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  • PRESS RELEASE : William Hill Group businesses to pay record £19.2m for failures [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : William Hill Group businesses to pay record £19.2m for failures [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Gambling Commission on 28 March 2023.

    Three gambling businesses owned by William Hill Group will pay a total of £19.2 million for social responsibility and anti-money laundering failures.

    WHG (International) Limited, which runs williamhill.com, will pay £12.5 million, Mr Green Limited, which runs mrgreen.com, will pay £3.7 million and William Hill Organization Limited, which operates 1,344 gambling premises across Britain, will pay £3 million.

    Andrew Rhodes, Gambling Commission chief executive, said: “When we launched this investigation the failings we uncovered were so widespread and alarming serious consideration was given to licence suspension.

    “However, because the operator immediately recognised their failings and worked with us to swiftly implement improvements, we instead opted for the largest enforcement payment in our history.”

    Today’s action comes just a week after the Commission fined two operators owned by Kindred Group plc a combined £7.2 million and is the largest enforcement case taken on by the regulator. The previous largest was £17 million action taken against Entain in August last year.

    Since the start of 2022 the Commission has concluded 26 enforcement cases with operators paying over £76 million because of regulatory failures.

    Mr Rhodes said: “In the last 15 months we have taken unprecedented action against gambling operators, but we are now starting to see signs of improvement. There are indications that the industry is doing more to make gambling safer and reducing the possibility of criminal funds entering their businesses.

    “Operators are using algorithms to spot gambling harms or criminal risk more quickly, interacting with consumers sooner, and generally having more effective policies and procedures in place.”

    Social responsibility failures at William Hill businesses include:

      • Having insufficient controls in place to protect new customers, and to effectively consider high velocity spend and duration of play until the customer may have been exposed to the risk of substantial losses in a short period:
        • One customer was allowed to open a new account and spend £23,000 in 20 minutes without any checks.
        • Another customer was allowed to open an account and spend £18,000 in 24 hours without any checks.
        • And a third customer was allowed to open a new account and spend £32,500 over two days without any checks. (Mr Green)
      • Failing to identify certain customers at risk of experiencing gambling related harm and failing to carry out checks at an early stage in the customer’s journey – one customer lost £14,902 in 70 minutes. (Mr Green)
      • Failing to identify risk of harm or intervene with certain customers earlier enough – one customer lost £54,252 in four weeks without the operator seeking income evidence, carrying out adequate checks, or using any other effective method to identify risk of harm. (WHG (International) Limited)
      • Having insufficient controls which exposed new or returning customers to the risk of substantial losses in a short period of time – one customer opened his account and lost £11,400 over the first 30 days without being subject to sufficient checks and another customer did not have a telephone interaction until losses reached £45,800. (WHG (International) Limited)
      • Failing to apply a 24-hour delay between receiving a request for an increase in a credit limit and granting it – one customer was allowed to immediately place a £100,000 bet when his credit limit had been set at £70,000. (WHG (International) Limited)
      • Ineffective controls allowed 331 customers to gamble with WHG (International) Limited despite having self-excluded with Mr Green. (WHG (International) Limited)
      • Failing to identify changes in the customer behaviour which should have provoked consideration of whether the customer was experiencing harm – a safer gambling interaction was conducted only after he had placed and had accepted an £18,000 bet (William Hill Organisation Ltd (WH Retail))
      • Having insufficient controls in place to protect new customers, and to effectively consider high velocity spend and duration of play until the customer may have been exposed to the risk of substantial losses in a short period:
        • After its retail premise re-opened following the Covid pandemic lockdown, the operator allowed one customer to lose £10,600 in two days without a safer gambling interaction.
        • Despite being unknown and staking £42,253 in 130 bets over a three-day period, staff did not identify one customer as being at risk of experiencing harms associated with gambling or undertake any customer interactions. (William Hill Organisation Ltd (WH Retail))

    Anti-money laundering (AML) failures include:

    • Allowing customers to deposit large amounts without conducting appropriate checks – one customer was able to spend and lose £70,134 in a month, another to lose £38,000 in five weeks and another to lose £36,000 in four days. (WHG (International) Limited)
    • Allowing customers to deposit large amounts without conducting appropriate checks – one customer deposited £73,535 and lost £14,068 in four months (Mr Green)
    • Customers were able to stake large amounts of money without being monitored or scrutinised to a high enough standard – the operator failed to request Source of Funds (SoF) evidence when one customer staked £19,000 in a single bet, did not obtain documentation from a customer who staked £39,324 and lost £20,360 in 12 days, and did not obtain SoF evidence from a customer who staked £276,942 and lost £24,395 over two months. (William Hill Organisation Ltd (WH Retail))
    • Policies, procedures and controls lacked guidance on appropriate action to take following the results of customer profiling and how its findings should be used to establish the appropriate outcome. (WHG (International) Limited) and (Mr Green)
    • Procedures and controls lacked hard stops to prevent further spend and mitigate against money laundering risks before customer risk profiling is completed. (WHG (International) Limited) and (Mr Green)
    • AML staff training provided insufficient information on risks and how to manage them (WHG (International) Limited) and (Mr Green)

    All £19.2 million will be directed towards socially responsible purposes as part of a regulatory settlement.

    Additional licence conditions will also be added to ensure a business board member oversees an improvement plan, and that it undergoes a third-party audit to assess that it is effectively implementing its AML and safer gambling policies, procedures and controls.

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 28 March 1923

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 28 March 1923

    28 MARCH 1923

    Walter Guinness, the Under-Secretary for War, announced that Field Punishment Number One was to be abolished. The punishment had been used over 60,000 times during the First World War but was controversial and considered cruel.

    Unemployment, emigration and land settlements were discussed in the House of Commons during the debate on the Consolidated Fund Bill.

    Archbishop Cieplak and Father Budkiewicz were sentenced to long periods of imprisonment in Russia.

    Exchequer returns showed that the annual tax revenues in the year so far amounted to £890 million.

    A mass meeting took place in Aylsham in Norfolk where a strike was taking place by farm workers, with the action expected to last for several weeks and potentially for the entire summer. The workers said that they would view negatively any time by farm owners to source workers from outside of the county.

    David Lloyd George, the former Prime Minister, visited Edinburgh to talk about international peace.

  • Rachel Maclean – 2023 Speech on the Ballot Secrecy Bill

    Rachel Maclean – 2023 Speech on the Ballot Secrecy Bill

    The speech made by Rachel Maclean, the Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in the House of Commons on 24 March 2023.

    It is a great pleasure to be at the Dispatch Box today to set out the Government’s full support for the Bill, which makes important changes to tackle so-called family voting. We have had an excellent debate, and it is a pleasure to see so much cross-party support for legislation of this kind. All of us are here because of the integrity of our democratic process. It is lovely to have consensus on issues such as this, as we sometimes do, particularly on Fridays.

    The Bill seeks to enhance the integrity of voting at elections and to safeguard our democracy against those who would harm it, and I therefore welcome the progress that it has made in both Houses. Today gives us an excellent chance to see it speed its way towards the statute book. The new offence will be a hugely important addition to the various other measures, arising from the Elections Act 2022, that the Government are implementing to protect our electoral system against those who would undermine it.

    As other Members have mentioned, the Government tabled a number of amendments to the Bill during its Committee stage in the other place in order to address issues with its specific drafting. Those amendments were designed to prevent the offence from criminalising innocent behaviour, particularly when two people are at a polling booth, so that only the one intending to influence the other is caught. The original drafting would have inadvertently caused the victim of the coercion to have also committed an offence. The amendments were also designed to secure exceptions for companions of disabled electors so that they could continue to be able to provide assistance if necessary. They were agreed to in the other place, and no further amendments have been tabled in either House.

    It gives me great pleasure to thank all the parliamentarians who have engaged with the Bill, both in this place and the other place. I thank my noble Friend Lord Hayward, who I can see in the Gallery. He has been instrumental in driving forward the legislation by sharing his knowledge and experience on electoral matters and sponsoring the Bill in the other place. I am hugely grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Paul Bristow) for his expertise and for setting out so well—both today and in his Westminster Hall debate—the need for this important piece of legislation.

    It has been a huge pleasure to hear speeches from many Members today, including my hon. Friends the Members for Darlington (Peter Gibson), for Harrow East (Bob Blackman), for Blackpool South (Scott Benton), for North Devon (Selaine Saxby), for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Mullan) and for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French). It falls to me to thank the Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Derbyshire (Lee Rowley), who responded for the Government in the earlier debate, and other Members who have given this legislation the benefit of their scrutiny, including my hon. Friend the Member for Keighley (Robbie Moore), as well as the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon), who aided the legislation along the way—it is strange not to see him in his place; we are all poorer without him.

    Peter Gibson

    The Minister may or may not be aware that the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) is celebrating his birthday tomorrow. Will she join me and everyone else in this House in congratulating him?

    Rachel Maclean

    My hon. Friend has done me a huge service, allowing me to say a very hearty “Happy birthday” to the hon. Member for Strangford, who I also understand has tabled an early-day motion to thank Dolly Parton. I suppose it is probably quite unconventional to support an EDM from the Dispatch Box, but if you will make an exception in the spirit of the occasion, Madam Deputy Speaker, I wish the hon. Gentleman a happy birthday and hope that he is serenaded by Dolly Parton—I cannot think of anything better.

    I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Sleaford and North Hykeham (Dr Johnson) for her contribution in Committee, and the hon. Members for Lancaster and Fleetwood (Cat Smith), for Caerphilly (Wayne David) and for Weaver Vale (Mike Amesbury) for their interest in and engagement with the Bill.

    I also thank my officials at the Department for Levelling Up, my private secretary James Selby, and the policy team—namely, Peter Richardson and Guy Daws—for their tireless work in supporting the Bill. I know how much effort they have put into ensuring that it proceeds smoothly. I am very grateful to His Majesty’s official Opposition, particularly the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Nottingham North (Alex Norris), for all the work that they have done to support the Bill.

    The Government take the integrity of our electoral system extremely seriously. We warmly welcome the changes being made, which will make such an important contribution to strengthening the integrity of voting. The Bill will ensure that there is clarity in the law so that presiding officers have the confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour where it occurs and to stamp down on any opportunity for coercion to take place at our elections. I therefore commend the Bill to the House.

    Paul Bristow

    With the leave of the House, I rise again—all too briefly—to thank once again my noble Friend Lord Hayward for all his efforts to get us to this stage. His passion for and dedication to this issue have been evident for some time, and it has been a real honour to stand with him and bring this piece of legislation to where it is.

    I also thank Councillors Sandy Tanner and Peter Golds, who advised me on the Bill. They are passionate about this issue and have been a vital source of advice. I thank the Minister for all her efforts, and the Ministers at DLUHC for all their support and guidance. I thank the shadow Front-Bench team and the Opposition for their support. This is a cross-party issue, and it is absolutely crucial that we make that completely clear.

    I also thank the hon. Members who served on the Bill Committee. It was quite an experience trying to go around and drum up support for it, and I thank everyone who did that and who has contributed to this debate. I thank the Clerks and officials, and the Comptroller of His Majesty’s Household, my hon. Friend the Member for Castle Point (Rebecca Harris), for their guidance.

    This is quite an historic occasion. It is my understanding that it is very rare to see a private Member’s Bill instigated in the other place become law—it has been some years since that last happened. Again, the fact that we are at the point where the Bill is likely to become law is testament to the leadership and passion shown by my noble Friend Lord Hayward. It has been a pleasure to be part of this—we are seeing an element of history. I hope that we can now protect our democracy.

  • Alex Norris – 2023 Speech on the Ballot Secrecy Bill

    Alex Norris – 2023 Speech on the Ballot Secrecy Bill

    The speech made by Alex Norris, the Labour MP for Nottingham North, in the House of Commons on 24 March 2023.

    I add my congratulations to Lord Haywood on initiating this important Bill in the other place and on securing its progress so far. If it is successful—I think we can have complete confidence in that success—it will be the first private Member’s Bill in several years to start in the other place and make it on to the statute book. That will be no mean achievement and I know that we will get a decisive step closer to that goal today. I also congratulate the hon. Member for Peterborough (Paul Bristow) on his leadership of this legislation in its proceedings in the Commons and on the case he has ably made for his Bill today and in previous sittings.

    Significant contributions were also made by other Conservative Members. I want to cover the point made by the hon. Members for North Devon (Selaine Saxby), for Old Bexley and Sidcup (Mr French) and for Darlington (Peter Gibson) about disability in a moment, because it is such an important point—let me associate myself with the comments they made about its importance.

    First, however, I wish to deal with something that the hon. Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) said in an intervention. He always has interesting points to make on our democracy and how it runs, some of which I agree with and some of which I do not, as he knows. The one he made about guidance is so important—guidance is always important. We are all saying today that voting is an individual act, a “private act”, as the hon. Member for Blackpool South (Scott Benton) characterised it. If that is the case, we have to make it easy to do, so that, in general, a person would not need to solicit support because the guidance is so clear and things are obvious.

    I am less of a fan of the more complicated and novel systems of election, but sometimes there may be multiple candidates and that does get tricky. When the single transferable vote is used, people wonder whether to vote in the first column or the second column—that can get tricky. It is up to the regulators and, obviously, the leadership in this place, to make sure that that guidance is so clear. That touches on the point made by the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Mullan) about the staff working in the polling stations, as we need things to be easy for them too. We cannot now have a significant range of burdens, or even tensions or anxieties, for them in respect of having to become enablers and supporters of votes; they do not want to be going anywhere near those booths either. The guidance has to be really clear, both for the individuals and for the staff we ask to administer those elections.

    I wish to make a point or two of my own, but I am pleased that there is such consensus on this issue. As the hon. Member for Peterborough said, this is fundamentally a point about clarity. No matter how well established the spirit of the Ballot Act may be, 151 years later there is a lack of clarity, and the Bill adds that clarity. Our democratic processes must be free from intimidation and—a point made by the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Dr Mullan)—free from inducement as well. That was the spirit of the Act which put into law the secret ballot that we enjoy to this day. In one fell swoop, it put an end to the egregious practices of landowners and employers influencing their workers’ or tenants’ votes.

    However, a clear and identifiable problem remains with the Act: it does not give presiding officers the right tools to fully tackle the problem of people being compelled to vote in one particular way, or indeed not at all, by others. Those practices are always unacceptable, but they do happen, and this is the moment for us to act to end them. Intimidation of this kind goes against all our democratic principles, but there is an ambiguity, which the Electoral Commission has highlighted, so the case for change is clear.

    In the other place, the Government provided important reassurances about the continuation of any assistance that disabled voters may need in order to vote. That is right and proper, and I am glad that it will not be affected by the Bill. As we heard from my hon. Friend for Darlington (Peter Gibson), there was a “build-out” for this in the Elections Act 2022. Nevertheless, I think that, as far as humanly possible, we should collectively seek to render this moot by providing appropriate assistive technologies enabling disabled people to vote independently, which would remove the need for another person to be there.

    In Committee I mentioned the My Vote My Voice campaign, which aims to improve participation in voting by adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, as well as campaign groups representing deaf people, blind people, people living with Usher syndrome, and deaf-blind people more generally. They want the right technologies and support to ensure that as many people as possible—indeed, virtually everyone—can vote, and vote independently. That should be our aspiration. As I have said, the Elections Act has moved us in the right direction, but I suspect that we will need to monitor the success of its provisions and those of the Bill, and I dare say we may need to go further still in the fullness of time.

    Notwithstanding those points, the Opposition welcome the Bill and are glad to support it today. It is vital for us to have clear law in this area, with no ambiguity about what is and what is not acceptable practice at polling stations, and the Bill constitutes an important step towards ensuring that happens.

  • Peter Gibson – 2023 Speech on the Ballot Secrecy Bill

    Peter Gibson – 2023 Speech on the Ballot Secrecy Bill

    The speech made by Peter Gibson, the Conservative MP for Darlington, in the House of Commons on 24 March 2023.

    I commend my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough (Paul Bristow) for ably taking up this Bill on behalf of Lord Haywood, whom I also commend for all his work, including on this Bill.

    The integrity of our elections is essential to our democracy. We must ensure that people have faith in the electoral process, and this Bill is another step towards strengthening our existing voting laws, by safeguarding the secrecy of voting in our elections. This Bill will tackle concerns about so-called “family voting”. We have a secret ballot for a reason. The fact that current rules allow someone to be accompanied into a polling booth, out of sight of the poll clerk, and potentially influenced into voting a particular way, drives a coach and horses through the whole idea of ballot secrecy. This Bill strikes me as an entirely common-sense reform.

    There should be no need for voters to go into the polling booth with someone else, unless they have gone through the formal process of requesting the assistance of a companion due to a disability or inability to read or write. I am pleased that this Bill does nothing to disenfranchise voters who may need assistance, ensuring that disabled voters and voters unable to read will continue to be entitled to assistance necessary to exercise their vote. Indeed, section 9 of the Elections Act 2022 includes provision for

    “such equipment as it is reasonable to provide for the purposes of enabling, or making it easier for…persons to vote independently”.

    That extends the very narrow and prescriptive provisions that preceded it.

    I am pleased that both the Government and the Opposition have been supporting this Bill, which will deliver measures to eliminate voter fraud and voter control. Ahead of the local elections, which we are swiftly approaching, we all have a duty, as parliamentarians, to encourage democratic participation. Having served on the Bill Committee for the 2022 Act, I welcome the measures the Government have taken to guarantee the security of the ballot. I also pay tribute to the excellent campaign being run by the Electoral Commission to make voters aware of the new requirement for photo ID in order to vote, which takes effect in May’s local elections. Finally, I am delighted to support my hon. Friend’s Bill and I look forward to it passing its Third Reading.

  • Sir John Major – 2023 Comments at Warrington Memorial Service

    Sir John Major – 2023 Comments at Warrington Memorial Service

    The comments made by Sir John Major in Warrington on 20 March 2023.

    I feel honoured to be with you in Warrington this morning:  commemorating that dark and desperate day exactly 30 years ago …. almost to the minute.

    It was a day which affected so many – but none more so than the families and friends of Tim Parry and Johnathan Ball.

    I have never forgotten the moment I received the call from No10.  I was in my garden in Huntingdon that weekend:  a sunny, early Spring day, when children were in shopping centres up and down the country buying cards and flowers for Mothering Sunday.

    When Tim and Johnathan’s mothers waved their sons off on the morning of 20 March, 1993, they couldn’t possibly have known that what they were seeing was the last wave they would receive in return.

    What they suffered is beyond the nightmare of any parent.

    The two bombs here in Warrington brought me the closest I ever came to giving up on the Peace Process.

    I felt that if the IRA could continue to plant random bombs, in random towns, randomly killing children and other innocent men and women, whilst we were trying to find a way through to peace, there really was no hope.

    But I couldn’t give up.  I feared that – if we did – there would be even more bombs, even more children, and even more grieving families.

    And there is always hope.  As time has proved.

    But there is more.

    There is also healing, forgiveness, and turning something so unimaginably painful into something so enduringly positive.

    As Colin and Wendy Parry did at the Peace Centre here in Warrington.

    Established in memory of Tim and Johnathan, they created a meeting place and education centre, bringing together people from different religions to gain a better understanding of each other’s beliefs and cultures.

    Many friendships – from historically opposing factions – have been forged and kept.

    And hope got a helping hand.

    The Peace Centre has also provided support and professional counselling to all victims of terrorism here in the UK – most recently to the families affected by the Manchester Arena bombing.

    Since 1993, Colin and Wendy have devoted themselves to this cause.  Selfless and tireless in their determination to honour Tim’s memory, by helping others who have fallen victim to the same senseless violence that ended their own son’s life in this very place – 30 years ago today.

    I cannot think of a greater legacy any parent could gift their child.

    Shortly, we will be hearing memories of Tim and Johnathan, from those who knew them best.  Tim’s nephew, Arthur, will read a poem. And the choir from Tim’s former school will sing one last song:  “Something Inside so Strong”.

    I would like to end by touching on one particular line from that:  “My light will shine so brightly it will blind you – because there’s something inside so strong”.

    Let us think about that for a moment.

    There is a light too bright to be extinguished.

    And that is hope.

    Let us hope that light will shine down on us all.

    May it provide:

    • the strength we need to sustain us in times of trauma and grief;
    • the forgiveness we must find within ourselves to heal;
    • the tolerance to understand views that are different from our own;
    • and the resolve to explore every conceivable  avenue – to turn what might seem the impossible, into the possible.

    It can be done.  It has been done.  It will be done again.

    With hope – there is always a way …..

    And, with that in-extinguishable beacon lighting our path, peace and reconciliation can and will be found.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Package to level up opportunities for the most disadvantaged pupils [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Package to level up opportunities for the most disadvantaged pupils [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 28 March 2023.

    Local Needs Funding to be allocated to 24 education cold spots around the country to help disadvantaged pupils.

    Children in disadvantaged areas will benefit from stronger schools and increased local investment, as the Government steps up delivery of the commitments made in last year’s Schools White Paper.

    Up to £42m will be allocated to Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIAs) – 24 areas of the country with high levels of disadvantaged pupils and low educational attainment, including Nottingham, Liverpool and Portsmouth. The Local Needs Fund will be used to fund schools to access evidenced based programmes that will help boost pupils’ literacy, numeracy, and attendance.

    The Priority Education Investment Areas boosts education in cold spots round the country through a package of measures including retaining good teachers in the areas, tackling attendance and moving struggling schools into strong multi-academy trusts.

    Today’s announcement builds on the successes of the last decade with 88% of schools now good or outstanding compared to 68% in 2010. Academies are at the heart of these reforms and the best academy trusts transform outcomes for pupils, particularly in disadvantaged areas, where poor performance has become entrenched.

    The Government is also publishing the Academies Regulatory and Commissioning Review, which sets out a framework for growing the impact of the academies system, so parents and carers can be confident that their child will receive a high-quality education wherever they live.

    The Review proposes cutting down on administrative bureaucracy, enabling trusts to focus on quality, greater public transparency around the process by which schools are placed with academy trusts, and support for the sector to spread expertise and increase overall capacity to keep improving schools.

    A year ago, the Government set out its ambitions in the White Paper to drive up educational standards by ensuring all schools can benefit from the support of a high-quality multi academy trust (MAT).

    Schools Systems Minister Baroness Barran is due to be in Nottingham today (28 March), one of the PEIAs which is set to benefit from additional funding and support.

    Minister Baroness Barran said:

    We know the best multi academy trusts deliver a great education and results for pupils, particularly the most disadvantaged and those with Special Education Needs or Disabilities.

    They help teachers manage workload and create career opportunities by working as a family of schools. They spread their impact beyond their schools to the wider education system through initiatives like teaching school hubs, sharing a curriculum, and optimising the use of resources so that they can reinvest in their pupils.

    We are delighted with this package which will scale up the impact of high-quality multi academy trusts and support the most disadvantaged pupils in the country, levelling up opportunities for all.

    We are grateful for the vital engagement of our External Advisory Group (EAG) and wider stakeholder network for helping to shape this report. We hope to work with them closely on implementation.

    To all the pupils I have met in the past 18 months, who have shared with me their hopes and aspirations for the future – we have written this, and will deliver it, with you in mind.

    Leora Cruddas CBE, chief executive of the Confederation of School Trusts and member of the regulatory and commissioning review external advisory group said:

    We welcome the focus in the Regulatory and Commissioning Review report on simple, proportionate risk-based regulation, making better and more transparent commissioning decisions, and support which spreads sector expertise and increases overall capacity to keep improving schools. It is right that the report focuses on near-. term and medium-term actions to improve regulation and commissioning activity.

    It is important that the government recognises there is no one size fits all model, and that there is a stated commitment to foster a diversity of models and scales of trust, including those with faith schools, special schools and alternative provision. We believe it is essential that the government protects the freedoms that have enabled the success of our trust system, avoiding changes that would prescribe specific, rigid behaviour and inhibit effective leadership. System diversity and freedoms must be protected through these reforms.

    The Review rightly recognises that implementing these changes well is not straightforward, particularly as many trusts and their communities face ongoing challenges from cost-of-living pressures and the lasting impacts of the Covid pandemic.

    We are particularly pleased to see the report welcome the Confederation of School Trust’s inquiry into effective improvement practice.

    In relation to inspection, it is important that we work together to consider the impacts of the accountability system and move towards a system that if focused on building relational trust – one which can respond to context and navigate uncertainty. We will continue to work with Ofsted and government to build intelligent systems of accountability.

    Sir Martyn Oliver, Chief Executive of Outwood Grange Academies Trust and EAG member, said:

    This is a timely and welcome Review of the maturing trust-led system. The DfE has listened and responded to challenges every step of the way providing much-needed clarity to trust regulation and commissioning.

    Steve Bell, Chief Executive of The Painsley Catholic Academy and EAG member, said:

    As a multi academy leader, I feel confident that the Review will result in a simpler, more proportionate regulatory system; a more transparent commissioning process and clarity over trust strength whilst retaining and celebrating the freedoms that academies enjoy.

    Mark Vickers MBE, Chief Executive of Olive Academies and EAG member, said:

    I fully support the Review’s commitment to maximising the difference that academy trusts are able to make and agree that a focus on even better support for all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), is necessary for individuals to achieve their potential.

    A series of Trust Development Statements (TDS) have also been published for the first time. These statements set out the priorities in each Education Investment Area for developing a trust landscape led by high-quality trusts to transform standards locally and turn around underperforming schools.

    This is backed by Trust Capacity Funding, a multi-year fund worth £86 million in 2022-2025 announced in the Schools White Paper that supports trusts to increase their capacity. The next round of funding will be open to new applications from 3 April. It is also supported by Trust Establishment and Growth Fund (TEG), which provides start-up funding for projects in their initial stages.

    To develop the pipeline of outstanding leaders and increase the capacity of MAT leaders capable of leading sustainable growth at scale, the Government has also published the content that will underpin a MAT CEO development programme.

    The content framework sets out the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to lead a large trust effectively, to ensure that every pupil is receiving an excellent education.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Life sciences companies supercharged with £277 million in government and private investment [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Life sciences companies supercharged with £277 million in government and private investment [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 28 March 2023.

    Four life sciences companies from across the UK will benefit from the first tranche of Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) grants.

    • Four life sciences companies from across the UK will benefit from the first tranche of Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) grants
    • £277 million will help fund and advance life sciences manufacturing projects in both medical diagnostics and human medicines
    • £17 million government funding unlocks a further £260 million in private sector investment, creating 320 jobs and safeguarding 199 jobs
    • this builds on the pilot Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund (MDMTF) £75 million joint public and private investment in the sector, securing 224 new jobs and safeguarding a further 345

    Four life sciences companies, ranging from medical diagnostics to medicines manufacturing, will see £277 million in joint government and industry backing to help grow and innovate.

    The funding, announced by Science Minister George Freeman today (28 March 2023), forms the first tranche of winning grants from the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF).

    £17 million in government funding is supported by additional private investment of £260 million, to back companies investing in life science manufacturing projects that help grow our economy, boost health resilience, deploy innovation, minimise environmental impacts and support levelling up.

    The funding will help grow an innovative economy across the UK, supporting more than 500 jobs at companies across the UK, from North Wales to Northern Ireland.

    Minister of State for Science, Research & Innovation, George Freeman, said:

    The UK’s £94 billion Life Science sector provides over 250,000 high skill jobs across the UK from drug discovery to diagnostics, medtech devices and digital health.

    The industry is being transformed by the pace of change: from AI to genomics, bio manufacturing to smart stents and personalised immunotherapies, technologies are converging to create a new era of advanced digital products.

    That requires new types of advances manufacturing plant which is why we set up the Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund, which today’s news shows is working: converting £17 million grants to four companies into £260 million industrial investment.

    LSIMF follows on from the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund (MDMTF) pilot programme which launched in April 2021. Over its lifespan, MDMTF delivered £75 million in joint government and industry investment, while also creating 224 new jobs and protecting 345 existing roles. Today’s funding rollout means, combined, the two Funds have delivered £352 million in government and private sector investment into the life sciences sector, while also supporting more than 1000 jobs.

    The government’s Life Sciences Vision, published in 2021, set the ambition to create a globally competitive environment for Life Science manufacturing investments, building on the strengths of our manufacturing R&D, our network of innovation centres, the manufacturing response to COVID-19 and delivery of the Medicines and Diagnostics Manufacturing Transformation Fund. Life sciences are also central to the UK Science and Technology Framework, published earlier this month, which identifies the critical technologies set to make the biggest difference to health and life science progress, as well as plans to improve the regulatory landscape for life sciences.

    The successful companies being supported through the first tranche of LSIMF grants to build on those aims are:

    • Ipsen – £75 million investment to grow the manufacture of innovative medicines for neurological conditions, creating 39 new jobs and safeguarding a further 37 at their Wrexham facility
    • Pharmaron – £151 million investment in capital and people will substantially grow operations in Liverpool, increasing production capacity four-fold for critical gene therapy and vaccine components and creating 174 jobs, while also safeguarding a further 156
    • Touchlight – £14 million investment will create 17 jobs and protect a further 6, boosting UK health resilience by establishing the commercial scale manufacture of DNA at their Hampton, London base
    • Randox – £36 million investment to modernise the manufacture of antibodies used across diagnostic tests. A new facility in Crumlin, Northern Ireland, will create 90 new jobs

    This will build on an additional £10 million for the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced at Spring Budget which will accelerate NHS patient access to the most impactful and innovative new treatments. It will allow the MHRA to introduce new, swift approvals systems from 2024, speeding up access to treatments already approved by trusted international partners and ground-breaking technologies such as cancer vaccines and AI therapeutics for mental health.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said:

    The UK is home to Europe’s largest life science sector – it’s a real British success story which includes the first COVID vaccine that saved millions of lives.

    We want to cement Britain’s competitive advantage by backing more innovative projects to develop, manufacture and export those treatments of the future.

    Minister of State for Health Will Quince said:

    We’re harnessing the same spirit of innovation that delivered the COVID vaccine, and working hand in hand with industry and healthcare experts to get cutting-edge medicines to patients faster.

    This is an important step towards strengthening the UK’s long term manufacturing capability, while supporting the development of innovative technologies and ground breaking medicines.

    The life sciences sector is crucial to the UK’s health resilience. Through government and industry investment, we will continue to drive it forward – creating jobs and cementing our position as a global life sciences superpower.

    This announcement comes ahead of tomorrow’s (29 March 2023) ‘Treasury Connect’ conference where the Chancellor will bring together experts in the Life Sciences sector to discuss ways to harness this thriving sector and help grow the UK economy.

    This is the third in a series of 5 Treasury Connect events focused on the Chancellor’s key growth industries: technology; creative industries; life sciences; advanced manufacturing; and the green economy.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Passengers set to benefit from new digital transport strategy [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Passengers set to benefit from new digital transport strategy [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 28 March 2023.

    Setting out plans to improve how people find, use and get value from transport data to support greater innovation in the sector and deliver better services.

    • passengers set to benefit from more streamlined journey planning apps and timetables through measures to improve transport data
    • the Transport Data Strategy aims to support greater innovation by improving the accessibility and quality of transport data
    • enhancing transport data aims to give people better travel planning at their fingertips by improving the accuracy of travel planning apps and making journeys easier to plan

    Passengers are set to benefit from improved access to digital apps and sites to help plan, pay and access the transport system thanks to the government’s new Transport Data Strategy.

    The Transport Data Strategy sets out plans for the greater use of data in transport and aims to improve how people find, use and get value from transport data to support greater innovation in the sector and deliver better services.

    Better use of transport data use can improve interconnectivity between different types of transport, support the development of journey-planning apps and improve their accuracy, ultimately helping to make it easier for people to use and plan journeys.

    Data can also help unlock additional benefits, such as new products and services for customers, while supporting employment opportunities in the transport sector.

    Transport Technology Minister Jesse Norman said:

    Better use of transport data will help to improve journeys for travellers, tackle climate change and grow the economy.

    The Transport Data Strategy sets out the government’s vision in this area, creating the right framework for the market to innovate and transport users to benefit.

    The Transport Data Strategy focuses on 5 key ambitions, including:

    • improving data sharing to benefit transport users
    • promoting data standards
    • improving data skills in the workforce
    • ensuring appropriate governance and communication with the sector
    • providing leadership and support for the sector

    As part of the strategy, the government is launching the ‘Find Transport Data’ pilot, a data catalogue to make it easier for innovators, researchers and others to find transport data, and ultimately deliver efficiencies and help improve services for customers.

    The strategy builds on the good progress the government has already made in facilitating the opening up of third-party data through initiatives, such as:

    • Bus Open Data Service (BODS)
    • Street Manager
    • the development of the Rail Data Marketplace
    • the modernisation of National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN)

    In addition, the strategy also considers data ethics to help guide the sector to ensure data is used appropriately and responsibly.

    Head of Transport Innovation at Transport for West Midlands Chris Lane said:

    TfWM welcomes the Transport Data Strategies goal of greater quality and use of transport data. We want to see Journeys for Everyone becoming so convenient, seamless, and trusted, that users will often give up driving their personal vehicles, not because they have to, but because the alternative is better for them and the environment.

    A critical factor in achieving this is the customer receiving appropriate, accurate and timely information and having trust in the provider as they make their travel decisions.

    Chief Executive of Traveline UK Julie Williams said:

    We’re delighted to see the publication of the Transport Data Strategy, which will encourage the sharing of high-quality open transport data towards giving passengers a more informed choice about how they travel, and which will provide a framework within which innovative apps and services are free to develop and grow.

    Along with the strategy we will publish a number of data sets and tools to help kickstart better data use in the sector. This includes:

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK space sector income reaches £17.5 billion as jobs and services grow [March 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK space sector income reaches £17.5 billion as jobs and services grow [March 2023]

    The press release issued by the UK Space Agency on 28 March 2023.

    The amount the UK space sector brings to the economy has grown by £1 billion, helping launch new business and create jobs across the country, according to new figures.

    • New figures show UK space sector income grew by almost £1 billion into 2021
    • Employment up with almost 1,800 more jobs across the UK space sector
    • Number of space organisations up by almost 300
    • Regions such as West Midlands, North West, North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber, saw significant growth, as well as Northern Ireland and Wales

    Despite the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, space organisations presented a robust picture, generating £17.5 billion in 2021, compared to £16.5 billion the previous year.

    Figures in the latest Size & Health of the UK Space Industry report show the number of space organisations identified across the UK rose from 1,293 to 1,590, creating 1,772 jobs. The sector now employs just under 48,800 people and supports an estimated 126,800 UK jobs across the wider supply chain.

    Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Michelle Donelan, said:

    With the global space economy expanding rapidly, investing in UK our space capabilities can unlock new opportunities, bringing more jobs, skills and businesses to the UK.

    The government is committed to supporting this high-growth sector, boosting the UK’s reputation as a growing space power, and inspiring the next generation of professionals.

    The West Midlands, East of England and Wales saw the highest proportional growth in space sector income, while Northern Ireland, Yorkshire and the Humber and the North East of England experienced the biggest proportional increase in number of space organisations. Employment rose by the largest proportion in the North West and East of England.

    Dr Paul Bate, Chief Executive at the UK Space Agency, said:

    The £1 billion increase in sector income and £635 million investment generated by UK companies shows the confidence of investors and businesses in the UK space sector. The UK Space Agency will continue to catalyse investment to maintain this positive growth and bring further benefits across the UK economy, the science community and to the planet as a whole.

    World-class satellite manufacturing, science and technology expertise have ensured the UK plays a key role in major international missions, and we are increasing our national capabilities in fast-growing areas.

    We have seen a significant rise of space organisations in Northern Ireland and northern parts of England, of sector income in the East of England, West Midlands and Wales, and of employment in the North West. To ensure we continue this journey, it’s crucial that we nurture skills and expertise, both established and emerging, all over the UK.

    Space applications generally, which incorporate services such as broadcasting and mobile satellite communications, space manufacturing, including satellites and scientific instruments for space missions, and space operations and ancillary services were the biggest growth drivers.

    John Hanley, Chair of the UKspace trade body, said:

    Further growth in the UK space sector, particularly during what was an incredibly challenging time for most UK industries, demonstrates the sector’s resilience and ingenuity. It is gratifying to see the sector growing in areas of the country that have previously been under represented – we look forward to supporting these new entrants to the space sector through our new cluster membership of UKspace.

    These positive figures underline the opportunities that space offers to drive inspiration, aspiration and productive jobs across the UK. In order to capitalise on this, we must further strengthen our partnerships to maintain growth across the whole of the sector, allowing us to extend our reach and support the UK space industry in cementing its position as a leading player in the global space arena.

    Confidence withstands more challenges

    The 5.1% growth in income shows a higher growth rate than recent years and outpaced both the growth of the global space industry in the same period (1.6%) and the general UK economy, which contracted by 7.6%.

    Despite the challenges of the cost of living, survey respondents were optimistic about the future, with 3 in 5 expecting to grow their income over the next few years, over half (58%) expecting to employ more staff, and half anticipating higher investments.

    Nearly three quarters of survey respondents cited support from the UK Space Agency as a key enabler for commercial success.

    Who is investing?

    Space continues to attract a diverse range of investors, mostly (89%) from the private sector. Figures for 2022 (using Crunchbase) show that an estimated £635 million was invested in UK-headquartered space companies through 34 identified deals, with acquisitions accounting for three quarters of the total investment value. There has been a steady upward trend in both the number of investments (from one in 2012 to 34 last year) and population of investors (from one in 2012 to 66 last year).

    Par Equity, Innovate UK and the Scottish Investment Bank have been the source of most deals during this time.

    Case study: Goonhilly Earth Station

    Goonhilly Earth Station in Cornwall is growing its deep space communications and last year supported NASA’s Artemis 1 lunar mission, providing telecommand for six of the cubesats on board.

    As well as its ongoing work with the European Space Agency, Goonhilly has been supporting iSpace Kahuto-R – the first privately launched lunar lander – the Indian Space Agency’s Chandrayaan 3 and Aditya L1 missions, and it recently acquired COMSAT teleports in the US.

    The team is also developing tracking antenna technology for space launches, which was successfully used for Virgin Orbit’s launch from Spaceport Cornwall in January, a giant super-cooled antenna to analyse space-based objects, and a range of simulator equipment.

    Ian Jones, Chief Executive at Goonhilly Earth Station, said:

    The space sector forms a vital part of modern infrastructure, which we take for granted without giving it a second thought. In a similar way that we expect clean water and electricity to be seamlessly delivered, data from satellites form a key element in enabling and monitoring complex services and systems. It provides scientific knowledge as well as helping us to communicate, navigate, travel, maintain security, monitor the weather and climate, and so much more.

    However, none of the advantages enabled by satellites and spacecraft can be achieved without specialist ground communication services which monitor, command and interact with them. This is the role that Goonhilly provides.

    Data source

    Data have been compared between last year’s report and this publication. While efforts have been made to maintain the methodology to support comparability, there were some methodological improvements, which are detailed in this year’s report. As with any piece of research there are limitations and caveats to the data. These are clearly explained in this year’s report.