Blog

Alex Chalk – 2023 Statement on Rape Review Action Plan and Operation Soteria

The statement made by Alex Chalk, the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Justice, in the House of Commons on 10 July 2023.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department (Suella Braverman) and I are pleased to announce that the Government are today publishing a progress report two years on from the publication of the end-to-end rape review action plan. This is the fourth six-monthly progress report on implementation, and demonstrates the Government’s ongoing commitment to be transparent and accountable to the public on our progress in delivering the ambitions of the Rape Review.

The data in the report provides clear evidence of progress to drive up police referrals, charge rates, and Crown court receipts. We are making sustained progress towards the rape review’s ambition to return volumes of cases being referred to the police, charged by the Crown Prosecution Service, and going to court, to at least 2016 levels. It is well documented that the charge rate and volume of convictions for adult rape dropped drastically after 2016 due to a range of factors, not least a lack of join-up across the system, and the criminal justice system overcorrecting following a small number of high-profile disclosure failures. A return to 2016 levels is ambitious, marking a year where adult rape convictions were 30% higher than in 2010. The latest data shows that we have hit two of our ambitions already, and remain on track to hit the other:

Adult rape cases referred by the police to the CPS—for either early advice or a charging decision—continue to increase, with 1,079 total police referrals in the fourth quarter of 2022, exceeding our ambition of 766 and up by 134% from the quarterly average in 2019, when the Rape Review was commissioned.

Adult rape cases charged by the CPS have been increasing, with 472 suspects charged between October and December 2022, close to our ambition of 538 and up by 93% from the quarterly average in 2019.

The number of adult rape Crown Court receipts continued to increase in the first quarter of 2023 with 605 Crown Court receipts, exceeding our ambition of 553. It is also up by 162% from the quarterly average in 2019.

And despite the barristers’ strike impacting court action in 2022, adult rape prosecutions continue to rise, up 44% in the last calendar year, almost double what was achieved during 2019, and higher than the volume achieved in 2010.

Key achievements over the last six months include:

Introducing the landmark Victims and Prisoners Bill to Parliament in March, bringing forward measures to better serve victims and the public.

Legislating through the Victims and Prisoners Bill to ensure requests for third party material, such as therapy notes, or medical, educational and social service records are necessary and proportionate.

Recruiting 20,000 additional police officers, having brought in a net increase of 20,951 officers across England and Wales since the launch of the recruitment campaign in 2019, ensuring the police have the resources available to dedicate capacity to priority issues such as rape.

A second round of Government funded procurement—with a value of £4.2 million—of technical capability to retrieve digital evidence—when it is the least intrusive means to do so—from mobile phones at a time and place convenient to the victim has been completed and is being deployed to forces.

The Law Commission publishing its consultation into the use of evidence in trials involving sexual offences.

Today we are also announcing that through the specialist sexual violence support project, we will ensure that any adult rape victim at Newcastle, Leeds or Snaresbrook Crown court who needs it has the option to remotely observe the sentencing hearing for their case, through video link, subject to judicial agreement. This will give victims the opportunity to see justice done without the distressing experience of attending court alongside the defendant’s family or supporters. This builds on other work to improve the victim experience at court, including legislation to permit the remote observation of sentencing hearings and allowing victims to pre-record their evidence and spare them the trauma of attending court in person.

Operation Soteria is an ambitious joint Home Office and CPS programme to transform the way that rape investigations and prosecutions are handled and progressed, with a focus on investigating the suspect rather than the victim. Through close collaboration between frontline policing, prosecutors and academics, the programme has developed new national operating models for the investigation and prosecution of rape and serious sexual offences. All police forces in England and Wales have committed to implement this new approach and will be supported to do so by the Home Office, the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council, who are establishing a joint unit to oversee implementation and monitor progress. In addition, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue has been commissioned to conduct a thematic inspection on forces’ implementation of the model.

While strong progress has been made, we made clear in our last progress report that the rape review action plan is a start and must remain dynamic and continue responding to the challenges that victims face. We recognise there is still more to do, which is why we are setting out our action plan until December 2024, ensuring we continue to deliver improvements to the criminal justice system’s response to rape.

These publications form part of the Government’s ambition to ensure access to justice, improve the experience of victims and make our society safer for everyone.

11/07/2023
Therese Coffey – 2023 Statement on Canal & River Trust – Future Funding

The statement made by Therese Coffey, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 10 July 2023.

Today, I am notifying Parliament of our intention to provide additional grant funding from 2027 to the Canal & River Trust. The trust is a charity responsible for 2,000 miles of waterways and associated historic industrial infrastructure in England and Wales. The trust is responsible for maintaining navigability and safety of its waterways including reservoirs, embankments and other infrastructure.

An open and well-maintained Canal & River Trust inland waterways network delivers broad benefits aligned to our nation’s priorities. In January 2023 the Government published our ambitious environmental improvement plan (EIP). The Government recognise that the Canal & River Trust has an important role to play in contributing to the EIP, alongside other Government priorities.

Since it was first created in 2012, as a private charity independent of Government, we have been very clear that the trust would have to increasingly move towards alternative sources of funding. We have been discussing this with the charity for some time and have been offering support on how it can increase income from other sources, alongside continued Government funding, which countless charities across the country do very effectively.

While there is no obligation for Government to fund the Canal & River Trust beyond 2027 I can confirm that, subject to certain conditions being met, Government will offer a new long-term funding package of over £400 million to the trust. To date we have awarded it £550 million funding and, with this further commitment, are now supporting the trust with a further total £590 million between now and 2037—a significant sum of money and a sign of the importance that we place on our inland waterways.

I look forward to continued enjoyment of our local waterways.

11/07/2023
Claire Coutinho – 2023 Statement on Early Years Funding

The statement made by Claire Coutinho, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, in the House of Commons on 10 July 2023.

My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education, Baroness Barran, has made the following statement.

Today I am confirming the distribution of £204 million of additional funding for the early years entitlements in 2023-24 via a new Early Years Supplementary Grant (EYSG); and the hourly funding rates that each local authority will therefore receive from September 2023.

At the 2023 spring Budget the Chancellor announced an increase to the funding for the existing early years entitlements for two, three and four year-olds of £204 million from this September, and £288 million in 2024-25. This is for local authorities to increase the rates paid to childcare providers.

For 2023-24, the additional £204 million will be distributed to local authorities through a new standalone top-up grant called the Early Years Supplementary Grant (EYSG). Given that the funding increase is coming in mid-way through the financial year, providing this funding through a stand-alone grant will help reduce complexity and support local authorities to pass the additional funding on to providers from September in a timely manner.

This additional funding through the EYSG, coming on top of local authorities’ existing allocations, will effectively increase average funding rates by 32% for the current two-year-old entitlement, and 6.3% for the three and four-year-old entitlements, from September.

The EYSG rate for two-year-olds is, on average, £1.95 per hour—this means that the national average two-year-old funding that local authorities will receive will increase from the current £6 per hour to £7.95.

The EYSG rate for three and four-year-olds is, on average, 33p per hour—similarly, the national average three and four-year-old hourly rate received by local authorities will increase from £5.29 to £5.62. The minimum funding floor for the three and four-year-old funding hourly rate will increase from £4.87 to £5.20. All local authorities will see at least a 1% increase, and up to a maximum of 10%.

We will also shortly be launching a consultation on our proposed approach to distributing the funding for the new entitlements for working parents of children aged nine months to two years, to local authorities in 2024-25, along with the accompanying local rules for local authorities to follow when passing on this funding to providers. I will update the House accordingly.

Alongside this additional funding, I am also announcing that £12 million of funding will be made available to local authorities this financial year, to support them prepare to roll out the new early years entitlements. We will announce further information, including the allocations methodology being used, in the autumn.

Separately, the Government have today set plans in motion to deliver their ambition for all parents of primary school aged children to access childcare in their local area between 8 am and 6 pm. The 16 local authorities, from Barnsley to Wiltshire, have been selected to work alongside the Government to develop plans for this universal provision, with some of these areas expected to be amongst the first to start delivery, as soon as summer 2024.

Further details and guidance on the Early Years Supplementary Grant and funding rates will be published on www.gov.uk.

11/07/2023
Jess Phillips – 2023 Speech on Rape and Sexual Violence – Criminal Justice Response

The speech made by Jess Phillips, the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, in the House of Commons on 10 July 2023.

I of course welcome today’s statement—any progress on this issue is to be welcomed—but I would outline that the rape review was commissioned in 2019. It then took two years to publish, and we rightly got an apology from the Government for the catastrophic decline in prosecutions. However, the report contained only piecemeal changes, which is why, another two years on, we are here today discussing progress, yes, but marginal progress.

In the data outlined by the Minister on the number of cases now being charged, she did not make it clear that hundreds of cases were still not charged in each police force area she spoke of. The Government seek to get back to 2016 standards, without recognising that it was on their watch that the system crashed. Charges and prosecutions dropped to their lowest levels on record, just at the time when rape offences recorded by the police skyrocketed to record levels. What the Government are celebrating today is simply the beginning of a reversal of their failure of survivors—like smashing a vase and celebrating when it is half stuck back together with sellotape. In this time, countless rape victims have been left unsupported, or have dropped their cases or never even come forward. This morning, I received a text message from a rape victim I have been supporting, who waited over five years for her case to be heard. She said:

“Is there anyway I can see you this week? I really need to speak to someone before all this gets any worse, I just cannot deal with my own head right now.”

She, like thousands of others, has been let down by the system, and the public have been left at risk, with attackers still walking free.

The numbers that the Government have not mentioned today are those for outstanding rape cases, which show a record high of 2,040, up from 1,379 a year previously. More rape victims are waiting longer than ever before. The Government’s own scorecard for 2022 has the attrition figure at a staggering 62%. Survivors are still being left unsupported and are dropping their cases. Will the Minister say whether the Government will back Labour’s proposal for all rape victims to have legal advocates, when my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham West and Penge (Ellie Reeves) pushes that amendment tomorrow in the Victims and Prisoners Public Bill Committee? Rape Crisis has called for it, the Labour party would do it, and the victims need it. Will the Government vote against support for rape victims tomorrow?

The green shoots of police improvements from Operation Soteria are welcome, as is its roll-out as a national operating standard. However, to be successful, it must maintain that academic rigour and independent input throughout the national implementation. It cannot just be a good pilot that is spread out to police forces as a checkbox. Will the Minister confirm that the academic rigour that the scheme started with will continue in every one of the 43 forces, as it is rolled out? The total number of charges for adult rape in quarter 1 of 2016 was 2,270. In quarter 4 of 2022, it was 1,748, a 23% drop.

Labour announced over two years ago that we would implement specialist rape courts, listing rape cases as a priority and fast-tracking them. The Labour party has called again and again for specialist rape and sexual offence units in every police force, something that still does not exist. The Government say today that they are having a think about them. I ask that they think a little faster. If they had listened, they could have all been rolled out and could be supporting survivors now. Labour would also increase the number of prosecutors, to put rapists behind bars and reduce the record backlog across the courts. We welcome progress, but the Government could and should be doing much more.

Miss Dines

I thank the hon. Lady for those comments. I am afraid that I do not accept that the work has been piecemeal. This is a sea change in how the model is being operated. I have done some research, my civil servants have done some research, and I have spoken to the academics and the people who meet victims all the time. There is no other country in the world, that I can find, that has a similar operating model. Over 50 academics have worked tirelessly with some excellent officers. This is not piecemeal; this is a sea change, but there is a lot more to do.

I do not accept that the change is marginal. It is fundamental. This is a different way of looking at victims and the suspect. It must not be forgotten that all crime, not just particular, different sorts of crimes, needs to be hammered down and stopped by the Government. That is what we expect from the judiciary, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Yes, rape cases are of course far too high; they are coming down, and more must be done. I, too, am concerned about attrition. We must change that, so that we can support our women, and boys and men at times, who have been raped. There is academic rigour, and it will be rolled out. There will be proper monitoring, and there is a proper unit to make sure that the operating model is rolled out properly.

The question of specialist rape courts is brought up often by the hon. Lady. Of course, it is a very complex matter. With respect, all victims of crime deserve decent, proper courts. We should not be singling out one offence over another, because all these crimes are heinous and they all deserve a resolution to the complex situation.

We have already completed a national roll-out of pre-recorded evidence, which is one of the main things victims ask about when they want special rape trials. Through that roll-out of pre-recorded evidence, we are sparing victims the ordeal of appearing before a live courtroom, which helps them to give their best evidence. We are talking today about evidence.

To ease the court process further, we are updating the victims code, so that members of the Crown Prosecution Service team must meet rape victims ahead of their court cases to answer their questions and allay any fears they have. In the next phase of our specialist sexual violence support project, we will ensure that at participating Crown courts, including Snaresbrook, where I commonly worked, Leeds and Newcastle, the option to remotely observe a sentencing hearing by video link is available to any adult rape victim who needs it, subject to the judge’s agreement.

These are complex issues. The work is on evidence, not rhetoric. We are getting there, but there is a lot more to do.

11/07/2023
Sarah Dines – 2023 Statement on Rape and Sexual Violence – Criminal Justice Response

The statement made by Sarah Dines, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, on 10 July 2023.

With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to make a statement on measures to improve the criminal justice response to rape and sexual violence.

This Government are unswervingly committed to protecting the public and fighting crime. As I am sure Members across the House will agree, few parts of that mission are as important as the ongoing effort to tackle rape and sexual violence. As I heard on my recent visit to Greater Manchester police, these are sickening, destructive crimes that can only have a significant impact on human dignity. They are a betrayal of everything we stand for as a law-abiding society, and they can have profound and lifelong consequences. My thoughts and prayers are with every single victim.

Although we are united in our outrage at these horrific acts, sadly we cannot turn back the clock. What we can do, and what this Government are determined to do, is ensure that the criminal justice system does not add to the suffering and trauma experienced by victims and survivors. On that note, I will update the House on the work being done to drive improvements in the criminal justice response to rape and sexual violence.

Two years ago, in the rape review, the Government set out steps to transform support for victims and to ensure cases are fully investigated and rigorously pursued through the courts. Crucially, we heard that many victims who have reported to the police feel that they are the ones under investigation and do not feel believed. For example, we know that victims have faced digital strip searches, with intrusive requests for access to their mobile phones. Last year, we changed the law to end such distressing and intrusive practices, and to protect victims’ right to privacy where it is necessary. We are introducing new legislation through the Victims and Prisoners Bill so that therapy notes and other personal records are accessed only when necessary and proportionate to an investigation. But we must go further. The investigation of rape must be no different from the investigation of any other crime, with the focus firmly on the suspect.

To support policing to transform its response to rape, the Home Office has already provided over £6 million to Operation Soteria, bringing together more than 50 world-leading academics from across the country, led by Professor Betsy Stanko and Professor Katrin HoL, and frontline officers from 19 police forces, to develop the new national operating model for rape and serious sexual offence investigations. This model, launched today, means that all police forces in England and Wales will now have the tools they can apply to conduct suspect-focused investigations which ensure victims’ needs and rights are central; through the College of Policing, they can access learning to develop their skills and build a comprehensive understanding of the psychology of sexual offending.

Nineteen police forces have participated in the programme, and we have already seen signs of change. All pathfinder forces have seen an increase in the number of cases being referred to the Crown Prosecution Service and a reduction in the average number of days taken for a charge outcome to be assigned. Charge volumes in Avon and Somerset have more than tripled, rising from seven charges to 22 charges in October to December 2022. The Met has seen an 18% reduction in victims withdrawing, with this falling from 743 cases before Soteria to 611 cases in October to December 2022. The charge rate in Durham has increased, rising from 2.6% to 12.6% since that force’s involvement in Operation Soteria. The number of cases being referred to the CPS by West Midlands police has doubled, with it rising 108%, from 26 to 54 cases; and charge volumes in South Wales have increased by 110%, rising from 10 cases before Operation Soteria to 21 cases in October to December 2022.

My right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary and I are encouraged that all police forces in England and Wales have committed to implementing this new approach. We have already met, or are on track to meet, the ambitious targets set out in the review ahead of schedule: to more than double the number of adult rape cases reaching court by the end of this Parliament; and to return the volumes of cases being referred to the police, charged by the CPS and going to court to at least 2016 levels.

We want to go further and faster, and we are doing exactly that by providing a further £8.5 million to continue to support the police to improve their response to rape. That will be used to establish a new joint unit with the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing to oversee and support forces as they implement the model, continuing to draw on academic expertise and oversight. We will continue to roll out a Government-funded uplift in technical capacity and capability to ensure that no adult victim of rape is without a phone for more than 24 hours.

The NPCC and College of Policing have also made significant commitments: 2,000 police investigators will complete specialist training on the investigation of rape and sexual offences by April next year. A new first responder course will be compulsory for all new police recruits from April next year, to ensure that victims of rape get the right support and treatment they need at the time of reporting. We will also consult policing partners on the most effective way those officers can be used, including the effectiveness of dedicated rape and sexual assault investigatory units.

Operation Soteria has shown the importance of scrutiny to drive progress, which is why the Home Secretary has also commissioned His Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary and fire and rescue services to carry out a thematic inspection on forces’ implementation of the Soteria model. I want to be clear: there is further to go and there is no room for complacency. We want victims to have the confidence to report these crimes, knowing they will get the support they need, and that everything possible can and will be done to bring offenders to justice. This Government will work with policing to do everything in our power to ensure that happens, and I commend this statement to the House.

11/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : All secondary school pupils eligible for free flu vaccine [July 2023]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 4 July 2023.

All secondary school pupils eligible for free flu vaccine as government expands vaccination programme.
- Over 3 million secondary school pupils to be offered nasal spray vaccine from 1 September
- Expansion provides direct protection to pupils and indirect protection to wider community
- Getting flu vaccine helps protect you and your loved ones, while reducing pressure on the NHS
All secondary school pupils in England will be offered a free flu vaccine from September for the 2023 to 2024 season, the government has confirmed.

An initial list of groups eligible for this year’s vaccine was first announced in May, with a note that a decision on secondary school pupils would follow at a later date.

Now, the government has confirmed it is expanding the programme to over 3 million pupils in secondary school years 7 to 11, who will be offered the vaccine as a nasal spray through their school’s vaccination programme from 1 September.

The expansion gives direct protection to pupils receiving the vaccine and provides indirect protection to more vulnerable groups by reducing the spread of the virus.

Health Minister, Maria Caulfield, said:

Expanding the offer of flu vaccination to all secondary school pupils this winter will provide millions of young people with extra protection.

Importantly, this will also reduce the risk of transmission to more vulnerable groups, including the elderly, reducing hospitalisations and freeing up bed capacity across the NHS.

Last winter we saw the devastating impact this illness can have, so it is important all pupils take up the offer of the flu vaccine to protect themselves and their loved ones from falling unwell.

The decision to expand the programme is in line with a long-standing recommendation from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which highlights the benefits of directly protecting school aged children from flu, and the indirect benefits to the wider population.

NHS school age immunisation services (SAIS) will be undertaking the vaccinations from September during the autumn term.

All primary school children and infants aged 2 and 3 will also be offered the flu vaccine, as previously announced in May.

Eligible groups are urged to take up the offer from September before the flu season begins, to give themselves the best possible protection in winter.

NHS Director of Vaccinations and Screening, Steve Russell, said:

Last winter we saw how quickly flu can spread within communities, so I’m pleased to see the flu vaccination offer being extended to secondary school children in the autumn term.

The vaccine offers vital protection against flu which can cause nasty symptoms, and I would urge all young people and parents to make sure they join millions of others who get vaccinated each year to take up the offer when they can – it’s quick, easy and offered in schools, so there’s really no reason to delay when you receive the offer.

Dr Mary Ramsay, Head of Immunisation, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said:

Getting the flu vaccine offers the best protection against the virus. It is important everyone eligible takes up the offer, including secondary school pupils as they can fall very sick. Last year we saw some teenagers hospitalised with flu.

Expanding the vaccination to secondary school pupils will help to reduce flu from being spread, protecting their friends and family and easing the burden on the NHS.

Schools Minister, Nick Gibb, said:

Following the disruption caused by the pandemic, it’s important that children are able to attend school as much as possible.

We know that school attendance levels drop over the winter months due to illness, which is why today’s announcement will not only protect children’s health but also their education.
11/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : UN HRC53 – The role of media in the right to freedom of opinion [July 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 July 2023.

UK Statement on role of digital & media in promotion & enjoyment of right to freedom of opinion & expression. Due to time constraints, this was not delivered.

Thank you, Mr President,

Digital, media and information literacies are critical tools for empowering users to make the most of what the internet has to offer, including by enabling them to exercise their right to the freedom of expression.

In July 2021, the UK government published its Online Media Literacy Strategy, which seeks to support organisations to undertake media literacy activity in more coordinated, wide-reaching, and high-quality ways. The Strategy identifies six challenges to improving the national media landscape, including: a lack of robust evaluation, engaging hard-to-reach audiences, supporting vulnerable users, and building audiences’ resilience to misinformation and disinformation.

The Strategy sets out a framework of five key principles that should inform the content and delivery of media literacy initiatives in the UK and indicates the outcomes organisations should expect to see through their media literacy activities. This includes ensuring users have the skills to participate positively in online conversations, and that they understand the benefits and risks of interacting with others online.

We have committed to publishing annual Action Plans every year, setting out how we shall meet the Strategy’s ambition. We are also providing almost £2.5million in grant funding, over the previous and current financial years, to 17 projects tackling other challenges set out in the Strategy.

Are the panel aware of any programmes established for the purpose of evaluating the impact of media literacy initiatives, and how these contribute to freedom of expression online?

11/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : Advanced £870 million radar contract sustains 600 UK jobs [July 2023]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 4 July 2023.

An £870 million five-year contract has been awarded to upgrade radar capabilities on the RAF Typhoon, fittingone of the world’s most advanced radars.
RAF Typhoon fighter jets to be equipped with one of the world’s most advanced radar.

Additional upgrades will ensure jet can counter emerging threats.

Supporting the Government’s priority to grow the economy this contract sustains 600 UK engineering jobs in Edinburgh, Luton and Lancashire.

An £870 million five-year contract has been awarded to BAE Systems and Leonardo UK to upgrade radar capabilities on the RAF Typhoon, fitting the fighter jets with one of the world’s most advanced radars – the European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2.

Following last year’s announcement at the 2022 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), in which Defence committed to a £2.35 billion investment to several upgrades for Typhoon, this is the first contract allocated from that major and complex investment and will see the completion of the development and integration of the ECRS Mk2.

The state-of-the-art radar will transform the Typhoon’s control of the air, bringing a world-leading electronic warfare capability which will allow the aircraft to simultaneously detect, identify, and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground. ECRS Mk2 will be integrated onto RAF Typhoon Tranche 3 aircraft and offered to other nations that operate the aircraft, boosting UK defence exports.

Supporting the Government’s priority to grow the economy, the £2.35 billion programme will sustain around 1,300 UK engineering job over the next 10 years. With the £870 million contract making up more than 600 highly skilled jobs across the country, including 300 at Leonardo’s site in Edinburgh, 100 electronic warfare specialists at the company’s site in Luton, and 120 engineers at BAE Systems’ site in Lancashire.

Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said:

The RAF Typhoon is one of the most mission ready and capable aircraft anywhere in the world helping protect our skies at home and abroad.

This £870 million contract award is an investment in the future readiness and preparedness of our fighter jets, so that we can continue to showcase our world-leading air capability.

ECRS Mk2 will support operations in the most challenging situations, equipping pilots with the ability to suppress enemy air defences using high-powered jamming and to engage targets whilst beyond the reach of threats.

A prototype of the state-of-the-art radar is currently undergoing specialist testing at BAE Systems site in Warton, Lancashire. This contract builds on that solid foundation, progressively turning that prototype equipment into a capability: a path that includes initial flight testing in 2024.

As well as delivering ECRS Mk2, the overall £2.35 billion investment includes the integration of the new radar onto Typhoon and delivery of a range of additional complementary upgrades and which together ensures Typhoon will continue to remain a potent weapons capability and enable it to counter emerging threats until 2040 and beyond.

Gp Capt Matt D’Aubyn, DACOS Control of the Air, Typhoon Programme Director said:

Typhoon is the backbone of UK Combat Air, capable of completing a wide range of Air-to-Air and Air-to-Surface missions. ECRSMk2 will ensure Typhoon remains operationally effective in the future force mix in an ever increasing contested environment.

DE&S Director General Air, Vice Admiral Rick Thompson said:

This is the first of a number of contracts that will continue our journey to equip the RAF with the edge to protect our nation. Developing ECRS Mk2 not only provides cutting-edge capability but crucially, also ensures that advanced technical skills and expertise in delivering complex sensors are available to support the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) right here in the UK.

Andrea Thompson, Managing Director – Europe & International, BAE Systems Air, said:

The continued evolution of Typhoon as a world-class combat air platform ensures that the RAF maintains its advantage and protects the vibrant eco-system that supports our sovereign combat air capability in the UK, through sustaining and evolving the technical skills that are central to the UK’s future combat air strategy.

The radar is a prime example of the UK’s world-leading onshore technology, being developed by Leonardo UK in Edinburgh and Luton and integrated by BAE Systems in Warton.

The Typhoon programme supports more than 20,000 jobs across all regions of the UK every year, contributing £1.4 billion to the economy annually.
11/07/2023
PRESS RELEASE : New government-funded hotline to end veteran homelessness now live across the UK [June 2023]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 4 July 2023.

From today, vulnerable veterans across the country will have access to Op FORTITUDE, a new dedicated referral pathway for homeless veterans, including those sleeping on the streets.
- Op FORTITUDE – the pathway for homeless veterans – launched nationally by Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer to end veteran homelessness in 2023
- The hotline is part of £8.55 million fund, which will also bring wraparound support services to support 1,300 veterans across more than 900 housing units
- Guidance also published signposting support to secure social or private housing
From today, vulnerable veterans across the country will have access to Op FORTITUDE, a new dedicated referral pathway for homeless veterans, including those sleeping on the streets.

The first-of-its-kind hotline is part of a two-year £8.55 million programme to fulfil the government’s pledge to end veteran rough sleeping. The Veterans’ Strategy Action Plan 2022-24 sets out the intention to achieve this within the current Parliament, but thanks to new funding this is set to be achieved ahead of schedule.

Run by social housing provider Riverside Group, the £500,000 housing hotline will give homeless veterans a single point of contact to get them the help they need. Op FORTITUDE staff will refer callers to a network of support, including housing providers, charities and local authorities.

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Rt Hon. Johnny Mercer MP, said:

Everyone deserves a place they can call home, not least those who have served their country. Today’s launch is a huge milestone in ending veteran homelessness and a clear demonstration of this government delivering on its promises.

There is a lot of great work being done across the country to help veterans get the right level of support. Op FORTITUDE is about bringing all of this together, so any veteran has a clear pathway to get local and customised care.

Transitioning from the armed forces remains a challenge for some. The programme has been designed to support 1,300 vulnerable veterans over two years across almost 60 housing complexes, ranging from apartment blocks to shared houses.

Projects by nine housing providers will target difficult problems so that veterans can get back on their feet and thrive in civilian life. Wraparound services include specialist medical care, connections with local communities and the tools they need to get jobs.

All nine projects will be ready to take Op FORTITUDE referrals by September, expanding the pathway’s network of housing providers from 10 to 14. This includes plugging into a network of 650 homes across Scotland with Veteran Homes Scotland, as well as a brand new consortium of housing across the North West of England.

Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan, said:

Councils have a duty to ensure everyone has a roof over their head, especially veterans who are rightly given priority for accommodation. “We are already giving councils £2bn over three years to end homelessness and this vital new initiative will help us deliver on our mission.

Lee Buss-Blair, Operations Director, Riverside Group said:

Riverside are honoured to be the organisation chosen to deliver the Op FORTITUDE pathway. Its mission, to end veteran homelessness, is one that we are extremely passionate about.

Every veteran, including the most vulnerable, has the potential to make a positive contribution to their communities if given the right support. Ultimately our goal is to ensure that these veterans receive this support and can go on to fulfil their potential.

This is the first initiative designed to end veteran homelessness, and while the task is a big one, we think that the levels of veteran rough sleeping are such that it is one that we believe can be achieved with collaboration across many sectors.

To further support veterans in securing housing, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs has published guidance on gov.uk. This guide sets out the housing options and support available to veterans, service leavers and their families in England, including routes into both veteran-specific and civilian housing.

The guide can also be used by providers of housing and housing support services to determine the most appropriate course of action.

In the 2023 Spring Budget, the Office for Veterans’ Affairs secured £20 million for a Veterans Housing Capital Fund. The money will go towards providing extra housing for veterans through the development of new builds and the refurbishment of social and charitable housing for veterans.

“There are still many things that we do not know, including the level of demand we will be faced with. But Op FORTITUDE is an opportunity for us to develop a clear picture of the level of need which will support us to make sure that the veteran sector is structured to be able to effectively respond.”
11/07/2023
PETITION TO PARLIAMENT : Make it a specific criminal offence to leave a child under five unsupervised

PETITION TITLE:

We are calling on the Government to bring in a new law that prohibits those responsible for a child under the age of five to leave them unsupervised.

We would like it to be a criminal offence to: “Leave a child aged under five alone without supervision, where the person responsible for the child’s health and safety is unable to reasonably react to any circumstances that may expose said child to the risk of injury or death.”

LINK TO FULL TEXT OF PETITION:

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/633992

CURRENT NUMBER OF SIGNATURES:

1,269

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10/07/2023