Defence Secretary has met with apprentices, engineers and key industry leaders during a visit to key shipyards. Scotland plays a ‘crucial role’ in the Navy’s shipbuilding pipeline and the UK’s security
Defence Secretary meets with apprentices, engineers and key industry leaders.
New warship production well underway in Scotland
More than 12,000 Scottish jobs are supported through defence spend with UK industry.
Paul Sheerin announced as Chair of the shipbuilding Skills Delivery Group.
Scotland is playing a crucial role in the Navy’s shipbuilding pipeline and the UK’s security, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has said today on a visit to key shipyards.
Visiting Govan, where BAE Systems are building Type 26 frigates, and HMNB Clyde, home of the Royal Navy’s submarine fleet, the Defence Secretary met with key industry leaders, staff and apprentices, observing the significant progress on the major warship production programme.
Scotland is the beating heart of military shipbuilding, with eight Type 26 ships being built in Glasgow and five Type 31 frigates being built by Babcock International in Rosyth. This supports and is supported by the local maritime infrastructure, supply chains, and extensive skills and training resources. On a tour at BAE Systems in Govan, the Defence Secretary saw the Type 26 frigates in build, and toured HMS Cardiff.
More than 12,000 jobs in Scotland are directly supported by Defence, with more than £2 billion spent annually with UK industry in Scotland. Over 5,000 jobs will be created or sustained across the build of Type 26 and Type 31 programmes alone, and just under 1,000 apprentices will be trained to provide the skill required to build and maintain our Royal Navy fleet.
Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “As the home of the nuclear deterrent – which keeps us all safe around the clock – nobody can question that Scotland is absolutely central to the UK’s security.
“As Shipbuilding Tsar, it is fantastic to see the positive impact that the Scottish shipbuilding industry plays. A sector once restricted by periods of ‘boom and bust’ is now witnessing a resurgence, with Scottish shipyards buzzing with activity and its workforce expanding.
“Brand new warships will operate around the world, looking after our nation’s interests, for decades to come, and they will have been built by highly skilled shipbuilders right here in Glasgow.
“We continue to back the UK defence industry in Scotland with billions of pounds every year, supporting thousands of jobs and apprenticeships.”
At HMNB Clyde, the home of the UK’s nuclear deterrent submarines, the Defence Secretary visited an attack submarine. HMNB Clyde is currently one of the largest employers in Scotland and is in the process of increasing its on-site staff from 6,800 to over 8,000, whilst the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has committed to spending more than £3 billion on sites in Scotland, including £1.6 billion on the Clyde Infrastructure Programme, to establish it as the home of UK’s submarine fleet.
The Defence Secretary, in his role as Shipbuilding Tsar, is responsible for overseeing all of the government’s interests in UK shipbuilding. The Government’s commitment to UK Shipbuilding through the Refreshed National Shipbuilding Strategy has allowed industry to invest for the future, with BAE Systems’ £12 million Applied Shipbuilding Skills Academy and the construction of a modern shipbuilding hall in Govan currently underway.
The Government has today issued its response to the UK Shipbuilding Skills Taskforce report. In response to recommendations within, the report the National Shipbuilding Office has launched the shipbuilding Skills Delivery Group.
This group will drive the delivery of the Taskforce recommendations and will be a champion for skills within the UK Shipbuilding Enterprise.
Grant Shapps also announced the Chair of the Group will be Paul Sheerin, and the two met at Govan shipyard.
Paul Sheerin, Chair of Skills Delivery Group said: “It is critical for the UK shipbuilding enterprise that the skills gap is addressed, and to ensure that this can happen there needs to be a unified approach across different skills systems, across different parts of the enterprise and across government and the devolved administrations.
“I am extremely excited to chair the SDG, working alongside a highly knowledgeable and experienced membership comprised of representatives from across the whole enterprise. With the continued support of the Shipbuilding Tsar and the NSO, I look forward to working with the Group to deliver a positive impact on skills within this vital sector to the UK.”
Scottish Secretary, Alister Jack said: “Scottish-based critical defence assets play a crucial role in the security of the UK.
“As well as helping to keep us all safe, defence also delivers thousands of high-skilled jobs and billions of pounds investment in Scotland, driving prosperity and boosting the Scottish economy.
“I’m proud that Scottish skills, expertise and innovation make such an enormous contribution to the UK’s defence industry.”
More than a century after his death, Private (Pte) Robert Kenneth Malcolm, a 23-year-old stretcher bearer from Stockton-on-Tees, has finally been laid to rest with full military honours and his war medals presented to his family.
Private Malcolm’s cloth orderly patch which indicated he was a stretcher bearer. Copyright Ruben Willaert nv
The burial service, organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’, was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Bedford House Cemetery, near Ypres, Belgium on 10 May 2023.
Pte Malcolm is borne to his final resting place by officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps. Crown copyright
His unidentified remains were recovered from a shell hole outside a German blockhouse in Fusilier Wood, near Klein-Zillebeke, Belgium in 2019. Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) insignia and a ‘Medical Orderly’ cloth patch were also recovered, indicating the soldier may have been a stretcher bearer.
Private Malcolm’s cap badge. Copyright Ruben Willaert nv
After extensive research carried out by JCCC and DNA testing, the remains were identified as Pte Malcolm who was reported missing on 6 August 1917 – believed killed during shelling. With no remains recovered at the time of his death, he had been commemorated on the Menin Gate.
Rosie Barron, JCCC case lead said: “The identification of Pte Malcolm was a long and at times complicated task, so it is very satisfying to have organised his burial service today and to have seen a positive conclusion to this case.
“Stretcher bearers such as Pte Malcolm were vital to the war effort. Without their dedication and bravery, many more men would have died on the battlefields.
“Pte Malcolm came from a large family. His mother and siblings died unaware of his fate and memory of Pte Malcolm had been lost through the generations. It has been a privilege therefore to have his great great nieces here today to see him laid to rest and to know that he will be remembered by future generations of his family who will now be able to visit his grave.”
Records uncovered during Rosie’s investigation showed that though Pte Malcolm’s medals were sent to his mother after the war, they were not delivered and so were returned and destroyed. The MOD Medal Office (MODMO) has therefore been able to reissue his 1914 Star with Clasp ‘5 Aug – 22 Nov 1914’, often referred to as ‘the Mons Star’, and the British War Medal and Victory Medal (Please note: photos of the medals are unavailable but for more information please visit the IWM website.
They were placed on top of the coffin as Pte Malcolm was carried to his grave, and afterwards they, and the flag which covered his casket, were presented to his family by Warrant Officer Class 2 (WO2) Adam Gregory of 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital, who led the bearer party.
An officer of the Royal Army Medical Corps presents Pte Malcolm’s service medals to his great great niece Linda Jordan. Crown copyright
Linda Jordan, Pte Malcolm’s great great niece, was one of two family members who provided positive DNA matches. She, and her sister, attended the burial service.
Linda said: Getting a letter five months ago from JCCC suggesting I could be related to a fallen WW1 soldier, whose body had been recently discovered, was quite a shock. My family was unaware that our great grandmother had eleven siblings, one of whom was Pte Malcolm.
“It is fascinating how we were traced and the link confirmed through DNA testing. As Pte Malcolm had been missing for so long it was amazing and quite emotional to see the care that all those in the wider Army family have taken to identify and honour him. We were privileged to represent his family at his funeral. It is our way of respecting him and acknowledging the sacrifice he, and so many others, made in service of our country.
WO2 Gregory said: “It is an honour and an overwhelming privilege to be part of this burial service for a fallen WW1 comrade from the RAMC. Pte Malcolm has been placed alongside his brothers in arms whom all paid the ultimate sacrifice for their King and country.
“Pte Malcolm was a regular RAMC soldier supporting the citizen volunteers in a new Army unit. This is part of an historic event, and it is very befitting that a mix of Regular Army and Army Reservists from 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital have carried him on his final journey.”
The service was conducted by the Reverend Andrew Grant, Chaplain to 5th Regiment Royal Artillery, and a bearer party from 202 (Midlands) Field Hospital RAMC bore the coffin to the graveside.
The Reverend Grant said: “I am greatly honoured to have been asked to conduct the burial service for Pte Robert Kenneth Malcolm of the Royal Army Medical Corps.
“The continuing work of identifying the remains of those killed in the World War 1, and bestowing upon them the full honours of a proper burial, are key to reminding ourselves that, despite the unimaginable numbers lost in the conflict, each soul whose life was cut short was a precious human being, and loved by someone.
“This can be so easily forgotten when death back then was meted out on such an industrial scale.”
Pte Malcolm is guarded by officers of the Royal Army Medical Corps before burial. Crown copyright
The grave of Pte Malcolm will now be cared for in perpetuity by CWGC.
Head of Commemorations Casework at the CWGC, Mel Donnelly, said: “We are very grateful to our partners in Belgium who conducted the painstaking excavation of the site near Fusilier Wood.
“Their professionalism ensured that the remains of a Commonwealth soldier recovered together with his insignia, enabling Private Malcolm to be identified. He can now be laid to rest alongside his comrades.”
A 100-metre Chinook helicopter, created from sand, appeared on a British beach to draw attention to a serious public safety risk.
Ahead of the busy summer holiday season, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), part of the Ministry of Defence (MOD), is urging holidaymakers and locals to take extra care and check military firing and training times when accessing MOD sites shared with the public. This includes a number of popular coastal locations.
Depicting an oversized military vehicle, the sand drawing was brought to life on Saunton Sands beach in Devon, an area steeped in military history and adjacent to the Braunton Burrows Training Estate.
The artwork launches the next phase of the Respect the Range campaign, a public safety initiative to warn visitors about the very real risks they face when entering shared land used by the MOD for training. Risks include:
live firing
unexploded ordnance
fast-moving military vehicles
Accessing military training estate areas when it is not safe to do so, not only places visitors in harm’s way, but can also put service personnel at risk and interrupt vital training exercises designed to prepare the Armed Forces’ to deploy in real-life situations.
The MOD wants to raise awareness of the risks to the general public, especially any holidaymakers or day-trippers heading to coastal hotspots this summer.
There are a large number of MOD training locations across the UK, but Respect the Range highlights the following key sites with shared public access that could pose significant risk to locals and tourists: Lulworth, Holbeach, Donna Nook, Barry Buddon, Lydd & Hythe, Salisbury Plain and Aldershot.
To protect themselves and stay safe while using military land, the MOD is encouraging visitors to:
check training times before traveling
stick to public access routes
observe safety information including red flags, fences, signs and by-laws while on military land
don’t touch any ordnance they come across, and report it
Brigadier Jonathan Bartholomew, DIO’s Head of Overseas Region and the Defence Training Estate, said: “With the summer holidays now upon us, it’s an important time for us to raise public awareness about MOD training estate locations and how the public can stay safe when visiting them.
“Whilst last year’s Respect the Range campaign targeted the countryside of Salisbury Plain and Aldershot, this year we are focusing on protecting tourists and visitors on our coastline.
“These beauty spots are shared land, where families, tourists and locals spend time. But it’s also where our Armed Forces practise live-fire training, so it can go from tranquil to treacherous by the hour, 24 hours a day.
“The MOD supports public access to much of the military estate and encourages visitors to explore the beauty of Britain’s beaches, but this should be done in accordance with military guidance and with caution.
“We ask that the public do not cross into areas that are prohibited, stick to public paths and always check live firing times. This will help protect yourself, your loved ones and military personnel. It’s key that we work together to share these spaces with respect and consideration.”
Respect the Range highlights the dual use of each location by using memorable photography and design, and targeting the most popular types of land usage in the hotspots.
This phase of the campaign builds on last year’s pilot, which focused on MOD’s landlocked locations, by bringing in coastal locations too. The dangers differ but are equally as dangerous between the distinct terrains, and it is important that the public are aware of these in order to stay safe.
Please note that Braunton Burrows Training Estate is not an area used for live firing exercises.
Poppyscotland has been recognised by the Ministry of Defence for its outstanding help with employment for members of the Armed Forces community.
The Edinburgh-based charity was awarded the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award, the highest badge of honour given by the MoD.
The charity is one of 16 businesses and organisations in Scotland to receive the Gold award, with the scheme now in its ninth year. Poppyscotland, and its subsidiary, Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, which employs a number of veterans with disabilities, both achieved the Silver award last year.
The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme encourages employers to support the Armed Forces community and inspire others to do the same. It runs bronze, silver and gold awards for employer organisations that demonstrate their support.
To win the gold award, they must provide 10 extra paid days leave for reservists and have supportive HR policies in place for veterans, reserves, Cadet Force adult volunteers, and spouses and partners of those serving in the Armed Forces.
They must also advocate the benefits by encouraging others to sign the Armed Forces Covenant and engage with the Employer Recognition Scheme. The Covenant is a promise to treat current and former service personnel and their families fairly, in areas from healthcare to housing.
Poppyscotland is Scotland’s leading Armed Forces charity, providing a wide range of services, including advice, financial support, and help with physical and mental health issues.
Austin Hardie, Director of Poppyscotland, said: “As an employer working directly at the heart of the Armed Forces community, we felt it was important that we show leadership and highlight the many benefits this scheme brings to both employer and employee.
“Being awarded the Gold recognition is testimony to the values of Poppyscotland and our commitment to those who have served and are serving currently. By espousing these values publicly, we also hope that it will encourage others to be involved in our life-changing welfare work that we provide to those in need in the Armed Forces community in Scotland.”
Leo Docherty MP, Minister for Defence People, said: “Regardless of size, location or sector, employing members of the Armed Forces community is good for businesses.
“These awards recognise the outstanding support for our armed forces from employers across the UK and I would like to thank and congratulate each and every one.”
Scottish winners will be honoured at a ceremony at Stirling Castle on November 3rd.
MOD’s ‘War Detectives’ make welcome return to ITV’s Long Lost Family in a one hour special on 18 July
Following the success of the first special shown on ITV1 in October 2017, the extraordinary work of the MOD’s ‘War Detectives’, part of Defence Business Services (DBS), will be appearing on the small screen once again as part the current series of Long Lost Family. Long Lost Family: The Unknown Soldiers, will broadcast on ITV1 at 21.00 on Monday 18 July.
The second episode, presented by Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell, follows what the War Detectives have described as a “once in a lifetime case”: nine soldiers of the Great War found buried on a roadside in Belgium. The hour long special will also feature soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and members of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and Cellmark who were also involved.
Each year the remains of British service personnel killed in both World Wars are found by farmers, builders and archaeologists worldwide. Davina and Nicky follow the team, who are based in DBS Innsworth House in Imjin Barracks, Gloucester, as they use military and historical research to investigate these finds and work to trace surviving families so that a DNA comparison can be made that hopefully confirms an identity.
Nicky and Davina meet the families of the fallen heroes, helping them to form a picture of their relative and finally laying them to rest with a poignant full military burial at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium.
Behind the scenes of Long Lost Family filming MOD War Detectives (Crown Copyright)
Davina spoke positively of the continued efforts of the JCCC Commemorations Team when she said: “It’s such a privilege to witness the amazing work that the MOD War Detectives does.
“To be able to answer people’s lifelong questions about what happened to their missing soldiers is incredible and to lay these soldiers to rest in named graves, after more than a hundred years, is extremely moving.”
The programme follows the team’s journey through the frustrations and breakthroughs as they attempt to piece together the life of the soldiers, from the time they left British shores to their final steps on the battlefield.
Caseworker Nicola Nash from the MOD War Detectives, said: “The work we do in identifying these brave men is extremely important not only to us, but to the British Armed Forces as a whole, which I think this episode portrays so beautifully.
“It has been an amazing experience filming with Long Lost Families. From meeting Davina McCall and Nicky Campbell for the first time to watching the final edit, it has been an experience I will never forget.”
Behind the scenes of Long Lost Family filming MOD War Detectives (Crown Copyright)
Tracey Bowers, MOD War Detectives team lead, said: “When ITV asked to work with us again, I was delighted and proud but also apprehensive knowing what additional work this entailed, not just for the team but colleagues across DBS and wider MOD who’s help and assistance we rely upon, such as the Commercial Team who helped write the filming contact.
“Having been through the process once things were slightly easier but adding Covid into the mix, not being able to travel and therefore film things in a chronological order, made for interesting times!”
Brigadier Caroline Hull, Head of DBS’s Armed Forces and Veterans Services, said: “It is a privilege to support all UK Armed Forces Personnel, whether they are serving in uniform today or have previously given loyal service.
“It is also important for the families of those who died in both World Wars, and for the nation, to know that the Ministry of Defence continues to provide for support for individuals in the Military Community who might otherwise be forgotten.
“I am delighted that through close cooperation with all our partners, we can provide a dignified, military burial to those who died in World War 1 and 2, and wherever possible, with the family in attendance.
“I am grateful that this programme shines a bright light on one of the unique roles we as part of Defence Business Services deliver, and will continue to deliver, for years to come.”
Follow @wardetectives on Facebook for regular updates on cases, appeals for relatives and details of future services.
Around 8,000 British Army troops will conduct a series of planned exercises across Europe this summer in one of the largest deployments since the Cold War.
The exercises will see 72 Challenger 2 tanks, 12 AS90 tracked artillery guns and 120 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles deploy to countries from Finland to North Macedonia, demonstrating the Army’s modernisation into a lethal, agile and global force.
Tens of thousands of troops from NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) allies and partners are involved in the exercises. The high readiness forces from the Lead Armoured Task Force and Air Manoeuvre Task Force will take part.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The security of Europe has never been more important. These exercises will see our troops join forces with allies and partners across NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force in a show of solidarity and strength in one of the largest shared deployments since the Cold War.
“Operating across Europe, the British Army will stand alongside partners, combining our capabilities and shared values, promoting peace and security.”
The programme follows the Defence Secretary’s ‘Future Soldier’ announcement last November, setting out how the British Army is evolving into a more lethal, agile, and global force in line with the UK Government’s Integrated Review. These exercises showcase the Army’s capabilities and readiness, demonstrating the central role it plays in NATO deterrence.
Troops from B Squadron of the Queen’s Royal Hussars have deployed to Finland this week to take part in Exercise Arrow.
They will be embedded into a Finnish Armoured Brigade, with participation from other partners including the US, Latvia and Estonia. The exercise will improve the ability of UK and Finnish troops to work alongside each other as part of the JEF, deterring Russian aggression in Scandinavia and the Baltic states.
In May, Exercise Hedgehog will see the Royal Welsh Battlegroup and the Royal Tank Regiment exercising on the Estonia-Latvia border alongside 18,000 NATO troops, including French and Danish, who are part of the British-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence. Hedgehog is the biggest military exercise in Estonia and takes place every four years.
Commander Field Army Lieutenant General Ralph Wooddisse said:“The UK makes a significant contribution to the defence of Europe and the deterrence of Russian aggression. The British Army’s series of exercises is fundamental to both.
“We continue to deploy across Europe, from the Baltic to the Aegean, to train and fight alongside our allies and partners, providing powerful, capable and ready forces to support NATO and show the UK’s commitment to peace and security.
A wide range of units from the Field Army will be involved, from light and airborne forces, to helicopters and armoured forces, supported by artillery, electronic warfare, air defence, surveillance drones, engineers and logisticians. The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British Army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century.”
Alongside Exercise Hedgehog, Exercise Defender in Poland is ongoing until late May, with 1,000 soldiers from the King’s Royal Hussars Battlegroup and C Squadron of the Light Dragoons deployed alongside troops from 11 partner nations including Poland, Denmark and the United States.
This exercise involves Challenger 2 tanks and other armoured vehicles deploying from the NATO Forward Holding Base in Sennelager, Germany. The deployment is supported by 104 Theatre Sustainment Brigade operating from the UK and in bases in Europe.
Exercise Swift Response, which also began this week, sees elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team and 1 Aviation Brigade Combat Team operate alongside French, American, Italian, and Albanian counterparts in North Macedonia.
There are 4,500 personnel on the exercise including 2,500 British troops. The exercise involves parachute drops, helicopter-borne air assaults and sees a company of French paratroopers integrated into the 2 Parachute Regiment Battlegroup and an Italian battlegroup working to a British chain of command.
These exercises showcase the scale and significance of the British Army’s contribution to the defence of Europe and highlight the continued importance of the leadership role which UK plays as a member of NATO and the JEF.
In addition to the Army’s programme, the UK will deploy a major headquarters to the Baltic region, in support of the JEF. The Standing Joint Force HQ (SJFHQ) will establish three linked nodes – in Latvia, Lithuania and the third at their home base at Northwood HQ in London, the first operational deployment for the headquarters.
The UK is the framework nation for the JEF, a coalition of like-minded partners, able to respond rapidly to crises in the High North, North Atlantic, Baltic Sea region and further afield. Over 200 military personnel are involved in the operation, including specialists in cyber, space and information operations.
Four soldiers of the Great War had their graves rededicated in the presence of their family yesterday (Tuesday 22 March 2022).
Lance Corporal Wilfred Horace Miller
Both services were organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘MOD War Detectives’, and were held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Ypres Reservoir Cemetery in Ypres, Belgium.
Nicola Nash, MOD JCCC caseworker said: “After more than 100 years, these four men who were lost, have now been found. There is nothing more rewarding for us than giving a family closure and making sure that every soldier is remembered as he should be.”
The first service was held for Lance Serjeant (LSjt) Edward Leonard Cottrell and Serjeant (Sjt) Joseph Frank Brookes Birkin whilst the second was to honour Lance Corporal (LCpl) Wilfred Horace Miller and LCpl Arthur Burton. All four served with the Leicestershire Regiment.
Serjeant Joseph Frank Brookes Birkin
Defence Minister Leo Docherty said: “We will never fail in our duty to remember those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom during the two world wars.
“As more fallen servicemen from both world wars are discovered, the MOD Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre will strive to confirm their identities. Their tireless efforts and dedication will ensure these soldiers’ names will live on in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s cemeteries.”
The four soldiers had no known graves since tragically losing their lives in 1915, however, due to the collective efforts of the MOD JCCC and CWGC following evidence submitted, their final resting places have now been found over a century later.
Private Benjamin Nicolas laying wreath on behalf of members of the Birkin family who were unable to attend
Following submission of research, including from the CWGC, that was considered by the MOD JCCC as the adjudicators, additional research by the team themselves and the National Army Museum led to the four cases being confirmed.
Nicola added: “Today, we honour those who paid the ultimate sacrifice, along with representatives from the regiment and their family.”
John Williamson, great nephew of Sjt Birkin, said: “It is wonderful this work still continues; this ceremony gives final closure to the family.”
Birkin family members in prayer during the service
Research by MOD JCCC also led to LCpl Miller’s family being traced meaning they could be invited to today’s service to pay their respects.
Maria Miller, great niece of LCpl Miller, said: “This has been the most humbling experience and a great privilege to be here today.”
Maria Miller at the graveside of her great uncle Lcpl Miller’s headstone
The services were supported by the Royal Anglian Regiment and were conducted by the Reverend (Captain) Thomas Wilde, CF, Chaplain to the Royal Anglian Regiment, who said: “When you give a soldier a name you give them meaning a history and a voice.”
The graves will now be marked by headstones provided by the CWGC.
Fergus Read, CWGC Case Officer (Commemorations), said: “It is always immensely satisfying when we are able to put a name on any headstone. Here, the research for one case helped us to unlock the names of those buried in a further three graves.
“It is the Commission’s privilege to be part of the work to identify the last resting places of these casualties, and to care for their graves in perpetuity.”
Up to 4,000 people will be trained as new HGV drivers to help tackle skills shortages and support more people to launch careers within the logistics sector.
Package of measures includes using MOD examiners to help increase immediate HGV testing capacity by thousands over the next 12 weeks.
Nearly 1 million letters to be sent to all drivers who currently hold an HGV driving licence, encouraging them back into the industry.
5,000 HGV drivers and 5,500 poultry workers added to existing visa scheme until Christmas 2021 to ease supply chain pressures in food and haulage industries during exceptional circumstances this year.
The UK Government is taking belated action to tackle the shortage of HGV drivers. Industry leaders have warned the government of an impending crisis since before Brexit.
Up to 4,000 people will soon be able to take advantage of training courses to become HGV drivers, as part of a package of measures announced yesterday by the government to ease temporary supply chain pressures in food haulage industries, brought on by the pandemic and the global economy rebounding around the world.
The Department for Education is investing up to £10 million to create new skills bootcamps to train up to 3,000 more people to become HGV drivers. The free, short, intensive courses will train drivers to be road ready and gain a category C or category C&E licence, helping to tackle the current HGV driver shortage.
An additional 1,000 people are expected to be trained through courses accessed locally and funded by the government’s adult education budget.
Fuel tanker drivers need additional safety qualifications, which the government will work with industry to ensure drivers can access as quickly as possible.
To help make sure new drivers can be road ready as quickly as possible, the Department for Transport (DfT) have also agreed to work with Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) to ensure that tests will be available for participants who have completed training courses as soon as possible.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has also announced the immediate deployment of their Defence Driving Examiners (DDEs) to increase the country’s testing capacity. MOD examiners will work alongside DVSA examiners, providing thousands of extra tests over the next 12 weeks.
The letter, which will arrive on doormats over the coming days, sets out that the steps the road haulage sector is taking to improve the industry, including increased wages, flexible working and fixed hours.
Alongside this, 5,000 HGV drivers will be able to come to the UK for 3 months in the run-up to Christmas, providing short-term relief for the haulage industry. A further 5,500 visas for poultry workers will also be made available for the same short period, to avoid any potential further pressures on the food industry during this exceptional period.
Recruitment for additional short-term HGV drivers and poultry workers will begin in October and these visas will be valid until 24 December 2021. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) are preparing to process the required visa applications, once made, in a timely manner.
However, we want to see employers make long term investments in the UK domestic workforce instead of relying on labour to build a high-wage, high-skill economy.
Visas will not be the long term solution, and reform within the industry is vital. That’s why the government continues to support the industry in solving this issue in the long term through improved testing and hiring, with better pay, working conditions and diversity.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: This package of measures builds on the important work we have already done to ease this global crisis in the UK, and this government continues to do everything we can to help the haulage and food industries contend with the HGV driver shortage.
“We are acting now but the industries must also play their part with working conditions continuing to improve and the deserved salary increases continuing to be maintained in order for companies to retain new drivers.
“After a very difficult 18 months, I know how important this Christmas is for all of us and that’s why we’re taking these steps at the earliest opportunity to ensure preparations remain on track.”
Separately, the government is also bringing in legislation to allow delegated driving examiners at the three emergency services and the MOD to be able to conduct driving tests for one another. This will give the emergency services greater flexibility and help increase the number of tests DVSA examiners can provide HGV examiners.
The government will also provide funding for both medical and HGV licences for any adult who completes an HGV driving qualification accessed through the Adult Education Budget in academic year 2021/22.
Previously, adults who took these qualifications had to pay for their own licences. This change will be backdated and applied to anyone who started one of these qualifications on or after August 1st 2021.
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “HGV drivers keep this country running. We are taking action to tackle the shortage of drivers by removing barriers to help more people to launch new well-paid careers in the industry, supporting thousands to get the training they need to be road ready.
“As we build back from the pandemic we’re committed to supporting people, no matter their background, to get the skills and training they need to get good jobs at any stage of their lives, while creating the talent pipeline businesses need for the future.”
Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “It is a top priority to ensure that there are enough workers across the country’s supply chains to make sure they remain strong and resilient.
“We have listened to concerns from the sector and we are acting to alleviate what is a very tight labour market.”
The government has been able to bring forward these solutions in response to a global issue made worse by coronavirus thanks to our existing work in this area. We have already taken a range of steps to support the industry, including streamlining the process for new HGV drivers and increasing the number of driving tests. Our measures provided a rapid increase in capacity and allow for an extra 50,000 tests to take place per year.
Progress has already been made in testing and hiring, with improving pay, working conditions and diversity. We continue to closely monitor labour supply and work with sector leaders to understand how we can best ease particular pinch points. Through our Plan for Jobs we’re helping people across the UK retrain, build new skills and get back into work.
The Food and Drink Federation’s Chief Executive, Ian Wright CBE, said: “We welcome the government’s pragmatic decision to temporarily add HGV drivers and poultry workers to the existing visa scheme.
“This is something UK food and drink manufacturers have asked for over the last few months – including in industry’s Grant Thornton report – to alleviate some of the pressure labour shortages have placed on the food supply chain.
“This is a start but we need the government to continue to collaborate with industry and seek additional long term solutions.”
Elizabeth de Jong, Logistics UK’s Director of Policy, said: “Logistics UK welcomes the government package of measures aimed at improving the ongoing driver crisis. The government’s decision to grant 5,000 temporary visas for HGV drivers to help in the short term is a huge step forward; we are so pleased the government has listened to our calls and has made this bold decision to support the UK economy.
“We are also delighted that DfT have agreed to jointly send nearly 1 million letters to all drivers who currently hold an HGV driving licence. With fantastic HGV driving opportunities available in the logistics industry, now is the perfect time to consider returning to the occupation.”
The Road Haulage Association says there is a shortage of around 100,000 drivers across the UK, with this particularly impacting the food and drink supply chain.
The Road Haulage Association’s Rod McKenzie said: “This is a major win for @RHANews in our long campaign on #lorrydriver shortage – but temp visas won’t solve it. Much more needs to be done on training, apprenticeships, testing and welfare facilities for truckers.”
British Chamber of Commerce President, Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith CBE said:“Government has made clear its priority is to transition from a reliance on EU workers to a focus on the domestic workforce, and businesses have been ready to participate in this, but it is a long-term project.
“A managed transition, with a plan agreed between government and business, should have been in place from the outset. Instead, the supply of EU labour was turned off with no clear roadmap as to how this transition would be managed without disruption to services and supply chains.
“Now some action has been taken, but additional testing will take time and the low number of visas offered is insufficient. Even if these short-term opportunities attract the maximum amount of people allowed under the scheme, it will not be enough to address the scale of the problem that has now developed in our supply chains.
“This announcement is the equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire.
“Government should be prepared to significantly expand the number of visas issued within this scheme and convene a summit that brings business and government together to find both immediate and longer-term solutions to the many challenges facing firms throughout the UK.
“Without further action, we now face the very real prospect of serious damage to our economic recovery, stifled growth as well as another less than happy Christmas for many businesses and their customers across the country.”
Hannah Essex, Co-Executive Director of the British Chambers of Commerce, said:“Chambers of Commerce have been warning Government about critical labour shortages for months now – not just in the food and haulage industries but in hospitality, construction, the care sector and elsewhere in the economy. Whilst businesses will welcome that government is finally taking action, this scheme does not go far enough.
“BCC data has shown that 76% of hospitality businesses, and 82% of construction firms have faced recruitment difficulties in recent months. At the same time, we found 3 out of 4 exporters reporting no growth in sales in Q2.
“Businesses are facing the most difficult environment for a generation. On top of labour shortages – border delays, increased debt and the rising cost of materials, shipping and energy are all putting huge pressure on firms struggling to recover from the pandemic. All of these issues are hitting smaller firms the hardest.
“Attempts to address the deficit of HGV drivers and poultry workers is a step forward, but these industries are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the huge impact of the current labour shortages. Without a comprehensive plan to tackle this issue across the board we are facing a winter of lost opportunities for our businesses, hampering the UK’s economic recovery.”
A British soldier has died in Malawi during counter-poaching operations, the Ministry of Defence has said. Mathew Talbot, of the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, was on a patrol on 5 May when he was believed to have been killed by an elephant.Continue reading Soldier killed by elephant during anti-poaching operation
