Tag: UK Government

Energy security push to boost economic growth

  • Prime Minister and Energy Security Secretary to lead efforts this week to strengthen UK’s energy independence
  • They will meet industry leaders from oil, gas and renewable sectors – to drive forward measures that safeguard national energy security and reduce reliance on hostile states
  • Builds on years of critical support for North Sea oil and gas, the UK’s world-leading track record on renewables and our international leadership against Putin’s invasion of Ukraine

The Government will this week set out how it’s delivering on its energy security strategy plans to grow the economy and create jobs across the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will set out how the UK’s world-leading energy industry expertise will create jobs and grow the economy and ensure tyrants like Putin can never again use energy as a weapon to blackmail the UK.

As part of the Government’s efforts to strengthen the UK’s energy independence, he will announce investment plans to put powering up Britain from Britain first – making the most of our country’s resources and reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, by backing our oil and gas industry, investing in the latest clean technologies and isolating Putin’s regime from global energy markets.

The Prime Minister and Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps will meet energy industry leaders throughout the week – including oil and gas, renewables and nuclear businesses – to ensure the UK is capitalising on opportunities to bolster our energy infrastructure now, and boosting our long-term energy independence, security and prosperity in the years to come.

The week will also include support for British innovation in new industries such as carbon capture and storage, and for cutting edge renewables across the country.

Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Energy security is national security. Since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine the Government has driven Russia from our energy market, paid around half of a typical family’s energy bill and grown our economy by driving forward major energy projects.

“This week we will go even further. Forging ahead with critical measures to power up Britain from Britain – including supporting our invaluable oil and gas industry, making the most of our home-grown energy sources and backing British innovation in renewables.

“And across Government we will champion Britain’s businesses to deliver on the Prime Minister’s priority of growing the economy – helping them to create new jobs and even whole new industries across the UK.”

This week’s announcements will build on the country’s ‘world-leading’ track record which includes:

  • Supporting North Sea oil and gas, which each year contributes £17billion to the UK economy
  • Investing billions of pounds in renewable energy – leading to the UK having the world’s four largest operational wind farms off its shores;
  • Cutting emissions by 48 per cent between 1990 and 2021, while growing the economy by 65 per cent over the same period;
  • Having 41.5 per cent of the UK’s electricity come from renewable sources in 2022 – up from 6.7 per cent in 2010; and
  • Leading the world in the response to Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and driving Russia out of our energy market for good – enabling the UK to go over a year without Russian oil or gas.

Millions of children get access to life-saving defibrillators

Every state school in England now has a defibrillator with 20,376 devices delivered to 17,862 schools

The government has confirmed that all state-funded schools in England now have a life-saving defibrillator, drastically increasing the chances of surviving cardiac arrest for all state school pupils in England.

Following the government’s £19 million rollout, over 20,000 defibrillators have successfully been delivered to almost 18,000 schools since January.

In June, the Department for Education oversaw the successful completion of deliveries of defibrillators to secondary schools. Now, all eligible primary, special and alternative provision schools who did not already have a defibrillator have received deliveries, boosting their numbers in communities across the country.

Today’s milestone marks another step in the government’s commitment to delivering stronger, safer communities across the country.

In July 2022, the government committed to delivering these devices before the end of the 2022 to 2023 academic year to ensure that all state funded schools in England had access to a defibrillator, following the campaigning from Mark King of the Oliver King Foundation to ensure all schools have a defibrillator.

Mark tragically lost his son, Oliver, after he suffered sudden cardiac arrest at school during a swimming lesson when he was 12-years-old.

Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan said: “Having access to defibrillators in schools drastically increases the chance of pupils, teachers and visitors surviving a cardiac arrest.

“Thanks to the tireless campaigning of Mark King, Jamie Carragher and Nicola Carragher we are proud to say that every state-funded school in England now has access to a defibrillator.

“Teachers and pupils across the country can now be reassured that they will have access to one on school grounds should tragedy strikes.”

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, said: ““Having access to defibrillators in schools drastically increases the chance of pupils, teachers and visitors surviving a cardiac arrest.

“Thanks to the tireless campaigning of Mark King and Jamie Carragher we are proud to say that every state-funded school in England now has one of these potentially life-saving machines.

“So however rare these events are, teachers, parents and pupils across the country can now be reassured they will have access to a defibrillator on school grounds, should the worst happen.”

Oliver King Foundation founder, Mark King: “We as a family and foundation will continue to strive for change so no other family has to suffer as we are.

“We would like to say a massive thank you to Nadhim Zahawi, Lord Stuart Polak, Jamie Carragher and the DfE for helping us aim for legislation. Oliver’s memory will live on and lives will be saved.”

Large schools have been provided with 2 or more defibrillators so that they can be strategically placed in areas of the schools where a cardiac arrest is more likely, such as sports halls.

A defibrillator is a machine that is placed externally on the body and is used to give an electric shock when a person is in cardiac arrest i.e. when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body. Prompt defibrillation can help save a person’s life.

The government is also supporting schools in making defibrillators available to the community, with 1,200 external heated defibrillator cabinets being provided to primary and special schools by the end of 2023 in areas of deprivation, where provision is generally lower.

The rollout will build on existing requirements for schools to teach first aid as part of the curriculum, with secondary school pupils being taught life-saving methods such as CPR and the purpose of defibrillators. This rollout will help protect schools and their local communities against cardiac arrest, delivering wider access to these devices.

New medal to recognise British humanitarian heroes

A new medal recognising people who have responded during a major humanitarian crisis is being introduced

  • Deputy Prime Minister unveils a new medal for those who respond to humanitarian crises such as conflict and natural disasters.
  • Medal one of the first new awards to be approved by His Majesty The King, on advice from the government.

A new medal to recognise people who have responded selflessly during or after a major humanitarian crisis has been announced by the UK Government.

The Humanitarian Medal will be awarded to staff in public service organisations and charities, who respond in support of human welfare or in the immediate aftermath of a crisis.

Recipients will be people who have responded to major humanitarian disasters, such as those who have provided disaster relief or helped those in need in conflict zones.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said: “Britain has a long and proud tradition of being first in line to help those in need, wherever they may be in the world.

“This new medal is a fitting tribute to our humanitarian heroes who put the needs of others before their own, often in the most challenging or dangerous environments.”

The UK has consistently been a world leader in providing humanitarian assistance.

The Humanitarian Medal will be awarded to those who have responded to emergencies both abroad and in the UK, including:

  • Natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and floods
  • Conflict related crises
  • Biological emergencies, such as an epidemic
  • Large industrial accidents

An example of the kind of service which the medal will recognise is the work by civilian and military organisations following the outbreak of Ebola across West Africa in 2015, which the UK marked with a bespoke Ebola Medal.

International Development Minister Andrew Mitchell said: “At a time when the world faces increasing crises, this new Humanitarian Medal recognises the unsung humanitarian heroes who go above and beyond to provide aid when disasters hit.

“I applaud the efforts of those who show such courage and serve as inspiration in a range of desperate situations.

“Our work around the world depends on these extraordinary people, and this award honours their outstanding contribution in responding to a major crisis.”

The new medal will be similar to a military operational medal, in which it will seek to acknowledge service given in response to a specific event.

Civil servants, charity workers, as well as military personnel, the emergency services, such as the police and heath workers, working on behalf of the UK Government will be eligible.

The design, which has been approved by HM The King, features laurel wreaths symbolising victory in overcoming a crisis, interwoven with a banner proclaiming “For humanitarian service”. The obverse will bear an effigy of His Majesty The King.

The ribbon design reflects the different paths for humanitarian service and the variety of services involved in such responses. The ribbon has a central stripe of white to represent civilians and peace, with four narrow stripes on either side of red, light blue, dark blue and purple. Red represents humanitarian organisations. Dark blue and purple represent the other services.

Government departments will be responsible for developing recommendations for use of the medal to the Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals. Recommendations for medal awards will then be submitted to approval for His Majesty The King.

The government is committed to making sure honours represent the length and breadth of the country, celebrating the fantastic contribution of people from every corner of the UK.

New rules to crack down on illegal ads and protect children online

  • Crack down on fake celebrity endorsements and illegal weapons adverts as new Government rules safeguard consumers and protect children
  • Ministers will convene a new taskforce to drive industry-led action
  • Proposed rules will strike a balance between internet safety and supporting innovation

Social media platforms, websites and services like advertising display networks will have to take tougher action to stop children seeing age-restricted adverts for products like alcohol or gambling.

Fake celebrity scams and pop-up malware from hackers will also be clamped down on as part of new rules to make advertising regulation fit for the digital age.

The plans are published today by the government in response to its Online Advertising Programme.

Online advertising includes the banners or displays which appear around the content of a website, results prioritised at the top of search engines, and pop-ups on a user’s screen. It helps businesses grow by reaching targeted audiences and can be cheaper and quicker than traditional advertising formats. Last year it accounted for three quarters (£26.1 billion) of the £34.8 billion spent on advertising in the UK.

Its rapid development, combined with changes in technology and complex supply chains between marketers and platforms, make it difficult to stop illegal ads appearing.

People frequently encounter fraudulent celebrity endorsements for financial scams, legitimate-looking pop-ups containing hidden malware, and promotions for products prohibited under UK law – such as weapons, drugs, counterfeit fashion and fake ticketing.

Children can be exposed to ads for age-restricted products such as alcohol, gambling and adult-rated films and games.

Creative Industries Minister Sir John Whittingdale said: “Advertising is a huge industry in which Britain is a world leader. However, as online advertising has taken a steadily bigger share, the rules governing it have not kept pace and so we intend to strengthen them to ensure consumers are properly protected.

“Our plans will shut down the scammers using online adverts to con people out of their cash and will stop damaging and inappropriate products being targeted at children.

“We will make sure that our proposed regulation helps keep people safe while supporting and enhancing the legitimate advertising industry so it can maximise its innovation and potential.”

There is currently a self-regulatory system for the content and placement of online adverts in the UK, overseen by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). The ASA has a strong record of delivering consistent, effective results and holding legitimate advertisers accountable. However regulators are not empowered to act to address illegal harms in the same way as harmful advertising by legitimate businesses.

The government intends to introduce new rules to tackle illegal paid-for online adverts and increase protections for children. A range of targeted legislative and non-legislative measures will address the most serious risks linked to online advertising. This approach complements the Online Safety Bill, which is targeted at user generated content, and will build on measures tackling fraudulent advertising in that legislation.

The new statutory regulation will put more responsibilities on major players across the online advertising supply chain. As well as online publishers, apps and websites serving ads, ‘adtech’ intermediary services which facilitate the placement and distribution of online adverts will be in scope. Promotional posts by social media influencers where they receive payment or free products will also be covered.

Social media firms, search engines and other websites will be required by law to have proportionate systems and processes to stop people being served illegal adverts, and prevent under-18s seeing adverts for products and services illegal to be sold to them. This will improve safety, transparency and consumer trust by introducing more effective action while supporting industry growth.

In due course, the government will launch a further consultation on the details of potential legislation – including its preferred choice for a regulator to oversee the new illegal paid-for advertising rules. New legislation would not affect the ASA’s remit for the content and placement of legitimate paid-for advertising online.

Ministers will this week convene a new taskforce to gather more evidence around illegal advertising and build on industry initiatives to tackle harms and increase protections for children before the legislation is introduced.

The taskforce will be chaired by Creative Industries Minister John Whittingdale and Mark Lund, the chair of the Advertising Standards Board of Finance and former president of McCann UK and Europe.

The group will include representatives from across the advertising industry, including the ASA, as well as tech trade bodies, consumer groups and the government’s Anti-Fraud Champion, Anthony Browne.

Mark Lund, chair of The Advertising Standards Board of Finance and deputy chair of the Online Advertising Taskforce, said: “UK advertising is a dynamic engine for the UK economy because it’s creative and trusted.

“So, I’m delighted to be helping lead in the task force’s role in strengthening industry’s response to illegal harms advertising and the protection of children online,  building on the long-term success of the ASA and the self-regulation system in keeping both trust and creativity at world leading levels.”

Anti-Fraud Champion Anthony Browne said: “We remain absolutely committed to fighting fraud and this is another example of the government delivering on a pledge from its pioneering Fraud Strategy.

“Eighty percent of fraud is cyber enabled and it often starts with fraudulent posts and adverts on social media. I am therefore pleased to see new measures being introduced to tackle these.

“The government will continue to work with industry, and law enforcement, to prevent fraud from happening and ensure better support is given to the public.”

Ministers reveal new plans to boost animated film productions in UK

  • Increased tax relief to boost Britain’s animated film production
  • Measure is “about backing business to innovate and grow the UK economy”
  • Draft legislation also published to clarify design details underpinning a simplified Research and Development Scheme

Animated film productions in the UK are set for a boost as the government reveals increased tax relief, to take effect from 1 January 2024.

The creative industry has grown at more than 1.5 times the rate of the wider economy over the past decade, making it an important sector for the Chancellor’s plan to grow the economy.

The new tax changes announced today are expected to be worth £5 million each year to business and come alongside the Audio-Visual Expenditure Credit which was uplifted at budget from 33.33% to 39%. This also follows the Creative Industries Sector Vision published last month which set an ambition to grow the creative industries by an extra £50 billion by 2030.

These changes are a key part of the government’s plan to get the economy growing and make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury Victoria Atkins said: “We want the UK to be the best place to start and grow a business and while we have the lowest corporation tax rate in the G7, we are not complacent.

“The changes we are making are about backing business to innovate and grow the UK economy, creating good jobs across the country.”

This measure is part of 23 tax announcements published as part of the government’s ‘Legislation Day’, where draft legislation for an upcoming Finance Bill is published, as well as technical tax documents and consultations mostly from measures announced at the Spring Budget.

Also published is the proposed design for a simplified R&D scheme, which would be born out of a merger from two previous schemes, as well as draft legislation also published to cement a further new £500 million per year scheme to support 20,000 R&D intensive SMEs.

A final decision will be made in the Autumn on whether to merge the Research and Development Expenditure Credit and Small Medium Enterprise relief schemes to form a new scheme. A merged scheme would simplify the system, by creating a single set of qualifying rules, and giving clarity on how much could be claimed before claims are made.

On Legislation Day the government also announced that:

  • From today, any Ukrainian who has arrived in the UK under the Family, Sponsor and Extension Ukrainian visa schemes will no longer need to register or tax their vehicle. This will last 36 months, in line with the length of their visas, and can be applied retrospectively from one’s arrival, potentially saving them hundreds of pounds.
  • Income tax will be exempt on payments made under the Family Network Support Package, which are aimed to keep children out of state care and in their family network where appropriate and in their best interests. The Department for Education will set out further details on the pilot scheme in the summer.
  • It will simplify the process so people who need to start paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge will not need to fill out a Self-Assessment form to pay the charge, but will be able to do it through their tax code. HMRC will set out in due course how it will do this.

The House of Commons adjourned on Thursday 20 July for summer recess and will next sit on Monday 4 September at 2.30pm.

TUC vows to fight Tory attacks on the right to strike “tooth and nail” as strikes bill passes

  • TUC condemns Tory “wrecking ball” to right to strike and says it won’t rest until the legislation is repealed
  • Union body urges employers to do “everything in their power” to avoid using this counterproductive legislation to settle disputes

The TUC has vowed to fight the anti-strike bill “tooth and nail” as the legislation passed its final parliamentary stage.

The union body said the Conservatives were threatening to “take a wrecking ball” to the fundamental right to strike – adding that “unions won’t rest” until the legislation is repealed.

The Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill will soon receive Royal Assent and make its way onto the statute book as the legislation passed in the House of Lords – after several previous defeats.

The Bill will mean that when workers lawfully vote to strike in health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning, they could be forced to attend work – and sacked if they don’t comply.

1 in 5 workers

TUC research found a massive 1 in 5 workers in Britain – or 5.5 million workers – are at risk of having their right to strike undermined. The legislation gives ministers sweeping powers to impose strike restrictions in any service within those extremely broad sectors.

As a result, the legislation has faced a barrage of criticism from employers, civil liberties organisations, the joint committee on human rights, House of Lords Delegated Powers and Regulatory Reform Committee, race and gender equalities groups, employment rights lawyers, politicians around the world – as well as a whole host of other organisations.

The UK’s actions have already come under scrutiny from international organisations. The UN workers’ rights watchdog, the ILO, recently slapped down the UK government over its anti-union agenda and demanded it respect international law.  

The Bill will give ministers the power to impose new minimum service levels through regulation, but ministers have given few details on how they intend minimum service levels  to operate.

Humiliating defeat

The government is rushing this latest legislation onto the statute book just days after a “humiliating defeat” on its agency worker regulations – as the High Court deemed the regulations unlawful.

The “strike-breaking” regulations were brought in last summer and allow agencies to supply employers with workers to fill in for those on strike.  

The High Court ruled that the then Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Kwasi Kwarteng, failed to consult unions, as required by the Employment Agencies Act 1973 – quashing the 2022 changes.

The TUC has accused the government of adopting the same “reckless approach” with its anti-strike bill.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “The Conservatives are threatening to take a wrecking ball to our fundamental right to strike.

“No one should be sacked for trying to win better pay and conditions at work – especially in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. But that is exactly what this draconian legislation will allow.

“These new laws will give ministers the power to snatch away the right to strike from a massive 1 in 5 workers – that’s 5.5 million people.

Commenting on the ongoing campaign against the bill, Paul added: “Make no mistake. The TUC will fight this pernicious legislation tooth and nail – exploring all options including legal routes.

“We won’t stand by and let workers get sacked for defending their pay and conditions. And we won’t rest until this bill has been repealed.

“It’s unworkable, undemocratic and almost certainly in breach of international law.

“After the government’s humiliating defeat in the High Court over its unlawful attempt to undermine the right to strike, ministers should spare themselves further embarrassment.

“Every employer must reject this blatant attempt at union busting. That means doing everything in their power to avoid using this counterproductive legislation – it will only poison industrial relations and drag out disputes.

“Our message is loud and clear. The entire trade union movement will rally behind any worker sacked for exercising their fundamental right to strike.”

On Labour’s plans to repeal the legislation in its first 100 days, Paul said: “The right to strike is a fundamental British liberty – Labour gets this. That’s why they have done the right thing and promised to repeal this nasty legislation at the earliest opportunity.”

Stronger powers to combat illicit tobacco come into force

New sanctions come into effect for those found selling illicit tobacco products

More than 27 million illicit cigarettes and 7,500kg of hand-rolling tobacco were seized under Operation CeCe in its first 2 years, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and National Trading Standards have revealed.

This comes as new powers come into force from 20 July, which could see penalties of up to £10,000 for any businesses and individuals who sell illicit tobacco products. The sanctions will bolster the government’s efforts to tackle the illicit tobacco market and reduce tobacco duty fraud.

The new powers will also see Local Authority Trading Standards given the ability to refer cases to HMRC for further investigation. HMRC, where appropriate, will administer the penalties and ensure the appropriate sanction is applied and enforced.

Operation CeCe is a joint HMRC-National Trading Standards operation which has been working to seize illicit tobacco since January 2021.

Nis Bandara, HMRC’s Deputy Director for Excise and Environmental Taxes, said: “Trade in illicit tobacco costs the Exchequer more than £2 billion in lost tax revenue each year. It also damages legitimate businesses, undermines public health and facilitates the supply of tobacco to young people.

“These sanctions build on HMRC’s enforcement of illicit tobacco controls, will strengthen our response against those involved in street level distribution, and act as a deterrent to anyone thinking that they can make a quick and easy sale and undercut their competition.”

Kate Pike, Lead Officer for the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “Trading Standards Officers across the country work with colleagues in Public Health to reduce the harm from smoking and with enforcement partners to disrupt criminality in our communities.

“We welcome this addition to our toolkit of measures to tackle illegal tobacco, ensuring that those who seek to profit from supplying these products face substantial penalties for doing so, and their ability to continue to trade is severely impacted.”

Lord Michael Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, said: “The illegal tobacco trade harms local communities and affects honest businesses.

“Through Operation CeCe, we have removed 27 million illegal cigarettes and 7,500kg of hand-rolling tobacco from the supply chain and we welcome these new measures to clamp down further on the illicit tobacco trade.”

HMRC will launch a new illicit tobacco strategy later in the year which will replace ‘From Leaf to Light’, which has been the guiding strategy for tackling the illicit tobacco market since 2015.

Further information on the new penalties

New plans to boost health in the workplace to keep people in work

Plans to boost UK employment through widening access to high-quality health support in the workplace are being unveiled today by the Westminster Government

  • Ministers are urging employers to do more to keep workers healthy and reduce the numbers out of work due to long-term sickness
  • Consultation launching on measures to increase employer uptake and widen reach of Occupational Health
  • Plans include a new standard for businesses to adopt to boost health in the workplace
  • Better workplace support expected to grow the economy and tackle inactivity by improving productivity and preventing health-related job losses

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) are today publishing a consultation on ways to increase uptake of Occupational Health provision.

Employers will be encouraged to take up Occupational Health offers to help employees access vital mental and physical health support at work, particularly for those working in small and medium-sized enterprises.

These proposals include introducing a national “health at work” standard for all employers to provide a baseline for quality Occupational Health provision, which includes guidance, an option to pursue accreditation, and additional government support services – for example outreach workers to support SMEs to meet the standards.

It also seeks views on developing longer-term workforce capacity to help meet any increased demand for Occupational Health services in the future by:

  • Encouraging NHS leavers or those who are considering a career change to pivot towards the Occupational Health specialism
  • Developing a longer-term, multi-disciplinary workforce to provide Occupational Health services

The consultation will also ask employers to share their examples of good Occupational Health provision to help inform other businesses and encourage them to provide the same.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP, said: “This Government is investing billions in getting people back to work and growing the economy. We need employers to keep playing their part too.

“Healthy businesses need healthy workers – employers will benefit from higher retention rates, more productive workers, and fewer work days lost due to sickness. Improving health in the workplace is a vital piece of the puzzle in our drive to increase employment.”

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said: “Long-term sickness is a huge contributor to economic inactivity, and while of course some people are unable to work, better accommodation of health problems in the workplace will open up a wider workforce to employers and support employees with a range of needs.

“Many small and medium-sized business owners already invest significantly in the health and wellbeing of their workforce, but this will be a gamechanger in identifying and removing obstacles to people with health conditions starting, staying and succeeding in work.”

To also help keep people in work, the government will today also publish a separate consultation looking at options to increase investment in Occupational Health services by UK wide employers through the tax system.

This follows its announcement at the Spring Budget where it committed to consult on incentivising greater provision of Occupational Health through the tax system.

The government wants to explore the case for providing additional tax relief to businesses on their Occupational Health costs.

In particular, the consultation asks respondents for their experiences of providing Occupational Health, including what services they provide and any barriers they experience. It also asks for evidence on the effectiveness of existing tax incentives and asks respondents for their views on the merits of expanding the existing Benefit-in-Kind relief, and thoughts on any alternative tax incentives.

Tax reliefs on Benefits-in-Kind are already available for certain occupational health services. This consultation will test if expanding these reliefs or introducing new ones could be an effective lever to achieve greater Occupational Health provision, as well as thoughts on any alternative tax incentives. The consultation will determine if expanding tax incentives is an appropriate measure to boost Occupational Health provision.

This is all a key component of the measures in the 2023 Spring Budget to grow labour market participation, reduce economic inactivity and get more people into work. The Department is helping millions to return to work with inactivity falling by 360,000 since the peak of the pandemic.

Long-term sickness is currently the main reason people of working-age give for being economically inactive, but just under half of workers have access to Occupational Health services. Over 90% of large employers offer Occupational Health support, compared to under a fifth of small ones.

Occupational Health provision can help employers provide work-based support to manage their employees’ health conditions, leading to better retention and return-to-work prospects, and improving business productivity, which can be adversely impacted by sickness absence.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay said: “High quality Occupational Health support in more workplaces would not only help to reduce economic inactivity, but it can lead to a healthier, happier workforce.

“The individual health benefits are clear and by focusing on preventative measures, we can reduce the burden on the NHS and help to bring waiting lists down, which is one of the government’s top priorities.”

Angela Rowntree, Occupational Health Physician for the John Lewis Partnership, said: “At John Lewis Partnership we are moving away from reactively managing sickness to proactively supporting our Partners’ health and wellbeing at work.

“Our founder, Spedan Lewis understood this when he launched an in-house health service for all Partners in 1929 – nearly 20 years before the NHS was established – and we’re proud to be part of his legacy today, providing advice and support to help our Partners achieve their potential in the workplace.

“We welcome this new focus on ensuring other businesses and their employees are able to access better workplace health.”

The Occupational Health consultation will run until 23:59 on Thursday 12 October .

First Minister: ‘Dithering and delay’

First Minister calls for action to end uncertainty on Acorn Project

First Minister Humza Yousaf has called on the UK Government to give the go-ahead for the Acorn carbon capture and storage (CCS) project to enable Scotland to ramp up its transition to clean energy.

On a visit to Peterhead Power Station, the First Minister said that the Scottish Government is wholly committed to supporting the Acorn Project, and urged the UK Government to set out its plans and end uncertainty for investors and stakeholders.

The project, based in Aberdeenshire, would take captured CO2 emissions from industrial processes across the country and store it safely under the North Sea. 

The First Minister added: “Scotland’s net-zero future is being held back by UK Government dithering and delay.

“The Acorn scheme should be given approval now, so that we can take advantage of our unrivalled access to a vast CO2 storage potential and our opportunities to repurpose existing oil and gas infrastructure. CCS will play a pivotal role in achieving a just transition for our workforces, capitalising on existing world-leading skills and expertise to create many good, green jobs in the coming years.

“Despite the UK Government confirming in March that Acorn is ‘best-placed’ to meet the eligibility to be awarded Track-2 status, which would allow access to financial support from the UK Government, they continue to fail to provide a clear timetabled solution for the next stages of the process. This is entirely unacceptable and layers further uncertainty on top of never-ending delays which are impacting investor confidence and which compromise our climate-change commitments and just-transition ambitions.

“Acorn’s target of capturing and storing up to five million tonnes of CO2 annually by 2030 is critical to Scotland’s plans to achieve net zero by 2045, ahead of the rest of the UK. The scheme will also help the UK Government to deliver on its commitments.

“While the UK Government prevaricates, we have already established a £500 million Just Transition Fund for the North East to build on the region’s world-renowned expertise and ingenuity, to create jobs, foster innovation and support the region to deliver a fair and managed transition to net zero.”

Catherine Raw, Managing Director of SSE Thermal, who are part of the Scottish Cluster group of industrial companies backing the capture and permanent storage of CO2 emissions, said: “To unlock the potential of Peterhead and the wider region, it is vital that the Scottish Cluster is brought forward urgently, allowing the development of decarbonisation projects to be accelerated and Scotland’s net-zero ambitions to be met.

“Doing so will not only help us meet our energy goals, it will also support industries and provide a fair and just transition for workers and communities across the North East of Scotland, including at Peterhead.

“SSE have set out plans to invest up to £40 billion in the next decade, including more than £21 billion in Scotland alone. Renewables will be at the heart of that investment but we also recognise the need for flexible generation to provide backup when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun doesn’t shine. Our existing Peterhead station fulfils that role today, playing a critical role in Scotland’s energy system.”