Tag: 2024

PRESS RELEASE : Government backs record numbers of female offenders into work [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 13 May 2024.

More female offenders than ever recorded before are in work 6 months after their release from prison as a direct result of government action – cutting crime and keeping the public safe.
- female offenders steered away from crime thanks to targeted support
- over £14 million invested to address root causes of female offending
- part of government strategy to reduce number of women committing crime
More than £14 million has been invested into women’s services in the community as part of the government’s Female Offender Strategy and Delivery Plan, helping female offenders get clean, move away from abusive relationships, and find work and stable accommodation.

One year on since its launch, hundreds of female offenders have been supported into employment after their release from prison – up four per cent on the previous year.

Specialist services have also provided female offenders with tailored mental health or drug treatment support. The number of female offenders being sent to prison has reduced by over a quarter since 2010.

This support is key to cutting crime as around one-third of female offenders have a history of drug abuse and more than three-fifths of women have experienced domestic abuse.

Prisons and Probation Minister, Edward Argar, said:

We know many female offenders have suffered trauma in their lives or are battling addiction issues and it’s key that we tackle those underlying factors to help stop their offending and to make positive choices about their futures.

Our approach is clearly working as the number of women serving short sentences is falling and more women are now in work, giving them the best chance to truly turn their backs on crime and keep the public safe.

Tackling the root causes of female offending and providing women with the specialist support they need is a key part of the delivery plan, which aims to steer women away from prison. The Government has completed over a third of the commitments since it was published last year.

This is alongside the launch of a new Intensive Supervision Court for women at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court which uses a problem-solving approach to divert low-level female offenders away from short prison sentences.

The women sentenced through the court will have one-to-one meetings with judges to track their progress as well as access to wraparound multi-agency support to target the root causes of their offending.

Without this wider support, around half of women who have been in prison will go on to re-offend, hitting taxpayers in the pocket to the tune of a total of £1.7 billion a year.

Willowdene Residential Women’s Centre in Shropshire is one organisation that is receiving nearly £690,000 in funding between 2022 and 2025 to continue their support for vulnerable women through employment and life-skills training.

Matt Home, Director of the Willowdene Rehabilitation Centre, said:

Our approach has demonstrated that when we focus on the reasons why people commit crime or live a chaotic lifestyle then lives are transformed.

The majority of women referred to Willowdene for committing an offence are victims and we believe that if we can deal with the trauma of their past then lives can be rebuilt – and that everyone should have the opportunity to realise their full potential.

Notes to editors
- the publication and the data dashboard can be viewed on GOV.UK
- in 2022 to 2023, 233 women were employed at 6 months post-release, compared to 164 in 2021 to 2022. This is the highest the number has been since this data was first recorded in 2020
- over 250 mental health treatment requirements were undertaken between April to June last year; an increase of 53.6% from the same period in 2022
May 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK joins European super-computing scheme as world-class British researchers now able to bid for funding [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 13 May 2024.

British researchers, businesses and academics will have enhanced access to future supercomputer research funding from today (Monday 13 May) as the UK joins the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC).
- The UK joins a world-class European supercomputing eco-system and unlocks an enhanced share of the Horizon funded portion, worth £770 million from 2021-2027
- EuroHPC brings together supercomputing resources from across 35 countries, boasting eight supercomputers based in every corner of the continent, from Portugal to Finland
- UK scientists can use the facilities to power the discovery of new drugs, targeted medical therapies and advances in clean energy
- Membership means UK’s brightest minds can now work in partnership with European colleagues, and access EuroHPC Horizon Europe-funded projects.
British researchers, businesses and academics will have enhanced access to future supercomputer research funding from today (Monday 13 May) as the UK joins the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC). The move will boost the UK’s already world-leading supercomputing research community, to power the discovery of new drugs, harness the full potential of AI and more.

EuroHPC brings together top-class supercomputing resources from across 35 countries, including Norway, Turkey, and all 27 EU member states, to drive research in the next generation of computing technologies. The UK has secured enhanced access to the Horizon Europe funded portion of the programme, worth over £770 million between 2021 to 2027.

The move will support our scientists to make use of the cutting-edge European supercomputing facilities the UK gained access to through Horizon Europe. Their ability to solve problems and perform calculations with more speed and power than traditional computers are capable of, make these systems vital to the development of exciting discoveries that will benefit us all, from new medical treatments to novel clean energy applications.

The partnership aims to boost world-class leadership in supercomputing, as members pool resources and knowledge to develop scientific excellence in this field. By joining the Joint Undertaking, UK scientists will have the opportunity to bid for vital research support, strengthening the UK’s computer capacity.

In November the UK’s bespoke deal to associate to Horizon Europe secured UK researchers access to future EuroHPC supercomputers. The UK now gains further access to the Horizon Europe-funded portion of EuroHPC, which is worth around £770 million from 2021 to 2027.

With match funding from the government, UK researchers, businesses and scientists can now bid confidently for further EuroHPC grants, ensuring our brightest minds have access to cutting-edge compute facilities.

EuroHPC grants require match-funding from the UK on a case-by-case basis, and more information on how this will be made available, will be provided in due course. Researchers can apply for time on EuroHPC systems and for Horizon funded research and innovation grants on the EuroHPC website.

Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan said:

I have made it my mission to unleash the benefits of AI for the British public and supercomputers are essential tools that our best and brightest researchers need to deliver breakthroughs that will grow the economy and improve all our lives, from healthcare to energy security.

This deal will only strengthen the UK’s science and tech superpower credentials, by giving our scientists and businesses even greater access to a leading network of expertise and powerful computing systems from Finland to Portugal.

I urge researchers to seize this exciting opportunity and bid for EuroHPC support.

This is the latest deal secured by the government to maximise UK researchers’, scientists’ and businesses’ access to R&D funding and opportunities for international collaboration. Following a bespoke deal signed by the Prime Minister last year, the UK has associated to Horizon Europe, the world’s largest programme of research collaboration, worth around £80 billion in total.

With a Horizon grant worth £450,000 on average to a UK business, we have launched a campaign to boost UK participation, with a multichannel PR blitz, ‘pump-priming’ grants to support applicants, and a Roadshow of information events taking place around the UK – the next of which will be in Glasgow, on 12 June.

In March, the UK joined the ‘Chips Joint Undertaking’, providing the UK semiconductor industry with enhanced access to a £1.1 billion pot of funds set aside from Horizon Europe to support research in semiconductor technologies up to 2007.

Supercomputing has incredible potential to transform our scientific understanding and enable breakthroughs in nearly every scientific field. It is already powering the discovery of new drugs and development of targeting medical therapies for the individual needs of patients suffering with diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer.

Joining EuroHPC further builds on the government’s £1.5 billion plan to deliver world-leading compute facilities for the nation’s businesses and researchers, including backing for the Isambard-AI supercomputer in Bristol and the Dawn supercomputer in Cambridge, both of which will come online this year, and a new national exascale supercomputing facility, to be hosted in Edinburgh.

Through EuroHPC, UK researchers have access to:
- LUMI, a pre-exascale EuroHPC supercomputer located in Kajaani, Finland
- Leonardo, a pre-exascale EuroHPC supercomputer in the Bologna Technopole, Italy
- MareNostrum 5, a pre-exascale EuroHPC supercomputer =located in Barcelona, Spain.
- MeluXina, a petascale EuroHPC supercomputer located in Bissen, Luxembourg
- Karolina, a petascale EuroHPC supercomputer located in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
- Discoverer, a petascale EuroHPC supercomputer located in Sofia, Bulgaria
- Vega, a petascale EuroHPC supercomputer located in Maribor, Slovenia
- Deucalion, a petascale EuroHPC supercomputer located in Guimarães, Portugal.
Notes to editors

UK researchers and businesses will not have access to the grants that are funded by Digital Europe and Connected Facilities Europe as the UK does not contribute to those programmes.

Participation in a limited amount of EuroHPC projects for this year is currently restricted to EU Member States. Where this is the case, any restrictions that apply will be clearly signposted in the eligibility criteria for individual calls.

As agreed when negotiating a bespoke deal to associate with Horizon Europe last year, the EU will reimburse the UK when any restrictions apply to Horizon funds.
May 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Record number of new bathing sites get the go ahead [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 13 May 2024.

Dozens of new bathing water sites in England have been designated ahead of the 2024 bathing season in the government’s largest ever rollout.

Dozens of new wild swimming spots in England are being designated as bathing waters ahead of the summer and will immediately benefit from regular water quality monitoring, Water Minister Robbie Moore has today announced (May 13 2024).

Following a public consultation, 27 new bathing water sites will be designated ahead of the 2024 bathing water season, which runs between 15 May and 30 September. The new sites will take the total number of bathing waters to 451 across England – the highest number to date.

The new bathing waters – which include a dozen river sites – can be found right across the country from Church Cliff Beach in Dorset to Derwent Water in Cumbria, to the River Dart in Devon and the River Nidd in North Yorkshire.

The Environment Agency regularly monitors water quality at designated bathing water sites and assesses whether action is needed to cut pollution levels – working with local communities, farmers, and water companies to improve water quality at these locations.

The government will also launch a consultation later this year on proposals to reform the Bathing Water Regulations for England. The proposed changes will drive work to improve bathing water quality, enhance monitoring and enable more flexibility around the dates of the bathing water monitoring season. For example, proposals will include increasing monitoring outside of the bathing water season and preventing automatic de-designation of existing bathing water sites.

Defra will also seek public and stakeholder views on extending the definition of ‘bathers’ to include a wider range of water users in addition to swimmers – such as rowers, kayakers and paddle boarders. More information on this consultation will be published in due course.

The next application round will commence in Spring 2025.

Water Minister Robbie Moore said:

The value our bathing waters bring to local communities is incredibly valuable – providing social, physical and positive health and wellbeing benefits to people around the country – and I am pleased to have approved a further 27 new bathing water sites for this year.

These popular swimming spots will now undergo regular monitoring to ensure bathers have up-to-date information on the quality of the water and enable action to be taken if minimum standards aren’t being met.

I am fully committed to seeing the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes rise further for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses them.

Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said:

The importance of England’s bathing waters for residents and visitors alike cannot be understated, which is why the Environment Agency provides rigorous testing to ensure that bathers can make informed decisions before swimming in one of our 451 sites.

Overall bathing water quality has improved massively over the last decade due to targeted and robust regulation from the Environment Agency, and the good work carried out by partners and local groups. Last year, 96% of sites met minimum standards, up from just 76% in 2010 – and despite stricter standards being introduced in 2015.

We know that improvements can take time and investment from the water industry, farmers and local communities, but where the investment is made, standards can improve.

Last year, 96% of bathing waters in England met the minimum standards, with 90% classified as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, up from 76% in 2010, despite the classification standards becoming stricter in 2015. The government also updated its guidance last year to make the application process clearer and easier to follow.

Today’s announcement follows recent measures delivered to improve the water environment, including:
- A new £11m Water Restoration Fund to reinvest water company fines and penalties back into the water environment.
- Requiring companies to monitor 100% of storm overflows in England – providing a complete picture of when and where sewage spills happen.
- Removing the cap on civil penalties for water companies and broadening their scope so swifter action can be taken against those who pollute our waterways.
- Requiring the largest infrastructure programme in water company history – £60 billion over 25 years – to revamp ageing assets and reduce the number of sewage spills by hundreds of thousands every year.
- Increasing protections for coastal and estuarine waters by expanding the Storm Overflow Discharge Reduction Plan, prioritising bathing waters, sites of special scientific interest and shellfish waters.
- A targeted plan to better preserve and protect the River Wye, including £35m in funding.
- £11.5m in government support for 180 local projects to boost tree planting, habitat restoration and flood management through the Water Environment Improvement Fund.
- Speeding up the process of building key water supply infrastructure, including more reservoirs and water transfer schemes.
May 21, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani [May 2024]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 13 May 2024.

This afternoon [13 May 2024] the Prime Minister spoke to the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The Prime Minister thanked Qatar for their ongoing efforts to try to negotiate a hostage deal. Both leaders agreed on the importance of a deal that secures the urgent release of hostages – ending the horrific ordeal of those being held and their loved ones – and getting more aid into Gaza, while progressing towards a sustainable and permanent ceasefire.

The Prime Minister shared his deep concern about the humanitarian impact of a full military incursion of Rafah, and updated the Amir on the UK’s support to ensure more humanitarian aid was flowing into Gaza via land, sea and air.

Turning to wider regional security, the leaders agreed it was right to continue to work with our allies to focus on de-escalation. The Prime Minister added that this was vitally important and in all our interests.

The Prime Minister praised Qatar’s recent work to support those in Ukraine who continue to face the devastating consequences of Russian aggression, including its efforts to reunite Ukrainian children with their families.

The leaders welcomed the already strong bilateral trade partnership and defence cooperation between the UK and Qatar. Both agreed on the importance of continuing to strengthen that cooperation in the future.

May 18, 2024

PRESS RELEASE : 350 extra medical school places allocated in NHS training boost [May 2024]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 13 May 2024.

The government has funded 350 additional medical school places in England for the academic year 2025 to 2026 in latest step to deliver NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

The government has funded 350 additional medical school places in England for the academic year 2025 to 2026
This is the next stage in delivering the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan commitment to double medical school places by 2031
The places have been allocated to medical schools across the country but targeted to address disparities in the distribution of places and support under-doctored areas

The government has allocated an additional 350 medical school places, to deliver the future workforce the NHS requires.

Last year, the NHS set out its Long Term Workforce Plan, backed by more than £2.4 billion in government funding. It outlines how the NHS will recruit and retain hundreds of thousands more staff over the next 15 years – delivering the biggest training expansion in the health service’s history.

One of the key commitments is doubling the number of medical school places in England to 15,000 by 2031 and levelling up the geographic training of places to help tackle unequal access to services.

In the next step to deliver this commitment, the Office for Students (OfS) has now allocated 350 places in the academic year 2025 to 2026 to medical schools across the country.

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said:

Thanks to the government’s plan for a faster, simpler and fairer healthcare system, the NHS now has record funding and a record number of doctors.

I want to make sure that we will have the medical professionals we will need in the years ahead.

That’s why we are delivering the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and doubling the number of medical school places, so we can train the next generation of world-class doctors to offer patients the highest-quality care.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said:

Our frontline health workers do tremendous work in serving the nation every single day and ensuring all of us receive the care we need.

I know what a popular career medicine is among young people and it’s so important they have the chance to pursue their ambitions.

With this expansion of places – alongside our new doctor degree apprenticeship – the opportunities for a career in medicine are greater than ever

Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive of NHS England, said:

This is a hugely important moment for the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan and marks one of the first steps towards our ambition to train more doctors in England than ever before – the record expansion will help us boost care for patients right across the country.

The ambitious blueprint for our workforce, is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to put NHS staffing on a sustainable footing, particularly as we continue to adapt to new and rising demand for health services.

Dr Katie Petty-Saphon, CEO, Medical Schools Council, said:

The Medical Schools Council welcomes the announcement of 350 additional student places from 2025.

Medical schools are committed to widening participation to the profession and particularly important is the need for local recruitment in under-doctored areas.

We will continue to work with stakeholders to ensure that the NHS has the staff it needs to deliver high-quality patient care.

Places have been provided across the country, but the OfS has used analysis of geographical distribution provided by NHS England to target under-doctored areas in its allocation of the places.

This includes substantial increases to medical schools at universities in Sunderland, Leeds, East Anglia, Anglia Ruskin, Plymouth and Surrey. The University of Surrey is also receiving government-funded places for the first time.

This is the second year of expansions to deliver the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan. Delivery started a year early, allocating 205 additional medical school places for the 2024 to 2025 academic year, including providing government-funded places to 3 schools for the first time.

This builds on the 25% expansion of medical school places in England that the government completed in 2020, taking the total number of places to 7,500 per year and delivering 5 new medical schools.

A combination of the additional medical places this year and next, along with medical apprenticeship places, puts us on track to exceed current plans.

Through the allocation of places for 2026 to 2027 and beyond, the government and NHS England will work closely with partners including medical schools, NHS trusts and the General Medical Council to deliver ambitious reforms to medical education set out in the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan.

Full list of medical school allocations

London

University	Number of places
Brunel University London	3
Queen Mary, University of London	3
St George’s Hospital Medical School, University of London	1
University College London	3
Total	10

South East

University	Number of places
Universities of Brighton and Sussex	4
Universities of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church	9
University of Southampton	17
University of Surrey	34
King’s College London: Portsmouth Medical School (in partnership with the University of Portsmouth)	13
Total	77

Midlands

University	Number of places
Aston University	10
University of Birmingham	8
Keele University	7
University of Leicester	3
University of Nottingham: Lincoln Medical School (in partnership with University of Lincoln)	4
University of Nottingham	4
University of Warwick	10
University of Worcester	12
Total	58

East of England

University	Number of places
Anglia Ruskin University Higher Education Corporation	28
University of East Anglia	27
Total	55

North East and Yorkshire

University	Number of places
Universities of Hull and York	8
University of Leeds	16
University of Newcastle upon Tyne	2
University of Sheffield	9
University of Sunderland	17
Total	52

North West

University	Number of places
Edge Hill University	13
University of Central Lancashire	6
University of Chester	5
Imperial College: Pears Cumbria Medical School (in partnership with Imperial College London)	8
Lancaster University	5
University of Liverpool	13
University of Manchester	4
Total	54

South West

University	Number of places
University of Bristol	17
University of Exeter	10
University of Plymouth	17
Total	44

May 16, 2024

PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak sets out blueprint to boost British fruit and vegetable sector [May 2024]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 13 May 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sets out his blueprint to boost British fruit and vegetable sector as the first UK Food Security Index is published.
- The Prime Minister will tell the second Farm to Fork Summit at Downing Street tomorrow that the UK needs to reduce its reliance on overseas fruit and vegetables and back British producers
- Comes as the first UK Food Security Index published to ensure the government and sector is resilient to unexpected shocks to the market and extreme weather
- Follows a major package of support announced by the Prime Minister at the National Farmers Union annual conference to increase innovation and automation in farming
A new UK Food Security Index will be published tomorrow [Tuesday 14 May], as the Prime Minister tells British farmers and growers that we must go further to support them and secure the nation’s food supplies.

The first draft of the UK Annual Food Security Index will allow the government, industry and farmers to monitor the impacts of external factors, such as Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine or extreme adverse weather events.

It will set out how Government will track UK-wide food security on an annual basis, monitoring domestic food production, land use, input costs and farmer productivity. This year’s index will show that the UK farming sector is at its most productive since records began.

The Index has been published alongside a new blueprint to grow the UK fruit and vegetable sector in order to reinforce the country’s food security. The Food Security Index highlights that currently the UK produces the equivalent of just 17% of the fruit and 55% of the vegetables that end up on British plates, significantly lagging behind meat, dairy and grains.

The Prime Minister will also say at the summit that he wants the government to help the horticulture sector to go further to tackle this challenge. As part of this, a new Horticulture Resilience and Growth offer, which will replace the retained EU scheme, will be rolled out. Through this new scheme, the government will look to double the amount of funding given to horticulture businesses compared to the current scheme, taking it to £80m per year, including making up to £10m available to help English orchard growers access equipment, technology and infrastructure to support the growing of great British fruit.

And the Prime Minister will launch a review into the barriers the horticulture sector is facing to upscale their businesses, including promising to cut red tape around the building of glasshouses. A further £15m will be invested into Genetic Improvement Networks to help boost access to more resilient crop varieties that require fewer inputs and cut farmer costs.

More than 70 businesses and producers working and supporting the food and farming industry are expected to attend the Farm to Fork Summit tomorrow, including farmers, Rodda’s, Fischer Farms, Tescos, Aldi and McCains. They will discuss the challenges facing the sector, including the adverse weather conditions they have faced. The past 18 months have been the wettest on record in England, and second wettest six months across the UK. The weather conditions have severely hampered crop production and put further pressure on farmers.

To help combat the impact of adverse weather, the Prime Minister will set out how £75 million fund to support internal drainage boards, announced at the NFU conference, will be used to protect agricultural land, including horticulture businesses, and rural communities from flooding, making them more resilient to climate change through two funds, one for repairs and one will go to building assets that boost resilience, such as pumping stations.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:“Come rain or shine, I will always back British farmers. From feeding the nation to protecting our countryside, they are vital to the security and the fabric of our country.

“This package of support will help farmers produce more British food, delivers on our long-term plan to invest in our rural communities, and ensures the very best of our homegrown products end up on our plates.

“I know for many farmers, the impact of adverse weather in recent months has made working the land even harder, but my message is clear, our support for you is unwavering and we will be with you every step of the way.”

Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Food security is vital to our national security, which is why today’s summit is so important, bringing together government and key representatives from the farming and food sector at Downing Street.

“This announcement will turbocharge the growth of our horticultural sector supporting the building of cutting-edge glasshouses and innovative farming techniques to put British fruit and vegetables on our plates all-year round.

“We will continue to invest in and support farmers to produce the best of British food to strengthen our food security, championing innovation in the sector.”

The Prime Minister will also announce at the summit:
- Up to £3 million towards supporting small and mobile abattoirs to support British farmers.
- Delivering on a commitment we made in our response to the Rock Review into tenant farming and following a call for evidence, confirming that we will appoint a Commissioner for the Tenant Farming Sector (CTFS) this autumn.
- A £72m fund to the Endemics Diseases Scheme, which will help eradicate bovine viral diarrhoea in cattle, control porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in pigs and tackle a range of different health conditions in sheep.
- A £22m infrastructure grant for laying hens to help poultry farmers to improve the health, welfare and productivity of their flocks.
The government will also support farmers to get a fair price for their products by laying new regulations in Parliament for eggs, fresh produce and pigs, ensuring they have reasonable and transparent contracts. This follows similar action for the dairy sector earlier this year. A new supply chain adjudicator, Richard Thompson, will also be appointed, to ensure fairness in the supply chain is being effectively enforced.

Last week, the Environment Secretary announced planned automation funding of up to £50m for farmers, alongside an extension to the seasonal visa route for the next five years to ensure the sector has the labour needed while technology is integrated into packhouses and harvesting processes.

That followed the Prime Minister’s announcement at the National Farmers Union annual conference that the government would open the largest ever grant offer for farmers this year, expected to total £427m, including an unprecedented package of funding for technology and productivity schemes.

He told the conference that £220m would be injected into future-focused technology and productivity schemes to ensure farmers can access new equipment, including kit which increases automation to reduce reliance on overseas workers.
May 16, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : New rules require 180,000 on Universal Credit to increase working hours [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 13 May 2024.

New rules meaning over 180,000 Universal Credit claimants will have to look for more work have come into force today (Monday 13 May), as the Government helps people progress in work and off welfare.
- Universal Credit claimants working less than half of a full-time week will have to look to increase their hours, benefitting from extra work coach support.
- 400,000 to receive more help to progress in work, as Mel Stride says “I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits”.
- Changes come as the PM announces once a generation welfare reforms to help people find work, boost their earnings, and grow the economy.
Before 2022, someone could work only nine hours a week and remain on benefits without being expected to look for more work.

The latest rise in the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) means someone working less than 18 hours – half of a full-time week – will have to look for more work.

These Universal Credit claimants will move into the ‘Intensive Work Search group’, meeting with their work coaches more regularly to plan their job progression, boost their earnings and advance the journey off welfare altogether.

Combined with previous increases, 400,000 claimants are now subject to more intensive Jobcentre support – and with that the expectation that those who can work must engage with the support available or face losing their benefits.

The move comes as last month the Prime Minister announced a once in a generation package of welfare reforms to help thousands more people benefit from employment, building on the Government’s £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan providing extra help to over a million people to break down barriers to work.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Welfare should always be a safety net, and not a lifestyle choice which is why we’re ushering in a new era of welfare reforms to help more people progress off benefits and into work.

Today’s changes will help more people on Universal Credit move into well paid jobs and progress towards financial independence – which is better for them and for the economy.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP said:

We will always back those who want to work hard, and today we are radically expanding the support available to help people progress in work.

With the next generation of welfare reforms, I want to help thousands of people on their journey off benefits and towards financial independence.

Our plan is making work pay, with people in full-time work now £7,000 better off than on out of work benefits, and our tax cuts putting £900 back in the pockets of millions of workers across Britain.

The AET determines how much support an individual will receive to find work based on how much they currently earn and how many hours they work.

Together with the accelerated rollout of Universal Credit, even more claimants will benefit from the dedicated employment support offered through our Jobcentres like CV support and skills training, so people can take up better paid, higher quality jobs.

This builds on the significant steps already taken to break down barriers to work, with almost four million more people in employment compared to 2010.

The Government is clear those who can work to support themselves, should work, and they should feel better off for doing so.

That’s why the Government is getting tough, putting work at the heart of welfare and enforcing a stricter sanctions regime.

The PM recently announced a package of welfare reform measures, including exploring legislation to close the claims of those who don’t comply with conditions set by their Work Coach after 12 months.

With over 900,000 job vacancies in the economy, the Government makes no apologies for helping people achieve financial security through work, as we grow the economy and help people build a better life for themselves.

Further information:
- We amended Regulation 99 (6) of the UC Regulations 2013 to raise the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) to £892 per calendar month for individual claimants and £1473 per calendar month for couples on 6th May 2024, with the change being in force from 13th May 2024.
- With this change, individuals earning below £892 a month or £1,437 for couples – so working less than half of a full-time week – will have to meet more frequently with their work coach to up their earnings. This is up from £617 for individuals and £988 for couples.
- Previously, the Administrative Earnings Threshold was increased in September 2022 to 12 hours per week at the National Living Wage, and again in January 2023 to 15 hours per week.
- Impacted claimants will receive a message in their Universal Credit journal and are encouraged to talk to their work coach to understand what it means for them and the help on offer.
- As with previous increases, claimant commitments will be tailored to personal circumstances and will take into account caring responsibilities as well as any health conditions.
May 16, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Un-jammable quantum tech takes flight to boost UK’s resilience against hostile actors [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 13 May 2024.

A first-of-its-kind achievement as quantum navigation tech developed in the UK has been successfully tested in flight.
- In a commercial world-first, quantum navigation tech developed in the UK was successfully tested in flight
- while GPS jamming is relatively rare and does not directly impact an aircraft’s flight path, quantum systems will provide another layer of security
- the government has supported the company running the tests, Infleqtion, and their partners from across the country with nearly £8 million as part of its vision to make the UK a leading quantum-enabled economy
In a first-of-its-kind achievement, the UK has successfully completed commercial flight trials of advanced quantum-based navigation systems that cannot be jammed or spoofed by hostile actors.

While GPS jamming is currently relatively rare and does not directly impact an aircraft’s flight path, new quantum-based Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems could, over time, offer one part of a larger solution to providing highly accurate and resilient navigation that complements current satellite systems – which could help ensure that the thousands of flights that take place around the world daily, proceed without disruption.

Infleqtion, a quantum technology firm, in collaboration with aerospace companies BAE Systems and QinetiQ, completed the trials at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, with Science Minister Andrew Griffith aboard the final test flight on Thursday 9 May.

These tests are the first time that this sort of ground-breaking technology has been tested in the UK on an aircraft in flight, and the first such flights worldwide that have been publicly acknowledged.

Led by Infleqtion and in collaboration with industry and academic partners, this project has received backing of nearly £8 million from the government. This funding, together with the £2.5 billion National Quantum Strategy and the National Quantum Technologies Programme, aims to cement the UK’s position as a leading quantum-enabled economy.

Science Minister Andrew Griffith said:

From passenger flights to shipping, we all depend on navigation systems that are accurate, safe and secure. The scientific research we are supporting here on quantum technology could well provide the resilience to protect our interests.

The fact that this technology has flown for the first time in British skies, is further proof of the UK as one of the world leaders on quantum.

In a series of test flights, the team led by Infleqtion has demonstrated two ground-breaking quantum technologies: the compact Tiqker optical atomic clock and a tightly confined ultra-cold-atom-based quantum system, both aboard QinetiQ’s RJ100 Airborne Technology Demonstrator, a modified aircraft.

The technology being tested on the flight will form part of a Quantum Inertial Navigation System (Q-INS), which has the potential to revolutionise PNT, with the system offering exceptional accuracy and resilience, independent of traditional satellite navigation using GPS.

PNT helps us know our location, navigate, and keep track of time. The cornerstone of modern PNT technology is precision clocks. These ultra-accurate timekeepers are crucial for various applications, and portable production of ultracold atoms is another key piece of the puzzle. Ultracold atoms – atoms that have been cooled to temperatures near absolute zero (the coldest possible temperature) – are ideal for building quantum accelerometers and gyroscopes, which form the heart of a Q-INS.

The test is part of a project funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) specifically focusing on creating quantum sensors to address the UK’s heavy reliance on GNSS/GPS for location, navigation and timing data. This dependence creates a vulnerability, as a single point of failure (like jamming or spoofing GPS signals) could disrupt critical economic, defence, and strategic activities.

The consortium working alongside Infleqtion includes Fraunhofer Centre for Applied Photonics, Alter Technology UK, Caledonian Photonics, Redwave Labs, PA Consulting, BAE Systems, and QinetiQ.

Infleqtion UK President, Dr Timothy Ballance, said:

Our recent trials mark a significant step forward in the development of quantum PNT solutions. The work we have done directly addresses the critical need to reduce our reliance on satellite navigation systems, which are vulnerable to various risks.

The successful flight trials demonstrate the potential of quantum technology in overcoming navigation system challenges, which is an exciting development for future applications in the aerospace industry and beyond.

Henry White, Sensing Technology Lead – BAE Systems, said:

These trials are an important step forward in developing quantum technology that could ultimately offer a significant military advantage. Knowing reliably and precisely when and where any asset and sensor system are, feeds into additional options for platform design and capability. This will play a big role in supporting the development of next generation combat air systems. Working closely with wider industry and experts now, at the early stages of the technology development helps us to shape the solution in a way that ensures the technology can be integrated for military applications.

Simon Galt, Managing Director (Air) at QinetiQ said:

We’re proud to be partnering with BAE Systems and Infleqtion to enable the successful trial of this cutting-edge technology, demonstrating our ability to rapidly and effectively collaborate across the defence ecosystem, combining our quantum expertise with our Airborne Technology Demonstrator jet.

Roger McKinlay, Challenge Director Quantum Technologies at Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), said:

Modern infrastructure is increasingly dependent on highly accurate timing and navigation derived from satellite signals. These flight tests mark the culmination of two excellent projects, funded through UKRI, which Infleqtion has had the vision to create and the deftness in leadership to execute with an outstanding team of collaborators.

The completion of these flight trials marks a significant milestone towards Mission 4 of the UK’s National Quantum Strategy. By 2030, this mission aims to deploy quantum navigation systems on aircraft, providing next-generation accuracy and resilience independent of satellite signals. The successful testing of an optical atomic clock, Infleqtion’s Tiqker, and core elements of a quantum inertial sensor aboard QinetiQ’s RJ100 Airborne Technology Demonstrator represents a breakthrough in airborne quantum technology.
May 16, 2024
Victoria Atkins – 2024 Speech on Birth Trauma

The speech made by Victoria Atkins, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, on 13 May 2024.

Good evening everyone.

It is an absolute privilege to be speaking to you all this evening as we mark the launch of the first ever birth trauma inquiry report.

And I’d like to start by thanking my dear friend Theo [Theo Clarke MP] for her strength in speaking out about her own experiences and in so doing, creating this incredible workstream whereby other women are being invited to give their experiences and to be listened to.

I mean, Theo is, to my mind the exemplar of a Parliamentary powerhouse, and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you, but also I genuinely think the work that you have achieved will have very, very long-term and positive benefits for women across England.

The reaction that you have received from women shows just how critical this work is.

You have given a voice to those who may never have shared the pain and the suffering that they have been through, or when they have spoken up, they have not been listened to.

And so, thanks to you and to the brave women in this room, but also the many, many brave women who have contributed to this report, or who have shared their stories today with media outlets, as it has rightly got such media attention.

But thanks to those brave women, things are changing and you are shining a bright light on the struggles that too many women face, and you are putting birth trauma at the heart of our national conversation, and ensuring that other mums do not have to suffer in silence.

And I’d also really like to thank the wider APPG, co-chaired by Theo but also by Rosie [Rosie Duffield MP], and both of whom have really demonstrated, along with APPG colleagues, just how cross-party working can work to the very best for us as a country.

And so thank you to every single Parliamentarian involved in the APPG.

And in that spirit, I am determined to make care for new mums and mums to be faster, simpler and fairer because the birth of a child should be among the happiest moments in our lives.

That said, of course, for the overwhelming majority of families it is.

Each week around 10,000 babies are born in England on the NHS and most of them are born safely and with mothers and families reporting a good experience of the care they receive.

But we want that for every woman and every family.

And as this inquiry demonstrates so starkly, there is far too much unacceptable variation across the country in the service that women receive.

Some mums endure simply unacceptable care and live with the consequences of that trauma for the rest of their lives.

Now I’ve been open about my own experiences with the NHS.

The NHS is genuinely one of the reasons I came into politics.

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 3 and I’ve seen the very best of the NHS, but I’ve also seen some of its darker corners and that includes in my own experience when I was pregnant.

As you can imagine the clinicians in the room will understand a type 1 diabetic being pregnant brings its own complications. And I had wonderful, wonderful care in many, many instances. But I also had examples where I wouldn’t wish other women to go through the same, including – and I’ve spoken about this – I was rushed into hospital earlier than anyone had planned, and I was put on a ward, heavily pregnant, not quite knowing what the future was holding for me or my baby.

And, I was on the ward where women who had just experienced extremely traumatic, dare I say it, dangerous births were being rushed from theatre on to the ward where I was.

Now clearly their experiences were far, far worse and far more traumatic than my own.

But you can imagine how frightening actually that experience was for a first-time mum to be, with the concerns that I was having to live with at the time.

So just that, as an example, I know everybody was trying to do their best at that point, but I desperately want to ensure that women who are expecting and who need additional support don’t find themselves in similar or even worse situations as I did.

And I want to make sure that no woman goes through a physical and mental trauma, and while giving birth, that could have been prevented.

Now I know that at the Women’s Health Summit in January, Dame Lesley Regan and I talked about – and forgive me, gentlemen – we talked about the NHS being a system that was created by men, for men.

And that struck a chord with many women, particularly those who know Lesley and know she is another female powerhouse. And the truth is that women have suffered in pain that would simply not be tolerated in any other part of the hospital.

Women have tried to raise concerns about unacceptable care, but they’re being told it’s all just natural.

And it is that, if you like, silencing, that really should not be the reality that women face in the 21st century.

We can and we will do better.

Now, being made Health Secretary in November, I have been impatient to make progress.

And that is why in January I held the Women’s Health Summit, where I made birth trauma one of the top priorities for the second year of the Women’s Health Strategy.

And I want to make this year not just the year that we listen, but that we act and that this is happening now.

We are rolling out new maternal mental health services for new mums, which are already available in all but 3 local health systems.

We are, believe you me, paying close attention to those final 3 areas to make sure they finalise their plans at pace this year.

On physical injuries too, we are rolling out improved perinatal pelvic health services, including guidance to better support women who experience serious tears and to prevent these from happening in the first place.

We’re halfway through. We plan to get to full coverage by the end of the financial year. And these services will be supported by our announcement at the Spring Budget of an extra £35 million more for more midwives and better training for when things go wrong.

On top of the extra £186 million a year we are already investing into maternity services and safety compared to 3 years ago.

And thanks to Theo, we have also introduced stand-alone GP appointments 6 to 8 weeks after giving birth to ask those crucial questions about whether mum is okay while keeping separate checks for her baby, because we know a happy, healthy mum means a happy, healthy baby.

And this is supported by new guidance to prompt direct questions about their birth experience, even if there is nothing in her notes to suggest that the birth was traumatic.

I want to embed a culture that listens to women right from the start of their pregnancy, and so I’m delighted that NHS England are co-producing new decision-making tools with new mums to help guide through choices on how they give birth, what interventions could happen and what pain relief they should be offered.

These will be made available in a range of languages and formats to make sure that they can be tailored to different settings and to different local populations, because the ethnic disparities that Kim [Dr Kim Thomas] and Theo have highlighted have to be tackled, and we are determined to do that.

Theo’s speech in Parliament spoke to the lasting impact that birth trauma can have on the whole family. And of course, dads and partners are very much part of that. And so I’m extremely grateful to Theo’s husband for making that point.

But also we have listened in government and Maria Caulfield, my minister, who is responsible for men’s health along with a great many other things, will be chairing the next session of the Men’s Health Task and Finish Group in June to focus on dads’ mental health and trauma so that we can better understand how to support partners.

And I’m delighted to announce that the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will commission new research into the economic impact of birth trauma, including how this affects women returning to work.

That’s a really important idea and a really important commitment.

I know there is so much work to do to deliver on the detailed findings of this report and I, together with NHS England, fully support the APPG’s call to develop a comprehensive cross-government national strategy for maternal care.

I’m very grateful to the NHS for the progress that has been made so far on the 3-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, but I want to go further and a comprehensive national strategy will help us to keep driving that work forward while making sure everyone across government and the health service are crystal clear about what we need in maternity services to focus on.

And I also want to be clearer to mums and those looking after them, what their rights and expectations should be, so that everybody can be clear about the standard of care that mums deserve.

So watch this space.

Now in conclusion, this is the first time in the NHS’s 75-year history that I, as the Secretary of State, but also the chief executive of NHS England, are both mums.

We get it.

And for this, this is not just professional, it is personal.

Both Amanda [Pritchard] and I take our responsibilities to all of you incredibly seriously and I have to say more soon on how I plan to make this area of our health system faster, simpler and fairer.

So I want to finish by thanking you, each and every one of you that has been involved in this report, for everything you have done to kickstart the national conversation about birth, trauma and how women should be listened to and their concerns acted upon.

And I really look forward to continuing this conversation with you in the months ahead.

Thank you so much.

May 16, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Government to make medicines dispensing more efficient [May 2024]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 13 May 2024.

The changes will allow pharmacists to spend more time with patients, levelling the playing field between smaller pharmacies and larger chains.
- The government confirms plans to make ‘hub and spoke’ dispensing models available to all local pharmacies
- The change aims to make local pharmacies more efficient and free up time for more complex elements of dispensing and clinical care
- Move is part of government’s drive to make patient access to medicines and treatment more efficient across the NHS
Patients stand to benefit thanks to an efficiency drive that will allow all local pharmacies to dispense medicines more efficiently, the government announced today.

Currently, larger pharmacy chains can take advantage of the efficiencies and cost savings that come with centralising the dispensing of medicines at a larger ‘hub’.

But smaller independent pharmacies are unable to operate the same model due to legal restrictions on dispensing for pharmacies under different ownership, meaning they can face additional costs and workload.

Under the changes announced today, the government will progress in making the hub and spoke model universally available, allowing pharmacies belonging to different legal entities to use hubs belonging to other companies. This will level the playing field between smaller pharmacies and larger chains.

The changes will enable pharmacists to dispense medicines more efficiently and spend more time dealing face to face with patients.

Primary Care Minister Andrea Leadsom said:

We’re continuing our drive to make access to medicines and care faster, simpler and fairer for all patients, including at local pharmacies.

These proposals will level the playing field and enable our hardworking community pharmacies to benefit from centralised dispensing.

It will also free up highly skilled pharmacists from back-office duties to deliver patient-facing services, including Pharmacy First and contraception consultations, supply medicines and provide advice.

The government ran a consultation on its plans for a wider hub and spoke model rollout in 2022 and received an overwhelmingly positive response.

Now, subject to Parliamentary approval, all pharmacies will have an option of 2 hub and spoke models from 2025.

The proposed legislation was a commitment made under the primary care recovery plan and is the latest of several initiatives being delivered to improve the efficiency of pharmaceutical services across the country.

Legislation to give greater powers to pharmacy technicians was also laid in April which, if approved by Parliament, will free up staff to carry out more tasks and free up more time for pharmacists.

Background information

Hub and spoke dispensing: consultation response

Dispensing medicines covers a number of processes, including:
- the receipt of a prescription
- the clinical and accuracy checks
- sourcing of the products
- the preparation, assembly and supply of medicines
- advising the patient to ensure they know how and when to take the medicine
Traditionally, all of these different processes have been done in a single pharmacy based in the community.

The concept of hub and spoke dispensing is that the routine elements of dispensing activity can take place on a large scale at a pharmacy known as the ‘hub’, separate to the pharmacy at which the prescription was handed in, which is known as the ‘spoke’.

Existing hubs usually make use of automated processes to realise economies of scale and efficiencies, freeing up time and space for pharmacists and pharmacy teams to focus on delivering other services to patients.

Read more about new powers for pharmacy technicians
May 16, 2024

Tag: 2024

Notes to editors

Notes to editors

Water Minister Robbie Moore said:

Environment Agency Chair Alan Lovell said: