Tag: Press Release

PRESS RELEASE : Plan now to avoid drought next summer, National Drought Group told [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in the House of Commons on 28 November 2022.

The latest National Drought Group meeting reiterates expectation that water companies start planning now to manage potentially significant impacts next year.

Water companies must start planning now to avoid potentially significant water supply and environmental impacts next summer, National Drought Group members were told yesterday (28 November).

At its latest meeting, chaired by Environment Agency Executive Director John Leyland and joined by Water Minister Rebecca Pow, the National Drought Group discussed how significant risks remain for water supplies and impacted sectors next year, despite an improving water resources situation in some parts of the country.

Recent above average rainfall in October and November has been beneficial in wetting up soils and improving river flows, which is recharging groundwater and refilling reservoirs across the country. As a result, reservoir stocks across England are now around 68% capacity. This has led to some water companies revoking drought permit applications and removing restrictions such as Temporary Use Bans (hosepipe bans).

The Environment Agency also confirmed yesterday that the West Midlands is moving from drought status to recovery, and Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire from Prolonged Dry Weather to Normal status, reflecting the improved reservoir and river levels in these areas.

Despite this, the group – made up of senior decision-makers from the Environment Agency, government, water companies and key farming and environmental groups – heard that some reservoirs remain well below the levels we would expect at this time of year:

Colliford Reservoir in Cornwall (24% of capacity)
Roadford Reservoir in Devon (43% of capacity)
Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire (63% of capacity)
Normally at this time of year water resources start to recharge as rainfall increases river flows and refills reservoirs, groundwater and winter storage on farms. The start of the recharge has taken longer this year because soils that need to be re-wetted first have been so dry. This means that above average rainfall is still needed to fully replenish stocks and prevent drought conditions in some areas next year. As a result, many farmers and growers are likely to experience the effects of drought into next year and environmental impacts are expected to continue as ecology and habitats take longer to recover from drought stress.

This July’s heatwave saw many comparing it with the hot, dry summer of 1976, when water supplies were at their lowest on record. One of the reasons for the 1976 drought was that it was preceded by a dry 1975.

If rainfall levels through winter are 80% or less of the long-term average, National Drought Group projections show that currently depleted reservoirs and groundwater aquifers are unlikely to fully recover and farmers would be concerned their water supply storage reservoirs may not fully refill. Large parts of the country would be at risk of drought continuing into next summer – most notably in parts of the South West, South East, East Anglia, Yorkshire and East Midlands. In more severe rainfall scenarios, the projections suggest drought conditions would be widespread, covering most of the country.

EA Executive Director and NDG chair John Leyland said:

“We cannot rely on the weather alone – if we are to avoid a worse drought next year, it will require action by us all. Early and precautionary planning must start now to manage the risks that this would bring.”

“Building on the work of the EA, water companies and NDG members this year – from implementing drought plan measures such as Temporary Use Bans and drought permits to helping customers use less water – we must keep up our preparations for the worst-case scenario.

“Over winter we expect water companies to fix and reduce leaks, identify new sources of water and work with farmers, growers and other sectors to protect our precious water resources should drought remain next year.”

Water companies are responsible for maintaining public water supplies and along with other National Drought Group members, have assessed the effectiveness of their drought plans for 2023. This includes reflecting on this year’s responses to ensure that the plans remain agile and resilient to drought conditions like those experienced this summer. Some of the actions the Environment Agency expects water companies to take over winter are:

Increasing activity to reduce leakage and undertaking winter readiness actions such as contingency planning for freeze-thaw events which cause leaks.
Continuing to identify all possible new sources of water and network improvements to increase water supply whilst limiting environmental risk.
Continuing or enhancing winter communication campaigns with customers to maintain awareness of the drought risk and promote efficient water use.
Exploring collaborative opportunities to support agriculture and other sectors to improve resilience for next summer, for instance maximising opportunities for abstraction and reviewing water needs for 2023.
All sectors have to play a role in supporting the actions needed to avoid significant impacts on water supply and the environment next year, and everyone should use water wisely to continue to reduce water consumption.

Water Minister Rebecca Pow said:

“The recent rainfall will be a relief for many, but we should approach the improving drought situation with cautious optimism.

“I urge water companies to continue to plan their water resources and take precautionary steps to ensure water resilience. This includes emphasising to the public that water shouldn’t be taken for granted. The work of the National Drought Group is crucial in ensuring everyone plays a part in managing our precious water resources both in to next year and in the long term.”

Will Lang, Head of Situational Awareness at the Met Office said:

“Winters in the UK usually include a wide variety of weather, and this winter looks to be no exception. Although we expect to see high pressure dominating our weather through much of the early winter, which increases the potential for cold spells, we could still see wet and windy weather at times.

“The risk of unsettled weather increases as we head into 2023 with wet, windy, and mild spells a real possibility.”

Recent heavy rain and flooding, whilst most of England remains in drought, highlights how climate change is happening now. The country is seeing more extreme weather – in this year alone three named storms in a week, record-breaking temperatures and the joint hottest summer on record leading to a widespread drought. Across the globe, the effects of climate change are becoming clearer, from China experiencing its worst heatwave in decades to devastating floods in Pakistan.

Flooding and drought can occur at the same time, and it is essential to plan and prepare for increasingly extreme events such as these through collaborative forums such as the National Drought Group.

The National Drought Group will meet again in the new year to continue its close working to manage water resources and the impacts of drought.

November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK national statement at the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 November 2022.

Stephen Lillie, Director, Defence and International Security, has given a speech at the Ninth Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

Mr President,

Let me begin by congratulating you on your election as President of this Review Conference. You have the UK’s full support.

We deeply appreciate your efforts to bring States Parties closer to consensus and, we hope, a substantive outcome. We acknowledge the challenging backdrop, and the delay to this Revcon, in part due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

We are extremely grateful to the Implementation Support Unit for its tireless efforts throughout this inter-sessional and preparatory process.

The ISU continues to demonstrate its importance to the successful implementation of this Convention and our shared international efforts to maintain the prohibition against biological weapons.

Mr President,

Since the last Review Conference, two major events have shaped the backdrop for this Conference: the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s horrific invasion of Ukraine.

The Covid-19 pandemic showed us the devastating impacts that an infectious disease outbreak can have on our societies and our economies, and revealed significant gaps in global preparedness and response.

Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine has been devastating for the people of Ukraine and the wider world.

This Convention’s work has been plagued by disinformation associated with both.

Russia persists with its attempts to advance their baseless allegations against the US and Ukraine. Its invocation of Article 5 and Article 6 of the Convention were an abuse of those provisions.

Participants in this Review Conference should be in no doubt about that.

This Review Conference must express clear support for international cooperation for peaceful applications of biosciences across human, animal and plant health, as provided for under Article 10, is a vital aspect of this Convention. We must defend Article 10 against malicious disinformation.

Mr President,

Since the last Review Conference, the threats posed by biological weapons have evolved and diversified.

Rapid advances in science and technology offer great benefits in terms of peaceful research, but may also increase the threats posed by those intending to misuse biotechnology.

The UK strongly believes that we must respond to these challenges with renewed collective efforts to strengthen this Convention, as our upcoming refreshed national Biological Security Strategy will reaffirm.

Thanks to the hard work of States Parties during this inter-sessional process the path ahead is clear.

We must properly equip and resource the Implementation Support Unit so that it can fulfil its increasing responsibilities.

We must strengthen international cooperation on peaceful uses of biology under Article 10.

We must agree a systematic and structured science and technology review process to enable the Convention to respond flexibly to current and future biological threats.

We must operationalise Article 6I and strengthen global preparedness and response to infectious disease outbreaks, be they natural, accidental or deliberate in origin.

We must agree to devolve specific decision-making authorities to other meetings throughout the intersessional period, in order to enable more effective and agile responses under the BTWC.

And above all we must grab the main offer on the table. The UK welcomes and supports the proposal by Canada and the Netherlands to establish a temporary Experts Working Group to find ways of strengthening implementation of the Convention.

We welcome that these ways could include possible legal, verification or other assurance measures.

In the history of this Convention these sorts of chances do not come around often – we should grasp them together.

For too long, our Convention has been the prisoner of its history; this is our chance to reshape it for the future.

Mr President,

As one of three Depositary Governments to this Convention the UK remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthening the BTWC and safeguarding the Convention. We are equally steadfast in resisting attempts to undermine it.

We cannot stand by and allow the protection afforded by the Convention to be undermined by collective failure to adapt and reform it.

We call on all States Parties to seize the opportunities presented at this Review Conference, to engage in the spirit of compromise, and with the shared goal of strengthening our Convention.

Thank you, Mr President.

November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : HMCI commentary – publishing our new area SEND framework [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Education on 29 November 2022.

Amanda Spielman announces the joint Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) report on the area SEND consultation and a new area SEND inspection framework.

Today, Ofsted and the CQC are publishing our report on the area SEND consultation and our new area SEND inspection framework, which will take effect from early 2023.

For too long, outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have been poor. Families and carers have had negative experiences attempting to navigate a complex and often adversarial system. By strengthening accountability and clarifying where responsibility for improvement lies, our new framework will act as a catalyst for further improvement now and help areas prepare for future reform.

Going ahead with our main proposals

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation. We have carefully analysed and considered your feedback.

I am pleased that all the proposals received strong approval. Many received over 80% support and some over 90%. We will therefore implement the proposed changes to our new framework. We will strengthen accountability by introducing a continuous inspection cycle and three distinct inspection outcomes. Our inspection reports will set out what local area partnerships are doing well and what they need to improve. We will be clear about who is responsible for making improvements and what they need to do. We will increase transparency by asking local area partnerships to update and publish their strategic plan following each inspection.

I am pleased that 90% of the people who responded to our consultation agreed that our inspections should focus more on the impact that local area partnerships have on the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND. This will be central to our new framework. Our inspections will also consider how local authorities commission and oversee alternative provision (AP), following widespread support for this proposal.

Listening to your feedback: clarifications

While our proposals received strong support overall, we have listened to your feedback and have made some changes to our framework and handbook as a result. These include:
- Clarifying that inspectors will continue to take account of compliance with legal duties – we will focus more on the impact that the local area partnership’s arrangements are having on the lives of children and young people with SEND. However, we have made it clearer that inspectors will continue to take account of the local area’s compliance with legal duties and will report on how it affects children and young people with SEND if these duties are not being met.
- Altering the wording of the first inspection outcome – this will ensure that a local partnership that is performing well in many areas, but may still need to make some improvements, could receive this outcome if it is aware of weaknesses and is taking action to address them.
- Changes we’ve made to gather evidence more effectively from children and young people – we have improved our children and young people’s survey to make sure that the questions are easier to understand. We have also added some multimedia content to ensure that they are more accessible to children and young people with different needs and can be read using a screen reader, tablet or mobile device.
Why not wait for reform?

A minority of consultation respondents suggested that we should wait for the government to implement proposed SEND reforms before updating our framework. We know that large-scale system reform can take many years to implement and embed into practice. It would not be right to wait until reforms are implemented, given the scale and depth of problems in the SEND system. There can be no accountability gap while any new reforms are agreed and put into action.

We know that there are long-standing issues in the SEND system, from both our research and our inspection evidence. These issues include poor-quality education, health and care plans, poor co-production and poor outcomes for pupils with SEND. They existed before the pandemic and have only been worsened by it.

Given the persistent and worsening issues in the SEND system, we have been clear throughout that we cannot wait to act. To do so would risk creating an unacceptable accountability gap in a system that needs to improve urgently.

Future SEND reform

I am confident that our new framework will help raise standards across the SEND system. However, this does not change the need for wide-reaching SEND reform. I look forward to seeing the government’s national SEND and AP improvement plan.

I am pleased that the Department for Education (DfE) is incorporating our and others’ feedback on the SEND and AP green paper and engaging widely to develop its proposals in more detail. I urge the DfE to focus on accountability. The success of a reformed system will depend on clarity about which agency is responsible for delivering each part of the system and how they are expected to work together. It will also be crucial to equip the body/bodies responsible for coordination and oversight with the levers they need to do this. Otherwise, we run the risk of replicating the current system’s weaknesses.

Mainstream education must play a crucial part in this system. A strengthened mainstream offer must focus on a high-quality curriculum and effective teaching for all pupils. Teacher training and development form the foundation for this. The DfE must ensure that all routes into teaching, and further professional development, strengthen the consistency and quality of SEND training so that every teacher is well prepared to meet the needs of all children and young people. There should be a greater focus on pupils with SEND in both the core content framework and the early career framework.

First set of alternative provision thematic visits

We want our insights to help the DfE develop SEND policy. So, we will carry out an annual series of thematic reviews as part of the area SEND inspection arrangements. We will look in depth at particular aspects of the SEND system and share our findings.

Our first set of visits will focus on AP, to improve our knowledge of how it is used in practice, and the extent to which it meets pupils’ education, health and care needs. We want to examine how partners in local areas work together to deliver AP, highlighting and sharing examples of good practice in partnership working. In line with the DfE’s proposals in the SEND and AP green paper, we want to learn how mainstream providers use outreach services to support pupils. We plan to share our findings in autumn 2023. I hope that these insights will be valuable to government, strategic leaders and practitioners alike.
November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Negotiations officially underway to achieve far-reaching global plastic treaty [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 29 November 2022.

This week, the UK Government (28 November 2022) is attending the first Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) meeting in Uruguay to kickstart negotiations on the new, landmark legally binding treaty that aims to end plastic pollution by 2040.

The first meeting will allow the UK, alongside other United Nations member countries, to assert their initial negotiating position, set the direction of discussions and reinforce the treaty’s overarching objective: to bring an end to plastic pollution globally.

Plastic pollution is one of the greatest environmental threats that we currently face. Current commitments around the world will only reduce the annual discharge of plastic into the ocean by 7% by 2040 according to the Breaking the Plastic Wave report published by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The new treaty would set obligations on countries to reduce pollution across the whole plastics lifecycle, reducing consumption of plastic, re-using plastic products and improving waste management systems.

Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

The images of marine life trapped in plastic waste remind us why global cooperation to end plastic pollution is so important.

The UK is leading the way with action to cut waste domestically and this week we will join other high ambition countries in Uruguay to help set the foundations of an ambitious treaty to end plastic pollution by 2040.

The UK continues to be at the forefront of tackling global plastic pollution, co-sponsoring the proposal to prepare the new treaty at the UK Environment Assembly in February 2022; leading on a series of dialogue meetings to help inform the UK’s negotiating position for an impactful treaty; and being a founding member of the High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution, a group of more than 40 countries calling for a target under the treaty to stop plastic from flowing into our lands and ocean by 2040.

The UK has also taken action at home by banning microbeads in rinse-off personal care products and restricting the supply of plastic straws, plastic drink stirrers and plastic-stemmed cotton buds. Our carrier bag charge has reduced the use of single-use carrier bags in the main supermarkets by over 97%.

The introduction of extended producer responsibility for packaging will ensure producers cover the costs of collecting and managing plastic waste, and our plastic packaging tax will incentivise businesses to use recycled plastic in the manufacture of plastic packaging.

United Nations member states have agreed to a schedule of five INC meetings with hopes to finalise the treaty by the end of 2024.

November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Joint statement on Venezuela Negotiations [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 November 2022.

The UK, US, Canada and the EU have issued a joint statement welcoming the decision announced by Venezuelan negotiators to restart the dialogue process in Mexico City.

The following statement was released on 26 November by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, together with the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs the Honourable Mélanie Joly, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell Fontelles and US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

We welcome the decision announced today by Venezuelan negotiators to restart the dialogue process in Mexico City. We urge the parties to engage in good faith toward a comprehensive agreement leading to free and fair elections in 2024, the restoration of democratic institutions, and an end to the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

We welcome the Mesa Social humanitarian agreement and the willingness of all parties to pursue joint initiatives that will benefit the Venezuelan people and help address their dire humanitarian needs. This agreement provides the template for how further progress can be secured. We are grateful for the work of the United Nations towards this goal.

We believe that participation in the negotiations should be inclusive, diverse, and representative of the Venezuelan population to ensure that an agreement is durable and long-lasting.

We continue to call for the unconditional release of all those unjustly detained for political reasons, the independence of the electoral process and judicial institutions, freedom of expression including for members of the press, and respect for human rights.

We remain committed to supporting the return of democracy in Venezuela and the efforts by Venezuelans to reach their democratic aspirations. In this context, we underline the need for the immediate implementation of the recommendations of the 2021 EU Electoral Observation Mission to Venezuela aimed at improving future electoral processes in line with international commitments on democratic elections subscribed by Venezuela.

We will continue to work with our international partners to address the urgent needs of all Venezuelans inside and outside their country.

We are grateful to Norway for their steadfast dedication in facilitating this process, to Mexico for hosting the negotiations, and to Venezuela’s democratic actors whose commitment to finding a negotiated solution to the crisis has been resolute.

We reiterate our willingness to review sanctions policies if the regime makes meaningful progress in the announced talks to alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people and bring them closer to a restoration of democracy.

November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : UK government takes major steps forward to secure Britain’s energy independence [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 29 November 2022.

The Business and Energy Secretary announces further measures to help secure the UK’s energy independence.
- UK government confirms historic decision to back Sizewell C’s development, set to generate reliable, clean electricity for 6 million UK homes, and deliver thousands of high-value jobs in Suffolk and nationwide
- Business Secretary commits to taking forward the Energy Bill, a major step forward in building a secure future that is powered by cheaper, cleaner British energy, for Britain
- comes alongside government push to help households cut energy usage – and with it their bills
Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps today launches a landmark package to invest now to help secure Britain’s energy independence.

Today the government is driving forward plans to build a secure energy future, creating cheaper, cleaner energy from British sources, for Britain. This includes continuing the revitalisation of the UK nuclear industry by confirming the first state backing of a nuclear project in over 30 years, part of the UK’s biggest step yet in the journey to energy freedom.

The government’s historic £700 million stake in Sizewell C is positioned at the heart of the new blueprint to Britain’s energy sovereignty, as plans to develop the new plant are approved today. This is expected to create 10,000 highly skilled jobs and provide reliable, low-carbon, power to the equivalent of 6 million homes for over 50 years.

Today’s approval comes alongside the government’s continued commitment to develop a pipeline of new nuclear projects, beyond Sizewell C. To support this, the UK is working at pace to set up Great British Nuclear, the vehicle tasked with developing a resilient pipeline of new nuclear builds, with an announcement expected early in the new year.

The driving force that will power up this long-term plan is the Energy Bill, which is being driven forward in Parliament, forming part of today’s once in a generation plan to put in place powers to shield Britain from global forces and secure energy for future generations.

It comes as the UK sets a new ambition to reduce energy demand by 15% by 2030. This is backed by a new £1 billion ECO+ insulation scheme, and a major expansion to the government’s public awareness campaign – all of which will help households cut back on energy waste and deliver warmer homes and buildings and cheaper energy bills.

Business and Energy Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Global gas prices are at record highs, caused by Putin’s illegal march on Ukraine. We need more clean, affordable power generated within our borders – British energy for British homes.

Today’s historic deal giving government backing to Sizewell C’s development is crucial to this, moving us towards greater energy independence and away from the risks that a reliance on volatile global energy markets for our supply comes with.

This is at the heart of a package of measures that – together with the new Great British Nuclear and powers of the Energy Security Bill – will ensure secure supply for now, and for generations to come.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

Today’s investment in Sizewell C represents the biggest step on our journey to energy independence – the first state backing for a nuclear project in over 30 years. Once complete, this mega project will power millions of homes with clean, affordable, home-grown energy for decades to come.

Together with our drive to improve the nation’s energy efficiency, this package will help to permanently bring down energy bills and stop Britain being at the mercy of global gas prices beyond our control.

Simone Rossi, CEO of EDF Energy said:

This is a big vote of confidence in Sizewell C and we are very excited the government is partnering with us to prepare the project for further investment. Sizewell C will build on the achievements of Hinkley Point C and replicating its design will provide more certainty over schedule and costs. It will deliver another big boost to jobs and skills in the nuclear industry and provide huge new opportunities for communities in Suffolk. New nuclear will protect Britain from volatile global gas markets and help keep bills under control for the country’s homes and businesses.

Greater energy efficiency will strengthen Britain’s energy independence and reduce household bills permanently, and we welcome government’s action. We are ready to step up our installation rates to help more households benefit from lower bills.

The government is taking major steps to ensure British energy independence.

Investment in nuclear power

For many years the UK was a leader in the civil nuclear field, but when exchanged for gas, the UK’s nuclear industry has languished behind. That’s why today, the government has confirmed it will be pushing ahead with Sizewell C in Suffolk, following intentions set out in the Autumn Statement. This is expected to provide reliable and low carbon power to the equivalent of 6 million homes for over 50 years and, as it’s being built, will create up to 10,000 highly skilled jobs across the UK. The historic £700 million investment will enable the British

Government will become a 50% shareholder in the project’s development with EDF and will work together with the project company to raise capital investment for the project. The move is the first direct government investment in a new nuclear power project since Sizewell B, the last nuclear power station to be built in the UK, was approved for construction in 1987.

For Britain to achieve energy security, a pipeline of new nuclear is needed, alongside one large-scale project. Today the government is confirming its commitment to set up Great British Nuclear, an Arms’ Length Body (ALB) which will develop a resilient pipeline of new builds, beyond Sizewell C. With support from industry and our expert adviser Simon Bowen, this vehicle will help through every stage of the development process while ensuring these projects offer clear value for money for taxpayers and consumers. The UK government can confirm today that it will back Great British Nuclear with funding to enable the delivery of clean, safe electricity over the decades to come, protecting future generations from the high price of global fossil fuel markets, with an announcement expected in the new year.

Legislating to drive investment and to secure our energy future

The vehicle to power up the long-term plan, the Energy Bill, is on track and will be driven forward in Parliament. As the most significant piece of primary energy legislation since 2013, the Bill will liberate private investment and drive jobs and growth by helping to transform the UK’s energy industry. The Bill has a strong focus on enabling the deployment of homegrown, low-carbon technologies such as turbocharging the nascent CCUS and hydrogen industries, in which we already have a global head start. It will also encourage competition in the energy sector – and above all it will help to create clean jobs and cheaper bills.

These mark major steps forward in making Britain an independent and self-sufficient energy producing nation, ensuring consumers across the country can benefit from warmer, energy-efficient homes and buildings which are powered by home-grown clean energy.

Boost energy efficiency

Warmer homes and buildings are key to reducing bills and will create jobs along the way. That is why the government is committed to driving improvements in energy efficiency with a new ambition to reduce the UK’s final energy consumption from buildings and industry by 15% by 2030 and new ECO+ insulation scheme, announced earlier this week.

To further support the government’s new energy demand reduction target, the government has expanded its public awareness campaign to help reduce bills for households and protect vulnerable people over the winter and beyond. Backed by £18 million, this campaign will complement existing government support schemes. It will use public messaging to increase consumers’ capability to reduce their own household usage and bills through making their homes more energy efficient for next winter while equipping vulnerable groups with the right information for reducing energy usage without harming their health.

Complementing existing government support schemes such as the Energy Price Guarantee and the Energy Bills Support Scheme, the government’s expanded energy demand campaign will centre around key actions the government is advising the public to take, such as:
- Reducing boiler flower temperature (saving households approximately £100 per year)
- Turning down radiators when they aren’t in use (saving households approximately £70 per year)
- Taking action to reduce heat loss from a property such as draught-proofing windows (saving households approximately £60 per year)
This information will also be available on the existing Help for Households website.
November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Foreign Secretary to discuss strengthening NATO’s long-term resilience at Foreign Ministers meeting [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 November 2022.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will this week reiterate the importance of enhancing support to Ukraine with NATO allies.
- Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will reaffirm the importance of enhancing support for Ukraine against Russian aggression with NATO Allies.
- The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary’s recent visits to Ukraine underscore UK’s resolve to support the Ukrainian people.
- The Foreign Secretary will also attend the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe Ministerial Council in Lodz, Poland.
The Foreign Secretary will discuss how the Alliance will strengthen its support for Ukraine and enhance its long-term resilience at NATO’s Foreign Ministers meeting, which takes place in Bucharest, Romania this week (Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 November).

Ukraine will be top of the agenda when the Alliance meets, with NATO’s Foreign Ministers set to hold discussions on how best to continue supporting Ukraine as the war enters winter.

The Alliance will also discuss its long-term objectives for enhancing its defences. Finland and Sweden will join their first Foreign Ministerial meeting as NATO invitees, ahead of their accession to the Alliance. Their membership will make Europe safer and grow NATO to 32 countries.

The UK and the Alliance will also be focused on solidifying their support to partner countries where Russia is exerting its destabilising influence. Moldova is joining the meeting at Foreign Minister level for the first time in history. The Foreign Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia will also be present to discuss their ongoing cooperation with NATO.

The meeting will build on discussions at NATO’s Madrid summit earlier in the year, where allies agreed that China is a challenge that requires NATO to build a global perspective. Today’s meeting in Bucharest will look to operationalise the decisions taken by leaders in Madrid and look ahead to next year’s Vilnius Summit.

While in Bucharest, the Foreign Secretary will meet a range of partners, including both the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of NATO host Romania.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

With Russia’s war disrupting peace in Europe it’s vital that NATO and its Allies look closely at how we shore up our defences to handle the challenges we face today.

We are united in the long-term objective of supporting Ukraine and further strengthening NATO as a defensive alliance.

The UK and its Allies will continue to show collective strength in dealing with the complex issues the world faces today, as we are doing in Bucharest today.

Following his visit to NATO, the Foreign Secretary will be in Lodz, Poland for the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Ministerial Council (OSCE) on Thursday 1 December. The UK is steadfast in its support for the OSCE and its principles, and its efforts to continue an OSCE presence in Ukraine in the face of Russian pressure.

Russia, which as a participating State of the OSCE has freely signed up to its body of commitments, continues to frustrate its work by weaponising the consensus principle. Host Poland has restricted Russia from attending due to its illegal invasion of Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary will condemn Russia’s actions and reaffirm that the UK will continue to take action to further isolate Russia for its actions destabilising Europe.
November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : British High Commission hosts reception to ‘Welcome the Return of England Test Cricket to Pakistan’ [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 29 November 2022.

On Monday 28 November, the British High Commission hosted a reception to welcome the return of the England Test cricket to Pakistan. In attendance were notable sports and media personalities, political figures, representatives from the ECB and PCB as well as cricket players who are set to play Test cricket in Pakistan for the first time in 17 years.

The return of the England Test team comes amid a standout year for UK-Pakistan sporting and cultural ties, coinciding with the 75-year anniversary of UK-Pakistan relations, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, the England T20 Pakistan cricket tour and the World Cup T20 England-Pakistan final. The Tests mark a highpoint, as 2022 draws to a close.

The return of England cricket has coincided with a strong focus on the power of sports diplomacy – with both tours taking place following devastation caused by floods. Both the ECB and cricketers contributed to the UK’s DEC Pakistan flood appeal during the T20s which raised over £30m to provide lifesaving aid to those affected. England Test Captain, Ben Stokes, has also generously announced that he will be donating his match fees for this Test series to the DEC appeal. In addition the ECB in collaboration with the Lord’s Taverners, BA, IAG Cargo, Football for Peace and the Sarwar Foundation are shipping in 1 tonne of cricket kit to enable schools affected by flooding to rebuild their sports curriculums and help children return to a sense of normality.

This sports diplomacy drive compliments a wider UK Government focus in supporting Pakistan’s resilience in the aftermath of the floods via education development. Through its programmes, the UK is currently supporting 40,000 marginalised children with back to school kits including essential textbooks, providing 8,000 dignity kits for adolescent girls, and delivering an accelerated learning programme to 30,000 children to help them catch up on lost learning due to flood disruption. These efforts will safeguard girls in particular, and in the coming months the UK is set to expand its educational drive even further with a ‘Girls and Out of school children: Action for Learning (GOAL)’ programme which will support 20,000 flood-affected students (at least 60% female) to return to education in 235 schools.

The British High Commissioner, Dr Christian Turner said the following:

Cricket teaches us to play hard, accept defeat and respect our opponents. The players, PCB and ECB are great ambassadors for their sport and it is a pleasure to welcome them to the High Commission. The generous donations to flood victims is a sign of the deep ties and affection between our two countries.

England Batter, Ollie Pope, said:

We’re delighted to return to Pakistan for this historic Test tour after such an exciting T20 series earlier this year. We’re grateful for the warm welcome we have received but also know that many communities have been impacted severely by the floods. It’s great to see so many different organisations coming together to arrange this donation of cricket equipment and hopefully it will go a small way to ensuring that children in some of the affected areas can still benefit from all the good that cricket can do as they try to recover.’

November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : New protections for children and free speech added to internet laws [November 2022]
The press release issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport on 28 November 2022.

Online Safety Bill to include stronger protections for children, with platforms forced to be clearer with parents about dangers.
- Legal but harmful provisions to be replaced with new duties to boost free speech and increase accountability of tech firms
- Tougher measures to be added to protect women and girls from controlling or coercive behaviour
New internet safety laws will go further than before to shield children and protect free speech online, thanks to improvements proposed by the government.

Any incentives for social media firms to over-remove people’s legal online content will be taken out of the Online Safety Bill. Firms will still need to protect children and remove content that is illegal or prohibited in their terms of service, however the Bill will no longer define specific types of legal content that companies must address.

This removes any influence future governments could have on what private companies do about legal speech on their sites, or any risk that companies are motivated to take down legitimate posts to avoid sanctions.

New measures will also be added to make social media platforms more transparent and accountable to their users, as a result of amendments the Government will propose.

The changes will offer users a ‘triple shield’ of protection when online: social media firms will be legally required to remove illegal content, take down material in breach of their own terms of service, and provide adults with greater choice over the content they see and engage with.

Parents and the wider public will benefit from new changes to force tech firms to publish more information about the risks their platforms pose to children so people can see what dangers sites really hold.

Firms will be made to show how they enforce their user age limits to stop kids circumventing authentication methods and they will have to publish details of when the regulator Ofcom has taken action against them.

Digital Secretary Michelle Donelan said:

Unregulated social media has damaged our children for too long and it must end.

I will bring a strengthened Online Safety Bill back to Parliament which will allow parents to see and act on the dangers sites pose to young people. It is also freed from any threat that tech firms or future governments could use the laws as a licence to censor legitimate views.

Young people will be safeguarded, criminality stamped out and adults given control over what they see and engage with online. We now have a binary choice: to get these measures into law and improve things or squabble in the status quo and leave more young lives at risk.

Today’s announcement refocuses the Online Safety Bill on its original aims: the pressing need to protect children and tackle criminal activity online while preserving free speech, ensuring tech firms are accountable to their users, and empowering adults to make more informed choices about the platforms they use.

It follows confirmation that the Bill will include new measures to make significant changes to the UK’s criminal law to increase protections for vulnerable people online by criminalising the encouragement of self-harm and the sharing of people’s intimate images without their consent.

To make sure the Bill’s protections for adults online strike the right balance with its protections for free speech, duties relating to “legal but harmful” content accessed by adults will be removed from the legislation and replaced with the consumer-friendly ‘triple shield’.

The Bill will instead give adults greater control over online posts they may not wish to see on platforms. If users are likely to encounter certain types of content – such as the glorification of eating disorders, racism, anti-semitism or misogyny not meeting the criminal threshold – internet companies will have to offer adults tools to help them avoid it. These could include human moderation, blocking content flagged by other users or sensitivity and warning screens.

The legal but harmful measures will be replaced with new duties which strengthen the Bill’s free speech requirements on major online platforms to make them more accountable for their policies. It will explicitly prohibit them from removing or restricting user-generated content, or suspending or banning users, where this does not breach their terms of service or the law. In addition, firms will need to have clear, easy to understand and consistently enforced terms of service.

It comes as new polling from Ipsos reveals that 83 per cent of people think social media companies should have a duty to protect children who are using their platforms (only 4 per cent disagree). Eight in ten people (78 per cent) want social media companies held accountable for keeping underage children off their platforms (only 7 per cent disagree).

There is overwhelming public backing for action. Eight in ten people (81 per cent) think the government should make sure social media companies protect children when they are online and 77 per cent think social media companies should be punished if they don’t protect children.

Sanjay Bhandari, Chair of Kick it Out, said:

Users of social media have benefitted from a right that does not exist in the real world. Not only do they have freedom of speech but they have the freedom to force you to hear it. People who play, watch and work in football are often the victims of such vicious trolling

We welcome the principle of extending the user empowerment provisions in the Bill to close this loophole. Social media companies will need to make available technology that enables each of us to have the online experience we desire. We shall review the amendments to the Bill in detail but encourage parliamentarians to move quickly.

The Bill is due to return to Parliament next week. The first amendments have been tabled to the Bill in the Commons for Report Stage on 5 December. Further amendments will be made at later stages of the Bill’s passage.

As well as making larger tech companies publish a summary of their risk assessments concerning the dangers their platforms pose to children, other moves to boost transparency and accountability include giving Ofcom a new power to require platforms to publish details of enforcement action it takes against them.

Another set of amendments will boost protections for women and girls online by adding the criminal offence of controlling or coercive behaviour to the list of priority offences in the Bill. This means platforms will have to take proactive steps, such as putting in measures to allow users to manage who can interact with them or their content, instead of only responding when this illegal content is flagged to them through complaints

In addition, the Victim’s Commissioner, Domestic Abuse Commissioner and Children’s Commissioner will be added as statutory consultees in the Bill, meaning Ofcom must consult with each when drafting the codes tech firms must follow to comply with the Bill.

Dame Rachel De Souza, Children’s Commissioner for England, said:

I am pleased that Government is bringing back the Online Safety Bill to Parliament. This landmark legislation is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to protect all children online, particularly the most vulnerable. “That’s why I am glad that the Children’s Commissioner is now recognised on the face of the Online Safety Bill as a statutory consultee to Ofcom’s codes of practice. This will enable me, in my unique position as representative of children’s rights and views, to oversee the codes which tech firms must follow to comply with the Bill – ensuring that children’s views and experiences are fully understood.

We cannot allow any more children to suffer. The loss of children by suicide, after exposure to hideous self-harm and suicide content, are tragic reminders of the powerful consequences of online material. I am determined to see this Bill pass through Parliament. I will work to ensure that children’s voices and needs underpin each stage of the legislative process. I look forward to us all getting behind such a crucial moment to protect children online.

Campaigner Lucy Alexander said:

We live in an online world where bullying is 24/7. Young people are bombarded by harmful content online and there is no room for escape. It is on their phones, in their bedrooms and with them on their way to school.

My son Felix was driven to suicide at the age of 17 due to the barrage of bullying he experienced online. This is the reason why I am on a mission to make sure no other child feels as much pain as he did. One death is one too many.

The Online Safety Bill is a step in the right direction, it will hold social media accountable for protecting children online. The new changes to the bill will also see social media firms forced to publish risk assessments so that parents can see for themselves the dangers and risks that face children on these sites. It is time to prioritise the safety of our children and young people online.
November 29, 2022
PRESS RELEASE : Ministerial Taskforce meets to tackle state threats to UK democracy [November 2022]

The press release issued by the Home Office on 28 November 2022.

The first meeting of the new Defending Democracy Taskforce took place today (Monday 28 November), chaired by the Security Minister Tom Tugendhat. Its primary focus will be to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign interference.

Announced in the House of Commons earlier this month by the Security Minister, the Taskforce will work across government and with Parliament, the UK Intelligence Community, the devolved administrations, local authorities and the private sector on the full range of threats facing our democratic institutions.

These threats include foreign interference in our elections and electoral processes; disinformation; physical and cyber threats to our democratic institutions and those who represent them; foreign interference in public office, political parties and universities; and transnational repression in the UK.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:

State threats are growing and changing. My priority is, and has always been, to defend our country and the freedoms that guarantee our prosperity and sovereignty.

We are bringing together experts from across Government, security and intelligence agencies to defend our democracy and our right to choose our own future.

The National Security Bill, currently on its way to becoming law, will give the UK more tools to tackle these threats. These include a suite of new measures to tackle the full range of modern-day state threats, from sabotage and spying to foreign interference and economic espionage.

The Taskforce will also bring together the many structures both inside and outside of Government which are aimed at protecting UK political parties, elected officials and core electoral infrastructure.

It will seek to build resilience across all levels of the UK’s democratic system, including vital security practice for all elected officials, ensuring that core electoral infrastructure is secure. The Taskforce will seek to do this across all elements of the UK’s democratic system, working closely with the Devolved Administrations and Local Government Authorities.

The work of the Taskforce will report into the National Security Council (NSC). More details will be set out in the update of the Integrated Review.

November 29, 2022