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PRESS RELEASE : Childcare offer exceeds target, benefiting over 500,000 children [September 2025]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 24 September 2025.

New data reveals 530,000 children are now benefiting from government-funded childcare as government exceeds target.

New figures reveal over half a million children are now benefiting from the government’s rollout of funded childcare, easing pressure on household finances, giving children access to high-quality early education and supporting parents to work.

Already, the rollout has far surpassed the target of 500,000 children set when the 30 hours kicked off at the beginning of this month, with the government going further and faster to break down barriers to opportunity for every child.

Strong take-up is seen across the country – from over 78,000 validated codes in the North West to almost 92,000 in the South East – helping families save up to £7,500 a year per child and boosting the economy by helping parents get back to work.

And thanks to the continued growth of school-based nurseries, life is getting a little easier for families looking for new childcare places closer to home. According to the latest figures, schools are now providing over 5,000 new childcare places from September, well above the original school forecasts of 4,000.

These nurseries are based on school sites, helping parents manage the daily pressures of family life by making drop-offs and pick-ups easier and helping children familiarise themselves with a school setting.

Schools across the country are being urged to consider applying for the next round of funding for 300 more school-based nurseries which opens today, backed by £45 million to deliver up to 7,000 new places for local families, delivering on the Plan for Change.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

When we launched the 30 hours childcare expansion at the start of September, we said around half a million families were on track to benefit. Today’s figures show we have gone even further.

It is fantastic to see our Plan for Change delivering for families – helping them save up to £7,500 a year per child on childcare costs and supporting parents to balance work and home life. This is real cost-of-living relief that families can feel in their pockets today.

As the next bidding round of school-based nurseries kicks off today, we are not slowing down. This government is giving hard-working parents the support they need and ensuring every child gets the best start in life.

Increasing access to quality early education and making life easier for families sits at the heart of the government’s Plan for Change. Funding for early years entitlements is set to rise to over £9 billion next year to help more parents, especially mothers, balance work and family life. The government will continue to work closely with the early years sector – including private, voluntary and independent providers – whose partnership has been vital to the rollout so far.

And through the Best Start in Life strategy, backed by £1.5 billion to rebuild early years services, recruit more early years teachers and open a Best Start Family Hub in every local area, tens of thousands more children – a record share – will be school-ready at age five.

This will tackle long-standing barriers to early education and help teachers focus on teaching so every child can thrive, while the new Best Start in Life website brings trusted advice and support together in one place for parents from pregnancy through the early years.

01/10/2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK continues to demand accountability for Russian violations of NATO airspace – Russia is undermining regional security: UK statement to the OSCE [September 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 24 September 2025.

Ambassador Holland says that recent Russian airspace violations are part of a wider pattern of behaviour that seeks to test NATO’s resolve and distract from Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine. The UK demands an honest response from Russia. In the OSCE, credibility matters.

Thank you, Madame Chair. Russia’s brutal and unprovoked war of aggression war in Ukraine continues. I want to be clear to begin with that the international community should not allow Russia’s provocations elsewhere to distract from the urgent need to end this war.

That said, the United Kingdom remains gravely concerned by the dangerous violations of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft, including the most recent incursions into the sovereign airspace of Estonia. These actions should not be considered in isolation. They are part of a wider pattern of increasingly irresponsible Russian behaviour that seeks to test NATO’s resolve and distract from Russia’s ongoing illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.

Russia continues to engage in reckless manoeuvres that risk escalation and undermine regional security. Let us be clear: NATO is a defensive alliance. Its purpose is to protect, not provoke. That is why the UK has contributed to EASTERN SENTRY to bolster NATO’s security along our entire Eastern Flank. Russia should be in no doubt that NATO and Allies will employ all necessary military and non-military tools, in accordance with international law, to defend ourselves and deter all threats in a manner, timing and domain of our choosing.

The FSC is mandated to foster military-to-military dialogue, build confidence and reduce risk of escalation between States. If Russia truly wishes to engage in meaningful dialogue, then full and honest participation in these organisations is the obvious mechanism. The UK will continue to ask constructive questions, but we expect honest and direct answers. If direct answers and participation in good faith are not forthcoming, then it will be clear that Russia continues to hide behind misinformation and false narratives. Madame Chair, in this forum, credibility matters.

At last week’s Opening Session of the Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC), the United Kingdom asked Russia whether they would directly confirm responsibility for the other airspace violations observed in Poland on 9th September. Russia did not respond directly. So, in this spirit we ask again about this violation. If the Russian delegation requires more time to secure an accurate response from Moscow, then we encourage them to do so. We will ask again next week. Our questions are (again):

Firstly, if the incursions are unintentional, what steps is Russia taking to prevent recurrence?

And secondly, if they are in fact deliberate, what is Russia’s intent?

Additionally, will Russia commit to preventing future incursions including assuring NATO members that such violations will cease?

The United Kingdom stands firmly with Ukraine and with our NATO Allies. We will not be deterred by Russia’s irresponsible acts. We will continue to fully support Ukraine, whose security contributes to ours, in the exercise of its inherent right to self-defence. And we will continue to demand accountability for violations of international law, whether in the skies over Europe or on the ground in Ukraine. Thank you, Madame Chair.

01/10/2025
PRESS RELEASE : Record fraud crackdown saves half a billion for public services [September 2025]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 24 September 2025.

Government stops over £480 million ending up in the pockets of fraudsters over twelve months since April 2024 – more money than ever before.
- Government stops over £480 million ending up in the pockets of fraudsters over twelve months since April 2024 – more money than ever before.
- New technology and artificial intelligence turns the tide in the fight against public sector fraud, with new tech to prevent repeat of Covid loan fraud.
- Over a third of the money saved relates to fraud committed by companies and people during the pandemic.
- Crackdown means more funding for schools, hospitals and vital public services to deliver the Plan for Change.
Fraudsters have been stopped from stealing a record £480 million from the taxpayer in the government’s biggest ever fraud crackdown, meaning more money can be used to recruit nurses, teachers and police officers as part of the Plan for Change.

Over a third of the money saved (£186 million) comes from identifying and recovering fraud committed during the Covid-19 pandemic. Government efforts to date have blocked hundreds of thousands of companies with outstanding or potentially fraudulent Bounce Back Loans from dissolving before they would have to pay anything back. We have also clawed back millions of pounds from companies that took out Covid loans they were not entitled to, or took out multiple loans when only entitled to one.

This builds on successful convictions in recent months to crack down on opportunists who exploited the Bounce Back Loan Scheme for their own gain, including a woman who invented a company and then sent the loan money to Poland.

Alongside Covid fraud, the record savings reached in the year to April 2025 include clamping down on people unlawfully claiming single persons council tax discount and removing people from social housing waitlists who wanted to illegally sublet their discounted homes at the taxpayers’ expense.

Announcing the record figures at an anti-fraud Five Eyes summit in London, Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons said:

Working people expect their taxes to go towards schools, hospitals, roads and the services they and their families use. That money going into the hands of fraudsters is a betrayal of their hard work and the system of paying your fair share. It has to stop.

That’s why this government has delivered the toughest ever crackdown on fraud, protecting almost half a billion pounds in under 12 months.

We’re using cutting-edge AI and data tools to stay one step ahead of fraudsters, making sure public funds are protected and used to deliver public services for those who need them most – not line the pockets of scammers and swindlers.

The savings have been driven by comparing different information the government holds to stop people falsely claiming benefits and discounts that they’re clearly not eligible for.

The high-tech push brought around £110m back to the exchequer more than the year before, and comes as the government pushes to save £45 billion by using tech to make the public sector more productive, saving money for the NHS and police forces to deliver the Plan for Change.

The Minister will also unveil a new AI fraud prevention tool that has been built by the government and will be used across all departments after successful tests.

The AI system scans new policies and procedures for weaknesses before they can be exploited, helping make new policies fraud-proof when they are drafting them. The tool could be essential in stopping fraudsters from taking advantage of government efforts to help people in need amid future emergencies.

It has been designed to prevent the scale of criminality seen through the Covid pandemic, where millions were lost to people falsely taking advantage of furlough, Covid Grants and Bounce Back Loans.

Results from early tests show it could save thousands of hours and help prevent millions in potential losses, slashing the time to identify fraud risks by 80% while preserving human oversight.

The UK will also licence the technology internationally, with Five Eyes partners at the summit considering adoption as part of strengthening global efforts to stop fraud and demonstrating Britain’s role at the forefront of innovation.

The summit will bring together key allies and showcase the government’s unprecedented use of artificial intelligence, data-matching and specialist investigators to target fraud across more than a thousand different schemes.

At the summit, Cabinet Office Minister Josh Simons will describe how the record crackdown has been achieved:
- Over £68 million of wrongful pension payments were prevented across major public sector pension schemes, including the Local Government Pension Scheme, NHS Pension Scheme, Civil Service Pensions and Armed Forces pension schemes. These savings were achieved by identifying cases where pension payments continued after the individual had died, often with relatives continuing to claim benefits they were not entitled to.
- More than 2,600 people were removed from housing waiting lists they weren’t entitled to be on, including individuals who were subletting or had multiple tenancies unlawfully.
- Over 37,000 fraudulent single-person council tax discount claims were stopped, saving £36 million for local councils and taxpayers. These false claims, often made by individuals misrepresenting their household size to secure a 25% discount, were uncovered using advanced data-matching.
Today’s announcement follows extensive progress on fraud in the last 12 months, including the appointment of a Covid Counter-Fraud Commissioner, introduced the Public Authorities Fraud, Error and Recovery Bill, and boosted AI-driven detection, saving hundreds of millions and strengthening public sector fraud prevention – driven by the Public Sector Fraud Authority.

The majority of the £480 million saved is taxpayer money, with a portion from private sector partners, such as insurance and utilities companies, helping lower consumer costs and support UK business growth.
01/10/2025
NEWS STORY : PPE Medpro Ruled to Repay £122m

STORY

In a judgement delivered in London’s High Court, PPE Medpro has been ordered to repay £122 million to the UK government after it was found to have supplied surgical gowns during the COVID-19 pandemic that failed to meet required sterility and safety standards. Mrs Justice Sara Cockerill ruled that the gowns breached the contract with the Department of Health and Social Care, declaring that the company had not followed validated sterilisation processes or kept sufficient documentation to prove compliance. The decision represents a heavy blow to a company embroiled in controversy and deceit.

The company is linked to the disgraced and discredited Baroness Michelle Mone who admitted to being a liar in an attempt to hide her financial benefit from the business. Despite public anger about her behaviour, she has refused to stand down from the House of Lords.

Barrowman, the partner of Mone, launched an attack on the judicial process following the judgement. A spokesperson for Barrowman said that the medical equipment was of the required standard and that the decision was “an establishment win”. The company has been ordered to repay the Government £122 million by 15 October 2025.

01/10/2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 28 September 1925

28 SEPTEMBER 1925

Returning from Geneva, Mr Amery, in an interview, expressed Britain’s readiness to abide by the League of Nations’ decision in the Mosul boundary dispute. He further stated that if Iraq retains its present frontiers there is every reason to hope that in a short time the British taxpayer will be free from any cost attributable to administration or defence of the State.

Mr Austen Chamberlain received from the German Ambassador the reply of the German Government to the invitation of the Powers to send representatives to the Security Pact Conference, which is expected to take place in Switzerland on October 5. The text of the German Note will be published to-morrow.

At the closing sitting of the League Assembly, Senator Dandurand declared that the deliberations had shown that the spirit of the protocol drawn up last year still lived, and constituted at the present time an ideal line of conduct. The work done in the last few weeks showed that the sixth Assembly had not disappointed the hopes which the world had set upon it.

It is expected that M. Caillaux will make a new offer to the American Debt Commission.

30/09/2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 27 September 1925

27 SEPTEMBER 1925

Following an incident where Flying Officer Cuddon-Davies had died, the Air Ministry decided to equip all aircraft with parachutes.

Stanley Baldwin, the Prime Minister, visited Balmoral Castle to visit the King.

The Food Council confirmed an inquiry into the high prices of milk and meat, adding that they were addressing the short measure scandal with legislation expected.

30/09/2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 26 September 1925

26 SEPTEMBER 1925

The Food Council, in a report on bread prices, records its unanimous finding that the charge of 10d. for the quartern loaf is unjustified.

The Mining Association correct Mr Cook, the miners’ secretary, regarding his statement on the Prime Minister’s decision. They state that no profits are guaranteed to the owners; and that the guarantee to the miners was that their wages shall not be reduced below the minimum that would have been payable had the agreement of 1924 remained in operation.

Mr. A. J. Cook, the miners’ secretary, in an interview, replies to Mr Ramsay MacDonald. He says Mr MacDonald’s action in attacking the decisions of the Trade Union Congress is an insult to the British Trade Union movement, from which the Labour Party receives its financial support and help. Without the Trade Union movement, the Labour Party would die.

At the meeting of the League Assembly, Viscount Cecil warmly supported various resolutions relating to the principles of arbitration and disarmament.

M. Caillaux’s proposal of a basis for the settlement of the French debt has surprised the American Debt Commission, but do not regard it as either final or definite.

No reply has yet been received from Germany accepting an invitation to the Conference on the Security Pact. The Federal Premiers have, however, unanimously approved the Cabinet’s decision to attend.

A general attack on the Rif front by the French is reported to be imminent. The Spaniards have been hampered by ill-luck and bad weather, and despite their recent success have much hard fighting in front of them. A campaign lasting far into the winter is contemplated.

Colonel Jackson M.P., speaking at Swansea on the proposed closing of dockyards, said the Prime Minister had decided to bring the question before the Cabinet before any definite steps were taken.

The Colonial Secretary has telegraphed to the Governor of Hong-Kong that he is pressing for a settlement of the negotiations with Chinese bankers and business men upon whose assistance the Hong-Kong Government depends for the disposal of loans. Of the £3,000,000 at its disposal the Government has still to raise £1,000,000.

30/09/2025
NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 25 September 1925

25 SEPTEMBER 1925

A deadlock has arisen in the coal trade. The miners’ deputation, after hearing Mr Baldwin’s reply to their representations as to the interpretation of the truce, expressed themselves as dissatisfied, and have called a delegate conference. They have also resolved not to aid the Royal Commission in its work or take any part in its proceedings.

A body has been set up in London for the maintenance of supplies and vital services in the event of a general strike. Steps are being taken to create corresponding organisations in all the principal centres of the kingdom.

The Council of the League of Nations decided to send a Commission of Inquiry to Mosul.

Preliminary conversations took place at Washington between M. Caillaux and Mr Mellon with reference to the French debt, and to-day the Franco-American Debt Commission gets to business.

Developing their offensive in Morocco, the Spanish forces have carried the Alhucemas Heights with losses which are described as small compared with the magnitude of the victory.

At a general meeting of the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, held at Aberdeen, the President, Mr Stanley Machin, referred to the possibility of a serious stoppage of traffic, and said it was the duty of the Government to prepare for such an event. If an appeal were made for volunteers, and the assistance of all organisations capable of rendering help he felt sure they would have a great response from the whole community.

30/09/2025
NEWS STORY : Streeting Rules Out Levying VAT on Private Healthcare

STORY

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has firmly rejected speculation that the government is considering introducing VAT on private healthcare services, declaring that “it’s not happening” when questioned at the Labour Party conference. His confirmation came amidst mounting rumours that the government might look for new revenue streams ahead of the upcoming budget. Streeting is making a speech at conference today with an expected emphasis of the contribution made by foreign NHS staff.

30/09/2025
NEWS STORY : Starmer Welcomes US Peace Plan and Urges Hamas to Seize Chance for Ceasefire

STORY

Keir Starmer has expressed public support for the new US-led peace initiative for Gaza, calling the proposal “profoundly welcome” and urging all parties, especially Hamas, to “agree to the plan and end the misery.” In an official statement from 10 Downing Street, Starmer announced that the UK will back efforts to end hostilities, free hostages, and facilitate urgent humanitarian assistance for civilians in Gaza.

Starmer’s remarks were timed soon after the US unveiled a 20-point plan reportedly focused on disarming Hamas, forming a transitional governing structure for Gaza, and orchestrating a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces. He said that achieving a sustainable peace will require “collective effort” from the international community, not just diplomatic pledges.

Reactions across the world have been mixed. While leaders in Europe and parts of the Middle East have cautiously endorsed the proposal, many in Gaza and among the Palestinian leadership remain sceptical, pointing to previous peace efforts that foundered on demands for disarmament. There is a fear that the plan may unfairly penalise Palestinians and sideline Hamas entirely without a realistic path forward. practice is wide.

30/09/2025