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Tag: 2020

  • Dominic Raab – 2020 Speech at India Global Week

    Dominic Raab – 2020 Speech at India Global Week

    Below is the text of the speech made by Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, on 10 July 2020.

    Hello, and thank you for having me as part of India Global Week.

    Covid-19 is a global challenge.

    And the UK has been proud to stand alongside India in its international response.

    As we have responded to this crisis, we have been privileged to have 25,000 Indian professionals working in our brilliant National Health Service here at home. We hugely value their contribution.

    With India’s help, we were able to obtain vital supplies of paracetamol at the height of the crisis, critical in the fight against Covid-19.

    Over the past few months, we’ve brought home UK nationals from India, and worked closely with the Government of India to get Indian nationals home safe and sound.

    Throughout this crisis, we’ve worked together.

    So I’d like to thank the Government of India, and my colleague and friend Dr Jaishankar for their invaluable assistance in this extraordinary effort.

    As leaders in the international response, the UK and India have also co-authored the G20 Action Plan, providing an immediate package of $200 billion of global support to the most vulnerable countries around the world.

    Even before Covid, UK was India’s second biggest research partner, with our joint research estimated to be worth £400m by 2021.

    And with India’s contribution to the recent GAVI vaccine summit, together we smashed the target for vaccine funding, with $8.8 billion raised.

    But we have the potential to do more.

    A vaccine created by British scientists and manufactured in India, if successful in clinical trials, will reach 1 billion people across the developing world, thanks to Oxford University and India’s Serum Institute.

    That would be an extraordinary achievement – benefitting not only the British and Indian people, but making it accessible for the most vulnerable people, right across the world.

    Working together, we can make it happen.

    Beyond the immediate challenge of Covid, the friendship between Britain and India is strong, and we want to take it to the next level.

    Our trade relationship is growing.

    Bolstered by entrepreneurs, business founders and innovators, it increased by nearly 10% to over £24 billion in 2019.

    We issue more skilled work visas to India than the rest of the world combined.

    And the number of Indian students in the UK has tripled in the last three years.

    Bound by our shared aspirations, the UK and India will be energetic champions of free trade, to boost small businesses, cut the cost of living, and create the jobs of the future.

    We also believe our friendship with India will be crucial, as the UK fulfils its ambition to be an even stronger force for good in the world.

    When the UK hosts COP26 in 2021, we will be key partners in tackling climate change.

    And as India returns to the UN Security Council next year and takes up the G20 Presidency in 2022, I look forward to deepening our cooperation on international issues.

    Bound by the depth of friendship between our peoples, we will look to India as partners, not only in our response to this current crisis, but as we build back better and stronger than ever.

    Britain will continue to be a part of India’s success story, and India will continue to be a part of ours.

    Thank you.

  • Dominic Raab – 2020 Statement on the 25th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide

    Dominic Raab – 2020 Statement on the 25th Anniversary of the Srebrenica Genocide

    The text of the statement made by Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, on 11 July 2020.

    On the 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, we remember the victims and the anguish of their families.

    During my time in The Hague between 2003 and 2006, pursuing those responsible for this dark chapter in European history, I was reminded daily of the heinous cruelty perpetrated against the innocent.

    The UK is determined to end impunity and help rebuild those countries affected – as our commitment to the ICC, and UK investment and support for Bosnia demonstrates.

  • Michael Gove – 2020 Article on the UK’s Future Outside of the EU

    Michael Gove – 2020 Article on the UK’s Future Outside of the EU

    The text of the article written by Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 12 July 2020.

    Leaving the European Union is, I’ve often argued, a bit like moving house. Instead of being lodgers under someone else’s roof we are choosing a new place in the world where we’re in control. Four years after we made the decision to leave the EU, the reasons for moving are stronger than ever. Taking back control of our economy means we can put in place the right measures for our Covid recovery.

    Taking back control of the money we send to Brussels means we can spend it on our priorities: investing in the NHS, spreading opportunity more equally across the UK and strengthening our Union. We can build a trading relationship with our European neighbours that serves all our interests and develop new economic partnerships across the world.

    The deal the Prime Minister struck last year, and which the country backed in the general election, ensured we left the EU in January and means we can look forward with confidence to the end of the transition period on December 31. But, just like a house move, we need to make sure all the practical arrangements for our new future are in place.

    Everyone has their part to play, starting with the government.

    That’s why on Sunday we’re investing £705 million to make sure our borders are ready for full independence. We’re investing in new infrastructure, more jobs and better technology to help goods move smoothly, make our country more secure and our citizens safer. The money will ensure that Great Britain’s new borders will be ready when the UK takes back control on January 1 2021, and will also lay the foundations for us to build the world’s most effective border by 2025.

    Modernising our border means we can introduce a migration policy that ensures we’re open to the world’s best talent. A new points-based immigration system will ensure we can attract the scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs who can power future economic growth. It will also help us ensure our NHS has the very best professionals from across the world working in our hospitals. And the new technology we’re introducing will allow us to monitor with far greater precision exactly who, and what, is coming in and out of the country, enabling us to deal more effectively with organised crime and other security threats.

    Alongside the investment we are making in infrastructure we’re also launching a major new public information campaign, “The UK’s new start: let’s get going” to give everyone the facts we need to be ready for January 1 2021. Whether you’re the managing director of a multinational conglomerate or a family business; a UK citizen resident in the EU or planning to work abroad, the new campaign will clearly set out the steps that will help this big change go as smoothly as possible.

    A straightforward checker tool at gov.uk/transition will quickly identify the specific steps any business or individual needs to take to be ready, and will allow companies and citizens to sign up for bespoke updates. Taking these steps will equip everyone for this new chapter in our country’s story.

    Helping businesses adjust to life outside the EU Customs Union will enable them to more easily access the new opportunities being an independent trading nation will bring, such as those presented by trade deals with the Japan, Australia, New Zealand and other growing Pacific economies as well as deeper ties with North America and the developing world.

    We’re negotiating hard, of course, to get the best possible trading relationship with our neighbours in the EU but we won’t back down on the essential principles the country voted for when we chose to leave. We won’t accept control of our laws by the EU or allow our new-found independence to be compromised. Whatever the nature of our trading relationship with the EU we’ll be outside the single market and the customs union – and that means the preparations for new export arrangements and new border processes will be needed whatever the negotiations bring.

    These have been challenging times for our country, but, as the Chancellor reminded us this week, government can help lay the foundations for recovery and future growth. That’s what we’re doing this week as we prepare for our new life fully outside the EU. We’re building the border that allows us to take back control. Let’s get going.

  • Nicola Sturgeon – 2020 Statement on Lockdown in Scotland

    Nicola Sturgeon – 2020 Statement on Lockdown in Scotland

    The text of the statement made by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, in the Scottish Parliament on 9 July 2020.

    In Scotland, Covid has now been suppressed to a low level. Indeed, even in the three weeks since I last updated Parliament, there has been significant progress.

    At that time, we were reporting approximately 20 new cases of Covid a day. The daily average now is around 7. Three weeks ago there were more than 540 people in hospital with confirmed Covid. The figure today is 342.

    And there are now just three patients with confirmed Covid in our intensive care units. The number of people dying has also fallen week-on-week, as is shown in our daily statistics and in the weekly reports of National Records of Scotland.

    In addition, our latest modelling suggests the R number remains below 1. It has been between 0.6 and 0.8 for most of the past month and the number of people in Scotland with the virus continues to fall.

    Three weeks ago we estimated that around 2,900 people were infectious. Our estimate for last week is that around 1,000 people in Scotland were infectious.

    That confirms, as I explained yesterday when setting out our decision on air bridges, that prevalence of the virus in Scotland at this stage is several times lower than it is across the UK as a whole.

    Finally, in determining whether we can move from Phase 2 to Phase 3 of exiting lockdown we have assessed our progress in tackling Covid against the six criteria for this stage set out by the WHO and we have concluded that we would meet each of them.

    However, I need to advise Parliament that the fifth of these criteria, which relates to the risk of managing imports of the virus from outside Scotland, did give us some pause for thought.

    The balanced decision we announced yesterday on air bridges was essential for us to conclude at this stage that we are managing that risk in an effective and proportionate manner.

    However, it is essential that we keep this risk under close review. To be clear, this must cover the possibility of importation from other parts of the UK as well as from overseas.

    Taking all of these various factors into account I can confirm it is the judgement of the Government that we can now move from Phase 2 to Phase 3 of the routemap.

    I can also confirm we will allow, in a limited number of sectors, an exception to be made to the requirement for 2-metre physical distancing, however this will be subject to strict conditions tailored to the circumstances of each sector.

    Let me stress the term ‘exception’. The general rule remains 2m. For public transport and the retail sector this exception will be permissible from tomorrow, however it is essential that the required mitigations are in place and appropriate discussions have taken place with trade unions before it becomes operational in any particular setting.

    Given some of what I’ll cover later, it’s also worth being clear at this point that the retail sector includes personal services such as hairdressing.

    I also want to remind everyone that face coverings, already mandatory on public transport, will, from tomorrow, be mandatory in shops as well.

    There will be some exemptions for young children under 5, people with certain health conditions, and for staff in some circumstances. For the vast majority of us, however, it will be the law that we wear face coverings in shops.

    Wearing a face covering on a bus, train, or in a shop, should, for the foreseeable future, become as automatic as putting on a seatbelt in a car. It should not need to be enforced but the police can issue fines for anyone not complying.

    However, I am asking everyone to comply, not from fear of enforcement, but because it is the right thing to do. It helps us protect each other from the virus.

    That leads me to a general point that it is important to stress before I outline the further restrictions we intend to lift.

    The virus hasn’t gone away. It’s still out there and is still just as infectious and just as dangerous as it ever was.

    Lockdown has suppressed it but as lockdown eases there’s a very real risk it will start to spread again – and that is not conjecture. It is already happening in many parts of the world.

    With every restriction we lift the risk increases, especially as we start to permit more indoor activity. So all of us must do everything we can to mitigate it.

    Wearing face coverings is part of that, but so too are the other measures summarised in our FACTS campaign.

    Face coverings.

    Avoid crowded places.

    Cleaning hands and hard surfaces.

    Two-metre distancing.

    Self-isolation and booking a test if you have symptoms.

    I simply cannot stress enough that as we move out of lockdown these basic measures become much more important – not less. Please follow them to the letter.

    Let me now confirm the steps for Phase 3, for which we are now able to set specific dates. You’ll find more detail on gov.scot later today.

    As will be obvious from what I’m about to say, we intend to take the same staggered approach to Phase 3 as we did to Phase 2. Not all changes will happen immediately or at the same time. That means we are not bearing all of the risk at once.

    However, the first change relating to the ability of different households to meet up together will take effect tomorrow. The Health Secretary yesterday announced important changes for people who are shielding.

    For example, from today you will no longer be asked to physically distance from people you live with and will be abld to form an extended household if you live on your own or with children under 18.

    Today’s routemap includes a link to the additional changes we hope to make to the shielding advice up to the end of July.

    The other changes I’m about to announce do not apply to people who are shielding, unfortunately, but do apply to everyone else.

    Before I set out what these are let me make a general point. Last week we said children under 12 no longer have to physically distance when outdoors. From tomorrow, that will apply indoors too.

    However, for adults and, for the time being, older children, the advice to keep a 2m physical distance from people in other households will remain.

    But the general rules on household gatherings will be, from tomorrow, as follows.

    A maximum of 15 people from up to 5 different households can meet together outdoors.

    The advice is to remain 2m distant to people from other households to your own. From tomorrow, limited indoor gatherings will also be permitted. A maximum of 8 people from 3 different households can meet indoors.

    To be clear, that is the household whose gathering it is in, and people from up to 2 additional households. As long as physical distancing from different households is maintained, this can include overnight stays.

    I must stress though, this is one of, if not the highest risk change we have made so far. We know the risk of transmitting the virus indoors is significantly higher than it is outdoors…

    ..so it is essential that we all take the utmost care and strictly follow all of the public health advice.

    That means keeping 2m distant from people in other households, being very careful to clean surfaces after you touch them, and washing your hands regularly – especially when you first enter someone’s house.

    At all times try to avoid creating bridges that allow the virus to spread from one household to another.

    We’re also advising that, between indoors and outdoors activity, adults don’t meet with people from any more than 4 different households in any single day.

    Finally, from tomorrow we will change the guidance so people who are part of a non-cohabiting couple, regardless of their living arrangements, no longer need to stay physically distant from each other, indoors or outdoors.

    The next set of changes will take effect from Monday 13th July. From Monday, organised outdoor contact sports and physical activity can resume for children and young people subject to guidance being followed, and so too can other forms of organised outdoor play.

    Non-essential shops inside shopping centres can reopen, provided of course they follow all relevant health and safety guidance. That will mean that the vast majority of retail from Monday will be open.

    There will also from Monday be an important further resumption of public services, community optometry practices will further increase their services, especially for emergency and essential eyecare.

    Dental practices will be able to see registered patients for non-aerosol procedures. To explain that a bit more, aerosol procedures are those that create a fine mist – for example through use of a high-speed drill – and we cannot yet allow these.

    Unfortunately this means many forms of dental care will still not be possible, however procedures such as check-ups and the fitting of dentures and dental braces can resume.

    From Monday, a woman can have a designated person accompany her to ante and post-natal appointments, and in addition to her birth partner, can designate one other person to attend the birth and also make ante and post-natal ward visits.

    Further changes will then come into force from Wednesday next week – 15th July. From that date indoor restaurants, cafes and pubs will be able to reopen.

    However, just as with indoor household meetings, opening up indoor hospitality poses significantly increased risks of transmission, so it is absolutely essential that the guidance on health and safety is followed rigorously.

    By businesses, by staff, and by customers. That includes guidance on physical distancing and also taking customer contact details for use if necessary by Test and Protect.

    Like public transport and retail, indoor and outdoor hospitality venues will be granted an exemption from the 2m rule from the 15th July – this is dependent on the implementation of all relevant mitigating measures and appropriate discussions taking place with trade unions.

    Mitigating measures in this sector include, for example, clear information for customers that they’re entering a 1m zone, revised seating plans, and improved ventilation.

    The tourism sector can also open from 15th July. That means all holiday accommodation, including hotels, can reopen as long as the appropriate guidance is followed.

    Museums, galleries, other visitor attractions, libraries and cinemas – including drive-ins and other venues screening films – can also reopen on the 15th, although physical distancing and other safety measures will be required. And for many, if not most of these facilities, tickets must be secured in advance.

    The childcare sector can also fully reopen from next Wednesday – something I know is important to families across Scotland.

    I can also confirm that from 15th July hairdressers can reopen, subject to enhanced hygiene measures being in place, and the finalised guidance for hairdressers will be published this week.

    Finally, I’m pleased that we are able to bring forward two changes we were previously keeping under review for later in Phase 3 but that we now judge can be undertaken safely next week – provided necessary mitigations are in place.

    After careful consideration we have decided from 15th July, places of worship can reopen for communal player, congregational services and contemplation.

    However, numbers will be strictly limited, 2-metre physical distancing will be required, and there will also be a requirement to collect the contact details and time of attendance of those entering a place of worship.

    And, unfortunately, given what we know of transmission risks, singing and chanting will also be restricted.

    Detailed guidance is currently being finalised in consultation with our faith communities but I hope today’s announcement will be welcomed by all those for whom faith and worship is important and a source of comfort.

    In addition to that and linked to that change we will also ease restrictions on attendance at services and ceremonies for funerals, weddings and civil partnerships. However, numbers will be even more limited than for worship generally and physical distancing required.

    And I must stress this change applies only to services. Associated gatherings such as wakes or receptions must continue to follow the limits on household gatherings and hospitality.

    I am acutely aware that the restrictions we’ve had to place on attendance at funerals in these past few months have been particularly hard to bear and I’m very grateful to everyone who has complied in what will, I know, have been heartbreaking circumstances.

    While the changes which come into effect next week will not allow full-scale gatherings just yet, I hope they will allow more people to find solace at a time of grief as well as allowing more people to celebrate happier occasions such as weddings and civil partnerships.

    The next set of changes will take effect from 22nd July. At that time personal retail services, which have not yet been able to reopen, for example beauticians and nail salons, will be able to reopen with enhanced hygiene measures in place.

    Universities and colleges can implement a phased return to campus learning as part of a blended model with remote teaching. Motorcycle instruction and theory and hazard tests can also resume from that date.

    But driving lessons in cars unfortunately will have to wait a bit longer. Unfortunately there are other activities which are included in Phase 3 of the routemap that we are not yet able to attach a firm and specific date to.

    However, while we will keep all of this under review, and as we have done with communal worship, bring dates forward whenever possible, it should be assumed at this stage that these other activities will not restart before 31st July.

    These activities include the reopening of nonessential offices and call centres, the resumption of outdoor live events, and the reopening of indoor entertainment venues such as theatres, music venues and bingo halls.

    They also include the reopening of indoor gyms and the resumption of nonprofessional adult outdoor contact sports.

    We will continue to work closely with relevant sectors on the reopening as soon as possible of all these activities.

    For example, we’ll work with the outdoor events sector to review the range of events that could take place as we recognise a one-size-fits-all approach may not be appropriate. However, I hope it will be appreciated, however difficult I know this is, that a number of these activities present particular challenges.

    And while I do know it is difficult, it will take a bit more time to work through how these can be safely addressed. I also want to indicate at this stage that our current expectation is Phase 3 may well last longer than three weeks.

    Given the scale of the changes we are making in Phase 3, it may be wise not to rush that or go into Phase 4 too quickly. But we will keep that under close review.

    Let me reiterate that it is our ambition and our intention that schools will return full-time in August.

    Indeed, this is dependent on the virus continuing to be suppressed to very low levels and therefore it is one of the reasons we are being so careful and cautious in everything else we do right now.

    There’s no doubt today’s statement marks the most significant milestone yet in Scotland’s emergence from lockdown, and I hope the measures we have announced or confirmed today are welcome.

    All of them of course depend on us keeping the virus under control – eliminating it as far as we possibly can now, ahead of the – I’m afraid to say – almost inevitable challenges we will face come winter, remains our objective.

    And we will not hesitate to reimpose restrictions if we consider it necessary to halt the spread of the virus and save lives.

    I will make a further statement to Parliament on 30th July, and between now and then will deliver updates through the regular media briefings.

    However I want to end by stressing the point I made at the outset. It is perhaps the most important point of all.

    This is undoubtedly a time for cautious hope and optimism. There is no doubt Scotland, through our collective efforts, has made great progress in tackling Covid.

    We should all savour our first indoor meetings and meals with friends, our first pint in a pub or catch-up over coffee.

    Many of us, I know, are looking forward to our first non-amateur haircut in many months. And there will be other milestones and reunions that we will enjoy over the next few weeks. They have all been hard-earned by each and every one of us.

    But I have a duty to be crystal clear with the country that this is also a time of real danger. Next week represents the most substantial easing of lockdown so far, and we know that meeting people indoors poses far greater risk than going to a park or someone’s garden.

    As I said earlier on, we see signs of resurgence in many countries across the world right now.

    We must all be aware of that in everything we do. We must remember that Covid, although currently at very low levels in Scotland, is still out there.

    And everything we learn about this still-new virus, about its infectiousness, its ability to kill, and its potential to do long-term damage to health, should warn us that we mess with it at our peril.

    Perhaps more than ever, now is a time of great caution.

    Remember that life should still not feel entirely normal and at all times, especially when we’re meeting indoors with people from other households, we must be constantly alert to the steps we need to take to deny it the chance to spread.

    That’s why the most important thing that everyone should remember and abide by is FACTS.

    Face coverings must be worn in enclosed spaces – public transport, shops, and indeed anywhere else physically distancing is more difficult.

    Avoid – literally, like the plague – crowded places, indoors or outdoors.

    Clean your hands regularly and thoroughly and clean hard surfaces after touching them.

    Two-metre distancing remains the clear and important advice.

    And self-isolate and book a test immediately if you have symptoms of Covid.

    The symptoms to be aware of are a cough, a fever, or a loss of or change in your sense of taste or smell. You can book a test at NHS Inform or by phoning 0800 028 2816.

    And, please, act immediately. Err on the side of caution. If you have any reason at all to worry you might have Covid symptoms get tested straight away.

    It is only because of our collective action, our love for and solidarity with each other that we have made so much progress. Now is not the time to drop our guard, so let’s all keep doing the right things to keep ourselves safe, to protect others, and to save lives.

  • Michael Gove – 2020 Comments on Face Masks

    Michael Gove – 2020 Comments on Face Masks

    The comments made by Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office Minister, on BBC’s Andrew Marr Show on 12 July 2020.

    I don’t think [face masks] will be mandatory, but I would encourage people to wear a face mask when they’re inside and in an environment where they might be mixing with others and where the ventilation may not be as good as it might. So, I think that it is basic good manners, courtesy, consideration, to wear a face mask if you, for example, are in a shop. But, I trust peoples’ good sense, and the Government does look at all times at the emerging evidence and, if necessary,  then tough measures will be taken. On the whole, my view is that it’s always better to trust peoples’ common sense and to give them a clear sense of what is wise and that individuals and businesses are responding well to that.

  • Justin Tomlinson – 2020 Statement on the Health Transformation Programme Update

    Justin Tomlinson – 2020 Statement on the Health Transformation Programme Update

    Below is the text of the statement made by Justin Tomlinson, the Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, in the House of Commons on 9 July 2020.

    I would like to update the House on the Department’s plans and progress, under the health transformation programme, to reform assessment services for employment and support allowance, universal credit and personal independence payment (PIP). Owing to covid-19, we have had to review our commercial approach and our revised approach is set out below.

    There is no change to our ambition: the Government remain committed to developing a transformed service that will support those with disabilities and health conditions, through:

    the creation of a single, integrated health assessment service;

    a single digital platform developed by DWP;

    developing this new service on a small scale in a defined part of the country, by creating a transformation area, which would be a safe environment to test, adapt and learn from new ideas and processes.

    These measures will make a real difference to the millions of claimants who use our services.

    We had previously announced that we would be undertaking a procurement exercise to establish contracts for conducting work and capability assessments (WCA) and PIP health assessments from 1 August 2021. The impact of covid-19 means it is not possible to launch that procurement at this time.

    We recognise that it is vital for our claimants to have a safe and stable service. Consequently, my Department intends to explore options to extend the current contracts for up to two years, which will ensure continuity of services when the current contracts end on 31 July 2021. We will continue to review these extensions to ensure we only extend for the time we need to effectively respond to the consequences of covid-19.

    The extension period will provide time to fully understand and evaluate the impacts of covid-19 on these critical services, ahead of future procurements.

    We recognise that there are positive lessons to be learned from our experience of delivering our services during covid-19, and the changes we introduced. We are reviewing these and they will inform future delivery, where appropriate. We expect these to be reflected in our wider transformation plans, including the forthcoming Green Paper and subsequent policy decisions regarding the delivery of health assessments.

    A key objective of the health transformation programme is to improve the trust and transparency in the assessment process. We remain focused on improving the claimant experience and we will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure their insights and experiences are incorporated into the development of the new single, integrated health assessment service and to ensure we are delivering the high quality service claimants rightly expect and deserve.

  • Kwasi Kwarteng – 2020 Statement on Energy Infrastructure Planning Projects

    Kwasi Kwarteng – 2020 Statement on Energy Infrastructure Planning Projects

    Below is the text of the statement made by Kwasi Kwarteng, the Minister for Business, Energy and Clean Growth, in the House of Commons on 9 July 2020.

    This statement concerns an application made by Norfolk Boreas Ltd for development consent for the installation, operation and maintenance of the ​proposed Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm, their related offshore infrastructure off the coast of Norfolk and their related onshore electrical connections within this county.

    Under section 98(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the examining authority must complete its examination of an application by the end of the period of six months beginning with the day after the start day of the examination unless the Secretary of State sets a new deadline under section 98(4) of that Act. Where a new deadline is set, the Secretary of State must make a statement to Parliament to announce it.

    A request has been made by the Planning Inspectorate to extend the examination period—for five months—for the proposed Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm development. The reasons given for this request were:

    due to Government guidelines in relation to coronavirus (“covid-19”) several hearings needed to be cancelled, potentially resulting in interested parties not being given a fair opportunity to participate in the examination;

    a number of interested parties no longer had the capacity to participate in the examination process as a result of covid-19 resource prioritisation.

    Taking these reasons into account and, after careful consideration, the Secretary of State has decided to reset the statutory timescale for the examination as requested. This means that the examination period is now extended to 12 October 2020.

    As a consequence, the date for receipt of the examining authority’s report to BEIS is extended to 12 January 2021 and the statutory deadline for the Secretary of State’s decision is extended to 12 April 2021.

    However, mindful of the need to avoid unnecessary delays to the development consent process, the Secretary of State requests the examining authority to make best efforts to complete the examination process as soon as is reasonably practicable within the extended period. He has requested that a new timetable for the examination should be published which demonstrates the actions to be taken to complete the examination as quickly as possible in this period. He also expects the examination authority to provide his Department with regular updates on progress.

    The decision to set the new deadlines for this application is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant or refuse development consent.

  • Alex Norris – 2020 Speech on Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review

    Alex Norris – 2020 Speech on Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review

    Below is the text of the speech made by Alex Norris, the Labour MP for Nottingham North, on 9 July 2020.

    I am grateful to the Minister for coming to make this statement today and for providing advance sight of it.

    “Ignored”, “belittled”, “derided”, “gaslit”—those who have campaigned to highlight the harm caused by Primodos, sodium valproate and pelvic mesh have been called every name under the sun, but today they are one thing alone: proven right. I thank the noble Baroness Cumberlege for overseeing a piece of work that will make a huge difference to so many people, both today and in the future. It is hard to read, but it is vital that we do, and that we understand it and learn from it. It is really important to note that campaigners have universally said how well the review team treated them.

    The review’s report thoroughly investigates what happened in respect of each of the three areas that I mentioned. Although, on the surface, they are separate, they have an awful lot in common, not least that they were all taken and used by women, and in two cases, pregnant women. This is clearly no coincidence and I was glad to see that the Minister referenced that the healthcare system must do better to protect women, because these cases reek of misogyny from top to bottom— ​and ageism and ableism as well. They also share the reaction of the healthcare system, which, according to the report, failed to monitor the use of these medicines and medical devices, then failed to identify and acknowledge that things had gone wrong, and then failed to work in a joined-up fashion to improve. The healthcare system failed to protect these people. As the review says, it has taken the act of having a review to shine a light on these systemic failings. I share with everybody else the love affair that we, as a nation, have with our health system, but we cannot be blind to its faults, and it is time that we act on them.

    We would not be here without the campaigners. Without their tireless activism—for many decades in some cases—this would have been ignored. I want to take the opportunity to highlight a few of the groups that have done such tremendous work. That is a dangerous game, I know, and I can only apologise to those whom I do not have time to mention. Marie Lyon has led the way in bringing to attention the damage that hormone pregnancy tests, including Primodos tablets, can do. This report has finally proven her to have been right all along, stating that opportunities were missed to remove them from the market. She is right, too, that the Department for Work and Pensions has mugged campaigners over the condition insight report. I hope the Minister will commit to righting that wrong, too. Janet Williams and Emma Murphy, who founded the Independent Fetal Anti-Convulsant Trust—In-FACT—have fought so long to be believed and for action to be taken regarding sodium valproate, the risks associated with which far too many expectant mothers were unaware of. Kath Sansom, who founded Sling the Mesh, has provided so much support for so many people living in incredible pain because of pelvic mesh. This is a sombre day for those people, but I hope that they can take some satisfaction that their efforts have paid off in this way.

    I would not often say this, but this is a day for parliamentarians, too. It was not clinicians or regulators who brought this to the surface. It was right hon. and hon. Members who listened to and believed campaigners and fought for them, too. Again, there are too many to name, but I will mention my hon. Friends the Members for Bolton South East (Yasmin Qureshi), for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle (Emma Hardy), for Lancaster and Fleetwood (Cat Smith), the right hon. Member for Elmet and Rothwell (Alec Shelbrooke), my hon. Friend the Member for Blaydon (Liz Twist) and my predecessor as shadow Public Health Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson).

    There is not time for me to cover all the recommendations, but I want to highlight a few. Recommendation 1 calls for a fulsome apology. It was right that the Minister did that, and it will be greatly appreciated. Recommendation 3 of the report calls for a new independent redress agency for those harmed by medicines and medical devices, to create a new way of delivering redress in the future. It suggests that manufacturers and the state could share the costs. I would be interested in the Minister’s reflections on that. When does she think that could be implemented by?

    Recommendation 4 suggests separate schemes for each intervention—HPTs, valproate and pelvic mesh—to meet the cost of providing additional care and support ​to all those who have experienced avoidable harm. That is the ethical responsibility of the state and manufacturers. Will the Minister today commit to that recommendation —to providing some redress for those who have suffered avoidable psychological, physical and neurodevelopmental harm? Will she commit, critically, to work on that with these people? For too long, they have had things done to them and they are owed the opportunity to shape their futures.

    On recommendation 6, regarding the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, I said at every stage of the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill that the timing for that Bill was challenging, although that was inevitable as we had to get on with it, because the report would have profound implications for the MHRA—and, boy, does it. I would like the Minister to commit to amendments in the other place to make sure that the MHRA regulatory regime is as strong as possible.

    Finally, and absolutely critically, recommendation 9 calls for the immediate creation of a taskforce to implement the recommendations. Will the Minister commit to that? It was right for her to say that she needed time for reflection, but I would be keen to have a definition of how long she feels the Government will need to reflect.

    This is a sombre moment. It is incredibly hard to read the report, but it is vital that we do so. Campaigners and those affected have got justice today; now they need action. We will not let the report gather dust on a shelf. We will be fighting every day to get the recommendations implemented and to meet the needs and the expectations of those who have fought for so long.

  • Nadine Dorries – 2020 Statement on Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review

    Nadine Dorries – 2020 Statement on Independent Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Review

    Below is the text of the statement made by Nadine Dorries, the Minister for Patient Safety, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, in the House of Commons on 9 July 2020.

    With permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement about the independent medicines and medical devices review. This review was announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Jeremy Hunt) in February 2018, in response to public concern about the safety of medicines and medical devices used by the NHS. It focused on three areas. The first is Primodos, a hormone-based pregnancy test that is claimed to have led to miscarriages and birth defects during the 1960s and ’70s. It was prescribed to more than 1.5 million women before it was withdrawn from use in 1978. The second is sodium valproate, an anti-epilepsy drug that has been definitively linked to autism and learning disabilities in children when taken during pregnancy. The third is the vaginal mesh implants used in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence, which have been linked to crippling, life-changing side-effects.

    Baroness Cumberlege was asked to conduct a review into what happened in each of those three cases, including whether the processes that were followed were sufficient when patients’ concerns were raised. She was also asked to make some recommendations for the future, such as: how to consider the right balance between the criteria or threshold for a legitimate concern; how best to support patients where there might not be a scientific basis for their complaint, but where they have still suffered; how we can enhance the existing patient safety landscape; and how we can be more open to the insights that close attention to patient experience can bring.

    The report has now been published, and a copy has been deposited in the Library of the House. It makes for harrowing reading. Every page makes clear the pain and suffering that has been felt by so many patients and their families. As Baroness Cumberlege herself said, they suffered “avoidable harm”. She said that she had listened to the heart-wrenching stories of acute suffering, of families fractured, of children harmed and so much more.

    On behalf of the health and care sector, I would like to make an apology to those women, their children and their families for the time the system took to listen and respond. I would also like to thank every single person who has contributed to the review. I know that some of them wanted to be here in the House today. They felt as though their voices would never be heard, but now they have been, and their brave testimony will help patients in the future. I have watched and read some of their testimonies. They left me shocked, but also incredibly angry and most of all determined to make the changes that are needed to protect women in the future. It is right and proper that the victims were the first people to see this report. As a Government, we have now received its findings and, as hon. Members will understand, we are taking time to absorb them before we respond. That is the least that the report deserves. We will update the House at the very earliest opportunity.

    I would like to thank Baroness Cumberlege, who has carried out her work with thoroughness and compassion. She has worked tirelessly to ensure that patients and ​their families have been heard, and I would like to pay tribute to her and her team. I know that the patients’ stories that they have heard have been harrowing and, at times, frankly beyond belief. She has done us all a great service by highlighting them, along with the suffering of so many women and their families. I know that there will be strong feelings across the House about the report, and that hon. Members will be eager to hear a fuller response. However, it is imperative for the sake of those who have suffered so greatly that we give the review the full consideration that it absolutely deserves.

    It is clear, as I am sure the whole House will concur, that the response to these issues from those in positions of authority has not always been good enough. The task now is to establish a quicker and more compassionate way to address issues of patient harm when they arise. We must ensure that the system as a whole is vigilant in spotting safety concerns, and that we rapidly get to grips with the concerns identified by the report. We must make sure that different voices are invited to the table and that patients and their families have a clear pathway to get their answers and a resolution. The issues tackled in this report are, from one perspective, complex—matters of regulation, clinical decision making and scientific judgment—but there is one simple core theme that runs through all of this, and it goes to the heart of our work on patient safety. It comprises just two words: listening and humility. So much of the frustration and anger from patients and families stem from what they see as an unwillingness to listen—for us to listen and for them to be heard. We need to make listening a much stronger part of clinical practice and to make the relationship between patients and clinicians a true and equal partnership.

    While the review has been progressing, the Government and the NHS have taken a number of steps relating to the concerns it has raised. However, there is always more that we can do, and it is clear that change is needed. We owe it to the victims and their families to get this right. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Leaked Liz Truss Letter

    Rachel Reeves – 2020 Comments on Leaked Liz Truss Letter

    Below is the text of the comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Cabinet Office Minister, on 11 July 2020.

    This leaked letter lifts the lid on a growing sense of chaos and confusion between Cabinet Ministers at the Government’s complacent approach to vital preparations ahead of 31 December.

    There is growing alarm from the business communities in Northern Ireland and increasingly in Britain that Ministers aren’t being entirely open about the state of preparations.

    These issues will affect countless businesses and jobs and are simply far too important to be left to written correspondence like this. This extraordinary letter deserves answers, not just given to the House of Commons, but to the industries and people who stand to be affected if the Government gets this badly wrong.