Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Address by the President of Ukraine to the participants of the Venice Film Festival

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 1 September 2022.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Dear participants and guests of the Venice Film Festival!

I appreciate the opportunity to address you today and tell our story. Tell about Ukraine, its people and the war that Russia has been waging against us for 189 days. A story that is beyond competition and beyond the limits of humanity and common sense. A drama based on real events. Embodied in life by real savages, murderers, torturers, terrorists. A tragedy accompanied not by Morricone’s brilliant music, but by gruesome ditties and sounds of explosions, gunshots and air raid sirens. Horror, not 120 minutes but 189 days long. 189 days of war, which continues in Ukraine and which Europe and the world are allegedly tired of. This is what Russia claims. This is what Russia wants. A primitive plot in three acts for the world to make three dramatic mistakes. To get used to the war. To put up with the war. To forget about the war.

This intention should never succeed.

Cultural figures, directors, producers, actors, screenwriters, DOPs, composers, artists, designers, film critics and thousands of other people – from different countries of the world and one cinematographic family. Your position is important, your voice is influential, your word is loud. The least you can do today, or rather, NOT do, is not to be silent, not to be afraid, not to turn away, not to pass by and not to be indifferent to the war in Ukraine, which was unleashed by Russia.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

For someone, power is only missiles and nuclear warheads. For us, power is in philosophy, mentality, these are meanings and words. For us it is also a weapon. I want every country, every nation, every institution and community in the world to have a clear idea of what Ukraine is going through now.

To hear about this war in the most understandable language. For you, this is the language of cinematography. But you won’t see any scary footage now: explosions, gunshots, destruction, smoke, pain and tears. You will see things that most people don’t usually see. An integral part of every film, which not everyone pays attention to. Important names that fade into oblivion and obscurity, because the moment they appear on the screen, most viewers do two things: stand up and leave. I know that the first thing today is important. The second is impossible.

To be continued… To be continued?

The answer to this question today depends on all of us.

Whenever someone talks about being tired of Ukraine, these titles should be mentioned. To get tired of Ukraine means to brush off these names. To forget these names.

I am confident that the whole civilized world will never do this, will never give up, will stand with Ukraine to the end, to the victorious end, when truth and justice will hear applause!

Glory to Ukraine!

September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Andrii Sybiha met with the President of the Board of Directors of the European Public Law Organization

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 31 August 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha held a meeting with President of the Board of Directors of the European Public Law Organization Spyridon Flogaitis.

Andrii Sybiha informed that Ukraine had started the process of joining the European Public Law Organization.

“This is an important step for us. The government has already developed a corresponding bill. We expect that it will soon be submitted for consideration by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. We expect that the accession of our state to your organization will contribute to the development of public law, in particular through closer cooperation in the training of highly qualified specialists in the field of law,” the Deputy Head of the President’s Office emphasized.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed in detail the practical aspects of involving the organization’s expert and scientific potential in the most relevant directions of the development of the Ukrainian state, in particular in the context of the further movement towards full membership in the EU.

Separately, the issue of possible assistance from the European Public Law Organization in the legal aspect of countering Russian aggression was raised. Among other things, the parties discussed the prospects of involving the leading lawyers of member states of the organization in the issues of increasing sanction pressure on the Russian Federation, confiscation of frozen assets of the aggressor, bringing to international legal responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression.

There was also an exchange of views on ways to involve the organization in the work of the Yermak-McFaul Sanctions Group and the International Working Group on Security Guarantees for Ukraine.

The importance of the condemnation by the European Public Law Organization of the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine was noted.

“We believe in the victory of Ukraine and bringing the aggressor to justice. I hope to visit the Office of the European Public Law Organization in Mariupol, which was destroyed by Russian troops,” Spyridon Flogaitis added.

September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Kyrylo Tymoshenko discussed the implementation of the Fast Recovery Plan with the Ambassador of Sweden

The press release issued by the President of Ukraine on 31 August 2022.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President Kyrylo Tymoshenko held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sweden to Ukraine Tobias Thyberg.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko informed the Ambassador of Sweden about the work of the online platform, which provides up-to-date information on infrastructure objects damaged by Russian shelling.

The Deputy Head of the Office of the President emphasized that the Ukrainian authorities seek to return home those Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes due to the war. For this purpose, the Fast Recovery Plan was developed, which provides for the restoration of critical infrastructure facilities: houses, schools, kindergartens, medical facilities, electricity and water supply networks.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko said that, in addition to the general plan, regional fast recovery plans have been developed, which contain detailed technical information about each damaged object in one or another region. He informed Tobias Thyberg of the Fast Recovery Plan.

According to him, the partner states are participating in the reconstruction of the affected regions and certain groups of infrastructure facilities. Several countries can join forces in the restoration of one region or industry.

For his part, the Ambassador of Sweden emphasized the importance of the rapid reconstruction of destroyed schools, hospitals and residential buildings and expressed interest in regional infrastructure restoration plans.

September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : More academies than ever rated as outstanding
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 23 November 2010.

The 2010 Ofsted annual report published today shows that while generally across the schools sector the number of inspections this year resulting in an inadequate rating has doubled, academies have bucked the trend using their freedoms to raise standards across the board with more than ever being rated as outstanding.

Commenting on the report, Education Secretary Michael Gove, said:

This report shows us the real picture of our schools revealed by the new, more rigorous inspection regime. A worrying 576 schools, up from 360 last year, are either in special measures or have been given a notice to improve, with the number rated as inadequate in the last year twice as high as the year before. Even taking into account the new inspection system, this is simply unacceptable. No parent wants to send their child to a failing school and they shouldn’t have to.

There are also concerns in safeguarding, children’s homes and fostering. Whilst the vast majority of professionals in this area do an incredible job in very difficult circumstances delivering high-quality care, there are some areas that can be improved. The Munro review will look at child protection to help professionals get the support they need so that they are able to spend more time with children and families and less time on paperwork.

The report shows that solid leadership, high-quality teaching, freedoms over the curriculum and strong governance all add up to high standards and rapid improvements. Academy schools which have these freedoms have bucked the national trend and have seen an increase in the numbers getting the top Ofsted rating despite the new tougher inspections. That’s why our White Paper this week will outline further plans to make these freedoms a reality in as many schools as possible.

There has been a marked improvement in children’s services inspected and the best foster homes, children’s centres and social workers are turning around the life chances of some of society’s most disadvantaged and vulnerable people. There is a lot we can learn from and I’m determined that we will free up both the education and the children’s sectors so that professionals can learn from the best, adapting delivery to their local needs rather than having to follow a set system dictated from Whitehall.

Key points on academies in the report include:
- Academies are bucking the trend with 26 per cent being rated outstanding compared to 13 per cent of secondary schools nationally.
- The percentage of academies judged outstanding has increased since last year and the percentage judged inadequate has decreased despite the more demanding inspection framework. This is the opposite trend when compared with all schools.
- Academies are continuing to achieve big year-on-year above-national-average increases in their GCSEs, including English and mathematics results, which highlights the excellent progress they are making.
Commenting on the quality of teaching, Michael Gove said:

The biggest factor in raising standards in schools is the quality of its teachers. The best education systems in the world consistently draw their teachers from the top tier of graduates by academic ability and select them carefully to ensure they are taking only those people who combine the right personal and intellectual qualities.

There is consensus amongst the highest performing countries that the most important thing we can do for teachers is train them well and then throughout their professional career. Too much teacher training involves either teachers being told how to comply with government criteria, or what John Bangs called quite rightly ‘death by PowerPoint’.

Teachers need to learn from other teachers. I have been impressed by arguments that the way to ensure we have good continual professional development is by getting teachers to observe superb practitioners of the craft and to learn from them. Today’s Ofsted report is a ringing endorsement of this, highlighting how schools with outstanding teaching frequently have senior school staff monitoring lessons which allows others to learn from the best teachers. That’s why our White Paper tomorrow will outline plans to give schools more flexibility to do this by removing restrictions on the time heads and other senior staff are allowed to monitor lessons.

But this has to start right from the outset with initial teacher training, and the Ofsted report is also clear that teachers need more practical classroom training to back up their theoretical training. Our White Paper will also outline plans to ensure trainee teachers spend more time in hands-on learning in the classroom.
September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Reading at an early age the key to success
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 22 November 2010.

All children will be given a phonics-based progress check in year 1 so teachers can identify those not at the expected level in reading and in need of extra support, Education Secretary Michael Gove announced today.

Mr Gove said too many primary school children were failing to reach the expected standard and that the short, light-touch test would be designed to assess how well year 1 pupils could read simple, decodable words. He added that the screening check would be based on systematic synthetic phonics as it was internationally proven to drive up basic reading skills from a young age.

Mr Gove said it would be administered by pupils’ teachers and would be designed to
- confirm whether individual pupils had grasped the basics of phonic decoding by the end of year 1
- identify those pupils who needed extra help, so the school can provide support.
Today the government is launching a public consultation to ask teachers, parents, professionals and the public to submit views on how the check might work. It will be piloted in summer 2011 and will take place nationally from summer 2012. To help schools select an effective synthetic phonics programme, the government has published the core criteria that define the key features of such programmes.

Michael Gove said:

A solid foundation in reading is crucial to a child’s success as they progress through primary school, into secondary school and then in later life.

But, in spite of the hard work of teachers and pupils, too many children are currently not reaching the expected reading levels at age 7 and age 11.

We are determined to raise literacy standards in our schools, especially of those not achieving the expected level – a light-touch phonics-based check will provide reassurance that children in year 1 have learned this important skill, will enable us to pinpoint those who are struggling at an early age and will give them the help they need before it is too late.

It will be impossible to drill for and will be a true gauge of a child’s reading skills.

Parents want to know how their children are reading and this will tell them.

On phonics, Schools Minister Nick Gibb, speaking on a visit to Elmhurst Primary School in Newham, London, said:

There is more to reading than phonics – but there is also a weight of evidence that systematic synthetic phonics, taught in the first years of a child’s education, gives children key building blocks they need to understand words, underpins children’s attainment of a good standard of reading and can inspire a lifetime love of reading.

The government is determined to raise the standard of reading in the first years of primary school so that children can master the basic decoding skills of reading early and then spend the rest of primary school reading to learn.

The fact is that alternative methods have left too many young people with poor literacy levels, especially among children of more disadvantaged families, and we are determined that every child can read to their full potential.

Provisional figures released earlier this year showed that in 2010:
- 15% of 7-year-olds failed to reach the expected level (level 2) in reading at key stage 1
- 19% of 11-year-olds did not achieve the expected level (level 4) in reading at key stage 2.
England has also slipped down the international table for reading in primary schools. The Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) of 10-year-olds saw England fall from third out of 35 countries in 2001 to 15th out of 40 countries in 2006.

Shahed Ahmed, the Headteacher of Elmhurst Primary – one of the schools where the check will be pre-trialled, said:

At Elmhurst Primary School we firmly believe that the best way to teach how to read in the early stages is through a rigorous, systematic, engaging phonics approach. I believe that all schools would benefit from taking this approach. It’s important that schools know for young children how good their phonics knowledge is.

An end-of-year-1 phonics check would encourage all schools to teach early reading properly through phonics, and they would then know then the strengths and weaknesses of their pupils.

Ruth Miskin, a leading authority on teaching children to read, said:

Despite numerous well-meaning initiatives over recent years, we still have 20% of children who are unable to access a secondary school curriculum. However, there are many determined heads who ensure that every child learns to read by 6- or 7-years-old. There is no reason why this success cannot be replicated across the whole country.

This reading check will help all headteachers focus their efforts upon the children who are most likely to slip through the net. If we catch these children early, they will have an equal opportunity to make the most of their education and lives.

Ofsted will inspect the teaching of reading and phonics in schools and the impact on pupils’ results, and on 14 November 2010 it published a report showing best practice in the teaching of phonics. The information provided from this test will allow Ofsted and schools to have a better conversation about each school’s teaching of phonics.

The government has also revised the core criteria that define the key features of an effective systematic synthetic phonics programme, to help schools in selecting a suitable programme. Publishers of products have been invited to submit new self-assessment forms for their products, assessing them against the new criteria.

Jan Tyson, headteacher at Turnfurlong Infants School in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, said:

Systematic synthetic phonics is key to teaching children reading and writing. It provides them with strategies to decode words, which is especially important because English is such a difficult language to learn with the many different ways to make the same sounds from different letters or combinations of letters.

How phonics works

Phonics focuses on sounds rather than, for example, having children try to recognise whole words.

In analytic phonics, words are broken down into their beginning and end parts, such as ‘str-‘ and ‘eet’, with an emphasis on ‘seeing’ the words and analogy with other words.

In synthetic phonics, children start by sequencing the individual sounds in words – for example, ‘s-t-r-ee-t’, with an emphasis on blending them together.

Once they have learned all these, they progress to reading books.

The ‘synthetic’ part comes from the word ‘synthesise’, meaning to assemble or blend together.

Children who learn using synthetic phonics are able to have a go at new words working from sound alone, whereas those using analytic phonics are more dependent on having prior knowledge of families of words.
September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Sarah Teather responds to claims about LA funding for children’s centres

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 18 November 2010.

Responding to reports that 80 per cent of local authorities cannot guarantee they will fund their children’s centres at the same level in the next financial year as in the current year, Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

We have ensured there is enough money in the system to maintain the network of Sure Start services. We have secured funding for free childcare for three- and four-year-olds as well as the most disadvantaged two-year-olds. As councils make their spending decisions in the coming months, I hope they recognise the priority the Government has placed on early education.

We know high-quality Early Years support can have a lasting impact on children’s lives, so we will expect local authorities to channel resources at those who will benefit most from the excellent support children’s centres can offer.

September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : JCVI advises use of additional bivalent vaccine for autumn booster campaign

The press release issued by the UK Health Security Agency on 3 September 2022.

Published advice updated to include an additional bivalent vaccine now approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Following on from the previous advice on which vaccines should be used in this year’s autumn booster programme, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has updated its published advice to include an additional bivalent vaccine now approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Studies indicate the Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine produces a marginally higher immune response against some variants than the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA Original ‘wild-type’ vaccine. The clinical relevance of these small differences is uncertain

‘Bivalent’ vaccines have been developed by global manufacturers since the emergence and dominance of the Omicron variant. These vaccines are targeted against antigens (substances that induce an immune response) from 2 different COVID-19 strains, or variants.

All of the available booster vaccines offer very good protection against severe illness from COVID-19. As more vaccines continue to be developed, the committee will consider their use in the autumn programme.

Professor Wei Shen Lim, Chair of COVID-19 immunisation on the JCVI, said:

It is very encouraging that more vaccines continue to become available and we now have another option to add to the vaccines already advised for the autumn booster campaign.

Winter is typically the time of greatest threat from respiratory infections. We strongly encourage everyone who is eligible to have their booster vaccine this autumn when it is offered. This is our best defence against becoming severely ill from COVID-19.

September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Rough sleepers helped to rebuild their lives with new strategy backed by £2bn government support
The press release issued by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on 3 September 2022.

Government today publishes landmark £2 billion Rough Sleeping Strategy to drive forward manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping for good.
- Government publishes landmark Rough Sleeping Strategy to drive forward manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping for good
- 14,000 beds and 3,000 support staff this year will help individuals find work and access mental health services
- Extra 2,400 long-term supported homes will be created for those with most complex needs
- To break the cycle of addiction and rough sleeping, drug and alcohol treatment services will be expanded
Thousands of people living on the streets will be given a roof over their heads and tailored support to rebuild their lives under landmark government plans set out today to end rough sleeping.

The cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy is backed by £2 billion and builds on the significant action already taken by the government, which has driven a 43% drop in rough sleeping since 2019 and rough sleeping has fallen to an 8-year low. As a result, England now one of the lowest rough sleeping rates in the world.

In this year’s Spending Review we announced we are spending £2 billion over the course of this parliament to end rough sleeping and tackle homelessness – today’s strategy sets the key funding allocations, totalling £764 million.

This includes up to £500 million over 3 years for the Rough Sleeping Initiative, which this year will help provide 14,000 beds for rough sleepers and 3,000 staff to provide tailored support across England. This includes helping individuals find work, manage their finances and access mental and physical health services.

An extra 2,400 long-term supported homes for those with the most complex needs, including young people, will also be provided, through our new £200 million Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme. This is on top of 3,200 homes that have already been delivered.

To break the cycle of addiction and rough sleeping, the government is also expanding its Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant programme to an additional 20 areas in England, bringing the total to 83. The scheme provides funding for substance misuse treatment services for people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough.

The government has a manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping in this parliament. This means rough sleeping is prevented wherever possible and, where it cannot be prevented, it is a rare, brief and non-recurring experience.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Greg Clark said:

Ending rough sleeping in this parliament is an important manifesto commitment.

We’ve made great strides towards that goal in the last few years, and today’s strategy backed by £2 billion of support will give some of the most vulnerable people in our society a roof over their heads and targeted support so they can rebuild their lives.

The full weight of government is behind this very necessary pledge and this landmark strategy will give us the right tools to identify people at risk of rough sleeping earlier and provide the help they need.

Minister for Rough Sleeping Eddie Hughes said:

No one should have to sleep on our streets and our strategy will help make that a reality.

We will pull every lever at our disposal so councils, working hand in hand with the voluntary, faith and community sectors, can intervene swiftly when someone is sleeping rough.

When I worked at YMCA Birmingham, I saw first-hand how the right support can help people turn their life around. We’re making great progress and this strategy is hugely important step towards ending rough sleeping for good.

The government is also extending the Housing First Pilots in the West Midlands, Manchester and Liverpool, which give homeless people with multiple and complex needs access to independent long-term housing as a secure and stable platform from which other issues can be addressed.

Thousands of prison leavers at risk of homelessness will also be helped into rental accommodation as part of an expanded government scheme designed to reduce reoffending and tackle rough sleeping.

The second phase of the Accommodation for Ex-Offenders programme – to be launched later this year as part of this strategy – will help councils provide rental deposits, landlord incentives and dedicated support staff.

It builds on the 2021/22 scheme, which helped 145 councils across England and Wales provide the much-needed support. With prison leavers without a stable home around 50% more likely to reoffend, the scheme will help cut crime by reducing the number of prison leavers ending up homeless so that they have the foundation to get a job and access treatment for addictions.

And the government is helping to put night shelters on a more secure and stable footing by increasing the variety and quality of services so they can be relied on for the long term.

To improve transparency and accountability for the mission to end rough sleeping, the government will publish quarterly data showing progress.

Finally, as part of our support we are repealing the outdated Vagrancy Act as no-one should be criminalised simply for having nowhere to live. However, to ensure we don’t weaken the ability of police to protect the public and communities from crime and anti-social behaviour we are considering bringing forward new legislation, while also embedding rehabilitation and support at the heart of our approach.

Interim CEO at St Mungo’s homeless charity Rebecca Sycamore said:

As a leading homelessness charity we know first-hand how important it is to focus on the root causes of rough sleeping in order to help break that cycle. We deliver a huge range of services to support people out of homelessness and into rebuilding their lives and so welcome this new strategy.

Currently there is a significant gap in supported accommodation for people with complex needs and the announcement of an extra 2,400 homes in particular, is a step forward to helping people sustain a life away from the streets.

Actions introduced today include:

Rough Sleeping Initiative

The Rough Sleeping Initiative is the government’s flagship programme to drive the manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping. Up to £500 million will help provide emergency beds, off-the-street accommodation and wrap-around support.

Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme

The Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, announced in 2020, is backed by up to £433 million over the lifetime of this parliament. This funding will provide up to 6,000 homes for rough sleepers. Once in their new home, rough sleepers will be supported by specialist staff to access the help they need, such as support for mental health and substance abuse problems, moving towards training and work.

From the total budget of the programme, £39.4 million will continue the work of providing a roof over people’s heads and the support they need to sustain it.

Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme

Many areas need more accommodation with suitable support for adults experiencing multiple disadvantage, both long-term and good quality hostel accommodation, as well as specialist accommodation for young people (under 25) who are already experiencing rough sleeping or are at risk.

This is why the government is introducing the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme (SHAP), a new £200 million fund, which will deliver up to 2,400 homes by March 2025, including supported housing and Housing First accommodation, and accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness, including rough sleeping.

Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant

Since 2020/21 the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant has provided £50 million for substance misuse treatment services for people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough. This includes evidence-based drug and alcohol treatment and wraparound support to improve access to treatment, including for people with additional mental health needs.

The government will provide extra investment of up to £186.5 million over the spending review period, expanding these vital services to 20 more areas, bringing the total to 83 areas and 5 pan-London projects. This includes an investment of £15 million announced as part of the cross-government Drug Strategy.

Housing First Pilots

Housing First supports homeless people with multiple and complex needs to access and maintain independent housing. Unlike traditional ‘staircase’ or ‘treatment first’ approaches, it places people directly in independent long-term settled housing, with personalised, flexible and non-time-limited support. This gives people choice and control over both their housing and the support they receive – secure housing offers a stable platform from which other issues can addressed, rather than setting preconditions such as being ‘housing ready’ or participating in treatment.

We are extending our Housing First Pilots in the West Midlands, Manchester, and Liverpool, providing a further £13.9 million over 2 years on top of the £28 million already invested.

Voluntary, Community and Frontline Sector programme

Up to £7.3 million will ensure local rough sleeping services have the tools they need to end rough sleeping and develop prevention services to stop people arriving on the streets in the first place.

Streetlink

We will revitalise this initiative, which enables people to connect local services with somebody they see sleeping rough, with new investment to improve the website and make it more user friendly.

Transparency and data-led Framework

We are committed to ending rough sleeping – this means rough sleeping will be prevented wherever possible or, where it cannot be prevented, be a rare, brief and non-recurring experience. In practice this approach, developed in consultation with experts at the Centre for Homelessness Impact, means more effective support to prevent rough sleeping from happening in the first place, and a tailored offer of support where it does, so people can build an independent life off the streets.

To hold the government and local leaders to account and measure progress, we will publish quarterly data to set out how the government and its partners are delivering on this mission.

Night Shelter Transformation Fund

Help for faith and community groups to develop night shelter services, to expand high-quality single-room accommodation and move-on support for rough sleepers. DLUHC will work with Homeless Link and Housing Justice to help organisations, with up to £10 million of funding across 2022-2025.

This fund aims to transform the sector for the long term, with a wider range of services, partner organisations on a firmer footing and less reliance on government funding to meet core costs.
September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : £2 bus fare cap across England to save passengers money
The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 3 September 2022.

Government to provide up to £60 million from January to March next year, to help bus operators to cap single adult fares at £2 per journey.
- people could save more than £3 per single bus ticket to help with cost of living pressures
- £2 bus fare cap on almost every single journey across England, saving people 30% on the average fare, helping millions with travel costs for work and essential journeys
- government providing up to £60 million over 3 months to subsidise operator costs and incentivise greener travel for commuters
Millions across England will save money through a new £2 cap on single bus journeys from January to March 2023, backed by up to £60 million to ensure affordable transport across the country.

The Transport Secretary has today announced the government will provide up to £60 million from January to March next year, to help bus operators to cap single adult fares at £2 per journey.

The move will help passengers with travel costs for work, education, shopping and medical treatments over the winter months while they are facing pressures from the rising cost of living.

Bus fares vary across different parts of the country and between bus operators, and can even reach almost £6 for a single journey in rural areas. The new cap means passengers in those areas could save more than £60 a month if they took 4 single trips a week.

The average single fare for a 3-mile journey is estimated at over £2.80, meaning that the new fare will save passengers almost 30% of the price every time they travel.

The funding to keep fares down follows the government’s announcement of £130 million last month to protect vital bus routes and services across the country, which those on lower incomes in particular rely on.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Buses are by far and away the most used form of public transport, so ensuring that almost all bus journeys are no more than £2 will assist passengers over the winter months and provide direct help to thousands of households across the country.

This £60 million boost will mean everyone can affordably get to work, education, the shops and doctor’s appointments.

We know people will be feeling the pressure of rising costs this winter, and so we have been working hard this summer to provide practical concrete help that will lower daily expenditure.

The new initiative follows the allocation of more than £2 billion to support bus services in England through the pandemic and a commitment to fund improved services, new bus priority measures and new electric or hydrogen buses as part of Bus Back Better, the ambitious national bus strategy, published last year.

During the pandemic bus passenger numbers declined significantly, along with other public transport users, and figures show usage has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

However, ensuring the public can access affordable bus fares will encourage more people to choose buses for local journeys, which helps to reduce carbon emissions as the country moves towards Net Zero targets. The scheme is estimated to take at least 2 million car journeys off the roads, cutting congestion and pollution for everyone.

Introducing the fare cap by January enables the government to work with operators and local authorities to implement a scheme that most effectively delivers real savings for passengers. Operators representing around 90% of the bus market have expressed support for the scheme and we hope that all bus operators will participate.

The fare cap builds on lots of offers around the country in areas with high bus demand, which include daily, weekly and monthly ticket options and promotional offers. Single fares which are already lower than £2 will not be affected by the cap.

The government will continue to work closely with bus operators and local authorities and consider future support to help passengers continue accessing reliable and affordable bus services after March.

A flat-rate bus pilot scheme, backed by £23.5 million of government funding, launched in Cornwall this January and has already seen an indicative 10% increase in passenger numbers. The ‘Any Ticket Any Bus’ scheme, running over 4 years, includes a £3 day ticket within towns or a £9 day ticket across all of Cornwall, which is valid across different bus operators.

Dawn Badminton-Capps, Director for England for charity Bus Users, said:

The cap on fares being announced today will bring welcome, short-term relief to the millions of people who rely on buses to access education, employment and health services. Buses make a vital contribution to society and government support is critical in protecting services for the future.

Paul Tuohy, Chief Executive of Campaign for Better Transport, said:

This will be very welcome news for the millions of people who rely on the bus to get to work, to the shops, to medical appointments and to connect with friends and family. It will also encourage more people to find their nearest bus stop and give the bus a try… where could YOU go for just £2?

Buses have great potential to cut traffic and carbon emissions, to connect communities and ease loneliness. This £2 fare cap – which we have called for – will help set buses on the road to a bright future.

Alison Edwards, Policy Director at the Confederation of Passenger Transport:

Bus fare caps at £2 are an eye-catching initiative which could help attract new passengers onto the bus, particularly at a time when networks are adapting to new travel patterns, and both customers and operators are facing cost of living and business cost challenges.

We look forward to understanding in detail how the proposed fare cap will work in practice to ensure it supports the long-term sustainability of bus networks, which are vital in connecting communities with jobs, education and skills, as well as friends, family and essential public services.
September 3, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : £110m fund to level up rural communities unveiled
The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 3 September 2022.

Rural businesses such as farms, wedding venues and pubs will benefit from up to £110 million of funding being allocated today to support countryside communities across England.

The funding will be invested in projects which will boost productivity and create rural job opportunities. These could include farm businesses looking to diversify by opening a farm shop, wedding venue or tourism facilities or improvements to village halls, pubs and other rural hubs for community uses.

Investment will be based on local priorities and support investment in projects such as grants for:
- converting farm buildings to other business uses
- rural tourism, such as investments in visitor accommodation
- capital grants for provision of gigabit-capable digital infrastructure at hubs such as village halls, pubs and post offices for community use
- capital grants to develop, restore or refurbish local natural, cultural and heritage assets and sites
- creation of new footpaths and cycle paths, particularly in areas of health need, or capital grants to enable people to develop volunteering and social action projects locally
The Rural England Prosperity Fund worth up to £110 million will be delivered by eligible local authorities and give local leaders a greater say in investment than they previously had under EU schemes. It will be in addition to the £2.6 billion allocated via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to support levelling up across the UK. The fund will be part of the UKSPF and is a rural top-up for eligible local authorities.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Greg Clark MP said:

This major investment in rural businesses will help us boost the countryside economy and close the rural productivity gap.

It’s our mission to spread opportunity across the whole of the UK and this funding will help us do just that.

Lord Benyon, Minister for Rural Affairs, said:

We are addressing the rural productivity gap, levelling-up opportunities and outcomes, and looking after the rural areas and countryside that so many of us are proud to call home.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund worth up to £110 million recognises the unique strengths and challenges of rural communities, and will support them to invest and grow their economies in line with local priorities.

Rural areas contribute hugely to the life of our nation economically, socially and culturally. 85% of England’s land mass is rural, rural areas are home to 9.6 million people (17% of England’s population) and the rural economy is worth £260 billion to the economy (15% of England’s output).

Published today, the ‘Delivering for Rural England’ report describes how rural interests will be at the heart of the government’s approach to levelling up to ensure the 12 levelling-up missions deliver for these communities.

The report summarises the considerable progress that has been made in supporting rural areas, for example in improving connectivity with 30% of rural premises now having access to gigabit-capable connections compared with 19% in January 2021.

As well as the ongoing work to recruit 20,000 more police officers across the whole country and make our streets safer, the government has also taken steps through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act to tackle crimes prevalent in rural communities such as illegal hare coursing. The new measures came into force on 1 August and strengthen penalties for those caught hare coursing who will now face an unlimited fine and up to six months in prison.

The report sets out how the government is working to close the productivity gap for rural areas, which has fallen from 90% of the England average in 2001 to 83% in 2019. Funding announced today through the Rural England Prosperity Fund, together with the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), Food Strategy and the Agricultural Transition Plan, is set to unlock billions of investment in rural communities over the coming years.

Rural proofing – the process by which government ensures the needs of rural communities are met in government policy-making – has also been supported with the development of new guidance and training for civil servants. Work will also continue in developing the role that the Levelling Up Advisory Council can play in offering specific insights into the design and delivery of levelling up in rural areas.
September 3, 2022