The comments made by Pat McFadden, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 20 May 2026.
Fit notes are too often a dead end – a piece of paper that tells people they can’t work but does nothing to help them get better.
We’re changing that. By bringing employers, the NHS, and patients together we can help people recover faster, stay connected to their jobs, and get the economy firing on all cylinders.
That’s what these pilots are about, and that’s what this Government is committed to – fixing what is broken.
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 20 May 2026.
Radical overhaul of broken fit note system to be piloted so it works for patients, employers, and healthcare professionals.
Trials to be delivered through selected NHS WorkWell sites and major employers.
Comes as new report shows just 29% of primary care staff see issuing fit notes as a good use of GP time.
Patients, employers and GPs are set to benefit from an overhaul of the broken fit note system following the launch of several pilots by the Government today to reform the system for workers who fall ill.
The current system sees some 11 million fit notes issued every year, with more than nine in ten declaring the person ‘not fit for work’.
Four pilots, in different areas, in England will look at the best way to end this tick-box exercise which does not offer any support or guidance and replace it with personalised ‘stay in work’ and ‘return to work’ plans for workers who fall ill.
The pilots will cover up to 100,000 appointments and last up to a year, with continuous testing, in order to narrow down the most effective approach to tackling the inherited steep increase in number of fit notes issued.
Patients will be offered either an initial fit note from a GP and then referred to community health workers – or go through the whole process without an initial fit note from a GP, and will instead be supported by a separate service staffed by clinical and non-clinical practitioners.
They will provide a range of work and health support, including three-way conversations between patients, employers, and trained professionals – covering reasonable adjustments and keeping people connected to their workplace from the first day of absence, helping more people to stay in work with support.
It is the first step in the Government’s ambition for radical fit note reform – with pilot findings due to be shaped by patients, healthcare staff, and employers – before the Government brings forward legislation to further reform the broken system.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, said:
Fit notes are too often a dead end – a piece of paper that tells people they can’t work but does nothing to help them get better.
We’re changing that. By bringing employers, the NHS, and patients together we can help people recover faster, stay connected to their jobs, and get the economy firing on all cylinders.
That’s what these pilots are about, and that’s what this Government is committed to – fixing what is broken.
The launch comes as the Government publishes the Fit Note Call for Evidence which shows just three in 10 Healthcare Professionals in Primary Care say fit notes are a good use of GPs time, while six in 10 employers think the current process is ineffective at supporting their employees’ work and health needs.
Trials of a new approach was recommended by the former John Lewis chairman Sir Charlie Mayfield in his landmark Keep Britain Working Review into economic inactivity, which noted that the fit note system is “not working as intended” and had become a barrier to contact with employers.
Minister of State for Care Stephen Kinnock said:
Ever since I was appointed Minister of State for Care in July 2024, NHS staff have been telling me that the current fit note system isn’t working – not for patients, and not for the clinicians who sign them off.
These pilots mark the beginning of the end for that broken system, giving people personalised support to get back into work and freeing up GPs from unnecessary admin so they can focus on what they do best: caring for their patients.
This is what our 10 Year Health Plan is all about – earlier support, from the right people, in the right place.
From July, the NHS will test new approaches through four existing WorkWell sites, backed by £3 million in the first year. The areas will test the following models:
Birmingham and Solihull – GPs issue the first fit note where needed, with all patients referred to a new support service led primarily by non-clinical staff, including social prescribers and work and health coaches
Coventry and Warwickshire – GPs issue the first fit note, with patients able to be referred to a support service made up of both clinical and non-clinical staff
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly – GPs refer patients directly to a non-clinical support service, without issuing a fit note
Lancashire and South Cumbria – GPs refer patients to a support service made up of both clinical and non-clinical staff, without issuing a fit note.
BMA’s Practice Business policy lead for GPs committee England Dr Clare Bannon said:
The BMA has contributed to the design of these pilots with DWP to overhaul the fit note system as we feel the current system is not working for GPs or patients. We welcome the opportunity to test how different models work and ensure the new process reduces unnecessary appointments for GPs, but most importantly provides support to patients.
We will continue to input into the pilots to ensure they have appropriate occupational health support and do not inadvertently increase pressure on general practice or affect patient care. While we are supportive of this pilot, it must be underpinned by appropriate training, clinical oversight and clear governance.
Professor Victoria Tzortziou Brown, President of the Royal College of GPs, said:
GPs take our responsibility to appropriately issue fit notes seriously, but the current system can involve significant administrative work that takes time away from patient care.
We are open to exploring evidence-based reforms that could help improve outcomes for patients. However, any reform of the fit note process must put the health and wellbeing of patients first, be fully resourced and avoid creating additional workload for general practice. As such we look forward to seeing a comprehensive evaluation of this pilot.
The Government is also confirming local funding allocations for WorkWell – the proven health-and-employment service through which the NHS-based fit note pilots will be delivered – as the programme expands nationally to support up to 250,000 people with a disability or health condition to get into or stay in work.
WorkWell is a local, health-led service connecting NHS, council and community support to keep people in work and help them return quickly if they don’t.
It comes as part of the Government’s wider £3.5 billion employment support package which meets sick and disabled people where they are, and builds on recent changes including the right for people on benefits to try work without fear of immediate reassessment, and the redeployment of 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers who are supporting those left behind by the previous Government.
Those who need time off to recover will still get it, with the Government’s Statutory Sick Pay reforms meaning employees receive support from day one of sickness absence, putting an extra £400 million a year into people’s pockets.
Alongside the NHS pilots, Keep Britain Working Vanguard businesses – including EDF Energy – will work out how employers can play a practical role in preventing absence where possible, and supporting safe, swift returns when it does occur.
Jacob Lant, Chief Executive of National Voices, said:
The current tick-box system for fit notes isn’t working for anyone, particularly patients. It makes people who are unwell jump through unnecessary admin hoops, and yet the process rarely offers people the support they need to get well and manage their conditions long-term.
The Department for Work and Pensions is absolutely right to test out new ways of supporting those who are signed off, and it is vital that patients are fully involved in that testing process, able to feed back over what works and what doesn’t. This is the only way to reliably avoid unintended consequences and create a system that actually helps both those who can’t work and those who would be able to with the appropriate support.
Ultimately the goal has to be about focusing on improving people’s health and getting them well, this is the hallmark of a compassionate state. In the end, investing in this approach will also pay dividends in terms of more people feeling able to work and being able to enjoy all the positives that come as a result.
Nottingham GP Dr Sanjoy Kumar said:
I am really pleased the government is looking seriously at new approaches to fit notes, a change which is urgently needed. As a GP for over 25 years, I know how much of our clinical time is taken up with issuing these, which for many patients is not the right approach.
Dr Steve Taylor GP Co-Lead Doctors Association UK said:
The Doctors Association UK has been involved in discussions over the past few months with the Department of Work and Pensions around Fit Note reform. These discussions were broad and included many groups: GPs, employers, patients and occupational health. We agree that the current system of fit-notes isn’t working well for patients, GPs and employers. It often lacks the nuance to deal with specific work situations and reasons that people have for not being able to work their full or part of their role.
We hope these pilots will give the opportunity to explore a different way for people to engage with the periods of ill health and ways to make work more accessible and achievable. This recognises that GPs aren’t always best equipped to understand the options for work and we hope that active engagement between patients, GPs, employers and this new service will provide a better experience for everyone.
It is important that no one is forced to work who cannot, but it is also important that those who can, should be encouraged and given options to work. This could be a great improvement and we look forward to seeing the outcomes from these 4 pilots.
Chief Policy & Campaigns Officer John Foster at Confederation of British Industry said:
The fit note system is broken and fails employers, workers, and the economy. Business welcomes these pilots. They are an important step towards building a better system.
Employers have increased their investment in supporting employee health and wellbeing and hope that these pilots will direct efforts to interventions that have the greatest impact.
An improved system also needs to restore employers’ confidence that absence from work is only recommended when it is justified.
Professor Neil Greenberg, the Society of Occupational Medicine said:
The Society of Occupational Medicine (SOM) welcomes DWP’s proposed fit note pilots, particularly the workability plan. The current fit note system is not working. Too many people who could potentially be supported to stay and return to work are not.
The fit note reform offers clear benefits for employees, employers, and the NHS. SOM anticipate the pilots will generate useful data to improve how fit notes will support employees, alleviate GP pressures and help bridge the gap between employers and employees.
SOM will be interested to see if the pilots will support better health outcomes through reduced absenteeism, and improved retention. SOM looks forward to working with the DWP to achieve a better fit note system.
Charlotte Osborn-Forde, Chief Executive of The National Academy for Social Prescribing:
We are pleased that social prescribers – also known as link workers – will play a part in the fit note pilots. Link workers can support people with social issues that affect their health, including loneliness, isolation and problems with debt or housing. They focus on what matters to people and connect them to community-based support – including advice on money or housing, carers’ support, physical activity groups or local activities. There is strong evidence that this approach can benefit wellbeing and mental health.
No one who is unable to work should be pressured into doing so, but this voluntary scheme should help join the dots between the NHS, employers and communities, and help people get the right support for wider issues that affect their health.
Head of Policy and Practice at the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, Joe Brunwin, said:
These pilots are a real chance to help more people stay in or return to work and are centred around a core skill of occupational therapy: understanding people as individuals and considering how their environment and circumstances affect their ability to work.
Fit note evaluations and pilots show occupational therapists are more likely to take a work-focused approach, using ‘may be fit’ advice and adjustments to support return to work. As well as signing fit notes occupational therapists can provide clinical supervision and governance for non-clinical staff.
It’s encouraging to see a shift away from a purely medical approach to work absence, towards taking a more holistic approach. We look forward to seeing how this initiative makes use of occupational therapy expertise and how we can continue to work together as part of a multidisciplinary team, supporting people to stay in, return to and thrive in work.
The initial focus is on people who are in work, while continuing to explore how reforms interact with the benefits system and support people who are out of work. Patients will be able to use the stay in work and return to work plans for Statutory Sick Pay, which the government recently strengthened through the Plan to Make Work Pay.
The NHS pilots will test different models of fit note reform – including some GPs issuing the first fit note in a sickness absence. In other areas, fit notes will be wholly replaced by the new plans.
The Keep Britain Working Vanguards are early adopters who will develop and refine workplace health approaches over the next three years to build the evidence base for what works.
The press release issued by Homes England on 20 May 2026.
Reinvention of former Broad Marsh shopping centre another step closer as Homes England launches preliminary market engagement to appoint development partner.
Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, has announced at UKREiiF the launch of its search for a development partner to deliver the regeneration of a landmark city centre site in Nottingham.
Delegates were presented with an ambitious vision for the scheme, outlining plans to deliver a vibrant, inclusive and sustainable mixed‑use quarter. The development will deliver high‑quality new homes alongside Grade A office space, vibrant retail and leisure amenities, and a carefully integrated public realm, establishing the site as a dynamic destination for residents, businesses and visitors.
Preliminary market engagement has begun to find a development partner with suitable credentials to accelerate the transformation of the former Broad Marsh shopping centre into a new mixed‑use district.
The agency acquired the site in March 2025 to help unlock progress and is working closely with partners under a Collaboration Agreement to bring forward the regeneration, with demolition works currently taking place.
The project is being delivered in partnership with the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA), and Nottingham City Council, and is central to Nottingham City Council’s long-term vision for the city.
The new district will reconnect key city centre destinations and improve routes for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, with green spaces and public areas to support outdoor activity.
Jo Nugent, Homes England Executive Regional Director for the Midlands, said:
Broad Marsh presents a transformative opportunity for Nottingham. Our partnership with Nottingham City Council, and now the East Midlands Combined Authority, formalised through our Collaboration Agreement, reflects a unified commitment from the public sector to bring this project to market successfully.
We are now focused on securing an experienced Master Development Partner who shares our vision and will work collaboratively with us to deliver a vibrant, mixed-use city quarter that Nottingham can be proud of for generations to come.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, said:
Broad Marsh is at the heart of Nottingham, and the people of this city have the highest hopes for what its redevelopment will unlock. As Mayor of the East Midlands, my job is to elevate and enable the vision that local leaders have for their place, and to work in partnership to deliver it.
The East Midlands Combined County Authority, Homes England, and Nottingham City Council are working together to deliver a vibrant and inclusive scheme around Nottingham’s ‘green heart’. By reimagining Broad Marsh, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock economic opportunity, create beautiful homes, and generate countless social and environmental benefits.
We make no apologies for the level of our ambition because we want to work with a developer that meets this partnership where it is. Join us in building Nottingham’s future.
Councillor Neghat Khan, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said:
Broad Marsh is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Nottingham – one of the UK’s most compelling city-centre regeneration projects.
Its redevelopment will build on significant local progress with the opening of the new Central Library, creation of a new college campus, and The Green Heart – a fantastic public green space in the city centre.
We sit at the heart of the UK, geographically and economically, anchoring the East Midlands as a Core City. Nottingham is a place shaped by innovation, fuelled by civic pride, driven by discovery and united through sport. We are a city of legends. But more importantly, we are a city of makers, thinkers and doers
Today, we launch a bold new Vision for Nottingham’s future — built on confidence, partnership and delivery. From regeneration and housing, to innovation, skills and culture, Nottingham is turning ambition into action. This is Nottingham’s moment.
Further information for developers about the project can be found by following this market engagement link.
The project is an example of partnership working between national and regional organisations to accelerate new homes, regenerated spaces and economic growth. It builds on a strategic place partnership between Homes England and East Midlands Combined County Authority, which sets out how partners will work together to deliver long-term benefits for the region.
The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 20 May 2026.
Fraudster abused Covid support schemes and insolvency rules.
Lucien Ekamba-Elombe set up a phoenix company while bankrupt after failing to pay his council tax and hid his involvement behind an unwitting front man
He fraudulently claimed a £30,000 Covid Bounce Back Loan he had no right to and transferred thousands to his own account
Ekamba-Elombe also bought two properties using more than £190,000 of company money while banned as a director by a court
A Newcastle recruitment consultant has been sentenced for a string of offences including Covid fraud, flouting director disqualifications and running a phoenix company while bankrupt.
Lucien Ekamba-Elombe set up a recruitment firm under a similar name to his previous failed company while legally banned from doing so after failing to pay council tax.
He secretly ran it through an unwitting front man to hide his involvement.
The 50-year-old then fraudulently claimed a £30,000 Covid Bounce Back Loan he had no right to apply for, transferring more than £12,000 to his own account.
He also carried on running the company even after being banned as a director by a court, helping himself to more than £190,000 of company money to buy two properties.
Ekamba-Elombe, of Union Hall Road, was sentenced to 22 months in prison, suspended for two years, when he appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday 20 May.
He was also disqualified as a company director for seven years and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.
Ekamba-Elombe had previously pleaded guilty to the offences in October last year. A warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to appear at court in February and he was apprehended in April.
David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:
Lucien Ekamba-Elombe’s criminal actions were calculated, persistent and wide-ranging. This was a prolonged and deliberate course of offending that touched almost every aspect of insolvency law.
Ekamba-Elombe abused Covid support funds, ran a phoenix company while bankrupt and carried on as if a director ban simply did not apply to him. He even used company money to buy properties for himself.
Rooting out Covid fraudsters, cracking down on abusive phoenix companies and holding disqualified directors to account are all central to the Insolvency Service’s work – protecting honest businesses, creditors and the public from criminals such as Ekamba-Elombe who think the rules do not apply to them.
Ekamba-Elombe was the director of United Recruitment and Employment Limited, which went into liquidation in January 2019. He was made bankrupt in July that year following non-payment of council tax.
It is a criminal offence to act as a company director while bankrupt. However, Ekamba-Elombe ignored his bankruptcy and set up Unify Group Limited in September 2019.
Unify Group Limited continued trading under a similar name to its insolvent predecessor, breaching the Insolvency Act 1986, which bans directors from reusing a company name to evade creditors after insolvency.
Ekamba-Elombe concealed his involvement in the new company by appointing a nominee director who had no knowledge of the appointment.
In December 2020, Ekamba-Elombe fraudulently obtained a £30,000 Bounce Back Loan for Unify Group Limited.
By the end of the year, he had transferred more than £12,000 to his personal account across 16 transactions, with a further £8,000 paid to a company or individual in France with no known links to Unify Group Limited.
Ekamba-Elombe was disqualified as a company director for five years in January 2022 following investigations into this misconduct at United Recruitment and Employment Limited.
The disqualification prevented him from managing a company until 2027.
However, he again ignored the restrictions placed on him, continuing to act as director of Unify Group Limited, even using company funds to finance the purchase of two properties.
Insolvency Service investigations revealed that Ekamba-Elombe transferred more than £190,000 from the company to his personal account between June and October 2022.
Funds were then transferred to the solicitors who conducted the conveyancing.
The Insolvency Service is seeking to recover the fraudulently obtained funds under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Further information
Lucien Ekamba-Elombe is of Union Hall Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. His date of birth is 12 May 1976
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 20 May 2026.
We stand with the infected blood community to bear witness to the lives lost and those changed forever. As a nation, we must ensure the lessons of this scandal are never forgotten.
I pay tribute to their extraordinary courage and dignity in their long fight for truth and justice, and extend my sincere thanks to the Infected Blood Memorial Committee for the care, compassion and dedication behind this service.
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 May 2026.
National memorial service held at St Paul’s Cathedral to remember Infected Blood victims.
A service of recognition, remembrance and reflection for the infected blood community will take place at St Paul’s today, on the eve of the second anniversary of the Infected Blood Inquiry reporting.
The service has been designed by the Infected Blood Memorial Committee in consultation with the wider community.
The service will provide an opportunity to remember the harms, losses, and trauma faced by the community and the loved ones who have been lost.
The thousands of individuals and families impacted by the Infected Blood scandal will be honoured today (Tuesday, 19 May 2026) at a national service of recognition, remembrance and reflection in St Paul’s Cathedral.
The service has been planned by the Infected Blood Memorial Committee, which is made up of members of the infected blood community, and will be attended by state representatives and community supporters.
The Memorial Committee has invited those it wishes to witness the impact of the scandal so that it may never be repeated.
The Prime Minister, The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer, said:
We stand with the infected blood community to bear witness to the lives lost and those changed forever. As a nation, we must ensure the lessons of this scandal are never forgotten.
I pay tribute to their extraordinary courage and dignity in their long fight for truth and justice, and extend my sincere thanks to the Infected Blood Memorial Committee for the care, compassion and dedication behind this service.
Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, The Rt Hon Nick Thomas-Symonds, said:
For decades, the infected blood community fought with extraordinary courage to uncover the truth and this service is about recognising the loss, trauma and harm faced by the community.
I would like to thank the Infected Blood Memorial Committee for the time and dedication that has gone into organising the service. Their work on memorialisation, following the recommendations made by Sir Brian Langstaff, is vital to ensuring that this scandal is always remembered and its lessons never forgotten.
The Chair of the Infected Blood Memorial Committee, Clive Smith, said:
Today’s service at St Paul’s is a long-overdue day for the contaminated blood community.
For the first time, representatives of the state will stand together with the community in a moment of national recognition, remembrance and reflection. Today, we remember and bear witness to the thousands impacted by this scandal.
We honour those who are no longer with us, those who cannot be with us, and those who continue to ensure the worst treatment disaster in the history of the NHS is never repeated.
The service will be livestreamed for members of the community who are unable to attend in person. The service has been designed to be inclusive and interactive for the community.
The service will include:
Symbolic empty chairs interspersed amongst the congregation to represent those no longer with us and those who are unable to be in attendance.
A reading of names, where the entire congregation will be asked to read out the first name of a person put forward to be remembered and honoured together.
A moment of silence as thousands of white, red and yellow petals fall from the Whispering Gallery.
A short address from Sir Brian Langstaff, Chair of the Inquiry.
Hymns chosen by the community, and over 50 volunteers will light candles in remembrance.
In addition to the St Paul’s Cathedral Consort (choir), Michael Ball is expected to perform Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, and the London Contemporary Voices Choir, who sang at the close of the Inquiry, will sing Emeli Sandé’s Read All About It.
The service is about remembering the harms, losses, and trauma faced by the community, and making time for the community to come together to remember the loved ones who have been lost.
As well as delivering the commemorative events recommended by the Inquiry, the Infected Blood Memorial Committee continues to work to establish a national memorial. The Committee is also committed to supporting Infected Blood Memorials being built at Treloars School and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The Committee expects to publish their first report in early 2027. This will set out the Committee’s recommendations to the Minister for the Cabinet Office on the location and principles behind the national memorial. These recommendations will be informed by their engagement with the community.
Tuesday, 19 May, marks the eve of the second anniversary of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s full report. The Inquiry examined how men, women and children treated by the National Health Service across the UK were given infected blood and blood products from the 1970s onwards.
ENDS
Notes:
The Infected Blood Inquiry, chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, was set up in 2017 to examine the circumstances where men, women and children treated by the national health services in the UK were given infected blood and blood products, in particular since the 1970s. This has become known as the infected blood, or contaminated blood, scandal. This inquiry closed on 31st March 2026.
The Infected Blood Memorial Committee has been established following the recommendations of Sir Brian Langstaff in the Infected Blood Inquiry Report in May 2024.
Recommendation 2 is “Recognising and remembering what happened to people”. Recommendation 2 reads:
2a. A permanent memorial be established in the UK and consideration be given to memorials in each of Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The nature of the memorial(s), their design and location should be determined by a memorial committee consisting of people infected and affected and representatives of the governments. It should be funded by the UK government.
2b. A memorial be established at public expense, dedicated specifically to the children infected at Treloar’s School. The memorial should be such as is agreed with those who were pupils at Treloar’s.
2c. There should be at least three events, approximately six months apart, drawing together those infected and affected, the nature and timing of which should be determined by a working party as described above, facilitated by some central funding.
This recommendation has been accepted in full by the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. This recommendation is being taken forward on a UK-wide basis.
The funding for this is separate from the money allocated to pay compensation.
The press release issued by HM Treasury on 20 May 2026.
Chancellor announces further reforms on judicial review of major infrastructure projects.
The Chancellor is expected to announce sweeping reforms that will give Parliament the authority to approve critical energy schemes and better protect infrastructure projects from judicial review.
The proposed changes – on which a policy note is published today – are intended to reinforce the UK’s energy security, drive down consumer bills and support the government’s central mission of economic growth.
The headline proposal would allow Parliament to designate and approve the most important clean energy projects as being of ‘Critical National Importance’ (CNI), reducing the exposure from judicial review on all but human rights grounds. This would help deliver the government’s commitment to accelerate new infrastructure development and drive growth, including much-needed projects like new power stations and offshore wind farms.
For all other nationally significant infrastructure – including transport and water projects – the government will introduce a fixed legal challenge window, at the end of which the planning consent could be updated to address any legitimate issues.
This would reduce the potential grounds for judicial review – and where any continue to be pressed, courts would be able to make use of existing reforms to deny permission where it was clear the claim was without merit. The law would also be changed to require the courts to refuse permission for a judicial review to proceed on any issues not brought up during the consenting period or in the challenge window – meaning that developers can then proceed with full confidence that no successive spurious challenges can be raised at a later stage.
Taken together the reforms are set to build on protections already passed into law through the Planning and Infrastructure Act, as the government seeks to end the practice of serial meritless legal challenges clogging up the courts. Of 167 Development Consent Order decisions made since 2008, just six were quashed following a challenge – with many more failed processes costing developers, taxpayers and the economy billions in delays and wasted time.
The new CNI route would apply exclusively to clean energy projects, reflecting the national urgency of the UK’s need to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster. All other major infrastructure projects would benefit from the fixed-window route.
The government is also expected to allow promoters of smaller energy projects to apply directly to the Planning Inspectorate, rather than having to go through local councils. This will support faster decision-making on important generation and transmission projects that all contribute to our country’s energy resilience.
A Treasury spokesperson said:
For too long, vital infrastructure delivery has been delayed by judicial reviews of projects the country needs. The Chancellor won’t stand for it any longer and is bringing forward bold changes to support delivery.
She is clear that Parliament must take back control – to get Britain building the power plants, wind farms and grid connections that will bring bills down, strengthen our energy security, and deliver growth in every part of our country.
Lord Banner KC, author of the Independent review into legal challenges against Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects said:
I was pleased to see the Prime Minister act on the recommendations of my review into legal challenges of nationally significant infrastructure projects last year, and these reforms are already bearing fruit. It was however clear from the many people I spoke to in the course of that work and since that there is a strong case for going further if we are to meet the scale of our infrastructure challenge.
These proposals, which draw on the democratic mandate of the legislature, are a further bold step, and I look forward to supporting their development ahead of the government bringing forward legislation.
Robbie Owen, Partner, Pinsent Masons said:
This initiative by the government is welcomed and chimes with the case made out during the passage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill last year that Parliament should have a role in relation to the consenting of critical national infrastructure projects. I look forward to seeing the detail but giving Parliament the authority to approve critical energy schemes and better protecting infrastructure projects from judicial review is essential if we are to deliver these much-needed projects within the timescale required.
John Myers, Director, YIMBY Alliance said:
Britain can’t afford to keep losing years to legal challenges that delay clean energy and public transport for working people. These reforms should improve democratic participation and keep the courts open to genuine concerns while stopping spurious suits from driving up costs for the families who need this infrastructure built.
Catherine Howard, Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer said:
We’re already seeing results from the Government’s judicial reviews reforms. The dismissal of the Stonestreet Green Solar judicial review in just 4 months based on a court ruling of ‘totally without merit’, and yesterday’s dismissal of the Luton airport judicial review after it missed the new shorter timescales for appeals, have given a real boost to developer confidence. I applaud the Government’s action and ambition on judicial review.
The ability for developers to choose to make applications direct to the Planning Inspectorate is greatly to be welcomed. We know that some councils are consistently making decisions which fail to apply Government policy, however clearly framed. The delay and cost this causes benefits no one. There is already a precedent for direct applications and swift and efficient decision-making by PINS where councils are in special measures. Expanding this right makes sense given the challenges and opportunities in the current political climate.
David Lawrence, Co-founder, Centre for British Progress said:
Judicial reviews to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects have driven up the cost of building Britain’s energy infrastructure and delayed vital clean energy projects. The Chancellor’s reforms tackle these rising costs, protecting consumers from higher bills and accelerating the transition to British-made clean energy.
Dhara Vyas, Chief Executive, Energy UK, said:
Planning reform for clean energy is critical and still needs to strike a balance between a process that allows proper scrutiny of applications without unduly restricting the country’s ability to build the infrastructure necessary to strengthen our energy security, boost our economy, and help stop energy bills being at the mercy of global events.
We warmly welcome today’s announcement that builds on earlier pledges of reform in relation to the National Planning Policy Framework, the Planning and Infrastructure Act, and the Fingleton Review. Judicial Review will still have a vital role to play but in its intended purpose of ensuring the right legal process has been followed – rather than to re-examine the whole application again. These reforms will ensure fairness remains within the planning process while enabling the much-needed roll-out of clean energy infrastructure to be accelerated.
More information
Today’s announcement builds on a series of decisive steps the Government has already taken to reduce the scope for meritless legal challenges to delay critical infrastructure projects:
The Planning and Infrastructure Act reduced the number of attempts a claimant can make to bring a legal challenge from three to one for meritless claims.
Amendments to the Civil Procedure Rules, which came into effect in October 2025, tightened procedural requirements for nationally significant infrastructure project (NSIP) cases.
Further procedural reforms announced in October 2025 set clear target timescales for NSIP cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal, with cases heard by judges with appropriate planning expertise.
In response to the Fingleton Review, the Government has also committed to two further areas of reform: developing a government-backed indemnification scheme to give developers greater financial certainty when facing legal challenge; and extending NSIP judicial review reforms to other major planning regimes, including those under the Town and Country Planning Act.
The comments made by Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on 20 May 2026.
I’m keeping taxes down for drivers and businesses – putting money in the pockets of millions of workers and cutting costs for farmers and hauliers.
The war in Iran is pushing up fuel prices here at home but after strong growth at the beginning of the year, I am stepping in to protect people at the pump
By protecting households and businesses we are building a stronger and more secure economy for Britain. That is the right economic plan.
The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 20 May 2026.
I know many are feeling the pressure of energy and fuel costs, and are worried about how the conflict in Iran will affect their finances. Because when global events drive up prices, it’s working people who feel it first.
That’s why this government is stepping in to keep fuel costs down for millions of drivers and putting money back in the pockets of working people.
The press release issued by the Treasury on 20 May 2026.
The Government has announced a support package for motorists.
Costs lower for millions of drivers as government holds pump prices down, extending the 5p fuel duty cut until the end of year
Hauliers get a 12-month road tax holiday saving up to £912 per vehicle, red diesel slashed to its lowest rate in over 20 years until the end of the year
Chancellor keeps taxes down for drivers after strong growth at the start of the year, showing government has right economic plan.
Britain’s motorists and businesses will get help with rising prices at the pumps with a targeted package to keep taxes down and support people with the impact of war in Iran.
The Government has today (May 20) announced, the 5p cut on fuel duty will be extended for the rest of the year.
In total, by the end of this year the cut will have saved the average driver £120 since 2025. This ensures fuel duty on petrol and diesel remains at its lowest rate for over 16 years.
The conflict has also pushed up costs for hauliers who keep Britain’s shelves stocked and its economy moving. The Chancellor is giving them a 12-month road tax holiday – meaning they will pay £1 at renewal, saving £600 for a typical heavy lorry and £912 for the biggest vehicles on the road.
Farmers, rail freight, and other red diesel users will also see their fuel duty cut by over a third until the end of the year. This is the lowest rate in over 20 years, helping to keep the cost of doing business down at a difficult time when red diesel prices are around 50% more than their pre-crisis levels.
Since the start of the Iran conflict, the government has been clear that it will not make kneejerk decisions that could impact on financial stability. The package of support brought forward is timely and targeted.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
I know many are feeling the pressure of energy and fuel costs, and are worried about how the conflict in Iran will affect their finances. Because when global events drive up prices, it’s working people who feel it first.
That’s why this government is stepping in to keep fuel costs down for millions of drivers and putting money back in the pockets of working people.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
I’m keeping taxes down for drivers and businesses – putting money in the pockets of millions of workers and cutting costs for farmers and hauliers.
The war in Iran is pushing up fuel prices here at home but after strong growth at the beginning of the year, I am stepping in to protect people at the pump
By protecting households and businesses we are building a stronger and more secure economy for Britain. That is the right economic plan.
![PRESS RELEASE : Broken fit note system to be overhauled [May 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/dwp-150x150.png)
![PRESS RELEASE : Developer sought to create new city quarter for Nottingham as work to transform iconic city centre site gathers pace [May 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/homesengland.jpeg)
![PRESS RELEASE : Newcastle recruiter, Lucien Ekamba-Elombe, made bankrupt after failing to pay council tax is sentenced for Covid fraud [May 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/insolvencyservice2-150x150.png)
![PRESS RELEASE : Memorial service to remember Infected Blood victims [May 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cabinetoffice-150x150.png)
![PRESS RELEASE : Reeves to use Parliament to drive through power plants and infrastructure [May 2026]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/hmtreasury-150x150.png)
