Speeding is as much of a threat to road safety as drink and drug driving
89 per cent of people believe speeding in a residential area is as much of a threat to their safety as driving under the influence of illegal drugs
More than one-in-10 motorists (14 per cent) admit to having driven at more than 10 per cent over the speed limit in residential areas
Nearly half of motorists believe it is acceptable to speed on motorways with a quarter admitting to driving at over 80mph
IAM RoadSmart is calling once again for speeding to become as socially unacceptable as drink and drug driving
The UK’s largest independent road safety charity, IAM RoadSmart, has renewed its call for speeding to become as socially unacceptable as drink and drug driving, after publishing worrying new analysis that indicates excessive speed is considered acceptable on the motorway and on residential roads by many drivers.
The survey found that despite more than one-in-10 drivers admitting to exceeding the speed limit of 30mph in residential areas, for almost nine out of every 10 motorists surveyed, speeding in a residential area was perceived as almost as big a threat to their personal safety as motorists driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol or when distracted by social media.
Almost half of motorists (46 per cent) surveyed believe it is acceptable to drive 10 miles per hour over the 70mph speed limit on motorways, with a quarter even willing to go even faster. More than one-in-five motorists (22 per cent) think it is acceptable to drive five miles per hour over the speed limit on a residential street.
An alarming one-in-10 of the 2,000 people surveyed thought it was even acceptable to go over the speed limit near a school.
Neil Greig, Policy and Research Director for IAM RoadSmart, said: “The results of this survey are deeply concerning. Speeding consistently causes more than 4,400 casualties on UK roads each year.
“That’s an average of 12 people a day killed or injured in some form. We need a fundamental shift in attitudes towards speeding so that it becomes as socially unacceptable as drink and drug driving – where public opinion has changed over previous decades.”
Further findings from the IAM RoadSmart survey also reveal the different attitudes towards speeding in the UK regions.
Motorists in Yorkshire and Humber (65 per cent), closely followed by motorists in the West Midlands (59 per cent) felt that the issue of speeding was more of a problem today than it was three years ago compared to a national average of 55 per cent.
More than a fifth of London drivers (21 per cent) think they drive faster than most others on the roads, compared to a national average of 13 per cent. Drivers in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are more safety conscious while only eight per cent of Scottish and Northern Irish drivers and seven per cent of Welsh drivers rated their driving faster than others.
London was also the region with the highest number of drivers who felt it was acceptable to go five miles over the speed limit near a school, with 15 per cent of Londoners admitting to speeding near a school, compared to the national average of 10 per cent. Drivers in the east of England are the most responsible motorists outside schools, with only five per cent rating it acceptable behaviour.
Motorists in the south-east of England are most likely (55 per cent) to find it acceptable to speed on the motorway by up to 10 miles per hour over the speed limit, while there was less acceptability among the drivers of the West Midlands and Wales (at 43 per cent and 41 per cent respectively).
Meanwhile, drivers in Wales, where plans have received initial backing to cut the speed limit to 20mph in residential areas, not surprisingly, think it is least acceptable to speed in a residential area.
Neil added: “There is a slight glimmer of hope as, overall, acceptability of driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on a motorway has dropped by around 10 per cent since 2016, but there is still a long, long way to go.
Attitudes towards tackling urban speeding are much more positive and support for measures such as speed cameras around schools was very high at 82 per cent. Overall, however, opinions on 20mph as the new urban limit are still finely balanced with 53 per cent for and 47 per cent against, which shows much work is needed to change deeply entrenched behaviour.
“The findings of this survey also highlight that drivers who responded had a lower opinion of other people’s driving behaviour than they had of their own. There needs to be much greater acceptance of the fact we can all improve our standards of driving behaviour and take action whenever we are on the road to improve road safety.”
Statement given by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to the Scottish Parliament, (Tuesday 22 September):
Thank you Presiding Officer. I want to update the chamber on additional restrictions that the Scottish Government believes are now necessary to get COVID back under control as we enter winter.
I will also set out why these measures are essential, and the principles and priorities that have guided our decisions.
First, though, let me provide a summary of today’s statistics.
Since yesterday, an additional 383 cases of COVID have been confirmed.
That represents 7.6% of people newly tested, and takes the total number of cases to 25,009.
A total of 73 patients are currently in hospital with confirmed COVID, which is the same as yesterday. And 10 people are in intensive care which is two more than yesterday.
I am also sorry to report that in the past 24 hours, one further death has been registered of a patient who had tested positive. The total number of deaths in Scotland under that measurement is now 2,506.
That reminds us of the impact of COVID. These deaths are not just statistics – they are of real people whose loss is a source of heartbreak and my condolences go to everyone who has lost a loved one to this illness.
Today’s figures reflect the course the virus has taken in recent weeks.
In mid-July, we were recording an average of nine new cases every day. Around four weeks later, that had risen to an average of 52 a day. Three weeks after that, it was 102. And as of today the average daily number of cases is 285.
We have also seen an increase in the percentage of tests coming back positive. In late August, that percentage was consistently below 1%. Today it is over 7%.
The R number is above 1 again, possibly as high as 1.4.
Now it is worth stressing that this growth in cases – because of the collective sacrifices we all made to drive infection levels down over the summer period – is from a low base.
It is also, at this stage, far less rapid than it was in March.
But it is rising, faster than we can be comfortable with and we cannot let it continue unchecked.
And while in recent weeks, the biggest number of new cases has been in people under the age of 40, we now see an increase amongst the older population too.
And unsurprisingly, in light of that, hospital and intensive care admissions and also deaths are starting to rise as well.
All of this underlines what, for me, is, and always has been, a key point,
We cannot and must not be complacent about COVID.
It kills too many old and vulnerable people. And for younger, healthier people, while the risks of dying from it are much lower – though not non-existent – it can still result in long term, serious health problems.
That’s why action to bring it back under control is necessary – and to bring the R number down again, the action we take now must go beyond the step we announced almost two weeks ago to restrict indoor and outdoor gatherings to six people from two households.
Over the weekend and in the course of yesterday the Scottish Government considered a range of options.
On Saturday, I had a discussion with other devolved administrations, and I spoke to the Prime Minister yesterday. I also took part in this morning’s COBR meeting.
I’m please to say that at that meeting, all four UK governments committed to suppressing the virus to the lowest possible level and keeping it there.
Our challenge in the weeks to come is to ensure our actions are commensurate with this objective.
Following on from the COBR meeting, measures to further control the virus were agreed at the Scottish Government Cabinet.
I can confirm that we will introduce measures on hospitality similar to those outlined for England by the Prime Minister a short while ago – and thereby align as far as possible with the rest of the U.K.
However, the advice given to the Cabinet by the Chief Medical Officer and the National Clinical Director is that this on its own will not be sufficient to bring the R number down.
They stress that we must act, not just quickly and decisively, but also on a scale significant enough to have an impact on the spread of the virus.
And they advise that we must take account of the fact that household interaction is a key driver of transmission.
To that end, we intend – as Northern Ireland did yesterday – to also introduce nationwide additional restrictions on household gatherings, similar to those already in place in the West of Scotland.
I will say more about the detail of these measures shortly and, of course, full details will also be published on the Scottish Government’s website.
But first let me be clear about the priorities that have guided our decisions.
And it is essential that we do think in terms of priorities. Faced with a global pandemic of an infectious and dangerous virus, it is not possible to do everything and it is not possible, unfortunately, to live our lives completely normally.
No country is able to do that just now.
So instead we have to decide what matters most to us and make trade-offs elsewhere to make those things possible.
Of course, the most important priority for all of us is saving lives and protecting health. But there are other priorities too:
Firstly, we are determined to keep schools open and young people in education. That is vital to the health, wellbeing and future prospects of every young person across our country.
Second, we must restart as many previously paused NHS services as possible, so that more people can get the non-COVID treatment that they need. Our NHS must be equipped this winter to care for those who have COVID – and it will be.
But it must be there for people with heart disease, cancer and other illnesses too.
And, third, we must protect people’s jobs and livelihoods – that means keeping businesses open and trading as normally as is feasible.
To achieve all of that, we must stop the virus from spiralling out of control and we can only do that if we accept restrictions in other aspects of our lives.
Now the more positive news is that because we did drive COVID down to low levels over the summer, and because we now have Test & Protect in place and functioning well, the restrictions can be more targeted than was the case earlier in the year.
The measures I am announcing today are tough – I am not going to pretend otherwise – but they do not represent a full scale lockdown of the kind imposed in March.
Indeed, on the contrary, today’s measures are an attempt to avoid the need for another lockdown.
I also want to address talk that there has been in recent days about restrictions being needed for six months or more.
It is certainly the case, that until scientific developments such as a vaccine change the game in the battle against COVID, it will have a continuing impact on our lives.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the new restrictions I am announcing today will be in place for six months.
By acting early and substantially, our hope is that these new measures will be in place for a shorter period than would be the case if we waited longer to act.
In the first instance, we will review these measures in three weeks – although given the nature of this virus, it is important to be clear that they may be needed for longer than that.
So let me set out the package of measures that we hope can bring COVID back under control. I will focus first on those areas where we intend to reinforce existing guidance and provide better support for compliance.
Firstly, everyone who can work from home, should work from home.
That has, of course, been the Scottish Government advice throughout, but we are reinforcing and underlining it today.
To employers, if you have encouraged workers back to the office who could be working from home, please rethink that now.
We know not everyone wants to work from home – and we know it has an impact on our town and city centres – but with the virus on the rise again, home working limits the numbers of people on public transport and limits the numbers of people gathering together for lengthy prolonged periods indoors. That is why it is so important.
Now we want employers to comply with this advice voluntarily as indeed the vast majority do. But we want to be clear today that if necessary we will put a legal duty on businesses to allow home working where possible.
Second, we intend in the coming days, through media and social media, to reinforce the central importance of the FACTS advice – face coverings, avoiding crowded places, cleaning hands and hard surfaces, keeping two metres distance and self-isolating and booking a test if you have symptoms.
At the start of the pandemic, compliance with basic hygiene measures was very strong.
That really does make a difference – we know that – and it is just as important now, perhaps even more so, as it was back then.
So I am asking everyone today to make a conscious and renewed effort to comply with all of this advice.
And third – and related to that last point – we will introduce a package of support for people who are asked to self-isolate.
Self-isolation of people with symptoms awaiting a test, people who test positive and household and other close contacts of such people is absolutely essential to helping break the chains of transmission.
But we know self-isolation is hard. It asks a lot of people and, for some, the financial implications make it even more difficult, perhaps even impossible.
So we intend, firstly, to raise awareness of the importance of self-isolation and what it entails. I believe that ensuring people fully understand why we are asking them to do difficult things and exactly what it is they need to do is the first crucial step to ensuring compliance.
Next, we are working with local authorities to ensure that when someone is asked by Test & Protect to self-isolate, they will be contacted proactively and offered essential practical support – for example help with delivery of food and other essentials.
And, most importantly, we will introduce financial support of £500 for those on low incomes. More detail of this scheme will be published shortly.
As I said yesterday, we will keep issues of enforcement for non-compliance with self-isolation under review.
However, our judgment at this stage – particularly given the spirit of solidarity that is so essential in this fight against COVID – is that supporting people to do the right thing is much more effective than threatening harsh punishment if they can’t.
Presiding Officer, Let me turn now to the new restrictions that we consider are necessary to bring the virus back under control.
First, as I indicated earlier, we will introduce a strict nationwide curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants.
From Friday, pubs, bars and restaurants will be required to close at 10pm.
Now, people sometimes ask me why we don’t just close pubs again altogether – and I understand that sentiment.
The answer – to be frank – is that we are seeking to find a balance between action to suppress the virus and the protection of people’s jobs and livelihoods.
If the Scottish Government had greater powers to borrow money, or the ability to extend the Job Retention Scheme, for example, it is possible that we could reach a different balance of judgment on some of these issues.
But we don’t.
So this decision today means that we can reduce the amount of time people are able to spend in licensed premises, thereby curtailing the spread of the virus, while still allowing businesses to trade and provide jobs.
This is the best balance we can strike for now.
But I want to be clear with the hospitality trade about this.
Notwithstanding the economic implications, further restrictions, including possible closure, will be unavoidable – locally or nationally – if the rules within pubs and restaurants on hygiene, face coverings, table service, maximum numbers in groups, and the distance between them are not fully complied with.
I want to thank those businesses, I believe the majority, that are making huge efforts to ensure compliance.
However, to ensure that this is the case for all, we will be providing resources for additional Environmental Health Officers and asking local authorities to significantly step up inspection and enforcement.
Let me turn now to the most difficult part of today’s announcement – further restrictions on household gatherings.
We know from the data available to us through Test & Protect that a high proportion of new cases come from social interactions between different households in our homes.
We also know from Test & Protect – and perhaps more so from our own experiences – that it is much more difficult to maintain physical distance – and have, for example, good ventilation – inside our own homes.
We also know that when the virus infects one person in a household it is highly likely to affect others in the same household. It will also infect people visiting that household, who will in turn take it back to their households.
Therefore, difficult though this is, any serious effort to reduce the R number below 1, which must be our objective, must take account of this key driver of transmission and it must seek to break that driver of transmission.
So after careful consideration, we have decided that from tomorrow, to be reviewed every three weeks, and with exceptions that I will come on to, visiting other households will not be permitted.
To be clear, this extends the restriction that has been in place across the West of Scotland for the past three weeks to all of Scotland. Regulations giving effect to this change will come into force on Friday, but I am asking people to comply from tomorrow.
One of the reasons we have decided to do this is that our early data suggests this restriction is starting to slow the increase of cases in the West of Scotland.
So if we take the difficult decision to extend it nationwide now, in an early and preventative way, we hope it will help to bring the R number down and the virus back under control.
There will be exceptions for those living alone, or alone with children, who form extended households; for couples in non-cohabiting relationships; for the provision of informal childcare by, for example, grandparents; and for tradespeople.
But for everyone else visiting each other’s houses will, for now, not be permitted. These new restrictions apply to people’s homes – in other words, to private indoor spaces.
Rules for meeting other people in public indoor spaces that are subject to strict regulation and guidance, remain the same – you can meet with one other household only and in groups of no more than six people.
As I said earlier, we will be working with local authorities to strengthen inspection and enforcement in indoor public places and enforcement action, including closure if necessary, will be taken against shops, pubs, restaurants or other premises that do not ensure compliance.
You can also continue to meet with one other household in groups of up to six people outdoors, including in private gardens.
Outdoors, though, we intend to exempt children under 12 – both from the limit of six and the limit of two households. There will be no limits on the ability of children under 12 to play together outdoors.
And young people aged 12 to 18 will be exempt from the two household limit – they will be able to meet together outdoors in groups of up to six, though we will need to monitor this carefully and let me stress that this is outdoors only.
And let me say to teenagers in particular – I know how miserable this is for you and I am so grateful for your patience. We are trying to give you as much flexibility as we can at this vitally important time of your lives. In return, please work with us and do your best to stick to the rules, for everyone’s sake.
Presiding Officer, The last new restriction I want to cover today relates to travelling by car. It may seem minor but it is important.
We know, again from Test & Protect data, that sharing car journeys presents a significant risk of transmission.
We are therefore advising against car sharing with people outside your own household.
Finally, I think it’s important that I indicate today, in light of the current situation, that the route map changes with an indicative date of 5 October are unlikely now to go ahead on that timescale.
Presiding Officer, I also want to touch briefly today on an issue that has been the subject of media speculation in recent days – namely the possibility of a so called circuit breaker, timed to coincide with the October school break, and during which people would be given much more comprehensive advice to stay at home.
The Scottish Government has not made any decision at this stage to implement such a policy – however, we are actively keeping it under review.
What I would say to people now is this. Please think of the October break as an opportunity to further limit social interaction, particularly indoors.
And, given that this is a global pandemic, please do not book travel overseas for the October break if it is not essential.
Finally, I want to say a few words to people who were shielding earlier in the year. I know you will all be feeling particularly anxious.
However the best way to keep you safe is by reducing the spread of the virus in our communities – which is what today’s measures are all about.
The steps I have outlined today will help keep you safe, so please follow the guidance for the general population with great care.
And if you haven’t signed up for our text alert service, please do so.
Fundamentally, I want to assure you that your safety is uppermost in our minds.
But we do not believe that asking you to return to shielding is the best way to secure it, given the impact it would have on your mental and physical health. In our view, all of us acting together collectively to reduce the spread of the virus is a better way to keep you safe.
Presiding Officer, These are the changes we are making now. I can’t and will not rule out the need to make more – nationally or locally – in the weeks to come.
Suppressing the virus and getting R below 1 again is essential and we will act in a way that can achieve that.
Indeed, we intend to publish soon an overall strategic approach to escalation in areas with particularly high rates of transmission.
However, I am acutely aware that the restrictions I have announced today will not be welcome.
But it is our judgment they are absolutely essential.
Inevitably, some will think they go too far and others will think they don’t go far enough.
But we have tried to get the balance as right as possible – and to act urgently and in a substantial and preventative way now to try to get the situation under control quickly.
We judge that this will give us the best chance of avoiding tougher or longer lasting measures later.
But I know that doesn’t make this any easier.
Many people, me included, will find not being able to have family and friends in our own homes really difficult – especially as the weather gets colder.
But today’s measures – although tough – are not a lockdown. They are carefully targeted at key sources of transmission. And we believe they can make a significant difference, while keeping our schools, public services and as many businesses as possible open.
However the success of these measures depends on all of us.
The decisions that we all make as individuals in the weeks ahead, will determine whether they work, and how quickly they can be lifted.
That fact isn’t just a reminder of the responsibilities we all owe to each other – it is also a reminder that we are not powerless against this virus.
None of us can guarantee that we won’t get it, or pass it on. But we can all make choices that significantly reduce our own risk, and help keep our communities safer.
So please, make those choices. Stick with this.
Please don’t meet people in their homes or your home – because that is where the virus often spreads.
Limit how often you meet up with people in public places – and abide by the rules in force there.
Work from home if you can.
Follow the advice on self-isolation if you have symptoms, test positive, or are a contact of someone with the virus.
Download the Protect Scotland app.
And when you do meet other people, remember FACTS at all times.
Face coverings
Avoid crowded places.
Clean your hands and surfaces.
Keep a two metre distance from other households.
And self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms.
Keeping to all these rules isn’t easy – but they remain the best way for all of us to protect ourselves, each other, the NHS and ultimately save lives.
Presiding Officer, All of this is incredibly tough – and six months on, it only gets tougher.
But we should never forget that humanity has come through even bigger challenges than this one – and it did so without the benefits of modern technology that allow us to stay connected while physically apart.
And though it doesn’t feel like this now, this pandemic will pass. It won’t last forever and one day, hopefully soon, we will be looking back on it, not living through it.
So though we are all struggling with this – and believe me, we are all struggling – let’s pull together.
Let’s keep going, try to keep smiling, keep hoping and keep looking out for each other.
Be strong, be kind and let’s continue to act out of love and solidarity.
I will never be able to thank all of you enough for the sacrifices you have made so far.
And I am sorry to have to ask for more.
But if we stick with it – and if we stick together – I do know we will get through this.
Responding to the First Minister’s statement to the Scottish parliament this afternoon, confirming new restrictions to help tackle the rising levels of COVID across Scotland, GMB Scotland Secretary Gary Smith said:“While workers that can do will work from home our key workers will go the extra mile once again – the least Ministers can do is maximise their safety at work and recognise their incredible value to our communities and country.
“And it’s a fact that the bulk of the frontline response will continue to be delivered on the backs of low paid and often exploited workers, many of whom are women or from BME backgrounds, and earn just under or just over £10 an hour.
“We support the Scottish Government’s calls for an extension of the UK Government’s furlough scheme, welcome the support grant plan for low-income households that must self-isolate, and we would reiterate again the urgent need to bring forward a jobs plan for Scotland to aid our post-COVID recovery.
“But the reality of asking the lowest paid to again shoulder the greatest risk without recognition of their value should make anyone who wants Scotland to be a fair work nation extremely uncomfortable. That’s why we are urging the Scottish Government to ensure:
The guaranteed provision of full and proper PPE and workplace testing regimes;
The enhanced role of Trade Union Health and Safety reps in our workplaces;
The extension of the Social Care Welfare Fund support package for carers; and
The delivery of a key worker payment for staff on the frontline of public service.
“After the applause of the first lockdown, many workers have been left to get on with it, and in some cases the working practices put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID are being eroded by employers who want to get ‘back to normal’.
“What’s needed now is cooperation, safety and value for the people who deliver care, collect our rubbish, clean our schools and keep the economy turning, and they need to be confident that government and employers recognise their continued sacrifice as we tackle this pandemic.”
The First Minister will address the nation on BBC Scotland at 8:05pm tonight.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, is supporting the campaign to save indoor and soft play centres in Scotland. Mr Briggs has submitted a motion at the Scottish Parliament which has gained cross party support from Liberal Democrat, Labour and Independent MSPs.
Indoor and soft play areas employ hundreds of staff across Edinburgh and the Lothians, whose jobs are at risk due to closures.
Indoor play centres were due to open on the 14th September, but was postponed with 4 days’ notice. The new opening date of 5th October is looking increasingly unlikely with the rise in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Scotland.
Thousands of pounds have been spent by indoor and soft play centres preparing for a reopening that is looking like it will not happen. The autumn and winter months are the busiest times for indoor and soft play centres, with the weather being less good.
Jennifer McNaughton, manager at Pandamonium Play Centre, Renfrewshire, said: “The majority of family run soft play areas in Scotland will not survive after the announcement at the start of October if they do not receive financial support from the Scottish Government.
“Indoor and soft play centres in England, Ireland and Wales are allowed to be opened with strict guidelines and since mid-August in England.
“Why are other sectors such as night clubs and theatres allowed to open when indoor soft play areas are not, which provide cheap and cheerful unstructured play, that prevents obesity and is crucial for children’s mental health.”
Indoor and soft play centre campaigners will be holding a rally outside the Scottish Parliament tomorrow, Wednesday 23rd September, between 12 and 2pm to raise the profile of indoor play centres and highlight the lack of support from the SNP Ministers and the Scottish Government.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“Indoor and soft play areas have spent thousands of pounds getting themselves Covid-19 ready, to minimise the spread of transmission, and allow them to open their doors again.
“These businesses have been told at short notice that they are no longer able to reopen and many are at real risk of closure, with companies taking on large amounts of debt.
“If the indoor and soft play areas are being singled out to stay closed, then the Scottish Government must provide them with the necessary support to survive through to next year.
“Indoor and soft play areas are valuable in the community, allowing young children to play and interact, as well as being sociable places for parents.”
An online petition has received over 6,000 signatures, since indoor and soft play centres were told they couldn’t open:
Motion Number: S5M-22774 Lodged By: Miles Briggs Date Lodged: 21/09/2020
Title: Save Scotland’s Indoor and Soft Play Centres
Motion Text:
That the Parliament believes that Scotland’s indoor and soft play centres are critical to providing exercise and fitness locations for younger children to learn to play together; values the role of indoor and soft play centres as social hubs for the whole community; supports the small business owners who operate indoor and soft play centres across Scotland; notes that, while under-12s are not required to socially distance under Scottish Government guidance, indoor and soft play centres are still prevented from opening despite catering for a younger age group; acknowledges the disappointment and frustration that it considers is felt by many indoor and soft play businesses that their planned reopening date of 14 September 2020 has been delayed; supports the rally being held safely outside the Parliament on 23 September to inform Members of these issues, and believes that it is critical that Scotland’s indoor and soft play centres are provided financial support by the Scottish Government to prevent the loss of these valuable small businesses.
Coronavirus crisis: Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement to the House of Commons
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will make a statement on our response to the rising number of Coronavirus cases and how we must act now to avoid still graver consequences later on.
At every stage in this pandemic we have struck a delicate balance between saving lives by protecting our NHS and minimising the wider impact of our restrictions.
And it is because of the common sense and fortitude of the British people that earlier this year we were able to avert an even worse catastrophe, forming a human shield around our NHS, and then by getting our country moving again by reopening key sectors of our economy and returning children to school.
But we always knew that while we might have driven the virus into retreat, the prospect of a second wave was real. And I am sorry to say that – as in Spain and France and many other countries – we have reached a perilous turning point.
A month ago, on average around a thousand people across the UK were testing positive for Coronavirus every day. The latest figure has almost quadrupled to 3,929.
Yesterday the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser warned that the doubling rate for new cases could be between seven and 20 days with the possibility of tens of thousands of new infections next month.
I wish I could reassure the House that the growing number of cases is merely a function of more testing, but a rising proportion of the tests themselves are yielding a positive result.
I also wish I could say that more of our people now have the antibodies to keep the virus off, but the latest data suggest that fewer than 8 per cent of us are in this position.
It is true that the number of new cases is growing fastest amongst those aged 20-29, but the evidence shows that the virus is spreading to other more vulnerable age groups, as we have seen in France and Spain where this has led to increased hospital admissions and, sadly, more deaths.
In the last fortnight, daily hospital admissions in England have more than doubled.
Tens of thousands of daily infections in October would, as night follows day, lead to hundreds of daily deaths in November and those numbers would continue to grow unless we act.
And as with all respiratory viruses, Covid is likely to spread faster as autumn becomes winter.
Yesterday, on the advice of the four Chief Medical Officers, the UK’s Covid alert level was raised from 3 to 4, the second most serious stage, meaning that transmission is high or rising exponentially.
So this is the moment when we must act.
If we can curb the number of daily infections, and reduce the Reproduction rate to 1, then we can save lives, protect the NHS, and the most vulnerable, and shelter the economy from the far sterner and more costly measures that would inevitably become necessary later.
So we are acting on the principle that a stitch in time saves nine.
The Government will introduce new restrictions in England, carefully judged to achieve the maximum reduction in the R number with the minimum damage to lives and livelihoods.
I want to stress that this is by no means a return to the full lockdown of March. We are not issuing a general instruction to stay at home.
We will ensure that schools, colleges and universities stay open – because nothing is more important than the education, health and well-being of our young people.
We will ensure that businesses can stay open in a Covid-compliant way.
However, we must take action to suppress the disease.
First, we are once again asking office workers who can work from home to do so.
In key public services – and in all professions where homeworking is not possible, such as construction or retail – people should continue to attend their workplaces.
And like Government, this House will be free to take forward its business in a Covid-secure way which you, Mr Speaker, have pioneered.
Second, from Thursday all pubs, bars and restaurants must operate table-service only, Mr Speaker, except for takeaways.
Together with all hospitality venues, they must close at 10pm.
To help the police to enforce this rule, I am afraid that means alas closing, and not just calling for last orders. Simplicity is paramount.
The same will apply to takeaways – though deliveries can continue thereafter.
I am sorry this will hurt many businesses just getting back on their feet, but we must act to stop the virus from being transmitted in bars and restaurants.
Third, we will extend the requirement to wear face coverings to include staff in retail, all users of taxis and private hire vehicles, and staff and customers in indoor hospitality, except when seated at a table to eat or drink.
Fourth, in retail, leisure, tourism and other sectors, our Covid-secure guidelines will become legal obligations.
Businesses will be fined and could be closed if they breach these rules.
Fifth, now is the time to tighten up the rule of six. I’m afraid that from Monday, a maximum of 15 people will be able to attend wedding ceremonies and receptions.
Though, up to 30 can still attend a funeral as now.
We will also have to extend the rule of six to all adult indoor team sports.
Finally, we have to acknowledge that the spread of the virus is now affecting our ability to reopen business conferences, exhibitions and large sporting events so we will not be able to do this from 1 October.
And I recognise the implications for our sports clubs, which are the life and soul of our communities, and my RH Friends the Chancellor and Culture Secretary are working urgently on what we can do now to support them.
Mr Speaker, these rules measures will only work if people comply.There is nothing more frustrating for the vast majority, the law-abiding majority that do comply than the sight of a few brazenly defying the rules.
So these rules will be enforced by tighter penalties.
We have already introduced a fine of up to £10,000 for those who fail to self-isolate and such fines will now be applied to businesses breaking Covid rules.
The penalty for failing to wear a mask or breaking the rule of six will now double to £200 for a first offence.
We will provide the police and local authorities with the extra funding they need, a greater police presence on our streets, and the option to draw on military support where required to free up the police.
The measures I have announced all apply in England and the Devolved Administrations are taking similar steps.
I spoke yesterday with each of the First Ministers and again today and I thank them for their collaboration:
the health of everyone in these islands depends on our common success.
Already about 13 million people across England are living under various local restrictions, over and above national measures.
We will continue to act against local flare-ups, working alongside councils and strengthening measures where necessary. And I want to speak directly to those who were shielding early in the pandemic and may be anxious about being at greater risk. Following advice from our senior clinicians, our guidance continues to be that you do not need to shield – except in local lockdown areas – and we will keep this under constant review.
I must emphasise that if all our actions fail to bring the R below 1, then we reserve the right to deploy greater firepower, with significantly greater restrictions.
I fervently want to avoid taking this step, as do the Devolved Administrations, but we will only be able to avoid it if our new measures work and our behaviour changes.
Mr Speaker, we will spare no effort in developing vaccines, treatments and new forms of mass-testing but unless we palpably make progress, we should assume that the restrictions I have announced will remain in place for perhaps six months.
For the time being, this virus is a fact of our lives and I must tell the House and the country that our fight against it will continue.
We will not listen to those who say let the virus rip; nor to those who urge a permanent lockdown; we are taking decisive and appropriate steps to balance saving lives with protecting jobs and livelihoods.
I know all of this will have profound consequences for our constituents, so the government will give the House every opportunity to scrutinise our decisions.
In addition to regular statements and debates, Hon Members will be able to question the government’s scientific advisers more regularly, gain access to data about their constituencies, your constituencies and join daily calls with my RH Friend the Paymaster General.
After six months of restrictions, it would be tempting to hope that the threat has faded, and seek comfort in the belief that if you have avoided the virus so far then you are somehow immune.
I have to say that it is that kind of complacency that could be our undoing.
If we fail to act together now we will not only place others at risk but jeopardise our own futures with the more drastic action that we would inevitably be forced to take.
Mr Speaker, no British government would wish to stifle our freedoms in the ways that we have found necessary this year. Yet even now we can draw some comfort from the fact that schools and universities and places of worship are staying open, shops can serve their customers, construction workers can go to building sites, and the vast majority of the UK economy can continue moving forwards.
We are also, Mr Speaker, better prepared for a second wave, with the ventilators, the PPE, the dexamethasone, the Nightingale Hospitals, and a hundred times as much testing.
So now it falls to each of us and every one of us to remember the basics – wash our hands, cover our faces, observe social distancing – and follow the rules.
Then we can fight back against this virus, shelter our economy from even greater damage, protect the most vulnerable in care homes and hospitals, safeguard our NHS and save many more lives.
And I commend this statement to the House.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will address the Holyrood Pariament at 2:15pm.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson will address the nation on television tonight at 8:00pm
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will then address Scotland on television at 8:10pm.
The Scottish Government’s Community & Third Sector Recovery Programme funding stream is now open, offering both organisational support and funding to deliver services.
The Community & Third Sector Recovery Programme is a £25m Scottish Government funded programme aiming to support charities, community groups, social enterprises and voluntary organisations that are supporting people and communities through the shift from lockdown to recovery.
The Community & Third Sector Recovery Programme has two strands:
Strand one: Adapt and Thrive
The programme aims to support organisational change. It offers tailored support and funding to develop a plan so third sector organisations can operate sustainably post-COVID.
Strand two: Communities Recovery Fund
The fund aims to support the delivery of services in communities that were suspended or reduced because of COVID, or the creation of new services that tackle new challenges presented by COVID.
Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative (ECSC) and North Edinburgh Arts (NEA) have agreed to support the creation of North Edinburgh Community Energy Hub, and want to invite you to an initial Zoom call with interested organisations to start this process.
The meeting will be held on Thursday (24th September) at 6.30pm and the Zoom link to join is here:
ECSC is committed to helping Edinburgh become a net zero carbon city by 2030 but reduced funding and grant support for communities has meant that it is becoming increasingly difficult to raise awareness about the importance of reducing our carbon footprint, particularly in areas of high fuel poverty.
ECSC, in partnership with several key partners, believe that establishing a community energy hub in North Edinburgh and Leith, using buildings hosting ECSC solar panels as demonstrator sites, will increase neighbourhood awareness of renewable energy and encourage people to go ‘green’.
The establishment of a community renewable energy hub comprising a consortium of local community organisations. The Hub need not be a physical entity but could involve bringing together members of community groups across North Edinburgh & Leith which would form a knowledge base which groups or individuals could access for practical advice.
The ECSC Energy Plan paper is attached, with a link to Oxford Low Carbon Hub https://www.lowcarbonhub.org for information.
I hope you can join the meeting on the 24th.
Yours sincerely
Kate Wimpress / Director
North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court, EH4 4TZ
Tel: 0131 315 2151 / Direct: 0131 315 6410
Seebelow the list of organisations who have previously expressed an interest, or who want to find out more now: Edinburgh Community Solar Co-operative
Edinburgh Leisure
Community Energy Scotland
Leith Crops in Pots
Muirhouse Housing Association
North Edinburgh Childcare
North Edinburgh Arts
Granton Walled Garden
Spartans Community Football Academy
Granton Information Centre
Changeworks
Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC)
COVAX: World unites to ensure vaccines will be available to all … but USA and China say NO
64 higher income economies have now joined the COVAX Facility, with a further 38 economies expected to sign in the coming days
These self-financing economies, which include 29 from ‘Team Europe’ participating as part of an agreement with the European Commission, join 92 lower income economies eligible for financial support through the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment
This means a total of 156 economies, representing nearly two-thirds of the global population, are now committed to or eligible to receive vaccines through the Facility Click here for the list of economies
64 higher income economies have joined the COVAX Facility, a global initiative that brings together governments and manufacturers to ensure eventual COVID-19 vaccines reach those in greatest need, whoever they are and wherever they live.
These 64 economies include commitments from 35 economies as well as the European Commission which will procure doses on behalf of 27 EU member states plus Norway and Iceland.
By pooling financial and scientific resources, these participating economies will be able to insure themselves against the failure of any individual vaccine candidate and secure successful vaccines in a cost-effective, targeted way.
The 64 members of the Facility will be joined by 92 low- and middle-income economies eligible for support for the procurement of vaccines through the Gavi COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), a financing instrument aimed at supporting the procurement of vaccines for these countries.
This means that 156 economies, representing roughly 64% of the global population in total, are now either committed to or eligible for the COVAX Facility, with more to follow.
With the Commitment Agreements secured, the COVAX Facility will now start signing formal agreements with vaccine manufacturers and developers, which are partners in the COVAX effort, to secure the doses needed to end the acute phase of the pandemic by the end of 2021. This is in addition to an ongoing effort to raise funding for both R&D and for the procurement of vaccines for lower-income countries via the Gavi COVAX AMC.
“COVAX is now in business: governments from every continent have chosen to work together, not only to secure vaccines for their own populations, but also to help ensure that vaccines are available to the most vulnerable everywhere,” said Dr Seth Berkley, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which is coordinating the COVAX Facility.
“With the commitments we’re announcing today for the COVAX Facility, as well as the historic partnership we are forging with industry, we now stand a far better chance of ending the acute phase of this pandemic once safe, effective vaccines become available.”
The COVAX Facility is part of COVAX, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, which is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO) – working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank, Civil Society Organisations and others.
The allocation of vaccines, once licensed and approved, will be guided by an Allocation Framework released today by WHO following the principle of fair and equitable access, ensuring no participating economy will be left behind.
Policies determining the prioritization of vaccine rollout within economies will be guided by recommendations from the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), which has recently released a Values Framework laying the groundwork for subsequent guidance on target populations and policies on vaccine use.
“COVID-19 is an unprecedented global crisis that demands an unprecedented global response,” said WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Vaccine nationalism will only perpetuate the disease and prolong the global recovery.
“Working together through the COVAX Facility is not charity, it’s in every country’s own best interests to control the pandemic and accelerate the global economic recovery.”
The commitment of fully self-financing economies will now unlock vital funding and the security of demand needed to scale up manufacturing and secure the doses needed for the Facility. CEPI is leading COVAX vaccine research and development work, which aims to develop at least three safe and effective vaccines which can be made available to economies participating in the COVAX Facility. Nine candidate vaccines are currently being supported by CEPI; eight of which are currently in clinical trials.
“This is a landmark moment in the history of public health with the international community coming together to tackle this pandemic. The global spread of COVID-19 means that it is only through equitable and simultaneous access to new lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines that we can hope to end this pandemic”, said Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI.
“Countries coming together in this way shows a unity of purpose and resolve to end the acute phase of this pandemic, and we must now work closely with vaccine manufacturers—who play an integral part in the global response—to put in place the agreements needed to fulfil COVAX’s core aim: to have two billion vaccine doses available by the end of 2021. Today, we have taken a great leap towards that goal, for the benefit of all.”
The success of COVAX hinges not only on economies signing up to the COVAX Facility and commitments from vaccine manufacturers, but also filling key funding gaps for both COVAX research and development (R&D) work and the Gavi COVAX AMC to support participation of lower income economies in the COVAX Facility.
Governments, vaccine manufacturers (in addition to their own R&D), organisations and individuals have committed US$ 1.4 billion towards vaccine R&D so far, but a further US$ 700-800 million is urgently needed to continue to move the portfolio forward in addition to US$ 300 million to fund WHO’s SOLIDARITY trial.
The Gavi COVAX AMC has raised around US$ 700 million from sovereign donors as well as philanthropy and the private sector, against an initial target of US$ 2 billion in seed funding needed by the end of 2020. Funding the Gavi COVAX AMC will be critical to ensuring ability to pay is not a barrier to accessing COVID-19 vaccines, a situation which would leave the majority of the world unprotected, with the pandemic and its impact continuing unabated.
The Commitment Agreements also commit higher income governments to provide an upfront payment to reserve doses by 9 October 2020. These funds will be used to accelerate the scale-up of vaccine manufacturing to secure two billion doses of vaccine, enough to vaccinate one billion people assuming the vaccine requires a two-dose regimen.
As well as procuring doses for participating economies, the COVAX Facility will also maintain a buffer of doses for emergency and humanitarian use.
Participating country comments
“COVID-19 poses serious health concerns to people everywhere, and that’s why Canada is committed to working with partners around the world to end the pandemic,” said the Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada.
“Equitable, timely, and affordable access to a safe and effective COVID vaccine will be critical to help protect people’s health. Canada supports the objectives and principles of the COVAX Facility as the only global pooled procurement mechanism for countries to collaborate on this monumental undertaking. Our country is a part of this important global response.”
“New Zealand’s commitment to the COVAX Facility supports access to vaccines against COVID-19 for other countries too,” said Rt Hon Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand.
“COVAX and the idea of equal access to a COVID-19 vaccine, regardless of ability to pay, is not just a moral imperative, it is the only practical solution to this pandemic. Protecting everyone is the only way we can return our world – our trade, tourism, travel, business – to normal,” said the Honourable Dr Edwin G. Dikoloti, Minister of Health and Wellness for Botswana. “We urge those countries who have not yet signed up to do so. Let us work together to protect each other.”
“Immunisation saves lives. Investing in immunisation infrastructure helps strengthen health systems. We have seen this time and again through our work with Gavi and Alliance partners,” said Dr Lia Tadesse, Minister of Health for Ethiopia.
“By being a part of the COVAX Facility and the AMC we can continue this work and protect our citizens – and the world – against the impact of COVID-19.”
“With COVAX, the world is joining forces and proving that together, we are stronger – and together, we can defeat this pandemic,” said Ekaterine Tikaradze, Minister of Health for Georgia.
“Georgia will be joining the COVAX Facility to give our citizens the best chance at having access to safe vaccines. By doing this, we also make sure health care workers and other high risk persons all over the world have access to these life-saving tools, helping to bring the pandemic under control – and we can all recover and rebuild.”
“Joining the COVAX Facility was not a difficult decision – not only will this give Kuwaiti citizens access to COVID-19 vaccines as they become available, it will also mean our friends and partners outside our borders also get access,” said His Excellency Sheikh Dr Basel Humoud Al-Sabah, Minister of Health of the State of Kuwait.
“We need a global solution to this global pandemic: we believe COVAX is that solution.”
“We believe international cooperation – a global effort – is key,” said Dag-Inge Ulstein, Minister of International Development for Norway. “We must continue to work for equitable access to vaccines, tests and treatments.
“To defeat the coronavirus pandemic, well-off countries need to act swiftly and boldly to make vaccines and treatments available to those who cannot afford to pay themselves. With the commitments to the COVAX facility we are heading in the right direction.”
“This is a hugely important initiative, which could offer us a path out of the acute phase of this pandemic and a return to normality,” said His Excellency Dr Ahmed Mohammed Obaid Al Saidi, Minister of Health of the Sultanate of Oman.
“I would urge every country that has not yet done so to sign up, for all our sakes. It is far better for us to work together than apart.”
Partner comments:
“The history of vaccines will be defined by our response to COVID-19; the COVAX facility is at the epicenter of this response. Industry is at the forefront in vaccines development and manufacturing leading to supplies of several billion doses within the next few years”, said Mr. Sai D. Prasad, President of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers’ Network (DCVMN).
“The COVAX facility will have a major impact on lives, livelihoods and accelerate the return to normalcy for countries. The DCVMN is fully engaged with its partners to enhance its mission of global public health and to leave no one behind.”
“It is very encouraging to see so many countries move from talk to full commitment,” said Thomas Cueni, Director General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (IFPMA).
“The Facility can only work, and equitable access can only be achieved, if there is solidarity between rich and poorer countries. Today vaccine makers who have the unique skills and expertise to scale up manufacturing to levels never seen before, stand ready, together, to take up the challenge of providing two billion doses of yet unknown COVID-19 vaccines.
“This is no mean feat, as it requires doubling existing capacity in record time. Today, marks a significant step forward, and is a historic mark of solidarity which has the power to bring the acute phase of this pandemic to an end; and we are proud to be part of this unique endeavour to leave no one behind.”
“Uniting our efforts through COVAX must guarantee fair allocation and equitable delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine to those who need it most, and not just those who can afford it,” said Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
“We all have a moral and public health imperative to protect the poor in rural communities as the affluent in cities, the old in care homes as the young in refugee camps. The power of our humanity and the success of COVAX will be measured by how we collectively protect the most vulnerable among us.”
“Global cooperation must be the cornerstone of our global response to COVID-19,” said Kevin Watkins, Chief Executive of Save the Children. “The COVAX Facility has the potential to help ensure universal and equitable access to future COVID vaccines.
“For this to happen, we need to ensure people in low- and middle-income countries get their fair share and can access the vaccines they need to help overcome the biggest public health and child rights crisis of our generation.”
“Seeing such unity in the face of the COVID-19 crisis gives us confidence that, together, we can ensure the equitable delivery of COVID vaccines globally,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director.
“With our globe-spanning supply chain and on-the-ground presence across 190 countries, UNICEF is proud to support this historic effort.”
Drylaw Telford Community Council is to meet online via Zoom tomorrow evening.
CC members have been notified of login instructions and members of the public wishing to participate should contact DTCC secretary Pam Higgins via email at pamhigginsdtcc@gmail.com
Pam said: ” It was lovely to get back together as a group in August and I look forward to seeing as many people as possible in the coming months. I believe this way of meeting will be our new normal for the foreseeable future.”
Which? is calling for enforcement of tough penalties for firms that fail to prevent data breaches, as new research from the consumer champion reveals the shocking scale of data theft following cyberattacks.
When data breaches occur, opportunistic fraudsters can then go on to buy stolen information such as passwords or credit card and bank details, as well as using other personal details to pose more convincingly as victims’ banks and other trusted organisations.
Now worryingly a new Which? survey suggests that these problems are rampant – revealing that almost half (46%) of people whose data was stolen by hackers then went on to experience fraud.
This was out of around a quarter (23%) of 1,369 Which? members who said they’d had their data compromised following a breach involving a company or organisation.
Which? also heard from people who said that they’d not only lost money but seen their mental health impacted in the aftermath of being involved in a data breach. These victims have also struggled to get any form of redress from the companies that failed to protect their personal data.
Jamie, a British Airways customer, had his trip of a lifetime ruined when he became one of the 500,000 customers whose names, email addresses and card details were stolen by cybercriminals. When he arrived for his holiday in Thailand he found that RBS had frozen his account, saying there had been a lot of suspicious activity including someone attempting to take £15,000 from his account, and Nationwide had also blocked his debit card.
Jamie said he suffered immense stress at the time and two years on he is still fighting to get compensation back from BA for his ruined holiday, he has even joined a group action claim against the airline, but is yet to receive any redress.
BA told Which?: “At the time, we notified all potentially affected customers as quickly as possible, advising them to contact their bank or card provider as a precaution.
“We confirmed that any customers who suffered direct financial losses as a result of the attack would be reimbursed, and offered credit rating monitoring, provided by specialists in the field, to any affected customer who was concerned about an impact to their credit rating.
“This was a unique case which we investigated at the time and could find no evidence that the fraud was attributable to the cyber-attack. A response to the relevant customer’s concerns was provided at the time.
“To date, we have identified no verified cases of fraud as a result of the attack.”
Which? has also heard from an easyJet customer who was disappointed that even though the company became aware of a huge data breach in January 2020, the airline said that it was only able to start informing customers in April.
Brendan, an easyJet customer, told Which? that he received a suspicious looking email from the company in June. “It looked like a standard easyJet email, but the links wouldn’t work, which I found strange. It also said, ‘you’ve cancelled your holiday to Spain’, which wasn’t true.” EasyJet had in fact cancelled Brendan’s holiday prior to this email.
Unsure whether the email was fraudulent, particularly given the many scammers looking to take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic, Brendan tweeted easyJet but didn’t receive a response.
EasyJet later confirmed to Which? the email was genuine. However, it did not make an effort to resolve this with Brendan at the time, who felt let down by the response given the huge data breach the airline had experienced. Even though easyJet became aware of the breach in January 2020, it didn’t start to inform customers until April.
Brendan said. “It’s taken no responsibility. I’m worried that my data is out there, possibly being passed around on the dark web.”
He would rather have asked for a refund, instead of rebooking, if he had known there was a data breach. He added: “I’ve become overly cautious and it’s caused a lot of disruption. Here’s a business we’ve freely given our information to and the security issues are really concerning.”
He feels the airline has taken no responsibility and is worried his data is out there, possibly being traded by criminals on the dark web.
This year has seen some huge data breaches take place. EasyJet told around 9 million customers that their data had been compromised in a breach. Marriott also hit the headlines for losing around 5.2 million people’s contact and personal information – announcing its second data breach in three years.
And more recently the cyberattack on software company Blackbaud has left students and charity donors concerned their records have fallen into the hands of criminals.
EasyJetresponded: “We are sorry that the customer’s tweet about an email regarding their holiday was not responded to. This was as a result of human error and is not the level of service we expect for our customers.
“The email the customer tweeted about was an automatically generated email from easyJet holidays in response to the customer’s request to cancel their holiday. Our team has now been in touch with this customer to reassure them that the email he received was genuine and not fraudulent.
“At easyJet we take the safety and security of our customers’ information very seriously. As soon as we were able to do so, we notified and provided support to the small number of customers whose payment card data was compromised, offering them complimentary 12-month membership to an identity monitoring service.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we also sent phishing alert emails to approximately 9 million customers and have provided support to them via a dedicated customer service team. Our customer experience continues to be a key priority and our wider IT transformation strategy focuses on optimising that experience.
“The nature of the attack meant that it took time for easyJet to identify whether, and if so to what extent, personal data had been affected. We could only inform relevant customers once the investigation had progressed enough that we were able to identify whether any individuals potentially been affected, then who had been affected or potentially affected, and what information had been accessed or potentially accessed.
“It is, of course, regrettable that this cyber-attack took place, but it does not mean that easyJet was at fault or that customers are entitled to compensation under the compensation provisions set out in the General Data Protection Regulation.”
As part of its investigation, Which? also asked its members to submit their email addresses to haveibeenpwned.com, a website that tells you if your email address has been involved in a data breach.
Which? had 515 members take part, submitting a total of 610 email addresses. It was revealed that 79 per cent had experienced at least one breach. Of those, the average number of breaches per email address was 3.7. One address had been in 19 breaches.
Despite all of this, the ramifications for firms that fail to protect their customers’ data are limited. The ICO announced its intention to fine BA £183 million for its 2018 breach and Marriott just under £100 million for losing around 339 million guest records. However, the deadlines to issue the fines were extended and both companies are expected to appeal. The IAG Group, which owns BA, released a report in June, estimating the fine would be €22 million.
Currently victims have limited options to seek redress when data breaches occur. Although under GDPR consumers have a right to claim compensation if they have suffered damage as a result of an organisation breaking data protection law, doing so isn’t always easy. The ICO advises victims to take independent legal advice and to try to settle with the organisation first. If this fails, victims may be able to make a court claim – either independently or through a group action claim, where claimants join together to seek redress.
Which? is calling for the ICO to actually issue intended fines when organisations breach data protection law, otherwise firms may continue to treat customers, and their sensitive personal data, with disregard.
Which? also wants the government to implement provisions in the GDPR to allow not-for-profit organisations to bring collective redress action on behalf of consumers for breaches of data protection rules – without them having to opt-in to a group case or bring the case themselves.
This would help to support and enforce the rights of consumers, making it easier for victims of data breaches to secure adequate redress, and create further incentives for businesses to improve their data processing mechanisms.
Jenny Ross, Which? Money Editor, said:“Whether we’re shopping online, booking a holiday or signing up to a new mobile phone contract, we have to trust the companies we deal with to protect our details – and if things go wrong we need to know that businesses are held to account.
“We need the ICO to be a regulator with teeth that is prepared to step in and issue fines in the event of companies breaking data protection laws, to ensure more businesses better protect consumers from data breaches.
“Consumers should also have a much clearer route to redress when they suffer the financial and emotional toll of data breaches – and that’s why the government must allow for an opt-out collective redress regime that deals with mass data breaches.”
Further details on opt-out collective redress action
The government has the power to facilitate better redress by implementing Article 80(2) GDPR in its upcoming review of the Data Protection Act 2018. This would then allow not-for-profit organisations such as Which? to bring collective redress actions on behalf of people on an ‘opt- out’ basis, without those consumers each having to bring – or to appoint a representative body to bring – an individual case against the company involved.
A properly implemented redress system would ensure that people could trust that harm suffered as a result of data breaches would be remedied and would simultaneously act as an incentive for companies to improve their data handling processes – resulting in fewer breaches.
DCMS is consulting on the operation of the ‘representative’ action provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018.
Which? advice to consumers on protecting their data
Password manager – Many services now alert you if your passwords have been compromised. As services such as Lastpass and Dashlane can be used for free, there’s no reason not to use a password manager.
Two factor/multi-factor authentication (2FA/MFA) – Wherever possible turn on 2FA/MFA to increase security, particularly if your account holds your financial information. Don’t use SMS but use an authenticator app or even a hardware token if possible.
Credit card details – Don’t save your credit card details if you aren’t going to use the service regularly. Although it’s a faff to resubmit them, that’s better than having your financial information unnecessarily stored in a database that could be compromised.
Guest checkout – Similarly to the above, just checkout as a guest if you aren’t going to use the service that often. Only create an account if you really need to.
The UK’s Chief Medical Officers issued a joint statement last night recommending that the UK COVID-19 alert level move from level 3 to level 4:
‘The Joint Biosecurity Centre has recommended that the COVID-19 alert level should move from level 3 (COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation) to level 4 (COVID-19 epidemic is in general circulation, transmission is high or rising exponentially).
‘The CMOs for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have reviewed the evidence and recommend all 4 nations of the UK should move to level 4.
‘After a period of lower COVID cases and deaths, the number of cases are now rising rapidly and probably exponentially in significant parts of all 4 nations. If we are to avoid significant excess deaths and exceptional pressure in the NHS and other health services over the autumn and winter, everyone has to follow the social distancing guidance, wear face coverings correctly and wash their hands regularly.
‘We know this will be a concerning news for many people. Please follow the rules, look after each other and together we will get through this.’
Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty
Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael McBride
Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Dr Gregor Smith
Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Chris Jones
Earlier yesterday the Prime Minister had calls with the First Ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland about how coronavirus is spreading across the country.
During these calls, the Prime Minister made clear that the rising infection rates are a cause for great concern, which he is taking very seriously.
He reiterated his unwavering commitment to working with the devolved administrations as we continue to tackle the virus. They all agreed to act with a united approach, as much as possible, in the days and weeks ahead.
The Prime Minister invited the First Ministers and the deputy First Minister to attend a COBR this morning to discuss next steps for the country.
Further restrictions are expected to be announced later today.
