Category: Press Releases

PRESS RELEASE : UK takes major STEP towards near limitless, low-carbon energy [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 6 February 2023.

Science Minister George Freeman has announced the creation of a new delivery body for the UK’s fusion programme, named UK Industrial Fusion Solutions.
The government has established UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS) to deliver a prototype fusion energy plant at West Burton in Nottinghamshire

the STEP prototype plant is due to complete construction by 2040, and aims to provide electricity to the grid from fusion energy

fusion energy could be a near limitless, low-carbon energy source, easing our path to sustaining net-zero and driving economic growth across the UK

A future of abundant low-carbon energy without the need for fossil fuels could be in sight after Science Minister George Freeman today (Monday 6 February) announced the creation of a new delivery body for the UK’s fusion programme, named UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd.

Fusion energy has the potential to transform our world, by delivering near limitless, safe and low-carbon energy across the globe for generations to come.

It also represents a burgeoning industry in which the UK is already a world-leader, as demonstrated by the record-setting results from experiments conducted at the UK’s Joint European Torus (JET) facility last year, with the potential to not only power the world but deliver vast economic growth across the country.

On the visit to the future site of the UK’s first prototype fusion energy plant at West Burton, Nottinghamshire, the Science Minister urged energy companies and investors to recognise the vast potential fusion energy could have for both the UK and the wider world.

The Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) plant will be constructed by 2040 to demonstrate the ability to use fusion energy to generate electricity for the UK grid.

Magnetic confinement fusion, the approach to generate fusion that will be demonstrated in STEP, occurs when a mix of two forms of hydrogen are heated to extreme temperatures – 10 times hotter than the core of the sun – fuse together to create helium and release huge amounts of energy.

The energy created from fusion can be used to generate electricity in the same way as existing power stations. Fusion is many million times more efficient than burning coal, oil or gas and the raw materials needed to provide the fuel for fusion are readily available in nature. However, a number of significant technical hurdles remain, which the STEP programme is set up to address.

The STEP programme intends to pave the way to the commercialisation of fusion and the potential development of a fleet of future plants around the world, driving forward the UK’s global leadership in this innovative sector.

The announcement comes shortly after a major breakthrough for fusion in the US where the US National Ignition Facility in California conducted fusion experiments which released more energy than was put in by the lab’s enormous, high-powered lasers, a landmark achievement known as energy gain.

Science and Innovation Minister George Freeman said:

Fusion energy now has the potential to transform our world for the better by harnessing the same process powering the sun to provide cheap, abundant, low-carbon energy across the world.

The UK is the world-leader in fusion science and technology, and now we are moving to turn fusion from cutting edge science into a billion-pound clean energy industry to create thousands of UK jobs across the UK, grow exports and drive regeneration of this former coalfield site through a fusion innovation cluster in Nottinghamshire.

That’s why I’m delighted to announce the creation of Industrial Fusion Solutions as the vehicle for industrial development and deployment of this technology as a new clean energy source in the coming decades.

Professor Sir Ian Chapman, UKAEA Chief Executive, said:

The establishment of Industrial Fusion Solutions will enable STEP to accelerate its journey towards delivery of electricity from fusion energy to the grid. The new body, which will be formed over the next 18 months, will be established as a programme delivery organisation, driving performance and pace and engaging industry in this endeavour.

Alongside the establishment of the new organisation, we are beginning to map out our future skills requirements and, as part of this, we are committing to the development of a STEP Skills Centre at West Burton. This will enable us to provide as many opportunities as possible to people across the area.

We look forward to working with people in the region to develop our ambitious plans and realising broader social and economic benefits.

The new organisation will be a company limited by shares established to work together with industry to deliver the prototype plant by 2040. Recruitment for the Chair of UKIFS launches soon.

As part of the visit, Science Minister George Freeman also announced an immediate commitment to create the STEP Skills Centre at West Burton, a major boost during National Apprenticeship Week. He also spoke with local apprentices currently working at the UKAEA Culham campus, and key local stakeholders.
February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : We need to give carers a pay rise [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 5 February 2023.

A major cause of the terrible NHS crisis afflicting our country is the crisis in social care. Thousands of people are stranded in hospital beds because there aren’t enough care workers to look after them at home or in a care home.

Only two in five people are able to leave hospital when they are ready to do so, contributing to record-breaking waits in A&E and dangerous ambulance handover delays.

Everyone in this country deserves high-quality social care when they need it. At whatever point of life we find ourselves in need of care, whether that’s in later life or, as is the case for an increasing number of people, during their prime working years, everyone should be able to live in dignity.

Sadly that is not the case in Britain today. Social care services in this country are in such a state that people are not getting the care and support they need.

Blame for this unfolding disaster lies squarely with this Conservative Government.

Again and again they have broken their promises to reform social care.

They pledged that no one would have to sell their house to pay for care and that they would not raise tax to do it. They promised to cap care costs and support our care workers.

Yet they have dithered and delayed, coming up with weak excuses for their failures.

They now talk about fixing the NHS. But that will prove impossible if they do not fix social care too.

It is heart-breaking that millions of elderly and vulnerable people across the country are struggling to get the care they need and deserve. Our care homes are collapsing under the weight of years of broken Conservative promises.

ED DAVEY, LEADER OF THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS

There’s no doubt that the list of necessary reforms to social care is long and the solutions complex. What is clear however is that any change will be completely ineffectual without enough social care staff to care for the vulnerable.

But we face an uphill struggle to even get enough staff. The current number of vacancies in social care stands at 165,000 and is rising alarmingly. In the last year alone the number increased by 55,000.

The reason is simple: care workers aren’t paid enough for the tough, skilled and important work they do. Many are paid less than even the lowest-paid jobs in most supermarkets and shops.

Thankfully the answer to this problem is simple too: pay our hard working care workers a higher wage.

That’s why the Liberal Democrats are calling for the introduction of a Carer’s Minimum Wage. We would pay £2 per hour more than the current minimum wage for all carers, meaning that by April this year hourly pay would be £12.42.

A staggering 850,000 care workers would benefit from this increase in pay. And over 80% of them would be women.

Social care needs serious solutions from a serious Government. But the Conservatives have shown time and again that they don’t care about social care. They don’t want to reform care, or pay carers better. They would have done it long ago if they did.

The NHS needs more than warm words; it needs real solutions.A Carer’s Minimum Wage isn’t the silver bullet, but it’s a serious proposal that could make a big difference to patients and their families across the country.

February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : ‘Kinship care is so important’, says Ed Davey [February 2023]
The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 4 February 2023.

Each year, thousands of grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and family friends step up to support a child who is unable to live with their birth parents.

Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson has introduced the Kinship Care Bill in the House of Commons. This bill calls on the Government to provide all friends and relatives who look after a child who cannot live with their birth parents with an allowance of at least £137 a week: the same level as for foster carers.

Every child that goes into kinship care instead of local authority care could save the taxpayer more than £35,000 a year. Yet Government policy treats kinship carers as a Cinderella service, denying most of them the support received by foster carers or adoptive parents.

Munira’s Kinship Care Bill would:
- Provide a weekly allowance to all kinship carers at the same level as for foster carers;
- Give kinship carers the right to paid leave when a child starts living with them;
- Support the education of children in kinship care, such as by giving them Pupil Premium Plus funding and priority for their first choice of school.
Liberal Democrats will stand up for carers, so we can provide their children with a better start in life, no matter their background.
February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak’s first 100 days have left typical family £1,200 poorer [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 2 February 2023.

A typical family has been left almost £1,200 poorer in the 100 days since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister.

Rishi Sunak’s first 100 days in office have been a crushing disappointment, with a worsening cost of living emergency and NHS crisis.

The cost of Conservative chaos is hitting families who are seeing their incomes squeezed while local health services are stretched to breaking point.

The new analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that a typical squeezed middle household with a mortgage will have seen extra costs of £1,170 in the 100 days since Rishi Sunak became Prime Minister on 25th October.

This is made up of £822 in extra mortgage interest payments, £132 in extra taxes due to the freezing of income tax thresholds and £216 in additional food bills.

This is due to get even worse in April, when under government plans the average family will see energy bills go up by £500 a year. And it comes as the Bank of England has raised interest rates for the tenth time in a row, hitting mortgage borrowers with even higher repayment costs.

The Liberal Democrats are offering a fair deal where families facing soaring mortgages and rents are offered emergency support, and where the energy price rise is cancelled. We will stand up for communities around the country being totally taken for granted by this Conservative government.

“The Conservative Party is still mired in sleaze and chaos, with no proper plan to fix the challenges facing the country. They either just don’t care or don’t get it.”

ED DAVEY

The Liberal Democrats are calling for the typical energy bill to be maintained at £2,500 this April. The Government currently regulates energy costs for households through the Energy Price Guarantee, this was initially set at £2,500 for the typical household. In the Autumn Statement the government announced this would rise in April to £3,000 for the average household. Energy bills are currently more than double the £1,277 they were last year.

The Liberal Democrats are proposing a new Mortgage Protection Fund, which would provide temporary grants to those most at risk of repossession – homeowners on the lowest incomes and those seeing the sharpest rises in mortgage rates. Anyone who sees their mortgage payments rise by more than 10% of their household income would get a grant to cover the cost of that rise for the next year, up to a maximum of £300 a month.

The Liberal Democrats are also calling on the government to urgently bring forward the promised Renters Reform Bill to Parliament. This should include an immediate ban on no-fault evictions. There should be a moratorium on evictions on grounds of rent arrears, unless arrears exceed 6 months, a measure which was in place for 6 months in 2020-21. And the mandatory notice period given by landlords should be extended from the current 2 months to 6 months, a measure which was in place for 18 months in 2020 and 2021.

February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Tory MPs vote for 15 more years of sewage dumping [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 26 January 2023.

292 Conservative MPs voted to allow sewage dumping by water companies in our rivers, lakes and coasts for at least 15 more years.

New regulations passed by Conservative MPs will allow water companies to continue dumping sewage into our rivers and seas for another 15 years.

In the last two years water companies in England dumped raw sewage 775,568 times lasting 5,768,679 hours.

The new legilsation set a target of an 80% reduction in phosphates in rivers by 2038. Phosphates are naturally occurring minerals found in human waste and can lead to a dramatic growth in algae and deplete oxygen levels when they are dumped in rivers.

This is a pathetic target which allows water companies to get away with a staggering 15 more years of shameful sewage dumping. This is a betrayal of the British public who rightly want tougher action against water companies.

The water companies that are responsible for dumping sewage into our rivers, lakes and coastal waters every day, now have 15 years to clean up their act. Meanwhile their top execs have paid themselves £51 million, including £30.6 million in bonuses over the last two years.

Conservative MPs should be ashamed of themselves. It will be swimmers and treasured wildlife which pay the price for today’s flimsy target. Water company execs will be cheering this through parliament.

Liberal Democrats proudly voted against these unacceptably weak targets.

February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Billions in taxes lost as HMRC moves staff to Brexit and Covid fraud [January 2023]
The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 17 January 2023.

This Conservative government is in non-stop firefighting mode because of their gross incompetence, from the botched EU trade deal to the unforgivable mistakes made during the pandemic.

Almost 2,300 HMRC tax compliance staff were moved to managing the impact of Covid or Brexit last year, an investigation by the Liberal Democrats has revealed.

It means thousands of staff who would usually be working on recovering unpaid taxes were instead redeployed to managing the government’s mishandling of the pandemic and Brexit deal.

Civil servants are being moved from one crisis to another in a constant game of whack-a-mole.

This is allowing criminals to get away with dodging paying millions of pounds in tax, while hard-working families see their taxes hiked and public services are on their knees.

The figures also show that a third fewer tax compliance cases were closed last year than pre-pandemic, while the revenue clawed back by HMRC through compliance activity fell by a staggering £7 billion.

The figures were uncovered by Liberal Democrat Treasury Spokesperson Sarah Olney through a series of parliamentary questions. The investigation found that:
- In 2021-22, almost 1,250 tax compliance staff were redeployed to work on Covid-19 schemes administered by HMRC. Another 1,040 were assigned to work on matters relating to the UK’s departure from the EU.
- It means almost one tenth (9%) of HMRC’s 25,450 tax compliance staff were deployed in 2021-22 to issues related either to Covid or Brexit.
- HMRC closed just 256,000 tax compliance cases in 2021-22. This is down a third from the 390,000 compliance checks closed in 2018-19.
- £30.8 billion of tax revenue was recovered through compliance efforts in 2021-22, similar to the previous year but down a staggering £6 billion from the tax recovered in 2019-20.
February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Floella Benjamin challenges the Conservatives over the Windrush scandal [January 2023]

The press release issued by the Liberal Democrats on 12 January 2023.

As Liberal Democrats, we are proud of the outstanding economic, social, and cultural contribution the Windrush Generation have made to the United Kingdom.

On this 75th anniversary of the arrival of HMT Empire Windrush – which brought over dedicated Caribbean people who wanted to help rebuild Britain – we should be celebrating this contribution.

The Conservative Government should be working tirelessly to right the wrongs of this country’s treatment of people who have given so much to us.

The recommendations which came out of Lessons Learned Review in the wake of the Windrush Scandal are essential to prevent making the same mistakes again.

Yet, there are now reports that Suella Braverman is considering scrapping these recommendations.

In the House of Lords, Liberal Democrat Floella Benjamin has been challenging the Conservatives to keep the comitements they made.

Liberal Democrats will keep fighting for the rights of those impacted by the Windrush Scandal – and to scrap the cruel, ineffective Hostile Environment policies that caused the scandal in the first place. We will keep standing up to bigotry, hate and racial injustice that is far too commonplace in our country.

The Conservative Government must start by guaranteeing they will stick to the commitments they made in the aftermath of the Windrush Scandal.

February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Mebyon Kernow briefing on “devolution deal” [January 2023]

The press release issued by Mebyon Kernow on 27 January 2023.

MK’s National Executive and elected councillors have produced the following briefing on the so-called “devolution deal” for Cornwall.

We are desperately disappointed at the content of the “devolution deal” published on 2nd December 2022. It does not include the transfer of far-reaching powers from Westminster to Cornwall as has happened in Wales and Scotland since 1999. The deal is simply a range of accommodations between central government and Cornwall’s unitary authority.

The consultation from the administration in Truro claims that “it’s a big deal for Cornwall.” It is not. The deal does reference Cornwall’s distinct heritage, culture and language, as well as the national minority status of the Cornish people, but it ignores Cornwall’s distinct constitutional position and treats Cornwall as a local government unit of England. Paragraph 19 even references the “Great South West alliance,” which shows that there is an unacceptable lack of respect for Cornish nationhood and territoriality, as well as the primacy of Cornwall as a geographical / political entity for proper devolution.

When the UK Government finally recognised the Cornish as a national minority (through the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities) in 2014, it pledged that the Cornish would be afforded the same status “as the UK’s other Celtic people, the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish.”

That commitment to parity with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom surely must include meaningful devolution for the nation of Cornwall, through the provision of a Cornish Parliament. MK’s full proposals, which we commend to the people of Cornwall, can be found in our policy document “Towards a Cornish Parliament / Troha Senedh a Gernow.”

It is the view of Mebyon Kernow – the Party for Cornwall that the proposals for “devolution” within the Levelling Up White Paper (and subsequent legislation) undermines and devalues the concept of devolution as previously understood.

However, our comments on the proposed “devolution deal” are as follows:

Devolution

The inadequacy of the deal is shown by paragraph 24 of the deal, which lists the functions that would be devolved. But only two are listed. These are (i) adult education and skills, and (ii) housing and planning.

In terms of adult education, it would mean decisions about an existing budget would be taken in Cornwall.

The reference to planning / housing functions is about the ability of the proposed “directly elected mayor” to “designate a Mayoral Development Area” and “set up a Mayoral Development Corporation.” But the mayor would “autonomously exercise” the power to create such an MDA / MDC, further undermining the democratic basis of planning in Cornwall.

Overall, it is clear that there is an almost total lack of devolution in the actual deal.

Funding

The deal does include promises of more money for Cornwall Council and, while additional funding for local government in Cornwall is to be welcomed, there is no need for such funding to be linked to a “devolution deal” and the imposition of a mayor. Such financial accommodations between central government and local councils is an established element of political life in the United Kingdom.

In terms of the deal, it includes a promise of a “Cornwall Investment Fund,” which would be worth £12million per annum for 30 years. But this funding is extremely limited in scope. It represents less than one percent of Cornwall Council’s annual budget, and it is half of what will be secured from a council tax surcharge on second homes (which will be allowed from 2024/25).

In addition to the “Cornwall Investment Fund,” funding in the deal includes: Mayoral capacity funding £250,000 (2023/24) and £500,000 (2024/25); a “Cornwall Innovation Programme” worth up to £10million over three years; Transport funding of £500,000 across 2023/24 and 2024/25; capital funding of £8.7million across 2023/24 and 2024/25 for construction of housing on brownfield land; capacity funding of £238,000 across 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 to support new housing; capital funding of up to £10million to “support the delivery of locally determined priorities in Cornwall, including housing and heritage-led regeneration …” and funding of £500,000 in 2023/24 to support Cornish distinctiveness, including the Cornish language.

It needs to be pointed out that this funding is still significantly less than the real-terms cuts in funding suffered by local government in Cornwall since 2010.

It is also significantly less than the monies lost to Cornwall, because the Shared Prosperity Fund is failing to match what would have been received from EU structural funds (as promised). Cornwall Council previously sought a “single pot” worth £700million over the next seven years, rather than the £142million being provided over a three-year period.

A directly elected mayor

Paragraph 31 states that the deal is dependent upon Cornwall Council agreeing to “adopt a directly elected mayor and cabinet executive governance model.”

MK does not support the imposition of a mayor on Cornwall’s unitary authority. This would be a retrograde step and further undermine local government / democracy following (i) the abolition of Cornwall’s six district councils / centralisation of local government in 2009, plus the (ii) further reduction in councillor numbers in 2021.

The disappointing scope of the proposed deal cannot in any way be seen as a justification for a change in governance of Cornwall Council, which would undermine the democratic basis of local government. It would place authority into the hands of one individual, while reducing the influence of councillors over budgets and council strategies.

It is ridiculous and undemocratic that the mayor would only need a majority of councillors to agree his / her budget, but that the budget can only be modified with the support of more than 66% of councillors. And it is little wonder that more than 80 town and parish councils have requested a referendum on the mayor proposal.

It remains the position of MK that Cornwall merits positive and meaningful devolution as set out in “Towards a Cornish Parliament / Troha Senedh a Gernow,” not unpopular tweaks to local government.

Commitments from central government?

Throughout the document, there are repeated “commitments” from central government. A wordsearch of the document shows that there are 27 pledges to “work with” the unitary authority on various matters, eight pledges to “consider” specific proposals and 17 pledges to “explore” certain initiatives.

These tend to be matters of devolution anyway and such “aspirations” cannot be taken seriously in this time of ongoing austerity. There is no guarantee that such “commitments” will lead to anything. It is also the case that some of the funding and some of the proposals are subject to business cases (that have to be approved by central government). Some commitments are further undermined as the text says they will be taken forward “where appropriate” – further reducing any certainty of delivery.

In contrast, the document also references certain initiatives already happening and which are therefore not dependent upon any deal. Likewise, there are numerous things in the document which central government could, or should, be doing anyway, and would not need to be dependent upon any deal.

A creative carbon zero economy

In addition to the “Cornwall Innovation Programme,” the deal states that the UK Government “supports Cornwall Council’s ambition to create a Cornwall FLOW (Floating Offshore Wind) Commission” and notes that “devolved regional institutions” including Cornwall Council, should “have a meaningful role in planning our future energy system for net zero.” It is also suggested that the UK Infrastructure Bank “could offer advice and support to local actors, including Cornwall Council” and pledges support to Cornwall Council “alongside other local authorities across England” to “take forward heat network zoning.” It specifically mentions a heat network for the unpopular Langarth development, which is already happening.

There is nothing in this section of the document, which merits being described as devolution.

Sustainable food, land and seas

There is a limited amount in this section of the deal. It states that that central government will “support Cornwall Council to build the capacity it needs to leverage private finance into nature recovery,” and lists interventions which “may” happen in the future.

Hedgerows (vegetation boundaries) are protected through “regulations,” which do not cover Cornish hedges (stone-faced earthen banks plus vegetation). The deal states that central government will “consider the case for supporting the positive management of Cornish hedges through the agricultural transition programme of farming reforms.” This is limited and not guaranteed, and this is an example of a regulatory anomaly that central government should already be dealing with anyway.

There is also nothing in this section of the document, which merits being described as devolution.

Thriving places with decent, affordable homes

Transport

In addition to revenue funding for transport plans, the deal states central government will “work with the Council to agree an integrated multi-year transport settlement at the next Spending Review” and encourage the unitary authority to respond to the upcoming LEVI (local electric vehicle infrastructure) schemes for local authorities. It also states that central government will “consider the proposals to enhance the A38 … taking into account its economic benefits balanced against wider factors” and “consider conferring franchising powers under the Transport Act 2000 to Cornwall Council” and consider the devolution of the Bus Service Operators Grant once it has been reformed. There is also a promise of support for Cornwall Council in seeking a “new rail partnership with Great British Railways.” The deal further suggests that Cornwall Council should “explore opportunities to apply for additional funding and support to deliver” Mid Cornwall Rail – which is already happening – and “explore how best to extend the existing Cornwall Rail Station Digitisation project across Cornwall” and “work with Cornwall Council and Active Travel England on innovative local active travel schemes.” The deal also states that central government will “consider options for future legislation to enable a more efficient toll revision process” in relation to the Tamar Crossings.

It is clear that these proposals are accommodations between central government and Cornwall’s unitary authority in Cornwall and, once again, do not merit being described as devolution.

Housing

Paragraphs 71 and 73 states that “Cornwall Council’s elected mayor will have the power to designate mayoral development areas and to create Mayoral Development Corporations,”” which will support delivery on strategic sites in Cornwall.” But such an approach to planning may not have the support of local communities. Such a Corporation will also be within the influence of the mayor and there will inevitably be less fairness and equity within the planning process.

The deal also states the unitary authority will “create a Cornwall Land Commission” which could use land from the “public sector estate” for the provision of housing. MK is worried that the sell-off of public land could undermine the ability of the wider public sector to grow and provide public services into the future.

These measures, and the associated funding linked to the deal (noted above), are focussed on housing growth and they do not give control to the people of Cornwall. It does not mean that all decisions over planning, planning policy and housing are taken in Cornwall, which is what is desperately needed.

Cornwall needs meaningful devolution and that must be a Parliament which, for example, could produce a Cornish National Planning Policy Framework to replace the NPPF produced by central government, and guarantee that all “appeal” processes would also be fully controlled from within Cornwall.

Other housing matters in the deal include central government stating it will “work with Cornwall Council to develop a proposal, with potential funding for, a pilot scheme trialling improved enforcement in the private rented sector,” and it will “explore testing the concept of a simpler approach to neighbourhood planning” and “commits to explore the potential benefits” of a “place-based approach to delivering retrofit measures,” which local authorities including Cornwall Council could engage with.

Once again, these matters are not devolution, while the commitment from central government, in paragraph 83, to “work closely with Cornwall Council on any future changes” taken forward in relation to the control of second homes and short term lets is pretty meaningless.

Other matters

In terms of holiday accommodation, central government states it will “engage with Cornwall Council as it establishes the new accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnerships model for England” and work with the unitary authority to “investigate what changes could help to support the supply of safe and sustainable short term holiday accommodation and wider destination management.” The deal also notes the “benefits of relocating roles to locations outside Greater London to support levelling up across the UK” but makes no specific commitment to Cornwall. Town centre regeneration is mentioned and previous allocations from the Towns and Future High Streets Fund (significantly greater in extent than monies from the deal) are noted, and it is further noted that Cornwall Council should “continue to explore opportunities to apply for additional funding and support” to supports towns.

Once again, there is nothing in this section of the document, which merits being described as devolution.

Skills and education

Paragraph 90 states that the “Government will fully devolve the Adult Education Budget to Cornwall Council from academic year 2025/26,” though this arrangement will not cover apprenticeships or traineeships. The deal states central government “will consult with Cornwall Council on a funding formula for calculating the size of the grant to be paid.”

The deal states that Local Skills Improvement Plans are being rolled out across Cornwall and England, adding that “Cornwall Council will need to support and provide input” into the LSIP covering Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. In addition, the deal states that the unitary authority needs to “work in partnership to develop proactive support for priority groups through ongoing engagement with the local Department for Work and Pensions Jobcentre Plus” and that the various parties need to “work together to better target employment support,” while the Department for Work and Pensions “will consider what role Cornwall Council could have in the design and delivery of contracted employment programmes.”

The deal also mentions that Cornwall will be one of fifty-five Education Investment Areas to tackle areas of low educational attainment, but this is being agreed through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill.

Culture, heritage, sport and language

Paragraph 103 pledges that the “Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)’s Arm’s Length Bodies will work in partnership with Cornwall Council” to recognise and prioritise future opportunities in terms of culture, heritage and sport, etc. This will be supported by a refreshed Cultural Investment Board and a Memorandum of Understanding, “which will provide updated forums and frameworks in which partners can strategically work together to support greater funding alignment, joint investment and strategic collaboration …” It is also stated that investment decisions “may” include “Cornish Distinctiveness.”

In addition to the funding noted previously, the deal states that central government “commits to work with the Council to explore ways further to support the ongoing protection and promotion of the Cornish language in private and public life.” It mentions consideration of 30 proposals to review formal arrangements regarding responsibility for Cornish language planning and delivery, while committing to “include Cornish in any list of regional and minority languages that appears in forthcoming legislation where appropriate, to enable greater awareness and use of the Cornish language.” The commitment to mention Cornish in future legislation relating to minority languages (such as a Media Bill) should be happening anyway.

And it remains a ridiculous scenario that, following the passing of the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Act, Cornish is the only Celtic language within the United Kingdom that does not enjoy some form of legislative protection.

The UK Government recognised Cornish through the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in 2002, but in the last 20 years it has failed to meet its obligations. The promise of a one-off payment is inadequate. The language needs guaranteed long-term funding to safeguard its future and ensure that, for example, that it can be taught in all Cornish schools.

The deal also makes comment about signage on the group of sites managed under licence by English Heritage Trust to ensure that the “presentation, interpretation, and marketing of sites” better reflects Cornish particularities.

Once again, it is questionable whether anything in this section could be described as devolution.

Safe, healthy, resilient communities

Paragraph 111 states that central government “commits to working with the Council and partners to explore initiatives to improve delivery of public services” and a “place-based approach” to deliver health improvements across a dispersed geography. The deal notes that the Department of Health and Social Care is “currently reviewing the expression of interest submitted by the Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust for a Pool Health Hub” and “NHS England’s regional team received a business case from Cornwall in September 2022 for investment to upgrade the health estate in Bodmin,” while also making general comments about collaboration to “improve health and wellbeing.”

All the proposals about the NHS are ongoing accommodations and are not matters of devolution. In addition, Mebyon Kernow takes the view that the measures in the deal do little to address the crisis and systemic problems in the NHS, and the reality that much of the NHS provision for Cornwall is not even within Cornwall.

In terms of crime and public safety, the deal states that central government “will work with the Devon and Cornwall Police & Crime Commissioner to agree an appropriate arrangement to ensure close collaboration and productive joint working on public safety between the elected mayor of Cornwall Council and PCC,” while Cornwall Council might be able to participate in the “future testing and piloting of potential new roles and responsibilities for local emergency planning and preparedness.”

If the UK Government is serious about Cornwall as a political unit for devolution, it should re-form a Cornish Police Force.

A digital resolution for sustainable living

In this section of the document, there is reference to a range of government initiatives including Connected Places technology, the upcoming Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, the National Cyber Strategy 2022, and the delivery of better broadband through Project Gigabit.

It also notes that “broadband companies have been invited to bid for £36 million worth of contracts to bring fast connections for up to 19,000 homes and businesses in many of the hard-to-reach areas of Cornwall.”

This to be welcomed, but is already happening and therefore not dependent on any so-called “devolution deal.”

February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Tribute to Barrow Borough Council Leader Cllr Ann Thomson [February 2023]

The press release issued by Barrow Council on 1 February 2023.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of the Leader of Barrow Borough Council, Councillor Ann Thomson.

Councillor Thomson died peacefully in the early hours of this morning, Tuesday, 31st January, surrounded by her family.

Today the Mayor of Barrow, Councillor Hayley Preston, paid tribute to the person she described as ‘a true champion for the borough, its people and all that it stood for’.

Cllr Preston said: “Words are barely enough to express the sadness we feel at losing Ann. She was an incredible person; selfless, dedicated and hardworking, and a great personal friend to me and to many others.

“Ann never thought of herself and was dedicated to her family, of which she was so proud. But she also gave her time freely to charities and to the communities of Barrow which she served for more than 30 years. She was the Chair of Trustees at Women’s Community Matters where she was famous for her wonderful cooking and the love, compassion and generosity of spirit she showed to all around her.

“No-one who met Ann could fail to be enthused by her honesty, passion and can do approach. She was the epitome of the phrase ‘Be the change you want to see in the world’ evidenced by her long service. She truly believed in the people of this borough – and she was passionate about making sure they had opportunity and belief in themselves.

“I learned so much from her and will miss her deeply. My thoughts are with Ann’s family at such a very difficult time.”

A long-serving member of the borough council, having been elected in 1990, Cllr Thomson served as the Mayor of Barrow between May 2015 and May 2016 before becoming its Leader in 2019.

She was also the leader of the Labour Group, represented Hindpool Ward, served on many committees and was the council’s Lead Member for Cleaner and Greener Neighbourhoods.

A familiar and friendly face at Barrow Town Hall, Cllr Thomson will be greatly missed by her fellow councillors and council officers.

Cllr Thomson was also a member of the new Westmorland and Furness Council and the leader of the Labour Group.

Councillor Jonathan Brook, Leader of South Lakeland District Council and Leader of the new Westmorland and Furness Council, also paid tribute to Councillor Thomson.

Councillor Brook said: “Ann was a dedicated councillor and a passionate advocate for Barrow.

“I first worked closely with Ann when we were preparing our proposal for a Bay unitary authority and since then in our work to set up the new Westmorland and Furness Council. It was always very clear that she had a real commitment to achieving the very best outcomes for her communities.

“She also had wonderful good humour and a genuinely caring, open and friendly approach which endeared her to colleagues across the political spectrum. She will be a real loss.

“My thoughts are with Ann’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time.’

Funeral arrangements for Councillor Thomson will be confirmed in due course.

February 6, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : New Chair of the Legal Services Board appointed [February 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 6 February 2023.

The Lord Chancellor, after consulting the Lord Chief Justice, has approved the appointment of Alan Kershaw as Chair of the Legal Services Board (LSB) for 4 years from 1 April 2023.

LSB is the independent body overseeing the regulation of lawyers in England and Wales. Its goal is to reform and modernise the legal services marketplace by putting the interests of consumers at the heart of the system. It is independent of government and the legal profession and oversees approved regulators which – themselves – regulate lawyers.

LSB also oversees the Office for Legal Complaints and its administration of the Legal Ombudsman scheme that resolves complaints about lawyers.

Appointments and re-appointments are made by the Lord Chancellor and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biography

Alan Kershaw, since 2020, has been Chair of the Architects’ Registration Board. He holds a number of part-time appointments in professional standards settings and regulation, including Chair of the National Register of Public Service Interpreters.

He is currently an Independent Member of the Intellectual Property Regulation Board (IPReg) and of the Admissions and Licensing Committee of CILEX Regulation. He will resign from his roles at IPReg and CILEX on 31 March 2023.

February 6, 2023