Tag: Downing Street

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 2 October 2022.

Thousands of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses will be released from reporting requirements and other regulations in the future, as part of plans aimed at boosting productivity and supercharging growth, Prime Minister Liz Truss announced earlier today (Sunday 2 October).

Currently, small businesses are presumed to be exempt from certain regulations. However, many medium sized businesses – those with between 50 and 249 employees – still report that they are spending over 22 staff days per month on average dealing with regulation, and over half of all businesses consider regulation to be a burden to their operation.

The Prime Minister has announced plans to widen these exemptions to businesses with fewer than 500 employees for future and reviewed regulations, meaning an additional 40,000 businesses will be freed from future bureaucracy and the accompanying paperwork that is expensive and burdensome for all but the largest firms.

The exemption will be applied in a proportionate way to ensure workers’ rights and other standards will be protected, while at the same time reducing the burden for growing businesses.

Regulatory exemptions are often granted for SMEs, which the EU defines at below 250 employees. However, we are free to take our own approach and exempt more businesses to those with under 500 employees. We will also be able to apply this to retained EU law currently under review, which we would not have been able to do without our exit from the EU.

The changed threshold will apply from tomorrow (Monday 3 October) to all new regulations under development as well as those under current and future review, including retained EU laws. The government will also look at plans to consult in the future on potentially extending the threshold to businesses with 1,000 employees, once the impact on the current extension is known.

This is the first step in a package of reforms to ensure UK business regulation works for the UK economy. The reforms will harness the freedoms the UK has since leaving the EU to remove bureaucratic and burdensome regulations on businesses, while streamlining and making it easier for them to comply with existing rules, ultimately saving them valuable time and money.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 October 2022.

The Prime Minister welcomed Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to Downing Street today.

The leaders stressed the need to stay united in the face of Russia’s despicable actions in Ukraine.

Prime Minister Frederiksen updated the Prime Minister on the damage caused to the Nord Stream pipelines last week. They agreed the incidents were clearly an act of sabotage. The Prime Minister offered the UK’s support for the ongoing investigation.

The leaders agreed that the safety and security of the Baltic Sea is in everyone’s interest, and welcomed increased cooperation through the Joint Expeditionary Force.

On energy security more widely, the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Frederiksen agreed on the need for likeminded democracies to work together to increase our energy independence.

The Prime Minister outlined the steps the UK has taken to decrease energy bills in the short-term and bolster our energy supply in the longer term. The leaders agreed to further UK-Danish cooperation in areas like wind power, where our countries are global pioneers.

 

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 1 October 2022.

Households, businesses and public sector organisations across the country will be protected from significant rises in energy bills, thanks to new government support taking effect from today (Saturday 1 October).

Without Government action, average household energy bills under the energy price cap had been due to rise to around £3,500 a year in October – a rise of 80% on current bills. Next year, they were estimated to increase even further to as high as £6,500.

From today, the Government’s Energy Price Guarantee will limit the price households pay per unit of gas and electricity they use.

It means a typical household in Great Britain will pay around £2,500 per year, starting this month for the next two years – saving an average £1,000 a year on their energy bills.

Households will also see the first instalment of the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme in their October electricity bill. The discount will be automatically applied monthly in six instalments between October 2022 and March 2023.

Thanks to the government’s support, energy bills will now be close to where they’ve been for the past six months – and it will curb inflation by 5 percentage points, boosting economic growth, controlling the rising cost of goods, and reducing the cost of servicing the national debt.

This necessary intervention makes up the biggest proportion the Government’s fiscal package set out in the Growth Plan.

Prime Minister Liz Truss said:

I know people across the country are anxious about their energy bills, which is why we have acted quickly to help them.

Livelihoods and businesses were at stake. The government’s energy support limits the price they pay for gas and electricity, shields them from massive bill increases, and is expected to curb inflation too.

The cost of not acting would have been enormous. To make sure the British public is not left in this position again, we are also fixing the problem at its source by scaling up home-grown energy and reducing reliance on foreign supplies to boost our energy security and independence.

The UK Government is also urging people today to stay alert to scams and fraudulent messages. There is no need to apply for the schemes, with most customers receiving today’s support automatically through their electricity bill.

Households in Northern Ireland will also receive the same support through the Energy Price Guarantee from November, with support for October bills backdated so they see the same benefit overall.

Those who might live in an area of the UK that is not served by the gas grid or use alternative fuels such as heating oil to heat their home will receive a £100 payment to support them with their energy bills.

Business and Energy Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said:

While Putin’s weaponisation of energy has driven energy prices to record highs, we will not let his regime harm this country’s businesses and households.

Unprecedented government support is beginning this weekend, protecting families and businesses across the country from what was going to be an 80% increase in energy bills this winter.

“I also urge people today to stay alert to scams. This support will reach people automatically and there is no need to apply.”

British businesses have also been experiencing significant increases in energy costs, with some reports of more than 500%. Businesses, charities and public sector organisations will also be protected through the Government’s Energy Bill Relief Scheme from October over the next six months.

This support is equivalent to the Energy Price Guarantee put in place for households and similarly discounts price per unit of gas and electricity, meaning businesses and others will pay wholesale energy costs well below half of expected prices for this winter.

In parallel, the Government is also taking decisive steps to tackle the root cause of the issues in the UK energy market through boosting British energy supply and increasing independence to ensure this doesn’t happen again. This includes the work of our Energy Supply Taskforce, a new oil and gas licensing round, lifting the moratorium on UK shale gas production, and driving forward progress on nuclear and renewables.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 28 September 2022.

The Prime Minister spoke to President Zelenksyy this afternoon to underline the UK’s steadfast support in light of Russia’s sham referendums in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister made clear that the UK would never recognise Russian attempts to annexe sovereign territory. She reiterated that Ukraine could depend on the UK’s support until President Putin was defeated.

President Zelenskyy updated the Prime Minister on the current military situation, and welcomed her strong backing, including at the UN General Assembly last week.

The Prime Minister thanked President Zelenksyy for his work in securing the release of five British nationals held by Russian-backed proxies in eastern Ukraine.

The leaders also discussed how the UK and Ukraine could work together to secure Ukraine’s gas supplies in the long term.

Both agreed to stay in close touch in the coming days and weeks.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 26 September 2022.

Prime Minister Liz Truss spoke to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman this afternoon, in their first call since she took on the role.

The Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for his personal role in securing the release of five British detainees held by Russia-backed forces in Eastern Ukraine last week, to the great relief of their families.

They discussed the strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia across a range of issues, including cooperation on defence and energy security. The leaders welcomed progress in ending the conflict in Yemen and agreed on the importance of continuing political dialogue to extend the truce.

The Prime Minister reiterated her focus on agreeing a strong UK-GCC trade deal and growing bilateral trade and investment in areas like aviation and clean technology. She also offered the UK’s continued support and encouragement for progress in Saudi Arabia’s domestic reforms.

The Crown Prince extended his sincere condolences on the death of Her Majesty the Queen, and the leaders looked forward to continuing to grow the strong relationship fostered during her late Majesty’s reign.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 September 2022.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 September 2022.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 21 September 2022.

The Prime Minister met US President Joe Biden at the UN General Assembly in New York today.

The leaders condemned Putin’s recent belligerent statements on Ukraine. They agreed his actions highlight the need for allies to continue their economic and military support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister updated President Biden on her recent announcement that the UK will recommit to at least the same level of defensive support for Ukraine next year.

Both leaders discussed the increased threat posed by autocracies to our values and the international system. The Prime Minister updated President Biden on the UK’s plans to update the Integrated Review to ensure the UK is fully equipped to tackle the evolving challenge from countries like China and Russia.

The leaders stressed the need to end over-reliance on authoritarian states in terms of our energy, technology and manufacturing supply chains.

They agreed to redouble bilateral efforts to reduce energy dependence on Russia and to increase the amount of renewable and other forms of energy flowing from democratic states. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to reaching Net Zero, and the UK outlined the UK’s plans to be a net energy exporter by 2040, in large part thanks to renewable energy.

The Prime Minister and President Biden also discussed a number of global challenges which the UK and US are working closely together to resolve, including efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

On the Northern Ireland Protocol, the Prime Minister and President Biden both agreed that the priority must be protecting the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and preserving the gains of peace in Northern Ireland.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 21 September 2022.

The Prime Minister met the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Pravind Jugnauth, at the UN General Assembly in New York.

The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Jugnauth welcomed recent steps to strengthen the UK-Mauritius relationship, including through the new Security Dialogue and Strategic Trade Partnership.

The leaders had a useful discussion about the future of the British Indian Ocean Territory, covering the ongoing dispute over sovereignty.

They also agreed on the importance of likeminded democracies working together to uphold freedom around the world.

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 21 September 2022.

Prime Minister, Liz Truss, and President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen met at the UN General Assembly in New York today.

They strongly condemned Russia’s actions in Ukraine and agreed that Putin’s recent calls to mobilise parts of the population were a sign that Russia’s invasion is failing. It is a statement of weakness.

They recognised the courage and bravery of the Ukrainian people and underscored their joint commitment to sustaining support for Ukraine in its struggle as long as it takes.

They also discussed UK-EU relations including energy, food security and the Northern Ireland Protocol.