The comments made by Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 20 December 2021.
Following discussions with the Devolved Administrations, we are now doubling the additional funding available.
We will continue to listen to and work with the Devolved Administrations in the face of this serious health crisis to ensure we’re getting the booster to people all over the UK and that people in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are supported.
The letter sent by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, to Lord Frost, the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, on 18 December 2021.
The letter sent by Lord Frost, the Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, to Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, on 18 December 2021.
The comments made by Sajid Javid, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 19 December 2021.
We are in a race between the virus and vaccine and we are doing everything in our power to get jabs in arms as quickly as possible.
We are calling on people to Get Boosted Now as part of our national mission to reinforce our wall of defence against the rapid spread of Omicron.
I want to thank the thousands of people who have heroically stepped up to support our vaccine drive. We’re all in this together – please play your part.
The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 18 December 2021.
We’ve seen throughout this pandemic how especially hard it has been for many people on low wages, insecure work or are self-employed when they are sick or need to self-isolate. It is unacceptable that in 21st Century Britain anyone should feel they can’t afford to get sick, yet that is the reality for many.
Labour would improve the level of statutory sick pay and increase its coverage to reflect the modern world of work, while valuing the many employers who do provide decent sick pay for their workforce.
The sorry state of sick pay in Britain was an issue before the pandemic but the Chancellor’s inaction has made people poorer and tragically will have led to an increase in the spread of the virus.
The comments made by Jim McMahon, the Shadow Environment Secretary, on 18 December 2021.
The nature emergency demands action.
Peatlands have suffered degradation for decades not just from being dug up to supply horticulture, but also by being drained and burned. Healthy peatlands – often called ‘Britain’s rainforests’ – support rich biodiversity, trap many times the carbon stored by forests, and help slow and prevent downstream flooding.
But the Conservative Government have delayed and limited action, they have committed to protecting only 40% of England’s blanket bogs from rotational burning.
On horticultural peat, gardening experts, conservationists and scientists have said the Government’s goal of a voluntary phaseout by 2020 was an ‘abject failure’, with the amount of peat sold actually rising as people turned to gardening in lockdown. That they are only just consulting on a ban lays bare their lack of commitment.
In contrast to the Conservatives’ delay and empty promises, Labour has pledged a net zero and nature test for every policy, investing £28 billion of capital a year to 2030 to meet the challenge of the climate and nature emergency head on, create certainty for business and provide leadership to seize the opportunities for the UK.
The comments made by Jonathan Ashworth, the Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on 18 December 2021.
It’s shaping up to be another miserable winter for pensioners.
Not only are heating bills rocketing, prices are going up in the shops and many community activities our most vulnerable pensioners rely on are cancelled because of Boris Johnson’s failure to grip the covid crisis.
It’s a disgrace that so many older people feel isolated at home, understandably concerned about covid, yet are unable to afford the heating bills.
Action is needed to support our elderly this winter. Labour has called on the Government to immediately remove VAT on domestic energy bills for six months, and for the largest homes upgrade programme in generations to warm homes and bring down bills.
The statement made by Trudy Harrison, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 15 December 2021.
I am making this statement to update the House on changes being made today to the Government’s plug-in vehicle grant scheme as well as our plans to regulate to improve the experience for drivers charging electric vehicles.
Plug-in grant scheme
For over a decade, the plug-in vehicle grant scheme has helped to boost the uptake of zero and ultra-low emission vehicles by offsetting their up-front cost, supporting our goal of eliminating tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions in our drive towards net zero, as well as removing air pollutants that harm human health.
The Government have invested over £1.5 billion since 2010, supporting nearly half a million vehicles. The approach has worked—it has helped to kick-start a market that is now moving forward at pace. Over 150,000 zero emission cars have been sold so far this year, more than one in 10 of all new cars sold. Electric van uptake is also accelerating at pace, with grant orders up 250% this year compared with 2020. And almost 50% of mopeds sold in 2021 have been electric, with some models costing the same up-front as an internal combustion engine equivalent.
Last year the Government announced a further £582 million to continue the plug-in grants until at least 2022-23, and more money was allocated at the spending review in October. This funding remains in place. However, with demand so strong, it is right that we seek to focus the grants, which are funded by the taxpayer, on the areas where they will have the most impact and where the market still needs Government support.
From today, the Government will provide grants of up to £1,500 for electric cars priced under £32,000, focusing on the more affordable vehicles and making best use of taxpayers’ money. Wheelchair accessible vehicles are being prioritised, with a higher grant of £2,500 for vehicles priced under £35,000. Small vans will also receive £2,500, and large vans £5,000, with a per financial year limit of 1,000 grants per business to ensure that funding is spread fairly. There will be no changes for small or large trucks, which receive £16,000 and £25,000 respectively. Motorcycles priced up to £10,000 (L3e category) will receive £500 and mopeds (L1e) will get £150. These changes will allow the scheme’s funding to go further, helping more people and businesses to switch to an electric vehicle.
Generous tax incentives, including zero road tax and favourable company car tax rates, which are a strong driver of uptake and can save drivers over £2,000 a year, remain in place. It is expected that the total cost of EV ownership will reach parity during the 2020s compared to petrol and diesel cars.
Improving drivers’ experience of charging
The UK has been a global frontrunner in supporting provision of charging infrastructure along with private sector investment. Our vision is to have one of the best infrastructure networks in the world for electric vehicles, and we want charge points to be accessible, affordable and secure. Government and industry have supported the installation of over 27,600 publicly available charging devices including more than 5,000 rapid devices. Government have also supported the installation of almost 250,000 charge-points in homes and businesses.
Earlier in the year Government consulted to improve the consumer experience at public electric vehicle charge points. Next year we will introduce new rules that will increase confidence in our electric vehicle charging infrastructure. This will mandate a minimum payment method—such as contactless payment—for new 7.1 kW and above charge points, including rapids. Consumers will soon be able to compare costs across networks in a recognisable format similar to pence per litre for fuel and there will be new standards to ensure reliable charging for electric vehicle drivers.
Conclusion
Today’s announcement, which is part of a wider package of £3.5 billion funding that this Government are investing to support the automotive sector and consumers in the transition to zero emission vehicles, is in response to a market-led acceleration towards greater electric vehicle ownership.
The statement made by Andrew Stephenson, the Minister of State at the Department for Transport, in the House of Commons on 15 December 2021.
I have been asked by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps) to make this written ministerial statement. This statement confirms that it has been necessary to extend the deadlines for decisions on the following two applications made under the Planning Act as indicated below to allow for further consideration of environmental matters:
M25 Junction 28 Improvement project: for the proposed development by National Highways which would authorise the creation of a new two-lane loop road with hard shoulder, for traffic travelling from the M25 northbound carriageway onto the A12 eastbound carriageway towards Essex. The Secretary of State received the Examining Authority’s report on 16 September 2021 and the current deadline for a decision was 16 December 2021. The deadline is now extended to 16 May 2021.
A1 Northumberland – Morpeth to Ellingham Improvements: the proposed development comprises the widening of approximately 20.6km stretch of the A1 between Morpeth to Ellingham with approximately 14.5km online widening and approximately 6.1km new offline highway. The Secretary of State received the Examining Authority’s report on 5 October 2021 and the current deadline for a decision was 5 January 2022. The deadline is now extended to 5 June 2022.
Under section 107(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of State must make his decision within three months of receipt of the Examining Authority’s report unless exercising the power under section 107(3) to extend the deadline and make a statement to the House of Parliament announcing the new deadline.
The Department will also endeavour to issue decisions ahead of the deadlines above wherever possible.
The decision to set new deadlines is without prejudice to the decisions on whether to give development consent for the above applications.
The statement made by Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, in the House of Commons on 15 December 2021.
I am announcing today the appointment of the right hon. Baroness Heather Hallett DBE as chair of the forthcoming public inquiry into the covid-19 pandemic, which is set to begin its work in spring 2022. The inquiry will be established under the 2005 Inquiries Act, with full powers, including the power to compel the production of documents and to summon witnesses to give evidence on oath. The inquiry will be held in public. In consultation with Baroness Hallett, I intend to appoint additional panel members in the new year in order that the inquiry has access to the full range of expertise needed to complete its important work.
Baroness Hallett retired from the Court of Appeal in 2019 and was made a crossbench life peer. She has conducted a range of high-profile and complex inquests, inquiries and reviews, including acting as coroner for the inquests into the deaths of the 52 victims of the 7 July 2005 London bombings; as chair of the Iraq Fatalities Investigations; and as chair of the 2014 Hallett Review of the administrative scheme to deal with “on the runs” in Northern Ireland. Baroness Hallett’s appointment to this role follows a recommendation made by the Lord Chief Justice.
Baroness Hallett is currently acting as coroner in the inquest into the death of Dawn Sturgess, who died in July 2018 following exposure to the nerve agent Novichok. The Home Secretary announced on 18 November that a public inquiry would be established into these matters, and the inquest adjourned, in order to permit all relevant evidence to be heard. A new chair for that inquiry will be appointed early in the new year.
The public inquiry into covid-19 will play a key role in examining the UK’s pandemic response and ensuring that we learn the right lessons for the future. In doing so, it must ensure that those most affected by the pandemic—including those who have sadly lost loved ones—can play their proper role in the process. I will now consult Baroness Hallett and ministers in the devolved Administrations on the terms of reference for the inquiry and will publish these in draft in the new year. Baroness Hallett has agreed to then take forward a process of public engagement and consultation—including with bereaved families and other affected groups—before the terms of reference are finalised. I will make a further statement when it is time for that process to begin.