Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 10 May 2024.

The Prime Minister spoke to Albanian’s Prime Minister Edi Rama this morning.

They began by discussing the close relationship between the UK and Albania, noting significant bilateral cooperation including on trade and investment.

The Prime Minister highlighted the strong progress made through the UK-Albania migration partnership. Both leaders acknowledged more work needed to be done to tackle the illegal migration challenge in Europe and looked forward to discussing this further at the European Political Community meeting in the UK in July.

They underlined the importance of ensuring stability in the Western Balkans, particularly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Turning to the situation in the Middle East, the leaders discussed the importance of tackling rises in antisemitism across the globe and championing our shared values of tolerance and respect.

Both leaders looked forward to speaking soon.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 9 May 2024.

Vice Chancellors from some of the country’s leading universities will join forces with the government today (9 May) to discuss actions to address the rise in antisemitic abuse on campus and disruption to students’ learning.

Vice Chancellors from some of the country’s leading universities will join forces with the government today (9 May) to discuss actions to address the rise in antisemitic abuse on campus and disruption to students’ learning.

The Prime Minister, Education Secretary, Communities Secretary and Security Minister will call on university leaders to ensure a zero-tolerance approach to antisemitic abuse is adopted on all campuses.

The government has made clear that debate and the open exchange of views in universities is essential, but that this can never tip over into hate speech, harassment or incitement of violence.

The meeting will also help to inform upcoming government guidance on combatting antisemitism on campus. Meanwhile, the Office for Students (OfS) has committed to publishing the response to its consultation on a new condition of registration, which could give OfS the power to impose sanctions where there is clear evidence that universities are failing to take sufficient or appropriate action to tackle harassment, including antisemitic abuse.

In the Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced £7 million of extra support to tackle antisemitic abuse in educational settings. £500,000 of this will be dedicated to supporting the work of the University Jewish Chaplaincy, boosting support for Jewish students on campus.

The University Jewish Chaplaincy helps students deal with incidents of antisemitism and intimidation and currently supports over 8,500 students at over 100 universities in 13 regions.

Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said:

Universities should be places of rigorous debate but also bastions of tolerance and respect for every member of their community.

A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse. That has to stop.

Education Secretary, Gillian Keegan, said:

I have made it absolutely clear that universities must crack down on antisemitism and ensure that protests do not unduly disrupt university life.

I am looking welcoming vice chancellors to No10 today to make sure together we have clear steps in place to protect Jewish students on campus.

The Union of Jewish Students (UJS) have criticised the “toxic environment” faced by Jewish students across the country. According to the Communities Security Trust, there was an increase of 203% in university-related antisemitic incidents between 2022 and 2023.

Ministers will make clear that universities must take immediate disciplinary action if any student is found to be inciting racial hatred or violence – and contact the police where they believe a criminal act has been committed.

The Education Secretary wrote to Vice Chancellors on Sunday setting out government expectations in respect of the support being provided to Jewish students.

Representatives from the Union of Jewish Students will also attend the roundtable to share their experiences and perspective.

The PM and Education Secretary will invite Vice Chancellors to share best practice and lessons learned and seek views on how government can continue to support them in this area.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 7 May 2024.

British AI company Wayve announces $1.05 billion investment to develop the next generation of AI-powered self-driving vehicles.

UK AI company Wayve has announced a $1.05 billion investment to develop the next generation of AI-powered self-driving vehicles today (Tuesday 7 May) marking the biggest investment in a UK AI company in history.

Backed by SoftBank Group, NVIDIA and Microsoft, Wayve will use this investment to develop and launch the first “embodied AI” technology for self-driving vehicles in the UK.

Embodied AI will enable self-driving (otherwise known as automated) vehicles to learn from and interact with a real-world environment, including the ability to navigate and learn from situations that do not follow strict patterns or rules, such as unexpected actions by drivers or pedestrians – going far beyond the capabilities of existing AV technology.

Today’s investment cements the UK’s position as a world leader in these emerging industries, with both the self-driving vehicle and AI sectors bringing huge potential for economic growth as they develop. Between 2018 and 2022, the UK self-driving vehicle sector alone generated £475 million of direct investment and created 1,500 new jobs.

As the self-driving vehicle industry grows in the UK, it is expected to be worth £42 billion and create 38,000 more skilled jobs by 2035. The AI sector also already employs more than 50,000 people in the UK and contributes more than £3.7 billion to our economy every year. By 2035, our AI market is forecast to grow to over $1 trillion.

Founded in the UK in 2017, Wayve is a home-grown British success story and a testament to the UK’s global leadership in creating the economic and regulatory conditions for start-ups in the AI and self-driving vehicle industries to grow and thrive.

Wayve has said that their advancements in self-driving vehicle technology have been supported by the UK’s Code of Practice: Automated Vehicle Trialling, which sets out a clear framework to support and promote the safe trailing of self-driving vehicle technology. The code of practice is world-leading in its pro-innovation and flexible approach towards the development and testing of self-driving in the UK.

It relies on the company taking accountability for safety, without the requirement for onerous regulatory processes and red tape. Wayve has said the UK’s approach has been integral to their ability to build AI for assisted and automated driving so quickly.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

From the first electric light bulb or the World Wide Web, to AI and self-driving cars – the UK has a proud record of being at the forefront of some of the biggest technological advancements in history.

I’m incredibly proud that the UK is the home for pioneers like Wayve who are breaking ground as they develop the next generation of AI models for self-driving cars. The fact that a homegrown, British company has secured the biggest investment yet in a UK AI start-up is a testament to our leadership in this industry, and that our plan for the economy is working.

We are leaving no stone unturned to create the economic conditions for start-ups to grow and thrive in the UK. We already have the third highest number of AI companies and private investment in AI in the world, and this announcement anchors the UK’s position as an AI superpower.

Alex Kendall, Co-founder and CEO of Wayve said:

The UK has a rich and inspiring AI heritage, which lives on today with top talent, world-class universities, and innovation-friendly regulation, bolstered by events like the AI Summit. Today, we are proud to contribute to this legacy with our announcement of a $1.05bn Series C investment round, the largest-ever AI fundraise in UK history.

The UK’s progressive testing framework has supported our rapid development of cutting-edge AI, and we’ve been pleased to work with the government on the Automated Vehicles Bill which gives investors confidence that the UK is truly a leader in AI and AVs.

This investment will help us launch our Embodied AI products and expand our operations globally. It sends a crucial signal to the market of the strength of the UK’s AI ecosystem, and we look forward to watching more AI companies here thrive and scale.

Wayve’s investment comes as the UK’s Automated Vehicle Bill is set to conclude its passage through parliament in the coming weeks and will lay the foundation for innovative British companies like Wayve to scale up and deploy their self-driving technology to increase safety and unlock a market worth up to £42 billion.

The Automated Vehicles Bill will unlock a transport revolution by enabling the safe deployment of self-driving vehicles – reinforcing the UK’s position as a global leader in this high growth industry and deliver one of the world’s most comprehensive legal frameworks for self-driving vehicles, with safety at its core.

Under the Bill’s provisions all self-driving vehicles will be required to undergo robust safety testing before they are permitted to drive on UK roads. The Bill will also ensure clear legal liability when a vehicle is driving itself by creating new legal entities responsible for self-driving vehicles.

Self-driving vehicles also have the potential to make transport safer, more convenient and more accessible, improving the lives of millions of people. With 88% of accidents currently involving human error, there is also huge potential for automated vehicles to reduce costs, injuries, and fatalities.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Michelle Donelan said:

This investment is not only a vote of confidence both in our status as an AI and innovation powerhouse, but in the broader steps we have taken to make the UK a magnet for investment and growth.

Wayve are a true homegrown success story, and today’s investment represents one of the largest ever backings for a UK start up. This injection of money will put the UK at the heart of driving forward new, cutting-edge AI solutions for self-driving vehicles, made possible by our pro-innovation approach to managing this generation-defining technology.

We are already a world leader in AI, and this is further evidence that the UK is now firmly the global destination for tech innovation and growth.

Business and Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said:

This is the latest in a long line of fantastic investments in the UK automotive sector, coming hot on the heels of major commitments by BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and Nissan.

The government’s plan for advanced manufacturing is working, and this $1 billion investment in Wayve will ensure that cutting-edge technologies of the future are made in Britain.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

Self-driving cars will revolutionise road travel – making it safer and more convenient for everyone.

Our Automated Vehicles Bill paves the way for their safe use in the UK, and opens the door for investment into innovative British companies like Wayve – putting the UK at the forefront of a growing global industry. This is an important part of our plan to grow the economy and create high quality jobs into the future.

The UK already has a world-leading technology sector, with the UK becoming only the 3rd country (behind the US and China) in the world to have a tech sector valued at over $1 trillion in total.

The UK is also an Artificial Intelligence superpower – being home to 3rd highest number of AI companies and private capital investment in AI in the world. The UK also accounts for around half of all AI private capital investment in Europe and hundreds more AI companies are starting up in the UK every year, growing our economy and creating highly-skilled, well-paid jobs.

Some of the world’s biggest AI companies including Open AI and Anthropic have chosen London as the base for their first international offices in a huge vote of confidence in our approach to AI. Microsoft recently announced a new AI hub in London, and one of the leaders in the field, Google DeepMind was also founded here over a decade ago and remains in the UK to this day.

The government is committed to delivering a regulatory approach that drives both safety and innovation when it comes to AI, which we’ve set out in our response to the AI Regulation White Paper. The UK has not rushed to legislate due to the rapid evolution of this technology. Instead, we are focused on strengthening our understanding of the risks and empowering the UK’s expert regulators to act using their existing powers and remits.

As part of this, we’ve also invested £100 million in the world’s first AI Safety Institute to evaluate the risks of new AI models and demonstrated global leadership shown by hosting the world’s first major summit on AI safety at Bletchley Park in November. This means that, unlike in the EU, founders are not facing sweeping legislation which attempts to regulate the development of AI across all sectors.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce the largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine on his visit to Poland.

The Prime Minister will travel to Poland today [Tuesday 23 April] to announce a massive uplift in military support for Ukraine, including £500 million in additional military funding and our largest-ever delivery of vital equipment.

He will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss deepening UK-Poland relations, and the leaders will hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on European security and support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister will then travel on to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.

Ukraine is facing an existential threat as Russia continues its barbaric invasion, risking the security and stability of all of Europe.

The £500 million additional funding announced today – which takes us to £3 billion in UK military aid for Ukraine this financial year – will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.

The Ministry of Defence will also send our largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK, designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea and air. It includes:

• 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns
• More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
• More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles.
• Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

“Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border.

“I am in Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and commit critical new military support for Ukraine’s defence.  Ukraine’s armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support – and they need it now. Today’s package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia.

“The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security, defending our national interest and standing by our Nato allies.”

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

“This record package of military aid will give President Zelenskyy and his brave nation more of the kit they need to kick Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe.

“The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles.

“Now, we are going even further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting, and with our enduring support, they will win.”

In his first in-person meeting with new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister will also seek to deepen UK-Poland ties across a range of issues.

Building on existing strong defence and security cooperation, he will offer to deploy an RAF Typhoon Squadron to carry out Nato Air Policing over Poland next year.

To further boost trade and support UK companies looking to invest in Poland, the Prime Minister will also announce today an intention to triple UK Export Finance funding available for Poland from £5 billion to £15 billion – our most generous offer to a partner country to date.

Bilateral trade between the UK and Poland has doubled in the last decade to reach £30.6 billion, with 45 million bottles of Scotch whisky bought in Poland last year and UK firms bidding for £5 billion worth of Polish opportunities across energy, defence, healthcare, and infrastructure.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin today [Wednesday] to deepen our defence and security cooperation.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will meet German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin today [Wednesday] to deepen our defence and security cooperation.

As an initial step, the UK and Germany will announce plans for a joint endeavour to develop Remote-Controlled Howitzer 155mm Wheeled Artillery Systems (RCH 155), which will be fitted to Boxer vehicles.

The joint programme is expected to create hundreds of British and German jobs, while equipping our armed forces with battle-winning capabilities for future ground warfare.

It follows the Prime Minister’s visit to Poland on Tuesday, where he held talks with Prime Minister Tusk and the Nato Secretary-General and announced a historic uplift in UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

The UK and Germany are European powerhouses. Together, we are stronger – whether that is defending against Russian aggression or driving economic growth and technological advance.

Today we are opening a new chapter in our relationship, one that will make us safer and more prosperous. At this dangerous moment for the world, the UK and Germany are standing side by side to preserve security and prosperity at home and across our continent.

The leaders are also expected to discuss collaboration on energy and renewables, including on the export of green hydrogen from the UK and Germany, and joint efforts to tackle organised immigration crime.

The UK and Germany are the two largest economies in Europe and Germany is our largest trading partner on the continent, with bilateral trade worth £147.7 billion last year.

The Prime Minister will meet leading businesses in Berlin to drive further economic cooperation, as German firms announce £8 billion worth of new investment today into the UK.

German energy company RWE have confirmed their intention to invest more than €8 billion (£6.9 billion) in the UK by the end of this decade, and E.ON energy will be investing £1bn in the UK over the next 5 years to help drive the green energy transition.

RWE CEO Dr Markus Krebber said:

The UK has been one of RWE’s most important core markets for decades. We are committed to continuing to contribute to the UK’s ambitious renewable energy and decarbonisation targets. We intend to invest a further €8 billion in the UK by the end of this decade into commercially viable projects.

Uniper, another leading German energy company, has also committed to invest a further €8 billion in green transformation projects in its main markets in Germany and the UK through 2030, including in gas-fired power plants, solar and wind parks, energy storage systems, and hydrogen production units.

More information

Constructed on a Boxer armoured vehicles chassis, the RCH 155 is able to fire up to 9 rounds of 155mm artillery per minute and possess a powerful blend of tactical and operational mobility.

Rounds can reach distances of around 40 kilometres, and the RCH 155 is the world’s first howitzer that can fire on the move, meaning it is more versatile in avoiding counter-artillery fire.

The programme has the potential to bring significant economic benefits to the UK, including component construction creating hundreds of British jobs across more than 100 separate UK-based subcomponent suppliers that support the wider Boxer programme.

The full list of investments announcement into the UK today from Germany companies is:

RWE (Energy Investment)

German energy company RWE has the intention of investing a further €8 billion in the UK by the end of this decade.

E.ON (Energy Investment)

German energy company E.ON will continue their track record of significant investment in the UK by committing £1bn over the next five years.

Siemens Healthineers (Life Sciences Investment)

Siemens Healthineers is announcing plans for a new biomarker production facility in Bedfordshire, bringing more than £20 million investment and a home for up to 40 highly-skilled jobs.

Patrizia (Real Estate Capital Investment)

German real estate investment manager Patrizia will invest an additional £140m in urban logistics in Greater London in the next 18 months. The investments will lead to further job creation and contributing to the modernisation of London’s urban infrastructure.

HyImpulse (Space Investment)

German space startup HyImpulse intends to invest up to €50m in the UK over the next 3 years. The investment will create 70 jobs at a new engineering office in Glasgow and develop the company’s launch capabilities at Scottish Space Port Saxa Vord.

Siemens Healthineers (Life Sciences Investment)

German life sciences company Siemens Healthineers is announcing plans for a new biomarker production facility in Bedfordshire, bringing more than £20 million investment and a home for up to 40 highly-skilled jobs.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a speech during his visit to Poland.

Well Donald, thanks very much – it’s great to be here with you.

And I’ve come directly from visiting British troops stationed in North East Poland…

…where they serve alongside your Polish Armed Forces, guarding NATO’s eastern flank.

And it is a reminder of the incredible strength of our relationship.

We are… sojusznicy na zawsze.

Allies for the long term.

We will never forget in Britain that it was Polish pilots that gave their lives to protect our country in the Battle of Britain.

And today we’re proud to stand together as NATO allies…

…two of Europe’s biggest military powers…

… two of Ukraine’s firmest friends.

And Donald, I want to thank you – and President Duda – for your leadership in supporting Ukraine.

We have stood beside them for two years…

…but this is the moment for us, militarily, to go further.

And today I have announced a further half a billion pounds of additional support for Ukraine…

…to provide more help on the battlefield and defend against the relentless Russian bombardment.

And together we call on all our partners to look again at what more they can do.

That includes acting now to unlock Russia’s frozen assets, which you and I have discussed.

And I also want to thank you for being so clear sighted on the rising threats that are facing our continent.

And again, on this issue we’re of one mind.

And today I announced an historic uplift in UK defence spending to meet those threats…

…to a new baseline of 2.5% of GDP.

It’s the biggest strengthening of our national defence since the end of the Cold War.

Because it’s time for us to re-arm.

And across Europe, I think Poland and the UK are part of a growing wave of countries that are taking greater responsibility for our collective security.

Poland is spending more of its GDP on defence than any NATO ally in Europe.

And with today’s announcement, the UK will be spending more in cash terms than any NATO ally in Europe.

And together we’re both firing up our defence industrial capacity.

We’re building new frigates here in Poland.

And as you said we’re  delivering a next generation air defence system to help defend your skies.

And as a result of our conversations I am pleased to say we have strengthened our cooperation in all the different formats so that we can work together on this crucial issue of air defence.

I can also announce that next year we will be deploying RAF Typhoons here as well, emphasising how important we take this issue – and we want to help police Poland’s skies.

Air defence is critical and the UK wants to support Poland and work closely with you to do that.

We’re also deploying over 16,000 troops here as part of the NATO exercise Steadfast Defender.

So I’m proud that the UK is a partner of Poland and remains at the heart of European security.

Because that’s good for our shared security, and it’s also good for our prosperity.

I was pleased to note that our trade has doubled over the last few years reaching now £30bn.

UK firms are investing a lot in Poland in defence, healthcare, infrastructure, and again today we talked about deepening our energy partnership …

… And I’m glad that we’ve tripled UK export finance – support for Polish companies to buy goods and services from the UK from £5bn to £15bn in financial support. That’s the most generous offer to made to any partner.

And again is demonstration of our close cooperation.

And as you said we’re also working together to tackle illegal migration – which Putin and Lukashenko have sought to weaponise.

And that’s why we sent our Royal Engineers to help secure your border.

And why we’re joining forces with others across Europe to smash the trafficking gangs.

And there is, as you said, so much that unites us.

And there is an incredible affinity between our peoples.

But, I know Donald, from our conversations, that we have something else in common…

…that we are united by our admiration for one of Europe’s great leaders.

I’m talking of course about Margaret Thatcher.

She was the first British Prime Minister to visit Poland back in 1988.

But Donald knows that, because you were there to meet her at the Gdańsk shipyard!

Just to conclude, in her speech during that visit she described, precisely, the challenge before us today.

She said: “experience teaches us that freedom incurs responsibility.”

And as ever, she was right.

And I’m pleased that together we are meeting that responsibility.

Thank you very much.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 23 April 2024.

The Prime Minister met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw today.

He set out the UK’s historic plan to steadily increase defence spending to 2.5% and fire up our national defence industrial production, ensuring we remain the foremost military power in Europe and a core contributor to NATO operations.

The Prime Minister and Secretary-General discussed the growing threat from autocratic countries like Russia and Iran, which were increasingly aligned and assertive. They agreed on the importance of all NATO countries stepping up and keeping pace to support our collective defence, as well as industrial cooperation across the alliance.

The Prime Minister said supporting Ukraine’s defence was also central to Europe’s security, and they discussed progress towards Ukraine’s membership of NATO. The Prime Minister looked forward to discussing this further at the NATO Washington Summit in July, and he invited the Secretary-General to attend the UK-hosted European Political Community Summit.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 21 April 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan this morning.

He reiterated the United Kingdom’s staunch support for Jordanian and wider regional security, in the face of recent threats. A significant escalation was not in anyone’s interests.

The Prime Minister said the UK’s focus remains on finding a resolution to the crisis in Gaza. The UK continues to work towards an immediate humanitarian pause to get far more aid in and bring the hostages safely home, leading to a longer-term sustainable ceasefire.

The leaders discussed joint efforts to significantly step up aid to Gaza, with the UK taking part in Jordanian-led aid drops and a humanitarian land corridor to Gaza, as well as the maritime aid corridor from Cyprus.

The Prime Minister said the UK’s ultimate goal remained a viable two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the leaders agreed on the importance of supporting a reformed Palestinian authority to deliver stability and prosperity across the Palestinian territories.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 April 2024.

In a major speech today [Friday 19 April], the Prime Minister unveiled a package of welfare reform measures to tackle the unprecedented rise in economic inactivity and ensure our benefits system is better targeted at those who need it most.

The Prime Minister’s new plan for welfare will end Britain’s “sick note culture”, which has resulted in a significant rise in people being unnecessarily written off work and parked on welfare.

It comes amid concerns that the fit note system has opened the floodgates for millions of people to be written off work and into welfare without getting the right support and treatment they might need to help them stay in work.

Data recently published by the NHS shows almost 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with an overwhelming 94% of those signed “not fit for work”. A large proportion of these are repeat fit notes which are issued without any advice, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.

To address this, the Prime Minister announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.

As part of this, the government will consider shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from already stretched GPs, towards specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time and expertise to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they may need.

A call for evidence will be published later today to seek responses from a diverse range of perspectives, including those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals and employers, both on how the current process works and how it can better support people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work.

The Prime Minister said:

“We don’t just need to change the sick note, we need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do – not what you can’t.

“Building on the pilots we’ve already started we’re going to design a new system where people have easy and rapid access to specialised work and health support to help them back to work from the very first Fit Note conversation.

“We’re also going to test shifting the responsibility for assessment from GPs and giving it to specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they need to do so.”

Setting out his vision for a “new welfare settlement for Britain”, the Prime Minister outlined the new challenges that have emerged since the pandemic particularly the unprecedented rise in inactivity and how the government plans to tackle them.

Before the pandemic, we had the second lowest inactivity rate in the G7, lower than France, Germany, Italy, USA and Canada. But since the pandemic, a significant number of working aged people have become inactive due to long term sickness which has in large part been driven by mental health conditions.

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest there are currently 2.8 million people who are ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness, a near-record high. Of those inactive due to long term sickness at the start of last year, 53% reported that they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety.

This is also driving an unsustainable increase in welfare spending as more people claiming disability benefits are now assessed as having anxiety or depression as their main condition.

Since the pandemic, total spending on working age disability and ill-health benefits increased by almost two-thirds from £42.3 billion to £69 billion and we now spend more on these benefits than our core schools’ budget or on policing.

The fit note process is often the first step to someone falling out of work and acts as a gateway towards some ill health and disability benefit assessments. There is also clear evidence that the longer someone is out of work, the lower the likelihood that they return to work – further exacerbating the rise in inactivity.

The Prime Minister made the case that we need to be more ambitious about how we help people, particularly with mental health conditions, back into work and ensure they are not left behind on the benefits system.

The Prime Minister also said:

“We should see it as a sign of progress that people can talk openly about mental health conditions in a way that only a few years ago would’ve been unthinkable, and I will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have.

“But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong merely to sit back and accept it because it’s too hard; or too controversial; or for fear of causing offence. Doing so, would let down many of the people our welfare system was designed to help.

“Because if you believe as I do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn but to contribute, to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation and if you believe, as I do, the growing body of evidence that good work can actually improve mental and physical health…

“…then it becomes clear: we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life.”

Today’s fit note review builds on the significant steps we’ve taken so far to break down barriers to work and tackle inactivity. This includes through our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which is already helping over a million people, including those with mental health conditions, break down barriers to work by expanding access to mental health services and putting an additional 384,000 people through NHS Talking Therapies.

The new WorkWell pilot is also being rolled out and will support almost 60,000 long-term sick or disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work once it has gone live in approximately 15 areas across England.

The WorkWell services provides a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services, to help people manage their health conditions and get back to work sooner. This is part of an ambitious programme to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.

We are also testing reforms of the fit note process to integrate it more closely with WorkWell, enabling the people who need it to have a work and health conversation, with a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services. It will also complement the role of Occupational Health in ensuring employers understand and benefit from more expert work and health support to retain and support those in work.

The fit note call for evidence is part of five key reforms the Prime Minister outlined in his speech to put work at the heart of welfare and modernise the welfare system to ensure it is fit for the future.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 19 April 2024.

The Prime Minister has outlined a package of sweeping reforms to put work at the heart of welfare and deliver on his “moral mission” to give everyone who is able to work, the best possible chance of staying in, or returning to work.

The Prime Minister has outlined a package of sweeping reforms to put work at the heart of welfare and deliver on his “moral mission” to give everyone who is able to work, the best possible chance of staying in, or returning to work.

In a speech today (Friday 19 April), the Prime Minister announced that the disability benefits system is set to be reformed to ensure it’s more accurately targeted at those who need it most and delivers the right kind of support for people with disabilities and health conditions.

A consultation on Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be published in the coming days which will explore changes to the eligibility criteria, assessment process and types of support that can be offered so the system is better targeted towards individual needs and more closely linked to a person’s condition rather than the current “one size fits all” approach.

It comes as many more working age people are being awarded PIP for mental health conditions than when it was first introduced over a decade ago, as well as concerns that the assessment process is significantly easier to game by individuals who seek to exploit the system.

In 2019, there were an average of around 2,200 new PIP awards a month in England and Wales where the main condition was anxiety and depression – this has more than doubled to 5,300 a month last year. This is driving up the cost of the disability benefits bill at an unsustainable rate and PIP spending alone is expected to grow by 52% from 2023/24 to £32.8bn by 2027/28.

Total spending on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition increased by almost two-thirds to £69 billion since the pandemic, and we now spend more on these benefits than our core schools’ budget or on policing. Given the significant change in caseload and unsustainable increase in costs, it’s clear our current disability benefit system for adults of working age is not fit for purpose.

The Prime Minister has set out his ambition to redesign the disability benefits system to ensure it is fair and compassionate, but also sustainable and fit for the future. The consultation will consider whether alternative interventions to cash payments – such as treatment or access to services – could drive better long-term outcomes particularly for individuals who have less severe or well managed health conditions.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said:

I believe our welfare system is about far more than benefit payments; it is about changing lives for the better.

That is why we’re bringing forward the next generation of welfare reforms. We’ve already overhauled the outdated benefit system by introducing Universal Credit, and now we are building a new welfare settlement for Britain – one where no one gets left behind.

The welfare reforms announced by the Prime Minister today will modernise the support available for those who need it the most, improve the value of the welfare system for taxpayers, and ensure that people are signed up to support back to work, not signed off.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins MP, said:

These ambitious reforms will give people the help they need in their return to and stay in work.

We know that people in work often lead happier, healthier lives which is why it’s fundamental to shift attitudes away from sicknotes towards fit notes.

We are seeking the advice of those who understand the system best so we can break down these unnecessary barriers to work. Through tailored care and reasonable adjustments, we can build a healthier workforce for a healthier economy.

The review to the disability benefits system to ensure benefits are targeted to those who need it most comes as part of the Prime Minister’s five core welfare reforms to deliver a fairer and more sustainable welfare system for the future. This includes:

Removing benefits entirely from the long-term unemployed who don’t accept a job

There is no excuse for fit and able claimants on unemployment benefits who can work, not to engage with the support available to them or adhere to conditions set by their Work Coach. If someone is assessed as able to work and continues to receive taxpayer funded benefits, it is right and fair that we expect them to engage fully with this process.

There are more than 450,000 people who have been unemployed for 6 months and well over a quarter of a million who have been unemployed for 12 months. These are people who will have had to access intensive employment support and training programmes. There is no reason those people should not be in work, especially when we have over 900,000 vacancies.

We will legislate in the next parliament to change the rules so that anyone who has been on benefits for 12 months and doesn’t comply with conditions set by their Work Coach – including accepting available work – will have their unemployment claim closed and their benefits removed entirely.

Being more ambitious in assessing people’s potential for work

The Prime Minister has confirmed that the Work Capability Assessment will be tightened so that people with less severe conditions will be expected to engage with the world of work and supported to do so. Under the current Work Capability Assessment, too many people are effectively being written off as unable to work without the chance to access vital support which could help them enter employment.

We know that work plays an important role in supporting good mental and physical wellbeing and helps people to lead independent and fulfilling lives. That is why, as a result of these changes, more people with less severe conditions will be expected to look for work and will be provided with tailored support to help them do so.

In the long term, we are also committed to removing the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) entirely and introducing a new personalised, tailored approach to employment support, with the aim of helping disabled people and people with health conditions reach their full potential.

These reforms to the Work Capability Assessment will reduce the number of people assessed as not needing to prepare for work by 424,000 by 2028/29 – that’s hundreds of thousands more people getting the support they need to start to prepare for or get into employment.

The Prime Minister has also announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.

As part of this, the government will consider shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from primary care to free up valuable time for GPs, while creating a system better tailored to an individual’s health and work needs.

A call for evidence will be published today to seek responses from a diverse range of perspectives, including those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals and employers, both on how the current process works and how it can better support people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work.

Putting work at the heart of welfare

The Prime Minister has announced that the rollout of Universal Credit will be accelerated to move all those left on outdated legacy systems onto a simpler, more dynamic benefit system which eliminates a binary choice between work and welfare.

We will bring forward the transition of those on the legacy ill-health unemployment benefit known as Employment and Support Allowance onto Universal Credit, thereby completing the full rollout of Universal Credit. More than six million people are already benefiting from the modern digital Universal Credit system which allows claimants to access their benefits more easily and amend their claim should their circumstances change.

Many of these individuals will also be better off on Universal Credit and we are committed to providing transitional protection for eligible claimants that are migrated to Universal Credit. This ensures that those claimants will not have a lower entitlement to UC than they did on legacy benefits at the point they transition.

The Prime Minister has also announced that we will change the rules so that someone working less than half of a full-time week will have to look for more work. Today, the government will lay regulations to increase the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) which determines how much support an individual will receive to find work, based on how much they currently earn and how many hours they work.

If someone earns below the AET, they are placed in the Intensive Work Search Group and are required to regularly meet with their work coach. We have already taken action to raise this threshold and this legislation will go further to raise it from £743 to £892 for individual claimants and £1,189 to £1,437 for couples – or the equivalent of 18 hours at National Living Wage a week for an individual from next month.

Through these changes alone, over 180,000 Universal Credit claimants will be moved into the Intensive Work Search group, from the Light Touch group, giving them more frequent access to the expertise and guidance of work coaches in Jobcentres across Great Britain. Combined with previous increases, 400,000 more claimants will have more intensive support from our Work Coaches to help them to progress in work and off welfare.

As with previous increases, claimant commitments will be tailored to personal circumstances and will take into account caring responsibilities as well as any health conditions.

Cracking down on fraud

The Prime Minister has committed to introducing a new Fraud Bill in the next Parliament. The measures in the Bill will give us new powers to carry out warrants for searches, seizures and arrests, to enforce civil penalties more consistently and flexibly, and to a wider group of offenders, and provide new powers to gather information from more information holders as part of DWP led investigations into fraud.

This is in addition to legislation we’re introducing through the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill which will enable DWP to receive information from third parties that may signal where fraud is being committed. This is one of the most significant reforms to benefit fraud laws in more than 20 years and will deliver savings to the taxpayer of £600 million by 2028/29.

Taken together this plan will deliver a welfare system that’s fit for the future by providing vital support only to those who need it most and ensuring they are supported to live with dignity and independence, whilst making sure that everyone who can work is expected and supported to do so.