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Lindsay Hoyle – 2024 Statement on Language in the Chamber

The statement made by Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, in the House on 22 July 2024.

Before we begin today’s proceedings, I would like to remind hon. Members of what I said last week following the King’s Speech. The language we use in the Chamber, and the way we behave towards each other, should reflect the principle that good temper and moderation are the hallmarks of parliamentary language and behaviour.

I am determined that Members in all parts of the House should be treated with courtesy and respect in this Chamber. I remind the House that it is entirely at the discretion of the hon. Member who has the Floor to choose whether to give way. And once it is clear that the Member does not wish to give way, colleagues should not persist in asking them to do so.

I should also like to remind Members about the church service tomorrow to mark the start of the new Parliament. You will all have received information about it and I look forward to seeing those of you who are able to attend.

August 9, 2024
Bridget Phillipson – 2024 Speech on Schools and Teaching

The speech made by Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 19 July 2024.

I am today announcing the launch of an independent expert-led curriculum and assessment review. The review will consider the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system, and pathways for learners in 16-to-19 education, to drive high and rising standards for every young person. The review will be chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE, an expert in education policy, including curriculum and education inequality.

The review will contribute to the Government’s missions to break down the barriers to opportunity for every child and young person at every stage, and to kick-start economic growth.

The review will build on the Government’s commitment to high standards in the curriculum in England, while ensuring greater attention to breadth and flexibility and that no child or young person is left behind. The review will seek to address the key problems and hard barriers to achievement in the curriculum and assessment system from key stage 1 to key stage 5.

Specifically, the review will seek to deliver:

An excellent foundation in core subjects of reading, writing and maths.

A broader curriculum, so that children and young people do not miss out on subjects such as music, art, sport and drama, as well as vocational subjects.

A curriculum that ensures children and young people leave compulsory education ready for life and ready for work, building the knowledge, skills and attributes young people need to thrive. This includes embedding digital, oracy and life skills in their learning.

A curriculum that reflects the issues and diversities of our society, ensuring all children and young people are represented.

An assessment system that captures the strengths of every child and young person and the breadth of the curriculum, with the right balance of assessment methods, while maintaining the important role of examinations.

The review will be rigorously evidence-driven and will look closely at the barriers which hold children and young people back, particularly those who are from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, have a special educational need or disability and/or are otherwise vulnerable.

The review will seek evolution not revolution, build on the existing relative strengths of a system with finite resources, and not add unnecessary burdens by seeking to fix things that are not broken.

The review will build on the hard work of teachers and staff across the system, and will be undertaken in close consultation with education professionals and other experts; parents; children and young people; and stakeholders such as employers, colleges, universities and trade unions.

The review will start this autumn with a call for evidence. The call for evidence will set out the areas where the review group would particularly welcome evidence and input from the sector and stakeholders, and will direct the focus of the engagement with the sector over the autumn term. The review group will publish an interim report in the new year setting out its interim findings and confirming the key areas for further work. We plan to publish the final review with recommendations in autumn 2025.

Alongside the review, the Department for Education will make legislative changes so that all state schools, including academies, will be required to teach the national curriculum. This will support the Government’s ambition for every child to receive a rich and broad curriculum taught by excellent teachers, wherever they are in the country, to set them up with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the future.

The review marks the Government’s first step towards an education system where background is no barrier and every young person leaves school or college with the best life chances.

August 9, 2024
Steve Reed – 2024 Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The speech made by Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 19 July 2024.

It is a huge honour, on my first opportunity to speak from the Dispatch Box as the Secretary of State, to close today’s debate on His Majesty’s Gracious Speech. I welcome my predecessor, now the shadow Secretary of State, to his place and thank him for the way he has worked constructively with me. I look forward to that continuing, although I prefer it this way around.

It has been an honour to be present for maiden speeches from across the House. Unfortunately, I do not have the time to go through their excellent comments in much detail, but I would like to mention my hon. Friends the Members for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth), for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur), for Cramlington and Killingworth (Emma Foody), for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Luke Myer), for Hexham (Joe Morris), for Heywood and Middleton North (Mrs Blundell) and for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley). Many of them represent rural constituencies, and they all showed what great assets they will be to this House and to the communities they represent.

I cannot respond to everyone who has spoken—I am sorry about that—but I will do my best to cover what I can in the limited time available. I will start with the subject of planning. This Government were elected on a mandate to get Britain building again. As the Deputy Prime Minister said, reforming the planning system is the key to unlocking our country’s economic growth. The existing planning system is too restrictive, slow and uncertain, which undermines investor confidence and means that the homes that we desperately need do not get built. We will overhaul the planning system to tackle the chronic shortage of homes and power up the economy.

Alongside that, we were elected on a platform to deliver for nature, and will take urgent action to meet the Environment Act targets that the previous Government missed. We will protect, create and improve spaces that increase climate resilience and promote nature’s recovery on land and at sea, recognising that ensuring a positive outcome for nature is fundamental to unlocking the housing and infrastructure that this country so urgently needs.

We must take tough action to tackle the housing emergency and build the 1.5 million homes that we need over this Parliament, but we remain committed to preserving the green belt. Our brownfield-first approach means that that authorities should prioritise brownfield sites. However, brownfield development alone will not be enough, so we will also transform lower-quality grey belt land, such as wasteland or old car parks, into housing, including affordable homes for those most in need.

Mr Holden rose—

Steve Reed

I am sorry, there is not enough time for me to give way. [Interruption.] Members should have spoken for less time.

Rural communities have been severely undermined by the previous Conservative Government. For a party that once claimed to be the party of the countryside, their track record is one of abject and absolute neglect. Voters in the countryside rejected their failure and embraced Labour’s positive vision. That is evident from the huge increase in Labour MPs representing rural constituencies, and the collapse in rural support for the Conservatives. Thanks to the Conservative party, transport links in many rural areas are now close to non-existent; there are more potholes in England’s roads than craters on the moon; schools cannot recruit enough teachers; GP surgeries are full; families cannot find an NHS dentist; thousands of rural businesses have collapsed; and rural crime goes unpunished. This is an abandonment of the countryside on a historic scale.

If we solve the problem of social care, we will not need to build ever bigger hospitals.

But I am optimistic for our NHS. Britain leads the world in scientific advances. Right in my own region of East Anglia we have world-beating biomedical science and leading universities.

Recently, we celebrated 75 years of the NHS. My father—who, if he were alive and here today, would be astonished—was an RAF medic who joined the RAF in 1948. My son is an A&E doctor right here in London. My sister is a nurse. My family has served the NHS continuously since it began.

When the great Nye Bevan invented the NHS, a painful hip was treated with a walking stick, and a cataract with a thick pair of glasses. Now the miracles of joint replacement and cataract surgery are no longer regarded as the surgical miracles they are, but as an entitlement. Nye would have been amazed.

I am sure we will see in our own time scientific and medical advances beyond our imagination. Already we are at last seeing effective treatments for dementia and neurological disorders, and genetic cures for haemophilia and other inherited problems. We will also have cancer vaccines and other marvels that we cannot yet imagine.

I urge all my honourable colleagues in this brand-new Parliament to do whatever we can to support research and innovation with all our heart and all our soul, for as the great poet Seamus Heaney wrote,

“once in a lifetime

The longed-for tidal wave

Of justice can rise up,

And hope and history rhyme.”

I commend this King’s Speech to the House.

August 9, 2024
Steve Barclay – 2024 Speech on Planning, the Green Belt and Rural Affairs

The speech made by Steve Barclay, the Conservative MP for North East Cambridgeshire, in the House of Commons on 19 July 2024.

I begin by congratulating the Secretary of State and the ministerial team on their appointments and wishing them well. I also pay tribute to the hon. Members for Chesterfield (Mr Perkins) and for Newport West and Islwyn (Ruth Jones), who did a lot of the hard yards in opposition and missed out on ministerial roles this time.

I pay tribute to the excellent maiden speeches we have heard on both sides of the House today. We started with the hon. Member for Bishop Auckland (Sam Rushworth), who I was delighted to hear has significant rural areas in his constituency and has an interest in this sector. We heard from the hon. Member for Edinburgh South West (Dr Arthur), who gave the House an informed tour of his constituency. We had a fantastic speech from my hon. Friend the Member for Gordon and Buchan (Harriet Cross), who brings real practical and professional experience to rural affairs and rightly focused on the need to tailor policies to the needs of rural communities.

We heard from the new hon. Member for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland (Luke Myer), who was very generous in his tribute to his much-respected predecessor. We had a brilliant speech from my hon. Friend the Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Alison Griffiths), who highlighted the importance of the rural economy and water quality—what an asset she will be in the House. We also heard from the hon. Member for Hexham (Joe Morris), who talked about farming as the beating heart of his constituency, while the hon. Member for Heywood and Middleton North (Mrs Blundell) spoke about the radicalism of a former figure from Middleton—I hope that will inform her relationship with the Government Whips Office moving forward.

We had two outstanding closing speeches. My hon. Friend the Member for Broxbourne (Lewis Cocking) spoke about the importance of infrastructure in the rural economy, and focused particularly on planning. We also witnessed the huge experience, which is respected across the House, that the hon. Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket (Peter Prinsley) brings as a surgeon. I know he will be an important voice in health debates, among others. I am delighted that all those new Members chose to make their maiden speeches on the issue of rural affairs in the King’s Speech.

Labour campaigned on a slogan of change, but they are offering only uncertainty to farming and fishing communities. It is no surprise that, just last night, the president of the National Farmers Union said that farmers are facing a “cliff edge” and are

“being kept up at night”

by the uncertainty. That uncertainty is not because the Labour Government have not had time to prepare their policies for farming and fishing; it is because the issue is not a priority for a Labour Government. That is why the Labour manifesto had just 87 words on farming and nothing at all on fishing. It is why this King’s Speech has nothing for the farming and fishing communities. It is why the Government have not even given any dates for when this uncertainty will end. We should be clear in this House that that is an active choice. It is a point that the Government have chosen to prioritise, in contrast to the prioritisation we were willing to make with the additional funding that we committed.

Is it not all the more ironic that just a few years ago, the now Prime Minister went to the NFU and admitted that farming and rural affairs had for too long been an afterthought for the Labour party and promised to change that? That is an early example of promised change that is not then delivered. We can see that uncertainty in the farming budget. The Government have made no commitment to what the budget will be, or whether they are continuing it or increasing it. We were willing to make decisions to prioritise £1 billion of additional funding over this Parliament. There is nothing from Labour on that, leaving farmers uncertain. Can the Secretary of State confirm what his budget will be? Does he even know? Has the Chancellor told him? Can he even tell the House when he might know? We do not even know when the spending review will be. He is probably as much in the dark as the rest of us.

What about the uncertainty on food security? We made commitments with the food security index, the annual farm to fork summit, the food security duty, the biggest ever grants payment, and the additional funding to deal with the wet weather that farmers had recently faced. What is the commitment from the Labour Government on food security? There is nothing in the King’s Speech about legislating for that. Can the Secretary of State confirm whether they intend to legislate and it was just an omission that they did not get around to, or is it something that he is now ruling out?

What about the uncertainty about just how much farmland will be lost as a result of this Government? We know what their 2030 environmental targets are—to triple solar, to increase onshore wind and to increase the pylons connecting to offshore wind—so can the Secretary of State confirm to the House that he will publish before the summer recess an impact assessment on how much farmland will be lost as a result of delivering his 2030 environmental targets? Does he even know?

Mr Holden

One cornerstone of the Conservative manifesto was for an underground-first approach to new electricity pylons. That is an important matter for my constituents in Basildon and Billericay. Will my right hon. Friend also highlight to the Government exactly how important that is and try to seek an answer on what their proposals are in this space?

Steve Barclay

My right hon. Friend gets to the nub of the issue, because if a Government are promising change, they need to be able to say what the timelines are. They need to say what the budget is and what legislation they will pass to deliver that. On all those things, there is silence in this King’s Speech.

The Labour manifesto has lots of high-sounding things that are hard to disagree with. Labour wants more food security, and says that food security is national security, and we on the Opposition Benches agree. Labour says it wants to raise animal welfare, and we have done a huge amount to do so. That is fine. However, if the Government say they want to end the badger cull, when will they do that? There is nothing in the King’s Speech on that, so what are the timelines? Dairy farmers would like to know. Will the Secretary of State publish the analysis from the chief veterinary officer on what the impact of ending the cull would be on the trajectory? We know that the current approach has seen TB cases come down in England from 34,500 in 2018 to below 20,000. Certainly the advice that I had was that vaccinations would not be ready for some time. Will he publish the trajectory and tell us when the cull will end?

The Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Daniel Zeichner)

You need to respect the science.

Steve Barclay

Of course we respect the science. The hon. Gentleman chunters from a sedentary position, but I presume he will get the same science brief—in a way, he makes my point—that I got from the chief vet, which was that the vaccinations were not ready and the cull was being effective. In fact, we only need to look at Labour’s policy in Wales, where the opposite is happening, to see that. I hope that, as he represents Cambridge, he will follow the science, because the Government made a commitment that does not. Perhaps that is the sort of change they mean—a change from what they committed to in the manifesto. It did not take long.

Speaking of things at a high level that no one can disagree with, the Government talk about making more use of public sector procurement. Again, the Conservatives not only agree with that, but we have helped the Government with it. The former Member for Colchester did a fantastic review, the Quince review, looking at how that will be done, but the Government are silent on the funding for that. Will it be funded out of the budget of the Department for Health and Social Care, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Defence, local government—or will it come out of the Secretary of State’s budget? It is difficult for him to say, because he does not even know what his budget will be.

The reality is that we have empty slogans from a party that does not care about the rural economy. The Government are not giving clarity to farming and fishing; they barely mentioned farming in their manifesto, and they did not even mention fishing. This King’s Speech does nothing for the farming and fishing communities. The decisions that we have seen so far take vast amounts of farmland out of food production in order to prioritise the eco-zealotry that we have heard so often in this House. I hope the Secretary of State will give the clarity that is sadly lacking in the King’s Speech on what the Government will do—and when—on the budget, on food procurement, and on dairy farmers and the badger cull, and will end the uncertainty that the president of the NFU and so many others in the farming and fishing community currently face.

August 9, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK soldiers test next generation of body-worn technology [July 2024]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 21 July 2024.
- Major advances made in body-worn technology for UK soldiers.
- Improving operational advantage by connecting soldiers to data tools and new technology.
- A range of technologies, such as laser detection systems and on person drone control will enhance battle fighting tactics.
The next generation of body-worn technology has been put through its paces by British soldiers, bringing a modernised advantage to the battlefield. The aim of the trials is to integrate available technology into wearable tech for soldiers, advancing battlefield awareness and allowing faster tactical decision making.

This announcement comes as part of the new government’s commitment to procuring state-of-the-art defence capabilities. The Future Soldier programme delivers on the aim of adapting military equipment programmes to meet emerging requirements, as outlined in the launch of the Strategic Defence Review this week.

Examples of the technologies being looked at by the Army include laser detection systems to warn if enemies are targeting personnel, drone thermal detection to identify enemies, and ground sensors to detect enemy movement with alerts sent to body-worn systems.

The digital system is standardised and provides customised control that can be tailored to each individual mission.

Troops from Leicestershire-based 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian Regiment, tested cutting-edge data visualisation tools, integrated sensors, and live intelligence feeds all connected in a single system.

The trial, conducted by scientists from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), demonstrates that even minor changes to infantry-level tactics with Command and Control, Communications, Computing and Information Systems, can vastly improve operational outcomes.

Improved outcomes can include:
- Increasing the tempo of a battle – outthinking the enemy by creating a faster understand, decide, act loop.
- Increase situational awareness meaning better informed decision making based on real-time local operating picture of where friendly and enemy forces are, as well as other assets are on the battlefield.
- Enhanced decision making – the ability to send data, such as images and full motion video, from the soldier to wider teams.
Minster for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle said:

This government is clear in our commitment to advancing technology that ensures the safety and superiority of UK Armed Forces. This cutting-edge technology will bolster operational lethality and elevate battlefield awareness.

I welcome the continued collaboration between government, industry, and scientists on this innovative programme.

Dstl scientists are carrying out this research as part of the Future Integrated Dismounted Soldier Vision (FIDSV) with research into how the next generation of ‘digitally connected soldier’ technology can improve capability and operational advantage.

The range of technologies tested includes:
- A helmet mounted strobe alert system to identify friend or foe.
  - An electronic system that emits an identifiable beacon when it detects an incoming laser.
- Laser detection system to warn if enemies are targeting personnel.
  - A system that detects the wavelengths of incoming lasers and warns the user.
- On person drone control which gives the user the ability to control and pre-programme drones.
- Drone thermal detection to aid enemy detection.
- Laser range finder – a device on the weapon that calculates the range of an object/target.
- Advanced digital day and night optics for weapons, powered via the weapons’ Picatinny rail.
- Smart hub – the ‘brain’ of the integrated power and data supply for all digital devices.
- Mesh network – a type of radio configuration that permits “hopping” from one soldier’s radio to another to enhance range.
- Ground sensors to detect movement with alerts sent to body-worn systems.
Dstl chief executive Dr Paul Hollinshead OBE MBA said:

Dstl is working closely with industry to develop and integrate technologies that will transform our armed forces, making them more capable and lethal.

Building on our decades of expertise, this work is delivering mission success, protecting the nation and helping it prosper.

Jon Russell, Dstl’s Senior Principal Scientist on the research, said:

This technology will protect the lives of our Armed Forces by improving operational capability by giving them the advantage over the enemy.

It is great to see the Future Integrated Dismounted Soldier Vision is clearly proving how a soldier system containing multiple knowledge capabilities that are designed to combine crucial data to improve operational advantage.

“Our aim is to develop the most capable armed forces in the world, by merging different technologies to advance battlefield awareness.”

Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) at the infantry Trials and Development Unit said:

The trial, led by Dstl, was a showcase of future technologies and digital integration. The research has now advanced, bringing together industry to enhance capabilities with Command, Control, Communications, Computing and Information Systems.

As the Army’s lead in dismounted close combat trials and development, we are at the forefront of improving operational advantage and look forward to supporting its future development.

Dstl, in partnership with industry, will make use of the lessons learned from this latest testing on Salisbury Plain’s military training area to develop the need for future equipment for defence.

The next phase will include vehicle mounted options, as well as develop a joint soldier system with UK allies. Further development and experimentation will continue over the next five years and will evolve as and when new technologies become available.
August 9, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor vows ‘big bang on growth’ to boost investment and savings [July 2024]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 20 July 2024.
- Chancellor launches landmark review to boost investment, increase pension pots and tackle waste in the pensions system.
- New Pensions Bill confirmed in King’s Speech could boost pension pots by over £11,000, with further consolidation and broader investment strategies to potentially deliver higher returns for pensions.
- An investment shift in defined contribution schemes could deliver £8 billion of new productive investment into the UK economy.
- Action will be taken to unleash the full investment might of the £360 billion Local Government Pension Scheme to make it an engine for UK growth.
The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has announced a landmark pensions review as part of the new Government’s mission to ‘boost growth and make every part of Britain better off’.

Under plans unveiled by the new Chancellor, billions of pounds of investment could be unlocked in the UK economy from defined contribution schemes alone and pension pots for savers in defined contribution schemes could be boosted by over £11,000.

The Review will also, working closely with the Minister of State at MHCLG Jim McMahon, look at how to unlock the investment potential of the £360 billion Local Government Pensions Scheme, which manages the savings of those working to deliver our vital local services, as well as how to tackle the £2 billion that is being spent on fees.

The announcement comes ahead of the first Growth Mission Board on Tuesday. This will be chaired by the Chancellor and drive the Government’s work to achieve the highest sustained growth in the G7. New measures have already been announced to fix the planning system, the creation of a new National Wealth Fund and the overhaul of the listings regime to boost UK stock exchanges.

The work announced today – focusing on investment – is the first phase in reviewing the pensions landscape and will be led by the first ever joint Treasury and Department for Work and Pensions Minister, Emma Reynolds (Minister for Pensions). The next phase of the review starting later this year will consider further steps to improve pension outcomes and increase investment in UK markets, including assessing retirement adequacy.

The Chancellor and the Pensions Minister will chair a roundtable with the pensions industry on Monday to start intensive industry engagement for the Review.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

Despite a very challenging inheritance, this new Government is getting on with the job of delivering our mandate to get the economy growing so we can make every part of our country better off.

The review we are announcing is the latest in a big bang of reforms to unlock growth, boost investment and deliver savings for pensioners. There is no time to waste. That is why I am determined to fix the foundations of our economy so we can rebuild Britain and improve people’s lives.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said:

After putting in years of hard graft serving their communities, the very least our frontline workers deserve – millions of whom are low paid, millions of whom are women – is dignity and security in retirement.

That’s why we want to make sure their hard-earned money works harder for them so we ensure they receive the pensions they have earned, whilst unlocking growth across our economy.

Pensions Minister Emma Reynolds said:

As the first ever joint Treasury and DWP Minister I am uniquely placed to tackle the twin challenges of productive investment and retirement outcomes.

Over the next few months the review will focus on identifying any further actions to drive investment that could be taken forward in the Pension Schemes Bill before then exploring long-term challenges to ensure our pensions system is fit for the future.

There is so much untapped potential in our pensions markets, with an industry worth around £2 trillion. The measures we have already set out in our Pension Schemes Bill will help drive higher investment and a better deal for our future pensioners.

Legal & General Group Chief Executive António Simões said:

As the UK’s largest manager of money for pension clients, we welcome the ambition set out by the government today. Driving pensions capital into areas such as science, technology and infrastructure can help support better returns for millions of retirement savers, as well as stimulate much needed long-term growth for the economy. Having recently launched our own fund offering Defined Contribution savers access to high growth private market sectors, we look forward to continuing to work closely with government on the next stages of reform to help unlock further funding routes to power UK businesses, communities and society. We also strongly welcome the Government’s intention to consider the adequacy of overall pension provision in the next stage of the review.

BVCA Chief Executive Michael Moore said:

We are very encouraged that the Government has brought forward their Pensions Review so quickly. The Chancellor has a real opportunity to deliver economic growth by facilitating increased investment in UK businesses to the benefit of returns to pension savers as well as the wider economy.

Legislative and policy changes, including further consolidation of pension schemes to increase pension schemes’ ability to deploy capital into UK private capital funds are vital, as is greater industry partnership.

The BVCA’s Investment Compact has already brought together over 100 growth equity and venture capital firms committed to working with pensions schemes to consider effective structures that attract investment.

If the Government is ambitious and considers a wide range of options in this review we are optimistic that this will deliver the clear roadmap we have called for, building on the work of the BVCA’s Pensions and Private Capital Expert Panel.

Aviva Director of Workplace Savings and Retirement Emma Douglas said:

We welcome the government’s determination to undertake a pensions review as an early priority. We fully support government’s ambition to get pension funds invested in a way that both supports UK growth and improves outcomes for savers. We see this as an important next step and look forward to working with government and industry on the Review.

Phoenix Group CEO Andy Briggs said:

The announcement of a pensions review by the government is much needed and is welcome news. Phoenix Group has committed to allocate 5% of assets in our default funds to unlisted equities by 2030 which will allow UK savers to invest in a more diversified portfolio. Our key priority is to deliver good outcomes for our customers and we are confident that Phoenix Group could invest up to £40 billion to support the economic growth agenda whilst keeping policyholder protection at its core.

With only one in seven people in the UK saving enough for a decent standard of living in retirement, we are happy to see that this review will expand to look at pension adequacy. This is vitally important for people across the UK and we hope this will include a commitment to increasing auto-enrolment contributions.

Defined contribution schemes will be managing around £800 billion in assets by the end of the decade and the Review will explore ways to increase their investment into productive assets. Even a 1 percentage point shift of assets into productive investments could mean £8 billion of new productive investment to grow the economy and build vital infrastructure by the end of the decade.

This would also help savers using these schemes build up better retirement pots as productive assets are more likely to provide higher returns. Immediate action has already been taken to boost retirement savings through the Pensions Bill, which introduces a Value for Money Framework to promote better governance and achieve higher returns – boosting the pension pot of an average earner who saves over their lifetime in a defined contribution scheme by over £11,000.

The first stage of the review will examine actions to support greater productive investment and better retirement outcomes, including through further consolidation and encouraging at-scale schemes to increase returns through broader investment strategies.

The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in England and Wales is the seventh largest pension fund in the world, managing £360 billion worth of assets. Its value comes from the hard work and dedication of 6.6 million people in our public sector, mostly low-paid women, working to deliver our vital local services. Pooling this money would enable the funds to invest in a wider range of UK assets and the government will consider legislating to mandate pooling if insufficient progress is made by March 2025.

To cut down on fragmentation and waste in the LGPS, which spends around £2 billion each year on fees and costs and is split across 87 funds – an increase in fees of 70% since 2017, the Review will also consider the benefits of further consolidation.

The first stage of the review will report in the next few months and consider further measures to support the Pensions Bill. It will take account of the need to prioritise gilt market stability, liquidity and diversity. It will then broaden out to consider the wider pensions landscape to strengthen security in retirement. In the meantime, immediate action has been taken through new laws announced to Parliament in The King’s Speech.

Barclays CEO C. S. Venkatakrishnan said:

We welcome the Government’s timely review of the pensions sector. Pensions reforms are critical to unlocking institutional investment in growth equity, and alongside a streamlining of listing requirements, will give a significant boost to UK capital markets and growth. Building institutional demand is also an important signal in encouraging private share ownership.

Association of British Insurers Director General Hannah Gurga said:

This review is an important opportunity to provide much needed long-term strategy for the significant role the UK pensions sector plays in investment and economic growth. We welcome the holistic approach with the interests of savers going hand in hand with further boosting investment in the UK. Good outcomes for savers and providing stability must ultimately be at the heart of the reforms and we look forward to working with the government to achieve this.

M&G plc CEO Andrea Rossi said:

A Pensions Review is long overdue and to be welcomed. M&G has a rich heritage of investing in the UK and there are significant opportunities ahead to give the real economy a boost over the next decade and beyond. We know from experience, through our PruFund offer, that a large pooled fund gives savers access to a wider range of productive assets that aims to maximise benefits over the long-term. Consolidation, combined with the role of advice, has huge potential to align the interests of savers with the UK’s growth ambition. We look forward to supporting the Government on this landmark review.

Border to Coast CEO Rachel Elwell said:

Our focus is on delivering a strong and sustainable LGPS to enable it to pay the pensions of the 6.6 million local government workers in an affordable and sustainable manner. Through the commitment and support of our Partner Funds, Border to Coast has developed innovative and cost-effective investments, while cutting Private Market fees by almost 30%. We welcome the opportunity to work with the Government on a co-ordinated review to consider how the LGPS can continue to deliver for hard-working members, generate even greater value to local taxpayers, and deliver productive investment in the UK.

Nest CEO Ian Cornelius said:

Nest members represent a third of the UK workforce. Why wouldn’t we want to help invest in their jobs, their communities, and the infrastructure they use? Nest already invests more than £8.5bn into the UK. As one of the world’s biggest economies, there are further great investment opportunities available to pension schemes like Nest and we welcome the opportunities being announced to explore increasing investment in the UK.

Pension Protection Fund CEO Michelle Ostermann said:

Pension consolidation, and a fresh approach, can unlock billions in new UK growth-supporting investments and support the UK gilt market whilst securing the retirement incomes of many more pension members. We welcome the launch of the government’s review, marking the start of an important process, and look forward to playing our part.

Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association Director of Policy and Advocacy Nigel Peaple said:

It is positive the Government has acted quickly to initiate its promised review of our pensions savings system. Pension schemes already invest one trillion pounds in the UK economy, with this amount expected to grow as our defined contribution system matures. With the right regulatory framework and Government action to ensure a healthy pipeline of investible opportunities, we look forward to working with Ministers to create a pension system that works for the country and for savers.

Pensions & Private Capital Expert Panel Chair and co-founder of IQ Capital Kerry Baldwin said:

An early and ambitious review of the pensions landscape is an extremely important step in prioritising returns for UK savers and driving economic growth. The Chancellor’s Pensions Review will add further impetus to the work of the Investment Compact for Venture Capital and Growth Equity, which has brought together the private capital and pensions industries to support pension savers and to encourage investment from pension funds into unlisted equities.

There has been significant progress through this collaboration. We are already developing a greater understanding of the ways we can work together to deliver new options for UK pension savers at the same time as supporting high growth, innovative UK companies with new sources of capital. The Review offers us the opportunity to develop this shared agenda further and deliver better outcomes for all the stakeholders.

TheCityUK CEO Miles Celic said:

Creating the right investment environment is critical both for improving people’s retirement incomes and for boosting growth across the UK. The government’s new Pensions Review will be an important mechanism to help deliver this. We look forward to working closely with government and regulators to ensure that an effective long-term strategy that supports financial resilience is developed.

Royal London Group Chief Executive Barry O’Dwyer said:

Pensions already play an important role in supporting UK economic growth, and the review announced by the Chancellor is a welcome opportunity to consider reforms that could strengthen this further. We are particularly pleased the review will focus on delivering better retirement outcomes for people, as this must always be the main priority of the pensions system. We are also encouraged that the next phase of the review will examine retirement adequacy, as creating a long-term plan for increasing contributions will have a major impact on improving retirement outcomes and helping to finance growth.

Citi UK CEO Tiina Lee said:

We welcome the Government announcing a pensions review to boost investment in the UK economy.

The UK is home to the second-largest pool of long-term capital in the world. Based on Citi’s experience with global investors, increasing pension fund investment will reinvigorate funding in British companies and infrastructure projects and bring real benefits to our economy and society.
August 9, 2024
Stephanie Peacock – 2024 Speech at the Football Supporters’ Association AGM

The speech made by Stephanie Peacock, the Minister for Sport, on 20 July 2024.

I’m delighted to be here today to speak to members of the FSA, the Football Supporters’ Association, as Minister for Sport, at the home of English football – Wembley Stadium.

It’s a privilege to join you at this AGM which is of course Malcolm Clarke’s last as chair, after a mere 22 years. I know the huge impact he has had, and I wish you well.

You are all meeting here today to discuss how fans can be given a greater voice and ensure your concerns are addressed by the game.

Fans are the heart and soul of the game and I want to set out how this government will support you.

The inclusion of the Football Governance Bill in the King’s Speech on Wednesday is the first step in delivering that support – by introducing a new regulator for football in law.

The FSA is one of our key partners, ensuring that the voice of fans is represented as we develop these proposals. I want to continue to work with you to deliver this commitment which will ensure a more sustainable future for our football clubs and to ensure fans’ voices are heard. Having worked with you closely over the last few months, I know firsthand the impact you have had.

Every football fan deserves the opportunity to follow the team that they love without having to fight back against unsuitable owners; battle to keep their club’s name, colours and badge; see their club try to join a closed league of select clubs syphoned off from the rest of the English football pyramid; or even risk their club disappearing altogether.

Our football fans are the best in the world – which is why we are committed to repaying that dedication – by making this country the best place in the world to be a football fan.

We’ll do this by giving fans a greater say in the way their club is run and ensure the financial sustainability of football clubs, protecting them for generations to come.

This will include ensuring that clubs regularly consult a representative group of fans on strategic matters and other issues of interest to supporters. This means that a wide range of fans, regardless of background, will have the opportunity to have their voices heard.

Too often we’ve seen how the financial mismanagement of beloved clubs like Bury has a devastating impact on loyal fans and local communities. Indeed, the Secretary of State’s first visit was to Gigg Lane. Irresponsible owners, unsustainable financial models and inadequate regulation have cast a shadow over too many of our community clubs.

Their experiences highlight the frailties of current football governance systems in place to help protect clubs. Governance systems that have led to excessive and reckless risk-taking, something that the new regulatory regime will address.

But while we work to address those issues, I also want to recognise the fantastic global success story that is English football. It is one of our greatest cultural exports, attracting more viewers and higher revenues than any of its international rivals.

That’s why we need to ensure that the Regulator’s approach is proportionate, risk-based and targeted, while keeping fans at its heart. I’m confident that providing this stable regulatory environment will attract investors that will improve the experience for you, the fans. This is a view which is also shared by a number of clubs across the footballing pyramid.

I know that the risks clubs face are real and current. So we will act as quickly as the parliamentary timetable will allow to get the Regulator in place.

I want to finish by thanking the FSA for inviting me to speak at this year’s AGM.

And to take the opportunity to congratulate Kevin Miles on the award of an OBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List in recognition for his services to football.

This honour acknowledges the dedication which Kevin has given over so many years to ensuring that the interests of football fans are championed and that local communities have a staunch ally in protecting their local football clubs.

These local clubs are an essential part of the social fabric of Britain.

They are vital community assets that bring together people from all backgrounds, which is why we need to protect and nourish them in the interests of fans and the local communities they serve.

I look forward to our continued working partnership as we move forward to reform football for the better.

August 9, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : The UK is ready to work with regional partners across the globe to build stability – UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2024.

Statement by UK Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on cooperation between the UN and regional organisations.

I will make three points. First, the UK supports regional organisations playing a role in upholding peace and security in their regions. This includes regional peacekeeping partnerships that reflect the UN’s common values and principles, including respect for human rights. For example, the EU’s Operation Althea and the OSCE’s operation in Bosnia has helped facilitate the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. The OSCE is undertaking important work on a wide array of security issues in Central Asia and the South Caucasus.

Second, to carry out this role effectively, regional organisations need to be responsive to the needs of their members, and act in line with the UN Charter. To the extent that the these organizations are willing to do this, they can play a constructive role in their regions. All States have a sovereign right to choose their own security partnerships, including military alliances. Participation cannot be coerced. “Collective security” does not mean a sphere of influence, and “cooperation” does not require subjugation of sovereignty. Russia’s aggression against Georgia in 2008, and against Ukraine in 2014 and 2022, undermines the role of regional organisations in the neighbourhood, particularly the CSTO. Georgia and Ukraine withdrew from CIS due to this violation of their sovereignty.

Third, the UK warmly welcomes the Central Asian region’s strong engagement with the UN, underlined by the Secretary-General’s regional tour this month, and the work of UN bodies such as UNDP and UNOCT in the region. We look forward to next week’s consultations on UNRCCA, which makes a valuable contribution to security in the region, including counter-terrorism, and women, peace and security. The UK also values our own relations with the Central Asian states. Earlier this year, we launched a regional climate programme that will help improve Central Asia’s climate resilience by strengthening regional cooperation on water and energy. And we look forward to COP 29 in Azerbaijan. There are no binary choices in partnerships – the UK is ready to work with regional partners across the globe to build stability and security, promote growth and tackle global challenges.

August 9, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s war threatens food security – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2024.

Justin Addison, UK Delegation to the OSCE, tells the OSCE’s Economic and Environmental Committee (EEC) that Russia is prioritising its own aims above global food security.

Mr Chair,

The UK delegation would like to thank the Austrian chair of the EEC for convening this session to discuss food security. As you rightly said at the start, conflict situations in regions key to global food trade can severely impact food security.

Ukrainian grain exports are crucial in ensuring global food security and the resilience of global grain markets. Before Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion, Ukraine accounted for around 10% of global wheat exports and 12% of corn and barley exports.

Russia has cynically attempted to prevent Ukraine from exporting its grain, prioritising its own aims above global food security. In 2023, it deliberately obstructed and then withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative, after which it deliberately attacked Ukraine’s grain storage and export infrastructure.

However, these attempts have failed. Ukraine’s military successes have now pushed back Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, enabling it to resume exports from its Black Sea ports. Since last summer, Ukraine has exported 36 million tonnes of agricultural produce and 17 million tonnes of other cargo through the Black Sea. Through all routes, Ukraine has now exported all its harvest from 2023.

There is ample evidence that Russia is also systematically acquiring grain from occupied Ukrainian territory and selling it on, with farmers forced to sell their produce to occupation authorities. This is grain which Ukraine should rightfully be supplying to world markets, instead of either being transferred to Russia for consumption or sold abroad, passed off as Russian grain.

All buyers of Russian grain, including those represented in this committee, should consider these facts when making purchasing decisions.

Russia often likes to claim that Western sanctions are hindering its agricultural exports. We have always been clear that the target of our sanctions is Russia’s war machine and not its food and fertiliser sectors. The UN and other partners have taken significant steps to ensure that Russian food is able to access world markets.

Mr Chair, food security is another casualty of Russia’s unnecessary and unprovoked war, and Ukraine’s response is another example of their resistance in the face of such aggression. Ukraine’s ability to export and trade freely, efficiently and economically is vitally important in stabilising global food prices and preventing global food shortages.

This aim will only be achieved when President Putin decides to end this senseless war and fully withdraws from Ukrainian territory.

Thank you.

August 9, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK to restart funding to UNRWA [July 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 July 2024.
- Foreign Secretary David Lammy has announced that the UK will restart funding to UNRWA in order to get aid as quickly as possible to those who need it in Gaza
- in statement to MPs, Lammy said UK aid funding to Gaza is a “moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe”
- the Foreign Secretary also reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire to secure the release of hostages and end the suffering in Gaza, following his visit to the region earlier this week
The Foreign Secretary has announced that the UK will lift the pause on funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the key aid delivery body operating in Gaza.

In his first statement to MPs, the Foreign Secretary outlined that the UK will release £21 million to support its lifesaving work in Gaza and the provision of basic services in the region.

This funding will go towards UNRWA’s flash appeal for Gaza and the West Bank, which focuses its resources on emergency food, shelter and other support for 3 million people, as well as its wider work supporting 6 million Palestinian refugees across the region.

The Foreign Secretary said to Parliament:

Humanitarian aid is a moral necessity in the face of such a catastrophe and it is aid agencies who ensure UK support reaches civilians on the ground.

UNRWA is absolutely central to these efforts. No other agency can get aid into Gaza at the scale needed.

I was appalled by the allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the 7th October attacks. We are reassured that after Catherine Colonna’s independent review, UNRWA is ensuring they meet the highest standards of neutrality and strengthening its procedures, including on vetting.

UNRWA has acted. Partners like Japan, the EU and Norway have now acted. This government will act too.

The UK’s funding for UNRWA was paused in light of allegations by Israel that 12 staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel. Following an independent review by Catherine Colonna and the subsequent action plan UNRWA has provided setting out detailed management reforms, the government is confident that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality.

Today’s announcement brings the UK into line with partners such as Germany, the EU, Sweden, Japan, France and other donors.

UNRWA is the main provider of humanitarian relief within Gaza, and other UN and humanitarian actors depend on UNRWA’s distribution network to get aid to those who need it most. UNRWA has provided 1.15 million people facing devastating hunger in Gaza with food parcels.

The Foreign Secretary spoke with UN Secretary General Guterres last night to confirm the UK’s decision to restart funding and discuss the UN’s vital role in providing humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds will meet UNRWA Commissioner General Lazzarini today to discuss how the funding will support UNRWA’s work and condemn the killing of almost 200 UNRWA workers in the conflict.

International Development Minister Anneliese Dodds said:

The situation in Gaza is intolerable and unacceptable and urgent action is needed to alleviate the suffering of civilians there.

UNRWA is the only agency that can deliver lifesaving humanitarian aid at the scale needed. But it can only operate effectively if it has access to the whole of Gaza and it is safe for UNRWA staff to work there.

That’s why we are calling for unfettered access for humanitarian organisations alongside an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians, the release of all hostages and a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.

The Foreign Secretary also set out in Parliament today his wider plan to reach an end to the conflict in Gaza. He made clear the immediate priority is a ceasefire complied with by both sides, the release of all hostages and a surge of aid into Gaza.

The Foreign Secretary said to Parliament:

Britain wants to see an immediate ceasefire. The fighting must stop. The hostages must be released. Much, much more aid has got to enter Gaza…. This horror must end, now.

The Foreign Secretary raised the urgent need for the conflict to end during his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 14 to 15 July.

As part of the visit, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will provide another £5.5 million this year to UK-Med to fund their life-saving work in Gaza. This funding will be used to support the ongoing work of their field hospitals and the emergency department at Nasser Hospital.

In the long-term, the Foreign Secretary outlined that the UK is focused on creating a pathway towards a two-state solution which guarantees security and stability for Israelis and Palestinians.

He made clear that any long-term solution must include a crackdown on the rise in settler violence and settlement expansion and a reformed Palestinian Authority, given the powers and resources it needs to govern effectively.

Background
- the UK will provide £6 million to the Gaza flash appeal, through which UNRWA is specifically focusing its support to address the most urgent needs of more than 3 million people in Gaza and the West Bank
- a further £15 million with be disbursed to UNRWA’s programme budget to provide basic services in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and wider region
- last week, the UK signed a joint statement alongside more than 117 member states including the US, Germany, Jordan, Kuwait and Slovenia, making clear their shared commitment and support to the “vital and indispensable role” of UNRWA in providing life-saving aid to generations of Palestinian refugees
- the UK’s funding for UNRWA was paused in light of allegations by Israel that 12 staff were involved in the 7 October attack against Israel. The government is assured the UN agency is taking action to ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality, after seeing the independent investigation by Catherine Colonna, and the subsequent action plan UNRWA has provided setting out detailed management reforms
- the UK’s position is now in line with partners such as Germany, EU, Sweden, Japan, France, Canada, The Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Austria, Finland, Iceland, Romania and Estonia
August 9, 2024