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Tag: Speeches

  • Oliver Dowden – 2022 Interview on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the Behaviour of Gavin Williamson

    Oliver Dowden – 2022 Interview on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on the Behaviour of Gavin Williamson

    The interview with Oliver Dowden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg on 6 November 2022.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Asked about the private messages sent by Gavin Williamson to Wendy Morton, the Chief Whip and whether they were acceptable].

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    No, it’s not. These were sent in the heat of the moment at a very difficult time. Gavin accepts that he shouldn’t have said these things, that he regrets it and we should all treat each other with respect and courtesy and that was not the case.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Asked why Rishi Sunak said his Government would have the highest integrity, but yet he appointed Gavin Williamson knowing that there as

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    Well, it was no secret that Gavin, and some others, didn’t enjoy a good relationship with the Chief Whip at the time. It was not the case, though, that the Prime Minister saw the detail. The complaint itself is ongoing and I don’t think it would be appropriate for me to prejudge that and obviously it has to be treated with confidentiality.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Said that we’ve seen the texts, there’s no dispute about it, why would viewers think a big investigation is needed?]

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    Well, on the facts of that that exchange, as I said, to you, that’s not acceptable. He shouldn’t have said it. He has said that he regrets doing so. He has given some context, which was that this was at the time of heightened frustration with him as a backbencher and the chief whip.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Asked if people can use language like that just because they’re in a bad mood?]

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    This is not acceptable, however, there is this complaints process ongoing and it was not the case that the Prime Minister had seen this exchange.

    LAURA KUENSSBERG

    [Stated that there would be no consequences for Gavin Williamson?]

    OLIVER DOWDEN

    This is ongoing and I don’t think you can say we’re going to have a complaints process and then have a minister come on this show and start to prejudge that. What is right for for me to say is that this is not acceptable, that is what Gavin himself has accepted.

  • Michelle O’Neill – 2022 Speech on Being First Minister for All

    Michelle O’Neill – 2022 Speech on Being First Minister for All

    The speech made by Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister Designate in Northern Ireland, on 5 November 2022.

    Míle buíochas do gach duine as bheith linn inniu. Tá fáilte mhór romhaibh uilig.

    It’s so good to be with you all here today

    We meet at a time of major change right across our entire island

    That change was demonstrated most loudly six months ago, when the people of the North voted in huge numbers in the Assembly election.

    It really was a defining moment.

    For the first time, the balance of power at Stormont shifted, and Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party, topping the poll with 27 seats.

    The electorate overwhelmingly endorsed our message of hope, optimism and of working in partnership with others to get things done.

    They voted for us to invest extra money in our health service and to help them through the cost-of-living crisis.

    They voted for us to build more homes and to create good quality jobs.

    I campaigned to lead a new Executive as a ‘First Minister for All’.

    And I meant what I said during the campaign.

    I will work every day as First Minister Designate to demonstrate through word and deed a spirit of partnership and respect towards everyone in our society.

    For politics to work it must be inclusive.

    That means the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement must work, serve and deliver fairly and equally for all citizens, and for all communities.

    My commitment is to make politics work for everyone and to lead an agenda for change through partnership, not division.

    I want to co-operate across party lines and deliver in government by working with others who want progress.

    Our mission is to deliver on health, housing, education and jobs.

    We need to put money into people’s pockets to help deal with the rising cost of living.

    To agree a budget and an extra £1 billion into the health service to reduce waiting lists.

    To support cancer and mental health services, and recruit more doctors and nurses.

    Since day one after the election Sinn Féin has stood ready to form a power-sharing government.

    We have been ready to work with other parties and to serve all communities.

    It is wrong that progress on the issues affecting the daily lives of people are being put on hold, because one party refuses to accept the democratic outcome of last May’s Assembly election.

    At any time, this would be unacceptable.

    But in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis it is utterly disgraceful.

    As you all know the DUP are using the Brexit Protocol as cover not to enter power-sharing.

    And the real reason is because as an Irish nationalist, I will be at the helm as First Minister.

    And everybody knows it.

    Last Friday, Caretaker Ministers were forced from their departments leaving civil servants in an impossible position.

    They are now expected to run our essential public services, with no budget and no powers.

    Not good enough.

    I want to thank our outgoing Finance Minister Conor Murphy; Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey; and, Infrastructure Minister John O’Dowd for their hard work and delivery.

    Back in May the people voted for change.

    Yet the DUP and Tories offer only disruption, dysfunction and chaos in Belfast and London.

    The British Secretary of State repeatedly stated he would set a date for an election should the DUP fail to restore power-sharing.

    Yet come the day and come the hour he backed down and failed to do anything whatsoever.

    He has left people in limbo with indecision and the dithering.

    He needs to step out a definitive pathway be restore an executive.

    Instead of fueling instability and uncertainty.

    If an election is called, we stand ready to refight a positive campaign.

    A campaign to deliver on the change you voted for in May.

    A campaign about a future built on inclusivity, togetherness, and respect.

    In the meantime, we cannot allow the vacuum to be filled by threats of violence or intimidation from loyalists who want yesterday.

    Let’s be clear, yesterday is not available to them!

    From this Ard Fheis today, I send our solidarity to James Nesbitt, and Professor Colin Harvey of Queen’s University, who have both come under attack from senior DUP politicians, and some loyalists.

    This attack on them is an attack on democracy and us all.

    This must stop.

    Earlier this week I was honoured to attend the funeral service of the late Baroness May Blood.

    I was privileged to join her beloved family and all those from the Greater Shankill community who mourn the loss of their greatest and deeply respected community champion.

    A mill worker.

    A trade unionist, a community worker, a campaigner for social justice and integrated education, and the founder of the Women’s Coalition.

    As First Minister Designate I wanted to pay my respects and go onto the Shankill because at the end of the day we all live together.

    Our battles are the same.

    To make our communities better.

    To offer families a secure life.

    To build a better future for our children.

    We have so much more in common than divides us.

    Reaching out the hand of friendship to advance reconciliation is our common ground.

    Where together, we can all build for the future and do so, in a way that reflects the diversity of our different but equally legitimate, Allegiances, Identities and Aspirations.

    That is why in September I attended the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

    I was being respectful to all of those of a British and unionist tradition from across our society who felt her loss dearly.

    It reflects maturity as a new era of change is ushered in where we can celebrate difference and diversity.

    A chairde, last week after decades of campaigning the Irish language was given official recognition in law in the north for the first time.

    Tá Acht Gaeilge againne/ anois!

    This will mean gaeilgeoirí will have guaranteed protections in law, and the legal right to access public services through Irish.

    Resistance to rights has failed.

    Let’s value, not diminish each other’s culture and identity.

    I am working to build a society not of Orange and Green, but a rainbow of colours and multi-culturalism which reflects who we are and what we stand for today.

    Since we last met some progress has been made on women’s rights.

    Finally, women in the North have the right to modern compassionate healthcare when they need it.

    Those services need to be put in place now.

    A new generation of women will not abide a repeat of the failures of the past, particularly when it comes to our healthcare.

    I want to address the issue of the Brexit Protocol.

    You see, it is an irrefutable fact that the Protocol is working, and that Jeffrey Donaldson is incapable of accepting that is the case.

    He has now been rebuffed on numerous occasions in the past week about his misleading claims.

    Including scaremongering about vital medical care.

    A chairde, Jeffrey doesn’t just need a fact-check, he needs a reality check.

    Most working people, businesses and key sectors I meet want the British Government to urgently reach a negotiated settlement with the EU around the Protocol.

    They want certainty and stability so they can invest for the future taking full advantage of our access to the EU single market and the benefits this brings to our economy.

    We welcome the unstinting support of the White House and Congress.

    This was reaffirmed in a call between President Biden and the British Prime Minister last week.

    We must defend and protect the gains of the Good Friday Agreement and the need to reach a negotiated agreement with the European Union.

    We welcome the new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meeting with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen.

    What we all want to see is a deal done to make the protocol work better.

    But for the avoidance of doubt.

    Neither the Assembly or the Executive has any mandate or role in these negotiations.

    So holding back power-sharing in the meantime is simply to punish the public.

    This is reckless and it needlessly polarises our society and politics.

    My call is for London and Brussels to Propel the Protocol Talks and for Downing Street to demonstrate the political will to get a resolution.

    As for the Stormont Leaders, now is the time for renewed unity of purpose and determination to deliver a stable power-sharing coalition that works, and delivers.

    Next April we will mark 25 years of peace and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

    And we will reflect on the transformation of our island over the last quarter century.

    We will also take the opportunity to look forward and to imagine the future.

    We are now in the decade of opportunity.

    Friends, let’s embrace it and let’s do better for all.

    Tá obair le déanamh againn ar son an phobail.

    We have work to do, and people to represent.

    The people want Government, and we all want change.

    I am firmly committed to both.

    Sin mo ghealltanas daoibh uilig.

    Go raibh míle maith agaibh.

  • Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Interest Rates Increase

    Caoimhe Archibald – 2022 Comments on Interest Rates Increase

    The comments made by Caoimhe Archibald, Sinn Fein’s economic spokesperson, on 3 November 2022.

    Because of the economic chaos unleashed by the Tories, today there has been the single biggest hike in interest rates in three decades.

    It’s a scandal that ordinary workers and families will now pay the price as mortgage payments go up and people struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

    Our future generations also face being frozen out of owning their own home because mortgages will be unattainable and mortgage payments will simply be unaffordable.

    The Tories have lined the pockets of the rich and the bankers and ignored the disastrous ramifications for households already trying to get through a difficult winter.

    The £400 energy payment that was promised to people months ago and held up because of the DUP’s cruel boycott of the Executive, must be paid now with no more delays.

    We need investment in our public services, support for public sector workers and immediate help to ensure the most vulnerable survive through the winter months.

    Energy companies and shareholders are walking off with bundles of cash and profits in the billions. It’s time to bring them down a peg through a Windfall Tax and redirect the money into the pockets of hardworking families.

  • Andrew Hauser – 2022 Speech on How Central Bank Balance Sheets can Support Monetary and Financial Stability

    Andrew Hauser – 2022 Speech on How Central Bank Balance Sheets can Support Monetary and Financial Stability

    The speech made by Andrew Hauser, the Executive Director for Markets at the Bank of England, on 4 November 2022.

    Speech (in .pdf format)

  • Ursula von der Leyen – 2022 Speech at the Berlin Process Summit for the Western Balkans

    Ursula von der Leyen – 2022 Speech at the Berlin Process Summit for the Western Balkans

    The speech made by Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, on 3 November 2022.

    Indeed, we had a very good meeting today. And with Albania in the driving seat for next year, I know that the Berlin Process continues to be in very good hands. Our aim is very clear: It is the aim to bring our Western Balkan partners as close as possible, as fast as possible. And here we have two tracks: One track of work is of course the accession process. There, we have made good progress. The Commission has put enlargement back on the table, from the very first day of my mandate. We have been securing agreement on a new enlargement methodology that opened up ways, not only to unblock decisions – that was very important – but it also brought back credibility to the whole process. Then, we have put on the table a substantive Economic and Investment Plan. It brings EUR 30 billion of investment to the region, which is overall approximately one-third of the GDP of the whole region.

    In addition, last year, we had an Intergovernmental Conference with Montenegro. We opened one cluster with Serbia. And this year, we were very happy that we finally managed to have the first Intergovernmental Conference with Albania and North Macedonia and started the screening process. And we made the proposal to Council to give Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status. I must say, this progress, which is good progress, dear Edi Rama, was possible because of the progress made in the Western Balkan countries themselves, so it is your success.

    Indeed, a second track of action is the Berlin Process. And here, the goal is to deepen our economic integration. And yes, we are facing manifold challenges, first and foremost Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that marks a geopolitical shift on our continent. But the longer the Russian war lasts, the more determined we are to stand together and to withstand. We know that our investments in the Western Balkans are not only important for a conducive business environment – this is also the case – but we also know that these investments are investments for peace, stability and prosperity of Europe as a whole.

    Against this backdrop, indeed, we discussed in depth the knock-on effects of the Russian war on energy. Therefore, today’s declaration on energy security and the green agenda for the Western Balkans marks a very important step. As the Chancellor already said, we are united in the goal of climate neutrality by 2050 and our climate targets by 2030. If we look at the immediate crisis, it is important that we synchronise our steps. We are in an energy community. Therefore, in the short term, this means for all of us: diversification of energy sources, the reduction of our dependency on Russian fossil fuels, and to keep energy prices in check with joint action.

    But we are also aware of the fact that unprecedented crises demand or need unprecedented steps and action. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that the Commission will put forward a substantial energy support package for the Western Balkans. It is EUR 1 billion in grants and it has two different parts. The first part is EUR 500 million in grants as a very immediate financial support for the six Western Balkan countries to put them in a position for the very short term to support vulnerable households and vulnerable businesses. This budget support will be adopted in December and available in January – in other ways: very shortly. The second part, the other EUR 500 million in grants, will be dedicated to investments in energy infrastructure. These are mainly investments in gas and electricity interconnectors to really have a common grid and interconnection in the region with the European Union. Very important is the emphasis on investments in renewable energy – because this gives us independence, it is clean energy and it creates good jobs at home – and, of course, energy efficiency measures.

    In addition, we will strengthen the security of supply by improving and facilitating the access in each other’s energy pipelines and storages. This is for the emergency. So that in case somebody is in trouble, there is solidarity from all of us. And the European Union and the Western Balkans will harmonise their crisis and emergency plans and measures, in a spirit of solidarity and increased neutral resilience. Finally, we are also inviting our partners from the Western Balkans to join us in our European attempt to have a joint procurement platform, so really to develop the strong market power we have if we stick together.

    And this brings me to the second point, the regional integration. That is the development of the common regional market. It is for us a very important stepping stone towards the EU Single Market. Indeed, in this regard, I welcome today’s signature of three very important agreements. The freedom of movement is key to both. It is of course key to the development of the common regional market, but it is also key to the integration of the Western Balkans in the European Single Market. It is about the people – be it students, be it professionals. They will bring the region forward.

    Therefore, the agreement is so important for 18 million people to move freely within the region. Professionals can tap their full potential, regardless of where they work. The professional qualifications – be it of skilled workers, students, researchers, medical doctors, dentists or architects – will all be recognised throughout the Western Balkans. Very important is also that the national ID cards will be accepted at every border. These measures will not only boost intra-regional travel in the Western Balkans, but it will also strengthen personal and cultural bonds between the people of the region. In the very end, it is always the same good old story that has always been at the heart of the European project. It is enhanced cooperation and harmonisation that bring peace and prosperity to all. We should use every opportunity to get closer with our Western Balkan friends.

    Thank you, once more, for a very good Berlin Process.

  • Alok Sharma – 2022 Speech at the Ceremonial Opening Speech at COP27

    Alok Sharma – 2022 Speech at the Ceremonial Opening Speech at COP27

    The speech made by Alok Sharma, the COP26 President, on 6 November 2022.

    Distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to declare open the twenty-seventh session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

    Friends, let me begin by thanking our friends here in Egypt for such a warm welcome.

    My team and I know just how demanding hosting such a conference is, and how many people have worked incredibly hard to get us to this point.

    So congratulations, and thank you again.

    Now as the UK Presidency comes to an end, I want to reflect on what we achieved together in Glasgow,

    and also what has happened since in our Presidency year.

    Last November, the world gathered at COP26 against a fractured and fractious geopolitics, as a once-in-a-century pandemic dragged mercilessly on.

    And yet, leaders recognised that, despite their differences, often profound, cooperation on climate and nature is in our collective self-interest.

    And thanks to that spirit of cooperation and compromise, we forged together the Glasgow Climate Pact.

    Collectively we achieved something historic, and something hopeful.

    With your help:

    We closed the Paris Rulebook.

    We made unprecedented progress on coal, and on fossil fuel subsidies.

    We committed to rapidly scale up finance, and to double adaptation finance by 2025.

    We reiterated the urgency of action and support for loss and damage, and established serious work on funding arrangements.

    We hope that this will pave the way for a formal agenda item and tangible progress here in Egypt.

    And every Party, and I repeat this, every Party agreed to revisit and strengthen their 2030 emissions reduction targets, to align with Paris.

    I want to thank the 29 countries which have already updated their NDCs since Glasgow.

    From Australia to Micronesia.

    India to Vanuatu.

    Norway to Gabon.

    And we also made progress outside the negotiating rooms, with commitments from business, from finance, from philanthropy.

    Friends, thanks to the work we did together, we achieved our objective, the goal at the heart of the Paris Agreement:

    we kept 1.5 degrees alive.

    Now, none of us could have anticipated the year that followed.

    We have been buffeted by global headwinds that have tested our ability to make progress.

    Putin’s brutal and illegal war in Ukraine has precipitated multiple global crises: energy and food insecurity, inflationary pressures and spiralling debt.

    These crises have compounded existing climate vulnerabilities, and the scarring effects of the pandemic.

    And yet, despite this context, there has been some progress in implementing the commitments we delivered in Glasgow.

    Over 90 percent of the global economy is now covered by a net zero target, up from less than 30 percent when the UK took on the COP26 role.

    The biggest companies and financial institutions in the world have committed to net zero and they have done so in force,

    with a global wall of capital creating green jobs, and directing billions into the green industries of both today and tomorrow.

    Countries and companies are making tangible sectoral progress,

    from Zero Emission Vehicles to our Breakthrough Agenda,

    and are accelerating the rollout of renewable energy across the world.

    The Secretary General has been clear: our shared long-term futures do not lie in fossil fuels and I agree with him wholeheartedly.

    Every major report published this year underscores the point that progress is being made.

    Thanks to the commitments we garnered ahead of and at COP26, and indeed in our Presidency year, emissions in 2030 are expected to be around six gigatons lower.

    That is the equivalent of 12 percent of today’s global annual emissions.

    And with full implementation of all the commitments in place today, including NDCs and net zero targets, the reports suggest that we are heading to 1.7 degrees warming by the end of the century.

    Not 1.5.

    But still, progress.

    So, to those who remain sceptical about the multilateral process, and of the COP process in particular, my message is clear:

    as unwieldy and sometimes as frustrating as these processes can be, the system is delivering.

    And there are many people to thank for that.

    And certainly too many to name.

    The Prime Ministers and Presidents who have sensed the changing wind, and indeed sought instead to harness it.

    The Ministers to the miners who have recognised a just and sustainable future can only be delivered with a clean energy transition.

    The civil society organisations, youth representatives and indigenous peoples who pushed us to consider and reconsider what was possible in Glasgow, have continued to do so since.

    And, of course, the brilliant officials, the brilliant civil servants around the world, not least in the UK’s COP Unit, who have helped to deliver progress.

    And yet, despite this progress, I fully recognise the scale of the challenge still in front of us.

    Just as every report shows that we are making some progress, they are equally clear that there is so much more to be done in this critical decade.

    Friends, we are not currently on a pathway that keeps 1.5 in reach.

    And whilst I do understand that leaders around the world have faced competing priorities this year,

    we must be clear,

    as challenging as our current moment is, inaction is myopic, and can only defer climate catastrophe.

    We must find the ability to focus on more than one thing at once.

    How many more wake-up calls do world leaders actually need?

    A third of Pakistan under water.

    The worst flooding in Nigeria in a decade.

    This year, the worst drought in 500 years in Europe, in a thousand years in the US, and the worst on record in China.

    The cascading risks are also clear.

    Entire economic sectors becoming unsustainable and uninsurable,

    entire regions becoming unlivable,

    and the strain on the global movement of goods,

    and the pressure on people to relocate because of the climate crisis, becoming almost unimaginable.

    So, this conference must be about concrete action.

    And I hope that when the world leaders join us today, they will explain what their countries have achieved in the last year, and how they will go further.

    It is very simply, a matter of trust.

    Without its constituent members delivering on their commitments, and agreeing to go further, the entire system falters.

    I will do everything in my power to support our Egyptian friends.

    The UK is here to reach ambitious outcomes across the agenda, including on mitigation, on adaptation, and on loss and damage.

    And we know that we have reached a point where finance makes or breaks the programme of work that we have ahead of us.

    So whilst I would point to some of the progress shown on the $100 billion,

    I hear the criticisms, and I agree that more must be done, by governments and by the Multilateral Development Banks,

    including on doubling adaptation finance by 2025, and establishing a post-2025 goal.

    Ultimately though, I remain hopeful.

    Look back to where we were before Glasgow.

    Look back to where we were before Paris.

    Indeed, as we mark the thirtieth anniversary, look back to where we were before Rio.

    With thanks to all of you, the UK’s Presidency ends as a demonstration that progress is possible, is happening and is continuing.

    Yes, we need to accelerate that progress in the remainder of this decisive decade.

    But I believe fundamentally that we can.

    We know what we need to do to keep 1.5 degrees alive.

    We know how to do it.

    And Sameh, you and your team have our full support.

    So now friends, let’s make sure we delivery, let’s make it happen.

    Thank you.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2022 Statement on Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre

    Robert Jenrick – 2022 Statement on Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre

    The statement made by Robert Jenrick, the Immigration Minister, on 5 November 2022.

    There was disruption overnight at Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre after a loss of power.

    Thankfully no staff working or individuals detained there were hurt, despite clear evidence of unacceptable levels of violence and disorder.

    The public should be reassured that offenders and others waiting removal from the UK are being held securely. The perpetrators of this disturbance will be held to account and, where appropriate, removed from the country as swiftly as is practicable.

    The Home Secretary and I have been kept abreast of events throughout the night and today by our hard-working teams.

    I have visited the site tonight and I expect the centre to be empty by the end of the day.

    I am grateful to Home Office staff, contractors and officers from HMPPS and the Metropolitan police for their professionalism and practical support.

  • Prince William, the Prince of Wales – 2022 Speech at the 10th Tusk Conservation Awards

    Prince William, the Prince of Wales – 2022 Speech at the 10th Tusk Conservation Awards

    The speech made by Prince William, the Prince of Wales, on 2 November 2022.

    I am personally delighted to be here at the Tusk Conservation Awards, to celebrate their tenth year alongside so many alumni from past events.

    Our shared goal is to draw the world’s attention onto some truly remarkable people working on the frontline of conservation in Africa today.

    I am sure you will all agree with me that the commitment, innovation and courage shown by each of our winners and finalists is deeply humbling. And as always, it’s been wonderful to see their outstanding work on the big screen.

    These short films brilliantly bring to life the work which the Tusk Awards champion. Thank you to all the talented filmmakers behind them.

    Tonight’s event provides a perfect moment not only to reflect on the remarkable achievements of our nominees, but also take stock of the immense challenges that we continue to face in preserving the natural world.

    The many ecosystems of Africa are precious; they underpin economies and livelihoods and support an extraordinarily rich biodiversity that plays a critical function in reversing climate change.

    As Sir David Attenborough reminded us at this ceremony five years ago, Africa’s wildlife is truly special. What the Awards alumni, their dedicated teams and local communities are protecting is ‘one of the great natural treasures of the world’.

    And yet, we also know that it is just a fragment of what there once was. That is why it is vital that we do everything in our power to halt the frightening decline in species that our planet has witnessed over the last 50 years.

    It is also why the work of Tusk and its partners is so critical. It’s only by collaborating and building partnerships across communities, organisations, and the public and private sectors that we can foster lasting, meaningful change.

    Tusk has taken the lead, both through its Conservation Symposium and new Collaboration Fund, to encourage initiatives that deliver impact, share solutions and build partnerships to scale up conservation efforts.

    We must empower communities that face the challenges of coexisting with wildlife and we must promote grass-roots organisations to establish community-led approaches that preserve and enhance their natural heritage.

    We are living through turbulent times and it is all too easy to lose sight of how critical it is that we look after our natural world. But we must remain focused on investing in nature and the environment, protecting it for future generations. We must not pass on the baton to our children and grandchildren, apologising for our lack of collective action.

    Instead, we must do all we can to support those who support our natural world, often at great risk to themselves.

    The Roll of Honour that we saw earlier serves as a shocking reminder of the ultimate price paid by too many men and women on the frontline of conservation.

    The work that rangers and game scouts do as nature’s guardians is truly remarkable.

    They patrol thousands of miles each year, putting their lives on the line every day, protecting wildlife and eco-systems, supporting communities, and mitigating harmful human-wildlife conflict.

    They do vital work in collecting data to monitor species and deepen our understanding of the world around us. They inspire the next generation to love and respect nature and they teach our children about the fragility of the natural world.

    For this reason, I want to applaud Tusk and its partners for its ambitious Wildlife Ranger Challenge campaign that has now raised over $16m to support the salaries and operations of some 9,000 African rangers impacted by the pandemic. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the dedication and bravery of these men and women.

    Let me finish by congratulating our finalists and award winners again. David, Ian – when we spent time together earlier this year, I was reminded of both your commitment and dedication – it is truly inspiring. And to Achilles, Neddy, Miguel and Dismas – I know that your work is helping to ensure that Africa’s incredible natural heritage is protected for future generations. I look forward to working alongside all of you during my future visits.

    You all should be rightly proud to join the remarkable Tusk Alumni whose incredible achievements over the last ten years have helped lead these efforts.

    To everyone else who has made this evening and these awards possible, including those behind the scenes tonight and Tusk’s partners and sponsors, I say ‘thank you’.

    I wish you all a wonderful evening.

  • Chris Philp – 2022 Speech on the HMI Report into the Police Service

    Chris Philp – 2022 Speech on the HMI Report into the Police Service

    The speech made by Chris Philp, the Minister of State at the Home Department, in the House of Commons on 3 November 2022.

    I thank my constituency neighbour, the hon. Member for Croydon Central (Sarah Jones), the shadow Minister, for her question on this extremely important topic. The report published yesterday by His Majesty’s inspectorate of constabulary and fire and rescue services makes for deeply troubling reading. The inspection was commissioned by the previous Home Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witham (Priti Patel), following the horrific murder of Sarah Everard by a then serving officer, as well as the emergence of wider concerns about policing culture.

    The report concludes that it has been far

    “too easy for the wrong people both to join and to stay in the police.”

    The inspectorate found that on too many occasions vetting was not thorough enough and that in some cases it was inadequate. The Government take the view, as I am sure Members from across the House do, that that is unacceptable. It is particularly unacceptable and disappointing to hear about these vetting failures given that the Government have provided very substantial additional funding to fund the extra 20,000 police officers and additional resources for the police more widely.

    The inspectorate concluded that, although the culture has improved in recent years, misogyny, sexism and predatory behaviour towards female officers and staff members “still exists” and is too high in many forces. That is shameful and must act as a wake-up call. That sort of disgraceful conduct undermines the work of the thousands—the vast majority—of decent, hard-working police officers who perform their duties with the utmost professionalism. More damagingly, it undermines public trust. This matters a great deal to all of us, which is why my right hon. and learned Friend the Home Secretary has made it clear that things must change.

    Since the report was published yesterday, we have been studying it carefully; this has been my first week in this position, but I have been studying it carefully. It contains 43 recommendations: three for the National Police Chiefs’ Council; nine for the College of Policing; 28 for chief constables and three for the Home Office. The Home Office will most certainly be implementing those three recommendations. The NPCC said in a statement yesterday that it expects police to act on their recommendations urgently. That is most certainly my expectation as well: all of these recommendations will be acted on as a matter of urgency.

    We should keep it in mind that the vast majority of police officers are hard-working and dedicated. They put themselves at risk to keep us safe, and we should pay tribute to the work that the vast majority of officers do on our behalf. The report has uncovered obviously unacceptable behaviour and we expect the recommendations to be implemented urgently.

    Sarah Jones

    I welcome the Minister to his place. However, I have to say that I am disappointed that the Government are not taking more responsibility and leading from the front following such a grim report.

    Yesterday’s report is 160 pages of failure—failure to bar the wrong people from joining the police; failure to get rid of them; failure to protect female staff and officers, and failure to protect the public. A lack of proper action to root out racism, misogyny and serious misconduct means that some communities do not trust the police.

    This is by no means the first time that serious failings and horrific examples of unacceptable behaviour have been exposed. After the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer, the Opposition came to this place and called for change. After the horrific murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, we came to this place and called for leadership. After the shameful case of Child Q, we came to this place and called for reform. After the shocking Charing Cross station report, we came to this place and demanded action. After the Stephen Port inquiry, we came to this place and called for reform. If the Government had acted and led from the front, we could have stopped people being harmed. Leadership must come from the top.

    Yesterday, we learned that Metropolitan police officers had been sentenced to prison after sharing racist, homo- phobic and misogynistic WhatsApp messages. For years, there had been warnings—for example, from the independent inspectorate—about serious problems in the police misconduct system, including long delays, lack of disciplinary action, disturbing and systematic racial disparities and lack of monitoring.

    We have heard anecdotal evidence of forces expediting the vetting process to meet the Government’s recruitment targets. What does the Minister know about that? What is he doing to ensure that it does not happen? Will the Minister confirm that the roles of police staff, who do a lot of the vetting work and have been subject to cuts, will be protected so that forces can introduce the right systems? Will the Minister follow Labour’s lead and introduce mandatory safeguards and professional standards, led from the top, into every police force in the country to keep everybody safe?

    Chris Philp

    I thank the hon. Lady for her initial remarks and for her questions.

    The Government have taken action. Indeed, the report we are debating was commissioned by the former Home Secretary directly in response to the issues that were raised. The fact that those issues have seen the light of day is thanks to that Government response. The Angiolini inquiry is also under way for exactly the same reason. We work closely with operational policing colleagues to ensure that the issues are properly addressed. I discussed the issues with Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, a few days ago, before the report was published.

    As for ensuring that there are adequate resources for vetting and related purposes, the spending review settlement that the police currently receive has meant an additional £3.5 billion since 2019 over the three years of the police uplift programme, not just to pay the salaries of extra police officers but to provide the support and resources required to ensure that they are properly trained and integrated.

    The hon. Lady was right to ask about professional standards, which are extremely important. In 2017, national vetting standards were set out in statutory guidance, which the College of Policing published. The report recommends updating some elements of that. Misconduct procedures are set out in statute. We expect the recommendations about improving those areas to be implemented, and we expect police forces around the country to ensure that the report’s recommendations are fully implemented.

  • Maria Caulfield – 2022 Speech on Abuse and Deaths in Secure Mental Health Units

    Maria Caulfield – 2022 Speech on Abuse and Deaths in Secure Mental Health Units

    The speech made by Maria Caulfield, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, in the House of Commons on 3 November 2022.

    I am grateful to the hon. Lady for raising this important question. Everyone in any mental health facility is entitled to high-quality care and treatment and should be kept safe from harm. The findings from the investigation into the deaths of Christie, Nadia and Emily make for painful reading. The death of any young person is a tragedy, and all the more so when that young person should have been receiving care and support. My thoughts and, I am sure, the thoughts of the whole House are with their families and friends, and I want to apologise for the failings of the care that they received.

    As I told the House on Tuesday, these incidents are completely unacceptable. The Secretary of State and I are working closely with NHS England and the Care Quality Commission, and they have updated us on the specific situation and the steps that the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust is taking to improve the care at its services. Those include investing £5 million in reducing ligature risks across the estate; improving how it develops and implements care plans for young people; strengthening its policy on observation; and improving staff training and the culture that can exist within the trust.

    I recognise that these worrying findings come in the context of broader concerns highlighted by other recent scandals. The Minister for Health and Secondary Care, my hon. Friend the Member for Colchester (Will Quince), was at the Dispatch Box last month responding to an urgent question on the unacceptable abuses at the Edenfield Centre. These challenges are, rightly, the subject of sharp focus in my Department, and we understand that every part of our system has a responsibility to keep patients safe. That is the driving motivation behind our new mental health safety improvement programme and the patient safety incident response framework.

    I am not just the Minister for Mental Health; I am also responsible for patient safety, and I am not satisfied that the failings we have heard about today are necessarily isolated incidents at a handful of trusts. The Secretary of State and I are urgently meeting the national director of mental health to look at the system as a whole, the role of CQC inspections and the system for flagging concerns. I will also be meeting the new patient safety commissioner to seek her guidance, and based on that, we will make a decision on how we proceed in the coming days.

    Dr Allin-Khan

    It pains me that we are here again after failings in patient care and I send my heartfelt condolences to all the families affected. Emily Moore, Nadia Sharif, Christie Harnett: these are the names of three young women who tragically lost their lives after systemic failings to mitigate self-harm. This cannot go on. I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough (Andy McDonald) for his tireless work with the families involved.

    Sadly, those are not the only cases. In the last five weeks, there have been reports on the Huntercombe Group, the Essex Partnership University NHS Trust and the Edenfield Centre. Why do undercover reporters seem to have a better grip on the crisis than the Government? Patients are dying. They are being bullied, dehumanised and abused, and their medical records are being falsified—a scandalous breach of patient safety.

    The Government have failed to learn from past failings. I wrote to the previous Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Suffolk Coastal (Dr Coffey), yet I never received a response. I have written to the new Secretary of State and he has not replied. Are the Secretary of State and the Government taking this seriously? It certainly does not seem so.

    Will the Government be conducting a rapid review into mental health in-patient services? What are the Government doing to ensure that patients’ complaints about their care are taken seriously? These reports are becoming a weekly occurrence. I ask the Minister to put herself in the shoes of patients in these units and understand what their relatives are feeling. Will she apologise for the anguish that families are experiencing? This is a scandal and the Government should be ashamed.

    Maria Caulfield

    I will not stand at the Dispatch Box and deny any of the instances that we have seen, their consequences or the failings that have been identified. I apologised in my opening remarks for the care that failed the most vulnerable patients in our system. I commit to right hon. and hon. Members from the Dispatch Box that we are urgently looking not just at these cases but across all mental health in-patient services, and not just at adult mental health, but at offenders and other users of mental health facilities.

    We have brought in a number of measures. We introduced new legislation, which was enacted in March, on the use of force and restraint. We are identifying best practice and trying to get that rolled out across the country. We are looking at putting in place a number of measures to improve safety and to support staff in units where staff shortages have been identified as a cause of the problems.

    With regard to the hon. Lady writing to the Secretary of State, I signed off a letter to her early on Tuesday, which she should receive any day now. I apologise that she did not previously get responses in a timely manner.

    NHS England has commissioned a system-wide investigation into the safety and quality of services across the board, particularly around children and adolescent mental health services. I am pushing for those investigations to be as swift as possible.

    On the issue of a public inquiry, I am not necessarily saying that there will not be one, but it needs to be national, not on an individual trust basis. As we have seen in maternity services, when we repeat these inquiries, they often produce the same information and we need to learn systemically how to reduce such failings. My issue with public inquiries is that they are not timely and can take many years, and we clearly have cases that need to be urgently reviewed and to have some urgent action taken on them now. I will look at the hon. Lady’s request but, as I said, the Secretary of State and I are taking urgent advice, because we take this issue extremely seriously. One death from a failing of care is one death too many.