Tag: UK Government

Persistent understaffing of NHS a serious risk to patient safety, warns Westminster committee

‘We now face the greatest workforce crisis in history in the NHS and in social care’

The NHS and social care face the greatest workforce crisis in their history, compounded by the absence of a credible government strategy to tackle the situation, say MPs in a new Health and Social Care Committee report.

In the NHS, persistent understaffing poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety in routine and emergency care.

The Workforce: recruitment, training and retention report outlines the scale of the workforce crisis: new research suggests the NHS in England is short of 12,000 hospital doctors and more than 50,000 nurses and midwives; evidence on workforce projections say an extra 475,000 jobs will be needed in health and an extra 490,000 jobs in social care by the early part of the next decade; hospital waiting lists reached a record high of nearly 6.5 million in April.

The report finds the Government to have shown a marked reluctance to act decisively. The refusal to do proper workforce planning risked plans to tackle the Covid backlog – a key target for the NHS.

The number of full-time equivalent GPs fell by more than 700 over three years to March 2022, despite a pledge to deliver 6,000 more. Appearing before the inquiry, the then Secretary of State Sajid Javid admitted he was not on track to deliver them. The report describes a situation where NHS pension arrangements force senior doctors to reduce working hours as a “national scandal” and calls for swift action to remedy.

Maternity services are flagged as being under serious pressure with more than 500 midwives leaving in a single year. A year ago the Committee’s maternity safety inquiry concluded almost 2,000 more midwives were needed and almost 500 more obstetricians. The Secretary of State failed to give a deadline by when a shortfall in midwife numbers would be addressed.

Pay is a crucial factor in recruitment and retention in social care. Government analysis estimated more than 17,000 jobs in care paid below the minimum wage.

A separate report by the Committee’s panel of independent experts (Expert Panel) published today rates the government’s progress overall to meet key commitments it has made on workforce as “inadequate”.

Health and Social Care Committee Chair Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt said: “Persistent understaffing in the NHS poses a serious risk to staff and patient safety, a situation compounded by the absence of a long term plan by the government to tackle it.

“We now face the greatest workforce crisis in history in the NHS and in social care with still no idea of the number of additional doctors, nurses and other professionals we actually need. NHS professionals know there is no silver bullet to solve this problem but we should at least be giving them comfort that a plan is in place.

“This must be a top priority for the new Prime Minister.”

Low Pay Commission: new report on compliance and enforcement of National Minimum Wage

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) has published a report on non-compliance and enforcement of the minimum wage in Leicester’s textiles manufacturers.

Since 2020, multiple agencies have carried out large-scale joint enforcement operations in Leicester, partly in response to persistent reports of exploitation and underpayment. Low Pay Commissioners heard evidence on the forces driving non-compliance and what enforcement bodies have found.

At the heart of this evidence is a disconnect: enforcement bodies have found relatively modest non-compliance in Leicester, while Commissioners spoke to other bodies and individuals who believed non-compliance to be widespread and flagrant.

Today’s report looks at three potential explanations for this disparity.

  • Firstly, on the positive side, recent changes within the textiles industry mean some evidence of underpayment may be historic and so less reflective of current situation.
  • Secondly, the vulnerability of workers means they may be reluctant to provide information.
  • Thirdly, there remains potential for employers to conceal underpayment from investigating bodies.

Bryan Sanderson, Chair of the LPC, said: “The evidence we heard from workers in Leicester was striking. Despite some positive recent progress, job insecurity, a poisonous workplace culture and low expectations leave workers trapped in poor-quality jobs and vulnerable to exploitation.

“These same factors mean they are unlikely to report abuses, which undermines efforts to enforce workers’ rights.

“The case of Leicester is not unique. Across the UK, workers in precarious positions face the same obstacles, with the same consequences for enforcement. The problem demands comprehensive action, including to give these workers greater security over their hours and incomes.”

Low Pay Commissioners make several recommendations for Government:

  • The process for reporting abuses does not work for the most vulnerable low-paid workers; but it also fails to engage the third-party bodies whom workers may trust more, or wider industry networks. Commissioners recommend HMRC looks at ways to address these problems.
  • There is an ‘information gap’ between what industry and civil society groups think they have reported to official bodies, and what those official bodies are able to share and act on. A forthcoming official review of enforcement operations in Leicester should take into account evidence from both sides of this gap.
  • Insecure work and uncertainty over hours and incomes are central to the vulnerability of workers to exploitation. Low Pay Commissioners urge the Government to take action on the measures recommended by the Commission in 2018 to address these issues.

Read the LPC’s report

2022_LPC_enforcement_report_FINALDownload

Minister for Africa welcomes Ukraine grain breakthrough

Statement from the Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, on the humanitarian crisis in East Africa:

Minister for Africa, Vicky Ford, said: “Friday’s agreement to resume Ukraine grain exports, brokered by the UN and Turkey, is a vital step towards alleviating hunger for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable.

“This is welcome news for countries in East Africa where famine is also being driven by four consecutive seasons of failed rains and the impact of conflicts, with 48 million people now facing severe food insecurity.

“That’s why the UK is calling for urgent action to address suffering in East Africa and is also working with humanitarian aid agencies to tackle this crisis and to stop it from getting worse. This year, The UK will spend approximately £156 million across East Africa towards humanitarian crises.

“It’s eleven years since famine was last declared in Somalia, a crisis that killed over 250,000 people. We have worked with partners to build resilience and save lives over those 11 years and as the UN lead on Somalia, the UK is committed to driving a global response to prevent famine and alleviate further suffering.”

Protesters call to Make Cages History

Animal charity The Humane League UK marked the 200 year anniversary of the UK’s first animal welfare law by asking the UK Government to ban cages for egg-laying hens with a demo outside Parliament yesterday.

Carrying banners saying ‘Let’s make cages history’, each protester represented a historical era which has passed since the first animal welfare law was introduced two centuries ago wearing costumes from Victorian three-piece suits, to flapper dresses and 90s grunge get-ups.

According to a survey by Atomik Research, one third of people believe that egg-laying hens have better lives now than they did 200 years ago, despite factory and cage farming not being invented in 1822.

The survey also found that of those who eat eggs, 72% say that buying free-range is important to them.

Singer Sinitta, who endorsed the campaign, said: “It completely boggles my mind that hens suffer more today than hundreds of years ago. We’ve invented planes, cars, antibiotics, telephones, and the internet but when it comes to our treatment of innocent farmed animals things have arguably gotten worse.

“This is unacceptable – we must ban cages for hens.”

​​Dr Marc Abraham OBE, media vet and author, says: “There’s going to be a change of government soon and, although disruptive, this can present a major opportunity for change.

“They need to realise that a significantly high proportion of British people want cruel and exploitative cages banned outright, as they should. It’s not fair keeping energetic, intelligent, and curious animals like hens in steel wire boxes, where they suffer unnaturally shortened and miserable lives.

“If those in power refuse to act on their own pro-animal welfare mandate, the nation’s animal-lovers will just keep campaigning until the health and wellbeing of animals is finally and fully respected.”

On July 22nd 1822 Parliament passed The Cruel Treatment of Cattle Act which protected cows, horses, mules and sheep from beatings and abuse.

It was the first piece of animal welfare legislation in the world, and was masterminded by Irish MP and colonel Richard ‘Humanity Dick’ Martin, who defended animals so vigorously he fought at least one duel over cruelty to a dog.

Battery cages began to find wide use in farming from the 1940s onwards and, although barren battery cages were banned in the UK in 2012, millions of hens remain trapped in marginally larger ‘enriched’ cages.

Around 14 million hens, or 35% of the UK’s flock, are still kept in these cages which frustrate natural behaviours like wing-stretching, foraging and dust-bathing.

This is despite strong public opposition to such practices. 

The government confirmed last month in the End the Cage Age debate that there would be a consultation on the use of cages for laying hens and farrowing crates for pigs.

Without a ban, members of the public can never be sure that they aren’t purchasing eggs from cruelly caged hens, as even with 80-90% of the egg industry committed to going cage-free by 2025 that will leave 4.2 to 8.4 million birds in cages supplying small single location businesses and restaurants.

These protests form part of Beatrice’s Campaign, which seeks to ban cages for hens and is led by UK charities The Humane League UK, RSPCA, and Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation.

The campaign is named after Beatrice, a hen who was rescued from a cage and now thrives with her adoptive family in Wiltshire, having regrown all the feathers she’d lost during her previous, stress-filled life.

7.2 million Cost of Living payments made to low-income families

Over 7.2 million payments of £326 have been made to help households through the UK government’s Cost of Living support.

  • 7.2 million payments of £326 – worth a total of £2.4bn – made in first week of Cost of Living support rollout
  • Payments mark the first half of the £650 Cost of Living payment for low-income families, with the second half coming in the autumn
  • Additional support for disabled people and pensioners will follow later this year

This means £2.4bn has been paid out to low-income families in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with the second instalment of £324 arriving later this year.

The first payments were made on 14 July 2022, meaning the government has paid on average over a million families every working day since then.

This is all part of the government’s £37 billion support package for households. Millions will get £1,200 this year to help them with rising costs, including this £650 payment, a £400 grant to help with energy bills, and a £150 Council Tax rebate for the 80% of households in bands A-D.

And in addition to this, nearly one in 10 people will get a £150 disability payment this autumn, while over eight million pensioner households could receive an extra £300 through their Winter Fuel Payments in November and December.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Thérèse Coffey said: “This government said that we would protect those on the lowest incomes, and we have delivered what we said with over 7 million households receiving £326 in the last week.

“There is more help to come for households, with the second half of the £650 payment arriving later this year and further payments for pensioners and disabled people also on the way.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi said: “I know that people are finding things difficult with rising prices and increasing pressure on household budgets.

“That’s why we’re taking action to control inflation and providing immediate help for households. It’s so important that over 7 million vulnerable households have received £326 direct payments so far and there is also more help to come, with 8 million of the most vulnerable households receiving £1,200 of direct support to help with bills over the winter.”

In total, over eight million families will be eligible for this payment, with around one million eligible because they receive tax credits and no other eligible benefits. These families will receive their first instalment from HMRC in the autumn, and the second instalment in the winter.

DWP will administer payments for customers on all other eligible means-tested benefits, and no one needs to contact the government or apply for the payment at any stage.

Those who are eligible should look out in their bank accounts for a payment of £326 with the reference “DWP Cost of Living” in their bank accounts. This payment is made automatically, meaning no one has to apply or do anything to receive it.

Eligible claimants who have not received their payment yet should not be concerned, as the DWP expects some payments may take until 31 July 2022 to come through.

Financial Services Bill to ‘unlock growth and investment’ across the UK

Legislation to enhance the competitiveness of UK financial services and unlock growth and investment across the UK was introduced to Parliament yesterday.

The Financial Services and Markets Bill repeals hundreds of pieces of EU retained law to enable a coherent, agile and internationally respected regime that works in the interests of the British people.

Consumers will be protected through legislation safeguarding access to cash for generations to come and enabling the Payment Systems Regulator to direct banks to reimburse victims of Authorised Push Payment fraud.

The Bill will implement the government’s vision for the sector that is open, green, technologically advanced and globally competitive – while maintaining high levels of consumer protection.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi said: “Today is a landmark day for financial services in the UK.

“Through the introduction of this Bill, we are repealing hundreds of pieces of burdensome EU regulations and seizing on the benefits of Brexit to ensure the financial sector works in the interests of British people and businesses.”

The Bill implements the outcomes of the Future Regulatory Framework Review, giving the financial regulators greater responsibility for setting the requirements for UK financial services, and for the first time, a new secondary objective to promote the growth and competitiveness of the UK economy including the financial services sector.

This will complement the regulators’ existing objectives of ensuring the safety and soundness of firms, protecting and enhancing the integrity of the UK financial system, promoting competition in the interests of consumers, and ensuring that consumers receive an appropriate degree of protection.

The Bill also includes enhanced mechanisms for engagement with stakeholders and accountability, scrutiny and oversight of the regulators by Parliament and the Treasury. This includes a new ‘rule review’ power which will enable the government to direct the regulators to review their rules where it is in the public interest.

To maintain the UK’s position as an international, open and competitive financial centre, the Bill will reform EU-derived legislation governing our capital markets, ensuring that our rulebook is fair, outcomes based and maintains high regulatory standards.

This includes removing the share trading obligation and double volume cap from MiFID II, which restrict how and where firms can execute trades, and granting the FCA new powers to enhance the transparency and effective function of markets.

The Bill will also give new powers to the government and regulators to better enable them to implement Mutual Recognition Agreements – which are agreements between two trading partners, designed to remove technical and regulatory barriers to trade.

To ensure the UK remains at the forefront of new technologies and innovations, the Bill will enable certain types of stablecoins to be regulated as a form of payment in the UK.

In fostering these new innovations, the Bill will also enable the creation of Financial Markets Infrastructure Sandboxes – allowing firms to test the use of new technologies and practices in financial markets, increasing efficiency, transparency and resilience of new products.

As part of plans to ensure consumers are protected, the legislation includes measures that will safeguard access to cash for generations to come; powers to enable the Payments Systems Regulator to direct banks to reimburse victims of APP fraud; and establishes a new regulatory pathway for firms to be able to approve financial promotions, ensuring they better reflect FCA rules which state that promotions should be fair, clear, and not misleading.

As part of this approach, the government will ensure greater financial inclusion through powers enabling credit unions, which provide low-interest forms of credit, to offer a wider range of products to their members.

Amanda Blanc, Chief Executive Officer, Aviva said: “This Bill will bring much needed reform. 

“We want to move fast to a new regulatory framework for financial services and unlock the potential for greater investment in the UK.”

David Duffy, Group Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Money plc said: “Virgin Money welcomes the vision that the Chancellor set out last night to create a more open, green, competitive and technologically advanced sector.

“The new Financial Services and Markets Bill will bring about significant change to our industry, and we look forward to working in partnership with the Government as it delivers on its ambition to create one the most dynamic financial centres in the world.”

Chris Cummings, Chief Executive, the Investment Association said: “The Chancellor’s commitment to ensure the UK sets the standard for financial services globally is good news for savers and investors.

“We welcome the government’s aim to deliver new economic growth through harnessing innovation and ensuring the UK remains the most inclusive, open and transparent place to do business in the world.”

David Postings, Chief Executive of UK Finance, said: “The Chancellor’s vision in his Mansion House speech is for the UK to have a strong and internationally competitive banking and finance sector, which we strongly welcome.

“A successful financial services sector is critical for achieving economic growth and benefits the whole country – it is one of our most important industries, delivering jobs, investment and growth across every region.

“To ensure the sector continues to be successful, alongside maintaining the pace of reform, there needs to be a keen focus on international competitiveness from the next government.”

New consultation on civil penalties to tackle illegal migration

To help tackle illegal migration, the UK government is proposing tougher penalties for hauliers and vehicle drivers found carrying clandestine migrants

The UK Government has launched an industry consultation on proposals for tougher penalties to tackle illegal migration, including increasing the maximum penalty for hauliers and vehicle drivers who are found carrying a clandestine entrant from £2,000.

As part of the continued fight against illegal migration and the criminal gangs behind it, changes to the existing clandestine entrant civil penalties scheme will be made through the Nationality and Borders Act.

These include new civil penalties for hauliers and vehicle drivers who fail to adequately secure their vehicle and conduct proper checks, regardless of whether a clandestine entrant is found, as part of efforts to prevent dangerous journeys which risk serious injury or even death.

Since 2020, the number of clandestine entrants coming to the UK via HGV and goods vehicles has continued to increase year on year. The government is determined to stop this, including via these refreshed penalties for hauliers and vehicle drivers who leave themselves vulnerable to exploitation.

Ahead of implementation, we are seeking the views of vehicle drivers, companies and other interested parties on all these new measures.

The consultation with the industry will run for 8 weeks and will close on 12 September 2022.

Alongside the consultation, the Home Office will be running a series of engagement events to explore these issues in more detail.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Simon Baynes MP said: “We are determined to do all we can to prevent illegal entry into the UK.

“Criminal gangs who risk the lives of desperate people for profit are taking advantage of those whose vehicles travel in and out of the country.

“Far too many vehicles are currently not adequately secured, and we will seek to increase penalties on those who are negligent and prosecute those who are complicit.

“This consultation is the next vital step in achieving this, and we look forward to working with the haulage industry and other interested parties to ensure that they are aware of the necessary requirements.”

The recently enacted Nationality and Borders Act is part of the UK government’s New Plan for Immigration to make it fairer for those in genuine need, deter illegal entry into the UK, break the business model of people-smuggling networks and remove those from the UK with no right to be here.

Another one bites the dust …

Tugendhat eliminated from Tory leadership contest

TOM Tugenhadt was the latest candidate to be eliminated from the Conservative Party leadership contest when results of yesterday’s ballot was announced last night.

FOUR candidates now go through to the next round of voting. They are:

KEMI BADENOCH (58)

PENNY MORDAUNT (82)

RISHI SUNAK (115)

LIZ TRUSS (71)

The next round of voting takes place today – we’ll know the result at 3pm – and the shortlist will be reduced to two candidates before parliament breaks up on Thursday. Tory Party members will then choose between these final two candidates in a ballot that will take place over the summer recess.

The winner – and the UK’s next Prime Minister – will be announced on 5 September.

3pm UPDATE

KEMI Badenoch is the latest candidate to be eliminated following today’s vote. Exactly where Ms Badenoch’s votes go now will be crucial in determining which two of the final three candidates will fight it out for the votes of Tory party members over the summer to become our next Prime Minister.

UK donates 1 million more doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh

Bilateral vaccine donation will expand Bangladesh’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and further strengthen Brit Bangla Bondhon between the UK and Bangladesh.

The UK bilaterally donated 1 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh. The vaccine consignment arrived in Bangladesh on 23 February 2022. This bilateral donation from the UK will reinforce Bangladesh’s fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the country’s economic recovery.

Prior to this, the UK donated over 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Bangladesh in December 2021 through COVAX facilities.

While welcoming the second consignment of vaccines donation from the UK, the British High Commissioner HE Robert Chatterton Dickson said: “We welcome the arrival of 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from the UK to Bangladesh. This bilateral donation adds to the 4 million doses that the UK donated through COVAX last year.

“This support from the UK takes us one step ahead to defeat the pandemic and further strengthens our commitment to stand with the people of Bangladesh to recover faster and build a healthier and prosperous future.”

Complementing the vaccine donations, the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), through its delivery partners, created an enabling environment for the Government of Bangladesh to accelerate and expand the vaccination program as well as reduce the transmission of the infection especially among the low-income people.

This includes support for on-line vaccine registration for the disadvantaged, raising awareness, additional healthcare provider and technician support, training of health workers including vaccinators, and transporting vaccines to the districts as well as to the schools across the country.

Since the pandemic started, the UK government has reprioritised more than £55.9 million to fund Bangladesh’s National Preparedness and Response Plan to tackle COVID-19 including support for Rohingya refugees and the host communities.

The UK has been at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19. Last year at the G7, the UK committed to donate 100 million doses by June 2022. 80% of those UK doses will be distributed through the COVAX facility. Earlier, the UK kick-started efforts to establish COVAX facility in 2020, providing a total of £548 million to fund vaccines for lower income countries.

Children and young people should not be able to buy ‘loot boxes’ in video games without parental consent

  • Government’s call for evidence has unveiled a link between loot boxes and gambling harms, as well as wider mental health, financial and problem-gaming harms
  • Government calls on games companies to step up and improve protections for children as well as players of all ages from the risk of harm

Video games companies and platforms must do more to make sure children can not make in-game purchases – known as ‘loot boxes’ – without their parents’ consent, Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said today.

Loot boxes are a type of in-game purchase in some video games. Players can purchase a loot box with real money to receive random items, including “power-ups” to help a player compete better in the game and cosmetic items, such as virtual clothing.

The call for evidence on loot boxes, launched by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport in 2020, found that players who have purchased loot boxes may be more likely to experience gambling, mental health, financial and problem gaming-related harms. The risk may also be higher for children and young people.

To protect players, the Government is calling for the purchase of loot boxes to be made unavailable to children and young people unless they are approved by a parent or guardian.

Some games platforms, such as Xbox, have already taken steps to improve protections, such as including options that require parental permission for under-18s to spend money within games.

The Government wants to build on this with strong protections for children across the entire games industry and will not hesitate to consider legislation if companies do not bring in sufficient measures to keep players safe.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “We want to stop children going on spending sprees online without parental consent, spurred on by in-game purchases like loot-boxes.

“Games companies and platforms need to do more to ensure that controls and age-restrictions are applied so that players are protected from the risk of gambling harms. Children should be free to enjoy gaming safely, whilst giving parents and guardians the peace of mind they need.”

Games companies and platforms should provide spending controls and transparent information to all players. Protections should support the minority of players who spend a disproportionate amount of money on loot boxes, and who may be at a greater risk of harm.

A new working group, convened by DCMS, will bring together games companies, platforms and regulatory bodies to develop industry-led measures to protect players and reduce the risk of harm.  This will include measures such as parental controls, and making sure transparent, accessible information is available to all players.

The call for evidence also found a need for better evidence to improve understanding of the positive and negative impacts of video games. The Government will launch a Video Games Research Framework to support this.

The UK has a world class video games industry which contributed £2.9 billion to the economy in 2019, growing hugely from £400 million in 2010. As the sector continues to innovate the Government is committed to supporting its growth, whilst also ensuring games can be enjoyed safely.

Dr Jo Twist OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Ukie said: “As a responsible industry, we have committed to exploring additional ways to support players and parents to build on our existing work developing and raising awareness of parental controls.

“We look forward to engaging closely with the Government and other organisations in the working group and on the Video Games Research Framework.”

Dr Richard Wilson OBE, Chief Executive Officer, TIGA said: “TIGA believes that games businesses should aim to ensure that games are safe to use for all players. In 2020, TIGA formally adopted its 5 Principles for Safeguarding Players, designed to embody the spirit of the approach that games companies should adopt in operating their businesses within the UK.

“Children and young people should not be able to buy ‘loot boxes’ in video games without parental consent. TIGA also believes that vulnerable adults need to be protected against potential harms arising from loot boxes.

“TIGA looks forward to contributing to the DCMS’s planned working group to advance measures to protect players from potential harms.”