Housing Secretary launches a consultation proposing new legal requirements for England’s social landlords to address hazards including damp and mould quickly
plans to clamp down on rogue social landlords who fail to provide safe homes have been announced today, supporting the Government’s pledge to deliver Awaab’s Law.
The two-year-old from Rochdale died from a respiratory condition caused by extensive mould in the flat where he lived, and the Government is taking action to introduce lifechanging reforms in social housing to prevent future tragedies.
The Awaab’s Law consultation has been launched by the Housing Secretary, which proposes introducing new strict time limits for social housing providers and force them to take swift action in addressing dangerous hazards such as damp and mould.
It proposes new legal requirements for social landlords to investigate hazards within 14 days, start fixing within a further 7 days, and make emergency repairs within 24 hours. Those landlords who fail can be taken to court where they may be ordered to pay compensation for tenants.
Landlords will be expected to keep clear records to improve transparency for tenants – showing every attempt is made to comply with the new timescales so they can no longer dither and delay to rectify people’s homes.
Housing Secretary, Michael Gove said:“The tragic death of Awaab Ishak should never have happened. His family have shown courageous leadership, determination and dignity to champion these changes and now it’s time for us to deliver for them through Awaab’s Law.
“Today is about stronger and more robust action against social landlords who have refused to take their basic responsibilities seriously for far too long. We will force them to fix their homes within strict new time limits and take immediate action to tackle dangerous damp and mould to help prevent future tragedies.
“Alongside Awaab’s Law, our landmark Social Housing Act will drastically improve the quality of life in social housing, granting residents a proper voice to fight those who think they can cheat the system and ensuring rogue landlords face the full force of the law.”
Faisal Abdullah, Awaab’s father. said:“We hope that Awaab’s Law will stop any other family going through the pain that we went through.
“Landlords need to listen to the concerns of tenants and we support these proposals.”
Social Housing campaigner, Kwajo Tweneboa said:“As we know many families across the country are still living in homes with damp and mould, creating misery but more worryingly risks their health and safety.
“I’m pleased to see Awaab’s Law reach the consultation phase and hope that it goes far enough to prevent other families going through the tragedy Awaab’s family have had to. It’s crucial the government are able to make sure this law has teeth and is enforced for it to work as intended.”
Through the measures announced today tenants will be able to take their landlords to court if they fail to fix dangerous hazards. This builds on the progress already made to drive up standards in social housing.
The UK Government says there has been consistent improvement in the quality of social homes since 2010 – with a reduction in non-decent social homes from 20% in 2010 to 10% last year – but recognises ‘there is more work to do’.
The Social Housing (Regulation) Act, which became law last year, will equip the Regulator of Social Housing and tenants with stronger powers and rights to hold the small minority of rogue landlords accountable.
New enforcement powers will also be available for the Regulator to weed out bad landlord practices – including issuing unlimited fines and entering properties with only 48 hours’ notice to make emergency repairs in the most severe cases.
As part of changes to deliver Awaab’s Law, the Government recently consulted on what more tenants need to better understand their rights and challenge social landlords when things go wrong – the direction to the Regulator will be published in the coming weeks.
This is the latest step in addressing systemic issues identified following the Grenfell Tower fire – not just the safety and quality of social housing but how tenants are treated by their landlords.
Awaab’s Law consultation will be open for eight weeks and further details on how to respond can be found here
Attendance hubs to more than double to support 1,000 more schools and £15 million investment to expand the attendance mentor pilot programme
Driving up attendance and tackling persistent absence is at the centre of new stronger measures launched today as pupils return to school in England.
More than one million children and young people will be supported into regular education as part of a major expansion of the attendance hubs, which provide a range of tailored support to families and pupils to boost time in school.
There will be 18 new attendance hubs across six regions, bringing the total to 32 and will see nearly 2,000 schools helped to tackle persistent absence.
Hubs are run by schools with excellent attendance that share practical ideas with other primary, secondary, alternative provision and special schools in England who need help to boost their attendance.
From direct pupil engagement initiatives like breakfast clubs and extracurricular activities, to improving their processes and analysis of attendance data, lead hub schools provide a range of support to schools that they can tailor to their pupils and families.
The Westminster government is also increasing the direct support offered to children and their families with the expansion of the attendance mentor pilot programme.
With an investment of up to £15million, over three years, this programme will provide direct intensive support to more than 10,000 persistent and severely absent pupils and their families.
The programme will see trained attendance mentors working in 10 further areas from September 2024. These areas are in addition to the existing pilot programme with Barnardo’s which is already operating in Middlesbrough, Doncaster, Knowsley, Salford, and Stoke on Trent.
The programme provides intensive one-to-one support to pupils who are persistently absent working with them and their families to find out why the child is skipping school. This can lead to extra support, more intensive work with teachers or in some cases bridge-building between school and family.
Being in school has never been more valuable with standards continuing to rise. 89% of schools are now rated good or outstanding, up from 68% in 2010. We are constantly seeing the success of our reforms rising up the rankings in maths, reading and science.
Just this month, England was ranked 11th in the world for maths, up from 27th in 2009, and in May, England was named ‘best in the west’ for primary reading.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “The benefits of our success in raising education standards can only be when all children are in school.
“Tackling attendance is my number one priority. We want all our children to have the best start in life because we know that attending school is vital to a child’s wellbeing, development, and attainment as well as impact future career success.
“I am hugely grateful to all our brilliant teachers, heads, and everyone whose worked with us to make the progress we’ve already made with 380,000 fewer children persistently absent.”
Children’s Commissioner Rachel De Souza said: “As Children’s Commissioner, I have made school attendance one of my top priorities because children tell me how much they value their education and want to be in school.
“Every day counts: when children miss school, it’s not just about missing lessons, it’s also about losing valuable moments spent with their friends and teachers.
“I very much welcome the government’s announcements today which include the recommendations made last year in my report on school attendance.
“I am hopeful that these measures will arm local authorities and schools with real-time information about school absence rates and provide vital support for children who face barriers to attending school.”
Chief Executive of Barnardo’s, Lynn Perry MBE, said: “Our Attendance Mentoring pilot scheme shows that one of the best ways to improve attendance is working individually with children, building trust and listening to their concerns.
“Our mentors encourage children to talk openly about issues such as family finances, bullying, or mental health worries – anything they feel may be preventing them from going to school.
“In Middlesbrough, 82% of the children we have worked with improved their attendance through one-on-one support from an attendance mentor, with almost two-thirds of the children saying their mental health also improved.”
Rob Tarn CBE, Chief Executive of Northern Education Trust said: “We are delighted that the hard work around attendance at North Shore Academy has led to significant impact for our students and their outcomes.
“The fact that this work was recognised as a best practice model meant we felt compelled to share what we are doing with other schools and academies in similar contexts and help where we could.
“This was, in essence, the beginning of the attendance hub programme. Seeing this work extended, with more hubs supporting more schools, is a source of great pride for the trust.”
A national communications campaign on the importance of attendance is also launching today targeting parents and carers.
Under the strapline ‘Moments Matter, Attendance Counts’ it outlines the importance of attendance for attainment, wellbeing, and development as well as signposting to advice for further support.
Key advice includes a recent letter from the Chief Medical Officer that outlines best practice when it comes to attendance and illness.
The intention is to ensure that parents have the guidance they need when it comes to making decisions when deciding to send their child to school or when to keep them home.
The UK government has also committed to further legislation in the coming months that will mean all schools will be required to share their daily school registers.
This, together with reforming pupil registration practice, will modernise how schools record and share data on attendance and support them to understand what is driving absence in their school and provide early support and intervention where pupils are displaying worrying trends of absence.
Over 800 charities and community organisations in England struggling with increased demand have been awarded funding as part of a £76 million package
Food banks, warm hubs and safe spaces amongst the first 800 charities to benefit from support for frontline charities and community organisations meeting increased demand for critical services
Up to £38 million already allocated to support organisations carrying out vital work helping the most vulnerable
Additional package of support to improve the energy efficiency of community organisations now open for applications
Over 800 charities and community organisations struggling with increased demand have been awarded funding as part of a £76 million package to help vulnerable people.
Projects tackling food poverty, homelessness charities and services offering financial advice are amongst those to benefit from funding, providing a much needed funding boost for those meeting increased demand for their critical services.
The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK, will continue to make awards from the Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund throughout December and January.
UKMinister for Civil Society Stuart Andrew said: “Charities and community organisations are on the frontline helping the most vulnerable in society, and we are allocating £100 million in recognition that they are struggling too, as demand and costs both increase.
“Over 800 charities have already been awarded these significant grants, meaning they can continue to help those in need and we will continue to roll out funding at pace.”
This funding comes at a critical time as charities and organisations support more people struggling to heat their homes and access hot meals. Grants worth between £10,000 and £75,000 are being allocated to cover project and core costs, including for premise rent, utilities, staff and volunteers.
David Knott, Chief Executive at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We’re proud to be distributing Government funding to enable frontline projects in England to support communities facing the impact of the rising cost of living.
“From the provision of food, shelter and safe spaces, to financial or housing advice, over 800 awards have already been made to critical services that will strengthen communities and improve lives at a challenging time.”
Examples of organisations that will be supported include:
Springwell Village Community Venue, Sunderland (above): Funding of £45,000 is supporting the project to focus on its food supply of hot meals and food parcels, and the provision of toiletry packs for disadvantaged young people and older people in the community. It will also provide a safe and warm space over the winter months to support those struggling with the rising cost of utility bills.
Brunswick Youth and Community Centre, Merseyside: In the past 12 months BYCC have adapted their support offer to provide additional food, clothes and essential items due to significant surge in need. Funding of £39,500 will support the project to deliver these services and expand the offering to more beneficiaries, as well as increasing access to their warm space.
Muslim Women’s Council, Bradford: The Curry Circle project provides hot meals in a warm environment to anyone facing food poverty. Funding of over £50,000 is supporting it to revive a number of services including increased number of hot takeaways, doorstep delivery of food parcels and survival packs with sanitary products. They also aim to provide weekly access to debt advice at the venue where the meals are served.
SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets, London: SocietyLinks Tower Hamlets is a community-based charity providing services including after school clubs, holiday provision, youth services, employment support, women’s services, health and fitness programmes and older peoples’ services for disadvantaged residents in the borough. Funding of over £28,000 will support the continuation of these services, including a food bank, youth safe hub, a warm hub for those aged 50+ and clothing recycling programme (below).
The Centre Project Limited, Leicester: This community hub has been awarded over £40,000 to expand and continue its range of services, which includes a foodbank, warm space, hot meals, social activities, youth club and advice services. They support people who may be vulnerable due to loneliness, isolation, poor housing, unemployment, homelessness, mental health issues or in crisis.
Housing Matters, Bristol: Housing Matters offers an advice, support and advocacy service for people in housing and financial crisis in and around Bristol, advising clients on disputes with landlords, rent arrears, disrepair and overcrowding amongst other issues. Funding of nearly £40,000 is supporting it to pay for the running costs of its housing advice service including telephone, email and face to face support offered at community centres.
SHAPE Birmingham, Birmingham: SHAPE offers shelter for homeless young women. SHAPE is currently facing an increase in demand for its services due to a rise in the cost of living, alongside a rise in running costs of the hostel. Funding of over £35,000 is supporting them to hire a part time worker, enabling them to support more young women.
Christian Action and Resource Enterprise, Grimsby: Christian Action and Resource Enterprise Ltd (CARE) is an established charity running various projects including housing, food, furniture and emergency supplies, warmth, a safe space, and financial and housing advice in North East Lincolnshire. Funding of £75,000 will pay for extra staff hours and the cost of additional IT infrastructure, allowing it to continue its work assessing residents for food and utility vouchers; giving advice and help with finances; support for those struggling with domestic abuse; and providing housing for vulnerable people.
As part of the £100 million package of support allocated during the Spring Budget, it was also announced that £25.5 million will be used to pay for measures to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations in England improve their energy efficiency.
Funding will help the long term energy and financial resilience of the sector as well as supporting the Government’s commitment to meeting a net zero target by 2050. Via independent energy assessments, organisations will be able to identify how to reduce bills through measures such as improving or installing new energy features in the building.
The fund will also support the installation of new energy measures, such as insulation, heating and lighting systems, where applicants are eligible.
Applications for the £25.5m VCSE Energy Efficiency Scheme, administered by community charity Groundwork, are now open. Eligible organisations are able to apply for funding via the Groundwork website.
This funding follows a support package of £750 million dedicated to help charities adapt and maintain essential services during the pandemic as part of the government’s unprecedented £400 billion COVID support package.
Public consultation on historic proposals draws to a close, with roughly 25,000 responses from teachers, parents, healthcare professionals and public
UK in lead to be first country in the world to create a smokefree generation by phasing out the sale of tobacco
Government taking long-term decisions to protect children and an entire generation from the harms of smoking as they grow older
Plans to introduce the most significant public health intervention in a generation and phase out smoking are progressing at pace, as the Westminster government’s consultation closes today.
Amassing roughly 25,000 responses – including from healthcare professionals, public health experts, academics, teachers, parents and teenagers – officials will analyse results and ministers will set out next steps in the coming weeks, including details on the forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill recently announced in the King’s Speech.
The majority of the public are behind the plans, and the government is determined to take vital action quickly to protect future generations from the harms of tobacco addiction.
The government’s response to the consultation will be published ahead of the Bill’s introduction to Parliament in the new year.
Public Health Minister, Andrea Leadsom, said: “As a former teenage smoker, these historic plans might just have prevented me from ever lighting a cigarette.
“Smoking is the biggest preventable killer in the UK, and that’s why we need to push ahead at pace with our plans to protect today’s children, and create the first smokefree generation while cracking down on youth vaping.
“We are taking the long-term health decisions needed to safeguard the next generation from the harms of smoking and risk of addiction.”
Government plans include introducing a new law to stop children who turned 14 this year or are younger from ever legally being sold tobacco in England. There is also a worrying rise in vaping among children and the government will therefore also introduce measures to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children, while ensuring they remain available as a quit tool for smokers.
This will prevent thousands of children from starting smoking in the coming years and potentially having their lives cut short as a result.
The UK is now proudly set to be the first country in the world to introduce such a landmark law on smoking.
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: “With the overwhelming support of the public the UK has picked up the baton to become the first country in the world to create a smokefree generation.
“In the twentieth century the UK, home to the tobacco industry, had the highest smoking rates in the world, in the twenty first we are now on track to lead the way out of the tobacco epidemic.
“This will herald the start of a new era in tobacco control, where the end of the smoking is finally in sight.”
Smoking is the UK’s biggest preventable killer, causing around 1 in 4 cancer deaths and 64,000 deaths in England alone, costing the economy and wider society £17 billion each year. No other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its users and the plans will save tens of thousands of lives and save the NHS billions of pounds.
People take up cigarettes when they are young.
Four in five smokers have started by the time they are 20 and although the vast majority try to quit, many due to the addictive nature of cigarettes.
Cathy Hunt, 58, is a mum of four from County Durham. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and had half a lung removed in 2015 just two days before her 50th birthday. She underwent surgery again in 2022 when the cancer returned, and in June this year had a kidney removed due to cancer.
Cathy said: “I am absolutely over the moon about the government’s plan to raise the age of sale for tobacco one year every year until we see the end of smoking, and all my family and friends are too.
“Smoking isn’t a lifestyle choice but a lethal addiction which traps hundreds of new victims in its claws every day, victims who struggle to escape. I only managed to stop once I found out I had lung cancer but wish now I could turn the clock back to the time I started smoking as a child aged 11.
“That’s also why I’m so pleased the government is providing more funding for anti-smoking campaigns, stop smoking services and enforcement to help stop the start and start the stop for those already addicted to smoking like I was.”
Gower Tan, Cancer Research UK ambassador and campaigns officer, said: “I started smoking aged 13, and this deadly addiction took me over 25 years to quit.
“Having watched my dad – a lifelong smoker – die of lung cancer, I understand the devastating harms of tobacco and I support vital legislation on the age of sale. Knowing my children and future generations will not suffer the tragic consequences caused by smoking is a legacy we could all be proud of.”
To tackle youth vaping, the government’s plans include a range of measures to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes to children, including restricting vapes flavours, regulating point of sale displays in stores that sell vapes, and regulating vape packaging.
Stakeholder reaction:
Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said: “Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer in the UK, responsible for around 150 cancers a day. Raising the age of sale for tobacco products is one of the biggest opportunities we have had to help prevent cancer in over a decade.
“This consultation is a vital step on the road to the first ever smokefree generation. If the government takes decisive action in all UK nations, the UK can phase smoking out for good and protect the next generation from a potential lifetime of addiction and disease.”
John Herriman, chief executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “It comes as no surprise that responses have been submitted in the thousands to this consultation that poses the biggest positive change to public health in our lifetime.
“Most people have been affected by smoking either directly or indirectly, and smoking related illnesses put a huge strain on the NHS. In time, this will free up much needed resources and will help safeguard future generations to come.”
“Effective policing of the age of sale of tobacco will be critical to the effectiveness of the government’s aim of eliminating smoking for future generations and Trading Standards teams working in local communities across the UK will play a central role in making this happen.
“We look forward to working with DHSC to ensure that we have the tools and resources needed to support businesses and educate consumers as the country phases out tobacco products for good.”
Henry Gregg, director of external affairs for Asthma + Lung UK: “Creating a smoke-free generation is one of the most impactful things we could do to improve the health of future generations.
“We know that many people with a lung condition and their families strongly support these proposals, to prevent others from going through what they have experienced. We urge the government to ensure these measures are implemented in full to save thousands of lives.
“Smoking remains the biggest cause of lung disease deaths in the UK, with tobacco costing the NHS £2.5 billion every year and £1.2 billion in social care costs.
“More than 8 out of 10 smokers take up smoking before the age of 20 and become addicted, so proposals to gradually increase the smoking age to stop younger people from ever taking up smoking is an opportunity for the government to lead the way on measures that will protect future generations from developing lung conditions caused by this deadly addiction”.
Redirected HS2 funding to resurface more than 5,000 miles of road across England
driving to become smoother, safer and easier with £8.3 billion of redirected HS2 funding, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road
long-term plan to mend roads across the country, saving motorists up to £440 on vehicle repairs
biggest-ever uplift in funding for local road improvements thanks to funding from government’s £36 billion Network North transport plan
Millions of people will enjoy smoother, safer and faster road journeys thanks to the biggest-ever road resurfacing programme to improve local roads.
Today (17 November 2023), Transport Secretary Mark Harper has set out the allocations of an £8.3 billion long-term plan, enough to resurface over 5,000 miles of road across the country over the next 11 years. It’s one of the key cornerstones of Network North to improve journeys for all.
Across England, local highway authorities will receive £150 million this financial year, followed by a further £150 million for 2024/2025, with the rest of the funding allocated through to 2034.
Each local authority can use its share of the £8.3 billion to identify what local roads are in most need of repair and deliver immediate improvements for communities and residents. This is divided as:
£3.3 billion for local authorities in the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber
£2.2 billion for local authorities in the West Midlands and East Midlands
£2.8 billion for local authorities in the East of England, South East, South West and, for the first time in 8 years, London
The UK Government has already confirmed £5.5 billion up until 2024/25, for England outside London, which includes the £200 million announced by the Chancellor at the Budget in March. Today’s £8.3 billion nationwide boost comes on top of that and extends until 2034, providing long-term certainty to local authorities and helping to prevent potholes from coming back in the future.
The funding also comes on top of the local transport, road and rail budgets allocated at the last Spending Review and in addition to what local authorities were already expecting for the next decade.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “For too long politicians have shied away from taking the right long-term decisions to make life easier for hardworking families – tackling the scourge of potholes being a prime example.
“Well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.
“This unprecedented £8.3 billion investment will pave the road for better and safer journeys for millions of people across the country and put an end to the blight of nuisance potholes.”
Transport Secretary, Mark Harper, said: “Most people travel by road and potholes can cause misery for motorists, from expensive vehicle repairs to bumpy, slow and dangerous journeys. Our £8.3 billion boost to repair roads across the country shows that we’re on the side of drivers.
“Today’s biggest-ever funding uplift for local road improvements is a victory for all road users, who will enjoy smoother, faster and safer trips – as we use redirected HS2 funding to make the right long-term decisions for a brighter future.”
According to the RAC, smoother, well-maintained road surfaces could save drivers up to £440 each in expensive vehicle repairs from pothole damage, helping motorists keep more of the cash in their pocket.
This £8.3 billion boost is particularly important when considering that, according to a survey from the AA, fixing potholes and investing in roads maintenance is a priority for 96% of drivers. These funds can also help boost road safety and encourage active travel, as smoother road surfaces will make it safer and easier for cyclists to use roads with greater confidence.
RAC head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “Drivers’ biggest bugbear of all is the poor condition of local roads, so the fact the government has found a significant additional pot of revenue should give councils the certainty of funding they need to plan proper long-term road maintenance, something we have been calling for many years.
“We hope local authorities will use the money in the most effective way possible by resurfacing the very worst roads, keeping those in reasonable condition in better states for longer through surface dressing and filling potholes as permanently as possible wherever necessary.
“This should in time go a considerable way to bringing our roads back to a fit-for-purpose state and saving drivers hundreds of pounds in the process from not having to fork out for frustrating repairs to their vehicles.”
To increase transparency and ensure the £8.3 billion leads to an increase in the number of roads being resurfaced, local authorities will be required to publish information on their websites on a regular basis explaining how they are spending the funding in their area.
The measure is a key part of the UK Government’s Network North plan, with money redirected from HS2 instead going to improve the daily transport connections that matter most to people.
It builds on tough regulations announced in April this year to crack down on utility companies causing pothole pain with botched streetworks, through stricter inspections and costs for the worst offenders – backed by further measures in our Plan for drivers announced just last month.
These include £70 million to keep traffic flowing, updating 20mph zone guidance for England to help prevent inappropriate blanket use and measures to speed up the rollout of electric vehicle charging.
Edmund King OBE, AA president, said: “Perilous roads blighted by potholes are the number one concern for drivers and a major issue for bikers, cyclists and pedestrians.
“So far this year, the AA has attended more than 450,000 pothole-related breakdowns. The damage caused can be a huge financial burden for drivers but is also a major safety risk for those on 2 wheels.
“The £8.3 billion plan can make a considerable difference in bringing our roads back to the standards, which road users expect, especially if councils use the cash efficiently to resurface our streets. As well as safer roads, eliminating potholes gives confidence to people wanting to cycle and instils pride of place within local communities.”
Network North will see £36 billion invested in hundreds of transport projects and initiatives across the country, and includes the extension of the £2 bus fare cap in England to the end of December 2024, as well as over £1 billion to improve bus journeys in the North and the Midlands.
Rick Green, Chair of the Asphalt Industry Alliance, said: “This additional funding is good news for local authorities in England and is much needed to help them tackle the backlog of repairs.
“We have long been calling for surety of funding over the long-term and the fact that the DfT has committed to this money being available over the next 11 years should allow highways teams to implement more efficient works to improve local road conditions and enhance the resilience of the network once they have details of their allocation.
“This long-term investment will also help give the asphalt supply chain confidence to further invest in plant upgrades, materials innovation and technical advancements to support the development and delivery of lower carbon roads in line with the government’s net zero ambitions.”
Motor expert, Louise Thomas at Confused.com car insurance comments: “With temperatures dropping and rainfall at extreme highs at the moment, it’s likely that we’ll see more potholes appearing on UK roads. Potholes can be dangerous for road users, and can also cause unwanted damage to cars, leading to repair costs.
“While the prime ministers announcement could benefit millions of drivers, these changes won’t happen overnight. Our research reveals that for those who have had to pay for car repairs due to potholes, the average cost of repair was £174. And with the cost of living continuing to remain high this winter, added costs like this can be a continuous challenge and annoyance for many.
“Drivers can make a claim to help reduce how much they have to pay out for their repairs. And there are some easy steps to make a claim. They include:
1. Check for damage and gather evidence with clear photos or videos
2. Report the pothole to the local council
3. Ask a mechanic to confirm the damage and get a quote for the repair
4. Submit the claim to your insurer
“The new funding should mean less drivers will be affected by pothole damage over time. But if a claim does need to be made, our tips on how to make a pothole claim can help drivers through this process. That’s the case even if the claim is rejected.”
The Prime Minister has announced 2.5 million tenants renting their homes from housing associations in England will be given the right to buy them outright.
Right to Buy scheme extended to housing association tenants, with government pledging to build a new social home for every one sold
Universal Credit reform will incentivise more hard-working people to save for a house deposit
Review of mortgage lending market will aim to turn more of ‘Generation Rent’ into ‘Generation Buy’
Two and a half million tenants renting their homes from housing associations will be given the right to buy them outright, the Prime Minister has announced.
In a speech today, he has confirmed an extension of the popular Right to Buy scheme, which has made home ownership a reality for two million households since the 1980s.
Currently, tenants in council homes are eligible to buy their homes at a discounted price, up to 70% off the market value dependent on how long they have lived there. However, the scheme is less generous for those in homes owned by housing associations.
Extending the scheme could benefit up to 2.5 million tenants who would gain the right to buy, freeing them up to become homeowners, and add value and make improvements to their home as they wish. The Government will work closely with the housing association sector on the design of the scheme.
Social housing will always play an important role in our society, so the Prime Minister will also commit to the building of replacement social homes for each one sold.
The Prime Minister said: “Just as no generation should be locked out of home ownership because of when they were born, so nobody should be barred from that same dream simply because of where they live now.
“For four decades it has been possible for council home tenants to use a discount to buy the property they live in. Over that time almost two million people have been helped into home ownership.
“They have switched identities and psychology, from being dependent on the state for every repair – from damp-proofing to a new front door – to being in charge of their own family home, able to make improvements and add value as they please.”
In order to turn more members of ‘Generation Rent’ into ‘Generation Buy’ the government will also launch an independent review of access to mortgage finance for first-time buyers, with the aim of making it easier for this group by widening access to low-cost, low-deposit finance such as 95% mortgages.
Currently, soaring house prices, stringent mortgage lending restrictions and high deposit requirements are hampering the ambition of many young people who want to own their own home. Over 50% of today’s renters could afford the monthly cost of a mortgage but various constraints mean only 6% could immediately access a typical first-time buyer mortgage.
This will be the first comprehensive review of the mortgage market for a decade, seeking bold and innovative steps that Government and industry can take to support more first-time buyers into home ownership.
As the Prime Minister set out: “We have a ludicrous situation whereby plenty of younger people could afford to make monthly mortgage payments – they’re earning enough to cover astronomical rent bills – but the ever-spiralling price of a house or flat has so inflated deposit requirements that saving even just 10 per cent is a wholly unrealistic proposition for them.
“First-time buyers are trying to hit a continually moving target.
“And of course the global rise in the cost of living is only making life harder for savers. So we want it to be easier to get a mortgage.
“Reporting back this Autumn [the review] will look at how we can give our nation of aspiring homeowners better access to low-deposit mortgages.”
The Prime Minister has also pledged to turn ‘benefits to bricks’ – changing welfare rules so that the 1.5 million people who are in work but also on housing benefit will be given the choice to use their benefit towards a mortgage, rather than automatically going directly to private landlords and housing associations.
The welfare system exists as a safety net to help the poorest people, but the government also wants to incentivise people to find work and take steps to better their lives.
So if a hard-working family saves a deposit to buy a home, the government will back them with the same housing support that they would have used on their rent, to pay towards their mortgage instead.
Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove MP said: Today we are extending the opportunity of homeownership to millions more hardworking people across the country.
“By extending Right to Buy and bringing forward the most comprehensive review of the mortgage market in decades, we are backing first-time buyers, breaking down barriers to homeownership and delivering on the people’s priorities.
“At the same time, we will continue to deliver much-needed new, good quality social homes by replacing each and every property sold.”
The government will also change the rules to incentivise those who are claiming Universal Credit to save for a deposit. Currently, welfare rules taper the amount of Universal Credit received when the claimant’s savings exceed £6,000, and it stops entirely when savings exceed £16,000.
We will commit to exempting Lifetime ISA savings from these rules – meaning hard-working people can save a little each month specifically for a deposit without impacting their Universal Credit payments, until they have enough for a deposit for a first home.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Thérèse Coffey said: “For too many people the aspiration to own their home has been taken away. By turning benefits to bricks, we are opening the door to home ownership for those on the lowest incomes.
“By removing barriers and allowing people on benefits to save into a Lifetime ISA, they will be incentivised to put aside a deposit to buy their home.
“And we are also giving people the choice to use their benefit towards their mortgage rather than on rent that pays a buy-to-let landlord.”
To support existing homeowners, the government will also improve support for mortgage interest (SMI) – a loan which helps claimants pay interest on their mortgages and stay in their homes if they lose their jobs.
Currently, this only kicks in after nine months of unemployment so the government will bring this forward to three months, to incentivise people to find work again and bring government into line with what lenders offer in these circumstances.
The Levelling Up Secretary will push forward our commitment to deliver 1 million new homes by the end of this parliament. Working with local communities to build the right homes in the right places, more publicly owned brownfield land will be used and small sites unlocked, with priority given to key workers and first time buyers.
The Prime Minister has today also reaffirmed his commitment to end the scourge of unfair leasehold terms to give leaseholders better control over their homes and lives. The government will drive forward leasehold reform, including the ability for a leaseholder to buy their freehold – helping 4.6 million households genuinely own their own home. This will include discounts of up to 90% for those trapped with egregious, escalating ground rents.
Extending right to buy will worsen rural affordable homes crisis, says CPRE
Commenting on plans to extend the right to buy scheme announced by the government, Tom Fyans, director of campaigns and policy at CPRE, the countryside charity, said: ‘Unfortunately, this is another example of a government rapidly losing touch with the realities of rural life.
“Extending right to buy will do nothing to address the rural affordable homes crisis because the problem is a lack of homes in the first place. There are 176,000 families in rural areas on social housing waiting lists. These are families that could be even further disadvantaged by housing associations being forced to sell their limited homes on the cheap.
‘The number one lesson of right to buy in a rural context is that it decimated rural social housing stocks. What low-income families need is hundreds of thousands more truly affordable homes to live in. Those living in the countryside are hampered by low wages and high house prices. That’s why the government needs to commit to building 145,000 social homes a year to fill the gap between supply and demand.
‘The demand for social housing is growing nearly six times faster than the rate of supply in rural areas. At current rates, the backlog of low-income families needing accommodation would take 121 years to clear. This is an utterly unsustainable situation and potentially selling off the few remaining housing association properties we do have will make a bad situation immeasurably worse.’
Prime Minister confirms next steps for living with Covid-19
Vaccines will remain first line of defence against the virus with further boosters this spring for the most vulnerable
All remaining domestic covid regulations restricting public freedoms to end this week as part of the Living with Covid Plan
Vaccines will remain the first line of defence against Covid-19 as the Prime Minister sets out the Government’s plans to live with and manage the virus.
The UK was the first country in the world to authorise the use of the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, the first European country to vaccinate 50% of its population and has delivered the fastest booster programme in Europe.
Over 31 million boosters have been administered across England and almost 38 million UK wide helping break the link between infections and hospitalisations. In England, the number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths continue to decline and are far below the levels of previous waves, with boosters offering strong protection against severe illness and hospitalisation.
Thanks to our hugely successful vaccination programme, the immunity built up in the population and our new antiviral and therapeutics tools, the UK is in the strongest possible position to learn how to live with Covid and end government regulation.
To save lives and protect the NHS, unprecedented measures were taken on a global scale that interfered with people’s lives and livelihoods. Billions of pounds were spent on supporting a locked down economy as the public stayed at home.
The Prime Minister has been clear that restrictions would not stay in place a day longer than necessary. The British public have made extraordinary sacrifices during the 2020 lockdowns, the Roadmap, and recent Plan B measures in response to the Omicron variant.
The Plan, published yesterday, sets out how vaccines and other pharmaceutical interventions will continue to form our first line of defence. The UK Government has accepted the JCVI recommendation to offer an additional booster to all adults aged over 75, all residents in care homes for older adults, and all over 12s who are immunosuppressed.
An autumn annual booster programme is under consideration, subject to further advice. Further detail on deployment on the spring booster programme will be set out in due course. The Government will continue to be guided by the JCVI on future vaccine programmes.
The plan covers four main pillars:
Removing domestic restrictions while encouraging safer behaviours through public health advice, in common with longstanding ways of managing other infectious illnesses
Protecting the vulnerable through pharmaceutical interventions and testing, in line with other viruses
Maintaining resilience against future variants, including through ongoing surveillance, contingency planning and the ability to reintroduce key capabilities such as mass vaccination and testing in an emergency
Securing innovations and opportunities from the COVID-19 response, including investment in life sciences
The public are encouraged to continue to follow public health advice, as with all infectious diseases such as the flu, to minimise the chance of catching Covid and help protect family and friends. This includes by letting fresh air in when meeting indoors, wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, and washing your hands.
The Prime Minister yesterday confirmed domestic legal restrictions (in England – Ed.) will end on 24 February as we begin to treat Covid as other infectious diseases such as flu. This means:
The remaining domestic restrictions in England will be removed. The legal requirement to self-isolate ends. Until 1 April, we still advise people who test positive to stay at home. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least five full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received two negative test results on consecutive days.
From April, the Government will update guidance setting out the ongoing steps that people with COVID-19 should take to be careful and considerate of others, similar to advice on other infectious diseases. This will align with testing changes.
Self-isolation support payments, national funding for practical support and the medicine delivery service will no longer be available.
Routine contact tracing ends, including venue check-ins on the NHS COVID-19 app.
Fully vaccinated adults and those aged under 18 who are close contacts are no longer advised to test daily for seven days and the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate will be removed.
Our testing programme has been a crucial part of our response to the virus. Over 2 billion lateral flow tests have been provided across the UK since 2020 ensuring people could stay safe and meet family and friends knowing they were free of the virus.
As set out in the Autumn and Winter Plan, universal free provision of tests will end as our response to the virus changes.
From the start of April, the government will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
Limited symptomatic testing will be available for a small number of at-risk groups and we will set out further details on which groups will be eligible shortly. Free symptomatic testing will also remain available to social care staff. We are working with retailers to ensure that everyone who wants to can buy a test.
The Test & Trace programme cost £15.7 billion in 2021/22. With Omicron now the dominant variant and less severe, levels of high immunity across the country and a range of strategies in place including vaccines, treatments, and public health knowledge, the value for taxpayers’ money is now less clear. Free testing should rightly be focused on at-risk groups.
The Government remains ready to respond if a new variant emerges and places unsustainable pressure on the NHS, through surveillance systems and contingency measures such as increased testing capacity or vaccine programmes. Our world-leading ONS survey will allow us to continue to track the virus in granular detail to help us spot any surges in the virus.
Further changes being made include: * Today the guidance has been removed for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing. * On 24 February, removing additional local authority powers to tackle local COVID-19 outbreaks (No.3 regulations). Local Authorities will manage local outbreaks in high-risk settings as they do with other infectious diseases. * On 24 March, the Government will also remove the COVID-19 provisions within the Statutory Sick Pay and Employment and Support Allowance regulations.
From 1 April, the UK Government will:
Remove the current guidance on voluntary COVID-status certification in domestic settings and no longer recommend that certain venues use the NHS COVID Pass.
No longer provide free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public in England.
Remove the health and safety requirement for every employer to explicitly consider COVID-19 in their risk assessments.
PM statement on living with COVID
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement in the House of Commons on the government’s strategy for living with COVID.
And before I begin, I know the whole House will join me in sending our best wishes to Her Majesty the Queen for a full and swift recovery.
It is a reminder that this virus has not gone away, but because of the efforts we have made as a country over the past two years we can now deal with it in a very different way, moving from government restrictions to personal responsibility.
So we protect ourselves without losing our liberties – and maintaining our contingency capabilities so we can respond rapidly to any new variant.
Mr Speaker, the UK was the first country in the world to administer an approved vaccine, and the first European nation to protect half our population with at least one dose.
And having made that decision to refocus our NHS this Winter on the campaign to Get Boosted Now, we were the first major European nation to boost half our population too.
And it is because of the extraordinary success of this vaccination programme, that we have been able to lift our restrictions earlier than other comparable countries, opening up last summer, while others remained closed, and keeping things open this winter, when others shut down again, making us one of the most open economies and societies in Europe, with the fastest growth anywhere in the G7 last year.
And while the pandemic is not over, we have now passed the peak of the Omicron wave, with cases falling, hospitalisations in England now fewer than 10,000 and still falling, and the link between infection and severe disease substantially weakened.
Over 71 per cent of all adults are now boosted in England, including 93 per cent of those 70 and over, and together with the treatments and scientific understanding of the virus we have built up, we now have sufficient levels of immunity to complete the transition from protecting people with government interventions to relying on vaccines and treatments as our first line of defence.
As we have throughout the past two years, we will continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations as they decide how to take forward their own plans, and today’s strategy shows how we will structure our approach in England around four principles.
First, we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law.
From this Thursday, 24 February, we will end the legal requirement to self-isolate following a positive test, and so we will also end self-isolation support payments, although Covid provisions for Statutory Sick Pay can still be claimed for a further month.
We will end routine contact tracing, and no longer ask fully vaccinated close contacts and those under 18 to test daily for seven days.
And we will remove the legal requirement for close contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate.
Until 1 April, we will still advise people who test positive to stay at home. But after that, we will encourage people with Covid-19 symptoms to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate to others.
Mr Speaker, it is only because levels of immunity are so high and deaths are now, if anything, below where you would normally expect for this time of year, that we can lift these restrictions.
And it is only because we know Omicron is less severe, that testing for Omicron on the colossal scale we have been doing is much less important, and much less valuable in preventing serious illness.
We should be proud that the UK established the biggest testing programme per person of any large country in the world.
But this came at a vast cost.
The Testing, Tracing and Isolation budget in 2020-21 exceeded the entire budget of the Home Office.
It cost a further £15.7 billion in this financial year, and £2 billion in January alone at the height of the Omicron wave.
We must now scale this back.
From today, we are removing the guidance for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing.
And from 1st April, when Winter is over and the virus will spread less easily, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
We will continue to provide free symptomatic tests to the oldest age groups and those most vulnerable to Covid.
And in line with the practice in many other countries, we are working with retailers to ensure that everyone who wants to can buy a test.
From April 1st, we will also no longer recommend the use of voluntary Covid-status certification, although the NHS app will continue to allow people to indicate their vaccination status for international travel.
And Mr Speaker, the government will also expire all temporary provisions of the Coronavirus Act.
Of the original 40, 20 have already expired, 16 will expire on 24 March, and the last 4 relating to innovations in public service will expire six months later, after we have made those improvements permanent via other means.
Second, we will continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccines and treatments.
The UK government has procured enough doses of vaccine to anticipate a wide range of possible JCVI recommendations. And today we are taking further action to guard against a possible resurgence of the virus, accepting JCVI advice for a new Spring booster offered to those aged 75 and over, older care home residents, and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed.
The UK is also leading the way on antivirals and therapeutics, with our AntiVirals Task Force securing a supply of almost 5 million – more per head than any other country in Europe.
Third, SAGE advise there is considerable uncertainty about the future path of the pandemic, and there may of course be significant resurgences.
They are certain there will be new variants and it’s very possible those will be worse than Omicron.
So we will maintain our resilience to manage and respond to these risks, including our world-leading ONS survey, which will allow us to continue tracking the virus in granular detail, with regional and age breakdowns helping us spot surges as and where they happen, and our laboratory networks will help us understand the evolution of the virus and identify any changes in characteristics.
We will prepare and maintain our capabilities to ramp up testing.
We will continue to support other countries in developing their own surveillance capabilities, because a new variant can emerge anywhere.
And we will meet our commitment to donate 100 million vaccine doses by June, as our part of the agreement at the UK’s G7 summit to provide a billion doses to vaccinate the world over the next year.
In all circumstances, our aim will be to manage and respond to future risks through more routine public health interventions, with pharmaceutical interventions as the first line of defence.
Fourth, we will build on the innovation that has defined the best of our response to the pandemic.
The Vaccines Task Force will continue to ensure the UK has access to effective vaccines as they become available, already securing contracts with manufacturers trialling bi-valent vaccines, which would provide protection against Covid variants.
The Therapeutics Task Force will continue to support seven national priority clinical trial platforms focused on prevention, novel treatments and treatment for long-Covid.
We are refreshing our biosecurity strategy to protect the UK against natural zoonosis and accidental laboratory leaks, as well as the potential for biological threats emanating from state and non-state actors.
And building on the Five Point Plan I set out at the United Nations and the agreements reached at the UK’s G7 last year, we are working with our international partners on future pandemic preparedness, including through a new pandemic treaty, an effective early warning system or Global Pandemic Radar, and a mission to make safe and effective diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines available within the first 100 days of a future pandemic threat being identified.
And we will be hosting a global pandemic preparedness summit next month.
And Mr Speaker, Covid will not suddenly disappear.
So those who would wait for a total end to this war before lifting the remaining regulations, would be restricting the liberties of the British people for a long time to come.
This government does not believe that is right or necessary.
Restrictions pose a heavy toll on our economy, our society, our mental wellbeing, and the life chances of our children.
And we do not need to pay that cost any longer.
We have a population that is protected by the biggest vaccination programme in our history.
We have the antivirals, the treatments, and the scientific understanding of this virus, and we have the capabilities to respond rapidly to any resurgence or new variant.
And Mr Speaker it is time to get our confidence back.
We don’t need laws to compel people to be considerate of others.
We can rely on that sense of responsibility towards one another, providing practical advice in the knowledge that people will follow it to avoid infecting loved ones and others.
So let us learn to live with this virus and continue protecting ourselves without restricting our freedoms.
And in that spirit, I commend this Statement to the House.
PM statement at Covid press conference
The Prime Minister gave a press conference on the plan to live with COVID-19
Good evening, when the pandemic began, we had little knowledge of this virus and none about the vaccines and treatments we have today.
So there was no option but to use government regulations to protect our NHS and save lives.
But those restrictions on our liberties have brought grave costs to our economy, our society, and the chances of our children.
So from the outset, we were clear that we must chart a course back towards normality as rapidly as possible, by developing the vaccines and treatments that could gradually replace those restrictions.
And as a result of possibly the greatest national effort in our peacetime history, that is exactly what we have done.
Thanks to our brilliant scientists.
Thanks to the extraordinary men and women of our NHS and to every one of you who has come forwards to get jabbed and get boosted – the United Kingdom has become the first country in the world to administer an approved vaccine, and the fastest major European nation to roll out both the vaccines and the booster to half our population.
We have emerged from the teeth of the pandemic before many others, retaining one of the most open economies and societies in Europe and the fastest growth in the G7 last year.
And while the pandemic is not over, we have passed the peak of the Omicron wave, with cases falling, and hospitalisations in England now fewer than 10,000 and still falling, and so now we have the chance to complete that transition back towards normality, while maintaining the contingencies to respond to a resurgence or a new variant.
As we have done throughout the past two years, we will continue to work with the Devolved Administrations as they decide how to take forwards their own plans.
In England, we will remove all remaining domestic restrictions in law.
From this Thursday, it will no longer be law to self-isolate if you test positive, and so we will also end the provision of self-isolation support payments, although Statutory Sick Pay can still be claimed for a further month.
If you’re a fully vaccinated close contact or under 18 you will no longer be asked to test daily for seven days.
And if you are close contact who is not fully vaccinated you will no longer be required to self-isolate.
Until 1 April, we will still advise you to stay at home if you test positive.
But after that, we will encourage people with Covid symptoms to exercise personal responsibility, just as we encourage people who may have flu to be considerate towards others.
It is only because levels of immunity are so high and deaths are now, if anything, below where you would normally expect for this time of year that we can lift these restrictions.
And it is only because we know Omicron is less severe, that testing for Omicron on the colossal scale we have been doing is now much less valuable in preventing serious illness.
We should be proud that the UK established the biggest testing programme per person of any large country in the world.
But its budget in the last financial year was bigger than the Home Office – and it cost – the testing programme cost – £2 billion just last month alone.
So we must scale back and prioritise our resources for the most vulnerable.
From today, staff and students in most education and childcare settings will no longer be asked to undertake twice weekly asymptomatic testing.
And from 1st April, we will end free symptomatic and asymptomatic testing for the general public.
But we will continue providing free symptomatic tests to those at the highest risk from Covid.
And in line with the practice of many other countries, we are working with retailers to ensure you will always be able to buy a test.
We should be clear the pandemic is not over and there may be significant resurgences.
Our scientists are certain there will be new variants and it’s very possible that those will be worse than Omicron.
So we will continue to protect the most vulnerable with targeted vaccinations and treatments and we have bought enough doses of vaccine to anticipate a wide range of possible JCVI recommendations.
Today this includes a new Spring booster, which will be offered to those aged 75 and over, older care home residents, and those over 12 who are immunosuppressed.
We will also retain disease surveillance systems and contingency measures which can ensure our resilience in the face of future waves or new variants.
And we will build on the innovations that defined the very best of our response to the pandemic, including continuing the work of the Vaccines Task Force, which has already secured contracts with manufacturers trialling new vaccines which could provide protection against new variants.
Today is not the day we can declare victory over Covid, because this virus is not going away.
But it is the day when all the efforts of the last two years finally enabled us to protect ourselves while restoring our liberties in full.
And after two of the darkest grimmest years in our peacetime history, I do believe this is a moment of pride for our nation and a source of hope for all that we can achieve in the years to come.
Thank you very much.
REACTION:
Responding to the statement from the Prime Minster on the Government’s ‘Living with Covid’ strategy, which includes the removal of free Covid-19 tests for the public from 1 April in England, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, BMA council chair, said: “Today’s announcement fails to protect those at highest risk of harm from Covid-19, and neglects some of the most vulnerable people in society.
“We recognise the need, after two years of the pandemic, to begin thinking about how we adjust our lives to manage living alongside Covid-19, but as the BMA has persistently said the decision to bring forward the removal of all protective measures while cases, deaths and the number of people seriously ill remain so high is premature.
“Living with Covid-19 must not mean ignoring the virus all together – which in many respects the Government’s plan in England seems to do.
“On the one hand the Government says it will keep monitoring the spread of the virus, and asks individuals to take greater responsibility for their own decisions, but by removing free testing for the vast majority of the population on the other, ministers are taking away the central tool to allow both of these to happen.
“Far from giving people more freedom, today’s announcement is likely to cause more uncertainty and anxiety.
“Crucially, it will create a two-tier system, where those who can afford to pay for testing – and indeed to self-isolate – will do so, while others will be forced to gamble on the health of themselves and others.
“Covid-19 has already disproportionately impacted those on lower incomes, in insecure employment and from ethnic minorities. This move threatens to exacerbate these health inequalities.
“People will want to do the right thing, and not knowingly put others at risk if they are infected, but how can they make such a judgement if they have no way of knowing if they’re carrying the virus or not? This is especially important for those who come into contact with people who are at much greater risk of becoming ill with Covid-19, such as elderly relatives or those who are clinically vulnerable.
“Providing free tests to clinically vulnerable people – and only once they develop symptoms and are potentially very unwell – but not providing any free tests to friends or family who come into contact with them is completely illogical, as the priority should be protecting them from infection in the first place. The same goes for care home staff, who will only be tested if they have symptoms, by which time they could have passed on the virus to vulnerable residents.
“There must also be urgent clarity around testing provision for NHS workers. People visit hospitals and surgeries to get better, and not to be exposed to deadly viruses, and the continuation of testing for healthcare workers is invaluable in protecting both staff and patients.
“That plans are underway for a new booster programme is sensible but we must not – as we have continued to state – rely solely on vaccination to protect the nation. The necessity for further boosters underlines that Covid-19 will continue to present a challenge for healthcare services and wider society for potentially many years to come. And while the Prime Minister talks about Omicron resulting in a mild illness for most, others will still become very unwell with Covid-19, and an estimated more than one million people continue to live with long-Covid – themselves needing ongoing care.
“As part of ‘learning to live with Covid’, protections must be maintained for the most vulnerable, including the provision of enhanced face masks, and clear guidance for both patients and clinicians.
“Meanwhile, all people must be financially supported to do the right thing, and the removal of self-isolation payments, and then access to statutory sick pay in a months’ time, is incredibly concerning, as it will mean people cannot afford to stay at home if they are unwell. In healthcare settings, enhanced infection prevention measures – including mask-wearing for patients and enhanced PPE for staff – must remain, while in the longer-term premises are in desperate need of improvements, such as higher standards of ventilation, to limit the spread of infections.
“And with such a planned scale back of free testing, it is imperative that the Government keeps its commitment to continue other surveillance methods, including the ONS infection survey1, and to not hesitate to act on worrying surges of infections or new dangerous variants.”
Responding to today’s ending of Covid restrictions, Morgan Vine, Head of Policy and Influencing at older people’s charity Independent Age, said: “We know that many people aged 65 and over are worried about the upcoming relaxation of Covid restrictions, particularly the ending of self-isolation.
“We are concerned that this sudden change in direction of public safety is likely to increase anxiety among older people, and even cause some to shield themselves and limit daily activities.
“Our research revealed that the challenges faced by those in later life due to the pandemic have worsened many people’s mental health with many people we spoke to expressing fear at catching the virus in public settings. If the requirement to isolate is removed at the same time free lateral flow tests for most age groups stop, this fear is likely to increase as is the likelihood of coming into contact with someone who has Covid.
“Recent polling showed that a majority (56%) of older people thought isolating should always be a requirement for somebody who has tested positive for Covid, and a further 27% said it should at least be a requirement for the next few months.
“It’s essential that older people are able to live their daily lives safely. Now the government has announced the relaxation, it must clarify how it plans to protect those in later life from the virus.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will lay out Scotland’s response when she addresses the Holyrood parliament this afternoon.
So Boris Johson urges ‘personal responsibility’? Yes, Boris ‘Partygate’ Johnson – the great leader who would not even follow the rules he wrote himself? Oh, the irony! It really would be funny it it wasn’t quite so serious.#covid #gieyetheboak
Plan B measures will be removed following millions getting the booster, which gives strong protection against Omicron
People will no longer be advised to work from home, face coverings will no longer be mandatory in indoor venues, and organisations will be able to choose whether to require NHS Covid Passes
Vaccination remains our best defence against COVID-19 and people are urged to Get Boosted Now
The UK government has announced that England will fully return to Plan A on Thursday 27 January thanks to the success of the booster programme, with ministers urging anyone who has still not had a top-up jab to come forward and Get Boosted Now.
On 8 December, the Prime Minister announced a move to Plan B following the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.
The measures introduced helped to control the spread of COVID-19, bought time to assess the variant and allowed the NHS to rapidly expand the booster programme to strengthen defences.
While vaccinations remain a priority, the success of the vaccination programme so far means we are now able to cautiously return to Plan A in England.
This means immediately (from yesterday, Wednesday 19 January):
The UK government is no longer asking people in England to work from home if they can. People should speak to their employers about arrangements for returning to the office, and should follow the Working Safely guidance.
From today (Thursday 20 January):
Face coverings will no longer be advised in classrooms for both staff and pupils.
From next Thursday (27 January):
Venues and events will no longer be required by law to use the NHS Covid Pass. The NHS Covid Pass can still be used on a voluntary basis as was previously the case in Plan A.
Face coverings are no longer required by law in any setting. Public health guidance will remain in place, suggesting individuals should continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, where you may come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
The Department for Education will remove national guidance on the use of face coverings in communal areas, with local Directors of Public Health able to recommend the use of face coverings in education settings across their area only where the department and public health experts judge the measure to be proportionate due to specific health concerns. This is a temporary measure and Directors of Public Health continue to advise individual settings experiencing outbreaks.
Any local introduction of face coverings must be subject to routine review and removed at the earliest opportunity.
Throughout the pandemic, the UK government says it has maintained a balanced approach to COVID-19 measures, considering the freedoms of individuals together with the public health concerns of COVID-19.
Although the government is able to remove blanket restrictions, prevalence of COVID-19 is still high with over 16,000 people in hospital in England with the infection. As such individuals, employers and local leaders are urged to act cautiously and consider the risk of COVID-19 when moving back to Plan A. The guidance on gov.uk will be updated accordingly.
Due to the success of the booster programme, with over 30.5 million boosters given in England, the situation continues to improve.
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows that getting a booster is 89% effective in preventing hospitalisation from COVID-19 from two weeks after it is administered and is 65 to 75% effective against symptomatic infection from Omicron.
Vaccinations remain our best defence against COVID-19 and in December the Prime Minister launched a national appeal to Get Boosted Now. The government met its target of offering every eligible adult a booster jab by Christmas and now more than 4 in 5 (81%) of eligible adults in England have had their booster.
Over 90% of people aged 12 and above have had their first dose and over 83% have had their second. The government recently provided an extra £22.5 million to councils for Community Vaccine Champions to help drive uptake in harder-to-reach communities.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Today marks the start of the next chapter in this country’s fight against COVID-19.
“Our plan was to use the time that Plan B gave us to give ourselves extra power in our fight against Omicron. That plan has worked, and the data shows that Omicron is in retreat.
“But it’s not the end of the road and we shouldn’t see this as the finish line. The best step that we can all take is to get vaccinated. It was the jabs that have got us this far, and the jabs can keep us here too”.
The vaccine programme is being bolstered by the development of world-leading antiviral treatments. In December, the Prime Minister confirmed a new national PANORAMIC study where 10,000 UK patients at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 will be given molnupiravir to treat their symptoms at home.
Testing also remains a vital tool in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and has allowed the government to take a proportionate approach to restoring individual freedoms.
Thanks to the accessibility of lateral flow tests (LFT), people self-isolating with COVID-19 can now end their isolation after five full days, provided they test negative on day 5 and 6. Contacts who are fully vaccinated can also avoid isolation by testing daily with LFTs and most of those who test positive on a LFT no longer have to confirm their case with a PCR test.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Face-to-face education for all students has consistently been my priority, and that is why I am removing face coverings from classrooms – as promised – on the earliest possible date, making sure there is as little disruption to students’ learning as possible.
“National guidance to wear face coverings in communal areas will also be removed in line with the national move out of Plan B.
“Although we can take this action because we know the risk from Omicron is lower, the virus is still with us and proportionate protective measures remain vital to protect education. My message remains the same as ever – testing and vaccinations are our best weapons against the virus – keep testing, and get your vaccination as soon as possible.”
Chief Medical Advisor for the UK Health Security Agency, Dr Susan Hopkins said: “The recent decline in community case rates and individuals requiring hospitalisation is encouraging and it’s thanks to the public, who have taken up vaccination and followed the Plan B measures closely, that we’ve got to this point.
“However we should not be complacent. The pandemic is not over yet and we will need to remain cautious to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
“I encourage everyone to get the vaccine as soon as they can, to continue testing regularly with LFTs – particularly before periods of high risk and before seeing anyone who is vulnerable – and to take a PCR test if they have symptoms.”
Government will set out a long term strategy for living with COVID-19 in due course.
Adults and children south of the border will be free to return to work, attend school, and meet friends and family as the protection from vaccines replaces the need for contact isolation from Monday
Instead of self-isolating, those who are double jabbed and under 18s identified as close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases are advised to get a free PCR test as soon as possible
Protection from remarkable vaccine rollout allows more freedoms, with over three quarters of adults now double jabbed
From Monday 16 August, people in England who are double jabbed or aged under 18 will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if they are identified as a close contact of a positive COVID-19 case.
The change was announced last month, as part of step 4 of the Government’s COVID-19 roadmap. With 75% of people having received both doses of the vaccine, the majority of adults will no longer need to self-isolate if they are contacts.
These changes can be made next week as a result of the remarkable success of the UK’s vaccine programme, with over three quarters of UK adults now double jabbed. The latest data from Public Health England and Cambridge University shows that around 60,000 deaths, 22 million infections and 66,900 hospitalisations have been prevented by the vaccines.
As of Monday, double jabbed individuals and under 18s who are identified as close contacts by NHS Test and Trace will be advised to take a PCR test as soon as possible to check if they have the virus and for variants of concern. People can order a PCR home test online or by calling 119, or going to a test site.
As double jabbed people identified as close contacts are still at risk of being infected, people are advised to consider other precautions such as wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces, and limit contact with other people, especially with anyone who is clinically extremely vulnerable. They will not be required to self-isolate while they wait for the results of the PCR test.
Double vaccinated adults will no longer be required to self-isolate from Monday, as long as they received their final dose of an MHRA-approved vaccine in the UK vaccination programme at least 14 days prior to contact with a positive case.
Anyone who tests positive following the PCR test will still be legally required to self-isolate, irrespective of their vaccination status or age in order to break onwards chains of transmission. Meanwhile anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms should self-isolate and get a PCR test, and remain in isolation until the result comes back.
Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Asking the close contacts of people with COVID-19 to self-isolate has played a critical role in helping us get this virus under control, and millions of people across the UK have made enormous sacrifices by doing this. Every single one of these sacrifices has helped us protect the NHS and save lives.
“Getting two doses of a vaccine has tipped the odds in our favour and allowed us to safely reclaim our lost freedoms, and from Monday we can take another huge step back towards our normal lives by removing self-isolation requirements for double jabbed people who are contacts of people with COVID-19. Double jabbed people who test positive will still need to self-isolate.
“Vaccines are what will bring this pandemic to an end – the wall of defence provided by the rollout is allowing us to get even closer to normal life. If you haven’t already, please make sure you come forward for your jab at the earliest opportunity.”
The vaccine previously allowed critical workers to leave self-isolation to ensure vital services continued. The changes introduced on 16 August will mean that, with some additional precautions for health and care settings, fully vaccinated contacts will routinely be able to attend work if they do not have symptoms.
Regular testing remains critical to controlling the virus as restrictions ease. Anyone with symptoms should take a PCR test to find out if they have the virus and to allow new variants to be detected.
Alongside PCR testing for anyone with symptoms or who is a close contact, everyone in England is encouraged to take up the government’s offer of free, twice weekly rapid testing to find additional cases among people who do not have symptoms.
UK Health Security Agency Chief Executive (UKHSA), Dr Jenny Harries said: Thanks to the huge success of the vaccine programme, we are able to ease self-isolation requirements for double jabbed people and under 18s. It is important that close contacts continue to come forward for a PCR test, in order to detect the virus and variants of concern.
“Although two doses of vaccine will greatly reduce your own risk of becoming unwell with Covid-19, it is still possible to contract the virus and pass it to others. So if you develop symptoms at any time – vaccinated or not – you should get a test and be very careful in your contact with others until you have received a negative test result.”
Removing self-isolation for under 18s comes ahead of thousands of pupils and students returning to school and college for the autumn term, and is crucial step to reduce disruption to education and keep children in the classroom.
In line with Step 4, ‘bubbles’ will end for all children under 18, social distancing will no longer be necessary, and schools will not need to stagger start and finish times. Two onsite tests should be taken by each secondary school and college student on return, followed by twice weekly testing at home. The UK Government will review testing requirements by the end of September.
Health and care workers in England
From Monday, most double vaccinated health and social care staff who are close contacts of cases will be able to routinely return to work, provided they have had a negative PCR test. Daily LFD tests will need to be taken for 10 days as a precaution.
Staff working with clinically extremely vulnerable patients or service users will need a risk assessment to be carried out by a designated person in the workplace before they return to work.
Workplace daily contact testing scheme
The Workplace Daily Contact Testing scheme will continue, with testing sites offering daily testing as an alternative to self-isolation for close contacts who are not double jabbed. Over 700 sites are now in operation across critical sectors, and over 1 million test kits have been distributed.
NHS COVID-19 app
Updates will be made to the COVID-19 app to align with the changing requirements to self-isolation. App users identified as a close contact who confirm that they are double vaccinated or under 18 not need to self-isolate and will be given advice to book a PCR test.
If someone is called by NHS Test and Trace and told they are a contact, they will be asked their age and their vaccination status. If using the NHS COVID-19 app, people will be asked to self-declare if they are under 18 or double vaccinated.
Step 4 of the Roadmap to go ahead on Monday 19 July
Prime Minister emphasises caution and personal responsibility
Cases continue to rise but link with hospitalisations and deaths weakened
Step 4 of the Roadmap will proceed as planned on Monday 19 July, the Prime Minister confirmed yesterday.
Moving to Step 4 is a balance of risks and the public should continue to be cautious. The majority of covid restrictions will end on 19 July and guidance will emphasise personal responsibility.
The latest data and modelling show that the government’s “four tests” for easing covid restrictions have been met.
The four tests are:
The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.
Cases will continue to rise as set out from the start of the Roadmap, but the vaccination programme has substantially weakened the link between infection and serious illness or death.
Hospitalisations and deaths will continue to rise over the coming weeks and months, but both are far lower than the previous wave. The current data does not suggest that unsustainable pressure will be put on the NHS but all data will be kept under constant review.
As of 12 July there are 28,421 new positive cases in England. 461 people were admitted to hospital with covid and there are 2,352 patients in hospital. The latest ONS estimates show that 1 in 160 people have covid in England.
The move to Step 4 was delayed by 4 weeks so more adults could be vaccinated. Nearly 7 million vaccines have already been administered during the delay.
By 19 July two thirds of adults will have received two doses and every adult will have been offered a first dose.
The delay to Step 4 has also moved the end of restrictions closer to the school summer holidays.
All adults should take up the offer of two vaccine doses, to protect themselves and others against covid. Analysis from Public Health England (PHE) and the University of Cambridge suggests that vaccines have so far prevented an estimated 8.5 million infections and 30,000 deaths in England alone.
Data from PHE suggests that one dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 80% effective against hospitalisations with the Delta variant, increasing to 96% after two doses.
The Prime Minister has today emphasised caution and the expectation for a gradual easing of restrictions, based on informed choice and personal responsibility. Last week he set out a five-point plan to manage the risks while learning to live with covid.
The vaccination programme will continue and all adults will be offered two doses by mid-September. Dependent on final JCVI advice the booster programme will begin from September, offering additional protection to the most vulnerable.
The majority of legal restrictions will be removed and people will be expected to protect themselves and others through informed choice. The government expects and recommends that face coverings are worn in crowded and enclosed spaces, such as public transport, when mixing with people you don’t normally meet.
While the government is no longer instructing people to work from home, a return to the workplace should be gradual and businesses should follow the published guidance.
Organisations and large events will be supported and encouraged to use the NHS COVID Pass in high-risk settings to help limit the risk of infection in their venues.
Positive cases and contacts of positive cases identified by NHS Test and Trace will still be legally required to self-isolate, to help break chains of transmission. There will be an isolation exemption for contacts of positive cases for under 18s and for double vaccinated adults from 16 August. School bubbles will end from 19 July.
Quarantine rules will remain for all those travelling from a red list country, and for amber list countries unless double vaccinated.
All data will be kept under review, and contingency measures will be retained to manage periods of higher risk, such as winter. Guidance will be strengthened if needed, but restrictions will be avoided if possible due to their significant economic, social and health costs.
The government will review the current guidance in September.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a statement at a coronavirus press conference last night:
Like millions of people across this country I woke up this morning sad and rueful, but also filled with pride and hope and with thanks to Gareth Southgate and the whole England squad for the best campaign by any England team in any tournament that I can remember.
They made history. They lifted our spirits – and they brought joy to this country and I know that they will continue to do so.
And to those who have been directing racist abuse at some of the players, I say shame one you, and I hope you will crawl back under the rock from which you emerged.
Because the entire team played like heroes and I’m sure that this is just the beginning of their achievements. I say bring on Qatar next year, and let’s also dare to start to hope that together with Ireland our United Kingdom can host the World Cup in 2030.
Turning now to step four of our roadmap, we’ve come to a stage in the pandemic when there is no easy answer or obvious date for unlocking. We have cases rising significantly – with more than 30,000 per day. And we can see what is happening across Europe as the Delta variant takes hold among our friends.
We know we’re going to see more hospitalisations and more deaths from Covid. But we also know that this wave was clearly foreseen by our scientists when we first set out that roadmap in February.
And if anything, so far, we are in the middle range of their projections for infections and at the lower end of their projections for mortality.
And we also know that if we were now to delay this 4th step – for instance to September or later – then we would be re-opening as the weather gets colder and as the virus acquires a greater natural advantage and when schools are back.
And so we think now is the right moment to proceed, when we have the natural firebreak of the school holidays in the next few days. And Chris and Patrick will set out, in just a minute, how we are meeting the four tests for step 4 in England.
But it is absolutely vital that we proceed now with caution. And I cannot say this powerfully or emphatically enough. This pandemic is not over. This disease coronavirus continues to carry risks for you and for your family.
We cannot simply revert instantly from Monday 19th July to life as it was before Covid.
We will stick to our plan to lift legal restrictions and to lift social distancing, but we expect and recommend that people wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you come into contact with those you don’t normally meet, such as on public transport.
We’re removing the Government instruction to work from home where you can but we don’t expect that the whole country will return to their as one desks from Monday. And we’re setting out guidance for business for a gradual return to work over the summer.
And as a matter of social responsibility we’re urging nightclubs and other venues with large crowds to make use of the NHS Covid Pass – which shows proof of vaccination, a recent negative test or natural immunity – as a means of entry.
We’re updating our guidance for the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable on how they can keep themselves safe and I generally urge everyone to keep thinking of others and to consider the risks.
We’ll keep our tough border policy, including quarantine for those arriving from red list countries.
And we’ll keep the test, trace and isolate system in place.
Every week that goes by we are getting hundreds of thousands more jabs into arms and our delay to the road map that we announced last month has enabled us to get 7 million more jabs in the last 4 weeks alone.
By next Monday, two-thirds of adults will have received a second dose and every adult will have been offered a first dose.
And it is the single most crucial thing now that you get that jab. A jab that could protect you and your family – and allow you, for instance, to go on holiday.
And it is of course only thanks to the vaccine programme that we are able to take these cautious steps now. But to take these steps we must be cautious and we must be vaccinated.
So please get that jab.
First MinisterNicola Sturgeon will announce this afternoon whether Scotland’s Covid-19 restrictions will be eased as planned in the weeks ahead.
