Tag: 2024

PRESS RELEASE : £1,000 yearly tax cut for households from today [January 2024]
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 6 January 2024.

27 million people across the UK will benefit from a yearly tax cut worth hundreds of pounds from today, meaning a household with two average earners will save nearly £1,000 per year.
- 27 million people to get tax cut from today as the main rate of employee National Insurance will be cut by two percentage points, from 12% to 10%.
- Change in gear for government, cutting taxes for hard working people so they have more money in their pocket.
- Online tool launched to help workers estimate their savings.
The main rate of National Insurance has been cut by 2p from 12% to 10% today (Saturday 6 January 2024). This reduces National Insurance by more than 15%, saving £450 this year for the average salaried worker on £35,400.

Millions of people working different jobs across hundreds of industries will now be better off. An average full-time nurse will save £520, a typical junior doctor £750 and an average teacher £630.

In the past year, inflation has halved; the economy has recovered more quickly from the pandemic than first thought; and debt is on track to fall. With a renewed focus on the long-term decisions to strengthen the economy, the government is changing gear and cutting taxes for hard working people, giving them the opportunity to build a wealthier, more secure life for themselves and their families.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“We have made tough decisions on the economy, supporting people through global shocks such as the pandemic and Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. It is because of the tough decisions this government has taken that today we are able to cut taxes for 27 million people across the UK.

“Today’s tax cuts will directly reward hard working people, putting £450 back in the pocket of the average worker and helping them make ends meet.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

“With inflation halved, we’ve turned a corner and are cutting taxes – starting with today’s record cut to National Insurance worth nearly £1,000 for a household.

“From nurses and brickies, to cleaners and butchers, 27 million hard-working Brits will have a little more cash in their pockets.”

The cut means that for those on average salaries, personal taxes would be lower in the UK than every other G7 country, based on the most recent OECD data. The UK also has the most generous starting allowances for income tax and social security contributions in the G7.

To mark the tax cut, HMRC have launched an online tool to help people understand how much they could save in National Insurance this year.

The tool will use salary information to give employees personalised estimates of how much they could save because of the government’s changes, and will be hosted on the government’s cost of living support website on GOV.UK.

The last major cut to the current personal tax system of today’s magnitude was when the National Insurance personal allowance increased from £9,880 to £12,570 in July 2022. This was the largest ever cut to a personal tax starting threshold, allowing working people to hold on to an extra £2,690 free from tax whilst taking 2.2 million people out of paying tax altogether.

Today’s tax cut combined with above-inflation increases to tax thresholds since 2010 means that the average earner will pay over £1,000 less in personal taxes than they otherwise would have done.

At the Autumn Statement the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced the biggest package of tax cuts to be implemented since the 1980s. In addition to today’s action, the Chancellor also announced a National Insurance cut for 2 million self-employed people, which will take effect on 6 April 2024 and is worth £350 for the average self-employed person on £28,200. He also announced the biggest ever increase to the National Living Wage, effectively cut corporation tax by more than £55 billion as he made full expensing permanent to help businesses invest for less, froze alcohol duty for six months and extended cuts to business rates relief for the high street.

Today’s historic National Insurance cut takes effect following the government stepping in to support households during the Covid-19 pandemic and throughout Putin’s barbaric war in Ukraine. The government took the decision to manage the public finances responsibly by not saddling future generations to help pay down debt.

Further information
- Use HMRC’s new online tool. It will be online at 05:00 on Saturday 6 January 2024.
- Visit the government’s cost of living support website
- National Insurance factsheet
- Latest OECD tax on wages data
- Visit the Treasury’s Flickr to view photos from the Chancellor’s visit to Openreach, Crawley to mark the NICs cut
- Today’s NICs cut has reduced the 32% combined tax rate for employees (income tax + national insurance) paying the basic rate of tax to 30% – the lowest since the 1980s.
- From April 2024, a full time National Living Wage worker’s take home pay will be 30% greater in real terms than it was in 2010, due to successive increases in the National Living Wage and changes to personal tax rates and thresholds.
- The OBR say that, by 2028-29 this tax cut will increase the number of people in employment by 28,000 alongside a substantial economic benefit from those in work increasing their hours which the OBR forecast will be equivalent to 79,000 on a full-time equivalent basis. Overall, the OBR say that by 2028-29 this measure will increase the number of hours worked by new and existing employees by 0.3%, or 94,000 in full-time equivalent terms. This shows the government is making work pay.
Who does this help?
- A senior nurse with 5 years of experience on £42,618 will receive an annual gain of £600.
- An average full-time nurse on £38,900 will receive an annual gain of over £520.
- An average police officer on £44,300 will receive an annual gain of over £630.
- A typical junior doctor on £63,000 will receive an annual gain of over £750.
- A cleaner working night shifts on £21,000 will receive a gain of £170.
- A typical self-employed plumber on £34,400 will receive an annual gain of £410.
- An average teacher on £44,300 will receive an annual gain of over £630
- A hard-working family with 2 earners on the average earnings of £35,404 will be £900 better off.
January 6, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Business and Trade Secretary visits Turkey to boost trade ties [January 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Business and Trade on 5 January 2024.

Business and Trade Secretary kicks off 2024 with trip to Turkey to boost trade.
- Kemi Badenoch visits Turkey to strengthen business links ahead of the expected launch of trade deal talks later this year
- Trip kicks off a big year of trade focused on progressing a wave of services-focused deals with countries like Turkey, Switzerland and South Korea, and the Gulf region in 2024
- Visit follows news Airbus will supply 220 planes to Turkish Airlines – one of the UK’s biggest ever export deals, worth billions of pounds and supporting thousands of jobs
Ahead of the launch of talks on an upgraded trade deal with Turkey, Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch visits Istanbul to strengthen trade ties and kick off a year of boosting services trade.

The UK and Turkey have a thriving trading relationship, with trade up more than 17% in current prices to £26.2 billion in the year to June 2023. The two countries have an existing trade deal which covers goods but not services, digital or data – three key components of 21st century trade.

While in Istanbul the Secretary of State will meet her Turkish counterpart, Minister for Trade Ömer Bolat, to discuss how to boost UK-Turkish trade ahead of the launch of talks on an upgraded trade deal covering services and digital later in the year.

While there she will also visit Turkish Airlines, who have just contracted Airbus to supply them with 220 planes, the wings for which will be designed in Bristol and built in North Wales, with Rolls Royce supplying engines, made in Derby, for much of the fleet. The contract is one of the UK’s biggest export deals to date, worth billions of pounds to the economy and supporting thousands of skilled jobs.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

I’m delighted to be in Turkey ahead of talks to upgrade our existing trade deal to make it fit for the 21st century.

The UK is the second biggest exporter of services in the world – UK lawyers, accountants and architects are in high demand across the globe.

With its major economy and strategic position, Turkey presents huge opportunities for UK businesses. And I’m excited to start discussions on ensuring our new trading relationship with Turkey unlocks those opportunities.

The UK’s services sector – from lawyers and accountants to engineers and financial professionals, makes up around 80% of GDP. Our services exports reached a record a high of £464 billion in the 12 months to October 2023, up 16% in current prices on the previous 12 months.

The UK has set its sights on progressing a whole host of innovative, service-focused trade deals with countries including Turkey, Switzerland, Mexico, Canada, India and South Korea, as well as the Gulf Cooperation Council, in 2024. The deals are designed to give UK companies a competitive edge in those countries, boost UK service exports even further and support jobs up and down the UK.

While in Istanbul the Secretary of State will also meet top UK and Turkish investors including Ford and Mott MacDonald to discuss how the UK and Turkey can boost investment in sectors such as manufacturing, tech and transport, building on the £8.9 billion of UK investments in Turkey and £720 million of Turkish investments in the UK.

TheCityUK Managing Director of International Nicola Watkinson said:

Turkey holds tremendous growth potential through the rising Middle East to Asia growth corridor. The UK is well-positioned to forge innovative and forward-looking trade agreements and be part of these exciting opportunities.

This visit not only demonstrates the UK’s commitment to fostering stronger economic relationships but also sets the stage for an ambitious Free Trade Agreement that promises benefits for our industry.

Mott MacDonald Group Head of Strategy Simon Harrison said:

Turkey continues to play a key geostrategic role in the world and shares the UK’s position of being a large economy adjacent to the European Union, and hence a partner with whom trade ties matter.

The UK-Turkey relationship is warm and longstanding, with many complementarities – for example UK professional services and Turkish construction are both world renowned, and these trade discussions provide an opportunity to build from a position of strength for both nations.

Background
- Trade between the UK and Turkey reached £26.2 billion in the 12 months to June 2023, making Turkey the 17th largest trading partner for the UK.
- UK services exports to Turkey in sectors such as transport, financial and other business services increased by 57% in current prices in the 12 months to June 2023.
- While in Istanbul the Secretary of State will also:
  - Launch a £1 billion loan guarantee from UK Export Finance for the construction of a new 140km high-speed railway in Turkey, which is expected to create new, multimillion-pound contract opportunities for the UK’s manufacturing sector,
  - Sign an MoU on third-country collaboration which could mean more opportunities for UK companies to support joint UK-Turkey projects such as the recent deal to develop 350km of drainage infrastructure in Iraq, to which UKEF will contribute £226 million,
  - Announce Turkey as a priority country under the UK’s International Science Partnership Fund (ISPF) – opening the way for the best of the UK and Turkey’s scientists and innovators to partner together and bid into a £337 million global fund, and
  - Conclude the review and update of the Technical Barriers to Trade chapter of the existing UK-Turkey goods-only FTA, which will help to facilitate goods trade, for example for motor vehicles and chemicals, between the UK and Turkey by helping to reduce or eliminate regulatory barriers.
- UKEF is an export credit agency operating at no net cost to the UK taxpayer. For their most recent announcement, please see the gov.uk release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/mufg-and-export-credit-agencies-unlock-12bn-financing-for-turkish-electric-railway
January 5, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Digital pathology to improve cancer screening and save lives [January 2024]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 5 January 2024.

Government to take forward UK National Screening Committee recommendation on use of digital images to make it easier to identify cancer and speed up diagnosis.
- Digital pathology to speed up and support diagnosis for cancer patients
- Government and NHS England back UK National Screening Committee recommendation on digital pathology
- Reviewing tissue sample images digitally will boost breast, bowel and cervical cancer screening
Screening for breast, bowel and cervical cancer will be made quicker and more effective under plans to roll out the use of digital images to detect cancer.

The Department of Health and Social Care is taking forward the recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee to increase the use of digital pathology to examine body tissue samples as part of screening programmes.

This will help:
- Clinicians to gain second opinions on whether samples obtained are cancerous.
- Laboratories to work more efficiently and quickly, including allowing reporting off site.
- Make it easier to identify cancer.
- Speed up diagnosis for patients.
The announcement comes after the NHS expanded the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme earlier this month, sending out hundreds of thousands of testing kits for people to use at home to detect cancer at an earlier stage.

The government has also opened 141 community diagnostic centres delivering more than five million additional scans, including for cancer, and earlier this year invested a further £10 million for 28 new breast screening units and over 60 life-saving upgrades to services in the areas where they are most needed.

Health Minister, Andrew Stephenson, said:

We know the earlier cancer is detected the sooner it can be treated, and the greater the chances of survival and recovery.

Cancer is already being diagnosed at an earlier stage, more often and the NHS is seeing and treating record numbers of cancer patients.

Increased use of digital pathology will help the NHS to go further and faster and provide another weapon in our battle against cancer.

In 2020, the UK National Screening Committee was asked by the National Coordinating Committee for Breast Pathology and by the Royal College of Pathologists to consider the evidence regarding the use of whole slide imaging.

This is a technique which allows slides to be reviewed digitally on a computer screen, rather than with a microscope. The technology enables an image of the entire glass slide to be created in high resolution which can then be stored and viewed on a computer screen or mobile device and saved for later review.

A trial then assessed whether using digital microscopy was as effective as using microscopes and slides for screening samples and with results confirming it was, the committee agreed it’s a safe option to complement or replace light microscopy.

Chair of the UK National Screening Committee, Professor Sir Mike Richards, said:

We need a high level of evidence when it comes to screening programmes so, alongside the National institute for Health and Care Research, we sponsored vital research to assess the effectiveness of this technique.

Following that research, I’m pleased that the UK National Screening Committee’s recommendation to allow the use of digital pathology has been approved. Its use will support flexibility for pathologists and make sharing samples for second opinions or quality assurance easier and more efficient.

Some areas of the NHS have been early adopters of digital pathology but the recommendation published today, and accepted by the government, will allow the rollout across the NHS.

NHS England is expected to follow by issuing guidance to pathology teams on the best way to use the technology.

Steve Russell, National Director for Vaccinations and Screening at NHS England, said:

The NHS’ successful national screening programmes – bowel, breast and cervical – are saving thousands of lives every year by identifying people at risk and spotting cancers early.

While we are already using some digital innovations to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnosis, we look forward to further utilising digital pathology imagery for the benefit of screening patients.

The UK National Screening Committee is an independent Scientific Advisory Committee that advises ministers and the NHS across the UK on all aspects of screening. They meet three times a year and consider work undertaken by the sub-groups on various conditions and existing programmes.

Background:
- The Agenda and draft minutes of the UK National Screening Committee meeting on 10 November 2023 can be found here.
January 5, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : New interim Chair of The Pensions Ombudsman appointed [December 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 5 January 2024.

The Department for Work and Pensions has today appointed Anthony Arter CBE as the Interim Chair of The Pensions Ombudsman (TPO).

Beginning on 1 January, this will be for an interim period during which a recruitment campaign will be conducted to fill the position permanently.

Minister for Pensions Paul Maynard said:

I am pleased to welcome Anthony Arter CBE as the Interim Chair of TPO. He brings a wealth of experience and I look forward to working with him.

Following the tragic loss of Caroline Rookes, I would also like to pay tribute to the steadfast leadership and dedication she provided during her time in the role.

Dominic Harris, Pensions Ombudsman, said:

I am delighted that Anthony has agreed to fill the void left by Caroline’s sad death, until such time as a permanent Chair is appointed. It is important that the organisation has stability, and it is an excellent idea to appoint someone with Anthony’s knowledge and experience of TPO to support us through this period. I am looking forward to continuing our good working relationship.

Anthony Arter CBE said:

It is with mixed emotions that I have accepted the role of TPO’s interim Chair following the unexpected, sad and untimely death of Caroline Rookes.

However, it is an honour to have been appointed and I look forward to working with my fellow Non-Executive Directors supporting the Pensions Ombudsman Dominic Harris and his colleagues, in order to meet the organisation’s strategic objectives.

With a wealth of experience and expertise from his various roles within the pensions industry, including Chair of the Ombudsman Association, former Pensions Ombudsman and interim Deputy Pensions Ombudsman and Deputy Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman, Anthony Arter brings valuable insight to this important role.

Anthony Arter will succeed Caroline Rookes, who sadly passed away earlier this year and had served as Chair of TPO since September 2019.

In his capacity as interim Chair, Anthony Arter is entitled to an annual remuneration of £24,000, based on a minimum time commitment of 36 days per year.

January 5, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Russia uses North Korean weapons against Ukraine – UK response [December 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 January 2024.

The UK has issued a statement in response to Russia using weapons sourced from North Korea against Ukraine.

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said:

The UK strongly condemns Russia’s decision to use ballistic missiles sourced from North Korea in recent attacks against Ukraine. We urge North Korea to cease its arms supply to Russia.

Russia is turning to North Korea for its weapons in pursuit of its cynical and ill-conceived military aims in Ukraine. This is symptomatic of its isolation on the world stage and a sign of its desperation. Furthermore, this activity is in violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions – which Russia supported as a Permanent Member.

Any support for North Korea’s own illegal weapons programmes risks significantly undermining the UN’s long standing commitment to security, and further destabilising the region.

North Korea is subject to a robust sanctions regime, and we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that North Korea pays a high price for supporting Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine.

January 5, 2024
Steve Barclay – 2024 Speech at the Oxford Farming Conference

The speech made by Steve Barclay, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 4 January 2024.

Well, Happy New Year, everyone. Thank you, Christopher, for that kind introduction. I’m delighted to be invited to join you here in Oxford today. And as someone who represents a farming constituency in a major centre for sugar beet growing in the Cambridgeshire Fens, I’m also acutely aware at this particular time of the impact that flooding on farmland is having.

Indeed, my constituency has given me a strong sense of how fundamental farming is to our economy and to the environment. And in my new role as Secretary of State, I relish the opportunity of ensuring farming and food security is at the heart of government policy.

Because as COVID-19 and the effects of climate change have illustrated, and indeed Tom Bradshaw just made this point on the panel, food security is fundamental to our wider national security. British farmers already produce, as colleagues in the room will already know, about 60% of the food that we eat, and I recognise and support your desire to do more. And indeed, since my first week in the job I’ve been out and about on your farms listening to how I can best support you.

Based on what I’ve heard, I want to bring a clearer focus on enabling food production in our environmental land management schemes, because food production can and should go hand in hand with preserving the diversity and abundance of nature.

So today, as well as updating on prices in our environmental land management schemes with an average 10% uplift to unlock more money for these schemes; and giving more choice about what you can do with more SFI actions made available to better reflect the full spectrum of farming interests; I also want to build more trust between us. Because the feedback I have received suggests too often farmers feel the regulatory bodies start from a position of suspicion rather than one of trust.

Firstly, I want to respond to the important feedback many of you have provided to make sure it better pays to run a farming business by making the biggest upgrade to our farming scheme since Brexit gave us the freedom to redesign how we support agriculture. So today I’m delighted to announce new improvements to our incentives. We will pay you more for taking part in our environmental and management schemes. On average, this is an increase in rates by 10%, making it more attractive for you to get involved.

Those already in schemes will automatically benefit from this uplift. And in addition, if you have a plan to pull things together in a way that makes a significant difference, you will be paid a premium for that as well. And further details are being published today. We’ll also introduce more schemes to support environmental action that underpins profits for food production by supporting SFI actions that promote healthy soil, increased pollinators and precision farming.

We are making SFI simpler, including more suitable for tenant farms, with three year agreements taking on board the recommendations from Baroness rock. We have been consistently clear as a government that we will not compromise on food safety. British farmers are rightly proud of producing food that meets and often exceeds our world leading animal welfare and environmental standards. And British consumers want to buy this top-quality food. But too often products produced to lower welfare standards overseas aren’t clearly labelled to differentiate them. This is why I’m pleased to announce that we will rapidly consult on clearer labelling so we can tackle the unfairness created by misleading labelling and protect farmers and consumers.

This will explore how we can better highlight imports that do not meet UK welfare standards, improve how origin information is given online, and look at how we can do even more to ensure promotional activity such as Union Jack labels on supermarket displays matches the products on the shelf. For example, this rapid consultation will address concerns such as the pork reared to lower welfare standards overseas, which is then processed in the UK and presented in supermarkets to shoppers as British. And this will include bringing lightly processed meats into the same level of labelling as unprocessed pork, and beef.

We will also explore whether existing country of origin labelling rules can be strengthened by mandating how and where origin information is displayed. For example, on the front of packs, meaning farmers are fairly rewarded for meeting and often exceeding high UK welfare standards. And indeed, this reflects the lessons from labelling on eggs, where informed consumer choice has driven changes in consumer purchasing with the number of free-range eggs more than doubling. The hard work and dedication of farmers, fishers and food producers makes this country competitive globally – the English sparkling wine, the Scottish smoked salmon and whiskey, the Welsh lamb, the Northern Ireland beef. And it all gets a massive vote of confidence from consumers around the world to the tune, in fact, of around 24 billion in exports for the British economy.

So, I am delighted that from the start of this year all geographical indication products made and sold in Great Britain will be using our UK GI logo, which protects the geographical names of food and drink. UK producers will also be able to use this logo on products sold abroad, which will help even more of your product stand out from the crowd both at home and overseas.

And we have also recruited agri-food attaches linked to our embassy network to open up more markets in line with the commitments we gave at the farm to fork Summit. These attaches have already opened up new markets such as poultry to Tunisia and pork to Chile. I also want the public sector to procure more high quality, sustainable food produced by you, and Parliament has in fact recently passed legislation following our exit from the European Union which enables a greater emphasis on the public benefits of this public sector procurement.

We will also update the government buying standards for food and catering to emphasise the importance of buying food with high environmental and welfare standards, which will play to the strengths of our food producers. Now, improving productivity is also key to boosting food production. And we have world leading agri-tech innovators here in the UK. Having listened to farmers, I am keen to focus more on technology that can be bought now as opposed to prioritising early stage research. Later this month, I will be inviting farmers to apply for share of an initial £15 million for innovations, like robotic mechanical weeding technology, that can be implemented right away. And more grants will be launched this year to help you grow more, sell more and make your businesses more sustainable and resilient for the future.

Now I know that even with these grants, some farmers still find it hard to find the capital to make use of the grants that are available. So we will also look at ways to make them even easier to access. And to attract the ambitious and diverse future workforce that we need we will continue to support the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture. And this is all part of how we are ensuring we meet our commitment to invest every pound of the full farming budget.

Next, I want to give farming businesses more choice. So today I’m pleased to announce around 50 new actions are being added to our environmental land management schemes, many of which support food production, for farmers to choose what is right for them whether you farm on grassland, moorland, or riverbanks, making it easier for our support to fit into your business plans. These new actions embrace innovations from soil health to precision farming, to robotics. And they also recognise that there is scope to streamline the application process for schemes. And we have already started to put that into practice. So now you can apply for the sustainable farming incentive and the countryside stewardship mid tier together through one single application, meaning you’ll have the same actions and can have the same ambition just with less paperwork. And I’m keen to work with you to streamline paperwork further. Part of offering more choice is also about improving permitted development rights. And that’s why I’m working with government colleagues following the recent consultation and exploring how we can reduce the barriers faced by farm development projects that have become all too familiar in the conversations I’ve been having with farmers.

What I’ve also heard frequently from farmers is that you feel the starting point for too many interactions with regulatory bodies is one way you are treated with suspicion and not trust. In my experience, no one cares more about the land, the nature around them, or the passing of their farm to future generations in good health than the farmers who are the custodians of that land. So the relationship from government and regulatory bodies should better reflect this. As Secretary of State I have asked officials to work as a priority with the Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, the Forestry Commission and the Environment Agency to review the interactions between you and their staff. As the report a few weeks ago from David Fursdon showed regarding Natural England, there are lessons to be learned in the relationship with those who manage and care for the land which I am keen to ensure are heeded.

Lastly, in respect of TB, I want to recognise the terrible toll this takes on those who raise cattle. In contrast to Wales, our policy in England has worked in reducing cases and we remain focused on eradication. Informed by the science and the advice from the Chief Veterinary Officer, our approach has included culling options, and we will continue with that going forward.

So to conclude, I recognise for a successful farming sector, we need to support food production and improve farm productivity. That is why today I’m increasing the SFI payment rates on average by 10%, expanding the SFI actions and committing to build on the streamlining of applications. I look forward to working with you on a rapid consultation on labelling to better reflect the high standards of British farmers and empower consumers, leverage public sector procurement and expand our export potential. And I want to ensure government and regulatory bodies are more responsive to your diverse needs. Reflecting that you are the custodians of the land that you care for. More money, more choice, more trust. That is my approach to putting farmers at the heart of government policy, working with you to promote food production as part of a shared commitment. to economic growth. Thank you very much.

January 4, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : UK condemns bombing in Kerman, Iran [January 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 4 January 2024.

The UK has issued a statement condemning the bombing in Kerman, Iran, on 3 January.

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said:

The UK condemns the horrendous bombing in Kerman, Iran, yesterday which killed so many Iranians.

Our thoughts and condolences to the families of those killed and injured.

January 4, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Biggest upgrade to UK farming schemes introduced by the Government since leaving the EU [January 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 4 January 2024.

Environment Secretary announces major updates for farmers, with an increase in funding and reduction in red tape this summer.

The biggest upgrade to the UK’s farming schemes since leaving the European Union has been set out by the Environment Secretary Steve Barclay at the Oxford Farming Conference today (4 January 2024).

The updates include funding uplifts, streamlined application processes, enhanced environmental incentives and support for the roll out of new technology. These will provide further support for British farmers, strengthening supply chains and helping deliver the Government’s commitment to continue to produce at least 60% of the food we eat in the UK.

Under the UK’s agricultural transition, new farming schemes are paying farmers to take actions that boost sustainable food production while delivering positive outcomes for the environment. The schemes are designed to work for all farm types and sizes, with thousands of farmers across England already taking part, and replace the bureaucratic Common Agricultural Policy which saw 50% of funding go to the largest 10% of landowners.

Speaking at the conference, Steve Barclay reiterated the Government’s support for British farmers and outlined the updated offer for 2024 which has been designed using farmers’ feedback and aims to bring more farmers onboard the schemes and facilitate even greater environmental ambition.

The improvements include:
- A 10% increase in the average value of agreements in the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship driven by increased payment rates, with uplifts automatically applied to existing agreements.
- A streamlined single application process for farmers to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier.
- Around 50 new actions that farmers can get paid for across all types of farm businesses, including actions for agroforestry and those driving forward agricultural technology such as robotic mechanical weeding.
- Enhanced payments for ‘creation’ and ‘maintenance’ options to improve the long term incentives for farmers to create habitats and ensure they are rewarded for looking after habitats once they have created them.
- Premium payments for actions with the biggest environmental impact or combinations of actions that deliver benefits at scale, such as £765 per hectare for nesting plots for lapwing, and £1,242 per hectare for connecting river and floodplain habitat.
Environment Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Farmers do the essential job of keeping Britain fed. That’s why I’ll back British farmers and help support farming businesses.

We have listened to farmers’ feedback and set out the biggest upgrades to our farming schemes since leaving the EU, with more money, more choice and more trust to support domestic food production whilst also protecting the environment.

We’re also making it easier for farmers of every farm type and size to enter the schemes, and I encourage everyone to take a look at how you can join the thousands of other farmers and land managers who are already receiving our backing through the schemes.

Farmers will be able to submit their applications for the 2024 offer from this summer, and the timeline for agreements being offered will be accelerated to help farmers benefit from the changes earlier than in previous years.

The application process will also be simplified in 2024 by enabling farmers to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier through a single application.

Farmers and landowners can be paid for taking a range of actions under the government’s farming schemes, such as actions to improve soil health or providing nesting and foraging habitats for farmland wildlife. The Government has listened to feedback and introduced more ‘maintenance’ actions, alongside improving existing actions, to reward farmers who are already protecting the environment, for example through maintaining grasslands, wetlands and scrub. Farmers will also be paid more for existing actions to maintain habitats, with the price of maintaining species rich grassland, for example, rising from £182 to £646 per hectare.

The offer also includes more actions for shorter length agreements of up to three years to make the schemes more accessible for tenant farmers.

Today’s announcement builds on significant improvements to the farming schemes in 2023, with thousands of farmers already taking part. Around 8,000 farmers to date have applied to the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 and there has been a 94% increase in Countryside Stewardship agreements since 2020. This adds to the more than 50 Landscape Recovery projects to deliver large scale environmental benefits around the country.

It comes alongside ongoing support for farmer-led innovation and technology, with the Government committing over £168 million in grant funding to farmers in 2023 to drive innovation, support food production, improve animal health and welfare and protect the environment. This includes the Environment Secretary announcing a further £45 million at the Country Land and Business Association conference in November to fund robotic and automatic equipment and invest in research and development.
January 4, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : We call on the Houthis to cease these attacks immediately – UK statement at the UN Security Council [January 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 3 January 2024.

Statement by Ambassador James Kariuki at the UN Security Council meeting on Houthi threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

Thank you, President.

Let me start by congratulating France on assuming the Presidency for the month of January. You can count on our full support. I also welcome the five new elected members to the Council and look forward to working closely with them.

I join the Secretary-General in expressing condolences following the attack on a memorial ceremony in Iran that reportedly killed more than 100 civilians.

And I thank ASG Khiari and IMO Secretary General Dominquez for briefing us today.

President

The United Kingdom condemns in the strongest terms, the illegal and unjustified attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea by Houthi militants.

We call on the Houthis to cease these attacks immediately

Today we joined 11 countries in a statement warning against further attacks. We will continue to work with allies and partners to pursue all diplomatic routes to end this threat.

If necessary, as the UK Defence Secretary has stated, we will not hesitate to take action to deter threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

Attacks using unmanned aerial vehicles, missiles and small boats are a direct threat to freedom of navigation, protected by international law. They pose a severe economic threat not only to Yemen – where by driving up food prices they risk exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation – but also to global food security and supply lines.

Contrary to claims made by the Houthis, these attacks are totally indiscriminate and target shipping that has no connection to Israel. We call for the immediate release of the MV Galaxy Leader and its crew – nationals of Bulgaria, Mexico, the Philippines, Romania and Ukraine.

President, the British Foreign Secretary spoke with the Iranian Foreign Minister on Sunday, making clear our view that Iran shares responsibility for preventing these attacks, given their long-standing support to the Houthis.

We call on all parties in the region to exercise restraint and avoid escalation. We are deeply concerned by the impact on civilians, who are suffering the most through this crisis and would bear the brunt of further destabilisation. It is in all our interests to avoid this.

I thank you.

January 4, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : New research into expansion of life-saving HIV testing programme [January 2024]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 3 January 2024.

A new research project has been announced to evaluate an expansion of the hugely successful HIV opt-out testing programme to new sites across England.
A new £20 million National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) project will support the government’s ambition to end new transmissions of HIV within England by 2030 and get people into the right care

Undiagnosed HIV, hepatitis B and C will be picked up in new testing programme in 47 more emergency departments in 32 high HIV prevalence areas of England

Expansion comes after success of schemes in extremely high prevalence areas of HIV, identifying almost 4,000 people with a bloodborne virus (BBV) since April 2022

A new research project to evaluate an expansion of the hugely successful HIV opt-out testing programme to new sites across England, has today been announced (29 November 2023). Given the success of the existing testing programme, this new initiative is expected to save, and improve the quality of, thousands of lives.

Backed by £20 million of NIHR funding, the research will evaluate the testing programme in 47 new sites across England. Expansion of the programme could identify a significant proportion of the estimated 4,500 people living with undiagnosed HIV – preventing new transmissions and saving more lives through testing people’s blood already being taken in emergency departments for bloodborne viruses (BBVs), including HIV and hepatitis B and C.

Last year, as part of the government’s world leading HIV action plan for England, NHS England launched the BBVs opt-out testing programme, with funding available for 34 emergency departments in areas with the highest prevalence of HIV. Today’s announcement will mean the programme will be expanded as part of a research evaluation in all 47 emergency departments covering 32 areas with high prevalence of HIV.

It will support the UK’s progress in being a world leader in the fight against HIV – and in meeting its goal to end new transmissions of HIV within England by 2030.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins, said:

Less than 3 decades ago, HIV could be a death sentence. It was often – and wrongly – considered a source of shame, and diagnoses were hidden from friends, family and society. But today, thanks to effective treatments, it is possible to live a long and healthy life with HIV.

As well as promoting prevention for all, the more people we can diagnose, the more chance we have of ending new transmissions of the virus and the stigma wrongly attached to it.

This programme, which improves people’s health and wellbeing, saves lives and money.

The evaluation of the expansion of opt-out testing will help reach the government’s bold ambitions of reducing new HIV transmissions by 80% in 2025 and ending new transmissions by 2030, according to an update on the HIV action plan for England.

The existing programme in extremely high prevalence areas has been shown to be highly effective in identifying HIV in people unaware they had the virus and re-engaging those who are not in HIV care. The programme provides linkage to medication, a treatment and care pathway which enables people to live long and healthy lives, where the virus is undetectable.

During the first 18 months of the BBVs opt-out testing programme, 33 emergency departments conducted 1,401,866 HIV tests, 960,328 hepatitis C virus (HCV) tests and 730,137 hepatitis B virus (HBV) tests significantly increasing the number of bloodborne virus tests conducted in England each year.

It has identified:

934 people living with HIV or people disengaged from HIV care

2,206 people living with HBV and 388 disengaged from HBV care

867 people living with HCV and 186 disengaged from HCV care

Professor Kevin Fenton, government chief adviser on HIV and chair of the HIV Action Plan Implementation Steering Group, said:

We know HIV is most commonly unknowingly spread by people who don’t know their status. Knowledge is power in preventing HIV transmission and accessing life-saving care.

The core ambitions of our world-renowned HIV action plan are to intensify HIV prevention, expand HIV testing, strengthen linkage to and retention in high quality HIV care, and tackle HIV stigma and discrimination. We will not give up this fight until there are no new HIV transmissions in England.

The opt-out testing programme will boost our progress to identify the estimated 4,500 people who could be living with undiagnosed HIV and help us ensure we meet our 2030 ambition, with the possibility to save thousands of lives in the process.

Outside of BBVs opt-out testing, progress is also being made. There are fewer people living with undiagnosed HIV and, as a result of effective treatments, it is possible to live a long and healthy life with HIV. Most people with HIV diagnoses are receiving world class treatment, making it undetectable.

There is much to celebrate, ahead of World Aids Day (1 December), on the government’s progress towards its action plan ambitions, with fewer than 4,500 people living with undiagnosed HIV – the lowest it’s ever been since recording begun – and extremely high levels of antiretroviral treatment, used to treat HIV, and viral suppression.

In 2022, England once again achieved the UN AIDS 95-95-95 target nationally: 95% of people living with HIV being diagnosed, 98% of those diagnosed being on treatment and 98% of those on treatment having an undetectable viral load – meaning the levels of HIV are so low that the virus cannot be passed on.

In a speech this evening at the All Party Parliamentary Group on HIV and AIDS event, Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins thanked the ongoing dedication from NHS staff, HIV charities, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), local government and professional bodies and campaigners, which have worked tirelessly to support the government in achieving its goal to end new transmissions.

People with reactive or positive tests results are linked to care and offered information and support through community organisations.

The opt-out strategy for BBVs testing is important to address health inequalities by reaching groups, such as those from ethnic minorities or women, who are less likely to attend sexual health services and may be disproportionately affected both by higher rates of some BBVs and stigma associated with BBVs testing or diagnosis.

Opt-out testing additionally provides a valuable opportunity to re-engage with people who have previously been diagnosed with a BBV but who are not accessing treatment or care.

Anne Aslett, CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, said:

The Elton John AIDS Foundation launched the first HIV Social Impact Bond in 2018 because too many vulnerable people were being left behind. Together with our partners, we identified opt-out testing in emergency departments as an effective and cost-saving way of ensuring people living with HIV get the treatment they needed.

We warmly welcomed the government’s decision to expand this successful method of HIV diagnosis to 33 sites in April last year and results from the last 18 months demonstrate how incredibly important this approach is to ensure no one is left behind. Today’s announcement to further expand opt-out testing to 47 additional emergency departments is another fantastic and very significant step towards meeting the goal of ending new HIV transmissions by 2030 and above all else will save lives.

Richard Angell, Chief Executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said:

Today’s announcement is the testing turbo boost that’s needed if we are to end new HIV cases by 2030. It’s hugely significant that an additional 2 million HIV tests will be carried out in A&Es over the next year thanks to a temporary but wholesale expansion of opt-out HIV testing to 47 additional hospitals. With this landmark investment, opt-out HIV testing in A&Es will account for more than half of all tests in England. This major ramping up of testing is absolutely crucial to find the 4,400 people still living with undiagnosed HIV.

The evidence is crystal clear: testing everyone having a blood test in emergency departments for HIV works. It helps diagnose people who wouldn’t have been reached via any other testing route and who have often been missed before. It also saves the NHS millions, relieves pressure on the health service and helps to address inequalities with those diagnosed in A&E more likely to be of black ethnicity, women and older people.

Professor Lucy Chappell, chief scientific adviser at DHSC and CEO of NIHR, said:

Health and care research is at the heart of every significant improvement we make to testing, treating and curing illness and disease. It brings huge benefits to patients and the public.

By expanding this already successful opt-out scheme as part of a research project, not only are we delivering it to new parts of the country, but we can gather more useful evidence for the future.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS National Medical Director, said:

The NHS’s opt-out testing programme in emergency departments has meant we have identified and treated thousands more people living with HIV and hepatitis B and C, particularly from groups who are less likely to come forward for routine testing.

Without this NHS testing programme, these people may have gone undiagnosed for years, but they now have access to the latest and most effective life-saving medication, helping to prevent long term health issues and reducing the chances of unknown transmission to others.

This NHS success story is a prime example of how we are taking advantage of every opportunity to support people to stay well, prevent illness and save lives.

Dr Alison Brown, interim head of HIV surveillance at UKHSA, said:

We know that HIV testing saves lives and prevents onward transmission, but progress has been uneven. The continued lower rates of HIV testing and PrEP among women and ethnic minority groups is concerning.

This research project will help provide greater access to testing of HIV, as well as hepatitis B and C, among populations who may not otherwise access testing. It will also help England meets its ambition to end HIV transmission by 2030.

Florence Eshalomi MP, co-chair of the APPG on HIV/AIDS, said:

We are delighted that the government today has taken concrete steps to increase and normalise HIV testing in the UK. The APPG believes that as Parliamentarians we should play our part in addressing this epidemic and this is something we have been calling for following the successful roll-out of opt-out to extremely high prevalence areas.

Professor Yvonne Gilleece, chair of the British HIV Association (BHIVA), said:

BHIVA very much welcomes this expansion of the testing programme to other emergency departments in England. It will save lives by identifying many more people who are not yet aware that they have been at risk of acquiring HIV, or other blood borne viruses.

Today we are able to provide effective HIV treatment, which will also prevent onward transmission of the virus, and so take us a step nearer to reaching the 2030 target.

Deborah Gold, chief executive of National AIDS Trust, said:

We are delighted to warmly welcome today’s announcement that HIV testing will now routinely take place in every emergency department in all 33 areas of England with high prevalence of HIV for the next year. This decision, which will more than double HIV testing capacity in England, means that more people will be diagnosed with HIV faster, and will be able to access life-saving treatment which will also stop the virus being passed on.

Routine HIV testing in emergency departments is especially good at finding people who would otherwise not receive a test, most often from marginalised communities who are being left behind in our progress on HIV. With HIV diagnoses rising among women, and stubbornly high levels of late diagnosis among women and people from black African communities, this announcement could not be more timely in making sure we don’t miss vital opportunities to diagnose someone who needs access to HIV care.

This important new research programme, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, will deliver opportunities for greater insights and shared learning alongside their crucial wider HIV research programme.

Dr Claire Dewsnap, president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), said:

The expansion of the HIV opt-out emergency department testing programme to include high HIV prevalence areas is hugely welcome and a meaningful step towards our shared ambition to eliminate new cases of HIV in England by 2030.

BASHH is pleased to see the government demonstrating their commitment towards achieving this ambition by allowing those in areas of high HIV prevalence to access the successful scheme. We are grateful to all the hard-working NHS, UKHSA and DHSC staff and politicians who have brought this initiative forward. It is important to thank the vital work of advocacy groups in pursuing the amplification of the testing programme that has already seen thousands of people benefit from its implementation.

Amanda Healy, policy lead for health protection for the Association of Directors of Public Health, said:

Identifying new HIV and hepatitis cases is a crucial part of meeting the target to end HIV transmission by 2030 and today’s announcement is very welcome news.

In addition to identifying new cases so that treatment can be given to avoid illness, it is imperative that efforts to prevent blood borne viruses, including increasing the uptake of PrEP, are continued.

James Woolgar, current chair of the English HIV and Sexual Health Commissioners Group, said:

This is certainly very welcome news in our aim to end all new cases of HIV. The roll out of opt-out emergency department testing will help our collective aim in identifying those people living with undiagnosed HIV, and supporting them into treatment and care. As commissioners, we will work hard with local trusts and charitable sector leads to make this a success.

Background information

The following areas will be covered by the extension of the HIV opt-out testing programme:

University Hospital Coventry

Leicester Royal Infirmary

Luton and Dunstable Hospital

New Cross Hospital (Wolverhampton)

Queen’s Medical Centre (Nottingham)

Milton Keynes University Hospital

Southend University Hospital and Mid Essex Hospital

Wexham Park Hospital and Frimley Park Hospital

Royal Berkshire Hospital

City Hospital and Sandwell General Hospital (West Bromwich)

Southampton General Hospital

Leeds General Infirmary and St James’s University Hospital

Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, Good Hope Hospital and Heartlands Hospital

Royal Derby Hospital and Burton Hospital

Royal Bournemouth Hospital and Poole Hospital

Bristol Royal Infirmary and Weston General Hospital

Queen Alexandra Hospital (Portsmouth)

Peterborough City Hospital and Hinchingbrooke Hospital

Walsall Manor Hospital (Birmingham)

Basildon University Hospital

Bedford Hospital

Royal Liverpool University Hospital and University Hospital Aintree

Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital

Northampton General Hospital

Royal Oldham Hospital and Fairfield General Hospital

Tameside General Hospital

Northern General Hospital (Sheffield)

Royal Bolton Hospital

Kettering General Hospital

Medway Maritime Hospital

Royal Victoria Infirmary (Newcastle)

Conquest Hospital (Hastings) and Eastbourne District General Hospital

Southmead Hospital (Bristol)
January 4, 2024