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  • NEWS STORY : Government expands Keep Britain Working programme

    NEWS STORY : Government expands Keep Britain Working programme

    STORY

    Nearly 200 workplaces have signed up as vanguards under the Keep Britain Working programme, which is intended to stop more people leaving employment because of illness, disability or poor workplace support.

    The Department for Work and Pensions said more than 250 employers, providers and organisations had worked with Sir Charlie Mayfield’s review into workplace health and disability support. The programme includes plans for a Workplace Health Intelligence Unit to collect more consistent data on sickness absence and return-to-work outcomes.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said employers had shown strong interest in improving support for their workforce. Health and Social Care Secretary James Murray said the Government wanted to help people stay in work or return safely, rather than focusing only on signing people off.

  • NEWS STORY : Ofsted serves notice on Bright Horizons after safeguarding concerns

    NEWS STORY : Ofsted serves notice on Bright Horizons after safeguarding concerns

    STORY

    Ofsted has served a Welfare Requirements Notice on Bright Horizons after safeguarding concerns across parts of the nursery group, following inspections, visits and engagement with senior leaders at the provider.

    The regulator said it had looked at 172 of the group’s 247 nurseries after serious concerns came to light in September 2025. It said breaches of requirements were identified in 69 settings, with the group required to address welfare and safeguarding failures by 1 August 2026.

    His Majesty’s Chief Inspector Sir Martyn Oliver said Ofsted would continue to monitor progress closely. He said parents should read the most recent report for their own nursery, while noting that most Bright Horizons settings continued to meet requirements.

  • NEWS STORY : Government confirms planning reforms to speed up major infrastructure

    NEWS STORY : Government confirms planning reforms to speed up major infrastructure

    STORY

    The Government has confirmed changes to the planning system which are intended to speed up the approval of nationally significant infrastructure projects, including wind farms, solar farms, nuclear power stations, reservoirs, roads, rail schemes and other transport links.

    Ministers said the removal of mandatory pre-application consultation requirements from 24 July 2026 could reduce delays by up to 12 months and save industry up to £1 billion during this Parliament. The Government said the reforms formed part of its wider programme to increase the number of major infrastructure decisions.

    Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the changes were intended to help the UK become a world leader in building infrastructure. Energy Minister Michael Shanks said faster approval of clean energy infrastructure was needed to improve energy security and support economic growth.

  • Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Comments on Pay Deal for Teachers

    Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Comments on Pay Deal for Teachers

    The comments made by Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 1 July 2026.

    Our brilliant school and college teachers go above and beyond every day, and I’m determined that dedication is not just recognised, but rewarded.

    This multi-year deal, backed by significant additional investment, shows the immense value we place in our teachers, while giving schools and colleges certainty over pay and their budgets.

    It’s also right that classroom teachers are not seeing executive pay rise faster than their own – or set at excessive levels in the first place – so tighter controls will mean unjustifiable exec salaries become a thing of the past, helping level the playing field for school staff and drive every pound towards classrooms.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Teachers to benefit from multi-year pay deal [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Teachers to benefit from multi-year pay deal [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Education on 1 July 2026.

    School teachers to see pay boosted over the next 2 years, as part of 17% increase since the general election, backed by significant additional investment.

    School teachers and leaders will see their pay increase by 6.5% over the next 2 years, after the Education Secretary accepted the School Teachers Review Body’s pay recommendations in full today (1 July 2026).

    Teachers will receive an increase of 3.5% from September 2026, followed by 3% from September 2027, delivering a cumulative 17% rise since the general election.

    In further evidence of this government’s continued investment in public services, additional funding of £1.8 billion will be provided to schools over 2 years, supporting pay rises for hard working teachers and support staff.

    Schools, like the rest of the public sector, will need to continue to play their part and will be expected to find the first 1% of each pay award through continued efforts to maximise value from their budgets.

    An additional £485 million will be provided to colleges and other further education providers over 2 years so they can continue to recruit and retain more excellent teachers and deliver high quality vocational, academic and technical courses.

    To ensure taxpayers’ money is being invested where it is needed most, the government will also put curbs on academy trust executive pay.

    From September, trusts will need to seek government approval before advertising roles over £174,000, bringing the sector in line with other public sector workforces including the NHS and colleges. Annual increases for executives will also be brought in line with the wider school workforce, meaning executives will not be able to receive pay rises higher than those set for classroom teachers.

    Education Secretary Bridget Philipson said:

    Our brilliant school and college teachers go above and beyond every day, and I’m determined that dedication is not just recognised, but rewarded.

    This multi-year deal, backed by significant additional investment, shows the immense value we place in our teachers, while giving schools and colleges certainty over pay and their budgets.

    It’s also right that classroom teachers are not seeing executive pay rise faster than their own – or set at excessive levels in the first place – so tighter controls will mean unjustifiable exec salaries become a thing of the past, helping level the playing field for school staff and drive every pound towards classrooms.

    The announcement today means school teachers will see an increase in their pay of 17% since this government took power – equating to almost £7,900 over 4 years – with the average school teacher salary rising to over £52,800 from September 2026 and over £54,400 from September 2027.

    It builds on significantly improved recruitment and retention figures, with over 4,500 more teachers in secondary schools, special schools and colleges since 2024 reaching over 70% of the government’s commitment to recruit 6,500 new teachers with three years to go.

    And beyond those figures, fewer schoolteachers are leaving the profession and there has been a 13% rise in the number of people choosing to train to teach this year – a post-pandemic record – signalling a strong pipeline for the future.

    The government’s Maximising value for pupils programme will play a vital role in supporting schools to get the best value from their budgets, by offering better deals on areas like energy, recruitment, and banking. Schools across the country are already reaping the rewards, including – Bishop Hogarth Catholic Education Trust – which increased its annual interest income from £16,000 to over £1.1 million by reviewing its banking arrangements.

    The government’s work to tackle child poverty, in particular lifting the 2-child benefit limit, is also widely recognised as supporting teachers and easing pressure on school finances, with schools increasingly going above and beyond to support young people in their day-to-day lives over the past decade. Over 1.5 million children in Great Britain will benefit from the removal of the 2-child limit, and 450,000 children will be lifted out of poverty.

  • Lisa Nandy – 2026 Comments on National Lottery Review

    Lisa Nandy – 2026 Comments on National Lottery Review

    The comments made by Lisa Nandy, the Secretary of State for Culture, on 1 July 2026.

    The National Lottery is played by millions of people every single week. It is not just public money, it is literally the public’s money and they must be in the driving seat of how it is spent.

    But for two decades no government has asked people how they want their money to be spent. Decisions are made hundreds of miles from communities who know best and favour larger organisations who can meet the needs of the system, rather than bending the system to work for the small, grassroots organisations who are the lifeblood of our communities.

    This Government is determined that will change. With this consultation we are bringing people back into the conversation. They will write the next chapter in the story of the National Lottery and of our country.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Public to have their say on National Lottery Good Causes [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Public to have their say on National Lottery Good Causes [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 1 July 2026.

    • The government is launching a 12-week call for evidence asking the public to help shape the future of National Lottery Good Cause funding
    • Since 1994, players of the National Lottery have generated over £53 billion for good causes across the UK, funding everything from Olympic and Paralympic champions and iconic institutions to local youth clubs and community halls
    • For 12 weeks, anyone can take part in the ‘National Lottery Good Causes: Fund What Matters to You’ call for evidence. You can share your views at GOV.UK 

    The government is launching a comprehensive review of National Lottery Good Cause funding, asking the public to have their say on where the money should go and how it should be spent – the first opportunity in more than twenty years. 

    Since the very first draw in 1994, the National Lottery has generated over £53 billion for good causes, powering Team GB and ParalympicsGB to hundreds of Olympic and Paralympic medals, saving national treasures like the Flying Scotsman, funding iconic British films like Billy Elliot, helping create beloved institutions like the Lowry in Salford, and restoring heritage sites like Beamish Museum. 

    Across the UK, it has supported youth clubs, funded community halls, backed local choirs and grassroots sports teams, maintained the parks and green spaces where neighbourhoods come together, and supported the small voluntary organisations that provide friendship, purpose, and belonging to people who might otherwise have none.

    Nearly a quarter of every pound spent on a lottery ticket goes to causes like these, but its funding model is rooted in a different era. There has been no major review of how it works since former Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell’s in 2002-2003. 

    With the National Lottery’s operator Allwyn committed to an ambition to double Good Cause funding to £60 million a week by the end of the Fourth Licence in 2034, the government believes now is the right moment for the public to have more of a say in where their contribution is spent, so every pound reaches the communities that need it most. A 12 week call for evidence launches today.

    Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

    The National Lottery is played by millions of people every single week. It is not just public money, it is literally the public’s money and they must be in the driving seat of how it is spent.

    But for two decades no government has asked people how they want their money to be spent. Decisions are made hundreds of miles from communities who know best and favour larger organisations who can meet the needs of the system, rather than bending the system to work for the small, grassroots organisations who are the lifeblood of our communities.

    This Government is determined that will change. With this consultation we are bringing people back into the conversation. They will write the next chapter in the story of the National Lottery and of our country.

    Andria Vidler, Chief Executive of Allwyn UK, operator of The National Lottery, said: 

    People don’t just play The National Lottery for the chance to win, they play knowing that it supports a vast number of charities and good causes up and down the country, funding the things that people really care about.

    At Allwyn, we want everyone to know the difference that our players make to their communities every time they play. It’s about reigniting the conversation around The National Lottery with positivity, with energy, and with pride, reminding everyone that every ticket is a chance to do some good as well as a chance to win.

    The review will explore where future investment can have the greatest impact and how funding can become more accessible to communities across the UK.

    Lottery funded projects have been made possible because of the crucial work undertaken by the 12 National Lottery Distributor Bodies that deliver for their sectors across Arts, Heritage, Sport, and Communities, and the Government is committed to working closely with them throughout this review.

    The latest figures from 2025 show that the National Lottery generated over £8 billion in total revenue from ticket sales, of which good cause funding equated to at least £1.7 billion. Therefore approximately 23p in each pound raised from National Lottery ticket sales goes to good causes and 12p goes on Lottery Duty for the exchequer. 

    This amount is then distributed across four causes and to each national lottery distributor, based on the following percentages that are set out in legislation:

    • 20% – Arts and Culture (ACE, BFI, Creative Scotland, Arts Council of Wales, and Arts Council of Northern Ireland)
    • 20% – Sport (UK Sport, Sport England, Sport Scotland, Sport Wales, Sport Northern Ireland)
    • 20% – Heritage  (NLHF – UK wide) 
    • 40% – Community: charitable activities, health, education and the environment. (TNLCF – UK wide) 

    Once the distributors receive their statutory allocation of funding, they are responsible for distributing this across the UK, on both a national and local level. These distributors operate at arms length from the government. As operator of the National Lottery, Allwyn UK has no part in grant making and is independent from Government.

    Baroness Twycross, Minister for Museums, Heritage and Gambling, said:

    When people buy a National Lottery ticket, they are also contributing to good causes up and down the country. This call for evidence is a genuine chance to shape where the money this generosity raises goes and make sure it reflects what players and communities want and need. 

    Visiting the De La Warr Pavilion in Hastings recently, I saw exactly what National Lottery funding can do for arts and culture and for the communities that depend on them. Places like this don’t just preserve our heritage; they bring people together. 

    After 30 years, now is the right time to ask you how we make sure your community is funded properly from the National Lottery.

    The 12-week call for evidence is open to players, organisations, and communities across the UK. The government wants to hear what is working, what could be improved, where future funding should go, and how to make it easier to access, including how to make sure the National Lottery genuinely reaches those communities most in need and gives local people a greater say in how funding is used where they live.

    Notes to Editors:

    • The Call for Evidence runs for 12 weeks from Wednesday 1 July and is open to members of the public, organisations, and National Lottery Distributors. 
    • The National Lottery has 12 Distributor Bodies operating across arts, heritage, sport, and communities. 
    • On average, 23p of every £1 spent on a National Lottery Ticket goes to National Lottery: Good Causes funding
    • Allwyn the current lottery operator has committed to an ambition to double good cause income by the end of the Fourth Licence in 2034, from £30m to £60m a week
    • To respond, visit GOV.UK. 
    • The National Lottery (TNL) has raised:
    • £38bn of funding for nearly 480,000 Good Cause projects in England.
    • £4.3bn of funding for over 83,000 Good Cause projects in Scotland. 
    • £2.6bn of funding for over 77,300 Good Cause projects in Wales.
    • £1.6bn of funding for over 34,000 Good Cause projects in Northern Ireland (NI).
  • PRESS RELEASE : Amber Rudd to lead review into safety and security of prisons [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Amber Rudd to lead review into safety and security of prisons [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice in 1 July 2026.

    Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd will lead a major review to make prisons safer, tackle crime and deliver long-term reform that protects the public.

    • Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd to lead prison review to tackle drugs, violence and criminal gangs
    • Review marks next phase of prison reform to fix prison crisis to keep the public safe
    • Latest figures show prisons improving as number of assaults and self-harm incidents fall

    Violence, Illicit drugs and organised crime in prisons will be rooted out, as former Home Secretary Amber Rudd leads a review into how to make prisons safer, more secure and better at cutting crime.

    After inheriting a prison system days from collapse, the government took immediate action to pull our prisons back from operating in constant crisis. Recent figures show early signs of progress with rates of staff assaults, self-harm and self-inflicted deaths all falling, while inspections published over the last 12 months show improvements across a number of prisons.

    Ministers are now turning to the long-term challenges facing prisons, including violence, corruption, staffing, prison capacity and the condition of the estate, ordering a review led by former Home Secretary Amber Rudd to look at the deep-rooted security and safety challenges that continue to blight jails despite the government stabilising the crisis.

    The review will look at how emerging threats – from drones to cyber risks – are evolving, and what action is needed to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated criminal tactics. It will also examine how prisons can strengthen rehabilitation, improve staffing and leadership, and ensure the estate is fit for the future, alongside preventing violence, reducing self-harm and improving day-to-day conditions.

    The review will report back by December and builds on significant Government action over the last two years to stabilise the prison system and make streets safer. As well as falls in assaults against staff and self-harm, there have also been hundreds of arrests linked to smuggling illicit items into prisons.

    Inspection reports published over the last 12 months have also shown improvements across a number of prisons. Of the 21 His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons reports published this year, 14 (two thirds) recorded improved Healthy Prison Test scores compared with their previous inspection.

    While these figures show encouraging signs of progress, violence, assaults on staff and self-harm remain too high, underlining the need for long-term reform.

    Deputy Prime Minister and Lord Chancellor David Lammy said:

    We inherited a prison system in crisis, with overcrowded jails rife with violence, drugs and organised crime. Thanks to the dedication of prison staff and the action we have taken, the system is now on a more stable footing.   

    But recovery is only the first step, not the final word. This independent review will help us tackle the deep-rooted problems facing our prisons and set out a long-term plan to build a safer, more resilient system that cuts crime, reduces reoffending and delivers punishment that works.

    Chair of the Independent Review into Prisons, Amber Rudd said:

    Prisons are fundamental to public safety. As Home Secretary, I saw the damage that terrorism, serious violence, and organised crime can cause to communities, and the importance of ensuring prisons do not become places where criminal behaviour is reinforced. 

    This review will examine how we improve the security and safety of prisons, better protect staff, and strengthen the system’s ability to reduce reoffending and keep the public safe. 

    I look forward to working independently across government and with frontline staff to identify practical reforms that make prisons safer, more resilient and fit for the future.

    Clinks CEO, Dr Summer Alston-Smith, said:

    The Sentencing Act was a welcome first step in addressing several of the immediate challenges that have been impacting the justice system. We are therefore pleased that this review goes further and builds on the Act by taking a long-term view as to how to ensure a more sustainable and effective prison system.

    The role of the voluntary sector in supporting such a system, one focused on rehabilitation, cannot be overstated. There is a wealth of evidence to draw on, which the voluntary sector has contributed to significantly over many years, and we look forward to championing the role of the sector in engagement with the review’s work.

    The review will look to build on efforts already been made to keep prisons safer, with 40 million already invested to bolster prison security, alongside a further £35 million announced this month to install heavy duty steel grilles on up to 13,000 prison cell windows to stop drones smuggling contraband into jails.

    This is on top of government action to build 14,000 extra prison places by 2031, with 3,100 already opened up after just 500 net places were added in the 14 years before, and investing an extra £700 million into the probation system. 

    ENDS

    Notes to editor

    • As Home Secretary, Ms Rudd led the Government’s response to terrorism, serious violence and organised crime, and worked closely with the Ministry of Justice following the Acheson Review to strengthen prison security and tackle the threat of extremism in custody, including through the introduction of specialist separation units for the most dangerous offenders.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Brighton’s first Youth Guarantee Jobs Fair sees hundreds of young people connect with local employers [July 2026]

    PRESS RELEASE : Brighton’s first Youth Guarantee Jobs Fair sees hundreds of young people connect with local employers [July 2026]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 1 July 2026.

    More than 650 young people from across Brighton and the wider local area descended on the world-famous Brighton Centre to meet with some of the region’s best-known employers yesterday.

    • Over 650 young people attended Brighton’s first ever youth jobs fair – part of the government’s Youth Guarantee – held at the Brighton Centre. 
    • The event brought young people face to face with more than 50 employers and training providers including Mace Construction, JD Sports and Gatwick Airport Employers and saw more than 200 job interviews secured. 
    • Youth Guarantee Jobs Fairs are part of wider youth employment support, backed by £2.5 billion which will ensure every young person has the chance to earn or learn.  

    “Launch Your Future” was Brighton’s first ever youth jobs fair to be hosted as part of the Youth Guarantee, the government’s scheme to ensure every young person is either earning or learning.  

    Young jobseekers were given rare, direct access to a huge range of employment and training opportunities, all brought together under one roof. With employers including Pure Gym, Gatwick Airport Employers and more offering sector specific advice.  

    Employers and training providers provided jobseekers with details of the hundreds of open vacancies and apprenticeships opportunities with more than 200 interviews scheduled, including second stage interviews. 

    Sessions provided young jobseekers with a chance to discuss and ask for advice on AI tools to support job searching, the apprenticeship assessment process, CV and interview advice and an introduction to Movement to Work placements.  

    Alongside this, DWP advice desks shared tailored support for individuals on job searching, live vacancies, apprenticeship opportunities, support with childcare costs and more. 

    Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: 

    Brighton’s first Youth Guarantee Jobs Fair showed exactly what this government’s youth employment drive is all about – creating opportunity and bringing young people face to face with employers.  

    Young jobseekers have been shown what the next step in their career journey could be – and in some cases will have left with a job offer.  

    I’m delighted so many local employers are choosing to back our Youth Guarantee, and we will keep going further so we can ensure every young person has the chance to earn or learn.

    Before the event, young jobseekers received specialised group information sessions to help them get the most out of meeting employers face-to-face. 

    They also received hands-on advice covering everything from filling in applications to preparing for interviews – giving them the skills and confidence they need to take their first step into the world of work. 

    Yesterday’s jobs fair forms part of the Government’s ongoing commitment to tackling youth unemployment and ensuring young people can access the opportunities available in their local area.  

    By bringing together jobseekers from across the region alongside a broad range of employers the event has helped create lasting pathways into sustainable employment for young people across Brighton and the southeast. 

    Yesterday’s event reinforces the Government’s commitment that all young people under the age of 25 should be offered one of the following high-quality pathways:  

    • employment  
    • continued education  
    • an apprenticeship  
    • a traineeship, work experience placement or Sector-Based Work Academy Programme (SWAP) 

    Additional Information:

    Over 50 employers and providers from across Brighton and the southeast attended the jobs fair, including: DWP FSF Desk / Success Desk 

    • The Latest 
    • Arundel Care Services 
    • Play9 LTD 
    • Disability Services Access To Work 
    • Home Instead 
    • Churchill Services  
    • Ansacare 
    • PACEY 
    • The Gym Group 
    • National Careers Service 
    • BHCC HR team (Cheryl )  
    • Rybka Fish and Chips 
    • DWP WEX Desk 
    • Castle Accommodation Ltd 
    • Quint Education 
    • All Care Ltd 
    • Brighton Palace Pier  
    • Bright Horizons Nursery  
    • FEDCAP 
    • BHAFC ( stewarding)  
    • B&M 
    • JD Sports  
    • C&C Healthcare 
    • The Grace Eyre Foundation 
    • Gatwick Airport employers 
    • Murder Actually 
    • GBR Met 
    • Concordia  
    • Aldridge Adult Learning 
    • Tungsten Training 
    • Brighton Probation  
    • Guild Care Limited 
    • Red Skye Personnell Ltd 
    • PureGym 
    • Nandos (Brighton and Horsham) 
    • Plumpton College (inclusive of One Garden) 
    • Brighton & Hove Education Academy  
    • Creative Process (courses and apprenticeships) 
    • Sodexo 
    • Sussex Police 
    • South Downs Leisure 
    • WSCC (West Sussex CC) Connect 2 Work 
    • Mace Construction 
    • ATW Cargo 
    • Oxfam 
    • Brighton Youth Hub 
    • Dnata 
    • Brighter Horizons Training 
    • Lindfield Coffee 
    • DWP Apprenticeship Matching Desk 
    • Queen Victoria Hospital 
    • The Talent People 
    • Movement to Work 
    • Andy Taylor Foundation 
    • Randstad 
    • Creative Futures 
    • DWP Job Matching Desk 
    • DWP Job Matching Desk 
    • DWP Upfront Childcare Desk 
    • DWP Armed Forces Desk
  • Peter Kyle – 2026 Speech at UK-China Export Event

    Peter Kyle – 2026 Speech at UK-China Export Event

    The speech made by Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, on 1 July 2026.

    Thank you for your very kind and warm words. It is great to see you all here today. It is great to see your whole team come over Minister Wang.

    The JETCO tomorrow is the third major meeting between our governments in less than one year. And that is a cause for real, genuine celebration.

    There was our JETCO in Beijing last September, and of course the Prime Minister’s historic visit back in January – the first such visit in eight years.

    And I know many of the attendees of that meeting are joining us here today as part of the delegation. And I have to say, thanks to you, it was a huge success.

    It unlocked £2.2 billion in new export deals and a further £2.3 billion in market access wins over the next five years.

    As a result of that visit we now enjoy visa free travel, making it easier for professionals to travel and do business across China. This is something businesses have repeatedly told us that they are keen to do.

    But we also made real progress in breaking down the barriers to trade. That includes China cutting tariffs on UK whisky exports from 10 per cent to 5 per cent – a vital boost to an iconic British sector. 

    Minister Wang and I were present when the Prime Minister and President Xi were discussing that and it was a real win I think for both of our countries.

    But even more important than that, these meetings have been rebuilding a relationship that has been dormant for far too long.

    The fact is, in an unstable geopolitical climate, the most important thing we can do now is to talk to each other.

    Because talking to each other, even when we have differences, means that we can understand each other.

    And by understanding each other, it means that we can work together.

    And by working together, we can build stability between us as countries and governments but also for and on behalf of business.

    Tomorrow, those talks, and that work, will continue as we discuss how to implement the MOUs that we signed back in January.

    And as we discuss how to step up our trading relationship even further.

    We have already come to a strong understanding between us.

    Our Industrial Strategy, and the Chinese five-year-plan, well I think that they are very well aligned. Some of our sectors overlap. And that creates opportunity for both of our countries.

    We’ve already seen some of that opportunity become reality.

    British firms across the Industrial Strategy sectors are showing just what they can offer.

    Silverstream Technologies has worked with 13 major Chinese shipyards to install their net-zero lubrication technology to new builds and also to retrofits.

    Meanwhile Anemoi Marine Technologies has secured £28 million in export value through sales of its Flettnor Rotor Sails.

    We’re working together in sport also, with World Snooker agreeing a £15 million five‑year deal in China, including new major events in Chinese cities.

    And in life sciences companies like Cultech have partnered with China resources to deliver £90 million in exports and create jobs in Port Talbot in Wales.

    But where I’m hoping we can make some real headway is on services.

    Services make up 59% of our exports to the world, but only 42% of what we export to China.

    That’s an area where we are a genuine global leader, and where we have lots to offer, especially to Chinese businesses looking to grow and export around the world.

    I know hundreds of British businesses are champing at the bit to get their presence in China.

    That’s what I want to see as our next steps: To get British services on Chinese business’s speed dial.

    To bring China to the top of our companies’ minds for expansion. To ensure that as Chinese companies go global, UK professional service companies are their first phone call.

    To build a services superhighway between London and Beijing.

    Of course, neither Rome, nor London or Beijing was built in a day.

    It will take time and it will take hard work to create a relationship that works well for both countries.

    That’s why after the Prime Minister’s trip in January, we agreed a new Bilateral Services Partnership.

    A structured channel to take forward practical issues affecting UK services, sector by sector, building on the access and political mandate that that visit created.

    Under the Partnership, we are working directly with the Ministry of Commerce to address challenges that businesses face in areas where the UK has clear strengths and firms are already active – like financial services, professional and business services and also in education.  

    As part of that partnership, both the UK and China have committed to establish a Professional and Business Services Matchmaking platform. It will give Chinese companies looking to go global access to UK expert companies that can make that dream a reality.

    And work is happening fast on the Joint Feasibility Study on a bilateral Trade Services Agreement.

    The sector keeps chasing me on when they can expect to see some more progress on all of these initiatives, so I’m hoping to make some real steps forward in our discussions – if only for the sake of reducing my inbox!

    And we are looking forward to hosting our next Economic and Financial Dialogue in London later this year, from which we will announce the next actions and the next steps that we will take together.

    And looking further ahead, because we want to keep momentum going, strengthening our work together in the areas that will benefit us both, and opening up new ways for our businesses to work together, to grow together and to learn from each other.

    Serious engagement is back. By working together, and talking together, both of our nations will prosper.

    Thank you.