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  • Brandon Lewis – 2012 Statement on Business Rates

    Brandon Lewis – 2012 Statement on Business Rates

    The comments made by Brandon Lewis, the then Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 12 November 2012.

    On 18 October, the government announced our intention to postpone the next business rates revaluation in England from 2015 to 2017. Clause 22 of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill currently before the House of Commons will deliver upon this commitment.

    During the recent Westminster Hall debate on business rates and during the second reading debate on the Bill, ministers committed to provide more information on the analysis which has informed the government’s position to assist parliamentary scrutiny.

    A full assessment would require a revaluation, which in itself would cost £43 million and take a significant amount of time. However, the Valuation Office Agency have today published their high level estimates of non-domestic rental and rating assessment movements for England as at January 2012; it provides an illustration of the potential impact those rateable values would have had on business rate bills. The Agency’s analysis is based on professional judgements informed by limited rental market evidence up to January 2012. The analysis has been prepared independently of ministers and published in full.

    The last revaluation was based on April 2008 valuations and rents set at the height of an unsustainable property boom. Since then, the economy and property market have faced exceptional changes. Rents have fallen since that property boom. Some groups have assumed that falling business rents would entail falling business rates. However, this is not the case. While aggregate rateable values have fallen, this would automatically be offset at the revaluation by a higher rating multiplier. Firms would just be required to pay a higher proportion of their rateable value.

    The Agency’s estimates are based on an increase in the multiplier of 16%. My department has actually forecast an increase of 20%, as a consequence of inflation and the adjustment required to the multiplier for appeals; in this context, in practice, the losers would be likely to be even greater than those presented in the Agency’s paper.

    Overall, the Agency’s analysis suggests that 800,000 premises would have seen a real term increase in their rates at a 2015 revaluation. This compares to 300,000 seeing reductions.

    Some sectors would have faced big hikes including petrol stations (+28% tax paid), the self-catering industry such as caravan parks (+29% paid), hotels (+6% tax paid), theatres (+25% tax paid), and pubs (+11% tax paid). The retail sector overall would have seen a tax rise of 1% above inflation, and food retail and convenience stores in particular would have faced significant tax increases.

    Given business rates are the third biggest outgoing for local firms after staff and rent, such changes would invariably feed through to more expensive prices for family’s weekly shop, more expensive pints in pubs and a significant hit on Britain’s tourism trade. Indeed, as Community Pubs Minister, I am very aware of the concern expressed by honourable members on the pressures being faced by local pubs.

    Revaluations should be revenue-neutral, and equally, postponing the revaluation will be revenue-neutral. Overall the revaluation would not change the total business rates paid in England, so some sectors and locations would have seen reductions at 2015. During recent parliamentary exchanges, it was unfairly suggested that that this change was being done to assist southern parts of England at the expense of other parts of the country.

    However, our analysis shows that offices in central London would have seen by far the greatest reductions in tax paid if the 2015 revaluation had gone ahead (a fall in aggregate rateable value that is one of the reasons why the multiplier has to be increased by so much to make up for the lost revenue). There are complex variations by both locality and by sector in different parts of the country, but what is clear is that there would be far more losers than winners across the country as a whole. In making this decision, ministers are seeking to support the national interest and the economy as a whole.

    I appreciate that as a very direct form of taxation, business rates are not popular. Local government finance is too often opaque and confusing. However, we are acting in an open and transparent manner. This independent evidence shows that by postponing the 2015 revaluation, we will protect local firms and local shops from sharp changes in business rates bills at a time when we want to ensure the economy is growing. It will provide business with a stable economic environment in which to invest and support jobs for the next 5 years.

    A copy of the document will be placed in the Library together with a copy of the Impact Assessment for the Growth and Infrastructure Bill.

  • Brandon Lewis – 2012 Comments on The Norton Pub in Essex

    Brandon Lewis – 2012 Comments on The Norton Pub in Essex

    The comments made by Brandon Lewis, the then Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 2 November 2012.

    The Norton is not just a cracking pub, a lively atmosphere and vital local business but it is a true example of a resident run pub run that is now firmly in the hands of the whole community. I wish it every success.

    The community of Cold Norton have shown just how determination and ambition can be used to safeguard treasured local facilities – not just so they can stay open, but so they can thrive and grow. It is exactly why we are pushing power away from Whitehall and into the hands of local people who know what they want for their area.

  • Brandon Lewis – 2012 Article on the Business Rates Revaluation

    Brandon Lewis – 2012 Article on the Business Rates Revaluation

    The article written in the Daily Telegraph by Brandon Lewis, the then Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 24 October 2012 and circulated by the Government.

    Business rates are the third biggest outgoing for local firms after rent and staff costs. As a very direct and visible tax demand, unsurprisingly, such bills aren’t that popular with business.

    A revaluation at this point would be likely to result in sharp changes to business-rate bills in many parts of the country and in many sectors.

    Business rates are tied to inflation, but every five years, the way bills are calculated are revised in a revaluation undertaken by professionals in the Valuation Office Agency.

    Parliament will shortly debate a new Growth and Infrastructure Bill, and its provisions include postponing the next business rates revaluation in England to 2017.

    This decision will avoid local firms and local shops facing unexpected hikes in their business-rates bills over the next five years. As business rates will remain linked to inflation, there will be no real-terms increase in rates over this period.

    The last revaluation was based on April 2008 valuations and rents set at the height an unsustainable property boom during the last administration. Since then, the economy and property market have faced exceptional changes. A revaluation at this point would be likely to result in sharp changes to business-rate bills in many parts of the country and in many sectors.

    Rents have fallen since that property boom. Some people assume falling business rents somehow equal falling business rates: everyone’s a winner. That might happen in a perfect world, but not in the complex citadel of local government finance.

    Business-rates bills are calculated by taking the rateable value of a property (roughly equivalent to their notional yearly rent), and applying a ‘multiplier’. While aggregate rateable values have fallen, this would automatically be offset at the revaluation by a higher rating multiplier. Firms would just be required to pay a higher proportion of their rateable value. The Valuation Office Agency’s best estimate of rateable value movements suggests there had been a 13 per cent drop in values in England since the last valuation.

    Because revaluations are revenue neutral overall the tax take would have had to rise by 20 per cent to 56.9p in the pound following the 2015 revaluation. In essence, it works like a tax see-saw. Whether the value goes down on one side or up on the other, the taxman will demand the same overall tax take. Suspending the revaluation will not earn the Government a penny, but it does help us steady that see-saw.

    Of course, with any revaluation, there will be some winners. There will be losers, too.

    If a small number of high-value sectors and areas saw very sharp declines then the average fall could be very large indeed – meaning that many more businesses whose rents have fallen but by less than the national average would have seen tax increases from 2015. By definition, we have not undertaken a formal revaluation, so any figures will be rough estimates.

    The Valuation Office Agency’s best estimate of rental value movements across England, which ahead of carrying out the detailed work necessary for a revaluation is based on professional judgments informed by limited rental market evidence up to January 2012, illustrate that many businesses with reducing rateable values could expect to see increases in their actual rates bills.

    Extrapolating from these early estimates suggests that 800,000 premises would see a real-terms rise in their rates bill, where only 300,000 premises would see their bill fall.

    Smaller and medium firms are likely to be harder hit. Some in the retail sector have criticised the postponement of the revaluation: yet our estimates suggest that retail is one of the sectors which will face big hikes in bills because of the revaluation, alongside the likes of petrol stations, hotels and pubs.

    Transitional relief may be able to compensate initially some of the losers by clawing back most of the gains from the smaller number of winners (so-called downward phasing).

    However, we do not think that such immense volatility at this point in time would be in the wider public interest, particularly when we want to ensure the economy is growing.

    The Government is committed to maintaining up-to-date rates bills through regular five-yearly revaluations in England, which will resume after 2017, once the economy has had a chance to recover fully from the financial and fiscal crisis this Government inherited.

    The engines of economic growth aren’t found in the corridors of Whitehall but in the foundries of great local British companies. The best thing Government can do to help such businesses is to provide them with a stable economic environment. This is why we want to protect local firms from soaring tax bills.

  • Brandon Lewis – 2012 Speech to the Fire Sector Summit

    Brandon Lewis – 2012 Speech to the Fire Sector Summit

    The statement made by Brandon Lewis, the then Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 24 October 2012.

    I would like to say how delighted I am to be invited to speak to this summit – an event that grows in importance every year.

    I am particularly pleased that the summit brings together all parts of the fire industry – not only those who deliver the fire and rescue service at the sharp end, but all those who, often behind the scenes, do so much to ensure the buildings we live in and the products we use on a daily basis, are safe.

    A success story

    And in terms of fires you should all congratulate yourselves on a considerable success story. In England, fire fatalities and non-fatal casualties fell by 34% and 54% respectively between 2001 to 2002 and 2011 to 2012, and the average area of fire damage fell by 20% in dwellings and around 10% in other buildings during the same period. Last year, total fires fell by 6% to 227,000. I very much hope that these trends continue way into the future.

    As part of government’s commitment to maintaining a high profile focus on prevention activity, the Fire Kills campaign is currently running its hugely successful national advertising campaign. As with last year, we are encouraging everyone to test their smoke alarms when they change their clocks this weekend as you are four times more likely to die in a fire if you do not have a working smoke alarm. I would ask that in order to extend the reach and breadth of the campaign, you use your own websites to disseminate this important message. By working together we have the opportunity to really drive home the importance of fire safe behaviour and maintain the downward trend on fire deaths.

    The interaction between the fire industry and fire and rescue is a complex one – and for that reason I am delighted that the Fire Sector Federation is playing an increasingly important role in pulling all parts of the fire industry together, into a forum where ideas and knowledge can be exchanged. And I would particularly like to thank Brian Robinson, the Chairman of the Federation, for his hard work and perseverance in bringing the Federation to life.

    The importance of co-operation

    Growth is a top priority for this government. Supporting business growth for both new and existing companies is fundamental to our approach. And encouraging the creation of new businesses and sectors is crucial to this country’s future. These new businesses will help to create the necessary wealth and growth, and much needed jobs. But we need also to ensure that both new and existing businesses are strong and resilient, including safeguarding and protecting them from the devastating effects of a fire.

    All of you here today will know a fire can result in a business loss both in terms of its employees, its contribution to the local economy, and ability to recover and trade again in the aftermath of an incident.

    I urge the fire sector to go out and proactively engage with representative bodies for industry and commerce and make the case for effective and proportionate fire protection – passive and active interventions – in all areas of business in England.

    False alarms

    The industry also has a vitally important role to play in ensuring that we make the best use of innovative technology. You will know better than me the scope for technology to improve resilience to fire – but one area where more can be done is in limiting the number of false alarms. Last year there were 249,000 fire false alarms.

    London Fire Brigade says that despite a reduction of 23% in false alarms in the last 5 years, a fire engine is still called to a false alarm every 12 minutes in the capital, costing an estimated 34 million every year. More importantly, these unnecessary calls impact on the Brigade’s ability to attend real incidents, deliver training and carry out vital community safety work.

    I believe that technology can address this issue. To that end I have asked Brian Robinson to see what the industry itself can do to drive down false alarms through improved technology. Brian has asked a Fire Sector Federation working group under Martin Harvey to look into this issue – and I very much look forward to hearing their findings.

    Workforce development

    Another area where I see significant improvement is in relation to workforce development in fire and rescue services. Here collaborative working between the Sector Skills Council – Skills for Fire and Rescue, and the Chief Fire Officers Association amongst others – is starting to produce tangible results, especially in the risk critical areas of intervention activity. Such work helps underpin integrated risk management plans, interoperability, national resilience and common working. Much energy is being devoted to this work. I would like to thank Max Hood, the chair of the National Occupational Committee for his efforts in leading this work.

    Public procurement

    I know that many of you have an interest in public procurement and accessing new markets. This is an area where government is keen to help. As you may know, the government has put in place the Contracts Finder website, aimed at making it easier for suppliers to find and apply for public sector contracts. It is the main source of government opportunities worth more than £10,000.

    My department has already approached certain fire and rescue authorities to help populate pipelines and is very grateful for the assistance given to date. We are now asking all fire and rescue authorities for help to get as much information on future procurements in the pipeline – this should not be difficult as fire and rescue authorities should already be publishing this information existing contracts and tenders under the local government transparency code. The information on future procurements will help strengthen the UK supply chain by identifying current gaps between supply and demand and giving industry the confidence to invest for the future.

    The government is also committed to devolving power away from Whitehall so that fire and rescue authorities can decide how they can deliver services in a way that best meets their communities’ needs. I hope that the fire sector can join together to develop new ways of working and further innovation that can stimulate growth for all.

    Youth employment

    I want to speak a little about youth employment. In response to the challenge of youth unemployment, year the Deputy Prime Minister has launched a £1 billion Youth Contract to help unemployed people get a job. The Youth Contract will provide a number of new opportunities for young people, including apprenticeships and work experience placements. Many of you will be aware of the The Prince’s Trust Fire Industry Scheme, and some have supported it. I wish to thank you for that, and encourage others to get involved if they can.

    I know a number of fire and rescue authorities have started training apprentices. I was particularly impressed to hear that in Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service 12 young people have started a community safety apprenticeship.

    The apprentices are young people who have already had some contact with Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, for example through the Prince’s Trust courses, cadets and Fire Fly following a targeted recruitment campaign.

    To support them through the application process, they put on a 10-day pre-recruitment course – run by Salford City College – to give candidates an understanding of working with people in the communities they would serve, as well as meeting a community safety adviser who is already in the job, so they know exactly what the role entails.

    I would like to commend Greater Manchester for this valuable initiative, and wish the new entrants every possible success in their apprenticeship, and future careers.

    Retained duty system firefighters

    And finally, the one area where industry and the fire and rescue service co-operate on a daily, if not hourly, basis is in the retained duty system. There is no doubt that the retained duty system is the backbone of the fire and rescue response in large swathes of the United Kingdom. We must, as leaders in the fire sector, wherever possible, bring to people’s attention the valuable work done by retained duty firefighters, and encourage employers and members of the public to offer their services to this essential service.

    Thank you.

  • Brandon Lewis – 2012 Statement on the Business Rates Revaluation

    Brandon Lewis – 2012 Statement on the Business Rates Revaluation

    The statement made by Brandon Lewis, the then Minister of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 18 October 2012.

    I am today announcing the government’s intention to postpone the next business rates revaluation in England to 2017. Primary legislation will be brought forward through the Growth and Infrastructure Bill which will shortly be laid before Parliament.

    Business rates are the third biggest outgoing for local firms after rent and staff costs. This decision will avoid local firms and local shops facing unexpected hikes in their business rate bills over the next five years. As business rates are linked to inflation, there will be no real terms increase in rates over this period. This reform will provide certainty for business to plan and invest, supporting local economic growth.

    Since the last revaluation (based on 2008 valuations), the economy and property market have faced exceptional changes. A revaluation at this point would be likely to result in sharp changes to business rate bills in many parts of the country and in many sectors. Tax stability is vital to businesses looking to grow and help improve the economy.

    The government is committed to maintaining up to date rate bills through regular five yearly revaluations in England which will resume after 2017, once the economy has had a chance to recover fully from the financial and fiscal crisis this government inherited from the last administration.

    These measures complement the local retention of business rates being introduced through the Local Government Finance Bill which will give councils new incentives to support local firms and local shops, and also complements the new power to introduce local business rate discounts, the automation of small business rate relief and the abolition of the unfair ‘ports tax’ all enacted through the Localism Act 2011.

  • Brandon Lewis – 2012 Speech to the Chief Fire Officers Association Conference

    Brandon Lewis – 2012 Speech to the Chief Fire Officers Association Conference

    The speech made by Brandon Lewis, the then Minister of Housing, Communities and Local Government, on 20 September 2012.

    Introduction

    I am delighted to be here today in my second full week in my new job. I’d like congratulate Vij (Randeniya) on his election as the new CFOA President and thank Lee (Howell) for all his work as part of the presidential team.

    I would like to put on record my thanks to fire and rescue authorities for the important role they played in torch relays across the United Kingdom and during the Olympic and Paralympics Games.

    Although the role that fire and rescue authorities played has gone almost unnoticed in the public eye, the effort and resources which were put in place were greatly appreciated across Government. I am pleased that a number of fire and rescue authority staff who made a significant contribution in delivery of services will be receiving recognition in the form of a commemorative medallion.

    I’d also like to play tribute to Bob Neill, who I know had a deep understanding of the issues you face, a huge knowledge of the sector, and who worked closely with you on resetting the relationship between central and local government, devolving power and responsibility to the front line professionals, to communities and their local elected representatives – where it rightly sits.

    I am very pleased to have been given this brief and I look forward to working with you and your elected members in the coming weeks, months and, hopefully, years. I’m particularly pleased to say that my new brief maintains the link between fire and rescue and local government. Alongside my fire responsibilities I am also local government Minister. This is particularly important to me as I am a keen proponent of local determination on service delivery, on prioritisation and on spending decisions. Keeping the fire and local government link is vital in this and I am sure you will be pleased to hear that I intend to continue Bob’s good work here, embedding localism, continuing the integration of funding via the business rates system, and more importantly, getting out of the way to let you do what you do best.

    Fire prevention

    We will of course, continue to support you where it is appropriate. Thankfully, the number of fires and associated fatalities and injuries continue to fall. The latest statistics show fire deaths in the home have more than halved in the last twenty years – and fell 12 per cent last year.

    This is a fantastic achievement and the Fire Kills campaign is a great example of how effective a partnership between Government and local fire and rescue authorities can be. The campaign’s annual report for 2011/12 was published last week. It clearly demonstrates the range and impact of fire prevention activity being delivered by both the Department through its media campaign, and by its partners. The outstanding success of this campaign is, as you know, in large part due to the sterling, and often innovative, work undertaken at the local level to embed its fire safety messages with both the general public, and with those who may be especially vulnerable to the risks from fire.

    Ultimately, the commitment of you and your local partners to the prevention agenda saves lives and resources. It ensures that our communities are safer places, less exposed to the destruction and devastation caused by fire.

    The challenge must now be to maintain that clear focus on fire prevention, community safety and resilience. Working together allows us to deliver consistent safety messages, tailoring and targeting the campaign to maximise its effectiveness at the local level.

    Next month, the Fire Kills campaign will again be running the hugely successful national advertising campaign to encourage everyone to test that their smoke alarms are working when changing their clocks. I’m sure you’ll already be considering how best to support this at the local level.

    By working together we have the opportunity to really drive home the importance of fire safe behaviour and maintain the downward trend on fire deaths. Given its impact, I am committed to maintaining a high profile focus on community fire prevention and safety activity.

    Resilience

    Prevention activity doesn’t just relate to improving fire safety. We have a model for civil contingency delivery that fits with our views of localism: planning and action at local level based on local risks and with partners having local accountability to make your localities more resilient places.

    I know fire and rescue authorities are increasingly providing strategic leadership to local multi-agency emergency planning activity, with Chief Fire Officers chairing four of England’s 38 local resilience forums.

    This means fire and rescue authorities working with partners locally to better identify and mitigate complex resilience risks that could disrupt everyday life; including flooding, severe winter weather, disruption to fuel supplies or security threats. I hope, as I’m sure you do, that your role in responding to these types of emergencies is not called upon. But in my role as Minister for fire, resilience and emergencies I am keen to hear more about the good examples of the role of fire and rescue authorities in local multi-agency planning that strengthens our ability to quickly respond and recover from disruptive events.

    A clear vision for local delivery: the national framework

    At the very heart of the Government’s ambition is putting power back where it belongs – in communities and with the locally elected councilors who represent them.

    Fire and rescue authorities have been empowered with greater freedoms and flexibilities. You now have general powers of competence and an equivalent general power along with the ability to consult locally to allow charging for additional activities including the option for charging for persistent false reports. These are good examples of central Government stepping back and letting you get on with your job.

    The Fire and Rescue National Framework is currently proceeding through parliament, and will be fully in force in October this year. I’ve come to it new. But I like what I see. For me, it embodies the right approach; setting high level principles instead of detailed requirements – it’s ‘what’ not ‘how’. I am pleased to hear that CFOA has welcomed this document. I would also like to thank you for the support and advice I understand you gave to officials as part of the working group. I think we should all be proud of the Framework, one that moves away from prescription to empowerment, and one that clearly sets out three bold priorities for fire and rescue authorities to:

    identify and assess the full range of foreseeable fire and rescue related risks their areas face, make provision for prevention and protection activities and respond to incidents appropriately

    work in partnership with their communities and a wide range of partners locally and nationally to deliver their service; and
    be accountable to communities for the service they provide.

    It goes without saying that this includes the business community. I firmly believe that businesses have the right to expect that those enforcing regulatory compliance do so in accordance with the fundamental principles of better regulation. I know that CFOA are keen to address shortcomings in this area and to lead work at the local level to develop fire safety audit and enforcement responsibilities to reflect more closely the aspirations that businesses have. Essentially, this means for helpful, proportionate and consistent advice on compliance.

    Given that economic growth and business support is our number one priority, I commend you for your approach and look forward to a positive progression of this significant tranche of work.

    Our national resilience to major fire and rescue related risks remains a priority for government. But we can only do this together, through true partnership, working across all local and national responders.

    That is why we have put in place the Fire and Rescue Strategic Resilience Board, and it is already bringing key partners together to consider national resilience issues. Of course, government will continue to set the strategic direction, but our approach to national resilience must be based on and drawn from local capability alongside your professional expertise.

    We can only prepare effectively if we have an approach to resilience based on local expertise and knowledge. Communities rightly expect their local fire and rescue authorities to play their part in keeping the country safe; every major emergency originates as a local emergency and being able to plan effectively for all incidents and emergencies, irrespective of whether they are of a local, cross-border or national nature, is essential.

    In delivering for your communities, you need to engage them – give them a real understanding of the risks being faced and the full range of what you are doing so they can better understand why you make the decisions you do.

    We all know there are some increasingly tough decisions to be made on how best to allocate prevention, protection and operational resources locally – this needs to be done in a way that meets community aspirations in an open and consultative way.

    By giving communities a voice, you give them a choice:

    choice to make their views known on whether their priorities are the same as yours
    choice to come up with new ideas on service provision
    choice to challenge you on these issues

    Going further, we are today launching a consultation on assurance statements, a mechanism for showing the public how the services they provide are run by their authorities. I know that some of you have mixed feelings on such statements. But for me this is about demonstrating a commitment to greater openness, showing the taxpayer how their money (including council tax) is spent, enabling communities to hold their authorities to account over how they spend the public’s money and for the decisions that they make. And some of you are already doing it very well. Every aspect of council business – including the decisions they make for the delivery of fire and rescue – should be open to public scrutiny including senior pay, councillor expenses and local services.

    Economic context

    I am of course mindful of the financial backdrop we all face. We have taken tough decisions necessary to reduce the budget deficit that we inherited from the last administration. Every bit of the public sector needs to do its bit to help, and local government accounts for a quarter of the public sector.

    I value the incredibly important service that fire and rescue authorities deliver for local communities, and the part they play in national resilience. Despite the need to cut the national deficit, fire and rescue, as a frontline emergency service, has been given funding protection with reductions back-loaded to give more time for sensible savings to be made and reductions applied to fire and rescue authorities have been less than those applied to local authorities in general.

    You will know that we are currently consulting upon plans for 2013-15 funding as part of the business rates retention scheme – this consultation is due to close on the 24th of September and I know that many of you have already engaged in the process. I would urge those whose voices have not yet been heard to ensure they make their views known.

    I know that you are anxious to see what funding might look like from 2013, but I’m sure you will appreciate that I cannot pre-empt the consultation, nor can I pre-empt the announcements on funding for 2013/14, which I expect to be made in December in the usual way.

    Despite the challenges, or maybe because of them, I know that you as the professional leaders for the fire and rescue sector are making great strides in efficiency. You have well established processes in place to use integrated risk management plans to make strategic and operational decisions on the siting of fire stations, the staffing and equipping of such stations, and hours of operation of each station. You are looking at your own service configuration to delivering services in a new environment. Some of you are looking at how you use your estate, I know for example that Merseyside are working with the police to share headquarters, that partners in the North West and partners in the South are sharing control rooms.

    Just last week I visited my local constituency fire and rescue authority, Norfolk, who updated me on their Combined fire and rescue, police and ambulance station in Sheringham which officially opened in January this year.

    Sharing buildings is also bringing collaboration on other matters, and I am sure that all of you are looking outside your own sector to see how the country’s national emergency services estate could be better used – sharing facilities and back office services. I know that you are increasingly working with the Ambulance Service and that inter-agency collaborations and interoperability are becoming increasingly important. I’m sure there are ways that we can work and share with the Ambulance Service and other partners and not only improve the services we deliver but also become more efficient.

    Engagement

    Well, in 2 weeks, you can imagine that I am only just scratching the surface of what your issues are. I have already met with Cllr Kay Hammond, who as you know is the new Chair of the Fire Services Management Committee. I outlined to Cllr Hammond that I want to strengthen my engagement with your elected politicians, and I have made clear that as well as having a more regular engagement with the FSMC, I will want to meet chairs and members of fire and rescue authorities. I know that as the professional leadership of the sector you will want to support your councilors in meetings with me.

    I also want to broaden my engagement with CFOA as the representative body for senior professionals. I will be meeting with your president, vice-president and vice-president elect. After this I want my engagement to be with the Board and the Council – I want to hear a broad range of views, and I will make time to engage with you on a regular basis and intend to get out and about visiting as many of your areas as possible.

    CFRA

    The National Framework specifically embeds the key role of the post of the Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser who provides professional, independent advice both to senior officials and Ministers. The post was first created in 2007 with Sir Ken Knight filling the position since that time. However, earlier this year Ken indicated that, having completed five years, and with the Olympics behind us it was the right time to move on.

    Having served in Fire and Rescue for over 40 years, including positions as Chief Fire Officer of County, Combined and Metropolitan Fire Authorities as well as the Fire Commissioner for London, Ken has provided consistent and professional advice to my predecessors as he continues to give me. I have hugely valued his input in my first weeks.

    The Secretary of State and I recognise the value and importance of professional advice within the Department and therefore we will shortly be advertising for Ken’s successor whilst I am delighted that Ken has agreed to remain in post until the appointment is made. I hope that senior professionals will take an interest in the post, seeing it as an opportunity to utilise their knowledge and experience to support officials and Ministers.

    We will also be continue to provide opportunities for secondments from the sector to contribute professional views to the development of government policy and give individuals a chance to develop and to experience the workings of government. I hope you will see DCLG as a good place to send your brightest officers as a key part of their career progression.

    There will be other opportunities to say thank you to Ken but I wanted to place on record the Government’s appreciation for the support and advice he has given through the last challenging five years, and of course the previous 41 years in fire and rescue.

    Conclusion

    I hope that I have given you a clear indication of where my priorities lie. I recognise that there are tough times ahead but I believe fire and rescue authorities and Chief Fire Officers can provide the leadership needed to continue to deliver a trusted and excellent public service. A new and more collaborative national-local relationship provides an opportunity for fire and rescue authorities, and organisations like CFOA, to play an ever stronger part in setting the agenda and in keeping our communities and our nation safe. I look forward to working with you all. Fire and rescue services are hugely respected in the UK and have the ability to reach high.

    Thank you.

  • Simon Hughes – 2015 Speech to the Data Protection Practitioner Conference

    Simon Hughes – 2015 Speech to the Data Protection Practitioner Conference

    The speech made by Simon Hughes, the then Minister of State for Justice and Civil Liberties, in Manchester on 2 March 2015.

    Thank you for your introduction and for inviting me to join you at today’s conference.

    The issues around access to information matter hugely to people, and increasingly so.

    When private and personal data goes missing it is a matter of real concern to those affected.

    When data is misused, for example to make nuisance calls, it can cause real distress.

    When information is not managed effectively, for example in connection with the need to check the backgrounds of those working with children, it can lead to serious lapses of safety and security.

    When the public and the media cannot access legitimate information, for example about decisions made by the government, they are rightly frustrated.

    I am clear. And the Coalition government is clear. The issues you are discussing today, but deal with every day, matter to the public and can have a real impact on people’s lives.

    I want, therefore, to first thank you for all that you do in the fields where you work.

    The UK’s information rights regime is one of which we should be proud – and you can be proud of the advances which have been made.

    I want to take this opportunity to commend the Information Commissioner for his work, and all who work in the Office of the Information Commissioner for their work, particularly to make sure that individuals understand their right to information.

    The Information Rights Balance of Competences review which we recently conducted – and which some of you may have contributed to – confirmed that the Data Protection Act strikes a good balance between the interests of data controllers and data subjects.

    I am equally clear that there can be no room for complacency.

    As the Minister with responsibility for these issues for just over a year, I have been determined that there is no complacency in government.

    Every year, if not every month, brings a new technological advance.

    Last week I celebrated the 32nd anniversary of my election as an MP in 1983. In that time I have seen a transformation in how I communicate with my constituents and the way their information – often hugely personal and highly sensitive – is managed. Those changes have brought huge benefits and helped me to improve, I hope, the way I can serve my constituents as their MP. I am now an email or a tweet away, rather than a letter or a surgery appointment away – although of course these methods of engagement continue. I can direct constituents to sources of government information on the internet which previously would have been available only by post or on the end of an agency’s helpline, often with a lengthy wait. Our systems are now cloud-based.

    The Internet of Things will transform our lives in ways we cannot imagine.

    And each of these advances brings with it new and ever more difficult issues of privacy and data protection.

    It is our job to meet the challenge of safeguarding personal data, whilst also facilitating its use and flow.

    Let me give you just four brief examples which I imagine you are all aware of which show how we are meeting that challenge.

    First, just last month, we have taken a really important step to widen the protection of data by passing legislation that will extend the Information Commissioner’s powers of compulsory audit to public authority NHS bodies.

    This now allows the Information Commissioner to undertake mandatory ‘spot-checks’ on specified NHS data controllers.

    In practical terms, this means that the ICO can now work with data controllers in the NHS to rectify problems at an earlier stage. He can now carry out inspections when he deems it necessary.

    The reforms should encourage NHS bodies to improve their compliance with the data protection framework. These changes should also go some way towards improving public confidence in the ability of NHS bodies to protect sensitive personal data.

    This is just one example of how government has worked with the ICO and stakeholders to improve data protection legislation.

    The second example is one that I am particularly pleased about, as it fulfils a promise I made at this conference last year.

    I said then that the government intended to end the practice of enforced subject access.

    I am pleased to say that legislation to make this a criminal offence will come into force on 10 March. From this date, it will be a criminal offence for any employer to ask a prospective employee to submit a personal data request and then disclose the results to them in order to obtain employment or secure services.

    Of course, appropriate safeguards are in place which make it possible to access an individual’s criminal records where it is legitimate to do so. The relevant sections of the Police Act 1997 now provide an appropriate statutory regime for employers and others to obtain criminal records across the UK without the need to resort to the practice of enforced subject access requests.

    This is a really important reform which I know will be welcomed by employees.

    A third example is the government’s efforts to protect individuals’ rights in the work we are doing in conjunction with industry bodies, consumer groups and regulators to tackle the menace of nuisance calls.

    Nuisance calls can be an annoyance to all of us, but for the vulnerable and elderly they can be genuinely distressing. The government takes this issue seriously. We have made some progress in this area and we are working hard to target those companies which operate outside the boundaries of the law.

    I am pleased to say that legislation will now come into force on 6 April that will make it easier for the ICO to take enforcement action against rogue businesses which breach the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.

    The new legislation will make sure that the ICO will only need to prove a company has breached the rules, rather than as is the case now, having to find evidence of significant harm and distress from unsolicited communications.

    This is a welcome step in a raft of measures aimed at tackling nuisance calls. The Claims Management Regulator is also working hard, in partnership with others such as the ICO and Ofcom, to address the challenges posed by rogue claims companies.

    We have given the Claims Management Regulator new powers to impose financial penalties on claims companies which break the rules. That includes using information gathered by unlawful unsolicited marketing. We have also introduced tough new rules, requiring claims companies to make sure that when they contact consumers to offer claims services, they do so within the legal boundaries. These changes show that we are committed to strengthening individuals’ data protection and privacy rights.

    My fourth and final example demonstrates the other side of the coin – our determination to open up access to information to which the public has an absolute right.

    I know that Tony Blair has described the Freedom of Information Act as his biggest regret and, in his autobiography, called himself an imbecile and a nincompoop for introducing it, but I don’t agree.

    I think it has been a hugely significant reform that has helped throw open the curtains and let in much needed light on government and public bodies, the decisions of which affect all aspects of people’s lives. Those should be open to full and proper scrutiny – and I will always be a strong promoter of FOI.

    I am therefore particularly pleased last month to have been able to take through an Order in Parliament to extend the FOI Act to Network Rail.

    This measure will give the public an enforceable right to access a wide range of information about the operation, maintenance and development of the rail infrastructure. It brings more than £3.5 billion of public spending every year into the light. Not only does this include Network Rail’s work to maintain and develop the rail network, but it also includes its operation of key railway stations, provision of light maintenance depots, and allowing train-operating companies to use its tracks and stations. It also covers information about corporate issues which relate to the discharge of these functions, such as pay and rail safety.

    Network Rail joins 100 other bodies that have been brought within the scope of FOI by the coalition government.

    I believe there is further to go. I want to see all public service delivered by the private sector put on an equal footing and subject to FOI – they are, after all, being paid for by the taxpayer. There is not coalition agreement on that as of today, but I will continue to press for it until there is.

    Those are my four examples.

    Extending the Information Commissioner’s powers of compulsory audit to public authority NHS bodies.

    Ending the practice of enforced subject access.

    New powers to tackle the menace of nuisance calls.

    Extending Freedom of Information.

    I could go on with many others, but I think those four alone are evidence of our determination to strike that balance between facilitating the use and flow of data yet safeguarding personal information.

    So let me conclude by looking ahead.

    I am clear, and the government is clear, that the absolute priority for 2015 is to reach an EU-wide agreement on a new a new data protection framework.

    We must have an updated data protection act that meets the needs of the 21st century.

    We have to strengthen the information rights framework.

    We have to do so in a way that both protects personal data and facilitates economic growth.

    And that means doing so in a way that respects individuals’ rights to privacy without being too prescriptive or costly for business.

    We have already made progress in those negotiations and there have been many changes made to the European Commission’s original proposals, published in January 2012.

    New elements of the data protection regulation which have been revisited include: ‘the right to be forgotten’, 24 hours breach notifications, a cross- EU regulatory one-stop shop and mandatory data protection impact assessments.

    We have made good progress in negotiating these and other parts of the Regulation.

    In particular, we have worked hard to ensure that the original text, which was too prescriptive and process driven, is now more balanced so that data protection obligations on business are proportionate to the degree of harm of the processing activity.

    Many of you here today have helped us with our negotiations.

    You may have met with my officials to engage in the details of the new proposals; or you may have raised your concerns by writing to my office and meeting with MEPs.

    With your help we will continue to negotiate for a sensible and proportionate data protection framework which protects civil liberties while allowing for economic growth and innovation in the digital economy. These can and should be achieved in tandem, rather than at the expense of one another.

    With your help, I will continue to do all I can to make sure that the UK plays a full part in the negotiations ahead so we can meet that commitment we have made to secure agreement on the new package by the end of 2015.

    Thank you again for all that you do.

    These are exciting and challenging times for everyone involved in this area of work.

    Our shared goal is an information rights framework that is easy to understand, easy to apply and is effectively regulated

    To achieve that, let us all continue to support the good work that is being done by the ICO and others in this area.

    Thank you for inviting me to join you today.

  • Robert Jenrick – 2021 Statement on the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme Funding

    Robert Jenrick – 2021 Statement on the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme Funding

    The statement made by Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, in the House of Commons on 18 March 2021.

    Today, the Government are launching the next phase of the rough sleeping accommodation programme. Councils across England are invited to bid for a share of funding totalling £212 million for 2021-22 to 2023-24 to deliver move-on homes for rough sleepers. These homes will be a national asset to support vulnerable people, and high-quality support services will be provided alongside to help vulnerable people move on from rough sleeping.

    This funding is part of the £433 million rough sleeping accommodation programme available over the lifetime of this Parliament to deliver 6,000 new homes for rough sleepers, announced by the Government in May 2020. This represents the largest ever investment in move-on accommodation. Today’s announcement builds on the first year of the programme, in which the Government allocated more than £150 million for move-on accommodation for rough sleepers, as well as investing in high-quality support over the next three years, so that vulnerable people helped through the programme can maintain their tenancies and move on from rough sleeping.

    Further information on future years of the programme is available in the fund’s prospectus, available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rough-sleeping-accommodation-programme-2021-24.

    The Government have made clear that no one should be without a roof over their head, which is why we have committed to end rough sleeping. That is also why, including this programme, we have spent £700 million in 2020-21 and are spending over £750 million over the next financial year to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

    This programme builds on the Government’s unprecedented Everyone In initiative, which has so far supported 37,000 individuals during the pandemic, with more than 26,000 already successfully moved on to longer-term accommodation. Together with our pledge to fully enforce the Homelessness Reduction Act, this funding demonstrates our commitment to making the most of this opportunity to transform the lives of the some of the most vulnerable in society, and to ending rough sleeping for good.

  • Priti Patel – 2021 Statement on Refugee Protection and Integration

    Priti Patel – 2021 Statement on Refugee Protection and Integration

    The statement made by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, in the House of Commons on 18 March 2021.

    Global Britain has a proud record of helping those fleeing persecution, oppression or tyranny from around the world. In addition to providing £10 billion each year to support people in need through overseas aid, the UK is a global leader in refugee resettlement. Between 2016 and 2019 we resettled more refugees from outside Europe than any EU member state.

    In 2015, we committed to resettle 20,000 of the most vulnerable refugees who fled the brutal conflict in Syria through the vulnerable persons resettlement scheme (VPRS). This included people requiring urgent medical treatment, survivors of violence and torture, and women and children at risk.

    Today we are delighted to be able to confirm that we have now met that commitment. We have resettled 20,080 vulnerable refugees across the UK since September 2015.

    In total, this means that, across all Government-funded resettlement schemes, more than 25,000 refugees have been resettled in the UK over the past six years, around half of whom were children.

    This achievement has been made possible thanks to the outstanding work and dedication of many partners, including non-governmental organisations in the UK and international partners, community and faith groups, local authorities, devolved Administrations and individual members of the public. I am truly grateful for this collaborative effort.

    Resettlement is vital to safely and legally provide a path to settlement for vulnerable people fleeing persecution and it is right that we continue to offer safe pathways for those in need of protection. The launch of our new global UK resettlement scheme will now build on the success of previous schemes and we will continue our proud record of resettling refugees who need our help from around the world.

    We want refugees in the UK to have the freedom to succeed and that means access to the tools they need to become fully independent, provide for themselves and their families and the ability to contribute and integrate into the economic and cultural life of the UK.

    That is why today I have also announced £14 million of funding to help newly granted refugees to integrate in the UK. The £14 million fund will pilot new approaches across the country to support newly granted refugees to learn English, move into work, access housing and build links in their local communities. Lessons learned from these pilots will inform future support available to all refugees.

    This Government continue to step forward to provide help to those facing oppression or tyranny. This year we have also introduced a new pathway to citizenship for British national (overseas) status holders and their family members who are facing draconian new security laws in Hong Kong, which may see an estimated 320,000 people come to the UK over the next five years.

    We have also enabled over 29,000 close relatives of refugees to join them in the UK through refugee family reunion in the last five years.

    Looking ahead, as we reform the asylum system, global Britain will continue its proud tradition of providing safe haven to those in need through safe and legal routes.

  • Paul Scully – 2021 Statement on Horizon and the Post Office

    Paul Scully – 2021 Statement on Horizon and the Post Office

    The statement made by Paul Scully, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, in the House of Commons on 18 March 2021.

    Problems with the Post Office’s Horizon IT system have affected the lives and livelihoods of many postmasters.

    Over the years, the Horizon accounting system recorded shortfalls in cash in branches. The Post Office at the time thought that some of these were caused by postmasters, and this led to dismissals, recovery of losses by Post Office Ltd and, in some instances, criminal prosecutions.

    A group of 555 of these postmasters, led by former postmaster Alan Bates, brought a group litigation claim against the Post Office in 2016. It is clear from the findings of Mr Justice Fraser, just how wrong the Post Office was in its relationship with postmasters and that there were clear failings with the Horizon system.

    The Government pay tribute to those postmasters and colleagues across the House who continue to shine a spotlight on such an important issue.

    The Post Office reached a full and final settlement with claimants in the group litigation in December 2019 and apologised for its past failings. That settlement was an important step towards addressing the wrongs of the past, but it was only the start of a long journey for the Post Office to repair and strengthen the relationship with postmasters.

    As part of the settlement the Post Office agreed to set up the historical shortfall scheme. The scheme was open to current and former postmasters who did not participate in the group litigation claim against the Post Office and did not have a criminal conviction, but who may have experienced and repaid Horizon shortfalls. It is therefore an important step in making sure that all those who were affected have the opportunity to seek resolution.

    The scheme closed in August 2020 and received over 2,400 applications. This number was higher than the Post Office had anticipated when the scheme was established. All of these applications of course need to be properly assessed.

    The Post Office is committed to the successful delivery and timely completion of the historical shortfall scheme. However, the cost of the scheme is beyond what the business can afford.

    The Government will therefore provide sufficient financial support to the Post Office to ensure that the scheme can proceed, based on current expectations of the likely cost. The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is providing this support in his capacity as sole shareholder in the Post Office.

    There are two reasons this is being done.

    First, we must ensure that those postmasters who have applied to this scheme are able to seek redress. By supporting the scheme, we will make it possible for these postmasters to be fairly compensated.

    Secondly, we must protect the post office network. As we have seen through the pandemic, it provides essential services to citizens across the country.

    Without this support the Post Office would be unable to deliver fully the historical shortfall scheme and it would be unable to continue to operate its network as we know it today. This is a critical intervention that benefits current and former postmasters and the millions of customers that rely on their local post office branch.

    The final cost of delivering the historical shortfall scheme will be determined over the coming months, including through the work of an independent panel. This support will ensure that postmasters are appropriately compensated, however we will not spend more of taxpayers’ money than is necessary to ensure the scheme meets its objectives.

    The Post Office is rightly contributing what it can from its own resources to the delivery of the scheme.

    While it is important that the scheme remains independent of Government it is also important that this shareholder support delivers value for money. The Government are confident that the controls in place in the design of the historical shortfall scheme will make sure this is the case.

    The Post Office will make the first offers to applicants shortly. However, given the number of applications it will take time to work through all the claims that the Post Office has received. The Government would therefore like to thank postmasters in advance for their patience and reassure them that their claims will be properly handled.

    The Horizon dispute has affected the lives of too many people and supporting the scheme operated by the Post Office will help them right the wrongs of the past.

    We must also ensure that a situation like this can never be allowed to occur again. That is why this Government have asked Sir Wyn Williams to lead the Post Office Horizon IT inquiry.

    Sir Wyn’s inquiry will work to fully understand what happened, gather available evidence and ensure lessons have been learnt so that this cannot occur again. It will also look specifically at whether the historical shortfall scheme is being properly delivered. The Government look forward to receiving Sir Wyn’s report in the summer.