Tag: 2022

PRESS RELEASE : 17 energy suppliers need to do more to help vulnerable customers this winter [November 2022]
The press release issued by Ofgem on 22 November 2022.

Today (Tuesday 22 November 2022), energy regulator Ofgem has published findings into the third of its series of ‘deep dives’ into how energy suppliers are helping customers this winter and beyond.

Ofgem is committed to driving service standards up for consumers, and, this latest review, which looks specifically at how suppliers treat ‘Customers in a Vulnerable Situation’ has considered information submitted by 17 of the biggest domestic energy suppliers, detailing how the companies are:
- Identifying and recording customers in a vulnerable situation, and if they are adding them to the ‘Priority Services Register’, which offers additional support to customers in need
- Making free gas safety checks available to eligible customers
- Ensuring vulnerable customers on prepayment meters are identified and supported
- Providing useful information appropriate to customer needs
Since Ofgem’s initial assessment and ratings were formed, many suppliers have already responded positively based on the feedback from the review. All the action taken from all the Market Compliance Reviews so far can now be seen collectively.

Findings showed that, although some good practice was identified, all suppliers need to make further improvements, with the key findings being:
- Severe weaknesses were found in five suppliers – Good Energy, Outfox, SO Energy, TruEnergy, Utilita
- Moderate weaknesses were found in five suppliers – E (Gas & Electricity), Ecotricity, Green Energy UK, Octopus and Shell
- Minor weaknesses were found in seven suppliers – British Gas, Bulb, EDF, E.ON, Ovo, Scottish Power and Utility Warehouse.
Suppliers have engaged positively with the process and, since receiving their indicative ratings in October, are taking swift action to make the improvements needed. This open and cooperative approach to improving protections for vulnerable customers is welcomed by the energy regulator.

Neil Lawrence, Director of Retail at Ofgem, said:

“From eligible customers who are missing out on free gas safety checks through to companies not identifying vulnerable customers to be offered obvious support on the Priority Services Register, this robust review has highlighted that suppliers need to do more to support consumers.

“We welcome the cooperation from suppliers and action taken so far, and, although we are seeing some very good practice in parts of the industry, we can see there is still much more to be done.

Most suppliers take the protection of vulnerable customers seriously and several good initiatives to support customers have been launched recently. While it’s encouraging to see the engagement on this Market Compliance Review, with some improvement actions already taking place, we’ve seen a number of failings across the board which need to be urgently addressed. It’s going to be a very challenging winter for everyone, and customers must be confident they are getting the help and support they need.

My message to suppliers today is simple- be proactive. Help your customers to know what support is available, and then deliver it.”

Some good practice was also identified as part of the review, with some suppliers offering ‘cash grants towards energy bills’ for customers, and many energy companies signing up to Energy UK’s Vulnerability Commitment.

Ofgem communicated the ratings to all suppliers earlier this month and, since then, has started compliance engagement on the areas for improvement. The regulator will be keeping a close eye on the actions taken to close the gaps identified through this assessment and will consider enforcement action under its Enforcement Guidelines where necessary.

On the back of this latest review, and supported by Ofgem’s ongoing ‘energy aware’ winter campaign, customers can also check if they are eligible for extra support on the Priority Services Register by visiting www.ofgem.gov.uk/EnergyAware or by contacting their supplier directly.

The next market review, expected at the start of next year, will look at customer service.
November 22, 2022
Chloe Smith – 2022 Statement on Standing Down at Next General Election

The statement made by Chloe Smith, the Conservative MP for Norwich North, on 22 November 2022.

I have been honoured to be Norwich North’s MP. It’s a fantastic job for a fantastic place, and it’s a particular privilege to be able to represent Norwich and Norfolk where I come from.

I am grateful to the thousands of Norwich citizens who placed their trust in me so many times. I would also like to thank my team of volunteers who work so hard alongside me to help the community, and who have been so supportive, including during tough personal times.

I hope I’ve been able to make a difference, locally and nationally. In 2024, after 15 years of service, it will be the right time to step back, for me and my young family.

November 22, 2022
Michael Gove – 2022 Statement on the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill

The statement made by Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022.

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill contains important powers to drive local growth, empower local leaders to regenerate their areas and ensure that everyone can share in the United Kingdom’s success. It underscores this Government’s continuing commitment to levelling up and securing better outcomes for communities. Yesterday I tabled a number of Government amendments which strengthen the Bill and deliver on our manifesto commitments.

Strengthening devolution within England is a key component of levelling up. The amendments make it clear that there is no possibility of district councils in two-tier authorities having their functions taken away from them and given to combined county authorities. The amendments also enhance powers for mayors to manage their key routes networks to increase transport connectivity, and will enable stronger partnership working between police and crime commissioners and local government by removing a perceived barrier to commissioners participating in local government committee meetings.

Levelling up also means improving access to high-quality and affordable homes across the country, and doing so in ways which meet the needs and expectations of local people. The planning reforms in the Bill will give communities more control over what is built, where it is built, and what new buildings look like, as well as greater assurance that the infrastructure needed will be provided. These reforms create stronger incentives to support development where it is needed.

The reforms are based on five key principles. First, delivering high-quality and beautiful buildings, restoring a sense of community and pride in place. Secondly, enabling the right infrastructure to come forward, boosting productivity and spreading opportunities. Thirdly, enhancing local democracy and engagement by empowering local leaders, increasing accountability and giving communities a stronger say over development. Fourthly, fostering better environmental outcomes. And fifthly, allowing neighbourhoods to shape their surroundings, empowering communities to restore local pride in place.

It is vital that the places we build are beautiful, durable and sustainable. I am already taking steps through the Bill to ensure that every local authority has a design code which can set high standards that reflect local views. National policy has also been strengthened to make it clear that development which is not well designed should be refused. I will announce more details shortly about how the Office for Place—our new body which will uphold high aesthetic standards in architecture—will support authorities in this important work.

Development must also be accompanied by the infrastructure needed to support it. Alongside the proposals for a more streamlined and non-negotiable infrastructure levy which are already contained in the Bill, our amendments will introduce powers to allow piloting of community land auctions. These would give local planning authorities new powers to capture value from land when it is allocated for development, which can then be used to enhance local infrastructure and services.

Strengthening local democracy is central to levelling up, and local communities rightly expect that permissions which they have democratically approved should be delivered. The amendments that I have laid add to the tools that local planning authorities can use to monitor and challenge slow delivery: by requiring developers to report annually on build-out of housing permissions, and giving them the power to decide whether to entertain future applications made by developers who have previously failed to build out existing planning permissions.

I am also firmly committed to enhancing our natural environment while enabling sustainable growth—and will further update the House on my plans to do so in due course. We are also creating a power for the Secretary of State to give new charging powers to certain statutory consultees so that they have greater resources to engage more quickly with nationally significant infrastructure projects.

We are giving local people more opportunity to shape their neighbourhoods by introducing an amendment setting out the full range of powers needed for street votes, giving residents the ability to vote for additional housing where they feel it is appropriate on their street. I have also tabled an amendment implementing a recommendation from Richard Bacon’s review into the self and custom-build sector, removing an ambiguity around the statutory duty to permission land for self and custom-built housing; providing further opportunities for those who wish to build or commission their own home, and for the small and medium-sized builders who are often part of this process, enabling communities to deliver the homes they want.

Levelling up and restoring pride in place means we want to make communities feel safe where they live. That is why our commitment to repeal the Vagrancy Act has always been dependent on the simultaneous introduction of modern replacement legislation to ensure police and other agencies continue to have the powers they need to keep communities safe and protect vulnerable individuals. The responses to the consultation provide a useful basis to inform the shape of future replacement legislation, and we will publish the Government response to the consultation in due course. For now, we will remove the placeholder clause from the Bill and we will not be bringing forward replacement legislation in the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill. In the meantime, this Government have made the unprecedented commitment to end rough sleeping within this Parliament. We remain steadfastly committed to that goal.

Other amendments which have been laid make a number of technical improvements to the Bill. This includes making sure that development corporations can, where they are designated, take on certain supplementary planning functions where appropriate, so that their powers to drive regeneration and development are effective and up to date. The amendments also clarify the powers introducing high-street rental auctions, to make it harder for those landlords who are sitting on empty premises to avoid their property being subject to an auction, and make sure these powers can address the blight of empty high street shops. We will also make sure that regulations for the compulsory purchase regime in clause 150, which require authorities to comply with data standards, will be subject to the negative parliamentary procedure. The amendments also add a “pre-consolidation” clause to the Bill. This technical measure will enable the future consolidation of over 40 different Acts relating to planning and compulsory purchase law, making it much easier to access and understand for all users of the system.

This Bill represents a significant opportunity to give local leaders new powers to reinvigorate their communities and spread opportunity across our country. I look forward to the further discussions that will take place as we take it forward.

November 22, 2022
Robert Halfon – 2022 Statement on Higher Education Investigations

The statement made by Robert Halfon, the Minister of State at the Department for Education, in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022.

Today I am laying regulations under section 71 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. These regulations will enable the Office for Students (OfS) to charge a fee for the investigation of providers’ compliance with quality and other requirements, where the investigation results in certain regulatory action or specified outcomes. These regulations will come into effect on 8 December 2022.

Improving the quality of higher education is a manifesto commitment, and one of my highest priorities. This Government are committed to ensuring that students and the taxpayer see returns on their investment and receive value for money. Accordingly, my Department is working with the OfS to implement a rigorous regime of investigations and in-person inspections that ensures robust action is taken where quality conditions of registration have been breached, or are at risk of being breached. I am also committed to ensuring the majority of providers, which are not in breach of the regulatory conditions, experience minimal regulatory burden.

The OfS will identify providers for investigation using a range of information sources, including outcomes data, student notifications, and other monitoring. My predecessor asked the OfS to put “boots on the ground” where necessary, and investigate universities where there are concerns about the quality of provision. These investigations will examine a range of quality matters, including whether courses are sufficiently up to date and academically challenging; whether students receive enough face-to-face engagement; and the extent to which providers secure positive outcomes for students.

Where the OfS finds that a provider’s performance just is not good enough, it may choose to take enforcement action. This could involve a sanction such as a monetary penalty or, if necessary, even go as far as the removal of a provider from the register. This work will effectively tackle pockets of poor-quality provision, and ensure all students, regardless of their background, can benefit from high-quality, world-leading higher education.

In order to fund this regime sustainably, as well as deter against the growth of poor-quality provision, these regulations will allow the OfS to charge a fee for the investigation of providers’ compliance with quality and other requirements, where the investigation results in certain regulatory action or specified outcomes, such as the imposition of a specific ongoing condition of registration. Doing so will help to ensure that the costs of investigations will fall on those responsible for their necessity, and that those in good standing face a more proportionate regulatory burden than would be the case if we did not lay these regulations.

November 22, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK and South Africa commit to unlock investments for major infrastructure projects and green hydrogen [November 2022]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 November 2022.

The UK and South Africa will join forces to drive economic growth and turbocharge infrastructure investment, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced today at the start of President Ramaphosa’s formal State Visit.

The next phase of the UK-South Africa Infrastructure Partnership is being launched today, supporting South Africa’s economic growth through major infrastructure developments and offering increased access to UK companies to projects worth up to £5.37bn over the next three years. The UK Government will also confirm new grant-funded technical assistance to South Africa to help unlock green hydrogen opportunities and boost skills in this key sector.

As an example of the opportunities for UK businesses, Globeleq – a UK company which is majority owned by British International Investment – is today announcing they have reached legal close on six solar power projects, with construction expected to kick off in South Africa next year.

South Africa is the continent’s second largest economy and is already the UK’s biggest trading partner in Africa, with trade worth £10.7 billion annually. Unlocking export finance offers significant opportunities for British businesses to invest and trade.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is in London for a two-day state visit, hosted by His Majesty The King. After attending a state banquet for the South African delegation this evening at Buckingham Palace, the Prime Minister will welcome President Ramaphosa to Downing Street for a bilateral meeting and lunch on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

South Africa is already the UK’s biggest trading partner on the continent, and we have ambitious plans to turbocharge infrastructure investment and economic growth together.

I look forward to welcoming President Ramaphosa to London this week to discuss how we can deepen the partnership between our two great nations and capitalise on shared opportunities, from trade and tourism and security and defence.

A new education and skills partnership between the UK and the South African governments will also promote shared learning in technical and vocational education, driving youth employment.

UK funding will build the highly sought-after technical and entrepreneurial skills in the biggest growth sectors including green technology and electric vehicle manufacture, ensuring South Africa’s youth are benefitting from the green transition.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK’s relationship with South Africa is hugely important to us. Together we are working to deliver for the British and South African people, creating jobs, enhancing trade and investment, and boosting inclusive economic growth.

This week’s State Visit, the first under His Majesty The King, is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate our ties but also allows us to trigger greater growth, create even more opportunities for British and South African businesses alike, and further promote South Africa’s transition to green energy.

The South Africa Just Energy Transition Partnership, launched at COP26, also offers new opportunities to collaborate on renewable technology and green innovation. The UK and South Africa are today announcing the creation of a new Partnership on Minerals for Future Clean Energy Technologies to promote increased responsible exploration, production and processing of minerals in South and Southern Africa.

Countries in the region are among the world’s leading producers of vital minerals used in clean technology, including platinum group metals and iridium for hydrogen production and vanadium and manganese for battery storage. This partnership will utilise the UK’s expertise as the home to leading global mining houses and financial services centre for metals to bolster sustainable and responsible production.

Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

Today we’re moving into a new era of our dynamic trade relationship with South Africa, with exciting collaboration on infrastructure, clean technology, and renewable energy sources.

These new opportunities will unlock trade and investment for businesses from the Eastern Cape to East Anglia and boost growth, create jobs and future-proof our economies against a changing world.

November 22, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Hundreds of formerly outstanding schools reinspected [November 2022]

The press release issued by Ofsted on November 2022.

From 2012, schools that had been judged outstanding were legally exempt from further regular inspection, unless there were specific concerns about the school. The exemption was lifted in 2020.

Read the report: A return to inspection: the story (so far) of previously exempt outstanding schools.

Today’s commentary notes that over 80% (308) of these schools that had a graded inspection last year did not retain the outstanding grade. The majority were judged to be good. However, around a fifth were rated requires improvement (17%) or inadequate (4%).

When selecting schools for inspection, Ofsted prioritised those that had gone the longest without inspection, which for some was as long as 15 years ago. The average for schools inspected last year was 13 years.

When the exemption ended, 43% of exempt schools had not had a graded inspection for at least 10 academic years, and a further 38% had gone between 5 and 10 academic years.

Since their last inspection many of these schools will have experienced significant change, including a new headteacher, new governors, or becoming an academy managed by a multi-academy trust.

Ofsted’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, said:

Regular inspection gives parents confidence in the quality of their child’s school. Exempting outstanding schools deprived parents of up-to-date information. It also left a lot of schools without the constructive challenge that regular inspection provides.

The exemption was a policy founded on the hope that high standards, once achieved, would never drop, and that freedom from inspection might drive them even higher. These outcomes show that removing a school from scrutiny does not make it better.

There were 3,900 outstanding primary and secondary schools when the exemption was introduced, and 3,400 were outstanding when it ended.

Some 1,400 schools remained outstanding throughout the period because they were not inspected at all and so kept their grade. About 1,900 schools ceased to be outstanding (usually after an inspection triggered by a risk assessment), and 1,500 additional schools were judged outstanding during the exemption period.

November 22, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : A return to dialogue remains the only means of resolving insecurity on the Korean Peninsula [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 21 November 2022.

Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the Security Council briefing on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s intercontinental ballistic missile test.

Thank you President, and I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo for her briefing.

We too condemn in the strongest terms DPRK’s further serious breach of Council resolutions, which threatens international peace and security.

The Council last discussed the DPRK’s ballistic missile launches just over two weeks ago. At that meeting, all but two Council members emphasised the seriousness of the situation and supported a clear response. Yet despite the egregious violation of Council resolutions, the same two members prevented the Council from fulfilling its role.

When the DPRK tested intercontinental ballistic missiles in 2017, the Council’s response on each occasion was robust and unified, with the unanimous adoption of resolutions 2371, 2375 and 2379. Negotiations between the DPRK and the US began within months.

A return to dialogue remains the only means of resolving insecurity on the Korean Peninsula. However, continued Council silence in the face of DPRK’s provocations will not achieve this. We therefore support the draft Presidential Statement proposed by the US. The UK will continue to call upon DPRK to cease its illegal activity and to engage meaningfully with offers of dialogue from the United States and the Republic of Korea. Diplomacy remains the only option..

President, we strongly encourage the DPRK to invest in food and medicine for its people rather than its illegal weapons programme, to provide access for UN staff, and allow aid to flow freely into the country. We welcome the 1718 Committee’s continued efforts to quickly exempt humanitarian assistance from sanctions.

Thank you.

November 21, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : £31 million contract supports specialist jobs on future fighter jet programme [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 21 November 2022.

Under a three-year contract, the Aurora Engineering Delivery Partnership (EDP) led by QinetiQ, will provide technical support to FCAS and the Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Catalyst delivery team, which is responsible for delivering the latest combat air capabilities to UK frontline commands.

The contract will support around 45 jobs based in Bristol, Boscombe Down, Farnborough, Malvern, Bath and Lincoln.

Alex Chalk, Minister for Defence Procurement said:

The Future Combat Air Systems programme continues to make good progress, as demonstrated by this latest engineering contract. I am delighted that highly skilled UK industry personnel will lend their support and expertise to the programme, as we work together to deliver a next-generation fighter jet for the future.

The delivery will also include the EDP partners Atkins and BMT, along with a number of subcontractors in the EDP provider network.

Richard Berthon, Director Future Combat Air, added:

This contract with Aurora and QinetiQ is a demonstration of our commitment to working with the UK’s leading defence technology companies on FCAS. Their expertise will be vital to the programme as we work at pace to deliver a next-generation combat air capability by 2035.

Nic Anderson, Chief Executive UK Defence, QinetiQ said:

The Aurora Engineering Partnership with the UK MOD and DE&S continues to go from strength to strength, providing technical support to the most complex acquisition programmes. Our work with Catalyst DT will help accelerate new ways of working using digital engineering methodologies in supporting the next generation of combat air platforms.

Work carried out by the Aurora Engineering Partnership led by QinetiQ will enable DE&S to deliver essential engineering strategies for future FCAS capabilities. The partnership will provide engineering support – initially focusing on Human Performance, Safety and Systems Engineering disciplines.

The FCAS programme currently employs around 2,500 highly skilled people across the UK including at combat air sector industrial hubs in Scotland, the north-west and south-west of England. The programme now employs 1,000 apprentices and graduates, offering attractive employment opportunities in STEM subjects such as industrial digitisation, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Tempest, a highly advanced future fighter, is due to enter service in 2035, operating at the heart of a wider Future Combat Air System. Tempest was announced at the 2018 Farnborough International Air show and since then, has made significant progress with a flying demonstrator currently being built and the ‘Generation Tempest’ initiative being launched to create early careers job opportunities across the UK.

November 21, 2022
John Glen – 2022 Statement on Tax Credits and Child Benefit – Review of Rates

The statement made by John Glen, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, in the House of Commons on 17 November 2022.

The Tax Credits Act 2002 and the Social Security Administration Act 1992 place a statutory duty on His Majesty’s Treasury to review the rates of tax credits and child benefit each year in line with the general level of prices. There is a further statutory duty on the Treasury to increase guardian’s allowance in line with price growth. I have now concluded the review for the tax year 2023-24.

I have decided to increase tax credits and child benefit rates in line with the consumer price index (CPI) for the year to September 2022. Guardian’s allowance will also increase by the same rate. This means that:

The majority of elements and thresholds in working tax credit and child tax credit, including all disability elements, will increase by 10.1% from 6 April 2023. This means, for example, that the basic element of working tax credit will increase from £2,070 to £2,280 per year. In line with established practice and the Office for Budget Responsibility’s expectations in their welfare forecast, the maximum rate of the childcare element, the family element, the withdrawal rate and disregards in tax credits will remain unchanged.

All rates of child benefit, plus guardian’s allowance, will increase by 10.1 % from 10 April 2023. This means, for example, that the child benefit rate for the eldest child will increase from £21.80 to £24 per week.

The new rates will apply across the United Kingdom. I will deposit the full list of these rates in the Libraries of both Houses shortly.

November 21, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Security Minister welcomes new support for fraud victims [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 21 November 2022.

The first meeting today welcomed news that the member organisations of the taskforce have developed and adopted a new victim’s checklist, setting a benchmark for other industries to follow by ensuring consistent support is given to victims of fraud. Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and industry leaders discussed how this important work can be expanded further.

Paul Scully, Minister for Tech and the Digital Economy, and Treasury Lords Minister Baroness Penn were also in attendance.

The checklist builds on the work the organisations had previously undertaken and ensures that consistent guidance and support is provided to victims, whoever they bank with, when they report a fraud.

Mr Tugendhat, who chairs the taskforce, said:

I was delighted to lead a discussion of the renewed Joint Fraud Taskforce today, meeting with industry leaders to discuss how we can work together to fight fraud and provide better support for victims.

Fraud is a hidden tax on people across our country and is a national security problem too. It funds criminal states and drug dealers and many more. I’m determined to fight it.

The banking industry has risen to that challenge and set a clear benchmark, which I am keen to see rolled out across other industries. Many phone companies have done the same, we need the tech firms to follow.

The Joint Fraud Taskforce is a partnership between the government, law enforcement and the private sector which was relaunched in October 2021. At its relaunch, a series of voluntary charters were created for the private sector to follow, including a charter for retail banking.

The rollout of the victim checklist means a key victim support pledge from the Retail Banking Charter has been fulfilled. In practice, it means bank and building society staff will provide victims with the same guidance on how to report a crime, how they may be able to get their money back, and where they can access additional support and advice.

The government will continue to explore how the positive interventions of the banking sector can be adopted by other industries represented at the taskforce.

David Postings, Chief Executive of UK Finance, said:

Fraud has a devastating impact on victims, and the money stolen funds serious organised crime. The industry’s primary focus is on stopping these scams happening in the first place and banks have invested heavily in advanced technology to protect customers.

UK Finance supports the commitment from the Joint Fraud Taskforce to deliver consistent fraud advice to consumers, meaning that all victims of fraud have the same information. The industry is also delivering consistent and concerted fraud messaging through the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign.

We urge everybody to follow the Take Five advice and to always contact their bank immediately if they think they have fallen victim to a fraud.

James O’Sullivan, Policy Manager at the Building Societies Association said:

This checklist will ensure that consumers receive the same guidance when they report a fraud on their bank or building society account, irrespective of who their provider is.

It’s a helpful step which is part of the bigger and ever evolving fight against fraud and the criminals that perpetrate it.

November 21, 2022