Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : Local areas supported to progress onshore windfarms [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 5 September 2023.

New changes that come into effect today will help supportive communities take forward onshore wind projects.
- New changes that come into effect today will help supportive communities take forward onshore wind projects
- Measures will promote approaches that speed up the planning process so renewable energy is generated quicker
- Supportive residents able to reap the benefits of cheaper energy bills
Onshore wind projects supported by local people will be approved more quickly in England, in new measures being brought forward by the Government today.

The Government has now streamlined planning rules, meaning local areas have a greater say in how onshore wind projects should be considered, ultimately resulting in electricity bill savings and increased national energy security.

The measures include broadening the ways that suitable locations can be identified, including by communities, and speeding up the process of allocating sites by giving alternatives to the local plan process. This will ensure the whole community has a say, not just a small number of objectors – paving the way for more onshore wind projects to come online where they have community support.

This will mean local policy on onshore wind continues to be decided by elected local councillors, accountable to local people, and plans are taken forward where they can demonstrate local support and address planning impacts identified by the community.

Communities backing local wind farms could also benefit from cheaper energy under proposals to incentivise more projects announced today. The Government has consulted on proposals for improved benefits and rewards for communities backing onshore wind farms and will set out next steps this Autumn.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove said:

To increase our energy security and develop a cleaner, greener economy, we are introducing new measures to allow local communities to back onshore wind power projects.

This will only apply in areas where developments have community support, but these changes will help build on Britain’s enormous success as a global leader in offshore wind, helping us on our journey to Net Zero.

Secretary of State for Energy Secretary and Net Zero, Claire Coutinho said:

The Energy Bill is the most significant piece of energy legislation in a generation and will help us provide a cleaner, cheaper and more secure energy system for the UK.

Renewables are a crucial part of our energy transition. They accounted for just 7% of our electricity generation in 2010, and almost 48% in the first quarter of this year. The UK is already home to the world’s four largest offshore wind farms, and we have invested and made available over £1 billion for Sizewell C – the first direct state backing of a nuclear project in over 30 years.

Onshore wind also has a key role to play and these changes will help speed up the delivery of projects where local communities want them.

In its response to the consultation, the Government has confirmed today:
- Communities are able to bring forward proposals for onshore wind – planning policy will be changed to make clear onshore wind developments can be identified in several ways rather than through local plans. This includes through Local Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.
- Councils should consider the views of the whole community, rather than a small minority, when considering a planning application. This includes addressing the planning impact of onshore wind projects as identified by local communities.
Renewable energies fuelled 42% of the UK’s electricity generation in 2022, up from 7% in 2010. However, the Government knows it must go further and faster to generate the clean and renewable energy the country needs.

These changes to the National Planning Policy Framework build on the progress already made to expand renewables which has seen more than £120 billion investment since 2010, kickstarting new industries like floating offshore wind and tidal power.

The announcement comes as the Energy Bill returns to Parliament, the most significant piece of energy legislation in a generation. The Bill will provide a cleaner, more affordable, and more secure energy system that is fit for the future.

The Government will respond in full to the National Planning Policy Framework later this year.
September 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government announces new welfare reforms to help thousands into work [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 5 September 2023.

Disabled people and those with health conditions, who are currently being held back from improving their lives through work, will be better supported to realise their potential under Government plans unveiled today.
- As part of Government’s mission to support more people into work, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has today launched a consultation on changes to the Work Capability Assessment, following the landmark Health and Disability White Paper published earlier this year
- Changes represent the next step in welfare reform, reflecting the rise of flexible and home working and better employer support for disabled people and people with health conditions
- Changes also reflect that one in five of those with no work preparation requirements would like to work at some point in the future, with the right support
A consultation, launched today (Tuesday 5 September), will consider changes to the Work Capability Assessment, with proposals to ensure it is delivering the right outcomes for supporting those most in need.

The consultation will look at updating the Work Capability Assessment’s categories so they better reflect the modern world of work and the opportunities more readily available to disabled people.

Earlier this year, Government confirmed investment worth £2 billion to support disabled people and those with long-term health conditions into work, while delivering on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy. Today’s consultation will go further to facilitate appropriate work opportunities for people, by reviewing a range of categories in the assessment – representing its first significant update since 2011.

These categories are designed to determine what activity people can do and how that affects their ability to work. This then informs assessors’ decisions on what additional financial support people can receive through their benefits, and if claimants need to do anything to prepare themselves for work.

The consultation’s proposals include updating the categories associated with mobility and social interaction, reflecting improved employer support in recent years for flexible and home working – and minimising the risk of these issues causing problems for workers.

Those who were found capable of work preparation activity in light of the proposed changes would receive tailored support, safely helping them to move closer to work and ensuring a significant proportion of people are not automatically excluded from the support available.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP said:

Work transforms lives – providing not just greater financial security, but also providing purpose that has the power to benefit individuals, their families, and their communities.

That’s why we’re doing everything we can to help more people thrive in work – by reflecting the complexity of people’s health needs, helping them take advantage of modern working environments, and connecting them to the best support available.

The steps we’re taking today will ensure no one is held back from reaching their full potential through work, which is key to ensuring our economy is growing and fit for the future.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride MP said:

Health assessments haven’t been reviewed in more than a decade and don’t reflect the realities of the world of work today. That’s why we’re consulting on reforms which will mean that many of those currently excluded from the labour market can realise their ambition of working.

Anyone helped towards work through these proposals would receive appropriate support tailored to their individual circumstances, allowing them to safely access the life-changing impacts that work can provide.

Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

Across the country, businesses are crying out for workers to fill job vacancies. Being employed has many positive benefits for people, so it makes sense to help everyone who wants to work to find a good job that meets their needs and personal circumstances.

Employers understand this and want to be as flexible as possible to assist. To be effective, it’s crucial that, both sides, have the right support in place for as long as needed to help people find work, stay in work and have fulfilling careers.

The Government is spending £25.9 billion on incapacity benefits this year, a 62% real-terms rise on 2013/14 (£15.9 billion), with current projections predicting a further 13% real-terms rise to £29.3 billion – with an extra 500,000 people coming onto these benefits – by 2027/28 if nothing changes.

This is fuelled in large part by the proportion of new claimants for incapacity benefits assessed as the highest possible award (no work-related requirements) rising from 21% in 2011 to 65% in 2022.

The Work Capability Assessment is being reviewed to ensure it reflects the latest opportunities for employment support, so that growing numbers of people are not missing out on the help available, particularly given the known health benefits from working. This is especially important when research shows that one in five of them would like to work at some point in the future.

Representing the latest step to support people with health conditions into work, this follows last year’s milestone of getting over one million more disabled people into employment compared to five years ago.

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

I am incredibly passionate about supporting disabled people to have the most fulfilling life possible, including through work, and these proposals would enable us to provide help to people who could benefit greatly from it.

We will continue to look at ways to safely support more disabled people into work, unlocking all the positive wellbeing benefits that brings, whilst meeting the Prime Minister’s pledge to grow the economy.

These proposed changes, due to come into force in 2025, come as part of the Government’s wider multi-billion pound plan to tackle inactivity and boost economic growth.

One of the measures the Government is also consulting on is the substantial risk category, where claimants who would otherwise be capable of work-related activity are excluded from work preparation requirements, on the basis that this could put them at risk to themselves or others.

The consultation will consider whether the application of this category is being applied too broadly, in turn excluding a significant number of vulnerable people from support that would prepare them to move closer to work, financial independence and a more fulfilling life.

This cohort could also benefit from the Government’s £2 billion investment to help those with long-term illnesses and disabilities get into work, and also from funding for work coaches to help people who need further support.

This includes the new Universal Support programme, which will help disabled people and people with health conditions by matching them with vacancies and providing support and training to help them start and stay in that role.

The Individual Placement and Support in Primary Care programme is part of this scheme, with £58 million being invested to help more than 25,000 people in this group start and stay in work.

The DWP is also currently running a consultation on occupational health, which is looking at ways to encourage employers to expand their occupational health offer.

And the Spring 2023 Budget provided around £250 million of funding to modernise and digitise mental health services in England, providing wellness and clinical apps, piloting cutting-edge digital therapies and digitising the NHS Talking Therapies programme.
September 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Autumn Statement 2023 date confirmed [September 2023]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 5 September 2023.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, today (5 September 2023) announced that he will present the Autumn Statement 2023 to Parliament on 22 November.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) have been commissioned to prepare an economic and fiscal forecast to be presented to Parliament alongside his Autumn Statement.

September 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : £5.5 million Centre of Excellence to keep UK medicines manufacturers at the front of the global race for skills [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology on 5 September 2023.

The government is helping to grow the UK life sciences workforce by announcing £5.5 million to establish a Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence.
£5.5 million to establish a Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence, boosting UK’s ability to respond to future health emergencies

investment delivers against the government’s ambitions to boost the UK’s life sciences sector and grow the economy

funding forms part of the Chancellor’s £650 million ‘Life Sci for Growth’ package announced in May

The government is helping to sustain and grow the 280,000-strong UK life sciences workforce by today (Tuesday 5 September) announcing £5.5 million to establish a Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence.

This latest demonstration of the government’s commitment to UK life sciences will help ensure the sector has the right talent to drive innovation and deliver its high-skilled that will help the UK respond to future health emergencies.

This £5.5 million grant funding forms part of the £650 million ‘Life Sci for Growth’ war-chest to fire up the sector, as launched by the Chancellor in May. A competition to allocate funding, led by Innovate UK, will officially open on 26 September.

The centre will build on existing infrastructure and best practice, and deliver sustainable, end-to-end training provision, all of which the industry needs to continue growing.

Establishing the Centre supports two crucial elements of the UK Science and Technology Framework: the government’s strategic plan to deliver better health and greater prosperity through the opportunities that science, innovation and technology present.

The centre will support:

building a skilled workforce with support from an agile and responsive skills system

retaining the world’s best science and technology talent

This funding also forms part of a package of investments being announced today that further demonstrate the government’s unwavering commitment to both skilled job creation and manufacturing in the UK, including over £40 million for 30 cutting edge projects such as rapid-charging motorcycles and self-driving cars. All of these measures serve to unlock growth and boost the economy, one of the Prime Minister’s five priorities.

Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman MP said:

From breakthroughs in genomic medicine to agile new approaches and disease diagnostics, the £94 billion life science sector is central to our ambitions for the economy, as well as playing a fundamental role in our health. But it is only possible for the sector to stay at the front of an accelerating global race if they have a world-class workforce at their disposal.

We already have a formidable skills base, and as home to four of the world’s top 10 universities, the infrastructure to keep growing it. The Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence will help ensure that we add to the more than 280,000 high-skilled jobs the Life Sciences sector already delivers right across the UK.

The grant competition will launch on 26 September. The recipient of grant competition funding for the Medicines Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will be awarded by Innovate UK, the UK’s national innovation agency, as part of their Transforming Medicines Manufacturing Programme. Innovate UK supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies, and in every region of the UK.

Sarah Goulding – Executive Director, Healthy Living and Agriculture Domain at Innovate UK said:

Innovate UK is pleased to be working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to establish a Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence through this UK government funding. Talent and skills are fundamental to successful innovation and industry growth. This investment will strengthen the UK’s medicines manufacturing skills and training ecosystem and make a real difference to the talent and skills pipeline for UK business innovation.

Steve Bates OBE, Chief Executive Officer of the UK BioIndustry Association said:

Growing UK medicines manufacturing will allow us to capture the greatest economic benefit from our world-leading life sciences research and development ecosystem, creating well-paid jobs and export revenues that power the economy. The diverse geographic footprint of specialised medicines manufacturing facilities means the sector delivers high-quality, rewarding jobs across the UK.

This significant investment in a centre of excellence to attract, retain and develop talent throughout the UK will enhance Britain’s standing as the best location globally for innovative medicines manufacturing

The government’s Life Sciences Vision, published in 2021, set the ambition to create a globally competitive environment for Life Science manufacturing investments, building on the strengths of our manufacturing R&D, our network of innovation centres, the manufacturing response to COVID-19 and delivery of the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund. Life sciences are also central to the UK Science and Technology Framework, which identifies the critical technologies set to make the biggest difference to health and life science progress, as well as plans to improve the regulatory landscape for life sciences.
September 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Appointment of 15 lay panel members of disciplinary tribunals to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 5 September 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of 15 lay panel members of disciplinary tribunals to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of 15 lay members of judicial disciplinary panels (Judicial Conduct Investigations Office) for 5 years from 1 July 2023. The members are:

Ciara McGarry, Colin Stott, David Abbott, Dorota Ferguson, Emma Moir, Isabel Gouveia-Lima, Isobel Leaviss, Jacqui Francis, Judith Webb, Lynne Vernon, Margaret Prythergch, Michael Maguire, Sarah Scott, Suzy Walton and Trudy Morrice.

The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) supports the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice in considering complaints about the personal conduct of judicial office holders. Disciplinary panels, composed of judges and lay members, play an important part in considering the most serious cases of alleged misconduct by judicial office holders.

The appointments were made by the Lord Chancellor after consulting the Lord Chief Justice.

Appointments to the JCIO are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biographies

Michael Maguire

Dr Maguire is a former Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland. He is currently a Lay Member of the Select Committee on Standards (London) and a Lay Member of the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (Dublin). He has provided expert advice on police oversight to Yoorrook Commission (Melbourne) and Queensland Commission on policing and family violence (Brisbane).

Lynne Vernon

Mrs Lynne Vernon is a retired Detective Chief Inspector. During her 30 years’ service with Greater Manchester Police she managed public protection, counter corruption and homicide investigation units. She now undertakes roles as a lay member of the General Dental Council, the General Chiropractic Council , Social Work England and the Royal college of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

David Abbott

Mr Abbott is CEO, The Free Representation Unit. He sits as a Member of the Legal Services Consumer Panel and Lay Member of statutory committees for the General Optical Council.

Isobel Leaviss

Ms Leaviss holds a number of regulatory adjudicator and disciplinary committee member roles including: Council of Licensed Conveyancers and Solicitors Regulation Authority Adjudicator; Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales, General Pharmaceutical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council Lay Member.

Jacqui Francis

Ms Francis is an Independent Consultant at Adina May Consulting and a former Citizen Representative – for Birmingham City Council Independent Renumeration Panel. Other current non-executive roles include: Independent Complaints Board Lay Member; Labour Party and; Independent Member of the Bar Standards Board Selection Panels.

Isabel Gouveia-Lima

Dr Gouveia-Lima was previously Chief Controls Officer at HSBC UK and Nationwide Building Society, as well as Head of Compliance at HSBC UK Commercial Banking and Director of Regulatory Compliance, Conduct & Operational Risk for TSB Bank plc.

Colin Stott

Mr Stott is the Director of his own company and undertakes a variety of work including acting as a strategic advisor for National Police Chief’s Council Serious and Organised Crime Portfolio and as a Deployable Civilian Expert on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Margaret Prythergch

Ms Prythergch was previously a civil servant, working in the Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. She was Chief Assessor for the Civil Service Fast Stream (FS) scheme and still participates in FS assessment centres. She serves as a: Judicial Appointments Commission Panel Chair and independent member and is a member of the Parole Board.

Suzy Walton

Dr Suzy Walton is Chartered as a Director, an Occupational Psychologist and a Scientist. She has a portfolio of board roles and is a former senior civil servant in the MoD and the Cabinet Office. She is also the former Vice President of the Royal Society of Medicine and former Vice Chair of the Royal Society of Arts.

Dorota Ferguson

Dorota Ferguson is a Clinical Scientist, Chartered Scientist and Medical Physics Expert in the nuclear medicine area. Dorota is a registered tribunal member with the Health and Care Professions Council, lay member for the Registration Appeals Panel of the General Medical Council and a Revalidation Reviewer for the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Ciara McGarry

Ms McGarry is an Executive Support Officer for Meridian Home Start Ltd and a former Business Assistant for Arup (Ove Arup & Partners Ltd).

Emma Moir

Ms Moir is a Director in government financial services, having previously worked at a senior operational level in healthcare and in Senior Civil Service roles. She has considerable experience of judicial and quasi-judicial roles and currently holds appointments on tribunals, professional conduct, and advisory committees

Trudy Morrice

Ms Morrice is Owner and Director of Hanson HR Consulting, providing HR consultancy, operational support and project management services to different businesses in a range of sectors. She was previously HR Director for Mitsubishi Chemical.

Sarah Scott

Ms Scott is an Assistant Director at the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman and an Associate Ombudsman at the Financial Ombudsman Service. She was previously Head of Investigations and Enforcement – Phone Paid Services Authority.

Judith Webb

Ms Judith Webb MBE is an existing JCIO Lay Panel Member and holds other appointments including member of the Intellectual Property Regulation Board Disciplinary Panel.

September 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New Chair appointed to Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 4 September 2023.

The Permanent Secretary to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport has appointed Sir Richard Heaton as the new Chair of the Advisory Committee on the Government Art Collection for a term of four years commencing 3 September 2023.

The Government Art Collection is a unique cultural resource that promotes British art by placing works of art in UK Government buildings worldwide. Selected for ministerial offices in the UK and embassies and diplomatic residences abroad, two-thirds of the Collection are on display in almost every capital city across the world. Every year, this working Collection is seen by thousands of visitors, contributing to cultural diplomacy and showcasing British creativity, past and present.

Collected over the course of 125 years and containing more than 14,700 works of art spanning six centuries, the Government Art Collection continues to grow, representing the diversity of the UK. The Collection engages with a wider audience through loans, partnerships, digital platforms and a rolling public programme.

Sir Richard Heaton became Warden of Robinson College, the newest college at Cambridge, in 2021, after a career in the civil service. He was Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office from 2012 to 2015, and Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Justice from 2015 to 2020. Richard is also Chair of Trustees at Koestler Arts, which promotes art and creativity in prisons and places of detention or supervision. He has for many years been an enthusiastic collector of modern and contemporary art.

Outgoing Chair of the Advisory Committee to the Government Art Collection, Sir David Verey said: ‘I have enjoyed my ten years as Chair of the Advisory Committee enormously and I wish Richard Heaton every success in his tenure.’

Director of the Government Art Collection, Eliza Gluckman said: ‘I’d like to thank Sir David Verey for a decade of stewardship and support of the Government Art Collection. He supported myself and my predecessor Penny Johnson CBE through a period of enormous change for the Collection including our move to Old Admiralty Building and a change of Director. I am looking forward to working with Sir Richard Heaton as the Collection prepares to celebrate 125 years and looks to future initiatives’.

Sir Richard Heaton said: ‘I’ve admired the Government Art Collection for years. It brings art to the workplace and to the public, it supports practising artists, and it quietly speaks for the UK around the world. I am thrilled to be joining it as Chair of the Advisory Committee.’

September 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman preferred candidate [September 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 4 September 2023.

The Minister for Local Government, Lee Rowley, has confirmed that the government’s preferred candidate is Amerdeep Somal.

The Minister for Local Government, Lee Rowley, confirmed today (4 September 2023) that the government’s preferred candidate to be the next Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is Amerdeep Somal.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is an independent, impartial body which looks at complaints about councils and some other authorities and organisations in England, including education admissions appeal panels and adult social care providers. Ms Somal has also been selected as the preferred candidate for the Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England, the official body which runs the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman service.

Ms Somal has been selected following a rigorous assessment process conducted in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments. She will undergo a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee on 18 September.

Biography

Amerdeep Somal is the outgoing Complaints Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer to the Financial Regulators and Chief Commissioner at the Data and Marketing Commission. She sits on the board of the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman. She is also a Judge of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.

She was the Independent Assessor to the Financial Ombudsman Service and board member at the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council. She is a former founding Commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission, has held a number of other board roles and her earlier career was as a senior civil servant.

September 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Government clampdown on fake reviews and hidden fees to help customers cut the costs of living [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 4 September 2023.

A clampdown on fake reviews and hidden fees has been announced by the Government which will help customers cut the costs of living.
- Series of new business measures proposed to boost transparency and help consumers with cost of living as they shop.
- Fake reviews, hidden fees and confusing labels all targeted in new consultations, aimed at improving services for customers.
- New research found three quarters of transport sector have hidden fees in their products, highlighting need for clearer and fairer customer journey.
Consumers are at the heart of new consultations launched later today as the Government commits to improving transparency, fairness and clarity for customers as they shop – including a crackdown on hidden fees in products ranging from train tickets to food deliveries.

Commissioned by the Prime Minister in June as part of the Government’s ongoing work to support people with the cost of living, government research published today will inform the consultation to ensure we root out where ‘drip pricing’ harms consumers most.

The research has confirmed so-called ‘drip pricing’ – where the price paid at checkout is higher than originally advertised due to extra, but necessary, fees – is widespread, and occurs in more than half of providers in the entertainment (54 percent) and hospitality (56 percent) industry, and almost three quarters across transport and communication (72 percent) sectors. In total, this costs UK consumers £1.6 billion online each year.

Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business Kevin Hollinrake said:

Today’s measures will help people keep hold of their hard-earned cash and ensure they have the clearest and most accurate information upfront before they make a purchase.

From the shelves of supermarkets to digital trolleys, modern-day shopping provides a great wealth of choice. But fake reviews and hidden fees can make those choices increasingly confusing and leaves customers unsure about what product is right for them.

We’ll be listening to industry to ensure these new regulations work for businesses too and don’t generate unnecessary burdens, while at the same time providing a crucial safety net for consumers and their cash.

Another consultation launching later today seeks views on measures to stop fake reviews, as initially announced in the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (DMCC).

The ambition is to ensure that consumers and traders continue to benefit from reviews that represent a genuine experience, while stamping out the purchase and sales of fake reviews, and ensuring firms take an appropriate level of responsibility for reviews on their websites.

The final consultation launching later today looks at how to simplify labelling on goods.

Following a review by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the Department for Business and Trade has put forward proposals to reform the Price Marking Order (PMO).

The PMO requires traders to display the final selling price and, where appropriate the final unit price (e.g. price per litre/kilogram) of products in a clear way.

These changes will ensure unit pricing is consistently applied, including to promotions and special offers, helping consumers compare products easily and identify what items represent the best value to them.

Sarah Cardell, CEO of the Competition and Markets Authority said:

This consultation follows recommendations from the CMA to government to tighten the rules on how everyday items are priced on supermarket shelves as well as our work tackling fake reviews online.

We’re very pleased to see this getting underway and it’s an important step toward clearer rules and greater transparency for people when shopping around for goods and services.

We’ll feed into this consultation and continue our work in these areas, which we’ll be updating on later this year.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy said:

The measures being consulted on will address longstanding concerns to help consumers make better informed decisions – whether shopping for products online or buying a weekly shop in the supermarket. Our research shows that fake reviews jeopardise consumer trust and are harmful to honest businesses that don’t purchase or incentivise people to post positive reviews.

Customers also need clear pricing upfront when considering a product or service and should not find themselves having to pay for charges hidden until the checkout like mandatory booking fees. Supermarkets also need to make it easy to compare the unit price of everyday items to help consumers make informed choices during the cost-of-living crisis.

Graham Wynn, Assistant Director for Consumer Policy at the British Retail Consortium said:

The BRC fully supports practical, proportionate consumer protection measures and the level playing field they bring. It is important to keep the rules up to date to reflect changes in buying and selling methods. We look forward to engaging constructively on the proposals.

The Government has already acted to reduce burdens for businesses while ensuring high quality standards for consumers. In August, we announced the extension of the use of CE marking, while also launching a major review into fire safety regulations alongside product safety.

Meanwhile the DMCC Bill, which will look at powers to ban fake reviews, will clamp down on unfair behaviour by a small number of the most powerful tech companies as well as tackling issues such as subscription traps – all with the aims of saving consumers money and boosting competition.
September 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Thousands more beds to help rough sleepers off the streets [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 4 September 2023.

£34.6 million awarded across London and over 70 other areas to support rough sleepers.

Funding to provide up to 4,300 additional beds to help people off the streets has been announced as the Government marks the anniversary of its landmark Rough Sleeping Strategy.

The cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy – backed by £2 billion and building on significant action already taken by the government – was announced in September 2022.

To mark its anniversary, the Department of Levelling Up, Communities and Housing (DLUHC) has today announced new Rough Sleeping Initiative allocations totalling £34.6 million. This money will go to areas most in need of support to help get people off the street more quickly; provide more move-on accommodation; help people keep their tenancies; and provide tailored support.

This funding is on top of the original allocation of up to £500 million over 3 years, announced earlier this year, which has already helped to provide 14,000 beds for rough sleepers and 3,000 staff to provide tailored support across England. This includes helping individuals find work, manage their finances and access mental and physical health services.

The government has a manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping in this parliament. This means rough sleeping is prevented wherever possible and, where it cannot be prevented, it is a rare, brief and non-recurring experience.

Minister for Rough Sleeping Felicity Buchan said:

“One year on from the launch of our ground-breaking strategy we remain as committed as ever to ending rough sleeping.

“The full weight of government remains behind this very important pledge, and this can be seen in today’s funding boost to provide thousands more beds and hundreds more support staff into the heart of communities where they are most needed.”

Rough Sleeping Initiative 2022-25 funding forms just one part of a wider package of support for rough sleepers and falls within the £2 billion this Government has committed to spend over three years to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. The wider package of support includes:
- Homelessness Prevention Grant: In excess of £1 billion flexible finding is being provided over three years to support councils to offer financial support for people to find a new home or to work with landlords to prevent evictions.
- Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme: This £433 million scheme will deliver 6,000 homes for people with histories of sleeping rough or those at risk of sleeping rough.
- Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme: Announced earlier this year, this new £200 million programme aims to deliver up to 2,400 homes, with funding for the necessary wrap-around support tailored to individua needs for three years
- Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant: We are providing funding of up to £186.5 million over this spending review period for substance misuse treatment. This investment has expanded these vital services to an additional 20 areas, bringing the total to 83 areas and 5 cross-London projects.
- Housing First Pilots: Our manifesto committed to pilot Housing First in three urban areas with contrasting challenges: Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Liverpool City Region. The programme was initially allocated £28 million of Government funding, but in May 2022, they secured an additional £13.9 million in funding to drive forward the programme’s legacy.
- Accommodation for Ex-Offenders: This supports prison leavers at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Over £42 million is being provided to local authorities in England, helping people with rental deposits, landlord incentives, and dedicated support staff, supporting 2,750 ex-offenders into their own homes in the private rented sector
- The Night Shelter Transformation Fund – a £13 million commitment over three years, aimed at small- to medium-sized faith and community organisations, providing accommodation and support to people who are homeless or sleeping rough.
- Voluntary & Community Sector Capacity Fund: £7.3 million funding to boost working across statutory, commissioned, and non-commissioned services and increase the capacity and skills of the sector through workforce support and training.
September 4, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK government sets out AI Safety Summit ambitions [September 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 4 September 2023.

The AI Safety Summit will bring together key countries, technology organisations, academia and civil society.
Five objectives of the AI Safety Summit to be progressed shared by UK Government

UK will work closely with global partners to make frontier AI safe, and to ensure nations and citizens globally can realise its benefits

AI Safety Summit will bring together key countries, leading technology organisations, academia and civil society together

The UK government has today set out its ambitions for the AI Safety Summit which will take place on the 1st and 2nd November at Bletchley Park.

Secretary of State Michelle Donelan is this week launching the start of formal engagement prior to the summit as Jonathan Black and Matt Clifford, the Prime Minister’s Representatives for the AI Safety Summit, begin discussions with countries and some frontier AI organisations. This follows a roundtable hosted by the Secretary of State with a cross-section of civil society groups last week.

The AI Safety Summit will bring together key countries, as well as leading technology organisations, academia and civil society to inform rapid national and international action at the frontier of Artificial Intelligence (AI) development.

The summit will focus on risks created or significantly exacerbated by the most powerful AI systems, particularly those associated with the potentially dangerous capabilities of these systems. For example, this would include the proliferation of access to information which could undermine biosecurity. The summit will also focus on how safe AI can be used for public good and to improve people’s lives – from lifesaving medical technology to safer transport.

The summit will draw on a range of perspectives both prior to and at the event itself to inform these discussions. The UK looks forward to working closely with global partners on these issues to make frontier AI safe, and to ensure nations and citizens globally can realise its benefits, now and in the future. As part of an iterative and consultative process, the UK is now sharing the five objectives which will be progressed. These build upon initial stakeholder consultation and evidence-gathering and will frame the discussion at the summit:

a shared understanding of the risks posed by frontier AI and the need for action

a forward process for international collaboration on frontier AI safety, including how best to support national and international frameworks

appropriate measures which individual organisations should take to increase frontier AI safety

areas for potential collaboration on AI safety research, including evaluating model capabilities and the development of new standards to support governance

showcase how ensuring the safe development of AI will enable AI to be used for good globally

Accelerating AI investment, deployment and capabilities represent enormous opportunities for productivity and public good. The emergence of models with increasingly general capabilities, and step changes in accessibility and application, have created the prospect of up to $7 trillion in growth over the next 10 years and significantly faster drug discovery.

However, without appropriate guardrails, this technology also poses significant risks in ways that do not respect national boundaries. The need to address these risks, including at an international level, is increasingly urgent.

Individual countries, international organisations, businesses, academia and civil society are already taking forward critical work and driving international collaboration on AI including at the UN, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), Council of Europe, G7, G20 and standard development organisations. The summit will build on these important initiatives by agreeing practical next steps to address risks from frontier AI. This will include further discussions on how to operationalise risk-mitigation measures at frontier AI organisations, assessment of the most important areas for international collaboration to support safe frontier AI, and a roadmap for longer-term action.
September 4, 2023