The Charity Commission has published a report of its casework during the 2024 General Election, revealing a significant decline in serious concerns about a charity’s campaigning activity compared with previous elections.
The regulator praises the sector for its conduct during the UK General Election, with its Chair, Orlando Fraser KC, restating the sector’s right to campaign and reminding all that this right is enshrined in charity law.
The report found a rise in proactive efforts by charities to seek advice from the Commission and a 60% decline in high-risk cases compared to the 2019 election. It features illustrative case studies relating to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Big Help Out run by The Together Initiative, the Trussell Trust, Age Concern Wolverhampton and British Alevi Federation.
The law is clear about the right of charities to campaign provided it is in support of their purposes and that they take a neutral stance on party politics. This is something that the Commission has made clear in its published guidance which helps charities campaign within the law and continued to reiterate as the General Election approached.
The report reveals that out of more than 170,000 registered charities, the regulator opened just 34 new compliance cases to assess concerns and responded to 35 advice requests, between 22 May 2024 and 4 July 2024.
This figure relates specifically to activities around general election campaigns. Only 14 of these were high-risk cases, less than half the number seen during the 2019 election, which the regulator has said represents a positive and significant decline.
The cases opened came from a variety of sources such as complaints to the Commission, charities proactively reporting incidents via the Commission’s Serious Incident Report process, and proactive monitoring by the regulator.
The report carries reflections from the Charity Commission on how charities can speak up for causes they serve whilst engaging in debate lawfully in line with the regulator’s guidance on campaigning and political activity. It goes on to thank the sector for engaging with its guidance.
The regulator identified three key themes in its engagement with charities during this period:
charity leaders expressing support for a political party or candidates
Orlando Fraser KC, Chair of the Charity Commission, said: ““A General Election is a critical moment for charities which provide vital insight on how to address issues facing our society.
“From the outset, we’ve highlighted the valuable role of charities. I have also set out our expectation that they take the lead in encouraging debates that are held with respect, tolerance and consideration of others at a time when, sadly, this is not always the case in public discourse.
“This election has seen some of our lowest case numbers which is true testament to the constructive and lawful way the sector has engaged with debates on the issues they champion.
“Many charities have effectively used their voices with confidence while following electoral and charity law – supported by our published advice and guidance. We will continue to use our voice to explain charities’ right to campaign lawfully.”
New poll finds nearly a quarter of gig goers in Scotland think loud music has damaged their hearing
The revelation comes just weeks after the showbiz icon, who is in her seventh decade of performing, appeared at Glastonbury Festival and announced the second part of her farewell tour.
Specsavers has partnered with the music legend, alongside DJ and tinnitus sufferer Woody Cook and the Night Time Industries Association, to encourage people to safeguard their hearing.
British legend Lulu has revealed she is living with moderate hearing loss – after a hearing check at Specsavers revealed the impact that 60 years in the music industry has had on her hearing.
The news that her career has damaged her hearing comes just weeks after the Scottish singing sensation – who is on her seventh decade of performing her debut single ‘Shout’ – wowed crowds at Glastonbury and announced dates in November as part of her farewell ‘Champagne for Lulu’ tour.
The music icon is now calling on music lovers to take steps to protect their own hearing, as a new poll reveals 23% of gig goers in Scotland think loud music has damaged their hearing.
The study, commissioned by Specsavers of 900 adults who attend concerts and festivals, found that, in Scotland, 40% have noticed a negative impact on their hearing immediately after a gig – with 47% experiencing ringing in their ears, 33% buzzing and 35% a muffled sensation. Just over a quarter (26%) said they had suffered temporary hearing loss, while just under a quarter, (21%) experienced pain in their ears.
Despite this, over half (55%) of those in Scotland planning to attend a live music event this summer are unlikely to wear hearing protection. Of these, 48% said they avoid it because they wouldn’t be able to enjoy the experience as much, and over a quarter (33%) thought it would alter the quality of the music, which is not the case.
Lulu said: ‘After being on stage nearly all of my life, I have always noticed ringing and muffled sounds, but never really thought much of it.
‘But it’s more than just this – connecting with people is a huge part of my life and I want to be able to join the conversation and not be left out of it. The good news is it’s not too late for me to preserve the rest of my hearing.
‘Using hearing protection is such a simple and easy thing to do when around live music and I urge others to wear it.
The average volume at a live music event is between 115 and 120 decibels (dB) – which could damage hearing if exposed to it for long enough without hearing protection. The survey found a quarter (74%) of people in Scotland didn’t know that the average volume was that high.
Romaan Babar, audiologist at Specsavers, said: ‘With festival season well underway, it is crucial music lovers protect their hearing. Repeated exposure to high decibel levels at gigs and festivals has the potential to lead to permanent damage, such as sound-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.
‘In fact, hearing damage can start at around 85 dB if you are exposed to it for eight hours plus – such as at a festival – if you don’t wear ear plugs. Each additional 3 dB of volume cuts that exposure time in half, so by the time the volume reaches 100 dB, which is still less than the average gig, it could only take 15 minutes for your hearing to be damaged – which is quite scary.’
Specsavers has partnered with Lulu, DJ Woody Cook, who has tinnitus, and the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) to promote the need to wear hearing protection to live music lovers and people who work in the sector.
Woody says he wishes he’d taken steps to protect his hearing earlier. He says: ‘Without doubt, the tinnitus I suffer with today is a result of listening to loud music. Sometimes it makes me feel like I have a continual electric buzz or high-pitched noise in my head which makes me feel really disorientated.
‘I love music – and obviously, I work as a DJ – so my tinnitus has a massive impact on my personal and professional life. I wish I had known about the risks earlier. I’m now taking steps to protect my hearing from any further damage and recommend others to do the same.’
In another survey, among those working in venues with loud music in 91% have experienced a negative impact on their hearing, with reporting tinnitus (36%) or hearing loss (36%). 29%) rarely or never wear hearing protection at work – with a quarter (25%) saying that’s because their employer has not provided them with it.
The NTIA, which represents the UK’s clubs, bars and pubs, launched the Listen for Life campaign last October to raise awareness of the importance of hearing protection. It has partnered with Specsavers as part of a new industry report ‘It’s time to talk about hearing’ to launch a new Night Time Economy Charter, which will help businesses to better look after the hearing health of colleagues and customers.
Mike Kill, CEO of the NTIA, says it’s worrying how common hearing loss and tinnitus are for those working in the night time industries. He added: ‘We want those who enjoy going to festivals, gigs, pubs, bars and clubs to be able to enjoy them without damaging their hearing – and for those who work in loud environments to be given the knowledge and tools to take care of themselves.
“This charter can play a massive part in doing that.’
Romaan Babar adds: ‘What might start as a minor annoyance after a gig can lead to long-term consequences.
“It’s never too late to start protecting your ears. Wearing ear plugs, not standing too close to speakers, and taking breaks from loud environments can all help preserve your hearing.’
Seven years after the introduction of the two-child limit, there are almost 1.6 million children in 440,000 families affected by the policy. These families are missing out on up to £3,455 a year per child.
The two-child limit restricts support through universal credit (UC) or child tax credit to the first two children in a family, for children born after 6 April 2017.
Parents having a third or subsequent child after that date are not eligible for support for that child.
The majority of families affected by the policy are living in poverty, despite 59 per cent of these families having one or both parents in paid work.
Affected families report not being able to provide for children’s basic needs, including food, clothing and heating. The policy also means families struggle to pay for housing and childcare.
The policy affects every area of children’s lives. Parents report that children’s education, mental health, and learning and development are all negatively affected by the two-child limit.
Children are also missing out on the ‘everyday’ experiences of childhood such as days out with their family, being able to go on holiday, or having the occasional treat such as an ice cream.
Abolishing the two-child limit is the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty, and the most urgent action the government must take to reduce child poverty.
It would lift 300,000 children out of poverty and mean 700,000 children are in less deep poverty, making a significant difference to the lives of over a million children at a cost of £1.7 billion.
The two-child limit will continue to drive up poverty as more children are born. Child poverty is already at a record high, with 4.3 million children in poverty in the UK today.
This means in an average classroom of 30, nine children are living in poverty.
The report finds that, despite the Home Office committing significant sums of money to the Rwanda partnership and its large accommodation sites, there is little to show for the money spent so far.
Questions also remain as to what will happen to the more than 50,000 people left in limbo by the system – people who are living in the UK, with no ability to claim asylum, who are officially “pending relocation”.
On asylum accommodation, the report welcomes Government’s progress in closing asylum hotels in communities.
However, the report finds the Home Office’s assessment of the requirements for setting up alternative accommodation in large sites fell woefully short of reality and risked wasting taxpayers’ money, while the new sites will not house anywhere near as many people as initially expected, exacerbating existing accommodation issues.
The committee has published its report “Screen time: impacts on education and wellbeing”.
There has been a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022; nearly 25% of children and young people use their smartphones in a way that is consistent with a behavioural addiction.
Screen use has been found to start as early as six months of age. One in five children aged between three and four years old have their own mobile phone, increasing to one in four children by age eight and to almost all children by age 12. The amount of time those aged 5–15 years old spent online rose from an average of nine hours per week in 2009, to 15 hours per week in 2018.
As well as harms to mental and physical health, screen time can disrupt pupils’ learning both at home and in the classroom, as it can take up to 20 minutes for pupils to refocus on what they were learning after engaging in a non-academic activity such as browsing the internet or noticing a notification on their phone.
The report strongly supports the tougher guidance on keeping phones out of the classroom and breaktimes that the Department recently issued. However, the Committee heard mixed evidence on how well taken up this will be, we therefore recommend formal monitoring and evaluation of this approach by the next Government with the possibility of a statutory ban if needed.
The Committee also concludes that screen time should be minimal for younger children and better balanced with face-to-face socialisation and physical activity for older ones.
Parents need clear guidance from Government on managing children’s screen time, and in particular advice to parents of babies and young children should be revised to ensure it gives sufficient attention to face-to-face interaction and warns of the risks of screen time in reducing opportunities for this.
While the Online Safety Act 2023 will undoubtably play a role in keeping children safe from online harms, the Committee is concerned that children will not feel the full protections of the Act until implementation is completed in 2026.
79% of children have encountered violent pornography before the age of 18, with the average age that children first see pornography being 13 years old. Some 81% of girls aged 7-21 have experienced some form of threatening or upsetting behaviour, and online sexual crimes committed against children online has risen by 400% since 2013.
One in five children (19%) aged 10-15 experienced at least one type of bullying behaviour online, and out of them, around three-quarters (72%) said they experienced at least some of it at school or during school time.
It is clear that the entire system surrounding the digital age of consent and how it is verified is not fit for purpose. The Committee heard no evidence to suggest that 13 is an appropriate age for children to understand the implications of allowing platforms access to their personal data online.
Yet even with the digital age of consent currently formally set at the lowest possible level, it is widely ignored and not effectively enforced. This must change urgently. The next Government should consult on raising the age of digital consent and should recommend 16 as a more appropriate age.
The report also calls for the level of digital age of consent to be effectively enforced. The Online Safety Act 2023 allows for substantial fines or even imprisonment for executives of companies who breach its rules, and the Government should consider how this approach can be applied to social media companies who knowingly breach age verification requirements and expose children to addictive content which is not appropriate for them.
Within the first year of the new Parliament, the next Government should work alongside Ofcom to consult on additional measures regarding smartphones for children under 16 years old, including the possibility of a total ban of smartphones (internet-enabled phones) for children under 16 or parental controls installed as default on phones for under 16s.
The next Government should work with mobile phone companies and network operators to promote children’s phones, a class of phone which can be used for contact and GPS location but not access to the internet or downloading apps.
Chair of the Education Committee, Robin Walker MP, said: “Excessive screen and smartphone use has a clear negative impact on the mental and physical wellbeing of children and young people. Our inquiry heard shocking statistics on the extent of the damage being done to under-18s, particularly those who are already extremely vulnerable, such as those in care.
“Without urgent action, more children will be put in harm’s way. From exposure to pornography, to criminal gangs using online platforms to recruit children, the online world poses serious dangers.
“Parents and schools face an uphill struggle and Government must do more to help them meet this challenge. This might require radical steps, such as potentially a ban on smartphones for under-16s.
“Our report found that digital age of consent checks are not fit for purpose. We heard no evidence demonstrating that thirteen-year-olds understood the ramifications of sharing personal information online and today’s report urges the Government to increase this age to sixteen.
“It’s also clear that children require face-to-face and in-person social contact in order to thrive. Our report found that screen time is inversely associated with working memory, processing, attention levels, language skills and executive function.
“Whilst there can be some benefits from the online world and sharing information or interests with their peers, ready, unsupervised and unrestricted access to the internet leaves children vulnerable, exposing them to a world they are not equipped for. Their safeguarding and protection must be our priority.”
An ambitious new report by Scottish Book Trust has revealed that one in three librarians in Scotland believe that their whole service is at risk of reduction or loss.
The Survey of Public Librarians, as part of the Value and Impact of Scotland’s Libraries research, published by Scottish Book Trust, Scotland’s national book charity, also revealed a vital service under threat from underinvestment. It reports:
82% of public libraries reported a restriction in their resources and funding
One in three public librarians said they had lost librarians and other library staff
One in three public librarians reported that their whole service is at risk of reduction or losses
The report reveals the vital role libraries play in the community as they help to close the poverty-attainment gap. Librarians overwhelmingly agreed that they not only provide free access to all forms of books, but offer a safe, warm and accessible space where those without computers can access digital resources and support, with help from knowledgeable and approachable staff.
While libraries across Scotland are facing ongoing cuts, librarians reported a widespread lack of understanding from their local authorities about the social, long-term impact of their service.
Two thirds of the librarians surveyed reported that their community faces digital poverty, and libraries are bridging the divide.
96% of librarians reported that their library offers access to Wi-Fi, 99% to computers with internet, 71% to ebooks and eReaders and 40% to courses in digital skills
These are lifelines for those with limited resources, including the homeless, the elderly and those who have been released from prison.
Librarians also reported that their libraries are a safe space for refugees and asylum seekers, LGBTQ+ people and disabled or neurodiverse people.
As one librarian stated: “We are the first place that people come when they need help, possibly the only place in a landscape of shrinking services. When we are gone then these other agencies will need to foot the time bill and the mental health crisis we are averting.”
This survey of public librarians is part of a wider study of both public and school libraries in Scotland, as conducted by Scottish Book Trust, in partnership with the National Library of Scotland (NLS), the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland (CILIPS).
Preliminary findings from school librarians will be published over the summer, with the final report published later this year.
Marc Lambert, Chief Executive of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Libraries are a vital lifeline for communities across Scotland. Not only do they provide free access to books in a warm and safe environment, but, as this wide-ranging report reveals, they are also a levelling up factory that sends people in a positive direction.
‘There is no other public space where people can access information, combat digital poverty, learn new skills, socialise with others, express themselves creatively, and seek to self-improve, entirely for free. It’s incredibly concerning that these important institutions are endangered.’
Scottish Book Trust is also conducting a survey of public library users, which will be open for responses until the end of June 2024.
The first national volunteer survey of litter found by Scottish rivers and waterways has revealed that plastic bottles were the most littered item, followed by plastic pieces, plastic snack packets, drinks cans and polystyrene pieces.
With 80% of marine litter coming from land, our Upstream Battle® campaign focuses on raising awareness, gathering evidence and inspiring action to change littering behaviour to prevent marine litter at source along rivers in Scotland.
The recently published Upstream Battle® Citizen Science Report – a snapshot of data gathered by volunteers across a three-month period between December 2023 and February 2024 – consists of 185 surveys conducted along 26 rivers and waterways in 20 local authority areas across Scotland. It forms part of the national rollout of the campaign, aimed at understanding and addressing marine litter across the country.
In total 20,383 items were counted during the survey period, with the majority of litter found to be items which would be addressed under a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) or effective Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations.
The rest of the top 10 items littered include cigarettes, glass fragments, dog poo, plastic bottle caps and plastic bags.
Barry Fisher, our Chief Executive, said: “On the back of an extremely successful Spring Clean, this report celebrates the efforts of many individuals and groups who took time out of their busy lives to carry out surveys and send data to us, providing us with much needed evidence of the range of items that are damaging our rivers and waterways.
“The data shows similarities across the country, but also highlights regional nuances – this report highlights the importance of understanding and addressing these issues at a national and local level.
“I’d like to thank everyone who supported this data drive, from our tireless volunteers to our partners and funders who have shared and echoed our message and vision.
“Scotland’s litter emergency is damaging our rivers. We need our governments to commit to tackling single-use packaging litter through improved Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations and to ensure a Deposit Return Scheme is not further delayed. These policy measures are needed now – litter levels will only get worse without them.”
Our Upstream Battle® campaign raises awareness of how litter from land travels from source to sea – becoming marine litter – and inspires people to take positive action.
‘Putting women at the centre of their own care, listening to them, learning lessons from both failed and successful maternity services is crucial to delivering safer better care’ – that’s the message from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) as it responds to a new report on birth trauma.
The report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and the Birth Trauma Association follows the UK’s first-ever inquiry into birth trauma to which the RCM provided evidence in February.
Safe levels of staffing and ensuring there are enough midwives so they have time with women particularly during antenatal appointments to pick up issues early on. In addition to discussing concerns and making decisions around birth choices and infant feeding choices is fundamental to delivering good quality maternity care says the RCM.
The RCM says it also supports the reports call for the reinstatement of a Maternity Commissioner with accountability to the Prime Minster, this the College says is very much needed particularly as their remit would include a commitment to tackle inequalities in maternity care for Black, Asian and minority ethic women.
Commenting, RCM’s Chief Executive, Gill Walton said: “Sadly, not all birth experiences are positive and poor experiences can have a devastating impact on woman and should be taken very seriously as a threat to maternal mental and physical health and infant wellbeing.
“The women who shared their experiences with the inquiry must be commended for doing so and we owe it to them to learn and improve from the failings that happened in their care. Undoubtedly staffing shortages drastically impact the safety and quality of care that midwives can and so want to deliver.
“Our own members tell us they are struggling to give women the time and quality of care they need and deserve. Also, with the rise in more complex pregnancies, having the right skill mix of staff on shift is key.
“Access to appropriate training has also been highlighted in this report and when there aren’t enough midwives, crucial training is often postponed and this impacts how prepared staff can be for not only emergency situations, but how improvements in day-to-day maternity care can be achieved.”
Solving the midwifery recruitment and retention crisis with practical solutions must be the number one priority for any incoming Government says the RCM who recently published ‘How to Fix the Midwifery Staffing Crisis’ a practical guide which contains solutions for the next UK Parliament.
Included in the key recommendations is a plea for mother’s health records to be digitised, this is something the RCM has long called for. Assessing and documenting risk in an electronic record is essential to providing safer effective midwifery care. The RCM has already published an Electronic Guidance and Audit tool and has called for midwives and maternity support workers (MSWs) to receive appropriate training on electronic record keeping systems used in their Trusts and Health Boards.
The report also highlighted the difficulty many women have in accessing maternal mental health services. Mental ill-health ranks with physical factors as one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in the UK, and yet this is not reflected in the resources allocated to it says RCM. Last year the RCM called for the postcode lottery provision of perinatal mental health services to be tackled urgently and published a ‘perinatal roadmap’ which laid out recommendations to improve perinatal mental health care in the UK.
Commenting on that, Gill Walton added: ““We need to ensure that every Trust or Health Board in the UK providing maternity services has a fulltime perinatal specialist midwife.
“This would make an enormous difference and enable midwives to refer women in their care to someone in their service for immediate support. The RCM also believes and have advised that all maternity professionals should be equally concerned with mental as well as physical health in pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal period.
“Also, the recommendation of a standardised post birth service for give mothers a space to speak about their experiences we would support, but this is something that needs separate levels of investment. It’s important too that fathers and birthing partners who have witnessed a traumatic birth have access to the right support and help postnatally.”
Health and Social Care Secretary speech at birth trauma APPG
A speech the Health and Social Care Secretary, Victoria Atkins gave at The All-Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma
Good evening everyone. It is an absolute privilege to be speaking to you all this evening as we mark the launch of the first ever Birth Trauma Inquiry report.
And I’d like to start by May by thanking my dear friend Theo (Theodora Clarke MP) for her strength in speaking out about her own experiences and in so doing, creating this incredible workstream whereby other women are being invited to give their experiences and to be listened to.
I mean, Theo is, to my mind the exemplar of a parliamentary powerhouse, and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you, but also I genuinely think the work that you have achieved will have very, very long term and positive benefits for women across England.
The reaction that you have received from women shows just how critical this work is.
You have given a voice to those who may never have shared the pain and the suffering that they have been through, or when they have spoken up, they have not been listened to.
And so, thanks to you and to the brave women in this room, but also the many, many brave women who have contributed to this report, or who have shared their stories today with media outlets, as it has rightly got such media attention.
But thanks to those brave women, things are changing and you are shining a bright light on the struggles that too many women face, and you are putting birth trauma at the heart of our national conversation, and ensuring that other mums do not have to suffer in silence.
And I’d also really like to thank the wider APPG, co-chaired by Theo but also by Rosie, and both of whom have really demonstrated, along with APPG colleagues, just how cross-party working can work to the very best for us as a country.
And so thank you to every single parliamentarian involved in the APPG.
And in that spirit, I am determined to make care for new mums and mums-to-be faster, simpler and fairer because the birth of a child should be amongst the happiest moments in our lives.
Theo said of course, the overwhelming majority of families it is.
Each week around 10,000 babies are born in England on the NHS and most of them are born safely and with mothers and families reporting a good experience of the care they receive.
But we want that for every woman and every family.
And as this inquiry demonstrates so starkly, there is far too much unacceptable variation across the country in the service that women receive.
Some mums endure simply unacceptable care and live with the consequences of that trauma for the rest of their lives.
Now I’ve been open about my own experiences with the NHS.
The NHS is genuinely one of the reasons I came into politics.
I was diagnosed with type one diabetes at the age of three and I’ve seen the very best of the NHS, but I’ve also seen some of its darker corners and that includes in my own experience when I was pregnant.
Aa you can imagine the clinicians in the room will understand a type one diabetic having being pregnant brings its own complications. And I had wonderful, wonderful care in many, many instances. But I also had examples where I wouldn’t wish other women to go through the same, including and I’ve spoken about this, I was rushed into hospital earlier than anyone had planned, and I was put on a ward, heavily pregnant, not quite knowing what the future was holding for me or my baby.
And, I was on the ward where women who had just experienced extremely traumatic, dare I say it, dangerous births were being rushed from theater onto the ward where I was.
Now clearly those their experiences were far, far worse and far more traumatic than my own.
But you can imagine the how frightening actually that experience was for a first-time mum to be, with the concerns that I was having to live with at the time.
So just that, as an example, I know everybody was trying to do their best at that point, but I desperately want to ensure that women who are expecting and who need additional support don’t find themselves in similar or even worse situations as I did.
And I want to make sure that no woman goes through a physical and mental trauma, and while giving birth, that could have been prevented.
Now I know that the Women’s Health Summit in January, Dame Lesley Regan and I talked about and forgive me, gentlemen, we talked about the NHS being a system that was created by men for men.
And that struck a chord with many women, particularly those who know Lesley and know she is another female powerhouse And the truth is that women have suffered in pain that would simply not be tolerated in any other part of the hospital.
Women have tried to raise concerns about unacceptable care, but they’re being told it’s all just natural.
And it is that, if you like, silencing, that really should not be the reality that women face in the 21st century.
We can and we will do better.
Now, being made Health Secretary in November, I have been impatient to make progress.
And that is why in January I held the Women’s Health Summit, where I made birth trauma one of the top priorities for the second year of the Women’s Health Strategy.
And I want to make this year not just the year that we listen, but that we act and that this is happening now.
We are rolling out new maternal mental health services for new mums, which are already available in all but three local health systems.
We are, believe you me, paying close attention to those final three areas to make sure they finalise their plans at pace this year.
On physical injuries too, we are rolling out improved perinatal pelvic health services, including guidance to better support women who experience serious tears and to prevent these from happening in the first place.
We’re halfway through. We plan to get to full coverage by the end of the financial year. And these services will be supported by our announcement at the Spring Budget of an extra £35 million pounds more for more midwives and better training for when things go wrong.
On top of the extra £186 million pounds a year, we are already investing into maternity services and safety compared to three years ago.
And thanks to Thea, we have also introduced standalone GP appointments six to eight weeks after giving birth to ask those crucial questions about whether mum is okay while keeping separate checks for her baby, because we know a happy, healthy mum means a happy, healthy baby.
And this is supported by new guidance to prompt, direct questions about their birth experience, even if there is nothing in her notes to suggest that the birth was traumatic.
I want to embed a culture that listens to women right from the start of their pregnancy, and so I’m delighted that NHS England are co-producing new decision-making tools with new mums to help guide through choices on how they give birth, what interventions could happen and what pain relief they should be offered.
These will be made available in a range of languages and formats to make sure that they can be tailored to different settings and to different local populations, because the ethnic disparities that Kim and Theo have highlighted have to be tackled, and we are determined to do that.
Theo’s speech in Parliament spoke to the lasting impact that birth trauma can have on the whole family. And of course, dads and partners are very much part of that. And so I’m extremely grateful to Theo’s husband for making that point.
But also we have listened in government and Maria Caulfield, my minister, who is responsible for men’s health along with a great many other things, will be chairing the next session of the Men’s Health Task and Finish Group in June to focus on dads mental health and trauma so that we can better understand how to support partners.
And I’m delighted to announce that the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) will commission new research into the economic impact of birth trauma, including how this affects women returning to work.
That’s a really important idea and a really important commitment.
I know there is so much work to do to deliver on the detailed findings of this report and I, together with NHS England, fully support the APPG’s call to develop a comprehensive cross-government national strategy for maternal care.
I’m very grateful to the NHS for the progress that have been made so far on the three-year delivery plan for maternity and neonatal services, but I want to go further and a comprehensive national strategy will help us to keep driving that work forward while making sure everyone across government and the health service are crystal clear about what we need in maternity services to focus on.
And I also want to be clearer to mums and those looking after them, what their rights and expectations should be, so that everybody can be clear about the standard of care that mums deserve.
So watch this space.
Now in conclusion, this is the first time in the NHS’s 75-year history that I, as the Secretary of State, but also the Chief Executive of NHS England, are both mums.
We get it.
And for this, this is not just professional, it is personal.
Both Amanda and I take our responsibilities to all of you incredibly seriously and I have to say more soon on how I plan to make this area of our health system faster, simpler and fairer.
So I want to finish by thanking you, each and every one of you that has been involved in this report, for everything you have done to kickstart the national conversation about birth, trauma and how women should be listened to and their concerns acted upon.
And I really look forward to continuing this conversation with you in the months ahead.
A new levy on arena and stadium tickets and a cut in VAT are urgently needed to support grassroots music venues across the country as they struggle to cope with a crisis of closures and soaring costs, says a Westminster committee.
The recommendations are in a report from the cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which highlights how small local venues integral to the pipeline of professional creative and technical music talent are stopping performances or closing entirely at a rate of two per week.
The Committee also heard about how artists are facing a “cost of touring crisis”, while promoters are struggling to get shows off their spreadsheets and into venues.
On top of immediate financial help through a levy-funded support fund and a targeted temporary VAT cut to help stem the tide of closures, the report says a comprehensive fan-led review of live and electronic music should be set up this summer to examine the long-term challenges to the wider live music ecosystem.
The Committee inquiry, launched at the Music Venue Trust’s Venues Day in October 2023, heard from across the sector1 of the scale of the crisis facing venues and the impact this is having on artists and all those that rely on them for business.
The MVT described 2023 as the most challenging year for the sector since the trust was founded in 2014, while Creative UK said the grassroots music sector took a ‘battering’.
In total the number of GMVs declined from 960 to 835 last year, a net decrease of 13%, representing a loss of as many as 30,000 shows and 4,000 jobs.
The report says that given the urgency of the crisis, a voluntary levy on arena and stadium concert tickets would be the most feasible way to have an immediate impact, creating a support fund for venues, artists and promoters administered by a trust led by a sector umbrella body.
The Committee also calls for the industry to ensure the levy cost is not passed on to music fans. If there is no agreement by September or if it fails to collect enough income to support the sector, the Government should step in an introduce a statutory levy, the report adds.
On VAT relief, the Committee calls for a temporary cut based on venue capacity, with the Government undertaking analysis to assess the impact to inform future decisions.
Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said: “We are grateful to the many dedicated local venues who gave up their time to take part in our inquiry. They delivered the message loud and clear that grassroots music venues are in crisis.
“The ongoing wave of closures is not just a disaster for music, performers and supporters in local communities up and down the country, but also puts at risk the entire live music ecosystem. If the grassroots, where musicians, technicians, tour managers and promoters hone their craft, are allowed to wither and die, the UK’s position as a music powerhouse faces a bleak future.
“To stem the overwhelming ongoing tide of closures, we urgently need a levy on arena and stadium concert tickets to fund financial support for the sector, alongside a VAT cut to help get more shows into venues.
“While the current focus is on the many grassroots music venues falling silent, those working in the live music sector across the board are also under extraordinary strain. It is time that the Government brought together everyone with a stake in the industry’s success, including music fans, to address the long-term challenges and ensure live music can thrive into the future.”
Among the report’s other recommendations are for the Government and Arts Council to make it easier for the live music sector to apply for public funding and for stakeholders across the industry to continue to support the Featured Artists’ Coalition’s campaign to end punitive fees on artists’ merchandise.
The Scottish Government is not doing enough to engage the public on climate change and Scotland’s climate change targets.
This is the collective view expressed in a report published yesterday by 23 members of the public, selected at random from across Scotland, who recently came together at Holyrood to form a ‘Climate Change People’s Panel’.
The panel was set up to support Holyrood’s Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee in its post-legislative scrutiny of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009. The Act mandates that the Scottish Government should produce and periodically review a public engagement strategy for climate change.
The panel’s report concludes that the Government has not communicated effectively with the public on climate change saying that it “could be more ambitious, delivering a positive narrative and enabling Scotland to set a standard of excellence.”
The panel also considered that “collaboration with expert local and community led organisations is key” and that there is an “inconsistency in communication, education, evaluation, the allocation of funding and ultimately, that there is an action gap across Scotland.”
The report outlines 18 recommendations which panellists will formally present to the Committee during a broadcast evidence session on Tuesday 16 April 2024.
Panellist Kevin Roarty, an Analyst Programmer living in Paisley said of his experience; “This has been a fantastic experience but at the heart of it all is the most serious topic.
“We felt that there needs to be more truth and honesty from the Scottish Government about the scale of the challenge, and that creating a more compelling vision of the better world we’re all aiming for would help.
“We hope the Committee will accept our recommendations as positive, concrete actions that must be taken forward and that our efforts will make a positive difference to national engagement on climate issues.”
In the report, panellists unanimously recommend, for example, that: –
Climate change should exist as a compulsory subject within the primary to high school curriculum and children should be involved in its development as a subject.
Robust, timely and longer-term funding (minimum 3-5 years) should be provided to help expand and adequately resource climate hubs.
There needs to be a legal obligation on all local authorities to co-create local climate policy, supported by funding from the Scottish Government.
Edward Mountain MSP, Convener of the Net Zero, Energy & Transport Committee, said; “This report identifies the need for the Scottish Government to lead from the front to bring governments, business, and the public together in a mutual understanding of the shared challenge we all face and the actions that need to be taken to effect change.
“Just last month the Climate Change Committee said that Scotland’s 2030 climate goals are no longer credible. Collaboration on all levels of society will be essential to help drive action forward.
“We look forward to taking evidence from the panellists during next week’s committee meeting and exploring their findings further with them.”
