Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Minister for Europe demonstrates UK commitment to Baltic security [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty visits Lithuania and Latvia to reinforce UK cooperation on regional security and support for Ukraine.
- Following the success of the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July, Minister Leo Docherty will visit the two Baltic nations to show the UK’s leadership in tackling threats to European security.
- He will discuss plans to bolster NATO’s Eastern Flank before attending a NATO Cyber Conference in Berlin.
- Visit will also reiterate collective support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression and enable discussions on the situation in the Middle East and preventing regional escalation.
Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty, will visit Lithuania and Latvia to underline the UK’s continued commitment to the Baltic States’ security and discuss the strengthening of support to Ukraine.

During meetings in Vilnius with Lithuanian Deputy Foreign Minister, Jonas Survila, and the Presidential National Security Advisor, Kęstutis Budrys, the Minister will discuss growing cooperation, from the training of Ukrainian forces to closer collaboration on regional security and tackling illegal migration. He will also highlight the need for a collective effort to prevent the tragic situation in the Middle East from escalating more widely and support humanitarian aid entering Gaza.

The visit follows the NATO Summit which Vilnius hosted in July, where the Prime Minister outlined the UK’s leading role in protecting regional security in the face of increased threats across Europe.

In Riga, Minister Docherty will meet Latvian Parliamentary Secretary, Reinis Brusbārdis, and the Minister of Energy, Kaspars Melnis, to discuss the importance of energy security, and how the two countries can work together to address Russian malign influence.

Minister for Europe, Leo Docherty said:

The Baltic States are on the frontline of Russia’s malign activity, and the UK is steadfast in our commitment to supporting them defend their freedom and security.

Through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force, we are working with Latvia and Lithuania to keep the region and our allies safe, including through a united effort to prevent further conflict and terrorism in the Middle East.

More than 20,000 British troops will be deployed to the region next year, where they will take part in large-scale, multi-country exercises, as well as carrying out air policing and cold weather training.

The UK has a long-standing relationship with both Latvia and Lithuania across all arms of the military, including cooperation in NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).

The Minister is also expected to visit the Hill of Crosses, an important cultural site symbolic of Lithuanian identity and peaceful resistance. In Latvia, he will lay a wreath at both the Commonwealth War Grave in Jelgava and at Riga’s Freedom Monument, which commemorates those who fought for Latvia’s independence over 100 years ago.

Later in the week, the Minister will go on to represent the UK at the first NATO Cyber Defence Conference taking place in Berlin. The gathering will discuss the Alliance’s ability to adapt to evolving cyber threats and the strengthening of its ability to detect, prevent and respond to malicious cyber activities.
November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : 44th Universal Periodic Review – UK Review on Cabo Verde [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

The UK delivered a statement during Cabo Verde’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Thank you, Mr Vice-President,

The United Kingdom welcomes steps taken by Cabo Verde to promote and protect human rights, such as improvement on action against gender-based violence. We urge the government to improve implementation of this legislation by increasing the number of cases taken to court and successful prosecutions.

We recognise and praise the steps the government has already taken to tackle child abuse through a national network of organisations, including the government’s child protection body, the Institute for Children. We urge Cabo Verde to take further legislative action to protect children and reduce instances of such abuse.

We recommend that Cabo Verde:

Urge the National Assembly to debate and approve the anti-discrimination draft law presented by the National Commission on Human Rights and Citizenship in 2021.

Improve prison conditions by increasing the number of officers and the use of alternatives to prison such as bail, home arrest, and plea bargaining, and improving sanitary conditions.

Improve training for professionals in law enforcement and the judiciary to respond to sexual abuse of children and gender-based violence.

Thank you.
November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : UK and Austria commit to work closer on illegal migration and terrorism [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

The UK and Austria have signed a statement today agreeing to closer cooperation on tackling illegal migration and terrorism.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman met with Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner in Vienna on 2 November to discuss the importance of partnership and international cooperation in the face of illegal migration, terrorism and transnational crime.

The ministers agreed to work hand-in-hand to ensure public security and signed a joint statement to commit to:
- exploring the principle of safe third country concepts to enhance regional migration management
- engaging in a joint dialogue on illegal migration, including with relevant third countries of origin and transit
- enhancing cooperation in combatting serious and organised crime by strengthening bilateral law enforcement and criminal justice links
- intensifying their cyber security dialogue with a focus on preventing online radicalisation
Speaking after the signing, Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

The global migration crisis is the challenge of our age, with the UK and the European continent seeing huge movements of people travelling illegally across our borders. This is placing an unprecedented burden on our communities and public services.

Austria is a close ally in tackling illegal migration, and we have already begun sharing knowledge of our actions and strategies such as third country removals.

This joint statement is a commitment to work more closely together to achieve our aims, and enhance our cooperation on a wide range of security challenges.

Austrian Minister of Interior Gerhard Karner said:

The UK has a lot of experience when it comes to processing asylum applications outside of Europe in the future. That was an important theme in my meeting with the Home Secretary in Vienna because Austria can benefit from this experience.

We will continue to make a consistent effort for the EU commission to advance and enable such procedures outside of Europe.

Following her meeting with Minister Karner, the Home Secretary also spoke to Jewish community leaders at the city’s main synagogue, reaffirming the UK government’s solidarity with the Jewish community following recent incidents of abuse, in particular this week’s arson attack at Vienna’s Central Cemetery.

She visited the site of the 2020 Islamist terrorist attack, in which 4 civilians were killed, and laid a wreath to mark the anniversary. The Home Secretary also visited the Shoah Wall of Names memorial to pay her respects to Jewish victims of the Holocaust.

The visit concluded with a tour of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, to deepen ties on tackling fraud and organised immigration crime.
November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Progress of landmark UK-Japan treaties driven forward as Defence Secretary visits Tokyo [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 7 November 2023.

The visit is the latest in a series of high-level UK-Japan bilateral engagements this year, driving progress on two major treaties.

Driving forward advanced technology and cooperating closely to promote freedom and democracy is at the heart of the defence relationship between the UK and Japan, which Defence Secretary Grant Shapps hailed in a meeting with his counterpart in Tokyo.

The Defence Secretary met his counterpart, Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara, for a series of meetings to further progress on two major treaties which will increase interoperability between the UK Armed Forces and Japan Self Defence Forces and cement our commitment to shared security.

It follows the signing and implementation of the ground-breaking Reciprocal Access Agreement by the Prime Minister earlier this year, which will underpin our shared defence activity by enabling the UK and Japan to operate and exercise together more easily, as well as continued work on developing a framework agreement for the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP).

The UK and Japan are each other’s closest security partner in Europe and Asia respectively, a commitment reaffirmed in the Hiroshima Accord announced by PM Sunak and PM Kishida on the margins of the G7 Summit this summer.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Amid increasing tension and instability across the world – it is more clear than ever that the threats we face are global, and it’s particularly important we strengthen our relations with our international partners and allies.

In my meetings with Minister Kihara, we discussed how to further deepen our cooperation through these two landmark treaties and reaffirmed our commitment to building a truly next-generation combat aircraft through GCAP.

Despite the distance between us, the UK and Japan stand closer together than ever before in support of peace, stability, and the rules-based international order.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has also been in Japan for a meeting of the G7 and both UK ministers joined their Japanese counterparts for a combined meeting, during which shared security interests such as support for Ukraine in its defence against Putin’s illegal invasion and condemnation of the Hamas attack against Israel, were discussed.

The UK remains the only European partner to have a bilateral exercise on Japanese soil, and the Army and Japanese Ground Self Defense Forces (GSDF) are currently planning Exercise Vigilant Isles 2023, which will see more than 150 UK personnel deploy to Japan this month – further demonstrating the UK’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, as set out through this year’s refreshed Defence Command Paper.

At sea, persistently deployed Offshore Patrol Vessels HMS Tamar and HMS Spey have enabled the UK to operate closely with Japan and regional partners to promote maritime security.

Work between the UK, Japan, and Italy continues on developing GCAP, which will futureproof our Combat Air sectors and deliver enhanced investment in our people and technology, deepening integration of supply chains. It will bring together defence and security expertise from across our three nations to strengthen our defence industrial base and secure high skilled jobs.

November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces – UK condemns withdrawal [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

The UK has issued a statement in response to Russia’s withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

The UK has criticised Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, a landmark element of Europe’s post-Cold War security architecture.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

We unequivocally condemn Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Treaty, the latest in a line of Russian efforts to undermine strategic stability and the Euro-Atlantic security architecture.

Russia’s unilateral withdrawal undermines reciprocity, which lies at the heart of the CFE Treaty. This is a destabilising move for the integrity of the Treaty and to continue to implement the Treaty would suggest that we think that the Treaty continues to operate as intended. This is plainly not the case.

In response to Russia’s move, the UK, alongside its Allies has decided to suspend its participation in the Treaty and to work with likeminded nations to develop and implement voluntary stabilising measures.

November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : World Trade Organization General Council – UK Statement [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 7 November 2023.

The UK spoke on a number of agenda items at the WTO General Council on 1 November 2023.

Item 2: Reform and TRIPS

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Madam Chair, you said we should not really get into the detail of reform, as we will cover that this afternoon, so I will try not to. One point to pick is the point about deconflicting meetings which I know is so important for so many smaller delegations. It is one that we have brought forward in our own proposals and I think it is one that we need to keep on thinking about to ensure that we are a genuinely inclusive organization, not just in words but in deed.

Let me just say a quick word about TRIPS. My Swiss colleague has set out in substance far more eloquently than I could and I endorse every word he has said.

I want to acknowledge first of all the continued efforts of our TRIPS Chair and let me welcome her efforts and the Secretariat’s to move our discussions forward. Let me also acknowledge the arrival of the report from the US ITC. Like others I’m sure we are still analysing the information that is contained in that report but for us it reaffirms the importance of known issues, including on this issue, including the role of voluntary licenses where the UK issued a paper, in increasing affordability and access to COVID-19 products and technologies globally. I hope everybody has seen our paper on this which looks at how we can build on that in future pandemic preparedness.

I just wanted to recognise that access issues go well beyond intellectual property and that considering broader factors in reactors should help us as we look at whether the decision that we took back at MC12 should indeed be extended to therapeutics and diagnostics. Let me also just encourage my fellow members, particularly those from developing countries and LDCs, to come to us to give us their thoughts on our paper, share their national experiences and challenges that they have faced in voluntary licensing and technology transfer partnerships, so that we can try and take forward our work in a structured and collaborative manner.

Lastly, a number of colleagues this morning have said that not taking a decision will be a real issue for this organisation. I think that there is something worse than not taking a decision and that is taking the wrong decision for this organisation, for the intellectual property which is the basis for our innovative economies, and taking the wrong decision for our future pandemic preparedness.

Thank you.

Item 3: Work programme on Small Economies – Report by the Chairperson of the Dedicated Session of the Committee on Trade and Development

Thank you very much Chair.

We wanted to come in quickly to recognize the importance of this issue. We really wanted to welcome the excellent Small Economies evidence sharing session and to thank the Chair, the Secretariat and everybody that inputted to the session.

We are also looking forward to the opportunity to review the draft ministerial decision on this issue at the upcoming session.

Thank you very much.

November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Law Commissioner appointed [November 2023]

The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 7 November 2023.

The Lord Chancellor has approved the appointment of Professor Alison Young as the Law Commissioner for Public Law and the Law in Wales for 5 years from 18 March 2024.

The Law Commission was created by the Law Commissions Act 1965 with the role of keeping under review the law of England and Wales with a view to its systematic development and reform. The Law Commission promotes the reform of the law to make it clearer, more modern and more accessible. The Commission’s projects bring real benefits to the public, businesses or other organisations affected by old, complex and out-of-date law.

Appointments to the Law Commission are made by the Lord Chancellor and are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. This appointment has been made in line with the Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Biography

Professor Young is the Sir David Williams Professor of Public Law at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Robinson College. She is also an academic associate at 39 Essex Chambers and an Emeritus Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford.

Before joining the University of Cambridge, Professor Young studied for a Law (with French) degree at the University of Birmingham, spending a year at the Université de Limoges. She then completed the BCL and D Phil at Hertford College, University of Oxford. She spent three years as a Tutorial Fellow at Balliol College, Oxford, before returning to Hertford as a Fellow in Law and later Professor of Public Law at the University of Oxford.

Professor Young has not declared any political activity.

November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : £2.2 billion in Cost of Living Payments paid by DWP over the last eight days [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 7 November 2023.

99% of households already eligible for the second Cost of Living Payment have been directly paid £300 by the Government.
- The payments are the second of up to three worth up to £900 in 2023/24 for those eligible.
- Those remaining will continue to be automatically paid between now and 19 November by DWP.
More than seven million households across the UK have been paid a £300 Cost of Living Payment, a £2.2 billion cash injection made by the Department for Work and Pensions in just eight days.

This means the vast majority of already eligible households have received the support in just eight days of the rollout starting, equating to over a million payments on each day they were made.

The payment is the second of up to three Cost of Living Payments being made this financial year, illustrating the Government’s commitment to supporting low-income families with financial pressures. These payments will all be tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards.

Global inflationary pressures have seen the Department for Work and Pensions step in to provide unprecedented cost of living support, with billions of pounds sent directly into low-income households’ accounts over a matter of days.

This comes alongside work to deliver on the government’s five priorities, including halving inflation and growing the economy, ultimately helping put more money in people’s bank accounts.

Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said:

Getting this vital money to over 7 million people across the UK in just eight days shows our determination to give people greater financial security as we work to halve inflation, bring costs down, and boost people’s bank balances.

In the long term, the best way to secure financial security is through work, and thousands of Work Coaches in Jobcentres across the country are on hand to help people find a job, enhance their skills, and reap the benefits of work.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

Christmas can put a strain on people’s finances which is why this £300 will be a welcome boost for millions of families.

But we must tackle the root cause of higher bills by halving inflation this year and by sticking to our plan, we’re on track to do so.

The Cost of Living Payments, spread across 2023/24, are worth up to £900 for those on means-tested benefits. The first payment was made in April and May of this year, with the next one to come by Spring 2024.

The Cost of Living Payments build on the significant cost of living support already provided to eligible households throughout 2022 – now worth an average of £3,300 per household over this year and last. We have also gone further by:
- Increasing benefits in line with inflation, meaning more than 10 million working age families will see an average increase of around £600.
- Maintaining the Triple Lock earlier this year to give around 12 million pensioners the largest ever cash increase to the State Pension.
- Extending the Household Support Fund for another year in England to help families with essential costs with £1 billion of extra funding.
- Increasing the National Living Wage by its largest ever cash amount for 2 million workers – worth over £1,600 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker – and committing to increase it to over £11 an hour from April 2024.
- Cutting fuel duty by 5 pence and freezing the increase, worth £100 to the average driver this year.
- Covering up to 85% of childcare costs for working households on Universal Credit, up from 70% under the legacy system – currently worth over £19,500-a-year for families with two or more children.
Pensioner households will also receive £300 which will be paid as a top up to those eligible for the Winter Fuel Payment in November and December. Combined with the one-off Cost of Living Disability Payment earlier this year, some households will receive £1,350 in total.

The small number of payments still outstanding will continue to be made between now and 19 November, and anyone eligible still waiting for a payment does not need to contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) before then. After this date, if someone thinks they may be missing a payment they are entitled to a form can be filled out on the gov.uk website to make a claim.

In addition, eligible families, receiving tax credits only, will get their £300 Cost of Living Payment from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) between 10 and 19 November with the payment reference ‘HMRC COLS’.

While payments are made automatically, people must be receiving one of the eligible qualifying benefits during the specified period to qualify. Those who wish to check their entitlement to benefits should use a benefits calculator on Gov.uk to get a better idea of what they could receive.

Further Information
- The three means-tested Cost of Living Payments, worth up to £900 in total, is being delivered in three slightly different amounts, each relating to a specific qualifying period before the payment is made. This allows DWP to ensure support is targeted at those who need it and are eligible; to determine if a payee received the correct payments and identify the payment value; and to reduce the risk of fraud.
- To get the £300 payment someone must (subject to a very limited exception explained below) have been entitled to a payment of a qualifying benefit as follows:
  - For Universal Credit, payment in respect of an assessment period ending between the 18 August and 17 September 2023
  - For all other DWP means-tested benefits, payment in respect of any day 18 August and the 17 September 2023.
  - For tax credits-only customers to be eligible they must have received a payment of tax credits in respect of any day in the period 18 August 2023 and the 17 September 2023, or later be paid in respect of any day in this period.
- Those on DWP benefits other than Universal Credit who are entitled to less than 10 pence and meet all other qualifying criteria but who do not receive a benefit payment, will still receive a Cost of Living Payment.
- Payment windows and eligibility dates for the remaining Cost of Living Payment will be announced in due course.
- For constituency and local authority level breakdowns on payments, please visit www.gov.uk/government/news/first-2023-24-cost-of-living-payment-dates-announced
- The £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment will be paid to all households in receipt of Winter Fuel Payments, in the same way as 2022/23 payments were made.
- For more information on these payments, please visit www.gov.uk/guidance/cost-of-living-payments-2023-to-2024
- For regional, constituency and local authority level breakdowns on payments, please visit www.gov.uk/government/news/first-2023-24-cost-of-living-payment-dates-announced
November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : G7 united in response to conflicts in Middle East and Ukraine as Foreign Secretary travels to Japan [November 2023]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 6 November 2023.

The Foreign Secretary will be in Japan for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting.
- At the G7 James Cleverly will discuss situation in Middle East and preventing a damaging and destabilising regional escalation and further violence
- Also on the agenda is collective support for Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s illegal invasion and help secure a lasting peace
- Foreign and Defence Secretaries meeting Japanese counterparts to strengthen security partnerships following signing of Hiroshima Accord earlier this year
Arriving in Japan (Tuesday 7 November) for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly will be addressing developments in the Middle East, including to prevent a damaging and destabilising regional escalation and further violence.

At the G7 conference in Tokyo, the Foreign Secretary will meet G7 Foreign Ministers, including the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yōko Kamikawa, to also discuss the UK’s long-term commitment to the Indo-Pacific region.

The G7 Foreign Ministers meeting will build on the G7 Leaders’ Summit, that took place in Hiroshima in May, with a clear agreement on military, diplomatic and economic tools being part of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.

The Defence Secretary will also be holding bilateral meetings with his Japanese counterpart Minoru Kihara, and both UK ministers will later join their opposites for a combined meeting.

In the 2+2 meeting they will discuss closer security and defence ties alongside support for Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.

The Foreign Secretary will also attend a reception on enhancing relations between the people of the UK and Japan, with their respective Youth Mobility and Working Holiday Schemes being expanded by up to 500% to enable more opportunities for young people to gain a better understanding of our cultures and societies, through travel, work and life experience overseas.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

The UK and our allies are meeting to discuss the crisis in Israel and Gaza and avoiding further regional escalations.

Alongside G7 partners, we’ll also be addressing other priorities ranging from Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine to climate change, economic security and global trade.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:

The UK and Japan share many closely held values, including an enduring commitment to freedom and democracy, and it is an honour to visit Tokyo during such a milestone year for our defence relationship.

We will be driving forward progress on two major defence and security treaties, which will protect both our peoples and bring our nations closer together than ever before.

Six months on from the British and Japanese Prime Ministers agreeing the Hiroshima Accord the UK and Japan have made strong progress on its implementation.

The Reciprocal Access Agreement has been brought into effect and both countries are now conducting more frequent, larger and more complex joint exercises – including VIGILANT ISLES 23 this November. The UK and Japan have also made progress on economics & trade and science & technology. We have agreed to cooperate as members of CPTTP, held our first strategic economic talks, progressed our AI commitments and cemented our collaboration on critical minerals.

At the G7, the Foreign Ministers will also discuss the need to maintain collective support for Ukraine and how international support from the UK and other G7 partners can be used most strategically to help Ukrainian forces continue their progress on the battlefield and secure a lasting peace.

The UK continues to support the Ukrainian government in the face of this assault on their sovereignty and territorial integrity. Alongside the international community we stand against this naked aggression and for freedom, democracy and the sovereignty of nations around the world.
November 7, 2023
PRESS RELEASE : Strike laws to be passed to protect vital public services over Christmas [November 2023]
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 6 November 2023.

Minimum service level regulations for rail workers, ambulance staff and border security staff will be laid in parliament to mitigate disruption and ensure vital public services continue if strikes are called, the government has announced today.
Minimum Service Levels legislation will be passed for rail, ambulance, and border security staff to mitigate disruption if strikes called.

Delivers on manifesto commitment to introduce minimum service levels for rail strikes.

Comes ahead of further consultations to introduce minimum service levels for education, other NHS staff, and fire services.

Minimum service level regulations for rail workers, ambulance staff and border security staff will be laid in parliament to mitigate disruption and ensure vital public services continue if strikes are called, the government has announced today (Monday 6 November).

The legislation brings us in line with countries like France, Italy, Spain, and the US where public services reliably continue during strikes. The International Labour Organisation also recognises Minimum Service Levels as a sensible solution to protect the public from serious consequences of strikes.

The minimum service levels are designed to be effective and proportionate by balancing the ability to take strike action with ensuring we can keep our borders secure, supporting people to make important journeys including accessing work, education, and healthcare, and allowing people to get the emergency care they need.

Earlier this year, the government consulted widely on proposals to introduce minimum service levels legislation across a range of sectors, under the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act which received Royal Assent in July. The responses to these consultations have been published today with the legislation set to be laid in parliament tomorrow.

For border security, the regulations will apply to employees of Border Force and selected HM Passport Office staff where passport services are required for the purposes of national security. The laws will set out that border security services should be provided at a level that means that they are no less effective than if a strike were not taking place. It will also ensure all ports and airports remain open on a strike.

For train operators, it will mean the equivalent of 40% of their normal timetable can operate as normal and, in the case of strikes that affect rail infrastructure services, certain priority routes can remain open.

Minimum service level regulations for ambulance workers will ensure that vital ambulance services in England will continue throughout any strike action, ensuring that cases that are life-threatening, or where there is no reasonable clinical alternative to an ambulance response, are responded to.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

We are doing everything in our power to stop unions de-railing Christmas for millions of people. This legislation will ensure more people will be able to travel to see their friends and family and get the emergency care they need.

We cannot go on relying on short term fixes – including calling on our Armed Forces or civil servants – to mitigate the disruption caused by strike action.

That’s why we’re taking the right long-term decision to bring in minimum service levels, in line with other countries, to keep people safe and continue delivering the vital public services that hard-working people rely on.

Where minimum service level regulations are in place and strike action is called, employers can issue work notices to identify people who are reasonably required to work to ensure minimum service levels are met.

The law requires unions to take reasonable steps and ensure their members who are identified with a work notice comply and if a union fails to do this, they will lose their legal protection from damages claims.

Last year, we raised the maximum damages that courts can award against a union for unlawful strike action. For the biggest unions, the maximum award has risen from £250,000 to £1 million.

Transport Secretary, Mark Harper said:

For too long, hard working people have been unfairly targeted by rail union leaders – prevented from making important journeys, including getting to work, school or vital hospital appointments.

Minimum Service Levels will help address this by allowing the rail industry to plan ahead to reduce disruption for passengers while ensuring workers can still exercise their ability to strike.

An improved service on strike days will allow passengers to continue with their day-to-day lives and support businesses, particularly in the hospitality sector.

Earlier this year, we accepted the independent pay review bodies recommendations in full, providing a fair pay deal for all public sector workers.

An agreement between the government and Agenda for Change unions earlier this year saw over one million NHS staff receive a 5% pay rise along with one-off awards worth over £3,000 for the typical nurse or ambulance worker.

For rail workers, there remains a fair and reasonable offer on the table which several unions have already accepted, one which would deliver competitive pay rises of 5% + 4% pay increase over two years.

Home Office staff in delegated grades including Border Force staff have been provided with a pay award averaging 4.5% with an additional 0.5% targeted at the lower grades.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said:

We must never allow strike action to compromise our border security or cause significant disruption to passengers and goods at our borders.

The Armed Forces have commendably stepped up to fill vital roles during recent industrial action, but it would be irresponsible to rely on such short-term solutions to protect our national security.

The minimum service levels announced today will ensure a fair balance between delivering the best possible service to the travelling public, maintaining a secure border and the ability of workers to strike.

The government continues to recognise the crucial role of NHS staff and remains committed to working constructively to end any disruption for patients, and there are currently no live strike mandates relating to ambulance trusts. However, strikes have already had a significant impact on patients, NHS staff and efforts to cut waiting lists – including over one million postponed appointments and procedures.

The Department of Health and Social Care is currently seeking evidence on expanding the scope of minimum service levels to cover other urgent and emergency hospital-based services which could include nurses and doctors. The consultation is set to close on the 14th of November.

Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:

Patients must be protected and strikes in ambulance services could put the lives and health of the public at risk, given their essential role in responding to life threatening emergencies.

While voluntary agreements between employers and trade unions can still be agreed ahead of industrial action, these regulations provide a safety net for trusts and an assurance to the public that vital emergency services will be there when they need them.

We will continue to take steps to protect patient safety and ensure health services have the staff they need to operate safely and effectively, no matter the circumstances.

The Education Secretary has committed to introduce minimum service levels on a voluntary basis should an agreement be reached with the education unions. If a voluntary arrangement cannot be agreed, a consultation will be launched on introducing minimum service levels in schools and colleges. Separately, the Department has also committed to launching a consultation on introducing minimum service levels in universities.

The Department for Business and Trade recently consulted on a new draft statutory Code of Practice on the ‘reasonable steps’ a trade union should take to meet the requirements set out in the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.

They will also launch a consultation on removing regulation 7 across all sectors which prevents employment businesses supplying agency workers to cover the duties normally performed by a worker who is taking part in an official strike or other industrial action. These will be published in due course.
November 6, 2023