The UK Civil Aviation Authority is reviewing the refund policies of all UK airlines, as well as a number of international airlines that operate flights to and from the UK. The review began in May and is considering how airlines are handling refunds for flight-only bookings during the coronavirus pandemic.
We have published guidance and advice for both industry and consumers on this important issue throughout the COVID crisis. We support airlines offering vouchers and rebooking alternatives where it makes sense for the consumer, but we have reiterated to airlines that they must provide cash refunds to passengers who request this where a flight has been cancelled.
We do not expect airlines to systematically deny consumers their right to a refund, and our review is considering whether any further action needs to be taken to protect consumer rights.
Airline Performance
Of the eighteen airlines contacted, all have engaged with us on the issues that we have raised, and all have confirmed to us that they are now paying refunds. We have grouped airlines by performance in three categories:
1. Acceptable performance
2. Requiring transparency improvements
3. Requiring processing time improvements
Acceptable performance
Through our review we have identified a selection of airlines that are paying refunds quickly and that do not have a sizeable backlog of refund requests. While regulations state that refunds should be paid within seven days of the request, we understand that there are operational challenges that airlines are facing in the current circumstances that make this very challenging to meet.
We will continue to monitor the performance of these airlines, but as things stand we do not expect further work to be required unless there is a material change in performance.
Requiring transparency improvements
Our review has identified a second group that, based on passenger complaints, did not appear to be providing refunds at all. Having engaged with these airlines, the Civil Aviation Authority can now confirm that these airlines are all paying refunds.
A number of airlines have now introduced new systems for processing refunds. More work remains to be done by this group of airlines to make it clear to passengers that they are entitled to a refund and show that there is a straightforward process for claiming it.
We will allow these airlines a short period to make the necessary improvements before we reach a definitive view on their performance.
Requiring processing time improvements
Our review has identified a third group of airlines which have substantial backlogs of refund claims and which, in our view, are taking too long to process refunds.
This group includes some major carriers with large backlogs of refund requests extending to many months. The Civil Aviation Authority has asked these airlines to provide commitments that they will speed up refund processing timescales.
We have received responses from a number of airlines agreeing to this request. We will assess the suitability of these commitments and, should we accept them, we will monitor the airlines’ performance against them. If performance does not improve in line with the commitments, the Civil Aviation Authority will not hesitate to take enforcement action.
Conclusion
This is the first update the Civil Aviation Authority has provided on its review of airline refund practices. We intend to publish a further, more detailed update later this month.
Only a minority group of airlines have been consistently providing consumers with refunds in an acceptable timeframe, however we have noted a marked improvement across most airlines since our review commenced. We expect this direction of travel to be maintained.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said:“This update from the regulator confirms what we have been highlighting to it for months – that airlines are continuing to disregard the law and withhold huge sums of money from their passengers during a time that has placed incredible stress on people’s financial and emotional wellbeing.
“The time for monitoring and performance reviews has long passed. Airlines have been breaking the law on refunds for months, and to delay action for any longer goes against the regulator’s claims to be on the side of consumers.
“We need to see urgent enforcement action to hold airlines to account, set a higher standard for the months ahead, and demonstrate that there are real consequences to breaking the law on refunds.”
Diverse views from urban, town, rural and island communities must be heard if town centres are to be revitalised and renewed in the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, according to Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell.
Experts in town planning, public health, transport, and business will take on board views of local communities to build on the progress of the Scottish Government’s 2013 Town Centre Action Plan.
Professor Leigh Sparks of the University of Stirling will chair the expert group alongside members from COSLA, the Royal Town Planning Institute, South of Scotland Enterprise, the Carnegie Trust, the Federation of Small Businesses, Public Health Scotland, Sustrans, Inclusion Scotland and the Scottish Government.
Ms Campbell said: “Town centres are crucial to our economic recovery and renewal as we emerge from lockdown and it’s important we do all we can to support them. COVID-19 has changed the way we all live, work and shop, and we must develop safe spaces that meet the diverse economic, social and environmental needs of city, country, village and island populations.
“By nurturing connections between local producers and retailers and their communities we enhance the wellbeing of our communities.
“Our town centre-first approach has been held up as an example throughout the UK and globally. Now we have the opportunity to develop healthier, vibrant, and greener town centres that support communities to thrive.”
Professor Sparks said: “Our town centres need to be successful places which are socially and economically inclusive.
“The National Review of Town Centres in 2013 and the Town Centre Action Plan which followed have provided a pathway for towns in recent years.
“COVID-19 provides a challenge to our towns and town centres, but also an opportunity to rethink and re-energise our efforts to make towns fit for all in Scotland.
“I am delighted therefore to have been asked to lead this new group at this critical and important time.”
Which? is calling for action to help the most vulnerable after it found that more than a quarter could be at risk of going hungry because they have faced difficulty accessing basic food and essential groceries.
With shielding measures due to end soon in some parts of the UK, the consumer champion is calling on the UK’s four governments to extend free food parcels and other support for those who need it, to avoid millions of people being left behind if support is suddenly withdrawn.
Months into lockdown, Which? has found huge inconsistencies across the four nations with many people still finding the current system chaotic and overly complicated.
Which? heard reports of care home workers forced to queue in busy supermarkets several times a day for basics like bread and milk – risking further spread of the virus – because they could not secure the delivery slots that they needed to provide for their residents.
Other concerning reports included a 93-year-old lady who had to wait 11 weeks for her first food parcel despite registering in week one and a 71-year-old with shingles who had to wait a month between supermarket click and collect slots.
The new research from Which? found that more than one in four (28%) vulnerable people across the UK had faced difficulty getting the food provision they needed in the week before they were surveyed (from 29th May to 17th June).
Which? found that the group of people struggling the most to get vital groceries were those who identified as being situationally vulnerable, meaning they are not at clinically increased risk from coronavirus but still require help accessing food because they are visually impaired or have learning difficulties, for example.
In the UK two in five (40%) situationally vulnerable people reported having difficulties getting essentials in the week prior to being surveyed, however, across the home nations, Which? found an alarmingly mixed picture.
In Wales and Scotland, this number rose to nearly half (47% and 46% respectively), compared to almost two in five (38%) in Northern Ireland and more than a quarter (27%) in England.
Even among the shielded group – those who are the most high-risk to coronavirus and for whom the most help, including priority supermarket delivery slots and food parcels, has been offered – Which? found that there was still a very high proportion of people facing difficulty getting the food and essentials needed in the week they were surveyed.
This figure was highest in England where a third (33%) of those shielding had struggled, while three in 10 (31%) in Northern Ireland, over a quarter in Scotland (27%) and a quarter in Wales (25%) also faced difficulties.
Those who were previously told to self-isolate because they are over 70, pregnant or otherwise considered clinically vulnerable had had the fewest problems getting food in the last week according to Which?’s survey. A fifth (20%), however, did struggle.
Officials say changes to the shielding guidance will only happen if the rate of community transmission remains low, but the governments in both England and Northern Ireland have said that free essential food boxes will stop being delivered at the end of July.
In both of these nations, those considered high-risk will still qualify for priority online supermarket delivery slots as well as being offered help with medicine deliveries and getting to medical appointments.
Which? is concerned that while the easing of lockdown restrictions may make life easier for people who are comfortable with and able to go into shops again, there is still a huge risk that many of those who have already been struggling will now be cut further adrift as they may still not be able to leave their homes to get groceries – especially if it involves long queues, taking a taxi or using public transport.
Which? is calling for access to free food boxes, priority delivery slots and other relevant assistance to be made available for as long as medical advice or practical restrictions, such as social distancing, are in place. The help should be extended to include not only the most-high risk but also those who are situationally vulnerable and have so far been sidelined.
This would mean that central and local governments will need to accurately assess and identify which consumers remain vulnerable so that they can also be given access to appropriate support such as priority supermarket delivery slots or local food provision through other means.
Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Protection and Food Policy at Which?, said: “It is a real concern that months into lockdown, the current system of food provision is still not working for so many of those who need it the most.
“Some people could now be looking at a cliff edge where shielding restrictions are lifted and they are left to fend for themselves, cut off from outside help in getting essential groceries.
“Which? is now calling for the UK’s four governments to work with the food industry, local authorities and charities to ensure a longer-term plan for supporting all of those who are at risk and need support is in place by the end of July, so that no vulnerable person faces difficulties in accessing the basic food supplies they need.”
Vehicle registrations fell by an estimated 94% in April, and 85% in May, compared to the same months last year, according to figures released today by the Department for Transport.
The quarterly Vehicle Licensing Statistics reported 599,000 vehicles were registered in the first quarter of this year, a 30% fall from the first quarter of 2019, resulting in a drop in the total number of licenced vehicles on Britain’s roads – only the second decline in the total number of vehicles on the road since the end of the Second World War.
The figures revealed an 82% decrease in registrations in the last week of March, coinciding with the UK lockdown coming into force and vehicle dealerships and showrooms being required to close, which removed the main method by which new vehicles are sold.
This was followed by 12,340 vehicle registrations in April and 37,100 in May, representing annual drops of 94% and 85% respectively.
However, the number of newly registered ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) shot up to 33,700, an increase of 113% on last year. In contrast, new diesel cars fell by 45% and petrol cars sales were down by 34%.
Responding to the government’s newly published data Greg Wilson, founder of leading car insurance comparison website, Quotezone.co.uk, says: “It’s not a surprise to learn that the lockdown has had a significant impact on vehicles sales, but the scale of that impact is truly staggering, particularly at the height of the lockdown in April and May.
“It’s also significant that the total number of vehicles on the road fell in the first quarter – the first time that number has fallen since 1991, and only the second time since the end of the Second World War. This is likely to be due to a combination of fewer new vehicles being registered as the lockdown was introduced, and some motorists deciding to SORN their vehicles if they weren’t likely to need them during lockdown.
“It’s also interesting to note the sharp rise in ULEV registrations – given that many electric cars are able to be delivered directly to the buyer, it’s possible this trend was partly driven by the lockdown as well.”
Edinburgh based creative projects Neu Reekie and Out of the Blueprint are among 68 projects across Scotland who have received a total of £1.6million from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund, to reimagine work and create new opportunities during COVID-19.
Neu Reekie has been rethinking its year-long 10th anniversary programme, adapting and refocusing plans to reach audiences digitally.
Kevin Williamson, Co-founder, Neu Reekiesaid: “For our 10th year we organised our fullest, most diverse, and most ground-breaking programme of events to date in Edinburgh, with a year-long series of core shows, as well an ambitious tour of Scotland’s towns and islands.
“All of these have had to be postponed because of coronavirus. To this end we’ve marked Edwin Morgan’s centenary with a live streamed show on the weekend of his birthday which was conceptualised and programmed in the same unique way we do for our live shows.
“We’re hosting the Scottish leg of the BBC’s Words First talent development scheme over the summer months to help discover new spoken word talent; as well as launching a public appeal for new commissioned work from poets.
“We’ll be at the ready to re-organise our core events, our national tour, and collaborative events when the coast is clear.”
Social enterprise and print studio, Out of the Blueprint is developing Walk Don’t Walk, an exhibition of work by 20 young illustrators and comic-makers.
Originally imagined as a summer presentation at Leith’s Drill Hall, plans are now underway to showcase work on the streets of Leith.
Johnny Gaily, Managerat Out of the Blueprint, said: “There’s a real need this summer to put art and community up front and central, and I can’t think of a better way than to showcase some of the amazing young talent we’re working with.”
Joan Parr, Director of Arts and Engagement at Creative Scotlandsaid: “COVID-19 has had such a significant impact on artists and organisations working across the country that it is sometimes difficult to think positively at this time.
“We’re therefore pleased to share news of these projects where artists have been able to adapt their practices and work, finding new and engaging ways to connect with audiences and contribute to our national wellbeing in these challenging circumstances.”
Image: Out of the Blueprint exhibition opening. Credit: Out of the Blueprint
The event will now be live streamed on Facebook and Youtube with attendees also able to join in with the many festival activities throughout the weekend. The annual trade union festival normally held in Tolpuddle, Dorset will still run from Friday 17th – Sunday 19th July.
This year’s Tolpuddle Martyrs’ Festival has been moved exclusively online, organisers have confirmed today.
The South West TUC is making the virtual event as similar as possible to the original, complete with debates, films, comedy, music, a kids’ area, and a virtual procession on the Sunday afternoon.
The event, held in Dorset every July to commemorate the six farm workers transported to Australia after forming a union, was cancelled because of the coronavirus crisis.
The virtual festival, held on the same days as the original (July 17, 18 and 19) will be live-streamed across various digital platforms. For exclusives and teasers in the run-up to the festival, organisers are inviting attendees to join the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival Facebook group.
Tolpuddle [is] more than simply music and politics. It’s a gathering of like-minded people and a joyous celebration of trade union solidarity.
Festival organiser and Regional Secretary of the TUC South West Nigel Costley said: “Tolpuddle has always been more than simply music and politics. It’s a gathering of like-minded people, a joyous celebration of trade union solidarity – and that’s what we’re hoping to reflect online.
“We have a full programme of topical debates, a full programme of films and a full programme of music ranging from those who would have played this year’s event to those who we welcome back from previous festivals – all performing exclusive sets for us.
“We’ll also be covering the wreath-laying, interviewing stall-holders and encouraging families to design banners so they can join the virtual procession on Sunday afternoon.
“The whole event will be compered by familiar faces from the festival to add that special Tolpuddle touch.”
Keep an eye on the Facebook page for announcements of speakers and artists.
“We have some special surprises in store,” said Nigel Costley.
Statement given by the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the media briefing in St Andrew’s House on Tuesday 30 June:
Good afternoon, and welcome to today’s briefing. I want to start by providing my usual update on the most recent Covid-19 statistics for Scotland.
An additional 10 positive cases were confirmed yesterday – that takes the total now in Scotland to 18,251.
A total of 885 patients are currently in hospital with the virus – either confirmed or suspected. That is actually an increase of 145 since yesterday, but the increase is all in suspected cases. The number of confirmed cases fell by 3.
A total of 19 people last night were in intensive care with confirmed or suspected Covid-19. That is 9 more than yesterday – but again the increase is all in suspected cases.
Since 5 March, a total of 4,061 patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 have been able to leave hospital. I wish all of them well.
And in the past 24 hours, I’m sorry to say 3 deaths were registered of a patient confirmed through a test as having Covid-19. That takes the total number of deaths in Scotland, under that measurement, to 2,485.
I know that, after four consecutive days without any deaths being registered, news of any deaths, while not unexpected, is not what we want to hear.
And of course the three people whose deaths were registered yesterday – like everyone who has died from this virus – were individuals whose loss will be causing heartbreak to those who loved them. I want to send my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one as a result of this virus.
However – and I know that this will not be any comfort to those who are grieving – it is still worth remembering the overall trend in Scotland’s figures.
On this day last week, I announced four deaths, which took the total for the previous seven days – under this daily measure – to 23. The three deaths I have announced today, take that seven day total to 9.
That is a sustained and significant ongoing reduction and it is due to everybody – and as I will make clear later in my remarks, maintaining that progress is also a responsibility for all of us as we move forward.
But I want to make clear once again my particular gratitude to our health and care workers – and indeed to all our key workers. We are all grateful for the work you have done during the crisis and indeed continue to do.
The media conferences for the rest of the week will cover a range of issues.
Tomorrow we will report on the latest weekly statistics from National Records of Scotland.
On Thursday, I hope to confirm the changes that we had indicated for the 3rd of July and the 6th of July.
I will also talk about the advice we are due to receive on the 2 metre rule for physical distancing – and whether there are any circumstances in which it can be adapted, with appropriate mitigations in place.
And on Friday, I am likely to look ahead to the weekend – particularly in view of the changes to travel restrictions that are likely to take effect on that day.
Today, however, I want to focus on where we are now. It is maybe an appropriate time to do that: partly because of the data we have seen recently, and also because today is the 100th day of lockdown – although I realise that for most of us, it seems a lot longer than that.
At the time when we imposed lockdown, Covid was starting to run out of control in Scotland.
Because of that, two weeks after the start of lockdown, in early April, hospital admissions for the virus averaged over 200 a day.
And two weeks after that, Covid deaths in Scotland – going by the wider National Records of Scotland data – were averaging more than 90 a day.
To be in our current position – with hospital admissions averaging just 4 a day, with consistently low numbers of new Covid cases, and with such a sharp reduction in death rates – all of that is massive and welcome progress. Once again, I want to thank every single person in Scotland for that. All of us have played a part in getting to this position.
We now have a genuine chance to come as close as is possible to eliminating the virus in Scotland. Of course we will then have to work to ensure we keep it at those levels.
That in turn gives us the best possible chance of seeing more of our friends in less restricted circumstances; of reopening the economy much more fully; and of being able to fully reopen our schools.
So this is a moment of great opportunity.
But it is also a time of very real danger.
And I suppose it’s that I want to focus on today.
Not to be negative. But to be realistic and to seek to persuade you all that we still have to work very hard to make sure our progress of recent weeks is not lost or even worse reversed.
We all feel a sense of relief at low levels of the virus today. I know I certainly feel that relief intensely.
But we saw from late March just how quickly low levels of the virus can spread to become much higher. And we saw the consequences of that.
Some of the reports we are seeing from elsewhere in the UK and around the world right now underline that point.
Lockdown restrictions have just been reimposed in Leicester as a result of increased transmission.
And we are seeing increases in infection rates in other countries – for example in some US states, and in Melbourne in Australia. Lockdown restrictions are being reimposed in these places too.
And the World Health Organisation pointed out yesterday that although many countries are making progress in tackling Covid, the pandemic globally is still speeding up and is not close yet to being over.
I don’t say any of this to depress anyone – but as a very loud reminder that the virus has not gone away. It is still present – which is why we are still seeing some new cases in Scotland. It is just as infectious and dangerous as it ever was. And it will come back hard if we let it.
The figures in Scotland we are seeing right now, are a result of the decisions and the sacrifices all of us have made over the past 100 days.
The figures we see in the future – in the second half of July; in August, as schools prepare to reopen; and into the autumn – they will be the result of the decisions we all take now, and in the weeks ahead.
That is why – as I said – we are right now in a potentially very dangerous moment.
We are reopening more public services and more businesses; we will soon start travelling a bit more; and we will also start seeing a bit more of our family and friends – including in outdoor pubs and restaurants.
That is absolutely right – it is justified by the progress we have made. And it’s important, of course, to get our economy going again.
But by opening up a bit more, at a time when the daily statistics are looking so positive, there is a real risk that people will let down their guard. There is a danger that it will seem as though life is getting back to normal. And I want to stress right now, life can’t and shouldn’t get completely back to normal yet, because the virus is still there.
I do not want us to be looking back in a month’s time, or in three months’ time, and thinking that this week’s figures – the culmination of 100 days of sacrifice – were as good as it ever got in our efforts to suppress this virus.
Instead, I want us to be looking back in a month’s time – and then in the autumn – and thinking that this week’s figures provided us with the best possible foundation for our efforts to almost eliminate the virus.
Because if we can continue to suppress the virus – and come as close as possible to elimination – then living a less restricted life without the constant threat of lockdowns being reimposed becomes more possible. And dealing with localised outbreaks when they happen – which they will – will become far easier.
For the Scottish Government, that means that we may still have to take some really tough and unpopular decisions in the weeks ahead – that we have to go against the grain of what many of you would like, in order to secure the progress we have made. If that is necessary we won’t shy away from doing it.
And for all of us – it means still thinking hard in our personal lives about what we choose to do and not to do. Just because we can do more now, doesn’t necessarily mean we should do these things as often as we used to. And it certainly doesn’t mean we should do them without significantly increased care. Following the rules continues to be vital. In fact, it is even more important now as we start to interact more, so we don’t squander the progress that we’ve made.
So as we start to do more – as we go to more shops, as more people return to work, as we maybe travel a bit more from the end of this week – please remember that the virus has not gone away.
We have suppressed it to the levels we see today because of the action we have collectively been taking, so we must continue to take action to keep it there and hopefully get it lower still. It is still as a virus highly infectious. It is still very dangerous. And it will start to spread rapidly again, if we give it the opportunity to do so.
That is why our public health campaign – FACTS – is so important. It summarises the five key things all of us must remember in everything we do.
· Face coverings should be worn in enclosed spaces such as shops and public transport. · Avoid crowded places. · Clean your hands and hard surfaces regularly. · Two metre distancing remains the rule. · and Self isolate, and book a test, if you have symptoms.
By remembering those 5 basic measures, all of us can stay safe, protect others and save lives.
So please, my appeal to you today, and I cannot stress this enough, do not drop your guard.
Do not become complacent. Do not drift back to life exactly as normal.
Do not think the risk of the virus has gone away.
Please make sure you are doing everything you can – every day and every time you go out – to deny it the chance to spread. And if we all behave in that way, then the progress we are seeing now will continue. So my thanks for everything that you’ve done over these past 100 days and I ask all of you to stick with the advice that’s so important.
This government is committed not just to defeating coronavirus but to using this crisis to tackle this country’s great unresolved challenges of the last three decades.
To build the homes, to fix the NHS, to tackle the skills crisis, to mend the gap in opportunity and productivity and connectivity between the regions of the UK, to unite and level up.
The government will build back better, build back greener, build back faster.
We will invest in and accelerate infrastructure across the UK; promote a clean, green recovery; reform our planning system; and strengthen the Union and local government.
All of these changes will make life better for the people of this great country and unleash Britain’s potential.
The Chancellor will unveil more of this plan next week, and we will use the forthcoming Spending Review and Autumn Budget to set the direction for the rest of this parliament.
Investing in and accelerating infrastructure
The government is committed to building a Britain with world class infrastructure. Spring Budget 2020 set out that the public sector will invest £640bn over five years in our future prosperity.
We are redoubling our efforts to get on with this now, in support of economic recovery and jobs right across the country by bringing forward £5bn of capital investment projects, supporting jobs and the economic recovery, including:
£1.5bn this year for hospital maintenance, eradicating mental health dormitories, enabling hospital building, and improving A&E capacity. This will improve patient care, make sure NHS hospitals can deliver world-leading services and reduce the risk of coronavirus infections.
£100m this year for 29 projects to improve our road network to get Britain moving, from bridge repairs in Sandwell to boosting the quality of the A15 in the Humber region. Plus £10m for development work to unblock the Manchester rail bottleneck, which will begin this year.
Over £1bn to fund the first 50 projects of a new, ten-year school rebuilding programme, starting from 2020-21. These projects will be confirmed in the autumn, and construction on the first sites will begin from September 2021.
£560m and £200m for repairs and upgrades to schools and FE colleges respectively this year.
£142mn for digital upgrades and maintenance to around 100 courts this year, £83m for maintenance of prisons and youth offender facilities, and £60m for temporary prison places, creating thousands of new jobs.
£900m for a range of ‘shovel ready’ local growth projects in England over the course of this year and next. This will enable local areas to invest in priority infrastructure projects to drive local growth and jobs. This could include the development and regeneration of key local sites, investment to improve transport and digital connectivity, and innovation and technology centres to build on local comparative advantage
£96m to accelerate investment in town centres and high streets through the Towns Fund this year. This will provide all 101 towns selected for town deals with £500k-£1m to spend on projects such as improvements to parks, high streets, and transport.
We will establish a new Infrastructure Delivery Taskforce, named ‘Project Speed’.
Led by the Chancellor, Project Speed will bring forward proposals to deliver government’s public investment projects more strategically and efficiently. This will ensure we are building the right things better and faster than before.
The taskforce will aim to cut down the time it takes to develop, design and deliver vital infrastructure projects. For example, it will look at how it can address outdated practices and identify blocks to progress.
Projects will include the 40 new hospitals the government has committed to build and the school rebuilding programme announced yesterday.
In the Autumn, the government will also publish a National Infrastructure Strategy which will set a clear direction on core economic infrastructure, including energy networks, road and rail, flood defences and waste.
The Government also intends to bring forward funding to accelerate infrastructure projects in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – working with the devolved administrations to identify where we can get spades in the ground, build our communities, and create jobs faster for citizens across the United Kingdom.
We will also carry out a review to look at how best to improve road, rail, air and sea links between our four nations to create a more connected kingdom.
Through the Barnett formula, the UK Government has already given the Scottish Government £5.4bn, the Welsh Government £2.4bn, and the Northern Ireland Executive £1.7bn in capital funding for devolved areas this financial year. We would encourage them to accelerate infrastructure projects in the same way that the UK Government is doing.
Promoting a clean, green recovery
The UK was the first major economy to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 in law. We already have a proven track record of cutting emissions while growing the economy, with over 460,000 UK jobs in low-carbon businesses and their supply chains.
We will continue to build on this even further and deliver a stronger, cleaner, more sustainable economy after this pandemic.
The Government will continue to set out further measures as part of its green agenda in the run up to COP26 in November 2021.
Transport:
We are making additional funding available this year to attract investment in ‘gigafactories’, which mass produce batteries and other electric vehicle components, enabling the UK to lead on the next generation of automotive technologies.
£10m of funding will be made available immediately for the first wave of innovative R&D projects to scale-up manufacturing of the latest technology in batteries, motors, electronics and fuel cells.
Additional funding will also allow us to progress initial site planning and preparation for manufacturing plants and industry clusters, with sites under consideration across the UK.
This funding forms part of our commitment to spend up to £1bn to attract investment in electric vehicle supply chains and R&D to the UK.
And this comes on top of the over £1bn we provided at Budget to support the rollout of ultra-low emission vehicles in the UK via support for a super-fast charging network for electric vehicles, and extension of the Plug-In Grant schemes.
The UK will also aim to produce the world’s first zero emission long haul passenger aircraft.
Rebuilding our natural infrastructure:
Re-foresting Britain by planting 75,000 acres of trees every year by 2025.
£40m Green Recovery Challenge Fund to help halt biodiversity loss and tackle climate change through local conservation projects, connecting more people to the outdoors by delivering up to 5,000 jobs.
Innovation:
Up to £100m of new funding for research and develop a brand new clean technology, Direct Air Capture (DAC), which captures CO2 emissions directly from the air around us. If successful, DAC technology could be deployed across the country to remove carbon from the air, helping sectors where it’s tough to decarbonise such as aviation.
To help bring forward this technology, the government is exploring options around carbon pricing and incentives, where the government may pay a price per tonne of CO2 captured.
Reforming our planning system
We will make it easier to build better homes where people want to live.
New regulations will give greater freedom for buildings and land in our town centres to change use without planning permission and create new homes from the regeneration of vacant and redundant buildings.
Under the new rules, existing commercial properties, including newly vacant shops, can be converted into residential housing more easily, in a move to kick start the construction industry and speed up rebuilding.
The changes include:
More types of commercial premises having total flexibility to be repurposed through reform of the Use Classes Order. A building used for retail, for instance, would be able to be permanently used as a café or office without requiring a planning application and local authority approval. Pubs, libraries, village shops and other types of uses essential to the lifeblood of communities will not be covered by these flexibilities
A wider range of commercial buildings will be allowed to change to residential use without the need for a planning application
Builders will no longer need a normal planning application to demolish and rebuild vacant and redundant residential and commercial buildings if they are rebuilt as homes
Property owners will be able to build additional space above their properties via a fast track approval process, subject to neighbour consultation.
These changes, which are planned to come into effect by September, will both support the high street revival by allowing empty commercial properties to be quickly repurposed and reduce the pressure to build on green fields land by making brownfield development easier.
The Prime Minister also announced that work will begin to look at how land owned by the government can be managed more effectively.
Ahead of the Spending Review, a new, ambitious cross-government strategy look at how public sector land can be managed and released so it can be put to better use.
This would include home building, improving the environment, contributing to net zero goals and injecting growth opportunities into communities across the country.
These announcements come alongside a package of measures to support home building across England, including:
A £12bn affordable homes programme that will support up to 180,000 new affordable homes for ownership and rent over the next 8 years, confirmed today.
Included in the affordable homes programme will be a 1,500 unit pilot of ‘First Homes’: houses that will be sold to first time buyers at a 30% discount which will remain in perpetuity, keeping them affordable for generations of families to own.
Funds from the £400m Brownfield Land Fund have today been allocated to the West Midland, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, Liverpool City Region, Sheffield City Region, North of Tyne and Tees Valley to support around 24,000 homes.
The Home Building Fund to help smaller developers access finance for new housing developments will receive additional £450m boost. This is expected to support delivery of around 7,200 new homes.
The government will launch a Policy Paper in July setting out our plan for comprehensive reform of England’s seven-decade old planning system, to introduce a new approach that works better for our modern economy and society.
Strengthening the Union
We will take steps to guarantee and enhance our internal market and find new ways to invest in Scotland, Wales, England and NI and focus on “levelling up” our whole country.
As above, the Government also intends to bring forward funding to accelerate infrastructure projects in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland – working with the devolved administrations to identify where we can get spades in the ground, build our communities, and create jobs faster for citizens across the United Kingdom.
The Spending review will create a multi-year, UK-wide Shared Prosperity Fund which will support which will support local economic recovery by driving economic growth and tackling deprivation.
We will carry out a review to look at how best to improve road, rail, air and sea links between all parts of the UK to create a more connected kingdom.
Today Finance Secretary @KateForbesMSP launched a report which sets out the principles we believe the UK Government should follow to kick-start the economy and reduce inequalities following the #coronavirus pandemic.
A UK-wide £80 billion stimulus package should be created to regenerate the economy and reduce inequalities following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, a new Scottish Government report proposes.
The package could finance a temporary reduction in VAT and move the tourism and hospitality industries onto a reduced VAT rate of five per cent.
A two pence cut in employers’ National Insurance Contributions to reduce the cost of hiring staff is also recommended in the report, entitled COVID-19: UK Fiscal Path – A New Approach.
Other action it proposes the UK Government should take to kick-start the economy includes:
introduce a jobs guarantee scheme for young people and extend sector-specific employment and business support schemes
create a National Debt Plan to help business and household budgets recover from the effects of the pandemic
adopt new fiscal rules which prioritise economic stimulus over deficit reduction in times of crisis
accelerate major investment in low‑carbon initiatives, energy efficiency and digital infrastructure
extend Scotland’s financial powers to allow it to shape its own response to the pandemic
The report was launched yesterday by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes.
Ms Forbes said: “We are emerging from the biggest economic shock of our lifetimes. It has hit the most vulnerable in our society disproportionately and presents challenges that the Scottish Government does not currently have the powers to meet.
“The UK Government’s fiscal policies are still key in determining our budget, so today we set out the principles we believe it should follow to ensure we emerge with a fairer, greener economy that values wellbeing alongside growth.
“This report recommends bold, practical steps which would provide an immediate boost to our economy, protect existing jobs and deliver new ones. It tackles public debt, employment and proposes measures to further support business. Crucially, it avoids any return to austerity. Economic stimulus must be prioritised over deficit reduction until the recovery has fully taken hold.
“Germany has already adopted a similar-size stimulus package, representing four per cent of GDP, and the UK Government needs to be similarly positive, proactive and ambitious.
“Action is needed now. If the UK Government is not prepared to respond then Scotland must have the additional financial powers required to secure a sustainable economic recovery.
“Without those powers we will be at a severe disadvantage to other nations. It would be like trying to chart our way to recovery with one hand tied behind our back.”
STATEMENT TO PARLIAMENT: Last night Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock announced local measures to deal with the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Leicester.
Mr Speaker, with permission, I would like to make a statement on local action to tackle coronavirus.
The impact of coronavirus has been deeply felt.
And yet thanks to the extraordinary action that this country has taken, it is now in decline at a national level.
The number of positive new cases is now below 1,000 a day and the number of recorded deaths yesterday is 25.
I am pleased to report there were no deaths in Scotland for the fourth consecutive day and that there is currently nobody in intensive care with coronavirus in Northern Ireland.
So we have been able, carefully, to ease the national restrictions.
And alongside the easing of these national restrictions, we have increasingly taken local action.
In May, we shut Weston Hospital to new admissions after a cluster of cases there.
Earlier this month, we closed 2 GP surgeries in Enfield and a meat processing factory in Kirklees.
And the Welsh Government has closed factories in Anglesey and Wrexham.
We have put in place a system to tie together local and national action, based on insight provided by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, working closely with Public Health England and the NHS.
Analysis is based on 3 levels of spread.
Individual cases are identified and managed by NHS Test and Trace.
When many cases are found in 1 setting, be it a care home for instance, a factory, or a hospital, that is classified as a cluster, and that will be dealt with largely by the local Director of Public Health, who has statutory powers to close individual organisations.
When Public Health England or the new JBC identifies clusters that are linked to one another, that is defined as an outbreak and a range of local and national actions may be needed.
Decisions are taken through our Local Action Committee Command structure. It works as follows.
If PHE or the JBC spots a problem that needs attention or the local Director of Public Health reports up a problem through the Regional Health Protection Teams, then the outbreak is assessed at the daily Local Action Committee Bronze meeting.
Issues of concern are raised to the Local Action Committee Silver meeting, which is chaired by the Chief Medical Officer.
And problems requiring ministerial attention are then raised to the Local Action Committee Gold meeting.
Yesterday, I chaired an emergency Local Action Committee Gold meeting specifically to deal with the outbreak in Leicester. Unfortunately, while cases in most parts of the country have fallen since the peak, in Leicester they have continued to rise.
The 7-day infection rate in Leicester is 135 cases per 100,000 people, which is 3 times higher than the next highest city.
Leicester accounts for around 10% of all positive cases in the country over the past week.
And admissions to hospital are between 6 and 10 per day rather than around 1 a day at other trusts.
Over the past fortnight, we have already taken action to protect people in Leicester.
We deployed 4 mobile testing units and extra capacity at the regional test site.
We provided thousands of home testing kits and extra public health capacity to boost the local team.
This afternoon, I held a further meeting with local leaders, with Public Health England, the JBC, the Local Resilience Forum and my clinical advisers, followed by a meeting of the cross-government Covid Operations Committee, chaired by the Prime Minister.
We have agreed further measures to tackle the outbreak in Leicester.
First, in addition to the mobile testing units that I mentioned earlier, we will send further testing capability, including opening a walk-in centre.
Anyone in Leicester with symptoms must come forward for a test.
Second, we will give extra funding to Leicester and Leicestershire councils to support them to enhance their communications and ensure those communications are translated into all locally relevant languages.
Third, through the councils, we will ensure support is available for those who have to self-isolate.
Fourth, we will work with the workplaces that have seen clusters of cases to implement more stringently the COVID-secure workplaces.
Given the growing outbreak in Leicester, we cannot recommend that the easing of the national lockdown, set to take place on the 4 July, happens in Leicester.
Having taken clinical advice on the actions necessary, and discussed them with the local team in Leicester and Leicestershire, we have made some difficult but important decisions.
We have decided that from tomorrow non-essential retail will have to close.
And, as children have been particularly impacted by this outbreak, schools will also need to close from Thursday, staying open for vulnerable children and children of critical workers as they did throughout
Unfortunately, the clinical advice is that the relaxation of shielding measures due on the 6 July cannot now take place in Leicester.
We recommend to people in Leicester, stay at home as much as you can and we recommend against all but essential travel to, from and within Leicester.
We will monitor closely adherence to social distancing rules and will take further steps if that is what’s necessary.
The more people following the rules, the faster we will get control of this virus and get Leicester back to normal.
We will keep all of these local measures under review and we will not keep them in place any longer than is necessary.
We will review whether we can release any measures in 2 weeks’ time.
These Leicester-specific measures will apply not just to the city of Leicester, but also to the surrounding conurbation, including for example, Oadby, Birstall and Glenfield.
I know that this is a worrying time for people living in Leicester and I want you to know that you have our full support.
We do not take these decisions lightly, but with the interests of the people of Leicester in our hearts.
I want everyone in Leicester to know that we have taken every one of these decisions to protect them from this terrible virus. We must control this virus. We must keep people safe.
These actions are also profoundly in the national interest too because it’s in everyone’s interests that we control the virus as locally as possible.
Local action like this is an important tool in our armoury to deal with outbreaks while we get the country back on its feet.
Mr Speaker, we said that we do whatever it takes to defeat this virus.
And we said that local action would be an increasingly important part of our plan.
The virus thrives on social contact, and we know that reducing social contact controls its spread.
So precise and targeted actions like these will give the virus nowhere to hide and help us defeat this invisible killer.
