Almost 3 million matured Child Trust Fund accounts have been claimed or transferred into an Individual Savings Account since September 2020.
Around 827,000 matured Child Trust Funds yet to be claimed, worth on average £2,310.
Young people can find their Child Trust Fund quickly and for free using the GOV.UK locator tool.
Almost 3 million accounts held by 18 to 24 year-olds have either been claimed or transferred into an Individual Savings Account, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) reveals as it encourages the thousands who don’t know where their savings are to find them today.
Latest figures show around 827,000 young adults have a matured Child Trust Fund account waiting to be claimed, which could be worth on average £2,310.
Child Trust Funds are long term, tax-free savings accounts set up for children born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011 with an initial government deposit of at least £250.
Young people can take control of their account at 16 and when the account matures at 18, can decide what they want to do with it – withdraw it to spend, leave it where it is or re-invest it.
Anna, 18 from London, has already claimed her Child Trust Fund:“It was really straightforward. Nationwide kept me updated the whole way through and explained how to access the money. I’m heading off to university soon, and I honestly had no idea how expensive things like saucepans, plates and all the other essentials would be, so this support has been really helpful.”
Matteo, 18 from London, has decided to leave his savings in the account:“I’ve just turned 18 and I’m looking at all my options before deciding what to do with my Child Trust Fund.
£My parents have topped it up over the years, so it’s grown into a really useful amount of money. I don’t want to rush into anything or waste it, so I’m taking the time to work out what’s best for me.”
If young people, or their parents or guardians, know who their Child Trust Fund provider is, they can contact them directly.
If not, they can locate it via the online Child Trust Fund locator tool. Almost 500,000 young people used the GOV.UK locator tool to find their Child Trust Fund in the nine months to August this year.
A Child Trust Fund Taskforce has been established to bring together Government and industry to help more young people access the savings that belong to them and to reduce the number of unclaimed accounts.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Lucy Rigby, who leads the Taskforce, said: “The oldest matured accounts are now more than six years old and some young people may not know they have savings waiting for them.
“The Taskforce has been set up to help those young people who don’t know about their savings. If you’re unsure where your account is, you can find, quickly, easily and for free using the GOV.UK locator tool.”
It takes about 5 minutes to submit a request to find a Child Trust Fund through the online tool using the young person’s National Insurance number and date of birth and, for most, less than 3 weeks to hear back.
For those who don’t have their National Insurance number to hand, they can quickly and easily download it from the HMRC app and keep it in their digital wallet for whenever it’s needed.
The savings accounts are not held by government but are held in banks, building societies or other saving providers. Find out more about Child Trust Funds at GOV.UK.
Earlier and better support for people with health conditions or disabilities in the workplace is key to driving growth and productivity, says a new report published by the co-chair of Keep Britain Working today
In his latest update, Sir Charlie Mayfield sets out the work being done with employers, providers and those with lived experience to deliver Britain’s first Workplace Health System.
Around 300,000 people with a health condition leave work every year.
But much of this is preventable. Someone absent for four to six weeks has a 96 percent chance of returning. After a year, fewer than half do.
Since 2019, the number of working-age people out of work due to ill health has risen by 800,000, with a total cost to the economy of around £212 billion a year.
The new plan aims to build better, more inclusive workplaces and better workplace health provision to prevent ill health conditions from escalating and to support people in work with health conditions or disabilities, to achieve more successful returns after absences from work.
It brings together employers, the NHS, local authorities and other support services to ensure people don’t fall out of work unnecessarily and companies have better data on workplace health and inclusion to drive change.
Eleven regional Vanguards, including nine Mayoral Strategic Authorities, Cornwall Council, Hull City Council and Worcestershire City Council, and more than 200 Vanguard organisations are already building and testing the new system with employers, unions and disabled people across all four nations of the UK.
Examples include:
Liverpool City Region testing draft return-to-work plans developed with employers.
Hull City Council, in partnership with provider Latus, creating the Hull Resilience Hub, a buyer’s pool letting local SMEs access occupational health services at the same prices as large corporates.
South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will be trialling independent case workers sitting part-time within businesses to support employees with health concerns.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, author of the Keep Britain Working Review and Co-Chair of the Keep Britain Working programme, said: “Britain has spent too long treating economic inactivity as a welfare problem. It is not.
!Instead, it’s one of the largest and most attainable growth opportunities this country has.
“We’ve had a National Health Service for almost 80 years. We’ve never had a Workplace Health System. That is why the same people appear on the welfare bill, on NHS waiting lists and in the productivity figures without anyone being able to join them up.
“It’s also why we are missing the best moments to help people. The new Workplace Health System would change that.
“Ten months of building and testing with employers, mayors, providers, unions and disabled people have made us even clearer about what needs to change and more confident that a new system that helps to drive economic growth is within reach.
“The task now is to build it.”
An employer standard is being developed with the British Standards Institution, alongside affordable support for smaller firms through pooled buying and insurance routes, so good workplace health support is not just available to big companies.
Sir Charlie’s work sits within a £3.5 billion employment support package. WorkWell, backed by £259 million will support up to 250,000 people to stay in or return to work. Connect to Work will reach 300,000 sick or disabled people with tailored support. Over 1,000 full-time Pathways to Work advisers are already in place across Britain.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “Too many people fall out of work because of a health problem that could have been caught earlier, and too many employers have no way of knowing whether they are getting this right.
“This programme is working hand in hand with employers, mayors and local leaders to change that, so that good workplace health support is not just for big companies and it delivers growth across every postcode.”
Alongside this, the programme is also focusing on intelligence. Few employers can currently tell how well they keep staff with health conditions in work, or whether people are still in work six months on. Fewer still have the insights that could fuel their prevention efforts. A new employer data project and work and health prototype are being developed this autumn aims to address these gaps.
Over the next year the programme will continue to work with BSI to develop a standard and test and refine employer commitments with the Vanguard to build the evidence on what works.
Minister of State for Work and Health Ally McGovern, said: “Anyone can find themself with an illness that could stop them working. Getting help quickly rather than waiting for the problem to get worse is the right way to support good health and a strong economy.“
The Westminster government is also committed to further steps to bring about effective and sustainable welfare reform, and this will be guided by the Milburn and Timms reviews, which are due to conclude later this year.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “Too many people are being written off from good work when the right support could help them thrive.
“Through our Healthy Working Life programme, we’re bringing together health services, employment support and employers, so people can get the help they need at the right time rather than being bounced between disconnected services.
“Supporting people with health conditions and disabilities to access good work isn’t just the right thing to do – it’s key to unlocking talent and building a healthier, wealthier West Yorkshire.”
Oliver Coppard, Mayor of South Yorkshire, said: “I want South Yorkshire to become the healthiest region in the country, a place where everyone has the chance to work, support their families and pursue their dreams. At the moment, all too many people don’t have that chance because of poor health.
Our trial will help us work alongside employers, employees and health experts to find practical ways of supporting people to stay well, stay in work, or return to work when they’re ready.
By testing new ideas and listening to the voices of both working people and employers, we can help create healthier workplaces where people and businesses can get on, contribute to our communities and our economy, and help us build the South Yorkshire we all want to see.”
Bev Craig, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Greater Manchester has long championed the link between good work, good health and economic prosperity. Through our Live Well approach, Good Employment Charter and Get Greater Manchester Working plan, we’re focused on helping more people stay in work, particularly when they’re facing health or other challenges.
“We welcome the focus on prevention and look forward to working with partners to put effective solutions into practice.”
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “Creating a Workplace Health System approach will bring organisations together to work better to provide the right support, at the right time, to help keep more people in work.
“We know that the longer people are off work, the harder it can be to return. This is why early personalised support is so important, particularly for long-term sickness and poor mental health. In partnership with local councils, Integrated Care Boards, the government, and community organisations, in the West we’ll build a more joined‑up, preventative system that helps people sooner.
“The West of England is already the country’s fastest-growing regional economy. Through our new Skills Strategy, our ambition is to also have the highest employment rate in the UK.
“We’re working with employers to enable them to find and retain the talent and workforce they need to thrive, while making it easier for residents of all ages to access training, advice and pathways into work.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Too many people across the West Midlands want to work and get on in life, but are being held back by barriers that they should be getting help to overcome.
“Good work is about more than a pay packet. It brings security, independence, and pride, and when people are locked out of work, we’re also missing out on their skills and talent.
“West Midlands Works is about changing that. By working alongside the Keep Britain Working programme and employers, we can give people the right support to get into work, stay in work and build a better future for themselves and their families.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “People shouldn’t be written off because they develop a health condition – and businesses shouldn’t have to lose good, experienced workers because the right support wasn’t there soon enough.
“In the Liverpool City Region, we’re proud to be playing our part in helping to test practical ways of changing that; stepping in earlier, working directly with employers and making it easier for people to stay in work or return when they’re ready. That matters just as much for a small business employing ten people as it does for a company employing thousands.
“If we can get this right, the prize is huge: more people able to keep the security and independence that comes with work, businesses holding on to the skills they need, and a stronger, more productive economy as a result. It’s the kind of common sense reform that can make a real difference to people’s lives.”
Alistair Cochrane, Chief Executive of Royal Mail, said: “Royal Mail is proud to support Keep Britain Working to help more people stay in and return to work.
“We are already applying learnings from the programme to strengthen support for our employees’ wellbeing, particularly those at risk of musculoskeletal and mental health conditions, which are the leading causes of sick absence in our business.
“We are introducing practical measures such as upskilling managers on mental health, removing barriers for employees seeking help with their health, and making it as easy as possible to return after long-term sick leave.”
Anne Hayes, Director of Standards Development, BSI, said: “We support the KBW review’s conclusion that supporting more people into work represents an economic opportunity for the UK.
“Our research has found that employers play a critical role in this, with nearly half of staff who are not confident raising health concerns with their employer having left a role or taken extended leave as a result.
“The standard we are developing with KBW will be a vital tool to help employers work effectively to build workplace cultures rooted in trust so that individuals and organisations alike can flourish.”
John Foster, Chief Policy and Campaigns Officer, CBI: “The progress of the Keep Britain Working Review shows what can be achieved when government and business work together to turn ambition into practical action.
“Making affordability a key test is particularly important at a time when cost pressures are constraining firms’ ability to hire and invest.
“Bringing down the wider cost of doing business will help give employers the confidence and headroom to create jobs, invest in their people and play their full part in delivering this shared ambition.”
Jack Latus, CEO of Latus Group, said: “Every person who leaves work because of ill health is a loss to their employer, their local economy and the public finances.
“Too often, someone develops a health condition and slowly drifts away from their job with isolation and long silent periods on a fit note making things worse.
“Prevention has to happen where people spend their working lives.
“Good workplace health support means acting early, staying in touch, and working together on a return before a health problem becomes a lost job.
“In Hull, the Resilience Hub is giving local SMEs that support and Latus are delighted to be part of the Keep Britain Working movement, working to explore how earlier insights from employees can better support them, and at the right time.”
Kate Thompson, executive director of people and organisational development at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We want to be a leading employer for staff health and wellbeing and are delighted to be part of the Keep Britain Working movement.
“Our staff health needs assessment, which brings together demographic information and survey questions, provides real insights into our varied workforce.
“It has already helped focus our preventative and proactive work where it’s most needed, including projects on musculoskeletal conditions and financial wellbeing. The next stage is to make the data readily available to the right people, so they can identify health and wellbeing priorities for their teams.
“Staff health and wellbeing is part of our overall focus on staff satisfaction, as we know that happy, healthy staff provide better patient care. It also helps us to reduce sickness absence, improve productivity and drive value for public money.”
Keep Britain Working is an independent review turned delivery programme tackling health-related economic inactivity and promoting healthy, inclusive workplaces.
It is co-chaired by Sir Charlie Mayfield, alongside the three Secretaries of State.
More than £300 million has been paid out to people on a low income through Help to Save.
Eligibility for Help to Save will be expanded from 2028, so more people than ever before can benefit from the government savings scheme.
More than 44,500 people on a low income in Scotland have opened a Help to Save account.
With more than £300 million having been paid out in bonus payments, and thousands more people set to be eligible for an account through the Help to Save scheme, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is kicking off UK Savings Week by reminding people who can benefit.
Help to Save is a government savings scheme offering low-income earners a 50% bonus on whatever they can save. Between £1 and £50 can be saved each month with an extra 50 pence added for every £1 saved.
Accounts can be open for up to 4 years, and people can save up to a maximum of £2,400, resulting in up to £1,200 government savings bonus being paid straight into their bank accounts. Bonus payments are made at the end of the second and fourth years and are based on how much has been saved.
In 2028, the earning criteria will be removed for people with caring responsibilities. The scheme will be open to all Universal Credit claimants, resulting in an additional 1.5 million households becoming eligible.
Latest figures show 44,950 Help to Save accounts have been opened in Scotland since September 2018, with savers depositing a total of £45.5 million into their savings pots.
Statistics also show that 94% of those who have opened a Help to Save account save the maximum amount of £50 each month.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury Lucy Rigby said: “Help to Save is a really beneficial scheme that offers a 50% government bonus on whatever you are able to save. We want more eligible people to take advantage of it.“
The scheme will also be more accessible as it will be delivered through a multi-provider model, instead of just one, so banks, building societies and credit unions will be able to offer the scheme directly to their eligible customers.
Peter Tyler, Director of Personal Banking at UK Finance, said: “Expanding Help to Save and enabling more financial services providers to offer the scheme directly is a positive step towards helping people build financial resilience.
“The scheme provides eligible customers with a great opportunity and incentives to develop regular savings habits.”
Money can be paid into Help to Save accounts via debit card, standing order or bank transfer.
In the last year, nearly 24,000 people have chosen to open a Help to Save account via the HMRC app where they can keep track of deposits and view bonus payments.
It takes just a few minutes to check eligibility and open an account online on GOV.UK or via the HMRC app.
Money can be withdrawn at any time, although this may affect the 50% bonus payments.
The Communications and Digital Committee has written to the Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, setting out its view on key proposals for the next BBC Charter ahead of publication of the Government’s White Paper.
The Committee says this is not a “routine” Charter review and that the 2028 Charter must equip the BBC to navigate dramatic changes in how public service media is distributed, discovered and consumed.
The BBC is already under significant financial pressure. Therefore, any new or expanded responsibilities in the next Charter—in areas such as promoting regional growth, technological innovation or media literacy—must be matched by adequate funding or a clear acknowledgement that the BBC will have to do less in other areas. The Committee says the Government should be “bold, confident and unapologetic” in ensuring the BBC has the financial sustainability it needs to deliver any obligations set out in the new Charter.
There is no obvious benefit in giving the BBC a broad new public purpose to drive economic growth across the UK, as the Government has proposed. The BBC already contributes £6.7 billion to the UK economy and there is a risk that such a change could distort commissioning priorities and distract the BBC from its core public service objectives. Instead, the Committee says the new Charter should retain the spirit of the BBC’s current fourth purpose, which puts public value first, while articulating more clearly the BBC’s vital contribution to developing the UK creative economy.
In 2015, broadcast television reached 92% of people in the UK each week on average, compared to just 54% last year. To uphold the principle of universality in a changing market, the BBC will increasingly need to distribute content through third-party platforms such as YouTube. However, this comes at the expense of control over how content is presented, access to audience data and the BBC’s direct relationship with audiences. The new Charter should support both strong BBC-owned services and flexible third-party distribution.
Simply making content available on a platform does not guarantee that audiences will find it, and evidence to the Committee highlighted the need for stronger safeguards on prominence, data access, platform accountability and fair value. The Committee says the Government should set clear minimum expectations for agreements between public service media providers and video-sharing platforms, backed by new legislation if voluntary agreements prove insufficient.
Greater collaboration will become increasingly important if public service media providers are to overcome shared challenges and compete with global platforms at sufficient scale. The Committee welcomes discussions between the BBC and Channel 4 about an expanded iPlayer, but says any arrangement must be a genuine, mutually beneficial partnership that respects the different brands and funding models of participating organisations, while maintaining plurality and competition. If the Government also decides to give the BBC a new or strengthened duty for technology and R&D in the next Charter, this should be framed around innovation in the public interest and clearly linked to the broadcaster’s mission and public purposes.
Baroness Keeley, Chair of the Communications and Digital Committee, said: “The upcoming BBC Charter Review is fundamental for the future of public service media in the UK.
“It comes as national public broadcasters face ever greater competition for viewers from streaming platforms and international technology giants, and so cannot be designed in isolation from the Government’s wider digital and media policy.
“The Government should use the BBC Charter Review White Paper to set out a coherent and ambitious strategy for public service media over the next decade. It must also be realistic about what can be asked of the BBC as it grapples with significant financial pressures.
“We can see no obvious benefit in a specific requirement for the BBC to drive economic growth across the UK. It already makes a massive contribution to the UK’s creative economy. Including an explicit economic growth public purpose in the new Charter risks both mission drift and skewing commissioning towards more generic, more exportable content.”
Targeted crackdown has reduced knife robberies by almost a quarter in 7 forces since June 2024
More than 230 areas most affected by knife crime will see more police patrols, CCTV and early prevention work as part of a knife crime crackdown across 27 police forces in England and Wales.
The Home Secretary is backing local plans developed by police and councils to tackle crimes, save lives and protect local communities.
Each plan will be tailored to the area. They will combine tough police enforcement activity such as enhanced police patrols, alongside programmes designed for young people most at risk of being a victim or a perpetrator of knife crime.
There will also be improvements to public spaces, including better lighting and redesigning areas to prevent weapons being hidden.
Growing evidence shows that concerted action in small, targeted areas is the most effective way of driving down knife crime.
This crackdown comes as new data shows 7 forces – Metropolitan Police, West Midlands Police, Greater Manchester Police, West Yorkshire Police, South Yorkshire Police, Avon and Somerset Police and British Transport Police – made real inroads into tackling an issue that has blighted communities across the country, identifying and arresting more people through the better sharing of data.
Across these forces, knife-enabled robbery has plummeted by nearly a quarter (23%) since the General Election – with more than 3,600 fewer knife robberies reported.
This builds on huge steps forward on knife crime since the government came into office. Overall knife crime is down by 11%, as the government continues to make progress towards its target of halving it within a decade.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, and no young life should be blighted by knife crime.
“Targeted policing and prevention, focused on the areas where the need is greatest, is already cutting knife robberies by nearly a quarter. That means safer streets, and fewer lives lost.
“I am now taking this approach to more than 230 areas across the country. This government is getting tough on knife crime and on the causes of knife crime to make our communities safer.”
On Thursday (17 September), Shabana Mahmood visited the West Midlands, one of the regions receiving additional funding through the Knife Crime Concentrations Fund.
She was joined at a local boxing gym, which plays a vital part in supporting vulnerable young people to stay away from crime, by members of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime: Lynne Baird MBE, Pastor Lorraine Jones Burrell MBE, and Pooja Kanda OBE.
Campaigning by these 3 women – who have all tragically lost children to knives – has helped keep the issue at the top of the national agenda and reinforced the need for action on enforcement, prevention and protecting young people from being drawn into violence.
Pooja Kanda OBE, founder of Justice for Ronan Kanda, said: Having lost my son Ronan, I know the devastating consequences of knife crime. Behind every statistic is a family and community that has been changed forever.
“These reductions are encouraging, but I am even more encouraged by the Home Secretary’s commitment to targeted action in areas experiencing the greatest harm. Enforcement is vital, but sitting equally alongside prevention and early intervention – reaching young people before violence sets in and addressing the circumstances that allow it to develop.
“Ronan’s Law showed what can be achieved when government, campaigners, policing and communities work together. The progress we are seeing matters. Now we must remain determined, build on it, and continue to give young people genuine alternatives and hope.”
Lynne Baird MBE, founder of the Daniel Baird Foundation, said: “The Daniel Baird Foundation welcomes the Home Office’s focus on tackling knife crime, and the targeted action being taken in communities most affected by violence.
“Reducing knife-enabled robbery and preventing young people from becoming involved in violence is vitally important. We commend the funding’s ability to be used for preventative measures, including education, early intervention and an understanding of the devasting consequences that knife crime can have.
“Our vision is in line with the government’s – stop the violence where we can. Prevention saves lives. Preparedness saves lives too.”
Pastor Lorraine Jones Burrell MBE, founder of Dwaynamics, said: “As a mother who lost my son Dwayne to knife crime, and as someone who has spent many years working on the frontline with young people, families and communities affected by violence, this announcement gives me greater peace of mind, despite the tears that will always remain. For me, it is loss mixed with hope.
“I particularly want to commend the Home Secretary for the leadership, determination and humanity being shown in driving this work forward. What stands out to me is that this is not only about policies, policing or statistics.
“There is a human approach at the heart of it: one that recognises the value of every young life and understands the devastating impact violence has on families and communities. As a bereaved mother, that matters deeply to me.
“Through my involvement with the government’s Knife Crime Coalition, the importance of grassroots organisations that bring people together around a shared determination to save young lives has been recognised.
“There is compassion alongside action, and that gives me hope. It shows our young people that their futures matter at the very highest levels of government. This is how we begin mending what has been broken.”
Patrick Green, CEO of The Ben Kinsella Trust, said: “The Knife Crime Concentration Fund is an important government investment in targeted prevention, directing resources to the areas most affected by knife crime and helping local partners focus support where it is needed most.
“We know that lasting reductions in knife crime are achieved when enforcement is combined with education, early intervention and strong community partnerships. I welcome the government’s commitment to a more joined-up approach that recognises the vital role prevention plays in tackling knife crime.”
Caroline Willgoose, mother of Harvey Willgoose and knife crime campaigner said: “This funding, targeted to the specific needs of local communities, is an extremely welcome step from the government.
“In Harvey’s memory, I will continue working every day to make sure that no parent has to suffer in the same way. I will do whatever is possible to make this funding a success, and thank the government for their focus and attention on stopping knife crime.”
Serena Wiebe, member of the government’s Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime said: “We welcome this investment and the targeted government approach being taken in the communities most affected by knife crime.
“The fall in knife-enabled robbery is encouraging and shows that when we understand where violence is happening and focus our response, we can make a real difference.
“What is particularly important is that this approach brings together targeted enforcement, prevention and community-led intervention. We need to intervene earlier and invest in trusted local organisations that understand their communities, can build relationships with young people and reach them before they get to crisis point.
“We have spent 20 years working with young people affected by violence and inequality, and one thing I have learned is that violence isn’t inevitable. By combining intelligent, targeted enforcement with long-term prevention, community expertise and opportunities for young people, we can make our streets safer and, most importantly, stop young people losing their lives.”
Faron Paul, Founder and CEO of Fazamnesty and member of the Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime, said: “It is encouraging to see knife crime moving in the right direction, but there is still much more work to do.
“The £26.25 million Knife Crime Concentrations Fund is an important opportunity to bring enforcement, prevention and community-led intervention together in the areas experiencing the greatest harm.
“From our work on the ground, we know trusted community organisations have a vital role to play alongside police, councils and other partners. Every knife taken off the streets matters, but our ultimate goal must be preventing young people from picking one up in the first place.”
Leanne Lucas, Founder of Let’s Be Blunt CIC and member of the government’s Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime said: “Early intervention does not mean simply educating children as young as possible. It means recognising risk and intervening at the earliest appropriate point – whether that is with a young person, an adult, a parent or a whole family.
“That intervention must also be trauma-informed. Prevention should never rely on fear, shock or distress. It should be age-appropriate, evidence-informed and delivered in a way that understands people’s experiences, builds trust and supports them to make safer choices.
“Families need education and support just as much as young people do. Parents and trusted adults are often the people best placed to spot changes, ask questions and help prevent situations from escalating.
“From both lived experience and through the work of Let’s Be Blunt, I have seen how important it is that national decision-making is informed by those working within communities every day.
“There is still much more to do, but it is encouraging to see government recognising the importance of local knowledge and giving areas greater ability to respond to what they are seeing on the ground. This investment is a positive step in supporting that approach.
“We cannot only invest after harm has happened. Prevention means acting sooner, working together and making practical, trauma-informed changes that reduce the opportunity for harm in the first place. That is where real, long-term change begins.”
Sacha Ray, CEO of Lives 2Not Knives and member of the government’s Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime said: For over 19 years, Lives Not Knives’ model has been built on the premise that preventative action is far better than the cure.
“Knife crime statistics are moving in the right direction. It cannot be underestimated how preventative work such as the mentoring in schools, youth club spaces and knife crime roadshows, which Lives Not Knives deliver play a huge role in preventing more young people picking up a knife.
“Lives Not Knives welcome the government’s continued targeted approach and successful drive to reduce the blight of knife crime and the harm it causes.”
Anna-Mai Andrews, Interim CEO, Steel Warriors said: “Taking a knife off the street is where prevention starts, but it only lasts if young people have somewhere to go and someone to trust.
“Steel Warriors is where prevention persists; we melt down confiscated knives and forge them into free outdoor calisthenics gyms, with classes run by coaches from the same communities they serve. We welcome this holistic approach to prevention in the places that need it most, and we’re ready to work with local partners to give more young people opportunities for something new.”
Dr. Nathaniel Peat, founder of The SafetyBox said: “This is an excellent and much-needed move from the government. Knife crime cannot be solved by enforcement alone and the blended approach is needed.
“Lasting change happens when government, police, councils, charities, community organisations, schools, and local partners work together to address the root causes of violence. This is very promising news.”
Tracey Burley, Chief Executive, St Giles, said: “Any reduction in the number of young people being harmed through knife crime is welcome, and these figures show what can be achieved when there is sustained focus on the issue.
“But we cannot afford to become complacent. Lasting reductions will not come through enforcement alone. They require long-term investment in prevention, early intervention and trusted relationships with young people and their families.
“At St Giles, we see every day the difference that credible support, combining professional expertise with lived experience, can make.
“The real test will be whether we can sustain this progress and ensure that young people have the safety, support and opportunities they need before violence becomes part of their lives.”
Communities across the country will be able to build and control their own clean energy supply
Great British Energy rolls out first wave of biggest public community energy investment in UK history, backing local places to cut bills and take climate action
Local authorities and community energy groups can now access funding to build their own clean power projects
Communities to be offered an ownership stake in renewable energy projects, ensuring proceeds of clean power flow back into local areas
Communities across the country will be able to build and control their own clean energy supply that will help to cut bills, grow local wealth and tackle the climate crisis – with the rollout of People’s Power projects across the UK.
Local authorities and community energy groups across the UK will now be able to progress plans for their own clean power projects – from solar panels on local buildings to village-owned wind farms and hydro schemes in nearby rivers.
This will help to put money back in the pockets of communities and allow them to join in UK-wide climate action, following the record temperatures reached this summer due to climate change.
Great British Energy is today (Thursday 17 September) launching £30 million funding to kick start a community power revolution – the first downpayment on up to £1 billion, announced earlier this year, with the aim to support over 1,000 local and community-led clean energy projects across the UK.
These will be owned by community energy groups or local authorities, meaning local areas can reap the full benefits – from reduced bills for local services to ensuring profits from the clean power generated flow back into towns and villages, rather than just to energy companies.
After the heatwaves and extreme weather events seen this year, this funding will give communities a route to helping tackle climate change – empowering them to move away from fossil fuels with their own clean energy supply that will help cut emissions and protect their local area.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “I know many people are worried about climate change and feel like they’ve got no control over where their energy comes from, or how they can actually make a difference.
“Today we’re changing that by giving people power. Whether it’s solar panels on a local library or a community-owned wind farm, we’re letting people decide what clean energy projects they want and making sure they feel the benefits of the clean energy transition in their pockets too.”
Energy Secretary Miatta Fahnbulleh said: “All of us felt deep concern for our climate during the record-breaking temperatures we experienced this summer.
“Ahead of New York Climate week, we are putting power in the hands of people and places, so more communities can take action.
“Everyone deserves a stake in our energy future and through these local power projects, communities can reap the full benefits of clean energy – reducing emissions, cutting bills and reinvesting profits to benefit local areas, instead of big energy companies.”
CEO of Great British Energy Dan McGrail said: “These grants will give community organisations and local authorities the practical support they need to get clean energy projects off the ground – lowering bills, supporting jobs and putting the benefits from energy into local hands.”
Alongside funding specific local power projects, the government will also set out further details this Autumn on plans for community energy groups to be offered an ownership stake in renewable energy projects.
This aims to create partnerships between communities and developers that will see proceeds of clean power flow back into local areas. It will bring Britain in line with countries like Germany and Denmark, where this type of ownership set up is already widely used – allowing communities to benefit directly from local clean power.
It comes as a host of Great British Energy schemes come online, helping local services save on energy bills in towns and cities across England.
Over 150 renewable projects have now switched-on for public buildings in England’s Mayoral Combined Authorities, with more to follow – which together could see up to £50 million in total energy bill savings reinvested in local services.
TAKE UP WOULD SAVE NHS AND SOCIAL CARE SERVICES ALMOST £1 BILLION
Research shows that 100% take up of key benefits would cut numbers of pensioners in poverty by 280,000
Due to health impacts, full take-up would also save the NHS and social care services in England £950 million a year
Independent Age recommends the UK Government publish a take-up strategy for financial entitlements to ensure all older people receive everything they should be
New research from national charity Independent Age shows that full take-up of three key financial entitlements could lift 280,000 older people out of poverty across the UK, reducing pensioner poverty by 15%. This includes Pension Credit, pensioner Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction. The analysis was carried out by the research agency Public First.
The report, entitled ‘The only way is up: The impact of improved entitlement take-up on pensioner poverty and healthcare spending’ also shows that increasing take-up of these entitlements to 100% could help improve older people’s health, leading to a reduction in health and social care public spending by up to a colossal £950 million a year in England.
Independent Age is calling on the UK Government to publish an all-entitlements take-up strategy for the UK. This should include a strong commitment and targets to increase take-up.
The number of older people in poverty in the UK is rising, with around 1.7 million in relative poverty in 2024/25, which is an increase of 200,000 compared to the year before. Another one million live close to the poverty line.
Despite this, the charity says that too many eligible older people are missing out on money set aside for them. Over one in three (38%) of those eligible for Pension Credit are not receiving it, and around 230,000 older households are missing out on Housing Benefit.
Official take-up figures of Council Tax Reduction are not produced, however the report analysis indicates that over a million pensioner households could be missing out on this vital support.
The organisation is also calling for the Pensions Commission to agree on what an adequate income in later life looks like, and the UK Government to commit to ensuring everyone receives this.
Concerningly, full take up would also provide an additional 770,000 older people with more vital income, but they would still remain in poverty, indicating that financial entitlements and the State Pension alone is not always adequate to live on.
Joanna Elson CBE, Chief Executive of Independent Agesaid: “Our social security system was designed as a safety net for all of us but the evidence is clear, it is failing older people in poverty. Money that has been set aside is not reaching the older people who need it and at a time with increasing costs, the impact of this is devastating.
“Through our helpline, we hear often from older people who are having to skip meals or only wash once a week to make ends meet. This is unacceptable.
“Older people on a low income have been left to struggle for too long. That’s why we urgently need a strategy to ensure everyone receives the support they are entitled to and an agreement on what an adequate income looks like in later life for all of us as we age.
“With the upcoming changes in leadership, this is a golden opportunity for the UK Government to reverse the worsening picture of poverty in later life.”
Independent Age’s report found that three groups especially benefitted from increased take-up of these entitlements. These were: older people living alone, older renters and those on the old State Pension. This is due to a combination of likely higher initial costs such as housing or energy, and a lower income.
Valerie’s Story
Valerie, 68, from the Isle of Wight
“Once the rent was paid, along with Council Tax – more than £150 a month even with the single person discount – there wasn’t enough left. I had to cut back on everything. I lived on £1 meals from Iceland because they were cheap and filling, even though I knew they weren’t very nutritious.
“I relied on a local community pantry where £5 bought roughly £15 of food.
“I couldn’t afford to put the heating on. My house is all electric and it was simply too expensive. I spent winters wrapped in blankets, drinking cups of instant soup to keep warm, and sometimes slept downstairs so I didn’t have to walk through cold rooms at night.”
Valerie called Independent Age and, while she wasn’t eligible for Pension Credit, an adviser supported her to start receiving Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction, which she hadn’t previously been aware of. After starting to receive these entitlements, Valerie described the impact this had on her life.
“Life is so much better now. I still budget carefully, but I’m not living on my credit card anymore. I can buy fresh vegetables, cook proper meals and freeze portions so food lasts longer.
“I can travel to the mainland to see family, and I enjoy the things that matter to me, such as going to the local theatre and being part of the choir. I called the Independent Age Helpline at a time in my life when I didn’t know where to turn.
“The support I received has made a dramatic difference to my daily life. I nearly didn’t make that call – but I’m so glad I did. Before that call, I was surviving day to day. Now, I feel like I’m living again.”
Meeting invite to turn principle into legal mechanism
First Minister John Swinney has written to Prime Minister Andy Burnham regarding his comments on the constitutional future of Scotland. The First Minister invited the PM to meet to turn the accepted principle into a legal mechanism for a referendum.
The full text of the First Minister’s letter to Prime Minister Andy Burnham:
Dear Andy
I am writing with regards to your comments at Prime Ministers Question’s in response to my colleague Chris Law MP’s question.
Earlier today, you said; “on that question of a border poll, it is to be considered by the Northern Ireland Secretary when there is a clear consensus in the country – when public opinion has changed to the point where the call has to be considered. I would say that it is exactly the same situation in Scotland.”
The Good Friday Agreement, as implemented in UK domestic law by the Northern Ireland Act 1998, makes clear that if it appears likely that a majority of people in Northern Ireland would vote for Irish unification, a referendum should be held.
Your acceptance of the fact that majority support for independence in Scotland also means that a referendum should take place is welcome.
I am encouraged that you have reconsidered your previous comments that the democratic right of the people of Scotland to choose their own future is “off limits.”
This is a long-overdue acceptance of the reality that the people of Scotland will decide their own future, not the UK Government, and a clear endorsement of the fact that the UK must be a voluntary union.
In May, the SNP won a historic and unprecedented fifth term in office, and the people of Scotland elected more pro-independence MSPs than at any point in the Parliament’s history.
Given that, the previous refusal of the UK Government to consider Scotland’s right to decide its own future was clearly unsustainable.
You have rightly identified that there must be a discussion about where power lies across these islands.
By concluding a clear, understandable mechanism, both sides of the constitutional debate can move forward constructively in the full knowledge of an agreed process by which the Scottish people can exercise their democratic right at a time of their choosing.
Now that you have agreed the principle that Scotland should have a referendum when it is likely that people would vote for independence, it is important for us to meet to discuss how we turn that principle into an agreed legal mechanism, as exists in Northern Ireland.
I have asked my office to take forward the necessary arrangements.
Foreign Secretary’s oral statement to the House of Commons on Israel-Palestine
Madame Deputy Speaker, with permission, I would like to make a statement on Israel and Palestine:
I do so as a proud British Jew, someone with the deepest gratitude to the State of Israel for giving a home to my grandmother after she lost her husband, my grandfather, and 60 other family members at the hands of the Nazis.
I remember visiting her in the 1970s in Tel Aviv and seeing the life and the sanctuary Israel had provided. Indeed, some of my most joyful childhood memories were picking oranges as a kid on the kibbutz where my cousins lived.
Madame Deputy Speaker, my personal story and that of thousands of British Jews is one of the many reasons why I say to anyone here or around the world who questions Israel’s right to exist as a homeland for the Jewish people: you are wrong and we will call you out whenever you engage in this attempt at the erasure of Israel.
Madame Deputy Speaker, I know what the trauma of Hamas’s terrorist atrocity of October 7th meant and still means to people across Israel and to Jews across the world. It was a murderous act by a murderous terrorist organisation designed to massacre and instil fear across a whole population.
October 7th makes plain the grave threats that Israel faces. And it has every right to defend itself. We should not only condemn those threats but act against those who carry them out.
Iran continues to threaten Israel and Jews across the world.
We have already designated Iran’s IRGC and we will do more today on Iran’s proxy groups. So today I can also announce we are sanctioning Lebanese Hezbollah’s financing arm, Al-Qard Al-Hassan.
Iran must never have a nuclear weapon. So we are also acting this week to report Iran to the UN Security Council for its nuclear violations, alongside our allies. And I can announce today that we are also reimposing major economic sanctions on Iran in line with the European Union and the United States.
Madame Deputy Speaker, tackling these threats is just one of the important, shared national security interests we have with Israel, on which we will continue to co-operate.
I know too that so many members of the Jewish community now live in fear in the face of rising antisemitism, including here in the UK.
Last week we commemorated the anniversary of the Heaton Park attack—Jews murdered at their place of worship simply for their religion.
An outrage that was followed by antisemitic attacks in Golders Green, including on the Hatzola ambulances.
And the everyday life of Jews in Britain is deeply affected by the climate that such hate creates.
When I went to school in the 1980s, I did so without fear.
Today we need to face the truth: that is not the case for thousands of Jewish children across the UK, children who have to go to school with security guards outside their school.
Mr Speaker, no child should have to go to school facing this. And no teacher should face antisemitism either.
Whether it happens in our schools, universities or workplaces or online or on our streets, antisemitism is a scourge and an evil.
We are rightly putting in place an additional investment of £250 million for community security. But we all have a responsibility to do more.
As part of this, I will in October host representatives of the J7, the countries with the largest Jewish populations from across the world.
We will meet in the UK to discuss the different ways we can work across borders to tackle antisemitism, including tackling online hate.
So Madame Deputy Speaker, I am proud of my Jewishness and unwavering in my support for the State of Israel.
And there is absolutely no contradiction between this and my support for the State of Palestine. Indeed quite the opposite.
The two state solution is based on an explicit belief that the only route to security for both peoples is to live side by side in peaceful co-existence with freedom, security and self-determination.
Securing the two-state solution in its fullest form is the North Star of this government’s policy, and indeed of successive British governments over decades.
And it is precisely this belief in the rights and freedoms of the Israeli and Palestinian people that leads many, including me, to a deep sense of shame about what has unfolded in Palestine under the eyes of the international community.
In Gaza, the most unimaginable trauma and suffering in the last three years – death, destruction and dehumanisation on an appalling scale.
A stain on the conscience of the world and of this country too.
And in the West Bank, the clear attempt to – in the words of Israeli Finance Minister Smotrich – and I quote – “bury the idea of a Palestinian State”.
So Madame Deputy Speaker, there is a deeply painful contrast between our professed commitment to a two state solution, and the reality on the ground in Gaza and the West Bank.
I pay tribute to my predecessors, the current Health Secretary and the Right Honourable Member for Tottenham, for their tireless efforts on this issue as well as my Right Honourable Friend the Member for Lincoln.
We should always be proud that it was a Labour government that took the historic step of recognising the State of Palestine.
But the Prime Minister is right to say that the Labour government has not done enough in the face of what is happening.
So today marks the beginning of a new approach.
An approach that not only calls out injustice and suffering but acts.
And in taking this stance, I make a very clear distinction – which is crucial for all of us in this debate:
Our argument is not with the people of Israel, with whom the UK has unshakeable bonds. Our argument is with the conduct of its government.
And I also want to say emphatically to people in Britain and across the world:
Holding British Jews responsible for the actions of the Israeli Government is antisemitism, plain and simple.
What we seek today is to salvage the only course for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians – the two state solution.
Let me start with the situation in the West Bank.
Madame Deputy Speaker, at the time of the Oslo peace accords in 1993, around 270,000 settlers lived in the occupied Palestinian territories. Today it is some 770,000.
More settlements have been approved under the four years of this Israeli government than in the previous twenty years.
Let us spell out what this has meant for Palestinian communities.
Houses bulldozed. Roads and public infrastructure destroyed. Families displaced from their homes.
Community by community.
Family by family.
Person by person.
Madame Deputy Speaker, sixty-five Palestinian communities completely expelled since 2023 – a total of over 4,000 Palestinians evicted from their homes due to settler violence and state actions.
And in August, the crossing of a long-standing red line: the issuing of E1 tenders for over 1,200 homes.
I visited a community in the area covered by E1 in 2014. The Bedouin communities I met in Khan Al Ahmar had lived on that land for generations.
E1 proposals would evict them and place settlements directly between East Jerusalem and the West Bank cutting through the heart of Palestine.
Let’s be clear what this means: the creation of a set of facts on the ground to make the two state solution unviable.
And on top of official state policy, settler terrorism is rampant.
The UN reports an average of six violent settler attacks against Palestinians per day this year, the highest on record.
Take one example
In Al Mughayir, twenty miles north of Jerusalem, settlers have encircled the village and mounted a campaign of intimidation, largely under the protection of the Israeli military.
Families in the village are increasingly cut off from accessing their land, squeezed into ever smaller areas and have olive trees uprooted and livestock stolen.
In the same community, just last week, two teenagers were shot when settlers entered the village under police and military escort. Both died before reaching hospital. Madame Deputy Speaker five teenagers have now been killed from their school this year.
Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli Prime Minister, has described what is happening as – I quote – “a violent and criminal effort to ethnically cleanse territories in the West Bank’.
The former Minister of Health and retired Brigadier General from the IDF, Ephraim Sneh has said – and I quote again – “this is ethnic cleansing to put it simply”.
Ethnic cleansing is defined by the UN as ‘a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.’
The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank – perpetrated by settler terrorists.
And all too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians.
Now Madame Deputy Speaker, I recognise the gravity of saying this but the truth is, it is the least the people who face such suffering deserve. And it should be the prelude to justice.
Now for a long time, the British government has rightly said settlements are illegal.
But we have remained silent on the question of the legality of the occupation as a whole, which in 2024 the International Court of Justice concluded was unlawful.
Today I announce that the official view of the British Government is that the occupation is unlawful.
Because of Israel’s entrenchment of its control, its intention to extend permanent sovereignty, and its expansionist agenda via illegal settlements.
Madame Deputy Speaker, our position is not just an overdue statement of reality.
The government believes the unlawfulness of the occupation should be reflected in the economic relationships we choose to have with the occupied territories.
I do not believe that the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops and supermarkets.
So I can announce today that we will introduce an import ban on goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories.
To do so, we will introduce a new comprehensive sanctions regime working with my Right Honourable Friend the Business Secretary, with appropriate religious exemptions.
And as part of this regime, we will go further.
We will take action against specific companies and individuals who provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion.
So to those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements, let me say this, you will face the full force of UK sanctions.
Settlements are illegal. They should not be promoted in our country.
Earlier this year, shamefully, just a few miles from here, we saw an expo advertising illegal settlement land.
We must and we will ensure this never happens again, so we will ban the advertising in the UK of illegal settlements.
The sanctions regime will target illegal settlements and settlement expansion, not Israel.
We will continue to support important and valued trade with green line Israel precisely because we support the two state solution, including security and prosperity for Israel.
For this reason, I wholeheartedly oppose the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions or BDS campaign.
The legislation I have announced today will be in place within 6 to 9 months and we will also take more immediate steps.
Today we are sanctioning a further set of extremist settlers who have supported or incited acts of violence against Palestinian communities.
And I can also announce that we are extending the existing global human rights regime such that it will enable swifter action to deter settlement expansion, including crucially seeking to present the development of E1.
I also want to address the question of arms sales. We have already suspended over 30 arms licences used by the IDF in Gaza. That suspension remains fully in place.
We will now also refuse all licence applications for arms and other exports that materially contribute to the occupation, in effect a double lock against arms sales. This means the ban on such exports will now remain as long as the occupation persists.
To advance the two state solution, we also need viable and effective Palestinian governance.
So I urge the Palestinian Authority to accelerate reform and I urge Israel to lift its withholding of revenues that is financially crippling the provision of essential services in the West Bank.
The set of measures I have announced represents a clear message to the government of Israel, to the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, and to the world that we will not acquiesce in the destruction of the two state solution.
I turn now to Gaza.
The horror of October 7th appalled the world and had terrible echoes of the centuries of persecution of the Jewish people.
Men, women, children and babies killed, mutilated, and tortured by Hamas terrorists. People murdered whilst seeking to protect their families. Young people massacred at a music festival. People abducted from their homes.
As the 20 point peace plan for Gaza sets out, this is one of many reasons Hamas can play no role in the future governance of Gaza, it must decommission its weapons and must dismantle its terrorist infrastructure.
Israel has the right not to live in fear of vile terrorism, and the Israeli State has the right to protect its people and defend its territory.
But Madame Deputy Speaker that cannot justify what has happened in Gaza.
Over 70,000 people have been killed, at least 20,000 of them children. 20,000 children.
The vast majority of the population is now displaced – nearly two million people – who are now penned into just one third of the territory.
Life-saving humanitarian aid and access has been routinely blocked.
Hospitals and clinics have been destroyed.
Over 60% of homes are in ruins.
Mr Speaker, international humanitarian law imposes clear rules for states fighting wars – including to ensure access to food and medical supplies, to avoid mass displacement of civilians, and to avoid the targeting of civilians.
Serious and intentional violations of this law, if proven, amount to war crimes.
What has occurred, including the actions of the IDF, have been examined in depth by a number of organisations, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry.
The conclusions of these reports represent increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed.
And we support legal processes to determine this.
On the question of genocide, the UK has always supported full, robust and fair judicial processes to consider allegations, with final determinations made by competent courts before the British government reaches a conclusion.
This has been the case for all of the genocides since the 1948 Genocide Convention: Rwanda, Srebrenica, Cambodia, and acts against the Yazidi people.
This will remain our policy. It is right that this issue has been brought before the ICJ and I want to make it clear that we support the Court in coming to its determination.
So accountability for what has happened in Gaza matters.
But even more urgent is action to address the ongoing crisis.
Because today in Gaza, the death and suffering continue.
Nearly a year ago, Madame Deputy Speaker, a ceasefire was declared. Yet over 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since.
And the people of Gaza are experiencing a totally avoidable humanitarian catastrophe, I am afraid, driven by decisions of the Israeli government.
Last week I talked to courageous doctors and humanitarian aid workers who have served in Gaza. It was a heartbreaking conversation.
They recounted:
Children dying waiting for medical treatment.
People forced to live next to open sewage and without shelter.
And food insecurity rampant.
I’m sure the whole House agrees, this is unconscionable.
So I pledge we will continue to do everything we can to provide all the humanitarian support possible to help the people of Gaza.
UK-supported hospitals in Gaza will enable around 800,000 medical consultations this year and essential health services for patients.
UK expertise will deliver care to over a thousand child amputees.
And we recently welcomed another wave of students from Gaza coming to study in Britain and we will welcome more.
But in truth, unless Israel changes course, the situation will remain dire.
So we are taking further steps – both ourselves and with others.
Our extension of the global human rights sanctions regime will enable us to target those responsible for violations of international humanitarian law, whether in Gaza or anywhere else in the world.
And we will at the UN General Assembly in New York later this month shine the clearest and harshest spotlight on what is happening and what must change.
And with Jordan, we will convene countries across the world to lead a call for action on health and humanitarian access.
We will also lend the UK’s voice to the growing global alliance of countries – led by Arab partners in the region – calling for the full implementation of the US-led 20 point plan, the rejection of extremism, and for a lasting end to the cycles of violence.
As we implement the policy measures I have announced today, we will continue to assess the government of Israel by its actions. We want to see a new approach – in both Gaza and the West Bank.
Madame Deputy Speaker, today we refuse to be bystanders to further suffering and to the destruction of the two state solution.
We call out what is unlawful.
We act on the import of goods from illegal settlements.
We ban advertising of illegal settlements
We act on services to prevent new settlement expansion.
We act on settler violence.
We support accountability for what has happened in Gaza.
And we pledge to galvanise the international community to confront the ongoing and urgent humanitarian crisis.
Above all, we say: Britain is not silent in the face of deep injustice and nor is it powerless.
And today we act in concert with others in a broad international coalition.
I can tell the House that today France and Canada are announcing, alongside Britain, that they will also ban the import of goods from illegal settlements.
Joining the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Spain and Norway – which have either banned goods or are in the process of doing so.
With many other countries – Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden – pledging today they will support further action.
Madame Deputy Speaker, this is what Britain can achieve leading with others.
And this is in our fundamental national interest because if there is one lesson of recent decades, it is that we will never have stability in the Middle East without a two state solution.
And it is also the case that if we fail to stand up for the values that this country has long held and fought for, we lose credibility and influence in the world.
Madame Deputy Speaker, my parents came here as Jewish refugees and found sanctuary and a country that stood up for the rule of law, freedom and self-determination.
Those are the values this government is standing up for today.
And I truly believe that the vast majority of the British people, including in our communities with ties to the region, are united in their desire to see humanitarian suffering end, and all sides commit to a durable peace process.
And just as we want Israelis and Palestinians to live side by side, so we have to live out those values in Britain.
Jews in Britain, Muslims in Britain, people of all faiths and none have a right to live without prejudice or fear.
Madame Deputy Speaker, a Britain that upholds its values at home and around the world.
A Britain that fights against oppression and suffering wherever it occurs.
A Britain that stands up for what is right.
And I commend this statement to the House.
JEREMY CORBYN: Britain must end all support for Israel’s system of apartheid, occupation and genocide.
Chancellor John Healey has set out his plan to drive growth in every postcode, backing Britain’s extraordinary strengths to deliver benefits across the whole country.
New ambition to double the number of UK unicorn firms in clear signal of ambition for British economy, alongside powers which will help businesses test and scale technologies from delivery robots to medical treatments.
Northern 500 initiative and £150m British Business Bank fund to back high-growth firms across the North.
Speaking at the Manufacturing Technology Centre in Coventry today (Monday 7 September), the Chancellor laid out how he will take an axe to delays holding back growth, from backing British business and giving local leaders more power, to clearing away the delays that hold back investment.
Changes to the judicial review process for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects announced today will fix a system where every decision can face another challenge, consultation or review before a single brick is laid or a spade enters the ground.
Sending a clear signal on his level of ambition for UK business, he also set a goal to double the number of unicorn firms – companies valued at over £1billion – in the UK.
The Government will work with the Business Department to identify the next generation of high-growth companies and help them overcome regulatory barriers, access capital, and win government contracts as an early customer.
And he announced the Northern 500: which will bring together 500 of the North’s most ambitious mid-sized businesses into a single growth community led by the Great North partnership of Mayors and supported by the private sector and central government.
Chancellor John Healey MP said: The UK is the third in the world for innovation. Our record is extraordinary… But too often, ideas born here in Britain have to go elsewhere to find the capital they need to grow…
“I’m setting an ambition to double the number of unicorn firms in this country. Together, with Johnny Reynolds I will identify the next wave of unicorns, with the state as an early first customer to ensure they have the necessary backing to scale.”
The Chancellor also committed to delivering new powers to oversee ‘sandboxing’ that will be ready to deploy next year. Sandboxing is the term for how companies and regulators can work together to test new models or features in safe and controlled environments.
The new powers, to be delivered through the Business Department’s Regulating for Growth Bill, will let businesses test cutting-edge products and technologies safely, establish what works and scale more quickly.
Potential use cases of these new powers include patient access to innovative treatments, rollout of delivery robots, defence technologies or maritime autonomous vehicles.
Today’s speech also set out reforms to tackle the bureaucracy holding back growth and investment, putting decision-making back where it belongs and helping ensure people in every postcode benefit from a government focused on delivery.
Chancellor John Healey MP added: I will take an axe to the thicket of consultation, litigation and administration that has a stranglehold too often on private investment.…
“And let me say this – the people who elected this government expect us to get on with it. The role of government is to act.
Judicial review challenges typically delay nationally important infrastructure projects by a year and a half. For example, Sizewell C was delayed by two judicial reviews, both of which ended up being dismissed by the courts, delaying the delivery of clean power to the equivalent of six million homes and 10,000 jobs at peak construction.”
The Chancellor has also instructed the Government to embrace risk when it needs to in order to get things done. Under the current system, decisions have been held back, for example:
Despite 99% of respondents to a Call for Evidence supporting microchipping cats in the same way as dogs in 2019, it took nearly 5 years to make it happen: one call for evidence, two further consultations, legislation through Parliament and then finally enacted in June 2024.
The planning process for East West Rail began in 2019 and has already involved four rounds of public consultation in 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2026. And it could still face more challenges before getting over the line
That’s why from today, Ministers have been told that public consultations are not always required and have encouraged departments to find other ways to get views from the public and experts when developing policies.
The reforms support the Prime Minister’s drive for a faster, more effective state through No10 North, which brings together decisionmakers from across government to accelerate growth and strengthen delivery.
The Treasury and No10 North have been working in lockstep and directly with departments to identify where projects are stalling, why, and which changes to law, regulation or process are needed to get them moving again.
The reforms also reflect lessons from the Fingleton Review, which highlighted how excessive risk aversion and slow decision-making can hold back the delivery of major infrastructure projects.
To tackle delays holding back growth and investment, the Government will introduce a package of reforms to give parliament the ability designate and approve the country’s most important infrastructure and give them significant enhanced protection from legal challenge, reduce unnecessary consultations and reporting requirements, ensure legal challenges are raised and resolved earlier, and make clear that legal risk should inform ministers’ decisions, not dictate them.
Together, the changes will help deliver major projects more quickly while strengthening democratic accountability and giving greater certainty once decisions have been taken.
The Government will also launch a review of the costs of rail infrastructure in the UK in the coming weeks, to identify further practical reforms to radically cut the costs of delivering new rail infrastructure in the UK.
Together, these measures will help build a state that delivers rather than delays, giving government greater confidence to act and ensuring approved projects can move forward more quickly.
The reforms form part of the Government’s wider mission to drive good growth in every Postcode, unlocking the investment needed to create opportunities across the country.
They are a key step in realising No10 North’s focus on stripping away the administrative sludge that has built up around government, restoring democratic accountability and replacing a culture of process with a culture of delivery.
No 10 North will continue working with the rest of government to identify further blockages in the months ahead.
