Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Sex offenders to be stripped of refugee protections [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Sex offenders to be stripped of refugee protections [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 28 April 2025.

    Foreign nationals who commit sex offences will be excluded from asylum protections in the UK as part of the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

    Tougher border security measures will keep British streets safer, with foreign sex offenders to be excluded from refugee protections as the government announces new measures to slash the asylum backlog and strengthen border security through the Plan for Change.

    At present, the Refugee Convention entitles countries to refuse asylum to terrorists, war criminals and individuals convicted of a ‘particularly serious crime’ who present a danger to the community – defined in the UK as an offence carrying a sentence of 12 months or more.

    For the first time, any conviction of a crime that qualifies a foreign national for the sex offenders register will lead to them being denied refugee status, toughening our approach to border security through stricter enforcement of the rules.

    The law change, which will be introduced through a new amendment to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, also marks a further step in the government’s landmark mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade, making Britain’s streets safer and sending a clear message that sexual offences will be treated with the seriousness they deserve.

    The new law comes alongside stronger measures to cut the asylum backlog and save taxpayer money, by giving the tribunals a new target to reduce the time they take to consider appeals from asylum seekers in accommodation, as well as rolling out artificial intelligence (AI) across asylum processing to speed up decision making.

    Under the new measures, the first-tier Tribunal Immigration and Asylum Chamber will have a new 24-week target to decide appeals brought by those receiving accommodation support, or who are foreign offenders. This will help stop lengthy legal battles, moving failed asylum seekers out of hotels faster and removing those with no right to be in the country.

    The bill will also introduce tougher measures to weed out people who pose as immigration lawyers or advisers, by offering ‘advice’ to migrants on how to claim asylum in the UK and lodge fraudulent claims. The Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) will get expanded powers to hit these crooks with fines of up to £15,000.

    Major progress has already been made in fixing the foundations of the asylum system under the new government, with the return of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK in the first 9 months after the election, including a 16% increase in removals of foreign criminals, and asylum decision-making up 52% in the last 3 months of 2024.

    Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said:

    We are restoring order to a broken asylum system that has been mired in delay and dysfunction for far too long, and we are strengthening our system to make sure that the rules are respected and enforced.

    Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK. We are strengthening the law to ensure these appalling crimes are taken seriously.

    Nor should asylum seekers be stuck in hotels at the taxpayers’ expense during lengthy legal battles. That is why we are changing the law to help clear the backlog, end the use of asylum hotels and save billions of pounds for the taxpayer.

    This is part of our Plan for Change to strengthen our borders, make our streets safer and restore order to the broken system the last government left behind.

    Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls Minister Jess Philips said:

    We are determined to achieve our mission of halving violence against women and girls in a decade.

    That’s exactly why we are taking action to ensure there are robust safeguards across the system, including by clamping down on foreign criminals who commit heinous crimes like sex offences.

    It is right we ensure that convicted, registered sex offenders are not entitled to refugee status, as part of our work to see these awful crimes treated with the seriousness they deserve and perpetrators held to account.

    Alongside these measures, AI will be deployed to support caseworkers to make swifter decisions on asylum claims – preventing asylum seekers from being stuck in limbo at the taxpayers’ expense, delivering quicker answers to those in need and removal of those with no right to be here.

    Caseworkers will use AI to speed up access to the relevant country advice, and summarise lengthy interview transcripts, streamlining asylum processing without compromising on the quality of human decisions. The tech could save decision makers up to an hour per case.

    As announced last month, alongside these critical measures to reform the asylum system, the government will also table an amendment to the bill which requires companies hiring people in the gig economy to carry out checks confirming that anyone working in their name is eligible to work in the UK, bringing them in line with other employers.

    These vital checks confirm someone’s immigration status and allow them to legally work in the UK, meaning that for the very first time, employment checks will be extended to cover businesses hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.

    In addition to these measures, the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will empower law enforcement to intervene faster and more effectively, using counterterror-style powers to disrupt the people-smuggling gangs and placing restrictions on foreign offenders living in the community, including mandatory electronic tags, strict night-time curfews and enforced exclusion zones while awaiting removal.

    Further background

    The measures are to be tabled ahead of report stage of the landmark Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill in the House of Commons.

    Foreign sex offenders

    Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of at least 12 months. This is subject to several exceptions, including where it would breach UK’s obligations under the Refugee Convention.

    However, the Refugee Convention allows protection to be denied to those who, having been convicted of a ‘particularly serious crime’, constitute a danger to the community in the UK. The proposed amendment will create a presumption that individuals convicted of sexual offences making them subject to notification requirements will be denied this protection. This does not alter the long-standing principle that all claims must be considered on a case-by-case basis, to ensure they meet the criteria regarding the seriousness of the crime, and the danger posed to the community

    Supported accommodation and foreign national offender appeals

    Under the new proposals, the first-tier Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber will be required to determine an asylum appeal lodged by a person receiving accommodation support, or from a non-detained foreign national offender within 24 weeks where it is reasonably practicable to do so. The latest published statistics show appeals to the tribunal take on average nearly 50 weeks to process.

    Currently, there is no set timeframe for the courts to consider these cases. Speeding up these appeals will help keep people moving through the asylum system rather than get stuck in accommodation at a cost to the taxpayer and speed up foreign offender deportations. This will assist with ending the use of hotels as asylum accommodation and facilitate swifter deportations.

    Just last month (March 2025), the government also announced more funding to boost the number of days the first-tier and upper-tier tribunals (of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber) can sit at near maximum capacity, helping to speed up decision-making and keep the system moving.

    Immigration advice

    Providing immigration advice without being registered with the IAA or a recognised legal regulatory body is a criminal offence which can lead to jail time, and the new amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will give the IAA stronger powers to pursue those who breach those rules.

    The IAA is the only regulatory watchdog that can investigate and prosecute those pretending to be immigration lawyers or qualified advisers without any authority to do so. These sham lawyers could be acting as middlemen for those trying to abuse the immigration system in a bid to stay in the UK or trying to cash in on people’s desperation providing poor quality or outright fraudulent immigration advice.

    Illegal working

    The government previously announced it will strengthen illegal working checks in a new amendment as set out on GOV.UK.

    On wider government AI work

    This new tool follows the Prime Minister setting out that he will ‘push forward with the digitisation of government services’ to find £45 billion worth of productivity savings, as the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology sets out how it will put AI and technology to work across public services.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Youth Mobility Scheme for Uruguayan and British citizens [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Youth Mobility Scheme for Uruguayan and British citizens [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 April 2025.

    The Youth Mobility Scheme allows 500 visas, both for Uruguayan and British nationals, to live, study, work and travel in the UK and Uruguay respectively.

    In 2025, 500 British and 500 Uruguayan nationals aged 18 to 30 years old will be able to experience life and culture in each other’s country for up to 2 years, as established in the agreement that came into effect in both countries on 31 January 2024.

    Uruguayan citizens who would like to travel to the UK under this scheme need to apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) visa. British citizens who would like to travel to Uruguay should apply for a Working Holiday temporary residency.

    The scheme desires to foster close relations between British and Uruguayan nationals, intending to promote and facilitate access to opportunities that enable youth to gain a better understanding of the other participant’s culture, society, and languages through travel, work, and life experience abroad.

    This is the first YMS between the UK and a South American Country. The agreement was signed in August 2023 at the Uruguayan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during the visit of FCDO Minister for the Americas and Caribbean David Rutley MP to Uruguay.

    UK has YMS agreements in place with Andorra, Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan, Monaco, New Zealand, San Marino, Taiwan and Uruguay.

    Uruguay has Working Holiday programmes with Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and United Kingdom.

    Find below information about the scheme and how to apply, for British and Uruguayan nationals.

    Information for British nationals

    British citizens interested in applying for a Working Holiday temporary residency must attend the Uruguayan Consulate in London and submit the following documents:

    • valid passport in good condition, with an expiry date at least one year in the future
    • a medical certificate from the country of residence where it states that you do not have medical conditions that would make it impossible for you to reside in Uruguay
    • evidence of a Police Certificate from the country of origin and from any country that you have lived in for the past 5 years. This should be apostilled or legalised, whichever is appropriate. In the UK you can apply for this at: http://www.gov.uk/copy-of-police-records. The six must have been issued within the 6 months prior to the filing of the application
    • documents that demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources to meet their needs (such as salary payslips, bank statements, pensions, etc.) issued within 30 days of the application date
    • declaration of the intended time they will remain in Uruguay, which will be up to 2 years
    • apostille or legalised birth certificate (whichever is the case, if the person was born outside the UK) and translated (by a certified Uruguayan translator, by Consul or by consular intervention, depending on the case) will be required in Uruguay in order to obtain the Uruguayan National Identity card

    Once the documentation is submitted, the Consulate will inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ International Migration Direction, which will notify the National Migration Office. A decision will be made within a maximum of 15 working days.

    If the application is successful, the Consulate will let you will know. You will then need to enter Uruguay within 180 days from the notification day. If you need a visa, the Consulate will issue a tourist visa without consulting with the National Migration Office, referring to the temporary residency granted.

    Once you are in Uruguay, you will need to go in person to the National Migration Office and the National Civil Identification Office to apply for the National Identity card and pay the required fees. If youneed more information, please contact the Uruguayan Consulate or Uruguayan Embassy: cdlondres@mrree.gub.uy or urureinounido@mree.gub.uy, or call: +44 (0)207 584 4200

    Information for Uruguayan nationals:

    • applications to the Youth Mobility Scheme are online. You can apply from any country in the world, except from the UK
    • you can apply if you are a Uruguayan National aged 18-30 years old and hold a Uruguayan passport
    • you can spend up to 2 years in the UK, with multiple entries
    • you can work but it is not compulsory. You can travel, study short courses or volunteer
    • you do not need any language, job or skill requirements
    • you must apply for a visa and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge
    • you need to demonstrate you have the equivalent to £2,530 in a bank account for at least the past 28 days before applying
    • you need to get a Criminal Record Certificate. Please request it for Consulate- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not the British Embassy
    • you cannot apply if you have any dependants living with you or who are financially dependent on you at the time of application
    • you must not have not previously taken part in the scheme

    Applicants will usually get a decision on their visa within 3 weeks.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Universal Periodic Review 49 – UK Statement on Kiribati [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Universal Periodic Review 49 – UK Statement on Kiribati [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 April 2025.

    UK Statement on Kiribati, delivered at Kiribati’s Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

    Thank you, Mr President,

    The United Kingdom warmly welcomes the delegation. We recognise the Government of Kiribati’s positive engagement with this process and progress made since the last Universal Periodic Review. The United Kingdom commends ambitious reforms to social protection systems, including support provided to senior citizens and persons with disabilities.

    We urge the Government to enhance efforts to address the high levels of gender-based violence, advance work to end discrimination, and guarantee the protection of all individuals.

    We recommend that Kiribati:

    1. Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
    2. Ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
    3. Renew efforts to enshrine protection from discrimination on the basis of gender, gender identity and expression and sexual orientation; and to decriminalise consensual sexual relations between adults of the same sex within the Constitution.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New King’s Gurkha Artillery Unit to boost Armed Forces Capabilities [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : New King’s Gurkha Artillery Unit to boost Armed Forces Capabilities [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 28 April 2025.

    Gurkhas are to take on artillery roles for the first time with the creation of a new regiment.

    • Over the next four years, 400 Gurkha personnel will join the unit known as The King’s Gurkha Artillery, bolstering UK security through the Plan for Change
    • New unit will offer career and development opportunities for Gurkha soldiers in recognition of their service to the UK
    • A new Gurkha unit is being created to bolster the Army – with the famous Nepalese soldiers taking up artillery roles for the first time.

    The King’s Gurkha Artillery (KGA), announced today, will be a new unit in the Brigade of Gurkhas and will operate within the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

    The regiment will strengthen the UK’s military capabilities by taking on 400 Gurkha personnel, yet another example of Government action to deliver national security for Britain as part of our Plan for Change.

    A new Gurkha cap badge has also been created – the first in 14 years – to represent the new unit and the expanded breadth of specialisms that the Brigade of Gurkhas deliver, continuing their proud tradition of military service to the UK.

    The KGA will become an integral part of the UK Armed Forces’ artillery capabilities. As part of the new offer for Gurkha soldiers, and in recognition of the demands of modern warfare, personnel who join the KGA will be trained on advanced equipment, including the Archer and Light Gun artillery systems. In the future they will also train on the remote-controlled Howitzer 155 artillery system.

    Today’s announcement follows the Prime Minister’s historic commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, recognising the critical importance of military readiness in an era of heightened global uncertainty.

    Minister for Veterans and People Alistair Carns said:

    The Brigade of Gurkhas has rightly earned a reputation as being amongst the finest soldiers in the world, and the formation of The King’s Gurkha Artillery recognises the outstanding contribution that they have made, through their years of dedicated service.

    Our government is already delivering for defence through our Plan for Change, and this latest development will support retention efforts amongst Gurkhas while protecting and defending UK interests at home and abroad.

    The first recruits will finish initial training in November 2025 before going to Larkhill Garrison in Wiltshire, the home of the Royal Artillery for trade training.

    Currently, around 4,000 Gurkhas serve across many trades in the British Army. All Gurkhas are recruited from Nepal, with thousands of candidates competing annually for a limited number of places.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Resilience Academy to help secure Britain’s future with “generational upgrade” in emergency training [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Resilience Academy to help secure Britain’s future with “generational upgrade” in emergency training [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 28 April 2025.

    Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden has launched the UK Resilience Academy.

    • Academy to train more than 4,000 public and private sector workers in crisis skills and expertise every year, strengthening resilience in communities across the UK.
    • Biggest upgrade to resilience workers’ occupational standards in a generation to help keep the public safe as part of the Plan for Change.
    • Pat McFadden unveils Risk Vulnerability Tool to help Ministers and civil servants support vulnerable groups during a crisis and learn lessons from the Covid pandemic.

    Communities up and down the country are set to be better protected in the face of national crises from today as the government opens the UK Resilience Academy – helping to secure Britain’s future as it delivers on the Plan for Change.

    The cutting-edge centre will transform crisis training for thousands of public and private sector workers, with at least 4,000 people set to be trained at the Academy’s North Yorkshire campus every year, on courses covering everything from business continuity planning, to crowd management and crisis communications.

    The UK Resilience Academy, which will train citizens, businesses, the emergency services, the Armed Forces and the Civil Service, will sit at the heart of a newly formed network of public and private sector organisations – including the College for National Security and the Defence Academy – who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to improve the quality and accessibility of resilience training.

    Today’s announcement comes as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster unveils new software that will allow decision makers to identify groups that are vulnerable to particular risks, by mapping real-time crisis data alongside demographic statistics.

    The Risk Vulnerability tool is now available to 10,000 ministers and civil servants across Whitehall and the Devolved Nations. It has been developed by the National Situation Centre and the Office for National Statistics, and will feed directly into government decision making during future crises.

    Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:

    Our first duty is to keep people safe – and through our Plan for Change, we are creating strong and resilient communities across the country.

    Today, we’re making a generational upgrade to crisis training for thousands of workers, and helping decision makers identify vulnerable groups in a crisis. This is all part of our plan to secure Britain’s future.

    In extreme cold weather, the software would show demographic data, such as households that rely either on gas or electricity, or areas with elderly people who would need support with food supplies, alongside near real-time data such as live weather warnings and power outages, helping decision-makers target support to those most in need. When planning for potential flooding, ministers and officials can identify areas where people have less mobility, and target these if evacuation is needed.

    This capability will strengthen the government’s approach to crisis management and better protect vulnerable people – learning from past events such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The UK is working to tackle the root causes of displacement, including war, instability and repression – UK statement at the UN Security Council [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : The UK is working to tackle the root causes of displacement, including war, instability and repression – UK statement at the UN Security Council [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 April 2025.

    Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council briefing by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

    I want to start by underlining our wholehearted support for UNHCR and High Commissioner Grandi’s passionate leadership. You have steered the organisation through a decade of global change.

    A decade of increasing conflict, climate shocks and instability.

    All these factors continue to push people from their homes, driving displacement ever higher.

    In the world today, over 123 million people are forcibly displaced.

    In the face of such challenges, we must focus on solutions.

    I will highlight three that are priority areas for the UK.

    First, we will continue to do all we can to tackle the root causes of displacement, including war, instability, and repression.

    We will work at all levels, including through this Council to protect the rules-based international system and promote peace.

    We will work with international partners to tackle people smuggling and human trafficking, which exploits vulnerable people for financial gain.

    Just this month, the UK led a successful Border-Security Summit, where we secured agreements between participating countries, to drive efforts to disrupt organised immigration crime and save lives.

    Second, we will seek solutions to regional and country-specific crises.

    Many of which, from Ukraine to the Middle East, are the focus of this Council.

    This month, the UK hosted a conference on Sudan with humanitarian and political objectives, including support for an end to the conflict and easing the impact on the region and we were grateful for the participation of Commissioner Grandi along with other parts of the UN leadership.

    In Cox’s Bazar, we have funded UNHCR to support refugees’ access to healthcare, clean water and hygiene.

    We will continue to advocate for safe, dignified and sustainable solutions for refugees, including at the UN Rohingya Conference in September.

    And third, we continue to push for innovative approaches to addressing displacement.

    We support the High Commissioner’s Sustainable Responses Initiative, which supports refugee inclusion and self-reliance, and ownership of solutions by host countries.

    We look forward to the Global Compact for Refugees meeting in December – a key moment to review progress on pledges we made in 2023, to deliver better outcomes for displaced people and host communities.

    And we encourage others to join and sustain our collective efforts to achieve the Compact’s goals.

    In conclusion, President, to reverse the growing trend of displacement, we need to focus on solutions to the causes we have all discussed today.

    The UK is committed to working with UNHCR and other international partners and institutions to achieve this.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State Extends Timeframe for Legacy Investigation Reports [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Secretary of State Extends Timeframe for Legacy Investigation Reports [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Northern Ireland Office on 28 April 2025.

    The Secretary of State has today signed a six month extension to a transitional provision made under the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, to allow investigating bodies to carry out post-investigative tasks until 31st October 2025.

    A transitional provision was made under the Act which specified that, where all that remains to be carried out by the investigating body is the preparation of the investigation report or something subsequent to that, it may carry out those post-investigative tasks until 30th April 2025.

    The Government received requests from the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, KENOVA and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to extend that provision in order to allow remaining post-investigative tasks to be carried out.

    The Government is committed to ensuring families receive information as soon as possible about what happened to their loved ones, so has agreed to extend the provision until 31st October 2025.

    The Government is committed to repeal and replace the Act. On 4 December 2024 the Secretary of State began this process by laying a proposed draft Remedial Order under the Human Rights Act. If adopted by Parliament, the Order will remedy all of the human rights deficiencies in the Act identified by the Northern Ireland High Court in February 2024 in the case of Dillon and Others and one issue from the Court of Appeal judgment in September 2024.

    The Secretary of State has also committed to introduce primary legislation when parliamentary time allows, which will reform and strengthen the independence, powers and accountability of the Independent Commission on Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR).

  • PRESS RELEASE : Cost of living boost for millions as prescription charges frozen [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Cost of living boost for millions as prescription charges frozen [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 April 2025.

    Millions of patients are getting a cost of living boost as the government freezes prescription charges for the first time in three years.

    • NHS prescription charges in England will be frozen for the first time in three years, keeping the cost of a prescription below a tenner.
    • The decision means £18 million saving to help with cost of living for millions who regularly pay for prescriptions as the government delivers security for working people through its Plan for Change.
    • Freeze comes weeks after this government agreed record investment for community pharmacies to fund local services for patients.

    Millions of people across the country will see the cost of their prescriptions frozen for the first time in three years from today – as the government puts money back into the pockets of working people as it delivers on the Plan for Change.

    The move will save patients around £18 million next year – keeping prescriptions under the cost of a tenner, at £9.90 for a single charge. Those who are already exempt from paying their prescription will continue to be so.

    Three month and annual prescriptions prepayment certificates will also be frozen for 2025/26.

    Annual charges can be made in instalments meaning those requiring regular medicines will be able to get them for just over £2 a week.

    The prescription charge freeze builds on wider government action to tackle the cost of living crisis, including the rollout of free breakfast clubs, expanded childcare through 300 new school-based nurseries, lowering the cost of school uniforms, and extending the fuel duty freeze – all aimed at easing financial pressures on families across the country.

    Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, said:

    This government’s Plan for Change will always put working people first, and our moves today to freeze prescription charges will put money back into the pockets of millions of patients.

    Fixing our NHS will be a long road – but by working closer with our pharmacies we’re saving money and shifting care to the community where it’s closer to your home.

    We made the difficult but necessary choices at the Budget to fund moves like this and change our NHS so it can once again be there for you when you need it.

    The announcement follows news last month of the government agreeing funding with Community Pharmacy England worth an extra £617 million over 2 years.

    And the investment comes alongside reforms to deliver a raft of patient benefits, as part of the government’s agenda to shift the focus of care from hospitals into the community, so that people can more easily access care and support on their high streets.

    This freeze is only possible thanks to the government’s difficult but necessary choices at the Budget to bring in a £26 billion boost to the health service.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:

    We promised to build an NHS fit for the future, and that started with the £26 billion funding boost I delivered at the Budget, to repair and improve the many vital services it provides.

    Since then, waiting lists are falling, staff are better paid and supported, and today, £18 million has been kept in patient’s pockets by freezing prescription charges – easing the cost of living through our Plan for Change, delivering for all.

    Jonathan Blades, Head of Policy at Asthma + Lung UK, said:

    The freezing of prescription charges is a welcome first step and will provide some short-term relief for people with lung conditions during the ongoing cost of living crisis. Living with a long-term lung condition like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is expensive and rising prescription costs only make it harder for people to manage their condition and stay well.

    Around 89% of prescriptions in England are already dispensed free of charge to children, over-60s, pregnant women, and those with certain medical conditions. This freeze will not impact that scheme.

    In addition to the freeze on charges, the NHS low income scheme offers help with prescription payments, with free prescriptions for eligible people in certain groups such as pensioners, students, and those who receive state benefits or live in care homes.

    Alongside action to rebuild the NHS, the government’s Plan for Change is focused on growing the economy to improve living standards across the country. This further freeze will only improve that.

    Notes to editors:

    • NHS prescription charges apply in England only
    • A 3-month prescription prepayment certificate (PPCs) will be frozen at £32.05 and a 12 month PPCs will remain at £114.50.
    • Groups exempt from prescription charges include:

    o   Children under 16 and those in full-time education aged 16-18

    o   People aged 60 and over

    o   Pregnant women and those who have had a baby in the last 12 months

    o   People with specified medical conditions like diabetes or cancer and have valid exemption certificates

    o   Those receiving qualifying benefits including Universal Credit (with criteria)

    o   NHS inpatients

    • The freeze will also apply to NHS wigs and fabric supports; these prices will remain at current levels:

    ·       Surgical brassiere                        £32.50

    ·       Abdominal or spinal support    £49.05

    ·       Stock modacrylic wig                 £80.15

    ·       Partial human hair wig £212.35

    ·       Full bespoke human hair wig    £310.55

    • Patients on a low income, who do not qualify for an exemption, can apply for help with help costs through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme. People can check whether they are eligible for help here.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Director of education support companies jailed after spending £200,000 in Covid loans ‘as he saw fit’ [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Director of education support companies jailed after spending £200,000 in Covid loans ‘as he saw fit’ [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 28 April 2025.

    Bounce Back Loan fraudster convicted after Insolvency Service investigations.

    • Ricky Harrison fraudulently obtained four Covid Bounce Back Loans, including three for dormant companies
    • Money from the loans was used by Harrison for his own personal benefit and he attempted to avoid having to make any repayments by applying to have all four of his companies struck-off the Companies House register
    • Harrison has been sentenced to more than three years in prison following Insolvency Service investigations into his conduct

    A director who secured maximum-value Covid loans for three dormant companies and overstated his turnover to secure a fourth during the pandemic has been jailed.

    Ricky Harrison received a total of £200,000 in Bounce Back Loans during 2020, when he was entitled to just £16,000 at most. He also spent the money for personal purposes, not for business use as was required.

    Three of his companies, Hackney Works Ltd, Tower Hamlets Works Ltd and Ricky Harrison Holdings Ltd, were not trading at the time he made his fraudulent applications to the bank.

    The 41-year-old also exaggerated his turnover by more than £150,000 for a fourth company, Newham Works Ltd.

    Harrison, of Beacon Court, Hertford Heath, Hertfordshire, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison when he appeared at St Albans Crown Court on Friday 25 April.

    He was also disqualified as a director for 10 years.

    David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

    Ricky Harrison’s actions were deeply cynical. He exploited an opportunity to help himself to taxpayers’ money during what was a national emergency.

    Harrison did not co-operate with Insolvency Service investigations, failing to attend a pre-arranged interview and instead producing a typed statement where he implausibly claimed he was entitled to all the loans and was at liberty to spend the funds as he saw fit.

    The reality is that Harrison was not entitled to the vast majority of the money he received and was required to spend the funds for the economic benefit of his business.

    This was public money and we will continue to prosecute those who made such obvious false representations to secure Covid support.

    Harrison’s four companies were incorporated within a three-week period in December 2018 and January 2019.

    Hackney Works, Tower Hamlets Works, and Newham Works were all described on Companies House as providing “educational support services”. Ricky Harrison Holdings was described as a holding company.

    Only Newham Works appeared to have any trading income in 2019.

    Harrison himself admitted to an accountant that Hackney Works and Tower Hamlets Works were dormant and that there was no need to prepare any accounts for them.

    Analysis of the accounts of Ricky Harrison Holdings revealed no evidence that the company had begun trading in its own right.

    Despite this, Harrison falsely declared the companies had an annual turnover of £245,000, £232,000, and £315,000 respectively when he made the applications for three £50,000 Bounce Back Loans across a two-day period in May 2020.

    At the same time, Harrison made a fraudulent application for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan for Newham Works. He declared on the application form that the company’s turnover was £215,000 when it was actually only £64,000.

    Harrison transferred some of the money he received to his other companies, including Newham Works, and paid a percentage into his own personal account.

    A total of £85,000 also appeared to be used for the purchase of a vehicle in June 2020.

    Harrison told the bank he would repay the funds, as was required under the terms of the scheme.

    However, in July 2020, just weeks after securing the loans, Harrison applied to have Hackney Works and Tower Hamlets Works struck-off the Companies House register.

    Harrison subsequently attempted to strike-off Ricky Harrison Holdings and Newham Works in 2021 but was unsuccessful.

    No loan repayments were made by Harrison aside from a single payment of £833.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Alex Ely has been appointed as Chair of the Museum of the Home [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Alex Ely has been appointed as Chair of the Museum of the Home [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 28 April 2025.

    The Secretary of State has appointed Alex Ely as the Chair of the Museum of the Home for a term of four years, which commenced on 23 March 2025.

    Alex Ely

    Alex is Founder Director of Mæ, an architecture and urban design studio based in London. Alex is a RIBA Chartered Architect and a Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute, he graduated from the Royal College of Art. Under his leadership, Mæ has gained international recognition for its innovative and socially responsive design approach, delivering acclaimed projects across masterplanning, housing, healthcare, and cultural buildings.

    Alex oversees Mæ’s design direction, and has won numerous accolades including the RIBA Stirling Prize 2023. He is a leading voice in the built environment, and has shaped national housing policy having advised the Government and the Mayor of London on urban and planning policy promoting an agenda of design excellence. He has taught at a number of UK Schools of Architecture, written several books, and exhibited internationally.

    Alex Ely quote:

    “I am delighted to be appointed by the Secretary of State as Chair of the Museum of the Home. The Museum plays a crucial role in the advancement of education and promoting debate about the importance of home in and for societies. As one of our foremost cultural institutions I look forward to helping advance its mission and build on its purpose to reveal and rethink the ways we live, in order to live better together.”

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    The Chair of the Museum of the Home is not remunerated. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Alex has not declared any significant political activity.