Law Officers re-appointed

The Prime Minister has re-appointed Suella Braverman as Attorney General following her maternity leave. Michael Ellis has been re-appointed Solicitor General following his time as Attorney General while Suella Braverman was on maternity leave.

From:

Attorney General's Office, The Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, and The Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP

The Prime Minister has re-appointed Suella Braverman as Attorney General following her maternity leave. Michael Ellis has been re-appointed Solicitor General following his time as Attorney General while Suella Braverman was on maternity leave.

Commenting on her re-appointment, Attorney

More businesses to offer apprenticeships

New government service will help businesses to create more apprenticeship opportunities so more people can get the jobs they want.

From:

Department for Education, HM Treasury, Gillian Keegan MP, and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP

Businesses to create more apprenticeship opportunities

Large businesses will be able to easily pledge funds to smaller businesses through a new government service, to help create and recruit for more apprenticeship opportunities.

The online service will be rolled out from today

The drive to improve motorway journeys for disabled people in the South West

Plan your journey with confidence using National Highways’ access guides for motorway services.

From:

Highways England

Ross checking out the facilities at the Moto services in Exeter

National Highways has partnered with AccessAble, the UK’s leading provider of detailed accessibility information, to help motorists plan where to stop for a break at any one of the 114 motorway service areas across England, including 15 services across the South West.

Lifestyle and disability blogger, Ross Lannon

New Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government

Andrew Goodall has been appointed as the new Permanent Secretary to the Welsh Government.

From:

Cabinet Office

Andrew, who is currently Director General Health and Social Services and NHS Wales Chief Executive, was chosen following an open competition. The appointment has been made by the First Minister of Wales in agreement with the Cabinet Secretary. Andrew will take up the post in November 2021.

The First Minister of Wales, Rt Hon Mark

Numbers on furlough fall to lowest level since start of pandemic

The number of people on furlough has fallen to the lowest level since the start of the pandemic as the UK economy continues to rebound and businesses reopen, according to new statistics.

From:

HM Treasury

• around 340,000 people have moved off furlough across the UK over the course of July, according to the latest data
• a total of 1.6 million people were on furlough as of 31 July, down from almost two million on 30 June, in a sure sign the government’s Plan for Jobs is getting people back to work
• around 800,000 people have claimed the latest self-employment scheme grant

The number of people on furlough has fallen to the lowest level since the start of the pandemic as the UK economy continues to rebound and businesses reopen, according to new statistics.

Figures published today show the number of

Street lamps and bus shelters to help boost 5G roll out in £4 million trial

£4m competition will explore ways to make it simpler and quicker for mobile companies to use publicly-owned buildings and curbside infrastructure - such as CCTV poles and traffic signals - to host 5G radio equipment.

From:

Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Matt Warman MP

• Two-year project to ramp up use of street furniture and public buildings to host 5G radio kit
• Project could see CCTV poles, traffic signals and other roadside infrastructure used to boost coverage

Mobile network operators will get easier access to lampposts, bus shelters and other street furniture to speed up the roll out of next-generation, ultrafast 5G technology under a new government trial.

A £4 million competition launched today will

Education Secretary speech at Universities UK Annual Conference

Gavin Williamson spoke about access targets at universities with poor student outcomes as well as driving up standards in higher education.

From:

Department for Education and The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP

Delivered on:

9 September 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Steve, thank you ever so much for that introduction can just start off by saying an enormous thank you to Julia, who over the last two years we worked so closely with and I can assure you that your past chairman was always incredibly firm and yet tenacious, but always incredibly polite in terms of the way she fought for the sector and put the interest of the sector at the heart of government. I’m really looking forward, Steve, to working closely with you and I know you will take that same approach, recognising that working together we can achieve so much more

I am delighted to be joining you today.

When we gathered this time last year, we were

End of temporary insolvency measures

Temporary insolvency restrictions protections are being lifted and new targeted measures to support small business and commercial tenants introduced.

From:

The Insolvency Service

Temporary measures brought in to support businesses from insolvency during the pandemic will be phased out from 1 October.

Companies in financial distress as a result of the pandemic have been protected from creditor action since June last year, through the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020.

This was to ensure that viable businesses

Speech Cutting global emissions is essential to keeping 1.5 degrees alive

COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma, delivered a live speech to the High-Level Dialogue on Climate Action in the Americas, attended by Argentinian President Alberto Fernández, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and US Special Envoy John Kerry

From:

Cabinet Office and The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP

Delivered on:

8 September 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Prime Ministers, Presidents, Secretary-General Guterres, US Special Envoy Kerry, Friends, it is an absolute pleasure to join you all today.

And I want to start by thanking President Fernandez and indeed everyone who has been involved in organising this incredibly important dialogue today.

We have all acknowledged in the remarks we

Attorney General speech at the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime

The Attorney General addressed the Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime to talk about tackling economic crime

From:

Attorney General's Office and The Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP

Delivered on:

8 September 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Good morning everyone.

I would like to start by thanking Professor Rider and his team for their work in coordinating such an impressive programme for the week, which is an especially remarkable achievement given the ongoing challenges of the pandemic. I have no doubt that it is already provoking some lively debate and discussion.

I would also like to extend particular thanks to the organisers for their patience and flexibility in accommodating my own diary – and my virtual attendance – in Parliament’s first week back following the Summer Recess.

The depth and breadth of this year’s programme

UK's Chevening Scholarship: applications now open for Cameroonians

The application window to study in the UK for free is open till 2 November 2021.

From:

British High Commission Yaounde

Chevening Scholarships are awarded to individuals from all backgrounds who can demonstrate that they have the commitment and skills required to create positive change, and can show how a UK master’s degree will help them do that. The scholarship offers full financial support for scholars to study for any eligible master’s degree at any UK university whilst also gaining access to a wide range of exclusive academic, professional, and cultural experiences.

Since the programme was created in 1983, over

UK launches data reform to boost innovation, economic growth and protect the public

Information Commissioner’s Office to be reformed to help drive economic growth and innovation and strengthen public trust in use of data

From:

Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation, The Rt Hon Oliver Dowden CBE MP, and The Rt Hon Lord Frost CMG

New regime to cement UK’s position as a science and tech superpower

• Plans include tougher penalties for nuisance calls and text messages
• Government wants new data regime “based on common sense, not box ticking” to cement UK’s position as a science and tech superpower
• Consultation launched today will also examine what more can be done to mitigate algorithmic bias
• World-leading experts appointed to the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation’s advisory board to drive trustworthy innovation

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is set for an overhaul to drive greater innovation and growth in the UK’s data sector and better protect the public from major data threats, under planned reforms announced by the Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden today.

One year on from the publication of the National

Next generation of heat networks to power UK's green revolution

Homes and businesses will be made greener as low-carbon energy is placed at the heart of the latest round of funding for heat network projects in England.

From:

Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and Lord Callanan

• Latest round of heat network funding in England will only support low-carbon technologies, such as heat pumps
• £270 million Green Heat Network Fund will help make towns and cities greener, building on the 480,000 consumers already benefiting from this technology
• new heat networks will play a key role in cutting carbon emissions from heating buildings, which accounts for 21% of UK total

Homes and businesses will be made greener as low-carbon energy is today placed at the heart of the latest round of funding for heat network projects across England.

The new £270 million Green Heat Network Fund,

Additional £5.4 billion for NHS COVID-19 response over next 6 months

Includes £1 billion to help tackle COVID-19 backlogs, delivering routine surgery and treatments for patients.

From:

Department of Health and Social Care, The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP, and The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP

• Additional £5.4 billion cash injection to NHS to support COVID-19 response over next 6 months

• Includes £1 billion to help tackle COVID-19 backlogs, delivering routine surgery and treatments for patients

• Total government support for health services in response to COVID-19 at over £34 billion this year alone

The NHS will receive an extra £5.4 billion over the next 6 months to support its response to COVID-19 and help tackle waiting lists, the Prime Minister and Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid have announced today.

The funding will immediately go towards

Armed Forces charities to receive £5 million boost

Armed Forces charities will receive an additional £5 million in funding to support those who have served.

From:

Cabinet Office, Office for Veterans' Affairs, Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street, Leo Docherty MP, and The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP

The Prime Minister has announced today (September 6th) that Armed Forces charities will receive £5 million in additional funding to support those who have served, including those who may be struggling following recent events in Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister made the announcement at a

Special 50th Anniversary pass out event for Ministry of Defence Police new recruits

Friends, family and special guests congratulate and welcome our next generation of officers - the class of MDP 50.

From:

Ministry of Defence

On Friday 3 September the Ministry of Defence Police’s (MDP’s) first pass out parade event in almost two years took place at its Headquarters at Wethersfield in Essex, to celebrate the achievements of our latest new recruits and half a century of the MDP, ahead of the Force’s 50th anniversary on 1 October.

British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) covered the event, which featured displays by our firearms and dog teams, music from the British Army Band Colchester, and student awards, following 18 weeks of intensive training for the new recruits.

Ministry of Defence Chief Operating Officer, Mike Baker, was the guest of honour, leading the ceremonial inspection alongside Chief Constable Andy Adams.

Other special guests included senior MDP

National Highways to inspire next generation of talent through world’s best-selling video game

National Highways has enlisted the help of Minecraft, the world’s best-selling video game, to inspire the next generation of talented tech experts, engineers, scientists and mathematicians.

From:

Highways England

Launching today (Monday 6 September) students across the country will be able to jump in and explore three of National Highways (formerly Highways England) proposed schemes that have been created in the game.

They can learn about everything road designers

Red Roses autumn internationals: Dates, kick-off times, venues and ticket details confirmed

The RFU can confirm the dates, venues and ticket details for the Red Roses’ autumn international matches. Simon Middleton’s outfit take on New Zealand, firstly at Sandy Park, Exeter (Sunday 31 October, kick-off 2.30pm) before a second meeting with the Black Ferns at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton (Sunday 7 November, kick-off 2.45pm). England then return to Twickenham Stoop to

Pacer train becomes family support centre for Airedale Hospital

Retired train carriage to be transformed into a non-clinical space to support patients during their stay at Airedale Hospital.

From:

Department for Transport and Chris Heaton-Harris MP

• Airedale General Hospital has received a retired pacer train to expand hospital services
• NHS Trust won a Department for Transport competition to ‘Transform a Pacer’ and will use it as a site to offer support and respite to families visiting the hospital
• competition marked the end of the line for the unpopular Pacer trains on the Northern network

A retired Pacer carriage was lowered into the grounds of Airedale General Hospital over the course of Sunday morning (5 September 2021), ready to start a new life serving the community after completing millions of miles on the railways.

The local NHS Foundation Trust submitted a

Government to clamp down on dangerous use of jet skis with new legislation

Consultation launched to strengthen the enforcement of safety laws for recreational and personal watercraft.

From:

Department for Transport and Robert Courts MP

• consultation launched to protect public and local wildlife from dangerous driving
• personal and recreational watercraft – including jet skis – will fall under same laws as ships
• tougher sentences for anyone in breach of safety laws

The Department for Transport has today (6 September 2021) published a consultation to modernise laws and clamp down on dangerous driving of jet skis to protect the public and coastal areas.

The consultation will bring recreational and

Speech Amanda Spielman at researchED National Conference 2021

The Chief Inspector discussed Ofsted's research on education during the pandemic, remote education and curriculum.

From:

Ofsted and Amanda Spielman

Delivered on:

4 September 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Thank you very much for inviting me! It’s so good to be here in person – it’s my first face-to-face event since March 2020.

Funnily enough, my last non-virtual speaking event was a ResearchEd at Nishkam High School in Birmingham, a few days before the first lockdown. So it feels right to restart where I left off.

Few of us appreciated then quite what was

BRITISH CYCLING PLOTS PATH TO PARIS FOLLOWING RECORD-BREAKING TOKYO GAMES

British Cycling has today published its strategy to 2024 following record-breaking success at the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, supporting the organisation to grow the sport and enable more people within its communities to discover cycling.

 

With a focused purpose to Lead our sport, inspire

Paralympic legend Simmonds confirms retirement

[Picture credit: Georgie Kerr/British Swimming]

 

Five-time Paralympic champion and British Para-Swimming legend Ellie Simmonds has announced her retirement from competition following Tokyo 2020. 

Simmonds has become a household name in

UK and Switzerland strike deal to secure healthcare access and other benefits for citizens living and travelling abroad

The UK and Switzerland have signed a landmark agreement which will benefit citizens who live and work abroad in either country

From:

Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Nigel Adams MP

• UK and Switzerland deal will ensure citizens living or working in either country can receive healthcare and an uprated state pension
• UK and Swiss citizens will have access to necessary healthcare when visiting either country

The UK and Switzerland signed a landmark agreement today which will benefit citizens who live and work abroad in either country by ensuring they are able to receive healthcare cover and uprated state pensions, amongst other social security entitlements. It will also allow

Chief of the Air Staff speech on Sky Guardian

The Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston speech at RAF Waddington for Sky Guardian

From:

Ministry of Defence and Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston CBE ADC

Delivered on:

9 September 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Thank you for your confirmation of the near £100 million investment in RAF Waddington’s state of the art operating and training facilities for Protector.

It’s a clear demonstration of the UK government’s commitment to this exciting programme and our ambition to be the International Training Centre for some of the 30 allied Air Forces who have already expressed interest in Protector and the Sky Guardian.

The Sky Guardian aircraft that you’re about to

Post Office card accounts closure extended until November 2022

Post Office Card Accounts are to be extended for another year in order to safely move existing users over to traditional bank accounts or a new Payment Exception Service.

From:

Department for Work and Pensions and Guy Opperman MP

The Post Office Card Accounts (POca) scheme was previously set to end in November this year. Following the disruption caused by the pandemic, it has now been extended for 12 months to ensure everyone has the time to make alternative arrangements.

The Department for Work and Pensions is

RAF’s next-generation Remotely Piloted Aircraft takes to UK skies

A pre-production example of the UK’s new Protector aircraft has taken to the UK skies as part of preparations for the arrival of Protector to RAF Waddington.

From:

Ministry of Defence

The air station has been selected as the home of the Protector International Training Centre, as part of a £94 million investment into infrastructure improvements to assist with housing the aircraft ahead of its entry into service in 2024.

The UK has ordered 16 Protector aircraft from General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI), all of which will be based at RAF Waddington, the RAF’s ISTAR hub.

Speaking at RAF Waddington, Defence Secretary

Innovation and new technology to help reduce NHS waiting lists

Surgical hubs, new technology and innovative ways of working will help tackle waiting lists and treat around 30% more elective care patients by 2023/24

From:

Department of Health and Social Care

• This week’s record investment for the NHS will see the health service deliver an extra 9 million checks, scans, and operations
• Surgical hubs, virtual wards and Artificial Intelligence key to tackling the backlog and putting NHS on sustainable footing
• New treatment, diagnostic, and surgical methods to see more patients quickly and safely

Local surgical hubs, new technology to speed up diagnosis, and innovative ways of working will help the NHS to tackle growing waiting lists and treat around 30% more patients who need elective care by 2023/24.

Backed by a new £36 billion investment in health

Health Secretary opinion piece in the Daily Telegraph

The Health and Social Care Secretary writes in the Daily Telegraph about the Health and Care Levy

From:

Department of Health and Social Care and The Rt Hon Sajid Javid MP

This past year has been the most difficult in living memory for our country - and we have faced those difficulties together. The British people have made unprecedented sacrifices to our freedoms and our way of life to keep each other safe.

Whilst staff in the NHS and across social care

Scientists reveal huge new areas of threatened fog-generated ecosystems in Peru and Chile

Rare and unique fog oases ecosystems in the Sechura and Atacama deserts of Peru and Chile are under threat.

From:

British Embassy Lima

• New scientific paper uses 20 years of satellite imagery and cloud computing technology to see through fog and cloud layers, mapping this desert ecosystems in Latin America in detail for first time
• Data will help government authorities to manage and protect the fog oasis as biodiversity and ecosystems resources vulnerable to threats from climate change and development

In a new paper, published today in the International Journal of Applied Earth Observations and Geoinformation, scientists used over twenty years of satellite imagery, supported by two decades of fieldwork verification on the ground, to reveal the true extent of the desert fog oasis ecosystem running along the coast of Peru and Chile.

Their results show that fog oases are much more

Spotlight on domestic homicides as independent reviewer appointed

A leading criminal defence barrister has been appointed to conduct an independent review of the law around domestic homicides.

From:

Ministry of Justice and The Rt Hon Robert Buckland QC MP

• expert QC to consider the need for further sentencing reform to better protect the public
• appointment follows the analysis of more than 100 cases by the Ministry of Justice (MOJ)
• findings will pave the way for potential future changes

Clare Wade QC – who was lead counsel in the high-profile case of Sally Challen – will examine the need to reform the law before presenting her findings and recommendations to the Lord Chancellor, Robert Buckland QC MP. She will consider whether the law could better protect the public and ensure sentences reflect the severity of these crimes.

It follows an initial review carried out by the

New £1 million fund to help faith groups support communities

A ‘new deal’ between faith groups and government to capitalise on efforts to help communities during lockdown.

From:

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government and Lord Stephen Greenhalgh

• ‘New Deal’ will help strengthen link between faith groups and government as we work together to build back better.
• faith-based organisations will be able to bid for share of the fund
• funding will support projects focussed on loneliness, debt advice and employability

A ‘new deal’ between faith groups and government to capitalise on efforts to help communities during lockdown is being forged today (9 September 2021) thanks to a new £1 million fund.

From delivering food to front line workers and

Transport Secretary encourages UK to switch to electric vehicles

A new government-backed app will help drivers to see which electric vehicles best suit

From:

Department for Transport, Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, UK Space Agency, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, and Amanda Solloway MP

• Transport Secretary encourages drivers to go electric on World EV Day, as government-backed app shows the cost benefit of making the switch
• new app helps UK drivers see which electric vehicles would best suit their lifestyle
• additional support to be given to small businesses and renters to install EV chargepoints, as accelerating the transition could create 40,000 UK jobs by 2030

Drivers up and down the country can explore making the switch to an electric vehicle this World EV day with a new government-backed app the Transport Secretary has set out today (9 September 2021). As the UK prepares to host the COP26 climate summit this November, government is working with industry to provide the tools and practical advice drivers need to go electric.

A free app called EV8 Switch – backed by £2.7

TRA to reconsider findings of steel safeguard transition review

TRA has initiated a reconsideration of its recommendation to the Secretary of State with regards to the UK transition review of the steel safeguard measure.

From:

Trade Remedies Authority

The Trade Remedies Authority has today (Tuesday 7 Sept) initiated a reconsideration of its recommendation to the Secretary of State for International Trade with regards to the UK transition review of the steel safeguard measure. This follows eight submissions from UK and overseas industry requesting that the TRA reconsider its recommendation.

Reconsiderations are an established part of the

Next phase of government project to map the UK’s underground pipes and cables launched

National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) is a new digital map which will revolutionise construction and development across the country.

From:

Cabinet Office, Geospatial Commission, and Lord True CBE

The Government launched the next phase in the building of a digital map of underground pipes and cables today, as the country moves a step closer to revolutionising construction and development in the UK.

The National Underground Asset Register