Tag: 2024

PRESS RELEASE : Fresh offer paves way to end junior doctor strikes [July 2024]

The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 29 July 2024.

The BMA will recommend members accept the offer following the negotiations, which could bring an end to 15 months of devastating strike action.

End to junior doctor strikes in sight as union recommends members accept government offer
The first meaningful pay rise for years marks reset in relationship and shared mission to fix broken NHS
From September junior doctors will be referred to as ‘resident doctors’ to reflect expertise

The government and the British Medical Association (BMA) have reached an agreement to put a new pay offer for junior doctors to members.

The BMA will recommend members accept the offer which could bring an end to 15 months of devastating strike action.

If accepted, this offer will deliver an additional pay rise of between 3.71% and 5.05%, averaging 4.05%, on top of their existing pay award for 2023 to 2024. This will be backdated to April 2023.

The Health Secretary has made it a top priority since taking up his role to reach an agreement to bring an end to strike action – speaking to the BMA junior doctors’ committee on his first day in government and meeting with them regularly over the last 3 weeks.

The government will also accept the recommendations of the Review Body on Doctors’ and Dentists’ Remuneration (DDRB) for 2024 to 2025 and uplift each part of the pay scale by 6%, plus £1,000 on a consolidated basis, averaging an increase of over 8%, with an effective date of 1 April 2024.

Both rises combined mean a doctor starting foundation training in the NHS will see their basic pay increase to £36,600, compared to around £32,400 before this offer was made. A full-time doctor entering specialty training will see their basic pay rise to over £49,900 from around £43,900 before this offer was made.

The impact of strikes has had a significant impact on the NHS, where patients have seen nearly 1.5 million appointments cancelled or rearranged, and striking doctors will have lost many days of pay. Under the previous administration, the cost to the taxpayer totals almost £1.7 billion since April last year.

The government has received a fiscal inheritance from the previous government that necessitates difficult decisions be made. The government has set out plans for managing unfunded pressures, including pay, and further fiscal plans will be set out in the usual way at the Budget.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

I am delighted that we have agreed an offer that finally paves the way to ending industrial action which has caused untold misery to patients and staff.

Everyone agrees we can’t have more disruption, more cancelled appointments, which is why my priority from day one has been to end this dispute.

This has been a tough negotiation, but we have worked rapidly to reach a fair offer. I have been honest about the terrible economic inheritance left for this government, while the junior doctors’ committee has been clear that nothing less than the offer on the table will bring these strikes to an end.

This is a fair offer. Fair to junior doctors, fair to patients and fair to the NHS. It also represents an opportunity to truly reset relationships so we can begin working together to bring waiting lists down and fix the broken NHS.

The government will ask the DDRB to consider the overall reward package and career progression for resident doctors as part of its recommendations for 2025 to 2026. This will help ensure that medicine remains an attractive and rewarding career choice to deliver consultants and GPs of the future.

Recognising how disruptive the system of rotations can be for junior doctors, their partners and families, the department will lead a review of the current system, with the intention of reforming the number and frequency of rotations. It will also review and, where needed, redesign curriculums. NHS England will review training numbers, working to address training bottlenecks and make sure the NHS has enough doctors, consultants and GPs for the future.

As part of the ambition to reset the relationship between the government and NHS doctors, the government will refer to them by their chosen title, ‘resident doctors’, which better reflects their expertise.

This change will happen in September.

Background information

The combined impact on the 2024 to 2025 pay scales of the adjustments to the 2023 to 2024 scale are outlined in table 1 below.

Table 1: combined impact of adjustments on the 2024 to 2025 pay scales for 2016 junior doctor contracts

Nodal point	2022 to 2023 pay scale	Uplift on 2022 to 2023 pay scale (%)	Uplift on 2022 to 2023 pay scale (£)	2024 to 2025 pay scale
Nodal point 1	£29,384	24.61%	£7,232	£36,616
Nodal point 2	£34,012	23.51%	£7,996	£42,008
Nodal point 3	£40,257	23.98%	£9,652	£49,909
Nodal point 4	£51,017	21.19%	£10,808	£61,825
Nodal point 5	£58,398	20.59%	£12,027	£70,425

August 15, 2024

PRESS RELEASE : Government confirms above inflation pay award for teachers [July 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 29 July 2025.

School teachers and leaders will receive a fully funded 5.5% pay award, reflecting the vital contribution they make to children’s life chances.

The decision means the recommendations of the School Teachers’ Review Body (STRB) have been accepted in full.

Schools will receive almost £1.2 billion in additional funding to cover their costs, fully funding the pay award for teachers and support staff in financial year 2024 to 2025 at a national level.

The investment marks an important step on the path towards the government’s pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers.

As the Chancellor has set out, the poor position of the public finances means that a number of programmes must be cancelled across government – including the Advanced British Standard.

Today’s pay award reflects the value the government places on the country’s 6 million public servants, and the cost to the country of not accepting public sector pay awards.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

The Chancellor has laid out a grim picture – our public finances are in a devastating state and tough choices need to be made to help rebuild the foundations of the economy.

But while the impact teachers have on children and young people’s life chances can’t be measured in pounds and pence, those working in education must be in no doubt about their value.

Teachers lay the foundations of children’s lives. An investment in them is an investment in the next generation, and this government is determined to make sure every child – whatever their background – has the opportunity to succeed.

The Education Secretary has recognised the delay in confirming pay and funding arrangements for next year due to the timing of the general election.

The 5.5% award will apply from 1 September and is equivalent to an increase of over £2,500 for the average teacher, which would take the median salary for 2024 to 2025 to over £49,000.

The pay award applies to maintained schools, with academies continuing to have freedom over their pay and conditions.

The government is also today announcing further steps to reduce teachers’ workload, reset relations with the sector and make teaching an attractive profession again.

Alongside the pay award, the requirement for schools to use the performance related pay system – which can lead to schools and teachers going through an overly bureaucratic process to agree individual teachers’ pay rises – will be removed from September.

The government will also clarify that teachers can carry out their planning time at home, improving flexible working for staff.

Today’s award builds on the Education Secretary’s work to reset the relationship with education workforces since taking up post, including a letter to all education workers in week one in the role, a reception with almost 200 stakeholders, and a webinar with up to 14,000 front line staff.

August 15, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with President Herzog of Israel [July 2024]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 28 July 2024.

The Prime Minister met Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Paris.

The pair reiterated their commitment to maintaining the historic friendship between Israel and the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister expressed his condolences for the deaths of the five hostages kidnapped on October 7th, whose bodies have recently been recovered from Gaza.

The Prime Minister reiterated his ongoing support for Israel’s right to self-defence in accordance with international law. He was clear that there is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democratic state actions and Hamas, a terrorist organisation.

The Prime Minister said there must be immediate steps towards a ceasefire, so that hostages can be released and more humanitarian aid can get in for those in desperate need.

The two leaders committed to continuing their close partnership in key areas of collaboration such as trade and investment.

August 15, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with President Kagame of Rwanda [July 2024]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 28 July 2024.

The Prime Minister met President of Rwanda Paul Kagame in Paris.

The Prime Minister congratulated the President on his recent re-election and remarked he was looking forward to working closely with him across a range of shared priorities.

He praised the President’s leadership on climate change, with the two leaders agreeing that further action is necessary to make sure we are all meeting our climate obligations. They agreed to keep in close contact on this.

They discussed their shared commitment to continue working together on solutions to tackle illegal migration. They agreed that it is a pressing global challenge, and breaking the business model of criminal gangs who profit from people’s suffering must be the priority.

The President and the Prime Minister reflected on the strength of the relationship between Rwanda and the UK, and both agreed this spirit of close cooperation should continue.

August 15, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Keir Starmer meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani [July 2024]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 28 July 2024.

The Prime Minister was pleased to meet His Highness the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in Paris.

The two leaders acknowledged the fruitful discussion they had in December last year, when the Prime Minister visited Qatar as Leader of the Opposition.

They discussed their mutual enjoyment of the Olympic opening ceremony and both commended France for a successful event.

The Emir said the relationship between the UK and Qatar is profound and growing each year, a sentiment the Prime Minister echoed.

The two leaders pledged to build on the existing partnership, particularly in areas of mutual opportunity including education, business and energy.

The transition to clean energy and the opportunities it brings for jobs, lower bills and energy security was discussed extensively.

The Emir welcomed the Prime Minister’s early action to tackle illegal migration saying it is a global challenge to be approached in collaboration.

The leaders discussed Israel and Gaza, specifically the numbers of innocent lives continuing to be lost, and the role of international partners in bringing the conflict to an end.

The Prime Minister and Emir pledged to speak again in the coming months.

August 15, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Civilians in Gaza need much more aid: UK statement at the UN Security Council [July 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 26 July 2024.

Statement by UK Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Gaza.

President, on his recent visit to the region, my Foreign Secretary met Israelis and Palestinians and heard their stories of suffering, pain and anguish on both sides.

He came away determined to help improve the situation and further convinced that there is no military solution to this conflict.

That is why we are calling for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages and an immediate scale-up of aid into Gaza. We urge both sides to accept the deal on the table, endorsed by this Council.

President, whilst mediation efforts continue, people in Gaza urgently need a drastic improvement in the humanitarian situation.

First, civilians need better protection and designated civilian spaces. We are deeply concerned by Israel’s incursion into Khan Younis and into the only remaining IDF-designated humanitarian zone of Al Mawasi where some 1.5 million people are sheltering. We call on all sides to comply fully with International Humanitarian Law and on Hamas to release all the hostages immediately.

Second, civilians in Gaza need much, much more aid. UNRWA is central to these efforts. That is why we announced $27 million in new funding for UNRWA last week, with some directed at supporting the management reforms recommended by the Colonna review. We call for full cooperation with UN and humanitarian teams, including UNRWA, and the granting of requests for visas and equipment, and the opening of all aid routes into Gaza, including reopening the Rafah crossing. Deteriorating law and order must urgently be addressed so that aid can reach people safely.

Finally, civilians need functioning hospitals and essential supplies such as water and electricity after nine months of devastation. We are appalled by the stories of women and children living in unsanitary conditions and that diseases, including Polio, are spreading.

Colleagues, West Bank settlement expansion and settler violence have reached record levels. The Israeli government has seized more land this year than in the past twenty years combined. This is unacceptable: it runs counter to multiple resolutions of this Council and undermines the viability of a two-state solution.

The only way out of this cycle of violence and suffering is through diplomacy, with Israelis and Palestinians committing to a renewed peace process resulting in a two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State. We are committed to giving the people of the West Bank and Gaza the political perspective of a credible route to a Palestinian state and a new future. And it needs to be irreversible.

Thank you.

August 15, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Government watchdog to help stabilise university finances [July 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 26 July 2024.

Interim Office for Students chair appointed as Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 is stopped.

The role of the Office for Students will be refocussed to prioritise the financial stability of the higher education sector and deliver better quality and outcomes for students, the government has announced.

Analysis from the Office for Students earlier this year showed increased financial challenges for the sector, with many institutions needing to make significant changes to their funding model to avoid facing a material risk of closure.

The OfS’ refreshed focus follows the publication of an independent report today – Fit for the Future: Higher Education Regulation Towards 2035 – which recommends that the regulator closely monitors the financial sustainability of all higher education providers.

The government has also appointed a new interim chair of the OfS, Sir David Behan, who will be tasked with ensuring that the regulator concentrates its efforts on these key priorities following the publication of his review into the organisation.

Under plans announced today, the Secretary of State for Education has also stopped the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 and re-affirmed the government’s firm commitment to freedom of speech, with universities expected to deliver on their duty to protect it. The Education Secretary will consider options for the Act in the long term, including repeal.

The move to stop implementing the Act reflects widespread concern that the legislation is disproportionate, burdensome and damaging to the welfare of students while not addressing hate speech on campuses.

The new rules would have exposed higher education providers to costly legal action that would impact teaching and learning. Groups representing Jewish students have also expressed concerns that sanctions could lead to providers overlooking the safety and well-being of minority groups.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

For too long, universities have been a political battlefield and treated with contempt, rather than as a public good, distracting people from the core issues they face. The steps announced today will sharpen the focus of the Office for Students, with greater emphasis on ensuring the financial stability of the sector.

We are absolutely committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom, but the Free Speech Act introduced last year is not fit for purpose and risked imposing serious burdens on our world class universities.

This legislation could expose students to harm and appalling hate speech on campuses. That is why I have quickly ordered this legislation to be stopped so that we can take a view on next steps and protect everyone’s best interests, working closely with a refocussed Office for Students.

Phil Rosenberg, President of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said:

We welcome the Secretary of State’s decision to halt the implementation of the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act, pending consideration of repeal.

The Union of Jewish Students has been clear that the act, while well-intentioned, risked enabling antisemitic extremists to access university campuses by severely impacting the ability of universities to block their presence – we strongly support UJS’s concerns and reflected this in our Jewish Manifesto for the 2024 General Election.

This halt will enable the government to consider how to ensure that freedom of speech is protected without allowing free rein to purveyors of hate speech.

Additionally, the OfS plans to introduce strengthened protections for students facing harassment and sexual misconduct, including relating to the use of NDAs in such cases by universities.

The Fit for the Future: Higher Education Regulation Towards 2035 report published today finds that the case for bold regulation of higher education is clear and that the OfS should concentrate on four key priorities in the short term: monitoring financial sustainability, ensuring quality, protecting public money and acting in the interests of students.

The government accepts his core recommendations, recognising that strong regulation is crucial to ensuring a stable future for the UK’s world-leading higher education sector, which is a key engine at the heart of growth plans.

Sir David said the OfS and the government should work together to manage financial sustainability, sharing intelligence and data proactively to protect students. He has also recommended the OfS introduces an integrated assessment of quality, creating a regulatory model that incentivises ongoing improvement for all students, and that the body is given consumer protection powers in order to defend students’ interests.

Sir David Behan said:

It has been a privilege to lead the review of the OfS and I now look forward to delivering the changes the review recommends, importantly financial sustainability, quality, student interest and value for money.

A spokesperson for Universities UK said:

Sir David Behan’s review is thorough and we welcome many of its recommendations. Its findings underline the importance of an independent regulator for higher education in England and the need for a focus on the financial sustainability of the sector.

This will continue to strengthen the sector’s relationship with the OfS and ultimately help deliver better outcomes for students. We have already observed an improvement in the OfS’s relationship with the sector and this review will help consolidate this.

We look forward to working closely with both the department for education and the Office for Students in the coming months.

The higher education sector is encouraged to engage proactively with the OfS to help shape future regulation as the government seeks to build a balanced and sustainable funding model, fostering a more inclusive and resilient higher education sector that benefits all students.

Notes to editors
- To stop the implementation of the Freedom of Speech Act the Secretary of State has revoked the second commencement regulations made under it. She will rapidly review the legislation and confirm long-term plans as soon as possible.
Provisions in the second commencement regulations made under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 which have now been stopped:

From 1 August 2024:
- Extending the duties on registered HE providers and constituent institutions in England to require them to take reasonably practicable steps to secure freedom of speech within the law for their staff, students, members and visiting speakers, and to promote the importance of lawful freedom of speech and academic freedom.
- Creating duties on students’ unions at many registered HE providers to secure freedom of speech within the law for their members, staff and visiting speakers
- Creating a statutory tort for breach of specified freedom of speech duties, enabling individuals who have suffered loss to seek legal redress
- Creating a free to use complaints scheme to be operated by the OfS, enabling staff, students, members or external speakers to raise complaints about providers or students’ unions breaching their duties under the Act to secure or promote freedom of speech within the law
- Enhancing protection for academic freedom by extending coverage to include recruitment and promotion of academics
- Banning the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) by registered HE providers in relation to complaints to the provider of sexual misconduct, bullying or harassment.
From 1 September 2025:
- Introducing new registration conditions for registered higher education providers on freedom of speech and academic freedom (requiring them, for example, to have in place suitable codes of conduct).
- Introducing new transparency measures in relation to overseas funding to enable the OfS to assess whether that funding might pose a risk to freedom of speech or academic freedom.
August 15, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : Discovering new maerl beds on the South Coast of Cornwall [July 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 26 July 2024.

New maerl beds discovered just off the coast are crucial in supporting other marine species.

Dive into the ocean…pink?

What colours would you expect to see when dipping beneath the waves off the coast of Cornwall? Perhaps the calm blue of the waves, or the soft greens and browns of the seaweeds.

Few people would expect the rose pink of a maerl bed – the Barbieland of the underwater realm.

These slow growing, fragile beds of rare pink calcified seaweeds form the basis of marine food chains in the area, and as well as being breathtakingly beautiful, are hugely important for the local ecosystem.

Maerl beds act a little like coral reefs, slowly growing to provide three-dimensional structure which is a habitat for many other seaweeds and small organisms.

This has led maerl to be recognised for its crucial role in supporting fish populations and underpinning healthy fisheries.

It is classed as an “irreplaceable habitat”, because of its almost complete inability to recover from damage and if the maerl is lost the species it supports will also be lost.

Expedition ‘to find out more’

In England, very little maerl is thought to exist outside Cornwall, where it particularly thrives in clear waters, estuaries and tide swept bays.

The beautiful and ancient maerl beds of the Fal and Helford Estuaries in Cornwall have long been known about and were duly designated within a Marine Protected Area in 2005.

But far less is known about the maerl that exists outside the estuaries in the bays along Cornwall’s south coast, and in July, Natural England set out on an expedition to find out more.

A dive team of seaweed experts and specialist survey divers embarked on a mission to explore the areas just off the Roseland Peninsula and St Austell Bay.

Using scant knowledge from the few previous surveys, the skills of dive boat skipper Mike Anselmi from Porthkerris Divers and Natural England’s underwater drone, the team were able to find and survey entirely unknown areas of maerl beds.

Evidence will help seek better protection

Natural England’s Marine Senior Officer, Angela Gall, who led the survey said:

It’s incredible to think, that in Britain, within sight of the shore, there are still completely undiscovered sites. We will use this new evidence on the maerl bed sites to seek better protection for these ‘ancient woodlands of the sea.”

The divers surveyed the sites in detail, recording 110 different seaweed species and 79 different types of animals living on the maerl.

They assessed the health of the beds and collected photographic evidence.

Small samples were collected for genetic work by the University of Exeter, which will help with understanding the genetic uniqueness of maerl beds in this area.

The work was intensive, with detailed microscopic examination of many seaweeds, small snails and worms back at base camp following the dives.

The new information about maerl sites will be used to help target mapping efforts this autumn, adding to understanding of where these precious beds can be found.

It is hoped that by knowing where these sensitive habitats occur it will be possible to better protect them as the foundations of healthy ocean ecosystems.

The project was funded by Defra’s Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programme, which is leading the way in integrating natural capital and ecosystem assessment approaches into Government decision making.

Over three years, the programme is gathering evidence and developing tools and frameworks to enable us to better manage our marine natural environment, and the services it provides for people – before it is too late.

August 15, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : AI expert to lead Action Plan to ensure UK reaps the benefits of Artificial Intelligence [July 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 26 July 2024.

UK Science Secretary Peter Kyle has commissioned an Action Plan to identify how AI can drive economic growth.
- UK Science Secretary commissions Action Plan to identify how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can drive economic growth and deliver better outcomes for people across the country
- tech entrepreneur, Matt Clifford, charged with leading work to explore untapped AI opportunities
- officials to form new “AI Opportunities Unit” at heart of science and tech department to pool expertise, seize the benefits of AI and implement proposals
New UK Science Secretary, Peter Kyle, has put AI at the heart of the government’s agenda to deliver change, sustained economic growth and improved public services.

The Secretary of State has today (26 July), appointed Tech entrepreneur and Chair of Advanced Research And Invention Agency (ARIA), Matt Clifford, to kickstart this work. He will deliver a new AI Opportunities Action Plan to identify ways to accelerate the use of AI to improve people’s lives by making services better and developing new products.

As well as exploring how to build a UK AI sector that can scale and compete on the global stage, the plan will also set out how to boost take up of the technology across all parts of the economy, and consider the necessary infrastructure, talent, and data access required to drive adoption by the public and private sectors.

The Action Plan will play a vital role in driving up productivity and kickstarting economic growth. Estimates from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) show that while the exact economic impact hinges on the wider development and adoption of AI, and realisation could be gradual, the UK could ultimately see productivity gains of up to 1.5 percent annually.

Matt Clifford will deliver a set of recommendations to the Science Secretary in September. Alongside this, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) – acting as the digital centre of government – will also establish an AI Opportunities Unit to bring together the knowledge and expertise to take full advantage of AI and implement recommendations from the Action Plan.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle said:

We’re putting AI at the heart of the government’s agenda to boost growth and improve our public services.

Matt Clifford brings a wealth of experience and shares my ambition when it comes to realising the opportunities of AI, using it to drive growth and improve people’s lives.

Together we will use AI to drive productivity and economic growth in every part of the country so we can make everyone better off.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

Growing our economy and rebuilding Britain to make everyone better off is our number one mission – and artificial intelligence has the potential to raise productivity and help us do that.

Our AI Opportunities Unit will unlock its full potential to grow a more productive economy, create good jobs across the country and deliver the excellent public services that people deserve whilst saving taxpayers money”.

Matt Clifford said:

AI presents us with so many opportunities to grow the economy and improve people’s lives. The UK is leading the way in many areas, but we can do even better.

I’m excited to start work and develop an ambitious road map to identify the biggest opportunities and support the new government as it makes important choices about where to focus its efforts.

The action plan starts today and will engage key figures across industry and civil society to help in its development.

The Action Plan will also consider key enablers such as the UK’s compute and broader infrastructure requirements by 2030, how this infrastructure is made available for start-ups and scale-ups and how to develop and attract top AI talent in the public and private sector.

The announcement follows the Science Secretary making his first visit since being appointed to the role, where he recently met staff at the Government Digital Service (GDS) and Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO), who have newly become part of the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
August 15, 2024
PRESS RELEASE : DCMS Ministerial Team [July 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 26 July 2024.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport ministers and portfolio details.

The Rt Hon Lisa Nandy MP Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
- Overall responsibility for strategy and policy across the department
Sir Chris Bryant MP, Minister for Creative Industries, Arts, and Tourism:
- Arts and Libraries
- Creative Industries
- Museums and cultural property
- Cultural diplomacy and soft power
- Tourism
- Heritage
Stephanie Peacock MP, Minister for Sport, Media, Civil Society and Youth
- Sport
- Media
- Civil Society
- Youth
- Ceremonials
Baroness Fiona Twycross, Minister for Gambling
- Gambling
August 15, 2024