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NEWS STORY : Monarch Delivers King’s Speech to Parliament

STORY

King Charles III has delivered the King’s Speech to members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, making it the first King’s Speech to be made in over seventy years. The speech contains the Government’s programme for the next Parliament, with it likely being the last one before the General Election.

On environmental matters:

“Legislation will be introduced to strengthen the United Kingdom’s energy security and reduce reliance on volatile international energy markets and hostile foreign regimes. This Bill will support the future licensing of new oil and gas fields, helping the country to transition to net zero by 2050 without adding undue burdens on households.”

On education:

“My Ministers will strengthen education for the long term. Steps will be taken to ensure young people have the knowledge and skills to succeed, through the introduction of the Advanced British Standard that will bring technical and academic routes into a single qualification. Proposals will be implemented to reduce the number of young people studying poor quality university degrees and increase the number undertaking high quality apprenticeships.”

On the NHS:

“Working with NHS England, my Government will deliver its plans to cut waiting lists and transform the long-term workforce of the National Health Service. This will include delivering on the NHS workforce plan, the first long-term plan to train the doctors and nurses the country needs, and minimum service levels to prevent strikes from undermining patient safety. Record levels of investment are expanding and transforming mental health services to ensure more people can access the support they need. My Government will introduce legislation to create a smokefree generation by restricting the sale of tobacco so that children currently aged fourteen or younger can never be sold cigarettes, and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children.”

And on defence:

“My Government will continue to champion security around the world, to invest in our gallant Armed Forces and to support veterans to whom so much is owed. My Ministers will work closely with international partners to support Ukraine, strengthen NATO and address the most pressing security challenges. This includes the consequences of the barbaric acts of terrorism against the people of Israel, facilitating humanitarian support into Gaza and supporting the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East.”

RESOURCES

2023 King’s Speech

07/11/2023
NEWS STORY : Guardian Reports Further Stories about PPE Medpro

STORY

The Guardian newspaper has published a second day of stories about companies linked to Michelle Mone, who they claim did have links with PPE Medpro despite her denials. The Australian Government said that they were supplied with health equipment which couldn’t be used by a company called ABM, similar to the £122 million claim made against by PPE Medpro. The newspaper wrote:

“According to documents seen by the Guardian, two of ABM’s suppliers were Cyprus-registered companies named Neumer Holdings and Neumer Trading, which are owned by Ricky and Evan Neumann. The Neumer companies then paid a Hong Kong-based company, Eric Beare Associates, to source the majority of the PPE from Chinese factories. Neumer Trading and Eric Beare were also involved in sourcing the PPE for two UK government contracts worth a total of £203m awarded to PPE Medpro, the company with which Mone and her husband, Douglas Barrowman, were involved.”

The Guardian story notes:

“Australia’s Department of Health and Aged Care told the Guardian that of 50m face masks supplied to fulfil a government contract awarded to a small online retailer, Australian Business Mobiles (ABM), the overwhelming majority – 45.7m – were deemed unusable for its health service. A department spokesperson said five of seven manufacturers that supplied the masks were “deemed non-compliant with quality regulations”.

According to documents seen by the Guardian, two of ABM’s suppliers were Cyprus-registered companies named Neumer Holdings and Neumer Trading, which are owned by Ricky and Evan Neumann. The Neumer companies then paid a Hong Kong-based company, Eric Beare Associates, to source the majority of the PPE from Chinese factories. Neumer Trading and Eric Beare were also involved in sourcing the PPE for two UK government contracts worth a total of £203m awarded to PPE Medpro, the company with which Mone and her husband, Douglas Barrowman, were involved.”

RESOURCES

House of Lords Commissioners Statement on the Personal Conduct of Michelle Mone

News Story – Guardian Newspaper Publishes Further Allegations about the Personal Conduct of Michelle Mone

EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

Guardian News Story

07/11/2023
King Charles III – 2023 King’s Speech to Parliament

The speech made by King Charles III in the House of Lords on 7 November 2023.

My Lords and members of the House of Commons

It is mindful of the legacy of service and devotion to this country set by My beloved Mother, The late Queen, that I deliver this, the first King’s Speech in over 70 years.

The impact of Covid and the war in Ukraine have created significant long-term challenges for the United Kingdom. That is why my Government’s priority is to make the difficult but necessary long-term decisions to change this country for the better.

My Ministers’ focus is on increasing economic growth and safeguarding the health and security of the British people for generations to come.

My Government will continue to take action to bring down inflation, to ease the cost of living for families and help businesses fund new jobs and investment.

My Ministers will support the Bank of England to return inflation to target by taking responsible decisions on spending and borrowing. These decisions will help household finances, reduce public sector debt, and safeguard the financial security of the country.

Legislation will be introduced to strengthen the United Kingdom’s energy security and reduce reliance on volatile international energy markets and hostile foreign regimes. This Bill will support the future licensing of new oil and gas fields, helping the country to transition to net zero by 2050 without adding undue burdens on households.

Alongside this, my Ministers will seek to attract record levels of investment in renewable energy sources and reform grid connections, building on the United Kingdom’s track-record of decarbonising faster than other G7 economies.

My Government will invest in Network North to deliver faster and more reliable journeys between, and within, the cities and towns of the North and Midlands, prioritising improving the journeys that people make most often.

My Ministers will strengthen education for the long term. Steps will be taken to ensure young people have the knowledge and skills to succeed, through the introduction of the Advanced British Standard that will bring technical and academic routes into a single qualification. Proposals will be implemented to reduce the number of young people studying poor quality university degrees and increase the number undertaking high quality apprenticeships.

My Ministers will take steps to make the economy more competitive, taking advantage of freedoms afforded by the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union. A bill will be brought forward to promote trade and investment with economies in the fastest growing region in the world. My Ministers will continue to negotiate trade agreements with dynamic economies, delivering jobs and growth in the United Kingdom.

My Ministers will introduce new legal frameworks to support the safe commercial development of emerging industries, such as self-driving vehicles, introduce new competition rules for digital markets, and encourage innovation in technologies such as machine learning. Legislation will be brought forward to support the creative industries and protect public interest journalism. Proposals will be published to reform welfare and support more people into work.

My Government will promote the integrity of the Union and strengthen the social fabric of the United Kingdom.

Working with NHS England, my Government will deliver its plans to cut waiting lists and transform the long-term workforce of the National Health Service. This will include delivering on the NHS workforce plan, the first long-term plan to train the doctors and nurses the country needs, and minimum service levels to prevent strikes from undermining patient safety. Record levels of investment are expanding and transforming mental health services to ensure more people can access the support they need. My Government will introduce legislation to create a smokefree generation by restricting the sale of tobacco so that children currently aged fourteen or younger can never be sold cigarettes, and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children.

My Ministers will bring forward a bill to reform the housing market by making it cheaper and easier for leaseholders to purchase their freehold and tackling the exploitation of millions of homeowners through punitive service charges. Renters will benefit from stronger security of tenure and better value, while landlords will benefit from reforms to provide certainty that they can regain their properties when needed.

My Government will deliver a long-term plan to regenerate towns and put local people in control of their future. Legislation will be brought forward to safeguard the future of football clubs for the benefit of communities and fans. A bill will be introduced to deal with the scourge of unlicensed pedicabs in London.

My Government is committed to tackling antisemitism and ensuring that the Holocaust is never forgotten. A bill will progress the construction of a national Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens.

My Government will act to keep communities safe from crime, anti-social behaviour, terrorism and illegal migration.

A bill will be brought forward to ensure tougher sentences for the most serious offenders and increase the confidence of victims. My Ministers will introduce legislation to empower police forces and the criminal justice system to prevent new or complex crimes, such as digital-enabled crime and child sexual abuse, including grooming.

At a time when threats to national security are changing rapidly due to new technology, my Ministers will give the security and intelligence services the powers they need and will strengthen independent judicial oversight. Legislation will be introduced to protect public premises from terrorism in light of the Manchester Arena attack.

My Government will deliver on the Illegal Migration Act passed earlier this year and on international agreements, to stop dangerous and illegal Channel crossings and ensure it is the government, not criminal gangs, who decides who comes to this country.

My Government will continue to champion security around the world, to invest in our gallant Armed Forces and to support veterans to whom so much is owed. My Ministers will work closely with international partners to support Ukraine, strengthen NATO and address the most pressing security challenges. This includes the consequences of the barbaric acts of terrorism against the people of Israel, facilitating humanitarian support into Gaza and supporting the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East.

My Government will continue to lead action on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, support developing countries with their energy transition, and hold other countries to their environmental commitments.

The United Kingdom will continue to lead international discussions to ensure that Artificial Intelligence is developed safely.

My Government will host the Global Investment Summit, the European Political Community, and the Energy Conference, leading global conversations on the United Kingdom’s most pressing challenges.

I look forward to welcoming His Excellency the President of the Republic of Korea and Mrs. Kim Keon Hee for a State Visit later this month.

My Government will, in all respects, seek to make long-term decisions in the interests of future generations. My Ministers will address inflation and the drivers of low growth over demands for greater spending or borrowing. My Ministers will put the security of communities and the nation ahead of the rights of those who endanger it. By taking these long-term decisions, my Government will change this country and build a better future.

Members of the House of Commons.

Estimates for the public services will be laid before you.

My Lords and Member of the House of Commons.

Other measures will be laid before you.

I pray that the blessing of Almighty God may rest upon your counsels.

07/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Minister for Europe demonstrates UK commitment to Baltic security [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty visits Lithuania and Latvia to reinforce UK cooperation on regional security and support for Ukraine.
- Following the success of the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July, Minister Leo Docherty will visit the two Baltic nations to show the UK’s leadership in tackling threats to European security.
- He will discuss plans to bolster NATO’s Eastern Flank before attending a NATO Cyber Conference in Berlin.
- Visit will also reiterate collective support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and enable discussions on the situation in the Middle East and preventing regional escalation.
Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty, will visit Lithuania and Latvia to underline the UK’s continued commitment to the Baltic States’ security and discuss the strengthening of support to Ukraine.

During meetings in Vilnius with Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister, Jonas Survila, and the Presidential National Security Advisor, Kęstutis Budrys, the Minister will discuss growing cooperation, from the training of Ukrainian forces to closer collaboration on regional security and tackling illegal migration. He will also highlight the need for a collective effort to prevent the tragic situation in the Middle East from escalating more widely and support humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

The visit follows the NATO Summit which Vilnius hosted in July, where the Prime Minister outlined the UK’s leading role in protecting regional security in the face of increased threats across Europe.

In Riga, Minister Docherty will meet Latvian Parliamentary Secretary, Reinis Brusbārdis, and the Minister of Energy, Kaspars Melnis, to discuss the importance of energy security, and how the two countries can work together to address Russian malign influence.

Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty said:

The Baltic States are on the frontline of Russia’s malign activity, and the UK is steadfast in our commitment to supporting them defend their freedom and security.

Through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force, we are working with Latvia and Lithuania to keep the region and our allies safe, including through a united effort to prevent further conflict and terrorism in the Middle East.

More than 20,000 British troops will be deployed to the region next year, where they will take part in large-scale, multi-country exercises, as well as carrying out air policing and cold weather training.

The UK has a long-standing relationship with both Latvia and Lithuania across all arms of the military, including cooperation in NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).

The Minister is also expected to visit the Hill of Crosses, an important cultural site symbolic of Lithuanian identity and peaceful resistance. In Latvia, he will lay a wreath at both the Commonwealth War Grave in Jelgava and at Riga’s Freedom Monument, which commemorates those who fought for Latvia’s independence over 100 years ago.

Later in the week, the Minister will go on to represent the UK at the first NATO Cyber Defence Conference taking place in Berlin. The gathering will discuss the Alliance’s ability to adapt to evolving cyber threats and the strengthening of its ability to detect, prevent and respond to malicious cyber activities.
07/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review – UK Review on Cabo Verde [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

The UK delivered a statement during Cabo Verde’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Thank you, Mr Vice-President,

The United Kingdom welcomes steps taken by Cabo Verde to promote and protect human rights, such as improvement on action against gender-based violence. We urge the government to improve implementation of this legislation by increasing the number of cases taken to court and successful prosecutions.

We recognise and praise the steps the government has already taken to tackle child abuse through a national network of organisations, including the government’s child protection body, the Institute for Children. We urge Cabo Verde to take further legislative action to protect children and reduce instances of such abuse.

We recommend that Cabo Verde:

Urge the National Assembly to debate and approve the anti-discrimination draft law presented by the National Commission on Human Rights and Citizenship in 2021.

Improve prison conditions by increasing the number of officers and the use of alternatives to prison such as bail, home arrest, and plea bargaining, and improving sanitary conditions.

Improve training for professionals in law enforcement and the judiciary to respond to sexual abuse of children and gender-based violence.

Thank you.
07/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK and Austria commit to work closer on illegal migration and terrorism [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

The UK and Austria have signed a statement today agreeing to closer cooperation on tackling illegal migration and terrorism.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman met with Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner in Vienna on 2 November to discuss the importance of partnership and international cooperation in the face of illegal migration, terrorism and transnational crime.

The ministers agreed to work hand-in-hand to ensure public security and signed a joint statement to commit to:
- exploring the principle of safe third country concepts to enhance regional migration management
- engaging in a joint dialogue on illegal migration, including with relevant third countries of origin and transit
- enhancing cooperation in combatting serious and organised crime by strengthening bilateral law enforcement and criminal justice links
- intensifying their cyber security dialogue with a focus on preventing online radicalisation
Speaking after the signing, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

The global migration crisis is the challenge of our age, with the UK and the European continent seeing huge movements of people travelling illegally across our borders. This is placing an unprecedented burden on our communities and public services.

Austria is a close ally in tackling illegal migration, and we have already begun sharing knowledge of our actions and strategies such as third country removals.

This joint statement is a commitment to work more closely together to achieve our aims, and enhance our cooperation on a wide range of security challenges.

Austrian Minister of Interior Gerhard Karner said:

The UK has a lot of experience when it comes to processing asylum applications outside of Europe in the future. That was an important theme in my meeting with the Home Secretary in Vienna because Austria can benefit from this experience.

We will continue to make a consistent effort for the EU commission to advance and enable such procedures outside of Europe.

Following her meeting with Minister Karner, the Home Secretary also spoke to Jewish community leaders at the city’s main synagogue, reaffirming the UK government’s solidarity with the Jewish community following recent incidents of abuse, in particular this week’s arson attack at Vienna’s Central Cemetery.

She visited the site of the 2020 Islamist terrorist attack, in which 4 civilians were killed, and laid a wreath to mark the anniversary. The Home Secretary also visited the Shoah Wall of Names memorial to pay her respects to Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

The visit concluded with a tour of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, to deepen ties on tackling fraud and organised immigration crime.
07/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Progress of landmark UK-Japan treaties driven forward as Defence Secretary visits Tokyo [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 7 November 2023.

The visit is the latest in a series of high-level UK-Japan bilateral engagements this year, driving progress on two major treaties.

Driving forward advanced technology and cooperating closely to promote freedom and democracy is at the heart of the defence relationship between the UK and Japan, which Defence Secretary Grant Shapps hailed in a meeting with his counterpart in Tokyo.

The Defence Secretary met his counterpart, Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara, for a series of meetings to further progress on two major treaties which will increase interoperability between the UK Armed Forces and Japan Self Defence Forces and cement our commitment to shared security.

It follows the signing and implementation of the ground-breaking Reciprocal Access Agreement by the Prime Minister earlier this year, which will underpin our shared defence activity by enabling the UK and Japan to operate and exercise together more easily, as well as continued work on developing a framework agreement for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

The UK and Japan are each other’s closest security partner in Europe and Asia respectively, a commitment reaffirmed in the Hiroshima Accord announced by PM Sunak and PM Kishida on the margins of the G7 Summit this summer.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Amid increasing tension and instability across the world – it is more clear than ever that the threats we face are global, and it’s particularly important we strengthen our relations with our international partners and allies.

In my meetings with Minister Kihara, we discussed how to further deepen our cooperation through these two landmark treaties and reaffirmed our commitment to building a truly next-generation combat aircraft through GCAP.

Despite the distance between us, the UK and Japan stand closer together than ever before in support of peace, stability, and the rules-based international order.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has also been in Japan for a meeting of the G7 and both UK ministers joined their Japanese counterparts for a combined meeting, during which shared security interests such as support for Ukraine in its defence against Putin’s illegal invasion and condemnation of the Hamas attack against Israel, were discussed.

The UK remains the only European partner to have a bilateral exercise on Japanese soil, and the Army and Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces (GSDF) are currently planning Exercise Vigilant Isles 2023, which will see more than 150 UK personnel deploy to Japan this month – further demonstrating the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, as set out through this year’s refreshed Defence Command Paper.

At sea, persistently deployed Offshore Patrol Vessels HMS Tamar and HMS Spey have enabled the UK to operate closely with Japan and regional partners to promote maritime security.

Work between the UK, Japan, and Italy continues on developing GCAP, which will futureproof our Combat Air sectors and deliver enhanced investment in our people and technology, deepening integration of supply chains. It will bring together defence and security expertise from across our three nations to strengthen our defence industrial base and secure high skilled jobs.

07/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces – UK condemns withdrawal [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

The UK has issued a statement in response to Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

The UK has criticised Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, a landmark element of Europe’s post-Cold War security architecture.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

We unequivocally condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty, the latest in a line of Russian efforts to undermine strategic stability and the Euro-Atlantic security architecture.

Russia’s unilateral withdrawal undermines reciprocity, which lies at the heart of the CFE Treaty. This is a destabilising move for the integrity of the Treaty and to continue to implement the Treaty would suggest that we think that the Treaty continues to operate as intended. This is plainly not the case.

In response to Russia’s move, the UK, alongside its Allies has decided to suspend its participation in the Treaty and to work with likeminded nations to develop and implement voluntary stabilising measures.

07/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : World Trade Organization General Council – UK Statement [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

The UK spoke on a number of agenda items at the WTO General Council on 1 November 2023.

Item 2: Reform and TRIPS

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, you said we should not really get into the detail of reform, as we will cover that this afternoon, so I will try not to. One point to pick is the point about deconflicting meetings which I know is so important for so many smaller delegations. It is one that we have brought forward in our own proposals and I think it is one that we need to keep on thinking about to ensure that we are a genuinely inclusive organization, not just in words but in deed.

Let me just say a quick word about TRIPS. My Swiss colleague has set out in substance far more eloquently than I could and I endorse every word he has said.

I want to acknowledge first of all the continued efforts of our TRIPS Chair and let me welcome her efforts and the Secretariat’s to move our discussions forward. Let me also acknowledge the arrival of the report from the US ITC. Like others I’m sure we are still analysing the information that is contained in that report but for us it reaffirms the importance of known issues, including on this issue, including the role of voluntary licenses where the UK issued a paper, in increasing affordability and access to COVID-19 products and technologies globally. I hope everybody has seen our paper on this which looks at how we can build on that in future pandemic preparedness.

I just wanted to recognise that access issues go well beyond intellectual property and that considering broader factors in reactors should help us as we look at whether the decision that we took back at MC12 should indeed be extended to therapeutics and diagnostics. Let me also just encourage my fellow members, particularly those from developing countries and LDCs, to come to us to give us their thoughts on our paper, share their national experiences and challenges that they have faced in voluntary licensing and technology transfer partnerships, so that we can try and take forward our work in a structured and collaborative manner.

Lastly, a number of colleagues this morning have said that not taking a decision will be a real issue for this organisation. I think that there is something worse than not taking a decision and that is taking the wrong decision for this organisation, for the intellectual property which is the basis for our innovative economies, and taking the wrong decision for our future pandemic preparedness.

Thank you.

Item 3: Work programme on Small Economies – Report by the Chairperson of the Dedicated Session of the Committee on Trade and Development

Thank you very much Chair.

We wanted to come in quickly to recognize the importance of this issue. We really wanted to welcome the excellent Small Economies evidence sharing session and to thank the Chair, the Secretariat and everybody that inputted to the session.

We are also looking forward to the opportunity to review the draft ministerial decision on this issue at the upcoming session.

Thank you very much.

07/11/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Law Commissioner appointed [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 7 November 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Professor Alison Young as the Law Commissioner for Public Law and the Law in Wales for 5 years from 18 March 2024.

The Law Commission was created by the Law Commissions Act 1965 with the role of keeping under review the law of England and Wales with a view to its systematic development and reform. The Law Commission promotes the reform of the law to make it clearer, more modern and more accessible. The Commission’s projects bring real benefits to the public, businesses or other organisations affected by old, complex and out-of-date law.

Appointments to the Law Commission are made by the Lord Chancellor and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biography

Professor Young is the Sir David Williams Professor of Public Law at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Robinson College. She is also an academic associate at 39 Essex Chambers and an Emeritus Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford.

Before joining the University of Cambridge, Professor Young studied for a Law (with French) degree at the University of Birmingham, spending a year at the Université de Limoges. She then completed the BCL and D Phil at Hertford College, University of Oxford. She spent three years as a Tutorial Fellow at Balliol College, Oxford, before returning to Hertford as a Fellow in Law and later Professor of Public Law at the University of Oxford.

Professor Young has not declared any political activity.

07/11/2023