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  • Boris Johnson – 2020 Comments on the Environment

    Boris Johnson – 2020 Comments on the Environment

    The comments made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 12 December 2020.

    Today we have seen what can be achieved if nations pull together and demonstrate real leadership and ambition in the fight to save our planet.

    The UK has led the way with a commitment to cut emissions by at least 68 percent by 2030 and to end support for the fossil fuel sector overseas as soon as possible, and it’s fantastic to see new pledges from around the world that put us on the path to success ahead of COP26 in Glasgow.

    There is no doubt that we are coming to the end of a dark and difficult year, but scientific innovation has proved to be our salvation as the vaccine is rolled out. We must use that same ingenuity and spirit of collective endeavour to tackle the climate crisis, create the jobs of the future and build back better.

  • Kelly Tolhurst – 2020 Speech on the Future on the High Street

    Kelly Tolhurst – 2020 Speech on the Future on the High Street

    The comments made by Kelly Tolhurst, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 10 December 2020.

    I beg to move,

    That this House has considered the future of the high street.

    There is no shying away from the fact that this pandemic has clearly had a devastating impact on the great British high street and on the businesses that occupy it. I have great sympathy with anyone whose business or job has been endangered by this pandemic, and I want to reassure the House that this Government are unwavering in our commitment to support our high streets and town centres in the weeks and months ahead. I am personally very passionate about our high streets and town centres. They are so much more than places to shop. They are where we meet our families, friends and neighbours, and where communities come together to work and to socialise. They are a focal point within our local areas. They are, of course, also home to thousands of people who are just as keen as the local businesses that occupy them to see their high streets bustling and thriving.

    Prior to the pandemic, our high streets were already going through a significant evolution, with changing consumer habits and changes to what people are wanting to see on their high streets. People are shopping online more frequently, and our high streets are having to adapt to the 21st century to become more than just retail hubs. Since March, we have seen an acceleration in the trends that our high streets were facing. Online shopping has risen from pre-pandemic levels of about 20% to a high of 33% of total retail sales in May. Footfall has also decreased as a necessary consequence of the effort to protect public health, which is why businesses have been unable to trade as they normally would. We are proud to see so many businesses and communities coming together to support their local high streets. In my own constituency, independent retailers, businesses and local groups have come together in co-ordination with the business-led Rochester city centre forum to provide a covid-safe experience in the run-up to Christmas. Although closed, some outlets have created fantastic window displays and decorations and are offering click-and-collect services and working together to support the high street.

    Sir William Cash (Stone) (Con) rose—

    Kelly Tolhurst

    I know that a lot of people are keen to speak, so I should perhaps continue a bit further.

    We value the support of trade bodies and representative organisations that are working with their members and the Government to plan for recovery. It is clear that covid-19 has dealt a major blow to the high street, as evidenced all too clearly by the well-known retail chains—including Debenhams and Arcadia Group Ltd—that have gone into administration.

    The Government have put in place a range of support measures to assist businesses on the high street. We have provided a comprehensive package of support worth £200 billion, including the eat out to help out initiative to help to protect 2 million jobs in hospitality. We have also provided cash grants of up to £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with a rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000; more than £50 billion in business loans; the coronavirus job retention scheme; and the deferral of income tax payments.

    Sir William Cash

    My constituency is extremely grateful for the moneys that have been provided for the high street, but does my hon. Friend agree that when consultations are taking place and project developments are being created, people in the high street in places like Cheadle in my constituency require proper consultation and should get proper consultation before matters are taken any further?

    Kelly Tolhurst

    I agree with my hon. Friend that local high streets are a valuable asset in our local communities and it is absolutely right that local businesses and stakeholders should be consulted and that we should get their buy-in. Any high street development should always be supported by local businesses and stakeholders.

    We have acted quickly and our package of economic support is one of the most generous and comprehensive in the world. The Government announced in the spring that the business rates retail discount would be increased to 100% and expanded to all eligible properties across the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors for 12 months. We have sought to bring a much needed breathing space to business tenants by bringing forward a moratorium on commercial evictions and restrictions on statutory demands, and by winding up petitions.

    The use of commercial rent arrears recovery has provided landlords and tenants with time and space to agree reasonable adjustments to rents and lease terms, including terms for the payment of accumulated rent arrears. I am pleased that so many stakeholder bodies have signed up to the voluntary code of practice to encourage constructive dialogue between tenants and landlords. We will continue to work urgently to identify further measures of support that can be put in place to assist them during this time.

    We recognise that our high streets and the businesses located on them need to adapt to the changing way in which consumers are using high streets, so we are supporting areas by funding investment in infrastructure and place. Our £3.6 billion towns fund and the future high streets fund competition will create jobs and build more resilient local economies and communities as we begin to recover from the impact of coronavirus. We are now in the final stages of assessing the proposals from the shortlisted future high streets fund applicants and expect to announce the outcome of the competition soon. We have brought forward £81.5 million from the towns fund for investment in capital projects that will have an immediate impact. Each of the 101 towns selected to work towards a town deal has received accelerated funding dependent on their population.

    The new £4 billion levelling-up fund for England that was announced in the spending review will be open to all local areas and allocated competitively. To support levelling-up opportunity across the country, we will prioritise bids to drive growth and regeneration in places in need—those facing particular local challenges and areas that have received less Government investment in the past.

    A call for evidence was published on 21 July for the fundamental review of business rates, inviting stakeholders to contribute their views on ideas for reform in all elements of the business rates system, including future reliefs. Government are now considering the responses to the call for evidence, and the review will conclude in the spring.

    We are also ensuring that our planning system is ready to support our high streets and communities in recovering from this pandemic and changing consumer habits. We have introduced reforms that create a new “commercial, business and service” use class, which encompasses a wide range of purposes, allowing businesses to attract people to high streets and town centres. That includes offices, shops, cafés, gyms and other uses that are suitable in town centres. The new class also allows for mixed use, to reflect changing retail and business models. The reforms also create new “learning and non-residential institutions” and “local community” use classes, ensuring that valued local assets such as community shops and libraries are protected. Businesses will have greater flexibility to adapt and diversify more quickly to meet changing needs and circumstances.

    However, the success of a high street is about more than just funding. It requires local people to be empowered with the tools and resources they need to help their town centres and high streets adapt for the future. It is about having an ambitious vision for the future that the whole community can buy into. That is why Government are supporting local leadership through the high streets taskforce, which is doing this in four ways: building local authority capacity by providing on-the-ground experts; improving place-making skills through access to training; improving co-ordination nationally and locally, to ensure that high street plans reflect the needs of their communities; and improving the use of data and best practice.

    The taskforce is being run by a consortium led by the Institute of Place Management. Over the next four years, it will provide expert guidance to those working in local authorities and business improvement districts, while supporting town centre managers and community groups to help their high streets adapt. In response to the pandemic, the taskforce published a covid recovery framework to inform local places in planning their response to the pandemic. I know that a number of high streets have found this useful and that St Helens, Norwich and Solihull have been among the early users of the framework. The taskforce will be providing in-person expert support to those high streets that need it most, offering expertise on subjects such as planning, design and place making. We continue to explore what more can be done to help our high streets and town centres quickly recover and adapt.

    While covid-19 has posed huge challenges for our high streets, we have also seen some inspiring examples of businesses adapting and communities rallying round to support their local independent shops through the pandemic. For some communities, this lockdown has led to a reconnection with the local. We know that footfall has returned to our district centres at a quicker rate than it has in our larger town and city centres, with people wanting to shop and socialise closer to home. Research from PwC and the Local Data Company also suggests that independent shops have fared better than chain stores over the course of the pandemic. That may give a glimpse into the future of our high streets as places of commerce but also unique spaces that reflect the needs of the local community.

    That has been underscored by my Department’s experience of running the Great British High Street awards. What linked all our winners was a unique offering and sense of belonging, and it is this sense of local community—this intrinsic link between our high streets, our town centres and our society—that we will re-establish and strengthen as we emerge from this pandemic. I believe that we can renew our mission to help our high streets adapt, not only to support their recovery from the effects of covid-19 but to help them continue to evolve and flourish for generations to come.

  • Ben Wallace – 2020 Speech at the RUSI Conference

    Ben Wallace – 2020 Speech at the RUSI Conference

    The speech made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 11 December 2020.

    Good morning, I would like to thank RUSI for giving me the opportunity to start setting out the reasoning behind the defence proposition for the Integrated Review and the MOD’s direction of travel from this point.

    When last month the Prime Minister called me to confirm his determination to deliver a vision for Global Britain, and defence’s role in it, I knew he had created a real opportunity for us to not only deal with the legacy of previous flawed reviews, but to embark on a deep and far-ranging programme of reform.

    The record multi-year settlement, especially in such challenging economic circumstances, is a recognition of him by the dangers in the world and a determination to properly fund the UK’s ambitions – this is a vision he and I have shared over a number of years.

    For defence is one of Britain’s greatest exports – not just British-made equipment but British know-how and values. It is also one of the biggest innovators and employers across the whole of the United Kingdom.

    Whichever way you cut it, the Prime Minister’s important decision to make an exception for defence, was a bold and sensible move to ensure that defence can deal with its pressures and create the “headroom” to modernise. I was delighted that the case I have put to No 10 was not only shared by the Prime Minister but enthusiastically embraced with the funding to match.

    From the day I arrived in the MOD I recognised the need for change and investment.

    The consequences of decades of SDSRs that were over-ambitious and under-funded, were fast coming ‘home to roost’. All of us have got used to SDSRs that looked good at the press launch but faded by tea-time.

    The decades of funding deferrals were about to hit the buffers. Bogus efficiencies, saving targets, hollowing out, and the lasting impacts of fighting the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts are all things that continue to drain away precious resources long after the political leadership that directed them have exited the stage.

    I found a Ministry of Defence that, actually, had little confidence in itself, and was accustomed to living hand-to-mouth.

    Our desire to please was replacing our mission to defend.

    As a former Security Minister who knows the threat inside out, I feared defence had lost touch with it. Instead of ‘threat’ driving us and our mission, it was infrastructure, HR and annual savings measures. The latter is of course important but secondary to the mission of defending this great nation from evolving threats and increasingly emboldened adversaries.

    And make no mistakes we have adversaries. From terrorists with chemical weapon ambition, to hostile state actors, this country, our citizens and our values are all targets.

    And as I witnessed first-hand over the last few years, these threats are not scenarios in the minds of our planners. They are actually happening.

    We have a tendency in the West to divide conflict between war fighting (the violent activity of a ‘proper’ so-called shooting war) and the sub-threshold (everything before the shooting starts), when in fact today’s conflict is carried out through typically non-violent but undoubtedly hostile activities.

    This division might give comfort to our ‘rule of law’ approach, but it drives a static war and peace disposition. This makes us deeply vulnerable to those that don’t play by the same rules, especially below the threshold.

    The developments of our adversaries in new domains and their investment choices aren’t by accident.

    They are a result of a studied approach to our strengths and weaknesses. They are fluid, we are static. They use readiness, innovation and presence, while we remain entirely predictable in our processes and posture.

    In truth they are masters of the sub-threshold while we tie ourselves up in self-imposed risk matrixes, contradictory legal frameworks, and often bureaucratic barriers.

    The aftermath of the Salisbury poisoning reminded us of two things. One, the effectiveness of responding through a whole of government campaign. And two, that there are state adversaries prepared to go way beyond what we assumed were the accepted norms.

    Across the world these accepted norms are being junked by our enemy.

    The widespread use of cyber, organised crime, electronic warfare, proxy fighters and disinformation can be seen on nearly every continent.

    In preparing for this speech today I searched for examples of our own history of the consequences of failing to modernise defence.

    There was, of course, a multitude of quotes from officers dismissing new technologies, or failing to recognise that the battlefield had changed before their very eyes.

    If contemporary newspaper reports are to be believed and I would caution you to take it with a pinch of salt:

    In 1921 the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Lee argued for the abolition of the submarine. He was believed to have said “it had not proved an efficient weapon on defence.”

    And many will be familiar with the reported quotes of Field Marshal Haig who argued that the value of the horse would be “as great as ever. Aeroplanes and tanks are only accessories to the men and the horse, and I feel sure that as time goes on you will find just as much use for the horse – the well-bred horse – as you have ever done in the past.”

    There are, in fact, too many examples and while some of the quotes I use may exaggerate those historic failures, the sobering fact remains that many of us are still not leading the way, but watching others do so.

    Take for example the Turkish UAV, the Bayraktar TB2. Its use in Syria, Libya and elsewhere has been responsible for the destruction of hundreds of armoured vehicles and even air defence systems.

    The roots of these drones are born out of Turkish innovation. Prevented from gaining access to exquisite foreign programmes they did what we used to do so well – they innovated.

    The TB2 and its accompanying munitions combine technical abilities with an affordability that means their commanders can tolerate some attrition while presenting real challenges to the enemy.

    Another example is the investment by China, Iran and Russia into next generation missiles.

    We should not underestimate the impact of the accuracy and range that these weapons now have.

    Only last month Russia tested the Tsirkon hypersonic anti-ship and land-attack missile, which can travel at Mach 9, outranging and outpacing even its predecessors and creating new challenges for our counter-measures.

    As CDS often says, the battlefield is becoming more expansive and lethal, so future operations will be all about hiding and finding.

    Even today, in Ukraine, Russia’s use of traditional artillery coupled with UAV forward observation has created a lethal, and efficient deep fire affect – if you can be found you can be killed.

    None of the above means we will be abandoning war fighting at scale nor the use of armour – old capabilities are not always redundant, just as new technologies aren’t always useful.

    But I do believe that we are no longer leading and innovating enough. We are in danger of being prepared only for the big fight that may never come, whilst our adversaries might choose to outflank it even if it does.

    The threat has moved, and we must move with it. Just as we are seeing constant competition stretch out across the globe, we must be constant in our self-criticism and challenge.

    And we must do that in conjunction with our allies and friends because – as the second biggest spender in NATO and a major contributor across all five domains, plus of course our nuclear deterrent – we have a responsibility to play a leading role in its own transformation.

    We must work with allies to make the most of new technologies; improve integration across all domains and throughout the spectrum of conflict; and as the NATO Reflection Group recently highlighted, recognise its essential role in cohering how we, as allies, handle this era of great power competition, staying ahead of our rivals and not waiting for them to set the agenda.

    The steps to restoring such UK leadership in defence must start with ensuring we are a credible and a truly threat-oriented organisation. We must always challenge ourselves to meet the threat and then to exceed it.

    We must ask uncomfortable questions of ourselves and we must learn from conflicts – both real and anticipated.

    So, the first step in defence reform that I am taking is the establishment of a net assessment and challenge function in the MOD.

    The Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge (SONAC) will encompass war gaming, doctrine, red teaming and external academic analysis.

    It will focus and enhance existing efforts, work closely with Defence Intelligence and look across all areas of defence, especially doctrine and the equipment choices we are making.

    I have asked Air Marshal Ed Stringer to advise me on its development. Ed’s background in joint force development and academia makes him excellently qualified to help establish it.

    Because from challenge will come change. I want to see defence policy that delivers my three priorities for the department, becoming threat-focused, proactive, and sustainable. The Ministry of Defence under me will:

    be well-informed, clear-eyed about contemporary conflict; laser focused on the threats this nation faces, and self-aware about our preparedness to counter them

    adopt a proactive posture, with our forces more forward and present, more busy and assertive. A return to ‘campaigning’ and the ability to operate on both sides of the threshold

    and perhaps most significantly, it will be sustainable. We must constantly strive to match our ambitions to our resources, to be more transparent in our equipment programme and ruthless in our decision-making

    Too often we cling to sentimentality when we need to explore alternatives.

    Sometimes it will mean quality over quantity or the good rather than the perfect. Or simply letting go of some capabilities.

    Managing that process and fielding the capabilities required for tomorrow will require the open, honest, and collaborative relationship with industry for which we have spent so many years advocating, but also failing to achieve.

    And delivering more modern, active, and effective armed forces is not just about keeping our adversaries at bay, but projecting our national interests and promoting our shared prosperity.

    So we have an opportunity not just to transform defence but to create thousands of highly skilled jobs at home; harnessing our advantages in science and technology, research and development; driving exports and generating prosperity; and enabling us to build back better and level-up across the four nations of our United Kingdom.

    And if there is one policy that strengthens the UK in every one of those regards, it is shipbuilding for the Royal Navy… although you would expect me to say that as the government’s shipbuilding tsar!

    But to the many experts watching this you will know that tomorrow’s settlement doesn’t relieve our more immediate financial pressures. You don’t get out of a decade of deferrals and underfunding overnight.

    Some tough choices will still have to be made. But those choices will allow us to invest in new domains, new equipment and new ways of working.

    I am conscious that if we are to achieve our aim then we must harness the skills and potential of our people. I want a culture in defence that innovates more, embraces diversity, and allows more specialism to flourish.

    So we should build upon the excellent work already under way to modernise ways of working and improve career opportunities.

    In the autumn the Chief of Defence staff set out his plans for how we will operate, through the Integrated Operating Concept (IOPC).

    And next year, complementing the Integrated Review, we will publish further details on the plan for defence reform.

    Before then we have much work to do and not just the critical defence tasks fulfilled every single day of the year, including the upcoming Christmas holiday. They include counter terrorism standby forces, the Quick Reaction Alert, and Continuous At Sea Deterrent, but also the many thousands of personnel deployed overseas and throughout the UK – it is important to pay them and their families tribute for their many personal sacrifices keeping us all safe again this year.

    Covid has of course reminded us all of our vulnerabilities. For some in government the importance of resilience has had to be ‘re-learned’, but for the MOD it is second nature. In 2020 we can’t ignore the fact that Covid has left the world more anxious, more fragile and more divided.

    The new domains of cyber and space allow our adversaries to operate out of sight and, for some, therefore for many out of mind.

    Those of us in government charged to protect and defend have a duty to enter new domains, as well as continuing investment in the traditional ones, but always adapting to the threat.

    This defence settlement gives us the opportunity to do just that.

    As the Prime Minister said in Parliament last month, we have the chance to “transform our armed forces, bolster our global influence, unite and level up across our country, protect our people and defend the free societies in which we fervently believe.”

    We must seize that opportunity on behalf of those serving in the armed forces and throughout defence, as well the people of the United Kingdom, our allies and friends. And the work to do so has only just begun.

  • Michael Ellis – 2020 Comments on Callum Haycock

    Michael Ellis – 2020 Comments on Callum Haycock

    The comments made by Michael Ellis, the Solicitor General, on 11 December 2020.

    Haycock’s sickening actions have had a significant impact on the victim and her family, and it is right that the Court of Appeal has increased his sentence today. My thoughts remain with the victim and her family for their ordeal.

  • Alok Sharma – 2020 Speech on Climate Change

    Alok Sharma – 2020 Speech on Climate Change

    The comments made by Alok Sharma, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, on 11 December 2020.

    Thank you very much and good afternoon everyone. And thank you particularly to His Excellency the Honourable Kausea Natano; Dame Meg Taylor; and the Pacific Island Forum Leaders, for inviting me to speak.

    The message coming from regions like the Pacific on climate change has a moral urgency and the world cannot ignore it.

    I hear what you say. That climate change is the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of your people. And I am committed to working with you, throughout my COP Presidency. To make sure that your voices are heard. To address the issues that matter most to you. And to find practical solutions.

    I commend the leadership your region has shown on climate change. Which is reflected in the Kainaki II Declaration, the Framework for Resilient Development in the Pacific.

    And despite contributing only a fraction of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, many of you are coming forward with updates to your NDCs.

    You are setting a powerful example and encouraging countries around the world to raise their ambition. On mitigation, on adaptation and on finance.

    Last week, the United Kingdom announced its NDC. Committing to cut our emissions by at least 68% by 2030, which keeps us on the pathway to our 2050 Net Zero commitment.

    Soon we will be submitting our first Adaptation Communication.

    And more leaders will announce commitments at the Climate Ambition Summit, which the UK is hosting tomorrow, with the UN and France and in partnership with Italy and Chile.

    And the Summit builds on events that have taken place across the world.

    From the CARICOM Moment of Ambition Roundtable that the UK is co-hosting with Caribbean partners today.

    To this “Kainaki II to COP26” Roundtable.

    I would like to thank all those of you who are making announcements at the Summit tomorrow.

    And also those who have said they will announce new commitments in the coming months.

    Such targets are absolutely vital. But alongside them, we must drive practical solutions for reducing emissions. By working together, we can make progress faster.

    So our COP26 campaigns are focusing attention on five critical areas: transport; energy; nature-based solutions; adaptation and resilience; and finance.

    And we are highlighting adaptation as a priority and encouraging action. We’ve recently appointed a new international champion for adaptation and resilience, Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

    Anne-Marie will help to lead our drive forward towards global ambition and action.

    And it’s by supporting countries on the frontline of climate change that we will be able to help the adaptation to its impacts and build resilience.

    We’re also working to increase public and private finance, urging donor countries to meet the $100 billion commitment. And to go beyond it.

    Leading by example, the UK is doubling its international climate finance commitment to £11.6 billion over the next five years.

    We’re also working to make public finance more accessible.

    And to get more money for adaptation. We’re working with multilateral development banks, investors, and others.

    And I know that this approach is shared by Australia and New Zealand., and I’m committed to our working closely together.

    I have heard this forum’s call on averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage.

    And over the next year I want to increase our understanding of all the issues that matter to you. And how they can be addressed.

    And this includes listening to your views on how best the Kainaki II recommendations can be reflected in the outcomes of COP26.

    So we will be increasing our engagement with the Pacific.

    In the new year, we’ll be holding events to discuss the issues that matter to vulnerable countries.

    And we will also ensure that your priorities are heard at the G7 and the G20. And, of course, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting next year.

    Because I am determined to amplify the voices of climate vulnerable countries and put them at the heart of the COP26 process.

    So that together, we unleash the full potential of the Paris Agreement in Glasgow. And by doing so build a brighter and more sustainable future for us all.

    Thank you.

  • Christopher Pincher – 2020 Speech at the Insider Midlands Residential Property Conference

    Christopher Pincher – 2020 Speech at the Insider Midlands Residential Property Conference

    The speech made by Christopher Pincher, the Minister of State for Housing, on 11 December 2020.

    Good morning and a very warm welcome to everyone attending today’s Insider Midlands Residential Property Conference.

    It is a real pleasure to be joining you, albeit remotely, which as we all know is the way of the world at the moment.

    Can I begin by thanking you, the housing professionals, business owners and executives – those based in the Midlands, a part of the world well-known to me, and those of you further afield – for all of the resilience, perseverance and hard work that you have put in throughout this extraordinary period.

    I think all of us today recognise the unique role which the housing sector plays in our economy, working in close partnership with the government. We’ve sought to do everything that we can to keep the sector running as smoothly as possible during this pandemic crisis.

    From the Safe Working Charter launched with the Home Builders Federation back in May when the sector reopened, to the Business and Planning Act in July, we’ve worked to make sure the sector has remained open and has been able to work safely and effectively to keep our construction and housing economy on track.

    Now with the Pfizer vaccine being rolled out, we have a post-Covid world in sight. We also have in sight the greatest economic comeback the country has ever known. The housing industry has been leading that charge and is pivotal in that process of reconstruction.

    For the Midlands, that starts with meaningful investment in growth-spurring projects which support regeneration and new development.

    That includes over £100 million of investment from our Land Fund for the West Midlands Combined Authority to deliver 8,000 homes across the region.

    That is in addition to the significant funding package announced by the Prime Minister on a visit to Dudley earlier this year with Mayor Andy Street, which saw £84 million from the government’s Brownfield Fund supporting the West Midlands Combined Authority to build thousands of new homes on former industrial land.

    But this is not just about building new homes – important as we all know that is.

    We are also investing in shovel-ready, job-creating infrastructure projects which will be key to helping businesses get back on their feet and for the Midlands Engine economy roar back into life.

    Local Enterprise Partnerships across the Midlands are receiving in the region of £214 million from our Getting Building Fund to support innovative, growth-spurring projects.

    Initiatives like the Warwickshire Green Recovery Project, which is rapidly expanding on-street charging points for electric vehicles, all the way through to a new Digital Advanced Manufacturing Centre in Chesterfield which is pushing the envelope in 3D prototyping and modular construction.

    Of course, government cash, however useful and significant and however targeted, can only go so far in our national mission to build back better.

    We need regulatory reform as well, and as many of you will know, the government has published its ambitious ‘Planning for the Future’ White Paper with proposals for a reformed planning system to make it simpler, quicker and more accessible.

    Local Plans still need to be prepared by local councils, but will be more map-based, more visual, and more digital – to that extent they will be much more easy to use.

    Land will be put into one of three categories: areas for growth, for renewal, or for protection.

    And to make sure we get the houses we need, we’re proposing a new measure for calculating a housing requirement figure for each local planning authority, which will still be the building block for planning.

    There will also be a new time limited statutory timetable for preparation, rather than the average 7 years it presently takes to adopt a plan.

    If you look around the Midlands, something like 40% of local authorities have a plan which was adopted more than 5 years ago – our reforms will mandate everyone to have up-to-date local plans to benefit their communities.

    Together, these reforms will inject much-needed agility into the planning system.

    It is the greatest overhaul we have proposed in planning in over 70 years since the Town and Country Planning Act was introduced.

    It is fair to say the proposals have conjured up some spirited debate. We have had 44,000 submissions to our consultation, which is the beginning of the process of refining our proposals.

    Although the consultation is now closed, I am very keen that we maintain connection with all the people and parties that have contributed to the consultation – that we continue to work with professionals across the sector to ensure we approach those reforms on a consensual basis and that we get them right.

    Because we know that it is incumbent upon government to equip the housing industry with the right tools, the right regulations and the right resources and funding to build the homes the country needs at pace and at scale.

    That also means accelerating delivery of Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), including offsite and smart techniques, to encourage a more innovative, diverse, competitive market.

    I think you will be hearing from a host of speakers later today about MMC – we certainly believe in government that MMC could be revolutionary for the industry in terms of improved productivity, build speed, and economies of scale.

    That is why we are committed to tackling the barriers to increasing use of MMC – the most common one being a lack of standardisation in components and designs.

    Those difficulties add unnecessary costs to the MMC process and hampers the sector from being able to compete with traditional methods of building.

    We will shortly engage with industry on this very issue to drive efficiencies and create a more resilient MMC pipeline.

    We know that Modern Methods of Construction are thriving in the Midlands too.

    We are investing £30 million in a landmark deal between Sekisui House and Urban Splash to build thousands of homes using the latest modular construction techniques from Japan.

    So I think MMC can be a tremendously powerful tool for us and can also help us build out those greener, more sustainable homes.

    Industry research shows homes built using MMC techniques can have up to 80% fewer defects whilst reducing heating bills by up to 70 per cent.

    That’s not just important when it comes to fuel poverty, but is important when we consider that housing accounts for around 15% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions through their use of oil and gas for heating and hot water.

    Making homes greener, cleaner and better insulated is integral to combatting climate change and is one of the reasons why we have introduced the Future Homes Standard, which by the middle of this decade will see new houses producing at least 75% fewer emissions.

    Homes built to those new standards will be future-proofed, with low carbon heating and high levels of energy efficiency.

    Crucially, they will be ‘zero carbon ready’ – so there will be no costly retrofits. MMC has a crucial role to play in the development of those homes and in the Future Homes Standard.

    That, I think, is what lies ahead – a modern housing industry truly empowered to build cleaner, greener, more sustainable homes for the communities around the country and around the Midlands that need them – and build those homes faster than ever before.

    And you are the integral players in making that vision a local reality.

    The Midlands – I was born there, brought up there, have a constituency in the Midlands – was the cradle of the industrial revolution.

    It’s where the nail makers came together to “gi’it some ‘ommer”, as we used to say in Wolverhampton.

    Now, with its unrivalled expertise, with its skills and its innovation, I think it is perfectly placed to lead Britain’s green revolution – to be the new green workshop and tech chamber of the world.

    It’s a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to grasp – to build back greener, to build back faster, and build back better from this pandemic.

    And I know you in the Midlands will grasp it.

    I hope you enjoy your conference. Thank you for listening.

  • Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on Financial Stability Report

    Anneliese Dodds – 2020 Comments on Financial Stability Report

    The comments made by Anneliese Dodds, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 11 December 2020.

    Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They have been hit hardest by the pandemic, and now face a huge cashflow problem. Many have already taken on significant debt just to make it through. Today’s report shows they face a worrying future.

    Labour has repeatedly called on the Government to set out a plan for rebuilding business and tackling high levels of corporate debt. Without that, we risk rising insolvencies and yet more job losses.

    The Government needs to do the responsible thing and act now to help our small businesses.

  • Paul Eagland – 2020 Comments on BDO Not Repaying Furlough Money

    Paul Eagland – 2020 Comments on BDO Not Repaying Furlough Money

    The comments made by Paul Eagland, the managing partner of BDO, on 10 December 2020 following the company’s decision to pay partners £137 million.

    It’s been a year completely unique to any other. A year when we have all worried about the health of friends and family but also one where economic uncertainty has led to increased anxiety for everyone.

    To fully understand our annual results, they should be broken down into two very different periods: pre-lockdown and lockdown. The strength of our overall financial results derives entirely from the first nine months before the crisis hit us. The last three months tell a completely different story with revenues and profits falling as lockdown took hold.

    To brace ourselves for the COVID-19 impact, our first step was to ask partners to reduce their monthly ‘pay’ and forego their quarterly distributions. Subsequently – and in order to protect the jobs and pay packets of our 5,500 UK people – we applied to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. We ensured our furloughed employees were paid in full by topping up their wages to 100% during their time on furlough, and we brought all our employees back into full time employment with no redundancies made across our workforce.

    COVID-19 has already had a huge impact on our business and we don’t know what lies around the corner. This means we have had to take a number of tough but prudent decisions to ensure the sustainability of the firm and to protect our people’s jobs – not just for the initial lockdown period but also looking ahead to the slow, challenging recovery.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2020 Statement on the Ockenden Review

    Nadine Dorries – 2020 Statement on the Ockenden Review

    The statement made by Nadine Dorries, the Minister for Patient Safety, Suicide Prevention and Mental Health, in the House of Commons on 10 December 2020.

    With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the initial report from the Ockenden review, which was published this morning.

    Before I update the House on the findings, I wish to remind the House of the tragic circumstances in which the review was established. It was requested by the Government following concerns raised in December 2016 by two bereaved families whose babies had sadly died shortly following their birth at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. I am grateful to my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Jeremy Hunt), who, as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, asked NHS Improvement to commission the independent inquiry.

    The inquiry is chaired by senior registered midwife Donna Ockenden, a clinical expert in maternity who was tasked with assessing the quality of previous investigations and how the trust had implemented recommendations relating to newborn, infant and maternal harm. As the report acknowledges, this year the country has rightly united in pride and admiration for our NHS, but we must accept that in the past not everyone has experienced the kindness and compassion from the NHS that they deserved.

    The review team has met face to face with families who have suffered as a result of the loss of brothers and sisters, or who have, from a young age, been carers to profoundly disabled siblings. The team has also met parents in cases where there have been breakdowns in relationships as a result of the strain of caring for a severely disabled child or the grief after the death of a baby or resultant complications following childbirth.

    The original terms of reference for the review covered the handling of 23 cases; however, since its launch more families have come forward and extra cases have been identified by the trust. As a result, the review now covers 1,862 cases, and this has led to an extension of its scope and delivery. An interim report has therefore been published today, and it contains a number of important themes that the review team believe must be shared across all maternity services as a matter of urgency. Indeed, I personally, and the Government, pushed to have this interim report at this point in time so that we could learn from the findings of the inquiry so far.

    This is the first of two reports, based on a review of 250 cases between 2000 and 2018; the second, final report will follow next year. Today’s report makes it clear that there were serious failings in maternity services at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. I would like to express my profound sympathies for what the families have gone through. There can be no greater pain for a parent than to lose a child. I am acutely aware that nothing I can say today will lessen the horrendous suffering that these families have been through and continue to suffer. Nevertheless, I would like to give my thanks to all the families who agreed to come forward and assist the inquiry.

    The review team held conversations with more than 800 families who have raised serious concerns about the care they received. I know that it has not been easy for them to revisit painful and distressing experiences, but through sharing their stories we can ensure that no family has to suffer the same pain in the future. From the outset the inquiry wanted families to be central to the team’s work and for their voices to be heard, and I am pleased that the families were able to see the report first, this morning, shortly before it was presented to Parliament. I assure them, and Members of this House, that we are taking today’s report very seriously and that we expect the trust to act on the recommendations immediately.

    I thank Donna Ockenden and her team for their diligent work. Their valuable work provides essential and immediate actions to improve patient safety and ensure that maternity services at the trust are safe. Four of those actions are for the trust and seven are for the wider maternity system. The report sets out clear recommendations for what the trust can do to improve safety relating to overall maternity care, maternal deaths, obstetric anaesthesia and neonatal services.

    The report also sets out actions that can make a difference to the safe provision of maternity services everywhere. They include recommendations on enhancing patient safety and how we can best listen to women and families, developing more effective staff training and ways of working, managing complex pregnancies and risk assessments throughout pregnancies, monitoring foetal wellbeing, and ensuring that patients have enough information to give informed consent. I welcome those recommendations and the others in the report. We will be working closely with NHS England, NHS Improvement and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, which have accepted each of the recommendations and will take them forward. We learn from these tragic cases so that we can give patients the safe and high-quality care that they deserve.

    Patient safety is a big priority for me and the Government. We want the NHS to be the safest place in the world to give birth, and this report makes an important contribution towards that goal. Our ambition is to halve the 2010 rates of stillbirths, neonatal and maternal deaths, and brain injuries in babies occurring during or soon after birth by 2025. We have achieved early our ambition of a 20% decrease in stillbirths by 2020, but of course there is always more to do and we owe it to the families to get it right.

    The Ockenden review is an important document that vividly shows the importance of patient safety. I assure the House that we will learn the lessons that must be learned so that the tragic stories found within these pages will never be repeated again. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Penny Mordaunt – 2020 Statement on the Future Relationship with the EU

    Penny Mordaunt – 2020 Statement on the Future Relationship with the EU

    The statement made by Penny Mordaunt, the Paymaster General, in the House of Commons on 10 December 2020.

    I am grateful for the opportunity to update the House again on the progress of our negotiations with the European Union. The Prime Minister met the Commission President yesterday evening in Brussels. They, along with the chief negotiators, Lord Frost and Michel Barnier, discussed the significant obstacles that still remain in the negotiations. It is clear that we remain far apart on the so-called level playing field, fisheries and governance. However, they agreed that talks should resume in Brussels today to see whether the gaps can be bridged. They also agreed that a decision should be taken by Sunday regarding the future of the talks.

    We are working tirelessly to get a deal, but we cannot accept one at any cost. We cannot accept a deal that would compromise the control of our money, laws, borders and fish. The only deal that is possible is one that is compatible with our sovereignty and takes back control of our laws, trade and waters. As the Prime Minister said, whether we agree trading arrangements resembling those of Australia or Canada, the United Kingdom will prosper as an independent nation. We will continue to keep the House updated as we seek to secure a future relationship with our EU friends that respects our status as a sovereign, equal and independent country.