Grooming Gangs: Home Secretary updates Westminster

‘WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH. VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS NEED ACTION’

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has updated the House of Commons on the National Audit on Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (‘grooming gangs’) carried out by Baroness Casey:

Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will update the House on the audit the government commissioned from Baroness Casey on child sexual exploitation and grooming gangs, and on the action we are taking to tackle this vile crime – to put perpetrators behind bars, and to provide the innocent victims of those crimes with support and justice.

The House will be aware that on Friday, 7 men were found guilty of the most horrendous crimes in Rochdale between 2000 and 2006.

They were convicted of treating teenage girls as sex slaves – repeatedly raping them in filthy flats, alleyways and warehouses. The perpetrators included taxi drivers and market traders of Pakistani heritage, and it has taken 20 years to bring them to justice.

I want to pay tribute to the incredible bravery of the women who told their stories and have fought for justice through all those years. They should never have been let down for so long.

The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes.

Children as young as 10 plied with drugs and alcohol, brutally raped by gangs of men and disgracefully let down again and again by the authorities who were meant to protect them and keep them safe.

These despicable crimes have caused the most unimaginable harm to victims and survivors throughout their lives and are a stain on our society.

Five months ago, I told the House our most important task was to stop perpetrators and put them behind bars.

I can report that that work is accelerating.

Arrests and investigations are increasing.

After I asked police forces in January to identify cases involving grooming and child sexual exploitation allegations that had been closed with no further action, more than 800 cases have now been identified for formal review.

And I expect that figure to rise above 1,000 in the coming weeks.

Let me be clear. Perpetrators of these vile crimes should be off our streets, behind bars and paying the price for what they have done.

Further rapid action is also under way to finally implement recommendations of past inquiries and reviews – including the 7-year Independent Inquiry into Child Abuse – recommendations which for too long have sat on the shelf.

So in the Crime and Policing Bill, we are introducing:

The long overdue mandatory reporting duty which I called for more than 10 years ago.

As well as aggravated offences for grooming offenders so their sentences match the severity of their crimes.

And earlier this year, I also commissioned Baroness Louise Casey to undertake a rapid national audit of the nature, scale and characteristics of gang-based exploitation.

I specifically asked her to look at the issue of ethnicity, and the cultural and social drivers for this type of offending – analysis that had never previously been done despite years of concerns being raised.

And I asked her to advise us on what further reviews, investigations and actions would be needed to address the current and historical failures that she found.

I told Parliament in January that I expected Baroness Casey to deliver the same kind of impactful and no-holds-barred report that she produced on Rotherham in 2015 so we never shy away from the reality of these terrible crimes.

And I am very grateful to Louise and her team that they have done exactly that, with a hugely wide-ranging assessment conducted in just 4 months.

THE FINDINGS OF HER AUDIT ARE DAMNING.

At its heart she identifies a deep-rooted failure to treat children as children. A continued failure to protect children and teenage girls from rape, from exploitation, and serious violence. And from the scars that last a lifetime.

She finds too much fragmentation in the authorities’ response, too little sharing of information, too much reliance on flawed data, too much denial, too little justice, too many criminals getting off, too many victims being let down.

The audit describes;

victims as young as 10 – often those in care, or children with learning or physical disabilities – being singled out for grooming precisely because of their vulnerability
perpetrators still walking free because no one joined the dots or because the law ended up protecting them instead of the victims that they had exploited
deep rooted institutional failures, stretching back decades, where organisations who should have protected children and punished offenders looked the other way – and Baroness Casey found “blindness, ignorance, prejudice, defensiveness and even good but misdirected intentions” all played a part in this collective failure

But on the key issues of ethnicity that I had asked her to examine, she has found continued failure to gather proper robust national data, despite concerns being raised going back very many years. In the local data that the audit examined from 3 police forces they identify clear evidence of over-representation among suspects of Asian and Pakistani-heritage men.

And she refers to “examples of organisations avoiding the topic altogether for fear of appearing racist or raising community tensions”.

Mr Speaker, these findings are deeply disturbing. But most disturbing of all, as Baroness Casey makes clear, is the fact that too many of these findings are not new.

As her audit sets out, there have been 15 years of reports, reviews, inquiries and investigations into these appalling rapes, exploitation and violent crimes against children – detailed over 17 pages in her report – but too little has changed.

We have lost more than a decade. That must end now.

Baroness Casey sets out 12 recommendations for change. We will take action on all of them immediately.

Because we cannot afford more wasted years so we will introduce:

new laws to protect children and support victims so they stop being blamed for the appalling crimes committed against them
new major police operations to pursue perpetrators and put them behind bars
a new national inquiry to direct local investigations and hold institutions to account for past failures
new ethnicity data and research so we face up to the facts on exploitation and abuse
new action across children’s services and other agencies to identify children at risk
and further action to support child victims and tackle new forms of exploitation and abuse online

Taken together, this will mark the biggest programme of work ever pursued to root out the scourge of grooming gangs and child sexual exploitation.

Those vile perpetrators who have grown used to the authorities looking the other way must have no place to hide.

So let me spell out the next steps we are announcing today.

Baroness Casey’s first recommendation is that we must see children as children.

She concludes that too many grooming cases have been dropped or downgraded from rape to lesser charges because a 13 to 15-year-old is perceived to have been ‘in love with’ or ‘had consented to’ sex with the perpetrator.

So we will change the law to ensure that adults who engage in penetrative sex with a child under 16 face the most serious charge of rape, and we will work closely with the CPS [Crown Prosecution Service] and the police to ensure there are safeguards for consensual teenage relationships.

And we will change the law so that those convicted for child prostitution offences while their rapists got off scot-free will have their convictions disregarded and their criminal records expunged.

Baroness Casey’s next recommendation is a national criminal operation.

As I have set out, arrests and investigations are rising.

But the audit recommends us going further

So I can announce that the police will launch a new national criminal operation into grooming gangs, overseen by the National Crime Agency bringing together for the first time all arms of the policing response and will develop a rigorous new national operating model which all forces across the country will be able to adopt.

Ensuring grooming gangs are always treated as serious and organised crime.

So rapists who groom children whether their crimes were committed decades ago or are still being committed today can end up behind bars.

But alongside justice there must also be accountability and action.

We have begun implementing the recommendations from inquiries past, including Professor Jay’s Independent Inquiry.

And we have said that further inquiries are needed to get accountability in local areas.

I told the House in January I would undertake further work to look at how to ensure those inquiries could get the evidence they needed to properly hold institutions to account and we have sought responses from local councils too.

We asked Baroness Casey to review those responses, as well as the arrangements and powers that had been used in past investigations and inquiries, to consider the best means to get to the truth.

Her report concludes that further local investigations are needed but that they should be directed and overseen by a national commission with statutory inquiry powers.

We agree. And we will set up a national inquiry to that effect.

Baroness Casey is not recommending another over-arching inquiry of the kind conducted by Professor Alexis Jay and she recommends that the inquiry should be time limited.

But its purpose must be to challenge what the audit describes as continued denial, resistance and legal wrangling among local agencies, and we will set out the further details on the national inquiry in due course.

Mr Speaker, I warned in January that the data collection we had inherited from the previous government on ethnicity was completely inadequate. That data was only collected on 37% of suspects.

Baroness Casey’s audit confirms that ethnicity data is not recorded for two-thirds of grooming gang perpetrators – and she says it is “not good enough to support any statements about the ethnicity of group-based child sexual exploitation offenders at the national level”. I agree with that conclusion.

Frankly it is ridiculous and helps no one that this basic information is not collected – especially when there have been warnings and recommendations stretching back 13 years about the woefully inadequate data on perpetrators which prevents patterns of crime being understood and tackled.

The immediate changes I announced in January to police recording practices are starting to improve the data, but we will need to go much further.

Baroness Casey’s audit examined local level data in 3 police force areas. Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire where high profile cases involving Pakistani-heritage men have long been investigated and reported – and there they found the suspects of group-based child sexual offences were disproportionately likely to be Asian men.

She also found indications of disproportionality in serious case reviews.

While much more robust national data is needed, we cannot and must not shy away from these findings. Because as Baroness Casey says: “ignoring the issues, not examining and exposing them to the light, allows the criminality and depravity of a minority of men to be used to marginalise whole communities.”

The vast majority of people in our British Asian and Pakistani heritage communities continue to be appalled by these terrible crimes and they agree that the criminal minority of sick predators and perpetrators in every community must be dealt with robustly by the criminal law.

Baroness Casey’s review also identifies prosecutions and investigations into perpetrators who are White British, European, African or Middle Eastern, just as Alexis Jay’s Inquiry concluded that all ethnicities and communities were involved in appalling child abuse crimes.

So to provide accurate information to help tackle serious crimes we will make it a formal requirement for the first time to collect both ethnicity and nationality data for all cases of child sexual abuse and exploitation.

And we will commission new research into the cultural and social drivers of child sexual exploitation, misogyny and violence against women and girls, as Baroness Casey has recommended.

The final group of recommendations from the audit is about the continued failure of agencies that should be keeping children safe to share vital information or act on clear signs of risk.

Worryingly the audit finds that whilst reports of child sexual abuse and exploitation to the police have gone up, the number of child sexual abuse cases identified for protection plans by local children’s services has fallen to its lowest ever level. But no one has been curious as to why

And the audit details an abysmal failure to respond to 15 years’ worth of recommendations and warnings about the failings of inter-agency co-operation.

So we will act at pace to deliver on Baroness Casey’s recommendations on mandatory sharing of information between agencies and on unique reference numbers for children, the work already being taken forward by my Right Honourable Friend the Education Secretary.

And my Right Honourable Friend the Transport Secretary will also work at pace to close loopholes in the law on taxi licensing.

Finally, I want to respond to 3 other important issues identified by Baroness Casey in her report but where she has not made specific recommendations.

On support for victims, my Right Honourable Friend the Health Secretary will fund additional training for mental health staff in schools on identifying and supporting children and young people who have experienced trauma, exploitation and abuse.

Secondly. Baroness Casey reports that she came across cases involving suspects who were asylum seekers. We have asked her team to provide to the Home Office all the evidence that they found, so that Immigration Enforcement can immediately pursue individual cases with the police.

But let me make clear. Those who groom children or commit sexual offences will not be granted asylum in the UK. We will do everything in our power to remove them. I do not believe the law is strong enough, that we have inherited, so we are bringing forward a change to the law, so that anyone convicted of sexual offences is excluded from the asylum system and denied refugee status.

We have already increased the removal of foreign national offenders by 14% since the election and we are drawing up new arrangements to identify and remove those who have committed a much wider range of offences.

Finally, Baroness Casey describes ways in which patterns of grooming gang child sexual exploitation are changing.

Including evidence of rape and sexual exploitation taking place in street gangs and drug gangs, that combine criminal and sexual exploitation.

I do not believe that this kind of exploitation has been sufficiently investigated.

It also describes sexual exploitation in modern slavery and trafficking cases.

And most significant of all it describes the huge increase in online grooming and horrendous sexual exploitation and abuse – including the use of social media apps to build up relationships and lure children into physical abuse.

The audit quotes one police expert saying, “If Rotherham were to happen again today it would start online.”

Mr Speaker, we are also passing world-leading new laws to target those who groom and exploit children online and investing in cutting edge technology to target the highest-harm offenders but we will need to do much more or the new scandals and shameful crimes of the future will be missed.

When the final report of Alexis Jay’s 7-year national inquiry was published in October 2022, the then Home Secretary, Grant Shapps, issued a profound and formal public apology to the victims of child sexual abuse so badly let down over decades by different levels of the state.

As Shadow Home Secretary at that time I joined him in that apology on behalf of the Opposition and extended it to victims of child sexual exploitation too.

To the victims and survivors of sexual exploitation and grooming gangs, on behalf of this and past governments and the many public authorities who let you down, I want to reiterate an unequivocal apology for the unimaginable pain and suffering you have suffered and the failure of our country’s institutions through decades to prevent that harm and keep you safe.

But words are not enough. Victims and survivors need action.

The reforms I have set out today will mean the strongest action any government has taken to tackle child sexual exploitation

More police investigations, more arrests, a new inquiry, changes to the law to protect children, and a fundamental overhaul of the way organisations work to support victims and put perpetrators behind bars.

But none of this will work unless everyone is part of it. Unless everyone works together to keep our children safe.

I commend this statement to the House.

£1bn for renewal of broken bridges, ruined roads and tired tunnels

Chancellor spends £1 billion to enhance and repair run down transport infrastructure and futureproof England’s road network

Package also includes further £590 million to take forward the long-awaited Lower Thames Crossing, and follows record £15.6bn investment in city region transport announced ahead of the Spending Review.

Funding will ensure vital upgrades are made to tired bridges, flyovers and tunnels across Britain, supporting highly skilled job opportunities, delivering on the Plan for Change.

Drivers across the UK will benefit from major investments to improve vital road structures, alongside committing cash to finally deliver a new Thames Crossing, working with the private sector.

Across Great Britain, approximately 3,000 bridges are currently unable to support the heaviest vehicles, restricting access for agricultural and freight transport in regions, and slowing down journeys.

And nationally, the number of bridge collapses has also risen – a stark reminder of the need for urgent action to turn the tide on the decade of neglect.

The Structures Fund will inject cash into repairing run down bridges, decaying flyovers and worn out tunnels across Britain, and ensure other transport infrastructure is both more resilient to extreme weather events and to the demands of modern transport – making everyday journeys safer, smoother and more dependable.

The Government is also pledging a further £590 million to take forward the Lower Thames Crossing, the most significant road building project in a generation and a national priority- ending the painfully slow approach seen before.

The new crossing will cut frustrating congestion at Dartford, better linking up motorists and businesses in the Midlands and North with key ports in the South East, and spreading growth throughout the regions as outlined in the Plan for Change.

The Government will look to bring in private finance and expertise to support this major project.

These investments come as part of the new 10 Year Infrastructure Strategy, which will be published later this week, and sets out clear, achievable and robust vision for projects over the next decade of renewal.

This also comes swiftly after a record £15.6bn was announced at the Spending Review to enable local leaders to build long awaited projects like the Tyne and Wear Metro extension and the West Yorkshire Metro, and more investment to fund the TransPennine Route Upgrade and deliver East-West Rail.

The Government is also delivering direct funding to support growth across the UK – with funding for five new rail stations in South Wales, and financial backing for carbon capture storage in Aberdeenshire.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “When it comes to investing in Britain’s renewal, we’re going all in by going up against the painful disruption of closed bridges, crossings and flyovers, and ensure they’re fit to serve working people for decades to come.

“Today’s investment also goes even further and faster to spread growth by providing critical funding to take forward the Lower Thames Crossing – not just boosting connectivity in the South East, but ensuring a smoother, less congested passage of vital goods from Europe to our regions.

“This is a turning point for our national infrastructure, and we’re backing it with funding to support thousands of jobs and connect communities, delivering on our Plan for Change.”

Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, said: “We’re finally getting on with the Lower Thames Crossing — a crucial project to drive economic growth, that has been stuck in planning limbo for far too long.

“This project is essential for improving the resilience of a key freight route and is critical to our long term trade with Europe. It will speed up the movement of goods from South East England to the Midlands and the North, crucial to thousands of jobs and businesses.

“Our structures fund will make long-overdue investments to repair ageing structures across the country, speeding up journeys, restoring pride and delivering our Plan for Change to boost the economy and support regional growth.”

Capital investment today will not only address these immediate risks over the next five years, but create skilled jobs in construction, engineering and maintenance, support vital regeneration in local areas by improving connectivity, and boost local economies by improving access to jobs, education and services.

The government will set out more detail about how funding will be allocated shortly. This funding is additional to the funding local authorities will receive for highways maintenance, which will be set out in due course.

Spending Review: £ Billions to back Scottish jobs

UK Government’s Plan for Change delivers record settlement for Scottish Government with an extra £9.1 billion over the SR period to deliver public services

Working people across Scotland will benefit from significant investment in clean energy and innovation, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and strengthening Scotland’s position as the home of the United Kingdom’s clean energy revolution. 

The UK Government has confirmed £8.3 billion in funding for GB Energy-Nuclear and GB Energy in Aberdeen. This is alongside an increased commitment to the Acorn Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage project, which will receive development funding.

The Spending Review, outlined yesterday, Wednesday 11 June, announces targeted investment in Scotland’s most promising sectors to grow the economy and put more money in working people’s pockets.  It delivers an extra £9.1 billion over Phase 2 of the Spending Review, through the Barnett formula.

The government also confirmed £25 million for the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Freeport.  

These investments are part of a wider package, with funding for hydrogen production projects at Cromarty and Whitelee.

Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray, said:  “Putting more money in the pockets of working Scots by investing in the country’s renewal is at the heart of this Spending Review and our Plan for Change.

“The Chancellor has unleashed a new era of growth for Scotland, confirming billions of pounds of investment in clean energy – including new development funding for Acorn – creating thousands of high-skilled jobs.

“Scotland’s leading role at the heart of UK defence policy has been strengthened and there is also significant investment in our trailblazing innovation, research and development sectors.

“And the Scotland Office will work with local partners to ensure hundreds of millions of pounds of new targeted support for Scottish communities and businesses goes to projects that matter to local people. This means that the UK Government is now investing almost £1.7 billion in dozens of important growth schemes across Scotland over 10 years.

“To maximise the benefit of recent trade deals with India, US and the EU we are continuing the Brand Scotland programme to promote inward investment opportunities boosting Scottish exports of our globally celebrated products.

“And we are delivering a record real-terms funding settlement for the Scottish Government with an extra £9.1 billion over the Spending Review period through the Barnett formula. That’s more money than ever before for them to invest in Scottish public services like our NHS, police, housing and schools.

“This is a historic Spending Review for Scotland that chooses investment over decline and delivers on the promise that there would be no return to austerity.”

Investment in Scotland to strengthen UK defence 

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, the Chancellor reaffirmed the government’s commitment to increase defence spending to 2.6% of GDP by April 2027, backing our Armed Forces, creating British jobs in British industries, and prioritising the security of Britain when it is most needed. 

The long-term future of the Clyde is secured through an initial £250 million investment over three years which will begin a multi-decade, multi-billion pound redevelopment of HM Naval Base Clyde through the ‘Clyde 2070’ programme.  

Investing in innovation and R&D 

Scotland will also become home to the UK’s largest and most powerful supercomputer, with up to £750 million committed to its development at Edinburgh University. This world-class facility will give scientists across all UK universities access to extraordinary computer power, further strengthening Scotland’s research and innovation capability.  

The UK Government is backing Scottish industry with a share of increased UK-wide R&D spending set to grow from £20.4 billion in 2025-26 to over £22.6 billion per year by 2029-30. Scotland will also benefit from a £410 million UK-wide Local Innovation Partnerships Fund. 

Targeted support for Scottish communities  

The government is also investing £160 million over 10 years for Investment Zones in the North East of Scotland and in Glasgow City Region, and confirming £452 million over four years for City and Growth Deals across Scotland. 

A £100 million joint investment for the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth deal with the Scottish Government (£50 million from UK Government and £50 million from Scottish Government), demonstrating the UK Government’s continued commitment to the Grangemouth industrial area. 

A new local growth fund, and investments in up to 350 deprived communities across the UK, will maintain the same cash level as in 2025-26 under the Shared Prosperity Fund. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Scotland Office, will work with local partners and the Scottish Government, to ensure money goes to projects that matter to local people. This investment will help drive growth and improve communities across Scotland. 

Supporting Scottish businesses 

The National Wealth Fund (NWF) is trialling a Strategic Partnership with Glasgow City Region to provide enhanced, hands-on support to help it develop and finance long term investment opportunities. The NWF has already made its first investment in Scotland with £43.5 million in direct equity for a sustainable packaging company, which is to build its first commercial-scale manufacturing facility near Glasgow. 

Through its Nations and Regions Investment programme the British Business Bank is delivering £150 million across Scotland to break down access to finance barriers and drive economic growth. 

The settlement also allocates £0.75 million each year to champion our ‘Brand Scotland’ trade missions to promote Scotland’s goods and services on the world stage and to encourage further growth and investment.

A record settlement for Scottish public services  

The Government has been clear that local decision-making against local priorities is central to delivering growth.  

The Scottish Government will receive the largest real terms settlement since devolution began in 1998, with an average £50.9 billion per year between 2026-27 and 2028-29, enabling the Scottish Government to deliver for working people in Scotland.  This includes £2.9 billion per year on average through the operation of the Barnett formula, with £2.4 billion resource between 2026-27 and 2028-29 and £510 million capital between 2026-27 and 2029-30.

This investment and record settlement is made possible by the ‘tough but necessary’ decisions taken in the October Budget.

Edinburgh North and Leith Labour MP Tracy Gilbert has welcomed the statement. She said: “The Comprehensive Spending Review is good for Scotland’s economy and public Services.

“After several meetings with the Secretary of States for Science, Innovation and Technology and Scotland I’m so pleased to see the announcement of funding for the new Supercomputer to be based at EdinburghUniversity.

“This major investment in Edinburgh positions us at the forefront of computing, and technological innovation, not just in the UK, but globally.”

Not unsurprisingly, the Holyrood SNP Government has a number of issues with the likely impact of the Spending Review on Scotland. Post to follow …

Spending Review: Biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation

The Chancellor is today [WEDNESDAY 11 JUNE] expected to announce the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation.

As part of the Spending Review Rachel Reeves is expected to confirm £39 billion for a new Affordable Homes Programme over 10 years. This will turbocharge the Plan for Change commitment to get Britain building and deliver the 1.5 million homes this country needs.

This investment will be significantly higher than what the previous government spent on affordable housing. The last five year 2021-26 programme was only £11.5bn, averaging £2.3bn per year.

This means the government will be spending almost double this on affordable housing investment by the end of this Parliament (£4bn in 2029/30).

This is the first time in living memory that the government has set out a programme that provides ten years of certainty. This provides the sector with the confidence to deliver for now and the future, making it easier for those on low incomes to access a safe, high-quality home.

This comes on top of a ten-year social rent settlement that will set a rent policy for social housing from 2026 that enables providers to borrow and invest in new and existing homes, while also protecting social housing tenants. This ten year settlement will see rents rise at CPI+1% from 2026, alongside a consultation to follow shortly on how to implement social rent convergence.

It also builds on ambitious reforms to the planning system that the Government has already announced, which were judged by the OBR to add £6.8bn to the economy and boost housebuilding to its highest level in 40 years by 2029/30.

A government spokesperson said:  “The Government is investing in Britain’s renewal, so working people are better off.

“We’re turning the tide against the unacceptable housing crisis in this country with the biggest boost to social and affordable housing investment in a generation, delivering on our Plan for Change commitment to get Britain building.”

RACHEL REEVES: “WE ARE INVESTING IN BRITAIN’S RENEWAL”

Chancellor vows to ‘invest in Britain’s renewal’ as she lays out the Government’s Spending Review.
Reeves to announce the Government’s plans to invest in Britain’s security, health and economy to make working people better off.
Billions of pounds of new capital investment will boost British business and create British jobs to kickstart economic growth and drive up living standards in line with the Plan for Change, including the biggest ever local transport investment in England’s city regions outside of London and the South East.

The Chancellor will today publish the Government’s Spending Review to ‘invest in Britain’s renewal’ as she vows to make all parts of the country better off.

Rachel Reeves will announce plans for billions of pounds of investment in projects across the United Kingdom that will create jobs, prosperity, and put more money in people’s pockets.

The Chancellor will say detailed spending plans come after the Autumn Budget and Spring Statement fixed the foundations of our economy to deliver stability, outlining: “The choices in this Spending Review are possible only because of the stability I have introduced and the choices I took in the Autumn.”

The Chancellor will confirm the Government’s commitment to delivering for every part of Britain, by announcing reforms that will guarantee towns and cities outside London and the South East can benefit from new investment. This will include the biggest ever local transport infrastructure investment in England’s city regions, which will truly connect people to opportunities that improve their quality of life, a key objective of the Government’s Plan for Change.

Ms Reeves is also expected to spell out the Government’s plans to invest in the British people’s priorities of security, health and economy.

The Spending Review comes on the back of the Government’s announcements in recent days to invest £15.6 billion in local transport projects, £86 billion to boost science and technology, and create ten thousand jobs by building Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station – which will drive forward Britain’s status as a clean energy superpower, as outlined in the Plan for Change.

Speaking in the House of Commons, the Chancellor is expected to say: “This Government is renewing Britain. But I know too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it.

“This Government’s task – my task – and the purpose of this Spending Review – is to change that. To ensure that renewal is felt in people’s everyday lives, their jobs, their communities.

“So that people can see a doctor when when they need one. Know that they are secure at work. And feel safe on their local high street.

“The priorities in this Spending Review are the priorities of working people. To invest in our country’s security, health and economy so working people all over our country are better off. That is what this Spending Review will deliver.”

She will add: “I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal.

“These are my choices. These are this Government’s choices. These are the British people’s choices.”

Thousands of jobs to be created as Government announces multi-billion-pound investment to build Sizewell C

‘GOLDEN AGE OF CLEAN ENERGY ABUNDANCE’ – ED MILIBAND

10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships, to be created as the Government announces multi-billion investment to build Sizewell C.
Chancellor to confirm funding at the GMB Congress ahead of Spending Review, as Energy Secretary vows ‘golden age’ of nuclear.
Investment to deliver clean power to millions of homes, cut energy bills and boost energy security.
Government commits over £6 billion of investment to nuclear submarine industrial base to deliver on Strategic Defence Review

Ten thousand jobs will be created as the Government announces a £14.2 billion investment to build Sizewell C nuclear plant as part of the Spending Review, ending years of delay and uncertainty.

The Chancellor is set to confirm the funding at the GMB Congress later today ahead of the Government’s Spending Review, as the Energy Secretary vows a ‘golden age’ of nuclear to boost the UK’s energy security.

The Government’s investment will go towards creating 10,000 jobs, including 1,500 apprenticeships, and support thousands more jobs across the UK.

The equivalent of around six million of today’s homes will be powered with clean homegrown energy from Sizewell C. The investment in clean, homegrown power brings to an end decades of dithering and delay, with the Government backing the builders in the drive for energy security and kick-starting economic growth. 

The announcement comes as the Government is set to confirm one of Europe’s first Small Modular Reactor programmes. This comes alongside record investment in R&D for fusion energy, worth over £2.5 billion over five years. Taken together with Sizewell C, this delivers the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation.

Clean, home-grown power at Sizewell C will help drive the UK’s energy security, as part of the Government’s mission to protect family finances by replacing the UK’s dependency on fossil fuel markets controlled by dictators with homegrown power that we control.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said:  “Today we are once again investing in Britian’s renewal, with the biggest nuclear building programme in a generation. This landmark decision is our Plan for Change in action.

“We are creating thousands of jobs, kickstarting economic growth and putting more money people’s pockets.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:  “We will not accept the status quo of failing to invest in the future and energy insecurity for our country. 

“We need new nuclear to deliver a golden age of clean energy abundance, because that is the only way to protect family finances, take back control of our energy, and tackle the climate crisis.

“This is the Government’s clean energy mission in action – investing in lower bills and good jobs for energy security.” 

Sizewell C 

Sizewell C will provide 10,000 people with employment at peak construction and support thousands more jobs across the UK, including 1,500 apprenticeships.

The company has already signed £330 million in contracts with local companies and will boost supply chains across the UK with 70% of contracts predicted to go to 3,500 British suppliers – supporting new jobs in construction, welding, and hospitality. Jobs in the nuclear industry pay well above national averages and the government is committed to working with nuclear trade unions such as the GMB, Unite, and Prospect, who will continue to play a pivotal role in building the industry.  

Despite the UK’s strong nuclear legacy, opening the world’s first commercial nuclear power station in the 1950s, no new nuclear plant has opened in the UK since 1995, with all of the existing fleet except Sizewell B likely to be phased out by the early 2030s. 

Sizewell C was one of eight sites identified in 2009 by then-Energy Secretary Ed Miliband as a potential site for new nuclear. However, the project was not fully funded in the 14 years that followed under subsequent Governments. 

The Government’s nuclear programme is now the most ambitious for a generation – once small modular reactors and Sizewell C come online in the 2030s, combined with Hinkley Point C, this will deliver more new nuclear to grid than over the previous half century combined.

Small Modular Reactors 

Great British Nuclear is expected to announce the outcome of its small modular reactor competition imminently, the first step towards the goal of driving down costs and unlocking private finance with a long-term ambition to bring forward one of the first SMR fleets in Europe. 

The government’s nuclear resurgence will support the UK’s long-term energy security, with small modular reactors expected to power millions of homes with clean energy and help fuel power-hungry industries like AI data centres.  

This follows reforms to planning rules announced by the Prime Minister in February 2025 to make it easier to build nuclear across the country – changing the rules to back the builders of this nation, and saying no to the blockers who have strangled our chances of cheaper energy, growth and jobs for far too long.  

The government is also looking to provide a route for private sector-led advanced nuclear projects to be deployed in the UK, alongside investing £300m in developing the world’s first non-Russian supply of the advanced fuels needed to run them.  

Companies will be able to work with the government to continue their development with potential investment from the National Wealth Fund.

Fusion Energy 

The government is also making a record investment in R&D for fusion energy, investing over £2.5 billion over 5 years. This includes progressing the STEP programme (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production), the world-leading fusion plant in Nottinghamshire, creating thousands of new jobs and with the potential to unlock limitless clean power. 

This builds on the UK’s global leadership to turbocharge economic growth in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor, while helping deliver the UK’s flagship programme to design and build a prototype fusion power station on the site of a former coal-fired plant.  

Defence

To secure the UK as a leader in both civil and defence nuclear, the government is also making continued long-term investment in our Defence Nuclear Enterprise and its industrial base, which is critical for our national security while also being a significant generator of economic opportunities, jobs and growth across the entire country.

Further investments in the defence nuclear sector include over £6bn over the SR period to enable a transformation in the capacity, capability and productivity of the UK’s submarine industrial base, including at BAE Systems in Barrow and Rolls-Royce Submarines in Derby – to deliver the increase in the submarine production rate announced in the Strategic Defence Review.

In addition, we will embark on a multi-decade, multi-billion redevelopment of HMNB Clyde, with an initial £250m of funding over 3 years, supporting jobs, skills and growth across the West of Scotland.

The government will also invest over £420m of additional funding in Sheffield Forgemasters, securing 700 existing skilled jobs and creating over 900 new construction roles.

U-Turn: Nine million pensioners to receive Winter Fuel Payments

Everyone over the State Pension age in England and Wales with an income of, or below, £35,000 a year will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment this winter.
This increased threshold means no lower or middle-income pensioners will miss out, with the vast majority – over three quarters – of pensioners in England and Wales receiving the payment.
Support will continue to be targeted, with pensioners above this threshold having the payment automatically recovered or able to opt out.

Nine million pensioners to receive Winter Fuel Payments this winter as all pensioners in England and Wales with an income of, or below, £35,000 a year will benefit from a Winter Fuel Payment.

This extends eligibility to the vast majority of pensioners, with around 9 million, or over three quarters, benefitting. This threshold is well above the income level of pensioners in poverty and is broadly in line with average earnings, balancing support for lower income pensioners with fairness to the taxpayer

This change will cost around £1.25 billion in England and Wales and see means-testing of the Winter Fuel Payment save around £450 million, subject to certification by the Office for Budget Responsibility compared to the system of universal Winter Fuel Payments.

The costs will be accounted for at the Budget and incorporated into the next OBR forecast. The Chancellor will take decisions on funding in the round at that forecast to ensure the government’s non-negotiable fiscal rules are met. This will not lead to permanent additional borrowing.

No pensioner will need to take any action as they will automatically receive the payment this winter, and for those with incomes above the threshold it will be automatically recovered via HMRC.

The payment of £200 per household, or £300 per household where there is someone over 80, will be made automatically this winter. Over 12 million pensioners across the United Kingdom will also benefit from the Triple Lock, with their State Pension set to increase by up to £1,900 this parliament.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “Targeting Winter Fuel Payments was a tough decision, but the right decision because of the inheritance we had been left by the previous government. It is also right that we continue to means-test this payment so that it is targeted and fair, rather than restoring eligibility to everyone including the wealthiest.

“But we have now acted to expand the eligibility of the Winter Fuel Payment so no pensioner on a lower income will miss out. This will mean over three quarters of pensioners receiving the payment in England and Wales later this winter.”

Pensioners above the £35,000 threshold will have the full amount of the Winter Fuel Payment they received automatically collected via PAYE, or via their Self-Assessment return.

No one will need to register with HMRC for this or take any further action. Pensioners who want to opt out and not receive the payment at all, will be able to do so, with details to be confirmed.

Making these changes now gives people certainty and ensures that payments can be made in time for this winter. Payments will be better targeted than before 2024-25 when they were previously paid to all pensioners regardless of their income, meaning those on lower and middle incomes will still receive the help they need, ensuring fairness for both pensioners and taxpayers.

Approximately 2 million individuals in England and Wales over State Pension age have taxable incomes above £35,000.

Prime Minister launches national skills drive to unlock opportunities for young people in AI

Pupils across the country will be given the skills and tools needed to get the AI-powered jobs of the future thanks to a new skills programme launched by the Prime Minister

1 million students in secondary school to be given an unprecedented chance to learn and develop their skills in tech and AI
£187 million investment in national skills programme to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities
7.5 million UK workers to gain essential AI skills by 2030 through industry partnership as major tech players including NVIDIA, Google and Microsoft back the Government’s skills drive
Skills drive to break down barriers to opportunity, drive growth and put more money in people’s pockets through skilled jobs as part of the Plan for Change and the forthcoming modern Industrial Strategy

Pupils across the country will be given the skills and tools needed to get the AI-powered jobs of the future thanks to a new skills programme launched by the Prime Minister today (Monday 9 June).

At the heart of the skills drive, and as part of the upcoming modern Industrial Strategy, is a new £187 million government “TechFirst” programme to bring digital skills and AI learning into classrooms and communities and train up people of all ages and backgrounds for the tech careers of the future.

Today’s announcements show this government is laser focused on investing in the futures of young people across Britain, knocking down barriers to opportunities, regardless of where they grow up.

It comes as research commissioned by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) shows that by 2035, around 10 million workers will be in roles where AI will be part of their role or responsibilities in some form, with a further 3.9 million in roles directly in AI.

The flagship strand of this programme “TechYouth” – backed by £24 million of government funding – will give 1 million students over three years across every secondary school in the UK the chance to learn about technology and gain access to new skills training and career opportunities.

There will also be an online platform to inspire and educate students about the potential of computing and tech careers – building on CyberFirst’s Explorers which has access to most secondary schools in the UK with 100,000 students registered already. This will bring together learning tools and training opportunities in a streamlined accessible space.

In each of the UK’s regions and nations, a local delivery partner will be selected by DSIT to run the programme and deliver activities to schools and colleges in local areas.

The AI sector alone is valued at £72.3 billion and is projected to exceed £800 billion by 2035. It is growing 30 times faster than the rest of the economy, employing over 64,000 people across more than 3,700 companies.

But despite these strengths, access to AI skills in the UK remains one of the biggest barriers to growth—especially for startups, scaleups, and regions outside London. According to a TechNation report released today, one in three UK tech founders say the availability of top talent is their biggest barrier to growth.

That’s why the government is backing young people and investing in skills as an engine of economic growth—putting more money in people’s pockets and breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Plan for Change.

This package underpins the upcoming industrial strategy and also delivers on the government’s manifesto commitment to create higher-quality training and employment paths by empowering local communities to develop the skills people need and putting employers at the heart of our skills system.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We are putting the power of AI into the hands of the next generation – so they can shape the future, not be shaped by it.

“This training programme will unlock opportunity in every classroom – and lays the foundations for a new era of growth.

“Too many children from working families like the one I grew up in are written off. I am determined to end that.

“This programme is the Plan for Change in action – breaking down barriers, driving innovation, and giving every young person the chance of a good, well paid job and a bright future.”

TechFirst will also support over 4,000 graduates, researchers, and innovators through three additional strands:

TechGrad (£96.8m) – will support 1,000 exceptional domestic students a year with undergraduate scholarships in areas like AI, cyber security, and computer science. This will also go towards 100 Research MSc places in key tech sectors, and 100 elite AI scholarships. Applicants will be able to apply to the scheme online and those successful will have their bursaries paid from a central fund.
TechExpert (£48.4m) – will give up to £10,000 in additional funding to 500 domestic PhD students conducting research in tech with the aim of accelerating cutting-edge innovation, strengthen the UK’s research pipeline in strategic technology sectors, and ensure that emerging talent is supported to contribute to national tech leadership.
TechLocal (£18m) – will offer seed funding to help regional innovators and small businesses develop new tech products and adopt AI. A panel made up of local tech businesses will be established in each region to decide which applications have merit, with the necessary checks then done centrally by Innovate UK.

Major industry players including IBM, BAE Systems, QinetiQ, BT, Microsoft and the Careers & Enterprise Company – the national body for careers education – have backed the initiative.

TechFirst builds on the success of the CyberFirst programme, which has already helped hundreds of thousands of young people gain cyber security skills.

Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “We are getting Brits ready for jobs of the future by helping millions across the country gain vital digital skills in AI and beyond.

“Embedding these skills into our education system and local communities will help people of all backgrounds and ensure tech talent flourishes in every corner of our nation.

“These partnerships with industry will translate skills into real jobs and economic growth, putting more money in people’s pockets and breaking down barriers to opportunity. This is our Plan for Change in action – investing in the skills that will power our economy and deliver prosperity for working people across the country.”

Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO, NVIDIA said: “AI developers power the next industrial revolution.

“AI talent, skills and research are crucial ingredients in the UK’s mission to become an AI maker, not an AI taker. We’re delighted to partner with the government to train the next generation of AI developers, capable of finding new cures for diseases, discovering new materials and building word-class AI companies.”

Google EMEA President, Debbie Weinstein, said: “Our AI Works report revealed that £400bn worth of economic growth awaits the UK, but half of this depends on workers embracing and using AI.

“That’s precisely why we’re thrilled to join this crucial initiative, essential for supercharging AI upskilling, unlocking AI-powered growth and cementing the UK’s position as an AI leader.”

Carolyn Dawson OBE, CEO of Founders Forum Group and Tech Nation, said: “AI will transform every industry – but we can only unlock its full potential if we ensure the UK’s workforce has the skills to keep pace.

“This national upskilling programme is an ambitious and necessary step – not just to boost productivity, but to make sure we’re equipping the UK to participate in and benefit from the AI-driven economy.

“At Tech Nation, we’ve long championed the power of both homegrown talent and global expertise – whether that’s through supporting founders to scale or endorsing the UK’s Global Talent Visa. We’re proud to support initiatives that help the UK remain globally competitive”.

Leon Butler Chief Executive of IBM UK and Ireland said: ““Boosting technology skills across the economy is key to the UK maintaining its leadership position in AI. Having helped millions globally to develop new AI skills with our IBM SkillsBuild programme, we are delighted to partner with the UK government to help equip workers with vital tech skills.

“This complements our long-standing commitment to programmes such as CyberFirst, which we are excited to see expand. We look forward to continuing our support as the programme grows.”

Darren Hardman CEO of Microsoft UK said: ““Artificial Intelligence represents a generational opportunity, already transforming the way we live, work, and innovate.

“For the UK to remain globally competitive, we have to equip people with the skills they need to be successful in an AI-powered economy. Microsoft is proud to be playing its part, by training one million people with AI skills this year, and by supporting millions more through this new initiative.”

Intuit EMEA General Manager Leigh Thomas said: ““AI is a growth enabler for small and medium-sized businesses, levelling the playing field, by giving them the opportunity to access the sort of technology solutions that larger businesses have access to.

“The announcement today is a great step forward in improving their bottom line, and we look forward to collaborating with Government and other private sector partners to accelerate knowledge, understanding and adoption of AI tools by the businesses that need it most.”

Alongside TechFirst, the Prime Minister also announced a new government-industry partnership to train 7.5 million UK workers in essential skills to use AI by 2030—equivalent to around 20% of the UK workforce.

Leading technology companies including Google, Microsoft, IBM, SAS, Accenture, Sage, Barclays, BT, Amazon, Intuit, and Salesforce have signed up to the partnership. They have committed to making high-quality training materials widely available to workers in businesses – large and small – up and down the country free of charge, over the next five years.

Training will focus on enabling workers to use and interact with AI systems such as chatbots and large language models to boost productivity across a wide range of roles. Sector-specific training will also be developed to meet the needs of industries from healthcare to finance to manufacturing.

These companies will meet the Technology Secretary Peter Kyle this week to discuss how to meet the 2030 target, agree a terms of reference and will convene regularly to track progress.

Following his speech, the Prime Minister will join NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang for an “in conversation” event to discuss the challenges of closing the AI skills gap and the potential of AI to transform public services and drive economic growth.

This comes as the government and NVIDIA today signed two Memorandums of Understanding, supporting the development of a nationwide AI talent pipeline and accelerating critical university-led research into the role of AI in advanced connectivity technologies. In addition, NVIDIA will expand its AI lab in Bristol to other areas of the UK to accelerate UK research in AI.

Today’s package follows the Department for Education’s announcement of the board members for Skills England, a new body which will work with employers and local leaders to shape training policy and delivery. Skills England will identify and tackle skills shortage in key Industrial Strategy sectors such as digital, creating more opportunities for young people.

Yesterday The Prime Minister hosted a private reception at Chequers, with leading tech CEOs and investors—including Eric Schmidt (Former CEO & Chairman of Google), Angie Ma (Faculty AI) Demis Hassabis (Google DeepMind), and Alex Wang (Scale) —to reaffirm the UK’s position as a global tech leader.

Tomorrow, he will welcome business leaders and entrepreneurs to Downing Street, including 16-year-old AI entrepreneur Toby Brown, who recently secured $1 million in Silicon Valley funding for his startup, Beem.

Spending Review: Transformative £86 billion boost to science and technology

Funding package worth more than £22.5 billion a year in 2029 will boost UK’s world-leading status in research and innovation

£86 billion to fund everything from new drug treatments and longer lasting batteries to new AI breakthroughs to generate billions for the UK economy and drive our Plan for Change
includes up to £500 million for regions across the UK, with local leaders part of decision making
announcement comes ahead of Wednesday’s Spending Review, where the Chancellor will make clear that investing in Britain’s renewal will deliver change for working people and their communities

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will announce a transformative £86 billion in the Spending Review to turbo-charge our fastest growing sectors, from tech and life sciences, to advanced manufacturing and defence, as part of the government’s plan to invest in Britain’s renewal through our Modern Industrial Strategy.

Britain will boost its world-leading status in research and innovation with a bumper funding package worth more than £22.5 billion a year in 2029/2030. From exploring new drug treatments and longer lasting batteries, to new AI breakthroughs, the package will drive new jobs and economic growth as well as ensuring the UK leads the way in pioneering the technologies of the future.

It comes ahead of the Spending Review, where the Chancellor will set out how the government will invest in Britain’s renewal by investing in the people’s priorities: health, security and the economy. The Chancellor will outline this government’s laser focus on investing in Britain’s renewal through projects that will bring jobs and prosperity, putting more money in working people’s pockets.

The new R&D package will mean local leaders have government backing to develop ‘innovation clusters’ across the country, to unlock the talent and opportunity in every region and nation.

It is those with skin in the game who know what is best for their region. That’s why, through the new Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, local leaders will be given the powers to decide how to target their research investment in the region and make the most of skill sets of the community, boosting high skilled jobs and igniting growth across the country, the core mission of the government’s Plan for Change.

The package will see every corner of the country benefit. In Liverpool, that means leveraging its expertise in life sciences to accelerate drug discovery, in Northern Ireland that means harnessing its reputation for cutting edge defence equipment to shore up our national security.

And in South Wales, it means boosting expertise in designing cutting edge semiconductors that power the devices like mobile phones and electric cars we rely on every day to support growth and new jobs in those regions.

The new funding will build on work already underway to transform local communities through the Innovation Accelerator pilot scheme – a new funding approach and partnership between local authorities and government.

It has supported new technology developed by the Greater Manchester advanced diagnostic accelerator, delivering quicker and cheaper detection for liver, heart and lung diseases, whilst Moonbility from the West Midlands is using AI software helping train companies to simulate, in real time, potential disruption to the network so they can alert passengers on delay length, giving advice on replanning journeys.

This government is making investments in Britain’s future that will deliver dividends for decades to come. Every £1 invested in R&D generates up to £7 in benefits to the UK economy and leverages double in private investment in the long run, with businesses that receive their first R&D grant funding seeing jobs and turnover go up by over 20% in the following years – providing a major boost to the UK economy. R&D is also at the heart of around 3 million jobs in the UK, with the power to create many more as discoveries advance.

The announcement comes ahead of London Tech Week, the UK’s flagship technology festival, with more expected in the coming days, as this government doubles down on plans to ensure the UK is once again open for business and setting the conditions for a decade of national renewal and the economic growth that is at the heart of our Plan for Change.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said: “Britain is the home of science and technology. Through the Plan for Change, we are investing in Britain’s renewal to create jobs, protect our security against foreign threats and make working families better off.“

Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said: “R&D is the very foundation of the breakthroughs that make our lives easier and healthier – from new medicines enabling us to live longer, more fulfilled lives to developments in AI giving us time back, from easing our train journeys through to creating the technology we need to protect our planet from climate change.

“Incredible and ambitious research goes on in every corner of our country, from Liverpool to Inverness, Swansea to Belfast, which is why empowering regions to harness local expertise and skills for all of our benefit is at the heart of this new funding – helping to deliver the economic growth at the centre of our Plan for Change.”

Alongside this, nearly £5 million is being invested to kickstart a new partnership between the high-growth regions of Manchester and Cambridge, strengthening the link between these hubs of innovation to attract more business investment, and pilot new approaches to collaboration, setting examples for cities, universities and governments worldwide.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “This is exactly how we turn our potential into progress. This investment backs regions to lead the way in the industries that will define the future.

“From life sciences and advanced manufacturing to clean energy and AI, regions across the UK have the skills and the ideas – they just need the investment and the power to match.

“This will drive innovation that not only grows the economy but creates jobs, builds opportunity, improves health and changes lives.”

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: “Our region is already an advanced manufacturing powerhouse and this announcement boosts my mission to create new growth, new jobs and new opportunities in 2 exciting ways.

“We will now be able to support more research and development projects in established sectors, like the car industry and green energy, which are cornerstones of the North East economy, and we can also invest in new technologies from kitchen table innovations to our fast-emerging trailblazers in the space industry and AI.”

Illegal working enforcement soars in drive to strengthen border security

Over 6,000 arrests and 9,000 visits carried out across the UK since general election in Labour’s crackdown on illegal working

A major surge in immigration enforcement activity across the UK has led to a 51% rise in the number of arrests since Labour’s general election victory, as part of a Home Office drive to disable the illegal working trade in the UK.

Immigration Enforcement teams have intensified activity in towns, cities and villages to tackle those abusing the UK immigration system and exploiting vulnerable people. It forms part of the government’s efforts to crack down on organised immigration crime at every level under the Plan for Change and end the false promise of jobs used to sell spaces on small boats.

Since 5 July last year to 31 May, 9,000 visits have resulted in 6,410 arrests, marking a 48% and 51% rise respectively compared to the year before under the previous government (5 July 2023 to 31 May 2024).

Particular focus has been on tackling employers facilitating illegal working, often subjecting migrants to squalid conditions and illegal working hours below minimum wage. Restaurants, nail bars and construction sites have been among the thousands of businesses targeted.

The new measures come alongside a ramp-up of operational activity to restore control of the immigration system, including the return of nearly 30,000 people with no right to be in the UK.

Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle, said: “For too long, employers have been able to take on and exploit migrants, with people allowed to arrive and work here illegally.

“This will no longer be tolerated on our watch. That’s why we are ramping up our enforcement activity and introducing tougher laws to finally get a grip of our immigration and asylum system.

“Under our Plan for Change, we will continue to root out unscrupulous employers and disrupt illegal workers who undermine our border security.”

It is a legal requirement for employers to carry out Right to Work checks and those who fail to do so face hefty penalties including fines of up to £60,000 per worker, director disqualifications and potential prison sentences of up to five years.

Director of Enforcement, Compliance and Crime at Immigration Enforcement Eddy Montgomery said: “Our work to tackle illegal working is vital in not only bringing the guilty to account, but also in protecting vulnerable people from exploitation.

“I’m incredibly proud of our enforcement teams across the country for their hard work, skill and co-operation on these often challenging but highly important operations.”

During one major co-ordinated operation in March, officers made 36 arrests at a construction site in Belfast’s historic Titanic Quarter. Offences ranged from breaching visa conditions to illegal entry in the UK with no permission to work.

Elsewhere, 9 arrests were made at a caravan park in Surrey last month following intelligence individuals were working illegally as delivery drivers in the gig economy.

Meanwhile, 9 people were also arrested in Bradford in March as officers intercepted a popular illegal working pick up point in Naples Street.

Ramping up illegal working enforcement activity forms a key part of the Home Office’s drive to restore order to the immigration system under the Labour Government’s Plan for Change.

In many cases, individuals travelling to the UK illegally are sold a lie by smuggling gangs that they will be able to live and work freely in the UK, when in reality they often end up facing squalid living conditions, minimal pay and inhumane working hours, with the threat of arrest and removal if they are caught working illegally.

In the latest move to restore order to the asylum and immigration system, the government is also introducing tough new laws to clamp down on illegal working by extending Right to Work checks on those hiring gig economy and zero-hours workers in sectors like construction, food delivery, beauty salons and courier services.

826,000 families boost finances with childcare savings

Almost 826,000 UK families shared £632.2 million in government top-ups towards their childcare bills with Tax-Free Childcare in the 2024 to 2025 tax year
Working families urged to sign up now to give their summer plans a financial boost
Supporting the government’s mission to grow the economy and deliver on the Plan for Change

Nearly 826,000 working families saved up to £2,000 per child with Tax-Free Childcare in the 2024 to 2025 tax year. The money helps families pay for their childcare, as part of the government’s Plan for Change to put more money in people’s pockets.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is encouraging those yet to sign up for Tax-Free Childcare, to do it now and give their summer plans a financial boost.

Latest figures from HMRC show in March 2025, 36,095 families in Scotland used the scheme to save on their annual childcare bills, an increase of 4,925 families compared to the previous March.

Working families who sign up to Tax-Free Childcare can boost their annual budget by up to £2,000 per child up to the age of 11 or up to £4,000 up to the age of 16 for a disabled child.

Parents can use the scheme to help towards the cost of approved childcare whether that’s nursery for younger children, or for older children – wraparound or after school care clubs during term time or holiday clubs for the long summer holidays ahead.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “Summer can be an expensive time if you have children. Whatever you’re planning, Tax-Free Childcare can give your plans a welcome financial boost. Go to GOV.UK to start saving today.”

For every £8 deposited in a Tax-Free Childcare account, the government tops it by £2, which means parents can receive up to £500 (or £1,000 if their child is disabled) every 3 months towards paying for their childcare costs.

Once families have opened a Tax-Free Childcare account, they can deposit money and use it straight away or keep it in the account to use it whenever it’s needed. Any unused money in the account can be withdrawn at any time.  

Families could be eligible for Tax-Free Childcare if they:     

have a child or children aged 11 or under. They stop being eligible on 1 September after their 11^th birthday. If their child has a disability, they receive up to £4,000 a year until 1 September after their 16^th birthday
the parent and their partner (if they have one) earn, or expect to earn, at least the National Minimum Wage or Living Wage for 16 hours a week, on average  
each earn no more than £100,000 per annum  
do not receive Universal Credit or childcare vouchers

Visit GOV.UK to check eligibility and register for Tax-Free Childcare.

Tax-Free Childcare can be used alongside the free childcare hours subject to eligibility.