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Category: Press Releases

  • PRESS RELEASE : £7m digital system will improve maternity services in Wales [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : £7m digital system will improve maternity services in Wales [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 19 December 2022.

    Vital information about the health of pregnant women and their unborn babies will be shared much faster with a new all-Wales digital system for maternity services in Wales, being created by a £7m investment from the Welsh Government.

    Mothers-to-be will be able to access their records as well as receiving timely messages to help ensure a healthy pregnancy.

    Currently all the health boards in Wales use different systems, both digital and paper based. Creating one digital system for the whole of Wales will allow all the various  professionals involved in care to share vital information more quickly, which could help reduce potential complications and ensure safe effective seamless care.

    Health Minister Eluned Morgan said the Welsh Government will be investing £7m to develop the new system, which will be rolled out across the whole of Wales in the next two to three years.

    She said:

    Several recent reviews of maternity services in Wales and the UK have called for the creation of a unified digital system.

    This new system will be safer and more efficient thanks to faster, better information sharing. It will also give women much more control over their maternity records and allow them to feedback to midwives and doctors much faster, via an app that will have records of all their discussions with health professionals.

    Improvements in accuracy of data collection will also allow health boards to better plan services.

    Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, Sue Tranka added:

    During the course of their pregnancy women will see several different midwives and doctors sometimes across different health boards, so having one all-Wales digital system will make that journey much smoother.

    It will also reduce bureaucracy and duplication, freeing up more time for those health professionals to focus on people.

    Via the app we will be able to send pregnant women health advice, reminders for things like getting their flu jab as well as important personal medical messages.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Minister launches new initiative to encourage more Welsh food onto public sector plates in Wales [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Minister launches new initiative to encourage more Welsh food onto public sector plates in Wales [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Welsh Office on 17 December 2022.

    The Welsh Government has launched a new initiative to encourage more local spending on food by the Welsh NHS, schools and local government to help support Welsh producers, create more jobs and boost prosperity in local communities, Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething announced today.

    A new online food procurement resource, ‘Buying Food Fit for the Future’ is part of wider Welsh Government plans to support Wales’ everyday local economies.

    Estimates suggest the Foundational Economy accounts for four in ten jobs and £1 in every three that is spent in Wales.

    Food is a crucial Foundational Economy sector which has faced, and is still facing, many challenges following Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and more recently, the war in Ukraine and rising energy and fuel bills.

    Public sector procurement has an important role in helping address these challenges and re-localising food chains, maximising self sufficiency and resilience.

    The new legal guidance in the online resource clarifies what can be included in food tenders, whilst remaining compliant with procurement rules, to maximise opportunities for local food producers and suppliers.

    Public sector food procurement in Wales is worth approximately £84.7 million per annum, with Local Government and NHS Wales together accounting for more than 80% of that.

    Public sector purchasing from Welsh companies account for 58% of overall spend, and food of Welsh origin accounts for 23%.

    The Universal Provision of Free School meals (UPFSM) commitment, ensuring that all primary school children in Wales will get free school meals by 2024, presents real opportunity for a major step change in policy and practice to transform the food system and address the disconnects within it.  Collaborative working, data-sharing and building strong, ethical relationships between all the players throughout the food system will be key.

    The Minister recently visited Gower View Foods at Cross Hands Food Park in Carmarthenshire, who are known as the UK’s number one independent butter packer, packing butter for most of the UK and Europe’s leading brands.  The Minister also met with Ferrari Coffee, Bridgend. The producers are looking forward to the new guide which will encourage more Welsh food and drink to be used in the public sector.

    Jon Lewis, Managing Director, Gower View Foods, said:

    Gower View Foods produce award winning products made in Wales and supply a range of organisations in the public sector.

    It is good to see the launch of the guide to public procurement to help increase the number of Welsh food and drink companies supplying the public sector.

    Economy Minister, Vaughan Gething, said:

    There is great scope to further increase Welsh food onto public plates in Wales and support our local producers.

    Building the necessary capability and skills to embed Foundational Economy objectives across the Welsh public sector is crucial. By doing this, we can maximise opportunities for Welsh suppliers and build resilient, highly skilled supply chains. We can help grow these businesses, attract and retain new talent and recycle the Welsh pound in our communities.

    The online food procurement resource is part of the necessary toolset and support for public sector stakeholders and practitioners which will help to change mindsets to focus on value creation through our procurement activity, rather than cash savings so those wider benefits and wellbeing goals can be achieved.

    Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said:

    In Wales we produce excellent food and drink, and I’m pleased to see this new initiative which will help the public sector buy local. This is good for our food producers and for the local economy.  It will provide a great opportunity for producers and encourage more of the public sector to buy produce which is closer to home.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Extra payments for UK Armed Forces deployed to cover industrial action during festive period [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Extra payments for UK Armed Forces deployed to cover industrial action during festive period [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 23 December 2022.

    Members of the UK Armed Forces involved in providing cover for public services during planned industrial action throughout the festive period will receive additional payment, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has announced.

    More than 1,000 personnel from across the Navy, Army, and RAF have received training in recent weeks to cover a number of roles during planned industrial action, including passport-checking at the UK border and ambulance driving.

    The first industrial action cover took place on Wednesday (21 December) as 600 personnel stepped in to drive ambulances and provide direct support to NHS trusts in England. Further cover will begin today (23 December) as 625 personnel are deployed to ensure the security of the UK border.

    Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

    I am incredibly grateful for the sacrifices made this winter by members of our Armed Forces, who are giving up their time to keep our essential services running and to bolster UK resilience.

    While the unions continue to hold our public services to ransom, it is only appropriate our people are compensated for having to go above and beyond their usual tasks at short notice.

    The payments will be issued for each day personnel are training for, or engaged in, industrial action cover during the festive period, following acceptance of Military Aid to Civilian Authority (MACA) requests.

    Payments will be made to personnel for every day they spend training or deployed throughout the period of 19 December to 2 January inclusive. Personnel will receive the payments in their monthly salary, with the net amount calculated as £20 for each day of cover, after tax. This will be funded from the Ministry of Defence’s existing budget.

    MACA is a long-standing and established process which allows the specialist capabilities of the UK Armed Forces to be utilised to support civil authorities responding to a domestic emergency.

    A wider review of how MACA taskings are calculated and charged across Government will take place in early 2023.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Statement by the Chair of virtual G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Statement by the Chair of virtual G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 December 2022.

    The Foreign Ministers of the G7 had a call on 22 December 2022 to discuss a range of issues including Afghanistan and Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

    Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine

    1. Today, in their 12th meeting this year, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, again condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine and expressed their full solidarity and unwavering support for Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes. They underscored their steadfast commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, within its internationally recognised borders.
    2. Recalling previous G7 Foreign Ministers’ statements, they reiterated their strong condemnation of Russia’s illegal attempted annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory, which will never be recognized; atrocities committed by Russian armed forces, including those involving the killing of civilians, torture, reported executions, sexual violence, and deportations, including of children, to Russia. G7 members underlined there can be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities. They will hold President Putin and those responsible to account in accordance with international law. G7 members reiterated that Russia’s weaponization of energy and food especially impacts the world’s most vulnerable and that Russia’s spreading of disinformation and false accusations, Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and Russia’s seizure and militarization of Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) are unacceptable. G7 members again underlined their full support for the work of the International Atomic Energy Agency to establish a nuclear safety and security zone at the ZNPP.
    3. G7 members continue to call on Belarusian authorities to stop enabling the Russian war of aggression by permitting Russian armed forces to use Belarusian territory and by providing support to the Russian military. Any further active participation in the Russian illegal war of aggression would run counter to the will and aspirations of the Belarusian people. If the Belarusian authorities more directly involve Belarus in Russia’s war, the G7 will impose overwhelming additional costs on the regime.
    4. Russia’s massive and deliberate attacks on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, in particular energy, heating and water facilities, using missiles and Iranian drones, have left millions of Ukrainians in the dark and cold of winter. Through these barbaric attacks, Russia is trying to terrorize the civilian population. G7 members recalled that indiscriminate attacks, as well as attacks on the civilian population or civilian objects constitute a war crime. They underscored increased efforts to assist the Ukrainian people throughout this winter, including following the international conference held in Paris on 13 December, which furthered G7+ efforts to respond to the humanitarian emergency. Resolved to support Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction, G7 members recalled the importance of coordinating on further international support, including in the fields of critical infrastructure and of Ukraine’s recovery, and welcomed the recent agreement by G7 Leaders to establish a multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform.
    5. G7 members committed to enhance and closely coordinate efforts to meet Ukraine’s urgent requirements for military and defense equipment, especially air defense. They underlined this is essential to save lives and prevent additional civilian suffering.
    6. The G7 members also reiterated their full resolve to continue coordinating financial, material, humanitarian, defense, political, technical and legal assistance to support Ukraine’s defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. They remained committed to the unprecedented coordinated sanctions measures in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. G7 members will maintain and intensify economic pressure on Russia and those who evade and undermine the restrictive measures. They encouraged third countries to join G7 efforts, including the coordinated action to reduce Russian revenues from the export of oil by leveraging the maximum price per barrel for seaborne Russian-origin crude oil set by the Price Cap Coalition. They reiterated their commitment to shielding vulnerable countries that are severely impacted by the repercussions of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s weaponization of energy and food.
    7. G7 members commended the bravery of the Ukrainian people in their fight for their country. The G7 firmly supported efforts to secure Ukraine’s immediate financial stability and support its recovery and reconstruction towards a sustainable, prosperous future, and encouraged Ukraine’s reform agenda. They remained committed to fully supporting Ukraine in securing its free and democratic future in line with its European path. They highlighted shared values of freedom and democracy, and are committed to upholding the rules-based multilateral order and international cooperation.
    8. G7 members welcomed and supported President Zelenskyy’s efforts to promote a just and lasting peace. Russia can end this war immediately by ceasing its attacks against Ukraine and completely and unconditionally withdrawing its forces and equipment from the entire territory of Ukraine, within its internationally recognized borders. G7 members again called on Russia to do so immediately.

    Afghanistan

    1. The G7 members strongly condemned the Taliban’s recent decision to ban women from universities, to continue to bar girls from secondary schools, and to impose other harsh restrictions on the ability of women and girls in Afghanistan to exercise their human rights and fundamental freedoms. They urged the Taliban to abandon the ban on university education for women and to reverse without delay the existing decision to prohibit girls’ access to secondary school. The recent measures by the Taliban, in conjunction with previous cumulative measures restricting the exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan, are extremely concerning and seem to be a systematic policy. Gender persecution may amount to a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute, to which Afghanistan is a State Party. The G7 members stand with all Afghans in their demand to exercise their human rights consistent with Afghanistan’s obligations under international law. Taliban policies designed to erase women from public life will have consequences for how our countries engage with the Taliban.

    Handover of the G7 Presidency to Japan

    1. Under the German Presidency in 2022, G7 members, together with their international partners, have demonstrated unity and resolve in supporting Ukraine, building on their shared values and commitment to the rules-based international order, with the UN Charter at its core. G7 members will continue to work with others to mitigate the global consequences of the war that Russia has unleashed on Ukraine, harming Ukraine and the world’s most vulnerable. The G7 stands ready to continue and further strengthen this commitment under the upcoming Japanese G7 Presidency in 2023.
  • PRESS RELEASE : North Korea – UK spokesperson response to firing of two short-range ballistic missiles [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : North Korea – UK spokesperson response to firing of two short-range ballistic missiles [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 23 December 2022.

    North Korea has fired two short-range ballistic missiles from its capital Pyongyang’s Sunan area on Friday, according to reports by the South Korean military.

    An FCDO spokesperson said:

    North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on 23 December are a breach of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. North Korea’s repeated testing of ballistic missile technology poses a threat to our regional partners and global security.

    North Korea must return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

    The UK is working closely with partners to urge the North Korean regime to prioritise the well-being of its people instead of the unlawful pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile programmes.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New King’s Counsel welcomed by Lord Chancellor [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : New King’s Counsel welcomed by Lord Chancellor [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 23 December 2022.

    His Majesty The King has approved the appointment of 95 barristers and solicitors as new King’s Counsel (KC) in England and Wales.

    His Majesty has also approved the appointment of 9 legal figures to receive Honorary King’s Counsel awards.

    The title of KC is awarded to those who have demonstrated particular skill and expertise in the conduct of advocacy.

    Honorary KCs are awarded to those who have made a major contribution to the law of England and Wales, outside practice in the courts.

    The Lord Chancellor will preside over the appointment ceremony at Westminster Hall on 27 March 2023, where he will formally bestow the titles.

    Biographies of honorary King’s Counsel

    John Battle is a leading figure and driving force behind the issue of filming court proceedings, leading the broadcast industry group (BBC, ITN, Sky, PA), and is recognised for his commitment to his extensive work between the media, MoJ and senior judiciary.

    Lionel Bently is a universally respected professor of intellectual property law at the University of Cambridge. He was nominated for his publications which rank among the most influential texts in intellectual property law and for playing a crucial role in influencing intellectual property law in this jurisdiction and beyond.

    Richard Edwin Ekins is a legal academic and Professor of Law and Constitutional Government at the University of Oxford. He is the author of a number of highly influential books and journal articles. Since 2015, he has led Policy Exchange’s Judicial Power Project and has made a major contribution to public debate, and parliamentary deliberation, about the constitutional role of the courts.

    Rosemary Hunter is Professor of Law and Socio-Legal Studies and Head of the Law School at the University of Kent. She is a leading scholar in the study of the Family Justice system and sits as the Academic Member of the Family Justice Council. Her work in the important field of domestic abuse has directly affected legislative developments.

    Dr Ann Olivarius is an American British lawyer widely recognised for her leading role in the fields of women’s rights, sexual harassment and sexual abuse. She has been at the forefront of the fight against image-based sexual abuse and privacy violations. She played an instrumental part in lobbying Parliament to pass laws against the disclosure of non-consensual private images

    Richard Susskind OBE FRSE holds professorships at the University of Oxford, Gresham College and Strathclyde University. He has worked in technology and law for 40 years and has written many related books. He has been recognised for his work promoting technology and innovation in legal and court services across England and Wales.

    James Wakefield was instrumental in establishing the Council of the Inns of Court as a charity and founding the Inns of Court College of Advocacy. The College introduced a new two part Bar Course. He also helped to write new sanctions guidance for the Bar. These demonstrate his commitment to promoting access to the profession and encouraging retention of those from under-represented groups.

    Julian Vincent Roberts is Emeritus Professor of Criminology at the University of Oxford and Executive Director of the Sentencing Academy. He is recognised as a leading academic authority in England and Wales on sentencing theory, policy, and practice; his work has made a major contribution to the analysis and development of sentencing worldwide.

    Sir Michael Wood has contributed much to the progressive development and codification of international law. He is a long-serving member of the UN International Law Commission (ILC). As a prominent member of the ILC he has made an invaluable and lasting contribution to international law as it is taught and applied in the UK and beyond.

    Applicant
    No Title Applicant Name
    49846 Ms Apps, Katherine
    42582 Dr Armstrong, Nicholas James Buchanan
    48545 Mr Atrill, Simon Paul
    42169 Mr Baker, Richard
    34422 Mr Balysz, Mark
    50235 Mr Baradon, Adam Hedley
    38501 Ms Bhogal, Kuljit
    45365 Mr Bowe, Timothy Michael
    48787 Mr Brinsmead-Stockham, John
    41463 Mr Brooks, Duncan John Macfarlane
    34548 Mr Buckingham, Paul Richard
    48956 Mr Casey, Noel
    48215 Mr Cloherty, Adam
    54004 Mr Cook, Alexander James
    49022 Ms Darwin, Claire Louise
    28984 Mr Davis, Richard Jolyon Harold
    41776 Mr Davy, Neil Geoffrey
    42844 Ms Den Besten, Ruth Michelle
    49361 Mr Dhar, Siddharth
    480409 Ms Donnelly, Kathleen
    49192 Mr Dracos, Marcos Gregorios
    36149 Mr Easton, Jonathan Mark
    42560 Mr Edwards, Owen Meirion
    32782 Ms Ellin, Nina Caroline
    53334 Mr Eschwege, Richard John
    48601 Miss Ferber, Iris
    40351 Mr Fetto, Niazi Peter
    41636 Mr FitzGerald, Benedict Andrew
    47489 Ms Gartland, Dorothea Susan
    46431 Mr Goodman, Alexander David Edmund
    40822 Miss Greaney, Nicola Clare
    40394 Mr Green, Garry Anthony
    35693 Mr Grieves, Edward James
    46760 Mr Horne, James Michael
    23979 Mr Jarman, Mark
    53340 Mr Jones, Michael David
    42189 Mrs Karaiskos, Maria
    46308 Mr Lask, Benjamin Bela David
    46879 Mr Lavy, Matthew Montague
    36408 Mr Lennon, John
    24653 Mr Leonard, James
    34786 Mr Lewis, Jonathan Mark
    21818 Mr Lewis, Meyric
    42670 Ms MacLynn, Claire Louise
    393501 Mr McClure, Michael John
    52684 Mr McCourt Fritz, Daniel William
    Applicants recommended for appointment 2022
    37878 Mr Middleton, Joseph
    42888 Ms Misra, Eleena
    49661 Miss Morris, Anna
    53417 Mr Morrison, Craig David
    47029 Ms Motraghi, Nadia Artemis
    40197 Miss Mulholland, Helen Maureen
    15941 Ms Murphy, Fiona Clare
    32271 Miss Murray, Judith Rowena
    47388 Mr Newton, Benjamin
    49276 Ms Ní Ghrálaigh, Blinne Nessa Áine
    45145 Miss Nolten, Sonia Jayne
    57267 Ms Omeri, Sheryn
    40343 Ms Paget, Henrietta Frances
    45335 Ms Paterson, Fiona
    52720 Mr Pearce, Luke Ricardo
    39289 Mr Peters, Edward James Hedley
    37509 Miss Phipps, Sarah Elizabeth
    57539 Mr Piccinin, Daniel Peter Clement
    51894 Ms Piercy, Catherine
    36056 Mr Pliener, David Jonathan
    37163 Miss Prager, Sarah
    45841 Ms Prince, Laura Margaret
    44696 Ms Reed, Lucy Emma
    35901 Mr Rees, Christopher Lloyd
    22445 Mr Reeve, Matthew Francis
    40464 Ms Reindorf, Anna Katerina Awurakua
    49817 Mr Richards, Thomas Alexander
    34605 Mr Rose, Stephen Paul
    44069 Mr Roy, Andrew Robert
    30817 Ms Ruck, Mary Ida
    42759 Mr Rule, Philip David
    44461 Ms Sabic, Irena
    31642 Mr Seddon, Duran
    37247 Miss Shannon, Nicola Elizabeth Jane
    44901 Mr Shaw, Benjamin Christopher
    33072 Mr Simkin, Iain
    36636 Mr Singh, Talbir
    47872 Dr Smith, Henry Forbes
    48532 Mr Spencer, Shaun Anthony
    50369 Miss Sutton, Emma Naomi
    42339 Mr Thomas, Michael James
    39004 Mr Troup, Alexander William
    45856 Miss van Overdijk, Claire Orit
    45662 Miss Wade, Rebecca Lucy
    48431 Mr Webb, William Rupert Nicholas
    67261 Ms Welsh, Angeline Marie
    45376 Ms Whitelaw, Francesca Lucy Kaye
    41385 Mr Williams, Guy Donald Irwin
    38700 Mr Worsley, Nicholas Frederick Avery

  • PRESS RELEASE : Hundreds of extra community beds to help people leave hospitals in Wales quicker this winter [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Hundreds of extra community beds to help people leave hospitals in Wales quicker this winter [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 16 December 2022.

    Health Minister Eluned Morgan and WLGA leader Andrew Morgan have announced more than 500 extra step-down beds and community care packages for Wales this winter, to help people get care closer to home and free up hospital beds.

    The ‘Step Down’ service will support people to return to their communities when they no longer need treatment in hospital but may require more time, support, and specialist care. Care at home services are also being boosted to enable more people to return to their own home.

    An extra 508 beds and community care packages have been confirmed by local health boards and local authorities so far, with many more currently being negotiated.

    They are being provided by funding from the Welsh Government’s Regional Integration Fund and local authorities and health boards’ own resources.

    The Welsh Government this week also announced an extra £70m to ensure social care workers in Wales will receive the Real Living Wage. That is part of wider efforts to recruit and retain social care workers and strengthen the sector to help support eh NHS as it faces one of its toughest winters.

    Health Minster Eluned Morgan said:

    Our health service is facing unprecedented demand this winter. But we know some people are staying in hospital longer than they need to. This in turn, has a severe knock-on effect for people waiting for operations and creates delays for the ambulance service. We have been working hard with health boards and local authorities for months to make sure we have enough community beds this winter and there is still work going on to secure more beds. I hope to be able to announce more beds soon. Through this new initiative we can not only care for people closer to home but also free up more beds in our hospitals.

    Deputy Minister for Social Services Julie Morgan said:

    We know everyone wants to return to their community as soon as possible, following a hospital stay. But the current social care workforce shortages mean that’s not always possible at the moment. A short-term stay in a Step Down facility, is the next best thing, with review and transfer to home as soon as possible.

    This week we also announced a £70m investment for social workers to receive the Real Living Wage. This is part of our longer-term strategy to boost the recruitment and retention of social care staff in Wales and to make sure the care system can meet future demand.

    Councillor Andrew Morgan (Rhondda Cynon Taf), WLGA Leader said:

    We know the health sector and social care services are both under severe strain. These innovative packages will help to build move-on capacity and improve flow across the health and social care system and to free some of the areas under pressures, such as discharges from hospitals and the impact this can have on ambulance waiting lists and admittance to hospitals.

    This increased capacity in the community, that councils have created working in partnership with health and supported by our social care providers, is an example of the practical solutions that happen as a product of co-operation across the health sector, Welsh Government and local government, which we hope will have tangible benefits and positive impacts for individuals, particularly over the Winter period when services remain under significant pressure.

    People who are referred to ‘step down’ facilities include those who are medically fit to leave hospital, no longer meet the criteria for an acute hospital bed but require care and support services which cannot be provided in their own homes or require a short-term stay as they are deemed unsafe to return to their home pending a start date for community packages of care.

    Individuals, their families and carers will be provided with information on their care plans.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Greens urge UK to step up action on biodiversity loss after COP15 deal announced [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Greens urge UK to step up action on biodiversity loss after COP15 deal announced [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the Green Party on 19 December 2022.

    The Green Party has welcomed the deal to halt biodiversity loss announced at the UN’s COP15 summit in Canada today, but warned the UK government and others must now step up to the plate to make the promises a reality.

    Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

    “Now that we have reached this point, it is vital that governments step up with the money and the plans to not only halt the destruction of Earth’s ecosystems but actually restore the natural world we all depend upon.

    “Here in the UK, we have one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, yet the government has made no progress on its own commitment to restore 30% of land for nature by 2030. Instead, it has gone in the wrong direction with its foolish and short-sighted attacks on the natural world that have rightly been condemned by charities.

    “With this international deal now in place, it is incumbent on the UK government to start taking the necessary action on the ecological emergency which currently poses real threats to human society – to food and water supplies, to clean air, to our ability to adapt to a warming world.

    “This starts with richer nations contributing money and resources to start taking action to deliver on this deal – as many of the world’s most important countries for biodiversity are also some of the poorest. But it also requires serious attention to the biodiversity loss here in the UK.

    “If the government wants to demonstrate a genuine commitment to halting and reversing species decline, it will show leadership by introducing a Rights of Nature Act. This would provide legal protections for wildlife and habitats in England and Wales and be enforced by an independent Commission for Nature. It would also ensure that the regeneration of nature is at the heart of all policy considerations.

    “The government must also immediately stop dragging its feet on introducing the promised nature-friendly farming payments scheme, publish a clear pathway to meet its commitment to restore 30% of land for nature by 2030 and scrap plans to weaken protections for nature in the Retained EU Law (revocation and reform) Bill.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : New report shines the spotlight on councils innovative work in adult social care [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : New report shines the spotlight on councils innovative work in adult social care [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the County Councils Network on 20 December 2022.

    Today the County Councils Network (CCN) has released its latest County Spotlight publication, which shines a light on best practice across the CCN membership on adult social care.

    The publication, CCN’s fifth and final Spotlight of the year, aims to showcase how the network’s member councils have stepped up in what has been a challenging year in adult social care with demand continuing to soar and inflation rising to a 40-year high – impacting on councils’ and care providers’ budgets.

    Download the publication here.

    The network’s County Spotlight publication sets out the challenges faced by county local authorities in delivering social care, but also shines a light on their innovative and transformative work carried out by its member councils, including successful campaigns to recruit and retain staff, using cutting-edge technology, and working with health partners to reduce demand.

    The report contains 16 case studies across four themes:

    • Helping to ensure that those in care live independent and fulfilling lives
    • Helping to attract and retain staff to create a vibrant social care workforce
    • Working in close collaboration with health partners to reduce pressure on the NHS
    • Using new technology to innovate services and improve care for those who need it

    The report comes as councils brace themselves for one of their toughest winters yet in social care – with the latest data contained in the report showing the number of requests for care reaching almost two million as demand continues to rise.

    Local authorities in England saw 1.97m requests from people for social care services in 2021-22 – which is an average of 5,402 requests a day for each council. This is a rise of 65,000 individuals compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2020. As we head into the winter period, councils say demand shows no sign of abating.

    The analysis by the County Councils Network (CCN) shows 55,000 (85%) of the rise in new requests came from people living in England’s county and rural areas. Councils in these areas say care provision is under significant pressure heading into the winter period where services are at their most stretched.

    The CCN says health and social care services face a perfect storm of post-pandemic demand for care services, including requests for short-term care packages and community care, care providers closing down, and wider pressure on the NHS.

    It comes as these councils await to find details of how they can spend £2.3bn of additional funding next year announced by Chancellor for care services in the Autumn Budget, with the government expected to place conditions on how councils spend some of the money to speed up hospital discharge and free up bed capacity to reduce the NHS backlog.

    Latest data shows that the number of beds occupied by people fit to be discharged from hospital is a quarter higher than last December – and many of these individuals will be waiting a social care package or bed in their community.

    With demand showing no sign of abating and with inflation still running high, council leaders say they are bracing themselves for a challenging winter. This is despite the government providing extra funding for local authorities to address social care pressures and improve hospital discharges.

    CCN say the government should ‘minimise’ the conditions placed on how councils spend this additional funding next year to allow councils to work most effectively with local NHS partners.

    The figures are released in a new report, published today by the CCN. The network’s County Spotlight publication sets out the challenges faced by county local authorities in delivering social care, but also shines a light on their innovative and transformative work carried out by its member councils, including successful campaigns to recruit and retain staff, using cutting-edge technology, and working with health partners to reduce demand.

    This good work has been done despite services remaining under strain and yearly rises in demand for care services, which has forced councils to tighten their eligibility for services. Of the 1.97m requests for care nationally last year, 1.087m requests did not result in a service being provided – some 55% of all cases. The proportion not receiving a service is higher in county and rural areas – 58% of all requests.

    However, nationally 662,615 people received short-term services – 25,910 more than in 2019-20. These include short-term care packages or reablement services. Those going into residential or nursing care has declined – dropping from 33,790 in 2019-20 to 31,440 in 2021-22.

    Cllr Martin Tett, Adult Social Care Spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said:

    “The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement provided vital funding for local authorities, but the scale of the challenge facing the health and social care system means that were still facing one of our toughest winters yet.

    “Figures show that demand for social care services continues to rise – with the number of requests almost totalling two million. Add in a further decline of social care beds this year, inflationary cost pressures, and longer hospital discharge times and you have a perfect storm of pressures on the system.

    “We will be doing all we can, working in close collaboration with our health partners, to ensure that pressure on local health systems are kept to a minimum and that people are not waiting too long for a care package. The delay to social care reforms, and the additional funding provided by the Chancellor, gives us a fighting chance, but there is no doubt significant challenges remain.

    “With new reporting requirements and grant conditions in relation to the new adult social care grant and the Better Care Fund expected, we would urge the government to minimise conditions to ensure this funding can be used flexibility to meet the most acute pressures across both social care and the health service.

    “Despite all these challenges however, county local authorities have a track record in delivery and innovation when it comes to adult social care. As today’s report shows, there are numerous examples of best practice across the country where county authorities are working hard to improve the lives of those in care and ease workforce and wider health pressures.”

  • PRESS RELEASE : Rail Dispute – Open Letter from Welsh Government and the Wales TUC [December 2022]

    PRESS RELEASE : Rail Dispute – Open Letter from Welsh Government and the Wales TUC [December 2022]

    The press release issued by the TUC on 16 December 2022.

    The Welsh Government and the Wales TUC have today published a joint letter calling on the UK Government to learn from the approach taken in Wales and to allow the rail companies to negotiate a deal that is fair and acceptable to workers.

    In the open letter, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters, has said:

    “Due to the confrontational attitude towards industrial relations displayed by this UK Government, the UK-wide rail dispute is having a knock-on impact on rail services operated by Transport for Wales, and passengers continue to face severe disruption as a result.”

    RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “We welcome this intervention from the Welsh Government.

    “The fact that we have been able to reach agreements with rail companies where the Welsh and Scottish Government governments have responsibility clearly shows that it is the actions of the UK government that is blocking a resolution to the UK wide rail disputes.”

    Shavanah Taj, Wales TUC General Secretary, said: “The UK Government’s decision to block a resolution to the rail disputes is harming Wales’s economy. Welsh Government and the national rail operator (Transport for Wales) have successfully negotiated a settlement – the UK Government must now follow their lead.

    The full text of the letter is below.

    Rail dispute between RMT and Network Rail and UK train operating companies

    The Welsh Government wants to see an end to the long-running dispute between the RMT and Network Rail and the UK Government-controlled train operating companies.

    On Transport for Wales services, rail workers have voted to accept a negotiated fair pay offer, which has not been conditional on cuts to staffing and services.

    However, due to the confrontational attitude towards industrial relations displayed by this UK Government, the UK-wide rail dispute is having a knock-on impact on rail services operated by Transport for Wales, and passengers continue to face severe disruption as a result.

    To protect business, passengers, and rail workers, it is imperative that the UK Government acts quickly to bring this dispute to an end.

    It can do this by learning lessons from the collaborative, social partnership approach adopted in Wales and allow the rail companies and RMT to negotiate a deal that is fair and acceptable to Network Rail employees and employees of the UK train operating companies.