Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s battlefield claims do not withstand examination – UK statement to the OSCE [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s battlefield claims do not withstand examination – UK statement to the OSCE [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 30 September 2026.

    Colonel Joby Rimmer, UK Senior Military Advisor, challenges Russia’s claims of inevitable military success in Ukraine and calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.

    Thank you, Mr Chair.

    At last week’s FSC, the Russian delegation attempted to present a picture of their inevitable military success in Ukraine. It was claimed that the Russian Armed Forces were “steadily advancing on all fronts”, they described Ukrainian operations and counterattacks as “futile”, and they portrayed Western military assistance as ineffective.

    Those claims do not withstand examination, and we feel they must be addressed in this Forum.

    Russia claimed to have taken more than 5,300 square kilometres and over 220 settlements during 2026, including more than 670 square kilometres and 27 settlements in September. Independent open-source analysis found nothing even close to those figures.

    Assessments are that Russia had secured only a fraction of the territory claimed, while Ukrainian counterattacks had liberated significant areas. The Institute for the Study of War says that Ukraine has liberated 85 square kilometres of territory during Operation VIVALDI alone.

    Interpreting selected tactical movements as “advancing on all fronts” is not a military assessment. There are absolutely no indicators of a decisive Russian breakthrough, or any sense that there has been any achievement of the objectives of the so-called “special military operation”.

    Russia has made localised gains, but minor tactical movements do not represent any sort of inevitable victory. Russian forces are not advancing everywhere. Ukraine has not collapsed, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces remain extremely capable of regaining territory, as the evidence shows on parts of the front.

    In the same presentation last week, Russia used images of “decimated” Western equipment to boast that military assistance to Ukraine had failed.

    I know all too well from personal experience that Western vehicles are not invulnerable. Some of them may have been destroyed, damaged or abandoned, but the loss of individual systems is inherent in high-intensity warfare, and it does not establish that those systems have been operationally ineffective.

    The appropriate comparison with the Russian Federation is cumulative and proportional. By May 2026, the open-source project ORYX had visually confirmed Russian losses of 4,390 main battle tanks, 6,429 infantry fighting vehicles, 730 armoured personnel carriers and over 2,000 other armoured vehicle variants.

    We have seen the defeat of thousands of Russian fighting vehicles, and these are documented losses, supported by photographic or video evidence, and therefore represent a minimum rather than a complete total. They cannot be reconciled with the unverified images of so-called effortless military progress presented by the Russian Federation last week.

    Russia’s own conduct contradicts its claims. It maintains that Western military assistance has failed, yet repeatedly demands that we cease providing it. The considerable effort that the Russian Armed Forces devote to locating these systems, disrupting their supply and striking defence-production facilities in Ukraine demonstrates the value of that assistance.

    In this Forum, Russia has threatened companies engaged in defence-industrial co-operation with Ukraine, but such threats will not deter us. We will continue to provide Ukraine with the support and equipment it needs to defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

    At the same time, we remain clear, and state clearly, that the United Kingdom does not seek escalation with Russia.

    Nor in last week’s presentation was there described a defeated or militarily paralysed Ukraine. Russia’s own account acknowledged Ukrainian attacks across occupied Ukrainian territory and deep inside Russia.

    Ukraine retains the ability to defend the front, conduct counterattacks and strike military and war-supporting targets at considerable range. More than four years after the Russian Federation’s illegal full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s Armed Forces remain operational.

    Ukraine’s defence industry continues to adapt, and its international defence partnerships are deepening. Russia has failed to capture all of the Ukrainian territory it now demands that Ukraine surrender.

    Well, there is another course available. Russia can stop sacrificing its personnel and equipment for diminishing military returns. Russia can agree to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and can engage seriously in negotiations towards a just and lasting peace.

    And, Mr Chair, the choice facing the Kremlin is not between inevitable victory and negotiation. It is between continuing a costly and indecisive war, or choosing ceasefire, negotiation and peace.

    We call on the Russian Federation to make the right choice.

    Thank you, Mr Chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government goes further to protect leaseholders [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government goes further to protect leaseholders [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing on 30 September 2026.

    Leaseholders will be given more rights and better protections under new rules, the government can confirm today.

    Under the current system, leaseholders and those living on freehold estates can be forced to pay fees in order to receive their landlord’s permission for simple requests like keeping a pet – with no certainty of the costs and no clear oversight of the process.    

    The government will legislate to give the Secretary of State powers to introduce caps on these fees that are genuinely reasonable and that landlords must follow.    

    These powers will also cover privately managed estates where homeowners can face similar charges for minor cosmetic changes to their properties.   

    As well as permission fees, the legislative changes will enable a clamp down on administrative fees, where landlords can charge for providing documents on request, or even for simply notifying them of a change in mortgage provider. 

    A public consultation will be launched on the scope of what should be capped and the amount for each item.   

    In addition, for the first time ever, the government intends to introduce independent regulation of property agents – giving leaseholders, tenants and homebuyers a route towards better rights and protections.  

    A regulator can set codes of practice, such as standards of conduct and proper complaint handling for those they regulate.  

    Property agents will be required to obtain a licence to do the job, as well as appropriate qualifications to operate. If they fall foul of the required standards, the regulator would have the power to take their licences away.  

    These measures will fundamentally rewire homeownership, whilst supporting over 5 million existing leaseholders and future homeowners, who will benefit from stronger control, powers and protections. The government is committed to bringing forward these changes as soon as possible and will set out more information in due course.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Nearly 50 arrests in people smuggling crackdown at Irish border [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Nearly 50 arrests in people smuggling crackdown at Irish border [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 29 September 2026.

    Week of action targets criminal gangs who illegally try to enter the UK from Ireland, comes alongside a wider 74% surge in organised immigration crime arrests.

    Immigration Enforcement has handed a blow to organised criminal gangs illegally smuggling people from Ireland to the UK, with 49 arrests across 3 days of targeted action at UK ports. 

    Between Tuesday 22 September and Thursday 24 September, law enforcement agencies patrolled a number of seaports, airports, roads and rail networks across Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales in a bid to catch those circumventing UK immigration laws. 

    Operation Comby, a multi-agency crackdown targeting individuals who have illegally passed from Ireland to the UK has led to the arrest of over 250 organised criminals and immigration offenders since the election – of which 113 have been removed. The operation has also seen the seizure of almost half a million pounds in cash. 

    It aims to stamp out abuse of the Common Travel Area (CTA) between the United Kingdom and Ireland. The CTA is a long-standing arrangement between the United Kingdom and Ireland which allows British and Irish citizens to move freely between each country. 

    This activity works alongside Immigration Enforcement’s Operation Gull which provides routine deployments across Northern Irish ports and airports, tackling everyday abuse of the CTA which has led to almost 1,000 arrests in the last year.

    Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Anna Turley said:

    We are bearing down on these organised criminal gangs who operate on wicked lies and deception.

    Individuals who think they can get round our laws will quickly find out that they will not be successful.

    This operation is a very clear example of Immigration Enforcement’s round the clock work disrupt these criminal gangs and remove those with no right to be in the UK.

    At Belfast International Airport, 2 Romanian women were arrested as illegal entrants to the UK, having travelled from Ireland to Northern Ireland without required permissions. Further checks identified them as possible victims of people trafficking. Intelligence was gained on the criminals who pushed them into the journey. One was detained for removal back to Romania and the other voluntarily returned back to Ireland. 

    Following intelligence sharing, Belfast Harbour Police stopped a vehicle at Belfast Port carrying 4 Romanian nationals. Searches of the vehicle found £130,000 worth of counterfeit Apple products. All 4 individuals were arrested and now face removal from the UK. 

    Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime, Eddy Montgomery, said:

    As part of our wider crackdown on abuse of the Common Travel Area, Operation Comby is delivering an intelligence-led approach to disrupting Organised Immigration Crime, targeting criminal networks that exploit these routes.

    Immigration crime can take many forms, but at the heart of what we do is protecting vulnerable people and ensuring the criminal gangs who exploit them are brought down.

    Between July 2024 and June 2026, Immigration Enforcement conducted almost 3,000 enforcement visits in Northern Ireland resulting in over 2,400 arrests.   

    Nearly 1,000 people have been subsequently returned, with almost 500 of these being to Ireland.   

    On top of this, the Home Secretary announced that she will double the Immigration Enforcement budget by 2028/29 and boost workforce numbers by 60%. This will see tens of thousands more raids, arrests, and removal of those with no right to be in the UK.  

    The government has already begun the work of restoring control and order to our borders. Since the election, over 80,000 immigration offenders and foreign criminals have been removed from the UK.

  • PRESS RELEASE : National museums to remain free for everyone [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : National museums to remain free for everyone [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Digital and Culture on 29 September 2026.

    Free entry protected for every visitor to England’s national museums.

    • National museums draw millions of visitors and add over £1 billion a year to the economy

    Everyone will continue to enjoy universal free admission to our world class national museums in England, the Government has confirmed.

    Free entry to museums was introduced in 2001. Earlier this year the government committed to working with the museum and tourism sectors, and local leaders, to explore whether charging overseas visitors could help museums’ finances, as part of the response to Baroness Hodge’s review of Arts Council England published in December 2025.

    The government believes that charging overseas visitors could deter domestic visitors and that the impacts and benefits of charging would not be felt equally across the sector and therefore will not introduce charges for overseas visitors. 

    National museums also add more than £1 billion a year to the economy and bring in visitors from around the world. Seven of the UK’s ten most visited museums are national museums. 

    In 2025, 7.1 million people visited the Natural History Museum and 6.4 million visited the British Museum.

    The £1.5 billion Arts Everywhere Fund is providing £760 million for museums, £600 million of infrastructure funding is supporting national museums and DCMS sponsored cultural organisations to address critical maintenance and works to estates, and enable these institutions to deliver on their commitments to share their collections and expertise nationally, drawing in visitors from around the world.

    A further £160 million is being invested in our local and regional museums. The Museum Estates and Development Fund will help museums tackle maintenance backlogs, and the £13.6 million Museum Transformation programme will support organisations to move towards more sustainable business models.

    In addition, the government will work with Arts Council and the sector to develop a long-term strategic plan for the future of museums. Further details will be released in due course.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The UK is acting with international partners to protect the two-state solution – UK statement at the UN Security Council

    PRESS RELEASE : The UK is acting with international partners to protect the two-state solution – UK statement at the UN Security Council

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 September 2026.

    Statement by Ambassador Kate Foster, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, at the UN Security Council meeting on the West Bank.

    Throughout High-Level Week, we heard a clear and repeated commitment to achieving a two-state solution.

    It remains the only credible path forwards to a better future for Israelis and Palestinians, founded on lasting peace and security for both.

    Yet the two-state solution is at risk of being destroyed by the facts on the ground.

    Mr President, my Prime Minister has been clear: the 7th October 2023 terrorist attack on Israel was monstrous, and he has condemned Hamas’ actions in the strongest terms.

    The United Kingdom continues to stand with Israel in the face of ongoing threats, including from Iran.

    But my Prime Minister has also been clear that this does not justify the Government of Israel’s actions in the West Bank and Gaza.

    In the West Bank, Israel continues to expand settlements at pace, in violation of international law, and contrary to Resolution 2334.

    We are approaching a point of no return with the E1 settlement project.

    We welcome the reports that the deadline for bids may be delayed. 

    But a temporary delay is not enough. 

    It would sever East Jerusalem from the West Bank and endanger the viability of a two-state solution.

    This project must not go ahead.

    Alongside the rapid expansion of settlements, we have also seen an alarming increase in settler violence.

    The Government of Israel must prevent violence in all of its forms and ensure proper accountability for perpetrators. 

    Pardons and decisions not to bring charges against Israeli soldiers who have committed violent crimes sends the opposite message. 

    The United Kingdom is acting with international partners to protect the two-state solution.  

    Together with partners, we have announced our intention to legislate to ban the import of goods from illegal settlements, and bring in sanctions against those who finance, support, and facilitate illegal settlements.

    We have been clear that we view the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land as unlawful.

    We continue to support the Palestinian Authority’s reform agenda and welcome its commitments to hold elections.

    Credible, transparent, and reformed public institutions remain essential to a future Palestinian state.

    We welcome the recent extension by Israel of correspondent banking relationships. 

    But we need urgent action to reverse policies which are crippling the West Bank economy. 

    Further measures must include:

    The release of clearance revenues to the Palestinian Authority;

    Ensuring sustainable and predictable banking arrangements;

    Easing movement and access restrictions, facilitating trade, and improving access to employment and economic opportunities.

    Turning to Gaza, the United Kingdom remains fully committed to implementation of Resolution 2803 and the 20-Point Peace Plan.

    Hamas must decommission its weapons, dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and completely relinquish its control of Gaza.

    The United Kingdom has pledged $117 million in humanitarian and early recovery assistance this year. 

    But aid cannot save lives if it cannot reach people. 

    With another winter approaching, urgent action is needed.

    Last week, my Foreign Secretary, alongside Jordan and Qatar, brought partners together behind a Call to Action on humanitarian access and healthcare in Gaza.

    The focus must now be on turning that shared commitment into tangible improvements for people on the ground.

    Israel must lift all restrictions on humanitarian aid, stop the killing in Gaza, and withdraw.

    Mr President, we are at a critical juncture. 

    The peoples of Israel and Palestine deserve a better future.

    This Council must do all we can to protect the two-state solution, bolster stability in the West Bank, and bring the suffering in Gaza to an end.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Social Housing Bill to strengthen homelessness prevention and protect social housing stock [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Social Housing Bill to strengthen homelessness prevention and protect social housing stock [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 28 September 2026.

    New amendments to the Social Housing Bill will deliver stronger protections for homeless households.

    The government has today (Monday 28 September) confirmed it will bring forward amendments to the Social Housing Bill. Additional measures will help retain more social homes, strengthen homelessness prevention and ensure social housing is allocated to those who need it most.  

    Through the Social Housing Bill, councils will be given new powers to refer homeless households to private registered providers of social housing, strengthening collaboration between housing associations and councils, helping to reduce reliance on temporary accommodation and improve access to housing for those in greatest need.  

    The Bill will also introduce a new disposals notification requirement, which will give councils and other social housing providers better opportunity to purchase social homes before they are sold outside the sector – which will help to retain our much-needed housing stock. The government intends to extend the notification period to eight weeks.  

    A new Duty to Collaborate will require public services to work more closely together to identify people at risk of homelessness and consider what action they can take within their existing responsibilities to help prevent homelessness.  

    The measures are intended to support councils in addressing homelessness pressures, strengthen partnership working across the housing sector and help maintain the long-term supply of social housing.  

    The government previously committed £39 billion over ten years through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme to support the delivery of new social and affordable housing. Councils and housing associations will continue to play a key role in increasing housing supply and providing homes for local communities.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor backs young people into work by supporting jobs [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor backs young people into work by supporting jobs [September 2026]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 28 September 2026.

    The Chancellor has announced a package to help people into work, education and training, while building the skilled workforce Britain needs for the future.

    The package will see the National Wealth Fund used to create and support 130,000 jobs across the UK, expanding local apprenticeship services to connect more young people with employers, and restoring the Union Learning Fund with £15 million a year to help people build new skills. 

    National Wealth Fund 

    The Chancellor has announced that Government will use the National Wealth Fund’s current capitalisation to create and support a further 130,000 jobs across the UK by 2030. The National Wealth Fund will support good jobs across sectors including AI and technology, defence and clean energy.  

    Rolls Royce funding expansion 

    In a boost for the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector, the Chancellor announced today that Rolls Royce will bring a landmark £300 million investment into its manufacturing and engineering facilities across the UK. 

    The significant investment reinforces the company’s commitment to the UK’s advanced manufacturing ecosystem, with funding going to factories across the UK. In Derby the company is investing more than £140 million on new engineering and manufacturing services facilities to enable future growth, supporting more than 10,000 employees.

    In Bristol, the home of UK military power and propulsion, Rolls-Royce is investing over £90 million on a major facility upgrade programme –  supporting the more than 3,500 employees based at the site, including highly skilled engineers.

    An investment of £43 million at Inchinnan, Glasgow, is introducing machinery that will enable new engine components to be manufactured while in Rotherham, Rolls-Royce is investing £19 million at its Advanced Blade Casting Facility, doubling its output of advanced turbine blades – a critical component in jet engines – by 2030.

    Expanding local apprenticeships services  

    Local leaders know their areas best and are ideally placed to match young people with small employers to create the apprenticeships their communities need. 

    Budget 2025 announced government funding to pilot apprenticeship brokerage in some Mayoral Strategic Authorities. Today the Chancellor’s announcement goes further, expanding funding to all 14 existing Mayoral Strategic Authorities with directly elected mayors, so they can help provide local apprenticeship services across England from Spring 2027. 

    As part of the government’s commitment to expand apprenticeship opportunities for young people, the £100 million of additional funding across 2 years doubles the number of areas matching young people with local businesses. Led by mayors, and driven by the skills and needs of local labour markets, this will deliver thousands more youth apprenticeships, supporting more young people to kickstart their careers.

    This builds on government support for the rest of the country including full funding of training and assessment costs for all eligible apprentices aged 16 to 24 and the £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant, while the government’s ambition is to put strategic authorities in place everywhere by the end of 2028.

    Union Learning Fund 

    The Chancellor also confirmed £15 million a year of additional funding to restore the Union Learning Fund in England, helping working people gain new skills, progress at work and adapt as technology, including AI, changes the workplace. 

    The fund previously generated 180,000 learning opportunities every year and will draw on trade unions’ trusted workplace relationships to reach those people and help them access training through their employers and existing skills programmes. 

    This fund will help British workers harness AI rather than be outrun by it. 

    Employees will not need to be union members to benefit, with potential support ranging from essential English, maths and digital skills, to training for jobs in growing industries such as advanced manufacturing. 

    The Budget will set out details how apprenticeship brokerage expansion and Union Learning Fund are fully funded by savings found by the Department for Work & Pensions.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement at the UN high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK Statement at the UN high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 28 September 2026.

    Statement by Helen King, UK Ambassador to ECOSOC, at the UN high-level meeting on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

    As we gather today, families in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are losing loved ones to Ebola.

    Thousands of people have died.

    Health workers are risking their lives every single day.

    And communities already living with conflict and displacement are facing yet another crisis.

    Outbreaks spread when we fail to act early enough.

    The lessons are clear.

    We know what works: strong surveillance, trusted local health systems, scientific innovation, and rapid access to finance.

    And we know that no country can deliver these things alone.

    That’s why the UK is supporting the Africa-led Ebola response, investing £78 million to strengthen surveillance and frontline health services.

    Through the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, we are supporting the development of five vaccine candidates, with African and UK science partners.

    On Monday of this week, the UK announced that it would invest up to £100 million in CEPI’s 3.0 strategy, which will support the development of new vaccines to combat pandemic and epidemic threats, including Ebola.

    But we know that that is not enough.

    Globally, we need stronger cooperation, faster information- sharing, and earlier financing so that countries can act before a crisis spirals out of control.

    That is why the UK supports the development of the World Bank’s Day Zero Financing Framework.

    This will enable countries to access financing for vaccines and treatments when the warning signs first appear.

    It is also why we are committed to enhancing multilateral cooperation on health security.

    This includes completing negotiations on the WHO Pandemic Agreement’s Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing System.

    Because preparedness is about solidarity.

    COVID-19 taught us that diseases do not respect borders.

    And the next pandemic will not either.

    So let us act on the lessons learned and invest in preparedness to help build a safer and healthier future for all.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New measures to tackle prison drones, drugs and boost employment [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : New measures to tackle prison drones, drugs and boost employment [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 28 September 2026.

    Lord Chancellor Alex Norris announces action to tackle prison drones and drug use, and help offenders into work and stable accommodation.

    • Technology firms to develop counter-drone solutions for prisons, while drug-free living units rolled out further across the estate.
    • Construction skills programme and new digital service to help prisoners into work and accommodation on release.
    • Tough and visible community payback projects nominated by local people will be prioritised.

    New measures to improve prison security, tackle drug use and help offenders into work and stable accommodation have been announced by the Lord Chancellor today (28 September), as part of efforts to cut crime and reduce reoffending. 

    The package includes the next phase of a £6.5 million UK Research Innovation investment to develop new tools to tackle drones around prisons. Technology firms are being invited to bid for a share of up to £900,000 to test new solutions that help protect staff and clamp down on the smuggling of contraband behind bars. 

    There will also be an expansion of drug recovery units to a further 12 prisons, bringing the total to 100 across the estate. The specialist units help offenders address the substance abuse which often fuels their offending. 

    The Lord Chancellor, Alex Norris, also set out plans to get more offenders into work and stable accommodation to reduce reoffending. A new skills programme will link offender training directly to jobs and work experience in the construction sector with offenders helping build the new homes the country needs, while a new digital service will ensure staff can find suitable housing for prison leavers more easily.

    Changes to Community Payback will also place greater priority on tough, visible projects nominated by local people such as cleaning graffiti and improving public spaces, ensuring offenders make a clearer contribution to the communities they’ve harmed. 

    Tackling drones around prisons

    Technology companies will be invited to develop and test new ways of tackling drones around prisons.  

    This follows £35 million announced in June to strengthen security at our most at-risk prisons, including heavy duty window grilles, helping stop drones being used to smuggle drugs, weapons and phones that fuel violence behind bars. 

    There were 1,497 recorded drone incidents at prisons in England and Wales in the year to March 2026. 

    Expanding substance-free living in prisons

    Incentivised Substance-Free Living units will be expanded to a further 12 prisons by the end of 2027/28, helping tackle drug use, build sustainable recovery and improve safety in prisons. 

    The units provide dedicated accommodation for prisoners who commit to living without illicit drugs, with regular drug testing and support to help them remain substance-free and where needed build sustainable recovery for example through access to Mutual Aid organisations. 

    Incentivised Substance-Free Living units are not the only places that people can access drug treatment and recovery services in prison, but they are dedicated spaces in prisons for those who are committed to living drug free and or are committing to their recovery from addiction.

    They are currently funded in 88 prisons, with research showing prisoners on effectively run units were more than 30% less likely to be involved in violence, self-harm or disorder. 

    Connecting prison training with construction jobs

    The Future Skills Programme will be expanded to strengthen the pathway of prison leavers into construction jobs, with around 750 prisoners expected to benefit. Training and work experience will be designed for the sector, while new Construction Academies will have direct links with employers in the community.

    Employers and training providers will equip prisoners with skills needed by the sector and provide opportunities for eligible prisoners to gain work experience on Release on Temporary Licence, subject to risk assessment, and move into jobs after release.

    Evidence shows ex-prisoners with a job are up to nine percentage points less likely to reoffend. In the year to March 2026, 36.5% of prison leavers were in work six months after release.

    Prioritising visible Community Payback

    Greater priority will be given to the tough and visible Community Payback projects nominated by the public, while strengthening opportunities for offenders to gain recognition for the skills they develop through unpaid work 

    People can already nominate projects through GOV.UK, including graffiti removal, litter picking, clearing wasteland and improving public spaces. A new framework will provide a consistent approach to prioritising this work across England and Wales. 

    More than 1.1 million hours of Community Payback were completed in the three months to December 2025 – up 5% on the same period a year earlier. 

    Plans are being developed to train supervisors as NVQ assessors so the skills offenders gain  through unpaid work can earn nationally recognised qualifications whilst paying back their communities, helping improve their employment prospects. 

    Improving access to accommodation

    A new digital system, Find and Manage Accommodation, will be rolled out nationally, giving prison and probation staff a single digital service to help them find suitable accommodation and support for offenders. 

    Having somewhere stable to live is closely linked to reducing reoffending: the latest published evidence shows adult offenders with no accommodation on release had a reoffending rate almost twice that of those with accommodation – 72% compared with 38%. 

    In the year to March 2026, 83% of prison leavers were housed on the night following release.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Leeds review sets out terms of reference for investigation [September 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Leeds review sets out terms of reference for investigation [September 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 September 2026.

    Independent review into Leeds maternity and neonatal care sets out terms of reference for investigation.

    • Review to examine the care women, babies and families received at Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust
    • It follows repeated maternity failures at one of the largest teaching hospitals in Europe
    • The publication comes after Donna Ockenden was appointed to chair the independent review

    Women and babies who were harmed while in the care of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) will have their experiences placed at the heart of an independent review.

    Following extensive feedback from families, the Terms of Reference for the independent review into Maternity and Neonatal Services at LTHT have been published. 

    The document, reviewed by some of England’s top maternity and neonatal clinicians, sets out how individual cases will be examined. Clinical case reviews are due to begin in November.

    The review is expected to conclude by 2029, and will cover the delivery of maternity and neonatal care from 1 January 2011 through until 31 March 2028, where mothers and babies have suffered severe harm or death while under the care of LTHT. This includes the review of stillbirths, maternal deaths, including by suicide, and some babies admitted to the neonatal unit.

    The review will identify concerns in maternity and neonatal care at the trust and make recommendations to improve safety, quality and equity. Families affected have shaped the Terms of Reference through detailed feedback, ensuring their views and experiences are reflected throughout the review. They will continue to be closely involved as the review progresses.

    Minister for Women’s Health and Maternity, Baroness Merron said:

    My thoughts are with every family whose baby died or who experienced devastating harm while receiving care in Leeds. Their determination has brought us to this important point, and we owe it to them to listen and to establish the truth.

    This independent review has been shaped by families themselves. Under Donna Ockenden, it will examine what happened, identify where care failed and make clear recommendations to help prevent other families suffering in the same way.

    Every woman and baby deserves safe, compassionate maternity care. We are determined to improve standards in Leeds and across the country.

    Michelle Welsh MP, the Government’s Maternity and Neonatal Adviser, said:

    Families have fought for answers for far too long, and today marks an important step towards understanding what happened to women, babies and families receiving care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals.

    Families must remain at the heart of this review. Their experiences, alongside the expertise of clinicians and frontline staff, must help us understand where care went wrong, what can be learned and, crucially, what needs to change.

    We owe it to every family affected to make sure their voices are heard, their experiences are properly examined and that the lessons from this review lead to safer maternity and neonatal care for women and babies.

    Donna Ockenden, review Chair, said:

    Today is a pivotal day for families, staff and the community in relation to the progress of the Review. The Terms of Reference have been reviewed and written together in partnership with families to ensure that all voices that wish to participate are heard and represented.

    In due course, the Review will begin to receive information from the Trust, families, and staff so that we are able to begin case reviews. Families and staff can expect to receive contact from the Review Team in the coming months.

    On behalf of the Review Team and I, I would like to thank the families for their time and ongoing engagement to ensure that the Terms of Reference were inclusive and reflective of the populations’ needs. Your perspective and valuable feedback has helped shape the framework for the Review, and your voices will continue to be acknowledged, listened to and acted upon as the Review progresses.

    The government is already taking strong action on maternity services, including investing £187 million since April last year to make maternity and neonatal services safer, extending Martha’s Rule to every ward so that patients and their families can have confidence that reports of deterioration will be acted on and hiring almost 2,000 more midwives. The government is committed to appointing England’s first statutory Maternity and Neonatal Commissioner to ensure the voices of women, babies and families are at the heart of national policy making.

    The Health and Social Care Secretary is chairing a National Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce and will develop an action plan by the end of the year.  

    Families said:

    The Independent Maternity Review of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) has marked a pivotal moment in its mission to deliver transparency, truth, and lasting change for families across the region.

    It is a significant milestone for the Independent Maternity Review of the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust to publish its Terms of Reference.

    A large number of Leeds families from very diverse backgrounds have contributed a wealth of time to help shape these Terms of Reference. Hopefully, this will allow as many people as possible, across a wide range of circumstances, to be included.

    The agreed time period covered by the review is a major strength. This will allow the full tenures of previous CEOs of LTHT to be covered and scrutinised.

    It is important to note that even if families do not meet the strict criteria, they will still be able to contribute under the “family experiences” chapter of the investigation. We encourage them to still reach out to the review; their experiences remain entirely valid.

    We are pleased that Donna and the DHSC recognise the importance of so many voices being heard. This includes representing the voices of mothers who are no longer with us, having sadly died by suicide during pregnancy or up to one year post-birth, which remains the leading direct cause of maternal death in the late postnatal period.

    Our hope is that a platform has been created that will allow as many people to be seen and heard as possible, ensuring the snowball of truth continues to grow alongside the necessary accountability that must follow.

    We urge any family who has been affected by maternity care at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust within the review period to come forward. Your voice matters, your experience is vital, and you will be listened to with the utmost compassion and confidentiality. You and your family mattered then, they matter now and they always will.