Category: Speeches

  • Nick Gibb – 2011 Speech to the NASUWT Conference

    Nick Gibb – 2011 Speech to the NASUWT Conference

    The speech made by Nick Gibb, the then Education Minister, in Glasgow on 24 April 2011.

    Thank you for that introduction.

    When Michael Gove asked me what I was doing on Easter Sunday, I thought, how nice, Sunday lunch at the Goves.

    After a few seconds, I realised it was because he was asking me to come to Glasgow for the annual conference of the UK’s biggest teaching union.

    And I’m delighted that he did.

    Having shadowed the Schools Minister post for 5 years in Opposition, I’ve waited a long time to have the opportunity of speaking at the Easter teacher union conferences. But, as they say, good things come to those who wait.

    I’ve learnt that it can be quite challenging speaking to large groups of teachers because some of you think that I believe I know how you should do your jobs better, and I know that all of you think you could do my job better.

    But I want to begin by putting on record my thanks to the NASUWT – and in particular to Chris Keates.

    It’s fair to say that Chris and I don’t always see eye to eye. As she recently remarked, we can at least always leave our meetings by agreeing to differ after having had a good debate. That’s the way it should be.

    I have great admiration and respect for the NASUWT – and I enjoy working with Chris – because of the wholehearted way that it campaigns and puts across its case. I never leave a meeting with Chris uncertain of the union’s position.

    One of the issues that the NASUWT has campaigned on is better protection for teachers from false and malicious allegations.

    I supported the NASUWT’s campaign in Opposition so I’m delighted that, within our first year in government, we are changing the law so that it will be an offence for a newspaper or media outlet to publish the names of any teacher faced by accusations of a criminal nature. And indeed they won’t be able to publish details of a case that could lead a reader to being able to identify the teacher involved.

    You campaigned for it – we are delivering it.

    It is also vital that pupils, parents and head teachers all fully understand their responsibilities and realise that there will be extremely serious consequences if a false allegation is made.

    If there are grounds to believe that a criminal offence like perverting or attempting to pervert the course of justice has been committed, the case should be referred to the police. And in all cases where malicious allegations against a teacher have been made, head teachers have a responsibility to take action, including, when appropriate, permanent exclusion.

    For a number of years, the NASUWT has also been a leading voice in drawing attention to the detrimental effects of poor pupil behaviour – both to attainment and to the recruitment and retention of good teachers.

    The discipline measures in our Education Bill will ensure that the pendulum, which has swung too far towards pupils in recent years, moves back towards teachers by strengthening the powers that teachers have to maintain order.

    Amongst the new measures we are introducing is a specific power to search for and confiscate items like mobile phones and video cameras.

    These powers may only be used very rarely, but I would rather teachers are able to decide for themselves whether to use them than have to tolerate pupils using those items to create disruption and, in the worst cases, to bully teachers and other students.

    The Government is supporting head teachers and schools, in taking action to ensure strong standards of behaviour prevail in our schools. In turn we expect head teachers to back and support teachers in the decisions they take on a day to day basis in the isolation of the classroom to ensure that pupils can learn in a safe and ordered environment.

    And with the backing of head teachers and government, I hope that teachers will be able to instill a culture of good behaviour where pupils behave well not just because they fear sanctions, but because they understand the right way to behave and have due respect for adults and one another.

    And let’s not forget the role parents have to play in ensuring their children are well-behaved at school and that they too support the school when teachers take action.

    An important campaigning issue for the NASUWT has been the incompatibility of teaching with the views of groups like the BNP.

    The Government agrees that the ideology of the BNP cannot co-exist with the education of future generations of young people.

    That’s why we want to ensure that head teachers and governing bodies can dismiss any teacher who promotes inappropriate views or behaviour or advocates discrimination in schools. The independent review of teachers’ standards will look at how best to achieve this. And I hope the NASUWT will contribute strongly to that Review.

    In the same spirit of partnership and dialogue, I want to say a few words about public spending and pressure on school budgets.

    Whichever political party came into office at the election, it would have faced the challenge of tackling the economic consequences of a spiralling budget deficit.

    A deficit in which we were spending £156 billion more than we were receiving in income. And an accumulated debt that was costing £120 million in interest each and every day – enough to build 10 new primary schools, every single day. The Office for Budget Responsibility reports that without any further action to tackle the deficit, interest payments would rise to a staggering £67 billion a year by 2014-15 – that’s almost two years’ total spending on schools; three times what we spend on the salaries of every teacher in England, just to service the interest on the debt.

    Very difficult decisions have had to be taken across policing, health and other vital public services. In education too, we have had to face some very difficult choices that we would not otherwise have wanted to make in order to help tackle that deficit.

    But I am pleased that we have managed to protect – at least in cash per pupil terms – spending on schools. I recognise that even this still means difficult decisions for schools – but in the context of cuts in spending in other Government departments – I am proud of the settlement that Michael Gove negotiated with the Treasury.

    I am also pleased that we have been able to honour the third year of the teachers’ pay deal agreed before the election.

    I know the pay freeze isn’t welcomed, but it’s a freeze that applies right across the public sector and it doesn’t include increments or pay rises due to promotion. Our priority is to be as fair as possible to all public sector workers and the freeze is helping to maintain the number of teaching posts.

    And while we are doing the best we can with the finances we have available, by far our biggest asset is the people working in our schools.

    There is nothing more inspirational than being on the receiving end of great teaching.

    There was one particular teacher who inspired me. His name was Mr Rogers. We called him Brian. It was after all the mid-70s. And he taught me A-level economics. At that time, he himself had only recently graduated and, despite his own left-of-centre politics, he provided me with a genuine understanding of how economics works and he enthused me so that I became a confirmed economic liberal.

    I owe him a huge debt of gratitude – but as I turned 50 recently, it’s horrifying to think that that young teacher I remember must now be contemplating retirement.

    A good pension has long been an important part of the overall reward package for teachers. We are committed to ensuring that continues to be the case.

    The issue of pensions is extremely important to the profession and I know that the recommendations of Lord Hutton’s Commission have given rise to huge anxieties. I wanted, therefore, to set out where we have got to in those discussions and negotiations and to say something about the long term problems the Government is forced to address.

    Over the last 10 years, the private sector has been moving away from defined benefit pensions to the much less generous money purchase schemes. We are not going to go down this route. We are determined – as is Lord Hutton – to keep defined benefit pensions in the public sector and for public service pensions to remain the benchmark standard.

    The Government asked Lord Hutton, with his experience as a Cabinet Minister in the last Labour Government and his strong commitment to the public service ethos, to head up a commission to review how we tackle the cost issues arising from increased life expectancy, while maintaining good quality defined benefit public service pensions.

    In 2005/06, the cost of paying teachers’ pensions was around £5 billion per year. By 2015/16, the cost is forecast to rise to almost £10 billion.

    Lord Hutton’s recommendations have already been the subject of some very constructive discussions between the Government and the TUC. A series of further meetings is planned and I am pleased that Chris is so actively involved to ensure that the specific interests of teachers are properly represented.

    What is needed now is more negotiation and discussion so that the specific issues that distinguish the teachers’ pension from other public sector pensions can be drawn out and addressed.

    And just to be clear – from the start, the Government has made an absolute and public commitment to protecting accrued rights. All the benefits that have been built up in a teacher’s pension will not be affected by any future reforms.

    So, false allegations, pupil indiscipline and bullying, BNP membership, pensions. These are all areas where the NASUWT and government are working together to address the issues that matter to practising teachers.

    Because at the end of the day, everything comes back to what teachers do.

    I’m sure that many teachers have been watching Jamie’s Dream School on Channel 4 with a combination of intrigue, horror and glee as celebrities have tried their hand at teaching a group of pretty difficult young people.

    There are some other valuable insights from watching a renowned historian like David Starkey, at least initially, struggle to convey his passion and expertise to his class.

    What the programme demonstrated so vividly is that good teachers not only need good subject knowledge, they also need to be able to communicate that passion, they need an understanding of how young people learn and they need to know their pupils too.

    And the most important thing it did was prove why teachers deserve so much thanks and respect for what they do.

    But one of my principal concerns with our education system is that teachers haven’t been afforded that trust and respect.

    Over the past decade, for every step forward, it has been a case of three steps backwards as yet more targets and responsibilities have been heaped upon teachers.

    There has been nothing short of a perpetual revolution inflicted on schools, which we have to bring to an end if we are to raise the professional status of teachers, which this Government is committed to doing.

    That is why we are so determined to give teachers more space and flexibility to teach by reducing central prescription and by cutting back on bureaucracy.

    We’re shrinking and clarifying guidance.

    We’ve scrapped the National Strategies.

    Our review of the National Curriculum has the express aim of reducing prescription in primary and secondary schools about how to teach.

    We’re reforming Ofsted so it focuses on a school’s core activities and removes the paper trail for inspection – and let me say too that written lesson plans aren’t a requirement for inspection, nor will they be in the future.

    The GTCE – by this time next year, it will be gone.

    And just as teachers are responsible for delivering high standards in schools, so we too as ministers will no longer hide behind arms-length bodies like the QCDA. Instead, we’re taking responsibility by bringing essential functions back into the Department where we can be held properly accountable for them at a national level.

    After years of hard work and training, it is only right that teachers are trusted to get on with their jobs.

    We also need to celebrate their achievements by ensuring that excellent teachers can continue to demonstrate their high quality professional skills.

    And we need to ensure that teachers can access more and better continuous professional development.

    We believe that one of the best ways to improve teaching practice and to allow teachers to become better professionals is by observing other, more experienced teachers.

    That is why we intend to reform teacher training and establish new centres of excellence in teaching practice – teaching schools – that will allow new and experienced teachers to learn and develop their professional skills throughout their careers.

    But this doesn’t mean the end of university-based initial teacher training. As a nation, we need about 35,000 new teachers each year so there will always be a major role for universities in preparing new teachers.

    Throughout teachers’ careers, keeping their knowledge of their subjects up to date is a vital part of being a good teacher.

    In the coming months, we intend to introduce a new Scholarship Fund, which will enable a number of teachers every year to study for post-graduate qualifications or other equally rigorous subject-based professional development that will benefit them and their careers.

    And alongside the other improvements we are making to strengthen professional development, it will ensure that teachers remain the intellectual guardians of the nation.

    I want to end by reflecting on why all of this matters.

    Why is it important that we support, protect and develop teachers and why should we enhance, raise and improve the standing of the teaching profession?

    The answer is the same reason that teachers get into teaching in the first place – to help all children, irrespective of their background and where they went to school, receive the support they need to succeed.

    Despite the hard work of teachers, the least likely to succeed are still those children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

    Only one in five young people from the poorest families achieve five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths, compared with three-quarters from the richest families.

    And of course, it’s not just about qualifications. It’s the end result of unemployment, poor health, generational cycles of poverty and a greater likelihood of getting into trouble that really brings home the importance of a good education.

    The same mission to make opportunity more equal drives us in government – and in Michael Gove, we have an Education Secretary whose own upbringing ignited a burning passion to extend better opportunities to the most vulnerable children.

    That is why we’re extending free childcare for the most disadvantaged two year olds and focusing Sure Start on the most vulnerable families.

    And it’s why we’re spending an additional £2.5 billion on the pupil premium that will provide more resources directly to schools for the education of the poorest pupils.

    But the most important thing that we in government can do to close the attainment gap between rich and poor is ensure that there are well-trained, qualified teachers working in the state sector with the freedom and protection they need.

    Because it is those same teachers who make the biggest difference of all.

    That’s why our White Paper is called The Importance of Teaching.

    It is a great privilege for me to be the Minister of State for Schools. I believe it is one of the best jobs in Government because, as someone who went into politics to improve people’s lives, I’m convinced that, whatever their background, nothing is more important than a child’s education.

    Whatever our differences on particular policy areas, I know that we all agree on that.

    I’ve enjoyed working with Chris over the last 11 months.

    And I look forward to a fruitful and constructive dialogue with the NASUWT in the months and years to come.

    Thank you.

  • Hutton Inquiry – 2004 Report into the Death of David Kelly

    Hutton Inquiry – 2004 Report into the Death of David Kelly

    The text of the Hutton Inquiry, issued on 28 January 2004.

    [in .pdf format]

  • Nick Gibb – 2011 Speech to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers 2011 Conference

    Nick Gibb – 2011 Speech to the Association of Teachers and Lecturers 2011 Conference

    The speech made by Nick Gibb, the then Education Minister, in Liverpool on 20 April 2011.

    Thank you, Mary for that introduction.

    It’s a real pleasure to be here. I’ve waited many years to have the opportunity of speaking at the annual ATL conference. Having shadowed the schools minister post for 5 years in opposition, I don’t think I’ve ever been invited before but, as they say, good things come to those who wait.

    As part of my job I regularly meet Mary Bousted and other union leaders. When I saw Mary a few weeks ago I asked her what to expect at this conference.

    She was very honest.

    She said it would probably be challenging.

    She said the delegates would speak their minds.

    But she said that was because her members are dedicated professionals who take great pride in what they do.

    I see this whenever I visit schools. During my five years as the Shadow Minister for Schools, I visited over 200 schools and, as a Minister, I try to continue to visit as many schools as I can.

    One school I visited recently was Kingsford Community School in Newham. It’s a Confucius School, so it teaches Mandarin and I had the chance to sit in on a lesson with a Year 9 class. Given how difficult the language is to learn, I was astonished at how well the pupils could read and speak Mandarin. But after just a few minutes in that classroom, it was apparent why. It was the brilliant teacher who commanded the whole class’s attention superbly and instilled a deep love of the language in the pupils.

    This dedication was clear again earlier today in the hour I spent with a group of delegates.

    If I said that that we’d agreed on everything, there would probably be a few eyebrows raised – followed by several hundred requests for a list of the people in the room.

    Suffice to say, we didn’t agree on everything – but I do believe that we agree on more than we disagree and we all agree on the importance of education to the individual child and to the country as a whole.

    I think being Minister of State for Schools is one of the best jobs in Government, because, as someone who went into politics to improve people’s lives, I’m convinced that whatever their background nothing is more important than a child’s education. For children from the poorest backgrounds in particular, education is the only route out of poverty.

    One of the overarching objectives of this Government is to close the attainment gap between those from wealthier and poorer backgrounds, an ambition that I know is shared by the ATL.

    As the ATL survey released last week showed, nearly 80 per cent of teachers have students living in poverty. Four in 10 say that poverty has increased over the last three years. And 86 per cent say it is having a negative impact because their pupils are coming to school tired, hungry or lacking on confidence.

    As so, despite the hard work of teachers, it is still the case that the least likely to succeed are those children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.

    Children from poorer homes start behind their wealthier contemporaries when they arrive at school. At age five, those children living in poverty are around eight months behind their peers.

    The achievement gap then becomes entrenched during primary school. At Key Stage 2, 25 per cent of children from poorer backgrounds fail to meet the expected level, compared to just three per cent from more affluent backgrounds.

    And it then stubbornly persists through secondary school. Only one in five young people from the poorest families achieve five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths, compared with three-quarters from the richest families.

    The odds are even worse for children in care – just one in seven reach that basic benchmark.

    And of course, it is not just about qualifications. It’s the prospect of unemployment or a low-paid job, poor health, generational cycles of poverty and a greater likelihood of getting into trouble that really brings home the importance of a good education.

    The same mission drives us in government – and in Michael Gove, we have an Education Secretary whose own upbringing ignited a burning passion to extend better opportunities to the most vulnerable children.

    That is why we’re spending more in the vital early years and cutting the bureaucracy associated with the EYFS so children get a better start in life.

    It’s why we’re spending an additional £2.5 billion on the pupil premium that will mean the poorest pupils get the extra help and support they need.
    And we’d like to do more. But whichever political party came into office at the election it would have faced the challenge of tackling the economic consequences of a spiralling budget deficit.

    A deficit in which we were spending £156 billion more than we were receiving in income. And an accumulated debt that was costing £120 million in interest each and every day – enough to build 10 new primary schools, every single day. The Office for Budget Responsibility reports that without any further action to tackle the deficit, interest payments would rise to a staggering £67 billion a year by 2014-15 – that’s almost two years’ total spending on schools; twice what we spend on the salaries of every teacher in England, twice what we spend running every state school in the country – just to pay the interest on the debt.

    And that £156 billion budget deficit, had we not taken measures to address it, would have resulted in the same financial crises that have devastated Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

    And in the Department for Education we have had to make some very difficult decisions that we would not otherwise have wanted to make in order to help tackle that deficit.

    But I am pleased that we have managed to protect – at least in cash per pupil terms – spending on schools. I recognise that even this means difficult decisions for schools but in the context of cuts in spending in other Government departments I am proud of the settlement that Michael Gove negotiated with the Treasury.

    And I am pleased that we have been able to honour the third year of the teachers’ pay deal agreed before the election.

    I know the pay freeze we’ve had to impose beyond that isn’t popular but it’s a freeze that applies right across the public sector and it doesn’t include increments or pay rises due to promotion. Our priority is to be as fair as possible to all public sector workers and the freeze is helping to maintain the number of teaching posts.

    At the same time, we are also making the funding system for schools fairer and more transparent. It’s just not right that similar schools in different parts of the country receive, in some cases, vastly different amounts of money.

    But while we are doing the best we can with the finances we have available to us, by far our biggest asset is the people working in our schools.

    I’m sure that many teachers have been watching Jamie’s Dream School on Channel 4 with a combination of intrigue, horror and glee as celebrities have tried their hand at teaching a group of pretty difficult young people.

    There are some other valuable insights from watching a renowned historian like David Starkey, at least initially, struggle to convey his passion and expertise to his class.

    What the programme demonstrated so vividly is that good teachers not only need good subject knowledge, they also need to be able to communicate that passion, they need an understanding of how young people learn and they need to know their pupils.

    And the most important thing that the programme did was prove why teachers deserve so much thanks and respect for what they do, as well as why teaching should be revered alongside the most esteemed and highly skilled professions.

    But, despite this, it’s also true that teachers haven’t been afforded the trust and respect they deserve. And consequently, I believe more needs to be done to raise the professional status of teachers, something this Government is committed to helping to deliver.

    Over the past decade, there has been ream after ream of guidance issued to schools and law after law passed about education.

    But for every step forward, it has been a case of three steps backwards as yet more targets and responsibilities have been heaped upon teachers.

    There has been nothing short of a perpetual revolution inflicted on schools, which we have to bring to an end if teaching is to become the kind of prestigious profession we want it to be.

    That is why we are so determined to cut back on all unnecessary burdens and bureaucracy.

    We’re removing those onerous duties.

    We’ve scrapped the National Strategies.

    Our review of the National Curriculum has the express aim of reducing prescription about how to teach.

    Through the measures in our Education Bill, we’re refocusing Ofsted and we’re cutting back on back-office functions – including by getting rid of the GTC.

    And just as teachers have the responsibility for delivering high standards, so we too as ministers will no longer hide behind arms-length bodies like the QCDA. Instead, we’re taking responsibility by bringing essential functions back into the Department where we can be held properly accountable for the decisions made.

    Of course, there are areas where teachers need strong powers.

    Tackling bad behaviour is one of the toughest parts of a teacher’s job.
    I can also understand why teachers might feel that the system – and Government – hasn’t been on their side in the past.

    Our Education Bill will ensure that the pendulum, which has swung too far away from teachers in recent years, moves back in their favour by ensuring teachers have clear powers to discipline pupils and maintain order in the classroom.

    Just as importantly, it makes clear that we are backing head teachers and teachers – but that we expect all those in leadership positions to stay in touch with what is going in their classrooms and to back teachers too.

    And perhaps most importantly of all, ensuring teachers get proper protection from false and malicious allegations that are not only hugely damaging, but which can blight careers and lives.

    We also believe that professionals should have access to more and better continuous professional development.

    As Mary often says, teaching is a vocation and teachers need the highest possible skills. I can think of no one better qualified to lead a discussion with Ministers and with professional associations about the role and future of CPD, which is what Michael Gove and I have asked her to do next month.

    Teachers are the intellectual guardians of the nation and keeping their knowledge of their subjects up to date – whether it’s theoretical physics or English literature – is a vital part of being a good teacher.

    In the White Paper, we made a commitment to introduce a new Scholarship Fund. It hasn’t attracted much attention so far but our intention is that it will enable a number of teachers every year to study for post-graduate qualifications or other equally rigorous subject-based professional development that will benefit them and their careers.

    The ATL has long championed teachers improving their professional skills by observing other teachers. We agree that it is one of the best ways to improve teaching practice and to allow teachers to become better professionals.

    That is why we intend to reform teacher training so that, alongside thorough initial training, more time is spent in the classroom.

    It’s also why new centres of excellence in teaching practice – teaching schools – are being established. Modelled on teaching hospitals, they will allow new and experienced teachers to learn and develop their professional skills throughout their careers.

    But this doesn’t mean the end of university initial teacher training – as the country needs about 35,000 new teachers each year there will always be a major role for universities in preparing teachers for the profession.

    And in giving schools more autonomy some have claimed that we want to set schools free to go it alone. But by removing needless bureaucracy from schools and by encouraging school-led professional development, we believe schools can strengthen the bonds that exist between them and allow for more opportunities for teachers and schools to collaborate with each other.

    So, more freedom, more and better professional development, and more collaboration. All of these are essential to enabling teachers to improve their own effectiveness and, in turn, to improve the effectiveness of their schools.

    Because there is nothing more inspirational or memorable than being on the receiving end of great teaching.

    I remember one teacher from my own school days, Mr Rogers, or Brian as we called him – it was after all the mid-70s – who taught me A-level economics. He was himself only recently out of university and, despite his own left-of-centre politics, taught me economics so thoroughly that it gave me a genuine understanding of how economics works and turned me into a confirmed economic liberal.

    I owe him a huge debt of gratitude, but as I turned 50 recently, it’s horrifying to think that that young teacher must now be contemplating retirement.

    The issue of teacher pensions is one that is exercising the minds of teachers, teacher unions and the Government. As well as the huge pressures on public spending as a result of the Budget deficit, there are also long term pressures on all pension funds – both public sector and private – as a result of longer life expectancy and reduced financial returns on pension capital.

    We asked Lord Hutton to look at public sector pensions because of his experience as a Cabinet Minister in the last Labour Government and also because of his unparalleled commitment to public service values.

    In his report, Lord Hutton underlined the importance of continuing to provide high quality pension schemes to essential public service workers like teachers, whilst ensuring that current and future generations of public servants can also be rewarded for their hard work with a fair but affordable pension.

    We have already been clear that we don’t want to see a race to the bottom in pension provision – and that public service pensions should remain a gold standard.

    A good pension has long been an important part of the overall reward package that teachers expect.

    Our priority is to ensure that continues to be the case. Opt out rates from the Teachers Pension Scheme are extremely low and we want to keep them that way. But we won’t be able to achieve all of this if we ignore the realities of the cost pressures that all pension schemes are facing as life expectancy increases.

    The combination of more teacher pensioners and the increase in their life expectancy has meant that the cost of teachers’ pensions increases every year. In 2005/06, the cost of paying teachers’ pensions was around £5 billion. By 2015/16, the cost is forecast to rise to almost £10 billion.

    This is why long term reform of public service schemes is needed – and why teachers and other public service scheme members are being asked to pay a higher pension contribution from April 2012.

    From the start, the Government has made its commitment to protecting accrued rights absolutely clear. All the benefits that have been built up in a teacher’s pension will not be affected by any reforms recommended by Hutton. This means there is absolutely nothing to be gained by teachers seeking to retire earlier than they have planned.

    The Government has accepted Lord Hutton’s recommendations as the basis for discussions with all the trades unions. There have already been some constructive discussions between the TUC and the Government. The aim is to agree a package of principles for pensions reform by the end of June. I fully understand the strength of feeling here in this room – but I strongly urge the ATL to wait for the outcome of those discussions before deciding on whether to take further action.

    In preparing for this conference I looked back at the speech that Mary made last year.

    There was one phrase that really stuck in my mind. And it was this:

    “It’s the teachers, stupid.”

    I’m not sure who the “stupid” was directed at. I can only guess……

    But she was right.

    We have to attach the highest possible importance to teachers and the teaching profession.

    That’s why our White Paper is called The Importance of Teaching.

    Its aim is to help teachers to be better professionals by reducing bureaucracy, improving professional development and supporting teachers and head teachers to maintain high standards of behaviour.

    And the reason why is because that is the only way that we can close the attainment gap between those from poorer and wealthier backgrounds.

    Whatever our differences on particular policy areas, I know that we are united in that aim.

    I’ve enjoyed working with Mary and with Martin over the last 11 months – and I look forward to a fruitful and constructive dialogue with the ATL in the months and years ahead.

    Thank you.

  • James Heappey – 2022 Comments on Death of Navin Thapa Magar

    James Heappey – 2022 Comments on Death of Navin Thapa Magar

    The comments made by James Heappey, the Defence Minister, on 14 September 2022. There is also a press release from the Ministry of Defence.

    It is with deep sadness that I heard of the death of Corporal Navin Thapa Magar of the First Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles, in Brunei. It’s clear from his colleagues that he was a dedicated, professional soldier held in the highest regard and a shining example of what the British Armed Forces stand for. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones at this terrible time.

  • Mark Serwotka – 2022 Comments on Clarence House Redundancies

    Mark Serwotka – 2022 Comments on Clarence House Redundancies

    The comments made by Mark Serwotka, the General Secretary of the PCS trade union, on 14 September 2022.

    While some changes across the households were to be expected, as roles across the royal family change, the scale and speed at which this has been announced is callous in the extreme. Least of all because we do not know what staffing the incoming Prince of Wales and his family might need. We therefore call for an immediate halt to the redundancy process.

  • Sarah Teather – 2011 Speech at the SSAT Conference

    Sarah Teather – 2011 Speech at the SSAT Conference

    The speech made by Sarah Teather, the then Minister for Children, in London on 24 March 2011.

    Thank you, Philippa.

    And also a big thank you to everyone here today for the fantastic work you do, day in, day out, making life better for our most vulnerable children – whether you’re a head teacher or a teaching assistant, occupational therapist or educational psychologist.

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we are extremely fortunate to have so many talented and committed professionals working with our children who have disabilities and special educational needs, helping them to fulfil their potential.

    And I’d like to congratulate the Trust on the launch of your research project findings, and set of six guidance booklets. The findings offer enormously important insights into the new generation of children with complex learning difficulties and disabilities – taken from a solid research base involving 90 special and mainstream schools, including 15 international schools.

    Your web-based tools, such as the Inquiry Framework for Learning, and Engagement Profile and Scale offer much forward-thinking, imaginative and practical guidance on how teachers might systematically engage children in their learning.

    Professionals who support our most vulnerable children, whether in mainstream or special schools, will find these tools an invaluable support to their work – and they cost nothing to download.

    Many of the insights that developed from your research have already fed into our Green Paper. For example, we know that the profile of disabled children and children with special educational needs is changing. Medical advances mean that babies who were born extremely pre-term, and who previously would not have survived birth, are now entering school.

    Ten per cent of babies born at less than 27 weeks , have very severe cognitive difficulties.1

    Nearly a million families in the UK today have a child with a disability.

    Children with rare syndromes, who in the last century would not have survived, are entering school for the first time.

    And teachers are reporting that they increasingly have to deal with mental health needs in children. So it’s clear that today there are many new challenges and opportunities for teachers – and for us in government – to face as we work out how best to support children with special educational needs and disabilities.

    It is equally clear that the way ahead is to focus on more child-centred services. The starting point has to be the child, and services should be able to adapt to the child, rather than the child having to adapt to the service.

    In our Green Paper we use the example of six-year-old Lucy, whose compulsion to put paint and other substances in her mouth, meant she was unable to do art activities in school. But by analysing how Lucy could engage, teachers were able to test strategies that meant she was eventually able to paint directly on paper, without touching her mouth.

    We know that the system as it stands is letting children and young people and their families down.

    For a start, services just aren’t joined up enough. Parents describe how they are passed from pillar to post as they seek the support they need. They face bureaucracy and frustration at every step. The Council for Disabled Children reports that, on average, a disabled young person will have been assessed 32 times as they’re growing up.

    So we’re very clear that what we need is a new system with a new approach – a much more streamlined approach. And the Green Paper is our vision of a radical new approach. The plans we set out are informed by professionals like you, and by parents. In fact, of the 1800 responses we received in our call for views, 40 per cent came from parents.

    We propose a system that puts parents and children right at its heart. And where services work together, alongside families, to provide early and effective support. It will be very much in keeping with the philosophy of the Trust’s own research – child-centred, practitioner-led and evidence-based.

    First of all, we want to make the system less stressful for all concerned by introducing a more coordinated process for assessment and care. And one of our most radical ideas is to replace the statutory SEN statement with a new single assessment process, supported by an Education, Health and Care Plan.

    This single, straightforward plan will be reviewed regularly to reflect the changing needs of the child right from birth to age 25: it will have the same statutory status and will include a commitment from all agencies to provide services required by the child.

    To make sure we get it absolutely right we will be setting up local pathfinders to test the best ways of achieving this. Many local authorities are already coming forward with interesting and innovative plans, and I hope that more will put themselves forward.

    Second, we plan to make information about the system and the provision of services clearer and more easily available for parents. This will enable parents to have real choice over their child’s education, and control over support for their family. We propose a change to the law so that parents of children with statements or single assessment plans will have the same rights to express a preference for any state-funded school, be it a special school or mainstream. And they should have their preference met wherever practical.

    Third, we want parents to be confident that their child’s school will have the capacity to meet their needs. Having a special educational need or being disabled shouldn’t mean low expectations or poor quality education and support.

    It’s crucial that teachers and college staff are well-trained to understand and overcome the barriers to learning that these children experience. The Pupil Premium gives schools additional funding and flexibility to support individual pupils, but teachers also need to be able to identify the right help for those children.

    SSAT’s online guidance will go a long way to helping teachers understand how to engage children with complex learning difficulties. In addition, we’ve asked the Training and Development Agency for Schools to commission online training materials about profound, multiple learning disabilities and severe or complex learning difficulties.

    We’re offering free training resources on specific conditions such as autism, dyslexia and speech and language needs. It will form nationally recognised training for teachers that can be used for accredited professional development.

    We’re proposing to fund scholarships for teachers to develop their practice in supporting disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs. And we want outstanding special schools to apply to become teaching schools, so they can share and develop expertise among their own staff and throughout their network of schools.

    Finally, I want to emphasise that this Green Paper is a consultative document – so I urge you to keep telling me your thoughts and ideas. We’ve set a four month period for this because we want to hear from as many people as possible. This is a really important issue and we are determined to get it right – so if you haven’t already done so, please read it, scrutinise it – then tell me what you think.

    Thank you.

    1. EPICure study of pre-term babies – Marlow et al, 2005
    2. Blackburn et al, 2010
  • Joe Biden – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

    Joe Biden – 2022 Tribute to HM Queen Elizabeth II

    The tribute made by Joe Biden, the President of the United States, on 8 September 2022.

    Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was more than a monarch. She defined an era.

    In a world of constant change, she was a steadying presence and a source of comfort and pride for generations of Britons, including many who have never known their country without her. An enduring admiration for Queen Elizabeth II united people across the Commonwealth. The seven decades of her history-making reign bore witness to an age of unprecedented human advancement and the forward march of human dignity.

    She was the first British monarch to whom people all around the world could feel a personal and immediate connection—whether they heard her on the radio as a young princess speaking to the children of the United Kingdom, or gathered around their televisions for her coronation, or watched her final Christmas speech or her Platinum Jubilee on their phones. And she, in turn, dedicated her whole life to their service.

    Supported by her beloved Prince Philip for 73 years, Queen Elizabeth II led always with grace, an unwavering commitment to duty, and the incomparable power of her example. She endured the dangers and deprivations of a world war alongside the British people and rallied them during the devastation of a global pandemic to look to better days ahead. Through her dedication to her patronages and charities, she supported causes that uplifted people and expanded opportunity. By showing friendship and respect to newly independent nations around the world, she elevated the cause of liberty and fostered enduring bonds that helped strengthen the Commonwealth, which she loved so deeply, into a community to promote peace and shared values.

    Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special.

    We first met the Queen in 1982, traveling to the UK as part of a Senate delegation. And we were honored that she extended her hospitality to us in June 2021 during our first overseas trip as President and First Lady, where she charmed us with her wit, moved us with her kindness, and generously shared with us her wisdom. All told, she met 14 American presidents. She helped Americans commemorate both the anniversary of the founding of Jamestown and the bicentennial of our independence. And she stood in solidarity with the United States during our darkest days after 9/11, when she poignantly reminded us that “Grief is the price we pay for love.”

    In the years ahead, we look forward to continuing a close friendship with The King and The Queen Consort. Today, the thoughts and prayers of people all across the United States are with the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in their grief. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world.

  • Ursula von der Leyen – 2022 State of Union Address

    Ursula von der Leyen – 2022 State of Union Address

    The address made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 14 September 2022.

    A UNION THAT STANDS STRONG TOGETHER

    INTRODUCTION

    Madam President,

    Honourable Members,

    My fellow Europeans,

    Never before has this Parliament debated the State of our Union with war raging on European soil.

    We all remember that fateful morning in late February.

    Europeans from across our Union woke up dismayed by what they saw. Shaken by the resurgent and ruthless face of evil. Haunted by the sounds of sirens and the sheer brutality of war.

    But from that very moment, a whole continent has risen in solidarity.

    At the border crossings where refugees found shelter. In our streets, filled with Ukrainian flags. In the classrooms, where Ukrainian children made new friends.

    From that very moment, Europeans neither hid nor hesitated.

    They found the courage to do the right thing.

    And from that very moment, our Union as a whole has risen to the occasion.

    Fifteen years ago, during the financial crisis, it took us years to find lasting solutions.

    A decade later, when the global pandemic hit, it took us only weeks.

    But this year, as soon as Russian troops crossed the border into Ukraine, our response was united, determined and immediate.

    And we should be proud of that.

    We have brought Europe’s inner strength back to the surface.

    And we will need all of this strength. The months ahead of us will not be easy. Be it for families who are struggling to make ends meet, or businesses, who are facing tough choices about their future.

    Let us be very clear: much is at stake here. Not just for Ukraine – but for all of Europe and the world at large.

    And we will be tested. Tested by those who want to exploit any kind of divisions between us.

    This is not only a war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine.

    This is a war on our energy, a war on our economy, a war on our values and a war on our future.

    This is about autocracy against democracy.

    And I stand here with the conviction that with courage and solidarity, Putin will fail and Europe will prevail.

    THE COURAGE TO STAND WITH OUR HEROES

    Honourable Members,

    Today – courage has a name, and that name is Ukraine.

    Courage has a face, the face of Ukrainian men and women who are standing up to Russian aggression.

    I remember a moment in the early weeks of the invasion. When the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, gathered the parents of Ukrainian children killed by the invader.

    Hundreds of families for whom the war will never end, and for whom life will never go back to what it was before.

    We saw the first Lady leading a silent crowd of heartbroken mothers and fathers, and hang small bells in the trees, one for every fallen child.

    And now the bells will ring forever in the wind, and forever, the innocent victims of this war will live in our memory.

    And she is here with us today!

    Dear Olena, it took immense courage to resist Putin’s cruelty.

    But you found that courage.

    And a nation of heroes has risen.

    Today, Ukraine stands strong because an entire country has fought street by street, home by home.

    Ukraine stands strong because people like your husband, President Zelenskyy, have stayed in Kyiv to lead the resistance – together with you and your children, dear First Lady.

    You have given courage to the whole nation. And we have seen in the last days the bravery of Ukrainians paying off.

    You have given voice to your people on the global stage.

    And you have given hope to all of us.

    So today we want to thank you and all Ukrainians.

    Glory to a country of European heroes. Slava Ukraini!

    Europe’s solidarity with Ukraine will remain unshakeable.

    From day one, Europe has stood at Ukraine’s side. With weapons. With funds. With hospitality for refugees. And with the toughest sanctions the world has ever seen.

    Russia’s financial sector is on life-support. We have cut off three quarters of Russia’s banking sector from international markets.

    Nearly one thousand international companies have left the country.

    The production of cars fell by three-quarters compared to last year. Aeroflot is grounding planes because there are no more spare parts. The Russian military is taking chips from dishwashers and refrigerators to fix their military hardware, because they ran out of semiconductors. Russia’s industry is in tatters.

    It is the Kremlin that has put Russia’s economy on the path to oblivion.

    This is the price for Putin’s trail of death and destruction.

    And I want to make it very clear, the sanctions are here to stay.

    This is the time for us to show resolve, not appeasement.

    The same is true for our financial support to Ukraine.

    So far Team Europe have provided more than 19 billion euros in financial assistance.

    And this is without counting our military support.

    And we are in it for the long haul.

    Ukraine’s reconstruction will require massive resources. For instance, Russian strikes have damaged or destroyed more than 70 schools.

    Half a million Ukrainian children have started their school year in the European Union. But many others inside Ukraine simply don’t have a classroom to go to.

    So today I am announcing that we will work with the First Lady to support the rehabilitation of damaged Ukrainian schools. And that is why we will provide 100 million euros. Because the future of Ukraine begins in its schools.

    We will not only support with finance – but also empower Ukraine to make the most of its potential.

    Ukraine is already a rising tech hub and home to many innovative young companies.

    So I want us to mobilise the full power of our Single Market to help accelerate growth and create opportunities.

    In March, we connected successfully Ukraine to our electricity grid. It was initially planned for 2024. But we did it within two weeks. And today, Ukraine is exporting electricity to us. I want to significantly expand this mutually beneficial trade.

    We have already suspended import duties on Ukrainian exports to the EU.

    We will bring Ukraine into our European free roaming area.

    Our solidarity lanes are a big success.

    And building on all that, the Commission will work with Ukraine to ensure seamless access to the Single Market. And vice-versa.

    Our Single Market is one of Europe’s greatest success stories. Now it’s time to make it a success story for our Ukrainian friends, too.

    And this is why I am going to Kyiv today, to discuss this in detail with President Zelenskyy.

    Honourable Members,

    One lesson from this war is we should have listened to those who know Putin.

    To Anna Politkovskaya and all the Russian journalists who exposed the crimes, and paid the ultimate price.

    To our friends in Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, and to the opposition in Belarus.

    We should have listened to the voices inside our Union – in Poland, in the Baltics, and all across Central and Eastern Europe.

    They have been telling us for years that Putin would not stop.

    And they acted accordingly.

    Our friends in the Baltics have worked hard to end their dependency on Russia. They have invested in renewable energy, in LNG terminals, and in interconnectors.

    This costs a lot. But dependency on Russian fossil fuels comes at a much higher price.

    We have to get rid of this dependency all over Europe.

    Therefore we agreed on joint storage. We are at 84% now: we are overshooting our target.

    But unfortunately that will not be enough.

    We have diversified away from Russia to reliable suppliers. US, Norway, Algeria and others.

    Last year, Russian gas accounted for 40% of our gas imports. Today it’s down to 9% pipeline gas.

    But Russia keeps on actively manipulating our energy market. They prefer to flare the gas than to deliver it. This market is not functioning anymore.

    In addition the climate crisis is heavily weighing on our bills. Heat waves have boosted electricity demand. Droughts shut down hydro and nuclear plants.

    As a result, gas prices have risen by more than 10 times compared to before the pandemic.

    Making ends meet is becoming a source of anxiety for millions of businesses and households.

    But Europeans are also coping courageously with this.

    Workers in ceramics factories in central Italy, have decided to move their shifts to early morning, to benefit from lower energy prices.

    Just imagine the parents among them, having to leave home early, when the kids are still sleeping, because of a war they haven’t chosen.

    This is one example in a million of Europeans adapting to this new reality.

    I want our Union to take example from its people. Reducing demand during peak hours will make supply last longer, and it will bring prices down.

    This is why we are putting forward measures for Member States to reduce their overall electricity consumption.

    But more targeted supported is needed.

    For industries, like glass makers who have to turn off their ovens. Or for single parents facing one daunting bill after another.

    Millions of Europeans need support.

    EU Member States have already invested billions of euros to assist vulnerable households.

    But we know this will not be enough.

    This is why we are proposing a cap on the revenues of companies that produce electricity at a low cost.

    These companies are making revenues they never accounted for, they never even dreamt of.

    In our social market economy, profits are good.

    But in these times it is wrong to receive extraordinary record profits benefitting from war and on the back of consumers.

    In these times, profits must be shared and channelled to those who need it the most.

    Our proposal will raise more than 140 billion euros for Member States to cushion the blow directly.

    And because we are in a fossil fuel crisis, the fossil fuel industry has a special duty, too.

    Major oil, gas and coal companies are also making huge profits. So they have to pay a fair share – they have to give a crisis contribution.

    These are all emergency and temporary measures we are working on, including our discussions on price caps.

    We need to keep working to lower gas prices.

    We have to ensure our security of supply and, at the same time, ensure our global competitiveness.

    So we will develop with the Member States a set of measures that take into account the specific nature of our relationship with suppliers – ranging from unreliable suppliers such as Russia to reliable friends such as Norway.

    I have agreed with Prime Minister Støre to set up a task force. Teams have started their work.

    Another important topic is on the agenda. Today our gas market has changed dramatically: from pipeline gas mainly to increasing amounts of LNG.

    But the benchmark used in the gas market – the TTF – has not adapted.

    This is why the Commission will work on establishing a more representative benchmark.

    At the same time we also know that energy companies are facing severe problems with liquidity in electricity futures markets, risking the functioning of our energy system.

    We will work with market regulators to ease these problems by amending the rules on collateral – and by taking measures to limit intra-day price volatility.

    And we will amend the temporary state aid framework in October to allow for the provision of state guarantees, while preserving a level playing field.

    These are all first steps. But as we deal with this immediate crisis, we must also look forward.

    The current electricity market design – based on merit order – is not doing justice to consumers anymore.

    They should reap the benefits of low-cost renewables.

    So, we have to decouple the dominant influence of gas on the price of electricity. This is why we will do a deep and comprehensive reform of the electricity market.

    Now – here is an important point. Half a century ago, in the 1970s, the world faced another fossil fuel crisis.

    Some of us remember the car-free weekends to save energy. Yet we kept driving on the same road.

    We did not get rid of our dependency on oil. And worse, fossil fuels were even massively subsidised.

    This was wrong, not just for the climate, but also for our public finances, and our independence. And we are still paying for this today.

    Only a few visionaries understood that the real problem was fossil fuels themselves, not just their price.

    Among them were our Danish friends.

    When the oil crisis hit, Denmark started to invest heavily into harnessing the power of the wind.

    They laid the foundations for its global leadership in the sector and created tens of thousands of new jobs.

    This is the way to go!

    Not just a quick fix, but a change of paradigm, a leap into the future.

    STAYING THE COURSE AND PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

    Mesdames et Messieurs les Députés,

    La bonne nouvelle est que cette transformation nécessaire a commencé.

    Elle a lieu en mer du Nord et en mer Baltique, où nos États membres ont massivement investi dans l’éolien en mer.

    Elle a lieu en Sicile, où la plus grande usine solaire d’Europe produira bientôt la toute dernière génération de panneaux solaires.

    Et elle a lieu dans le nord de l’Allemagne, où les trains régionaux roulent désormais à l’hydrogène vert.

    L’hydrogène peut changer la donne pour l’Europe.

    Nous devons passer du marché de niche au marché de masse pour l’hydrogène.

    Avec REPowerEU, nous avons doublé notre objectif : nous voulons produire dix millions de tonnes d’hydrogène renouvelable dans l’Union européenne, chaque année d’ici 2030.

    Pour y parvenir, nous devons créer un animateur de marché pour l’hydrogène, afin de combler le déficit d’investissement et de mettre en relation l’offre et la demande futures.

    C’est pourquoi je peux annoncer aujourd’hui que nous allons créer une nouvelle Banque européenne de l’hydrogène.

    Elle aidera à garantir l’achat d’hydrogène, notamment en utilisant les ressources du Fonds pour l’innovation.

    Elle pourra investir 3 milliard d’euros pour aider à construire le futur marché de l’hydrogène.

    C’est ainsi que se bâtira l’économie du futur.

    C’est cela, notre Pacte vert pour l’Europe.

    Et nous avons tous vu au cours des derniers mois à quel point le Pacte vert pour l’Europe est important.

    L’été 2022 restera dans les mémoires. Nous avons tous vu les rivières asséchées, les forêts en feu, la chaleur extrême.

    Et la situation est bien plus grave encore. Jusqu’à présent, les glaciers des Alpes ont servi de réserve d’urgence pour des rivières comme le Rhin ou le Rhône.

    Mais comme les glaciers d’Europe fondent plus vite que jamais, les sécheresses futures seront beaucoup plus graves.

    Nous devons travailler sans relâche à l’adaptation climatique et faire de la nature notre premier allié.

    C’est pourquoi notre Union poussera pour un accord mondial ambitieux pour la nature lors de la conférence des Nations Unies sur la biodiversité qui se tiendra à Montréal cette année.

    Et nous ferons de même lors de la COP27 à Sharm el-Sheikh.

    Mais à court terme, nous devons aussi être mieux équipés pour faire face au changement climatique.

    Aucun pays ne peut lutter seul contre les phénomènes météorologiques extrêmes et leurs forces destructrices.

    Cet été, nous avons envoyé des avions de la Grèce, la Suède ou d’Italie pour combattre des incendies en France et en Allemagne.

    Mais comme ces évènements deviennent plus fréquents et plus intenses, l’Europe aura besoin de plus de capacités.

    C’est pourquoi aujourd’hui j’annonce que nous allons doubler notre capacité de lutte contre les incendies au cours de l’année prochaine.

    L’Union Européenne achètera dix avions amphibies légers et trois hélicoptères supplémentaires pour compléter notre flotte.

    Voilà la solidarité européenne en action

    Honourable Members,

    The last years have shown how much Europe can achieve when it is united.

    After an unprecedented pandemic, our economic output overtook pre-crisis levels in record time.

    We went from having no vaccine to securing over 4 billion doses for Europeans and for the world.

    And in record time, we came up with SURE – so that people could stay in their jobs even if their companies had run out of work.

    We were in the deepest recession since World War 2.
    We achieved the fastest recovery since the post-war boom.

    And that was possible because we all rallied behind a common recovery plan.

    NextGenerationEU has been a boost of confidence for our economy.

    And its journey has only just begun.

    So far, 100 billion euros have been disbursed to Member States. This means: 700 billion euros still haven’t flown into our economy.

    NextGenerationEU will guarantee a constant stream of investment to sustain jobs and growth.

    It means relief for our economy. But most importantly, it means renewal.

    It is financing new wind turbines and solar parks, high-speed trains and energy-saving renovations.

    We conceived NextGenerationEU almost two years ago, and yet it is exactly what Europe needs today.

    So let’s stick to the plan.

    Let’s get the money on the ground.

    Honourable Members,

    The future of our children needs both that we invest in sustainability and that we invest sustainably.

    We must finance the transition to a digital and net-zero economy.

    And yet we also have to acknowledge a new reality of higher public debt.

    We need fiscal rules that allow for strategic investment, while safeguarding fiscal sustainability.

    Rules that are fit for the challenges of this decade.

    In October, we will come forward with new ideas for our economic governance.

    But let me share a few basic principles with you.

    Member States should have more flexibility on their debt reduction paths.

    But there should be more accountability on the delivery of what we have agreed on.

    There should be simpler rules that all can follow.

    To open the space for strategic investment and to give financial markets the confidence they need.

    Let us chart once again a joint way forward.

    With more freedom to invest. And more scrutiny on progress.

    More ownership by Member States. And better results for citizens.

    Let us rediscover the Maastricht spirit – stability and growth can only go hand in hand.

    Honourable Members,

    As we embark on this transition in our economy, we must rely on the enduring values of our social market economy.

    It’s the simple idea that Europe’s greatest strength lies in each and every one of us.

    Our social market economy encourages everyone to excel, but it also takes care of our fragility as human beings.

    It rewards performance and guarantees protection. It opens opportunities but also set limits.

    We need this even more today.

    Because the strength of our social market economy will drive the green and digital transition.

    We need an enabling business environment, a workforce with the right skills and access to raw materials our industry needs.

    Our future competitiveness depends on it.

    We must remove the obstacles that still hold our small companies back.

    They must be at the centre of this transformation – because they are the backbone of Europe’s long history of industrial prowess.

    And they have always put their employees first – even and especially in times of crisis.

    But inflation and uncertainty are weighing especially hard on them.

    This is why we will put forward an SME Relief Package.

    It will include a proposal for a single set of tax rules for doing business in Europe – we call it BEFIT.

    This will make it easier to do business in our Union. Less red tape means better access to the dynamism of a continental market.

    And we will revise the Late Payment Directive – because it is simply not fair that 1 in 4 bankruptcies are due to invoices not being paid on time.

    For millions of family businesses, this will be a lifeline in troubled waters.

    Der Mangel an Personal ist eine weitere Herausforderung für Europas Unternehmen.

    Die Zahl der Arbeitslosen ist so niedrig wie nie zuvor.

    Das ist gut!

    Aber gleichzeitig liegt die Zahl der offenen Stellen auf Rekordniveau.

    Ob Lastwagenfahrer, Kellnern oder Flughafenpersonal.

    Ob auch Krankenpfleger, Ingenieurinnen oder IT-Technikerinnen.

    Von Ungelernt bis Universitätsabschluß, Europa braucht sie alle!

    Wir müssen daher viel stärker in die Aus- und Weiterbildung investieren.

    Dazu wollen wir eng mit den Unternehmen zusammenarbeiten.

    Denn sie wissen am besten, welche Fachkräfte sie heute und morgen brauchen.

    Und wir müssen diesen Bedarf besser in Einklang bringen mit den Zielen und Wünschen die Arbeitssuchende selbst für ihren Berufsweg haben.

    Darüber hinaus wollen wir gezielter Fachkräfte aus dem Ausland anwerben, die hier Unternehmen und Europas Wachstum stärken.

    Ein wichtiger erster Schritt ist, ihre Qualifikationen in Europa besser und schneller anzuerkennen.

    Denn Europa muss attraktiver werden für die, die etwas können und sich einbringen wollen.

    Deshalb schlage ich vor, 2023 zum Europäischen Jahr der Aus- und vor allem auch der Weiterbildung zu machen.

    Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren Abgeordnete,

    zu meinem dritten Punkt für unseren Mittelstand und unsere Industrie.

    Unabhängig davon, ob wir über maßgeschneiderte Chips für die virtuelle Realität sprechen oder über Speicherzellen für Solaranlagen – der Zugang zu Rohstoffen ist entscheidend für den Erfolg unserer Transformation hin zu einer nachhaltigen und digitalen Wirtschaft.

    Lithium und seltene Erden werden bald wichtiger sein als Öl und Gas.

    Allein unser Bedarf an seltenen Erden wird sich bis 2030 verfünffachen.

    Und das ist ein gutes Zeichen!

    Denn es zeigt, mit welchem Tempo unser Europäischer Green Deal vorankommt.

    Das Problem ist nur, dass derzeit ein einziges Land fast den kompletten Markt beherrscht.

    Wir müssen vermeiden erneut in Abhängigkeit zu geraten wie bei Öl und Gas.

    An diesem Punkt kommt unsere Handelspolitik ins Spiel.

    Neue Partnerschaften helfen uns, nicht nur unsere Wirtschaft zu stärken, sondern auch unsere Interessen und unsere Werte global voranzubringen.

    Mit gleichgesinnten Partnern können wir auch außerhalb unserer Grenzen Arbeitsstandards und Umweltstandards sichern.

    Wir müssen vor allem unsere Beziehungen zu diesen Partnern und zu wichtigen Wachstumsregionen erneuern.

    Ich werde daher die Abkommen mit Chile, Mexiko und Neuseeland zur Ratifizierung vorlegen.

    Und wir treiben die Verhandlungen mit bedeutenden Partnern wie Australien und Indien voran.

    But securing supplies is only a first step.

    The processing of these metals is just as critical.

    Today, China controls the global processing industry. Almost 90 % of rare earths and 60 % of lithium are processed in China.

    We will identify strategic projects all along the supply chain, from extraction to refining, from processing to recycling. And we will build up strategic reserves where supply is at risk.

    This is why today I am announcing a European Critical Raw Materials Act.

    We know this approach can work.

    Five years ago, Europe launched the Battery Alliance. And soon, two third of the batteries we need will be produced in Europe.

    Last year I announced the European Chips Act. And the first chips gigafactory will break ground in the coming months.

    We now need to replicate this success.

    This is also why we will increase our financial participation to Important Projects of Common European Interest.

    And for the future, I will push to create a new European Sovereignty Fund.

    Let’s make sure that the future of industry is made in Europe.

    STANDING UP FOR OUR DEMOCRACY

    Honourable Members,

    As we look around at the state of the world today, it can often feel like there is a fading away of what once seemed so permanent.

    And in some way, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II last week reminded us of this.

    She is a legend!

    She was a constant throughout the turbulent and transforming events in the last 70 years.

    Stoic and steadfast in her service.

    But more than anything, she always found the right words for every moment in time.

    From the calls she made to war evacuees in 1940 to her historic address during the pandemic.

    She spoke not only to the heart of her nation but to the soul of the world.

    And when I think of the situation we are in today, her words at the height of the pandemic still resonate with me.

    She said: “We will succeed – and that success will belong to every one of us”.

    She always reminded us that our future is built on new ideas and founded in our oldest values.

    Since the end of World War 2, we have pursued the promise of democracy and the rule of law.

    And the nations of the world have built together an international system promoting peace and security, justice and economic progress.

    Today this is the very target of Russian missiles.

    What we saw in the streets of Bucha, in the scorched fields of grain, and now at the gates of Ukraine’s largest nuclear plant – is not only a violation of international rules.

    It’s a deliberate attempt to discard them.

    This watershed moment in global politics calls for a rethink of our foreign policy agenda.

    This is the time to invest in the power of democracies.

    This work begins with the core group of our like-minded partners: our friends in every single democratic nation on this globe.

    We see the world with the same eyes. And we should mobilise our collective power to shape global goods.

    We should strive to expand this core of democracies. The most immediate way to do so is to deepen our ties and strengthen democracies on our continent.

    This starts with those countries that are already on the path to our Union.

    We must be at their side every step of the way.

    Because the path towards strong democracies and the path towards our Union are one and the same.

    So I want the people of the Western Balkans, of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia to know:

    You are part of our family, your future is in our Union, and our Union is not complete without you!

    We have also seen that there is a need to reach out to the countries of Europe – beyond the accession process.

    This is why I support the call for a European Political Community – and we will set out our ideas to the European Council.

    But our future also depends on our ability to engage beyond the core of our democratic partners.

    Countries near and far, share an interest in working with us on the great challenges of this century, such as climate change and digitalisation.

    This is the main idea behind Global Gateway, the investment plan I announced right here one year ago.

    It is already delivering on the ground.

    Together with our African partners we are building two factories in Rwanda and Senegal to manufacture mRNA vaccines.

    They will be made in Africa, for Africa, with world-class technology.

    And we are now replicating this approach across Latin America as part of a larger engagement strategy.

    This requires investment on a global scale.

    So we will team up with our friends in the US and with other G7 partners to make this happen.

    In this spirit, President Biden and I will convene a leaders’ meeting to review and announce implementation projects.

    Honourable Members,

    This is part of our work of strengthening our democracies.

    But we should not lose sight of the way foreign autocrats are targeting our own countries.

    Foreign entities are funding institutes that undermine our values.

    Their disinformation is spreading from the internet to the halls of our universities.

    Earlier this year, a university in Amsterdam shut down an allegedly independent research centre, which was actually funded by Chinese entities. This centre was publishing so-called research on human rights, dismissing the evidence of forced labour camps for Uyghurs as “rumours”.

    These lies are toxic for our democracies.

    Think about this: We introduced legislation to screen foreign direct investment in our companies for security concerns.

    If we do that for our economy, shouldn’t we do the same for our values?

    We need to better shield ourselves from malign interference.

    This is why we will present a Defence of Democracy package.

    It will bring covert foreign influence and shady funding to light.

    We will not allow any autocracy’s Trojan horses to attack our democracies from within.

    For more than 70 years, our continent has marched towards democracy. But the gains of our long journey are not assured.

    Many of us have taken democracy for granted for too long. Especially those, like me, who have never experienced what it means to live under the fist of an authoritarian regime.

    Today we all see that we must fight for our democracies. Every single day.

    We must protect them both from the external threats they face, and from the vices that corrode them from within.

    It is my Commission’s duty and most noble role to protect the rule of law.

    So let me assure you: we will keep insisting on judicial independence.

    And we will also protect our budget through the conditionality mechanism.

    And today I would like to focus on corruption, with all its faces. The face of foreign agents trying to influence our political system. The face of shady companies or foundations abusing public money.

    If we want to be credible when we ask candidate countries to strengthen their democracies, we must also eradicate corruption at home.

    That is why in the coming year the Commission will present measures to update our legislative framework for fighting corruption.

    We will raise standards on offences such as illicit enrichment, trafficking in influence and abuse of power, beyond the more classic offences such as bribery.

    And we will also propose to include corruption in our human rights sanction regime, our new tool to protect our values abroad.

    Corruption erodes trust in our institutions. So we must fight back with the full force of the law.

    Honourable Members,

    Our founders only meant to lay the first stone of this democracy.

    They always thought that future generations would complete their work.

    “Democracy has not gone out of fashion, but it must update itself in order to keep improving people’s lives.”

    These are the words of David Sassoli – a great European, who we all pay tribute to today.

    David Sassoli thought that Europe should always look for new horizons.

    And through the adversities of these times, we have started to see what our new horizon might be.

    A braver Union.

    Closer to its people in times of need.

    Bolder in responding to historic challenges and daily concerns of Europeans. And to walk at their side when they deal with the big trials of life.

    This is why the Conference on the Future of Europe was so important.

    It was a sneak peek of a different kind of citizens’ engagement, well beyond election day.

    And after Europe listened to its citizens’ voice, we now need to deliver.

    The Citizens’ Panels that were central to the Conference will now become a regular feature of our democratic life.

    And in the Letter of Intent that I have sent today to President Metsola and Prime Minister Fiala, I have outlined a number of proposals for the year ahead that stem from the Conference conclusions.

    They include for example a new initiative on mental health.

    We should take better care of each other. And for many who feel anxious and lost, appropriate, accessible and affordable support can make all the difference.

    Honourable Members,

    Democratic institutions must constantly gain and regain the citizens’ trust.

    We must live up to the new challenges that history always puts before us.

    Just like Europeans did when millions of Ukrainians came knocking on their door.

    This is Europe at its best.

    A Union of determination and solidarity.

    But this determination and drive for solidarity is still missing in our migration debate.

    Our actions towards Ukrainian refugees must not be an exception. They can be our blueprint for going forward.

    We need fair and quick procedures, a system that is crisis proof and quick to deploy, and a permanent and legally binding mechanism that ensures solidarity.

    And at the same time, we need effective control of our external borders, in line with the respect of fundamental rights.

    I want a Europe that manages migration with dignity and respect.

    I want a Europe where all Member States take responsibility for challenges we all share.

    And I want a Europe that shows solidarity to all Member States.

    We have progress on the Pact, we now have the Roadmap. And we now need the political will to match.

    Honourable Members,

    Three weeks ago, I had the incredible opportunity of joining 1,500 young people from all over Europe and the world, who gathered in Taizé.

    They have different views, they come from different countries, they have different backgrounds, they speak different languages.

    And yet, there is something that connects them.

    They share a set of values and ideals.

    They believe in these values.

    They are all passionate about something larger than themselves.

    This generation is a generation of dreamers but also of makers.

    In my last State of the Union address, I told you that I would like Europe to look more like these young people.

    We should put their aspirations at the heart of everything we do.

    And the place for this is in our founding Treaties.

    Every action that our Union takes should be inspired by a simple principle.

    That we should do no harm to our children’s future.

    That we should leave the world a better place for the next generation.

    And therefore, Honourable Members, I believe that it is time to enshrine solidarity between generations in our Treaties.

    It is time to renew the European promise.

    And we also need to improve the way we do things and the way we decide things.

    Some might say this is not the right time. But if we are serious about preparing for the world of tomorrow we must be able to act on the things that matter the most to people.

    And as we are serious about a larger union, we also have to be serious about reform.

    So as this Parliament has called for, I believe the moment has arrived for a European Convention.

    CONCLUSION

    Honourable Members,

    They say that light shines brightest in the dark.

    And that was certainly true for the women and the children fleeing Russia’s bombs.

    They fled a country at war, filled with sadness for what they had left behind, and fear for what may lie ahead.

    But they were received with open arms. By many citizens like Magdalena and Agnieszka. Two selfless young women from Poland.

    As soon as they heard about trains full of refugees, they rushed to the Warsaw Central Station.

    They started to organise.

    They set up a tent to assist as many people as possible.

    They reached out to supermarket chains for food, and to local authorities to organise buses to hospitality centres.

    In a matter of days, they gathered 3000 volunteers, to welcome refugees 24/7.

    Honourable Members,

    Magdalena and Agnieszka are here with us today.

    Please join me in applauding them and each and every European who opened their hearts and their homes.

    Their story is about everything our Union stands and strives for.

    It is a story of heart, character and solidarity.

    They showed everyone what Europeans can achieve when we rally around a common mission.

    This is Europe’s spirit.

    A Union that stands strong together.

    A Union that prevails together.

    Long live Europe.

  • Sheffield and District Fair Play League – 2022 Statement on Two Clubs “Disrespectful Behaviour”

    Sheffield and District Fair Play League – 2022 Statement on Two Clubs “Disrespectful Behaviour”

    The statement made by Sheffield and District Fair Play League on 10 September 2022.

    It has been brought to our attention that, despite our clearly informing all clubs that football matches this weekend should be cancelled as a mark of respect for the passing of Her Majesty the Queen, two teams within our League have chosen to play a friendly match anyway. This is after we specifically and separately confirmed friendly matches could not be played.

    The SDFPL Management Team would like to put on record that we absolutely do not condone this disrespectful and despicable behaviour. There will be an investigation into this matter, in conjunction with the Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA, and these two teams will be dealt with in the strongest possible terms. Our league has honesty, integrity and fair play as cornerstones, and we will not accept such behaviour from within our ranks.

    Chairman Danny Taylor stated:

    “Queen Elizabeth II ruled, served and led with integrity and humility for more than seven decades. It is a terrible shame that these two teams could not emulate this even for a single Saturday, despite our clear instructions. We may or may not agree with the mass cancellation of football, but this was decided as a mark of respect and should therefore have been adhered to. This sort of behaviour is disrespectful, unacceptable and flies in the face of the core values of our League. It will not be tolerated.”

    We would like to thank our 37 other clubs that followed the instructions and showed their respects with honour.

  • Queen Elizabeth II – 2022 Statement on the European Women’s Football Championships

    Queen Elizabeth II – 2022 Statement on the European Women’s Football Championships

    The statement made by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 31 July 2022.

    My warmest congratulations, and those of my family, go to you all on winning the European Women’s Football Championships.

    It is a significant achievement for the entire team, including your support staff.

    The Championships and your performance in them have rightly won praise.

    However, your success goes far beyond the trophy you have so deservedly earned.

    You have all set an example that will be an inspiration for girls and women today, and for future generations.

    It is my hope that you will be as proud of the impact you have had on your sport as you are of the result today.

    ELIZABETH R.