Millions of people across the country are set to receive significant cost of living support ahead of winter, with the second instalment of the cost-of-living payment – worth £900 in total – landing directly in bank accounts from today
Significant cost of living support to come into effect from today as millions of households set to receive second £300 payment
Comes as £2 bus fare cap in England extended with millions of people also set to benefit from lower travel costs
Prime Minister continues to support families with the cost of living ahead of winter as we are on track to halve inflation
Millions of people across the country are set to receive significant cost of living support ahead of winter, with the government freezing bus fares in England and the second cost-of-living payment – worth £900 in total – landing directly in bank accounts from today.
The bus fare cap had been due to rise to £2.50 but the government is keeping the fares down at £2 until the end of next year to help millions of people make significant savings on their travel costs. The fare cap has helped cut bus fares in England outside London by 7.4% between June 2022 and June 2023, with even bigger savings in rural areas where fares have dropped by almost 11%.
This government says the extension is only possible due to the redirected HS2 funding as part of the Network North plan and takes the total government investment to keep bus fares down to nearly £600 million – with over 140 operators signing up to continue offering the cap across more than 5,000 routes.
Over 8 million households across the UK will also receive the second of up to three payments from today, totalling up to £900 through 2023/24 with a further cost of living payment due to be made to eligible households by next Spring.
These payments are entirely tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and will not have any impact on existing benefit awards. Those who are eligible will be paid automatically and do not need to apply for the payment or do anything to receive it.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “I know that winter can be a particularly challenging period for many families across the country. That’s why we have put in place a package of immediate support for vulnerable households over the coming months.
“We are lowering travel costs through the bus fare cap, which we are able to do because of our long-term decision to cancel phase 2 of HS2. We are also providing an extra top up to help pay energy bills and direct payments to cover the cost of day-to-day essentials.
“But the best way to put more money in the pockets of hardworking people is to focus on the long-term decisions that will help not only them, but future generations too. We’re on track to halve inflation which will help people’s wages go further, and we’re growing the economy to create better paid jobs and opportunities across the country.”
The government is also committed to helping vulnerable households across the UK with their energy bills over winter. Winter Fuel Payments – boosted again this year by an additional £300 per household Pensioner Cost of Living payment – will provide pensioners with up to £600 to help with heating costs over the colder months.
On top of this, nearly three million low-income households are also eligible for a £150 rebate on their winter electricity bills through the Warm Home Discount. From tomorrow (1st November) Cold Weather Payments will also come into effect to provide eligible households £25 extra a week when the temperature is zero or below for more than seven days across the UK.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Buses are the most popular form of public transport and help people across the country get to work, attend medical appointments, and see loved ones – that’s why we are extending the ‘Get Around for £2’ scheme all the way to 31 December 2024.
“Extending the £2 bus fare cap has only been possible with the redirected HS2 funding secured by this Government making the right long-term decisions for a brighter future, delivering immediate benefits and helping people save money.”
Mel Stride, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: “Tackling inflation is the best way to boost people’s incomes, but as we work to halve it, we are protecting the most vulnerable households from high prices with this latest Cost of Living payment.
“Thousands of Work Coaches based in Jobcentres across the country are on hand to help people find work or enhance their skills, and I encourage anyone wanting to strengthen their finances and unleash the benefits of work to contact their local Jobcentre to see what help is available.”
Taken together, these measures build on the significant cost of living support already provided to eligible households throughout last year – now worth an average of £3,300 per household over this year and last.
The government says it has also gone further by:
Increasing benefits in line with inflation, meaning more than 10 million working age families will see an average increase of around £600.
Maintaining the Triple Lock earlier this year to give around 12 million pensioners the largest ever cash increase to the State Pension.
Extending the Household Support Fund for another year in England to help families with essential costs with £1 billion of extra funding.
Increasing the National Living Wage by its largest ever cash amount for 2 million workers – worth over £1,600 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker – and committing to increase it to over £11 an hour from April 2024.
Cutting fuel duty by 5 pence and freezing the increase, worth £100 to the average driver this year.
Covering up to 85% of childcare costs for working households on Universal Credit, up from 70% under the legacy system – currently worth over £19,500-a-year for families with two or more children.
The government says it has ‘a strong record on supporting the most vulnerable and lifting households out of poverty’, with the latest data showing there were nearly 1 million fewer workless households since 2010 and 1.7 million fewer people in absolute poverty after housing costs over the last decade.
They maintain the best route out of poverty is through work, ‘which is why we’ve introduced a package of measures worth £3.5 billion to break down the barriers for people to find jobs and fulfil their potential. This includes our flagship Universal Support scheme which will get thousands more people into jobs with a personal adviser providing wraparound support for up to a year while they find their feet.
‘We encourage people in need of additional support over winter to check their eligibility through our Help for Households website for the various cost of living schemes that are place.’
Minister says councils must have UK Government support
Migration and Refugees Minister Emma Roddick has urged the UK Government to provide financial support for local authorities as it presses ahead with plans to close asylum hotels.
In a letter to Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, Ms Roddick welcomed measures to end the inappropriate use of hotels to accommodate people seeking asylum along with UK Government measures to tackle the backlog in asylum decisions.
However, she said the move was placing further pressure on local services and called for increased funding to enable councils to meet the needs of refugees when they receive a positive asylum decision.
Ms Roddick said: “The Scottish Government has long been clear in our view that hotels are not appropriate accommodation for people seeking asylum.
“While I welcome your recognition that the asylum decision backlog must be tackled, I want to make clear that it is completely unacceptable and reckless for the UK Government to shift a significant burden onto local authorities without providing financial support.
“The UK Government must provide funding to local authorities and work constructively with them to ensure that people receiving a positive asylum decision are supported to move-on from asylum accommodation, without creating unmanageable pressure on housing and homelessness services over a short space of time.
“It is UK Government mismanagement of asylum decision making which has created the backlog and the consequences of that cannot be passed to local authorities without any support to manage them.
“I request urgent provision of funding to local authorities to support move-on associated with the backlog clearance.”
A new mission announced by the Prime Minister will accelerate the use of AI in life sciences to tackle the biggest health challenges of our generation
Missed opportunity, say civil society organisations
A new mission announced by the Prime Minister will accelerate the use of AI in life sciences to tackle the biggest health challenges of our generation.
In a speech on Thursday, the Prime Minister announced that a £100 million in new government investment will be targeted towards areas where rapid deployment of AI has the greatest potential to create transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases.
The AI Life Sciences Accelerator Mission will capitalise on the UK’s unique strengths in secure health data and cutting-edge AI.
The Life Sciences Vision encompasses 8 critical healthcare missions that government, industry, the NHS, academia and medical research charities will work together on at speed to solve – from cancer treatment to tackling dementia.
The £100 million will help drive forward this work by exploring how AI could address these conditions, which have some of the highest mortality and morbidity.
For example, AI could further the development of novel precision treatments for dementia. This new government funding for AI will help us harness the UK’s world-class health data to quickly identify those at risk of dementia and related conditions, ensure that the right patients are taking part in the right trials at the right time to develop new treatments effectively, and give us better data on how well new therapies work.
By using the power of AI to support the growing pipeline of new dementia therapies, we will ensure the best and most promising treatments are selected to go forwards, and that patients receive the right treatments that work best for them.
AI driven technologies are showing remarkable promise in being able to diagnose, and potentially treat, mental ill health. For example, leading companies are already using conversational AI that supports people with mental health challenges and guides them through proactive prevention routines, escalating cases to human therapists when needed – all of which reduces the strain on NHS waiting lists.
This funding will help us to invest in parts of the UK where the clinical needs are greatest to test and trial new technologies within the next 18 months. Over the next 5 years, we will transform mental health research through developing world-class data infrastructure to improve the lives of those living with mental health conditions.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunaksaid: “AI can help us solve some of the greatest social challenges of our time. AI could help find novel dementia treatments or develop vaccines for cancer.
“That’s why today we’re investing a further £100 million to accelerate the use of AI on the most transformational breakthroughs in treatments for previously incurable diseases.”
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelansaid: “This £100 million Mission will bring the UK’s unique strengths in secure health data and cutting-edge AI to bear on some of the most pressing health challenges facing the society.
“Safe, responsible AI will change the game for what it’s possible to do in healthcare, closing the gap between the discovery and application of innovative new therapies, diagnostic tools, and ways of working that will give clinicians more time with their patients.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclaysaid: “Cutting-edge technology such as AI is the key to both improving patient care and supporting staff to do their jobs and we are seeing positive impacts across the NHS.
“This new accelerator fund will help us build on our efforts to harness the latest technology to unlock progress and drive economic growth.
“This is on top of the progress we have already made on AI deployment in the NHS, with AI tools now live in over 90% of stroke networks in England – halving the time for stroke victims to get the treatment in some cases, helping to cut waiting times.”
Building on the success of partnerships already using AI in areas like identifying eye diseases, industry, academia and clinicians will be brought together to drive forward novel AI research into earlier diagnosis and faster drug discovery.
The government will invite proposals bringing together academia, industry and clinicians to develop innovative solutions.
This funding will target opportunities to deploy AI in clinical settings and improve health outcomes across a range of conditions. It will also look to fund novel AI research which has the potential to create general purpose applications across a range of health challenges – freeing up clinicians to spend more time with their patients.
This supports work the government is already doing across key disease areas. Using AI to tackle dementia, for example, builds on our commitment to double dementia research funding by 2024, reaching a total of £160 million a year.
The Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission is at the heart of this, enabling us to accelerate dementia research and give patients the access to the exciting new wave of medicines being developed.
Artificial Intelligence behind three times more daily tasks than we think
Most people believe they only use AI once a day when in fact it’s three times more
One in two of us (51%) feel nervous about the future of AI, with over a third concerned about privacy (36%) and that it will lead to mass unemployment (39%)
However, nearly half of people recognise its potential for manufacturing (46%), over a third see its role in improving healthcare (38%) and medical diagnosis (32%), and a quarter of people think it can help in tackling climate change (24%)
As the AI Safety Summit nears, over a third (36%) think the government needs to introduce more regulation as AI develops
The surge in Artificial Intelligence (AI) has left a third of us fearing the unknown, yet we have three times as many daily interactions with AI than most people realise, new research from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reveals.
On average, the UK public recognises AI plays a role in something we do at least once a day – whether that be in curating a personalised playlist, mapping out the quickest route from A to B, or simply to help write an email.
However, hidden touch points can be found in search engines (69%), social media (66%), and streaming services (51%), which all discretely use AI, as well as tools such as Google translate (31%) and autocorrect and grammar checkers (29%).
Despite its everyday use, over half of us (51%) admit nervousness about a future with AI – with nearly a third of people feeling anxious about what it could do in the future (31%). Over a third are concerned about privacy (36%) and feeling it will lead to mass unemployment (39%).
Those surveyed who felt nervous, do so because of not knowing who controls AI (42%) and not being able to tell what is real or true with AI generated fakes (40%). They also expressed concerns that AI will become autonomous and out of control (38%). And that it will surpass human intelligence (31%).
But people do recognise and welcome the role it will play in revolutionising key sectors, such as manufacturing (46%) and healthcare (39%) and specifically medical diagnosis (32%), as well as tackling issues such as climate change (24%).
Dr. Gopichand Katragadda, IET President and a globally recognised AI authority, said: “Artificial Intelligence holds the potential to drive innovation and enhance productivity across diverse sectors like construction, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing. Yet, it is imperative that we continually evolve ethical frameworks surrounding Data and AI applications to ensure their safe and responsible development and utilisation.
“It is natural for individuals to have concerns about AI, particularly given its recent proliferation in technical discussions and media coverage. However, it’s important to recognise that AI has a longstanding presence and already forms the foundation of many daily activities, such as facial recognition on social media, navigation on maps, and personalised entertainment recommendations.”
As the UK AI Safety Summit nears (1-2 November) – which will see global leaders gather to discuss the risks associated with AI and how they can be mitigated through coordinated action – the research reveals 36% of Brits think the government need to do more to regulate and manage AI development, with 30% of those who feel nervous about AI, feeling that Government regulations cannot keep pace with AI’s evolution.
Those surveyed also shared their concerns on the lack of information around AI and lack of skills and confidence to use the technology, with over a quarter of people saying they wished there was more information about how it works and how to use it (29%).
Gopi added: “What we need to see now is the UK government establishing firm rules on which data can and cannot be used to train AI systems – and ensure this is unbiased.
“This is necessary to ensure AI is used safely and to help prevent incidents from occurring – and it is fundamental to maintaining public trust, which underpins the economic and social benefits AI can bring.”
The research for the IET was carried out online by Opinion Matters from 16 October – 18 October 2023 amongst a panel resulting in 2,008 nationally representative consumers responding from across the UK.
AI Summit dominated by Big Tech and a “missed opportunity” say civil society organisations
More than 100 UK and international organisations, experts and campaigners sign open letter to Rishi Sunak
Groups warn that the “communities and workers most affected by AI have been marginalised by the Summit.”
“Closed door event” is dominated by Big Tech and overly focused on speculative risks instead of AI threats “in the here and now”- PM told
Signatories to letter include leading human rights organisations, trade union bodies, tech orgs, leading academics and experts on AI
More than 100 civil society organisations from across the UK and world have branded the government’s AI Summit as “a missed opportunity”.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak the groups warn that the “communities and workers most affected by AI have been marginalised by the Summit” while a select few corporations seek to shape the rules.
The letter has been coordinated by the TUC, Connected by Data and Open Rights Group and is released ahead of the official AI Summit at Bletchley Park on 1 and 2 November. Signatories to the letter include:
Major and international trade union confederations – such as the TUC, AFL-CIO, European Trade Union Confederation, UNI Global, International Trade Union Confederation representing tens of millions of workers worldwide
International and UK human rights orgs – such as Amnesty International, Liberty, Article 19, Privacy International, Access Now
Domestic and international civil society organisations – such as Connected by Data, Open Rights Group, 5 Rights, Consumers International.
Tech community voices – such as Mozilla, AI Now Institute and individuals associated to the AI Council, Alan Turing Institute & British Computing Society
Leading international academics, experts, members of the House of Lords
Highlighting the exclusion of civil society from the Summit, the letter says: “Your ‘Global Summit on AI Safety’ seeks to tackle the transformational risks and benefits of AI, acknowledging that AI “will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another.
“Yet the communities and workers most affected by AI have been marginalised by the Summit. The involvement of civil society organisations that bring a diversity of expertise and perspectives has been selective and limited.
“This is a missed opportunity.”
Highlighting the Summit’s lack of focus on immediate threats of AI and dominance of Big Tech, the letter says: “As it stands, the Summit is a closed door event, overly focused on speculation about the remote ‘existential risks’ of ‘frontier’ AI systems – systems built by the very same corporations who now seek to shape the rules.
“For many millions of people in the UK and across the world, the risks and harms of AI are not distant – they are felt in the here and now.
“This is about being fired from your job by algorithm, or unfairly profiled for a loan based on your identity or postcode.
“People are being subject to authoritarian biometric surveillance, or to discredited predictive policing.
“Small businesses and artists are being squeezed out, and innovation smothered as a handful of big tech companies capture even more power and influence.
“To make AI truly safe we must tackle these and many other issues of huge individual and societal significance. Successfully doing so will lay the foundations for managing future risks.”
Calling for a more inclusive approach to managing the risks of AI, the letter concludes: “For the Summit itself and the work that has to follow, a wide range of expertise and the voices of communities most exposed to AI harms must have a powerful say and equal seat at the table. The inclusion of these voices will ensure that the public and policy makers get the full picture.
“In this way we can work towards ensuring the future of AI is as safe and beneficial as possible for communities in the UK and across the world.”
Senior Campaigns and Policy Officer for Connected by Data Adam Cantwell-Corn said: “AI must be shaped in the interests of the wider public. This means ensuring that a range of expertise, perspectives and communities have an equal seat at the table. The Summit demonstrates a failure to do this.
“The open letter is a powerful, diverse and international challenge to the unacceptable domination of AI policy by narrow interests.
“Beyond the Summit, AI policy making needs a re-think – domestically and internationally – to steer these transformative technologies in a democratic and socially useful direction.”
TUC Assistant General Secretary Kate Bell said: “It is hugely disappointing that unions and wider civil society have been denied proper representation at this Summit.AI is already making life-changing decisions – like how we work, how we’re hired and who gets fired.
“But working people have yet to be given a seat at the table.
“This event was an opportunity to bring together a wide range of voices to discuss how we deal with immediate threats and make sure AI benefits all.
“It shouldn’t just be tech bros and politicians who get to shape the future of AI.”
Open Rights Group Policy Manager for Data Rights and Privacy Abby Burke said: “The government has bungled what could have been an opportunity for real global AI leadership due to the Summit’s limited scope and invitees.
“The agenda’s focus on future, apocalyptic risks belies the fact that government bodies and institutions in the UK are already deploying AI and automated decision-making in ways that are exposing citizens to error and bias on a massive scale.
“It’s extremely concerning that the government has excluded those who are experiencing harms and other critical expert and activist voices from its Summit, allowing businesses who create and profit from AI systems to set the UK’s agenda.”
Letter to UK political leaders to support a humanitarian corridor
First Minister Humza Yousaf has written to UK political leaders urging them to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, to allow a humanitarian corridor to open. The First Minister says the UK should stand together to stop the humanitarian disaster that is unfolding in Gaza.
The letter reads:
To: UK political leaders From: First Minister Humza Yousaf
The abhorrent terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas on 7 October must be unequivocally condemned, and I will continue to join you in doing so. Hamas must release immediately and unconditionally all hostages and cease its missile attacks on Israel.
The killing of innocent civilians can never be justified, wherever it occurs. Israel, like every other country, has a right to protect itself from attack, but in doing so it must comply with international law.
Since the tragic events of that day, the loss of life has escalated. More than 1,400 Israelis and 5,700 Palestinians are reported to have been killed. More than 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced and in excess of 600,000 people are sheltering in UN-run facilities. Many British citizens are trapped in a warzone with nowhere to go, under intense daily bombardment of the Gaza strip.
Food, water, fuel, and medicine are being restricted, with limited humanitarian supplies – nowhere near enough – being allowed in. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) – the largest humanitarian agency working in Gaza – has warned that unless fuel is allowed into Gaza immediately, the agency will be forced to halt all operations as of today.
I am, therefore, writing to ask for your support in helping to stop the staggering humanitarian disaster we are witnessing, which is set to get even worse.
We should stand together and united in unequivocally calling on all parties to commit to an immediate ceasefire to allow a humanitarian corridor to be opened, so that lifesaving supplies can get into Gaza and innocent civilians who want to leave be given safe passage out.
The situation in Gaza is at the point of being cataclysmic. All of us must do everything we can to prevent that. There must be no more dithering, or delay, together we must call for an immediate ceasefire.
The First Minister’s letter has been sent to:
Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales
Michelle O’Neill First Minister (Designate) of Northern Ireland
Sir Keir Stamer, Leader of the Labour Party
Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Liberal Democrats
Rhun ap Lorwerth, Leader of Plaid Cymru
Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsey, Co-Leaders the Green Party of England and Wales
Douglas Ross, Leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Anas Sarwar, Leader of the Scottish Labour Party
Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater, Co-Leaders of the Scottish Green Party
Alex Cole Hamilton, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats
Clare Adamson, Convenor of the Scottish Parliament Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Alicia Kearns, Chair of the UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Select Committee
MEANWHILE, THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS ABSTAINED IN A VOTE CALLING FOR A HUMANITARIAN TRUCE IN GAZA …
UK statement following the UN General Assembly vote on the Jordanian draft resolution on the situation in Gaza, Friday 27 October 2023:
The UK abstained on the Jordanian-drafted resolution.
We welcome the draft’s call for all parties to respect International Humanitarian Law, including the protection of civilians, for the immediate release of hostages and for full and sustained humanitarian access.
These are UK priorities and we have been working tirelessly with partners to achieve these on the ground, including the UK Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary’s engagements with Egypt to open the Rafah crossing to get aid to the Palestinian people.
We are proud to have pledged an additional $37 million in UK aid to help civilians in Gaza since the beginning of the crisis. The UK Prime Minister has been clear that we recognise the need for humanitarian pauses to deliver this aid safely and in a sustained way.
We also welcome the draft’s emphasis on preventing regional escalation of the conflict. It is in no-one’s interest for this conflict to spread.
However, we are deeply disappointed with the draft’s omission of an unequivocal condemnation of Hamas’ terrorist attacks that killed over 1,400 people and took over 200 hostages last week. This should not be controversial.
That is why we voted in favour of the Canadian amendment which would have corrected this.
But we cannot vote for a resolution that is silent on the largest terror attack in Israel’s history.
Hamas has embedded itself in civilian populations, is still holding civilians hostage, and firing rockets at Israel while using Palestinians as human shields. It is clear that Israel is under attack by terrorists and is entitled under international law to defend itself. Any resolution on the situation in Gaza and Israel should be unequivocal on that too.
This is why we abstained on this resolution.
We will continue to work closely with Israel, Palestine, the UN and our partners in the region to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. To ensure that civilians are protected and have access to food, water, medicine, and shelter. And to work towards the peace and stability which can only be achieved by working towards a sustainable Two State Solution.
Online Safety Act receives Royal Assent putting rules to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online into law
Online Safety Act receives Royal Assent in the Houses of Parliament, putting rules to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online into law
the Act makes social media companies keep the internet safe for children and give adults more choice over what they see online
Ofcom will immediately begin work on tackling illegal content and protecting children’s safety
The Online Safety Act has today (Thursday 26 October) received Royal Assent, heralding a new era of internet safety and choice by placing world-first legal duties on social media platforms.
The new laws take a zero-tolerance approach to protecting children from online harm, while empowering adults with more choices over what they see online. This follows rigorous scrutiny and extensive debate within both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
The Act places legal responsibility on tech companies to prevent and rapidly remove illegal content, like terrorism and revenge pornography. They will also have to stop children seeing material that is harmful to them such as bullying, content promoting self-harm and eating disorders, and pornography.
If they fail to comply with the rules, they will face significant fines that could reach billions of pounds, and if they don’t take steps required by Ofcom to protect children, their bosses could even face prison.
Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said: “Today will go down as an historic moment that ensures the online safety of British society not only now, but for decades to come.
“I am immensely proud of the work that has gone into the Online Safety Act from its very inception to it becoming law today. The Bill protects free speech, empowers adults and will ensure that platforms remove illegal content.
“At the heart of this Bill, however, is the protection of children. I would like to thank the campaigners, parliamentarians, survivors of abuse and charities that have worked tirelessly, not only to get this Act over the finishing line, but to ensure that it will make the UK the safest place to be online in the world.”
The Act takes a zero-tolerance approach to protecting children by making sure the buck stops with social media platforms for content they host. It does this by making sure they:
remove illegal content quickly or prevent it from appearing in the first place, including content promoting self-harm
prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content including pornographic content, content that promotes, encourages or provides instructions for suicide, self-harm or eating disorders, content depicting or encouraging serious violence or bullying content
enforce age limits and use age-checking measures on platforms where content harmful to children is published
ensure social media platforms are more transparent about the risks and dangers posed to children on their sites, including by publishing risk assessments
provide parents and children with clear and accessible ways to report problems online when they do arise
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “This landmark law sends a clear message to criminals – whether it’s on our streets, behind closed doors or in far flung corners of the internet, there will be no hiding place for their vile crimes.
“The Online Safety Act’s strongest protections are for children. Social media companies will be held to account for the appalling scale of child sexual abuse occurring on their platforms and our children will be safer.
“We are determined to combat the evil of child sexual exploitation wherever it is found, and this Act is a big step forward.”
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Alex Chalk said: “No-one should be afraid of what they or their children might see online so our reforms will make the internet a safer place for everyone.
“Trolls who encourage serious self-harm, cyberflash or share intimate images without consent now face the very real prospect of time behind bars, helping protect women and girls who are disproportionately impacted by these cowardly crimes.”
In addition to protecting children, the Act also empowers adults to have better control of what they see online. It provides 3 layers of protection for internet users which will:
make sure illegal content is removed
enforce the promises social media platforms make to users when they sign up, through terms and conditions
offer users the option to filter out content, such as online abuse, that they do not want to see
If social media platforms do not comply with these rules, Ofcom could fine them up to £18 million or 10% of their global annual revenue, whichever is biggest – meaning fines handed down to the biggest platforms could reach billions of pounds.
The government also strengthened provisions to address violence against women and girls. Through the Act, it will be easier to convict someone who shares intimate images without consent and new laws will further criminalise the non-consensual sharing of intimate deepfakes.
The change in laws also now make it easier to charge abusers who share intimate images and put more offenders behind bars. Criminals found guilty of this base offence will face up to 6 months in prison, but those who threaten to share such images, or shares them with the intent to cause distress, alarm or humiliation, or to obtain sexual gratification, could face up to two years behind bars.
NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless said: “Having an Online Safety Act on the statute book is a watershed moment and will mean that children up and down the UK are fundamentally safer in their everyday lives.
“Thanks to the incredible campaigning of abuse survivors and young people and the dedicated hard work of Parliamentarians and Ministers, tech companies will be legally compelled to protect children from sexual abuse and avoidable harm.
T”he NSPCC will continue to ensure there is a rigorous focus on children by everyone involved in regulation. Companies should be acting now, because the ultimate penalties for failure will be eye watering fines and, crucially, criminal sanctions.”
Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom Chief Executive, said: “These new laws give Ofcom the power to start making a difference in creating a safer life online for children and adults in the UK. We’ve already trained and hired expert teams with experience across the online sector, and today we’re setting out a clear timeline for holding tech firms to account.
“Ofcom is not a censor, and our new powers are not about taking content down. Our job is to tackle the root causes of harm. We will set new standards online, making sure sites and apps are safer by design. Importantly, we’ll also take full account of people’s rights to privacy and freedom of expression.
“We know a safer life online cannot be achieved overnight; but Ofcom is ready to meet the scale and urgency of the challenge.”
In anticipation of the Bill coming into force, many social media companies have already started making changes. TikTok has implemented stronger age verification on their platforms, while Snapchat has started removing the accounts of underage users.
While the Bill has travelled through Parliament, the government has worked closely with Ofcom to ensure protections will be implemented as quickly as possible once the Act received Royal Assent.
From today, Ofcom will immediately begin work on tackling illegal content, with a consultation process launching on 9th November 2023. They will then take a phased approach to bringing the Online Safety Act into force, prioritising enforcing rules against the most harmful content as soon as possible.
The majority of the Act’s provisions will commence in two months’ time. However, the government has commenced key provisions early to establish Ofcom as the online safety regulator from today and allow them to begin key preparatory work such as consulting as quickly as possible to implement protections for the country.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: “Which? led the campaign for consumers to have stronger protections against scam adverts on social media platforms and search engines that can have devastating financial and emotional consequences for victims.
“These new Online Safety laws are a major step forward in the fight back against fraud by forcing tech firms to step up and take more responsibility for stopping people being targeted by fraudulent online adverts.
“Ofcom must now develop codes of practice that will hold platforms to a high standard and be prepared to take strong enforcement action, including fines, against firms if they break the law.”
Deidre Brock MP has challenged the Prime Minister on the UK Government’s repeated denial of justice to those affected by the Infected Blood scandal.
The Infected Blood Inquiry is investigating the tragic deaths of more than 3,000 people across the UK who died as a result of being given contaminated blood in the 1970s and 1980s.
While the publication of the inquiry’s final report has been delayed from November to March next year, Sir Brian Langstaff, the independent chair of the inquiry, has already published his recommendations on compensation for victims of the scandal. However, the Cabinet Office this week confirmed that it would not respond to the inquiry until after the final report.
At Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Deidre Brock MP asked on behalf of affected constituents, why the UK Government continues to kick this issue into the long grass, while excluding many of the families, estates and carers of deceased victims from full interim compensation.
The Edinburgh North & Leith MP said: “The inquiry’s final report has been delayed, but the Government cannot use that as an excuse to postpone its response yet again.
“We know this Government can pre-emptively award victim compensation when it wants to, such as in the on-going Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry.
“Why then does the Government not show similar compassion to the survivors, family members and carers of contaminated blood scandal victims?
“The woeful statement from the Cabinet Office, and the Prime Minister’s non-response to my specific question, will simply compound the trauma, yet again, for victims and their families.
“Survivors and carers deserve proper compensation for their dreadful and distressing ordeal and I will continue to hold the UK Government to account for its shameful inaction.”
The UK Government has brought together retailers and policing to set out measures to tackle the rise in shoplifting, catch more offenders and keep retail workers safe.
Policing Minister Chris Philp chaired a meeting with senior police leaders and 13 of the UK’s biggest retailers yesterday to launch the Retail Crime Action Plan.
Commissioned by the minister and published yesterday, the plan includes a police commitment to prioritise urgently attending the scene of shoplifting instances involving violence against a shop worker, where security guards have detained an offender or where attendance is needed to secure evidence. Police attendance will be assessed based on risk, and prolific or juvenile offenders will be treated with elevated priority.
Police have also reaffirmed their pledge to follow up on any evidence that could reasonably lead to catching a perpetrator. Forces will step up targeted hotspot patrols in badly affected areas.
The plan sets out advice for retailers on how to provide the best possible evidence for police to pursue in any case. They should send CCTV footage of the whole incident, and an image of the shoplifter from the digital evidence management system, as quickly as possible after an offence has been committed.
Where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database using facial recognition technology to further aid efforts to identify and prosecute offenders – particularly prolific or potentially dangerous individuals.
A specialist new police team is also being created to build a comprehensive intelligence picture of the organised crime gangs that fuel many shoplifting incidents across the country, to help target and dismantle them.
The initiative, called Pegasus, is a business and policing partnership that will radically improve the way retailers are able to share intelligence with policing, to better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders. This will include development of a new information sharing platform and training for retailers.
Spearheaded by Katy Bourne, the Business Crime lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), Pegasus is the first national partnership of its kind. It is backed by the Home Office, John Lewis, the Co-op, M&S, Boots, Primark and several more, who have collectively pledged to provide over £840,000 to get the initiative off the ground.
Crime and Policing Minister Chris Philp said: “I want a new zero-tolerance approach to tackling shoplifting. It is a blight on our highstreets and communities and puts the livelihoods of traders at risk. I am determined to drive forward change.
“While it is encouraging to see a 29% increase in charges for shoplifting in the past year, the rise in offending is unacceptable and there is much more to do to stop it happening in the first place.
“That’s why we’re taking action and bringing together government, policing and business to commit to smarter, more joined up working when it comes to retail crime, which will help to drive down criminal behaviour and rebuild public confidence in the police response when it does occur.”
The majority of funding for Pegasus will go towards the creation of a dedicated team of specialist analysts and intelligence officers to work within OPAL, the national policing team that oversees intelligence on serious organised acquisitive crime.
OPAL is run by Detective Chief Superintendent Jim Taylor and overseen by North Wales Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman. Recruitment has already started, and the team will be operational later this month, delivering outcomes across the country by the New Year.
Pegasus will deliver a new digital interface to streamline information sharing between retailers and the police and also provide training for retailers on appropriate information and intelligence to share with policing.
Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman, National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead for Acquisitive Crime, said: “Dealing with retail crime requires a multi-faceted approach and through the launch of Pegasus, plus the Retail Crime Action Plan, we have bolstered the policing response to tackling offenders and supporting retailers in reducing shoplifting and attacks on retail staff.
“We welcome the collaboration between retailers, police and crime commissioners and policing through Project Pegasus which centralises intelligence and enhances our ability to identify and tackle the groups involved.
“We continue to target those prolific and habitual offenders whose behaviour causes misery and takes profit from our communities and retailers. Local police forces assess each report through a threat, harm and risk model to determine their police response and will deploy resources where they can be most effective in catching offenders and keeping people safe.”
Paul Gerrard, Campaigns, Public Affairs and Board Secretariat Director of the Co-op, said: “The Co-op has long called for greater police prioritisation so they tackle the rampant rise in retail crime especially those involving violence or prolific offenders; this is now what happens at present as our colleagues see every day.
“We, therefore, welcome the commitments in the ‘Retail Crime Action Plan’ to attend incidents of violence, incidents where offenders have been detained and ensure all evidence is collected so every reasonable line of enquiry can be followed.
“Alongside Operation Pegasus, which the Co-op is helping to fund, we are hopeful that this will mark the point at which the police will provide the support to protect shopworkers and shops so they can help the communities they serve thrive.
“The Co-op stands ready to work with every police force to ensure our colleagues and the shops they work in can continue to serve their communities.”
Katy Bourne, PCC and APCC National Lead for Business and Retail Crime, said: “Pegasus will be a game changer in the fight against retail crime providing for the first time an accurate national picture of the organised groups from local families to cross border criminals driving organised shop theft.
“Retailers will agree ways to capture information that can be shared and analysed to create intelligence packages for police forces to target and track perpetrators. I am very grateful to all the contributors to Pegasus and to Mitie in particular for helping to get Pegasus airborne.”
Nicki Juniper, Head of Security for the John Lewis Partnership, said: “While there’s no silver bullet for tackling retail crime, we welcome this significant step forward.
“Retail crime is not victimless, it has an impact on Partners, customers and on prices. We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with police and others in the sector to keep our Partners and customers safe.
The UK has seen a “shameful increase” in destitution, though Scotland has had “by far the lowest” rise in the numbers, a new report has found.
Research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) found that across the UK, there were an estimated 3.8 million people suffering from destitution – with this including more than one million children.
According to the report, rising levels of destitution mean almost two-and-a-half times as many people are suffering as there were in 2017, with nearly three times as many youngsters affected.
Rates of destitution – where people are not able to afford to meet their basic needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed – were highest in the London borough of Newham, it found.
While Glasgow City Council was ranked 26th in the 30 local authorities with the worst rates of destitution, it had dropped 16 places from the previous report in 2019.
The report found that at a regional level, London had the highest destitution levels in 2022, followed by the North East and the North West of England, and then the West Midlands.
The regions in the south of England had the lowest rates of destitution, with both Wales and Scotland having rates comparable with the Midlands.
While destitution had increased in all regions of the UK over the period 2019 to 2022, the report found Scotland’s position had improved “with by far the lowest increase since 2019”.
It added: “This may be indicative of the growing divergence in welfare benefits policies in Scotland, notably the introduction of the Scottish Child Payment.”
The benefit, which was introduced in Scotland in 2021, gives £25 per child under 16 a week to eligible low-income families.
The report, the fourth in a series by the JRF, with research carried out by Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, found overall “there has been a shameful increase in the level of destitution in the UK”.
It highlighted the “growing number of people struggling to afford to meet their most basic physical needs to stay warm, dry, clean and fed”, insisting there was now an “urgent need for action”.
Stating that the problem has “been increasing at an alarming rate since 2017” the report added: “Around 1.8 million households were destitute in the UK at some point over the course of 2022.
“These households contained around 3.8 million people, of whom around a million were children.”
It found that as in previous studies, food was the most common essential that people struggling with destitution lacked in 2022.
But with energy bills having risen rapidly, heating was the second most common thing for people to struggle with, followed by clothes and toiletries.
The report calls on the UK Government to introduce an “Essentials Guarantee” into Universal Credit payments, ensuring that the basic amount people receive covers all basic needs “such as food, energy, toiletries and cleaning products”.
Doing this “would have a significant impact on destitution”, the report says.
However, Chris Birt, associate director for the JRF in Scotland said governments at both Holyrood and Westminster needed to “step up” to deal with the problem.
He said: “The UK is a country with dramatically increasing destitution, where millions of people can’t afford heating or can’t afford the basic essentials like clothes or food. In a country this wealthy, that is outrageous.
“But this needn’t be the case, destitution in Scotland is rising much more slowly than in other parts of the UK with the Scottish Child Payment and local welfare support offering some protection.
“Despite this, there is no cause for celebration when destitution numbers aren’t falling.
Mr Birt continued: “It is time for both governments to step up to this challenge that years of failed government policy have caused.
“This is particularly acute for the UK Government and all the parties that are bidding to run it after the next election – they must come through for the Scottish people by embracing the Essentials Guarantee.
“The Scottish Government can also do more and will need to show it is willing to turn the tide on destitution in its forthcoming budget.”
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said that this year and last year the Scottish Government had “allocated almost £3 billion to support policies to tackle poverty and to protect people as far as possible during the cost-of-living crisis, especially those are most impacted”.
She added that as of the end of June, the Scottish Child Payment was providing 316,000 children with support worth £25 per week, with the Scottish Government also making £83.7 million available through Discretionary Housing Payments to “mitigate UK government welfare cuts”.
Ms Somerville said: “We estimate that 90,000 fewer children will live in relative and absolute poverty this year as a result of our policies, with poverty levels nine percentage points lower than they would have otherwise been.
“We continue to urge the UK Government to introduce an Essentials Guarantee to ensure people can afford life’s essentials and ensure vulnerable people are properly supported.”
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Everybody, of any age, deserves to live with dignity. These shocking figures are a stark wake-up call about the increasing number of children facing the physical and emotional hardship of living in extreme poverty.
“Evidence shows that poverty can result in families, through no fault of their own, struggling to meet their child’s most basic needs so they can grow up in a happy, healthy and safe environment.
“Governments in the UK need to act now to address these spiralling levels of poverty and turn the tide for families who desperately need help.
“This means concerted action to reduce child poverty as well as significant investment in children’s services so families who are struggling get timely and meaningful support.”
PM Sunak also announces new support to keep British Jewish communities safe
Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft to begin patrols today to help partners track emerging threats to regional security.
Royal Navy task group to deploy to eastern Mediterranean in coming days to help mitigate humanitarian crisis
Military teams bolstered across the region as cooperation with Israel is stepped up
The Prime Minister has directed UK military assets to be deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel, reinforce regional stability and prevent escalation.
Maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft will begin flying in the region from Friday to track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to terrorist groups.
Meanwhile, a Royal Navy task group will be moved to the eastern Mediterranean next week as a contingency measure to support humanitarian efforts.
The military package, which includes P8 aircraft, surveillance assets, two Royal Navy ships – RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus – three merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, will be on standby to deliver practical support to Israel and partners in the region, and offer deterrence and assurance.
The Prime Minister has also asked for all military teams in Israel, Cyprus and across the region to be bolstered to support contingency planning and the efforts of neighbouring countries to deal with any spill over from instability in Israel.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister spoke to the Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, today to understand the wider regional picture and underscore the importance of supporting civilians to leave Gaza.
He also thanked President al-Sisi for Egypt’s assistance in helping British nationals in the area.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “We must be unequivocal in making sure the types of horrific scenes we have seen this week will not be repeated. Alongside our allies, the deployment of our world class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation.
“Our military and diplomatic teams across the region will also support international partners to re-establish security and ensure humanitarian aid reaches the thousands of innocent victims of this barbaric attack from Hamas terrorists.”
The Prime Minister is due to speak to northern European leaders about the situation in Israel at the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Sweden later today (Friday). They are expected to discuss the vital need to work with partners across the Middle East to support stability, while simultaneously remaining focussed on backing Ukraine’s defence against Russia.
He will also visit British warship HMS Diamond while in Gotland, Sweden, which is on patrol in northern Europe to reinforce security in the region. While on board, the Prime Minister will hear about the capabilities of Diamond’s sister ship, HMS Duncan, which is deployed in the Mediterranean with NATO.
The package of military support, which will work alongside allies already in the region, is a significant demonstration of the UK’s support for Israel’s right to self-defence and will allow the UK to adapt to the needs of partners as the situation evolves over the coming weeks.
The step change comes after the Prime Minister spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week, and the Defence Secretary discussed the situation with his NATO counterparts in Brussels.
The Foreign Secretary visited Israel to see first hand the destruction Hamas terrorists have caused (above) and to understand how the UK can support the efforts of the Israeli Government to ensure the safety and security of the Israeli people.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The monstrous terrorist attacks committed by Hamas in recent days have proven why the UK must support Israel’s absolute right to self-defence and deter malign external interference.
“No nation should stand alone in the face of such evil and today’s deployment will ensure Israel does not.
“The Royal Navy Task Group, RAF operations and our wider military support will be an undeniable display of the UK’s resolve to ensure Hamas’s terrorist campaign fails, whilst reminding those who seek to inflame tensions that the forces of freedom stand with the Israeli people.”
Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will facilitate commercial flights to help vulnerable British nationals wanting to leave Israel.
PM announces new support to keep British Jewish communities safe
£3 million of extra funding will be provided to the Community Security Trust to protect schools, synagogues and other Jewish community buildings.
The Community Security Trust has recorded a 400% increase in the prevalence of antisemitic incidents in the UK since Hamas’ terrorist attacks in Israel.
This morning the PM convened representatives from UK policing and the Jewish community with ministers in Downing Street for discussions on policing protests.
Specific guidance to be provided to police on the beat on where and when to intervene.
Members of the UK Jewish community, including school children, will be given more protection against antisemitic attacks in the wake of Hamas’ terrorist attacks in Israel, the Prime Minister announced yesterday.
£3 million of additional funding will be provided to the Community Security Trust (CST), an organisation established to protect British Jews from antisemitism and related threats. The CST works closely with the police to secure Jewish community buildings and events. Today’s announcement brings the total funding for Jewish Community Protection Security grant to £18 million for 2023-24.
The money will enable the CST to place additional guards in schools it supports throughout each school’s operating hours. They will also be able to place additional security staff at outside synagogues on Friday nights and Saturday mornings.
Today the Prime Minister gathered senior ministers, police chiefs and the CST in Downing Street for a discussion on protecting British communities and policing protests chaired by the Home Secretary Suella Braverman. The roundtable comes ahead of expected protests and marches taking place across the UK this weekend. It also follows a significant increase in antisemitic incidents since the terrorist attacks against Israel.
The CST has recorded 139 antisemitic incidents in the last four days. This represents an increase of 400% compared to the same period in 2022.
The Prime Minister said: “This is now the third deadliest terror attack in the world since 1970. The United Kingdom must and will continue to stand in solidarity with Israel.
“At moments like this, when the Jewish people are under attack in their homeland, Jewish people everywhere can feel less safe.
“That is why we must do everything in our power to protect Jewish people everywhere in our country. If anything is standing in the way of keeping the Jewish community safe, we will fix it. You have our complete backing.”
Representatives at the roundtable, who included the Home Secretary, Communities Secretary, Attorney General and Policing Minister, discussed the threat increased antisemitic attacks and the policing response to provocative protests.
Reflecting on the distressing scenes we have seen both online and on Britain’s streets in the past week, the Prime Minister asked police chiefs to ensure a consistent and clear approach is taken to tackling hate crime, policing protests and protecting Jewish communities.
He stressed that the police have the Government’s total backing in ensuring that any glorification of terrorism is met with the full force of the law.
Following the discussions, the College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council will brief all commanders clarifying guidance they should be using as they police protests over the weekend, as well as clarifying guidance around the use of face coverings to purposefully conceal identity.
During the meeting, the Home Secretary asked police chiefs to consider using their existing Section 14 powers in in the Public Order Act where appropriate to prevent assemblies blocking roads, including outside Jewish monuments and buildings such as the Israeli Embassy.
Earlier this week the Home Secretary wrote to police chiefs in England and Wales to urge them to step up patrols and use all available powers to prevent disorder and distress to our communities. She was clear officers should act immediately to crackdown on criminality – both in our streets and online.
The Home Secretary said: “Hamas terrorists have carried out barbaric attacks on the people of Israel. They massacred civilians, raped women and kidnapped the most vulnerable.
“This terrorism is an attack on all of our values. Whenever Israel is attacked, people use legitimate Israeli defensive measures as an excuse to stir up hatred against British Jews. The UK stands unequivocally with Israel.
“I have been clear with police chiefs in England and Wales that there can be zero tolerance for antisemitism, and that they should act immediately to crackdown on any criminality – both in our streets and online.
“I have been in close contact with the Community Security Trust whose work helps enhance the security of the British Jewish community. To further support their work, we will be providing them £3 million in funding for additional security guards at Jewish schools, synagogues and in Jewish communities. This is in addition to the £15 million of annual funding provided by the Government.”
Mark Gardner, Chief Executive of Community Security Trust said: “We are grateful to the Government for providing extra funding for security guards at Jewish community buildings, following the horrific Hamas terror attack on Israel. The support that we and the Jewish community are receiving from across government and policing is greatly reassuring and welcome at this difficult and worrying time.
“We will work with the Home Office to ensure that this extra funding is used in the most effective way to enhance the existing security that is in place and provide the Jewish community with the protection that they need and deserve.”
Scotland is set to receive its first total-body scanner in a boost to clinical research that aims to improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of complex, multi-organ diseases.
The Total-Body Positron Emission Tomography (PET) facility, due to be operational in 2024, will capture images of patients’ entire bodies quicker, in more detail and use less radiation than existing scanners.
In combination with data from the other new scanner in London, the Scotland scanner forms part of a new National PET Imaging Platform (NPIP) which experts believe will accelerate the development of new drugs and diagnostics.
The platform, a partnership between Medicines Discovery Catapult (MDC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Innovate UK, aims to advance healthcare research and clinical trials, and unlock new treatments for complex diseases like cancer as well as cardiovascular and neurological diseases.
The NPIP Scotland Total-Body PET facility will allow academics to connect to the new platform to share data and collaborate on research.
The scanners are part of a £32 million investment intothe ground-breaking technology by the UK Government, through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund.
The facility, based at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, will be jointly managed by the Universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.
NPIP’s Total-Body PET scanners have higher sensitivity than current technology and will reveal new insights into biology and disease.
PET scanning is a non-invasive imaging technique that can detect diseases’ early onset.
Current PET technology leaves large sections of the human body out of the field of view, requiring the patient to be repositioned multiple times to achieve a full-body view.
Supplied by Siemens Healthineers, the two Total-Body PET scanners will capture superior images of a patient’s entire body in near real-time.
The new scanners are also faster, exposing patients to much lower doses of radiation, meaning more patients – including children – can participate in clinical trials to improve understanding of diseases.
The speed of Total-Body PET scanners mean that NPIP will be able to facilitate more patient scans, enhancing the scale and impact of clinical research projects.
This richer picture of human health will help researchers to develop new diagnostics, improve the quality and speed of drug discovery, and bring them to market quicker to benefit patients.
NPIP’s network of infrastructure and intelligence will provide a complete picture of patients and how they respond to new drugs and treatments.
Uniquely, it will also connect insights from many research programmes and trials. In doing so, it will begin to build a rich bank of data that the PET community can access for the benefit of patients.
Professor David Newby, The University of Edinburgh, Co-Director of the NPIP Scotland Centre, said: “The Scotland Total-Body PET facility will bring together academics, industry and clinicians to create an integrated and accessible national PET facility for the benefit of patients across Scotland and the north of England.
“The Total-Body PET scanner will allow us to examine patients in ways that haven’t been possible before, propelling medical innovation and discovery, and ultimately improving the detection, diagnosis and treatment of complex diseases, including cancer.”
Dr David Lewis, University of Glasgow, Co-Director of the NPIP Scotland Centre, said: “Total-Body PET scanners are a quantum leap forward in the technology of body scanning, and we are proud that a partnership between the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow will jointly manage one of the first of these cutting-edge scanners in the UK.
“The Scotland Total-Body PET scanner will be a catalyst for innovative new research and cross-sector collaboration, ultimately benefitting patients by improving our understanding of complex diseases.”
Dr Juliana Maynard, Director of Operations and Engagement for the National PET Imaging Platform and Head of Translational Imaging at Medicines Discovery Catapult, said: “PET scanning is nothing short of transformational for patients who need it the most.
“Total-Body PET scanners can detect serious diseases with unprecedented speed and accuracy. NPIP will allow the kind of collaboration in imaging research the likes of which the UK has never seen before. It means that, collectively, we can power forward drug discovery with renewed confidence and drive world-leading capabilities in detection, diagnosis, and treatment.”
