Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Search begins for a design team for the national Queen Elizabeth II Memorial [December 2024]
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 12 December 2024.

UK Government has launched an open search today for a team to create a design masterplan to honour The Late Queen.
- Competition welcomes architect-led multidisciplinary teams to submit details of profile, team composition, and experience. No design is required at first stage
- Finalist teams to create concept masterplans for site within St James’s Park, London
- Deadline 14:00 GMT, 20 January, 2025
Leading artists, architects and engineers can express their interest in designing the masterplan for the national memorial to Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial will be one of the most significant design projects in recent British history and will provide the nation with a permanent memorial to the UK’s longest-serving monarch.

The Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, chaired by The Late Queen’s former Private Secretary, Lord Janvrin, is working with competition specialists at Malcolm Reading Consultants to identify a team of inspired and dedicated artists, architects, engineers, and landscape architects and other specialists who would be interested in designing the project.

The Committee is urging creatives interested in designing the masterplan for the Queen Elizabeth II National Memorial Masterplan Design Competition to submit a twelve-page Expression of Interest via the online form.

Full details of the project and how to enter the competition are available on the dedicated competition website: https://competitions.malcolmreading.com/queenelizabethmemorial

Details of the Selection Panel can also be found in the Competition Conditions available on the website.

The first stage of the two-stage competition opens today 12 December 2024 and closes at 14:00 on 20 January 2025. Subsequently, there will be a ten-week design stage for a shortlist of five competitors. No design work is required at stage one.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said:

Queen Elizabeth II was our longest reigning Monarch and Her Majesty dedicated her life to serving the people of the United Kingdom.

This National Memorial will provide a permanent tribute to The Late Queen’s legacy, offering space for reflection as well as celebration. We want the very best architects and designers to come forward with their ideas for how this historic project should look.

Committee Chair Lord Janvrin said:

We want to attract the finest teams of architects, artists, landscape architects, engineers and other specialists to work with us to create an outstanding design for the memorial site. We are looking for teams who thoroughly understand and connect with our ambitions for the project.

The challenge at the second stage for the finalists will be to evoke memories of Queen Elizabeth II’s outstanding contribution to national life and to tell the story of Her Majesty’s long reign through an original masterplan that is sensitive to the unique setting.

The memorial must be – simply – a beautiful place, somewhere to visit with family and friends, to enjoy and to reflect on an extraordinary life.

The Memorial will be located in St James’s Park, the UK’s oldest Royal Park, and close to Buckingham Palace.

The site includes the area of the Grade I listed Park adjacent to The Mall at Marlborough Gate, and the land surrounding the pathway down to the lake including the Blue Bridge and the land either side and across to Birdcage Walk.

The Committee is seeking a design that is beautiful, inclusive and sustainable. The competition brief sets out defining elements including a new bridge over the lake and opportunities for artistic interventions and enhanced landscaping.

The new memorial will be of outstanding design quality and an emotionally powerful place, with celebratory spaces as well as areas to encourage reflection. Integral to the Committee’s vision is the intention to place a standalone monument including a figurative representation of the late Queen at the Marlborough Gate entrance.

Post-competition, an artist/sculptor for the figurative element will be appointed by the winning lead designer in consultation and agreement with the Committee, ensuring a strong creative match and an integrated scheme.

As a national memorial to the country’s longest-serving and much-respected Monarch, the Government has identified a provisional construction budget of £23m-46m excluding VAT for the project. The provisional construction budget is required at this stage as a guide for designers to develop their proposals. The final cost will depend on the winning design and will be shared in due course. The Committee will judge all submissions against a value for money criteria.

This provisional construction cost includes the replacement of the Blue Bridge – an important public amenity in St James’s Park.

The shortlist is expected to be announced in spring 2025 and the winner in early summer 2025.

The final design will be announced to coincide with what would have been Her Late Majesty’s 100th birthday year in 2026, following approval from the Prime Minister and His Majesty The King.

The Committee has visited the four nations of the United Kingdom and engaged widely to ensure ideas and suggestions from the public, experts and key stakeholder groups inform the project scope and competition brief. The winning team will be expected to work with the Committee on their public engagement strategy.
January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Planning overhaul to reach 1.5 million new homes [December 2024]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 12 December 2024.

An overhaul of the planning system to accelerate housebuilding and deliver 1.5 million homes over this Parliament.
- Security for hard working families as government sets mandatory higher housing targets for councils across the country
- Planning reform sees lower quality ‘grey belt’ land defined in national planning policy for the first time, with tough new ‘golden rules’ on development to guarantee affordable housing, local services and green spaces
- £100m additional cash for councils’ planning officers, along with 300 additional planning officers, will see faster decision making to turbocharge growth and get families onto the property ladder
- Comes as an immediate step to grow the economy and support government’s Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million homes
Hard working families locked out of owning their own home for far too long will benefit from government’s landmark planning changes.

Under the plans, councils will be told they must play their part to meet housing need by reaching a new ambitious combined target of 370,000 homes a year. This comes less than one week after the Prime Minister announced the Plan for Change that sets our milestone of delivering 1.5 million new homes over five years.

In a major boost for communities across the country, the government is today turbocharging growth with new, mandatory targets for councils to ramp up housebuilding across the country. The planning overhaul is set to tackle the chronic housing crisis once and for all and will mean hard graft at work will be rewarded with security at home.

Today’s changes tackle the dire inheritance faced by the government, in which 1.3 million households are on social housing waiting lists and a record number of households – including 160,000 children – are living in temporary accommodation.

Under new planning rules, updated via the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF):
- Councils will be told to play their part to meet housing need, with new immediate mandatory housing targets for councils to ramp up housebuilding and deliver growth across the country putting more money in working people’s pockets.
- Areas with the highest unaffordability for housing and greatest potential for growth will see housebuilding targets increase, while stronger action will ensure councils adopt up-to-date local plans or develop new plans that work for their communities.
- A new common-sense approach will be introduced to the greenbelt. While remaining committed to a brownfield first approach, the updated NPPF will require councils to review their greenbelt boundaries to meet targets, identifying and prioritising lower quality ‘grey belt’ land.
- Any development on greenbelt must meet strict requirements, via the new ‘golden rules’, which require developers to provide the necessary infrastructure for local communities, such as nurseries, GP surgeries and transport, as well as a premium level of social and affordable housing.
- To further tackle the housing crisis, councils and developers will also need to give greater consideration to social rent when building new homes and local leaders have greater powers to build genuinely affordable homes for those who need them most.
The government has been clear that it supports builders not blockers, as it makes the necessary decisions to deliver for working people across the country.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“For far too long, working people graft hard but are denied the security of owning their own home. I know how important it is – our pebble dash semi meant everything to our family growing up. But with a generation of young people whose dream of homeownership feels like a distant reality, and record levels of homelessness, there’s no shying away from the housing crisis we have inherited.

“We owe it to those working families to take urgent action, and that is what this government is doing. Our Plan for Change will put builders not blockers first, overhaul the broken planning system and put roofs over the heads of working families and drive the growth that will put more money in people’s pockets.

“We’re taking immediate action to make the dream of homeownership a reality through delivering 1.5 million homes by the next parliament and rebuilding Britain to deliver for working people.”

Reform is desperately needed if we are to build 1.5 million homes. Under the current planning framework just under one third of local authorities have adopted a local plan within the last five years and the number of homes granted planning permission had also been allowed to fall to its lowest level in a decade.

That has to change. Following consultation, areas must commit to timetables for new plans within 12 weeks the updated NPPF or ministers will not hesitate to use their existing suite of intervention powers to ensure plans are put in place.

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said:

“From day one I have been open and honest about the scale of the housing crisis we have inherited. This mission-led government will not shy away from taking the bold and decisive action needed to fix it for good.

“We cannot shirk responsibility and leave over a million families on housing waiting lists and a generation locked out of home ownership. Our Plan for Change means overhauling planning to make the dream of a secure home a reality for working people.

“Today’s landmark overhaul will sweep away last year’s damaging changes and shake-up a broken planning system which caves into the blockers and obstructs the builders.

“I will not hesitate to do what it takes to build 1.5 million new homes over five years and deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

”We must all do our bit and we must all do more. We expect every local area to adopt a plan to meet their housing need. The question is where the homes and local services people expect are built, not whether they are built at all.”

Reflecting our commitment to the plan-led system, meaning where and how new development is built through local plans, ministers will provide local authorities with three months in which to progress local plans that are currently in development, subject to conditions that catch those which significantly undershoot the new targets.

But the government is introducing a new requirement that where plans based on old targets are still in place from July 2026, councils will need to provide for an extra year’s supply of homes in their pipeline – six years instead of five.

Where they do not, the strengthened presumption in favour of sustainable development would apply alongside the existing safeguards in national policy around provision of affordable housing, design quality, and sustainability of location.

Brownfield land must continue to be the first port of call for any new development and the default answer when asked to build on brownfield should always be ‘yes’. The government is also exploring further action to support and expedite the development of brownfield land in urban areas through ‘brownfield passports’ with more details to be set out next year.

To support councils to update their local plans and review their current greenbelt land, areas will receive an additional £100 million of cash next year that can be used to hire more staff and consultants as well as more resources to carry out technical studies and site assessments. This is on top of bolstering local resources with increased planning fees to cover costs and an additional 300 planning officers, making sure they have the staff and capacity needed to approve homes for local people.

The new growth focused NPPF also includes requirements to ensure homes are high-quality and well-designed without stalling growth. The government has also committed to updating the National Design Guide and National Model Design Code in Spring next year.

On the NPPF consultation:

The government has published its full response to the National Planning Policy Framework consultation.

The new annual housing targets continue to total an ambitious 370,000 across England, with higher mandatory targets in those places facing the most acute affordability.

Drawing on over 10,000 responses to the consultation and extensive engagement across the housing sector, the NPPF published today contains a number of refinements to the proposals set out in the summer.

The government also consulted on increasing planning fees for householder applications and other applications, alongside allowing local authorities to set their own fees.

Eligible local planning authorities are invited to submit an Expression of Interest by 17 January 2025 to request a share of the £14.8 million grant funding, supporting them with local plan delivery and green belt reviews.

As part of its relentless focus to get Britain building again, the government has already:
- Launched a New Homes Accelerator to unblock thousands of homes stuck in the planning system.
- Set up an independent New Towns Taskforce, as part of a long-term vision to create large-scale communities of at least 10,000 new homes each.
- Awarded £68 million to 54 local councils to unlock housing on brownfield sites.
- Awarded £47 million to seven councils to unlock homes stalled by nutrient neutrality rules.
- Announced an additional £3 billion in housing guarantees to help builders apply for more accessible loans from banks and lenders.
- Extended the existing Home Building Fund for next year providing up to £700 million of vital support to SME housebuilders, delivering an additional 12,000 new homes.
The government has published its first working paper for the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, seeking views from a range of planning, housing and local experts before finalising proposals details for planning committees.

This will be followed by a formal public consultation on these detailed proposals to coincide with the Bill’s introduction next year.

Golden rules:
- Brownfield first.
- Grey belt second.
- Affordable homes.
- Boost public services and infrastructure.
- Improve genuine green spaces.
January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : International Human Rights Day: joint statement to the OSCE [December 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2024.

UK joins statement at the OSCE which says Russian measures are tools of authoritarianism and control – creating a climate of fear, impacting the human rights and freedoms of all Russians.

Madam Chair,

I am delivering this statement on behalf of Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States and my own country Canada.

December 10th, Human Rights Day, commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The UDHR laid the foundation for a series of widely ratified human rights treaties, which form much of the structure of international human rights law today. These are the rules. commitments, and obligations to which states bound themselves with a view to respecting and protecting the inherent dignity of the human person.

In 1975, in the Helsinki Final Act, participating States reaffirmed their commitment to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms and acknowledged the intrinsic link between human rights and security. The signing of the Helsinki Final Act had a profound impact on human rights activism, sparking the creation of “Helsinki Committees” and “Helsinki Watch” groups which monitored their governments’ compliance with human rights principles. We have seen in our region how increased respect for human rights can bring tangible change and benefit for people.

We are also seeing how a disregard for human rights can bring not only suffering for individuals but also undermine security and stability for communities and societies.

In the OSCE region, we are reminded of this daily by the terrible abuses of human rights committed by Russia in the context of their war of aggression against Ukraine.

But human rights abuses and violations are not limited to the context of this war.

We are alarmed by reports this week of a new wave of raids conducted in clubs and bars in Moscow, described by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs as part of the “fight against LGBT propaganda.” In some establishments clients were forced to lie face down on the floor, other clients were reportedly given summonses to the military registration and enlistment office, while others were fined for hooliganism. Individuals have even been charged with “organizing extremist activity” simply for providing business services to LGBTQIA+ people.

The incompatibility of Russia’s “anti-LGBT propaganda” laws with its human rights obligations was confirmed by the European Court of Human Rights. Furthermore, UN experts and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have raised serious concerns about the dangerous precedent set by declaring the “international LGBT movement” as “extremist.” Since the adoption of these laws, we have seen the tangible impact of these designations in the repeated use of the state apparatus to harass and persecute LGBTQIA+ individuals in Russia.

Moreover, the measures Russia has introduced are tools of authoritarianism and control – creating a climate of fear and ultimately impacting the human rights and freedoms of all Russians.

Regrettably, we have seen other participating States move to replicate this approach by restricting LGBTQIA+ content in media, education, and public spaces.

We urge those participating States, and those considering such legislation, to reconsider. We urge this not based on our opinion or perspective but rather based on the standards that we have all agreed – on the basis of the UDHR, on the basis of our human rights obligations, and on the basis of our OSCE commitments.

This is not a culture war. It is not a question of West of Vienna versus East of Vienna, because there is no difference in the human dimension commitments that we all, as participating States, have accepted. The best way to protect values is to ensure that the human rights of all individuals are respected.

Madam Chair

No country or society is free from discrimination and intolerance. All participating States must work to ensure respect for the human rights of their populations.

In marking this Human Rights Day, let us recommit ourselves to respecting and protecting the inherent dignity of the human person everywhere in this region.

Thank you.

January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Advice accepted on spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme [December 2024]
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 12 December 2024.

The government has accepted advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) for the spring 2025 COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne, said:

We are committed to making sure the most vulnerable people are protected from COVID-19, and have accepted the independent advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation for the spring 2025 vaccination programme.

I urge those eligible who are yet to come forward for a COVID-19, flu or RSV vaccination this winter to get vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves, their family, and the NHS.

Background information

The aim of the COVID-19 immunisation programme is to prevent serious disease (hospitalisation and/or mortality) arising from COVID-19.

JCVI advises that the following groups should be offered COVID-19 vaccination in spring 2025:
- adults aged 75 years and over
- residents in a care home for older adults
- individuals aged 6 months and over who are immunosuppressed (as defined in the ‘immunosuppression’ sections of tables 3 or 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the green book)
The government is considering JCVI’s advice for autumn 2025 and spring 2026 programmes and will respond in due course.
January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Security and trade top agenda on Foreign Secretary’s visit to the Caribbean [December 2024]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2024.

David Lammy begins his first visit to the Caribbean as Foreign Secretary, where he will launch new partnerships to strengthen national security.
- UK announces new programme to tackle organised crime, corruption and drug trafficking
- Foreign Secretary will visit Guyana and Barbados, 2 of the most dynamic economies in the Caribbean
- major infrastructure deal for British business on the agenda, highlighting the government’s commitment to opening new overseas markets for UK firms and driving up prosperity
David Lammy begins his first visit to the Caribbean as Foreign Secretary, where (on Thursday 12 December) he will launch a new partnership to help tackle organised crime, boost economic growth and adapt to the climate crisis, all key to strengthening national security.

While in Barbados, the UK will finalise agreements aimed at preventing organised crime and reducing violence, making people in the Caribbean and the UK safer. The government will offer British expertise – to help regional authorities investigate and disrupt criminal networks to strengthen law enforcement, tackle gangs and keep drugs out of the Caribbean Sea and off UK streets – a part of this government’s mission for making safer streets and so British people can live their lives without fear of crime. He will make the announcement at the IDB Latin America & Caribbean Security Ministers Conference.

The Foreign Secretary will then travel to Guyana, the world’s fastest growing economy, to strengthen ties between both countries. On Friday 13, he will visit a maternity hospital in Guyana’s capital Georgetown, which is being constructed using steel manufactured in Yorkshire. This underscores how UK exports are improving Guyana’s healthcare provision, while creating jobs back in Britain to help build the foundations of a stronger economy and deliver on this government’s Plan for Change.

He will also seek to push forward a major infrastructure deal for British construction businesses to help in the expansion of Guyana’s main international airport. This highlights the government’s commitment to opening new overseas markets for UK firms, driving up prosperity and deliver national renewal.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

As the son of Guyanese parents, I am living proof of the ties the UK shares with the Caribbean. Building our ties with these fast-growing economies in the region will make the UK and the Caribbean safer, stronger, more prosperous and more resilient against the climate crisis.

Growth and prosperity in the UK rely on security and stability around the world – which is why we are helping to tackle organised crime and corruption, keeping drugs off UK streets and hitting the criminal networks involved in the narcotics trade in the Caribbean. The government’s plan to smash the gangs means working with our partners to bolster our national security.

Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl, the Foreign Secretary will travel with Barbados’ Prime Minister Mia Mottley to areas damaged by the storm and see firsthand how climate change is having a real impact on the Caribbean and island states.

David Lammy will announce new UK funding to help countries in the region harness green energy resources and move away from fossil fuel use. He will set out a new programme to help protect forests and tackle illegal logging, helping protect vital natural habitats.

UK minister for the Caribbean, Baroness Chapman will also be part of the UK delegation meeting Prime Minister Mia Mottley in Barbados. She will accompany the Foreign Secretary around the island alongside the Prime Minister.

The minister will then join the Foreign Secretary at the Regional Security System (RSS) headquarters in Barbados, where they will be shown how the UK is supporting the fight against drug trafficking and organised crime across the region.

In Guyana, the fastest growing economy in the world and the UK’s biggest trading partner in the region, the Foreign Secretary will hold talks with President Ali to discuss how to boost commercial ties between both countries, alongside tackling issues of common concern, including the climate crisis. He will also show the UK’s steadfast support for Guyanese territorial integrity, in the face of illegitimate Venezuelan claims to Essequibo.
January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Government announces COVID-19 Day of Reflection 2025 [December 2024]

The press release issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 12 December 2024.

A UK-wide Day of Reflection will take place on Sunday 9 March 2025.

Communities across the country will be invited to come together to remember loved ones and reflect on the impact of the pandemic
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has confirmed that next year a COVID-19 Day of Reflection will take place on 9 March to remember the pandemic and its impact on communities across the UK.

The COVID-19 Day of Reflection is one of the ten recommendations set out by the UK Commission on Covid Commemoration.

To mark the fifth anniversary of the pandemic, people across the UK are invited to come together to remember and reflect on this unique period of our history as well as their own experiences.

The day will be an opportunity for the public to remember and commemorate those who lost their lives during the pandemic, reflect on the sacrifices made and the impact on our daily lives, and pay tribute to the work of health and social care staff, frontline workers, researchers and all those who volunteered and showed acts of kindness during this unprecedented time.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said:

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on all of us. This Day of Reflection is an opportunity to remember the friends and loved ones that we lost, as well as the sacrifices that so many people made.

There are lots of ways to take part in the Day of Reflection, whether it’s organising or attending a community event, or remembering in your own way at home. It’s important that people take part in the way that is right for them.

Chair of the Covid Commemoration Commission Baroness Morgan of Cotes said:

As each year passes since the height of the pandemic it can feel as if Covid is more and more of a distant memory. And yet I know from the conversations the UK Covid Commemoration Commissioners had, that those who lost loved ones appreciate a day when many others will also remember those who lost their lives with them. Today’s announcement of the 2025 Day of Reflection is therefore very welcome.

The announcement of next year’s date follows this year’s commemoration in March that saw people come together to pay tribute to those affected and those who sadly lost their lives. The UK Commission on Covid Commemoration, headed by Baroness Morgan of Cotes, worked with bereaved families to find appropriate ways to remember those who lost their lives during the pandemic. It presented its recommendations in September 2023, including that an annual UK-wide Day of Reflection should be established.

The Government’s wider response to the Commission’s report will be published in due course.

January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Public urged to get flu vaccine as hospitalisation rates rise steeply [December 2024]

The press release issued by the UK Health Security Agency on 12 December 2024.

Flu positivity jumps to 17.1% as vaccine take-up rates lag behind levels needed to protect the NHS and levels of norovirus highest in a decade for the time of year.

The government’s medical experts are calling on eligible groups to ensure they book their flu and COVID-19 vaccinations before the deadline on 19 December. People are urged to protect themselves before Christmas amid a recent rise in flu cases.

The latest edition of the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) COVID-19, influenza (flu), Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and norovirus surveillance bulletin (formally Weekly Winter Briefing) shows that flu positivity in week 49 jumped to 17.1%, compared to 11.6% in the previous week.

Hospitalisations as a result of flu also rose to 5.53 per 100,000 this week, compared with 3.98 per 100,000 in the previous week’s report.

The national booking system for flu vaccination closes on 19 December and with NHS hospitals already managing record flu levels going into winter, top doctors, including the Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, are urging those who are still eligible for vaccination to book their appointments immediately. After this date people will only be able to access the flu vaccine through their GPs and some pharmacies.

The latest figures come as flu and COVID-19 vaccination uptake rates are still not at the levels we need to prevent further rises in admissions. Vaccine uptake currently stands at 37% for those in a clinical risk group.

Alongside increases in cases and hospitalisation due to flu, the latest surveillance data shows that current laboratory reports of norovirus are more than double the 5-season average (see notes). This is the highest number of cases recorded between week 47 and 48 (747 laboratory reports) in a decade – since the data began reporting in this way in 2014.

Norovirus has increased in all regions across England and all age groups, most notably in those aged over 65. This season the increase in reporting has begun earlier than usual, with activity between 18 November and 1 December 33.2% higher than the previous 2-week period.

Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Advisor at UKHSA, said:

The threat of an early flu season is materialising, alongside norovirus rates increasing rapidly. With winter vaccine uptake not yet reaching the high levels we aim for in some eligible groups – including healthcare workers, our forecasts for infection rates are not getting any brighter.

It is vital that those eligible take up the free flu and COVID-19 vaccines before Christmas. In just one week it will be too late to book through the NHS online booking service. Taking up the vaccine will prevent putting your seasonal plans in jeopardy – and more importantly, prevent the risk of severe illness and hospitalisation.

The elderly and those with weakened immune systems are most at risk of suffering more serious illness from flu or norovirus, so if you have flu-like symptoms or diarrhoea or vomiting, avoid visiting people in hospital and care homes to prevent passing on the infection in these settings.

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer said:

The latest data is clear that flu is rising rapidly, and we are approaching a serious flu wave.

Flu can be unpleasant for many and life threatening for some. With the festive season approaching we can still reduce illness, hospitalisations and deaths by increasing vaccination rates – it is our best defence. Now is the time to get vaccinated if you are eligible.

Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said:

The sharp rise in the number of patients in hospital with flu compared to last year shows just how important it is for anyone eligible to follow the lead of the millions of others and get vaccinated as soon as possible.

Vaccines are a vital defence against serious illness and hospitalisation and keep you and your family protected, so with the festive period approaching and just a week to go to book if you are eligible and not yet vaccinated, then please do go online, use the NHS App or ring 119 as soon as you can to get an appointment.

Several factors are likely contributing to the unusually high levels of norovirus activity we are seeing at the stage of the season, including changes in diagnostic testing.

However, it is most likely that the emergence of an unusual norovirus genotype, GII.17 is driving the increases. This genotype has become the most commonly detected in England since April 2024, accounting for 63.2% of characterised samples during the 2024/25 season to date.

Previously, GII.4 noroviruses have dominated globally with GII.4/Sydney/2012 variants persisting as the most frequently detected variant worldwide since the winter of 2012. There’s currently no indication that GII.17 causes more severe illness, but work is underway to conduct further assessment of severity.

To reduce the spread of norovirus, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, as alcohol-based hand sanitisers are not effective against the virus. Stay at home for at least 48 hours after symptoms stop and disinfect surfaces using a bleach-based cleaner where possible.

The UKHSA COVID-19, influenza (flu), RSV and norovirus surveillance bulletin also showed a slight decrease in RSV cases, while COVID-19 continued to circulate at low levels.

Vaccination against RSV is being offered for the first time this year to anyone who is 28 or more weeks pregnant, along with people aged 75 to 79 years.

The NHS website has information on symptoms, how to help yourself feel better at home, and when to seek medical attention.

The week 50 flu, COVID-19 and RSV surveillance report and norovirus surveillance report have been published.

Notes

The 5-season average for norovirus is calculated from the same period during the 5 seasons of 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2022/2023 and 2023/2024, excluding years impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : LGBT veterans to receive up to £75 million in financial recognition for historic wrongs [December 2024]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 12 December 2024.

Government has launched £75 million LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme after discussions with veterans.

LGBT veterans will receive up to £70,000 each to acknowledge the historic wrongs they experienced in the Armed Forces – with the Government increasing the total amount available for payments up to £75 million, significantly above the level recommended in the Etherton Review into the treatment of LGBT veterans.

The increase follows extensive engagement with LGBT veterans and demonstrates the Government’s commitment to supporting veterans alongside recognising the historic hurt caused.

LGBT veterans who were dismissed or discharged because of their sexual orientation or gender identify will receive £50,000. As a result of the increased funding, additional payments of up to £20,000 will be available for veterans and Service Personnel who were negatively affected by the ban on LGBT personnel from 1967 to 2000 during their time in Service – this is an increase of 50% to the Financial Recognition Scheme.

Ministers have also announced today (Thursday 12 December) that LGBT veterans, dismissed or discharged due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, can apply to have their rank restored and discharge reason amended.

Defence Secretary John Healey said:

The historic treatment of LGBT veterans was a moral stain on our nation. Our Government is determined to right the wrongs of the past and recognise the hurt that too many endured.

We have listened to veterans and will continue to deliver against the recommendations set out in the Etherton review. We will continue to support our veterans as we work to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve, and have served.

This work was rightly started by the previous Government, and will be taken forward and delivered by this Government.

The Financial Recognition Scheme and other restorative measures will be debated in the House of Commons today (Thursday 12 December), with a portal for applications opening tomorrow. Several veterans affected by the LGBT ban have been invited to watch the debate.

Today’s announcements mark a significant step towards implementing Lord Etherton’s review, which looked at the appalling treatment of LGBT serving personnel between 1967 and 2000. With applications opening tomorrow for the Financial Recognition Scheme, which will leave only seven recommendations outstanding, the Ministry of Defence is working closely with other Government departments and stakeholders to ensure all remaining recommendations are delivered in 2025.

The payments announced today (Thursday 12 December) will be exempt from income tax and means tested benefits, ensuring LGBT veterans benefit from the full amount available.

Minister for Veterans and People Alistair Carns said:

This response to Lord Etherton’s Review indicates the urgent action we’re taking to help redress the regrettable chapter in the history of the Armed Forces.

The treatment of LGBT people is a shameful chapter in the history of our Armed Forces and we are working hard to address the wrongs of the past.

We fully welcome our LGBT veterans back into Defence and acknowledge their vital contribution to keeping the nation safe.

To help as many eligible people to apply as possible, the Ministry of Defence has set aside a £90,000 fund for key charities to support LGBT veterans with their applications.

Four non-financial restorative measures, including the two announced today on rank restoration and the qualification of administrative discharges, will be extended to those who served before 1967. The other two are certificates of service being reissued and former Officers having their service details published in The Gazette.

January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : UK officials travel to Sudan [December 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 12 December 2024.

The UK Special Representative to Sudan, Richard Crowder, led a UK delegation to Port Sudan this week – the first official UK visit to Sudan since the outbreak of the conflict in April 2023.

Richard met with several members of the Transitional Sovereignty Council. He emphasised the importance of allowing unrestricted humanitarian access into Sudan and across conflict lines.

He pressed for a resolution to the conflict, and for all parties to engage constructively in mediation talks, including complying with the Jeddah Declaration of Commitments to Protect Civilians.

The UK will continue to call for the protection of civilians and condemns the recent attacks on a marketplace in Kabkabiya and shelling of Omdurman.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

For over eighteen months, Sudanese civilians have endured unimaginable violence, and their suffering is a scar on our collective conscience.

The UK has doubled our aid commitment, but every aid route must be open, accessible and safe. The UK will not stop working with our partners in Africa, the region and around the world to help. We will not forget Sudan.

The UK delegation, which included humanitarian experts, also met humanitarian partners and saw the impact of UK aid on the ground in Port Sudan.

January 1, 2025
PRESS RELEASE : Courses key to government growth mission will stay [December 2024]
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 December 2024.

Courses key to government growth mission will stay, with 70% of the remaining qualifications due for defunding to be saved.

The government has today (12 December 2024) laid out the future of post-16 qualifications, protecting learner choice whilst cutting red tape to streamline the system.

The move follows the rapid review into vocational qualifications that were due to be defunded by the previous government.

Qualifications that will be key to the government’s growth mission in key subjects like manufacturing and engineering that were previously scheduled for defunding will remain until replacements become more established.

This will ensure learners will continue to have a broad range of options available to help them get a foot on the career ladder.

Retaining these courses will preserve a pipeline of talent into key sectors under the government’s Plan for Change – including the NHS.

Around 70% of the remaining qualifications that were slated for defunding under the previous government will no longer be defunded as planned following the review.

The government is taking a pragmatic approach to fix the foundations and deliver change. We are cutting red tape to allow learners to combine qualifications in the way that suits them, putting learners first and helping them to develop the skills this country needs in order to grow the economy.

Qualifications that overlap with T Levels will be able to coexist where we continue to develop and improve qualifications so that they provide for the needs of learners, providers and employers, supporting the transition to T Levels as the large technical qualification of choice.

Key courses that will stay include those that were scheduled for defunding in important sectors such as agriculture, environmental and animal care, engineering, manufacturing, health and social care, legal, finance and accounting, business and administration, and creative and design.

All of these sectors will be at the forefront of the government’s ambitious plans to fix the foundations of the economy and deliver growth.

Instead of blanket restrictions, the new approach is informed by more than 250 individual contributions from employers, colleges and awarding organisations.

Minister for Skills, Jacqui Smith, said:

Vocational and technical qualifications are crucial to our Plan for Change and our number one mission to grow the economy.

This government is committed to the long-term delivery of T Levels as the best quality technical education option for young people.

Qualifications are not one-size-fits-all, and we recognise we must take a pragmatic approach. Our ambitious programme must meet the needs of employers and our public services if we are to see our economy flourish.

We took decisive action as soon as we came into government to ensure the best outcomes for learners and I am thankful to all those who contributed to the pause and review.

In an oral statement today, the minister confirmed that over 200 qualifications that had either no or below 100 enrolments per year over the last 3 years will have their funding withdrawn from 1 August 2025.

The minister also confirmed that a new T Level in Marketing will be available from 2025, as the government continues the rollout of the programme following the recent introduction of T Levels in Animal Care and Management; Craft and Design; and Media, Broadcasting and Production.

This includes the recent announcement that more flexibility will be introduced for industry placements, ensuring even more students can take advantage of the opportunities available from this high-quality qualification.

The Onsite Construction T Level is helping students progress into positive destinations, but will have no further enrolments, due to a lack of overall demand for large qualifications at level 3. Learners already enrolled can still complete their courses. We recently announced £140 million from industry to create Homebuilding Skills Hubs, which will enable thousands more apprenticeships in construction to be started every year. This will ensure these vital skills are rapidly developed in the areas that need them most, helping to meet the government’s milestone of 1.5 million homes being built in the next parliament.

Notes to editors
- After appeals, there were 539 qualifications in scope of the review. 216 qualifications have been defunded due to low or no enrolments for the past 3 years.
- 52 qualifications had already fallen out of funding in 2024 to 2025; 6 had an operational end date on or before 31 July 2025; and 42 qualifications had direct replacements approved as part of the previous government’s reforms.
- 157 of the 223 remaining qualifications, or around 70%, have been retained, with 66 qualifications removed through sector-by-sector analysis undertaken by the department.
- Review of level 3 qualifications reform: provisional outcomes
- Review of level 3 qualifications reform: equality impact assessment
January 1, 2025