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Tag: 2025

  • Matthew Pennycook – 2025 Statement on Reforming Local Plan Making

    Matthew Pennycook – 2025 Statement on Reforming Local Plan Making

    The statement made by Matthew Pennycook, the Minister for Housing and Planning, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

    Following my written statement concerning local plan making and guidance—[Official Report, 27 February 2025; Vol. 762, c. 62WS.]—I am today providing an update on the implementation of our reforms to the plan-making system in England.

    This Government were elected on a manifesto that included a clear commitment to build 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament, and all areas are required to play their part. In order to deliver the homes and growth that the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible.

    The plan-led approach is, and must remain, the cornerstone of our planning system. Local plans are the best way for communities to shape decisions about how to deliver the housing and wider development their areas need. In the absence of an up-to-date plan, there is a high likelihood that development will come forward on a piecemeal and speculative basis, with reduced public engagement and fewer guarantees that it will make the most of an area’s potential. It is for these reasons that the level of up-to-date plan coverage we inherited is so problematic.

    As a Government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible. That is why we introduced transitional arrangements for emerging plans in preparation as part of the changes we made to the national planning policy framework in December last year, and why we have recently awarded over £29 million in funding to 188 local planning authorities to support the rapid preparation of plans that reflect that updated framework.

    However, the current system is optimised neither for speed, nor for community participation. The Government are therefore clear that more fundamental reform to the system is needed, to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand.

    In February, we published the Government’s response to the previous Government’s consultation on implementation of plan-making reforms. I am today publishing more detailed information about the design of the legislation required to implement the new system; how we intend to roll it out across the country, and the resources that will be made available to support plan makers to that end.

    Designing and implementing new plan-making regulations

    We will shortly lay the regulations that will underpin our new approach to plan making. These will reflect our February 2025 response to the previous Government’s consultation on the new plan-making system, and their development has taken into account responses to that consultation, as well as feedback provided through extensive engagement with the sector.

    The regulations will set out a new process for producing plans, with clear steps that a local planning authority will need to take. This should support faster preparation of plans and more frequent updates, in line with our aim of universal coverage of up-to-date plans that reflect local needs.

    The Government are today publishing a summary of what we intend these regulations to contain. This will provide plan makers and other key stakeholders with the information they need to familiarise themselves with the new system in advance of it coming into force early next year.

    Rolling out the new plan-making system

    The Government are acutely aware that many local planning authorities are keen to start work on plans in the new system at the earliest opportunity, to give themselves the best possible chance of success and provide much-needed certainty for their communities.

    Having considered carefully responses to the earlier consultation, I am announcing today that we no longer intend to roll the system out in a series of plan-making waves. Instead, local planning authorities will be encouraged to bring plans forward as soon as possible following the commencement of the regulations early in the new year.

    While authorities will have discretion over how soon they start their plan, regulations will set out final backstop dates for when plan-making must legally have commenced. Local planning authorities covered by the NPPF transitional arrangements will have to commence formal plan making (gateway 1) by 31 October 2026, while those that have a plan that is already over five years old must commence by 30 April 2027. Further information will be set out in the regulations and in guidance.

    We will provide a minimum of £14 million of funding this financial year to support local plan making. This is to help local planning authorities get ambitious plans in place as soon as possible and to support those starting work on a new plan early in the new plan-making system. Further details will be published shortly.

    Guidance and tools to support local authorities

    In February 2025 we launched a new home for local plan-making resources on gov.uk— https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/create-or-update-a-local-plan

    This is already supporting plan makers. Today we are going further by publishing, in draft, the first dedicated guidance and tools to support plan makers bringing forward a local plan in the new system.

    For this initial release we have prioritised resources that can best support plan makers in the earliest stages of plan-making, aiding their understanding of how the new system will work and what they could focus on now to get ready. Additional practical tools and templates have been provided by the Planning Advisory Service, which will further support plan makers with their preparations. These resources form part of a growing digital offer to support plan makers to deliver local plans faster. It will be followed by the timely release of tools and services both this year and beyond.

    Plan making in the current system

    The Government have been clear that they want local planning authorities to continue bringing forward plans as quickly as possible ahead of the new system coming into force. For plans progressing to adoption under the existing plan-making legal framework, we will be setting out in the aforementioned regulations that the final date for submission for examination will be 31 December 2026.

    As set out in the revised NPPF published on 12 December 2024, local plans that reached regulation 19 stage on or before 12 March and needed updating as they were meeting less than 80% of local housing need, are expected to be updated and submitted by 12 June 2026, unless updating the plan required the authority to return to regulation 18. If this was the case, authorities have until 31 December 2026 to reach submission.

    The Government are committed to taking tough action to ensure that local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. While we hope the need will not arise, we have made it clear that we are willing to make full use of available intervention powers—including taking over a local authority’s plan making directly—if local plans are not progressed as required.

    Duty to co-operate

    The new plan-making system provided by the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 does not include the duty to co-operate that was inserted into the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 through the Localism Act 2011 to help bridge the gap in cross-boundary co-operation resulting from the abolition of regional planning. Instead, the new system will rely on revised national policy and the new tier of strategic planning to ensure effective co-operation between plan-making authorities.

    The regulations for the new system will also save the current plan-making system for a period to allow emerging plans to progress to examination by 31 December 2026. Given the above, and to help drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible and progress towards our objective of universal local plan coverage, we have decided not to “save” the duty, thereby removing this requirement for plans in the current system.

    Local planning authorities should continue to collaborate across their boundaries, including on unmet development needs from neighbouring areas, and we expect planning inspectors to continue to examine plans in line with the policies in the NPPF on maintaining effective co-operation. I have written to the chief executive of the Planning Inspectorate to ask that these matters are made clear to local plan inspectors.

  • Chris Elmore – 2025 Statement on Abductions in Nigeria

    Chris Elmore – 2025 Statement on Abductions in Nigeria

    The statement made by Chris Elmore, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

    My noble Friend the Minister of State for International Development and Africa (the right hon. Baroness Chapman of Darlington) has today made the following statement:

    I am writing to update the House on recent abductions in Nigeria, and the UK’s ongoing security partnership with Nigeria.

    In the last week, Nigeria has faced a further series of abhorrent abductions from schools and churches, including the attack on St Mary’s catholic school in Niger state, which is one of the largest recorded mass abductions in the country’s history. These crimes are intolerable. Everyone should be safe to exercise their fundamental human rights to education and freedom of worship. The UK stands firmly with the people and Government of Nigeria during this difficult time, and of course with the families of those children who have been abducted.

    As a valued Commonwealth friend, we are working closely with our Nigerian partners as they respond to these incidents, and welcome the efforts to date to secure releases of schoolgirls in Kebbi state and worshippers in Kwara state. One year on from the signing of the UK-Nigeria strategic partnership in November 2024, which includes our security and defence partnership as a key pillar, our co-operation continues to strengthen security and prosperity. This includes assisting the Nigerian Government to establish a dedicated unit, the multi-agency kidnap fusion cell, which brings together Nigeria’s police, military and justice agencies to rescue victims and bring perpetrators to justice.

    The safety of school children is paramount. UK education funding has supported school safety improvements including through the “Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria Education” programme. In March 2025, with UK support, a safe school rapid response co-ordination centre was launched in Jigawa state, providing training and deployment of security personnel to public schools.

    Abductions and kidnap for ransom remain a prevalent issue across Nigeria. Across the country, insecurity continues to devastate communities and severely impact ordinary people, driving displacement, heightening protection risks and eroding livelihoods. In the north-east, terrorist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa have indiscriminately killed individuals not just from Christian but also from Muslim communities. In the north-west and north-central, criminal bandits are primarily targeting communities for profit and ransom.

    This Government are committed to strengthening our security and defence partnership with Nigeria to address the roots of insecurity. In my meeting with Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, on 11 November, we discussed the security situation in Nigeria and issues relating to freedom of religion or belief, and the Foreign Secretary also discussed with him on 10 November the ongoing importance of UK-Nigeria security co-operation.

    Through our security and defence partnership, we are helping to build capacity within Nigeria’s security agencies to effectively undertake counter-terrorism operations, investigations and intelligence analysis to prevent future attacks. Our “Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria” programme is working with Nigerian partners to address the root causes of intercommunal conflict, support collaboration and productive livelihoods for farmers and pastoralists and strengthen conflict early warning and response systems.

    Through our strategic partnership, this Government remain committed to working with the Government of Nigeria to tackle insecurity in all its forms.

    We will continue to express our solidarity with the people of Nigeria, to express our condemnation of these abhorrent abductions, and to stand up for freedom of religion or belief both in Nigeria, and throughout the world. We join the Government of Nigeria in calling for the safe return of all those who have been kidnapped, and call for all perpetrators to be brought to justice.

  • BSC Young Boys Football Club – 2025 Statement on Riots at Aston Villa

    BSC Young Boys Football Club – 2025 Statement on Riots at Aston Villa

    A statement made by BSC Young Boys Football Club on 28 November 2025 (translated from German) following riots involving their supporters.

    The Aston Villa vs YB match on Thursday evening was overshadowed by incidents in the away sector. A heated atmosphere was already noticeable early on during Villa corners in this area, which escalated following relatively provocative goal celebrations. The fact that beer cups, coins, and even a seat were thrown at players is inexcusable.

    ​Consequently, the referee sent YB captain Loris Benito over to the stand to calm the situation. At that moment, some YB fans attempted to move towards him to talk. However, the police officers, standing with their backs to the pitch, did not notice Loris Benito and assumed the fans were intending to storm the pitch, at which point the situation spiralled completely out of control. Clashes ensued. In the course of these altercations, two people were taken into police custody.

    ​BSC Young Boys condemns in the strongest possible terms the throwing of objects at players and formally distances itself from violence. We also apologise for the behaviour of the individuals responsible.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2025 Daily Update (27 November 2025)

    Volodymyr Zelenskyy – 2025 Daily Update (27 November 2025)

    The statement made by Vladimir Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, on 27 November 2025.

    I wish you health!

    Briefly about today. We are using this day, just as every day now, for consultations with partners. Every single day, we exchange information – all the data needed to determine the optimal steps. The Russian war continues, and we all hear that Russia scorns the efforts of key global powers to truly end the war – with a lasting peace. But whether there will be peace does not depend on Russia’s threats or on whatever ultimatums it voices. It depends on the conditions the world ensures so that this aggression cannot be continued, and on what we ourselves do to defend our state, our people, and our Ukrainian national rights. 

    Right now, our defense of positions, our resistance on the frontline, and our joint work with partners to secure better diplomatic standing are equally important. And everything is aligned toward this work. 

    Already this week – at the end of the week – our team, together with American representatives, will continue to translate the points we secured in Geneva into a form that puts us on the path to peace and security guarantees. There will be a meeting of delegations. The Ukrainian delegation will be well-prepared and focused on substantive work. We remain in close contact with the American side and our European friends. I am also briefing our partners in other parts of the world, and I am grateful to them for their support of our sovereignty and our state. In the meantime, we are doing everything possible to ensure that Ukraine has sufficient defense support.

    It is obvious to everyone in the world that Russia not only has the largest internationally recognized territory, but also the largest territory that is undeveloped and neglected. All of Russia exists for the sake of Moscow and St. Petersburg, and if everything else were to collapse, no one there would even notice. So when they want more kilometers of Ukrainian land, it is not about territory for them at all. It is about preserving their power forever – about subjugating a neighboring nation. And we have clearly seen that nothing can be expected from Russia except destruction. And we are not the only ones who have seen it – everyone in Europe has, and every one of Russia’s neighbors, from Finland to Kazakhstan and Japan. Accordingly, everyone understands what must be done for defense, and it is the Ukrainian defense of positions that is the key task for us and for all our partners. The stronger we are in our defense on the frontline, the more we can achieve in diplomacy, and the more actively the world will help us press Russia to end its war.

    Today, an important meeting of the sanctions coordinators of European states took place. And if Putin does not want to stop, the sanctions will not stop. The priorities are clear – to hit Russian oil, Russia’s technological base, its finances, and its assets that serve the Russian war machine. The world will help us.

    I thank everyone who is pressuring the aggressor now, and everyone who is defending Ukraine from pressure. We value this deeply, and we see every such effort. Next week, there will be important negotiations not only for our delegation, but also for me personally, and we are laying solid groundwork for those talks. Ukraine will stand firm. It always will. Thank you to everyone who helps us! Thank you to everyone who defends Ukraine as if defending themselves.

    Glory to Ukraine!

  • Jess Brown-Fuller – 2025 Comments on Limiting Right to Jury Trials

    Jess Brown-Fuller – 2025 Comments on Limiting Right to Jury Trials

    The comments made by Jess Brown-Fuller, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson on Justice, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

    The leaked memo from the Ministry of Justice, which reveals plans to rip up our criminal justice system, is particularly surprising, given that the Deputy Prime Minister himself has stated that “Jury trials are fundamental”. In a report that he wrote, he called jury trials

    “a success story of our justice system”.

    Juries are not the cause of the court backlog; that was complacency from the former Government and a failure to grip the issue by this Government, totally failing the victims who are currently waiting. Will the Minister clarify whether this MOJ proposal is a suggested temporary emergency measure or a permanent erosion of our criminal justice system? Does she share my concern that the Office for Budget Responsibility is showing a real-terms cut of 3% a year to the MOJ’s capital budget after the Budget yesterday? Does she agree with the Deputy Prime Minister’s diagnosis from opposition that the Government should

    “pull their finger out and acquire empty public buildings across the country”

    in order to clear the backlog?

    Sarah Sackman

    As the hon. Member heard me say a moment ago, the constitutional right that we guarantee every citizen in this country who comes before our criminal courts is the right to a fair trial. When victims are waiting for years for their day in court, right now justice is not being served. When the Secretary of State made those comments, it was obviously in a very different context, not one where the Conservatives had allowed the backlogs to run out of control. As I said clearly earlier, the right to a jury trial and the jury trial will always be a cornerstone of the British justice system. That will not change. It does not change in Sir Brian’s report, in which he recommends the restriction of jury trials in certain cases, and it will not change in the plans that the Government are bringing out. She is right that we need a combination of structural reform and investment and, indeed, we are making that investment. We have increased capital investment in court maintenance and buildings to £148.5 million. We are opening new criminal courts, for example in central London, in Blackpool and in other parts of the country. We have to build system capacity, with more judges, more lawyers and more staff to man those cases, but ultimately we must be laser-focused on the need to deliver swifter justice for victims. In order to do that, we will, in due course, in response to Sir Brian Leveson’s recommendations, bring forward very careful plans that protect people’s rights, including that right to a fair trial.

  • Sarah Sackman – 2025 Statement on Limiting Right to Jury Trials

    Sarah Sackman – 2025 Statement on Limiting Right to Jury Trials

    The statement made by Sarah Sackman, the Minister for Courts and Legal Services, in the House of Commons on 27 November 2025.

    This Government inherited an emergency in our criminal courts, with record and rising caseloads, leaving the victims behind each and every one of those cases facing agonising delays and waiting to see justice done, while some defendants hope that their accusers simply give up on justice.

    That is why the Government asked Sir Brian Leveson, a pre-eminent jurist and one of our most experienced judges, to undertake an independent review—a once-in-a-generation review—of our criminal courts. We have been carefully considering his recommendations and agree that a crisis of this scale requires bold action to get the system moving and to deliver swifter justice for victims. No final decisions have been made on exactly how to take forward the blueprint that Sir Brian and his expert panel have set down, and I suggest that the House waits for that response.

    Let me be clear: jury trials will always be a cornerstone of British justice. This Government will do whatever it takes to protect the fundamental right to a fair trial. The Great British justice system, with all its traditions, would never let victims wait, in some cases for four years, for justice. There is indeed a clash of ideas between those of us on the Government Benches and the Opposition. We are on the side of modernisation, defending our values, and swifter justice for victims, while they are prepared to watch the system rot, not offering any answers. The old adage rings true in the current crisis: justice delayed is justice denied. The system was simply not designed for a scenario where tens of thousands of victims are facing agonising delays for justice.

    The vast majority of cases in our courts are already heard without juries. Around 90% of all criminal cases are dealt with robustly and fairly by magistrates, with no jury. The country deserves meaningful reforms that back victims, modernisation and fairness over those gaming the system, and that speed up the courts and get victims the swifter justice that they deserve, resolving the court backlog and ensuring fair justice. As I have said, we intend to respond to the first part of Sir Brian’s review very soon, so I am afraid the House will have to wait a little longer for that response.

    Mike Wood (Kingswinford and South Staffordshire) (Con)

    Or read the papers.

    Mr Speaker

    No more leaks just yet, please.

    Robert Jenrick 

    While this Government lurch from one outrage to another, yesterday the Chancellor shredded her promises and dropped a £26 billion tax bomb on working Britain. Meanwhile, we learned that the Justice Secretary is plotting to discard centuries of jury trials without so much as a by-your-leave—and where is the Justice Secretary to answer for this? Do we need to send out a search party to Saville Row in case he has gone suit shopping again this morning? Or perhaps he could not face up to the embarrassment that he is now destroying the very principles he once championed.

    Jury trials are

    “fundamental to the justice system…fundamental to our democracy. We must protect them.”

    Those are not my words, but those of the Justice Secretary himself. This time, he was right: there is wisdom in 12 ordinary citizens pooling their collective experiences of the world. Yet, now that he is in government, he is doing the complete opposite. He blames the court backlog, but if the courtrooms standing empty this year were used, the backlog would be down by 5,000 to 10,000 cases. He pleads poverty on law and order, but yesterday the Chancellor came here and found £16 billion more to spend on benefits.

    The truth is that the Labour party just does not think that ordinary people are up to it. It does not trust them with these decisions. Give away the Chagos islands, shackle us to the European convention on human rights, scrap jury trials—all because lawyers know best. And when the Justice Secretary is summoned here to the people’s House, what does he do? He cowers away. Well, the people who make up juries—the British people—will not wear it any more.

    I have one simple question for the Minister he sent in his stead. Will she protect what is fundamental to our democracy, or will she stand by as the Justice Secretary casually casts aside centuries of English liberty?

    Sarah Sackman 

    How extraordinary, Mr Speaker. The right hon. Gentleman claims to care about the rule of law; he claims to care about ancient legal traditions. This is the same shadow Justice Secretary who denigrates our independent judges and our legal community standing up for rights. I have already said it, and I will say it again: the right to a jury trial for our most serious cases will remain a fundamental part of our British legal tradition.

    Since he is so fond of quoting our ancient principles and quoting Magna Carta, let me remind him of what is our constitutional right. Magna Carta states:

    “to no one will we…delay right or justice.”

    The right to a swift and prompt trial is a fundamental ingredient of fairness. When we have the crisis we inherited from the Conservative party, with a backlog now of some 80,000 cases—and behind each and every one of those cases is an actual victim and somebody accused of a crime—in the current system, we are denying a fair trial. When victims and witnesses pull out of the process, as is increasingly happening, that denies fairness.

    I say this while wearing this pin, which shows that we stand in 16 days of activism against violence against women and girls: a woman reporting a rape today in London will be told that her trial may not come on until 2029-30. That is not justice at all, and it is a consequence of allowing the Crown court backlog to spiral out of control while doing nothing and offering not a single answer. That is not upholding the fundamental British constitutional right to a fair trial; it is exactly the opposite.

    I for one, certainly, and as part of this Government, am not prepared to sit idly by. That is why we have gripped the crisis, making record investment in sitting days, extending magistrates court sentencing powers, investing in legal aid and asking one of our finest jurists, Brian Leveson, to conduct an independent review to provide us with a blueprint for how we get out of this mess. The Conservative party likes to call itself the party of tradition and the party of law and order, yet it presided over a justice system in which the British public can no longer have confidence.

    I am afraid that I am not prepared to let victims down. This Labour Government are finally putting victims first. That is why we will carefully consider Sir Brian’s recommendations. It is why we will undertake to implement his blueprint, which takes as its fundamental premise this: the system is broken. There is no one in this House, no one in the community that represents victims and no one in the legal community—no judge, no one operating and working hard in the system to keep it going—who thinks that the system is not broken. We have to fix it.

    Sir Brian Leveson tells us that investment alone will not fix it. We need investment coupled with structural reform and modernisation. That is exactly the blueprint that this Government will bring forward, because, as I said, we believe in the right to a fair trial, we believe in British justice and, unlike the Conservative party, we will deliver swifter justice for victims.

  • PRESS RELEASE : 87% of bathing waters rated ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ as new reforms come into law [November 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : 87% of bathing waters rated ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ as new reforms come into law [November 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 25 November 2025.

    392 bathing waters in England are rated ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’, demonstrating the impact of designation, regulation and partnership working.

    The Environment Agency has today (25 November) published the 2025 bathing water classifications for 449 designated bathing sites in England. 87% meet standards for ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ classification, an improvement on 2024, meaning swimmers can benefit from a higher number of better-quality bathing sites than last year. 

    Overall, 417 bathing waters (93%), were rated ‘Excellent’, ‘Good’ or ‘Sufficient’, representing a slight rise on 2024. 297 sites achieved an ‘Excellent’ rating this year, compared to 289 in 2024, while 32 sites were classified as ‘Poor’, a decrease on 37 last year.  

    Bathing water quality in England has improved dramatically since the 1990s, following decades of regulation, investment and partnership work. 

    These results are based on the last four years of testing by the Environment Agency which monitors for indicators of pollution known to be associated with risks to bathers’ health, specifically E. coli and intestinal enterococci. 

    Each bathing water has its own pressures, and many factors can influence bathing water quality including storm overflows, agricultural runoff, birds, dogs and other local issues. 

    Alan Lovell, Chair of the Environment Agency, said:

    Bathing water quality in England has improved significantly over recent decades, and this year’s results show the continued impact of strong regulation, investment and partnership working. 

    But we know there is more to do, and the new bathing water reforms will strengthen the way these much-loved places are managed.  

    The Environment Agency is working closely with Defra to ensure these changes are implemented effectively whilst our teams continue to work with water companies, farmers, councils and local groups to tackle all sources of pollution and support continued progress across sites.

    The Environment Agency works closely with local partners at priority sites to tackle all factors influencing water quality. Goring beach in West Sussex is a good example of this partnership working – following EA sampling and information sharing, awareness campaigns by Worthing Borough Council, and Southern Water fixing misconnections, the bathing water has achieved a ‘Good’ classification this year. 

    Alongside the annual classifications, the government’s new Bathing Water Regulation reforms came into force on 21 November. These reforms are designed to change the ‘one size fits all’ approach and more closely reflect how people use our beaches, lakes and rivers. 

    The reforms include: 

    • We’ve ended the old rule that automatically removed a bathing water’s status after five years of ‘Poor’ ratings in a row. Now, when a site is struggling regulators will look at the issues affecting the water quality and, where possible, work towards finding realistic options for improving it.  
    • We’re bringing in more flexibility to monitoring dates – so that testing can be adapted to suit individual sites and better match when people actually use the water. 
    • A third reform, which will look at new criteria for bathing waters, will come into force in May 2026 to allow guidance to be fully developed. 

    Water Minister Emma Hardy said: 

    Our bathing waters are at the heart of so many communities, and these reforms will help people experience the benefits of our beautiful waters and connect with nature.  

    By ending automatic de-designation and bringing in more flexibility to when waters are monitored, we’re creating a system that reflects how people actually use their local rivers, lakes and beaches. 

    These changes sit alongside our wider action to clean up our waterways so communities across the country can enjoy the places they care about most. 

    Defra and the Environment Agency are encouraging people to use Swimfo, the EA’s online service providing the latest information on bathing water quality and incidents, helping the public make informed decisions about where and when to swim. 

    Notes to Editors 

    • To protect our waterways and the health of swimmers, the Environment Agency monitors the water quality at more than 400 designated beaches and inland waters across England. We do this through a robust sampling programme – as set out in law in the Bathing Water Regulations. 
    • The Environment Agency classifies England’s bathing waters each year as ‘Excellent’, ‘Good’, ‘Sufficient’ or ‘Poor’, based on four years of monitoring data. 
    • Monitoring runs throughout the bathing season and samples are assessed for Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci for classification purposes. 
    • The 2025 classifications cover 449 designated bathing waters in England. 
    • The Environment Agency is working with local partners to take targeted action to improve water quality at bathing waters classified as ‘Poor’. 
    • Bathing water designations are made by the Secretary of State for Defra following local applications and public consultation. 
    • The Bathing Water Regulations reforms came into force on 21 November, ending automatic de-designation after five consecutive Poor classifications and introducing flexibility for site-specific bathing seasons, which means that sites can apply to change the boundaries of their bathing season. 
    • De-designation is now a case-by-case ministerial decision. 
    • A further reform updating designation criteria will come into force in May 2026 after guidance is finalised. 
    • Members of the public can access up-to-date bathing water information, including the 2025 classifications, via the Environment Agency’s Swimfo service.
  • PRESS RELEASE : Parole Board members reappointed and appointment of 2 members [November 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Parole Board members reappointed and appointment of 2 members [November 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 25 November 2025.

    The Lord Chancellor has approved the reappointments of 46 Parole Board members, as set out below, and the appointment of 2 psychologist members.

    Parole Board members are appointed, by ministers, under Schedule 19 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003. The appointment of Parole Board members – save for judicial members – is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments (CPA). Recruitment processes comply with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    The Parole Board is an independent body that works with its criminal justice partners to protect the public by risk assessing prisoners to decide whether they can be safely released into the community.

    The Parole Board was established by the Criminal Justice Act 1967. It is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice.

    Appointment of psychologist members

    The following members have been appointed for a 5-year term from 4 November 2025 until 3 November 2030:

    • Laura Magness
    • Kirsty Butcher

    Reappointment of existing members

    The reappointments of 46 Parole Board members have been approved. Details of those reappointed and the duration of each reappointment are provided below.

    Psychologist members

    The following member has been reappointed for a further term of 6 years from 1 December 2025 until 30 November 2031:

    • Rebecca Milner

    The following members have been reappointed for a further term of 5 years from 1 February 2026 until 31 January 2031:

    • Dee Anand
    • Caroline Flowers
    • Sian Hughes
    • Alexander Jack
    • Laura Jacobs
    • Sally Lopresti
    • Frances Maclennan
    • Louise Minchin
    • Samantha Salamat
    • Carolyn Scott

    The following member has been reappointed for a further term of 5 years from 1 May 2026 until 30 April 2031:

    • Sarah Jones

    The following members have been reappointed for a further term of 6 years from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2032:

    • Fiona Ainsworth
    • Pamela Attwell
    • Rachel Roper
    • Georgina Rowse
    • Claire Smith

    The following members have been reappointed for a further term of 1 year from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2027:

    • Claire Barker
    • Lindy Maslin

    The following member has been reappointed for a further term of 5 years from 1 December 2026 until 30 November 2031:

    • Brendan O’Mahony

    The following member has been reappointed for a further term of 6 years from 10 January 2027 until 9 January 2033:

    • Victoria Magrath

    Psychiatrist members

    The following members have been reappointed for a further term of 5 years from 1 February 2026 until 31 January 2031:

    • Bethan Davies
    • Kim Fraser
    • Sobhi Girgis
    • Santhana Gunasekaran
    • Duncan Harding
    • Gaynor Jones
    • Olumuyiwa Olumoroti
    • Lavanya Sebastian
    • Alan Smith

    The following member has been reappointed for a further term of 1 year from 1 December 2026 to 30 November 2027:

    • Tim McInerny

    Independent members

    The following member has been reappointed for a further term of 5 years from 1 February 2026 until 31 January 2031:

    • Julie Mitchell

    The following member has been reappointed for a further term of 1 year from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2027:

    • Angharad Davies

    The following members have been reappointed for a further term of 6 years from 1 July 2026 until 30 June 2032:

    • Sarfraz Ahmad
    • Sally Allbeury
    • Rachel Cook
    • Amy Coyte
    • Stefan Fafinski
    • Paul French
    • Chris Fry
    • Lisa Lamb
    • Timothy Lawrence
    • Fran McGrath
    • Helen Potts
    • Jayne Salt
    • Julia Thackray
  • PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor fails pubs and publicans again despite pub closure crisis [November 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Chancellor fails pubs and publicans again despite pub closure crisis [November 2025]

    The press release issued by the Campaign for Pubs on 27 November 2025.

    Despite the cost-of-living crisis and with 8 pubs closing a week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has turned her back on pubs and small brewers, offering no support at all to the vast majority of the UK’s world-famous pubs, whilst heaping extra costs onto small businesses through another rise in the Minimum Wage (paid for by employers, not the Government) and a levy on energy bills to pay for Sizewell C nuclear power station.

    The only suggestion of a positive measure for some pubs in England was the Chancellor’s mention of a proposed reform of the business rates system, however in reality it seems clear that this will not be the reform pubs want or need and will actually increase many pubs business rates, some by substantial margins which is desperately worrying and could be the last straw for many of those businesses.

    The Chancellor also reiterated the already announced review of the national licensing framework for England, but these don’t offer any support to pubs. With pubs already struggling and cutting hours, allowing pubs to open longer is completely meaningless.

    The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has ignored pleas from pubs, publicans, pub campaigners and small brewers:

    • She has failed to reduce National Insurance contributions for pubs and other small businesses, despite the clear evidence of the impact this has had, including thousands of pub jobs lost.
    • She has failed to deliver lower VAT for pubs and hospitality, as other countries have done or consider Small Retailers VAT relief, whereby small businesses, including pubs, would pay less than huge chains.
    • She has failed to increase current levels of business rates relief.
    • She has failed to offer any support to help pubs, small breweries and other small businesses with sky high energy bills – and at the same time has put a levy to pay for Sizewell C nuclear power station!
    • Alcohol duty will increase with inflation across the board next year and whilst duty is not a tax on pubs and whilst duty cuts do not get passed on to publicans, brewers, producers and pubcos do always increase prices, especially to tied pub tenants.
    • There was no announcement about replacing the Community Pubs Fund, with a whole raft of community pub campaigns having failed due to the Labour Government’s decision to axe it.
    • No reform of the beer tie, despite the fact it imposes considerable extra costs on tied publicans and despite the fact the Government could do this without any cost to the taxpayer.
    • No announcement on much needed planning reform, so that unscrupulous owners and developers can continue to close and demolish viable and wanted pubs.
    • No support at all for small brewers, with many closing over the last two years due to sky high energy costs and rising prices. No reversal of the damaging changes to Small Brewers Duty Relief implemented by the Conservative Government to favour larger brewers.   

    Pubs and publicans have also been hit with the Government’s increase in the Minimum Wage, something paid for by businesses, including pubs, not by the Government. Many publicans are already earning less than their staff from their pubs, this will only make that worse and will push others over the edge who will simply give up. Others will be forced to lay off staff or cut hours, as they simply cannot afford another hike in costs. Many publicans work exceptionally long hours for very low pay, in many cases lower than minimum wage, so tight are the margins during this economic crisis.

    Having been hit with a huge cost hike in April because of the Autumn 2024 Budget – due to the NI and Minimum Wage increases and for English pubs the slashing of business rate relief – there have been 89,000 job losses in the hospitality sector. Pubs had pleaded for assistance from the Chancellor but received none.

    The cost-of-living crisis has seen rising prices and business costs, including spiralling energy bills, at the same time as many consumers have had to reduce their spending. This ‘perfect storm’ of trading circumstances has led to a worryingly high rate of pub and small brewery closures. This is made worse by the fact that pubs are having to pass on at least some of the rising costs faced by brewers and other suppliers, making visits to the pub even less affordable to those on lower and middle incomes. The current crisis follows the lockdowns and restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, with many pubs still paying off considerable Covid debt, despite the fact trade has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, due to the cost-of-living squeeze.

    Greg Mulholland, Campaign Director for the Campaign for Pubs said:

    “This is a deeply disappointing budget that does nothing to address the crisis facing the UK’s world famous pubs.

    “Despite around 90,000 lost jobs in hospitality since last year’s disastrous budget, the Chancellor has done nothing to address those damaging cost hikes and indeed has imposed further costs on pubs and publicans who have to pay increased staff wages, at a time when many publicans are already earning less than their staff. Even the mentioned business rates reform will actually see many pubs face hikes in business rates, so this really is an appalling budget for pubs.

    “Altogether this budget will mean yet more job cuts in pubs and more publicans unable to make a living”.

    Dawn Hopkins, Vice-Chair of the Campaign for Pubs and a publican in Norwich said:

    “Week after week, eight more pubs vanish for good – taking with them people’s livelihoods, community spaces and vital local jobs – yet the Chancellor has chosen to look the other way. Publicans and pub lovers have been crystal clear about what support is needed, but we have been ignored.

    “As a licensee, I am deeply disappointed, sad and frankly scared for the future. And for the Chancellor to claim that pubs will ‘benefit’ from business rates reform when many of us face higher rateable values from April feels, at best, disingenuous. It is disgraceful that this Government is prepared to watch the collapse of our pub industry rather than act to save it”.

    Paul Crossman, Chair of the Campaign for Pubs and a publican in York said:

    “There was very little in today’s Budget for pubs, and while the Chancellor may have been hoping that no news would be good news, publicans will in fact be bitterly disappointed that industry wide calls for a package of direct targeted help have been ignored.

    “With a pub a day closing for good the status quo is clearly untenable, and now that it is clear that pubs will not even receive the promised help with business rates bills we look set to be entering an even deeper crisis.

    “Pubs need real help on multiple fronts including with VAT rates, energy bills and employment costs if they are to continue to be able to serve their crucial role at the heart of our communities amidst the ongoing cost of living crisis. By ignoring clear, united calls for real help the Chancellor has only ensured that needless mass closures will continue to blight our communities, our economy and our culture.”

    ENDS

    The Autumn Statement did include another year’s extension of essential business rates relief for many pubs and a reduction in employers National Insurance contributions, but these measures are not enough to deal with the impact of very high energy bills, rising prices and consumers with less money to spend. The Campaign for Pubs and other hospitality campaign groups had been calling for a VAT cut to give direct support to pubs and restaurants, to allow them to get through this crisis. Once again, these calls fell on deaf ears with Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak as usual listening only to the lobbyists of the big brewers and pubcos, something that has been the case through the Conservatives 13 years in power.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Government to accept key recommendations of Sayce review on Carer’s Allowance [November 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Government to accept key recommendations of Sayce review on Carer’s Allowance [November 2025]

    The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 25 November 2025.

    Unpaid carers will have their Carer’s Allowance earnings related overpayments reviewed and potentially cancelled or repaid, following an independent review that found unclear guidance left people facing unexpected debts.

    • Carers forced to repay debts because of unclear guidance – in place between 2015 and summer 2025 – are set to have their cases reviewed.
    • DWP will reassess all related overpayment cases and reduce debts or refund money to those affected.
    • It comes in wake of independent Sayce review, as Government commits to fixing inherited system failures as part of Plan for Change.

    Unpaid carers will have their Carer’s Allowance earnings related overpayments reviewed and potentially cancelled or repaid, following an independent review that found unclear guidance left people facing unexpected debts.

    The independent Sayce Review, launched in October last year, found unclear guidance on averaging fluctuating earnings prevented carers from understanding what changes to their pay needed reporting to the Department for Work and Pensions.

    This meant tens of thousands of people juggling 35 hours of care with paid work built up debts without realising they had breached the weekly earnings limit.

    The DWP has accepted that unpaid carers were let down by confusing rules – in place between 2015 and summer 2025 – and this government is now moving to fix these inherited problems.

    Where it is found that overpayments were lower than originally calculated, carers will have their debts reduced or cancelled entirely, with the Government refunding any money already repaid.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, said:

    Carers are vital to our communities, and when the system lets them down, we have a duty to put it right.

    The Sayce Review has shown us clearly that the guidance on earnings averaging was confusing. We inherited this mess from the previous government, but we’ve listened to carers, commissioned an independent review, and are now making good for those affected.

    Rebuilding trust isn’t about warm words – it’s about action, accountability, and making sure our support works for the people who need it most.

    Most people will have their cases reassessed without needing to contact DWP. Carers who have already repaid their debts will still be able to have their cases reassessed and details on the best way to do this will be set out in due course.

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    This will be welcome news for thousands of carers failed by the system under the previous government.

    We will right these wrongs, carers give so much to their families and to their local communities, and they deserve our support.

    The Sayce Review made 40 recommendations, the vast majority of which have been accepted.

    DWP has already made immediate improvements in the wake of this. This includes:

    • Updating internal guidance so staff properly record and explain wage averaging decisions.
    • Hiring additional staff to process earnings notifications more quickly to prevent large debts building up over time.
    • Ensuring letters to unpaid carers clearly explain what changes need reporting Appointing a senior service owner to drive delivery of the Review’s recommendations.

    Independent reviewer Liz Sayce said:

    My review found that overpayment debt has had major impacts on carers’ health, finances and family well-being, and been a disincentive to work. I’m glad Government now plans to review cases and cancel or reduce debts affected by flawed guidance.

    This wasn’t wilful rule-breaking – it simply wasn’t clear what earnings fluctuations carers should report.

    I’m pleased DWP has tackled the backlog of earnings data, so people shouldn’t suddenly face large debts going back years.

    I hope those affected feel they have been heard.

    Longer-term reforms are also underway to modernise Carer’s Allowance to build fair public services that treat people with respect, as part of the Plan for Change.

    The DWP is also considering how regulations might better reflect modern working practices, developing automation that links directly to HMRC data, and exploring potential solutions to reduce the impact of the current Carer’s Allowance earnings cliff edge.

    It follows wider work to tackle fraud and error in the benefits system, with the Fraud, Error and Recovery Bill bringing forward the biggest fraud crackdown in a generation, that will save £9.6 billion by 2030.

    Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK, said:

    It’s a really important day for carers today and in Carers UK’s 60 year history.

    Carers UK is really pleased that this issue we’ve raised for nearly 8 years is finally being addressed, with system failures acknowledged.

    We welcome the fact that Government has committed to writing off debt, where overpayments were lower than originally calculated, reducing or cancelled debts entirely, with refunding any money already repaid.

    It’s absolutely right that the Government took the key decision to conduct this review, given how challenging and distressing Carer’s Allowance overpayments have been.

    Government and Liz Sayce OBE have clearly listened to carers and the evidence that Carers UK has provided.

    Carers are the backbone of our society with their care worth a staggering £184 billion a year. They need support and systems that work, not extra challenges.

    The Government recognises the vital role carers play supporting the people they care for, their communities and the country, and is committed to making their lives easier.

    As part of this commitment, the Government has already raised the earnings threshold by £45 to £196 – the largest ever increase – benefiting over 60,000 carers by 2029/30.

    Alongside this, it has launched a review of employment rights for unpaid carers, which will look at how the current package of rights is used and identify where any improvements might be needed to help carers balance their work with caring responsibilities.

    Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said:

    Carers deserve a benefit that reflects their vital contribution to society but, we inherited problems with Carer’s Allowance which we’re determined to fix.

    Every day, they provide care and support that enables their loved ones to live with dignity – and we owe them a system that works properly.

    I want to reassure carers that this issue doesn’t affect many cases. But where it’s gone wrong, we’ll put it right.