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Category: Speeches

  • Louise Casey – 2020 Statement on Rough Sleeping

    Louise Casey – 2020 Statement on Rough Sleeping

    Below is the text of the statement made by Louise Casey, the Prime Minister’s adviser on rough sleeping, on 31 May 2020.

    Firstly can I add my own condolences to the families and friends of all those who have so sadly passed away, due to COVID-19.

    At the outset of this awful crisis it became clear that what we needed to do, was do all we can to make sure we were protecting some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

    And we must continue to do so, the pandemic is not over.

    For homeless people, the task was to bring as many people in off the streets and out of communal shelters.

    The goal was to protect rough sleepers from the virus, give them the chance to self-isolate, and, ultimately therefore, to do the best we can to save their lives.

    There was an absolutely extraordinary response, across the public sector, charities and businesses in response to my call to get ‘everyone in’.

    Those efforts have resulted in close to 15,000 people across England now being helped.

    I’d like to take this opportunity, alongside the Secretary of State, to thank everyone involved – it was an extraordinary and unusual endeavour. From the dedicated outreach workers, the hard-working council staff to hotels that have opened their doors, and faith and community groups who provided friendship and food.

    It has been a heartening example of what we can do when we need to do it and the best of Britain in this time of crisis.

    And, by bringing almost everyone in, we now have an another extraordinary and unusual endeavour ahead, to try and change their lives for good beyond the immediate response to COVID-19.

    I stand ready to work with all partners and esteemed colleagues in Wales, in Scotland and in Northern Ireland.

    So, I’m really pleased the government is investing in these 6,000 new homes along with the extra support and money for the costs of their support. Meaning that we can help the most vulnerable rough sleepers, in the long term.

    This is a really good start. I am grateful to the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister for their support. But none of us should underestimate the challenge ahead in order to keep everyone in.

    There is much more that we need to do, but for now, I’d just like to thank – those in local government, the health service, the civil servants and the countless charities and community groups, who have helped protect this, one of our most vulnerable groups in our society, during this pandemic.

    And those, such as the Prince’s Trust, Business in the Community, Comic Relief, the Anglican and Catholic churches who have pledged wider support.

    So, now that so many are inside, I hope that we can keep it that way. What has been done here, is a small but incredible silver lining – in the dark cloud, that is COVID-19.

    Thank you.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Robert Jenrick – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Below is the text of the statement made by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 31 May 2020.

    As Communities Secretary, I will be updating you on our support for the most vulnerable people in society, I’ll be updating you on how we’re shielding people from coronavirus in England, and the next steps in our programme of support for rough sleepers during this pandemic.

    But first, I want to update you on the latest data on the coronavirus response.

    4,285,738 tests for coronavirus have now been carried out in the UK, including 115,725 tests carried out yesterday
    274,762 people have tested positive, that’s an increase of 1,936 cases since yesterday
    7,639 people are currently in hospital with coronavirus, down 15 % from 8,945 this time last week

    And sadly, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 38,489 have now died. That’s an increase of 113 fatalities since yesterday.

    Behind each of those deaths is a mourning family, and heartbroken friends and loved ones. Our thoughts and prayers, as ever, are with all of them.

    At the start of this pandemic, we advised Clinically Extremely Vulnerable people to shield until the 30 June. These are individuals who are most at risk of severe illness if they contract the virus – so protecting them has been especially important during the pandemic.

    I think it’s important to explain who is shielding.

    They are not exclusively older people. Over half are under 70. Over 90,000 of them are actually children and they sadly will not be able to return to school tomorrow if their year group is. And hundreds of thousands of those shielding are – or were – at work before the pandemic. Many of these people are working from home, but where this is not possible, they are unable to do the jobs I am sure they would wish to be doing.

    The one thing they all have in common is that they have made a huge sacrifice. I would like to echo the Prime Minister in recognising the resilience of people shielding across the country and express our admiration for their ongoing efforts.

    We know that they often live with other people, so this has had profound impact on their lives as well – and family members have often had to sacrifice a lot to protect the people they love the most. And I know that a significant number of those shielding haven’t left the house at all for 9 or 10 weeks – that is quite an extraordinary restriction on their lives.

    For those who were advised to shield, we set up the National Shielding Service, a huge logistical exercise, unprecedented since the Second World War.

    This has included delivering over two and half million free food boxes, securing priority supermarket delivery services, ensuring people could get medicines delivered to their doorstep, and working closely in partnership with local government and our fantastic NHS volunteer responders helping people in a myriad of other ways, be that delivering shopping, calling people for a ‘check in and chat’ or providing essential care.

    Over 350,000 who are shielding have registered for some support from government, like food, like medicine deliveries. But more than half of those shielding have also said to us they want someone to talk to over the phone – so none of us should forget the emotional burden isolation places upon people, and the effects on mental health and general wellbeing.

    For anyone, shielding or not, it’s important you seek the help you need. And it is available despite the restrictions. So please, if this is you go to GOV.UK or the Every Mind Matters website for advice and practical steps as to what you can do and the support that’s available for your wellbeing during this time.

    I am immensely grateful to all of those in the NHS who have and continue to go above and beyond to support those most at risk during the virus.

    We also recognise the role of local councils and parish councils, who have supported their residents with great effect.

    When we announced a gradual relaxation of restrictions in the last week, I know that many people who are shielding will have been asking: what about me?

    Today we are setting out the next steps for the shielded.

    Now that we’ve passed the peak and the prevalence of COVID-19 in the community has reduced significantly, we believe that the risk to those shielding is lower, as it is proportionately for the general population.

    As with the guidance for shielded people more generally, we want to give people the information and advice they need to make the best decisions for them. This is, as always advisory, for the shielded.

    So, as a first step, I can announce today that we have updated the shielding guidance so that from tomorrow, Monday the 1st of June, people will be advised that they can take initial steps to safely spend time outdoors. This guidance is for England only but we are working very closely with the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who will issue their own guidance in due course.

    Those shielding will be able to spend time outdoors with members of their own household or, if they live alone, with one person from another household.

    This reflects a lower risk of transmission outdoors, as well as the significantly reduced prevalence of COVID-19 in the community. The full guidance will be uploaded to GOV.UK later today.

    You must still follow social distancing guidelines and remain at a 2 metre distance from others.

    This will enable those shielding to see loved ones, like children and grandchildren.

    Something many I know, are aching to do.

    Having spent many weeks indoors, some will understandably be very cautious and concerned about going outdoors. You should only do what you are comfortable with.

    In our road map we set out, while the shielding guidance is currently in place until the end of June, it may need to be extended beyond that point. Our guidance to those who are shielding will always be advisory, but it is also critical that it is based on the most up to date evidence and data.

    So today, I can say that as part of each review for the social distancing measures for the wider population, we will also review the risks for the clinically extremely vulnerable and assess whether, as we currently believe, the shielding period needs to be extended, and whether it is possible for the shielding guidance to be eased further.

    We will base each assessment on clinical advice from our medical experts, and the best data available about the prevalence of COVID-19 within the community.

    The next review of shielding measures will take place the week commencing 15 June and will consider the next steps for the programme more generally beyond 30 June.

    Following that review, the NHS will also write to all individuals on the shielding patient list with information about next steps on shielding advice and the support that will be available to them.

    If the conditions become less favourable, our advice to those being asked to shield will unfortunately need to be tightened.

    The Government will continue to ensure that support is available to those who need it for as long as possible and for as long as people are advised to follow shielding guidance.

    Once again, can I thank all those shielding for your patience and fortitude thus far. Everyone in the country appreciates the unique challenges you face, and we want to continue to do all we can to ensure that whilst you may be at home, shielding, you are not alone.

    Secondly, I wanted to provide an update on our work on rough sleeping. And I’m joined by the Prime Minister’s advisor on rough sleeping, Dame Louise Casey.

    From the start of this pandemic, we believed we had a special duty to protect the most vulnerable people in our society. And this was especially necessary for those people sleeping rough on our streets.

    Working hand-in-hand with charities and local councils, we have offered accommodation to over 90% of rough sleepers known to us at the start in order to help them stay to safe during the pandemic.

    I want to thank everyone who has been involved in this huge national effort. Thousands of lives have been protected as a result of your work.

    We’ve ensured councils in England have the funding to help continue housing rough sleepers in emergency accommodation as part of the £3.8 billion we’ve provided them in the last 2 months. And we will continue to fund this essential work to get the job done.

    But, as we enter the next phase in our fight against coronavirus, it is right that we start to look ahead.

    Our goal has always been that as few people as possible return to the streets. But words and promises are not enough.

    Because of the action we have already taken, for the first time, in my lifetime, we know who the vast majority of rough sleepers are and where they are living.

    That means we can assess each individual’s needs and tailor the support we provide next. Some people will need help to return to the private rental sector, but others will need accommodation to be provided so they can start to rebuild their lives.

    That is why 6,000 new supported homes will be made available for rough sleepers, providing safe accommodation for people we have helped off the streets during the pandemic.

    The government is backing this effort with £433 million to fast-track the safe accommodation desperately needed to ensure as few rough sleepers as possible return to the streets.

    3,300 of these new homes will become available in the next 12 months, and £160 million will be spent this year to deliver that.

    But rough sleeping is as much a health issue as it is a housing issue – it is a crisis of addiction and mental health as well.

    So we will provide specialist support staff for rough sleepers in this new accommodation to ensure they can continue to receive the health support they will need to transform their lives and fulfil their potential.

    These homes will be a springboard to better things. And they will serve as a new national asset and be a symbol of hope and our belief that no one’s path is predetermined.

    I’m now going to pass over to Dame Louise Casey.

  • Queen Victoria – 1873 Queen’s Speech

    Queen Victoria – 1873 Queen’s Speech

    Below is the text of the Queen’s Speech given in the House of Lords on 6 February 1873. It was spoken by the Lord Chancellor on behalf of HM Queen Victoria.

    My Lords, and Gentlemen,

    I GREET you cordially on your reassembling for the discharge of your momentous duties.

    I have the satisfaction of maintaining relations of friendship with Foreign Powers throughout the world.

    You were informed when I last addressed you that steps had been taken to prepare the way for dealing more effectually with the Slave Trade on the East Coast of Africa. I have now despatched an Envoy to Zanzibar, furnished with such instructions as appear to me best adapted for the attainment of the object in view. He has recently reached the place of his destination, and has entered into communication with the Sultan.

    My ally the German Emperor, who had undertaken to pronounce judgment as Arbiter on the line of Water-boundary so long in dispute under the terms of the Treaty of 1846, has decided, in conformity with the contention of the Government of the United States, that the Haro Channel presents the line most in accordance with the true interpretation of that Treaty.

    I have thought it the course most befitting the spirit of international friendship and the dignity of the country to give immediate execution to the award by withdrawing promptly from my partial occupation of the Island of San Juan.

    The proceedings before the Tribunal of Arbitration at Geneva, which I was enabled to prosecute in consequence of the exclusion of the Indirect Claims preferred on behalf of the Government of the United States, terminated in an award which in part ​ established and in part repelled the claims allowed to be relevant. You will in due course be asked to provide for the payment of the sum coming due to the United States under this award.

    My acknowledgments are due to the German Emperor, and likewise to the Tribunal at Geneva, for the pains and care bestowed by them on the peaceful adjustment of controversies such as could not but impede the full prevalence of national goodwill in a case where it was especially to be cherished.

    In further prosecution of a well understood and established policy, I have concluded a Treaty for the Extradition of Criminals with my ally the King of the Belgians.

    The Government of France has, during the recess, renewed its communications with my Government for the purpose of concluding a Commercial Treaty to replace that of 1860, which is about to expire. In prosecuting these communications I have kept in view the double object of an equitable regard to existing circumstances, and of securing a general provision more permanent in its character, and resting on a reciprocal and equal basis, for the commercial and maritime transactions of the two countries. I hope to be enabled within a short period to announce to you the final result.

    It has been for some years felt by the Governments of Russia and the United Kingdom respectively, that it would be conducive to the tranquillity of Central Asia if the two Governments should arrive at an identity of view regarding the line which describes the northern frontier of the dominions ​ of Afghanistan. Accordingly a correspondence has passed, of which this is the main subject. Its tenour, no less than its object, will, I trust, be approved by the public opinion of both nations.

    Papers will be laid before you with relation to the awards delivered under the Treaty of Washington, to the commercial negotiations with France, and to the northern frontier of the dominions of Afghanistan.

    Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

    The estimates of the coming financial year will be presented to you. They have been framed with a view to the efficiency and moderation of our establishments, under circumstances of inconvenience entailed by variations of an exceptional nature in the prices of some important commodities.

    My Lords, and Gentlemen,

    Although the harvest has been to some extent deficient, the condition of the three Kingdoms with reference to Trade and Commerce, to the sufficiency of the Revenue for meeting the public charge, to the decrease of pauperism, and to the relative amount of ordinary crime, may be pronounced generally satisfactory.

    A measure will be submitted to you on an early day for settling the question of University Education in Ireland. It will have for its object the advancement of learning in that portion of my dominions, and will be framed with a careful regard to the rights of conscience.

    You will find ample occupation in dealing with other legislative subjects ​ of importance, which, for the most part, have already been under your notice in various forms and at different periods. Among these your attention will speedily be asked to the formation of a Supreme Court of Judicature, including provision for the trial of Appeals.

    Among the measures which will be brought before you, there will also be proposals for facilitating the Transfer of Land, and for the amendment of our system of Local Taxation, of certain provisions of the Education Act of 1870, and of the General Acts regulating Railways and Canals; together with various other Bills for the improvement of the Law.

    I earnestly commend your deliberations to the guidance and favour of Almighty God.

  • Queen Victoria – 1872 Queen’s Speech

    Queen Victoria – 1872 Queen’s Speech

    Below is the text of the Queen’s Speech given in the House of Lords on 2 February 1872. It was spoken by the Lord Chancellor on behalf of HM Queen Victoria.

    My Lords, and Gentlemen,

    I avail myself of the opportunity afforded by your re-assembling for the discharge of your momentous duties to renew the expression of my thankfulness to the Almighty for the deliverance of my dear son the Prince of Wales from the most imminent danger, and of my lively recollection of the profound and universal sympathy shown by my loyal people during the period of anxiety and trial.

    I propose that on Tuesday the 27th instant, conformably to the good and becoming usage of former days, the blessing thus received shall be acknowledged on behalf of the nation by a Thanksgiving in the Metropolitan Cathedral. At this celebration it is my desire and hope to be present.

    Directions have been given to provide the necessary accommodation for the Members of the two Houses of Parliament.

    The assurances of friendship, which I receive from Foreign Powers, continue to be in all respects satisfactory. I need hardly assure you that my endeavours will at all times be steadily directed to the maintenance of these friendly relations.

    The Slave Trade, and practices scarcely to be distinguished from Slave Trading, still pursued in more than one quarter of the world, continue to attract the attention of my Government. In the South Sea Islands the name of the British Empire is even now dishonoured by the connexion of some of my subjects with these nefarious practices; and in one of them the murder of an exemplary Prelate has cast fresh light upon some of their baleful consequences. A Bill will be ​ presented to you for the purpose of facilitating the trial of offences of this class in Australasia; and endeavours will be made to increase, in other forms, the means of counteraction.

    Various communications have passed between my Government and the Government of France on the subject of the Commercial Treaty concluded in 1860. From a divergence in the views respectively entertained in relation to the value of Protective Laws, this correspondence has not brought about any agreement to modify that important Convention. On both sides, however, there has been uniformly declared an earnest desire that nothing shall occur to impair the cordiality which has long prevailed between the two nations.

    Papers relating to these subjects will be laid before you.

    The Arbitrators appointed pursuant to the Treaty of Washington, for the purpose of amicably settling certain claims known as the “Alabama” claims, have held their first meeting at Geneva.

    Cases have been laid before the Arbitrators on behalf of each party to the Treaty. In the Case so submitted on behalf of the United States large claims have been included which are understood on my part not to be within the province of the Arbitrators. On this subject I have caused a friendly communication to be made to the Government of the United States.

    The Emperor of Germany has undertaken to arbitrate on the San Juan Water Boundary; and the Cases of the two Governments have been presented to His Imperial Majesty.

    ​The Commission at Washington has been appointed, and is in session. The provisions of the Treaty which require the consent of the Parliament of Canada await its assembling.

    Turning to domestic affairs, I have to apprise you that, with very few exceptions, Ireland has been free from serious crime. Trade in that part of the United Kingdom is active, and the advance of agricultural industry is remarkable.

    I am able also to congratulate you, so far as present experience allows a judgment to be passed, upon the perceptible diminution of the number both of the graver crimes, and of habitual criminals, in Great Britain.

    Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

    The principal Estimates for the coming year have been prepared. They will at once be laid before you; and I trust that you will find them suitable to the circumstances of the country.

    The state of the Revenue affords favourable indications of the demand for employment and the general condition of the people; indications which are corroborated by a decline of pauperism not inconsiderable.

    My Lords, and Gentlemen,

    Your attention will be invited to several measures of acknowledged national interest. Among these there will be Bills for the improvement of Public Education in Scotland, for the regulation of Mines, for the amendment of what is known as the Licensing system, and in relation to the Superior Courts of Justice and Appeal.

    In particular, a Bill, having for its main object the establishment of ​ Secret Voting, together with a measure relating to corrupt practices at Parliamentary Elections, will be immediately presented to you.

    Several measures of administrative improvement for Ireland will also be laid before you.

    There will likewise be laid before you Legislative Provisions founded on the Report of the Sanitary Commission.

    You, my Lords and Gentlemen, will, I am confident, again apply your well-known assiduity to that work of legislation which, from the increasing-exigencies of modern society, still seems to grow upon your hands. And I shall continue to rely, under Divine Providence, alike on the loyalty of my people, and on your energy and wisdom, to sustain the constant efforts of the Crown to discharge the duties, to uphold the rights, and to defend the honour of the Empire.

  • Queen Victoria – 1871 Queen’s Speech

    Queen Victoria – 1871 Queen’s Speech

    Below is the text of the Queen’s Speech given in the House of Lords on 9 February 1871. It was spoken by the Lord Chancellor on behalf of HM Queen Victoria.

    My Lords, and Gentlemen,

    AT an epoch of such moment to the future fortunes of Europe, I am especially desirous to avail myself of your counsels.

    The war which broke out, in the month of July, between France and Germany, has raged, until within the last few days, with unintermitted and ​ likewise with unexampled force: and its ravages may be renewed, after but a few days more, unless moderation and forethought, prevailing over all impediments, shall sway the councils of both the parties, whose well-being is so vitally concerned.

    At the time when you separated, I promised a constant attention to the subject of neutral obligations; and I undertook to use my best endeavours to prevent the enlargement of the area of the war, and to contribute, if opportunity should offer, to the restoration of an early and honourable peace.

    In accordance with the first of these declarations, I have maintained the rights and strictly discharged the duties of neutrality.

    The sphere of the war has not been extended beyond the two countries originally engaged.

    Cherishing with care the cordiality of my relations with each belligerent, I have forborne from whatever might have been construed as gratuitous or unwarranted interference between parties, neither of whom had shown a readiness to propose terms of accommodation such as to bear promise of acceptance by the other.

    I have been enabled, on more than one occasion, to contribute towards placing the Representatives of the two contending countries in confidential communication: but, until famine compelled the surrender of Paris, no further result had been obtained.

    The Armistice now being employed for the Convocation of an Assembly in France, has brought about a pause in the constant accumulation, on both sides, of human suffering; and ​ has rekindled the hope of a complete accommodation. I pray that this suspension may result in a Peace compatible, for the two great and brave nations involved, with security and with honour, and likely therefore to command the approval of Europe, and to give reasonable hopes of a long duration.

    It has been with concern that I have found myself unable to accredit My Ambassador in a formal manner to the Government of Defence, which has subsisted in France since the revolution of September; but neither the harmony nor the efficiency of the correspondence of the two States has been in the smallest degree impaired.

    The King of Prussia has accepted the title of Emperor of Germany at the instance of the chief authorities of the nation.

    I have offered My congratulations on an event, which bears testimony to the solidity and independence of Germany, and which, I trust, may be found conducive to the stability of the European system.

    I have endeavoured, in correspondence with other Powers of Europe, to uphold the sanctity of Treaties, and to remove any misapprehension as to the binding character of their obligations.

    It was agreed by the Powers, which had been parties to the Treaty of 1856, that a Conference should meet in London. This Conference has now been for some time engaged in its labours; and I confidently trust that the result of its deliberations will be to uphold both the principles of public right and the general policy of the Treaty, and, at the same time, by the revision of some of its conditions ​ in a fair and conciliatory spirit, to exhibit a cordial co-operation among the Powers with regard to the Levant.

    I greatly regret that my earnest efforts have failed to procure the presence at the Conference of any Representative of France, which was one of the chief parties to the Treaty of 1856, and which must ever be regarded as a principal and indispensable Member of the great Commonwealth of Europe.

    At different times, several questions of importance have arisen, which are not yet adjusted, and which materially affect the relations between the United States and the territories and people of British North America. One of them in particular, which concerns the Fisheries, calls for early settlement; lest the possible indiscretion of individuals should impair the neighbourly understanding, which it is on all grounds so desirable to cherish and maintain. I have therefore engaged in amicable communications with the President of the United States. In order to determine the most convenient mode of treatment for these matters, I have suggested the appointment of a joint Commission; and I have agreed to a proposal of the President, that this Commission shall be authorized at the same time, and in the same manner, to resume the consideration of the American claims growing out of the circumstances of the late war. This arrangement will, by common consent, include all claims for compensation which have been, or may be made by each Government, or by its citizens, upon the other.

    The establishment of a Prince of the House of Savoy on the Throne of Spain, by the free choice of the popularly-elected representatives of the ​ Spanish nation, will, I trust, insure for a country which has passed with so much temperance and self-control through a prolonged and trying crisis, the blessings of a stable Government.

    I am unhappily not able to state that the inquiry which was instituted by the Government of Greece into the history of the shocking murders perpetrated during the last spring at Dilessi has reached a termination answerable in all respects to My just expectations, but I shall not desist from My endeavours to secure the complete attainment of the objects of the inquiry. Some valuable results, however, have in the meantime been obtained, for the exposure and the repression of a lawless and corrupting system, which has too long afflicted the Greek Peninsula.

    The anxiety which the massacre at Tien-tsin on the 21st of June last called forth has happily been dispelled; and while it will be My earnest endeavour to provide for the security of My Subjects and their trade in those remote quarters, I count on your concurrence in the policy that I have adopted of recognizing the Chinese Government as entitled to be dealt with in its relations with this country in a conciliatory and forbearing spirit.

    The Parliamentary recess has been one of anxious interest in regard to foreign affairs. But I rejoice to acquaint you that my relations are, as heretofore, those of friendship and good understanding with the Sovereigns and States of the civilized world.

    Papers illustrative of the conduct of My Government in relation to the several matters, on which I have now summarily touched, will be duly laid before you.

    ​In turning to domestic affairs, I have first to inform you that I have approved of a marriage between my daughter Princess Louise and the Marquis of Lorne, and I have declared my consent to this union in Council.

    Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

    The revenue of the country flourishes, and the condition of trade and industry may, though with partial drawbacks, be declared satisfactory.

    The estimates for the coming year will be promptly laid before you.

    My Lords, and Gentlemen,

    The lessons of military experience afforded by the present war have been numerous and important.

    The time appears appropriate for turning such lessons to account by efforts more decisive than heretofore at practical improvement. In attempting this you will not fail to bear in mind the special features in the position of this country, so favourable to the freedom and security of the people, and if the changes from a less to a more effective and elastic system of defensive military preparation shall be found to involve, at least for a time, an increase of various charges, your prudence and patriotism will not grudge the cost, as long as you are satisfied that the end is important, and the means judicious. No time will be lost in laying before you a Bill for the better regulation of the army and the auxiliary land forces of the Crown, and I hardly need commend it to your anxious and impartial consideration.

    I trust that the powerful interest at present attaching to affairs abroad, and to military questions, will not greatly abate the energy with which ​ you have heretofore applied yourselves to the work of general improvement in our domestic legislation.

    I commend anew to your attention several measures on subjects which I desired to be brought before you during the last Session of Parliament, but which the time remaining at your disposal, after you had dealt with the principal subjects of the year, was not found sufficient to carry to a final issue.

    I refer especially to the Bills on Religious Tests in the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, on Ecclesiastical Titles, on the Disabilities of Trade Combinations, on the Courts of Justice and Appeal, on the Adjustment of Local Burdens, and on the Licensing of Houses for the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors.

    The inquiry made by a Committee of the Commons House being now complete, a measure will be placed before you on an early day for the establishment of Secret Voting.

    A proposal is anxiously expected in Scotland for the adjustment of the question of primary education. With reference to the training of the young in schools on a national scale and basis, that portion of the country has especial claims on the favourable consideration of Parliament: and I trust the year may not pass by without your having disposed of this question by the enactment of a just and effective law.

    The condition of Ireland with reference to agrarian crime has, in general, afforded a gratifying contrast with the state of that island in the preceding winter; but there have been painful though very partial exceptions.

    ​To secure the best results for the great measures of the two last Sessions which have so recently passed into operation, and which involve such direct and pressing claims upon the attention of all classes of the community, a period of calm is to be desired; and I have thought it wise to refrain from suggesting to you at the present juncture the discussion of any political question likely to become the subject of new and serious controversy in that country.

    The burdens devolving upon you as the great Council of the nation, and of this ancient and extended Empire, are, and must long continue to be, weighty. But you labour for a country whose laws and institutions have stood the test of time, and whose people, earnestly attached to them, and desiring their continuance, will unite with their Sovereign in invoking upon all your designs the favour and aid of the Most High.

  • Queen Victoria – 1870 Queen’s Speech

    Queen Victoria – 1870 Queen’s Speech

    Below is the text of the Queen’s Speech given in the House of Lords on 8 February 1870. It was spoken by the Lord Chancellor on behalf of HM Queen Victoria.

    My Lords, and Gentlemen,

    WE have it in command from Her Majesty again to invite you to resume your arduous duties, and to express the regret of Her Majesty that recent indisposition has prevented Her from meeting you in person, as had been Her intention, at a period of remarkable public interest.

    The friendly sentiments which are entertained in all quarters towards this country, and which Her Majesty cordially reciprocates, the growing disposition to resort to the good offices of allies in cases of international difference, and the conciliatory spirit in which several such cases have recently been treated and determined, encourage Her Majesty’s confidence in the continued maintenance of the general tranquillity.

    Papers will be laid before you with reference to recent occurrences in New Zealand.

    Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

    The Estimates for the services of the approaching financial year are in a forward state of preparation. Framed with a view in the first place to the effective maintenance of the Public Establishments, they will impose a diminished charge upon the subjects of Her Majesty.

    The condition of the Revenue has answered to the expectations which were formed during the past Session.

    Her Majesty trusts that you will be disposed to carry to its completion the inquiry which you last year instituted into the mode of conducting Parliamentary and Municipal Elections, and thus to prepare the materials of useful and early legislation.

    ​My Lords, and Gentlemen,

    It will be proposed to you to amend the laws respecting the occupation and acquisition of land in Ireland, in a manner adapted to the peculiar circumstances of that country, and calculated, as Her Majesty believes, to bring about improved relations between the several classes concerned in Irish agriculture, which collectively constitute the great bulk of the people. These provisions when matured by your impartiality and wisdom, as Her Majesty trusts, will tend to inspire among persons with whom such sentiments may still be wanting, that steady confidence in the law and that desire to render assistance in its effective administration which mark Her subjects in general; and thus will aid in consolidating the fabric of the Empire.

    We are further directed by Her Majesty to state that many other subjects of public importance appear to demand your care; and among these especially to inform you that a Bill has been prepared for the enlargement, on a comprehensive scale, of the means of National Education.

    In fulfilment of an engagement to the Government of the United States a Bill will be proposed to you for the purpose of defining the status of subjects or citizens of foreign countries who may desire naturalization, and of aiding them in the attainment of that object.

    You will further be invited to consider Bills, prepared in compliance with the Report of the Commission on Courts of Judicature, for the improvement of the constitution and procedure of the Superior Tribunals of both original and appellate Jurisdiction.

    ​The question of religious tests in the Universities and Colleges of Oxford and Cambridge has been under discussion for many years. Her Majesty recommends such a legislative settlement of this question as may contribute to extend the usefulness of these great institutions and to heighten the respect with which they are Justly regarded.

    Bills have been prepared for extending the incidence of rating, and for placing the collection of the large sums locally raised for various purposes on a simple and uniform footing.

    Her Majesty has likewise to recommend that you should undertake the amendment of the laws which regulate the grant of licences for the sale of fermented and spirituous liquors.

    Measures will also be brought under our consideration for facilitating the transfer of land, for regulating the succession to real property in case of intestacy, for amending the laws as to the disabilities of members of Trade Combinations, and for both consolidating and improving the body of statutes which relate to merchant shipping.

    While commending to you these weighty matters of legislation, Her Majesty commands us to add that the recent extension of agrarian crime in several parts of Ireland, with its train of accompanying evils, has filled Her Majesty with painful concern.

    The Executive Government has employed freely the means at its command for the prevention of outrage, and a partial improvement may be observed; but although the number of offences, within this class of crime, has been by no means so great as at some former periods, the indisposition ​ to give evidence in aid of the administration of justice has been alike remarkable and injurious.

    For the removal of such evils Her Majesty places Her main reliance on the permanent operation of wise and necessary changes in the law. Yet She will not hesitate to recommend to you the adoption of special provisions, should such a policy appear during the course of the Session to be required by the paramount interest of peace and order.

    Upon these and all other subjects Her Majesty devoutly prays that your labours may be constantly attended by the blessing of Almighty God.

  • Nicola Sturgeon – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Nicola Sturgeon – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Below is the text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, in Edinburgh on 26 May 2020.

    Good afternoon. Thanks for joining us for today’s briefing.

    I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

    As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,185 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 29 from yesterday.

    A total of 1,200 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 69 from yesterday, including a decrease of 16 in the number of confirmed cases.

    A total of 36 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is a decrease of 4 since yesterday.

    I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,589 patients who had tested positive for the virus have been able to leave hospital.

    And unfortunately, in the last 24 hours, 18 deaths have been registered of patients who have been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2291.

    Each one is an individual whose loss is a source of grief to many. I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

    I also want to express my gratitude – as I always do – to our health and care workers, for everything you are doing in such testing circumstances.

    Today, I want to focus on the launch of NHS Scotland’s test, trace and isolate programme – Test and Protect – the logo for which you will see behind me.

    From the end of this week, through Test and Protect, anyone who suspects they have Covid-19 will be tested.

    If you test positive, your close contacts will be traced and advised to isolate for 14 days.

    The aim of Test and Protect is to quickly identify cases of the virus and then act to break the chains of transmission.

    On 4th May, we published our initial plans.

    I can confirm today, that the system will go live in every one of Scotland’s 14 health board areas on Thursday.

    Test and Protect will be an important tool in the months ahead – it will help us suppress the virus while we slowly ease lockdown restrictions. But it will only be effective if we all play our part.

    So today I’ll set out what the capacity of the new system will be at the point of launch and how this will develop.

    And I’ll set out how you as an individual, your household, your workplace and your employer can support us in making it work.

    Firstly we said that to launch Test and Protect nationally we needed the ability to conduct over 15,000 tests a day. I can confirm today that this capacity is now in place.

    It will be delivered through a combination of NHS labs, academic partners, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and the Lighthouse Lab in Glasgow.

    Secondly, we said we would enhance and extend use of the software that public health teams already use for contact tracing in relation to other infectious diseases.

    That software has been piloted in Fife, Lanarkshire and Highland over the last week and I can confirm that it will be operational in every health board by Thursday.

    Thirdly, we said that we’d aim to have 2000 contact tracers available by the end of this month.

    Based on current demand estimates, we assess that around 700 will be needed in the early phase. However, I can confirm that by the end of the month we will have a pool of around 2000 to draw on if necessary.

    This is a system that will operate at a scale not seen before in Scotland. Over the first couple of weeks, it will need to bed down. But introducing it at the same time as we take the first cautious steps out of lockdown gives us the opportunity to address any operational issues ahead of a potentially more substantial easing of restrictions at the next review date in 3 weeks.

    Over the next few weeks, we will also add enhancements to the system.

    As I said earlier, the technology used by contact tracers will be in place from the start. But we will also add a digital platform to allow people who test positive to enter details of their contacts online.

    We will also continue to build testing capacity and make access to testing more locally accessible. We will keep you updated on all of that.

    Let me now outline what we are asking you, the public to do.

    Let me stress that, just like lockdown, this is something that will only have the desired effect if we all do what is required. It can’t be seen as optional.

    To make sure we all understand what is required, a public awareness campaign will start later this week. And during June, information will be delivered to every household across the country.

    But let me set out the basics here.

    Firstly, as of Thursday we are asking that if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19 – that is a cough, temperature or loss of taste or smell – you take immediate steps to book a test.

    Please don’t wait to see if you feel better after a day or two – time is of the essence, so get in touch as soon as you experience symptoms.

    You should go to nhsinform.scot or, if you can’t get online, call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816.

    Online you can ask for a test for yourself, or for someone else that you live with, and book it at one of the drive through testing centres or mobile testing units. For some, there will also be the option of a home testing kit. As I said earlier, in the coming weekswe will be working to further expand local access to testing.

    If you can’t go online, you should call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816. An adviser will then go through some questions with you, and book you in for a test.

    While you wait for your test and the result, it is essential that you and your household self-isolate. That means staying at home at all times – with the exception of going for the test. You shouldn’t go to the shops, out for exercise or to see anybody else.

    In line with the current guidance, the person with symptoms should isolate for 7 days from the start of your symptoms.

    Other members of the household should self-isolate for 14 days. If any of them start to display symptoms during that time, they should also go through the testing process.

    If your test comes back negative, you and your household can end your isolation.

    However, if you are contacted to be told that you have tested positive, you will be asked at that stage for details of people that you have been in contact with.

    The definition of a contact is people within your household, people you have had face to face contact with, and people who have been within two metres of for a period of 15 minutes or more.

    I want to take the opportunity now to assure you that your privacy will be respected at all times during this process.

    The information you provide will be held securely within the NHS and used only for the purposes of tracing your contacts.

    It will not be used by the Scottish Government – indeed, we won’t have access to it. All the work of identifying and tracing contacts will be done within Scotland’s NHS.

    Let me turn now to what to do if you receive a call from a contact tracer to say that you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive.

    It is no exaggeration to say that how you – how any of us – respond will be vital in stopping the spread of the virus.

    We will ask you to self-isolate immediately – the success of Test and Protect will really depend on all of us trusting this advice and, for the sake of ourselves and each other, agreeing to abide by it.

    If you are at work, the advice will be to immediately head home, taking care to come into contact with as few people as possible.

    We have published guidance this morning for employers, making clear they should support anyone who is asked to self-isolate by Test and Protect.

    If you are well, and can work from home, then your employer will expect you to do so, but they should not ask you to go into work.

    The Scottish Government is also in contact with the UK Government to ensure that employment rights and entitlement to benefits including statutory sick pay, take account of the fact that people may be off work or unable to attend appointments through no fault of their own.

    We have also published today general advice for anyone who is asked to self-isolate. Remember that this is something over the months ahead that could happen to any of us – on more than one occasion.

    This includes hygiene advice for your home, advice for other people in your household, what to do if you care for someone who is shielding or clinically vulnerable, and what to do if you need help accessing food and medicine or even accommodation. It also suggests how we can all make some preparations in advance.

    Now, I know there’s a lot of information here to take in. But don’t worry, we will be taking steps to ensure everyone knows what we are asking you to do.

    For now, let me leave you with these points.

    Test and Protect is an important tool for us in the period ahead. The more effective it is, the more of the lockdown restrictions we will be able to lift.

    However, it can’t do all the work of suppressing the virus. We will all continue to have a vital role to play in our everyday lives. That means even as we ease lockdown, physical distancing, good hygiene and following appropriate advice will continue to be essential.

    And so too will all of us doing what is asked of us. Test and Protect will only work if we all come forward for testing when we have symptoms and if we all agree to self-isolate when asked.

    And if the government steps up to give you the support you need to do so.

    In short, Test and Protect will require exactly the same spirit of solidarity and care for each other as lockdown has done.

    It will be a collective national endeavour.

    People will need the help of family, friends, colleagues and employers. Volunteers who have been supporting efforts to distribute food and care for the vulnerable through lockdown will have a valuable part to play in supporting people through Test and Protect. Government will have to ensure the right capacity, resources and support is in place.

    And all of us will have to agree to make sacrifices for the common good – just as we have been doing.

    In short, by agreeing that some of us will have to stay home at times – when we have symptoms, test positive, or have been in contact with someone who tests positive – we can gradually move away from a situation where everyone has to stay home all of the time.

    As I said earlier, we will make much more information available in the days and weeks to come.

    But let me leave you with the most important message – from Thursday, if you have symptoms you should go online to NHS Inform or call NHS 0800 028 2816 0800 and book a test straight away.

    And for now, all of us must continue to stick with lockdown measures.

    So please, stay at home except for essential purposes.

    When you do leave the house, stay more than two metres from other people. And do not meet up with people from households other than yours.

    You should wear a face covering if you are in an enclosed space such as a shop or on public transport. This is one of the issues covered in the Transport Transition Plan that we will also publish later this afternoon.

    You should also continue to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly.

    And if you or someone else in your household has symptoms of Covid-19, then you should stay at home completely.

    At the moment, these actions are vital – to slow the spread of the virus, protect the NHS, and save lives.

    So thank you once again, for helping to do that.

  • Nicola Sturgeon – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Nicola Sturgeon – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Below is the text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, in Edinburgh on 28 May 2020.

    Good afternoon. Thank you very much for joining us.

    Today, as you are probably anticipating, I will confirm some careful and cautious changes to the current lockdown regulations.

    I will set out what those changes are in a moment – but I want to begin with a simple but really important point.

    The only reason we can make any changes today is that we have made progress in suppressing this virus. And that is entirely down to the sacrifices that all of you have made.

    So more than ever today, I want to say thank you to each and every single one of you.

    I’ll come to the changes themselves in a moment – and because there’s a lot to cover today, my update will be a bit longer than normal – but first of course I will provide the usual statistical update.

    As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,288 positive cases confirmed – that is an increase of 48 since yesterday.

    A total of 1,238 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That represents a decrease of nine overall from yesterday, including a decrease of 13 in the number of confirmed cases.

    A total of 37 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. That is a decrease of 1 since yesterday.

    I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,635 patients who had tested positive for the virus have now been able to leave hospital.

    Unfortunately though, in the last 24 hours, 12 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having the virus, and that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,316.

    Now I feel very strongly, as I’m sure you do, particularly today as we start to take the first steps out of lockdown, that we must never become inured to these statistics – and we must never ever forget that behind every single one is a person who was loved and is now deeply missed.

    In future, we will want – collectively as a nation – to remember and mourn that loss.

    But for now let me send my condolences to every family who has lost a loved one to this virus.

    Let me also express my deep gratitude to our health and care workers for the incredible work you have done and continue to do, in such extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

    The figures I have just given remind us that the progress we have made so far is real. But these figures also remind us of the toll this virus has taken – and that our progress remains fragile.

    The virus is still proving fatal for too many. Hundreds of people are still in hospital. And new infections are still being identified in most health board areas.

    As I have said before, that means we must proceed with the utmost care and caution.

    Nevertheless, a downward trend in COVID-19 cases is now sustained and unmistakeable.

    As you know, the law requires us to formally review the lockdown regulations at least every three weeks and to keep them in place only for as long as is necessary. And the latest review period ends today.

    I can confirm that we have considered the latest evidence of the spread of the virus and I can report as follows.

    The R number – the transmission rate of the virus – remains in a range of 0.7 to 1.

    We can’t be certain how far below 1 it is – and that confirms, and underlines, that we must continue to exercise caution.

    However, we have now reasonable confidence that the R number has been below 1 for a period of more than three weeks.

    Our modelling also shows that the prevalence of the virus is reducing.

    Last week you might recall that I reported an estimated 25,000 infectious cases across the country. Our latest estimate is that as of last Friday 22 May, there were 19,000 infectious cases in Scotland.

    In addition, the number of patients in intensive care has fallen by 80% since the peak.

    And the number of new hospital admissions has fallen by more than 80%.

    Also, as we saw yesterday in the National Records of Scotland report, deaths associated with COVID-19 – both overall and in care homes – have now declined for four consecutive weeks.

    This evidence has allowed the Scottish Government therefore to conclude that we can now move into Phase 1 of our four phase route map out of lockdown.

    My confidence in that conclusion is bolstered by the launch today of Test and Protect – a system of test, trace, isolate.

    We are now asking any person who has symptoms of COVID-19 – that is a cough, a temperature or loss of taste or smell – to take immediate steps to book a test.

    If this applies to you, please go straight to nhsinform.scot to get a test or, if you can’t go online, call NHS 24 on 0800 028 2816. Don’t wait to see if you feel better before booking a test. And apart from going for the test, you – and all people in your household – should self-isolate.

    If you are contacted by Test and Protect to say you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, please follow the advice to self-isolate for 14 days.

    But remember – and this is a really important point – that you can minimise the chances of that happening by taking care not to be a close contact of someone outside your own household – and that means staying at least two metres distant from anyone who is not part of your household.

    Test and Protect will be a crucial part of our efforts to control the virus in the weeks ahead. But it will not do it – cannot do it – on its own.

    The decisions that all of us make – about staying two metres apart, washing our hands, wearing face coverings in enclosed spaces – these matter just as much.

    In many ways, in fact, they will matter even more as we start to slowly relax these lockdown rules.

    If we don’t pay close attention, and follow physical distancing and hygiene rules, those 19,000 estimated cases I mentioned earlier will quickly rise again.

    However, all of that said, we are now in a position to make careful changes. And I want to set out now what those changes will be.

    Many of these changes will come into effect tomorrow.

    We are publishing on the Scottish Government website specific guidance to help you understand the changes and also the rules that we are still asking you to follow. So please take the time to read that.

    The focus of our Phase 1 changes is on outdoor activity.

    And the reason for that is this – as long as people from different households remain two metres apart, do not touch the same surfaces and wash hands and surfaces regularly, the risk of the virus spreading is lower in an outdoor environment than it is indoors.

    Even so, in making changes at this stage, we have limited room for manoeuvre. So we need to get the balance right.

    Of course we want to restart the economy as quickly as possible, but we have also kept very firmly in mind the things that matter most to our quality of life – family, friendship, love.

    I will therefore spend most of my time today talking about what these changes will mean for your ability to interact with friends and family.

    But first let me cover what they mean for business and public services.

    From tomorrow, most outdoor work that has been put on hold can resume, and the construction industry will be able to restart site preparation – that’s the first phase of its restart plan. It will require to consult further with government before moving on to the second stage of that plan.

    From tomorrow, garden centres and plant nurseries can reopen some of their services, and we will no longer be discouraging drive-through food outlets from re-opening as well.

    However, non-essential shops, and pubs, restaurants and cafes – except for takeaway – must remain closed at this stage.

    Household waste recycling centres can re-open from Monday – and guidance on this was issued yesterday.

    We continue to ask other business premises to remain closed at this stage, unless providing essential goods and services, and we ask all businesses to let staff work from home wherever possible.

    From Monday onwards, 1 June, teachers and other staff will be able to enter schools for the purpose of preparing for a re-opening of all schools on 11 August, for a blended in school / at home model of learning.

    And from next Wednesday onwards – that’s 3 June – childcare will be available to a larger number of children who most need it, for example vulnerable children and children of essential workers.

    Childminding services and fully outdoor nursery provision will start to reopen from next Wednesday too. However, there will continue to be limits on the number of children that can be cared for, and guidance for childminders will issue on Monday.

    During Phase 1, some key public services – for example some respite care, children’s hearings and some key health programmes – will also begin to restart their work, and further announcements on timing will be made in due course.

    In terms of sport and recreation, some non-contact outdoor leisure activities will be allowed to restart – again from tomorrow.

    This applies to activities where you can safely keep a two metre distance from others at all times and follow strict hygiene practices – for example golf, tennis, bowls and fishing.

    You will also be able, from tomorrow, to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas. I am sure that will welcomed by many, particularly in this weather – but it will be welcomed especially by those who do not have gardens.

    And you will be able to travel – preferably by walking or cycling – to a location near your local community for recreation. However we are asking you, for now, to please stay within, or close to, your own local area. And don’t use public transport unless it is absolutely necessary.

    Now we are not setting a fixed distance limit in law – but our strong advice is not to travel further than around five miles for leisure or recreation.

    And it is still the case that you should not go to our island communities, except for essential reasons.

    We simply don’t want, in this phase, to see large numbers of people at tourist hot spots or local beauty spots. Crowds of people – even if they’re trying to socially distance – bring more risk than we judge is acceptable and safe at this point.

    So if you do go somewhere and find it is crowded, please use your judgment, change your plans and go somewhere else.

    Now the final area I want to talk about is social interaction.

    But before I do that I want to say something specifically and directly to people who are shielding – the people who are most vulnerable to the virus.

    You are now well into your third month of being advised not to leave home at all. And I know that listening to today’s changes – which don’t yet bring a change to your own circumstances – will be particularly hard for you.

    So I want to assure you that we will be providing you with more information and guidance in the next couple of weeks. And we will be trying, as far as possible, as far as safe, to move to less of a blanket approach – one which requires all of you to stay at home all of the time – to one that more reflects your individual circumstances.

    We know the impact that our advice is having on you, and on your loved ones, is significant – and we are doing everything we can to get that advice right so that you can safely, albeit gradually, start to lead a less restricted life. I want you to know today that you have not been forgotten – and you are a central part of our thinking, as we consider how we move forward.

    More generally, though, we can today confirm changes to the rules on meeting socially. And this, I know, is something everyone has been eagerly anticipating.

    From tomorrow the regulations on meeting other people will change.

    You and your household will be able to meet with another household out of doors – for example in a park or in a private garden.

    We said last week this should be in small groups – and to give you greater guidance on that, we are asking that the total number of people between the two households meeting up should be a maximum of eight. Please keep it to less than that if you can.

    Now, we are not saying that you must pick one household and only meet the same one during Phase 1. But we are saying that you should not meet with more than one other household at a time.

    And while this will not be the law, we also strongly recommend that you don’t meet with more than one other household per day.

    This change will obviously allow you to meet with more people that we can right now – but please remember that we should still be meeting far fewer people outside our own household than we would in normal times.

    Now, I know how much all of you will be looking forward – all of us will be looking forward to seeing family and friends for the first time in a while. But how we do this is going to be really vital.

    Before you meet up with people from another household you should stop, think, read the guidance and make sure you are protecting yourself and others.

    In particular, you must stay outdoors and stay at least two metres away from people from the other household. That is crucial.

    You should also avoid touching the same hard surfaces as they do.

    Let me give an example of that. I suspect many of you will be planning a picnic or a barbecue this weekend. If you are, not only should you stay two metres apart from those in the other household, but each household should also bring its own food, cutlery, plates or cups. Don’t share these things.

    And please – don’t go indoors. Being in someone else’s house should still be avoided, unless of course you are providing support to someone who is vulnerable.

    And that means thinking in very practical terms. We are not putting a legal limit on how far you can travel to meet another household, but please use your good judgment. If the distance is so far that you would have to use someone else’s bathroom, then perhaps you shouldn’t be doing it.

    And the reason for all of this is simple, but it is worth repeating, because I am not putting all of these restrictions – or asking you to put these restriction on your activity for no reason.

    And the reason is this – if you go inside a house or if you share items, if you touch the same surfaces as another household, or come within two metres of each other, that is when you are creating an opportunity – a bridge, if you like – for the virus to spread from one household to another.

    And that is what all of us must still do everything we can to avoid.

    Now, I know the information I give at these briefings sometimes must be hard to absorb.

    But today’s information is really vital. So please watch this back later to make sure you caught all of it. And please read the guidance that you will find at www.gov.scot

    What I have announced today are important first steps back to some kind of normality I hope. But they are by necessity cautious.

    I’ve said before that no changes are risk free – and there are no certainties in any of this – but I have also said that I wanted to ensure that with every step we do take, the ground beneath our feet is as solid as possible. And that is what we are taking care to ensure.

    But I don’t mind admitting to you that as we take these first steps, I do feel a bit nervous.

    I worry that the limited changes we are making to these rules, the very careful changes, might lead to much greater change in reality. And so I really need your help to make sure that is not the case.

    I am sure there are going to be lots of emotional reunions this weekend. You will be planning to see family and friends that you haven’t seen for weeks. And based on the current forecasts, the sun will be shining too. We’ve all waited a long time for this, so I hope you all really enjoy it.

    But please, please – respect the parameters we are setting out.

    Be respectful of each other’s space, and make sure things still feel different to normal, because they should still feel different to normal.

    Above all, remember that each individual decision we will take, will affect the safety and the wellbeing of everyone. Make sure that love, kindness and solidarity continue to be our guiding principles.

    So to recap.

    Still stay at home as much as possible – the virus has not gone away. Lockdown is being modified slightly – it is not over.

    Make sure you are still seeing far fewer people than you might normally do.

    Don’t meet up with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day and keep to a maximum of eight people in a group.

    Stay two metres apart when you do meet. And that, I know will be really difficult – perhaps the most difficult part of all. The instinct to hug somebody you love is a really strong one – especially when you haven’t seen that person for quite some time. And I know that for some – couples who live apart for example – for them, this is even more difficult. And I want to assure you that we are considering that point very carefully.

    But for now – whether it’s parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles, siblings, partners from other households – don’t put your loved ones or yourself at risk.

    Also wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.

    Avoid hard surfaces – and clean any that you are touching.

    And if you have symptoms, get tested and follow the advice on self-isolation.

    To end where I started, we are only able to take these careful steps towards a less restricted lifestyle for all of us now because all of you have, overwhelmingly, stuck to the rules so far.

    And the truth is that we will be able to take more steps more quickly in the future, if we all continue to do the right thing, stick to the rules, and most importantly of all now, exercise good judgment at all times.

    I want to thank you again for all you’ve done so far, but thank you in advance for continuing – as I know you will – to do the right thing and remember that this is all about protecting not just ourselves – it is about protecting each other.

    And though these changes are small at this stage, I really hope they do make a positive difference and leave all of us with a real sense of hope that we are on the right track, the track towards greater normality while we continue to beat this virus along the way.

    Thank you very much indeed for listening.

  • Nicola Sturgeon – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Nicola Sturgeon – 2020 Statement on the Coronavirus

    Below is the text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, in Edinburgh on 29 May 2020.

    Good afternoon – and welcome to today’s briefing. I am joined today by the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Fair Work and Culture, Fiona Hyslop; and our National Clinical Director, Jason Leitch.

    I want to start – as I always do – by updating you on some of the key statistics in relation to Covid-19 in Scotland.

    As at 9 o’clock this morning, there have been 15,327 positive cases confirmed – an increase of 39 from yesterday.

    A total of 1,216 patients are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That represents a total decrease of 22 from yesterday, including a decrease of 28 in the number of confirmed cases.

    A total of 40 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid 19. That is an increase of 3 since yesterday.

    We shouldn’t read anything into that increase – these figures will fluctuate day to day. But nevertheless it is a reminder that the virus has not gone away.

    I am also able to confirm today that since 5 March, a total of 3,640 patients who had tested positive for the virus and required hospitalisation have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.

    And unfortunately, I also have to report that in the last 24 hours, 15 deaths have been registered of patients who had been confirmed through a test as having Covid-19 – that takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,331.

    We must never lose sight of the fact that these numbers are not simply statistics. They represent individuals whose deaths are being mourned by friends, family and loved ones. I want to send my condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one to this virus.

    I also want to thank – as I always do – our health and care workers. For the tenth Thursday in a row last night, people across the country joined together to applaud your efforts and show our gratitude.

    There are two items I want to cover today.

    Firstly, I want to recap on the changes to the lockdown restrictions on social interaction and leisure that have taken effect today.

    I’m very conscious that this weekend will be the first – in quite a while – that people will be able to meet up. And so I want to take the time to outline, once again, what the changes are…and the rules you must follow to stay safe and avoid a resurgence of the virus.

    From today, you and your household can meet with another household out of doors – for example in a park or in a private garden.

    However, you should limit the total number of people meeting up, to a maximum of 8. Ideally it should be less than that.

    You should not meet with more than one household at a time. And don’t meet with more than one other household per day.

    If you do meet up, you need to be outside – and you need to stay at least 2 metres away from people in the other household. You should also avoid touching the same hard surfaces.

    For example, if you are having a picnic or barbecue this weekend – not only should you stay 2 metres apart from members of the other household, but each household should also bring its own food, cutlery, plates and cups.

    And please – don’t go indoors. Being in someone else’s house should still be avoided, unless you are providing support to someone who is vulnerable.

    We are not putting a legal limit on how far you can travel to meet another household. But if the distance is so far that you would have to use someone else’s bathroom, please don’t go.

    Again, to be clear, these rules are for a reason. If you go inside a house, or come within 2 metres of each other, or if you touch the same surfaces as another household, that creates an opportunity for the virus to spread.

    And we must do everything we can to avoid that.

    From today, you are also able to sit or sunbathe in parks and open areas.

    You will be able to travel – preferably by walking or cycling – for recreation. However, please stay within, or close to, your own local area. Don’t travel more than around 5 miles from your home.

    We do not want to see large numbers of people at tourist hot spots or local beauty spots. So if you do go somewhere and find it is crowded, please change your plans and go somewhere else.

    If you haven’t done so already, please go to the Scottish Government’s website and read the guidance we are asking you to follow.

    I hope that these changes will bring some improvement to the quality of our lives.

    But they are deliberately and by necessity cautious – and they have been carefully assessed.

    I said yesterday I was nervous ahead of these changes and that’s still the case.

    If too many of us change our behaviour a bit more than these changes are designed to allow, we could see the virus spread quickly again and we will be back to square one.

    And the consequences of that will be measured, not just in more time spent in lockdown – it will be measured in lost lives too.

    So I’m not trying to cramp anyone’s fun this weekend. I want everyone to enjoy these changes – you have more than earned it.

    But I am asking you to please do so responsibly. I am appealing to your judgment and your sense of solidarity to each other.

    Please stay within the rules.

    Apply judgment. We can’t give bespoke guidance for every individual circumstance – but remember that the purpose of the rules is to deny the virus bridges to jump across.

    So continue to limit the people from other households you see.

    Stay distant.

    Be rigorous in your hand hygiene.

    And don’t allow the virus to spread from you to someone else via a hard surface.

    And generally, if you’re wondering whether or not it’s ok to do something this weekend, consider whether you might be providing that bridge.

    And if you are in doubt about whether your plans are within the rules or not, err on the side of caution.

    Because however harsh these rules might feel right now, abiding by them will never be as harsh as grieving the loss of a loved one.

    So please, before you make any plans, stop and think to protect you and your families.

    The second item I want to cover today relates to the economy. This morning, as I do every Friday morning, I chaired the Cabinet sub-committee on the economy.

    Among the items we discussed was our support for business – and particularly for those industries which are not yet able to reopen.

    One of those is – of course – our manufacturing sector. And that’s what I want to focus on today.

    We know that manufacturing is vital to Scotland. And that fact has been underlined over the past couple of months.

    In that time, manufacturers across country have stepped forward, to help Scotland’s response to the crisis. Many have repurposed or scaled up their operations, to meet the demand for things like hand sanitizer and PPE. In doing so, they’ve helped us to provide our frontline services, with the supplies that they need.

    So I want to thank everyone who has contributed to that effort. I also want to thank the many manufacturing businesses – not involved in that essential work – who have remained closed. I know how tough things are at the moment – and I appreciate the sacrifices you are making.

    Unfortunately, most of Scotland’s manufacturing businesses will not be able to reopen until phase 2 of our route map. However, during this first phase, they will be able to start preparations, for a safe return to work.

    Earlier this week, the Scottish Government published guidance for the sector, on the measures that will need to be put in place.

    We are determined to support our manufacturing industry, as it prepares for that restart. We also want to do everything we can to ensure its future success. That was already a priority for the Scottish Government. But it becomes even more important, as the industry recovers from this crisis.

    That’s why I am announcing today that we will provide an additional £20 million of funding for Scotland’s new National Manufacturing Institute. That brings our total investment to £75 million.

    I can also confirm today that the contract to build the new Institute has been awarded, though work will only commence when it is safe to do so.

    The National Manufacturing Institute will be operated by the University of Strathclyde – and it will bring together expertise from academia and industry.

    It will allow businesses – of all sizes – to access research and development. And it will ensure that Scotland remains at the very forefront of advanced manufacturing.

    Of course, we also want to improve the support available to manufacturers – at a local level – right across Scotland. So today, we’re also announcing investment in 12 new projects, as part of our Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund.

    Each of the projects is designed to help small and medium sized businesses. And the Cabinet Secretary will set out more detail on them, shortly.

    We know that a strong manufacturing sector is vital to our economic success. So by investing now, we are preparing our economy, for the challenges – and the opportunities – of the post-Covid world.

    Of course, for now, the Scottish Government’s primary focus is on dealing with this crisis.

    Our country has made significant progress over recent weeks. But make no mistake, this virus has not gone away.

    So before I hand over to the Cabinet Secretary, I want to set out for you – once again – what the new rules are.

    Let me be very clear – you should still stay home as much as you can. Lockdown has been modified slightly – but it is not over.

    You should still be seeing far fewer people than you might normally do.

    Don’t meet with more than one other household at a time, don’t meet more than one a day and keep to a maximum of 8 people in a group.

    Stay 2 metres apart when you do meet. That will be difficult, I know. We all want to hug our loved ones. But please, don’t put them or yourself at risk.

    Wash your hands often. Take hand sanitiser if you are out and about.

    Avoid hard surfaces – and clean any you do touch.

    And if you have symptoms, get tested and follow the advice on self isolation.

    Above all, remember that each individual decision we take, will affect the safety and wellbeing of everyone.

    Recent weeks have been tough – and tough times still lie ahead – but I have never been prouder of this country than I am right now.

    So let’s continue to stick together and do right by each other.

    And remember, at all stages – stop, think and protect.

    So I want to thank all of you in advance for doing that – and wish you all, within the rules of course, a happier and certainly a sunnier weekend than we’ve had in a while.

  • Keir Starmer – 2020 Statement on Equal Pay

    Keir Starmer – 2020 Statement on Equal Pay

    Below is the text of the statement made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 29 May 2020.

    The Equal Pay Act was a historic achievement that showed the impact Labour can make in power.

    But half a century later, progress is stalling. Coronavirus threatens to set us back years in the fight for pay equality.

    We must come out of this pandemic with the commitment to build a better future. That means strengthening the Equal Pay Act and monitoring how this crisis is impacting on women.