Tag: Cabinet Office

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 22 July 2025.

Investment security rules under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 will be simplified to ease the burden on businesses as part of the Plan for Change.

Plans to reduce unnecessary red tape for businesses by ensuring mandatory notifications are no longer needed for certain internal reorganisations and the appointment of liquidators
New consultation will put businesses at the heart of potential changes to the sectors facing the greatest scrutiny by the government’s investment security powers
Semiconductors, Critical Minerals carved out into standalone sectors and Water to be considered for addition to list of sensitive sectors
NSIA Annual Report shows just 4.5% of notifications were called in for review, with the vast majority cleared to proceed in 30 days
Investment security rules under the National Security and Investment (NSI) Act 2021 will be simplified to ease the burden on businesses as part of the Plan for Change.

The changes, currently being developed, will when they come into force reduce unnecessary bureaucracy for businesses, no longer requiring them to notify the Cabinet Office’s Investment Security Unit when undertaking certain types of internal reorganisations or appointing liquidators, special administrators and official receivers.

Analysis has shown these types of transactions rarely warrant investigation. Simplifying the rules will ease the regulatory burden and help the government focus its attention on the deals presenting greater risk to national security.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden said:

The government has been clear about our ambition to cut red tape for businesses, while taking firm action to protect national security as we deliver the Plan for Change.

Data shows our investment security powers are working well, but there’s more we can do to ensure our tool kit keeps pace with the modern economy. We’re taking action to hone the type of transactions facing the greatest scrutiny, as well as consulting on updates to the sectors of the economy specified in the legislation. Businesses are at the heart of these plans and I look forward to engaging widely in the weeks ahead.

The announcement comes as the government also publishes a new consultation—due to launch on 22 July and conclude on 14 October—-on separate plans to update the sectors of the economy subject to greater scrutiny under the National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Acquirers of businesses operating in seventeen sensitive sectors must currently notify the Investment Security Unit about relevant acquisitions before the deal can be completed. These sectors were first defined in 2021 and have not been updated since.

Building on business feedback, and to improve clarity and bring the sectors up to date with the latest economic and technological developments, the government is proposing creating new standalone categories for Semiconductors and Critical Minerals, which currently fall under the Advanced Materials sector. Computing Hardware, which is currently a standalone sector, would move under the Semiconductors sector.

Pat McFadden has also requested businesses’ views on bringing certain deals in the water sector into scope of the NSI Act’s mandatory notification requirements. This new requirement, while not expected to affect large numbers of deals, reflects increasing risks to the sector’s resilience in a growing threat landscape.

Alongside the reforms and consultation, the Cabinet Office is also publishing the National Security and Investment Act Annual Report. This sets out the Investment Security Unit’s activity between 2024-2025.

It shows that the government saw an increase in the number of notifications received year on year, rising from 906 to 1,143.

Similar to last year, only 4.5% of notified acquisitions reviewed were called in for further assessment, with the vast majority of businesses notified within 30 working days that no further action would be taken.

The government issued 17 final orders: 16 allowing the acquisitions to proceed subject to conditions and one requiring divestment.

Like last year, the largest proportion of notifications involved acquisitions in the Defence, Critical Suppliers to Government and Military & Dual Use areas of the economy, and acquirers associated with the UK, followed by the US.

Of the 17 final orders issued, the largest number involved acquirers associated with the UK, followed by acquirers associated with China and acquirers associated with the USA. Defence and Military & Dual Use acquisitions also accounted for the largest number of final orders.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 18 July 2025.

UK and Germany agree to phased opening of German eGates for UK travellers.

• Germany agrees to phased opening of e-gates for the over 3 million Brits visiting each year
• Follows UK-EU Summit in May and agreement that there were no legal barriers to allow UK citizens access to e-gates in more EU Member States after the introduction of the EU’s Entry/Exit System

Millions of UK travellers to Germany will be able to use e-gates in the future thanks to a new agreement made between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today (Thursday 17 July). Part of a landmark bilateral treaty between the two countries.

Germany will roll out the first phase of e-gates access for UK travellers by the end of August, starting with frequent travellers such as Brits with family in Germany or who travel regularly for business. Access for all UK nationals will be possible once Germany has completed  technical updates to its entry systems as it introduces the new EU’s Entry/Exit System.

3.2 million Brits visited Germany in 2023, with numbers growing steadily since the Covid pandemic. Opening up e-gates in Germany, and across the EU, will support UK trade and tourism and boost growth through the Plan for Change.

The agreement follows the successful UK-EU Summit in May, where the UK and EU made clear that there were no legal barriers to even more EU countries allowing UK citizens to use eGates at airports. EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas Symonds also visited Berlin in June to discuss e-gates, among other issues, with German ministers.

Since then, the UK has secured e-gates access for UK citizens traveling to Bulgaria and now into Germany. Other countries and airports have also opened up access, including Portugal (Faro airport) and  the Czech Republic (Prague airport) and Estonia has confirmed they will open up access at (Tallinn airport) in 2026.

EU Relations Minister, Nick Thomas-Symonds said:

eGates can make the slog of travelling through an airport that bit easier, which is why I have been working with the EU and member states to get more airports opened up to Brits abroad.

With £30 billion of services trade between the UK and the EU, this agreement isn’t just good for holidaymakers, it’s good for British businesses too. Making traveling easier between Europe’s biggest economies, to get deals done and boost growth.

The UK and Germany have a trading relationship worth almost £150 billion a year. Germany is the UK’s second largest trading partner behind the USA, where the UK agreed a new trade deal last month.

The UK exports almost £30 billion worth of services to Germany each year, a growing market for British service providers. Services trade, like financial services, IT and consultancy are heavily reliant on face to face meetings and this e-gates agreement will save British firms valuable time.

While many EU countries now allow UK citizens to use e-gates, the government is continuing to work with others to do so.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 16 July 2025.

Working people across England are set to benefit from better public services, with ‘innovation squads’ sent in to back community ideas and work with the frontline as part of a £100 million ‘Test, Learn and Grow’ reform programme.

• 10 communities across England will get ‘innovation squads’ as part of £100 million government reform programme to deliver the Plan for Change.
• Flagship reform will end ‘Whitehall knows best’ and focus on testing solutions directly in local areas with frontline workers and communities who know best.
• Policy officials, tech specialists and other experts will be deployed to directly test new ways of fixing some of the biggest local problems.

Working people across England are set to benefit from better public services, with ‘innovation squads’ sent in to back community ideas and work with the frontline as part of a £100 million ‘Test, Learn and Grow’ reform programme to deliver the Plan for Change.

The teams, deployed to the places from central government will work alongside local government and service users to tackle the biggest challenges directly affecting local communities and people.

Challenges the teams will look at will include increasing the uptake of Best Start Family Hubs to support parents and young children, establishing neighbourhood health services, better supporting children with special needs, getting more people into work, rolling out breakfast clubs, and tackling violence against women and girls.

The squads, working with tech specialists and other experts will have an explicit mandate to try new things and be creative, collaborating directly with frontline workers and people using services.

Cabinet Office Minister, Georgia Gould said:

For too long residents and frontline workers have had to navigate fragmented and underfunded public services, people feeling like they have to arm up to battle to get the support they need.

We are going to end this. The test, learn and grow programme will bring the centre of government out of Whitehall and into communities, working with those who deliver and use public services to solve problems together, as part of our Plan for Change. We will reform public services from the ground up so people always come first.

The programme is a flagship part of the government’s reform programme. Instead of trying to devise perfect solutions from Whitehall, the teams will work directly with affected communities to test out what works.

The ‘test and learn’ approach – outlined by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster in December – will help tackle our biggest national challenges and make better policy across the board.

The approach has already been trialled successfully in four areas across England. Earlier this year, ‘innovation squads’ tested new ways to get more families through the door of local family hubs in Sheffield, resulting in many more local families using the hubs. In Liverpool they worked with the council to build an innovative data-led platform to manage temporary accommodation.

The news comes following the launch of a new partnership for the programme, working with external experts, academics and local authority networks to further enhance and spread learnings from the programme across the country.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 16 July 2025.

• The upcoming UK/EU SPS deal will slash red tape and eliminate costly routine checks for fruit, vegetable, flower and plant traders across the country.
• The deal will boost the vital £38 billion UK environmental horticulture industry alone, supporting an estimated 722,000 jobs.
• Agreement will reverse the hit to trade since Brexit, forging strategic new trade links with our largest agri-food market.

Today (16 July 2025), EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds met with traders at New Covent Garden Market in London—the UK’s largest wholesale market for fruit, vegetables, flowers and plants—to talk about the issues they have faced getting their produce in and out of the country since 2020.

Home to over 137 businesses generating a combined annual turnover of £944 million and supporting over 2,500 jobs, the historic 37-acre market site in Nine Elms supplies up to 40% of all fresh produce consumed outside the home in London and supplies 75% of all London florists.

Following the inaugural UK-EU Summit in May, Britain’s florists, greengrocers, plant traders and garden centres are now set to benefit from a food and plant deal with the EU, which will remove barriers to trading flowers, fruit, and vegetables. It will add more than £5 billion a year to the UK economy and increase UK agricultural exports by around 16%.

Since leaving the EU, UK agri-food exports to the bloc are down 21% and imports down 7% (2018-2024). Many businesses in the horticulture sector have scaled back or stopped trading altogether due to increased costs, paperwork and delays at borders. Some products, like fresh burgers and sausages, cannot be traded at all, while others are subject to burdensome checks.

EU Relations Minister Nick Thomas Symonds said:

This Government is working to make the UK safer, more secure and more prosperous. That’s why we have negotiated a new partnership with the EU.

Day in and day out, I hear more stories from businesses – all over the country – about how the current arrangements simply don’t work. Our agreement with the EU will get food and flowers into and out of the country faster, saving businesses precious time and money.

Britain will once again take pride in being a nation of shopkeepers, well-stocked, open for business and ready to trade across Europe.

Fran Barnes, Chief Executive, at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) said:

The Minister’s visit, to hear first-hand from HTA members and businesses on the challenges they face on a daily basis as a result of border friction, is both welcome and timely. The 19 May commitment to deliver an ambitious and comprehensive new UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, inclusive of plants, could not be more welcome, nor come soon enough.

We urge both sides to work with us and quickly, to get the detail settled and to deliver real change for growers, gardeners, and garden centres across the country. The current border regime has and continues to cause uncertainty and huge cost on our members’ businesses.

We are optimistic about what can be achieved through a new SPS agreement and want to work proactively and in partnership to ensure our sector has a strong voice in shaping an outcome that safeguards biosecurity, restores business confidence, and supports long-term competitiveness for us here and for our supply-chains.

At the first UK/EU Summit in May, the UK and the EU agreed to slash costs and red tape for businesses that trade food and plant products with the EU. As part of a deal, phytosanitary certificates will be scrapped, saving firms around £25 per certificate, as will routine border checks on goods. It will also cut paperwork and save businesses time on admin.

The UK imported £748.2 million of plants and plant material last year; 99% of these imports came from EU countries.

This agreement will have no time limit, giving vital certainty to businesses. It will also bring significant benefits to goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which will see fewer checks at the border.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 10 July 2025.

Debarment investigations into seven organisations criticised by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry have been paused to prevent any impact on criminal investigations.

Debarment investigations into seven organisations criticised by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, relating to their eligibility for public contracts, have been paused to prevent any impact on criminal investigations.

The Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation following the Grenfell Tower tragedy on 14 June 2017, with a dedicated team of 180 officers and staff working to identify any offences and those responsible.  The Government fully supports the Metropolitan Police in its investigation.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s final report laid bare an appalling catalogue of failures leading up to the fire, and the Prime Minister has made clear that there must be full accountability – including through the criminal justice process.

The Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service informed the Cabinet Office that continuing the debarment investigations could unintentionally prejudice the criminal investigation and any future criminal proceedings.

To ensure the Metropolitan Police’s criminal investigation and any future proceedings remain the priority, the Cabinet Office has paused its separate, non-criminal debarment investigations at the request of the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police. This decision has been made to safeguard the integrity of the Metropolitan Police’s criminal investigation.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, told Parliament of the need to maintain the integrity of criminal proceedings in the pursuit of justice for the Grenfell community. The Deputy Prime Minister is writing to the bereaved, survivors and residents in the immediate community to share this decision and reaffirm the government’s commitment to holding organisations to account.

Investigations into the seven organisations, under new powers of the Procurement Act 2023, were announced immediately after the Act came into force in February.

The Act allows the government to investigate suppliers and, if certain grounds are met, add them to a published debarment list. Public sector organisations covered by the Act must have regard to this list when carrying out new procurements that are covered by the Act’s remit, and can rely on this list to exclude a supplier where appropriate.

When a supplier is added to the debarment list on a mandatory ground, they must be excluded from all procurement activity within scope of the Act, except in very limited circumstances. If an organisation is convicted of a criminal offence that is a mandatory exclusion ground under the Act, this would potentially enable the government to take stronger action.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 4 July 2025.

106 police officers, firefighters, overseas workers and other public servants who died in service have been recognised with the Elizabeth Emblem.

The Elizabeth Emblem recognises the sacrifices made by public servants who have lost their lives as a result of their duty. It is the civilian equivalent of the Elizabeth Cross, which recognises members of the UK Armed Forces who died in action or as a result of a terrorist attack.

Established last year, it is only the second ever list of Elizabeth Emblem recipients to be published. The next of kin are awarded the national form of recognition.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, said:

We owe an enduring debt to the public servants who give their lives to protect others.

The Elizabeth Emblem is a reminder not just of the ultimate price their loved ones have paid in service of our communities, it is a lasting symbol of our national gratitude for their incredible sacrifice.

The list includes:

Gwen Mayor, a school teacher who was killed in 1996 while protecting her pupils at Dunblane Primary School in 1996 as a result of a mass shooting. She died aged 45 alongside 15 pupils.

Police Constable Nina Mackay, who died aged 25 when confronted with a violent and mentally unstable man while searching a property in East London. The man stabbed her once in the abdomen, and she died from her injuries.

Firefighter John Liptrot, who in 1968 was part of a fire crew called to attempt to rescue three children who had entered a disused mineshaft. He was overcome by blackdamp (a combination of gases with insufficient oxygen to support human life) and could not be revived.

Police Constable Dennis Cowell, who died in 1965 whilst on duty as a River Policeman. He died in the river Thames after a police launch on which he was a crew member, capsized after a collision between three boats. PC Cowell was in the cabin at the time of the incident and drowned.

Six people who contracted COVID-19 while working in healthcare are recognised in the list. These include Dr Poornima Nair Balupuri, a General Practitioner Partner living in Bishop Auckland. She died in 2020 doing frontline essential work.

33 people on the list were police officers and firefighters based in Northern Ireland. They include:

Reserve Constable Wallace Allen, who was serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary when he was shot by the IRA while driving a lorry to collect milk from farms in South Armagh. His body was recovered in 1980.

Constable Cyril Wilson, who was shot by the IRA in an ambush in 1974. His patrol was responding to answer a call when it came under fire from a house in the Rathmore estate. Constable Wilson was rushed to Craigavon Area Hospital but died the next day.

Reserve Constable Robert Struthers, who died in 1978 while serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. He was shot by two members of the Provisional IRA while working in his office.

The design of the Emblem incorporates a rosemary wreath, a traditional symbol of remembrance, which surrounds the Tudor Crown. It is inscribed with ‘For A Life Given In Service’, and will have the name of the person for whom it is in memoriam inscribed on the reverse of the Emblem. It will include a pin to allow the award to be worn on clothing by the next of kin of the deceased.

Families and next of kin of those who have died in public service are encouraged to apply for an Elizabeth Emblem via gov.uk.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 1 July 2025.

Sir Brian Leveson appointed for a third term as the Investigatory Powers Commissioner.

The Prime Minister has approved the appointment of Sir Brian Leveson as the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC) for a third three-year term, with effect from 20th October 2025.

Sir Brian was appointed as the second IPC in October 2019, succeeding Sir Adrian Fulford. Before retiring as a senior judge in 2019, he was President of the Queen’s Bench Division and Head of Criminal Justice for England and Wales.

The IPC is responsible for the independent oversight of the use of investigatory powers, ensuring they are used in accordance with the law and in the public interest. He is supported by a number of Judicial Commissioners, the Technology Advisory Panel and the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO).

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 24 June 2025.

The UK government and European Commission gave a joint statement following the 16th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights.

The 16th meeting of the Specialised Committee on Citizens’ Rights was held on 24 June 2025 in Brussels, co-chaired by officials from the European Commission and the UK Government. Representatives from EU Member States were also in attendance.

The EU and the UK discussed the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement, under the overall objective of ensuring the full and faithful implementation of the Agreement. The meeting allowed both sides to take stock of progress made and identify outstanding issues that must be urgently resolved to ensure that all beneficiaries of the Withdrawal Agreement can fully enjoy their rights now and in the future.

On the true and extra cohort issue, the co-chairs reiterated the warm welcome by the co-chairs of the Joint Committee at its meeting on 29 April 2025 of the legislative step taken by the UK Government relating to legal clarity for EU citizens with status under the EU Settlement Scheme, and look forward to its practical application.

The EU noted the work by the UK to automate the process of upgrading Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries from pre-settled status to settled status. In this context, the EU stressed, among others, that the UK measures to curtail residence rights on grounds of absences must be compatible with the Withdrawal Agreement. The EU also raised other issues of concern, such as travel incidents affecting EU citizens who are Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries and NHS charges for those who submit a residence application after the June 2021 deadline, which affects in particular newborn children.

The UK highlighted that large numbers of UK national Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries would soon transition from temporary to permanent status. In that context, they raised the importance of adequate administrative preparation by the EU’s Member States, as well as clear guidance to beneficiaries. The UK also asked for updates on several implementation issues in certain Member States, including ensuring a proper process is in place to accept late applications, discrepancies in awarding temporary or permanent status and multiple immigration status.

The EU and the UK also discussed the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES), as well as the EU’s European Travel Information and Authorisation Systems (ETIAS) and the UK’s Electronic Travel Authorisation Scheme (ETA), from the perspective of their implications on Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries. Both sides called on Withdrawal Agreement beneficiaries concerned to take in good time all necessary measures to facilitate their future travel, recognising the importance of timely communications to beneficiaries by national authorities.

Representatives from civil society organisations, representing EU citizens living in the UK and UK nationals living in the EU, attended the meeting and asked questions about the implementation and application of the Citizens’ Rights part of the Withdrawal Agreement in the UK and the EU, in conformity with the rules of procedure of the Specialised Committee.

The UK and the EU underlined their ongoing commitment to the full implementation of Part Two (Citizens’ Rights) of the Withdrawal Agreement, welcoming the progress made and agreeing to strengthen their ongoing cooperation on all issues. The co-chairs agreed to meet again in autumn.

The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 24 June 2025.

Foster + Partners is the winner out of five finalists in a competition to design the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II in St James’ Park.

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

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

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

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

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

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