UKPOL.CO.UK

Tag: 2024

  • PRESS RELEASE : New Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman appointed [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : New Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman appointed [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 18 January 2024.

    The next Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has been confirmed as Amerdeep Somal by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove following a rigorous selection process.

    Ms Somal will start in post on 1st February 2024, bringing with her a wealth of experience having previously served as the Complaints Commissioner to the Financial Regulators and Chief Commissioner at the Data and Marketing Commission.

    She has also been appointed as Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England, the official body which runs the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman service.

    The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigates complaints from members of the public about local councils and social care providers. The Ombudsman is appointed by His Majesty the King on the advice of the Secretary of State, and the Ombudsman’s investigations are independent of central government.

    Ms Somal was appointed following an open recruitment competition overseen by Commissioner for Public Appointments, and her appointment was endorsed by the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee following a pre-appointment scrutiny hearing held in Parliament on 18th September 2023.

    Minister for Local Government Simon Hoare said:

    “The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman provides a vital role in holding our public services to account, ensuring the public has the power to challenge decisions on the issues that matter most to them.

    “I am delighted Amerdeep Somal has been confirmed as the next Ombudsman and look forward to working with her in the future.”

    Further information:

    • Amerdeep Somal sits on the board of the Parliamentary Health Service Ombudsman. She is also a Judge of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal.
    • She was the Independent Assessor to the Financial Ombudsman Service and board member at the General Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council. She is a former founding Commissioner at the Independent Police Complaints Commission, and has held a number of other board roles following an earlier career as a senior civil servant.
    • Ms Somal has been appointed as Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for a term of seven years.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Four Members reappointed to the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Four Members reappointed to the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 18 January 2024.

    The Secretary of State has reappointed Martin Howard, Dr Leon Litvack, Helene Pantelli and David Rossington as Members of the Advisory Council on National Records and Archives.

    Martin Howard

    Appointed for a four year term commencing 21 October 2023.

    Martin Howard is a retired UK senior security official. His last two postings in government were as Director for Cyber Policy and International Relations at GCHQ, focusing on strategic development and communication of cyber-security policies, and on cyber and intelligence cooperation with international partners; and Chief of the Assessments Staff in the Cabinet Office Joint Intelligence Organisation, analysing conventional and novel threats to national security and critical infrastructure.

    He previously served as Assistant Secretary General for Operations in NATO, dealing with the alliance’s missions in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Libya, Iraq and on counter-piracy; as Director General Operational Policy in the Ministry of Defence; and as Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence. He also worked in the Northern Ireland Office acting as Private Secretary to the Secretary of State and as part of the UK team that helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement. Martin was appointed Companion of the Bath (CB) in 2007.

    Dr Leon Litvack

    Appointed for a four year term commencing 21 October 2023.

    Leon Litvack is Professor of Victorian Studies at the Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is the author of numerous scholarly publications, an authority on the life and works of Charles Dickens, and Principal Editor of the Charles Dickens Letters Project. Leon is also a freelance broadcaster for the BBC. He has held public appointments on National Museums Northern Ireland, Arts Council Northern Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council. He is a Director of Tobernagee Properties Ltd, and Charles Dickens Letters Ltd.

    Helene Pantelli

    Appointed for a four year term commencing 21 October 2023.

    Helene Pantelli is a qualified solicitor. She spent several years practising law with City law firms Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Travers Smith LLP, including a secondment to the legal team of a global financial institution. Helene’s experience focussed on all elements of commercial law, particularly private and listed investment funds, assisting clients with corporate transactions, corporate governance and regulatory matters.

    Most recently, Helene has worked at the Financial Ombudsman Service as a senior ombudsman, a statutory decision-maker responsible for resolving disputes between consumers and financial services providers, and Head of Practice for Investments and Pensions disputes. Helene led a division of ombudsman managers making legally binding decisions on complex and high value complaints with responsibility for technical matters and policy development for those complaints. She represents the Financial Ombudsman Service externally, speaking at events, liaising regularly with regulatory authorities, businesses and other key industry and consumer groups, recently in relation to high profile pension transfer matters. Helene represented the Financial Ombudsman Service on the government advisory group on social impact investing in the UK, the report for which – “Growing a culture of social impact investing in the UK” – was published at the end of 2017.

    David Rossington

    Appointed for a four year term commencing 21 October 2023.

    David Rossington CB is a former senior civil servant. He has worked for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), including as Finance Director and acting Director General, and other Government departments including what is now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

    Since stopping full time work, he has been a member of the Advisory Committee on National Records and Archives, to which he is being reappointed until October 2027, and currently serves as its Deputy Chair. He is also a Gambling Commissioner. He is Treasurer and Deputy Chair of a charity for veterans (Stoll), and Treasurer of an Oxford community arts charity (Arts at the Old Fire Station).

    David holds a degree in History and French from Oxford, a Masters in Public Policy from the Kennedy School, Harvard University, and an economics MSc from Birkbeck College, London. David took an accountancy qualification while a civil servant, although is no longer in practice.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor in Davos to champion British excellence in tech [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor in Davos to champion British excellence in tech [January 2024]

    The press release issued by HM Treasury on 18 January 2024.

    Jeremy Hunt champions British science and tech in first visit to the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland from a UK Chancellor since 2019

    • Microsoft, OpenAI and Pfizer among key investors in the UK to join Chancellor panels on Britain’s growth industries
    • Chancellor Hunt will also bang the drum on investment into the UK through a series of bilateral meetings with global CEOs

    Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will today, Thursday 18 January, represent the UK at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. He will bear the message that the UK is a world leader in science and technology and ripe for investment from the international business community.

    The Chancellor will meet with chief executives from the world’s top-tier companies and speak about his optimism for the UK’s economic growth and productivity despite global uncertainties, in the first visit to Davos by a UK Chancellor since 2019. Chancellor Hunt will also champion the UK’s ambition to be a science and technology superpower, as well as how Britain will harness the economic potential of technology.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, said:

    I’ll be in Davos to tell the world that Britain, a nation of great innovation, is on the up and open for business.

    We boast some of the best and brightest businesses in sectors of the future like digital technology and life sciences. It’s these areas of strength that are going to drive growth across the UK economy in years to come.

    The Chancellor will host a panel discussion on global headwinds in technology, and how these will impact Britain. He will speak about the challenges and opportunities the UK faces in the tech sector, as well as the strength of its offer for investors. His panellists will be:

    • Satya Nadella, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft
    • Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna
    • Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford

    The Chancellor will also participate in a panel entitled ‘Technology in a Turbulent World’, discussing the importance of technology for economic growth and outlining Britain’s approach to regulation and use, following its hosting of the world’s first AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park in November 2023. He will appear alongside:

    • Sam Altman, Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI
    • Julie Sweet, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Accenture
    • Albert Bourla, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Pfizer
    • Marc Benioff, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Salesforce

    The Chancellor will also hold a series of bilateral meetings with CEOs of world-leading companies to encourage inward investment into the UK.

    Digital technology such as AI and life sciences, including the improved running of cutting-edge clinical trials, are priority growth sectors for the UK and are expected to be the focus of the Chancellor’s pitch at Davos.

    Britain is already a tech leader in Europe, with the UK’s tech industry worth three times as much as Germany’s and twice as much as France’s in 2023, based on venture capital investment. It has been valued at over $1 trillion, representing 3 million jobs and 85,000 tech start-ups including DeepMind and Stability AI.

    The government has also announced a series of multimillion pound investments for the life sciences industry, including £520 million over five years for medicines manufacturing and a £650 million ‘life sci for growth’ package unveiled in May. In the Autumn Statement last November, it was announced that full expensing, whereby companies claim tax relief for qualifying plant and machinery investments, would be made permanent – an effective corporate tax cut worth more than £50 billion to business to help them invest for less. Existing R&D Expenditure Credit schemes were also simplified and improved to further drive research and innovation in the UK.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Huge boost for global security with almost £1 billion government investment [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Huge boost for global security with almost £1 billion government investment [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 18 January 2024.

    The UK benefited from £830 million in the 2022-23 financial year delivering programmes and peacekeeping in more than 90 countries to bolster global security.

    The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund’s (CSSF) investment delivers projects in Ukraine, Africa, the Indo-Pacific and the Overseas Territories among other places. Last year it more than doubled spending on cyber security programmes, with £25.5 million spent on the Global Cyber Programme, the Africa Joint Operations Against Cyber Crime and bolstering the cyber defences Georgia, Iraq and elsewhere.

    The Cabinet Office-led CSSF tackles the greatest threats to UK national security emanating from overseas, especially conflict, transnational threats and hostile state activity. The 2022 to 2023 CSSF Annual Report reveals how and where it spent money to tackle these global security challenges, such as assistance to Ukraine following the illegal invasion by Russia and countering Russian disinformation on the invasion.

    The CSSF also plays a key role in strengthening UK and international partners’ cyber security by strengthening their cyber defences and supporting their fight against cyber-crime. For example the CSSF has also funded programmes in the Indo-Pacific region, delivering cyber exercises in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan to help test their response to a major national cyber attack.

    Through the CSSF, the UK established a Ukraine Cyber Programme, providing £7.3 million from the beginning of the invasion to March 2022. Following the IRR, funding for this programme will be increased by up to £25 million, including £16 million from UK funding, and potential for a further £9 million contribution from international allies.

    Ukraine was the biggest single-state recipient of CSSF-funded Official Development Assistance, receiving £41 million, an increase from £23.5 million in the 2021 to 2022 financial year.

    Cabinet Office Minister for the CSSF Baroness Neville-Rolfe said:

    From the Balkans to Latin America, the Indo-Pacific and beyond, the UK’s Conflict, Stability and Security Fund plays a vital role in keeping people safe both at home and abroad.

    Improving the cyber security of our international partners is vital to the preservation of the rules-based international system and so detecting, disrupting and deterring cyber threats across the globe has been central to the CSSF’s work.

    Other significant areas of spending included projects in Eastern Europe and Central Asia which accounted for around 14% of CSSF funding (£119.28 million) and projects in Sub-Saharan Africa which accounted for almost 12% of CSSF funding (£98.57 million). In Sub-Saharan Africa the CSSF’s investment has tackled the threat of violent extremists by working with counter terror organisations.

    The CSSF also manages the UK government’s funding of peacekeeping operations and deployments and manages the Rapid Response Mechanism with peacekeeping efforts accounting for more than a third (36%) of its spending (£301.8 million).

    In March 2023, as part of the Integrated Review Refresh, the Prime Minister announced the CSSF would transform into a new fund: the Integrated Security Fund (ISF) from April 2024. The CSSF’s transition into the ISF will link up our domestic and overseas security to strengthen our ability to export world-leading expertise to international partners so we can tackle global challenges such as smuggling, illicit finances and large-scale migration.

    The Cabinet Office-led CSSF brings together several government departments, including the FCDO, Home Office and Ministry of Defence. The FCDO was the single biggest spender of CSSF funding the 2022 to 2023 financial year; it accounted for 81.7% of total spend (£678.27 million).

  • PRESS RELEASE : Social Security Advisory Committee appointments [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Social Security Advisory Committee appointments [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 18 January 2024.

    The Social Security Advisory Committee welcomes 6 new members.

    The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has appointed the following new members to the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC):

    Les Allamby
    Rachel Chiu
    Daphne Hall
    Stephen Hardy
    Jacob Meagher
    Suzy Walton

    In addition, existing member Bruce Calderwood has been re-appointed to the Committee for a further term of three years.

    Confirming the appointments, Parliamentary-Under-Secretary for DWP, Viscount Younger of Leckie, said:

    I am delighted to welcome Les, Rachel, Daphne, Stephen, Jacob, and Suzy to the Social Security Advisory Committee, and also to welcome back Bruce for a further term. Collectively, the new appointments bring a formidable wealth of knowledge, experience and diverse perspectives which will further enrich the advice that the Committee provides to the DWP Ministerial team.

    Dr Stephen Brien, SSAC Chair, said:

    These appointments are a very welcome addition to the current Committee membership. The diversity of the new appointments will bring with it an impressive mix of knowledge, skills, and insight to our work on a broad range of issues that affect many people in our society who find themselves in vulnerable situations. I look forward to working with our new colleagues.

    About the Committee

    Established in 1980, the Social Security Advisory Committee is an independent statutory body. It provides advice to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on proposals for the amendment of secondary legislation and on general social security matters.

    The Commissioner for Public Appointments regulates all appointments made to SSAC by the Secretary of State. All such appointments are made in accordance with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.

    SSAC members receive a daily fee of £256.80, for a time commitment of 2 to 3 days a month.

    About the appointees

    Les Allamby

    Les holds several public appointments including Discretionary Support Commissioner for Northern Ireland. Les is a former member and vice-Chair of SSAC (2005 to 2014).

    Les has been appointed from 1 February 2024 to 31 January 2029.

    Bruce Calderwood

    Bruce is a trustee of Avenues, a group of charitable companies providing support for people with complex needs. He is a former senior civil servant who served both in the Department of Health and DWP.

    Bruce has been reappointed from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026.

    Rachel Chiu

    Rachel is a co-founder and director of Spring Housing Association and is a trustee of IKON.

    Rachel has been appointed from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028.

    Daphne Hall

    Daphne is an editor at Rightsnet and is the Vice Chair of the National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers.

    Daphne has been appointed from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026.

    Stephen Hardy

    Stephen is a Professor of Law at the University of Hull and a Judicial Office Holder.

    Stephen has been appointed from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026.

    Jacob Meagher

    Jacob is a practising barrister (England and Wales), a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge Centre for Business Research and a Board Member and Trustee of the Snowdon Trust.

    Jacob has been appointed from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2028.

    Suzy Walton

    Suzy is a strategic adviser and former board member at the Institute of Directors. A former senior civil servant at the Cabinet Office, Suzy has a number of roles on various public bodies, is a Chartered Director and a mother of 7. She has a PhD from her work in the Ministry of Defence on suicide.

    Suzy has been appointed from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Member reappointed to the Insolvency Rules Committee [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Member reappointed to the Insolvency Rules Committee [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 18 January 2024.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointment of Alison Curry as the accountant member of the Insolvency Rules Committee.

    The Lord Chancellor has reappointed Alison Curry, as accountant member of the Insolvency Rules Committee (IRC), for 2 years from 1 August 2024.

    Alison Curry

    Alison a licensed insolvency practitioner with 28 years of experience working within both private practice and the regulatory arena. She is currently Technical Manager at AlixPartners, where she provides legislative and regulatory compliance support to colleagues within the UK Turnaround and Restructuring practice.

    She is an elected member of R3’s National Council, Chair of the R3 Membership Committee and a contributor to the Lexis Nexis panel of insolvency experts.

    Alison is an accomplished trainer and public speaker on insolvency issues and has extensive experience in drafting regulatory guidance, project management and delivery, and the implementation of organisational change.

    Insolvency Rules Committee

    The IRC is an expert body that advises on proposed new and amendments to insolvency rules that underpin the wider insolvency legislative framework; their advice and recommendations are provided to the Lord Chancellor.

    IRC members are from the legal and accountancy professions and will have many years of operational experience in dealing with insolvency matters. They provide their services on a voluntary and unremunerated basis.

    Appointments are made, to the IRC, by the Lord Chancellor – under the Insolvency Act 1986 – after consulting the Chancellor of the High Court. Appointments are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and must comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Emergency pesticide authorisation to protect sugar beet crop conditionally approved [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Emergency pesticide authorisation to protect sugar beet crop conditionally approved [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 18 January 2024.

    The pesticide will only be used if there is a threat to the crop, and stringent controls are attached to protect the environment.

    • The threshold for neonicotinoid use has increased on previous years to the highest level it’s ever been set
    • The government is committed to finding innovative solutions to manage pests and promote food production while protecting the environment

    A neonicotinoid pesticide will be permitted for use on the 2024 sugar beet crop in England, only if there is a danger as evidenced by an independent prediction of virus incidence of 65% or more.

    Emergency Authorisations for pesticides are only granted for a limited period of time, in special circumstances where it is necessary because of a danger that cannot be contained by any other reasonable means, and the use is limited and controlled.

    Use of Cruiser SB will be permitted if levels of yellow virus are predicted by an independent model to exceed a particular threshold. If this threshold is not met, use of the product will not be permitted.

    This year’s threshold for use is at the highest level it has ever been set. Even if the threshold is passed, further conditions will be applied to minimise the risk to the environment.

    This includes restrictions on the crops which farmers can plant in subsequent years in any field where treated seed has been used, and compliance with the stewardship scheme to treat and use seed correctly and to monitor the level of neonicotinoids in the environment.

    The application of the neonicotinoid pesticide protects crops against viruses to safeguard food production, while the threshold attached to its application helps protect the wider environment.

    The government is committed to moving away from pesticide use and is supporting innovative methods to support land farmers effectively manage pests. Even if Cruiser SB were to be used on every sugar beet field in England, the amount of active substance would still be over 90% lower than the quantity of neonicotinoids applied to crops in each of the years 2012 to 2016.

    Sugar beet seedlings and young plants are vulnerable to feeding by aphids which transmit viruses leading to reduced beet size and lower sugar content. The viruses can reduce yields up to 50%, impacting individual growers, domestic sugar production and an industry which sustains almost 10,000 jobs across the country.

    More than half of the UK’s sugar comes from domestic production and in 2020, 25% of the national sugar beet crop was lost, costing £67 million of total economic loss across the industry.

    Farming Minister Mark Spencer said:

    We recognise the damaging impact that an outbreak of beet yellow virus could have on farmer livelihoods. We therefore regard issuing an emergency authorisation as a necessary and proportionate measure.

    The product can only be used if a threshold is met, and its use will be strictly controlled. This decision is based on robust scientific assessment and the risks have been evaluated very carefully.

    Sugar beet plants are harvested before they flower and do not generally exude through leaves or stems. Given this, the sugar beet crop itself is considered to be unattractive to bees, and there is little risk arising from bees foraging on pollen and nectar of the sugar beet crop.

    The Government recently held a roundtable with members of the British sugar industry and environmental organisations during which the industry’s plan to move away from neonicotinoid use was discussed. The Farming Minister urges the applicants and others in the sector to drive forward these plans, including measures to improve seed germination, so that their outputs can be implemented in the field at pace.

    The government has also set out actions to increase the use of Integrated Pest Management in agriculture. This includes new paid actions as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive Scheme, such as an option to move to insecticide-free farming.

    These actions will support farmers to increase their use of Integrated Pest Management solutions, thereby reducing the risks associated with pesticides, combatting pesticide resistance, and supporting sustainable agricultural productivity.

    The Farming Minister considered advice on this application from Defra’s Chief Scientific Adviser, the Health and Safety Executive, the independent UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and economists.

    The UK’s approach to emergency authorisations has not changed following our departure from the EU and the overall ban on the use of neonicotinoid pesticides remains in place.

    Notes to Editors:

  • PRESS RELEASE : Attorney General launches prosecution awards [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Attorney General launches prosecution awards [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 18 January 2024.

    Legal awards to celebrate the vital and important work of prosecutors has been launched, the Attorney General has announced.

    The Attorney General, Victoria Prentis KC MP is inviting nominations for the Prosecution Team and Prosecutor of the Year Awards.

    The awards are open to prosecutors and teams who are members of the Whitehall Prosecutors’ Group and signatories to the 2009 Prosecutor’s Convention, including the Environment Agency, the Insolvency Service, SFO, CPS and the AGO.

    This year’s awards will see a new category looking to recognise the best individual prosecutor, in addition to celebrating an excellent prosecuting team.

    The Attorney General, Victoria Prentis KC MP said:

    As Attorney General, I have seen first-hand the excellent work across the range of prosecuting authorities. From larger bodies who tackle serious economic crime and convict violent offenders to smaller bodies who protect people from unsafe food or pollution – their work benefits us all.

    I am pleased to announce the launch of the Prosecution Team of the Year and Prosecutor of the Year Awards and welcome entries that clearly demonstrate innovation, best use of resources and outcomes that improve public confidence. Good luck to all those who enter.

    Entries can focus on one significant, complex, or sensitive case or an effective ongoing relationship between one or more signatories.

    Judges will be looking for submissions that can demonstrate prosecuting excellence and entries will be sifted by an independent cross-Government panel.

    The winners and runners-up will be picked by the Law Officers and the deadline to submit is midnight 31 January 2024.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Families to save on bills through new energy saving trials [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Families to save on bills through new energy saving trials [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero on 18 January 2024.

    12 projects receive a share of up to £16 million from Green Home Finance Accelerator to help families improve their home’s energy efficiency.

    • New innovative projects awarded funding to help families improve their home’s energy efficiency and save money
    • projects awarded a share of up to £16 million include a solar panel subscription service and ‘green mortgages’
    • part of efforts to help households cut their energy bills and emissions

    Families will be able to access instant savings on their electricity bills through a new solar panel subscription service – one of 12 ground-breaking projects awarded funding today (Thursday 18 January).

    Sunsave will receive £1.9 million of government funding to test its Electric Roof project, which aims to reduce the barriers to the widespread installation of solar panels.

    Rather than an upfront cost of installing solar panels, homeowners will pay a monthly fee, covering their monitoring and maintenance. It will also include gaining access to ‘smart tariffs’ which offer households different electricity rates at different times of the day, increasing the savings available.

    The 12 projects receiving funding today also include E.ON’s optimised Energy as a Service, receiving £1 million to pilot a one-stop-shop for energy advice and funding for up to 350 households for low-carbon technology such as heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage.

    The awards form part of the Green Home Finance Accelerator programme, which aims to support new ways of giving families access to funding to improve their home’s energy efficiency.

    Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance, said:

    When energy bills reached record highs, we stepped in to lessen the burden on hardworking families across the country.

    But we haven’t stopped there and these innovative projects will allow more families to save money and cut emissions.

    We are always looking to test progressive ways to make energy saving measures more accessible and affordable, allowing people to make their homes greener and warmer.

    Projects to receive a share of the £16 million government funding also include:

    • Perenna, which will receive £888,000 to develop a long-term, fixed-rate ‘green mortgage’ incentivising customers to make their homes more energy efficient by offering a reduced mortgage rate
    • Chameleon Technology’s HTC-Up project, which will receive £795,000 to provide domestic homeowners and landlords bespoke green loans and cashback rewards, to help make their properties more energy efficient
    • Scroll Finance Limited’s Glocers Project, which will receive £1.5 million to pilot a project that uses equity in a home to provide a loan that funds the upfront costs of installing energy saving measures in a flexible and affordable way

    Emma Harvey-Smith, Programme Director for the built environment at the Green Finance Institute, said:

    Delivering a range of innovative and affordable financing solutions will help homeowners to make their homes more energy efficient, lowering bills and reducing emissions. Developing and piloting new green finance mechanisms to ensure they successfully support as wide a range of customers as possible, and unlock barriers to retrofit, will enable more energy efficiency home upgrades at pace and scale.

    The GFI continues to play a central role in developing the market for financing a net zero and climate-resilient built environment across the UK and Europe, by catalysing finance markets to deliver on ambitious decarbonisation goals and driving real-economy impact.

    The winning projects will operate until February 2025, implementing and testing their products with homeowners across the UK.

    The £20 million Green Home Finance Accelerator is funded through the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Independent Review to guide libraries strategy in 2024 [January 2024]

    PRESS RELEASE : Independent Review to guide libraries strategy in 2024 [January 2024]

    The press release issued by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport on 18 January 2024.

    New independent review published on how to support and improve libraries in England.

    • Arts Minister Lord Parkinson says recommendations will inform new government strategy on libraries due to be published this year
    • Government will host a series of cross-government roundtable meetings every year to help address the challenges facing libraries

    A series of recommendations proposed in an independent review to ensure that public libraries are supported and providing the best possible service for their communities will be taken forward by the government, Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay has confirmed today.

    The independent review, led by former journalist and government adviser Baroness Sanderson of Welton, was commissioned in September 2022 to seek views and develop innovative ideas on how to improve public libraries across England, in order to inform a new government strategy.

    The government response to her review welcomes Baroness Sanderson’s recommendations for an expanded library membership, closer work with the British Library, improvements to the branding and visibility of libraries, and the establishment of a national data hub to collate better evidence. Lord Parkinson confirmed that these recommendations will help to inform future work on the government’s public libraries strategy for England, which is expected to be published later this year.

    Lord Parkinson has also committed to hosting a series of cross-government roundtable meetings every year to help address the challenges facing libraries, and to consider the ways in which public libraries can be recognised and included in future government policy work.

    A celebratory event to thank the many people and organisations from across the country who contributed to the review will take place in the House of Lords, hosted by Baroness Sanderson and Lord Parkinson.

    Arts and Heritage Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

    Libraries are a vital public resource, helping to inspire, educate, and entertain people of all ages and backgrounds.

    They’ve played an important role in my life, and provided a vital lifeline to so many people during the pandemic. That’s why I wanted to ensure that, as we prepare the government’s new strategy for libraries, we were building on all the brilliant work and bright ideas coming from across the sector.

    Baroness Sanderson shares my passion for libraries. Her excellent report captures that work and those ideas, and adds shrewd recommendations of her own, which I welcome and will take forward. Her review – and the contributions of everyone who took part in it – will inform our new strategy and help us to ensure that communities across the country can benefit from great public library services in the next few years, and for generations to come.

    Baroness Sanderson of Welton, author of the independent report, said:

    Libraries are a crucial part of our social infrastructure, helping to inspire a love of reading while also tackling a host of issues from digital exclusion to loneliness and isolation. Yet all too often they are overlooked and underappreciated.

    Throughout the course of this work I have met with hundreds of people working within the library sector and have been struck by their enthusiasm and willingness to adapt to changing circumstances. Far from being out of touch, libraries are weathervanes of their communities, reflecting and forerunning societal trends, good and bad.

    I am grateful to Lord Parkinson for commissioning this review which looks at ways to improve awareness of our libraries and the work that they do so that we may enable them to flourish, both now and into the future.

    Councillor Liz Green, Chair of the Local Government Association Culture, Tourism & Sport Board, said:

    Libraries are a key public asset which provide extra services in providing community spaces. This independent review includes thoughtful proposals which – if implemented – will go some way to contributing to the smoother delivery of library services and collecting accurate reports of their impact on communities.

    Liz Jolly, Chief Librarian of the British Library, said:

    We welcome the publication of the Sanderson Review and the Government’s response, which recognise the vital role of public libraries and the success of the thriving partnerships we’ve developed with the public library sector through the Business and IP Centre Network, the Living Knowledge Network, the Public Lending Right and LibraryOn. We look forward to working with DCMS and partners across the sector on the shared challenges and opportunities identified by Baroness Sanderson.’’

    Laura Dyer, Deputy Chief Executive of Places, Engagement & Libraries at Arts Council England, said:

    We were delighted to have representatives take part in all of Baroness Sanderson’s roundtable sessions where she made every effort to ensure that a wide reaching and inclusive discussion was had, allowing people from within and outside the sector to be heard. We welcome the recommendations and the Minister’s response and look forward to working with both DCMS and the sector to deliver on them.

    Between October 2022 and July 2023, Baroness Sanderson travelled around the country to consult people from the libraries sector and beyond on how to improve libraries. To inform her report, she held nine roundtable sessions across the country to seek a diverse range of views to inform her work.