work.
Latest Keep Britain Working report shows shared responsibility and better data, supported by personalised plans will be key to helping people remain in work.
A new Workplace Health Intelligence Unit will track sickness absence, return-to-work outcomes and disability participation making workplace health performance visible for the first time.
They are among more than 250 employers, providers and organisations which have worked closely with former John Lewis chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield’s Keep Britain Working Review to help reshape how health and disability are supported such as through stay-in-work and return-to-work plans.
Working with businesses big and small, the programme is building a new system that puts earlier workplace support at its heart in order to tackle one of the most urgent workforce challenges facing the country, with 2.8 million people being currently out of work due to long-term sickness.
His report to Welfare Secretary Pat McFadden last year set out clear actions for employers to ensure people are getting the right support to successfully keep them in work and thriving. These are now being developed and tested in businesses, groups and mayoral authorities across the country. Since the beginning of the Keep Britain Working Review, there has been engagement with businesses and local government in every part of the UK.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, author of the Keep Britain Working Review & Co-Chair of the Keep Britain Working programme, said:
For too long, the system has been organised around supporting people after they get ill or face barriers. We need to shift the emphasis to earlier action, better integration, and a genuine, shared commitment to keeping people healthy and in work. What’s been striking is not just the quality of insight we’ve seen from vanguards, but the shared ambition and enthusiasm in regions and across such a wide range of employers.
It’s rare to find an opportunity that benefits employers, improves people’s life chances, and reduces government spending – all without large up-front investment. This is growth hiding in plain sight. Our work so far demonstrates this is all achievable and the benefits are significant.
Sir Charlie said employers must be ‘on the pitch’, engaging in employee health and well-being, measuring outcomes and developing ‘stay in work and return to work plans.’
The current vanguards demonstrate the benefits to work and health for employees, especially when providers make support more accessible and affordable.
Work is underway on a ‘standard’ for employers who offer a certain level of workplace health provision, at a level which is affordable.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said:
The response from employers has been remarkable. Across every region and every sector, businesses want to do better by their workforce; they just need the right framework and the right support.
Keep Britain Working is delivering both. A new national standard, better data, and real accountability. This is how we fix the broken system, keep people in work and grow our economy.
As a part of this, a new Workplace Health Intelligence Unit will be created, which will collect standardised data from employers and providers across the UK to increase dramatically the focus on prevention and to enable proactive steps to address emerging health issues
Currently, sickness absence is tracked inconsistently, and return-to-work outcomes are rarely measured. The Unit will enable benchmarking, drive improvement, and will give government a stronger evidence base.
Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said:
For too long, too many people have been handed fit notes without any extra support. What they really need is help to stay in work or get back to work safely.
A piece of paper that so often closes doors is no substitute for a plan that opens them. That’s why we’re shifting the focus from signing people off to helping them stay in work or return as soon as they are ready.
Good work is good for health. By helping employers step in earlier and work more closely with the NHS, we can help more people live healthier, more independent lives, ease pressure on the NHS and support economic growth.
Business Secretary, Peter Kyle said:
For too many disabled people and those with health conditions, barriers at work mean they miss out on the chance to thrive in their careers — and that’s something we’re determined to change.
These organisations are showing what’s possible when employers genuinely invest in their people. Healthy, inclusive workplaces aren’t just good for business — they make a real difference to people’s lives.
Thirty Vanguard organisations took part in intensive employer-led “sprints” – working with each other on best practice regarding prevention, staying in work, returning to work, and data gathering which can be adopted more widely
Seventy further organisations and ten regional workshops including small and medium sized businesses tested those findings, ensuring a broad coverage and input from across the UK.
Following these sprints, the message from employers was consistent: we must focus on outcomes, not paperwork and process. The report sets out a clear emerging direction with the need to create:
Shared responsibility: where employers, employee, providers and government all have a role to play in delivering a new system which better supports people to remain in work successfully
Better data: as the engine for change, driving accountability, market quality and long-term system improvement.
This progress sits within a £3.5 billion employment support package. WorkWell, backed by £259 million will support up to 250,000 people to stay in or return to work. Connect to Work will reach 300,000 sick or disabled people with tailored support. Over 1,000 full-time Pathways to Work advisers are already in place across Britain.
The government is also committed to further steps to bring about effective and sustainable reform, and this will be guided by the Milburn and Timms reviews, which are due to conclude later this year.
Phillippa O’Connor, Chief People Officer at PwC, commented on the Keep Britain Working Review:
Keeping people in work has to be at the heart of tackling economic inactivity. We’ve built a system that’s focussed on responding once people have left work rather than preventing them from leaving in the first place.
That’s what this review is starting to change and it’s great to see the momentum of more employers taking action.
Our experience in the ‘stay in work’ sprint shows that earlier, targeted interventions – backed by better data and well-supported line managers – can stop short-term sickness becoming long-term absence. Crucially, the success of stay in work plans depend on shared responsibility between employers and employees working together.
The priority now is turning that insight into consistent practice across UK workplaces, by scaling what works and creating the right conditions for open conversations about health and wellbeing.”
Alistair Cochrane, CEO Royal Mail said:
We know how important work is for people’s wellbeing, and how challenging it can be when health issues start to affect someone’s ability to stay in work.
At Royal Mail, there is a collective sense of purpose in helping colleagues remain in work wherever possible, with the right support in place.
Being part of the Keep Britain Working programme allows us to play our part in developing better support, earlier interventions and more personalised approaches that help colleagues stay connected to work.
Diane Lightfoot, CEO, Business Disability Forum:
We were pleased to support Keep Britain Working’s disability inclusion sprint by facilitating stakeholder feedback workshops with some of the Vanguard employers. The workshops gave employers the opportunity to discuss the types of support they provide and the outcomes they would like to see for their employees around health and wellbeing in the workplace. It is good to see so many Business Disability Forum Members becoming Vanguard employers and engaging in this agenda.
Anne Hayes, Director of Standards Development, British Standards Institution, said:
It’s incredibly positive to see that nearly 200 workplaces have signed up to be “Vanguards” preventing people dropping out of work due to ill-health.
The role employers play in helping people stay in work should not be underestimated. Our recent report, The Value of Creating a Culture of Trust, found that the UK could be losing £9.9 billion in productivity each year because employees feel unable to speak openly about their health and wellbeing, and miss out on the support they need to continue to contribute.
Nearly half of staff who are not confident raising health concerns with their employer have left a role or taken extended leave as a result.
At BSI we are proud to be partnering with the Mayfield Review to enable employers to help organisations create healthier working lives throughout every stage of employment, and ultimately build workplace cultures rooted in trust.
Emma Taylor, Tesco Chief People Officer, said:
We’ve long recognised that Tesco has an important role to play in supporting health and wellbeing at work. We want colleagues to feel supported and able to thrive, which is why we continue to invest in services that help them access advice and support when they need it, including our Employee Assistance Programme and 24/7 Virtual GP service. By making it easier for colleagues to seek help and address concerns early, we can support better health outcomes and help colleagues stay well in work.
Prevention is more effective than cure, but creating a truly preventative system requires employers, healthcare providers and government to work together. That’s why we’re proud to be a Vanguard Employer for Keep Britain Working and welcome the progress being made towards helping more people stay healthy and thrive in work.
Andy Burnham is facing an early local Government test as the current administration pushes ahead with a major reorganisation of councils in England. The changes are intended to replace many two tier areas with larger unitary authorities and create a clearer structure for devolution.
Reports suggest the reorganisation could affect millions of voters and reshape local elections in a number of areas. Cities including Oxford, Stoke, Cambridge and Leicester have been cited as places where changes are expected to form part of the wider programme.
Supporters argue that fewer, larger councils can simplify decision making and strengthen regional growth. Critics say some proposals risk disrupting local identity, weakening district level representation and placing additional pressure on councils already managing financial and service demands.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has opened a consultation on council tax enforcement, seeking views on the steps councils should take before formal recovery action. The consultation is intended to examine how the system operates for households and local authorities.
The first part of the consultation asks about the statutory stages councils should follow before enforcement begins. This includes questions about notices, payment reminders and the process leading to more serious recovery action.
Council tax arrears have become a growing issue for local authorities and residents during a period of continuing pressure on household finances. The consultation will be watched by councils, debt advice groups and campaigners concerned about the balance between collection and protection for vulnerable residents.
The Council of the European Union has imposed sanctions on six Russian individuals it says were involved in the development of chemical weapons linked to the poisoning and death of Alexei Navalny. The Council said the restrictive measures related to the toxin epibatidine, which it said was found in samples taken from Navalny’s body.
The EU said the findings led to the conclusion that poisoning with epibatidine was highly likely to have caused his death in a Russian penal colony. The sanctions add to previous EU measures imposed over Navalny’s treatment and the wider repression of Russian opposition figures.
Those listed under the measures are subject to an asset freeze and travel restrictions. The EU said it would continue to hold Russian officials and individuals accountable for serious human rights violations and the use of chemical weapons.
The Government is pressing ahead with planning reforms intended to speed up decisions on major infrastructure projects, including energy, transport, reservoirs and data centres. Ministers said the removal of mandatory pre application consultation for nationally significant projects would help cut delays and reduce costs.
The change is due to take effect from 24 July and forms part of the Planning and Infrastructure Act. The Government said the reforms could save developers up to £1 billion during this Parliament and cut up to a year from parts of the approval process.
Ministers argue that the current system has become too slow for projects needed to support energy security, housing and growth. Critics are likely to question whether reduced consultation risks weakening public involvement and increasing local opposition later in the process.
The Government has announced a £4.6 billion contract with Italy and Japan to support development of a next generation combat aircraft. Ministers said the agreement marked a major step in the trilateral programme to bring a sixth generation fighter jet into service from 2035.
The contract forms part of the Global Combat Air Programme and follows the Government’s Defence Investment Plan. The UK has said it will invest £8.6 billion in the programme over four years, with ministers linking the project to national security, industrial capacity and highly skilled jobs.
The programme is designed to replace the Typhoon and strengthen co operation with key defence partners. The Government said the contract would support British industry and help maintain the UK’s role in advanced combat air technology.
United States Vice President JD Vance has opened a new diplomatic incident after saying Britain has been failed by its political leadership for a long time, as Washington prepares to work with another UK Prime Minister. Vance’s comments come after chaotic 250 year anniversary celebrations in the US and serious allegations about corruption and fraud in the Trump administration.
Vance said he hoped the next UK Prime Minister would be able to deliver the structural change that voters wanted. He also said the United States would continue to value the UK relationship and work closely with whoever leads the Government.
The comments follow earlier criticism from President Donald Trump, who described Burnham as extremely liberal and questioned UK energy policy. Downing Street has sought to maintain close relations with Washington despite differences over energy, Ukraine, Gaza and wider foreign policy.
Andy Burnham has ruled out calling an early general election if he becomes Prime Minister later this month, saying Labour already has a mandate from the 2024 general election. The Prime Minister in waiting said he would focus on delivering change rather than immediately returning the country to the polls.
Burnham has also said he wants to establish a stronger presence for central Government outside London, including a proposed “Number 10 North” in Greater Manchester. He has presented the idea as part of a wider plan to shift power away from Whitehall and towards regions and local areas.
The comments are intended to reassure Labour MPs and markets that the leadership transition will not be followed by an immediate election campaign. Opposition parties are continuing to argue that a change of Prime Minister without a general election would deny voters a direct say.
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