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Tag: 2023

  • PRESS RELEASE : We must adapt for an ageing population says Chief Medical Officer [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : We must adapt for an ageing population says Chief Medical Officer [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 10 November 2023.

    Professor Chris Whitty’s annual report says we can improve older citizens’ quality of life, and this should be a major aim of policy and medical practice.

    • Successive governments and professional bodies have not recognised the degree to which the population living in older age is concentrating geographically
    • The rise of multiple conditions in the same older person (multimorbidity) requires changes in medical training, NHS services and research

    The fact that people are living longer compared to a century ago is a triumph of medicine and public health but an expansion of the period in ill health is not inevitable.

    England’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Professor Chris Whitty, in his annual report published today (10 November 2023) says we need to focus on how to maximise the independence and minimise the time in ill health between reaching older age and the end of life. Quality, enjoyment and independence should be the principal aims.

    The report, Professor Whitty’s fourth as CMO, describes how we can maintain older people’s independence via 2 broad complementary approaches:

    • reduce disease, to prevent, delay or minimise disability and frailty
    • change the environment so that people can maintain their independence longer

    The geography of older age in England is already skewed away from large urban areas towards more rural, coastal and other peripheral areas, and will become more so. Efforts to achieve shorter periods in ill health and an easier environment for those with disabilities should concentrate on areas of the country where the need is going to be greatest.

    The report makes the case that older people are currently underserved in healthcare, with less accessible transport links and insufficient infrastructure designed for older adults, including housing. Providing services and environments suitable for older adults in these areas is an absolute priority if we wish to maximise the period all older citizens have in independence.

    The report calls for research into multimorbidity, frailty and social care to be accelerated, and states that the medical profession needs to focus on maintaining generalist skills as doctors specialise.

    Medical specialisation, specialised NHS provision, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and medical research are all optimised for single diseases but that is not the lived reality for the great majority of older adults who often transfer very rapidly from having no significant disease states, to several simultaneously. The increasing specialisation of the medical profession runs counter to optimising treatment for this group of largely older citizens and patients.

    Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, said:

    Maximising the quality of health in older adults should be seen as a major national priority – we can make very significant progress with relatively straightforward interventions. Older people can and should be better served.

    We need to recognise and reflect in policy and medical practice where older people are concentrated geographically, increase clinicians’ generalist skills, improve mental health provisions and make it unacceptable to exclude older adults from research because of older age or common comorbidities.

    Greg Fell, President of the Association of Directors of Public Health, said:

    Today’s report from the CMO clearly sets out how important it is that, as a society, we work together to create healthy spaces and places to live and work in. Only by ensuring that people have access to the things that support us to thrive – like good housing, good work and green spaces – can we ensure that people will continue to enjoy good health and wellbeing as they get older.

    Directors of public health and their teams work in partnership with both local authority colleagues and the voluntary and community sector to help create these spaces, with health and wellbeing at their heart, so that as well as living for longer, people are also living healthier, more fulfilling lives.

    Professor Dame Carol Black, Chair of the Centre for Ageing Better, said:

    We welcome the Chief Medical Officer’s new report and its focus on the diversity of experiences in older age. Older generations are repeatedly grouped together as a homogeneous group, when in fact many people are facing enormous challenges and hardship in their later years, as this report makes clear.

    Good health has an enormous influence on people’s enjoyment of later life but we don’t all have an equal opportunity to age well. Wealth, work, housing, discrimination – all play a significant role in the huge gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest areas of the country.

    We also echo the report’s message that we need to aspire to improve the quality of life for people as they age, including through creating homes and communities that help people to age well. This will not only benefit millions of individuals but also deliver massive societal benefits if more people are given the opportunity to make the most of their later life.

    Professor Dame Linda Partridge, Biological Secretary and Vice President, The Royal Society and Professorial Research Fellow, University College London, said:

    Supporting an ageing population to live well for longer will be a defining challenge of the 21st century, for the UK and many other economies. This timely report from the Chief Medical Officer serves to bring these issues to the forefront of political and public discussion.

    Among the many facets of this challenge, the emerging field of geroscience holds promise for managing and preventing some age-related diseases. Capitalising on this promise will require new treatments and an evolution of approaches across the whole life sciences system, from fundamental discovery to trial design.

    Dr Sarah Clarke, President of the Royal College of Physicians, said:

    With an increasing number of people with multiple long-term conditions, generalist skills are key, as are close working links with primary, community care and the voluntary sector. It is vital that specialists are supported to feel confident in their generalist skills, to provide joined-up care for these patients.

    Professor Adam Gordon, President of the British Geriatrics Society, said:

    Population ageing is one of the biggest opportunities and challenges facing us globally. With this in mind, we welcome that this year the Chief Medical Officer has chosen to focus his annual report on the ageing population. We agree that people living longer lives is a triumph of public health, modern medicine and healthier lifestyles.

    The invaluable contribution of older people to society enriches us all. The Chief Medical Officer is also right to highlight the challenges associated with more people living with complex health and care needs, including increasing levels of frailty and multimorbidity. Inequalities are increasing across our society, with some people enjoying excellent health into their later years and others spending many years living in poor health. There are not enough specialists working in older people’s healthcare and not enough healthcare professionals have developed the right skills to care for this growing population group.

    The Chief Medical Officer’s call to recognise this as a major national priority is very timely – we are all ageing and we must act now to grasp this opportunity, ensuring that older people now and in the future are enabled to live healthy, independent lives for as long as possible.

    Background information

    The CMO’s annual report last year was on air pollution, while his report in 2021 looked at health in coastal communities. The 2020 annual report looked at health trends and variation in England.

    The report demonstrates how the rate of population ageing varies across the country and includes a chapter with contributions from 7 different local authorities:

    • Hampshire County Council
    • Isle of Wight Council
    • Gloucestershire County Council
    • Cumberland Council
    • North Yorkshire Council
    • Derbyshire County Council
    • Norfolk County Council

    For each of these, the director of public health describes the opportunities and challenges of a rapidly ageing population in their local authority.

  • PRESS RELEASE : The UK will work with our partners towards a two-state solution – UK statement at the UN Fourth Committee [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : The UK will work with our partners towards a two-state solution – UK statement at the UN Fourth Committee [November 2023]

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

    Explanation of vote by Ambassador to the General Assembly Richard Croker at the UN Fourth Committee.

    Thank you Chair.

    The United Kingdom will maintain its voting position on these three resolutions in-line with our long-standing approach to, and support of, the two-state solution, which remains the only viable long term solution. We welcome the approach of the Permanent Observer State of Palestine in the provision of technical rollovers of these texts and recognise that their language does not reflect the current context in Israel and Gaza. Our vote in favour of today’s resolution does not undermine our enduring solidarity with Israel in the wake of Hamas’ heinous terrorist attacks on 7th October.

    Alongside our ongoing support for Israel’s right to self-defence against terrorism, we continue to be clear that Israel must act in line with international humanitarian law and take every feasible precaution to avoid harming civilians.

    We continue to underline, in parallel to our support of today’s resolution, that Hamas does not speak or act in the interests of the Palestinian people. Hamas’ deliberate murder and kidnapping of innocent people in Israel now callously puts civilians in Gaza at risk. We express our pain at seeing so many innocent lives destroyed on and since 7th October and reiterate our support for the Palestinian Authority as the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.

    Palestinian civilians are experiencing a devastating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and violence is rising in the West Bank. We strongly condemn settler violence against Palestinians and maintain our longstanding position that settlements are illegal under international law and contrary to the cause of peace.

    To prevent further spread of the conflict, the UK will continue to invest all efforts for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UK will work with our partners towards a two-state solution, based on 1967 lines with Jerusalem as a shared capital, which provides justice and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Latest situation in Nagorno-Karabakh – UK statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Latest situation in Nagorno-Karabakh – UK statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

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

    Deputy Ambassador Deirdre Brown welcomes Armenian efforts to support the 100,000 people displaced by September’s military action and calls on Azerbaijan to implement a meaningful reintegration plan for those wishing to return.

    Following the end of September’s military action in Nagorno-Karabakh, the UK welcomes the access that the Azerbaijani authorities have enabled for the UN and other humanitarian actors to the region. We remain concerned for the welfare of residents affected by the limited access to supplies over the period before September’s events, and strongly support the efforts of the UN and other multilateral agencies to address urgent humanitarian needs of those affected by the conflict. We welcome the cooperation Azerbaijan has shown the relevant international agencies to date, and encourage them to continue to support efforts to address need in the region.

    Further to this, we also welcome Armenian efforts to support the 100,000 people displaced by the conflict. Some of those displaced may wish to return to homes they have left behind. A meaningful reintegration plan that accommodates the needs of those wishing to return is of paramount importance. We encourage Azerbaijan to implement such a plan, including the protection of their rights and ability to participate in civic and political life, rigorously and in a coherent and transparent manner.

    Now is the time to make progress on a lasting settlement for the region overall. We call on both Armenia and Azerbaijan to resolve the issues surrounding this region peacefully through dialogue, and in a manner which fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Conflict, humanitarian crises and instability have left individuals at risk of exploitation – UK statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Conflict, humanitarian crises and instability have left individuals at risk of exploitation – UK statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

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

    Ambassador Neil Holland thanks the OSCE’s Special Representative on Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings for their work on technology and supply chains, and in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.

    Thank you, Special Representative, for this report, and congratulations on your appointment. The UK and I personally look forward to working closely with you and your team.

    We welcome your office’s leadership in coordinating anti-trafficking efforts over the last year. Conflict, humanitarian crises and instability have left individuals at risk of exploitation. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has continued to cause mass migration, increasing the vulnerability of many women and children to trafficking and exploitation.  It is important to tackle all aspects of security threats from the flow of people, which is why the UK was pleased to be able to financially support your office’s earlier work to respond to the increasing risk of trafficking in migration flows.

    It is important we continue to monitor the risk of trafficking as a result of the conflict, and adjust our response accordingly. We were pleased to welcome your office to the UK recently to deliver a workshop on enhancing anti-trafficking prevention amid mass migration flows in the UK. This workshop, as with others delivered across the region, was an important opportunity to consider efforts so far to protect Ukrainian refugees and identify what more we need to do.

    We are grateful for the previous Special Representative’s visit to the UK last year to carry out an in-depth review of the UK’s response to modern slavery, and the valuable recommendations that came from it. Since then, the UK Government has continued to strengthen our cooperation with key partners, including through a Joint Communique with Albania and a Joint Action Plan with Romania.

    The UK recognises that the internet is a key enabler of human trafficking, particularly the sexual exploitation of women and girls. We will continue to work with international partners to tackle online exploitation and to safeguard victims. The UK’s Online Safety Legislation will require online companies to take proactive steps to prevent, identify, and remove content linked to criminal activity, including sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

    We were pleased to be able to support the project that delivered the recent study “Mapping the online landscape of risks of trafficking in human beings on sexual services websites across the OSCE region”. This demonstrates the central role online platforms play in human trafficking and addresses important information gaps.

    Elsewhere, eliminating forced labour in global supply chains remains a key international priority for the UK. We support the work of your office in building partnerships between the public sector and financial institutions. Recognising the potential of these partnerships, the UK engaged closely with experts to commission research to understand the interface between modern slavery and global flows of capital. This published research offers a practical roadmap that Capital Market Actors, including investment banks and development finance institutions, can adopt to address modern slavery within their value chains using their leverage and influence. I invite colleagues to read it.

    The Alliance Conference this year built upon last year’s focus on migration risks and the needs of victims, and highlighted the need for increased national leadership and political will to ensure an effective international response to trafficking. That is why the UK is pleased to support the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, led by Theresa May. The Commission will inject greater political momentum to drive this issue back up the global agenda. It will do so by increasing coordination and cooperation across international organisations, and we welcome your office’s shared commitment to do this.

    Special Representative, thank you for your report. We look forward to working with you in your new role and continuing to support your office in its impressive work to combat trafficking.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s campaign against Ukrainian identity and culture continues – UK Statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Russia’s campaign against Ukrainian identity and culture continues – UK Statement to the OSCE [November 2023]

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

    Ambassador Neil Holland says that Russia is attacking Ukrainian civilians, monuments, religious sites, museums, and art galleries.

    Thank you, Mr Chair.

    A tribute is taking place at the British Library in London this evening honouring the life and work of the award-winning Ukrainian writer, Victoria Amelina. Victoria, who was only 37 years of age, was killed in July following a Russian missile strike on a restaurant in Kramatorsk.  Alongside Victoria, 12 other civilians died, including four children. Before the war Victoria wrote novels and children’s books. Following Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion, she began to investigate alleged war crimes, documenting testimonies, and working with children near the frontline. Not long before her death, Victoria uncovered the buried war diary of another Ukrainian writer, Volodymyr Vakulenko, who was shot by Russian forces last year. Victoria died from injuries sustained in a Russian attack on a civilian location. The victims of this attack were Ukrainian civilians and artists, determined to remain part of a free, independent, and sovereign Ukraine. All killed by Russia.

    According to UNESCO 124 religious sites, 142 buildings of historical or artistic interest, 28 museums, 19 monuments, 13 libraries and one archive have been destroyed since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Last year, Russian air strikes struck Mariupol Theatre, killing hundreds of sheltering civilians. Russian air strikes also hit Babyn Yar memorial park, a site commemorating thousands of Jews murdered by the Nazis in 1941. And just this week, four months after Russian strikes severely damaged Odesa’s historic Transfiguration Cathedral, the 124-year-old Odesa National Fine Arts Museum was also hit.

    But of course, Russia’s campaign against Ukrainian identity and culture does not stop with Russian attacks on monuments, religious sites and museums and art galleries. We have heard in this very room the disturbing findings of the Moscow Mechanism Report on the forcible transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to temporarily Russian-controlled territory and the Russian Federation. The report details so-called ‘recreations camps’ seeking to indoctrinate children about Russia’s version of Ukrainian history, the easing of requirements for unaccompanied Ukrainian children to change citizenship, and the placement of children in completely pro-Russian environments, prevented from speaking Ukrainian. These children have no link back to their Ukrainian culture, and in many cases, no current prospect of being returned to Ukraine. The intention here is clear, Russia’s aim is to deny these children their Ukrainian identity.

    Russia’s actions are felt most acutely in the temporarily controlled territories of Ukraine. Russia continues to interfere with Ukraine’s sovereign integrity by holding sham ‘elections’, which go well beyond what is permissible under international law and extends to restrictions on the use of the Ukrainian language and the forced imposition of Russian laws.

    The UK and international partners will support Ukraine until all Russian forces withdraw from the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine and return all Ukrainian children to their legal guardians. The UK will also continue to support the reconstruction of Ukraine, supporting a Ukraine-led effort to emerge from the war resilient to Russian threats. Ukraine, Ukrainians and Ukrainian language and culture will once again have all the conditions they need to flourish. Thank you, Mr Chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Inquiry launched into the death of Jalal Uddin [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Inquiry launched into the death of Jalal Uddin [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Home Office on 9 November 2023.

    Home Secretary establishes inquiry into the death of Jalal Uddin.

    The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, has today (9 November) announced the establishment of an inquiry into the death of Jalal Uddin.

    Jalal Uddin, a retired Imam, was murdered in Rochdale on 18 February 2016.

    Following criminal proceedings, an inquest into his death was resumed in November 2020.

    In November 2022 the Coroner, His Honour Judge Teague KC, Chief Coroner of England and Wales, requested the inquest be converted to a statutory inquiry in order to permit all relevant evidence to be heard.

    Judge Teague will fulfil the role of chair. The conduct and delivery of the Inquiry are a matter for the chair.

  • PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK statement on Germany [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review of human rights – UK statement on Germany [November 2023]

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

    The UK delivered a statement during Germany’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

    May I start by welcoming Commissioner Amtsberg and your delegation. We appreciate Germany’s efforts since its last Universal Periodic Review (UPR), and the active role it has played as a member of this Council. We welcome the ratification of the Protocol to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Forced Labour Convention, and the ratification of the ILO’s Violence and Harassment Convention.

    We also commend Germany for the repeal of legislation that banned the advertisement of abortion services, allowing for information about the procedure to become more accessible.

    We recommend Germany:

    1.    Set voluntary targets to help increase the proportion of women in management positions in the German economy.

    2.    Ensure the effective implementation of the Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention.
    3.   Develop legislation to ensure the ratification of the Elimination of Violence and Harassment in the World of Work is implemented effectively.

    Thank you.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Ground rent reforms to save thousands for leaseholders [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Ground rent reforms to save thousands for leaseholders [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 9 November 2023.

    Consultation launched today including a number of options to cap ground rents for existing leaseholders.

    Housing Secretary Michael Gove has launched a consultation that will set out options including capping ground rents at a so called “peppercorn” rate for existing leaseholders, freezing ground rents at current levels and capping the ground rents at a percentage of the property value.

    Some leaseholders can be faced with ground rent clauses in their leases which result in spiralling payments with no benefit in return, and can cause issues for those who want to sell their properties.

    The changes deliver on the Government’s manifesto commitment to create a fairer system for the millions of leaseholders and form a key part of the Government’s Long Term Plan for Housing.

    Confirmed as part of the Leasehold and Freehold Bill in this week’s Kings Speech, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities will consult on five proposals to decide the best way forward to benefit leaseholders. These are:

    • Setting ground rents at a peppercorn;
    • Putting in place a maximum financial value which ground rents could never exceed;
    • Capping ground rents at a percentage of the property value;
    • Limiting ground rent in existing leases to the original amount when the lease was granted; and
    • Freezing ground rent at current levels.

    This work builds on changes the government has already introduced to help tackle high ground rents for future homeowners.

    The Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022 means that if any ground rent is demanded as part of a new residential long lease, it cannot be charged at more than the cost of one peppercorn per year – effectively setting the rate to zero.

    Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove said:

    “People work hard to achieve the dream of homeownership. They plan, toil, sacrifice, save and should rightly be proud to get on the housing ladder.

    “However, far too many are burdened with onerous ground rents – these punitive charges can leave some paying thousands of pounds a year for nothing in return.

    “Ground rent can feel like an annual reminder that you do not own the land your home stands on, that your lease on it is finite, and that there is a payment for the privilege of staying there.

    “Today we are taking further steps to right that wrong – consulting you, the public, about how best to change this system so leaseholders are not exploited any longer and can take back control of their own destiny.”

    The proposals announced today form part of the Government’s Long-Term Plan for Housing to liberate leaseholders from the unfair and outdated leasehold system.

    The Leasehold and Freehold Bill – which will be introduced to Parliament shortly, will:

    • make it cheaper and easier for people to extend their lease or buy their freehold;
    • increase lease extension terms to give people more security and peace of mind;
    • give greater transparency over service charges and insurance commissions; and
    • make it easier for people to manage their building themselves.

    Today’s public consultation will be open for six weeks and the government will carefully consider all responses to inform the final decision, as we aim to introduce reforms through the Leasehold and Freehold Bill.

  • Theresa Villiers – 2023 Speech on the Loyal Address

    Theresa Villiers – 2023 Speech on the Loyal Address

    The speech made by Theresa Villiers, the Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet, in the House of Commons on 7 November 2023.

    I would like to begin by highlighting my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, which includes some shareholdings and a long-leasehold flat let to tenants.

    I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Siobhan Baillie) and my right hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Sir Robert Goodwill) on the wonderful start that they provided for the debate. They both performed brilliantly, but I want to single out my right hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby. We first met many years ago in 1999, when we were candidates in the European elections. He is a truly great parliamentarian, and he has always been a very good, kind and wise friend to me.

    There is much to welcome in an ambitious and important set of legislative proposals in the first King’s Speech for 70 years. For example, the Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill will modernise data regulation so that firms can grow while protecting privacy and ensuring that people can exert control over information held about them. Brexit makes that kind of regulatory reform possible. I advocated it as part of the work done by the Taskforce on Innovation, Growth and Regulatory Reform. Like my right hon. Friend the Member for North East Somerset (Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg), I think that this is just the beginning and that we need to go further, as it is crucial to our becoming more competitive and raising living standards.

    The carry-over of the anti-boycott Bill is welcome. Singling out Israel for boycotts by councils is divisive and unjustified. The boycott, divestment and sanctions movement has driven increases in antisemitism, so I welcome the continuation of that Bill.

    I am really pleased to see progress on leasehold reform, which is important to a number of my constituents who have suffered distress, anxiety and financial hardship as a result of the current system. I welcome the fact that the proposals announced today will make it cheaper and easier for leaseholders to extend their lease. This is a complex area, and we do need to take care to avoid unintended consequences that could jeopardise investment or unfairly penalise the funds on which so many people’s retirement income depends and which they may well have invested in freehold interests. However, I feel that, with careful scrutiny in Parliament, we can deliver reform that works for leaseholders and tackles the abuses that have occurred.

    The ban on selling new houses on a leasehold basis is absolutely right, and I also welcome the additional protections and transparency measures for leaseholders, but constituents tell me that the rights they already have to challenge unreasonable charges are cumbersome and expensive to operate and it can feel like a very unequal struggle with the freeholder. I hope Ministers will bear in mind that the measures they are announcing today will work only if leaseholders can actually use the new rights they are being granted. With that in mind, scrapping the presumption that leaseholders pay freeholder legal costs when they challenge poor practice is a much needed change, and I welcome that aspect of today’s announcements.

    Another landmark measure in this King’s Speech is the Renters (Reform) Bill, which is continuing its progress. It is absolutely right that we legislate to help renters and encourage more stable and longer-term tenancies. We also need to remember that landlords play a crucial role as housing providers. We should absolutely be tough on bad landlords, but we do not want to end up unfairly penalising the whole sector when a majority of landlords look after their tenants and their properties, and act responsibly.

    Sadly, a number of landlords are already leaving the sector and selling their properties. We must ensure that we do not inadvertently intensify that and jeopardise the good rental stock available. Key to that is ensuring that the removal of section 21 is accompanied by a major improvement in the way the courts system operates. My constituent Paul Shamplina, the founder of the solicitors firm Landlord Action, believes that delays are worse than he has experienced in his 33 years in the sector. He has told me of three bailiff applications with Willesden court that have taken six months to be issued. In Swindon, it took three months to send a notice of issue for a basic N5B claim, and Central London county court took seven months to appoint a bailiff and grant transfer to the High Court for enforcement. Other constituents have told me about bailiff delays in removing tenants who have not paid rent for many months.

    The Minister for the courts—the Under-Secretary of State for Justice, my hon. Friend the Member for Finchley and Golders Green (Mike Freer)—assures me that the courts are working flat out, that 1,000 new judges have been recruited and that digitisation is under way. That is welcome, but we need to make progress to ensure that our courts are working as efficiently as possible.

    Action against crime is another crucial element of the programme in the Gracious Speech. Concern about crime is one of the issues raised most often with me on the doorstep in Chipping Barnet. In particular, I find it shocking that in modern Britain the Jewish community have such great fears for their security. The antisemitism and hate crime on display at recent mass protests have been both frightening and unacceptable. I have appealed directly to Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Met, to apply the full force of the law against any law breaking at these protests. I was one of the signatories to a letter from Conservative MPs and Assembly Members asking last week that the protest planned for Armistice Day on Saturday does not go ahead. It would seem to be both insensitive and disrespectful to have such a protest on 11 November.

    Turning to policing more widely, the Conservatives have delivered on our pledge of 20,000 additional police officers. That means the Met has more uniformed officers than at any time in its history. It could actually have had 1,000 more, and it is a regret that it fell short of its recruitment target. I am afraid that that is just one of a significant number of failures on policing by London’s Mayor, Sadiq Khan, who is the police and crime commissioner for London. In his seven years in office, we have seen the Met in crisis and poor clear-up rates for offences such as burglary, car crime and shoplifting. These are not victimless crimes, and they need to be taken seriously. Of course, we also need a tough approach on antisocial behaviour.

    One thing that I am disappointed was not in the King’s Speech is a Bill to ban the import of trophies hunted from endangered animals. Such legislation has strong support, but the private Member’s Bill—the Hunting Trophies (Import Prohibition) Bill—has been blocked in the House of Lords. The ban is a manifesto commitment. We must do this, and I call on Ministers to bring forward such a Bill.

    Lastly, I want to welcome the Bill to ban the live export of animals for slaughter and fattening. I have campaigned for two decades for that ban. This trade leads to serious and unnecessary animal suffering both on the long journeys and in destination countries that have lower standards of animal welfare than we do. These exports would have been banned years ago if that had not been forbidden by single market rules. Although no exports have taken place in recent months, there is as yet no law to stop them starting again. I regret the demise of the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill, though I appreciate that there were issues and problems with amendments, but now that we have a dedicated Bill to end this trade once and for all, let us get on with it. This Conservative Government have led the way on many animal welfare matters. Banning live exports would be a historic step towards a more compassionate and kinder treatment of animals. It is a benefit from Brexit, and I urge the House to support the Bill when it comes forward.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Independent inquiry launched into 2021 Channel crossing tragedy [November 2023]

    PRESS RELEASE : Independent inquiry launched into 2021 Channel crossing tragedy [November 2023]

    The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 9 November 2023.

    Announcing an inquiry into the events of 24 November 2021, when at least 27 people lost their lives crossing the Channel.

    • Transport Secretary Mark Harper announces inquiry into the events of 24 November 2021, when at least 27 people lost their lives crossing the Channel
    • inquiry will allow a full and independent investigation into the circumstances of the deaths to take place
    • announcement follows today’s publication of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch report into the tragedy

    Transport Secretary Mark Harper has announced an inquiry is to be established to look into the events of 24 November 2021, when at least 27 people lost their lives crossing the Channel.

    The independent, non-statutory inquiry will be designed to allow a full and independent investigation into the circumstances of the deaths to take place in the absence of a normal coroner’s inquest.

    The announcement of the inquiry follows today’s publication of a report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) outlining the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

    Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said:

    Today our thoughts are with the families of all those involved in the tragic events of 24 November 2021.

    I am grateful to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch for their report examining this tragic incident, and the government will carefully consider its findings and recommendations. As the report recognises, the operational picture in the Channel has changed significantly since 24 November 2021, and I know that HM Coastguard continuously seeks to learn lessons and improve.

    Every day, hundreds of courageous responders from HM Coastguard and other UK agencies, including volunteers, stand ready to respond around the clock to every search and rescue operation involving small boats in the Channel. This incident reinforces the scale of the task they face.

    The inquiry I have announced today will allow a thorough and independent investigation into the circumstances of the deaths to take place, further to the MAIB’s report, to give the families of the victims the clarity they deserve. I know that the Coastguard will engage fully and openly with it.

    On the day of the tragedy, 1,227 people attempted to cross the Channel. HM Coastguard search and rescue operations have adapted to the changes in demand presented by small boats in the Channel.

    The fundamental role of HM Coastguard is to save lives at sea by responding to any person in distress, and the service works unceasingly to save anyone that needs help.

    The inquiry being established will look into who the deceased were, and when, where and in what circumstances they came by their deaths.

    It will also consider what further lessons can be learned from the events of 24 November 2021 and, if appropriate, make recommendations to reduce the risk of a similar event occurring.

    A chair and full terms of reference for the Inquiry will be announced by the Department for Transport in due course.