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Tag: 2019

  • Ronnie Cowan – 2019 Speech on Betting

    Below is the text of the speech made by Ronnie Cowan, the SNP MP for Inverclyde, in the House of Commons on 2 July 2019.

    I thank the Secretary of State for foresight of his statement. I appreciate the progress that is being made. Having discussed many of these issues with the Secretary of State and his Department, I genuinely believe that he gets it and is improving the situation, but I would take issue with a number of points. The statement touches on the argument for a mandatory levy, but undermines it by saying that it would take a year to complete. That reminds me of the old adage that my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk (John Mc Nally) often reminds me of: “When is the best time to plant a tree? Twenty-five years ago.” If we do not start now, we will not be any closer a year from now. Is the Secretary of State suggesting that the gambling companies would withdraw their offer? If not, there is nothing to lose by starting the ball rolling now.​

    What we have now is an unacceptable compromise. Any amount that cannot be guaranteed, cannot be budgeted. If we are to provide education, research and support, it cannot be done piecemeal. We need to employ people, provide training and rent premises, and we need a strategy that can be followed over a five, 10 or even 15-year period. A voluntary levy does not provide such a platform. There is no continuity or security.

    This offer is an attempted pay-off—a bribe—to appease the conscience of the gambling industry, and it takes the heat off. I fear it also allows the UK Government to absolve themselves of their responsibility. It leaves the commissioning of services to organisations favoured by the Gambling Commission, which is funded by the gambling industry. That is not a good model for commissioning harm-reduction services, or education and research.

    Will the Minister review the role of the Gambling Commission and its funding model to make sure it is effectively regulating gambling companies, including by legislating, if necessary, to ensure that responsible working practices are in place?

    The draft statement says:

    “I have met users who have lost more than the UK’s annual average salary on credit cards during one night of gambling online.”

    Are we going to address gambling on credit cards? I see no word on that. It mentions fixed odds betting terminals, for which the maximum stake was set at £2, but let us not forget that the gambling industry was dragged kicking and screaming to the table on that particular one. I hope the same will not be said about harm reduction in years to come.

  • Tom Watson – 2019 Speech on Betting

    Below is the text of the statement made by Tom Watson, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, in the House of Commons on 2 July 2019.

    The whole House is united in supporting the Lionesses in their game at 8 o’clock tonight. The Opposition believe that we must capture the energy created by women’s football; 10 million people will be watching tonight. That is why we think that the next women’s World cup should be added to the “crown jewels” list of free-to-air sport.

    I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement. Last September, Labour announced that we would introduce a 1% mandatory levy on gambling companies to pay for research, education and treatment of problem gambling. We stand by that commitment today: only a mandatory levy will do.

    I am glad that the gambling industry has sat up and listened to what we and other campaigners, on both sides of the House, are saying on this issue. Credit where it is due: the big five companies have shown leadership and responsibility, which are sorely lacking in some other parts of the industry. Gambling addiction costs the economy an estimated £1.2 billion a year, yet the amount that the industry currently contributes to treating addiction is paltry.

    The voluntary levy, as it currently operates, asks for 0.1% of gambling yield. That target is never met. The industry turns over £14.5 billion a year, yet contributes less than £10 million a year to GambleAware. Some companies contribute amounts that are, frankly, insulting to the voluntary system. SportPesa, which sponsors Everton, and Fun88, which sponsors Newcastle, gave only £50 each last year. Both are white labels of the company TGP Europe. Best Bets gave £5, while GFM Holdings Ltd gave just £1. Given that there are 430,000 gambling addicts, 55,000 of whom are children, that is completely unacceptable and deliberately insulting to those leading players in the industry who are trying to take responsibility. Will the Secretary of State tell us how he will make such companies take more responsibility if not through a mandatory levy?

    The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care now supports a mandatory levy; Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, supports a mandatory levy; the Gambling Commission supports a mandatory levy; and Gambling with Lives supports a mandatory levy. However, I cannot quite understand from his statement whether the Secretary of State, who has responsibility for this policy area, supports a mandatory levy—does he or not?​

    We in the Opposition believe that a mandatory levy is the only way to provide the structure and consistent funding that a proper system of research, education and treatment needs, and with the NHS at the heart of the process. In the announcement today, the so-called big five have said they will fulfil the 0.1% donation to GambleAware, but where will the rest of the funding go? Who or what will establish the proper clinical models and guidelines for service provision? Can the Secretary of State tell us how the Government will ensure that the money does not just go on the companies’ pet projects?

    After today, we will still have inadequate regulation and a Gambling Act that is outdated and not fit for the digital age. Gambling companies licensed in the UK are sponsoring UK football teams yet operating entirely abroad, behaving irresponsibly and fuelling addiction in countries such as Kenya. Companies are allowing customers to lose tens of thousands of pounds on multiple credit cards in a single sitting. There are companies that bombard customers who try to self-exclude with advertising emails and offers of free bets, then make them sign non-disclosure agreements when they settle.

    The gambling market is broken, and it is up to the Government to fix it. We do not need a voluntary patch, but a full overhaul of rules and regulations. I fear that the Secretary of State and the Government will fail in that task.

  • Alan Duncan – 2019 Statement on Hong Kong

    Below is the text of the statement made by Alan Duncan, the Minister for Europe and the Americas, in the House of Commons on 2 July 2019.

    For a number of weeks now, the world has been watching massive yet largely peaceful protests in Hong Kong in opposition to the proposed extradition legislation. Unfortunately, a small number of protesters chose to vandalise the premises of the Legislative Council yesterday. Her Majesty’s Government strongly condemn any such violence but also understand the deep-seated concerns that people in Hong Kong have about their rights and freedoms. The vast majority of the hundreds of thousands of people who took part in the 1 July march yesterday did so in a peaceful and lawful manner.

    The UK is fully committed to upholding Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms under the “One country, two systems” principle, which is guaranteed by the legally binding joint declaration of 1984. We reject the Chinese Government’s assertion that the joint declaration is an “historic document”, by which they mean that it is no longer valid, and that our rights and obligations under that treaty have ended. Our clear view is that the Sino-British joint declaration of 1984 obliges the Chinese Government to uphold Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy, and its rights and freedoms, and we call on the Chinese Government to do so. In respect of the recent demonstrations, the main responsibility for addressing this tension rests with the Government of Hong Kong, including the Chief Executive.

  • Nusrat Ghani – 2019 Statement on Maritime Safety

    Below is the text of the statement made by Nusrat Ghani, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 2 July 2019.

    I am delighted to inform the House today about the launch of Maritime Safety Week 2019 following the extremely successful inaugural event last year.

    The maritime industry is crucial to the UK economy. It is a simple truth that, if safety were not a priority for the sector, it would rapidly grind to a halt.

    The UK is recognised internationally for its world-class maritime safety framework and already sets the standard in ensuring the wide variety of people who use and enjoy our waters for business or pleasure can do so in safety. It is not only Government who have achieved this reputation, through the work of organisations like ​the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the general lighthouse authorities, but also sector bodies like the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

    The marine environment can be dangerous, however, and there is always more that can be done to keep people out of harm’s way.

    Maritime Safety Week aims ultimately to help reduce preventable maritime accidents. The week creates a focal point to recognise the fantastic and innovative work that is already being delivered and the strong partnership between Government and the sector which is vital for further continuous improvement.

    As well as recognising the excellent safety work that already goes on, my key objectives for maritime safety week 2019 are to facilitate the sharing of knowledge, experience and best practice and to focus on some of the challenges which remain. That is why, as well as meeting many of the organisations and individuals who make a difference through their work, I will be hosting a fishing safety MP roundtable this week to consider what more can be done to make the fishing industry a safer one.

    Throughout the week I will be launching new initiatives and announcing new funding in support of maritime safety. Today I will also be publishing the Government’s first maritime safety action plan. This sets out a path for the future of maritime safety work in the UK, makes new commitments and specifies the actions which will be taken to deliver them. The action plan underpins our Maritime 2050 strategy, which I published in January, outlining our ambitious vision for the future of the sector. Copies of the maritime safety action plan have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses and are available on gov.uk.

    Ultimately, I want to reduce the number of preventable accidents in UK waters and Maritime Safety Week 2019 is an important step towards that goal. I invite Members to show their support on social media by sharing our content and using our hashtags for the week—#MaritimeSafetyWeek and #MaritimeSafetyMatters.

    The attachment can be viewed online at http://www. parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-07-01/HCWS1679.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2019 Speech on the NHS Long-Term Plan

    Below is the text of the speech made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Health, in the House of Commons on 1 July 2019.

    I am grateful to the Secretary of State for an advance copy of his statement. I had hoped for a greater sense of urgency from him. He talks about the 100-year anniversary of the Ministry of Health, but this year is the first time in 100 years that the advances in life expectancy have begun to stall, and even go backwards in the poorest areas. Just the other week, we saw that infant mortality rates have risen now for the third year in a row. As this is the first time that they have risen since the second world war, I would have hoped for a greater focus on health inequalities in his statement today, not least because public health services—the services that, in many ways, lead the charge against health inequalities—are being cut by £700 million. Now he says that we should wait for the spending review for the future of public health services, but we do not know when the spending review is. The Chief Secretary to the Treasury has said that it will be delayed, so it could be next year.

    In the past, the Secretary of State has talked about a prevention Green Paper. Will that prevention Green Paper be before the spending review or after the spending review? Will he also tell us whether it is still the intention of the Department to insist that local authorities fund their public health obligations through the business rates?

    At the time of the publication of the long-term plan last year, the then Secretary of State for Health said that we cannot have one plan for the NHS without a plan for social care, yet we still have no plan for social care. We have been promised a social care Green Paper umpteen times. We are more likely to see the Secretary of State riding Shergar at Newmarket than see the social care Green Paper. Where is it?

    The Secretary of State talks about the better care fund revenue increase. May I press him further on that? Is he saying that the clinical commissioning group allocations to the better care fund, which tend to be the bulk of the better care fund, will increase in line with the NHS revenue increase, or is he saying that there will be new money available for the better care fund? Adult social care has been cut by £7 billion since 2010 under this Tory Government, which is why hundreds of thousands of elderly and vulnerable people are going without the social care support that they need. Presumably, we will have to wait for the spending review for proposals on social care.​

    The Secretary of State talks about the workforce. We have 100,000 vacancies across the NHS. We have heard about the interim people plan, but of course we have seen the bursary cut, the pay restraint, and the continuing professional development cut. That plan is all good and fine, but when will it be backed up by actual cash?

    The Secretary of State talks about IT systems and apps—we know that he is very fond of that—but again he gives us no certainty on capital investment. Hospitals are facing a £6 billion repair bill—ceilings are falling in and pipes are bursting. The repair bill designated as serious risk has doubled to £3 billion. When will we have clarity on NHS capital?

    We broadly welcome what the Secretary of State said about mental health, but 100,000 children are currently denied mental health treatment each year because their problems are not designated as serious enough, and over 500 children and young people wait more than a year for specialist mental health treatment. He talks of a fundamental shift, so can he guarantee that clinical commissioning groups will no longer be allowed to raid their child and adolescent mental health services budgets in order to fill wider gaps in health expenditure? On mental health resilience and prevention, only 1.6% of public health budgets is currently spent on mental health, so will he mandate local authorities, when setting their public health budgets, to increase the money they spend on mental health?

    On cancer, we broadly welcome what the Secretary of State has said, but patients are waiting longer for treatment because of vacancies and out-of-date equipment. Today we learned that consultant oncologists with shares in private hospitals are referring growing numbers of patients to those hospitals. Is that not a conflict of interest? When will we see tougher regulation of the private healthcare sector?

    The Secretary of State talked about the clinical review of standards that is being piloted in 14 hospitals, yet those hospitals are not publishing the data. If he wants to abandon the four-hour A&E target, will he insist that those pilot hospitals publish all the data? He did not mention waiting lists. We have seen CCGs rationing treatment because of the finances. We have seen 3,000 elderly people refused cataract removals. We have seen CCGs refusing applications for hip and knee replacements. We have even seen a hospital that until last week was inviting patients to pay up to £18,000 for a hip or knee replacement—procedures that used to be available on the NHS. When is he going to intervene to stop that rationing of treatment, which we are seeing expand across the country because of the finances?

    Finally, there are many laudable things in the long-term plan that we welcome. Alcohol care teams were a Labour idea. Perinatal mental health services were a Labour idea. Gambling addiction clinics, which the Secretary of State announced last year, were a Labour idea. Today he is talking about bringing catering back in-house, which is also a Labour idea. Why does he not just let me be Heath Secretary, and then he could carry on being the press secretary for the right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson)?

  • Matt Hancock – 2019 Statement on the NHS Long-Term Plan

    Matt Hancock

    Below is the text of the speech made by Matt Hancock, the Secretary of State for Health, in the House of Commons on 1 July 2019.

    Mr Speaker, I would like to update the House on the implementation of the NHS long-term plan and the delivery of improvements to the health service. Today marks the 100th anniversary of the Ministry of Health, founded under the Liberal and Conservative coalition of Lloyd George, and the Department has been staffed by brilliant, impartial civil servants ever since, and is today.

    I can tell the House that on Thursday last the boards of NHS England and NHS Improvement agreed the long-term plan implementation framework. Alongside the clinical review of standards, and the interim workforce plan, published last month, this framework is a critical step in delivering on our 10-year vision for the NHS, and in transforming our health service with the record funding that this Government are putting in. The document sets out the framework within which each of the 300 commitments in the long-term plan will be delivered, and it also sets out the 20 headline commitments and how we will monitor the delivery of the plan. In the past, there have been criticisms that NHS plans have not led to full delivery. We are determined to ensure that the long-term plan fulfils its potential to transform the health service for the better, and I am placing a copy of the implementation framework in the Libraries of both Houses.

    I wish to draw attention to three particular areas, the first of which is cancer care. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon and Billericay (Mr Baron) for his efforts to ensure that we focus on the vital indicator of cancer survival. The Prime Minister set out the ambition that by 2028 three quarters of all stageable cancers are detected at stage 1 or stage 2. Early detection and diagnosis are essential to the enhancement of people’s chances of surviving cancer.

    Since 2010, rates of cancer survival have increased year on year. However, historically our survival rates in the UK have lagged behind the best-performing countries in Europe. The implementation framework sets out our goal of measuring the one-year cancer survival rates as one of the core metrics for the long-term plan. The one-year survival rate is how we measure our progress in achieving the ambitions set out in the plan. To realise those ambitions and ensure that we do everything we can to give people diagnosed with cancer the best chance of survival, the framework sets out: first, a radical overhaul of screening programmes; secondly, new state-of-the-art technology to make diagnosis faster and more accurate; and thirdly, more investment in research and innovation.

    From this year, we will start the roll-out of rapid diagnostic centres throughout the country, building on the success of a pilot with Cancer Research UK, so that we can catch cancer much earlier. NHS England is further extending lung health checks, targeting areas with the lowest survival rates, and Health Education England is increasing the cancer workforce, which will lead to 400 more clinical endoscopists and 300 more reporting radiographers by 2021. With these steps, our ambition is that 55,000 more people will survive cancer for five years, each year from 2028. Improving the ​one-year survival rate is how we ensure that the NHS remains at the forefront of cancer diagnosis and treatment and continues to deliver world-class care.

    The second area is mental health. The Prime Minister and her predecessor rightly prioritised the treatment of mental health so that we can ensure that mental health finally gets parity with physical health. The £33.9 billion cash-terms settlement, which is the longest and largest cash settlement in the history of the NHS, includes a record £2.3 billion extra in real terms for the expansion of mental health services. The framework sets out how 380,000 more adults and 345,000 more children and young people will get access to mental health support. I pay tribute to the mental health Minister, the Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Thurrock (Jackie Doyle-Price), who has done so much work to put the issue on the agenda.

    We are introducing four-week waiting-time targets for children and young people and testing four-week community mental health targets for adults. The implementation framework refers specifically to the vital improvements to community mental health services that we all know are needed. Those improvements include services for adults living with serious mental disorders, including eating disorders, and for those coping with substance misuse. The framework also sets out how we will create a new workforce of mental health support teams to work with schools and colleges to help to identify young people who need help and reach them faster. In all, it is a fundamental shift in how we treat mental illness and how the NHS will prioritise mental health services.

    The third area that I wish to touch on is people. Three quarters of the NHS budget goes on staff, because people are the most valuable resource that we have in the NHS. We need not only the right numbers but to ensure that staff have the right support. The long-term plan sets out our ambition to recruit, train and retrain the right numbers of staff over the next decade. Last month, Baroness Dido Harding set out the interim people plan, which sets out how we will build the workforce we need and create the right culture, so that doctors, nurses and other NHS staff have the time to care for patients and for themselves.

    Last week, the British Medical Association accepted in a referendum the new agreement with junior doctors that will improve both pay and working conditions. Thanks to the hard work of my predecessor, we are already taking steps to increase the number of clinical training places by opening five new medical schools and increasing the number of routes into nursing through apprenticeships and nursing associates. Last year, more than 5,000 nursing associates started training through apprenticeships. This year, it will be up to 7,500.

    Those are just three of the most vital areas from the 10-year vision for the NHS set out in the long-term plan. Across England, based on the implementation framework, local strategic plans are now being developed and will be brought together as part of a national implementation plan by the end of the year, and all of this will be underpinned by technology. Today sees the official opening of NHSX, the new part of the NHS, which will drive digital transformation to give citizens and clinicians the technology they need and save and improve lives. I am delighted that NHSX has received ​such a warm welcome across the NHS because it has so much potential to transform every part of health and social care for patients and staff.

    The forthcoming spending review will settle budgets for health education, public health and NHS capital investment, and the settlements will feed into the final implementation of this plan. As part of the spending review, we will also review the current functioning and structure of the better care fund, which is rising in line with NHS revenue growth.

    On this the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Ministry of Health, this framework sets out how we will go about securing the foundations of the national health service into the next century and the creation of an NHS that delivers world-class care for generations to come. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Theresa May – 2019 Speech to Business Leaders

    Below is the text of the speech made by Theresa May, the Prime Minister, in Downing Street, London on 1 July 2019.

    I’m delighted to welcome you to Downing Street and to have this opportunity to thank you for all that you have done to work with government during my time as Prime Minister.

    I believe that business is a force for good. And that your success is fundamental to our country’s success.

    Because it is business that generates wealth and drives innovation.

    It is business that pioneers the industries of the future, secures the investment on which that future depends, and creates jobs and livelihoods for families up and down our country.

    And it is business that can also play a crucial role in helping to meet some of the greatest social challenges of our time from contributing to the sustainability of our planet to generating new growth and new hope in areas of our country that have been left behind for too long.

    That belief in the power of business is why I have sought to do everything possible to make our country one of the most dynamic and business friendly economies in the world.

    It is why I have said that post-Brexit Britain must be an unequivocally pro-business Britain.

    And it is why throughout the negotiations with the European Union I sought to do everything I could to get a deal that would protect the frictionless trade on which so much of your success depends.

    Because your success is not just in your interests. It is in our national interest.

    This belief in the power of business is also why I sought to establish a new way of government and business working together.

    For as you know better than anyone, the success of our economy will depend on how we adapt to meet the challenges of the future.

    And that cannot be done by government or business acting alone. Nor by government trying to tell business what to do.

    But rather by government genuinely listening to business and working hand-in-hand with you.

    That is why I formed five Business Councils split by sector – where we hear your priorities and work with you to create the conditions for growth and investment that can help post-Brexit British business be the most competitive in the world.

    And I would particularly like to thank those of you here who are members of these Business Councils for your time and your contribution to this initiative, which I very much hope will continue in the months and years ahead.

    It is why, as the economy and technology changes, we have looked to work with you to introduce reforms to working practice and workers’ rights in the modern economy.

    And in response to the independent Taylor Review we are delivering the biggest improvements in UK workers’ rights for twenty years.

    We are also working with you to advance changes in corporate governance – because as you know better than anyone, the best of British business is not only about commercial success but about setting the standards globally and bringing wider benefits to the whole of our society too.

    You are making these changes every day – and, indeed, just this evening I was delighted to meet the two workers from Capita who have just become the first employee board members of a major UK-listed company for many years.

    This commitment to working hand-in-hand is also why we created our Modern Industrial Strategy – a strategic partnership between business and government to make the long-term decisions that will ensure the success of our businesses for generations to come.

    This strategy gets the fundamentals right by investing in infrastructure at local and national level. It includes delivering the biggest ever long-term increase in R&D in our history – a 2.4% of GDP target for R&D that is not about a single parliamentary term, but rather a decade-long commitment.

    It invests in equipping people with the skills they need – and the skills business needs – to succeed in an ever more competitive global economy.

    It has a particular focus on the importance of place: making sure that the benefits of trade and growth reach working people – not just in some parts of the country, but in every part of our country.

    And crucially it gets us on the front foot in harnessing the power of the state and the ingenuity of the private sector to solve four Grand Challenges which are enormous areas of potential for growth, jobs and investment across our whole country.

    The challenge of Artificial Intelligence and data – where our Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation will make the UK a global leader in helping to ensure the safe, ethical and innovative deployment of this new life changing technology.

    And where our recent investment of £150 million towards the development of quantum could transform computing, imaging and communications.

    The challenge of Healthy Ageing where our record investment through the NHS Long-term Plan includes a new emphasis on preventing ill-health not just treating it.

    And where we are investing nearly £100 million through our Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund to support the development of technologies that help people grow old independently.

    The challenge of Clean Growth – where we have just become the first major economy in the world to legislate to end our contribution to global warming with a net zero target by 2050.

    And the challenge of the Future of Mobility where tomorrow leaders of our great car industry are meeting here in Downing Street to discuss how we secure its long-term future as we transition to electric vehicles.

    We are already leaders in the design of battery technology as a result of the £1 billion we have invested in supporting the Faraday Institution and the Advanced Propulsion Centre.

    We are also going to build a high speed electric vehicle charging infrastructure nationally. And I have asked the Office for Low Emission Vehicles to lead a review on how we do this – reporting back in the Autumn.

    Because electric vehicles are critical to meeting that net zero target – and in turn have the potential to create thousands of new jobs right across the country.

    We cannot predict the future or guess what technological and scientific breakthroughs might lie just around the corner.

    But we can observe the long-term trends that are shaping change in our world today and we can meet those challenges head on with creativity, innovation and enterprise.

    Already we have more billion-dollar tech companies than anyone in Europe and a faster rate of cloud adoption by businesses than any other country.

    We have recently taken over from America as the world’s top investment destination.

    And I am profoundly optimistic about how much further we can go.

    For in all of these areas and more – this strategic partnership between government and business is helping to prepare our economy for the future.

    It is writing a new chapter in our national story.

    A new chapter where together we are seizing the opportunity to lead the new industries of the future.

    And a new chapter where we are ensuring the benefits of economic growth are more fairly felt in all parts of our country.

    I believe it is critical that this work is sustained and deepened in the months ahead.

    So today is not just about saying thank you for your partnership over these last three years.

    It also about asking you to continue with my successor as Prime Minister with the same commitment and the same spirit of collaboration.

    So that this unique partnership we have built together can go from strength to strength.

    And so together we can harness the power of the state and the ingenuity of the private sector to deliver prosperity and opportunity for all our people – now and for generations to come.

    Thank you for all you’re doing. Thank you for this partnership. Let’s continue working together.

  • Jeremy Wright – 2019 Statement on Betting

    Below is the text of the statement made by Jeremy Wright, the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, in the House of Commons on 2 July 2019.

    Mr Speaker, with your permission, I would like to make a statement about today’s announcement on support for those affected by problem gambling.

    While we all want a healthy gambling industry that makes an important contribution to the economy, we also need one that does all it can to protect those that use it.

    Problem gambling can devastate lives, families and communities.

    I have met those who have lost more than the UK’s annual average salary on credit cards during one night of gambling online.

    And parents who are now without a child as a result of gambling addiction.

    Over recent months I have also met representatives from the gambling industry and colleagues from all across the House to discuss what more needs to be done.

    We can all agree that it’s best to prevent harm before it occurs, and to step in early when people are at risk. But we also need to offer the right support for those people who do experience harm.

    We have already acted to reduce the minimum stake on Fixed Odds Betting Terminals to 2 pounds, from 100 pounds.

    We have also tightened age and identity checks for online gambling websites; an important step to protect children and vulnerable people who may be at risk.

    And today five of the biggest gambling companies have agreed a series of measures which will deliver real and meaningful progress on support for problem gamblers.

    This announcement has been welcomed by the Gambling Commission, GambleAware and Gamban.

    These are companies which, together, represent around half of the British commercial gambling industry.

    At the heart of this package is a very significant increase in their financial contribution to fund support and treatment.

    Last year voluntary contributions across the whole industry to problem gambling yielded less than 10 million pounds.

    Now five operators:

    William Hill

    Bet365

    GVC – who own Ladbrokes and Coral

    Flutter – formerly known as PaddyPower BetFair

    Sky Betting & Gaming

    have said that over the next four years they will increase ten fold the funding they give to treatment and support for problem gamblers.

    And in this same period they have committed to spending 100 million pounds on treatment specifically.

    The companies will report publicly on progress with these commitments, alongside their annual assurance statements to the Gambling Commission.

    Last week NHS England announced it is establishing up to fourteen clinics for those with the most complex and severe gambling problems.

    They include where gambling problems coexist with other mental health problems or childhood trauma.

    And it has also been announced that the first NHS problem gambling clinic offering specific support for children is set to open.

    The funding announced today enables a huge boost for the other treatment services that complement specialist NHS clinics, and it will help us to place an increased focus on early intervention.

    I know members across the House have argued for a mandatory, statutory levy to procure funds for treatment and support of problem gambling.

    I understand the argument but of course the House knows that legislating for this would take time – in all likelihood more than a year to complete.

    The proposal made this morning will deliver substantially increased support for problem gamblers this year.

    It may also be said that receipts from a statutory levy are certain, and those from a voluntary approach are not.

    But it is important to stress two things. First that these voluntary contributions must and will be transparent, including to the regulator, and if they are not made we will know.

    Second, the Government reserves the right to pursue a mandatory route to funding if a voluntary one does not prove effective.

    Mr Speaker, this is a clear financial commitment from industry to addressing the harms that can come from gambling.

    But this is not solely about spending money. This is a package of measures spanning a number of different areas, to ensure we tackle problem gambling on all possible fronts.

    Firstly, a responsible gambling industry is one that works together to reduce harm and wants customers to be safe, whichever platform they use or however they choose to gamble.

    The companies already identify customers whose gambling suggests they may be at risk, and they take steps to protect them. Their licences require this. But they will go further.

    We have already seen the successful launch of GAMSTOP, the multi-operator self-exclusion scheme.

    I am pleased that companies have committed to building on this through the greater sharing of data between them to prevent problem gamblers from experiencing further harm.

    Secondly, the five companies will use emerging technology to make sure their online advertising is used responsibly.

    Where technology exists that can identify a user showing problem gambling behaviours, and then target gambling adverts away from that person, they have committed to using it.

    More generally, industry has already committed to a voluntary ban on advertising around live sport during the daytime, which will come into force next month.

    Third, operators have committed to giving greater prominence to services and campaigns that support those in need of help.

    They have pledged to increase the volume of their customer safer gambling messaging…

    To continue their support for the BetRegret campaign, which is showing promising early results…

    And to review the tone and content of their marketing, advertising and sponsorship to ensure it is appropriate.

    These are welcome commitments and represent significant progress in terms of the support that operators give for those impacted by problem gambling.

    But as technology advances, we will need to be even more sophisticated in how we respond.

    The five companies who have proposed these measures today will be working closely with Government, charities and regulators so we can address any new or developing harms.

    I commend the leadership of the five companies who have put them forward.

    They are proposals from some of the industry’s biggest companies.

    And I believe it is reasonable for the biggest companies with the largest reach and the most resources to do more and show leadership.

    But the industry as a whole needs to engage in tackling problem gambling, and we want other firms to look at what they can also do to step up.

    And I repeat, it will remain open to government to legislate if needed.

    So this is not the end of this conversation.

    And we will keep working hard as a Government to make sure we protect users, whether online or in the High Street.

    Mr Speaker, there is still much more to do, but today’s announcement is a significant step forward.

    It means substantially more help for problem gamblers, more quickly than other paths we could take.

    We must and we will hold the companies that have made these commitments to them and we will expect the rest of the industry to match them.

    They will change lives for the better and contribute to the ongoing work we are doing to make gambling safer for everyone.

    I commend this statement to the House.

  • James Brokenshire – 2019 Speech at the Local Government Association Conference

    Below is the text of the speech made by James Brokenshire, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, at the LGA Conference on 2 July 2019.

    Introduction

    When I first started thinking about this speech it is fair to say the world looked a bit different.

    These are unique times.

    So from the start I want to be clear with you all that just because it is difficult for me at this time to be expansive on new approaches or set out fresh policy with concrete certainty, I won’t be holding back on the sense of ambition or gratitude I have for local government.

    Because from the smallest parish to the biggest urban metropolis, from our historic counties to reinventing coastal towns, our communities, in all their glorious diversity, are what make this country so special.

    As such, your work in local government – at the heart of these communities – and our work at MHCLG in backing you is fundamental to Britain’s future.

    That’s why – as I said last year – I’m such a strong believer in local government.

    Now a lot has changed in the past 12 months – with more big changes to come.

    But what has not changed is the significance of local government and my regard for you as the bedrock of our democracy; delivering day in day out for our communities.

    Before I go on, I want to pay tribute to Lord Porter, who after leading the Local Government Association (LGA) with distinction since 2015 is handing over to his successor [Cllr] James Jamieson.

    I’ve gotten to know James well over the last year and I know that I’ll continue to enjoy an excellent relationship with him.

    Albeit, for how long, well that will be for someone else to decide!

    But the sector could not have had a more determined champion than Gary, and is all the stronger for it.

    I pay tribute to you Gary for the contribution you’ve made and the leadership you’ve shown.

    Yes, the fish and chips and everything in between.

    But most profoundly on reform and how I’m proud that we’ve delivered that lift on the housing borrowing cap which you championed to empower councils to get on and build more homes.

    There are no excuses now but I know Gary that whilst you are stepping back from one role you will be stepping up your challenge to see that these new freedoms are harnessed to the fullest extent.

    Thank you Gary for your service, your leadership and for being such an outstanding advocate for the good that local government can do.   And as we look towards new leadership at the LGA I can’t see a better future for this country that doesn’t have local democracy at the heart of it.

    People taking control of their lives and places, striving for better for themselves and those they love.

    For their neighbours, their towns and their cities.

    There is a golden thread that runs through each us, binding us not just together, but to the places we call, and have called, home.

    Local government role in delivering national policies

    And that’s an emotional connection of which local government plays an important part in safeguarding and shaping.

    And this is all the more impressive because local government has a role in this most delicate of things, through to the most robust.

    Because whether we’re talking about big national programmes on housing, transport and infrastructure or maximising local economic growth, the fight against knife crime or revitalising our high streets, it always comes back to strong local leadership.

    I very much appreciate your efforts to support local areas to prepare for Brexit in extremely testing circumstances – preparations that will be central to ensuring all communities stand to benefit.

    And as we mark two years since the still unimaginable tragedy at Grenfell Tower, continuing to keep people in similar buildings safe and, critically, transforming our approach to building safety to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again.

    It’s remarkable to think that local government provides over 800 services to residents and businesses in England – a breadth and volume of responsibilities that isn’t always fully appreciated.

    You have continued to deliver against a difficult backdrop of constrained finances and big demographic shifts and, looking ahead, it’s clear there’s a lot at stake not only for vulnerable groups, but for the whole of our communities.

    Funding and the settlement

    I’m very thankful for everything you’ve done to rise to these challenges and to help reduce our debts and rebuild our economy – a significant contribution that, notably, hasn’t just been about driving efficiencies, but, increasingly, about innovating and improving public services.

    I know this has been far from easy – and that’s why one of my absolute priorities is to deliver a sustainable future for local government.

    This year’s local government finance settlement is an important step towards this – a settlement that provided a real-terms boost in spending, an extra £650 million for social care and which confirmed the government’s continuing approach to addressing negative RSG [revenue support grant].

    Much of your funding; such as retained business rates – which have risen annually in line with the growth in business rates – and council tax is, of course, already locally sourced.

    Underlining our commitment to putting local government truly in the driving seat – answerable not to central government, but to the communities you serve.

    And we remain committed to implementing local government finance reforms, including increased business rates retention, incentives to authorities to help grow local businesses and a new approach to distributing funding.

    I am grateful for your support and input as we continue to advance these significant reforms.

    But it is right that we consider how we implement these reforms. And I recognise your concerns that we cannot wait until the end of the year to provide you with this clarity, with budget preparations and planning for 2020-21 already underway.

    Overall funding available to local government will, of course, be a matter for the Spending Review but I will continue to make a powerful case for you – for local government – as a proud champion of the sector. To see that local government receives the support needed and gains as much certainty as we can as early as we can.

    It is right that we look at the challenges and opportunities you face, and the funding you are currently relying on, including for social care, when we consider what a sustainable settlement looks like for local government for the coming years.

    Green Paper

    It’s clear that growing and evolving challenges demand we go further and that, at this time of great change, look to map the way ahead.

    Look to get local government onto the front foot with a renewed confidence and sense of purpose – which means delivering a new deal for local government.

    This is about funding, yes.

    But it’s also about, I believe, a greater sense of shared responsibility for the difference we can all make for our people and places.

    As someone who saw my father stand in your shoes, I take this responsibility extremely seriously. I know you do too.

    Allied to my pragmatism and my passion for entrepreneurship, innovation and respecting the agency we all have to improve our lives and those around us, it’s why I’m a Conservative.

    And it’s why I’m keen to see us working together more collaboratively to harness this collective responsibility to drive improvement – to get the difficult balance between managing day to day pressures and being dynamic and demanding excellence right.

    That’s why I believe that the next leader of my Party will need to look afresh at the entire ecosystem underpinning local government and acknowledge that role we all have to play – to spot problems earlier, champion best practice and help each other improve.

    Central government, for example, could and should do more to identify and support struggling councils earlier to prevent failure and protect residents.

    The local audit system, too, could and should step up more robustly – not just because it reinforces confidence in financial reporting.

    But because it reinforces service delivery and, ultimately, our faith in local democracy – with potentially far-reaching consequences when audits aren’t carried out properly and fail to detect significant problems.

    That’s why we must heed concerns that have recently been raised by audit quality and whether the audit framework is too fragmented.

    To that end – as many of you will know – I’ve committed to reviewing the audit framework.

    I’m approaching this with an open mind, but our aim must be to ensure the framework helps members, Section 151 officers and chief executives make informed and responsible decisions about improvements.

    I’m also interested in exploring how we can invite greater input from citizens on this as part a more open system.

    I know the LGA – which does so much great work to raise the bar – is also keen to see the sector getting better support.

    Which is why we’ve strengthened the focus on leadership and efficiency this year as part of our £19 million offer to help authorities improve that’s delivered by the LGA.

    Like you, I want councils to excel and am open to your thoughts about what more we can do together to support this.

    I know the New Burdens Doctrine is key to this.

    Authorities must feel confident that the Doctrine is doing its job – fully assessing and funding any new requirements placed on them – something I’ve not hesitated to impress on my Cabinet colleagues.

    And I’m grateful for the LGA’s insight and support to help my department make sure authorities don’t lose out financially.

    To guard against this, it is right we look at the process and assure ourselves that it is fit for purpose.

    This is a conversation we must have with you, and I look forward to hearing what you want to see on this front.

    As I’ve said, it’s in all our interests to see you succeed.

    And by fighting your corner in the Spending Review, by backing you to break new ground, by standing with you to take greater collective responsibility, I’m confident we can deliver the new deal that local government and our communities deserve.

    A deal that resets the relationship between local and central government.

    That sees us adapting, with ever more agility, to face the future with optimism.

    That strengthens the special bond we share with our citizens and renews our democracy.

    I want to see these plans set out in more detail in a Green Paper and welcome your input.

    Troubled Families Programme

    Because there’s so much great work and expertise out there in our authorities.

    And I want us to do much more to celebrate and spread this; to ensure that early intervention and prevention becomes the norm rather than exception – as seen so powerfully in the Troubled Families Programme.   This inspirational initiative that has been helping around 400,000 families facing multiple challenges change their lives by fundamentally changing the way local services are delivered – with services joining up around whole families to overcome problems before they escalate.

    When compared to a similar comparison group, the latest programme evaluation saw:

    the number of children going into care down by a third,

    the number of adults going to prison and juveniles in custody down by a quarter and a third respectively,

    and 10% fewer people claiming Jobseekers Allowance.

    It’s why I’m such a passionate advocate of the Programme and why I want to see a renewed programme for the years ahead.

    Yes, the name may not be right and there are other improvements we can make.

    But the programme is demonstrating the change in people’s lives it is making and we need to get behind it.

    Housing

    Housing is another vital area where local authorities need to strengthen their ability to deliver.

    This is, undoubtedly, our top domestic priority – the challenge of a generation.

    Whatever else changes, that will not change.

    And as we mark the centenary of the Addison Act, it’s fitting that councils are once again leading the charge to help increase supply to 300,000 new homes a year.

    In doing so, we want to help you maximise the potential the lifting of the HRA (Housing Revenue Account) cap offers by considering how you might boost your capabilities and develop joint ventures. Whether with housing associations and, indeed, the private sector to unlock more sites.

    Ensuring we do reach the full ambition of a new generation of council homes.

    This push also demands we build faster and reduce delays.

    That’s why – as I said last week – we will be publishing an Accelerated Planning Green Paper – to look at how greater capacity and capability within local planning authorities, stronger plan-making, better performance management and procedural improvements can accelerate the end-to end planning process for all.

    Delivery also depends on getting communities on board – communities who are more likely welcome new development when it’s underpinned by the right infrastructure.

    Our £5.5 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund – which aims to unlock new homes in areas of greatest demand – reflects this.

    And, as we get funds out of the door – just this month, in Woking and Truro – this is having an impact.

    Conclusion

    Self-sacrifice, frugality and belief.

    These are virtues we rarely place in the context of public service, preferring instead to talk in pseudo motivational management speak; dynamism, agility, high energy.

    Those words and phrases, however, are not the virtues of human beings. No, they are the characteristics of systems and processes. They are mechanical words.

    And yet, when I see the best of public service, it is the opposite of the machine, it is deeply human. Fundamentally it is an honest and empathetic connection between people.

    A social worker and a vulnerable child. A care worker and their elderly patient. A teacher and proud parents.

    It is in these moments, these connections, that public service becomes more than material, and changes how we feel about ourselves.

    Because public service should lift us all. Those who give and those who receive.

    But it is easy to forget this deeper truth. Easier to fall back on mechanical words, on systems and processes.

    You have had more pressure than most and a greater weight placed on you to help us correct the nation’s finances.

    And for this reason, and others, it is so impressive that in spite of all that, when we meet, you don’t talk in spreadsheets or corporate strategies – well not all of you at least – but in terms of the people you love and the communities you serve.

    I can see, that self-sacrifice, that frugality and that belief in yourselves that you can make a difference.

    When thinking about what I wanted to say to you all, I knew above all that I wanted to say thank you for staying true to those virtues and never losing them.

    Thank you to the councillors who give up their time to represent the communities they serve and thank you to the officers who work so diligently and fairly in supporting to deliver local priorities.

    Now is clearly a time of change.

    A new Prime Minister will be in post shortly and a new government. Such moments provide us with opportunities for that most important of things; renewal.

    An opportunity to ask the bigger and more fundamental questions.

    A renewed opportunity to ask ourselves how we can deliver better, smarter services for the people we serve.

    And as we open this new chapter, be positive about the future for our communities, be positive about the future of our country and the intrinsic and special role that local government has to play.

    Thank you.

  • John Glen – 2019 Speech to Green Finance Summit

    Below is the text of the speech made by John Glen, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, on 2 July 2019.

    It’s a pleasure to join you for the City’s third Green Finance Summit.

    This event gets bigger every year, which reflects the momentum growing behind Green Finance in the Square Mile, and beyond.

    I’d like to thank Sir Roger Gifford for all he has done to champion this cause as chairman of the Green Finance Initiative.

    It also gives me great pleasure to welcome Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, the newly appointed CEO of the Green Finance Institute, which is launched today.

    I can’t think of a better person to have at the helm as the Institute charts a bold and exciting course towards low carbon future.

    International leadership

    Today also marks the publication of the government’s Green Finance Strategy.

    Together with the Green Finance Institute, it represents a new and exciting step in the UK’s long history of international leadership on climate change.

    Indeed, this year is an important anniversary in that journey.

    It was 30 years ago this November that Margaret Thatcher spoke at the United Nations, becoming the first major world leader to call for a coordinated global response to the climate challenge.

    Mrs Thatcher may seem like an unlikely heroine of the environmental movement.

    But she was a chemist by background, for whom the facts of ozone depletion, acid rain and rising temperatures were readily apparent.

    And while her legacy in this area, as in so many others, is a matter of continuing debate, there is no doubt that her intervention was significant.

    Before 1989, environmental concerns had been a fringe issue, on the margins of public debate.

    But Mrs Thatcher gave it mainstream political respectability. She planted it firmly on the international agenda, where it has remained ever since.

    It’s a reminder that the UK has always led from the front.

    Yes, we were the first country to industrialise.

    But we were also one of the first countries to sound the alarm, and then one of the first to act by introducing legally-binding emissions reduction targets.

    Getting the economics right

    This leadership continues today.

    Last month, the Prime Minister pledged to end the UK’s contribution to global warming entirely by 2050.

    We are now the first G7 country to legislate for net zero emissions.

    But the scale of this commitment – coupled with the urgency of the challenge – demands we step up a gear.

    Few people doubt the need for far-reaching action.

    The question is what form it should take.

    Some would have us make a choice between growth on the one hand and sustainability on the other.

    The climate threat is so great that it can only be tackled by turning back the clock to simpler times, sweeping away years of social and economic progress in the process.

    I don’t believe it needs to be this way.

    We won’t become greener by making ourselves poorer.

    Quite the reverse in fact.

    This belief is at the heart of the government’s green finance ambition.

    The financial sector has perhaps more potential than any other part of our economy to bring about a greener future.

    It is the City that can bring forward new financial products and services to meet rising demand for sustainable investment.

    It is the City that can unlock capital for renewable energy and other clean technology required to reduce emissions in this country, and overseas.

    And it is the City, with its restless commercial zeal, that will seize the opportunities of clean and resilient growth, and lead us toward a low carbon future.

    The strategy

    The potential is evident today.

    More than 100 green bonds have been listed on the London Stock Exchange.

    Billions of pounds of private and public capital have been raised for renewable energy projects: not just in the UK, but overseas too.

    And on the retail side, some lenders now offer green mortgages for self-build properties and discounted borrowing for home improvement.

    These are encouraging first steps: but the climate challenge, and the climate opportunity, demand we go much further.

    Our Strategy seeks to bring about a complete change in the way the City thinks and acts.

    We must ensure the financial risk and opportunities from climate change are integrated into mainstream decision-making.

    Because let’s be clear: the climate challenge poses an existential risk to the future of the planet and, by extension, our economy too.

    If our financial system is to remain resilient – and relevant – then the City must adapt.

    But while most banks rightly identify climate change as a risk, only one in ten is taking a strategic approach to manage this.

    That’s why the government endorsed the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Disclosures in 2017.

    The government is leading by example. Publicly-funded financial bodies must include climate-related disclosures in their accounts as soon as possible.

    Hundreds of companies are also disclosing details of how they are mitigating climate risk on a voluntary basis.

    But today I want to go further, which is why I’m calling on all public listed companies and large asset owners to do the same.

    I want to see these disclosures become accepted practice across the financial services sector by 2022.

    I don’t want to resort to legislation straight away.

    But I do expect to see far greater uptake in the coming months from across all industries.

    The government will monitor progress and publish an interim report by the end of 2020, which will inform our next steps.

    And behind the scenes, we will coordinate our approach with the regulators; and I welcome the joint statement today that confirms their shared understanding of climate change risk.

    Skills

    If the City is to change how it works, then it must also be equipped with the tools for a green future.

    A new Green Finance Education Charter will help embed sustainable thinking at every stage of professional development.

    We want the skills and expertise required for this task to have the professional standing they merit.

    Data will be key too – which is why we will take steps to develop the right environmental and data analytics to support climate-related financial disclosures.

    Finally, we cannot act in isolation.

    We must offer leadership, partnership and example to the rest of the world.

    Our aim is for the UK to become the undisputed global hub for green finance.

    This will be driven in part by the Green Finance Institute. But we will bring all the levers of government behind this task.

    This includes ensuring our aid budget supports green investment in the developing world.

    It is the world’s poorest, after all, who will bear the brunt of the consequences if we fail to act.

    We will keep this issue on the agenda at the United Nations, and in all our international dealings.

    And as other nations become alive to the potential of green finance, we stand ready to support them.

    Conclusion

    I’d like to end with a word of thanks to those in government, and the City, who have worked tirelessly over the past few years to drive the green finance agenda forward.

    The publication of the Strategy – alongside the creation of the Institute – is testament to your efforts to date.

    But our Strategy is more than just a document – it’s a call to action.

    And our ambitions are just words unless they are matched by meaningful action and measurable progress, which is why we will review the Strategy and its objectives in 2022.

    Every country, every business, every individual, has a part to play.

    The task is urgent, and vital – but it’s exciting too.

    Because while the challenges of creating a sustainable economy are great, the opportunities are greater still.

    Our efforts today will help determine the prosperity of our country – and the wellbeing of our planet – long into the future.

    The threat is real, the opportunities are growing, and the world is watching.

    So the time for action has come. The City must lead the way.