Tag: 2025

PRESS RELEASE : Government backs SME builders to get Britain building [May 2025]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 28 May 2025.
- Smaller housebuilders to benefit from simpler rules and faster decisions as full plans to modernise planning committees unveiled
- New reforms across land, regulation and finance backed by cash-boost to help SME housebuilders build the houses we need
- Supports the government’s Plan for Change milestone of delivering 1.5 million homes, creating new jobs and driving economic growth in every region
Thousands of homes will be built faster on smaller sites across the country as complex planning rules are streamlined, onerous regulatory burdens eased, and financial firepower is provided to SME builders.

The current system makes it far too difficult for smaller builders to get spades in the ground – with a small site of 10 homes jumping through the same planning hurdles as one with 100 or more.

Smaller firms, which provide local jobs and train eight out of 10 construction apprentices, have seen their market share shrink since the 1980s, when SME builders delivered 40% of the country’s homes.

Today’s changes will help turn this around, driving up competition across the sector and helping deliver the Plan for Change milestone of 1.5 million homes, so more working families and young people can achieve the dream of homeownership.

Today’s proposals include:
- Faster decisions for small sites: Minor developments of up to nine homes will benefit from streamlined planning and eased Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements, with faster decisions being taken by expert planning officers, not planning committees;
- A new ‘medium site’ category: Sites between ten to 49 homes will face simpler rules and fewer costs – including a proposed exemption from the Building Safety Levy and simplified BNG rules, making it easier to deliver biodiverse habitats on these sites, delivering a win-win for nature and development;
- More land and financing options for SMEs: Homes England will release more of its land exclusively to SMEs, and a new National Housing Delivery Fund to be confirmed at the spending review will support long-term finance options, such as revolving credit facilities and lending alliances.
- A new pilot to unlock small sites for SMEs: the Small Sites Aggregator pilot in Bristol, Sheffield and the London Borough of Lewisham will unlock sites that would otherwise not have been developed, while attracting private investment to build new social rent homes. Building on a model developed by Lloyds Banking Group’s Social Housing Initiative, the Small Sites Aggregator will help tackle the housing shortage, address unviable small plots of land, and create local jobs supporting the government’s Plan for Change.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“Smaller housebuilders must be the bedrock of our Plan for Change to build 1.5 million homes and fix the housing crisis we’ve inherited – and get working people on the housing ladder.

“For decades the status quo has failed them and it’s time to level the playing field.

“Today we’re taking urgent action to make the system simpler, fairer and more cost effective, so smaller housebuilders can play a crucial role in our journey to get Britain building.”

Full details are being set out today for the modernising of planning committees – ensuring elected councillors focus on the most significant proposals and larger developments rather than small-scale projects or niche technical details, while more faster decisions are made by expert trained planners.

Under these plans, once a development has been agreed in principle technical details won’t keep going back and forth to committees – accelerating housebuilding and saving council planning departments time and money.

Further support announced today for local builders includes:
- £100 million in SME Accelerator Loans to help smaller firms to grow and invest using part of the £700 million extension to the Home Building Fund announced in December.
- £10 million for councils to fund more specialists to speed up environmental assessments, getting spades in the ground faster.
- A £1.2 million PropTech Innovation Fund to support innovation in small site delivery, for example through use of new data tools.
It comes as the government unveiled its plans to train up to 120,000 new apprentices, including within construction – ensuring the industry has what it needs to get building.

The wide-ranging package for SMEs today builds on the government’s planning overhaul so far, with the new National Planning Policy Framework alone expected to drive housebuilding to its highest level in over 40 years and add £6.8 billion to the economy by 2030.

CEO of Lloyds Banking Group, Charlie Nunn said:

“We strongly welcome the government’s announcement today that it will pilot the Small Sites Aggregator in Bristol, Sheffield and Lewisham.

“Through the Social Housing Initiative, we’re proud to have helped ignite this innovation in housing development and finance – unlocking the small, brownfield sites in our communities which are lying empty yet have immense potential to provide good quality homes in our towns and cities.

“This exciting partnership between the public and private sectors will increase investment at pace into the new, genuinely affordable homes that are needed across the UK.”

Further information:

The government has published a new working paper on planning thresholds for small and medium housing sites.

The government has also launched a consultation reviewing Biodiversity Net Gain for minor, medium and brownfield development. This will be open for 8 weeks.

As part of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the government is also launching a new consultation on reforming planning committees and their role in the planning process. This consultation includes detailed proposals for a national scheme of delegation which would direct the majority of minor and technical applications to planning officers, freeing up committees to consider the most complex and controversial by categorising applications into Tier A or B. Tier A applications will go to officers, while Tier B applications have the ability to be considered by committees if necessary. It will be open for 8 weeks.

The Home Building Fund is administered by Homes England and is designed for SME housebuilders in England that are struggling to access loans from traditional lenders. Last year the government announced a £700 million extension to the Fund.

The new National Housing Delivery Fund will provide a range of funding tools to support SMEs, including support for revolving credit facilities. Further details will be announced at the Spending Review.

This government has also launched a £1.2m PropTech Innovation fund to inject innovation into small site delivery. Examples of potential solutions include the use of data and tools to provide certainty on future infrastructure capacity for SME housebuilders, meaning they can make the case for investment easier.

The government is making available a further £10m this financial year to help local planning authorities implement BNG, on top of £35m provided in previous years.

The government is also announcing today that it will consult on how we apply BNG for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) to provide consistent regulations for developers – many of them who are already delivering biodiversity gains at scale. Measures will be in place from May 2026.
May 28, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Liverpool parade incident – Apply for Compensation [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 27 May 2025.

We offer our sympathy to all those who have been affected by this horrific incident.

Victims injured in this incident can apply to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) for compensation.

Compensation is payable to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.

You do not need a paid representative, such as a solicitor or claims management company, to apply for compensation. Free independent advice may be available from the Victim and Witness Information website or other charitable organisations.

If you have been directly affected by this incident you can find out more about the Scheme and apply online.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : IMF concludes annual Mission to assess UK economy – upgrading UK growth and endorsing fiscal strategy [May 2025]

The press release issued by HM Treasury on 27 May 2025.

IMF upgraded the UK’s growth forecast for 2025 to 1.2%, saying that “an economic recovery is underway”.

Today the IMF released the concluding statement of their findings from the UK Article IV Mission – their annual review of the UK’s economic and fiscal outlook and policies.

As part of this, the IMF upgraded the UK’s growth forecast for 2025 to 1.2%, saying that “an economic recovery is underway”.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves said:

The UK was the fastest growing economy in the G7 for the first three months of this year and today the IMF has upgraded our growth forecast. We’re getting results for working people through our Plan for Change – with three new trade deals protecting jobs, boosting investment and cutting prices, a pay rise for three million workers through the National Living Wage, and wages beating inflation by £1,000 since the election.

The IMF endorsed the government’s fiscal strategy as striking ‘a good balance between supporting growth and safeguarding fiscal sustainability’; the strategy focuses on delivering stability through ironclad commitment to our robust fiscal rules and a single fiscal event a year, while increasing investment and pursuing ambitious structural reform to boost productivity and growth. Growth is the solution to the challenges we face, and this government is going further and faster to unlock growth that is sustainable in the long term.

The IMF also highlighted support for the government’s Growth Mission, and that it “focuses on the right areas to lift productivity”. Through the Growth Mission, the government is restoring stability, increasing investment, and reforming the economy to drive up prosperity and living standards across every region of the UK.

The IMF welcomed the government’s spending plans as “credible and growth-friendly”, noting that “they are expected to provide an economic boost over the medium term”. The government’s upcoming Spending Review, Industrial Strategy and Infrastructure Strategy will deliver the certainty and stability businesses need to invest in the UK’s growing and high potential sectors.

The IMF’s full UK Article IV surveillance report will be published in the summer.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK and Isle of Man discuss measures against tax avoidance and evasion [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 May 2025.

The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury and the Isle of Man Treasury Minister agree to joint working to crack down on promoters of tax avoidance schemes.

Isle of Man Treasury Minister Dr Alex Allinson MHK held a virtual meeting with the UK Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury James Murray MP earlier today (27 May).

Following the meeting they issued this joint statement:

The UK and the Isle of Man have a long-standing history of collaboration in the fight against tax avoidance and evasion, and in our successful cooperative efforts to promote transparency while ensuring that our tax systems are robust and fair.

The UK and the Isle of Man were amongst the early adopters of the Common Reporting Standard, which facilitates the automatic exchange of financial account information between jurisdictions, and are both working on the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework which will see the automatic exchange of information on crypto-assets. Both jurisdictions have also recently implemented measures in relation to the Global Base Erosion Rules under the OECD’s Pillar 2 Global Minimum Tax.

Both governments are committed to taking robust action to deter and disrupt the activities of those who seek to promote marketed tax avoidance schemes that threaten our tax systems and the reputations of our well-established and globally-attractive service sectors. This proactive stance safeguards tax revenues and ensures fairness for all taxpayers.

Recognising the need to go further, and noting the UK Government’s ongoing consultation on steps to crack down on promoters of marketed tax avoidance schemes, we are pleased that we have been able to agree today to explore ways to further enhance information flows, joint working and other ways in which tangible benefits for both jurisdictions can be achieved.

We look forward to continuing our partnership and achieving tangible results in our shared objective of combatting tax avoidance and evasion.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : British Ambassador opens the residence for Luxembourg Urban Garden [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 27 May 2025.

As part of the Luxembourg Urban Garden (LUGA) exhibition, Ambassador Olivier is opening the garden of her official residence to the public for a one-day event.

On Thursday 5 June, visitors will have the rare chance to explore a garden that offers one of the most beautiful and unique views over the Pétrusse valley, home to several LUGA installations.

The visit will focus on sustainability and biodiversity, with guided tours led by the eco agents from St George’s International School. These students, from both Primary and Secondary, will highlight the garden’s green features and showcase their own sustainability projects.

Entry is free but places are limited, and each guest must register individually here: https://bit.ly/BritishEmbassyLUGA

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to discover a peaceful, tucked-away corner of Luxembourg City and see it through the eyes of the next generation of environmental leaders.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Controlling boyfriend’s suspended sentence overturned [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 27 May 2025.

A man who violently abused and coercively controlled his partner has had his suspended sentence quashed following an intervention by the Attorney General.

Philip Humphreys, 39, from Stoke-on-Trent, has had his suspended sentence quashed and replaced with a two year and four month prison sentence after it was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General, Lord Hermer KC, under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

The court heard that Humphreys and his partner began their relationship in April 2022 and quickly moved in together. However, Humphreys soon became controlling and coercive.

He repeatedly accused her of wanting to have sex with other men, constantly checked where she was and controlled what she wore.

Humphreys took around £6,000 from the victim, with the majority being spent on drugs, threatened to kill himself, aggressively shouted at her, and threw furniture.

Whilst on holiday, Humphreys violently assaulted the victim, which included strangling her and dragging her backwards. He only stopped when a hotel receptionist disturbed him.

After they broke up, Humphreys continued to intimidate the victim, repeatedly driving past her house.

Attorney General Lord Hermer KC said:

“Philip Humphreys’ carried out a sustained physical and psychological campaign of abuse against his victim, who must have been in a constant state of fear. My thoughts today are with the victim, and I commend her bravery for coming forward.”

“Philip Humphreys is a violent man, and I welcome the court’s decision to increase his sentence. I hope this case serves a strong warning to domestic abusers that we will use the full force of the law to keep violent abusers off our streets.”

On 7 March 2025, Philip Humphreys was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work and a 25 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement Days for one count of controlling and coercive behaviour.

On 23 May 2025, his sentence was increased to two years and four months’ imprisonment after it was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Helping Ukrainian communities thrive in Scotland [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 27 May 2025.

A funding package to support Ukrainian communities and culture in Scotland to flourish has been announced by Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart.

Funding of over £600,000 will support third sector organisations working to support displaced Ukrainians, including community and cultural activities, while a further £3.5m funding for local authorities and COSLA will support displaced Ukrainians, as well as refugees and people seeking asylum, to settle into communities.

The funding was announced at an event hosted by COSLA, marking a visit to Scotland by a civic delegation of mayors from Ukraine.

Speaking ahead of the event, Equalities Minister Kaukab Stewart said:

“Scotland stands in unwavering solidarity with Ukraine, as it has since Russia’s illegal invasion in 2022. More than 28,000 displaced Ukrainians with a Scottish-sponsored visa have arrived in the UK, and we are helping people rebuild their lives here.

“Many of those who left Ukraine shortly after the war outbreak have now been in Scotland for several years, forming thriving Ukrainian communities right across the country. We want those communities to flourish, and this funding will support cultural and social activities and events to strengthen. It will also support services to help people recover from the trauma of fleeing war.

“I’m very pleased to be announcing this funding at the same time as a visit from the Ukrainian rebirth delegation, and I look forward to exploring further opportunities for connection and partnership between Scotland and Ukraine.”

COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson Councillor Maureen Chalmers said:

“COSLA is so very pleased to welcome colleagues from Local Government in Ukraine to Verity House today. We are also delighted to be working with Scottish Government to host this event, coming together to show our commitment across government in Scotland.

“COSLA has expressed full support and solidarity to the Ukrainian people and our peers in local and regional government, standing ready to support those affected and play a very active part in Ukrainian refugee resettlement.

“COSLA welcomes Scottish Government’s announcement of the continuation of £3.4m resettlement funding for Local Authorities for 2025-26. This funding will play an important role in enabling councils’ ongoing work supporting the integration of Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s illegal war, as well as other people seeking protection in this country.

“We are also very grateful for confirmation of continued funding for COSLA to support the work that we do with our member councils and with Scottish Government in relation to the integration of people displaced from Ukraine, as well as others who are seeking sanctuary here and migrants who are at risk of destitution.”

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Scottish First Minister calls for national mission to raise living standards [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 23 May 2025.

Ahead of UK summit, FM says Winter Fuel Payment must be restored.

The UK needs a national mission to raise living standards and provide people with hope that things will get easier, starting with the restoration of a Winter Fuel Payment to all pensioner households, First Minister John Swinney has said.

Speaking ahead of talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in London, the First Minister said he will press for action to help people struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis, amid increasing inflation and international economic instability.

Mr Swinney said the first action of the UK Government must be to accept the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment was wrong and announce a restoration so all pensioners get a payment.

The First Minster said people need to believe things can get easier and that he plans to raise specific concerns relating to Scotland’s economy with the Prime Minister which could help accelerate economic growth. This includes the impact on Scotland of the recently announced UK-US trade deal, the agreement reached with the European Union, Carbon Capture and the case for a bespoke migration policy for Scotland.

Mr Swinney will be in London for a programme of meetings, including a bilateral with the Prime Minister, a multilateral with the First Minister of Wales, First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and a plenary session of the Council of Nations and Regions.

First Minister John Swinney said:

“People across the UK are living through a period of huge uncertainty and for some, that is undermining the trust they have in government.

“Cutting the winter fuel payment saw the UK Government breaking promises and removing vital financial support for some of the most vulnerable in our society. Having effectively conceded the argument by announcing a partial U-turn, the Prime Minister should accept the cut was wrong and restore a universal winter fuel payment.

“In Scotland, we are introducing universal winter heating payments through our Cost of Living Guarantee. This will see payment made to all pensioner households, with the poorest receiving the most support which is fair amid ongoing pressures.

“If the UK government want to provide people with hope that things will get easier, the Prime Minister should restore the winter fuel payment as part of a new national mission to raise living standards.

“I will raise this issue with him alongside other critical issues, including our proposal for a Scottish Graduate Visa, Carbon Capture and what impacts recent trade deals will have on Scottish producers and businesses.

“We are willing to work with him and the UK Government, but the question is whether he is willing to work with Scotland and give people hope that a better future is possible.”

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Scottish First Minister calls for national mission to raise living standards [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Scottish Government on 23 May 2025.

Ahead of UK summit, FM says Winter Fuel Payment must be restored.

The UK needs a national mission to raise living standards and provide people with hope that things will get easier, starting with the restoration of a Winter Fuel Payment to all pensioner households, First Minister John Swinney has said.

Speaking ahead of talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in London, the First Minister said he will press for action to help people struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis, amid increasing inflation and international economic instability.

Mr Swinney said the first action of the UK Government must be to accept the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment was wrong and announce a restoration so all pensioners get a payment.

The First Minster said people need to believe things can get easier and that he plans to raise specific concerns relating to Scotland’s economy with the Prime Minister which could help accelerate economic growth. This includes the impact on Scotland of the recently announced UK-US trade deal, the agreement reached with the European Union, Carbon Capture and the case for a bespoke migration policy for Scotland.

Mr Swinney will be in London for a programme of meetings, including a bilateral with the Prime Minister, a multilateral with the First Minister of Wales, First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and a plenary session of the Council of Nations and Regions.

First Minister John Swinney said:

“People across the UK are living through a period of huge uncertainty and for some, that is undermining the trust they have in government.

“Cutting the winter fuel payment saw the UK Government breaking promises and removing vital financial support for some of the most vulnerable in our society. Having effectively conceded the argument by announcing a partial U-turn, the Prime Minister should accept the cut was wrong and restore a universal winter fuel payment.

“In Scotland, we are introducing universal winter heating payments through our Cost of Living Guarantee. This will see payment made to all pensioner households, with the poorest receiving the most support which is fair amid ongoing pressures.

“If the UK government want to provide people with hope that things will get easier, the Prime Minister should restore the winter fuel payment as part of a new national mission to raise living standards.

“I will raise this issue with him alongside other critical issues, including our proposal for a Scottish Graduate Visa, Carbon Capture and what impacts recent trade deals will have on Scottish producers and businesses.

“We are willing to work with him and the UK Government, but the question is whether he is willing to work with Scotland and give people hope that a better future is possible.”

ENDS

The First Minister will hold bilateral talks with the Prime Minister in London on Friday 23 May.

May 27, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : New Director and Deputy Head of the Attorney General’s Office appointed [May 2025]

The press release issued by the Attorney General’s Office on 27 May 2025.

Douglas Wilson KC (Hon) OBE, Director General of the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), is pleased to announce that Michael Padfield has been appointed Director and Deputy Head of the AGO following an open and fair recruitment process across the Civil Service.

Michael started his career as a commercial lawyer in the City of London before joining the litigation team in the Treasury Solicitor’s Department in 2014.

Since then, he has worked as a lawyer in a number of roles within the Government Legal Department, including in the Home Office and His Majesty’s Treasury, before first joining the AGO in 2020 then becoming Head of the Domestic Law Team in 2021.

Michael was appointed General Counsel in the Prime Minister’s Office in No10 in the autumn of 2023, a role which is staffed from AGO. Michael has been a member of the Executive Board at AGO since 2021.

Commenting on the appointment, Douglas Wilson KC (Hon) OBE said:

I’m absolutely delighted to announce Michael as Director at the AGO and my deputy. Michael is a great lawyer and a strong leader who brings considerable experience of working on the hardest legal problems in government. He is a trusted adviser to the Law Officers and to other Ministers, and has a wide network in No10 and across Whitehall.

I look forward to working together with Michael to support the Law Officers and lead the AGO in making law and politics work together at the heart of the UK constitution.

May 27, 2025