UK Government – Page 133 – The NEN

Politicians pay tributes to HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

Prime Minister Boris Johnson made this statement in the House of Commons yesterday

Mr Speaker, I beg to move:

That an Humble Address be presented to Her Majesty expressing the deepest sympathies of this House on the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the heartfelt thanks of this House and this nation for his unfailing dedication to this Country and the Commonwealth, exemplified in his distinguished service in the Royal Navy in the Second World War; his commitment to young people in setting up The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, a scheme which has touched the lives of millions across the globe; his early, passionate commitment to the environment; and his unstinting support to Your Majesty throughout his life.

Mr Speaker, it is fitting that on Saturday His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will be conveyed to his final resting place in a Land Rover, which Prince Philip had designed himself, with a long wheel base and a capacious rear cabin, because that vehicle’s unique and idiosyncratic silhouette reminds the world that he was above all a practical man, who could take something very traditional – whether a machine or indeed a great national institution – and find a way by his own ingenuity to improve it, to adapt it for the 20th or the 21st century.

That gift for innovation was apparent from his earliest career in the Navy. When he served in the second world war, he was mentioned in despatches for his “alertness and appreciation of the situation” during the Battle of Cape Matapan, and he played a crucial role in helping to sink two enemy cruisers. But it was later, during the invasion of Sicily, that he was especially remembered by his crewmates for what he did to save their own ship.

In a moment of high danger, at night, when HMS Wallace was vulnerable to being blown up by enemy planes, he improvised a floating decoy – complete with fires to make it look like a stricken British vessel – so that the Wallace was able to slip away, and the enemy took out the decoy.

He was there at Tokyo Bay in 1945, barely 200 yards away from the Japanese surrender on the deck of USS Missouri; but he wasn’t content just to watch history through his binoculars. It seems that he used the lull to get on with repainting the hull of HMS Whelp; and throughout his life – a life that was by necessity wrapped from such a young age in symbol and ceremony – one can see that same instinct, to look for what was most useful, and most practical, and for what would take things forward.

He was one of the first people in this country to use a mobile phone. In the 1970s, he was driving an electric taxi on the streets of London – the fore-runner of the modern low-carbon fleet, and, again, a vehicle of his own specifications. He wasn’t content just to be a carriage driver. He played a large part in pioneering and codifying the sport of competitive carriage driving.

And if it is true that carriage-driving is not a mass-participation sport – not yet – he had other novel ideas that touched the lives of millions, developed their character and confidence, their teamwork and self-reliance. It was amazing and instructive, to listen on Friday to the Cabinet’s tributes to the Duke, and to hear how many were proud to say that they, or their children, had benefited from taking part in his Duke of Edinburgh Award schemes.

I will leave it to the House to speculate as to who claimed to have got a gold award, and who got a bronze. But I believe those ministers spoke for millions of people – across this country and around the world – who felt that the Duke had in some way touched their lives, people whose work he supported in the course of an astonishing 22,219 public engagements, people he encouraged, and, yes, he amused.

It is true that he occasionally drove a coach and horses through the finer points of diplomatic protocol, and he coined a new word – dontopedalogy – for the experience of putting your foot in your mouth.

And it is also true that among his more parliamentary expressions he commented adversely on the French concept of breakfast, and told a British student in Papua New Guinea that he was lucky not to be eaten, and that the people of the Cayman Islands were descended from pirates, and that he would like to go to Russia except that, as he put it, “the bastards murdered half my family”.

But the world did not hold it against him, Mr Speaker. On the contrary, they overwhelmingly understood that he was trying to break the ice, to get things moving, to get people laughing and forget their nerves; and to this day there is a community in the Pacific islands that venerates Prince Philip as a god, or volcano spirit – a conviction that was actually strengthened when a group came to London to have tea with him in person.

When he spoke so feelingly about the problems of overpopulation, and humanity’s relentless incursion on the natural world, and the consequent destruction of habitat and species, he contrived to be at once politically incorrect and also ahead of his time.

In a quite unparalleled career of advice and encouragement and support, he provided one particular service that I believe the House will know in our hearts was the very greatest of all. In the constant love he gave to Her Majesty the Queen – as her liege man of life and limb, in the words he spoke at the Coronation – he sustained her throughout this extraordinary second Elizabethan age, now the longest reign of any monarch in our history.

It was typical of him that in wooing Her Majesty – famously not short of a jewel or two – he offered jewellery of his own design. He dispensed with the footmen in powdered wigs. He introduced television cameras, and at family picnics in Balmoral he would barbecue the sausages on a large metal contraption that all Prime Ministers must have goggled at for decades, complete with rotisserie and compartments for the sauces, that was – once again, Mr Speaker – a product of his own invention and creation.

Indeed as an advocate of skills and craft and science and technology this country has had no royal champion to match him since Prince Albert, and I know that in due course the House and the country will want to consider a suitable memorial to Prince Philip.

It is with that same spirit of innovation that as co-gerent of the Royal Family, he shaped and protected the monarchy, through all the vicissitudes of the last seven decades, and helped to modernise and continually to adapt an institution that is above politics, that incarnates our history, and that is indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.

By his unstinting service to The Queen, the Commonwealth, the armed forces, the environment, to millions of people young and not so young around the world, and to countless other causes, he gave us and he gives us all a model of selflessness, and of putting others before ourselves.

And though I expect Mr Speaker, he might be embarrassed or even exasperated to receive these tributes, he made this country a better place, and for that he will be remembered with gratitude and with fondness for generations to come.

AND AT HOLYROOD:

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon moved the following motion at The Scottish Parliament yesterday:

Motion of Condolence following the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh: First Minister’s statement – 12 April, 2021

Presiding Officer,

The tributes paid to the Duke of Edinburgh over these last three days show the affection in which he was held – here in Scotland, across the United Kingdom, and indeed around the world.

On behalf of the people of Scotland, I express my deepest sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen – who is grieving the loss of her ‘strength and stay’, her husband of almost 74 years – and also to the Duke’s children, and to the wider Royal Family.

Of course, before he became the public figure so familiar to all of us today, the Duke of Edinburgh had already led a life of distinction.

Like so many of his generation, he endured difficulties and faced dangers that generations since can barely comprehend.

As a naval officer in World War Two, he was mentioned in dispatches for his part in the Battle of Matapan.

In 1943, his courage and quick-thinking helped save HMS Wallace from attack in the Mediterranean.

And during a two year spell at Rosyth, he was responsible for escorting merchant vessels on a route known as “E-boat alley”, because of the frequency of the attacks from German vessels.

For these contributions alone, he – like all of our veterans – is owed a significant debt of gratitude.

The Second World War was, however, just the beginning of the Duke of Edinburgh’s life of public service.

From 1947, he was the Queen’s constant companion.

And from 1952, he was her consort.

As has been much noted in recent days, he became the longest serving consort in British history.

That role, in a constitutional monarchy, cannot be an easy one – particularly, perhaps, for someone who is spirited and energetic by temperament.

And of course, he faced the additional challenge of being the husband of a powerful woman – at a time when that was even more of an exception than it is today.

That reversal of the more traditional dynamic was highly unusual in the 1940s, 50s and 60s – and even now, isn’t as common as it might be.

Yet the Duke of Edinburgh was devoted to supporting the Queen. They were a true partnership.

Indeed, like First Ministers before me, I got to witness the strength of that partnership at close quarters during annual stays at Balmoral.

I always enjoyed my conversations with the Duke of Edinburgh on these visits – indeed on all of the occasions that I met him – and I was struck by how different he was in private to the way he was sometimes characterised in public.

He was a thoughtful man, deeply interesting and fiercely intelligent. He was also a serious bookworm, which I am too, so talking about the books we were reading was often, for me, a real highlight of our conversations.

Prince Philip was without doubt a devoted consort to the Queen – but of course he also carved out a distinctive individual role.

He took a particular interest in industry and science, and he was far-sighted in his early support for conservation. Indeed, as far back as 1969, in a speech here in Edinburgh, he warned of the risks of “virtually indestructible plastics”.

And of course, in 1956 he founded The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, which now every year provides opportunity, hope and inspiration to more than 1 million young people in more than 100 different countries across the world.

In addition, the Duke of Edinburgh was patron of more than 800 charities. At the time of his retirement from Royal duties, he had completed well over 20,000 engagements.

Many of these engagements were of course here in Scotland – a country that he loved from a very early age.

He was educated in Moray, taught to sail by a Scottish trawler skipper, and as has been mentioned already, was based at Rosyth for two years during the war.

When the Duke received the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh in 1949, he spoke then of the “numberless benefits” that Scotland had given him.

Some of his very first duties with the Royal Household were undertaken here in Scotland.

In July 1947 – just a week after the announcement of his engagement to the then Princess Elizabeth – the couple travelled here to Edinburgh.

And in the years since, the Duke has been present at many of the key moments of our modern history – including, of course, the official openings of our Scottish Parliament.

He has served many Scottish charities and organisations – indeed, he was Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh for more than 50 years.

Throughout all of that time, the public has held him in great affection.

On that first Royal Visit to Edinburgh in 1947, people gathered just across the street, in the forecourt of Holyrood Palace, and celebrated the Royal engagement with country dancing.

More than 70 years later – shortly after he had announced his retirement from public life – I witnessed the warmth of the reception he received as he accompanied the Queen to the opening of the Queensferry Crossing.

This is an event I had known he was determined to attend – he was fascinated and deeply impressed by the feats of engineering that each of the three Forth Bridges represent.

Presiding Officer,

One of the Duke of Edinburgh’s early engagements in Scotland, shortly after the Queen’s Coronation, was to plant a cherry tree in the grounds of Canongate Kirk, just across the road from here.

It stands directly opposite the tree planted by the Queen a year previously.

These trees are just about to bloom, as I am sure they will do each spring for decades to come.

I am equally sure that – not just in the weeks ahead – but many years from now, people will think fondly of the Duke of Edinburgh as they pass Canongate Kirk and look across to Holyrood Palace.

It is right that our Parliament pays tribute to him today.

In doing so, we mourn his passing and we extend our deepest sympathy to Her Majesty The Queen and her family.

We reflect on his distinguished wartime record; his love and support for the Queen; and his decades of public service to Scotland, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth.

Above all, Presiding Officer, we celebrate – and we honour – an extraordinary life. I move the motion in my name.

Travel Taskforce sets out framework to safely reopen international travel

Global Travel Taskforce sets out approach to safely restarting international travel
recommendations include launch of a new traffic light system and ‘green watchlist’, and the introduction of travel certification
government’s priority remains to protect the public and the vaccine rollout from international coronavirus (COVID-19) variants of concern

A framework to chart the safe return of international travel was set out on Friday (9 April 2021) by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

A traffic light system, which will categorise countries based on risk alongside the restrictions required for travel, will be set up to protect the public and the vaccine rollout from international COVID-19 variants.

Key factors in the assessment will include:

the percentage of their population that have been vaccinated
the rate of infection
the prevalence of variants of concern
the country’s access to reliable scientific data and genomic sequencing

The report, produced by the Global Travel Taskforce, shows how international travel could resume from 17 May 2021 at the earliest, in an accessible and affordable way. This includes the removal of the permission to travel form – meaning passengers would no longer need to prove they have a valid reason to leave the country.

The UK is a global leader in genome sequencing, which in positive cases allows the identification of variants of concern.

The risks posed by these variants remain significant, and restrictions for inbound passengers, such as 10-day managed quarantine, home quarantine, and stringent testing will remain in place – but will apply to people differently depending on whether the destination visited is categorised as ‘green’, ‘amber’ or ‘red’.

Green: arrivals will need to take a pre-departure test as well as a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on or before day 2 of their arrival back into the UK – but will not need to quarantine on return (unless they receive a positive result) or take any additional tests, halving the cost of tests on their return from holiday
Amber: arrivals will need to quarantine for a period of 10 days and take a pre-departure test, and a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 with the option for Test to Release on day 5 to end self-isolation early
Red: arrivals will be subject to restrictions currently in place for ‘red list’ countries which include a 10-day stay in a managed quarantine hotel, pre-departure testing and PCR testing on day 2 and 8

Testing remains an essential part of protecting public health as restrictions begin to ease – with all arrivals who are not exempt required to book a pre-departure, day 2 and day 8 test before travelling.

Arrivals travelling from ‘red list’ countries should book a quarantine package before departure, and arrivals from ‘amber’ and ‘green’ countries will be required to book test packages before travelling from one of the government’s approved list of providers.

Testing post-arrival remains an important tool in our wider measures to manage the risk of imported cases – allowing us to monitor positive tests and ensure people isolate, as well as identify and genomically sequence variants of concern.

We will also work with the travel industry and private testing providers ahead of international travel reopening, to see how we can further reduce the cost of travel for the British public, while ensuring travel is as safe as possible.

This could include cheaper tests being used when holidaymakers return home, as well as whether the government would be able to provide pre-departure tests.

It is too early to predict which countries will be on which list over the summer, and the government continues to consider a range of factors to inform the restrictions placed on them. We will set out by early May which countries will fall into which category, as well as confirming whether international travel can resume from 17 May 2021.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “International travel is vital – it boosts businesses and underpins the UK economy – but more than that, it brings people together, connects families who have been kept apart, and allows us to explore new horizons.

“The framework announced today will help allow us to reopen travel safely and sustainably, ensure we protect our hard-won achievements on the vaccine roll out, and offer peace of mind to both passengers and industry as we begin to take trips abroad once again.”

The UK will also play a leading role in the development of international standards around a digital travel certification system.

The Department for Transport (DfT) is working across government to consider the role certification could play in facilitating outbound travel, for those countries which have systems in place. Work also continues to develop a system that would facilitate travel certification for inbound international travel.

To give passengers more certainty when travelling, a ‘green watchlist’ will be introduced to help identify countries most at risk of moving from ‘green’ to ‘amber’. The watchlist will provide greater assurance for those who wish to travel abroad.

While the watchlist will warn travellers of potential changes in advance, the government will not hesitate to act immediately should the data show that countries risk ratings have changed.

The allocation of countries will be kept under review and respond to emerging evidence, with a particular focus on variants of concern.

Restrictions will be formally reviewed on 28 June 2021 to take account of the domestic and international health picture, and to see whether current measures could be rolled back. Further formal reviews will take place at checkpoints no later than 31 July and 1 October 2021.

To ensure the UK’s borders remain safe and efficient when passenger flows increase, the government has also announced plans to digitise the passenger locator form, integrating it into the UK border system and enabling checks to take place at e-gates by autumn 2021.

To further boost consumer confidence, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will be given additional enforcement powers to act on airlines that have breached consumer rights – with a dedicated consultation on how to use additional tools to enforce consumer rights expected later this year.

A COVID-19 charter will also be introduced from 17 May 2021, clearly setting out what is required of passengers and what their rights are while measures remain in place.

Responding to the announcement Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: “This is an important step towards resuming international travel. The report correctly identifies some of the key barriers facing travellers, but it falls short in providing solutions.

“Holidaymakers will still face the eye-watering costs of Covid tests, which are currently much more expensive in the UK than in many other European countries, and risk pricing people out of taking a holiday.

“There is also little detail on reassurances that destinations won’t suddenly be moved from green to amber or red, putting travellers at risk of last-minute changes and unaffordable quarantine costs.

“It is encouraging to hear plans to give the CAA greater powers to tackle the consistent lawbreaking we saw on refunds from some airlines in the last year. These must be sufficiently tough, and give the ability to fine airlines directly for past behaviour to ensure they won’t step out of line again.”

The death of the Duke of Edinburgh

Updated UK Government information

Earlier today Buckingham Palace announced the death of the Duke of Edinburgh after a short illness.

A notice informing the public of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh was placed on the gates of Buckingham Palace. It read:

“It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen has announced the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.”

At the express request of HRH Duke of Edinburgh, and in line with current COVID restrictions, there will be no official ceremonial events during this period.

Although this is an extraordinarily difficult time for many, we are asking the public not to gather at Royal Residences, and continue to follow public health advice particularly on avoiding meeting in large groups and on minimising travel.

We (the UK Government) are supporting the Royal Household in asking that floral tributes should not be laid at Hillsborough Castle at this time. The Royal Family have asked that members of the public consider making a donation to a charity instead of leaving floral tributes in memory of The Duke of Edinburgh.

An online Book of Condolence is now available should members of the public wish to express their condolences. This is available at the Royal Family Website

Further details of the funeral will be announced by Buckingham Palace in due course.

Buckingham Palace announces the death of HRH Prince Philip

A STATEMENT from THE ROYAL FAMILY

It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.

Further announcements will be made in due course.

The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss.

UK GOVERNMENT STATEMENT

It is with great regret that we note the announcement today, Friday 9 April 2021 from Buckingham Palace of the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh.

All official flags, including the Union Flag, are to be half-masted on all UK government buildings as soon as possible today until 0800 on the day following the Funeral. Flags may be flown overnight during this period but should remain at half-mast.

Any non-official flags currently flying or due to be flown should be taken down and replaced with a Union Flag at half-mast. Other official flags scheduled to be flown should be flown as normal, but at half-mast (see official flags criteria below).

Half-mast means the flag is flown a third of the way down the flagpole from the top, with at least the height of the flag between the top of the flag and the top of the flagpole. On poles that are more than 45° from the vertical, flags cannot be flown at half-mast and should not be flown at all.

Devolved administrations will issue instructions for the flying of the Union Flag and other official flags on buildings in their estate and others as necessary.

Local authorities and other bodies may choose whether to follow this guidance.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s statement

It was with great sadness that a short time ago I received word from Buckingham Palace that His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh has passed away at the age of 99.

Prince Philip earned the affection of generations here in the United Kingdom, across the Commonwealth and around the world.

He was the longest serving consort in history, one of the last surviving people in this country to have served in the second world war at Cape Matapan, where he was mentioned in despatches for bravery and in the invasion of Sicily, where he saved his ship by his quick thinking and from that conflict he took an ethic of service that he applied throughout the unprecedented changes of the post war era.

Like the expert carriage driver that he was he helped to steer the royal family and the monarchy so that it remains an institution indisputably vital to the balance and happiness of our national life.

He was an environmentalist, and a champion of the natural world long before it was fashionable.

With his Duke of Edinburgh awards scheme he shaped and inspired the lives of countless young people and at literally tens of thousands of events he fostered their hopes and encouraged their ambitions.

We remember the Duke for all of this and above all for his steadfast support for Her Majesty The Queen. Not just as her consort, by her side every day of her reign, but as her husband, her “strength and stay”, of more than 70 years.

And it is to Her Majesty, and her family, that our nation’s thoughts must turn today.

Because they have lost not just a much-loved and highly respected public figure, but a devoted husband and a proud and loving father, grandfather and, in recent years, great-grandfather.

Speaking on their golden wedding anniversary, Her Majesty said that our country owed her husband “a greater debt than he would ever claim or we shall ever know” and I am sure that estimate is correct.

So we mourn today with Her Majesty The Queen, we offer our condolences to her and to all her family and we give thanks, as a nation and a Kingdom, for the extraordinary life and work of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Scottish Secretary pays tribute to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack’s statement on the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack said: “It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

“Since her accession in 1952, the Duke has given the Queen his unstinting support and dedication. Their marriage was a true, and enduring partnership.

“Prince Philip’s life was one of tireless public service. That was never more evident than during his countless visits to Scotland, where the Duke’s warmth and humour endeared him to Scots from all walks of life.

“His Royal Highness had a long and fond relationship with Scotland and, through his fantastic Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, has played a key role in building the confidence, ambition and aspiration of thousands of young Scots.

“As we reflect on the Duke’s life, we give thanks for his remarkable lifetime of dignity and devoted service, and extend our deepest condolences to the Royal Family.

“He was an amazing man, a great character. I fear we will never see his like again.”

DEATH of HRH PRINCE PHILIP: FIRST MINISTER NICOLA STURGEON’S STATEMENT

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has sent a message of condolence to Her Majesty The Queen following the announcement.

Flags are flying at half-mast on Scottish Government buildings and online Books of Condolence are due to open.

The First Minister said: “On behalf of the people of Scotland, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to Her Majesty The Queen and the rest of the Royal Family.

“Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time and their grief is shared by people across the country.

“The Duke of Edinburgh had deep and longstanding ties to Scotland, attending school here at Gordonstoun and regularly holidaying at Balmoral Castle.

“From his patronage of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme, to his close association with the University of Edinburgh as Chancellor for over fifty years and his commitments to countless charities and organisations, Prince Philip’s long contribution to public life in Scotland will leave a profound mark on its people.

“Online Books of Condolence will open in the coming days to allow people to pay their respects. In line with current restrictions, the Royal Household has requested that members of the public do not leave floral tributes or gather at the Palace of Holyroodhouse or Balmoral Castle at this time.

The Palace has suggested that people could donate to charity instead, if they wish to do so.”

As flags at the City Chambers are lowered to half-mast, the Queen’s Royal Representative in Edinburgh, the Lord Lieutenant Frank Ross, said: Throughout Prince Philip’s extraordinary lifetime, he showed great appreciation for this city and its people.

“During his countless visits to the Capital as Duke of Edinburgh, he regularly reached out to fellow veterans and serving personnel and thousands of our children and students, both through the Duke of Edinburgh Award and his longstanding links with our Universities.

“As Patron of so many Edinburgh-based charities, he won a special place in the hearts of Scottish people. It’s with great sadness that I share on behalf of the city our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to all the members of the Royal Family at this very sad time. It has been my privilege and honour to personally represent His Royal Highness in Edinburgh. Just like his consort to the monarch, his legacy will be longstanding.”

Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh, born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark in Corfu on 10 June 1921, married Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947. On the morning of their wedding, he was created the Duke of Edinburgh and was formally made a British Prince in 1957.

His Royal Highness retired from his royal duties on 2 August 2017, aged 96, having completed more than 22,200 solo engagements since 1952. He remained Patron, President or Member of around 30 Edinburgh-based organisations, including: the Universities of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt, the Royal Botanical and Zoological Societies of Scotland, the National Galleries, Royal British Legion and the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise.

He was the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch and the oldest ever male member of the British royal family.

Recovery Loan Scheme launched

A new UK government-backed loan scheme has launched to provide additional finance to those businesses that need it.

new loan scheme will provide further support to protect businesses and jobs
loans will include 80% government guarantee and interest rate cap
government has backed £75 billion of loans to date as part of unprecedented £350 billion wider support package

The Recovery Loan Scheme will ensure businesses continue to benefit from Government-guaranteed finance throughout 2021.

With non-essential retail and outdoor hospitality reopening next week, Ministers have ensured that appropriate support is still available to businesses to protect jobs. From today, businesses – ranging from coffee shops and restaurants, to hairdressers and gyms – and can access loans varying in size from £25,000, up to a maximum of £10 million. Invoice and asset finance is available from £1,000.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, said: “We have stopped at nothing to protect jobs and livelihoods throughout the pandemic and as the situation has evolved we have ensured that our support continues to meet businesses needs.

“As we safely reopen parts of our economy, our new Recovery Loan Scheme will ensure that businesses continue to have access to the finance they need as we move out of this crisis.”

This is in addition to furlough being extended until 30 September, and the New Restart Grants scheme launched last week, providing funding of up to £18,000 to eligible businesses.

The UK Government is also supplementing this with the Plan for Jobs, focused on protecting, supporting and creating jobs across the country through the Kickstart scheme, T-level and a National Careers Service.

The scheme, which was announced at budget and runs until 31 December 2021, will be administered by the British Business Bank, with loans available through a diverse network of accredited commercial lenders.

26 lenders have already been accredited for day one of the scheme, with more to come shortly, and the government will provide an 80% guarantee for all loans. Interest rates have been capped at 14.99% and are expected to be much lower than that in the vast majority of cases, and Ministers are urging lenders to ensure they keep rates down to help protect jobs.

The Recovery Loan Scheme can be used as an additional loan on top of support received from the emergency schemes – such as the Bounce Back Loan Scheme and Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme – put into place last year.

So far, the government’s emergency loan schemes have supported more than £75 billion of finance for 1.6 million British businesses and this new scheme will build on that success. This is part of the government’s unprecedented £350 billion support package which has included paying millions of workers’ wages through the furlough scheme and generous grants and tax deferrals.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “We’re doing everything we can to back businesses as we carefully reopen our economy and recover our way of life.

“The launch of our new Recovery Loan Scheme will provide businesses with a firm foundation on which to plan ahead, protect jobs and prepare for a safe reopening as we build back better from the pandemic.”

Reactions from business groups:

Rain Newton-Smith, CBI Chief Economist, said: “The coronavirus loan schemes have provided a critical lifeline to businesses, and so its successor – the new Recovery Loan scheme – comes as a huge relief to firms.

“These loans can be taken alongside existing COVID loans to help firms refinance, restructure and go for growth.

“It’s vital support remains as restrictions relax and demand returns to normal, allowing businesses to recover, save jobs, and support for reopening.”

Commenting on the Recovery Loan scheme, Suren Thiru, Head of Economics at the BCC, said: Accessing finance remains crucial to the lifeblood of a business and so the launch of the Recovery Loan scheme is welcome.

“The new scheme can play a potentially pivotal role in supporting the recovery by getting credit flowing to the firms who most need it.

“Chambers of Commerce will continue to work with government and the banks to ensure that businesses have the clarity they need to enable them to use the new scheme to help them return to growth.”

David Postings, Chief Executive of UK Finance, said: The banking and finance industry remains committed to supporting businesses of all sizes through the next phase of the pandemic response.

“As focus turns to economic recovery, we know that many firms are still facing uncertainty. The new Recovery Loan Scheme, alongside other commercial financial support, will help firms rebuild and invest for future growth.”

Green light for England’s recovery roadmap

Outdoor hospitality will be among those reopening in England next week after the Prime Minister confirmed the roadmap is on track and planned easements can go ahead.

Significant parts of the indoor economy and further outdoor settings will reopen from 12 April, after data confirmed the government’s “four tests” for easing Covid restrictions had been met.

However he continued to urge caution, with no changes to social contact rules and many restrictions still in place. Outdoor gatherings must still be limited to 6 people or 2 households, and you must not socialise indoors with anyone you do not live with or have not formed a support bubble with.

Confirmation Step 2 of the roadmap would proceed came after the measures were agreed at a “Covid O” meeting and discussed on a Cabinet call earlier today (Monday).

Before proceeding to this step, the government studied the latest data to assess the impact of the first step, which began when schools reopened on 8 March.

The assessment was based on four tests:

The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully
Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.

As set out in the roadmap, around four weeks is required to see the impact in the data of the previous step.

The government also committed to provide a further week’s notice to businesses, provided through the update from the Prime Minister today.

From Monday 12 April additional premises will be able to reopen – with the rules on social contact applying. Indoor settings must only be visited alone or with household groups, with outdoor settings limited to either six people or two households.

This includes non-essential retail; personal care premises such as hairdressers, beauty and nail salons; and indoor leisure facilities such as gyms and spas (but not including saunas and steam rooms, which are due to open at Step 3).

Overnight stays away from home in England will be permitted and self-contained accommodation can also reopen, though must only be used by members of the same household or support bubble.

Public buildings such as libraries and community centres will also reopen.

The majority of outdoor settings and attractions can also reopen, including outdoor hospitality, zoos, theme parks, drive-in cinemas and drive-in performances events.

Hospitality venues will be able to open for outdoor service, with no requirement for a substantial meal to be served alongside alcohol, and no curfew. The requirement to eat and drink while seated will remain.

People should continue to work from home where they can, and minimise domestic travel where they can. International holidays are still illegal.

The number of care home visitors will also increase to two per resident, and all children will be able to attend any indoor children’s activity, including sport, regardless of circumstance.

Parent and child groups of up to 15 people (not counting children aged under five years old) can restart indoors.

Funerals can continue with up to 30 attendees. Weddings, outdoor receptions, and commemorative events including wakes will be able to take place with up to 15 attendees (in premises that are permitted to open).

The government is also publishing today an update on the 4 reviews established in the roadmap to determine what measures may be necessary from summer onwards.

A Covid-status certification system will be developed over the coming months which could allow higher-risk settings to be opened up more safely and with more participants. Over the coming months, a system will be developed which will take into account three factors: vaccination, a recent negative test, or natural immunity (determined on the basis of a positive test taken in the previous six months).

Events pilots will take place from mid-April to trial the system. All pilots are checking Covid status, initially this will be through testing alone but in later pilots vaccination and acquired immunity are expected to be alternative ways to demonstrate status.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told an afternoon media conference:

“Good afternoon, I hope you’re all continuing to enjoy the Easter break, and I know that over this weekend millions of people have been able to see loved ones for the first time in months.

“And I want to thank you all again for your patience, because it is really clear now that this is paying off.

“And it your collective efforts, our collective efforts, that has given us that crucial time and space to vaccinate more than 31 million people.

“And I’m pleased that we’ve also been able to support our overseas territories so that Gibraltar has become one of the first places in the world to offer a vaccination to its entire adult population.

“And the net result of your efforts and the vaccine roll-out is that I can today confirm that from Monday 12th April, we will move to Step Two of our roadmap – re-opening shops, gyms, zoos, holiday campsites, personal care services like hairdressers and, of course, beer gardens and outdoor hospitality of all kinds.

“And on Monday the 12th I will be going to the pub myself – and cautiously but irreversibly raising a pint of beer to my lips.

“We’re also increasing the number of visitors to care homes from one to two – to allow residents to see more of their loved ones.

“We think that these changes are fully justified by the data, which show we are meeting our four tests for easing the lockdown as Chris will shortly explain.

“But – and you know I’m going to say this – we can’t be complacent.

“We can see the waves of sickness afflicting other countries and we’ve seen how this story goes.

“We still don’t know how strong the vaccine shield will be when cases begin to rise, as I’m afraid that they will – and that’s why we’re saying:

Please get your vaccine or your second dose when your turn comes.

And please use the free NHS tests – even if you don’t feel ill, because remember 1 in 3 people with this virus doesn’t have any symptoms – and you can get these tests from pharmacies or your local test site, you can even order them on gov.uk and get home deliveries.

“As part of our roadmap we’re also publishing today on gov.uk the early thinking on our four reviews, on the safe return of major events, on social distancing, the potential role of Covid status certification, and on the resumption of international travel.

“We set out our roadmap and we’re sticking to it. And I want to stress, that we see nothing in the present data that makes us think that we will have to deviate from that roadmap.

“But it is by being cautious, by monitoring the data at every stage and by following the rules: remembering hands, face, space and fresh air – that we hope together to make this roadmap to freedom irreversible.”

Twice weekly rapid testing to be available to everyone in England

Everyone in England will be able to access free, regular, rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) testing from 9 April, the UK Government has announced.

Everyone in England, including those without symptoms, will be able to take a free rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) test twice a week
Alongside vaccine rollout, regular testing is at the heart of plans to reopen society and the economy, helping to suppress and control the spread of variants
Updates will be made to the NHS COVID-19 app in England to coincide with the universal testing offer

Everyone in England will be able to access free, regular, rapid coronavirus testing from 9 April, the Government has announced.

In a significant step forward, which paves the way for businesses and society reopening, anyone will be able to access free, rapid lateral flow tests (LFDs) for themselves and their families to use twice a week, in line with clinical guidance.

Rapid testing has so far been available to those most at risk and people who need to leave home for work, including frontline NHS workers, care home staff and residents, and schoolchildren and their families. Now rapid testing will be offered to everyone, with people encouraged to take regular tests to help prevent outbreaks and reclaim a more normal way of life.

One in 3 people with COVID-19 do not experience any symptoms and may be spreading the virus unwittingly. Rapid testing detects cases quickly, meaning positive cases can isolate immediately. Since rapid testing was introduced, over 120,000 positive cases that would not have been found otherwise have already been identified by LFDs. By making rapid tests available to everyone, more cases will be detected, breaking chains of transmission and saving lives.

Alongside the rollout of the vaccine, regular testing is going to be an essential part of the easing of restrictions as it will help us quickly suppress the spread of variants. Through new testing technology, positive cases of variants of concern are being detected faster than ever before. More people getting a test will increase our ability to identify and control variants.

The NHS COVID-19 app has been breaking chains of transmission to protect users and their communities since its launch in September, with over 22 million people downloading the app to date. Updates will be made to the NHS COVID-19 app in England to coincide with the offer of rapid testing for everyone.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Massive efforts have been made by the British public to stop the spread of the virus.

“As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted.

“That’s why we’re now rolling out free rapid tests to everyone across England – helping us to stop outbreaks in their tracks, so we can get back to seeing the people we love and doing the things we enjoy.”

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Around 1 in 3 people who have COVID-19 show no symptoms, and as we reopen society and resume parts of life we have all dearly missed, regular rapid testing is going to be fundamental in helping us quickly spot positive cases and squash any outbreaks.

“The vaccine programme has been a shot in the arm for the whole country, but reclaiming our lost freedoms and getting back to normal hinges on us all getting tested regularly.

“The British public have shown over the last year that they quickly adapt and always do what it is right in the interest of public health, and I know they will do their bit by getting tested regularly in the months ahead.”

Getting a rapid test

Getting a rapid test is quick and convenient. Over 100,000 businesses in England have registered their interest to provide rapid tests to their employees, and the offer of free testing is being expanded to companies with over 10 workers where on-site testing is impossible. The expanded regular testing offer for people without symptoms will be delivered through:

a home ordering service, which allows people to order lateral flow tests online to be delivered to their home
workplace testing programmes, on-site or at home
community testing, offered by all local authorities
collection at a local PCR test site during specific test collection time windows
testing on-site at schools and colleges

A new ‘Pharmacy Collect’ service is also launching which will provide an additional route to regular testing. People aged over 18 without symptoms will be able to visit a participating local pharmacy and collect a box of 7 rapid tests to use twice a week at home.

The best route for testing can be found at NHS.UK/get-tested. If testing at home, individuals will need to register their results online or by calling 119. They should self-isolate if positive and order a confirmatory PCR test.

Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should book a test online or by calling 119.

Dr Susan Hopkins, COVID-19 Strategic Response Director at PHE and Chief Medical Adviser to NHS Test and Trace, said: “Rapid testing helps us find COVID-19 cases that we wouldn’t otherwise know about, helping to break chains of transmission.

“These tests are effective in detecting people that are infectious and therefore most likely to transmit infection to others. They are another tool we now have to help maintain lower infection rates.

“I encourage everyone to take up the offer of these free rapid tests – they are quick and easy to carry out in your own home.”

Recent analysis from NHS Test and Trace shows that for every 1,000 lateral flow tests carried out, there is less than 1 false positive result. LFDs detect cases with high levels of virus and are very effective in finding people who don’t have symptoms but are very likely to transmit the disease.

NHS COVID-19 app updates

To coincide with the offer of free rapid testing for everyone, there will be updates to the NHS COVID-19 app in England from 8 April:

Everyone in a group must check in

In line with new regulations, when a group enters a hospitality venue, every individual must check either by scanning the official NHS QR code poster with the NHS COVID-19 app, or by providing their contact details. Previously, only the lead member of the group needed to provide contact details to check in.

If an app user tests positive, they will be asked to share their venue history in a privacy-protecting way via the app. This will allow venue alerts to be generated more quickly, and improve the ability to identify where outbreaks are occurring and take steps to prevent the virus spreading.

Additional venue alerts

If a person has been at a venue on the same day as several other people who have since tested positive for COVID-19, they may receive an alert advising them to book a test immediately, whether they are showing symptoms or not. This is to support finding asymptomatic cases who may have caught the virus but are not displaying symptoms.

New QR code posters

There will be new posters displaying QR codes for hospitality venues in England. Work has taken place with the industry to make the posters clearer and easier to use. All venues in England in scope of the regulations are legally required to display an official NHS QR code poster.

Scotland is expected to announce a similar set up later this week.

Five million Britons have received second dose of Covid vaccine

More than 5 million people in the UK receive their second dose of a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine
Nearly 1 in 10 UK adults have now received both doses
Government urges people to take up their second doses as soon as possible to maximise protection

More than 5 million people in the UK have received their second dose of a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, says the UK GOvernment.

Health services across the UK have now administered over 36.6 million vaccines between 8 December and 02 April, including over 31.4 million people with their first dose and over 5.2 million with their second.

The milestone means nearly 1 in 10 of all UK adults have received both vaccines, ensuring maximum protection from the virus over the coming months.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Our spectacular vaccination programme has now delivered over 5 million second doses, giving those most vulnerable to COVID – including half of all those aged over 80 – the best possible protection.

“This is vital so everyone can get the strongest possible protection against COVID-19 as we progress along the road to freedom, allowing us to reclaim the things we love.

“I want to give a big thank you to all those who have helped us reach this milestone.

“The UK remains on track to achieve the Prime Minister’s target of offering a first dose to those aged 50 and over by mid-April, as well as all adults by the end of July.”

Minister for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment Nadhim Zahawi said: “Vaccines are an incredibly important part of our route out of lockdown and this pandemic, and it’s vital people take advantage of the protection they provide.

“No matter who you are, where you live, your race or your religion, I encourage everyone to take up both their vaccinations when offered and help this country get back to normality.”

Dr Nikki Kanani, GP and medical director for primary care at NHS England, said: The biggest vaccination programme in NHS history – the fastest in Europe – reaches another significant milestone as more than 5 million people have now received their second dose providing them with the strongest possible protection from serious disease.

“This success is testament to the tens of thousands of volunteers, everyone working behind the scenes and NHS GPs, nurses and vaccinators who are continuing to offer vaccines to all those who are eligible so please do come forward for your second dose when called.”

All vaccines being used in the UK have undergone robust clinical trials and have met the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s strict standards of safety, effectiveness and quality.

The Moderna vaccine has also been approved by the MHRA and will be deployed from the Spring, with supplies due to start arriving this week.

The MHRA are also assessing the Janssen and Novavax vaccines.

Data from the Public Health England (PHE) real-world study shows that both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines are highly effective in reducing coronavirus (COVID-19) among older people aged 70 years and over.

The country is already seeing a significant impact from the vaccination programme on reducing hospitalisations and deaths, with at least 6,100 deaths prevented in those aged 70 and older in England up to the end of February.

The vaccines are available free of charge and are available from thousands of vaccine centres, GP practices and pharmacies, and we want everyone to take up the offer of an appointment when they are invited – all those 50 and over can book a jab now.

Setting the record straight

A Statement from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities

On Wednesday we released our report into race and ethnic disparities in the UK. In it we stated categorically that “we take the reality of racism seriously and we do not deny that it is a real force in the UK”.

We also said our report sought to “approach the issues of racial and ethnic disparities in a balanced way, highlighting both the success stories that the data reveals as well as delving into what lies beneath some of the most persistent and enduring ones”. We are pleased that so many people are engaging seriously with the ideas and evidence we have presented.

The facts and analysis we presented challenge a number of strongly held beliefs about the nature and extent of racism in Britain today.

Sadly, however, in some cases fair and robust disagreement with the Commission’s work has tipped into misrepresentation. This misrepresentation risks undermining the purpose of the report – understanding and addressing the causes of inequality in the UK – and any of the positive work that results from it. For that reason, it is necessary to set the record straight.

We have never said that racism does not exist in society or in institutions. We say the contrary: racism is real and we must do more to tackle it.

That is why our very first recommendation to the Government is to challenge racist and discriminatory action and increase funding to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to pursue investigations.

We reaffirm the Macpherson definition of institutional racism, though we did not find conclusive evidence that it exists in the areas we examined. However, we said that “both the reality and the perception of unfairness matter”, which is why our recommendations are underpinned by four themes – to build trust, promote fairness, create agency and to achieve inclusivity.

There has also been a wilful misrepresentation by some people of the Commission’s view on the history of slavery.

The idea that the Commission would downplay the atrocities of slavery is as absurd as it is offensive to every one of us. The report merely says that in the face of the inhumanity of slavery, African people preserved their humanity and culture. The Commission’s recommendation for Government to create inclusive curriculum resources is about teaching these histories which often do not get the attention they deserve.

The deeply personal attacks on many of us by politicians and other public figures are irresponsible and dangerous. For example, one MP presented commissioners as members of the KKK. Robust debate we welcome. But to depict us as racism deniers, slavery apologists or worse is unacceptable.

This is a wide ranging report, and we hope it will lead to further research and better understanding of the complex causes of inequalities in the UK. Our terms of reference were ambitious and, despite the disruption of COVID-19, we addressed them by drawing upon a wide range of sources and evidence, as well as the lived experience of people, including our own.

We hope that going forward, the report will be read carefully and considered in the round. Our experience since publication only reinforces the need for informed debate on race based on mutual respect.

The 24 recommendations we have made will, in our view, greatly improve the lives of millions of people for the better if they are all implemented.

Public urged to Give Seals Space

The Seal Alliance has launched a new UK government-backed campaign to ‘Give Seals Space’ and reduce the shocking impact that human disturbance can have on these vulnerable marine mammals.

As the public go out for walks over the Easter weekend, the Seal Alliance warns that getting too close to seals can lead to their injury and death, even up to several months later.

The UK is home to 38% of the entire world’s population of grey seals and 30% of the European subspecies of common seals, yet these precious mammals face an extensive list of threats including climate change, toxic pollution, entanglement, collisions with vessels, plastics and other marine debris. Of these threats, disturbance from human interaction is a significant and growing problem.

Seals are vulnerable to any kind of human interactions, either deliberate or unintentional. The ‘Give Seals Space’ signs and leaflets will raise awareness of the simple steps the public can take to protect these precious creatures.

It features four easy-to-remember steps:

Keep well away from seals (use a camera zoom or binoculars) so that they can’t smell, hear or see you
Keep dogs on a lead when in an area where seals might be present
Never feed seals
Take all litter home

Young seals are most affected by disturbance and only 25% are likely to survive to the age of 18 months in a bad year. If people are being noisy or startle the vulnerable animals by getting too close, this wastes their energy, meaning young pups struggle to haul out of the water to rest and digest their food.

Female seals are heavily pregnant or pupping during the summer and getting too close or disturbing them can lead to seals stampeding on rocks, which prove fatal to both mother and pup. The impact on seals can also be invisible but results in mothers not being able to build sufficient fat reserves so they cannot feed new-born pups adequately.

The campaign is a timely reminder as the public go out for walks, take part in water activities or fly drones over the Easter weekend, and as lockdown measures gradually ease across the UK. The Seal Alliance is urging the public to exhibit special caution as seals have ventured further inshore on beaches and coastlines that have become quieter during lockdown.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “Seals are one of our most iconic marine mammals. They can be found along our coastline around the UK, and we must do all that we can to protect them.

“Disturbance by members of the public can be detrimental to seals, but this is entirely preventable. I would urge everyone to follow the guidance, give seals the space that they need and respect this vulnerable marine species.

“This campaign will raise vital awareness ahead of the bank holiday weekend and help protect some of our most treasured marine wildlife.”

Andy Ottaway, of the Seal Protection Action Group, said: “Our precious coastal wildlife is coming under increasing human pressure. We need to be aware of the harm we can cause by getting too close to our seals and the often tragic consequences when we do.“

Sue Sayer, of the Seal Research Trust, said: I have witnessed bleeding, grazed flippers, ripped-out claws and gashed bellies that leave blood trails across the rocks after a stampede. Seals need our help so please keep yourself downwind and your dog on a lead.

“If a seal is looking at you, it has been disturbed, so please move further away. Use your camera and binoculars, stay quiet and out of sight. If we follow these simple rules we can enjoy watching seals for longer and without harm – a win–win for both people and seals.”

The Seal Alliance has used funding to produce leaflets and signage, for the public and wildlife tour operators, with guidance on how to ‘Watch Seals Well’ so not to disturb them.

The funding has also allowed the Alliance to employ a ‘digital ranger’ to help promote messages across social media platforms.