Package will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches in a shared effort to drive down illegal migration
Package will see a new detention centre established in France as well as the deployment of more French personnel and enhanced technology to patrol beaches in a shared effort to drive down illegal migration.
The unparalleled multi-year agreement delivers on the PM’s priority to stop small boats and builds on joint measures taken with France in 2022 which increased patrols by 40%.
Enhanced cooperation aims to increase the interception rate for attempted crossings and drastically reduce the number of crossings each year.
Hundreds of extra French law enforcement officers will use enhanced technology and intelligence insight to prevent illegal Channel crossings under a new agreement struck by the Prime Minister and President Macron in Paris yesterday.
For the first time, the UK will help fund a detention centre in France to enhance the country’s ability to cope with the level of people being trafficked across the Channel. This new centre will support French efforts to increase detention capacity, allowing more migrants who might otherwise travel by dangerous and illegal routes to the UK to be removed from the French coast.
Building on our existing partnership, which saw twice as many illegal crossings stopped in 2022 than 2021, today’s agreement will also more than double the number of personnel deployed in northern France to tackle small boats, with over half of these in place by the end of the year. The UK will contribute funding towards this.
Efforts will be bolstered by a new, highly trained, permanent French mobile policing unit dedicated to tackling small boats. Additional drones, aircraft and other technologies like surveillance will also be deployed, as the UK and France step up intelligence sharing to clamp down on people trafficking routes.
These French efforts will be overseen by a new 24/7 zonal coordination centre, with permanent UK liaison officers. The coordination centre will bring all relevant French law enforcement partners together for the first time to coordinate the response to an alarming trend which has seen a 50% rise in illegal migration across Europe in the last year. The UK has our own Small Boats Operations Command which has ensured that 99% of those who enter British waters are intercepted.
This enhanced cooperation aims to increase the increase the interception rate for attempted crossings and drastically reduce the number of crossings each year, supporting our long-term, shared goal of completely stopping this illegal migration route.
The Prime Minister said: “I have made it one of my five priorities to stop the boats. We are delivering on that priority to stop people coming to the UK illegally.
“Last year I agreed the largest ever small boats deal with France to increase UK-funded patrols by 40 per cent. This week I announced measures to ensure nobody who enters the UK illegally can remain here.
“We don’t need to manage this problem, we need to break it. And today, we have gone further than ever before to put an end to this disgusting trade in human life. Working together, the UK and France will ensure that nobody can exploit our systems with impunity.”
In addition to the extra steps taken to patrol the beaches in the north of France, today’s agreement will also see further UK and French cooperation upstream to stop illegal migration at source. This includes further coordination between the National Crime Agency and its French counterpart via officers based in countries along the routes favoured by people traffickers.
Alongside last year’s deal with France, the Prime Minister has taken a number of steps to curb illegal migration since taking office. This includes re-establishing the Calais Group of Northern European nations to disrupt traffickers and setting a long-term ambition for a UK-EU wide agreement on returns – an ambition France has confirmed today that they share.
This week the UK Government has announced a Bill to end illegal entry as a route to asylum in the UK.
These measures will remove the incentive for people to risk their lives through dangerous and unnecessary journeys and pull the rug from under the criminal gangs profiting from this misery once and for all.
Illegal migrants will be detained and swiftly removed to their home country if safe, or another safe third country, such as Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.
Anyone illegally entering the UK will be prevented from accessing the UK’s world-leading modern slavery support or abusing these laws to block their removal.
The only challenges that will suspend removal will be where someone claims that their removal to a safe third country would lead to a real risk of serious and irreversible harm, or on the basis that they do not fall within the cohort of persons liable to removal under the Bill. Any other challenges or human rights claims can also only be heard after removal, remotely.
By ending illegal immigration as a route to asylum, stopping the boats and taking back control of our borders the Bill will ensure the UK can better support people coming through fair, safe and legal routes.
People who refuse to stop promoting tax avoidance in the UK could serve time in prison. the Chancellor is expected to announce at next week’s Spring Budget.
Fewer non-compliant tax avoidance schemes operating in the market cuts the likelihood of people getting involved with them and facing thousands of pounds in unexpected future tax bills and penalties as a result
Part of Chancellor’s commitment to help protect taxpayers and public services.
People who refuse to stop promoting tax avoidance in the UK could serve time in prison, the Chancellor is expected to announce at next week’s Spring Budget.
The UK loses around £400 million per year to marketed tax avoidance, money which could be going towards public services, and it is the users of schemes, including agency workers, contractors and freelancers, who can end up with big tax bills, rather than the promoters who sold it to them.
Wednesday’s expected announcement is part of the Chancellor’s commitment to continue cracking down on those selling tax avoidance schemes to help protect taxpayers and public services.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said: “It is everyday people who lose out from tax avoidance, whether it’s individuals facing big bills after getting involved with harmful schemes or funding being taken away from public services.
“That is why I am determined for promoters to face the music for the damage they cause and the lives they harm by stopping them in their tracks.”
Marketed tax avoidance schemes tempt people into avoidance landing them with unexpected tax bills. Promoters of schemes are behind the schemes, and they often use a network of sellers to help them. Over the last 18 years, they have shifted focus away from wealthy clients towards people on middle incomes. Today the market is dominated by umbrella companies that choose to target contractors and agency workers.
To help everyday taxpayers, HMRC are laser-focused on driving promoters out of business. 31 tax avoidance schemes and 27 of their promoters had been named by HMRC to warn thousands of taxpayers to not to get involved.
There are also already financial penalties in place for promoters who ignore “Stop Notices” and don’t stop promoting.
But the Chancellor is expected to go one step further at the Budget by announcing a consultation that could result with promoters serving time in UK prisons when found guilty in a court of law.
While individuals are ultimately accountable for their own tax affairs, this action will also help up to 2.4 million contractors, including hospital workers, who can become involved in tax avoidance through the agencies they trust to handle their tax affairs. According to HMRC, hospital workers, including those working part-time, are the highest users of tax avoidance schemes in the UK out of any sector.
Fewer non-compliant tax avoidance schemes operating in the market cuts the likelihood of people getting involved with them in the first place, and facing thousands of pounds in unexpected future tax bills and penalties as a result.
Case Study – Tanya, nurse
Tanya got caught up in a tax avoidance scheme and has shared her story as a warning to others.
Tanya is a single parent. She works as a critical care nurse at her local hospital. She found her job through an agency, and they recommended an umbrella company that provided payroll services. Tanya chose an umbrella company that gave her the highest take-home pay. This turned out to be a tax avoidance scheme which she joined. This left her with an unexpected tax bill, on top of the high fees she had paid to the umbrella company for using the scheme.
“I was sold on the benefits of higher pay.”
Tanya explains: “As a nurse I trust my patients and they trust me, that is the relationship of care. I trusted my agency and umbrella company and I feel like they lied to me and scammed me, I thought my umbrella company would care but they didn’t.
“My agency and umbrella company sold me the benefits of higher pay through what they described as their Tax Plan model. This has now left me owing HMRC money and my umbrella company has washed their hands of me, they just disappeared and left me with the tax bills.”
It is unlikely that Tanya will be able to recover the high fees charged by her umbrella company, as they are now seeking voluntary liquidation. She must also pay tax of nearly £7,500 and some interest.
Tanya contacted HMRC and wanted to sort everything out. If she can’t settle her taxes and pay what she owes in one go, she will be offered time to pay her tax bill by instalments.
As well as criminalising promoters of such schemes, the Chancellor is also expected to announce that their directors could be quickly disqualified from directing companies. This builds on the government’s existing work to deter promoters from promoting schemes.
HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS EDINBURGH SUFFERING FROM TORY-MADE COST OF LIVING CRISIS
The Chancellor must use next week’s budget to tackle the Tory-made cost of living crisis harming households across Edinburgh, Tommy Sheppard MP and Deidre Brock MP have said.
Polling carried out by Survation in partnership with campaign group 38Degrees revealed the stark impact of rising costs imposed on households in recent months, with findings showing in Edinburgh East: 21% of people have missed rent payments in the last six months, 32% haven’t been able to afford to turn the heating on, and 21% fear they may have to use a foodbank.
Meanwhile, in Edinburgh North and Leith the figures are even higher, with 22% of people have missed rent payments over the same period, 41% unable to afford to turn the heating on and 28% are worried they may have to use a foodbank.
Commenting, Edinburgh North and Leith MP Deidre Brock, said: “All eyes are on next week’s budget to see what support is on offer to assist households through a cost-of-living crisis of the Tories’ making.
“People and families across Edinburgh are suffering from a toxic mix of inflation, soaring energy costs, rising mortgage rates, and Tory austerity and cannot afford continued inaction from the UK government.
“If the Chancellor wants to provide, he can start by cutting the Energy Price Guarantee to £2000 and maintaining the £400 Energy Bill Support Scheme to the summer, a move that would save households £1,400.
“The fact thousands of my constituents are missing rent payments, are living without heating through the cold months, are relying on foodbanks is a disgrace that should shame the Tories into taking serious action – but I won’t hold my breath.”
Tommy Sheppard MP for Edinburgh East added: “These figures have soared, like costs, under Westminster Tory rule and we’re unlikely to see what families desperately need from a party that throughout its existence has lacked the political will to help the most vulnerable.
“In Scotland we’ve used our limited powers to support households, including with the introduction of the Scottish Child payment, described as ‘game-changing’ by leading charities. But it shouldn’t be for the SNP Scottish Government to constantly have to mitigate the worst of Tory rule.
“The impact of the Tory-made cost of living crisis has set out further proof that only with the full powers of independence can we offer real support through difficult times and secure just economic prosperity that works for everyone in our society.”
Laws include legal duty on the Home Secretary to remove anyone who enters the UK illegally
Earlier this year the Prime Minister made stopping the boats one of his 5 promises to the British people. The ‘Stop the Boats’ – or Illegal Migration – Bill will fulfil that promise by ending illegal entry as a route to asylum in the UK.
This will remove the incentive for people to risk their lives through these dangerous and unnecessary journeys and pull the rug from under the criminal gangs profiting from this misery once and for all.
People who arrive in the UK illegally will instead be detained and swiftly removed to their home country if safe, or another safe third country, such as Rwanda, where they will be supported to rebuild their lives.
Anyone illegally entering the UK will be prevented from accessing the UK’s world-leading modern slavery support or abusing these laws to block their removal. Any other challenges or human rights claims can also only be heard after removal, remotely.
By ending illegal immigration as a route to asylum, stopping the boats and taking back control of our borders the Bill will ensure the UK can better support people coming through fair, safe and legal routes.
The UK will always be a compassionate country, as demonstrated by the nation opening its hearts and homes to those from fleeing from Afghanistan and Ukraine, and under this Bill, Parliament will set an annual cap on the number of refugees settled via safe and legal routes, taking into account local authority capacity for housing, public services and the support communities rightly expect.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: “The British people rightly expect us to solve this crisis and that’s what myself and the Prime Minister fully intend to do. We must stop the boats.
“It is completely unfair that people who travel through a string of safe countries then come to the UK illegally and abuse our asylum laws to avoid removal.
“It has to stop. By bringing in new laws, I am making it absolutely clear that the only route to the UK is a safe and legal route. If you come here illegally, you won’t be able to claim asylum or build a life here.
“You will not be allowed to stay. You will be returned home if safe, or to a safe third country like Rwanda. It’s the only way to prevent people risking their lives and paying criminals thousands of pounds to get here.”
The Bill, introduced to Parliament yesterday (7 March 2023), will mean anyone who enters the UK illegally and who has passed through a safe country will be legally required to be removed and the Home Secretary will have the power to enforce it.
Migrants may be detained for 28 days with no recourse for bail or judicial review, and then for as long as there is a reasonable prospect of removal.
In exceptional circumstances if there is a risk that someone would suffer a real risk of serious and irreversible harm when they are relocated to that specific safe third country, they would not be removed until it was safe to do so. Even in these cases you will have a maximum 45 days to remain in the UK before your appeal is exhausted.
The annual number settled via safe and legal routes will be kept under review, and if there is a humanitarian crisis within the world that requires a response, then the UK will step up and offer sanctuary to those in need, as we have done for tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Afghans.
The Bill forms part of the action the UK Government is taking to stop small boat crossings and illegal migration as a whole. This includes:
an agreement with Albania that recognises their status as a safe country
a new dedicated unit to speed up the processing of Albanian cases – since the announcement in December we have returned over 3000 illegal migrants, including over 500 Albanians
ending the legacy backlog of asylum claims by the end of 2023 – we have already doubled decision makers and we will double the number again and we are changing the system to make it more productive
reducing the use of hotels, with the government currently spending £6.2 million a day, by moving asylum seekers to cheaper alternative accommodation
established the Small Boats Operational Command in December, enabling us from January to protect the resources of our Immigration Enforcement teams – as a direct result of this change, we have been able to significantly increase the numbers of immigration enforcement visits undertaken, deliver a 50% uplift in enforcement visits per month and have seen a corresponding increase in arrests
doubling the funding for Operation Invigor, which brings together the NCA, Home Office Intelligence and UK policing to disrupt organised crime groups who are smuggling people from source countries to the beaches of northern France
our joint work with France saw nearly 33,000 Channel crossings prevented in 2022, compared to just over 23,000 in 2021 – since the UK-France Joint Intelligence Cell (JIC) was established in July 2020, 59 organised criminal groups involved in small boats crossings
clamping down on people smugglers, with over 350 arrests made since the Nationality and Borders Act became law
welcoming current collaboration with the French to tackle illegal migration, which includes agreeing further action at the UK/FR Leaders’ Summit
Summary of Bill measures:
Duty to make arrangements for removal – the Home Secretary will have a legal duty to remove people who have entered the UK illegally.
Detention and bail – strengthening detention powers so people can only apply for bail from the Courts (First-tier Tribunal) after 28 days (although habeus corpus will remain).
Unaccompanied children – minors who come to the UK illegally will not be removed to a safe third country until adulthood, except in limited circumstances.
Entry, citizenship and settlement – people who come to the UK illegally will be prevented from settling in the country and will face a permanent ban from returning.
Asylum – people who come here illegally will have their asylum claims deemed inadmissible and considered in a safe third country.
Modern slavery – modern slavery referrals for those who come to the UK illegally will be disqualified under public order grounds under the terms of the international anti-trafficking treaty, ECAT.
Legal proceedings – limiting the circumstances in which legal challenges will prevent someone from being removed from the UK. Most legal challenges will be considered when someone has been successfully removed from the UK.
Expanding the list of countries that are considered safe in law – this will make it unquestionably clear when someone doesn’t need our protection because they are obviously not at risk of persecution in their home country.
Annual number of people using safe and legal routes – committing to resettling a specific number of refugees in the UK every year.
Today we are introducing new legislation to keep my promise to you – to stop the boats.
My policy is very simple, it is this country—and your government—who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.
The first step is understanding the nature—and scale—of what we are dealing with.
The number of people entering the UK illegally in small boats has more than quadrupled in the last two years.
Those illegally crossing the Channel are not directly fleeing a war-torn country… or persecution… or an imminent threat to life.
They have travelled through safe, European countries.
They are paying people smugglers huge sums to make this dangerous, and sometimes tragic, journey.
The reason that criminal gangs continue to bring small boats over here is because they know that our system can be exploited…
….that once here…illegal migrants can make a multitude of asylum, modern slavery and spurious human rights claims to frustrate their removal.
And the risk remains that those individuals just disappear into the black economy.
That is the reality we must deal with…
And with 100 million people displaced around the world…
….if we do not deal with it now, the situation will just get worse and worse.
People must know that if they come here illegally it will result in their detention and swift removal.
Once this happens – and they know it will happen – they will not come, and the boats will stop.
That is why today we are introducing legislation to make clear that if you come here illegally you can’t claim asylum…
…you can’t benefit from our modern slavery protections…
….you can’t make spurious human rights claims
…and you can’t stay.
We will detain those who come here illegally and then remove them in weeks, either to their own country if it is safe to do so, or to a safe third country like Rwanda.
And once you are removed, you will be banned—as you are in America and Australia—from ever re-entering our country.
This is how we will break the business model of the people smugglers; this is how we will take back control of our borders.
Now, this Bill provides the legal framework needed to deliver this in a way that no other legislation has done before.
This is tough but it is necessary and it is fair.
This legislation will be retrospective.
If you come on a small boat today, the measures in this bill will apply to you.
And this is just part of what we are doing.
I’ve always been clear this is a complex problem that can’t be solved overnight and will require us to use every tool at our disposal.
That’s why I’ve already secured the largest ever small boats deal with France.
And patrols on French beaches are already up 40 per cent.
I also promised progress on enforcement and we’ve increased raids on illegal working by 50 per cent.
I’ve also negotiated a new deal with Albania, which accounted for a third of all small boats arrivals.
And that’s already delivering. We’ve returned 500 illegal migrants to Albania and we are seeing far fewer come as a result.
This shows that there is nothing inevitable about illegal migration.
Deterrence works, and with will and determination, the government can get on top of it—and we will.
Now, this will always be a compassionate and generous country.
It is something that we’re all rightly proud of.
Just look at how we have welcomed Ukrainians, Syrians from refugee camps, and embraced Hong Kongers fleeing the Chinese clampdown.
But the current situation is neither moral nor sustainable. It cannot go on.
It’s completely unfair on the British people…
….who have opened their homes to genuine refugees…
….but are now having to spend nearly £6 million a day to put up illegal migrants in hotels.
It’s unfair on the people who have come to this country legally to see others skipping the queue.
And it’s devastatingly unfair on those who most need our help but can’t get it as our asylum system is being overwhelmed by those travelling illegally across the Channel.
If we can’t stop the boats, our ability to help genuine refugees in future will be constrained.
Full control of our borders will allow us to decide who to help, and to provide safe and legal routes for those most in need.
I understand there will be debate about the toughness of these measures… all I can say is that we have tried it every other way… and it has not worked.
So I say again: my policy is very simple, it is this country—and your government—who should decide who comes here, not criminal gangs.
And I will do whatever is necessary to achieve that.
A joint statement with France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories:
France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, express their grave concern in the face of the continuing, growing violence in the occupied Palestinian territories.
We strongly condemn recent terrorist attacks that killed Israeli citizens. Terrorism can under no circumstance be justified.
We also strongly condemn indiscriminate violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians, including destruction of homes and properties.
We are saddened by all loss of life. These acts can lead nowhere, except to more violence. Those responsible must face full accountability and legal prosecution. All unilateral actions that threaten peace and incitement to violence must cease.
There has been a spark of hope coming from the recent meeting in Aqaba, where Israelis and Palestinians both affirmed reciprocal commitments, including on efforts to de-escalate and work towards a just and lasting peace.
Such a result is a first in many years, and we thank the United States of America and Kingdom of Jordan for making it possible. We urge all parties to refrain from making this fragile process derail, and call on all parties to make good on the commitments they made in the Aqaba meeting by de-escalating in words and deeds and to restore calm, in order for those efforts to blossom and to make the next meeting in Egypt a success.
There can be no desirable outcome other than a just and lasting peace for all. In this regard, we also reiterate our strong opposition to all unilateral measures that undermine the Two-state solution, including expansion of settlements which are illegal under international law.
We urge the Israeli government to reverse its recent decision to advance the construction of more than 7,000 settlement building units across the occupied West Bank and to legalize settlement outposts.
The Environment Secretary calls for countries to join together to halt and reverse the loss of nature and protect at least 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030
Countries around the globe must join together, raise ambition and act faster to protect and restore nature on both land and sea, Environment Secretary Thérèse Coffey has said on World Wildlife Day (3 March).
Following the historic agreement reached at the UN Biodiversity summit last year, the Environment Secretary is attending the Our Ocean conference where she will work with other countries to make this the decade we halt and reverse the loss of nature and protect at least 30% of the global ocean by 2030. She will also acknowledge the effectiveness of established tools such as CITES convention that celebrates 50 years of protecting endangered species today.
Building on commitments outlined in the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan launched last month and progress to protect nature on land, the UK is this week announcing vital funding to boost marine conservation efforts worldwide, fight climate change, and support vulnerable coastal communities.
The UK has renewed support through its ambitious £500 million Blue Planet Fund to protect and restore important marine habitats such as mangroves, coral reefs and seagrasses that play a key role in the fight against climate change. This includes an additional £24 million to the Global Fund for Coral Reefs, and the UK becoming the first donor to the Blue Carbon Action Partnership, committing £4 million to support countries unlock and mobilise finance to protect and restore blue carbon ecosystems.
The Environment Secretary has also announced £45 million to the new ‘Blue Tech Superhighway’ project. From community-led fisheries management enabling local communities to set and monitor their own catches; new seawater farming systems working with species more resilient to warmer waters; through to pioneering approaches to reduce food waste, this investment will support small-scale fishers and aquaculture farmers improve their climate resilience, sustainability and incomes. The project will also encourage collaboration between countries across Asia and Africa to scale action.
This comes as the UK announced it will provide £1.5 million to the Asian Development Bank’s new Blue Pacific Finance Hub to support climate resilient, sustainable blue economies for Pacific Small Island Developing States including developing circular economies to reduce plastic waste and improved fisheries management.
The Environment Secretary, Thérèse Coffey said: “It is almost impossible to overstate the importance of stepping up our efforts to bolster the resilience of the marine environment and, in turn, the economies and communities that depend on it.
“At the UN nature summit in Montreal, we made a commitment to manage our whole ocean sustainably and set a target to protect at least 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030. The UK is leading, co-leading, and supporting global coalitions of ambition to drive forward this mission, and I urge countries to come together to deliver coordinated, impactful action on the ground.”
She also urged more countries to join forces to tackle the scourge of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, one of the most serious threats to the world’s ocean which equates to approximately 11-19% of reported global fisheries production and leads to losses of roughly $10-23.5 billion in value. IUU fishing undermines efforts to conserve fish stocks, damages marine ecosystems, impacts global food supply chains and threatens coastal communities whose livelihoods rely on sustainable fishing.
The UK, US and Canada launched the world’s first global alliance to tackle IUU fishing last year, with members sharing data and tools to monitor and crack down on this pervasive issue. This builds on progress under the UK-led Blue Belt Ocean Shield programme which uses innovative surveillance techniques to tackle illegal practices in over 4.3 million square kilometres of waters around the UK Overseas Territories.
Since its launch, the Alliance has grown to 16 members, with Norway, Iceland and Korea recently coming onboard. More members will sign up at the Our Ocean conference today, including the EU, Panama and New Zealand.
Thérèse Coffey said: “For too many communities, the threat of IUU fishing looms year after year, as they bear the brunt of the instability and violence that accompanies this serious, organised, transboundary crime.
“For marine species, the impact can be devastating and this has a catastrophic effect on the lives of the hundreds of millions of people who depend on fisheries for their livelihoods.
“So, we need to accelerate our efforts and scale up. That is a priority for us in the UK – something we are addressing by improving import controls, sharing more data on vessels, identifying those who profit from IUU fishing, and holding them to account.”
Energy regulator Ofgem has announced its quarterly update to the energy price cap for the period 1 April – 30 June 2023.
From 1 April the energy price cap will be set at an annual level of £3,280 for a dual fuel household paying by direct debit based on typical consumption, a reduction of almost £1,000 from the current level, of £4,279 which reflects recent falls in wholesale energy prices.
The £3,280 figure indicates how much consumers on their energy suppliers’ basic tariff would pay if the government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) were not in place.
From 1 April, the government has set the EPG at £3,000 for the typical bill – meaning that consumers will not pay the full level of the energy price cap.
This reduction in the price cap level reflects a significant reduction in the cost of buying and providing energy for customers. If it continues, it will mean that by the summer, prices paid by consumers will drop for the first time since the global gas crisis took hold more than 18 months ago.
The energy price cap was introduced by the government and has been in place since January 2019, and Ofgem is required to regularly review the level at which it is set. It ensures that an energy supplier can recoup its efficient costs while making sure customers do not pay a higher amount for their energy than they should. The price cap, as set out in law, does this by setting a maximum that suppliers can charge per unit of energy.
Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley said: “Although wholesale prices have fallen, the price cap has not yet fallen below the planned level of the Energy Price Guarantee. This means, that on current policy, bills will rise again in April. I know that, for many households this news will be deeply concerning.
“However, today’s announcement reflects the fundamental shift in the cost of wholesale energy for the first time since the gas crisis began, and while it won’t make an immediate difference to consumers, it’s a sign that some of the immense pressure we’ve seen in the energy markets over the last 18 months may be starting to ease. If the reduction in wholesale prices we’re currently seeing continues, the signs are positive that the price cap will fall again in the summer, potentially bringing bills significantly lower.
“However, prices are unlikely to fall back to the level we saw before the energy crisis. Even with the extensive package of government support that is currently in place, this is a very tough time for many households across Britain.
“Where people are struggling, we urge them to contact their supplier to make sure they are getting all the help and support they are entitled to. We also think that, with bills continuing to be so high, there is a case for examining with urgency the feasibility of a social tariff for customers in the most vulnerable situations.
Ofgem has robust rules in place to help people in vulnerable situations, and suppliers are obliged to offer payment plans and direct customers to available support.
Bill-payers will continue to receive additional support via the EPG until the end of March 2024, as confirmed by the Chancellor on Thursday 17 November 2022. The level of this support is set by Government.
There is no immediate action for consumers to take as a result of today’s announcement.
Ofgem continues to protect consumers through its ongoing robust regulation of the market, taking enforcement action where necessary and providing support to those who need it the most.
The next quarterly price cap update will be on 26 May 2023.
UK Government leaving people to prop up energy bosses’ profits, says STUC
Roz Foyer, STUC General Secretary, stated: “The energy price cap might have fallen today but the callous decisions of the UK Government means most people will be facing higher energy bills from April 1st. Thousands of people are being pushed into poverty and face choosing between a hot meal or a warm home.
“There is no justification for continuing to ask people across the UK to pay the price for energy companies billions of profit. We need to take back control of our energy system, tax these companies properly, and end the outrageous injustice of rising energy bills.”
The Windsor Framework, agreed by the Prime Minister and European Commission President, replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol, providing a new legal and UK constitutional framework.
Fundamentally rewriting the Treaty with new ‘Stormont Brake’ means UK can veto new EU goods laws if they are not supported by both communities in Northern Ireland
New green lane removes any sense of a border in Irish Sea
Northern Ireland to benefit from same VAT, food and drink and medicines as the rest of the UK
A new way forward for a prosperous, stable future for Northern Ireland has been set out, rewriting the Treaty to fix the practical problems for the people and businesses of Northern Ireland, protects Northern Ireland’s place within our Union, and restores the balance of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement in all its dimensions.
The Windsor Framework, agreed by the Prime Minister and European Commission President yesterday, replaces the old Northern Ireland Protocol, dealing with the issues it has created and providing a new legal and UK constitutional framework.
It delivers free-flowing trade in goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by removing any sense of the border in the Irish Sea for goods staying within the UK. These goods will travel as normal through a new green lane without red tape or unnecessary checks, with the only checks remaining designed to prevent smuggling or crime.
It protects Northern Ireland’s place in our Union, replacing swathes of EU laws with UK laws and ensuring the people of Northern Ireland can benefit from the same tax policies, food and drink, medicines, and parcels as the rest of the UK.
It puts the people of Northern Ireland in charge with active democratic consent. The Agreement rewrites the Treaty text with a new Stormont Brake that means the UK can veto new EU goods laws if they are not supported by both communities in Northern Ireland, which goes far beyond previous agreements or discussions on the old Protocol.
At Monday’s press conference, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said: “Today’s agreement is written in the language of laws and treaties. But really, it’s about much more than that.
“It’s about stability in Northern Ireland. It’s about real people and real businesses. It’s about showing that our Union, that has lasted for centuries, can and will endure.
“And it’s about breaking down the barriers between us. Setting aside the arguments that have for too long, divided us. And remembering the fellow feeling that defines us: This family of nations – this United Kingdom.”
The Windsor Framework delivers free-flowing movement of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and removes any sense of a border in the Irish Sea within the UK:
A new green lane (the UK internal market scheme) means traders moving goods destined for Northern Ireland will be freed of unnecessary paperwork, checks and duties, using only ordinary commercial information rather than burdensome customs bureaucracy or complex certification requirements for agrifood. The same type of standard commercial information used when moving goods from Birmingham to the Isle of Wight will be used Birmingham to Belfast. All goods destined for the EU will use the red lane.
All requirements have been scrapped for trade from Northern Ireland to Great Britain on a permanent basis, including the requirement for export declarations.
The green lane will be expanded to include food retailers such as supermarkets and hospitality businesses, significantly reducing SPS checks and costly paperwork, and ensuring choice for consumers on supermarket shelves. A single supermarket truck who previously had to provide 500 certificates can now instead make a straightforward commitment that goods will stay in Northern Ireland. Retailers will mark goods as “not for EU”, with a phased rollout of this requirement to give them time to adjust.
Chilled meats like sausages, which were banned under the old Protocol, can move freely into Northern Ireland like other retail food products.
Parcels from people or businesses in Great Britain can now be sent to friends, family, and consumers in Northern Ireland as they are today, without customs declarations, processes or extra costs under the old Protocol. Parcels sent business to business will travel via the green lane.
The Windsor Framework protects Northern Ireland’s place in the Union:
The same medicines, in the same packs, with the same labels, will be available across the UK, without the need for barcode scanning requirements under the old Protocol. The UK will license all medicines for all UK citizens, including novel medicines like cancer drugs, rather than the European Medicines Agency under the old Protocol. NI’s healthcare industry will have full access to both UK and EU markets, supporting jobs and investment through a dual regulatory regime.
Pets can also now travel freely with their owners across the UK, without expensive health treatments like rabies or documentation from a vet. Pet owners in Northern Ireland won’t have to do a thing when travelling to GB. Where they’re not moving on to Ireland or the rest of the EU, GB owners with microchipped pets can either easily sign up for a lifetime travel document for their pet, available online and electronically in a matter of minutes, or an equally seamless process built into the booking processfor a flight or ferry.
Previously banned iconic plants like English oak trees and seed potatoes will once again move easily within the UK without the bureaucratic checks and costly certification under the old Protocol and instead use a similar process to the Plant Passport scheme that already exists in Great Britain. This will end restrictions that hampered consumer choice and damaged business whilst protecting the long-standing single epidemiological area on the island of Ireland.
The legal text of the Treaty has been amended, so that critical VAT and excisechanges will apply to the whole of the UK. This means that zero-rates of VAT on energy saving materials like solar panels and alcohol duty reforms will now apply in Northern Ireland.
The UK Government can continue to provide generous and targeted subsidiesacross the UK. The ‘reach-back’ risks under the old Protocol have been addressed with new stringent tests, so there are now almost no circumstances in which the Protocol applies to UK subsidies, providing certainty for businesses to trade and invest in Northern Ireland. We expect more than 98% of Northern Ireland subsidies to be unaffected in practice.
The Windsor Framework safeguards sovereignty and fixes the democratic deficit by putting the people of Northern Ireland in charge:
The new Stormont Brake means the democratically elected Northern Ireland Assembly can oppose new EU goods rules that would have significant and lasting effects on everyday lives in Northern Ireland. They will do so on the same basis as the ‘petition of concern’ mechanism in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement, needing the support of 30 members from at least two parties. The Stormont Brake has been introduced by fundamentally rewriting the Treaty and goes significantly further than the ‘all or nothing vote’ under the old Protocol every four years at most.
Over 1,700 of EU law have been removed, and with it ECJ interpretation and oversight in areas like VAT, medicines, and food safety – so the UK Government can decide and UK courts can interpret. The minimal set of EU rules – less than 3% – apply to preserve the privileged, unrestricted access for Northern Ireland businesses to the whole of the EU Single Market and avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
The agreement concludes months of intensive discussions between the UK and EU to address real world issues and needs of the people of Northern Ireland.
Providing reassurance for the future, the UK and EU have agreed to work together to anticipate and deal with any other issues that may emerge and have made a joint declaration to resolve issues through dialogue, rather than formal dispute proceedings.
Alongside ‘The Windsor Framework: a new way forward’, the Government has published the full range of legal texts that underpin the Windsor Framework. These solutions put arrangements in Northern Ireland on an entirely new footing, with far-reaching changes to the old Protocol to provide lasting certainty and stability for citizens and businesses in Northern Ireland.
To give businesses and individuals time to prepare, the implementation of the agreement will be phased in, with some of the new arrangements for goods, agrifood, pets and plant movements introduced later this year and the remainder in 2024. In the meantime, the current temporary standstill arrangements will continue to apply.
The UK Government will no longer proceed with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, as the UK and EU have come to a negotiated agreement. Similarly, the agreement will mean the EU withdrawing all of the legal actions it has launched against the UK.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a speech on the Windsor Framework:
Good afternoon.
All our thoughts are with Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell and his family after last week’s abhorrent shooting in Omagh.
A man of extraordinary courage, his first thought was to protect the children he had been coaching.
President Von der Leyen and I stand united with the people and leaders of all communities across Northern Ireland.
Those trying to drag us back to the past will never succeed.
This afternoon, I welcomed President Von der Leyen to Windsor to continue our discussions about the Northern Ireland Protocol.
I’m pleased to report that we have now made a decisive breakthrough.
Together, we have changed the original Protocol and are today announcing the new Windsor Framework.
Today’s agreement:
Delivers smooth flowing trade within the whole United Kingdom.
Protects Northern Ireland’s place in our Union.
And safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.
These negotiations have not always been easy, but I’d like to pay an enormous personal tribute to Ursula for her vision in recognising the possibility of a new way forward.
And to my colleagues the Foreign and Northern Ireland Secretaries for their steadfast leadership.
The United Kingdom and the European Union may have had our differences in the past, but we are allies, trading partners, and friends … something that we’ve seen clearly in the past year as we joined with others, to support Ukraine.
This is the beginning of a new chapter in our relationship.
For a quarter of a century the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement has endured because at its heart is respect for the aspirations and identities of all communities.
Today’s agreement is about preserving that delicate balance and charting a new way forward for the people of Northern Ireland.
I am standing here today because I believe that we have found ways to end the uncertainty and challenge for the people of Northern Ireland.
We have taken three big steps forward.
First, today’s agreement delivers the smooth flow of trade within the United Kingdom.
Goods destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new Green Lane, with a separate Red Lane for goods at risk of moving onto the EU.
In the Green Lane, burdensome customs bureaucracy will be scrapped.
It means food retailers like supermarkets, restaurants and wholesalers will no longer need hundreds of certificates for every lorry.
And we will end the situation where food made to UK rules could not be sent to and sold in Northern Ireland.
This means that if food is available on the supermarket shelves in Great Britain … then it will be available on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland.
And unlike the Protocol, today’s agreement means people sending parcels to friends and family or doing their shopping online, will have to complete no customs paperwork.
This means we have removed any sense of a border in the Irish Sea.
Second, we have protected Northern Ireland’s place in the Union.
We’ve amended the legal text of the Protocol to ensure we can make critical VAT and excise changes for the whole of the UK…
…for example on alcohol duty, meaning our reforms to cut the cost of a pint in the pub will now apply in Northern Ireland.
The same quintessentially British products like trees, plants, and seed potatoes – will again be available in Northern Ireland’s garden centres.
Onerous requirements on pet travel have been removed.
And today’s agreement also delivers a landmark settlement on medicines.
From now on, drugs approved for use by the UK’s medicines regulator… will be automatically available in every pharmacy and hospital in Northern Ireland.
Third, today’s agreement safeguards sovereignty for the people of Northern Ireland.
The only EU law that applies in Northern Ireland under the Framework … is the minimum necessary to avoid a hard border with Ireland and allow Northern Irish businesses to continue accessing the EU market.
But I know that many people in Northern Ireland are also worried about being subject to changes to EU goods laws.
To address that, today’s agreement introduces a new Stormont Brake.
Many had called for Stormont to have a say over these laws.
But the Stormont Brake goes further and means that Stormont can in fact stop them from applying in Northern Ireland.
This will establish a clear process through which the democratically elected Assembly can pull an emergency brake … for changes to EU goods rules that would have significant, and lasting effects on everyday lives. If the brake is pulled, the UK government will have a veto.
This gives the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland a powerful new safeguard, based on cross community consent.
I believe the Windsor Framework marks a turning point for the people of Northern Ireland.
It fixes the practical problems they face.
It preserves the balance of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.
Of course, parties will want to consider the agreement in detail, a process that will need time and care.
Today’s agreement is written in the language of laws and treaties.
But really, it’s about much more than that.
It’s about stability in Northern Ireland.
It’s about real people and real businesses.
It’s about showing that our Union, that has lasted for centuries, can and will endure.
And it’s about breaking down the barriers between us.
Setting aside the arguments that for too long, have divided us.
And remembering the fellow feeling that defines us: This family of nations – this United Kingdom.
UK Government launches portal for more households to apply for £400 payments towards energy bills
Households without a direct relationship to a domestic electricity supplier will be able to apply for government support with their energy bills from today
With government energy bill support covering roughly half of typical winter bills, ministers urge over 900,000 households eligible for the £400 lump sum to apply as soon as possible
A telephone helpline is also available from today for people without access to the internet to apply for the payment
900,000 more households across England, Scotland and Wales will benefit from the government’s £400 help with energy bills, as an online application portal opens today.
Households without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier, such as those living in park homes and care homes, can now apply via a secure online portal to receive the support as a one-off, non-repayable lump sum under the ‘alternative funding’ route of the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme (EBSS AF). For those without online access, a dedicated customer helpline is available to assist eligible customers.
The launch of applications follows months of close work with stakeholders across the country to deliver the government’s help for households with the cost of living. The alternative funding route is the latest in a range of targeted measures which are covering around half of a typical household’s energy bills this winter.
To ensure people feel the benefit of this support as quickly as possible, the payment will be provided directly into people’s bank accounts. Over £7.2 billion has been provided so far to 97% of households across England, Scotland and Wales through monthly instalments, which most households receive automatically in the same way they pay these bills.
The alternative funding route is designed to make sure the same level of support reaches those without a direct relationship to an electricity supplier. It’s also available for households who get their energy through a commercial contract or who are off-grid.
Ministers are today urging all eligible households to apply as soon as possible for their support, whilst also warning households to stay alert to potential scams and report them to relevant authorities where they are suspected.
The government will never provide any links to the application portal, or directly ask individuals to apply for the £400 support. Those that require additional help when applying for support may wish to seek assistance from a family member or trusted friend.
Minister at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, Amanda Solloway, said: We understand the pressure households are under which is why we’ve already stepped in to pay around half of people’s energy bills this winter, and from today, thousands more will be able to apply securely for their £400.
“Today I’m urging everyone who couldn’t get their EBSS discounts in the regular way to apply via our secure channels. If you don’t have a direct contract with an electricity supplier, it’s essential you submit your application as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner help can get to you.”
The launch of the portal follows a successful pilot scheme with local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales to refine the process, making sure the system can deliver support in a robust, secure and efficient manner.
Once customers have applied to receive energy support and their applications have been processed and verified, eligible customers’ details will be shared with Local Authorities across England, Scotland and Wales, who will deliver the support in one lump sum. Local authorities may request additional information to assist their verification process – but only once an application has been made via the secure portal or helpline. Applicants will only be able to submit information through these channels and should not contact their local authority.
The exact date that an eligible household will receive support will depend on when the application is made and when the payment can be processed by the relevant local authority.
Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps will shortly write to local authorities, thanking them for getting the scheme over the line after working hand in hand with his department over the last three months, and urging them to process applications as quickly as possible so households aren’t left waiting weeks after applying.
He’ll also say there must be no further delays to rolling out the Alternative Fuel Payment Alternative Fund – a similar scheme for households who use alternative fuels as their main source of heating, providing £200 towards energy costs, adding it will be live by 6th March.
This will help people who use alternative energy sources such as heating oil, biomass and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to heat their homes, but who were unable to receive the government’s £200 Alternative Fuel Payment automatically via their electricity supplier. Of nearly 2 million people who use these sources as the main means to heat their homes, around 15% will need to apply through a similar GOV.UK portal which will shortly open to applications.
These schemes are the latest part of a range of targeted measures to help households across the country with the cost of living, which are covering around half of a typical household’s typical energy bills this winter.
In addition to the £400 of total support provided through the EBSS, the government’s Energy Price Guarantee (EPG) is saving a typical UK household £900 over this winter by reducing the unit cost of electricity and gas.
Together, the support provided through the EPG and EBSS cover around half of a typical household’s energy bills. The EPG will continue to provide support for another 12 months from April 2023, providing an average of £500 support for households in 2023 to 2024 in the face of energy prices that are forecast to remain high.
A further £1,200 of support in direct payments is also being provided to vulnerable households this year, with £26 billion worth of targeted support to help protect the most vulnerable announced by the Chancellor for the next financial year.
Government intervention sees tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees’ access banking services in the UK
Basic bank accounts offer fee-free accounts allowing users to send and receive money, helping people to build their lives here
News falls one-year since Russia’s illegal and barbaric invasion of Ukraine as UK government confirms its support will not waiver
TENS OF THOUSANDS of Ukrainian refugees have been able to access banking services in the UK thanks to government action, data released today shows.
Basic bank accounts, which the nine largest UK lenders have been required to provide since 2014, allow people with a limited credit history to access and carry out everyday banking, widening people’s access to the financial system and the wider economy. The accounts do not offer overdrafts, ensuring people do not get into unaffordable debt.
A year on since Putin’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, the UK has granted more than 215,000 visas to refugees of the war, under our Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Family Schemes
Following the invasion, the government brought together UK basic bank account providers, ensuring fast action was taken to remove the barriers to opening UK bank accounts faced by Ukrainian nationals, such as the lack of a conventional ID.
This has already helped more than 70,000 people to build their lives more easily in the UK by enabling them to receive their income, send money, and pay for goods.
Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Griffith said: “We will continue to help as many Ukrainian refugees as possible access the banking services they need to build a life here – and I’d like to thank UK banks and building societies for their support to date.
“A year on from the invasion, Putin should be left in no doubt that the West will not waiver in its support for Ukraine and its people.”
The UK government has been working with its international allies to punish Putin and his cronies for their illegal invasion of Ukraine, while supporting the Ukrainian people and its government.
This includes sanctioning more than 1,200 individuals and 120 entities, including striking the heart of the Kremlin by sanctioning Putin himself, along with his closest associates.
The UK has also committed £4.6 billion of military support by the end of 2023, supplying 10,000 anti-tank missiles, almost 200 armoured vehicles, 2,600 anti-structure munitions, and almost 100,000 rounds of artillery.
And we are also a leading bilateral humanitarian donor, having committed £220 million in assistance.
