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  • PRESS RELEASE : £2.2 billion in Cost of Living Payments paid by DWP over the last eight days [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : £2.2 billion in Cost of Living Payments paid by DWP over the last eight days [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 7 November 2023.

    99% of households already eligible for the second Cost of Living Payment have been directly paid £300 by the Government.

    • The payments are the second of up to three worth up to £900 in 2023/24 for those eligible.
    • Those remaining will continue to be automatically paid between now and 19 November by DWP.

    More than seven million households across the UK have been paid a £300 Cost of Living Payment, a £2.2 billion cash injection made by the Department for Work and Pensions in just eight days.

    This means the vast majority of already eligible households have received the support in just eight days of the rollout starting, equating to over a million payments on each day they were made.

    The payment is the second of up to three Cost of Living Payments being made this financial year, illustrating the Government’s commitment to supporting low-income families with financial pressures.  These payments will all be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.

    Global inflationary pressures have seen the Department for Work and Pensions step in to provide unprecedented cost of living support, with billions of pounds sent directly into low-income households’ accounts over a matter of days.

    This comes alongside work to deliver on the government’s five priorities, including halving inflation and growing the economy, ultimately helping put more money in people’s bank accounts.

    Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said:

    Getting this vital money to over 7 million people across the UK in just eight days shows our determination to give people greater financial security as we work to halve inflation, bring costs down, and boost people’s bank balances.

    In the long term, the best way to secure financial security is through work, and thousands of Work Coaches in Jobcentres across the country are on hand to help people find a job, enhance their skills, and reap the benefits of work.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

    Christmas can put a strain on people’s finances which is why this £300 will be a welcome boost for millions of families.

    But we must tackle the root cause of higher bills by halving inflation this year and by sticking to our plan, we’re on track to do so.

    The Cost of Living Payments, spread across 2023/24, are worth up to £900 for those on means-tested benefits. The first payment was made in April and May of this year, with the next one to come by Spring 2024.

    The Cost of Living Payments build on the significant cost of living support already provided to eligible households throughout 2022 – now worth an average of £3,300 per household over this year and last. We have also gone further by:

    • Increasing benefits in line with inflation, meaning more than 10 million working age families will see an average increase of around £600.
    • Maintaining the Triple Lock earlier this year to give around 12 million pensioners the largest ever cash increase to the State Pension.
    • Extending the Household Support Fund for another year in England to help families with essential costs with £1 billion of extra funding.
    • Increasing the National Living Wage by its largest ever cash amount for 2 million workers – worth over £1,600 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker – and committing to increase it to over £11 an hour from April 2024.
    • Cutting fuel duty by 5 pence and freezing the increase, worth £100 to the average driver this year.
    • Covering up to 85% of childcare costs for working households on Universal Credit, up from 70% under the legacy system – currently worth over £19,500-a-year for families with two or more children.

    Pensioner households will also receive £300 which will be paid as a top up to those eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment in November and December. Combined with the one-off Cost of Living Disability Payment earlier this year, some households will receive £1,350 in total.

    The small number of payments still outstanding will continue to be made between now and 19 November, and anyone eligible still waiting for a payment does not need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) before then. After this date, if someone thinks they may be missing a payment they are entitled to a form can be filled out on the gov.uk website to make a claim.

    In addition, eligible families, receiving tax credits only, will get their £300 Cost of Living Payment from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) between 10 and 19 November with the payment reference ‘HMRC COLS’.

    While payments are made automatically, people must be receiving one of the eligible qualifying benefits during the specified period to qualify. Those who wish to check their entitlement to benefits should use a benefits calculator on Gov.uk to get a better idea of what they could receive.

    Further Information

    • The three means-tested Cost of Living Payments, worth up to £900 in total, is being delivered in three slightly different amounts, each relating to a specific qualifying period before the payment is made. This allows DWP to ensure support is targeted at those who need it and are eligible; to determine if a payee received the correct payments and identify the payment value; and to reduce the risk of fraud.
    • To get the £300 payment someone must (subject to a very limited exception explained below) have been entitled to a payment of a qualifying benefit as follows:
      • For Universal Credit, payment in respect of an assessment period ending between the 18 August and 17 September 2023
      • For all other DWP means-tested benefits, payment in respect of any day 18 August and the 17 September 2023.
      • For tax credits-only customers to be eligible they must have received a payment of tax credits in respect of any day in the period 18 August 2023 and the 17 September 2023, or later be paid in respect of any day in this period.
    • Those on DWP benefits other than Universal Credit who are entitled to less than 10 pence and meet all other qualifying criteria but who do not receive a benefit payment, will still receive a Cost of Living Payment.
    • Payment windows and eligibility dates for the remaining Cost of Living Payment will be announced in due course.
    • For constituency and local authority level breakdowns on payments, please visit www.gov.uk/government/news/first-2023-24-cost-of-living-payment-dates-announced
    • The £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment will be paid to all households in receipt of Winter Fuel Payments, in the same way as 2022/23 payments were made.
    • For more information on these payments, please visit www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payments-2023-to-2024
    • For regional, constituency and local authority level breakdowns on payments, please visit www.gov.uk/government/news/first-2023-24-cost-of-living-payment-dates-announced
  • PRESS RELEASE : G7 united in response to conflicts in Middle East and Ukraine as Foreign Secretary travels to Japan [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : G7 united in response to conflicts in Middle East and Ukraine as Foreign Secretary travels to Japan [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 November 2023.

    The Foreign Secretary will be in Japan for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

    • At the G7 James Cleverly will discuss situation in Middle East and preventing a damaging and destabilising regional escalation and further violence
    • Also on the agenda is collective support for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s illegal invasion and help secure a lasting peace
    • Foreign and Defence Secretaries meeting Japanese counterparts to strengthen security partnerships following signing of Hiroshima Accord earlier this year

    Arriving in Japan (Tuesday 7 November) for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly will be addressing developments in the Middle East, including to prevent a damaging and destabilising regional escalation and further violence.

    At the G7 conference in Tokyo, the Foreign Secretary will meet G7 Foreign Ministers, including the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yōko Kamikawa, to also discuss the UK’s long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

    The G7 Foreign Ministers meeting will build on the G7 Leaders’ Summit, that took place in Hiroshima in May, with a clear agreement on military, diplomatic and economic tools being part of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.

    The Defence Secretary will also be holding bilateral meetings with his Japanese counterpart Minoru Kihara, and both UK ministers will later join their opposites for a combined meeting.

    In the 2+2 meeting they will discuss closer security and defence ties alongside support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

    The Foreign Secretary will also attend a reception on enhancing relations between the people of the UK and Japan, with their respective Youth Mobility and Working Holiday Schemes being expanded by up to 500% to enable more opportunities for young people to gain a better understanding of our cultures and societies, through travel, work and life experience overseas.

    Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

    The UK and our allies are meeting to discuss the crisis in Israel and Gaza and avoiding further regional escalations.

    Alongside G7 partners, we’ll also be addressing other priorities ranging from Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine to climate change, economic security and global trade.

    Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

    The UK and Japan share many closely held values, including an enduring commitment to freedom and democracy, and it is an honour to visit Tokyo during such a milestone year for our defence relationship.

    We will be driving forward progress on two major defence and security treaties, which will protect both our peoples and bring our nations closer together than ever before.

    Six months on from the British and Japanese Prime Ministers agreeing the Hiroshima Accord the UK and Japan have made strong progress on its implementation.

    The Reciprocal Access Agreement has been brought into effect and both countries are now conducting more frequent, larger and more complex joint exercises – including VIGILANT ISLES 23 this November. The UK and Japan have also made progress on economics & trade and science & technology. We have agreed to cooperate as members of CPTTP, held our first strategic economic talks, progressed our AI commitments and cemented our collaboration on critical minerals.

    At the G7, the Foreign Ministers will also discuss the need to maintain collective support for Ukraine and how international support from the UK and other G7 partners can be used most strategically to help Ukrainian forces continue their progress on the battlefield and secure a lasting peace.

    The UK continues to support the Ukrainian government in the face of this assault on their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Alongside the international community we stand against this naked aggression and for freedom, democracy and the sovereignty of nations around the world.

  • Keir Starmer – 2023 Speech to the North East Chamber of Commerce

    Keir Starmer – 2023 Speech to the North East Chamber of Commerce

    The speech made by Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, on 3 November 2023.

    Thank you, Andrew.

    It’s such a pleasure to be here in such magnificent surroundings.

    And a privilege to have the opportunity to share our plans for growth with you.

    This is not the first Chamber of Commerce speech I’ve made this year.

    But it is the first time I’ve addressed the reigning UK Chamber of the year.

    So before I go any further – I’d like to congratulate you all on that.

    Because it’s no exaggeration to say that Labour’s ambitions for government, our most important mission.

    To get Britain building again.

    Grow our way out of the suffocating cost-of-living crisis.

    Will depend on your future success.

    Now, before you pulled up that fantastic palatial drive, some of you may have travelled here today along the A1, a road that is absolutely critical to doing business in this region – indeed for the whole the east side of England.

    But, as many of you will know, a little further up from here, between Morpeth and Ellington.

    There’s a stretch of the A1 that the Prime Minister has recently promised to upgrade. But there’s a catch.  Because he announced he would upgrade it in 2020, when he was Chancellor.

    Just like Theresa May’s Government did in 2017.  Just like David Cameron did in 2014. Just like the Conservative manifesto promised in 2010.

    It’s a metaphor for how our country’s been run for the past thirteen years. The cameras get called, the press releases written.

    All smiles for the photos, and then it’s back to Westminster.  Job done. Rinse and repeat.

    It’s a story you see right across Britain.

    Infrastructure projects – some with billions already committed. Businesses planning around them. Strategies – developed in rooms like this.

    But the projects and investment get stuck. Blocked, by objections, consultations, legal challenges, ballooning costs. Delays, delays, delays.

    Until in the end, it’s easier just to pack up and move on.

    We all know about HS2, a project the Conservatives couldn’t get built, even at the cost of £400 million per mile.

    That’s the most expensive railway in the world – ever.

    And I’m afraid to say that all the hallmarks of that project: the waste, the stagnation, the short-term sticking plaster politics. An inability to roll our sleeves up, and get things done that will actually grow our economy. Can be seen right across the country.

    I mean – right now, the number of businesses going under has soared to its highest level in years.

    And as you will all appreciate, every one is a personal tragedy.

    An ambition, a dream, an investment in a better future. Gone.

    Now I’m not here today to hit you over the head about this.

    You can see the country just as clearly as me.

    But next week is the King’s Speech. And we can already see that it will only bring more of the same.

    A manifesto for the 14th year of Tory failure.  And the starting gun fired on the next general election.

    A choice, between a Conservative Party with no plan for the future. Hurtling down the only high-speed project it’s ever managed to build: the highway to British decline.

    Or the Labour alternative. A party that understands the potential that lies in regions like this. That has a plan to grow every corner of this country.

    Will work with you to get the North East building again.

    Get our future back, with a decade of national renewal.

    Because mark my words, Britain needs this King’s Speech to kickstart a big build.

    We need to focus on the real problems that face the businesses and communities of this region.

    That’s why a Labour King’s speech would rip up the red tape in our planning system that stops us building the infrastructure you need.

    Would establish a new generation of technical colleges – a plan for the higher skills you need.

    And would bring forward a modern industrial strategy. Work hand in glove with the private sector. Invest in the potential of regions like this. And win the race for the jobs of the future.

    That is the job of government as I see it.

    We have to provide the businesses, communities and people of this nation, with the conditions to succeed.

    A fundamental deal.

    That we serve the country, while you drive it forward.

    The Tories can’t do this.  Rishi Sunak is too weak to stand up to the blockers on his backbenches. Too haunted by the ghosts of Conservative imagination to see the country’s problems as you see them.

    So, if you’ll indulge me, I want to set out exactly how our plan would benefit your business.

    And grow the economy of this proud region in three steps.

    Step one, we will get the North East building again.

    We will take on the blockers that hold a veto over British aspiration.

    We will build one and a half million homes right across our Britain. With opportunities for first time buyers here in the North East.

    New infrastructure to support businesses, families and communities to grow. Roads, warehouses, grid connections, labs – all built quicker and cheaper.

    And with all that – a prize for your business.  A path to a stronger skills base, a happier workforce, more dynamism, more demand, more growth.

    I mean – let me just give you a couple of examples.

    The Thames Tunnel in East London. A project with a planning application thirty times longer than the complete works of Shakespeare. Sixty thousand pages.

    £800 million worth of taxpayers money spent without even breaking ground.

    Or take Sizewell C. A next generation nuclear power station in Suffolk. A £20bn project of national importance. Vital for British energy, security and independence.

    This one had forty-thousand pages of its planning application devoted to data on the environment.

    And yet it’s been held up in the courts on account of a ‘failure to assess the environmental impact’.

    I could go on and on and on. The examples are countless.  But as a country we can’t afford to go on. Not like this.

    Because the challenges this inertia creates for businesses and communities like yours, they’re enormous.

    It’s why our roads are so congested compared to other countries.

    Why millions are denied the security of home ownership.

    Why you can’t take up the opportunity of clean British energy.

    The cheaper bills that would reduce your cost base and protect us from the whims of tyrants like Putin.

    And yet, back in the 50s and 60s, we built the backbone of our entire motorway system, in less time than it’s taken to talk about the turning of that stretch of the A1 into a dual carriageway.

    The national grid was completed in about eight years.  Less time than it takes some entrepreneurs to get a grid connection, today.

    But you don’t even have to go back that far.

    The last Labour Government delivered High Speed One on time and under budget.

    So I have no time for Tory excuses – politics is about choices.

    Do you face up to tough decisions, or do you duck them?  That’s always been the test.

    So if you take only one thing away from here today.

    Let it be this. Wherever we find barriers to British success – we will bulldoze through them.

    New development corporations, new planning regimes for national infrastructure.

    Consequences for councils that drag their feet.

    Reforms to judicial review.

    Whatever it takes – we will find a way.

    No stone unturned. No detail overlooked. No fight ducked.

    Step two – a new direction for skills.

    Because a future must be trained as well as built.

    And the generation of young people that sacrificed so much during the pandemic – their potential must be backed.

    Seriously – the cost of inaction on this cannot be overstated.

    £120bn worth of economic output could be lost by 2030 if the needs of businesses are not met.

    So we will transform our further education system. With Technical Excellence Colleges. Colleges that will have a stronger link to their local economies.

    More connections to Local Skills Improvement plans.

    Universities, businesses, rooms like this, all around the table and setting the direction.

    And in doing so, grounding our education system more firmly, not just in young peoples’ aspirations, but also in the pride, the pull on the badge of the shirt.

    The ambition you feel, when building a lasting legacy for your community.

    So here in the North East, for example it could mean Technical Excellence Colleges that specialise in construction, health and social care, the clean energy revolution we want to see up and down the East Coast.

    Welders in the Tees Valley – I know there’s a skills shortage for precision welders here.

    And I’ve seen that in the Local Skills Improvement plan this Chamber wrote.

    I know you don’t want that plan gathering dust.

    You want it to drive the courses delivered at your local FE colleges.

    And that is exactly what we will guarantee.

    Because we want to end the years of businesses feeling hopeless about missing skills. Give you the tools to do something about it.

    You should have more say over how you invest in your workforce.

    And at the moment – as you well know – the Apprenticeship Levy simply isn’t flexible enough.

    Your hands are tied.

    Unable to deliver the full breadth of skills that you need.

    So we’d transform it into a new Growth and Skills Levy.

    Giving you more power over the training your money can buy.

    But it’s not just on you.

    Government has to step up as well.

    Too many young people are leaving education without basic skills…

    Maths, digital skills, communication and teamwork.

    Skills we know every business needs.

    So Labour would deliver higher standards in our schools.

    Every child taught by expert teachers…

    A broader curriculum.

    Real world maths from an early stage.

    Preparing the next generation.

    To make sure that they are ready for work and ready for life.

    That’s what ending the tax breaks on Private Schools will deliver.

    Opportunity for all.

    Skills for business.

    Growth for the nation.

    Finally – step three.

    A modern industrial strategy. On a statutory footing.

    Free from the whims and wreckage of Westminster.

    An emblem of our determination to move away from the stand-aside state that fails to set direction.

    If you go to the government website to find out about their industrial strategy.

    Scratched across the top is one word.

    I kid you not, ‘archived’.

    ‘Archived’.

    Doesn’t that just tell you everything?

    They think Britain’s days of high growth are over. But they’re not.

    Labour will get Britain growing again.

    Bring back industrial strategy.

    Provide the institution, the incentives and above all, the stability you need to invest in our future.

    Because in a world as riven with insecurity as ours, with challenges like climate change.

    Technologies like artificial intelligence. Scientific advances like gene editing. Constantly overturning the economic apple-cart.

    You need a government that gets involved. That rolls up it sleeves.

    That offers the hand of partnership in pursuit of the national interest.

    With clear fiscal rules – sound and followed rigorously.

    A British jobs bonus that will attract new investment to our industrial heartlands.

    Relight the fire of renewal in communities like this.

    And a new national wealth fund – that will stand with business.

    Work together to invest in the crucial infrastructure the North East desperately needs.

    The battery gigafactories that will protect electric car-manufacturing in Sunderland.

    The hydrogen and carbon capture technology that can provide an industrial future for Teesside.

    And the ports that can finally handle large industrial parts. So the East Coast can lead the world in offshore wind.

    This is what the King’s speech should be about.

    A national mission to get Britain building again. And grow our country from the grassroots.

    Because Britain needs a new business model.

    And, you will know, changing a business model is hard.  But this is our plan.

    A plan to expand the country’s productive capabilities. But at the same time, to change who benefits.

    A Britain where growth comes from regions like this.

    A Britian where growth serves regions like this.

    With infrastructure – built more quickly.

    Young people’s potential – backed.

    The jobs of the future in your town.

    The backbone of this country, once again, powering us forward towards national renewal.

    A Britain with its future back.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Strike laws to be passed to protect vital public services over Christmas [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Strike laws to be passed to protect vital public services over Christmas [November 2023]

    The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 November 2023.

    Minimum service level regulations for rail workers, ambulance staff and border security staff will be laid in parliament to mitigate disruption and ensure vital public services continue if strikes are called, the government has announced today.

    • Minimum Service Levels legislation will be passed for rail, ambulance, and border security staff to mitigate disruption if strikes called.
    • Delivers on manifesto commitment to introduce minimum service levels for rail strikes.
    • Comes ahead of further consultations to introduce minimum service levels for education, other NHS staff, and fire services.

    Minimum service level regulations for rail workers, ambulance staff and border security staff will be laid in parliament to mitigate disruption and ensure vital public services continue if strikes are called, the government has announced today (Monday 6 November).

    The legislation brings us in line with countries like France, Italy, Spain, and the US where public services reliably continue during strikes. The International Labour Organisation also recognises Minimum Service Levels as a sensible solution to protect the public from serious consequences of strikes.

    The minimum service levels are designed to be effective and proportionate by balancing the ability to take strike action with ensuring we can keep our borders secure, supporting people to make important journeys including accessing work, education, and healthcare, and allowing people to get the emergency care they need.

    Earlier this year, the government consulted widely on proposals to introduce minimum service levels legislation across a range of sectors, under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act which received Royal Assent in July. The responses to these consultations have been published today with the legislation set to be laid in parliament tomorrow.

    For border security, the regulations will apply to employees of Border Force and selected HM Passport Office staff where passport services are required for the purposes of national security. The laws will set out that border security services should be provided at a level that means that they are no less effective than if a strike were not taking place. It will also ensure all ports and airports remain open on a strike.

    For train operators, it will mean the equivalent of 40% of their normal timetable can operate as normal and, in the case of strikes that affect rail infrastructure services, certain priority routes can remain open.

    Minimum service level regulations for ambulance workers will ensure that vital ambulance services in England will continue throughout any strike action, ensuring that cases that are life-threatening, or where there is no reasonable clinical alternative to an ambulance response, are responded to.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

    We are doing everything in our power to stop unions de-railing Christmas for millions of people. This legislation will ensure more people will be able to travel to see their friends and family and get the emergency care they need.

    We cannot go on relying on short term fixes – including calling on our Armed Forces or civil servants – to mitigate the disruption caused by strike action.

    That’s why we’re taking the right long-term decision to bring in minimum service levels, in line with other countries, to keep people safe and continue delivering the vital public services that hard-working people rely on.

    Where minimum service level regulations are in place and strike action is called, employers can issue work notices to identify people who are reasonably required to work to ensure minimum service levels are met.

    The law requires unions to take reasonable steps and ensure their members who are identified with a work notice comply and if a union fails to do this, they will lose their legal protection from damages claims.

    Last year, we raised the maximum damages that courts can award against a union for unlawful strike action. For the biggest unions, the maximum award has risen from £250,000 to £1 million.

    Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said:

    For too long, hard working people have been unfairly targeted by rail union leaders – prevented from making important journeys, including getting to work, school or vital hospital appointments.

    Minimum Service Levels will help address this by allowing the rail industry to plan ahead to reduce disruption for passengers while ensuring workers can still exercise their ability to strike.

    An improved service on strike days will allow passengers to continue with their day-to-day lives and support businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector.

    Earlier this year, we accepted the independent pay review bodies recommendations in full, providing a fair pay deal for all public sector workers.

    An agreement between the government and Agenda for Change unions earlier this year saw over one million NHS staff receive a 5% pay rise along with one-off awards worth over £3,000 for the typical nurse or ambulance worker.

    For rail workers, there remains a fair and reasonable offer on the table which several unions have already accepted, one which would deliver competitive pay rises of 5% + 4% pay increase over two years.

    Home Office staff in delegated grades including Border Force staff have been provided with a pay award averaging 4.5% with an additional 0.5% targeted at the lower grades.

    Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

    We must never allow strike action to compromise our border security or cause significant disruption to passengers and goods at our borders.

    The Armed Forces have commendably stepped up to fill vital roles during recent industrial action, but it would be irresponsible to rely on such short-term solutions to protect our national security.

    The minimum service levels announced today will ensure a fair balance between delivering the best possible service to the travelling public, maintaining a secure border and the ability of workers to strike.

    The government continues to recognise the crucial role of NHS staff and remains committed to working constructively to end any disruption for patients, and there are currently no live strike mandates relating to ambulance trusts. However, strikes have already had a significant impact on patients, NHS staff and efforts to cut waiting lists – including over one million postponed appointments and procedures.

    The Department of Health and Social Care is currently seeking evidence on expanding the scope of minimum service levels to cover other urgent and emergency hospital-based services which could include nurses and doctors. The consultation is set to close on the 14th of November.

    Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

    Patients must be protected and strikes in ambulance services could put the lives and health of the public at risk, given their essential role in responding to life threatening emergencies.

    While voluntary agreements between employers and trade unions can still be agreed ahead of industrial action, these regulations provide a safety net for trusts and an assurance to the public that vital emergency services will be there when they need them.

    We will continue to take steps to protect patient safety and ensure health services have the staff they need to operate safely and effectively, no matter the circumstances.

    The Education Secretary has committed to introduce minimum service levels on a voluntary basis should an agreement be reached with the education unions. If a voluntary arrangement cannot be agreed, a consultation will be launched on introducing minimum service levels in schools and colleges. Separately, the Department has also committed to launching a consultation on introducing minimum service levels in universities.

    The Department for Business and Trade recently consulted on a new draft statutory Code of Practice on the ‘reasonable steps’ a trade union should take to meet the requirements set out in the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.

    They will also launch a consultation on removing regulation 7 across all sectors which prevents employment businesses supplying agency workers to cover the duties normally performed by a worker who is taking part in an official strike or other industrial action. These will be published in due course.

  • Baroness Neville-Rolfe – 2023 Speech at the Government Security Conference

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe – 2023 Speech at the Government Security Conference

    The speech made by Baroness Neville-Rolfe, a Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, on 1 November 2023.

    Thank you, Vincent, for that kind welcome – and good evening, everyone.

    Thank you all for coming and to the Government Security Group in particular for your offer of hospitality in the days of work ahead.

    And I will start with a question.

    Could there be a more important time for a conference on security?

    We meet at a very difficult time. The world is getting darker and we face enormous threats to world security.

    The complexities of security are more evident in the last few months than ever before…

    …War in Ukraine, conflict in Israel and Palestine and the constant drip drip drip of cybercrime and fraud – could – if we let it – become a deluge.

    But it’s not just criminals we need to concern ourselves with…

    …whole countries are turning to their computers to commit crime. It is no longer the loner in their bedroom planning cyberattacks…

    …it’s buildings of people, sanctioned by their state, challenging the basic conditions for an open, stable and peaceful international order which everyone in this room will support.

    We explained the difficulties in our Integrated Review Refresh in March and called out ways in which the world was getting darker.

    Moreover, as the world turns, our security needs will become more complex…

    …and this complexity is being demonstrated in Bletchley Park right now, as the Prime Minister hosts the first ever Global AI Safety Summit…

    …countries from across the world – and tech leaders and innovators – all working together with one goal…

    …which is to ensure that the next tech frontier is as safe and secure as possible.

    Today’s session at our conference is about how collaboration will strengthen the security of our governments…

    …governments that are threatened by increasingly skilled adversaries…

    …adversaries who are determined to exploit our large quantities of data, and hold to ransom our online public services.

    Today, I want to outline how the UK Government is staying secure…

    …and how we are collaborating across the world to improve international security. I have already mentioned cybercrime…

    …soon enough, this type of crime will become so commonplace that it will simply be known as ‘crime’.

    I am clear that the digital world is one of the battlegrounds of the future…

    …where frontlines are not defined by physical borders. This is a big change.

    Hybrid methods of warfare have long been used to destabilise adversaries, but cybersecurity threats are evolving at an alarming pace. Malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities in our interconnected systems.

    A few years ago, WannaCry wreaked havoc in the UK National Health system. Today 8 out of 10 ransomware attacks come from Russian speaking sources.

    However, I believe that the UK is prepared to tackle these challenges.

    Our National Cyber Security Strategy outlines how we will bolster Government digital infrastructure to withstand attacks…

    …we are training businesses and public services about how to remain resilient against digital crime…

    …and as the third largest exporter of cybersecurity services globally, we are sharing our expertise with the world.

    But as criminals adapt their methods, we too must adapt.

    Take the fight against public sector fraud, which transcends national borders and threatens our national security.

    Our leadership in the UK of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum is crucial here.

    Through this dialogue both the UK and our partners are alive to the developing issues…

    …and coming up with ways to fight the fraudsters, wherever they are. I was fortunate to attend their forum earlier this year…

    …and I was struck, very struck, by the strength of our relationship with our Five-Eyes partners…

    …and how that partnership is enhancing fraud prevention, improving investigative techniques, and leading to a better understanding of different types of attacks, including ransomware.

    In fact, ransomware featured strongly in my discussions at Singapore International Cyber Week a fortnight ago.

    It was clear to me that Singapore is a good place for these discussions. It sits at the very heart of the Indo Pacific…

    …which has become a greater focus for British foreign and security policy for a number of reasons.

    It was a successful visit for us all…

    …one which builds on our recent achievements in the region, including the AUKUS agreement, obtaining Dialogue Status with ASEAN, several trade deals and a recent UK Singapore Strategic Partnership agreed by our Prime Minister…

    … a partnership built on how like-minded we are when it comes to cybersecurity, and our joint leadership in advanced artificial intelligence, on which we are spending a lot of time on this week.

    I am pleased to say that we are building on this national and international work.

    This year, we announced a new Integrated Security Fund – replacing the Conflict Stability and Security Fund, which was much loved…

    …which will help keep the UK safe and address global sources of volatility and insecurity.

    With a budget of almost £1 billion, it will, for example, help develop regional cyber strategies and training…

    …both essential components which will help our allies deter cyberattacks on their national infrastructure.

    I mentioned ASEAN, and this fund is delivering technical and policy capacity building in ASEAN

    …but the Fund also supports projects that assist Ukraine and counter Russian disinformation.

    But it’s not enough to bolster projects that already exist…

    …we have to also invest in the skills, skills for the future, so the projects of the future – ones we can’t even comprehend yet – can be created and maintained.

    It is clear that the UK can be a leader in digital skills…

    We are the European leaders in Fintech, with one-thousand-six-hundred firms based here…

    …our telecoms, our computer and information services exports are valued at over thirty-eight-billion pounds…

    …and with 1% of the world’s population – so we’re not that huge – we have built the 3rd largest AI sector in the world.

    Despite this, and I’m sure this is agreed, we must do more globally to foster data and digital skills, and in particular our cyber talent pipeline…

    …and the professionalism of cyber internationally to match our professional success in law and accountancy.

    But, as the threats we face are increasingly global in nature, we have to work with global partners to confront them…

    …and that is why I was so pleased to announce – as part of my visit to Singapore – a new Women in Cyber Network across South East Asia…

    …which will run women-led projects that address regionally specific cybersecurity challenges, with the support of UK best practice, and I was delighted to discover that so many colleagues from the US delegation came from the female side.

    This focus on skills is no more needed than in the area of supply chains.

    Strong and resilient supply chains are of fundamental importance to our economic and national security…

    …and it is prudent to set common standards for suppliers, to support a secure and prosperous international order.

    It has been wonderful to see the Five Eyes’ global leadership flourish in areas such as software security and supplier assurance…

    …but it behoves us to do more and faster.

    Because if we don’t, our adversaries will exploit our open economies to use ownership models and state-backed companies against us…

    …with Huawei and HikVision being prime examples.

    Our new UK Procurement Act – which received Royal assent last week – will help tackle this specific threat.

    It will enable us to reject bids from any Government supplier that poses a threat to national security…

    …and we are setting up a new National Security Unit for Procurement in the Cabinet Office, which will advise the Government on future priorities.

    We are going even further to prevent interference in our political infrastructure through our Defending Democracy Taskforce – of which I am a member – under the leadership of Tom Tugendhat, the security minister at the Home Office.

    It is working across government to protect the integrity of our democracy from threats of foreign interference.

    This is now teeing up work to protect our representatives and voting systems from hostile attacks at our next election.

    Here, too, the importance of collaboration across governments to reduce these and other security risks cannot be overstated. After all, next year is an election year in the EU and US.

    Ladies and gentlemen, it is clear that – in our interconnected world – our security is a shared responsibility.

    What we can achieve together is an all-round ecosystem of security built on our world-class foundations of education, expertise, technology and capability.

    Yes, our security needs are more complex than they used to be, but in the face of that complexity we must remain committed to collaboration.

    Collaboration on our shared security will help us overcome fraudsters, criminals, bandit states – and indeed anyone who wants to undermine the strength of our partnerships for their own gains.

    If we hold our resolve, it is clear to me they will not win…

    …and through our partnerships, we will help build a stronger, more resilient and more secure world.

    Thank you for listening.

  • Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2023 Speech on Ukraine (October 2023)

    Martin Docherty-Hughes – 2023 Speech on Ukraine (October 2023)

    The speech made by Martin Docherty-Hughes, the SNP spokesperson on defence, in the House of Commons on 24 October 2023.

    We cannot forget this autumn that we are seeing a broader escalation of the conflict in Ukraine into the frontiers of our Euro-Atlantic homeland. I speak in particular about the recent announcements by the Governments of Sweden, Finland and Estonia that undersea assets linking those countries have been intentionally damaged by third parties. I should declare an interest as chair of the all-party parliamentary group on Estonia.

    My primary concern, which I am sure the Minister shares, is closer to home. Events in the eastern Mediterranean and the Baltics demonstrate the diffuse nature of the threats we need to face, but they also demonstrate the importance of keeping a singular focus on the areas that the Government can best hope to influence. While supporting the heroic and excellent bilateral support for the people of Ukraine as they continue their fight, on the day that the Defence Committee publishes a report into the Government’s Indo-Pacific tilt, can I ask the Minister to reiterate his Government’s commitment to Euro-Atlantic security as a central strategic concern of these islands of the north Atlantic that we inhabit together, and critically, to update the House on the security of our North sea oil and gas infrastructure?

    James Heappey

    It is fantastic to hear the SNP’s epiphany on the strategic importance of North sea oil and gas. We take seriously the requirement to protect our subsea infrastructure, whether oil and gas, fibre-optic cables or energy interconnectors. The Royal Navy has ships permanently at high readiness to ensure that our national economic zone is secure.

    The hon. Gentleman made an important point. Is a time of growing instability in the Euro-Atlantic and the near east one also to be committing more military resource to the far east and the Indo-Pacific? Every defence review—the original integrated review and its refresh—has been clear that the absolute foundation of all our military effort is around security in the Euro-Atlantic, but if our principal ally in the United States is ever-more concerned, as it is, about its competition with China and the challenge in the Indo-Pacific, it is surely necessary to show our willingness to contribute to Indo-Pacific security alongside the United States, so that the United States remains engaged in Euro-Atlantic security, too.

  • John Healey – 2023 Speech on Ukraine (October 2023)

    John Healey – 2023 Speech on Ukraine (October 2023)

    The speech made by John Healey, the Shadow Defence Minister, in the House of Commons on 24 October 2023.

    Members from across the House, and people across the world, are rightly focused on the middle east after Hamas’s horrific attacks. That terrorism must be condemned, civilians must be protected, humanitarian corridors must be opened, international law must be followed, and escalation risks must be managed. I welcome the Defence Secretary’s Gulf visit later this week, and I hope that he will report back to us in the House. I also welcome President Biden’s oval office address, in which he said:

    “Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: they both want to completely annihilate a neighbouring democracy”.

    Today lets President Putin know that the UK remains focused on, and united in, solidarity with Ukraine.

    Last week, as the Minister said, we passed the grim 600-day milestone since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. War still rages, cities are still bombed, and civilians are still raped and killed. Ukraine has made important gains in recent days on the Dnipro river. Will the Minister update the House on that? I am proud of the UK leadership on Ukraine, but we must work to maintain that leadership and accelerate support. I fear that UK momentum is flagging. There has been no statement on Ukraine to Parliament from the new Defence Secretary since his appointment in August, and no statement from any Defence Secretary in this House since May.

    Labour backs the recent announcements on UK military aid, the new British Army training to protect critical infrastructure, and the £100 million, raised with allies, that will come from the International Fund for Ukraine, but Ukrainians are asking for winter support, air defence, and more ammunition—and where is the UK’s planned response? No new money for military aid for Ukraine has been committed by this Prime Minister. The £2.3 billion for this year was pledged by his predecessor, and the £2.3 billion for last year was pledged by her predecessor. This year’s money runs out in March. Seven months after announcing £2 billion for UK stockpiles in the spring Budget, not a penny has been spent and not a single contract signed. Why? Putin must be defeated, just as Hamas must be defeated. We must not step back. We must stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to win.

    James Heappey

    I echo the right hon. Gentleman’s words about the despicable attack from Hamas and the absolute right of Israel to defend itself. As I said, I believe strongly that it is important that Putin does not see this as a moment of opportunity to sow more chaos, and does not think that the western donor community is distracted or has a preference for supporting Israel over Ukraine. He must know that our resolve is to support both.

    The right hon. Gentleman rightly noted that the Secretary of State will be in the Gulf later this week. I am sure that he will want to talk about what he hears there, but I suspect that he will also want to keep some of that counsel private, as we seek to calibrate how we posture ourselves in the region in order to reassure our allies and deter those who might seek to make a bad situation even worse. The Secretary of State was in Washington last week, and has had a number of calls with other partners around the region. So too have the Chief of the Defence Staff and I, as part of a Ministry of Defence-wide effort to ensure that we constantly calibrate our response alongside that of those who we traditionally work with in the region, and we make sure that nothing we do is misinterpreted.

    The right hon. Gentleman and I are, I think, friends, so there is some dismay that he dismisses all my efforts at the Dispatch Box to keep the House updated on the war in Ukraine. I stood here as recently as 11 September to lead an excellent debate on the subject, and have given a number of statements on behalf of the Secretary of State. I am sorry if the right hon. Gentleman is so rank-conscious as to deem my efforts unworthy, but I have done my best.

    The right hon. Gentleman is right to point to the fact that the excellent financial contribution made over the two previous financial years is, as yet, unconfirmed for the next financial year. It will not surprise him to know that that has already been the subject of conversation across Government. It is not for me to make that announcement in an urgent question today, but a major fiscal event is forthcoming, and I know that he will not have to wait too long. That does not mean that our plans are uncertain. In fact, I push back strongly on the suggestion that they are. For a long time over the past two years, there has been a sort of misunderstanding that the UK’s capacity to gift is entirely either from our own stockpiles or from our indigenous industrial capacity. The vast majority of what the UK gifts is what we are able to buy internationally, often from countries that Putin would prefer were not providing us with that stuff. However, we have been able to get our hands on it and get it to the Ukrainians with some haste. That is exactly the sort of thing that the right hon. Gentleman asked about.

    It is about the small but necessary things, such as winterisation equipment, small arms ammunition, artillery ammunition and air defence ammunition, and our ability to buy that while in parallel stimulating UK industry. I reject what the right hon. Gentleman said about contracts having not been placed; substantial contracts have been placed directly to replenish UK stockpiles of NLAWs, Starstreak, lightweight multi-role missiles, Javelin, Brimstone, 155 mm shells and 5.56 mm rifle rounds. As far as I can see, there is a steady state contribution to the Ukrainians that amounts to tens of thousands of rounds per month, plus air defence missiles, plus all the small stuff, alongside the replenishment of our own stockpiles, which can only happen at the pace at which industry can generate it, but none the less it is happening.

  • James Heappey – 2023 Statement on Ukraine (October 2023)

    James Heappey – 2023 Statement on Ukraine (October 2023)

    The statement made by James Heappey, the Minister for Armed Forces, in the House of Commons on 24 October 2023.

    Since I last updated the House in my opening remarks in the debate on Ukraine on 11 September, the situation on the ground has remained largely unchanged. Slow and steady progress is being made by the Ukrainian armed forces, which continue to grind their way through the main Russian defensive position. Defence Intelligence estimates that the number of Russian permanent casualties —in other words, those who are dead or so seriously wounded that they cannot return to action—now stands at between 150,000 and 190,000 troops. Total casualties are estimated to number up to 290,000.

    A limited Russian offensive is under way at Avdiivka on the outskirts of Donetsk city. Fighting has been fierce, and we assess that the average casualty rate for the Russian army was around 800 per day in the first week of the offensive. As ever, Putin and his generals show no more regard for the lives of their own troops than they do for the people of Ukraine.

    However, even this ex-soldier can admit that wars are not only about the fight on the land. Since the last debate on Ukraine, the Ukrainians have opened up a new front in the Black sea, destroying a Kilo-class submarine and two amphibious ships, as well as making a successful strike on the Russian Black sea fleet headquarters. The consequence, as President Zelensky has rightly said, is that the Russian Black sea fleet is no longer capable of resistance in the western Black sea. As we move beyond day 600—it is day 608, to be precise—of Putin’s “three-day” illegal war, he has still not achieved any of his initial strategic aims, and he has now ceded sea control in the western Black sea to a nation without a navy.

    The UK continues to donate significant amounts of ammunition and matériel, paid for from the £2.3 billion commitment for this financial year. That follows the same amount being given the year before, and that is an important point. Our gifting is about more than headline-making capabilities such as Challenger 2 or Storm Shadow. It is the delivery, month after month, of tens of thousands of artillery rounds, air defence missiles and other small but necessary items of equipment that positions the UK as one of the biggest and most influential of Ukraine’s donors. The UK is also the only country to have trained soldiers, sailors, aviators and Marines in support of the Ukrainian effort; we have now trained over 50,000 soldiers, sailors, aviators and Marines since 2014.

    Events in the middle east have dominated the headlines, but in the Ministry of Defence and across the UK Government—and, clearly, in His Majesty’s Opposition, as they brought forward this urgent question—Ukraine remains a focus. I think that seeing this very timely question will matter enormously to our friends and colleagues in Kyiv. I remain every bit as confident today as I have been on all my previous visits to the Dispatch Box over the last two years that Ukraine can and will prevail.

  • NEWS STORY : Guardian Newspaper Publishes Further Allegations about the Personal Conduct of Michelle Mone

    NEWS STORY : Guardian Newspaper Publishes Further Allegations about the Personal Conduct of Michelle Mone

    STORY

    The Guardian Newspaper has alleged that Michelle Mone was involved with PPE Medpro despite her firm denials that she wasn’t, including using a solicitor to threaten the newspaper. Mone, who took leave from the House of Lords in December 2022 following a series of serious allegations about her personal conduct, has refused to comment on the latest allegations from the Guardian.

    The Guardian reported on her and her husband Douglas Barrowman:

    “A representative of Barrowman told the Guardian that the Isle of Man-based businessman was an investor in PPE Medpro, and chaired and led the operation to supply personal protective equipment. The admissions raise questions about years of denials from the couple. Until now, Mone and Barrowman have consistently and emphatically denied to the Guardian, via lawyers, that they were involved in the company.”

    The Guardian was previously told by Mone’s solicitors that any allegation that Mone was involved with PPE Medpro was “inaccurate, misleading and defamatory”. Mone has refused to comment on the latest allegations, as the Government continues with a £122 million claim against the company for providing inadequate products. The National Crime Agency is also continuing its investigations into PPE Medpro.

    RESOURCES

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

    EXTERNAL NEWS LINKS

    Guardian News Story

  • PRESS RELEASE : New Transport Safety Officers to crack down on anti-social behaviour [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New Transport Safety Officers to crack down on anti-social behaviour [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 6 November 2023.

    Backed by £2.5 million of funding, specially-trained officers will enhance public safety and help prevent violence against women and girls on and around public transport.

    • specially-trained Transport Safety Officers (TSOs) to be put on patrol in 4 areas across England as part of the government’s anti-social behaviour action plan
    • the pilot schemes, backed by £2.5 million of DfT funding, will empower local areas to enhance public safety in, around and on transport and help prevent violence against women and girls
    • TSOs will have the ability to issue fixed penalty notices for antisocial behaviour

    Front-line safety personnel will be rolled out on public transport in 4 English areas to help stamp out anti-social behaviour on buses, trains and trams.

    The new TSOs will patrol targeted routes and locations, working in co-ordination with local police forces and the British Transport Police. The officers will work to improve safety with an emphasis on engagement and education, however, they will also hold the power to issue fixed penalty notices in response to certain antisocial behaviour.

    Following the successful implementation of a TSO scheme by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), £2.5 million in funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) will see TSOs deployed in:

    • Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
    • Lancashire
    • Stoke-on-Trent
    • Thurrock – in collaboration with Essex and Southend-on-Sea councils

    The pilots will allow local authorities to develop and implement approaches that react directly to the specific needs of their local area.

    This is part of wider government commitments to improving public transport and follows the recent allocation of £150 million to improve bus services in the North and Midlands – the first tranche of £1 billion of new funding, redirected from High Speed 2 (HS2) as part of Network North.

    Transport Minister, Richard Holden, said:

    Anti-social behaviour is completely unacceptable – I want to see it eradicated from our public transport.

    As part of the government’s anti-social behaviour action plan, these new specially trained officers will help drive offenders off local networks, so that people can travel on their local train, tram and bus with peace of mind.

    The pilot will also give us a greater understanding of what works when it comes to tackling antisocial behaviour, enabling us to continue improving journeys for passengers in the future.

    TfWM will receive funding to expand their own TSO scheme, recruiting officers specifically trained and dedicated to tackling incidents involving women’s safety, helping to make women and girls feel safer when travelling on public transport. The measure is part of a wider government strategy to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG), in answer to the recommendations as set out by the VAWG Transport Champions, Laura Shoaf and Anne Shaw.

    Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, said:

    The vast majority of public transport journeys in our region – millions each week – are without incident but one bad experience for a passenger is one too many and risks putting them off public transport in future.

    That’s why we’re always looking for new ways to improve safety and security. Working through our Safer Travel Partnership, we developed the new role of Transport Safety Officers to deal with anti-social behaviour and provide visible extra assurance to the travelling public.

    TSOs have proven to be very effective and today’s visit shows that what we’re pioneering here in the West Midlands has been noticed by government. We’re now looking forward to helping other regions to develop their own teams of TSOs and learn from our experience.

    Anne Shaw, Executive Director of Transport for West Midlands and Transport Champion for tackling VAWG, said:

    While incidents do remain thankfully low, the fear of violence and intimidation is a huge barrier for women using public transport particularly when travelling alone or in the dark.

    One way to improve safety is having more visible staff on our networks – which is why we have increased the numbers of uniformed officers on patrol through a dedicated team of transport safety officers.

    They have proved a huge success in keeping people safe, both through directly tackling anti-social behaviour or simply providing a reassuring presence on board.

    The roll out of the TSO scheme supports the government’s wider Anti-social behaviour action plan, which is backed by £160m worth of funding.

    Under the plan, 16 areas in England and Wales are being funded to support either new anti-social behaviour focused ‘hotspot’ police and enforcement patrols in areas with the highest rates of anti-social behaviour, or trialling a new ‘immediate justice’ scheme to deliver swift and visible punishments. A select few areas are trialling both interventions.

    Thanks to this work, several hotspot trial forces have reported significant declines in anti-social behaviour. The Lancashire Constabulary have reported that in Brunswick, Blackpool, there has been a 36% fall in reported incidents of anti-social behaviour compared to the same period last year when hotspot patrols were not in place.

    Staffordshire Police have reported a combined 20% fall in reported incidents of anti-social behaviour across 5 locations in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle under-Lyme compared to the previous year.