Tag: Cabinet Office

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 25 September 2023.

The government’s levelling up programme is moving further ahead today, with land for the permanent site of the new Darlington Economic Campus being purchased.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 20 September 2023.

The Public Sector Fraud Authority saved taxpayers £311 million in its first year of operation, according to figures revealed by Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister for the Cabinet Office, at a meeting of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum this week.

• The Public Sector Fraud Authority has far exceeded its £180m target, saving taxpayers £311 million in its first year
• The savings come from counter fraud schemes designed to prevent, identify, and recover fraud in the public sector
• Baroness Neville-Rolfe revealed the “big win for taxpayers” at a meeting of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum, held this week in London

The Public Sector Fraud Authority saved taxpayers £311 million in its first year of operation, according to figures revealed by Baroness Neville-Rolfe, Minister for the Cabinet Office, at a meeting of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum this week. The figure far exceeds the original savings target of £180 million set when the authority launched last year.

The £311 million figure is made up of a variety of projects led by the Public Sector Fraud Authority that help public sector organisations prevent, identify, and recover public money lost to fraud, including:

• the use of advanced artificial intelligence and data analytics through partnerships with leading private sector businesses, such as the tech unicorn Quantexa;
• the National Fraud Initiative, which is an exercise that works with more than 1000 public bodies to compare sets of data against other records to identify discrepancies that may be evidence of fraud;
• and counter fraud flags, which refers to instances when we share intelligence with lenders to help them recover stolen money.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the creation of the Public Sector Fraud Authority while serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer in March 2022. Following intensive joint working between the Cabinet Office and the Treasury, the authority launched just five months later in August 2022.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe revealed how much the new authority had saved during its first year at a meeting of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum, which was hosted by the UK Government this week at venues across London. The figure will be officially published shortly in the Public Sector Fraud Authority’s first annual report.

The International Public Sector Fraud Forum was first convened by the UK Government in 2018. It aims to share best practice to help combat public sector fraud in the Five Eyes – Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The UK Government has hosted an in person meeting of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum four times. This week marked the first meeting since the pandemic and was attended by delegates from government agencies and law enforcement across the Five Eyes.

Approximately 70 delegates, made up of international experts and domestic counter fraud professionals from across the public sector, attended a keynote address by Baroness Neville-Rolfe at the Imperial War Museum on Thursday.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said:

The £311 million saving is a big win for taxpayers. It shows the Public Sector Fraud Authority is delivering its mission to transform the way we fight fraud. Every pound stolen by fraudsters is one pound less spent on schools, hospitals, and other vital public services.

It was fitting to reveal the achievement at a meeting of the International Public Sector Fraud Forum. The Five Eyes has a proud history of working together to tackle big challenges and fraud is no exception. Led by the UK Government and the Public Sector Fraud Authority, our allies are setting the gold standard in the field of counter fraud.

Mark Cheeseman OBE, Chief Executive of the Public Sector Fraud Authority, said:

The Public Sector Fraud Authority was created to take action on fraud, and our results in our first year show our commitment to that. The close relationship we have with our international partners has been integral to this. Together we can have a bigger impact on those who attack our public services for their own gain.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 18 September 2023.

The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration’s final report on how the Covid pandemic should be remembered across the UK has been published.

The Commission has made 10 recommendations to the Government on how to make sure the events of the pandemic and the experiences we all went through are not forgotten.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport will now work with other government departments and the Devolved Administrations to consider carefully the Commission’s wide-ranging recommendations and respond in due course.

The Commission’s recommendations include preserving existing memorials, including the National Covid Memorial Wall in central London, holding a national day of reflection every year and identifying green spaces across the UK to serve as Covid memorial spaces.

The Chair of the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, Nicky Morgan, said:

The Covid pandemic changed the lives of everyone across the UK and its impact is still felt very deeply by those who lost loved ones and those who are still suffering from the effect of the virus.

That’s why it is so important that we don’t let this vitally important period in our history be forgotten and we hope our recommendations will mean that the loved ones we have lost and the sacrifices made by so many during the pandemic will be remembered for years to come.

The Commission made their recommendations following a period of public consultation which saw thousands of people from across the UK give their views on how the pandemic should be remembered.

Groups consulted included bereaved families, young people, the scientific community and the social care, transport and retail sectors.

The Commission has also recommended that a national symbol be created to represent the pandemic, and a Covid commemoration website be set up to promote the proposed day of reflection and provide details of local memorials.

Cabinet Office Minister, Baroness Neville-Rolfe, said:

It is right that we mark the extraordinary sacrifices made during the pandemic and continue to recognise the contributions of all those who helped shape the UK’s response. I want to thank the Commissioners and the Chair for their important work.

Communities across the UK have already started to find ways of commemorating those unprecedented times, and the Government looks forward to considering the Commission’s wide-ranging recommendations and how we may support these efforts going forward.

Education also sits at the heart of the Commission’s recommendations, with the suggestion that schools and colleges teach future generations about the pandemic, highlighting people’s experiences, the role of science and the importance of a resilient society. Oral histories would also continue to be collected from groups including bereaved families, frontline workers, volunteers, the scientific community and young people.

Further recommendations include creating a funding scheme for local authorities to establish commemorative spaces in existing parks or green spaces, the creation of a specific body to coordinate a day of reflection and other Covid commemoration activities, and the development of a postdoctoral fellowship to enable researchers to support preparedness for risks posed by natural hazards.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:

The impact of Covid will never be forgotten and we must find a fitting way to remember and reflect on the pandemic for generations to come.

The Commission has made a number of valuable recommendations and my department will now consider the best ways to commemorate this unprecedented period in our history.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 14 September 2023.

The UK’s leadership in the responsible use of engineering biology will be driven forward by the first-ever meeting of the UK Biosecurity Leadership Council.

The UK’s global leadership in the safe and responsible use of engineering biology will be driven forward by the first-ever meeting of the UK Biosecurity Leadership Council, bringing together some of the UK’s brightest minds from the worlds of science, research and business today (Thursday 14 September).

Engineering biology is one of the most exciting new frontiers in science. It describes the application of rigorous engineering principles to biology, enabling the construction of new or redesigned biological systems, such as cells or proteins. It has the potential to change the way we grow food, create medical treatments and produce the sustainable fuel we need to run our cars, homes and offices.

The UK Biosecurity Leadership Council, which meets for the first time today, will help shape the way advances in engineering biology are governed, to guard against potential risks whilst ensuring the UK’s world-leading biology, health and life science innovators are supported to explore, invent, and continue to thrive. Engineering biology is one of the 5 critical technologies, which are all being nurtured by a single government department for the first time because of their strategic importance to the future prosperity and security of the UK. The UK’s engineering biology sector has the potential to grow at tremendous speed, driving forward the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.

The council will include representatives from top Universities like Kings College London and Cambridge, leaders from companies such as GSK, Deepmind, AstraZeneca and Oxford Nanopore, and stakeholder groups including the UK Bioindustry Association, and the Centre for Long-Term Resilience.

Ahead of chairing the council’s inaugural meeting, George Freeman, Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said:

As we end reliance on fossil fuels for our energy, we also open up huge markets for new bioscience alternatives to hydrocarbon based bio-manufacturing: from harnessing bugs to convert waste into new biofuels to seaweed replacement of plastic. From industrial chemicals, to agrifood, to medicines manufacturing, the UK is pioneering a new bioeconomy. That is why we have made engineering biology one of our five key strategic technologies over the next decade.

We are on the cusp of an engineering biology revolution, from therapies for previously untreatable illnesses to entirely new ways of recycling. This is an opportunity the UK is primed to capitalise on, whether by our world-leading expertise in life sciences or through the more than £170 million the government is investing in the field.

We are already seeing how this new sector can benefit our economy, with the UK founding more biotech companies than anywhere else in Europe. To make sure this position of strength delivers jobs, growth, and a better quality of life for all, now is the time for us to set the pace globally on how this new sector will be governed, empowering responsible innovation in the UK and worldwide.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, said:

The Biosecurity Leadership Council brings together experts from our world-leading life sciences and biotechnology sectors here in the UK – vital in making sure we continue to drive scientific breakthroughs and manage biosecurity risks effectively.

The inaugural meeting today shows we are already delivering on the Biological Security Strategy I announced just a few months ago, and that we are committed to keeping the public safe from bio-threats and maximising the benefits from our thriving life sciences industry.

To begin with, the UK Biosecurity Leadership Council will support work on how the responsible development of DNA-based technology should be governed. Members of the council will help ministers and officials build their understanding of how industry-changing tools like AI and new techniques for engineering DNA are being used, the potential risks they pose, and how those can be mitigated in a practical and proportional way.

Establishing the council was one of the objectives on the UK Biological Security Strategy, published in June, which sets out the government’s overall plan to build our national resilience to future biological threats, whilst establishing the UK as a world leader in responsible innovation.

Steve Bates OBE, CEO of the UK BioIndustry Association (BIA), said:

Engineering biology has great potential and the diverse applications, making it a decisive force in tackling our world’s biggest challenges, from climate change to environmental degradation and feeding the growing global population.

UK biotech companies have long understood the power that lies in combining biology with modern technology, driving our world-class life sciences sector and leading advances in developing novel therapeutics and cell and gene therapies, and creating vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Our long-standing expertise and experience means the UK is well placed to safely and responsibly unlock the engineering biology revolution.

Sophie Rose, Senior Biosecurity Policy Advisor at the Centre for Long-Term Resilience, said:

We praise the government’s commitment to ensuring the UK set the example for empowering responsible innovation across emerging technology sectors, which is particularly crucial as life sciences and artificial intelligence advance at rapid paces.

The Biosecurity Leadership Council is a great starting point to ensure that a wide range of relevant external expertise is readily available to address both acute and chronic biological risks.

The government is continuing to develop wider policy to support the huge potential of the UK’s engineering biology sector, and a call for evidence is still open until the end of September. Further to this, the latest in a series of roundtables is being hosted by Ministers today, bringing science leaders and businesses from across the country together with policymakers to look at how engineering biology can boost the UK’s chemicals and materials industries.

Notes to editors

The UK is Europe’s leading biotech hub for breakthrough life-sciences start-ups and ranks fourth on the Global Innovation Index, presenting opportunities for future trade and prosperity across the UK. Our academic institutions are world leading and our strengths in biotechnology and engineering biology are ideally placed to support the UK’s ambitions as a science superpower.

The UK is a leader in engineering biology thanks in part to early, forward-thinking investment by the government over the last decade. This includes more than £100 million being invested through UK Research & Innovation’s Synthetic Biology for Growth programme.

A further £73 million is being invested into Engineering Biology Missions Hubs and Mission Awards that will build on our country’s reputation as a hub of innovation in the field.

The UK has clusters of strength in engineering biology across the country, stretching from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Bristol and Norwich.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 3 September 2023.

Lord Janvrin, former Private Secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, has been appointed as Chair of the newly established Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, the Deputy Prime Minister has announced.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 29 August 2023.

Veterans’ Minister Johnny Mercer and Health Secretary Steve Barclay are urging veterans and service leavers to access specialist healthcare pathways run by NHS England and service charities.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 29 August 2023.

A new partnership with the Post Office will make online government services easier to access. An in-person service for the One Login programme will support people with lower digital skills to verify their identity.

• A new partnership with the Post Office will make online government services easier to access.
• An in-person service will support people with lower digital skills to verify their identity, as the One Login programme continues to roll out.
• Most people will be within 10 miles of a Post Office branch that is offering the service.

The Cabinet Office and the Post Office have teamed up to provide an in-person service for those who may struggle to access government support online.

The face-to-face service, which will be available soon for public use, will ensure that people can verify their identity when accessing public services.

The government is currently rolling out GOV.UK One Login, which allows users to have just one account, one username, one password and one identity check to use many different Government services online.

These services will include accessing self-assessment tax returns, conducting a DBS check or applying for pension credit.

The free in-person system will enable those who find using a digital platform more challenging to visit a local Post Office branch, where they can verify their identity in person.

Alex Burghart, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, said:

While it is essential that government systems keep pace with technological change, we must ensure everyone can access them.

Figuring out a new online system, and completing identity verification checks, can be daunting.

That is why we are launching a new partnership with the Post Office to give more people the confidence to use GOV.UK One Login and access the vital services they need.

Most people will be within 10 miles of a UK Post Office branch that is offering this new in-person identity check for GOV.UK One Login.

GOV.UK One Login users undertake some basic steps online to set up an account, for which they need an email address and a mobile phone number.

Smartphone users with photo ID can use the GOV.UK One Login identity checking app, which has already been downloaded over 3 million times, or browser journey to prove their identity, for services that require verification, in around 10 minutes.

This partnership is set to make online government services easier to access for those with lower digital skills.

Natalie Jones, Director of Digital Identity from Government Digital Service said:

People across the UK already visit their local Post Office branch regularly, making them a trusted place to seek advice and support.

This in-person support will make the process of moving to GOV.UK One Login easier and quicker for many people, simultaneously increasing uptake.

This partnership is just one of a number of innovations One Login will be rolling out over the next 12 months to increase ease of access to digital services.

Government Digital Service are also launching a service to provide user support through phone and email. This will help those experiencing difficulties in proving their identity or using GOV.UK One Login.

GOV.UK One Login is simple and safe to use, and has ease of access at its core. 100 services will be using One Login by 2025.

Over 2.2 million users have already successfully proved who they are through GOV.UK One Login to access services. The programme will help save over £700 million over the next three years.

Nick Read, Post Office Chief Executive, said:

We are delighted to be extending our successful relationship with government in the identity services field.

Post Office is the place for face-to-face identity verification in the UK. We will always remain committed to the principle that no one should be left behind in an increasingly digital world.

Ensuring we support people and businesses with their identity requirements, whether via our EasyID app, online or in-branch means we are the one stop shop for identity services.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 29 August 2023.

To mark 200 years since a UK schoolboy broke convention and invented the game of rugby, the UK’s enduring legacy of audacious creativity and innovation will be celebrated in the build-up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup with a run from Rugby School to Paris.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 29 August 2023.

The Border Target Operating Model sets out new controls to better protect the UK against security and biosecurity threats and create a world-class border system for trade in goods.

The Border Target Operating Model for trade in goods, published today, 29th August 2023, sets out when new controls will be introduced to better protect the UK against biosecurity threats and create a world-class border system.

Delivering on the 2025 Border Strategy to create the most effective border in the world, the model introduces a new global regime for security and biosecurity controls, including bringing in controls on imports from the EU for the first time and using Brexit freedoms to simplify import controls on goods from across the globe. Many businesses will already be familiar with similar requirements already in place for exporting to the EU.

These controls will keep the UK safe by defending against plant and animal diseases from abroad, protecting our vital agricultural industry and food supply chains, and assuring our trade partners of the quality of our exports. It will also protect against illegal imports, including firearms and drugs.

The Border Target Operating Model makes smarter use of data and technology to ensure a more efficient trading experience for businesses. By taking an intelligent, risk-based approach, it removes duplication and reduces the volume of data and paperwork required from businesses when importing goods. This will save businesses around £520m per year compared to the original import model that would have been introduced in 2022.

The model has been developed following extensive engagement with the border industry and businesses across the UK, and in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Devolved Administrations. Having listened to the views of industry, the Government has agreed to a delay of three months for the introduction of remaining sanitary and phytosanitary controls, as well as full customs controls for non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods, which will now be introduced from January 2024. To give stakeholders additional time to prepare for the new checks, further controls have a revised timetable. These include checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU, implemented in April 2024, and safety and Security declarations for EU imports, implemented in October 2024.

The Government has also worked with industry to test new technologies in a border setting, including distributed ledgers for sharing data, smart seals and GPS trackers. Pilot testing found these technologies could simplify processes across the supply chain, transforming the UK border through reduced costs and administrative burdens, making importing and exporting easier and cheaper for businesses.

In addition to the Border Target Operating Model, the Single Trade Window is another flagship border development which makes smarter use of data and technology. It will simplify and streamline import and export trade processes and provide a single gateway through which businesses can supply trade data to the government. Under this system, information will only need to be submitted by traders once and in one place, removing complexity and duplication from the system.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, said:

“Our Border Target Operating Model will ensure more efficient trading for businesses, protect against biosecurity threats and further crack down on illegal imports such as firearms and drugs.

“By making maximum use of data and new technologies, our innovative yet risk-based approach is key to delivering a world-class border system. Once fully implemented, these important post-Brexit measures will, I believe, bring considerable benefits to the UK economy and to UK trade, and the Government stands ready to support businesses through this transition.”

Lord Benyon, Minister for Biosecurity at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said:

“Protecting UK biosecurity through effective border controls on the goods that we import is so important. These border controls safeguard the food that we eat and protect animal and plant health across the UK.

“The Border Target Operating Model sets out our innovative system of border controls, which will continue to uphold UK biosecurity and support trade with other countries.”

Christine Middlemiss, Chief Veterinary Officer, said:

“The Border Target Operating Model will deliver a new trade regime that provides a risk-based, proportionate and technologically advanced approach to border controls, built upon the foundations of safeguarding UK biosecurity. The threat from imported animal and plant diseases, such as African Swine Fever & Xylella fastidiosa, continues to grow. Our new regime of border controls will protect the UK and our trading partners from the economic, health and environmental harms caused by the outbreak of these diseases, whilst balancing the needs of vitally important trade.”

William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:

“Businesses will be pleased with this clarity as they prepare for the challenging shift to a digital trade system. The focus must now be on delivering the Single Trade Window to the timescales set out. The new approach to digitalising borders for goods movements could bring real benefits to the SMEs we represent, to trade, and to the economy.

“The critical thing is preparedness. Businesses are making investment and supply chain decisions for the long term and need to be confident that the physical and digital infrastructure around the GB border is going to be in place on time.”

Nigel Jenney, CEO of the Fresh Produce Consortium, said:

“FPC welcomes the publication of the final Border Target Operating Model. It’s clear, Government has acted upon our concerns and will now implement a unique border approach for the benefit of consumers and industry. This focussed risk-based approach will reinforce UK biosecurity and promote self-regulation to minimise supply chain disruption.

“Let’s be clear, challenges remain. However, this is a bold step forward to achieve our ambition to become a world-leading destination of choice promoting imports and exports of fantastic fresh produce, and flowers and plants.”

Marco Forgione, Director General of The Institute of Export & International Trade said:

“The Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT) welcomes the innovative approach set out in the Border Target Operating Model. The shift to risk based, digital insights and targeting will ensure the smooth flow of goods and maintain strong security and biosecurity controls.

“The Border Target Operating Model should not be looked at in isolation. There are several other key initiatives taking place as part of the Border 2025 strategy aimed at making the UK border one of the most effective and efficient. This approach has the potential to convert our borders into engines which support economic growth. In addition we encourage Government to move as fast as possible to implement the findings of the customs initiatives announced at the Spring Budget.

“What’s really important is that UK businesses and those trading into UK markets prepare for these changes. The Border Target Operating Model helps to redress some of the commercial disadvantages that UK businesses have been facing.

“The Institute’s focus is on supporting businesses trading with the UK from the EU and the Rest of the World to understand the requirements of Border Target Operating Model and provide practical assistance in complying with the new system. The UK can reap the benefits of this world-class new digital border if businesses of all sizes are equipped and armed with the right knowledge. Now is the time to prioritise educating businesses on trading sustainably, safely and securely.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

• The Border Target Operating Model incorporates feedback from the Draft Border Target Operating Model which was published in April 2023
• The Border Target Operating Model confirms implementation of controls through three major milestones:
  • 31 January 2024 – The introduction of health certification on imports of medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU
  • 30 April 2024 – The introduction of documentary and risk-based identity and physical checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU. At this point Imports of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods from the rest of the world will begin to benefit from the new risk based model
  • 31 October 2024 – Safety and Security declarations for EU imports will come into force from 31 October 2024. Alongside this, we will introduce a reduced dataset for imports
• Importers and their supply should already be preparing for the first milestone which we confirmed would go ahead in April. They should now begin to prepare for the following milestones. HMG will continue to work with them, ports, and the wider border industry to prepare for these
• The final Border Target Operating Model also confirms that new checks and controls will be introduced for Irish goods moving from Ireland directly to Great Britain. In accordance with the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland businesses will retain unfettered access to their most important market in Great Britain, whether moving qualifying NI goods directly from Northern Ireland or indirectly through Irish ports. A full timeline for introduction of these controls is set out within the Border Target Operating Model.
• In developing the Border Target Operating Model the Government has been mindful of the small potential impact on inflation and has taken into account its firm commitment to bring the rate down. The estimated impact of the Border Target Operating Model on headline inflation is expected to be minor, standing at less than 0.2% across three years.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 24 August 2023.

The Government has worked with NHS England, housing providers and charities to provide record levels of dedicated support for veterans, as outlined in the latest six monthly report published by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs.