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  • Matt Hancock – 2020 Statement on Covid-19

    Matt Hancock – 2020 Statement on Covid-19

    The statement made by Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 23 December 2020.

    Good afternoon and welcome to Downing Street for today’s coronavirus briefing.

    I’m joined by Dr Jenny Harries, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, and Dr Susan Hopkins, the Chief Medical Advisor to Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace.

    We all know that 2020 has been a hard year.

    And it is ending in this festive period, which is going to be very different.

    After all the efforts that we’ve gone through to control this virus, and in many parts of the country, this virus is under control.

    Just as we’ve got a tiering system in place that was able to control this virus, we’ve discovered a new, more contagious virus, a variant which is spreading at a dangerous rate.

    And I know that the vast majority of people watching today and across the country understand what we need to do together to get through this.

    So today we’re announcing further action within the tiering system and also some further progress on vaccines and on testing.

    And I just wanted to say this before I set out the details of what we’re going to have to put in place: I know this action has consequences.

    And I know how difficult it is.

    But I also know that it is right to take the action that is necessary to control this virus.

    Across the country, cases have risen 57% in the last week

    The average daily COVID hospital admissions are 1,909 a day – that’s the highest figure since mid-April.

    There are 18,943 people in hospital right now, that’s almost as many as at the peak.

    And yesterday, 691 deaths from coronavirus were reported. That’s 691 people who have died just before Christmas. And our hearts go out to their families and loved ones as with all those that have died from this horrible disease.

    I know the pain this causes.

    So against this backdrop of rising infections, rising hospitalisations and rising number of people dying from coronavirus, it is absolutely vital that we act.

    We simply cannot have the kind of Christmas that we all yearn for.

    Of course, it’s the social contact that makes Christmas so special. But it is that social contact that the virus thrives on, and that’s how the virus has spread from one person to another.

    So it’s important that we all minimise our social contact as much as is possible this Christmas, and that will help protect ourselves, our loved ones and the whole country.

    We’ve got to keep our resolve. We’ve got to keep going through this.

    And there are 4 areas of our response that I want to update you on today very specifically.

    Local action

    The first are those tiering decisions that I’ve just mentioned.

    We know that the 3-tiered system worked to control the old variant, and is working now in large parts of the country, especially in Northern England.

    But, we also know that Tier 3 is not enough to control the new variant.

    That is not a hypothesis, it is a fact, and we’ve seen it on the ground.

    We have seen case rates rise in some of places close to where the current Tier 4 restrictions are, in places like East Anglia, where we’ve also detected a significant number of the new variant as we’ve seen case rates rise sharply.

    It is therefore necessary to put more of the East and South East of England into Tier 4.

    We are also taking action in parts of the South West, where there are some early signs of the new variant, and where cases are rising.

    Even though case rates in some of these areas are not as high as in some areas badly affected, in London for instance and in Kent, the direction is clear, and in many cases is quite stark.

    The doubling times are short.

    And we have learnt that when it’s a matter of when, not if we take action.

    It is better to act sooner.

    So, from one minute past midnight on Boxing Day, Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, those parts of Essex not yet in Tier 4, Waverley in Surrey, and Hampshire, including Portsmouth and Southampton, but with the exception of the New Forest, will be escalated to Tier 4.

    Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, including the North Somerset Council area, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, New Forest and Northamptonshire, as well as Cheshire and Warrington, will be escalated to Tier 3.

    And I’m afraid Cornwall and Herefordshire have seen sharply rising rates and need to be escalated to Tier 2.

    This is not news that anybody wants to deliver.

    And I am truly sorry for the disruption that it causes.

    But I think people know how important it is that we take decisions like this to keep people safe and to protect the NHS.

    South Africa

    The second piece of new I want to tell you about is developments on another new strain of this virus.

    Of course, the fight against this virus is a global effort.

    And we are constantly vigilant and looking around the world.

    As part of our surveillance, and thanks to the impressive genomic capability of the South Africans, we have detected 2 cases of another new variant of coronavirus here in the UK.

    Both are contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks.

    The Chief Scientific Advisor and Chief Medical Officer and others met their South African counterparts over the last day.

    We are incredibly grateful to the South African Government for the rigour of their science, and the openness and the transparency with which they have rightly acted, as we did when we discovered the new variant here.

    This new variant is highly concerning, because it is yet more transmissible and it appeared to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered here.

    We have taken the following action.

    First, we are quarantining cases, and close contacts of cases, found here in the UK.

    Second, we are placing immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa.

    Finally, and most importantly, anyone in the UK who has been in South Africa in the past fortnight, and anyone who has been in close contact with anyone who has been in South Africa in the last fortnight, must quarantine immediately.

    By quarantine, I mean they must restrict all contact with any other person whatsoever.

    We will be changing the law to give this legal effect imminently.

    These measures are temporary, while we investigate this further new strain, which is currently being analysed at Porton Down.

    And I want to thank everyone involved for the seriousness with which I know they will take these instructions.

    Testing

    I’d like to now move onto some more positive developments.

    The third thing I wanted to talk about was an update on testing.

    As you know, we continue rapidly to expand testing capacity here in the UK.

    We are expanding community testing yet further in areas where the rate of infection is highest

    So we can identify people, and especially to identify the around 1 in 3 people, who carry the virus without displaying any symptoms at all.

    116 local areas have now signed up for this community testing, and we are in discussion with more.

    These rapid turnaround tests are proving to be extremely effective at finding cases where we otherwise wouldn’t.

    And I am today publishing an assessment of the Liverpool community testing project, which shows how effective this can be.

    I would urge anyone who has the opportunity to take part to protect their local area.

    And at the same time we are boosting rapid testing in care homes, with a further £149 million to support that effort.

    So all those who work in care homes in England will receive 2 rapid tests a week, in addition to their weekly PCR test.

    Vaccines

    Finally, amid all this difficulty, the great hope for 2021 is of course the vaccine.

    The vaccine is our route out of all this.

    And, however tough this Christmas and this winter is going to be, we know that the transforming force of science is helping find a way through.

    I am delighted to be able to announce that the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, developed here in the UK, has submitted its full data package to the MHRA for approval.

    This is the next step towards a decision on the deployment of the vaccine, which is already being manufactured including here in the UK.

    We are, of course, continuing to deploy the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which is being delivered now from over 500 sites all across the UK, and we are adding more all of the time and we are accelerating the rollout.

    I am also delighted to be able to announce that we have begun vaccination in care homes.

    We know that people who live in care homes are amongst those most vulnerable to this disease, and I’m delighted that we’re able to do this. It is another enormous logistical challenge, and I am very grateful to colleagues in the NHS and social care sector, who have worked so hard together to make this happen.

    This afternoon, it gives me great joy to tell you that the Chelsea Pensioners will be vaccinated, along with care home residents right across the country.

    I think we all need a bit of good news.

    And the reality is this vaccine programme is the we are going to get this.

    Because every time someone is vaccinated, our country becomes a little bit safer, they become a little bit safer and we get a little bit closer to the life that we all want to get back to.

    Achievements this year

    As I sincerely hope this is my last press conference before Christmas.

    I want to take a moment firstly to thank you, and everyone watching, for the sacrifices you’ve made.

    And I want to thank my whole team, who have done so much, including those here, including Susan and Jenny, but including the huge team in the NHS, in the Department and right across the board.

    As a country, we have been faced with the most enormous challenges, and it has been very tough.

    But I especially want to thank those who help this country to become the first in the world to roll out a clinically approved vaccine.

    I want to thank all those that have helped us build a bigger capacity genomic testing than anywhere else in the world – and of course the biggest testing capacity in Europe.

    I want to thank our scientist who discovered the first proven treatment for coronavirus.

    And I want to thank everybody working in the NHS and in social care for the work that they’ve done this year, and also for the work that’s going to carry on this winter.

    And especially to colleagues are going to work over Christmas, which of course is so important in the NHS and in social care.

    Look, I know how hard 2020 has been for everybody.

    And after delivering some really difficult news, if I may I want to end on a reflection about where we are as a country.

    This Christmas, and the start of 2021, is going to be tough.

    The new variant makes everything much harder, because it spreads so much faster.

    But we mustn’t give up now. We know that we can control this virus, we know that we can get through this together.

    We’re going to get through it by suppressing the virus, until a vaccine can make us safe, and that has been our strategy and that’s what we must do.

    And I know that we can do this. We’ve seen so much sacrifice.

    We’re not going to give up now, especially after so much sacrifice.

    I know that some of these decisions are tough.

    But I believe that everybody making the right decisions, and I believe that everybody will do what is needed to keep themselves and others safe, especially this Christmas.

    And I know from the bottom of my heart that there are brighter skies ahead.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments on Government’s Press Conference on 23 December

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2020 Comments on Government’s Press Conference on 23 December

    The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 23 December 2020.

    Families across the country will be understandably alarmed and anxious at the escalation in the prevalence of this horrific virus.

    Ministers need to act quickly. The usual Boris Johnson dither has disastrous consequences. It’s fiercely urgent that ministers increase vaccination roll out to save lives and minimise harm.

  • Gavin Williamson – 2020 Comments on Appointment on Simon Lebus

    Gavin Williamson – 2020 Comments on Appointment on Simon Lebus

    The comments made by Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 22 December 2020.

    Simon’s knowledge and experience will be vital as we work to make sure young people taking exams and qualifications in 2021 have the best possible chance to succeed.

    I’d like to thank Dame Glenys for her commitment and support over the last four months as acting Chief Regulator, in particular regarding the exceptional measures that have been put in place for exams next year. I am grateful to her for agreeing to continue to support work on exams from January, as Chair of the 2021 committee of Ofqual’s board.

  • Boris Johnson – 2020 Letter to Lord Bew Overriding Decision on Peter Cruddas

    Boris Johnson – 2020 Letter to Lord Bew Overriding Decision on Peter Cruddas

    The letter sent by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, to Lord Bew on 22 December 2020.

    Text of letter (in .pdf format)

  • Cledwyn Hughes – 1966 Statement on Aberfan

    Cledwyn Hughes – 1966 Statement on Aberfan

    The statement made by Cledwyn Hughes, the then Secretary of State for Wales, in the House of Commons on 24 October 1966.

    All Members will have already shared in the nation’s grief over the disaster that overtook the small community of Aberfan on Friday morning, when a coal tip avalanched into a farmhouse, 20 houses and two schools.

    Despite the efforts of the rescuers, few lives could be saved. The bodies of 111 children and 32 adults have been recovered. It is difficult to give precise figures of the persons who are still missing, but about 49 are unaccounted for.

    Alongside the rescue efforts, other work has been going on to stabilise the tip and to prevent further slippages. The Chairman of the National Coal Board, Lord Robens, who has been personally directing this work, has reported to me that the tip can now be regarded as generally stable. While there may be local adjustments of portions of the tip itself and of its widespread extensions lower down, these should not give cause for concern. In the unlikely event of a major movement, the alarm system that has been installed should give adequate warning.

    As regards other tips of the National Coal Board that might constitute a hazard, the Board has intensified its inspection procedures and in certain cases has put special precautionary measures in hand. Local authorities have been asked to inspect pit heaps not owned or operated by the Coal Board, to identify which of these might constitute a hazard.

    It is possible that the present legal responsibilities and powers of the appropriate authorities in relation to the safety of pit heaps need to be extended and this will be one of the important questions that will be considered by Lord Justice Edmund Davies.

    I have discussed his inquiry with Lord Justice Edmund Davies today. He is travelling to South Wales this afternoon and will spend tomorrow at Aberfan. I shall be having a further meeting with him on Wednesday. As the Prime Minister has already made clear, he will have wide terms of reference to cover all aspects of the disaster, and he will be given all the powers that he considers necessary. After discussion with Lord Justice Edmund Davies it has been decided to ask Parliament for the inquiry to be conducted under the Tribunals of Inquiry (Evidence) Act, 1921, and the necessary Resolutions will be moved later this week.

    Those of us who have had to be at the scene of the disaster will never forget its horror and tragedy; nor shall we forget the selfless and unremitting efforts of the thousands who, since last Friday morning, have been engaged on the appallingly difficult tasks of rescue, recovery and reclamation.

    The House will wish to express its own deep sympathy with the bereaved. The House will also wish to record its appreciation of the work of Merthyr County Borough Council, other local authorities and national and local organisations and services and the public.

    Hon. Members

    Hear, hear.

    Mr. Davies

    Will my right hon. Friend accept from me that the bereaved relatives and all my constituents will be most grateful to him for his assurances and, may I add, for the long days and nights which he personally has spent in the stricken village, and to the Prime Minister for his visit and for his great encouragement to those who are still fighting the battle in Aberfan?

    May I express my own sympathy to the bereaved relatives and, on their behalf, great appreciation for the thousands of people who have volunteered their services and their resources to the people in Aberfan who need so much help?

    Mr. Hughes

    I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who is so closely identified with the people he represents.

    Mr. Gibson-Watt

    On behalf of my right hon. and hon. Friends, may I record our deep sympathy with those who have suffered bereavement in this tragic disaster at Aberfan? We wish also to praise those many thousands of helpers who have worked and who are still working on the job of recovery with such gallantry. We support the Secretary of State for Wales in his appointment of Lord Justice Edmund Davies to head the public inquiry and, of course, we will support steps taken by the Government to prevent a repetition of such a tragedy in Wales.

    There are certain disturbing features about this tragedy, but, in view of the inquiry, I will put only two questions to the right hon. Gentleman. First, to allay public anxiety, as he quite properly went out of his way to do in his statement, can he say what other tips owned by the National Coal Board at present give cause for concern? Secondly, will the court of inquiry be prepared to issue an interim report if it feels that to be necessary so that any lessons learned may bring immediate benefit?

    Mr. Hughes

    I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. The inquiry has full power to do what he suggests in his second question and I will certainly discuss that with Lord Justice Edmund Davies on Wednesday.

    The National Coal Board has informed me that there are three tips which it regards as presenting a hazard. These are in the Aberdare area. The first is the Albion Colliery, at Cilfynydd. The colliery is now closed and tipping has ceased. The tip is burning and a continual watch is being maintained. There is no cause for concern.

    The second is the Mardy Colliery, where, in exceptionally wet weather, some movement of fine slurry has been noted, although there is no danger to property, the nearest of which is about three-quarters of a mile away and is not in line with any possible slip. Continual observation is being maintained here as well.

    The third is Penrhiwceibr, where the old tips have consolidated and have a considerable cover of vegetation and where work has now ceased. Present rubbish disposal is on the other side of the mountain and there are no signs of any danger, although a continual watch is being maintained.

    Mr. James Griffiths

    May I, on behalf of all of us, express our deep regret at this awful tragedy and our sympathy with the bereaved and our considerable thanks to the very courageous people who have worked so well? We are very proud of the way in which, once more, our people have shown their traditional courage in times of distress.

    I wholeheartedly welcome the appointment of Lord Justice Edmund Davies as chairman of the inquiry. He carries with him the confidence of all of us who know him and who know that he will do a thorough job. Will my right hon. Friend provide for him a complete record of all the coal and slag tips in South Wales? Secondly, as the Coal Board is responsible for some but not all of them, can my right hon. Friend say what is the number of tips in Wales and who is responsible for them and whether information of that kind will be put before the inquiry?

    Mr. Hughes

    I am grateful to my right hon. Friend. As he is aware, under the 1921 Act the inquiry will have full power to summon witnesses and call for papers. It is estimated that there are some 500 coal tips in South Wales. Ownership is divided among the Coal Board for all tips on its property, and local authorities and private landowners on whose land disused tips stand. Only 80 tips are at present in use, but the Coal Board has a regular inspection procedure for all tips on its land, whether these tips are in use or not.

    However, in the light of events at Aberfan, the Board has intensified its inspection procedures. The Board states that there is no imminent danger from any of its tips, but in the three cases I have mentioned, because of the experience at Aberfan, special measures are being put in hand forthwith. This involves continual inspection, and not inspection once a day, which is a statutory requirement.

    Mr. Finch

    Can my right hon. Friend say what warning system is involved in those pits in the South Wales coalfield where the tips are regarded as a hazard?

    Mr. Hughes

    A 24-hour watch is being kept at Aberfan. There are klaxon hooters and the men on watch have walkie-talkie sets, keeping them in constant communication with the base.

    Mr. Hooson

    On behalf of my right hon. Friend and my hon. Friends I would like to be associated with the expressions of sympathy which have followed this appalling tragedy. It is an appalling tragedy for the Welsh nation apart from anything else.

    May I also congratulate the right hon. Gentleman the Secretary of State for Wales on his appointment of Lord Justice Edmund Davies to conduct the inquiry. No one is better qualified to carry it out.

    I would also like to associate myself with the thanks and appreciation expressed in the House to all of those who have given such unstinting help in this terrible situation.

    Does the right hon. Gentleman not feel that it would be wiser, since this inquiry has now been ordered, if no one made statements as to the cause of this tragedy? It should be a matter for the tribunal to investigate rather than for anyone, however eminent, to make statements. Would he also reassure the House that the inquiry will not confine itself to the dangers from existing slag heaps in South Wales? From my own knowledge I can tell of one slag heap in North Wales, not owned by the National Coal Board, which gave some trouble some years ago. I am sure that the House is very pleased to hear the Secretary of State say that the legal position with regard to responsibility for these tips is being investigated by the Lord Justice Edmund Davies committee.

    Mr. Hughes

    The possible causes of the accident are a matter for the inquiry, and it is inappropriate and improper for me or anyone else to comment upon them.

    We are taking similar action in relation to tips in North Wales.

    Mr. Berry

    As a member of a Merthyr family and as one who had the privilege of holding an ancient office in the county only a short time ago, may I add my sympathies to those already expressed. May I also express my admiration for the people of Merthyr for the way in which they have struggled through these past few days, so typical of them in times of adversity.

    Finally, may I express the hope that the inquiry, under Lord Justice Edmund Davies, than whom there could be no more suitable chairman, may find a solution which will ensure that never again will such a disaster occur, either in Wales or any other part of the country.

    Mr. Arthur Pearson

    While associating myself with the entirely appropriate condolences and tributes, and although welcoming what the Secretary of State has said about intensified inspections, may I ask him whether the inspections will be regular and in association with the engineering departments of local authorities who are closest to the people in these areas? Is he aware of the growing anxieties of people living near to these tips, and of the danger in mentioning the three dangerous tips, since this will cause greater anxiety?

    Mr. Hughes

    As I have informed the House, the Coal Board is inspecting and maintaining a continual watch on the tips which it regards as presenting a hazard. Local authorities are very much aware of the problem and I have asked them to look carefully at all tips which do not belong to the Coal Board and which lie in their areas. I can tell the House that local authorities who may feel that they do not have the expert advice to look carefully at a tip and assess whether it is a hazard will be able, on request to the Coal Board, to obtain the advice of the Board’s engineers. I am grateful to the Board for making this offer.

    Mr. Probert

    While welcoming what my hon. Friend has said, may I ask him if, when asking local authorities to report on this matter, he will impress upon them the urgency of such reports, in view of the prevailing anxiety? In addition, will he recommend that local authorities should obtain, not only the advice of the Coal Board’s experts, but of outside experts, for obvious reasons?

    Mr. Hughes

    Certainly. I have asked for reports from the Coal Board and I have discussed this matter with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Power. We shall be working in close collaboration to obtain up-to-date and urgent reports of all the spoil heaps in South Wales, in order to allay the anxieties which I know my hon. Friend and his constituents feel.

    Dr. David Kerr

    I am perhaps not the most appropriate person to say this, but on behalf of a constituency which does not live under the constant threats, and the ugliness of a bygone age, and on behalf of most of us in this House, may I say that this tragedy has reminded people a long way from Wales that we are still one nation.

    May I also offer the Secretary of State for Wales an assurance that, whatever the Government decide to do, first, to ensure that this sort of tragedy never recurs and, secondly, to see that the children of Aberfan have a fitting memorial in the future, he will have the fullest support from everyone all over the country.

  • Angela Rayner – 2020 Comments on Peter Cruddas Peerage

    Angela Rayner – 2020 Comments on Peter Cruddas Peerage

    The comments made by Angela Rayner, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, on 22 December 2020.

    After months of revelations about the cronyism at the heart of this government, it’s somehow appropriate the Prime Minister has chosen to end the year with a peerage to Peter Cruddas, the man who once corruptly offered access to government in exchange for cash.

    Whether it’s the Dominic Cummings saga, wasting hundreds of millions of taxpayer cash on contracts that don’t deliver or giving peerages to disgraced donors, it’s never been more clear: there is one rule for the Conservatives and their chums, another for the rest of the country.

  • Kate Green – 2020 Comments on Education in January 2021

    Kate Green – 2020 Comments on Education in January 2021

    The comments made by Kate Green, the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, on 22 December 2020.

    Once again when schools, pupils and parents need certainty the Government has created chaos. The Government has lost control of the virus and children’s education is suffering as a result.

    Gavin Williamson’s late announcement on testing has created huge stress and confusion, and now the Prime Minister has said these plans published just five days ago may not happen.

    The Government must provide pupils, parents, and schools with clear information about what will happen in January and what support they will receive.

  • Kelly Tolhurst – 2020 Comments on Homelessness

    Kelly Tolhurst – 2020 Comments on Homelessness

    The comments made by Kelly Tolhurst, the Minister for Housing and Rough Sleeping, on 21 December 2020.

    All of the charities, councils, housing providers and support groups have truly gone the extra mile this year to protect the most vulnerable in our society throughout the pandemic and I want to wholeheartedly thank all of those who have made this possible.

    This new funding will play a vital role in helping councils provide better support to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place as we look to end rough sleeping once and for all.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2020 Comments on Homelessness

    Robert Jenrick – 2020 Comments on Homelessness

    The comments made by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 21 December 2020.

    As we look back on an incredibly challenging year, everyone who has helped protect rough sleepers and those at risk of homelessness during this pandemic should be proud of the role they have played in our internationally recognised response.

    Today I am announcing £310 million to help councils protect those at risk of homelessness in the year ahead. We have a moral duty to help some of the most vulnerable people in our society rebuild their lives and look forward to a brighter future, and this funding will help us to realise that ambition.

  • Grant Shapps – 2020 Comments on Christmas Travel Refunds

    Grant Shapps – 2020 Comments on Christmas Travel Refunds

    The comments made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, on 21 December 2020.

    It is imperative that we all follow the new measures and play our part in tackling this virus, protecting others and safeguarding our NHS.

    If you booked a coach or rail journey between 23 and 27 December, you are entitled to a cash refund. This ensures no one is left out of pocket for doing the right thing – staying home in tier 4, and elsewhere staying local and only meeting your Christmas bubble on Christmas day.