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Tag: 2023

  • Jonathan Reynolds – 2023 Speech on Post Office Horizon Compensation

    Jonathan Reynolds – 2023 Speech on Post Office Horizon Compensation

    The speech made by Jonathan Reynolds, the Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2023.

    I thank the Minister for his statement and for advance sight of it.

    I too begin by paying tribute to Alan Bates and the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, which has campaigned for decades for compensation, justice and the truth. In addition, I recognise the campaigning efforts of Members from across this House on behalf of their constituents, and join the Minister in paying tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) in particular. There can be no doubt that he has played an instrumental role in helping to chart a route to justice for thousands of people. We all wholeheartedly thank him for that.

    The House is in unanimous agreement that the Horizon scandal has been a shocking injustice. Indeed, I think it is no exaggeration to say that it is one of the greatest scandals of modern times. As we continue to hear in the public inquiry the accounts of lives torn apart by the scandal, we can never lose sight of how devastating its impact has been on those victims. Today’s announcement of the group litigation order compensation scheme is very welcome. I was pleased to hear about the appointment of claims facilitators and external legal advisers—in the interests of full transparency, I declare that I am a former employee of Addleshaw Goddard.

    I thank the Minister and his predecessor, the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Scully), for their work on this matter. I am sure that the Minister will appreciate that I feel duty-bound to put on record the level of frustration that many people have felt about how protracted their fight for justice has been, particularly the 555 litigants excluded from the original historic shortfall scheme. Indeed, one of the first speeches that I made from this Dispatch Box as shadow Business Secretary was in support of calls for compensation to be expanded to them—a campaign that was established long before that exchange nearly 18 months ago. The most important step now is for that compensation to reach victims as quickly as possible, so may I press the Minister on the steps that we will all take to ensure that the process is completed as swiftly as possible?

    I am also grateful for the update on the historic short- fall scheme. The Government’s ambition was for that scheme to be completed at the end of last year, but in December, the then Secretary of State said that 93% of eligible claimants had been issued offers of compensation. The Minister has given the figure of 98% today, so can he confirm that the scheme’s completion is imminent? I also was pleased that he raised the tax issue. Will he commit to coming back to the House when he can to provide more information on the work that he said he is doing?

    Today’s announcement is certainly welcome, but as we all await the conclusion of the public inquiry, and its recommendations, surely this is one of many steps that we need to take to make amends for what has been the most insidious of injustices.

    Kevin Hollinrake

    I thank the hon. Gentleman for his words, and for welcoming the statement and the opening of the scheme. I absolutely concur that we should all be grateful for the work of my predecessors—not least, as he said, my hon. Friend the Member for Sutton and Cheam (Paul Scully).

    The hon. Gentleman is right to say that we want to do this as quickly as possible. I am very pleased with the work of the advisory board, which is helping with the scheme. The scheme is based on a set of principles that should mean that compensation is delivered more rapidly and that there is a clear route to claims being settled quickly. We very much hope that that is the case—we want to get those payments out of the door at the earliest possible opportunity.

    Again, we are working at pace on the tax issue. Clearly that is a matter of law as well as of tax policy, so getting that right is key. We have to work with the Treasury and HMRC to ensure that we get it right, but that is a determination and a commitment that I am very happy to make. We hope to make a further announcement on that work shortly.

  • Kevin Hollinrake – 2023 Statement on Post Office Horizon Compensation

    Kevin Hollinrake – 2023 Statement on Post Office Horizon Compensation

    The statement made by Kevin Hollinrake, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2023.

    With your permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I would like to make a statement on the Post Office and compensation for the Horizon scandal.

    The Horizon scandal was a truly appalling episode in this country’s history. Our postmasters—those hard-working, thoroughly decent people, who give so much to our communities right across the country—were made to suffer horrifically and for many years. We want the postmasters who fought to expose that injustice through the High Court to receive compensation on a similar basis to their peers. I put on record our thanks to Alan Bates and the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance, and to many others, journalists and parliamentarians, who were key to the campaign.

    On 7 December we announced the outline of the group litigation order compensation scheme. I am delighted to tell the House that from today, the scheme is open to receive claims. Details of how to claim can be found on the gov.uk website. I am writing to GLO members today with further information and placing copies of that information, the scheme application form, scheme guidance and principles, and questions and answers for the scheme in the Library of the House.

    Our legal powers to pay compensation expire in August 2024. We certainly intend and expect to make payments much faster than that. We said in December that we would follow an alternative dispute resolution model. We have appointed Dentons as claims facilitators to promote the fair and prompt resolution of each case. We have also appointed Addleshaw Goddard as our external legal adviser on the scheme. They have been instructed to recommend fair offers.

    In December we also announced an independent advisory board to oversee the scheme. Reports of its meetings are available on gov.uk. I put on record my thanks to board members Professor Chris Hodges and Professor Richard Moorhead, as well as to the right hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) and Lord Arbuthnot—who is in the Public Gallery—both of whom have long been tireless campaigners for the wronged postmasters. I am pleased to announce that the remit of the advisory board will be expanded to cover the historical shortfall scheme, postmasters’ suspension pay, and compensation for postmasters with overturned convictions.

    I am pleased to report that good progress is also being made by the Post Office on compensating other groups of postmasters. As of 20 March, the Post Office has paid out more than £17.6m in compensation to postmasters with overturned historical convictions, 79 postmasters have received interim compensation payments, and 49 non-pecuniary claims have been paid. The Post Office has reached full and final settlement in four cases.

    On the historic shortfall scheme, 98% of eligible claimants had been issued offers of compensation, totalling £90.2 million, as of 21 March. I recognise that in recent weeks concerns have been raised about the tax position of claimants in that scheme. It has always been the intention of the scheme to return postmasters to the position that they should have been in had they not been affected by the Horizon scandal. The Government want to see fair compensation for all victims, and my Department is working urgently to address that issue with the Post Office, the Treasury and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

    As we talk about financial compensation schemes, we must never lose sight of the human cost of this dreadful injustice. That is why, as the House will know, Sir Wyn Williams is chairing a statutory inquiry to establish what went wrong, and to identify those responsible for what has happened so that, where possible, we can hold them to account. I commend this statement to the House.

  • PRESS RELEASE : CBI Announcement on Tony Danker [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : CBI Announcement on Tony Danker [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the CBI on 11 April 2023.

    The allegations that have been made over recent weeks about the CBI have been devastating. While investigations continue into a number of these, it is already clear to all of us that there have been serious failings in how we have acted as an organisation. We must do better, and we must be better.

    We apologise to the victims of this organisational failure, including those impacted by the revulsion we have all felt at hearing their stories. Nobody should feel unsafe in their workplace.

    We wish to thank all those who have had the courage to speak out, through internal or external channels, and encourage them to keep doing so. Our website describes how to do so, providing contact details for specific CBI Management or for an independent third party, whichever route individuals feel more comfortable taking.

    The CBI exists to help British business flourish. This is a privilege and responsibility which we take extremely seriously and cannot take for granted. We represent our members not just in how we advocate for them, but also through our values as an organisation. It means we must be a place where colleagues are safe, valued and respected, and where there is zero tolerance for behaviour that falls short of those expectations.

    When new concerns were raised relating to our Director General, Tony Danker, in early March we established an independent investigation conducted by Fox Williams, a leading employment law firm, and agreed with him that he should step aside while it took place. The first phase of this investigation has now concluded and, following the subsequent reports of wider workplace misconduct, the CBI Board has decided to take a number of steps to bring in new leadership and make immediate changes to the way we operate:

    • We are pleased to announce that Rain Newton-Smith, former CBI Chief Economist and currently Managing Director, Strategy and Policy, Sustainability and ESG for Barclays, has agreed to rejoin the CBI as its new Director General. She brings with her a formidable track record as a leader and expertise on a wide range of business issues. We thank Chief Policy Director Matthew Fell for his vital work as interim Director General during these difficult last few weeks and look forward to him again driving forward our policy work for members.
    • Tony Danker is dismissed with immediate effect following the independent investigation into specific complaints of workplace misconduct against him. The Board wishes to make clear he is not the subject of any of the more recent allegations in The Guardian but has determined that his own conduct fell short of that expected of the Director General.
    • Three other CBI employees are now suspended pending further investigation into a number of ongoing allegations.
    • While Fox Williams continues with the next phase of its inquiry, the CBI is liaising with the police and has made clear its intention to cooperate fully with any police investigations.
    • Jill Ader, a CBI Board member and Senior Adviser and recent Global Chair of the leadership advisory firm Egon Zehnder, will oversee a root-and-branch review of our culture, governance and processes, leading a new sub-committee of the Board alongside its President Brian McBride. The review will draw on practice in best-in-class organisations addressing culture change as well as underlying processes such as routes for raising concerns, investigations, escalation protocols and responsibilities. It will begin with a listening exercise among CBI colleagues and input from our members and stakeholders to understand what needs to be changed and improved, and how we learn the lessons from what has happened in recent years.
    • We will create a new, elevated position of Chief People Officer which will sit on our executive committee and report directly to the Board on all matters of workplace conduct and culture. We intend to conduct a wide-ranging external recruitment process for this role. Our HR director Lauren Adams has agreed to step up into this role on an interim basis.
    • The current independent and confidential channel outside the CBI for people to come forward with concerns and complaints about workplace conduct will be made permanent. We also recognise the enormous strain this experience has placed on all our people and will continue to offer support to anyone who needs it.

    We know it will take time for these steps to make a difference and rebuild trust. We will not hesitate to take any measures necessary in the meantime to act on further findings or complaints that arise from ongoing investigations.

    Our people, partners and members all need to feel proud of the CBI to ensure it is effective. We will now work tirelessly to ensure that under new leadership and with a commitment to build a modern, inclusive culture, the CBI can and will resume its vital work of supporting British business.

  • Drew Hendry – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    Drew Hendry – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    The speech made by Drew Hendry, the SNP spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2023.

    I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Ms Qaisar) on securing this urgent question. Clearly, settlement expansion is a major issue in the violence that is continuing to break out. This week, the Israeli Parliament voted to allow Israeli citizens to occupy four sites in the west bank evacuated in the 2005 disengagement. The High Court of Justice has already classified this as private Palestinian land. Clearly, the moratorium that the Minister mentioned is not being respected here.

    We know that this is not a simple situation, but there are some simple steps that we can take here to make a difference. Will the Minister support the UK banning trade in Israeli settlement goods? Will she include the UK Government’s own stated position that these settlements are illegal in any and all agreements with Israel and provide for consequences for breach of that? Will she also carry that forward into forthcoming trade deal discussions? Will she stop the export of equipment and arms proven to be repeatedly used in settlement expansion, and will she do it now?

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan

    The UK’s position on settlements is clear: settlements are illegal under international law and call into question Israel’s commitment to the two-state solution. We have urged Israel to halt its settlement expansion, which we believe threatens the physical viability of a Palestinian state. In February, we and our partners—the US, France, Germany and Italy—set out strong opposition to these unilateral steps. They are contrary to international law, and they undermine the prospects for peace.

    In relation to trade matters, our long-established position on settlements is clear: the UK does not recognise the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel, including illegal settlements. Goods originating from illegal Israeli settlements in the west bank, including East Jerusalem, are not entitled to tariff and trade preferences under either the existing trade agreement between the UK and Israel or, indeed, the agreement between the UK and the Palestinian Authority.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Investment in telecoms innovation and R&D [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Investment in telecoms innovation and R&D [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 11 April 2023.

    Substantial investments in telecoms and a new Wireless Infrastructure Strategy to put the UK at the forefront of science and technology, harness enterprise and innovation and drive economic growth.

    The Prime Minister has set out his 5 priorities for this government – to build a better, more secure, more prosperous future for the UK, including growing the economy, and creating better-paid jobs and opportunity right across the UK. We can only deliver on that priority with world-class digital infrastructure.

    Digital infrastructure is crucial to unlocking opportunities for growth and prosperity and delivering my department’s mission to put the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement. Future telecoms is 1 of the 5 critical technologies identified in our recently published Science and Technology Framework.

    That is why the government has announced a package of measures to drive the deployment and adoption of fixed and wireless networks and to invest in the next generation of connectivity.

    A new Wireless Infrastructure Strategy

    The Wireless Infrastructure Strategy sets out a policy framework to affirm our unwavering commitment to extending 4G coverage to 95% of the population, deliver standalone 5G to all populated areas in the UK by 2030, and invest £40 million to drive take up of innovative 5G-enabled services for businesses and the public sector. It also sets out a comprehensive 6G strategy to harness and develop the UK’s strengths in future telecoms, and to ensure that the UK can influence and benefit from the development of 6G in a way that meets the UK’s future connectivity needs.

    Key measures in the strategy

    1. A new ambition of nationwide coverage of standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030 – so everyone can benefit from new technology enabled by advanced wireless technology

    2. A clear strategic framework to help the private sector invest in 5G networks by supporting strong competition and investment, driving down deployment costs and stimulating demand, including through

    • continuing to remove practical barriers to the deployment of 5G infrastructure
    • confirming our openness to market consolidation, noting that merger decisions are taken on their merits by the Competition and Markets Authority
    • ensuring that net neutrality rules are fit for purpose
    • asking Ofcom to review and set out a clear evidenced-based and forward-looking rationale for its approach to setting spectrum fees by the end of 2023
    • working with Ofcom and industry to refarm spectrum where it is not being used efficiently
    • maximising the UK’s influence at international spectrum negotiations, with alignment of international and domestic spectrum frameworks where possible

    3. Fixing coverage reporting, including on trains and in rural areas, shining a light on where coverage needs to be improved

    4. £40 million new funding to establish eight to 10 5G Innovation Regions across the UK. This will enable regions and local authorities to unlock opportunities using advanced wireless connectivity, tailored to each area’s specific needs and strengths, encourage 5G take-up in the public sector and in industry and strengthen the case for investment at the local level, driving productivity and growth.

    5. Establishing a national taskforce to encourage take-up and investment at the local level

    6. As part of wider plans to boost public sector adoption of 5G and other advanced wireless connectivity, ensuring new hospitals have access to 5G or similar advanced wireless connectivity, allowing major improvements in healthcare delivery.

    7. Setting out a clear strategy for influencing the development of 6G, so the UK strengthens and maintains its role as a science superpower

    8. Launching an £8 million fund to provide capital grants to further promote new satellite connectivity to the most remote 35,000 premises.

    Investing up to £100 million in a new future telecoms mission

    The 6G Strategy, set out in the Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, is supported by a new national mission to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of future telecoms technologies.

    The 6G strategy sets out how we will work to shape the next generation of wireless technology. We want to ensure that 6G is developed to meet the needs of people and businesses right across the UK and support our international competitiveness throughout the economy.

    The government has established future telecoms as one of its five critical priority technologies in our goal to be a science superpower by 2030.

    Alongside the 6G Strategy we have therefore launched a new, long-term national mission, with initial funding of up to £100 million, to ensure the UK is at the leading-edge of future telecoms and 6G technologies.

    These next generation networks will herald a new, richer generation of internet based services, power rapidly growing global digital economies and support net zero – from complex AI and quantum-enabled networks of satellites and drones, right down to fibre-optic networks beneath our feet.

    A key element of this mission will be a series of Future Telecoms Research Hubs, where early stage research will be coordinated through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) via the Technology Missions Fund (TMF).

    These Hubs will build on the springboard provided by EPSRC’s £6 million investment for three federated and connected platforms in the communications technologies space. Supported by the UK Telecoms Innovation Network (UKTIN), these platforms will engage with the telecoms sector, catapults and internationally around three broad themes: a network of networks; wireless and wired systems and spectrum; and, cloud and distributed computing.

    The platforms will draw together the existing portfolio of EPSRC investments in telecoms-related areas into a coordinated approach.

    These Hubs will help to develop an Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio to strengthen UK companies’ global competitiveness, as well as provide the foundation for spinout companies, and attract further industry investment in the UK’s world leading research base.

    Support for early-stage research will be complimented by funding for application focussed ‘challenges’ – delivered via Innovate UK – supporting companies to accelerate innovative solutions to market and encourage disruptive collaboration across the UK’s diverse Future Telecoms landscape. This aims to cement early UK market leadership, additionally attracting follow-on investment for companies to scale-up and grow in the UK.

    We will work closely with our international allies to deliver this mission – ensuring we are influential in shaping the global landscape, embedding our values into future telecoms technology, and protecting our security interests.

    Funding opportunities for industry, researchers and others through this investment are available throughout 2023 and into next year as well. All funding will be awarded and managed by UKRI on behalf of UK government. Further information will be released shortly.

    In addition, to inform our next steps beyond this Spending Review Period, we are commissioning a feasibility study to explore the potential for new infrastructure provision to improve competitiveness and drive growth in the UK telecoms sector and foster UK capability.

    £8 million capital grants for satellite connectivity

    We continue to make rapid progress through commercial and subsidised rollouts to achieve our goal of future proof and resilient connectivity to over 99% of the UK by 2030. Nevertheless there will be some areas – perhaps around 100,000 premises – where we expect that gigabit will not be possible.

    The government has launched an £8 million fund to provide capital grants to further promote new satellite connectivity to the most remote 35,000 premises and to help ensure that these premises get improved broadband where required.

    This work follows the launch of the government’s Alpha Trial programme in December 2022, to test the capability and viability of low earth orbit satellites to deliver high-speed connectivity to homes and businesses in very hard to reach areas.

    The government has now launched a total of 7 sites across the UK using a mixture of both OneWeb and Starlink equipment. These sites include some of the most remote areas of the UK including Snowdonia National Park, North York Moors, Papa Stour and Lundy Island.

    Further details on the value of the grants, which premises will be able to apply for the scheme and how they can apply will be released in due course.

    Additional policy measures for those premises where we believe that Fixed Wireless Access connectivity will be possible will be brought forward later this year.

    Rural 10 point plan

    The Wireless Infrastructure Strategy sets out our 10 point plan to support rural communities access and adopt the connectivity they need to drive economic growth.

    1. The £5 billion Project Gigabit will deliver future proof broadband to rural areas, with £1 billion already made available. (A new almost £14 million contract, announced today, will bring gigabit broadband connections to around 10,500 homes and businesses in the New Forest.)

    2. In very hard to reach areas, where it will be uneconomic to deliver gigabit broadband, the government will work with industry to ensure that these premises get improved broadband, where required. This year we will:

    • launch an £8 million fund to provide capital grants to further promote new satellite connectivity to the most remote 35,000 premises
    • set out plans to encourage the provision of fixed wireless access to other hard to reach areas

    3. We are already investing £1 billion in the Shared Rural Network to deliver 4G coverage to 95% of the UK landmass, with the biggest coverage improvements in rural parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. This will also:

    • deliver 4G coverage on a further 16,000 km of roads, with further indirect improvements over time, including a boost to ‘in-car’ coverage on around 45,000 km of roads
    • improve geographic coverage to 79% of Areas of Natural Beauty, benefitting millions of visitors every year

    4. We have asked Ofcom to improve mobile coverage reporting, including in rural areas

    5. We are establishing a new headline nationwide ambition for 5G in all populated areas by 2030, and this will include connectivity in areas classified as rural – backed by measures that help improve economics of rural rollout

    6. We are establishing a new £40 million 5G Innovation Fund to establish 5G innovation regions. Driving innovation and adoption of advanced wireless technologies across rural industries will be a key focus of 5G Innovation Regions – supporting 5G-enabled innovation everywhere.

    7. We are funding a new 5G adoption campaign that will help support adoption and investment in key sectors, including agri-tech.

    8. We are working with Ofcom to improve access to spectrum for rural network providers, making it easier for networks to be deployed and for innovative use cases to be realised.

    9. We will be appointing a Rural Connectivity Champion to report DSIT and Defra Secretaries of State to support adoption of advanced wireless connectivity and promote innovation in industries like agriculture.

    10. We are continuing to remove barriers to deployment in rural areas, including changing planning regulations, making it quicker and easier to roll out digital infrastructure.

    A new strategic vision for spectrum policy

    The Spectrum Statement sets out a new strategic vision and principles for spectrum policy. Maximising its usage across the public and private sector is critical to delivering our mission to position the UK at the forefront of global scientific and technological advancement, supporting research, innovation and growth across the economy while protecting critical services like defence and climate science.

    Spectrum, the range of invisible electromagnetic waves, enables all wireless technology, from our mobile phones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices to aircraft navigation and satellite applications, amongst many other uses. The devices and services that depend on spectrum now underpin almost every aspect of our economic and social lives.

    Priority actions include working with Ofcom to enhance shared use of spectrum, reviewing our use of market mechanisms to support a strong investment environment and establishing a new framework to improve access to public sector spectrum.

    This will mean better connectivity for people across the UK and better access to spectrum to support the new enterprise applications that will drive the economic growth, productivity and improved public services of tomorrow.

    Flexi-permits to accelerate broadband rollout

    The government is working with the local authorities and the telecoms industry to further trial the use of flexible permits (or ‘flexi-permit’) in a number of counties (such as in more rural areas).

    Currently operators must apply for a permit to work in each individual street. Flexi-permits would allow telecoms companies to work in multiple streets under a single permit.

    If successful, flexi permits could help the roll-out of broadband.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Smokers urged to swap cigarettes for vapes in world first scheme [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Smokers urged to swap cigarettes for vapes in world first scheme [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 11 April 2023.

    Pregnant women will also be offered financial incentives to help them quit as part of a sweeping package of measures to cut smoking rates in England.

    One million smokers will be encouraged to swap cigarettes for vapes under a pioneering new “swap to stop” scheme designed to improve the health of the nation and cut smoking rates.

    As part of the world-first national scheme, almost one in five of all smokers in England will be provided with a vape starter kit alongside behavioural support to help them quit the habit as part of a series of new measures to help the government meet its ambition of being smokefree by 2030 – reducing smoking rates to 5% or less. Local authorities will be invited to take part in the scheme later this year and will design a scheme which suits its needs, including deciding which populations to prioritise.

    In a speech today, Health Minister Neil O’Brien will also announce that following the success of local schemes, pregnant women will be offered financial incentives to help them stop smoking. This will involve offering vouchers, alongside behavioural support, to all pregnant women who smoke by the end of next year.

    The government will also consult on introducing mandatory cigarette pack inserts with positive messages and information to help people to quit smoking.

    Additionally, there will be a crackdown on illicit vape sales as part of measures to stop children and non-smokers take up the habit – which is growing in popularity among young people.

    Health Minister Neil O’Brien will say:

    Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking. Cigarettes are the only product on sale which will kill you if used correctly.

    We will offer a million smokers new help to quit. We will be funding a new national ‘swap to stop’ scheme – the first of its kind in the world. We will work with councils and others to offer a million smokers across England a free vaping starter kit.

    The new policies will deliver the government’s three aims to help more adults quit smoking, stop children and non-smokers from taking up vaping, and using vaping as a tool for established adult smokers to quit.

    For those who quit, the risk of heart attack is halved after one year of quitting, ultimately halving the likelihood of ending up in a hospital bed or worse.

    Supporting more women to have a smokefree pregnancy will reduce the number of babies born underweight or underdeveloped with health problems requiring neonatal and ongoing care. It will also reduce the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.

    Cutting smoking rates reduces the number of smoking-related illnesses needing to be treated, in turn reducing the pressure on the NHS, helping to deliver on our priority to cut NHS waiting lists.

    NHS figures for 2021 showed that 9% of 11- to 15-year-old children used e-cigarettes, up from 6% in 2018.

    In recognition of the sharp increase, Minister O’Brien will launch a Call for Evidence on youth vaping to identify opportunities to reduce the number of children accessing and using vape products – and explore where government can go further.

    Working with enforcement agencies and learning from the government’s work with Trading Standards on illicit tobacco, £3 million of new funding will also be provided to create a specialised ‘illicit vapes enforcement squad’ to enforce the rules on vaping and tackle illicit vapes and underage sales.

    As part of the measures, HMRC and Border Force will also be publishing an updated strategy this year to tackle illicit tobacco. It will lay out strategically how we continue to target, catch and punish those involved in the illicit tobacco market.

    Smoking prevalence in England in 2021 was 13% – the lowest on record thanks to measures such as doubling duty on cigarettes since 2010 and continued funding to local stop smoking services

    In 2021-22, £68 million of public health grant funded was spent on stop smoking services by local authorities and nearly 100,000 people quit with the support of a stop smoking service.

    In addition, £35 million has been committed to the NHS this year so that all smokers admitted to hospital will be offered NHS-funded tobacco treatment services.

    However, 5.4 million people in England smoke tobacco which remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death. Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking and recent data shows one in four deaths from all cancers were estimated to be from smoking.

    Last year an independent smoking review led by Javed Khan proposed a range of measures to help people stub out the addiction, which has informed the measures set out today.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New investment boosts UK’s digital connectivity [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New investment boosts UK’s digital connectivity [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 11 April 2023.

    The next evolution of 5G, future telecoms and a national mission to connect all communities.

    • Investment package worth almost £150 million unveiled, with up to £100 million to put the UK at the forefront of future research, and £40m to boost 5G tech take-up
    • Ambition to deliver standalone 5G to all populated areas by 2030 to support the next generation of innovation
    • Additional £8m to connect remote homes and businesses with a pioneering satellite connectivity programme ensuring no community is left behind
    • New Wireless Infrastructure Strategy will deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy

    New plans and investment to boost digital connectivity and put the UK at the forefront of future telecoms technologies have been unveiled by Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan today (Tuesday 11 April) – unlocking growth, innovation and potential across the country.

    As part of the new Wireless Infrastructure Strategy, the Government has set out its ambitions to blanket the country with the fastest, most reliable wireless coverage available – with an ambition for all populated areas to be covered by ‘standalone’ 5G (what some companies call 5G-plus) by 2030. 77% of the population already has access to basic 5G from one provider.

    This next iteration of 5G coverage across the country will unlock new technologies that will change our lives and the way businesses operate, at a time when the connectivity we depend on is significantly evolving and is woven further into the lives of us all. From driverless vehicles, robots and drones on the factory floor to making our cities smarter, cleaner, and less congested; innovation is set to be supercharged.

    Today’s announcement also commits £8m to delivering high-speed broadband for up to 35,000 of the UK’s most remote properties. Under the new scheme, homes and businesses in the most remote areas that are unable to be connected to gigabit-capable broadband will be given funding to link them up to satellites orbiting the globe, giving them a broadband connection that will be up to ten times faster than what is currently available to them.

    Additionally, a £40 million 5G innovation fund will promote investment and adoption of 5G by businesses and public services, helping them unlock opportunities to use advanced wireless connectivity, generating value, innovation and growth at a local level.

    To help the mass adoption of 5G across the country, the strategy sets out a clear pro-investment framework for mobile network operators by driving down deployment costs and improving demand. The Government has also reconfirmed that there is no ‘magic number’ of mobile operators, whilst noting all decisions on consolidation are for the Competition and Markets Authority.

    The UK is due to hit 75% gigabit broadband coverage this month, up from just 6% in 2019, and is on track to deliver 99% by 2030.

    Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

    Our Wireless Infrastructure Strategy sets out our plan to ensure everyone, no matter where they live, can reap the benefits of improved connectivity. We are doing this by ensuring all populated areas in the UK will be served by what I call ‘5G-plus’ technology by 2030. We are also committing £8m to provide satellite connectivity for our most remote communities so that no one is left behind.

    We are also supporting long term economic growth in the UK with a £40m fund to encourage innovative 5G investment across the private and public sector. This will help industries transform at a time when the ways we communicate, work and do business are on the precipice of significant evolution.

    This package of measures turbocharges our progress towards becoming a science and tech superpower with a substantial initial investment in the future of telecoms. We want to ensure that 6G is developed to meet the needs of people and businesses right across the UK and bolster our international competitiveness throughout the economy.

    Future Telecoms Mission

    The government has also announced a new long-term national mission to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of both adopting and developing 6G, the future of digital connectivity. As part of a fully-fledged 6G strategy, the government will ensure that the next generation of mobile connectivity meets the needs of people and businesses across the UK.

    The government has committed up to £100 million of funding initially to shape and drive early-stage research into 6G and influence global standards-setting. The UK will work closely with allies to deliver this mission – ensuring we are influential in shaping the global landscape, embedding our values into future telecoms technology, and protecting our security interests. This will support the UK’s drive to become a science superpower, as set out in the Science and Technology framework.

    Accelerating broadband rollout

    We are putting in place new plans to speed up the deployment of faster internet connectivity through work with the local authorities and the telecoms industry to further trial the use of flexible permits for roadworks to install fibre in a number of areas.

    Spectrum Statement

    Spectrum is the invisible electromagnetic waves that enables all wireless technology, from our mobile phones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices to aircraft navigation and satellite applications, amongst many other uses. The devices and services that depend on spectrum now underpin almost every aspect of our economic and social lives.

    As spectrum becomes more critical to UK strategic priorities – from communications and broadcasting to space and defence – we have also set out the government’s priorities in a new Spectrum Statement.

    This will mean better connectivity for people across the UK and better access to spectrum to support new enterprise applications that will drive the economic growth, productivity and improved public services of tomorrow.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK SMEs secure funding to transform future of freight [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK SMEs secure funding to transform future of freight [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 11 April 2023.

    Winning projects will help to create greener ways of delivering freight across the UK.

    • government funding awarded to winners of the first round of Freight Innovation Fund to decarbonise freight and improve transport links
    • innovative winning projects include remote island drones used in the Orkney Islands and lightweight 4-wheeled vehicles for deliveries
    • new solutions could help reduce pollution and traffic, create high-skilled jobs and transform how people receive their packages and goods

    Drones will be used to deliver packages on remote Scottish islands as part of 9 new innovative freight projects which have been awarded £1.2 million in government funding.

    The first winners of the Freight Innovation Fund (FIF), backed by £7 million overall, have been announced today (11 April 2023) and could help create cleaner, more innovative ways of delivering freight around the country. This could lead to reduced emissions, increased numbers of high-skilled jobs and better delivery services in hard-to-reach parts of the UK.

    The winners include Skyports Deliveries, which will use drones to improve island-to-island connectivity in the Orkney Islands, and Electric Assisted Vehicles, which is developing a 4-wheel, electrically assisted lightweight delivery vehicle to help reduce road emissions.

    The fund is one part of the government’s Future of Freight plan launched last year, setting a strategy to work closely with industry to deliver a world-class freight system, which supports economic growth and builds on the measures already taken to tackle the global HGV driver shortage.

    Roads Minister Richard Holden said:

    Whether it’s drones for deliveries on remote islands or zero emission buggies – we want to invest in future technology that could transform how we move goods around the country while reducing emissions and traffic and creating skilled jobs.

    The Freight Innovation Fund gives innovators the opportunity to test their ideas and help our freight industry become greener and more efficient – unlocking better connectivity and boosting growth across the country.

    The winning projects are led by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have designed innovative technology and are partnered with existing industry companies to explore the viability of these solutions in real-world conditions.

    The 9 projects that have been awarded funding are:

    £150,000 for Skyports Deliveries Ltd (project based in Orkney, Scotland and partnered with Royal Mail and Loganair): improving logistics in ports and hard-to-reach areas through the Orkney I-Port project. It will create an intermodal transport hub to improve island-to-island connectivity using drones to make deliveries, conduct surveys and monitoring.

    £120,000 for CurbCargo (based in London and partnered with Savills): using data to track the environmental impact of freight deliveries, which will prompt companies to change how they order products to reduce vehicle movements.

    £119,000 for Lightricity Ltd (based in Oxford and partnered with Bradford Swissport Ltd): using a unique, patented technology that harnesses the energy from indoor and low-level light sources to power battery-free tracking devices. This will help companies realise the benefits of tracking devices without the cost challenges of battery change and sustainability impacts.

    £150,000 for Electric Assisted Vehicles Ltd (based in Bicester, Oxfordshire and partnered with FedEx): developing a 4-wheel, electrically assisted lightweight delivery vehicle as an alternative to petrol and diesel vans.

    £145,000 for Otaski Energy Solutions Ltd and Syselek Ltd (based in Gateshead and partnered with Costain): trialling their cost and energy-efficient smart charge and bi-directional converter, which allows electric vehicles to charge from any power grid source and discharge energy back to the grid or storage. This could help create an intelligent vehicle fleet charging system that increases grid reliability, resilience and stability and high adaptations to variable loads.

    £129,000 for CocoonFMS Ltd (based in Lichfield, Staffordshire and partnered with Simarco Worldwide Logistics): creating a digital calculator to provide automated management of port costs and shipping expenses, providing more accurate invoice information to users, reducing port delays and improving planning of deliveries.

    £145,000 for Entopy (based in Suffolk and partnered with Fujitsu Services UK and Atamai Freight): creating a digital twin of shipments to track them during their delivery, providing vital information and supporting greater use of digital products in the freight sector.

    £133,000 for RoboK Ltd (based in Cambridge and partnered with Port of Tyne): trialling the use of their AI system to generate insights from existing video data, such as CCTV, to provide analysis on things like capacity and asset movement in real time to reduce costly delays and inefficiencies.

    £100,000 for Estudio Cactus (based in London and in cooperation with Portsmouth International Port): trialling the use of their health, safety, security and environment software to provide operators real-time information about their port to increase efficiency through improved resource management.

    The winning SMEs will benefit from a freight innovation fund accelerator, which will provide bespoke business support to help them access private investment. They will also be invited to join a “freight innovation cluster”, a community of innovators that will hold events, encourage collaboration and generate new opportunities, and stimulate growth within the wider freight sector.

    The Freight Innovation Fund aims to accelerate the adoption of existing freight technologies within the freight sector and develop a future pipeline in line with the freight industry’s real-world needs. It is a 3-year £7 million programme designed to make delivering freight across the UK more efficient and cleaner.

    The winning projects will support ideas and technology addressing 3 longstanding issues in the freight sector including:

    • a lack of large-scale cross-industry data collection and sharing between different modes of freight transport, such as road, rail and maritime, could improve efficiencies and coordination
    • difficulties in intermodal transport, such as between rail and road, and ways to improve how large consignments are broken up into smaller ones could reduce emissions and traffic
    • improvements in freight distribution in ports across different transport modes could create knock-on benefits with timings, efficiencies and predictability of the journey

    In 2022, the government published the Future of Freight plan, the first-ever cross-modal and cross-government plan for the UK freight transport sector. Government launched the Freight Innovation Fund competition, which is delivered by Connected Places Catapult (CPC), earlier this year in January.

    Nicola Yates OBE, CEO at Connected Places Catapult, said:

    The freight sector has an enormous opportunity to support jobs and growth across the UK, which is why today we are pleased to welcome the 9 SMEs to the first round of the Freight Innovation Fund Accelerator.

    Working with innovators and industry partners through our accelerator programme allows us to develop a pipeline of technology and new ideas that promise to help tackle the freight sector’s emerging needs, ensuring that resilience, efficiency and carbon reduction are core to the sector’s future.

    The Freight Innovation Fund builds on previous government initiatives designed to support increased research and development in the freight industry.

  • Bambos Charalambous – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    Bambos Charalambous – 2023 Speech on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

    The speech made by Bambos Charalambous, the Labour MP for Enfield Southgate, in the House of Commons on 23 March 2023.

    The Labour party stands for international law, human rights and a negotiated peace based on a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a sovereign Palestinian state.

    At the last elections, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went into coalition with the far right and, under that new Government, an already fragile situation has worsened. His promotion of extremists Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich has put ultra-nationalism in key positions of the Israeli Government. I am sure that the whole House will have been appalled by Smotrich’s remarks in Paris this weekend, when he denied the very existence of the Palestinian people and their culture.

    Thus far, 2023 has seen one of the highest death tolls for Palestinians and Israelis in a long time, with more than 80 Palestinians and 14 Israelis killed this year. There has been a renewed assault on the rights of Palestinians, a ramping up of inflammatory rhetoric, and dangerous new moves to try to legitimatise illegal settlements, threatening the viability of a two-state solution. Israel has suffered from terrorist attacks and a new militant threat, and the Israeli Government are also taking steps that threaten to undermine Israel’s democracy. President Netanyahu’s attempts to undermine judicial independence and dispense with equality laws for the LGBT+ community are sowing division and deep unease. The weekly mass protests in Tel Aviv, Haifa and Jerusalem demonstrate that Israeli society is now also deeply divided.

    What is the Minister’s assessment of the impact of what many in Israel see as fundamental attacks on their precious democracy? The Prime Minister has, in his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow, an opportunity to use Britain’s close relationship with Israel to take a clear stance on human rights, respect for international law and commitment to democracy. I am deeply concerned that the recently signed road map for UK-Israel bilateral relations dilutes long-standing UK positions, held by successive Governments, in relation to international law. The road map makes no mention of supporting a two-state solution, and it implies that settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories could be treated as part of Israel for the purposes of trade. Can the Minister tell the House whether the road map amounts to a change in policy, will she reiterate that the Government still support a two-state solution, and will she make it clear that the UK deplores the current escalation of violence?

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan

    It is always encouraging to hear both sides of the House agree that the UK’s position on the middle east process finding a resolution is that we want to see a negotiated settlement leading to a safe and secure Israel living side by side with a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states, and a just, fair, agreed and realistic settlement for refugees. That remains a clear position and has not changed.

    The road map that the Foreign Secretary signed with his counterpart earlier in the week in London fulfils the commitments that were made in the November 2021 memorandum of understanding on strengthening co-operation across a range of relationships around our economic, security and technology ties and, importantly, advancing our co-operation on environmental and climate change issues, and leveraging our combined strengths in that area to address some of the global health challenges. It also contains provisions on the importance of regional co-operation in working together to expand the historic Abraham accords. That is a series of practical issues that we will work upon together with our Israeli friends, but it does not in any way change the UK’s position—it is good to hear the shadow Minister set out the same—on the agreed settlement that we continue to support.

  • PRESS RELEASE : As Russia sources weapons for its war, it is violating the very UN sanctions it helped to draft – UK Statement at the Security Council [April 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : As Russia sources weapons for its war, it is violating the very UN sanctions it helped to draft – UK Statement at the Security Council [April 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 10 April 2023.

    Statement by Deputy Political Coordinator Alice Jacobs at the UN Security Council debate on export of weapons and military equipment.

    I’d like to start by congratulating Mozambique on their Presidency in March and also thank you to Under-Secretary-General Nakamitsu for her briefing today.

    As the perpetrator of a war of aggression against a sovereign nation, Russia has taken up the Security Council Presidency while it fails to meet the most basic obligations of a UN Member State.

    Russia’s decision to unleash an illegal war of choice on an innocent people threatens the fundamental principles of the Security Council. And as it sources weapons for its war, Russia is violating the very UN sanctions it helped to draft, on states such as Iran and the DPRK.

    The wider consequences of this war on food and commodity prices are severe, and are likely to drive further conflict. The UK calls on all other states to cease assistance to the Russian military and its affiliated forces. Arming the aggressor state is fuelling global instability.

    To preserve the Charter principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, Member States should assist Ukraine to protect itself from this aggression, in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter. The UK has provided a wide range of equipment and support to Ukraine and will continue to do so, as a responsible UN Member State.

    Colleagues, the diversion and misuse of conventional arms costs hundreds of thousands of lives every year across the world, undermines security and sustainable development, and fuels conflict, crime and terrorism.

    The Security Council can play an important role on this issue, complementary to multilateral and national processes. Regrettably, it is Russia that has long sought to undermine this work – opposing new texts and consistently abstaining from resolutions on this issue, such as resolution 2117 in 2013, resolution 2220 in 2015, and resolution 2616 in 2021.

    The UK operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. We are committed to full implementation and universalisation of the Arms Trade Treaty. And we remain committed to all related UN mechanisms, including the UN programme of action on small arms and light weapons. We will continue to support appropriate measures through the Security Council.

    Colleagues, let me finish by restating one simple point. If Russia is serious about strengthening international peace and security its first action should be to end its illegal invasion, withdraw from Ukraine and uphold its responsibilities under the UN Charter.