Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of Bishop of Newcastle [20 October 2022]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 20 October 2022.

Her Late Majesty The Queen approved the nomination of The Right Reverend Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Suffragan Bishop of Ripon, for election as Bishop of Newcastle, in succession to The Right Reverend Christine Hardman following her retirement.

Background

Helen-Ann Hartley was educated at the University of St. Andrews and Worcester College, Oxford. She trained for ministry on the St Albans & Oxford Ministry Course and was ordained Priest in 2006. She served her title at St Mary the Virgin, Wheatley, in the Diocese of Oxford, and was appointed Curate at St Mary the Virgin and St Nicholas, Littlemore, in 2007. During this time she was also Director of Biblical Studies and Tutor in New Testament at Ripon College, Cuddesdon.

In 2012, Helen-Ann moved to New Zealand where she was Dean for the New Zealand Dioceses at the College of St John the Evangelist, Auckland, and in 2014 she was consecrated Bishop of Waikato, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia.

Helen-Ann returned to the UK in 2018 when she was appointed to her current role as Suffragan Bishop of Ripon in the Diocese of Leeds.

October 20, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : £180 million to improve children’s development in the early years [October 2022]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 20 October 2022.

Thousands of early years professionals will benefit from investment to drive quality and training, and to better support the next generation of children.

Every region in England will benefit from programmes to improve teaching of children’s early speech, language and numeracy, along with professional development to build strong leadership skills and improve the understanding of children’s development. New opportunities will also be provided for graduates looking to embark on a career in early years teaching, as well as staff looking to train as early years special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs).

Evidence shows that access to early education is crucial in supporting children to thrive in adulthood and contribute to society. The Education Endowment Fund has also shown that improving young children’s pre-school language skills could boost the economy by up to £1.2 billion over the course of their lifetimes.

Up to £180 million of government funding over the three years will support the sector to focus on children’s development in their earliest of years and help to address existing recruitment and retention challenges. It follows commitments by the Government to improve parents’ access to affordable, flexible childcare through ambitious reforms, for which work continues.

Minister for Schools and Childhood, Kelly Tolhurst, said:

The early years of a child’s life are vital, not only in establishing important developmental skills, but also in building a lifelong love of learning that will help them succeed in adult life.

I’m really proud of the quality and dedication of our early years workforce. This package of support is a huge investment in their skills and professional development, because raising the status of this important sector is key to its growth.

The Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme, which has already helped to boost the speech and language skills of an estimated 90,000 children, will also continue this academic year.

The Department for Education, in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, has also launched a new ‘Better Health – Start for Life’ campaign, providing parents of children aged 0 to 4 with practical advice and tips to help them develop their child’s language and literacy skills before starting school. Funding from today’s announcement will also support parents to gain additional advice through new Family Hubs, expected to open in the first half of 2023.

Today’s package of support, which will benefit pre-school children all over England, includes:

Early maths, language, and social development training for 10,0000 professionals through the third phase of the Professional Development Programme (PDP3) – more than 1,300 professionals in 51 local authorities were provided with bespoke training designed to support the learning and development of children affected by the pandemic during the second phase of this programme, meaning around 20,000 children will have benefited from better trained, more confident staff;

The national rollout of the Expert and Mentors programme to provide bespoke leadership support to 7,500 early years settings and childminders to address the impact of the pandemic on children in their care. This support is free and available across the country to eligible settings. Around 200 settings across the North of England, Lancashire and Yorkshire received support through a pilot of this programme this Spring;

Graduate-level specialist training leading to early years teacher status – evidence is very clear that higher qualifications are consistently identified as a predictor of higher quality and associated with better child outcomes;

Support for nearly 6,000 early years professionals to achieve the National Professional Qualification in Early Years Leadership (NPQEYL) which is designed to support early years leaders to develop expertise in leading high-quality education and care, effective staff and organisational management, and support the recovery of children’s development that has been impacted through the pandemic;

Training for up to 5,000 Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) to help identify children’s needs earlier so they have the right support. A commitment reaffirmed in the SEND Green Paper;

A new network of 18 Stronger Practice Hubs to support early years practitioners to adopt evidence-based practice improvements, build local networks for sharing effective practice and cultivate system leadership;

A new universal online child development training offer to help staff improve their knowledge and understanding of how pre-school children develop, as well as training for early years professionals to help parents and guardians encourage their children’s development at home;

The continuation of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) programme during the academic year 2022-23 – building on the two-thirds of primary schools which have already benefitted from this investment, improving the speech and language skills of an estimated 90,000 children in reception classes.

This investment builds on continued work to put children’s education and skills back on track after the pandemic. The government has set a target of 90% of primary children reaching the expected standard in literacy and numeracy, with wider investment confirmed to help every young person leaves school with a strong grasp of these skills.

The government continues to consider responses to its consultation on regulatory changes in childcare and will respond in due course.

October 20, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : New bill to keep Britain moving during transport strikes [October 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 20 October 2022.
- law will ensure that transport services keep running during strike action
- the bill will keep Britain moving, allow businesses continuity of some services and allow passengers to still go to work, school and medical appointments
- delivers on Prime Minister’s commitment to introduce the legislation within first 30 days of Parliament sitting
The government has today (20 October 2022) taken the first steps to ensure transport strikes no longer grind the country to a halt.

The Transport Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill means, even during the most disruptive of strikes, a certain level of services will still run. This will allow passengers to go to work, attend school and make vital medical appointments and allow businesses to continue to grow the economy.

As well as the huge impact on people’s day-to-day lives, economists have assessed that the first wave of rail strikes alone, in June 2022, cost the UK economy nearly £100 million, putting extra pressures on business and stopping people across the country from accessing their workplace during a cost-of-living crisis.

This law will mean businesses and passengers are no longer disproportionately and unfairly hit in the pocket through events outside of their control and the decisions of striking workers and the unions.

The Prime Minister is delivering on her commitment to introduce the legislation within her first 30 parliamentary sitting days and meets a Conservative Party manifesto commitment to limit the impact strikes have on hardworking people and businesses across the country.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said:

Hardworking people and businesses should not be held to ransom by strike action which has repeatedly crippled our transport network this year.

This legislation delivers on our 2019 manifesto and will not only limit the unions’ ability to paralyse our economy, but will ensure passengers across the country can rightly continue to get to work, school or hospital.

Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

Strikes have affected nearly all of us over this last year – whether that means losing out on a day’s pay at work, having to close your business, missing vital medical appointments or stopping our children from getting to school.

It is vital that public transport users have some continuity of service to keep Britain moving and growing – this legislation will give everyone the certainty they need to carry on with their daily lives.

The legislation will mean:
- a minimum service level must be in place during transport strikes – if this is not delivered, the unions will lose legal protections from damages
- employers will specify the workforce required to meet an adequate service level during strikes and unions must take reasonable steps to ensure an appropriate number of specified workers still work on strike days
- specified workers who still take strike action will lose their protection from automatic unfair dismissal
The bill will set out the legal framework to allow minimum service levels to not only be set across the entire transport sector, but also implemented and enforced. The specific details of how minimum service levels will apply to transport services will be set out in secondary legislation in due course after a public consultation.

The intention of the legislation is that relevant employers and unions agree a minimum service level to continue running during all strikes over a 3-month period. If such a level cannot be agreed, an independent arbitrator – the Central Arbitration Committee – will determine the minimum number of services.

The bill will undertake its first reading today. The legislation is expected to come into force on transport services across the country in 2023 and follows similar rules already in place in countries across Europe, including France and Spain.
October 20, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Cllr Connor Donnithorne joins Cornwall Council Cabinet [October 2022]

The press release issued by Cornwall Council on 19 October 2022.

Cllr Connor Donnithorne, member for Redruth Central, Carharrack & St Day, is joining Cornwall Council’s Cabinet as the new Portfolio Holder for Transport.

His appointment follows the decision of Cllr Philip Desmonde to step down from the role from 1 November 2022, to spend more time with his family. Cllr Desmonde will continue to represent the communities of Pool and Tehidy on the Council.

Since coming to the role in May 2021, Cllr Desmonde has delivered a number of initiatives to improve transport in Cornwall and make it safer including the pledge to roll out 20mph zoning, delivering lower bus fares for residents and the launch of the Cornwall Transport Plan, with a vision based on better quality of life, connectivity and sustainability. The work on Cornwall’s bus fares has recently been recognised by the UK Bus Awards.

The Cabinet role being taken over by Cllr Donnithorne includes responsibility for transport and highways, parking strategy and the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry.

Cllr Linda Taylor, leader of the council, said:

“I would like to place on record my thanks to Philip who has achieved some milestone successes during his eighteen-month tenure as transport portfolio holder. He has successfully delivered on his promise to initiate the introduction of 20mph speed limits in appropriate residential areas and he has put in place a Cornwall Transport Plan with a vision for transport in Cornwall to be excellent, carbon neutral and connect people, communities, businesses and services in a way that enhances quality of life. To that end, he has succeeded in driving forward the introduction of £5 a day and £20 a week tickets for bus travel anywhere in Cornwall. At a time of the cost of living crisis, this is a significant achievement in driving down public transport costs for our residents. We have an exciting transport agenda to deliver in the coming years and I am confident that Connor will now build on Philip’s success in this role.”

Phillip Desmonde said:

“I take this decision with sadness but tempered with real pride about what has been achieved by this Cabinet in the last 18 months. I know that Connor will do a great job in this role and will continue to push forward our ambitious agenda for transport. In the next few weeks I will support Connor as he gets to grips with the transport portfolio and will continue to support my colleagues ‘from the back benches’ in any way I can.”

Connor Donnithorne, who has already had significant experience first as Deputy and more recently Chair of the Economic Growth and Development Overview and Scrutiny Committee, said:

“I am honoured to have been asked to join the Cabinet at such a crucial time. I understand that people need good transport links to be able to get to work, to connect with friends and family or to do business. As a local small business owner, I know just how vital it is for our economy and our communities to get this right. I look forward to working with Cabinet colleagues to deliver on our promise to build an efficient and sustainable transport system.”

October 19, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : DUP Delegation Meets Prime Minister Liz Truss [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 19 October 2022.

DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP led a Party delegation to meet the Prime Minister in Downing Street on Wednesday afternoon.
Lord Dodds, East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson and Lagan Valley MLA Emma Little-Pengelly were also part of the delegation.

A DUP delegation met this afternoon with the Prime Minister and discussed the current issues related to the protocol.

We welcome the Prime Minister’s ongoing commitment to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

We reiterated our position on the need to restore Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom so that we can have fully functioning political institutions in Northern Ireland.

October 19, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Gavin Robinson highlights opportunities to cut broadband costs [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 19 October 2022.

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has welcomed the news from Vodafone to offer small businesses a year of free broadband in an effort to reduce rising living costs.

Earlier this year, many major internet providers agreed a social broadband package for those in receipt of certain benefits, to ensure that everyone had the opportunity to be digitally connected.

Commenting on a recent report from OFCOM, Mr Robinson said:

“I welcome the news that Vodafone are providing small businesses with the opportunity to access free broadband. Reliable mobile connectivity is essential and critical to the success of small businesses.

I would also encourage those in receipt of receipt of Universal Credit and Pension Credit to give consideration to the social broadband tariffs provided by a number of internet providers.

The global pandemic and subsequent lockdowns brought attention to the digital gap that exists across households. While many households shifted daily activities including work, school, socialising, and medical appointments online, many low-income homes lacked internet access and were isolated from the digital world.

The UK government reached a deal with major providers like Sky, BT, Virgin Media, and Now to provide a discounted social tariff, which is less expensive than standard broadband bundles, in order to address this issue.

These social tariffs serve as a safety net for homes that might otherwise find it difficult to pay for broadband services. An estimated 4.2 million households in the UK are eligible, according to research by the telecoms regulator, Ofcom.

In my constituency of East Belfast, there are over 6,500 claimants of Universal Credit, many of whom may not be aware that they are eligible for cheaper broadband. A reduction in broadband bills could help some of the most vulnerable stay connected during our cost of living crisis.

Access to broadband is vital for learning, for work and for staying connected. I would encourage people who get Universal Credit or Pension Credit to speak with their broadband providers about switching to a more affordable plan.”

October 19, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Triple lock commitment welcome – Carla Lockhart [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 19 October 2022.

Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart has welcomed the assurances given by the Prime Minister that the triple lock on pensions will be retained. Speculation in recent days had suggested the long standing Government commitment on pensions may be ditched.

Speaking from Westminster, Carla Lockhart said:

“The DUP secured the triple lock on pensions as part of our Confidence and Supply agreement with the Conservative Party in 2017. It offers surety to pensioners that their income would increase by a minimum of 2.5% per year.

With inflation now at 10.1%, it is vital that pensions keep in lock step with the rising cost of living to ensure pensioners do not face additional hardship.

It has been deeply concerning in recent days that some have speculated the triple lock may be ditched in the Government’s latest measure to address the economic turmoil we have seen over recent weeks. The DUP opposed any such measure and made our position known to the Government that ditching the triple lock would be unacceptable.

We welcome todays commitment in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister that the triple lock will remain in place. We will continue to stand up for the financial wellbeing of pensioners, protecting them from any attempt to snatch money from them that they need. We are glad the Government has stepped back from pursuing any such proposal.”

October 19, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : NI Protocol is the blockage to devolution – Robinson [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 19 October 2022.

DUP East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson has said whether there is another Assembly election or not, the problem of the Protocol remains and must be addressed before devolution is restored.

Mr Robinson said,

“An election just a few months ago told us that every unionist MLA is opposed to the Northern Ireland Protocol, yet the EU has failed to respond to this democratic statement. The EU negotiating mandate remains wedded to a Protocol which is unacceptable to unionists. This must change.

It is entirely the Secretary of State’s decision whether there is an election, but London and Brussels must accept, it is the Protocol which is the blockage to devolution being restored. The Protocol is driving up costs for consumers by a 25% tariff on steel used in building schools, roads, hospitals, and houses. It is driving up grocery costs by increasing haulage costs from GB to NI.

We remain absolutely committed to the restoration of devolution once the Protocol is replaced by arrangements which unionists can support.”

October 19, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Paisley – EU negotiating mandate must change [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 18 October 2022.

DUP North Antrim MP Ian Paisley has said that confirmation from the Northern Ireland Secretary of State that only ‘talks’ are taking place between Brussels and London is another reminder that the EU must change their negotiating mandate.

The comments were made at a public session of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee in Westminster.

Mr Paisley said,

“For more than two years unionism has been pressing for change, only to be told repeatedly told that there can be ‘no renegotiation’ of the NI Protocol. This mindset must change. Fundamentally, without a change to the negotiating mandate in Brussels, there will not be the space to reach an outcome which unionists can support.

Every unionist MLA and MP opposes the Protocol. Powersharing is only possible with the support of unionists and nationalists. The Protocol must be replaced with arrangements that unionists can support if there is going to be a basis to restore devolution.”

October 19, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Gregory Campbell raises British passport anomaly [October 2022]

The press release issued by the DUP on 18 October 2022.

DUP East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell has led a debate in Westminster Hall regarding access to British passports for people born in the Irish Republic but now living in Northern Ireland.

Mr Campbell said,

“This issue unites people of all backgrounds in Northern Ireland with the DUP, SDLP, Alliance, Conservatives and Labour all agreed that it needs resolved. It is uncontroversial with everyone except, the Home Office. It was first raised by me in 2005 via a private members bill which had insufficient parliamentary time but remains unsolved.

People in Northern Ireland can be British, Irish or Northern Irish. Residents in Northern Ireland can apply for an Irish passport with no additional cost or form filling, yet people born in the Republic of Ireland but have chosen to then live in Northern Ireland, cannot have similar access to a British passport.

The law in the UK makes provision for anyone born before 1949 in the Republic of Ireland with associations with the UK to become a British subject.

Those born in the Republic after 1949, even if they have lived in the UK all their lives since, paying UK taxes all their lives, voting in UK elections, sitting in the House of Lords, cannot avail of a British passport without going through the expensive procedure of applying for naturalisation, current cost around £1,330.

It is incredible that no naturalisation fee is required to secure an Irish passport, yet it requires such a fee to secure a British passport. This is a disgraceful position to have left people in who demand to be recognised as British. The Minister needs to reassess the Home Office’s approach to this and remedy a continuing wrong as a matter of urgency.”

October 19, 2022