The new Buses Bill will put power over England’s bus services back in the hands of local leaders
Transport Secretary announces the first stop on journey to Better Buses, with new powers to take control of bus services to be expanded to every community
draft guidance published to support local leaders to deliver improved bus networks, faster and cheaper
government bus reforms to end today’s postcode lottery, grow passenger numbers and deliver better services for all
A package of measures to empower local leaders to take control of their bus services has been unveiled today (9 September 2024) by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh – the first stop on the journey to better buses.
Legislation is being laid before Parliament today which gives all local transport authorities across England new powers to run their own bus services – powers previously limited to mayoral combined authorities. The move means that local leaders across England can deliver services in a way that suits the needs of their communities.
The government has also launched a consultation on new draft guidance to provide advice and support for local leaders looking to bring services into public control. This new, simplified guidance will help break down barriers to local control of bus services, speeding up the process and bringing down costs.
The guidance will also put the needs of passengers and bus drivers first – by encouraging local transport authorities to consider driver welfare and passenger safety, including anti-social behaviour and violence against women and girls.
The new Buses Bill, which will follow this first statutory instrument, will bring an end to the current postcode lottery by taking steps to improve bus services no matter where you live.
Buses remain the most used form of public transport across the country, but – after almost 4 decades of failed deregulation – vital services have been slashed and there is little accountability to passengers.
Since 2010, almost 300 million fewer miles have been driven by buses per year. The transformative work the government is doing will turn the tide by giving communities the opportunity to control local bus services and have a real say in building local transport networks that work for them.
Modernising our transport infrastructure and delivering better buses is at the heart of our plan to kickstart economic growth in every part of the country and get the country moving. Our plans will deliver a better service for passengers and give local authorities a choice over the bus system that works best for them without extra burdens on the taxpayer.
Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh, said: “Buses are the lifeblood of our communities, but for too many people it has become impossible to rely on local services, as routes have been slashed and timetables hollowed out.
“Today is the first stop on our journey to delivering better buses across the country. After decades of failed deregulation, local leaders will finally have the powers to provide services that deliver for passengers.
“And we are taking steps to support local leaders to deliver improved bus services faster and cheaper than ever before.
“With local communities firmly back in the driving seat, our bus revolution will save vital routes up and down the country and put passengers first.
Jason Prince, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said: “We welcome the pace at which government is moving on its ambitious transport agenda.
“Buses are the cornerstone of our public transport system, so it’s greatly encouraging to see this new package of measures, which will deliver better bus services for more local areas.
“We look forward to working with government to create a smoother journey for all bus passengers.
Councillor Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Buses remain critical to local government’s efforts to ensure that everyone can benefit from inclusive economic growth and job opportunities, and to prevent social isolation by making local services more accessible; they also continue to play a vital role in reducing carbon and other harmful emissions.
“These proposed measures recognise the fundamental role of local leadership in shaping future bus provision, which the LGA has long been calling for.
Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “This is a government that understands what the communities and economies of places like Cambridgeshire and Peterborough need.
“Good quality public transport is a vital part of people’s lives and none more so than local bus services, so it’s a huge boost to see much-needed change coming to life.
“As a combined authority we’re doing everything we can to reform the way buses are managed across the region and having government on our side makes a massive difference.”
It comes as the Transport Secretary took a bus ride to Anglia Ruskin University Campus in Peterborough, where she met with the Mayor and local MP to discuss plans for local control of bus services.
These new powers mean local transport authorities will now be able to emulate the huge success of publicly controlled buses in Greater Manchester and London. Greater Manchester’s successful Bee Network has already seen passenger numbers grow by 5% since public control began to be rolled out just a year ago.
The Buses Bill will also reverse the ban on setting up new publicly owned bus companies, provide greater flexibility over bus funding and will take steps to improve bus services for communities who choose not to pursue public control.
The Secretary of State signalled the new approach in a keynote speech at the annual British-Irish Association Conference in Oxfordshire
Thank you very much to Dominic and to all of you, for your kind invitation.
And my heartfelt thanks to you Micheál, not only for your warm and extremely wise words, but also for the way in which you have embraced the opportunity we now have for a genuine and lasting reset in the relationship between our two countries.
It is a privilege for me to be here, for the first time since my appointment as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
I’ve only ever been to one other BIA conference, that was two years ago when I was a late substitute for my good friend Peter Kyle. I suspect it was my work as Chair of the Brexit Select Committee that made him think of me.
And over many years Dominic, you and I have shared many views about the choices the then-Conservative government made about our departure from the European Union, and the consequences of that decision still reverberate – and will continue to do so.
It was William Faulkner who once said: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
But what a remarkable history the BIA has borne witness to, over these past 52 years, as this truly unique annual conference has continued to provide an opportunity for a very wide range of people to come together and reflect on the ties that bind our two countries together.
Two countries that share so much… history, culture, ideas, politics and friendships.
And it’s a story that runs like a thread through these islands and through the lives of so many of our families, including my own: on my side, it was an Ulster Scot from Fermanagh who made that journey that millions made across the Atlantic to Ohio which is where my mother came and, on my wife’s side, Irish Catholics from Cork, Mayo and Kilkenny including her grandfather who was born in your constituency.
Now the history of these islands has not been benign. Over the centuries there have been terrible wrongs, great violence, revolution, bitterness but in recent years – reconciliation.
And throughout all that time that thread has remained in place, and it has found new expression in ways that would truly have seemed unimaginable to us in the past.
I must be frank, The Good Friday Agreement was something I never believed that I would see in my lifetime. But I did. We did.
It ushered in an end to three decades of bloody violence, and its founding commitment was to self-determination and the principle of consent.
Unionists and Nationalists sitting side by side in government. As you said Micheál, the seemingly impossible made possible.
And what happened on that Good Friday 26 years ago was, and remains, an inspiration to many around the world, precisely because it was a triumph of political courage and patient diplomacy over bitter sectarian fatalism. And of compromise over intransigence.
Mo Mowlam’s words during the negotiations still resonate today, she said:
“Everybody is going to get something. No-one is going to get 100% of what they want. That is the nature of negotiation and accommodation”.
And all of those involved chose to do that in order to get something far more valuable.
Today the UK and Irish Governments stand on the shoulders of those who negotiated the Agreement. We are the co-guarantors of it and all of us in these islands are its custodians.
The Good Friday Agreement, and the peace and prosperity it has brought to Northern Ireland, is in my view the greatest achievement of the last Labour Government which I had the privilege to serve.
So let me be absolutely clear. This Labour Government’s commitment to the Good Friday Agreement – in letter and in spirit – is absolute.
Our support for the European Convention on Human Rights, which underpins the Agreement, is unwavering.
We will implement the Windsor Framework with pragmatic good faith, not least because we need to do so in order to negotiate a veterinary agreement with the European Union, but also in order to protect the open border on the island of Ireland.
The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach have agreed to hold annual summits as part of a renewed commitment to the strand 3 institutions.
And the Prime Minister and I – indeed the whole Government – will work with all parties and all communities in Northern Ireland to support reconciliation, equality, respect for human rights and parity of esteem.
Now, the stability of Northern Ireland’s devolved government – a government that can work for all the people of Northern Ireland – is absolutely fundamental to making these things happen.
And I want to pay a warm and genuine tribute to the First and deputy First Ministers – to you Emma and to Michelle – and indeed to the whole Executive, for the positive start that you have made, the impression you have created and I warmly welcome the draft programme for government that was announced this week.
The Executive now has the foundation provided by that programme. It has a needs-based funding formula that was agreed with the previous government, and we are committed to putting in place a longer-term fiscal framework.
But like every government, difficult decisions need to be taken about how to balance the books and raise additional revenue, not least because there are deep-seated deep-seated challenges that Northern Ireland faces.
You highlighted one of those Emma yesterday in your wonderful contribution, the economic inactivity rate which is 27% of the working age population which is 5% higher than the UK as a whole.
The longest health service waiting lists in the UK, a third of patients waiting more than two years for treatment. And only 47% of A&E waits meeting the 4-hour target.
I think all of us agree that can’t really continue. That is why we are absolutely committed as the government to working with the Executive as it seeks to transform Northern Ireland’s public services.
It is also incumbent upon all of us to uphold the devolved institutions, to ensure they endure and that they act for all the people in Northern Ireland.
Now I recognise that mandatory coalition is really difficult, imagine those of us with different political persuasions were having to cope with mandatory coalition in Westminster. But we all know that for over a third of the time since 1998, the institutions have not functioned fully. I don’t think this would be accepted anywhere else.
My feeling is surely the people of Northern Ireland and the political parties and all of us must recognise that what’s happened in the past cannot happen again and were it to occur, our two governments as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, working with all the parties, would need to find a new way forward.
Turning to the economy, we should clearly look at the opportunities for the UK and Irish Governments to work collaboratively on projects to help improve growth in Northern Ireland including in its border regions.
And, while being strong supporters of the Union, this Government and this Secretary of State see no contradiction in also being supporters of North-South cooperation.
And in that context, I applaud you Micheál for your work in developing and taking forward the Shared Island Programme which you referred to and the Fund, which makes a valuable contribution in so many ways. And when it comes to the all-island economy, and I know this is up for some debate, my feelings are very simple, it is a fact it is a success.
And I don’t quite understand why there should be an argument about somehow denying its existence when so many businesses and livelihoods are sustained by it: the all-island dairy industry, big multinationals, like Lidl, McDonalds, Coca-Cola and so many small and medium-sized businesses which operate on an all-island basis.
On the Windsor Framework, let me be absolutely frank. There have been some very painful moments in the UK-Ireland relationship in recent years.
I bear too many scars from the approach of the previous UK government to our departure from the European Union, but this Government will ensure the smooth flow of goods within the UK internal market.
So, as I have said, we will implement the Windsor Framework in good faith while seeking the maximum pragmatism and proportionality. It is not without its challenges – I think that is probably the understatement of the year – but it is necessary because we do want to do more to improve our trading relationship with the EU, in particular to negotiate a sanitary and phyto-sanitary agreement with the European Union which really would help. I think everybody knows that.
And with a sustained period of stability, political and economic, the opportunities are enormous, not least because of the talent, ingenuity and enterprise that exists right across Northern Ireland, and the unique trading position that Northern Ireland enjoys – what a wonderful opportunity for foreign direct investment – all within the UK internal market.
As I have travelled around Northern Ireland, both in opposition and now in Government and seen some of the world class businesses operating in life sciences, high-tech engineering, making composite aircraft wings and the buses of the future – electric and hydrogen – services and film and television, education – I am struck that all these firms have seen something in Northern Ireland and its people.
With continued political stability and optimism – and I’m the third speaker at the forum who will say I am an optimist. It is the only way, I don’t know how you can get up if you are not an optimist. We can help others to see the same thing and so encourage them also to invest in Northern Ireland’s future.
Now, the other rift in the relationship in recent years has been over ofcourse how we approach the terrible legacy of the Troubles.
I have met many families who lost loved ones in the most appalling circumstances. I have to be honest with you. I have found it very difficult to listen to their stories. To look them in the eye. To hear about the sheer brutality of the killings. The way some of them were treated afterwards. The search for answers, and the passing of the years without finding them.
The abandonment by the previous Conservative Government of the Stormont House Agreement, and the unilateral approach taken in the Legacy Act, were wrong. From my first visit to the Wave Trauma Centre, and that had a profound impact on me, many of those families have told me about the deep hurt and upset and anger it has caused them. And it was legislation of course that was rejected by all of the Northern Ireland political parties and by the Irish Government.
It could never be the basis for reconciliation or progress on legacy.
And that is why the Prime Minister and I committed to repeal and replace the Legacy Act.
Now as you know earlier this year its central provision – the conditional immunity scheme – was ruled by the High Court in Belfast to be incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.
In July, we wrote to the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal to withdraw the previous UK Government’s appeal on ECHR grounds.
I also set out to Parliament our commitment to reverse the Legacy Act’s ban on bringing civil litigation, to propose measures to allow – in the first instance – halted legacy inquests to continue, and to strengthen the Independent Commission on Reconciliation and Information Recovery.
That body, which is being ably led by Sir Declan Morgan, was deemed by the court to be capable of conducting human rights compliant investigations. It was an important – and often overlooked – finding.
But I believe that measures to strengthen the Commission, we talked about these yesterday when we met, are also necessary, and I am committed to working with you on this.
Because there is more we can do to address concerns about the Commission’s independence. To strengthen its powers. And to ensure there is the capacity for effective cooperation with the Gardaí over investigations.
This is the work we have now begun – but its success in the end, all of this legislation will be judged by those families many of us have met, who have waited so long for answers.
So we are now undertaking a period of consultation with victims and survivors, the Northern Ireland political parties, the Irish Government, veterans and others in seeking to find a practical way forward that can command support, the broadest support across communities in Northern Ireland and beyond.
I recognise, I am not naïve, that this process will involve difficult conversations, and many stakeholders do, and will hold different views about the best way forward.
But it is also clear that a resolution to addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland’s painful past will not be reached without a willingness, by all, to listen, to understand the perspectives of others, and in the spirit of Mo Mowlam’s wise words to compromise.
I also want to acknowledge the dedicated service of the vast majority of police officers, members of the armed forces, and the security services who did so much during the Troubles to keep people in Northern Ireland safe. Also the work of the Police Service of Northern Ireland for their continuing efforts to do the same for communities right across Northern Ireland.
The scenes we saw last month in Belfast, in Derry/Londonderry and in many other parts of the UK, were shocking, there’s no other word for it and we must stand resolutely against senseless violence, intimidation and – let’s be blunt – racism.
I visited three business owners who had been attacked on that terrible day. I saw the Café that was burnt out. Three people that come to Northern Ireland to make their lives, to make it their home specifically targeted because of who they were.
The Prime Minister and I had the opportunity three weeks ago to convey our thanks directly to some of the officers of the PSNI who were injured when standing up to that violence, when we visited the PSNI training college in Belfast. It was a great honour to be able to do so.
The similarities with the scenes we saw in Dublin last year are hard to ignore.
The willingness of far-right thugs and online agitators to whip up hatred and spread misinformation online pose a shared threat, but I know it is a threat which I know our two governments, with the Executive, will continue to face down together.
There are other areas in which the UK and Irish Governments can do more.
Not only because it is in our mutual economic interest, but in these febrile and uncertain times, we have shared values, and a shared commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
And given our geography, and the ties of friendship and kinship that bind us, look at the opportunities.
Just to take one example, energy infrastructure, cooperation on energy resilience, climate – where are both blessed with huge potential for more renewable wind power – and investment in Northern Ireland by GB Energy, which in turn will support the Shared Electricity Market.
And given increasingly uncertain geopolitics of the world, and I agree with every word you said about the threat to the international order which created out of the actions of the second World War and which has stood us in reasonable good stead is being undermined by people and political forces, it also makes sense to collaborate further on security.
The UK has a range of world-class capability and we will continue to work with Ireland as we together grapple with threats like cyber security, terrorism, organised crime and the threats posed by Russia and other states to the security of our nations.
On a much happier note, the UK-Ireland Euros in 2028 will allow us to celebrate our nations working together to put a once-in-a-generation footballing spectacle before a worldwide audience, although I must admit that at 5pm precisely this evening that co-operation will temporarily be suspended as Ireland take on England at the Aviva stadium.
So, in conclusion there is a lot for us to do.
Northern Ireland stands at a crossroads.
And the sense I get is that the vast majority of people just want to move forward to embrace a better future.
So let us be bold, let us get on with it and let us take inspiration from those who did make the impossible possible 26 years ago.
Thank you very much.
The Prime Minister met Taoiseach Simon Harris at Farmleigh House in Dublin yesterday (7 September)
The Prime Minister met Taoiseach Simon Harris at Farmleigh House in Dublin yesterday (Saturday 7 September).
The Prime Minister thanked the Taoiseach for his invitation, noting that this was the first visit of a UK Prime Minister to Ireland in five years.
Both leaders shared their personal commitment to an ambitious reset of the UK and Ireland’s relationship. They noted the existing ties between our two countries, but agreed they wanted to go even further – in particular on trade and investment to help boost growth and deliver on behalf of the British and Irish people.
In that vein, they agreed to host the first UK-Ireland summit in March next year, which will take forward co-operation in key areas of mutual interest such as security, climate, trade and culture.
They both strongly condemned recent scenes of violent disorder in England and Ireland and agreed to deepen their collaboration on how we tackle the spread of the online misinformation which fuelled the thuggery.
They also looked forward to watching the Republic of Ireland vs England Nations’ League football match in the evening. (England won 2 – 0).
Keir Starmer is the first British Prime Minister to visit Ireland in 5 years
Prime Minister to continue the charge to boost the UK’s economic growth, his key mission for government, by resetting our relationship with another key international partner
Visit marks a new era of co-operation and friendship between Britain and Ireland
Prime Minister Keir Starmer will travel to Dublin today to meet the Taoiseach, Simon Harris, in his first official visit to Ireland.
Continuing his ‘drive to reset the UK’s relationships with its key international partners and deliver for hard-working British people’, he will welcome a new era in the British-Irish relationship and highlight the opportunity it presents to drive forward economic growth.
Ireland is one of the UK’s top trading partners and the trading relationship is worth 100 billion euros a year – supporting thousands of jobs for British and Irish people.
Boosting growth is the Prime Minister’s key mission of government, and the visit is another example of his personal commitment to drive up the UK’s standing in the world in order to attract investment to the UK and create more jobs for British people.
The Prime Minister and the Taoiseach will also meet Irish business leaders from companies including Accenture, Keelings and Primark today, to encourage enhanced bilateral trade and investment in pursuit of growth.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “The UK and Ireland share the strongest of ties – through our close geography, shared culture and the friendships of our people.
“Our relationship has never reached its full potential, but I want to change that. We have a clear opportunity to go further and faster to make sure our partnership is fully delivering on behalf of the British and Irish people – driving growth and prosperity in both our countries.
“The Taoiseach and I are in lockstep about our future, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration further.”
The Taoiseach was the first international leader hosted by the Prime Minister in the UK following the July election – demonstrating the Prime Minister’s personal commitment to a strong UK-Ireland relationship.
Today’s visit comes after the Prime Minister’s visit to Berlin and Paris last week to continue the UK’s reset with its key European partners.
The leaders will attend the Republic of Ireland vs England Nations’ League football match on Saturday evening.
Hilary O’Meara, Country Managing Director of Accenture in Ireland said: “Accenture is delighted to be invited, alongside other business leaders in Ireland, to join UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Taoiseach, Simon Harris to discuss mutual business opportunity across our two countries.
“It is encouraging to see the Prime Minister travel to Ireland so early in his premiership to join us for what promises to a great sporting occasion.”
The UK will supply 650 Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems to Ukraine to boost the country’s air defence capabilities, as part of the new government’s commitment to Ukraine.
The air defence package will be announced by Defence Secretary John Healey MP today at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting at US Air Force Base in Ramstein – his first as Defence Secretary. At the 24th meeting of the group, the Defence Secretary will set out the UK’s ironclad commitment to Ukraine and urge allies to continue to supply Ukraine with vital equipment.
It comes following a bilateral meeting between John Healey and his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov in London earlier this week, where the pair discussed how the UK will continue to ramp-up support over the coming months. At that meeting, the Defence Secretary confirmed that £300 million worth of artillery ammunition will start to be delivered by the end of this year to support Ukraine’s war effort.
In keeping with the new government’s commitment to speed up deliveries of aid, the first batch of LMM missiles announced today are also expected to be delivered by the end of this year.
Today’s package is part of the UK’s work to help step up UK and European defence production – with today’s £162 million order helping to energise the supply chain for the future. Built by Thales at their Belfast factory, the missiles are highly versatile and can be fired from a variety of platforms on land, sea, and air.
The package is primarily funded through the UK’s £3 billion a year financial package for Ukraine, and contributions from Norway through the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU) and follows the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary’s commitment to stand by Ukraine will continue for as long as it takes.
It comes after the Defence Secretary signed a new Defence Export Support Treaty with his counterpart Umerov in July, during President Zelesnkyy’s visit to Downing Street. The agreement will fire up both the UK’s and Ukraine’s defence industrial bases and increase military hardware and weaponry production. The treaty will enable Ukraine to draw on £3.5 billion of export finance to support its war effort.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: “This new commitment will give an important boost to Ukraine’s air defences and demonstrates our new government’s commitment to stepping up support for Ukraine.
“In recent days we have seen the tragic cost of Russia’s indiscriminate strikes on Poltava and Lviv. These new UK-made missiles will support Ukraine to defend its people, infrastructure, and territory from Putin’s brutal attacks.
“With our international partners today, we will show that we are united for Ukraine. And we will discuss how best we can work together to improve support. Because the security of the UK and Europe starts in Ukraine.”
Ahead of the meeting with international partners, the Defence Secretary visited the Joint Intelligence Coordination Centre (JICC) at the Ramstein Air Base. UK Armed Forces personnel deployed at the JICC work alongside allies to analyse intelligence.
Since Russia’s illegal invasion, the UK has provided hundreds of LMM missiles to Ukraine for air defence, destroying hundreds of Russian drones and other air threats.
Travelling at Mach 1.5 with a range of more than 6km, the LMM is highly versatile against a wide range of threats, including Armoured Personnel Carriers, fast in-shore attack craft and Unmanned drones.
This contract with Thales in the UK will further prime the world leading British defence industry to increase production rates, enabling future production to be ramped up.
Addressing allies at the UCDG, the Defence Secretary will reiterate the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine and ramping up the production and delivery of vital equipment.
A Thales spokesperson said: “As a strategic partner of UK Government, Thales is proud to be working with MoD to support defending democracy in Ukraine through the provision of our Lightweight Multi-role Missile, delivered from our Belfast site.
“Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, UK MoD and Thales have worked in close collaboration to support the Ukrainian effort by delivering key air defence systems at pace. We are pleased that this contract is the first to be signed under Task Force Hirst, which has been established to deliver a deeper defence industrial partnership between the UK and Ukraine.
“Earlier this week, the Government confirmed a milestone moment in international support for Ukraine, with eight countries from across the world having now joined the UK to provide more than £1 billion to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), in a significant show of unity from Ukraine’s allies.”
The IFU was first launched by the UK and Denmark in 2022 to provide an efficient way for countries to pool resources to buy equipment and weapons to support Ukraine’s most urgent capability needs. The UK has donated £500 million to the Fund to date.
This is also the first contract approved under Task Force Hirst, a MOD initiative created to ramp up defence industrial capacity and capability, laying the foundation for larger sustained supply of missiles and other key capabilities to Ukraine and, in the longer term, enable industrial cooperation between our two countries.
The Home Secretary convenes ministers and law enforcement partners to destroy the gangs that undermine border security and risk lives on small boats
The Home Secretary will convene a landmark operational summit of cabinet ministers and law enforcement partners today (Friday 6 September), as she sets out the moral imperative to destroy the criminal smuggling gangs making millions out of small boat crossings.
Her comments come after the horrific tragedy in the Channel this week that saw the deaths of at least 12 people, with others reported to be still in a critical condition.
The Home Secretary will be joined at the NCA headquarters in London by ministers including the Foreign Secretary David Lammy, Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Attorney General Lord Hermer, as well as representatives from the National Crime Agency (NCA), Border Force and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
The UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) is deploying formidable covert capability to support the NCA to penetrate and dismantle the gangs at every level of operation – from facilitators to financiers.
UKIC will also attend this landmark meeting, which will set out the progress being made on intensifying the enforcement activity aimed at disrupting, intercepting and destroying the criminal network moving people, boats and engines into Europe and across the continent to the French coastline.
Ministers and law enforcement partners will examine the findings from the analysis commissioned by the Home Secretary on the operational capabilities of the criminal smuggling gangs. Discussion will also be focused on collaboration with European enforcement agencies, including Europol, and plans will be put forward to rapidly enhance this through the government’s new Border Security Command in the coming months.
NCA Director General Graeme Biggar will highlight how close co-operation with the Bulgarian authorities and an established NCA presence in that critical transit country has led to more than 40 small boats and engines being intercepted in recent weeks. This material, now removed from the smuggling supply chain, could have enabled up to 2,400 people to attempt the deadly crossing.
He will also set details of around 70 further live investigations, including:
working with the Libyan police to target gangs trafficking migrants through Libya, with raids on warehouses where migrants are housed, often in appalling conditions, before making their onward journey to Europe
collaboration with French authorities to investigate the death of a woman killed in an overloaded boat on 28 July
This meeting led by the Home Secretary comes as she spoke to her French counterpart, Gérald Darmanin, this week to discuss increased co-operation to dismantle the gangs.
Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, said: “Exploiting vulnerable people is at the heart of the business model of these despicable criminal smuggling gangs. Women and children were packed into an unsafe boat which literally collapsed in the water this week.
“At least 12 people were killed as part of this evil trade. We will not rest until these networks have been dismantled and brought to justice.
“The last two months has seen encouraging progress, with significant seizures of boats and equipment in Europe. But there is work to do, and the Border Security Command will bring all the relevant bodies together to investigate, arrest and prosecute these networks, as well as deepen our ties with key international partners.
“At the same time, we are swiftly removing those with no right to be in the UK, which will ensure we have a fair, firm and functioning asylum system where the rules are respected and enforced.”
NCA Director General Graeme Biggar said: “People smuggling puts lives in mortal danger.
“As well as arresting suspects and seeing our investigations lead to convictions and sentences, we’re operating around the world to disrupt the perpetrators. This includes helping seize more than 410 small boats and engines since last spring, preventing thousands of crossings.
“Tackling the callous criminals behind organised immigration crime is one of the NCA’s highest priorities. We continue to expand our activity to deliver ever greater impact against the threat.”
In recent weeks, the Prime Minister has led a ‘reset’ in the relationship with Europe, with work to increase security co-operation and tackle illegal migration at the heart. This has already led to a 50 per cent uplift in the number of NCA officers stationed in Europol, working on organised immigration crime.
Last week, the Home Secretary announced an additional 100 specialist investigators to disrupt people smuggling globally. In addition to the Europol presence, the NCA has enhanced its international liaison officer network, responsible for cracking down on criminal networks in specific areas.
A new post is open in Austria and officers are being permanently deployed to Romania. Headcount is also increasing in South East Asia, in key countries where gangs are advertising Channel crossings. These are just the first steps of an intensification of the UK’s international law enforcement and bilateral partnership arrangements and serves as a platform for Border Security Command operations.
The tragedy off the French coast on Tuesday 3 September highlights the increasingly extreme measures the gangs are willing to contemplate, as more people are crammed into less seaworthy vessels. It has been reported that most of those who died were women and children.
Intelligence reveals smugglers have also increased the price they charge for migrants to cross the Channel, including charging for children to get into boats, as the business model comes under pressure from UK and partner law enforcement.
Researchers at the University of Dundee to receive a government funding boost to continue their vital work for a further 5 years
Vital work by Dundee-based cell biology researchers, who have already developed a drug to treat skin cancer and attracted £60 million in private investment, to continue thanks to further government backing
Almost £30 million in government funding could potentially unlock new treatments for conditions, from motor neurone disease to Crohn’s, by supporting research into how signals are transmitted within the body’s cells.
Science and Technology Secretary will announce funding at the Universities UK conference as he sets out his vision for harnessing the power of higher education to boost innovation and economic growth across the country.
Dundee-based researchers with a track record of devising treatments for deadly diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s – whose work has crowded in £60 million in investment to date – are receiving further backing from the government to continue their vital work for a further 5 years, Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle will announce today (Thursday 5 September).
Currently, the 200-strong scientific community of staff and students based at the University of Dundee are using cutting-edge technology and biochemistry to explore how signals transmitted within the body’s cells are disrupted.
Working closely with industry, Dundee’s unit has been a fundamental part of the development and clinical approval of over 40 drugs that are now widely used to treat patients, attracting almost £60 million in private investment.
It is just one example cementing Scotland’s place at the forefront of the UK government’s plans to make Britain a powerhouse for life sciences that attracts international investment and drives forward the deployment of discoveries that grow the economy, create prosperity across the country and improve lives and public services.
Improving our understanding of the processes within cells could be the key to unlocking the scientific basis of innovative treatments for a range of diseases – from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s to Crohn’s and coeliac disease. Their work has already delivered a drug that is now widely used to treat skin cancer.
The new funding comes ahead of the Science and Technology Secretary addressing higher education representatives at the Universities UK conference at the University of Reading, where he will reflect on his personal experience in higher education and will give his full-throated backing to the sector as a vehicle for much-needed economic growth.
He will also outline his vision for DSIT, and the crucial role universities can play in this, harnessing discoveries and innovations for novel therapies and technologies, like those developed in Dundee, that could transform patients’ lives and drive economic growth.
Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “I went to university later in life than most, but when I did it changed everything for me. It was the first time in my life that people saw potential in me that I never knew I had, and gave me the support and focus I needed to build something from it.
“The value of our universities, to the economy and to the whole of society, cannot be overstated.
“As we embark on a decade of national renewal, the higher education sector has a profound role to play in every piece of work we’ll need to do, to build a Britain that delivers for working people: from seizing the potential of clean energy to rebuilding the NHS. I will always champion our universities.
“They are society’s most powerful engines for innovation, aspiration, economic growth and the creation of better lives for all – which is why investing in their work, like this £30m in funding, is so important.”
Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “The work at the University of Dundee, which we are announcing support for today, is proof of how deep expertise, effective links with industry, and the power of curiosity can deliver meaningful improvements to people’s lives, while also driving economic growth across the UK.
“This funding puts the unit on track to strive for still more health breakthroughs, that could help more patients live longer and healthier lives.”
Working with other companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, the team was central to developing a drug now widely used to treat melanoma, and a promising new drug for Parkinson’s disease is in clinical trials as a result of the team’s globally recognise work, investigating the condition to discover potential causes and treatments.
Universities are vital to the government’s mission to boost our economy and transform healthcare services with world-class science and research. They are at the heart of our research strengths, underpinning key sectors including life sciences.
Backing university-based researchers, like the team at the University of Dundee, will ensure that they can continue unlocking the technologies and therapies that could be life-changing to patients, and which drive economic growth and productivity.
Professor Dario Alessi, Director of the MRC PPU said: “We are incredibly grateful for the long-term support that our Unit has received from the MRC over the last 34 years.
“This has enabled our researchers to tackle the most important questions and greatly contributed to our understanding of how derailment of biological pathways causes human diseases including neurodegeneration, diabetes, cancer, and immune dysfunction.
“Our mission for the next 5 years will be to work with leading research centres, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies to translate our discoveries into clinical progress and accelerate drug discovery.
“Whilst doing this research we aim to provide our staff with a unique training opportunity working in a collaborative multidisciplinary environment paying attention to improving culture and development best practices.”
Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, said: “The MRC are proud to be investing for a further 5 years in the exceptional research of the MRC PPU in Dundee.
They are leaders in conducting rigorous fundamental research and then working with industry to translate those breakthroughs for patient benefit. The MRC PPU have an outstanding culture of collaboration and sharing their leading research expertise, products and techniques with the wider scientific community.”
DAMNING GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY REPORT PULLS NO PUNCHES
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry has published its second and final report into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the fire at Grenfell Tower in the early hours of 14 June 2017.
The publication of the Phase 2 report marks the end of a process that began on 15 June 2017 when then Prime Minister Theresa May announced a public inquiry to examine the disaster with a view to ensuring that a similar disaster could never occur again. The fire at Grenfell Tower was the worst residential fire in the UK since the Second World War and resulted in the deaths of 72 people.
The Phase 1 report was published on 30 October 2019 and focused on the events of 14 June 2017: how the fire started, how it escaped from the flat where it had begun and how it spread over the whole building with tragic consequences.
Phase 2 of the Inquiry examined the underlying causes of the fire to identify where mistakes were made and how Grenfell Tower came to be in a condition which allowed the fire to spread in the way identified by Phase 1. It also investigated the response of the authorities to the emergency.
Introducing the report, Inquiry Chairman the Rt Hon Sir Martin Moore-Bick explained that the second part of the investigations had taken longer than originally hoped because, as those investigations progressed, the Inquiry uncovered many more matters of concern than had previously been expected:
The Inquiry report finds that the deaths that occurred were all avoidable “and that those who lived in Grenfell Tower were badly failed over a number of years by those who were responsible for ensuring the safety of its occupants.”
Sir Martin said: “They include the government, the Tenant Management Organisation, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, those who manufactured and supplied the materials used in the refurbishment, those who certified their suitability for use on high-rise residential buildings, the architect, Studio E, the principal contractor, Rydon Maintenance Ltd, and some of its sub-contractors, in particular, Harley Curtain Wall Ltd and its successor Harley Facades Ltd, some of the consultants, in particular the fire engineer, Exova Warringtonfire Ltd, the local authority’s building control department and the London Fire Brigade,”
Sir Martin went on to explain that while not all of them bear the same degree of responsibility for the eventual disaster, “all contributed to it in one way or another, in most cases through incompetence but in some cases through dishonesty and greed.”
Panel member and architect Thouria Istephan, who spent nearly 30 years as an architect before joining the Inquiry in 2020, said: “Our report identifies what we think is needed to make sure that the legacy of Grenfell is real and brings about lasting change.
“Our recommendations place new burdens and responsibilities on people and organisations. I make no apologies for that: put simply, if you work in the construction industry and you do not feel the weight of the responsibility you have for keeping people safe – you are in the wrong job.”
Former housing association chief executive Ali Akbor OBE, who joined the Inquiry as a Panel Member in 2020, said: ““I hope that our report acts as a reminder to the clients of future building projects – including social housing providers – that they have a responsibility to the users of their buildings to ensure that safety is not sacrificed to the demands of speed and cost.
Mr Akbor concluded: “We cannot in a few words here today do full justice to the totality of our report. What is needed is for those with responsibility for building safety – in my sector as in Thouria’s – to read the report, to reflect on it, and to treat Grenfell as a touchstone in all that they do in the future. To act with professionalism, with competence, and to put people first.”
Recommendations put forward by the Inquiry panel include:
● bringing responsibility for all aspects of fire safety under one government Department; ● the appointment of a construction regulator to oversee all aspects of the construction industry; ● the establishment of a body of professional fire engineers, properly regulated and with protected status and the introduction of mandatory fire safety strategies for higher-risk buildings; ● a licensing scheme for contractors wishing to undertake the construction or refurbishment of higher-risk buildings; ● the regulation and mandatory accreditation of fire risk assessors; ● the establishment of a College of Fire and Rescue to provide practical, educational and managerial training to fire and rescue services.the introduction of a requirement for the government to maintain a publicly accessible record of recommendations made by select committees, coroners and public inquiries, describing the steps taken in response or its reasons for declining to implement them.
The Panel expressed its gratitude to all those who had supported the Inquiry through giving evidence and providing statements to assist its investigations, in particular the bereaved, survivors and residents of Grenfell Tower.
Grenfell Tower Inquiry opened on 14 September 2017. During the course of its investigations it disclosed over 300,000 documents to 646 Core Participants, obtained over 1500 witness statements and sat for more than 300 days, most of which were devoted to taking evidence from a wide range of factual and expert witnesses.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statement in the House of Commons on Grenfell Tower Inquiry final report:
Mr Speaker, this morning Sir Martin Moore-Bick published the final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
And I am sure the whole House will join me in thanking him, the members of the Inquiry and his whole team for their dedicated work.
Mr Speaker, I want to speak directly to the bereaved families, the survivors, and those in the immediate Grenfell community…
Some of whom are with us in the gallery today.
Sir Martin concluded this morning – I’m afraid there is no way of repeating this that won’t be painful – “the simple truth is that the deaths that occurred were all avoidableand that those who lived in the tower were badly failed over a number of years and in a number of different ways” by, as the report lays out in full, just about every institution responsible for ensuring their safety.
Mr Speaker, in the face of an injustice so painful. So deserving of anger
Words begin to lose their meaning.
Seven years – still waiting
For the justice you deserve.
I want to say very clearly, on behalf of the country: you have been let down so badly before, during and in the aftermath of this tragedy.
And while Sir Martin sets out a catalogue of appalling industry failures, for which there must now be full accountability, he also finds – and I quote – “decades of failure by central government.”
He concludes that “In the years between the fire at Knowsley Heights in 1991 and the fire at Grenfell Tower in 2017there were many opportunities for the government to identify the risks posed by the use of combustible cladding panels and insulation…
And he concludes – and I quote – “By 2016 the department was well aware of those risks, but failed to act on what it knew.”
Further, he finds that “The department itself was poorly run” and “the government’s deregulatory agenda dominated the department’s thinking to such an extent that even matters affecting the safety of life were ignored, delayed or disregarded”.
So Mr Speaker, I want to start with an apology on behalf of the British state to each and every one of you and indeed to all the families affected by this tragedy. It should never have happened.
The country failed to discharge its most fundamental duty to protect you and your loved ones: the people we are here to serve. And I am deeply sorry.
I also want to express my admiration for the strength it must have taken to relive those events when giving your evidence to this Inquiry.
And indeed, to see written down today the circumstances that led to the deaths of your loved ones.
After all you have been through, you may feel you are always just one step away from another betrayal.
I get that – and I know I cannot change that with just words today.
But what I can say is that I listened carefully to one of the members of the inquiry Ali Akbor who said this morning: “What is needed is for those with responsibility for building safety to reflect and to treat Grenfell as a touchstone in all that they do in the future.”
Mr Speaker, I consider myself responsible for building safety. And that is exactly what I will do. And what I will demand of this government.
Mr. Speaker, today is a long-awaited day of truth – but it must now lead to a day of justice.Justice for the victims and families of Grenfell.
But also a moment to reflect on the state of social justice in our country and a chance for this Government of Service to turn the page.
Because this tragedy poses fundamental questions about the kind of country we are.
A country where the voices of working class people and those of colour have been repeatedly ignored and dismissed.
A country where tenants of a social housing block in one of the richest parts of the land are treated like second class citizens.
Shamefully dismissed – in the words of one survivor – as people with needs and problems… Not respected as citizens, as people who contribute to Britain, who are part of Britain, who belong in Britain.
And Mr Speaker, unbelievably this continued even after the tragedy.
Sir Martin highlights…and I quote – “Certain aspects of the response demonstrated a marked lack of respect for human decency and dignity and left many of those immediately affected feeling abandoned by authority and utterly helpless.”
Mr Speaker, that alone should make anyone who feels any affinity towards justice bristle with anger. But Sir Martin continues. He finds – and these are his words – “systematic dishonesty on the part of those who made and sold the rainscreen cladding panels and insulation products”
And he goes on to say: “They engaged in deliberate and sustained strategies to manipulate the testing process, misrepresent test data and mislead the market.”
Sir Martin also cites – “A complete failure on the part of the Local Authority Building Control over a number of years to take basic steps to ensure that the certificates it issued were technically accurate.”
He finds that the work of the Building Research Establishment “..was marred by unprofessional conduct, inadequate practices a lack of effective oversight, poor reporting and a lack of scientific rigour.” And that the Tenant Management Organisation “must also bear a share of the blame”
Its only fire safety assessor “had misrepresented his experience and qualifications (some of which he had invented) and was ill-qualified to carry out fire risk assessments on buildings of the size and complexity of Grenfell Tower.”
He also finds – “a chronic lack of effective management and leadership” on behalf of the London Fire Brigade” With tragic consequences on the night of the fire.
Mr Speaker, in the light of such findings it is imperative that there is full accountability, including through the Criminal Justice process, and that this happens as swiftly as possible.
So I can tell the House today that this government will write to all companies found by the Inquiry to have been part of these horrific failings as the first step to stopping them being awarded government contracts.
And, of course, we will support the Met Police and the prosecutors as they complete their investigations.
But, Mr Speaker, it is vital that as we respond to this report today we do not do or say anything that could compromise any future prosecution.
Because the greatest injustice of all would be for the victims and all those affected not to get the justice they deserve.
Mr Speaker, there must also be much more radical action to stop something like this from ever happening again.
Because one of the most extraordinary qualities of the Grenfell community is their determination to look forward.
They are not only fighting for justice for themselves, they are fighting to ensure no other community suffers as they have done.
Mr Speaker, some important reforms have been made over the last seven years.
Reforms we supported in Opposition.
Including banning combustible cladding.
New oversight of building control.
A new safety regime for all residential buildings over 18 metres.
New legal requirements on social landlords.
Making sure Fire and Rescue Services are trained and equipped to handle large scale incidents. including moving from “stay put” to “get out” when needed.
And we are now addressing the recommendation from Sir Martin’s first report: to introduce a new Residential Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan policy for anyone whose ability to evacuate could be compromised and funding this for those renting in social housing.
Mr Speaker, we will look at all 58 of Sir Martin’s recommendations in detail.
There will be a debate on the floor of this House.
We will respond in full to the Inquiry’s recommendations within six months.
And we will update Parliament annually on our progress against every commitment we make.
But there are some things I can say right now. There are still buildings today with unsafe cladding. And the speed at which this is being addressed is far, far too slow.
We only have to look at the fire in Dagenham last week. A building that was still in the process of having its cladding removed. So this must be a moment of change.
We will take the necessary steps to speed this up.
We are willing to force freeholders to assess their buildings and enter remediation schemes within set timetables with a legal requirement to force action if that is what it takes to tackle industry intransigence.
And we will set out further steps on remediation this Autumn.
We will also reform the construction products industry that made this fatal cladding so homes are made of safe materials and those who compromise that safety will face the consequences.
We will ensure that tenants and their leaseholders can never again be ignored. And that Social landlords are held to account for the decency and safety of their homes.
And as this government tackles the most acute housing crisis in living memory, building one and a half million new homes across the country, we will ensure these homes are safe, secure, and built to the highest standards.
Places of security, health and wellbeing that serve the needs of residents and their wider communities. Because a safe and decent home is a human right and a basic expectation and the provision of that right, should never be undermined by the reckless pursuit of greed.
One of the tragedies of Grenfell is that this was – and is – a community that nurtured so much of what we want from housing.
People who had made the Tower their home. And were entitled to a place of safety and security not a death-trap. And yet time and again they were ignored.
Mr Speaker, two weeks ago I made a private visit to Grenfell Tower. I laid a wreath at the Memorial Wall and affirmed the government’s commitment to the work of the Memorial Commission. Delivering a permanent memorial on the site through a process led by the Grenfell community.
As I walked down that narrow staircase from the 23rd floor and looked at walls burned by 1000-degree heat I got just a sense of how utterly, utterly terrifying it must have been.
And as I saw examples of the cladding on the outside of the building, and listened to descriptions of the catastrophic and completely avoidable failures of that fatal refurbishment.
I felt just a sense of the anger that now rises through that building. And it left me a with a profound and very personal determination. To make the legacy of Grenfell Tower one of the defining changes to our country that I want to make as Prime Minister.
To the families, the survivors, and the immediate community We will support you now and always, especially those who were children. In the memory of your loved ones we will deliver a generational shift in the safety and quality of housing for everyone in this country.
And in the memory of Grenfell, we will change our country. Not just a change in policy and regulation – although that must of course take place – but a profound shift in culture and behaviour.
A rebalancing of power that gives voice and respect to every citizen, whoever they are, wherever they live.
And Mr Speaker, we will bring the full power of government to bear on this task.
Because that is the responsibility of service.
And the duty we owe to the memory of every single one of the 72.
And in that spirit, I commend this statement to the House.
A STATEMENT FROM THE METROPOLITAN POLICE:
GRENFELL UNITED CAMPAIGNERS SAID:
FOR THE FAMILIES OF THOSE WHO DIED AND A COMMUNITY THAT WAS IGNORED FOR FAR TOO LONG, LET’S HOPE THIS REPORT IS JUST THE BEGINNING IN THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE. THIS STORY IS FAR FROM OVER.
The Westminster government has pledged to crack down on ‘snatch thefts’ after this criminality soared by more than 150 per cent in the last year.
An estimated 78,000 people had phones or bags grabbed from them on the streets, with policing intelligence suggesting that this is being driven by increased demand for second hand smartphones, both in the UK and overseas.
To tackle this challenge head on, tech companies and manufacturers will be called to attend a Home Office summit on the issue, looking at the new innovations that could take on the illegal market. This will build on anti-theft smartphone features that some tech firms have already rolled out to protect their customers.
The government will also task police chiefs to tackle this scourge in neighbourhood theft. Operation Opal, the national police intelligence unit will launch an intelligence probe to gather urgent intel on the criminals who steal mobile phones, and where these devices end up. This will provide a stronger picture of the stolen mobile phone market, and identify what more needs to be done to tackle the problem.
Local police will also continue to surge police patrols in areas most at risk of serious violence, including robberies at knifepoint, with the government working with forces across the country to ensure that there is visible police presence in these hotspot areas to deter criminals and protect our communities.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1830884206081143100
New Home Office analysis commissioned by ministers concerned by growing reports of this issue has revealed:
Crime Survey data estimates for the latest 12 months indicates the equivalent of more than 200 snatch thefts every day on streets across England and Wales, the highest rate in more than a decade, and almost 60 per cent higher than the annual average since 2012/13
the latest Crime Survey estimates also showed overall theft from the person, which includes snatch and stealth thefts as well as attempts to steal from the person, increased by more than a third in the past year
latest published estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales show that over one third (36 per cent) of theft from the person offences involved theft of a mobile phone in the past year
Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “With new phones coming to market and young people going back to school and university, many of us will have a new phone in our hands at this time of year.
” These figures are troubling and the government is determined to do whatever’s necessary to protect people entitled to walk the streets without the threat of robbery.
“As part of our Safer Streets mission, this new government is determined to crack down on snatch theft, knife-enabled robbery, and other crimes that make people feel unsafe in our communities, and we are working to get thousands more uniformed officers into our communities to restore neighbourhood policing.
“Phone companies must ensure that any stolen phones can be quickly, easily and permanently disabled, rather than re-registered for sale on the second-hand market, and we will be meeting them soon to discuss what further action is required to make that happen.
“If we work together, government, tech companies and law enforcement can break the business model of the phone thieves and moped gangs who rely on this trade.”
National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Personal Robbery, Commander Richard Smith, said: “Personal robbery can have a devastating impact on victims, leaving them with trauma which can be lasting.
“Criminals often target some of the most vulnerable in society, such as children, with threats that violence may be used, making robbery particularly traumatic. We continue to target those habitual criminals responsible for prolific offending, whilst working to prevent young people from being into this type of offending.
“During Operation Calibre, our national police week of action against personal robbery, police forces targeted their activity in over 1,250 known hotspot areas, increasing our visibility and operational activity and arresting those intent on committing crime.
“However, we know that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem. Manufacturers and the tech industry have an important role in reducing opportunities for criminals to benefit from the re-sale of stolen handsets.
“There are several tips you can do to reduce the chances of you becoming a victim, I encourage everyone to follow these and share them with family and friends. If in the unfortunate circumstances you are a victim of robbery, report it to the police or contact Crimestoppers.”
Researchers across the UK to use latest tech and major data bank to better predict where devastating floods and droughts will strike
innovators will also pioneer new ways of tackling the worst of extreme weather to halt damage and cut eye-watering cost to the economy
sensors in UK rivers and real time monitoring will gather priceless data that goes towards modelling the potential impact and likely flashpoints
Predicting where future flooding and droughts will strike next in the UK will be made easier under a new project for scientists using the latest tech and real-time data, Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has announced.
It will help key bodies, like local authorities and the Environment Agency, to stem the worst of extreme weather’s impact on communities, saving lives, homes, and businesses, and helping to cut the devastating cost of such events to the UK economy, estimated at £740 million a year.
The Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure, led by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and backed by £40 million, will be the first UK-wide network focused on understanding the impact of extreme weather conditions across the country, pinpointing where incidents are likely to occur and planning to limit their impact.
The complexity of Earth’s climate makes forecasting floods and droughts a major challenge, with climate change only further complicating the picture.
Researchers will use the latest technologies including sensors and real time computer monitoring, plus a huge bank of data including river profiles and near real-time monitoring of information including on atmospherics, ground saturation, water movement, abstraction and storage – taken together, this will form a clearer impression of where and when extreme weather will strike.
Floods wreak havoc on communities by destroying homes, public infrastructure, and livelihoods like farming which in turn costs consumers. Similarly, droughts have a major impact on the water supply and UK eco-system, harming wildlife and their natural habitats which rely on regular rainfall.
Researchers will be based at UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology’s offices throughout Great Britain, with further input from researchers in the British Geological Survey, University of Bristol and Imperial College London.
Findings from the project will be shared with key bodies like the Environment Agency to steer the UK response to extreme weather.
It will also act as a hub for researchers to pursue new innovations with discoveries shared across the world and marking the UK as a leader in the field.
Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said: “Flooding and droughts can devastate UK communities, from leaving people stranded, to destroying homes, gardens, roads and businesses, and even claiming lives.
“With climate change sadly making extreme weather events more common and adding an eye-watering cost to the economy, there is no time to waste in backing our researchers and innovators to ensure we are better prepared for floods and droughts striking.
“This project will help drive that progress, with dedicated teams using the most advanced tech to crunch data gathered from our rivers and paint a clear picture of its likely impact – using the power of science and tech to keep the public safe.”
The new measures build on £5.6 billion of government investment into flooding from 2021 and 2027, with over 100 and coastal risk management projects helping to better protect thousands of people and properties from flooding from the sea, rivers and reservoirs.
The Westminster government will also shortly launch a new Flood Resilience Taskforce to turbocharge the delivery of new flood defences, drainage systems and natural flood management schemes, which will ensure we’re prepared for the future and help grow our economy.
Floods Minister Emma Hardy said: “In the case of extreme flooding and drought, preparation and prediction are everything.
“Our new institute will bring together a team of world-leading researchers and the latest technology to ensure our communities, businesses and farms are protected from these devastating events.”
The funding also builds on wider UKRI projects tackling extreme weather in the UK and abroad, including support for businesses to ensure against its risks.
It includes a project sponsored by the NERC linking the frequency and intensity of storms over Northern Europe using mathematical models that enable more accurate pricing of storm-related risks. Meanwhile the Lisflood-FP computer model developed by the University of Bristol has helped over one million Zambian farmers to insure themselves against drought risk through daily rainfall estimates for the continent of Africa.
Another team at Bristol has pioneered the development of high-resolution flood prediction models, which has resulted in Fathom: a spin-out company with an annual turnover of more than £4 million. Its work includes protecting infrastructure valued at over $1 trillion, thanks to improved flood risk management in the UK and across the world.
Executive Chair of NERC, Professor Louise Heathwaite, said: “Earth’s changing climate means the number of extreme floods and droughts will increase in the UK, impacting homes, businesses and services.
!But predicting their location and measuring their intensity and impact needs the sort of scientific advances that this programme will bring to overcome the data and analytical constraints that are currently very challenging.
“The project will transform the way we understand the impact of these events by building a significant bank of data and improving our monitoring capability, and so helping to protect those affected.
“This is an example of how NERC is responding to climate challenges with research and innovation investments that will accelerate the green economy and deliver solutions to national priorities.”
We want to create wealth everywhere, but first we must fix the foundations of our country.
In the first few weeks of this Government, an audit found a £22 billion black hole in the public finances. It means we’ve had to take tough decisions, like means-testing the Winter Fuel Payment. Our Budget in October will be difficult.
But we have already taken action to improve the lives of working people in every corner of the country, from unlocking planning decisions to help build 1.5 million new homes to setting up Great British Energy, to create good jobs and provide clean energy to cut people’s bills in the long term.
Here are some of the things we are doing to fix the foundations of this country.
Setting up a new National Wealth Fund
Growth is the number one priority of this government. That’s why we set up the National Wealth Fund.
It is a publicly owned investment fund that will help attract investment into our country, stabilise our economy and create wealth for future generations.
It will help unlock private investment into the UK by directly investing in new and growing industries, and help create thousands of jobs in clean energy industries.
Accelerating housing planning
We’re overhauling our housing system to meet the needs of working people and put communities first.
Our plan will include introducing mandatory planning targets to aim to deliver on our ambition to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years.
The new targets will boost housebuilding in areas most in need, to help more people buy their own homes, and help drive growth – making everyone in the country better off.
Putting passengers first We’ll put our rail system back on track with new laws to deliver for passengers.
They will improve the railways by reforming rail franchising, establishing Great British Railways and bringing train operators into public ownership.
Protecting taxpayer money
We’ll introduce legislation that makes sure nobody can play fast and loose with public finances.
A new Bill will strengthen the role of the Office of Budget Responsibility, meaning significant fiscal announcements must be properly scrutinised and that taxpayers’ money is respected.
Protecting workers’ rights
We’ll improve workers’ rights with new legislation – a significant step towards delivering this Government’s plan to make work pay.
We will ban exploitative zero-hours contracts, end fire and rehire, and introduce basic employment rights from day one.
And we’re changing the way the Minimum Wage is set so it keeps in line with the cost of living, in a move to put more money in working people’s pockets.
Launching GB Energy
Producing clean energy and creating good jobs will be our focus for the rest of the year. Great British Energy, a publicly owned, clean-energy company, will own, manage and operate clean power projects, such as wind farms, across the country.
Great British Energy will be headquartered in Scotland and paid for by a windfall tax on oil and gas giants. It will invest clean power projects across the United Kingdom, such as wind farms, which are the cheapest forms of electricity generation to build and operate.
This will help make our country energy independent, tackle climate change and save families money. And investing in clean domestic power will create jobs and build supply chains in every corner of the UK.
