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Tag: 2023

  • Mark Menzies – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Reforming the Leasehold System

    Mark Menzies – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Reforming the Leasehold System

    The parliamentary question asked by Mark Menzies, the Conservative MP for Fylde, in the House of Commons on 9 January 2023.

    Mark Menzies (Fylde) (Con)

    Whether his Department is taking steps to reform the leasehold system.

    Richard Fuller (North East Bedfordshire) (Con)

    If he will bring forward legislative proposals to give freeholders rights to directly challenge management and service charges equivalent to those of leaseholders.

    The Minister of State, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Lucy Frazer)

    The Government are committed to building on the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 and delivering the second phase of our major two-part leasehold reform programme within this Parliament. This will make it easier for leaseholders to purchase their freeholds and will establish greater fairness between those parties.

    bI welcome the steps taken by my right hon. and learned Friend and look forward to seeing them progress into law. Nationally, much of the focus has been on high-rise flats, but in Fylde there are many new housing developments completed in recent years with leasehold issues of their own. In light of that, what action is she taking to ensure that these reforms include those living on recently completed housing developments?

    Lucy Frazer

    I can give my hon. Friend assurance that the many measures we will bring in will affect not only new purchasers but existing leaseholders. We will be bringing forward legislation later in this Parliament.

    Richard Fuller

    In my constituency, Councillor Weir of Great Denham, Councillor Gallagher of Shortstown and Councillor Dixon of Stotfold are leading efforts on behalf of local residents who own a freehold property to challenge excessive fees, lack of transparency and poor service by estate management companies. Will the Minister review the terms of reference of the property ombudsman to make it easier for homeowners—freeholders—to challenge these unfair practices?

    Lucy Frazer

    My hon. Friend is right to highlight unfairness in relation to freeholders. Estate management companies must be more accountable to homeowners on how money is spent to maintain privately managed estates. We will be giving freehold owners on these estates new rights to challenge costs and appoint a manager, as well as requiring private estate management companies to join a redress scheme.

    Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)

    The Minister will know that in some parts of the country, residents are impacted by chief rents. The Rentcharges Act 1977 extinguishes all chief rents in 2037, but many of the property companies that hold the chief rents are now using sharp practices and scams to con their residents out of extra money by sending questionnaires to residents about home improvements they have had. What is she doing to tighten up on these scams and sharp practices?

    Lucy Frazer

    The hon. Member makes an important point, and I know that freeholders are paying charges for maintaining communal areas, known colloquially as “fleecehold”. It is something we are looking at, and I am happy to update him on that.

    Hilary Benn (Leeds Central) (Lab)

    Just before Christmas, a constituent of mine received a service charge bill in respect of her leasehold flat for fire-stopping works. Leaseholders rightly believe they should not have to pay to fix fire safety defects, and they think the Building Safety Act 2022 protects them from having to do so. Can the Minister therefore set out for the House in what circumstances it is still lawful for the owner of a building to charge leaseholders to fix fire safety defects?

    Lucy Frazer

    As the right hon. Gentleman will know, we are taking a number of steps in the Building Safety Act 2022 to strengthen protections for the residents living in these buildings. The Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Derbyshire (Lee Rowley), or I will write to the right hon. Gentleman on his specific question.

    Sir Peter Bottomley (Worthing West) (Con)

    I welcome what the Minister has said about bringing forward legislation, which this House needs to pass as soon as possible, to protect leaseholders in ways put forward by the Law Commission, with proposals commissioned by the Government. Will she also consider how to make leaseholders parties to the building insurance for which they pay the premiums? For some reason, they are not thought to have an interest in it, but they should. That needs to change.

    Lucy Frazer

    I have had a number of conversations with my hon. Friend; I know he is very committed to this area. He will know that we are bringing in legislation in due course that will make it much easier for leaseholders to enfranchise their leases. I am already looking at the particular area that he mentions.

    Justin Madders (Ellesmere Port and Neston) (Lab)

    Last month marked five years since a previous Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Sajid Javid), promised to liberate leaseholders from “feudal practices”. We have obviously had some progress in terms of new builds, but existing leaseholders are still facing the same problems. I recognise the warm words from the Minister, but can she confirm that we will see legislation coming forward this year to deal with all the existing problems that leaseholders face?

    Lucy Frazer

    What I can confirm is that we will be bringing forward legislation in this Parliament to make valuations easier for those extending their leases, to make the lease extension experience easier and cheaper, to make it quicker for freeholders to take control of the management of their buildings with a right to manage and a number of other measures.

  • David Linden – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Strength of the Union

    David Linden – 2023 Parliamentary Question on the Strength of the Union

    The parliamentary question asked by David Linden, the SNP MP for Glasgow East, in the House of Commons on 9 January 2023.

    David Linden (Glasgow East) (SNP)

    What assessment he has made of the strength of the Union.

    Alan Brown (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (SNP)

    What assessment he has made of the strength of the Union.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Felicity Buchan)

    When we work together as one United Kingdom, we are safer, stronger and more prosperous. We are better able to tackle the big problems—from supporting families with the cost of living, to leading the international response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and to being a world leader in offering the vaccine to all our citizens. We are taking specific action in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, including putting local voices at the heart of decision making.

    David Linden

    Oh—is it still Monday? Six of the last seven polls in Scotland have shown majority support for Scottish independence. What does the Minister think is driving up that support? Is it the ignoring of the majority of pro-independence MSPs? Is it the assault on workers through the anti-trade union legislation coming forward? Or it just 12 long, brutal years of Tory rule, for which Scotland has not voted since the 1950s?

    Felicity Buchan

    We respect the priorities of the Scottish people, who are focused on improving the NHS, on education, on tackling inflation and on getting a ferry that actually works and takes them to the islands. We will work in co-operation with the Scottish Government. We respect devolution and we want to work with them to implement the people’s priorities.

    Alan Brown

    If the Government and the Minister, as a proud Scot, respect the wishes of Scottish voters, surely they will respect the votes in the last Scottish parliamentary election, which elected a pro-independence majority in Parliament. Also, an opinion poll last year showed that 72% of Scots want to remain in the EU—what has happened to respecting that wish? If this is a voluntary Union, what is the mechanism for the people of Scotland to demonstrate their consent or otherwise to staying in it?

    Felicity Buchan

    I am very proud to be a Scots person. The hon. Gentleman mentioned the 2021 Holyrood elections: less than one third of the Scottish electorate voted for the SNP in that election.

    Mr Speaker

    I call the SNP spokesperson.

    Chris Stephens (Glasgow South West) (SNP)

    A guid new year tae yin and a’, and monie may ye see.

    The Minister talks about Administrations working together, so how is it working together when the Government propose unpopular and extreme legislation, such as the proposed anti-strike legislation that they have trailed in the media, which no devolved Administration support and which has not been consulted on? How is that strengthening the Union?

    Felicity Buchan

    This Government work tirelessly with the devolved Administrations. I have been in post for only a few months, and I have had two conversations specifically on Homes for Ukraine with the Scottish and Welsh Administrations. In the first three quarters of last year, there were more than 200 departmental meetings. The Prime Minister, within three weeks of taking office, met the First Ministers in Blackpool. That is the commitment of this Government.

    Chris Stephens

    If the devolved Administrations say no to the proposed anti-strike legislation, the Government will accept that then, will they not?

    Felicity Buchan

    We have established procedures in place. We are there to discuss.

  • Bill Esterson – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Interest Rates and Inflation Impacting on Inequality

    Bill Esterson – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Interest Rates and Inflation Impacting on Inequality

    The parliamentary question asked by Bill Esterson, the Labour MP for Sefton Central, in the House of Commons on 9 January 2023.

    Bill Esterson (Sefton Central) (Lab)

    What assessment he has made of the potential impact of changes in the level of (a) interest rates and (b) inflation on regional inequality.

    Gavin Newlands (Paisley and Renfrewshire North) (SNP)

    What recent assessment he has made of the impact of increases in inflation on the adequacy of levelling-up funding.

    The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Dehenna Davison)

    I wish you a very happy new year, Mr Speaker.

    The recent autumn statement protected the most vulnerable by uprating benefits and pensions with inflation, strengthening the energy price guarantee, and providing cost of living payments for those who are most in need. My Department is continuing to analyse and respond to the challenges that inflation presents to the delivery of our levelling-up programmes and the levelling-up agenda, working closely with the places affected. We are continuing to explore what other support can be offered to mitigate against those inflationary pressures.

    Bill Esterson

    Happy new year, Mr Speaker.

    According to the Department, construction of major projects has stalled because industry prices are well above the headline rates of inflation. As the Minister knows, UK inflation is projected to be the highest in the G7 this year, as it was last year. In the north-west, the Government have cut £206 million from the much-needed shared prosperity fund, so will the Minister confirm that her Department will make up the shortfall in the funds to help the construction industry play its part in rebuilding the economy and communities across the country?

    Dehenna Davison

    I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for bringing attention to the shared prosperity fund, which is just one of the many measures that this Government have put in place to help to promote investment in local areas right across the country. One point that I draw his attention to is that, in recognising the challenging landscape that we face at the moment, our Department is making an additional £65 million of funding available to successful applicants to ensure that they can take on board consultants, train up extra staff and increase their capacity so that they are responding to the challenges that they face.

    Gavin Newlands

    Happy new year, Mr Speaker. It is great to see the former Prime Minister, the right hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), take a break from his career break to come and join us today—he is very welcome.

    The UK is already the second most unequal G7 country, with inflation higher in poorer regions—including many parts of the west of Scotland—than in London and the south-east of England. That is set to become even worse as a consequence of the Tory cost of living crisis. Local initiatives such as the Clyde green freeport are designed to boost economic prospects in the west of Scotland, but inequality is still a major impediment to economic growth. How can the Tories fix that inequality when they largely caused it in the first place and have spent the last decade making it worse?

    Dehenna Davison

    I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for again drawing attention to the green freeports programme, which will provide brilliant opportunities for residents in Scotland; we hope to make an announcement on that incredibly soon. I draw his attention to the incredible UK Government funds going into Scotland: the UK shared prosperity fund, the levelling-up fund and the community ownership fund—all things that Scottish people can access thanks to the UK Government improving opportunities for Scottish people.

    Sara Britcliffe (Hyndburn) (Con)

    Happy new year, Mr Speaker.

    In Hyndburn and Haslingden, we welcome the shared prosperity funding we have received, which will support places such as Haslingden market. But after significant stakeholder engagement, we now eagerly await the outcome of our levelling-up fund bid. Can the Minister confirm that the results will be known before the end of the month?

    Dehenna Davison

    I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who is an excellent champion for her community—this is not the first time she has bent my ear on the levelling-up fund, and I am sure it will not be the last. I can confirm that we will announce the full outcome of the levelling-up fund by the end of January.

    Sir Jake Berry (Rossendale and Darwen) (Con)

    In Darwen, our town deal is absolutely crucial as part of our levelling-up plan. However, because of inflation, not only is time a wasting asset, but so is the value of that deal. Will the Minister meet me and representatives of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council to discuss how we can speed up the release of the Darwen town deal funds?

    Dehenna Davison

    Yes, I absolutely will.

    Mr Speaker

    I call the shadow Minister.

    Sarah Owen (Luton North) (Lab)

    Thank you, Mr Speaker, and happy new year.

    Conservative failure to tackle regional inequality is just one in a long list of let-downs. Thirteen years of Tory rule, and parts of the UK have plunged further and further into poverty. Local authorities spent over £27 million applying for levelling-up bids, only for many to lose out—places such as Barnsley and Knowsley, which have been denied multiple bids with little transparency, leaving many colleagues in the dark and resorting to questioning Ministers about local bids, with no answers at all. Will the Minister please clarify the lack of transparency and the financial costs of these bids to cash-strapped councils, particularly during the cost of living crisis?

    Dehenna Davison

    I thank the shadow Minister for her question. We are keen to get the levelling-up funding announced by the end of the month, with additional funding to what we were originally forecast to put out. We had £1.7 billion in the pot; we are now going to be divvying out £2.1 billion to local areas that really need it. It is the Conservative Government who deliver for the people across this country.

  • Priti Patel – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Unsuitable Development Proposals

    Priti Patel – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Unsuitable Development Proposals

    The parliamentary question asked by Priti Patel, the Conservative MP for Witham, in the House of Commons on 9 January 2023.

    Priti Patel (Witham) (Con)

    What steps he is taking to help communities protect themselves from potentially unsuitable development proposals.

    The Minister of State, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Lucy Frazer)

    Mr Speaker, I would like to start by apologising on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for his absence from the Chamber. As I believe you and the hon. Member for Wigan (Lisa Nandy) are aware, he has a family reason that means he is unable to be here today.

    The Government are taking action to protect communities from inappropriate development through measures in the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill and through our proposals for updating the national policy planning framework, which we launched for consultation at the end of last year. Those proposals include giving increased weight to plans in decision making, removing the requirement to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply where a plan is up to date and strengthening the protections from speculative development for areas that have a neighbourhood plan that meets its housing requirement.

    Priti Patel

    The Minister is well aware that communities across the Witham constituency, including many villages such as Hatfield Peverel, Tollesbury, Tiptree and Black Notley, have been subject to speculative developments, some of which have gone through on appeals from builders in particular or have been approved by councils concerned about their five-year land supply. What assurances can she and the Government give my constituents, who are fighting against many speculative developers and developments, that the Government’s planning policies are on the side of those communities?

    Lucy Frazer

    I am very aware of the issues my right hon. Friend raises, because we discussed them at length as the Bill was going through the House. I am grateful for her contributions, which have strengthened the Bill. I know that communities, including in her constituency, invest considerable time and effort in preparing neighbourhood plans, and I understand their frustrations when decisions go against their wishes. The current NPPF already provides important additional protection from speculative development for areas with a neighbourhood plan, but we want to go even further. We have just published proposals to increase protections for areas, including those with neighbourhood plans. Those proposals are now out for consultation and I know the Secretary of State will consider all views carefully before making a final decision.

    Mr Speaker

    I call the Chair of the Select Committee.

    Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab)

    Happy new year to you, Mr Speaker, and to everyone else.

    The consultation on the NPPF before Christmas included quite a lot of flexibilities and potential for changes on the standard methodology that would be the basis for calculating the housing needs assessment, but the one area where there did not seem to be much flexibility was the urban uplift. Can the Minister justify the 35% uplift and set out how it has been calculated for each of the urban areas? Secondly, in cases such as that of Sheffield, where the urban uplift will force development on to greenfield sites and the green belt, will there be flexibility so that the extra amount from the urban uplift does not have to be applied where it can do real damage to local communities?

    Lucy Frazer

    I am sure other hon. Members have questions for me and other Ministers about the importance of infrastructure where we have development. Developments in urban areas have the benefit of that infrastructure, and it is important to build houses where there is infrastructure, so that uplift remains. However, the hon. Gentleman mentioned the green belt, and we are very conscious of the impact of building on green belt. There will be strengthened protections around that in the NPPF.

    Boris Johnson (Uxbridge and South Ruislip) (Con)

    Does my right hon. and learned Friend agree that the best way to stop building housing in unsuitable areas is to build more on brownfield sites across the country? Is it not therefore all the more tragic that under the current Labour Mayor of London, house building has gone off a cliff because he remains obsessed with unrealistic targets for social housing in every development, stopping good projects from going ahead and depriving the people of this city and this country of houses for sale and for market rent, and of social housing as well?

    Lucy Frazer

    My right hon. Friend makes an excellent point, as always. We do agree that it is important that we build first on brownfield land. That is why we have a brownfield-first policy that we are absolutely committed to, and a brownfield fund to encourage investment in those areas. It is, of course, important that we have social housing, affordable housing and homes that first-time buyers can buy. But it is important that we have mixed developments, and that those houses are in the right places and in the right quantities.

    Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Lab/Co-op)

    Happy new year, Mr Speaker.

    York is becoming unrecognisable as developers are building not only luxury student accommodation but luxury apartments across our city when we desperately need social and affordable homes. That is leading to the highest price rises in housing across the country—a staggering 23.1% last year—pricing out my constituents. How will the Minister ensure that local authorities just build housing according to need rather than the want of developers?

    Lucy Frazer

    We do ensure that. We are committed to ensuring that we have in our new infrastructure the same amount of affordable housing that we have at the moment. As I am sure the hon. Member is aware, we have a fund of £11.5 billion going into affordable housing so that developers can create the houses that people not only want but need.

  • PRESS RELEASE : UK pledges extra support to help Pakistan rebuild after floods [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : UK pledges extra support to help Pakistan rebuild after floods [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 9 January 2023.

    UK and international partners join a conference co-hosted by Pakistan and the UN in Geneva to help garner support for Pakistan’s flooding response and recovery.

    • Minister Andrew Mitchell will announce funding package at international conference in Geneva
    • British support will provide water, sanitation, cash, and shelter, on top of funding already pledged to boost climate resilience and adaptation
    • More than 17,000 households in Pakistan have already been helped with clean water and healthcare
    • The UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched a Pakistan Appeal last September, which has had an amazing response from the British people with over £40 million raised, including £5m of UK Aid Match funding. This money will fund leading UK aid charities which are providing emergency relief on the ground

    The UK and its international partners will today (Monday 9 January) join forces to support Pakistan rebuild and recover from the unprecedented floods last summer that affected tens of thousands of people.

    Pakistan and the UN are jointly hosting a conference in Geneva to help raise support for the country’s recovery and reconstruction.

    Last year, Pakistan was on the front line of the impact of climate change when catastrophic flooding swept away homes and livelihoods, leaving 20 million in need of humanitarian assistance.

    It is estimated the country will need around $16 billion for the next three to five years to rebuild the devastation.

    The UK, one of the first countries to respond to the disaster, is today allocating over £9 million from its Pakistan budget to help tackle the impact of the flooding, bringing the total it has now committed to the humanitarian response to £36 million.

    This new allocation will help provide those most in need with essential services, and will also support the Government to plan for a climate resilient future. Support from the UK is providing water, sanitation, and hygiene to help prevent waterborne diseases, as well as nutrition to tackle malnutrition, cash support, shelter and protection services for women and girls.

    This funding is in addition to support the UK has already pledged for climate resilience and adaptation in Pakistan.

    Andrew Mitchell will speak at the conference, co-hosted by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and UN Secretary General António Guterres.

    Andrew Mitchell is expected to say:

    I visited Pakistan following the 2010 floods and saw the devastating impact on some of the world’s most vulnerable people. We stood by Pakistan then, as we do now.

    He will also say

    Looking to the future, it is crucial to build defences against weather-related disasters, as our changing climate puts us more and more at risk. This is why the UK will help Pakistan to adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change.

  • Huw Merriman – 2023 Statement on the Proposed development of the A47 Wansford to Sutton

    Huw Merriman – 2023 Statement on the Proposed development of the A47 Wansford to Sutton

    The statement made by Huw Merriman, the Minister of State at the Department for Transport, in the House of Commons on 9 January 2023.

    I have been asked by my Right Honourable Friend, the Secretary of State, to make this written ministerial statement. This statement concerns the application made under the Planning Act 2008 for the proposed development by National Highways of the A47 Wansford to Sutton.

    Under section 107(1) of the Planning Act 2008, the Secretary of State must make his decision within 3 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 Secretary of State received the examining authority’s report on the A47 Wansford to Sutton Development consent order application on 11 October 2022 and the current deadline is 11 January 2023.

    The deadline for the decision is to be extended to 17 February 2023 to allow for further consultation on a number of outstanding issues and to allow sufficient time for the analysis of responses to the consultation.

    The decision to set a new deadline is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant development consent.

  • PRESS RELEASE : New biosecurity strategy to protect food security, trade and plant health [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : New biosecurity strategy to protect food security, trade and plant health [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 January 2023.

    A new action plan to protect plants from pests and diseases was published today (Monday 9 January) by Defra, in partnership with the Forestry Commission and the Scottish and Welsh Governments.

    The Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain sets out a five-year vision for plant health, consisting of an action plan to secure national biosecurity, protect native species and drive economic growth. It positions the UK as a global leader in plant biosecurity, setting out our vision to create a new biosecurity regime and bio-secure plant supply chain, which will safeguard food security and help mitigate the effects of climate change. It comes following updated figures which show that plants provide an annual value of £15.7 billion to the United Kingdom.

    Specific actions include expanding the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s Internet Trading Unit to step up monitoring of online retailers and social media sites for the trade of high-risk plant products, in order to stop potentially devastating pests and diseases from entering the country. Additionally, the strategy sets out how more than 30 signatories, including Defra, the Royal Horticultural Society, National Farmers Union and the Woodland Trust, will deliver an ambitious programme of behavioural change across society through the Public Engagement in Plant Health Accord. This one-of-a-kind collective commitment will kickstart a national conversation around biosecurity and promote the actions that the public can take to protect tree and plant health.

    Lord Benyon, Minister for Biosecurity, said:

    This landmark strategy sets out how we will protect Great Britain’s plants, with the government, industry and the public working together to tackle the risks posed by plant pests and diseases. In light of climate change, tackling these varied and mounting risks will be critical to maintaining our food security, as well as facilitating safe trade amidst a challenging economic backdrop.

    Today’s announcement demonstrates this Government’s ironclad commitment to protecting and restoring our natural environment for future generations, as we deliver on our tree planting targets and ambition to achieve net zero.

    Nicola Spence, UK Chief Plant Health Officer, said:

    Plant pests and diseases know no borders. As the global trade in plants and plant products continues to grow, our precious ecosystems, native species and biosecurity are at risk. The resultant threats posed to our treescapes, food security and the global economy are all too real.

    Therefore, I am proud to officially launch the Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain, which will deliver a step change in our plant health protections, actions and behaviours. This will position Great Britain as a global leader in plant biosecurity and set an example for the world to follow.

    Lesley Griffiths, the Welsh Government’s Minister for Rural Affairs, said:

    The Plant Biosecurity Strategy emphasises our commitment to protect the health of our plants. Plants are the foundation of our ecosystems and provide life to the whole food chain. The strategy outlines what we will do, working with others, to further protect this vital resource.

    Sara Lom, The Tree Council CEO, said:

    The Tree Council was created nearly 50 years ago in response to Dutch elm disease and now leads activity into the devastating impacts of ash dieback. From first-hand experience, we know that effective biosecurity is vital in defence of Britain’s trees and plants.

    We welcome the launch of the Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain and look forward to working with Defra and partners to protect our treescape.

    The Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain will also set out how enhancements to the UK Plant Health Risk Register, which currently lists 1,200 pests and diseases of potential threat to our biosecurity, will improve our understanding of complex and cumulative risks to plant health. As part of this, an array of new plant health IT systems will bolster our outbreak preparedness and emergency response.

    Incorporated into the strategy is a commitment to work with the UK Plant Health Alliance to develop a new five-year roadmap for the Plant Healthy certification scheme, which provides biosecurity certification to nurseries, businesses and charities operating in the horticultural sector. RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Yorkshire has become the first public garden in England to be certified as Plant Healthy, in recognition of its work to prevent the introduction and spread of plant pests, diseases and invasive species and promote good plant health.

    The strategy also emphasises the collective role and responsibilities we all have in upholding high standards of biosecurity — for example, the importance of not bringing home plants, trees, fruit and seeds from overseas, as doing so could inadvertently cause pests, diseases and invasive species to be introduced or to spread in new areas. This aligns with the UK Government’s long-running ‘Don’t Risk It!’ campaign, which featured on the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s Gold Medal-winning stand at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022.

    The strategy builds on the work achieved under the previous 2014 strategy as well as the consultation launched in September 2021 by Defra, the Forestry Commission, the governments of Scotland and Wales, and our agencies and delivery partners. It follows the convening of the world’s first International Plant Health Conference in London last year, which brought together 500 policymakers, academics and experts from over 74 countries to address current and future plant health challenges.

    Today’s announcement comes ahead of the publication of the GB Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Strategy in early 2023. This will set out coordinated actions across society to prevent the arrival of new INNS and tackle the impacts of those established – securing our biosecurity and minimising their environmental and economic impacts.

    The Plant Biosecurity Strategy for Great Britain (2023 to 2028) is available here.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Reforms outlined for Britain’s capacity market to secure a clean energy future [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Reforms outlined for Britain’s capacity market to secure a clean energy future [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 9 January 2023.

    UK government outlines important proposals to reform Great Britain’s Capacity Market, ensuring it is fit for a net zero future while ensuring the security of our electricity supply.

    • Consultation launched to reform GB’s Capacity Market, the government’s main mechanism for ensuring security of electricity supply
    • proposals will improve the robustness of the energy supply and provide greater incentive for investment in low carbon technologies central to homegrown energy
    • this consultation is a step in the government’s long term plan to enhance energy security and deliver a net zero power system

    Improved energy security and a more secure transition to net zero are set to be delivered through the UK government’s significant proposals to reform Great Britain’s Capacity Market (CM).

    The Capacity Market is the scheme that sits at the heart of the government’s strategy for ensuring security of electricity supply in Great Britain, using competitive auctions to make sure there is enough reliable capacity to meet Great Britain’s peak electricity demands, safeguarding against the possibility of future blackouts.

    Since its introduction in 2014, the landscape in which the Capacity Market operates has shifted with renewable energy now making up a significant proportion of our electricity generation system. To ensure the Capacity Market is fit for the future, the government is today publishing action plans to ensure the scheme keeps pace with this transition to cleaner energy sources and technologies – often cheaper than fossil fuel counterparts – and can support the delivery of a decarbonised power system by 2035, without compromising security of supply.

    This includes consulting on new contracts for low carbon technologies to incentivise their participation in CM auctions, creating new timelines and requirements for oil and gas generators to reduce emissions from 2034, such as through implementing carbon capture and hydrogen to decarbonise and reducing running hours, and strengthening the scheme’s ability deliver security of supply in times of electricity system stress.

    Energy and Climate Minister, Graham Stuart, said:

    As we move towards cleaner and cheaper energy, it is essential that the UK provides secure and affordable energy for all.

    The plans set out today will deliver this reliable energy and ensure the scheme that sits at the heart of Britain’s energy security is fit for the future.

    Through competitive auctions between technologies such as batteries and gas-fired generators, the Capacity Market secures the capacity needed to cope with future demand peaks at least cost to consumers.

    Innovative technologies, such as batteries, are playing an increasingly important role in keeping the lights on across Great Britain. New technologies, such as Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) and hydrogen power and storage, are expected to come online over the coming decade, as the UK continues to lead the world in decarbonising.

    To accommodate this, the government is setting out today the following proposals to reform Great Britain’s Capacity Market.

    Incentivising greener, flexible technologies to compete in CM auctions by offering multi-year contracts for low carbon flexible capacity, such as smart ‘demand side response’ technologies and smaller-scale electricity storage, supporting the move towards delivering secure, clean and affordable British energy in the long term.

    Ensuring a clear pathway for carbon intensive forms of capacity as the UK transitions to net zero and the capacity mix of the CM diversifies, by sending a clear signal to oil and gas generators about the timelines and requirements for emissions reduction in the 2030s and seeking evidence on mitigating any barriers this capacity may face in decarbonising.

    Underpinning these efforts with a proposed new lower emissions limit in the Capacity Market which will kick in for new build plants from 1 October 2034, meaning all new oil and gas plants receiving long term agreements through the CM will be obliged to lower emissions, through decarbonising their capacity by introducing carbon capture, hydrogen and other low carbon methods into their generation and by reducing running hours.

    Taking steps to strengthen the scheme’s ability to deliver security of supply by reforming the CM’s approach to performance testing to ensure confidence as early as possible in the winter that capacity is available and strengthening the non-delivery penalty regime to send a clear signal that capacity must deliver in times of electricity system stress.

    Today’s announcement forms part of the government’s work to reduce the UK’s exposure to volatile global gas markets and energy costs for consumers in the long term as part of the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA). The government continues to seek views on a wide range of energy reform options, with an update on REMA expected early this year.

    RenewableUK’s Chief Executive Dan McGrail said:

    It’s vital that we decarbonise our electricity system completely by 2035, so this consultation represents an important step forward in that process. We need to incentivise more investment in new low carbon flexibility in our modern energy system based on renewable technologies including wind, solar, tidal stream and green hydrogen. This will strengthen the UK’s energy security, enabling us to move closer towards energy independence in the years ahead.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Procurement Bill to unleash opportunities for SMEs to be debated in Parliament [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Procurement Bill to unleash opportunities for SMEs to be debated in Parliament [January 2023]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 9 January 2023.

    • Procurement Bill, which will simplify four sets of laws into one, to have Second Reading today in House of Commons
    • The simpler, more flexible and less complicated rules will open up more government procurement for small businesses and voluntary and community groups
    • Bill takes advantage of post-Brexit opportunities, allowing the UK to shape its own procurement rules, while complying with international obligations

    Transformative new rules which rip up bureaucratic EU regulations will be debated in the House of Commons today.

    The Procurement Bill, which will have its Second Reading in the House of Commons, will make it easier for small businesses (SMEs) to win more of the £300billion of goods, services and works that the government buys each year.

    The Bill introduces new rules to help the government procure in emergency situations, such as during health pandemics, ensuring that contracting authorities can act quickly and transparently to buy vital goods.

    These simpler rules take advantage of freedoms now that Britain has left the EU, as well as strengthening the government’s ability to exclude suppliers who may have previously underperformed on government work. The rules will help exclude suppliers, both in the UK and overseas who are involved in modern slavery – further clamping down on this abhorrent practice.

    The Bill also confirms that value for money remains paramount during contracting, whilst also encouraging buyers to take into account other relevant wider social and environmental considerations the supplier may bring.

    Minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin said:

    We are making public sector procurement simpler, more transparent and easier to navigate.

    This Bill will seize the opportunity presented by Brexit to rip up outdated rules, increase opportunities for smaller companies and deliver better value for public money.

    We are determined to deliver the best possible results from the £300billion the public sector spends each year on procurement.

    That’s why by ending the complicated web of rules and regulations inherited from the EU to even bid for public sector work, we will ensure smaller companies are better able to bring their drive, ingenuity and innovation to Government.

    SMEs

    The new, more flexible rules will benefit SMEs in particular, through a number of provisions being written into the Bill to lift barriers for small businesses. These include:

    • Greater visibility of upcoming work, giving SMEs more time to gear up for bidding
    • A new central platform showing future work in each area. This means for example a new SME tech firm in Lancashire will be able to search for tech opportunities upcoming in their region
    • Creating one single website to register on, rather than the multiple and time consuming systems SMEs currently have to register on before bidding for work
    • Reducing unnecessary insurance costs before a supplier has even bid for a contract
    • A new Competitive Flexible procedure, which will allow contractors to design more innovation into the process, benefiting smaller tech startups
    • Strengthening prompt payment, so that businesses throughout the public sector supply chain receive payment within 30 days

    To further underline how the Bill will help SMEs, the Cabinet Office is today publishing a document outlining the benefits of the changes for prospective suppliers.

    Cabinet Office Minister Alex Burhart said:

    We know that complex rules have long been one of the major challenges for SMEs trying to win government work.

    And while government spending with small businesses is rising, we want to turbocharge this growth.

    This Bill will deliver on that, making it easier for SMEs, who make up 99% of UK businesses, to compete for and win government contracts, through smarter, simpler and more flexible regulations.

    Elizabeth Vega, Group CEO of Informed Solutions, said:

    SMEs are vital for growth in our economy and vibrant local communities. They are often the largest local employers, the most active members of our local communities, and amongst those businesses most willing to invest in their local communities, train and upskill their staff.

    So I am delighted that Government is strengthening the support for this sector in its proposed reforms. In particular, placing a specific requirement on public sector buyers to ensure a level playing field for small and medium sized suppliers by addressing the procurement barriers that these businesses often face in competing for public sector contract opportunities.

    Emergency procurement and transparency

    The Bill will make procurement more transparent and effective during times of emergency, for example a health pandemic, where government needs to act quickly to buy vital goods and services at speed.

    During the COVID pandemic, the UK, along with many other countries internationally, relied on direct awards to ensure that vital supplies, such as life-saving PPE, were bought quickly and to high standards.

    The new rules will bring more competition into this process, by encouraging more competitive buying in a quick time frame.

    The normal tendering process takes a minimum of 30 days, which is not practical in most emergency circumstances. The Bill will allow faster competition processes for emergency buying, reducing the reliance on direct awards while retaining and improving the government’s ability to act at pace in situations similar to the COVID pandemic. Clearer requirements on the identification and management of conflicts of interest for those involved in and responsible for procurement are also part of the Bill.

    Supplier exclusion

    The Bill will put in place a new exclusions framework that will make it easier for government to exclude suppliers who have underperformed on other contracts. It will also create a new ‘debarment register’, accessible to all public sector organisations, which will list companies who should be excluded from contracts. The Bill will also strengthen the government’s ability to exclude suppliers from bidding for work if there’s evidence of modern slavery in their supply chain, both in the UK or overseas.

  • PRESS RELEASE : David Woodward appointed to the National Savings & Investments Board [January 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : David Woodward appointed to the National Savings & Investments Board [January 2023]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 9 January 2023.

    David Woodward has been appointed as a non-executive director to the board of the National Savings & Investments bank (NS&I), the Economic Secretary announced today.

    David’s three-year term officially began on 3rd January 2023. He began his career as a qualified accountant and has worked in senior roles in the private, public and charity sectors.

    His executive career has seen him work in senior finance positions successfully delivering strategic change within large and complex businesses.

    Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Griffith said:

    I’d like to welcome David to his new role. His experience in customer-facing businesses will bring a unique perspective to the NS&I board, and ensure the organisation continues to deliver new and innovative services at the nation’s savings bank.

    In 2008, David commenced his non-executive career, and he has over 10 years of financial services experience and over 5 years working with community and hospital NHS Trusts. He is an experienced audit committee chair. He is also currently a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Hinckley and Rugby Building Society, and he will complete his final term on the Board in March 2023.

    David is also a Trustee of the charity the Consumers’ Association and an Independent Committee Member of the Finance and Estates Committee for Trent.