Category: Gov Press Releases

The independent expert screening committee has recommended that bowel cancer screening in England should in future start 10 years earlier at age 50.

Currently, men and women, aged 60 to 74, are invited for bowel screening and are sent a home test kit every 2 years to provide stool samples.

Following a comprehensive review of the evidence, the committee recommends that screening should be offered from aged 50 to 74 using the faecal immunochemical home test kit (FIT).

The evidence shows that screening people at a younger age would enable more bowel cancers to be picked up at an earlier stage, where treatment is likely to be more effective and survival chances improved.

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, and Public Health Minister, Steve Brine, have today agreed the recommendations. NHS England and Public Health England will now consider how to transition towards lowering the screening age as part of the NHS Long Term Plan.

FIT is a new test due to be rolled out into the national bowel screening programme in the autumn and will initially be offered every 2 years to men and women at the current age range of 60 to 74. FIT is easier to use than the current test and is more accurate in detecting potential cancers. The latest recommendations will not delay the roll out of FIT, which is a priority.

The current bowel screening programme has a complementary procedure, bowel scope, also known as flexible sigmoidoscopy, which is a one-off test offered to men and women at 55. The committee recommends maintaining bowel scope screening in England, where it is currently rolled out until FIT is offered to the same age group.

Professor Anne Mackie, Director of Screening at Public Health England, said:

The risk of bowel cancer rises steeply from around age 50 to 54 and rates are significantly higher among males than females. Starting screening ten years earlier at 50 will help spot more abnormalities at an early stage that could develop into bowel cancer if not detected.

The committee recognises that this change will take time but wants the FIT test to be offered to all aged 60 and over as soon as possible, and options considered for a roll out plan where screening can be offered at 55 and eventually to all aged 50 – ensuring we have the best bowel screening programme possible.

Public Health Minister, Steve Brine said:

We are determined to make our cancer survival rates the best in the world. With the roll out of FIT as a new bowel screening test from the autumn – a much more convenient and reliable test – we have a real opportunity to reshape our bowel screening programme and potentially detect the stages of bowel cancer much earlier.

We are now considering opportunities and taking expert advice on how a sustainable, optimal bowel cancer screening programme starting at age 50 can work in the future.

Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, said:

These important recommendations will be carefully considered in the NHS Long Term Plan, which will set out ambitious improvements in cancer prevention and care for the decade ahead.

The committee also looked at screening for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which is a group of lung conditions, including emphysema, that cause breathing difficulties. It recommended that screening should not be offered for a number of reasons, including a lack of evidence that the impact of screening for COPD would have on smoking cessation.

As part of a regular review process, these recommendations will be looked at again in 3 years – or earlier if significant new evidence becomes available.

The latest screening recommendations were made at the UK NSC’s meeting on 29 June 2018, the minutes of which are published today (10 August 2018).

Background

This press release is issued on behalf of the UK NSC, an independent organisation, by Public Health England.

1. The UK National Screening Committee is independent of, but supported by, Public Health England.
2. Detailed summaries of the recommendations for all of the conditions mentioned can be found online.
3. Public Health England exists to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. We do this through world-leading science, knowledge and intelligence, advocacy, partnerships and providing specialist public health services. We are an executive agency of the Department of Health and Social Care, and a distinct organisation with operational autonomy. We provide government, local government, the NHS, Parliament, industry and the public with evidence-based professional, scientific expertise and support. Follow us on Twitter: @PHE_uk and Facebook: www.facebook.com/PublicHealthEngland.

The Charity Commission, the independent regulator of charities in England and Wales, has opened a statutory inquiry into Livingstone House Mother of the Harvest Ministries (1102286) over concerns about misconduct or mismanagement with regards to the administration of the charity. The inquiry was opened on 2 July 2018.

The charity’s object is to rehabilitate people with alcohol and drug addictions. The charity which is based in Birmingham provides detoxification, primary and secondary care and uses a Christian 12 step programme to encourage sober living.

The Commission placed the charity into a class inquiry on 15 February 2017 because it failed to submit its accounting information on time for the financial years ending 31 December 2014 and 31 December 2015. The charity complied with the class inquiry and filed the overdue accounting information required.

As a part of our previous engagement, the Commission issued regulatory advice to the trustees on their duty to submit accounting information on time. However, despite this the trustees have again defaulted on submitting accounts for the financial year ending 31 December 2016.

In addition to a persistent pattern of defaults the Commission also has regulatory concerns about the charity’s governance. The Commission’s Register records that there have only been two trustees since January 2016 and one trustee from 27 April 2016 to 16 May 2017. The charity’s governing document states that the number of trustees should not fall below three, therefore raising concerns that trustees may have been acting while inquorate. Furthermore, potential conflicts of interest have been identified which raise concerns about whether connected party transactions have been properly authorised.

In order to address its concerns, the Commission has opened a statutory inquiry.

The inquiry will examine the extent to which:

• the trustees are complying with their legal duties in respect of their administration, governance and management of the charity and in particular: their compliance with legal obligations for the preparation and filing of their charity’s accounts and other information or returns, as well as the extent to which the trustees ensure that the charity is operating in accordance with the provisions of its governing document.
• any failings or weaknesses identified in the administration of the charity during the conduct of the inquiry were a result of misconduct and/or mismanagement by the trustees.
• the trustees have responsibly managed the charity’s resources and financial affairs, in particular with respect to how they have managed conflicts of interest/loyalty in particular in relation to connected party transactions
• the trustees have complied with previously issued regulatory guidance.

It is the Commission’s policy, after it has concluded an inquiry, to publish a report detailing what issues the inquiry looked at, what actions were undertaken as part of the inquiry and what the outcomes were. Reports of previous inquiries by the Commission are available on GOV.UK.

Notes to editors

1. The Charity Commission is the regulator of charities in England and Wales. To find out more about our work see the about us page on GOV.UK.
2. Search for charities on our check charity tool.
3. Section 46 of the Charities Act 2011 gives the Commission the power to institute inquiries. The opening of an inquiry gives the commission access to a range of investigative, protective and remedial legal powers.

Young people in Tanzania will be empowered to take control of their future prosperity through a new package of UK support, the International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt announced today.

On her visit to the country Ms Mordaunt unveiled plans for the UK to work in partnership with Tanzania to help harness the potential of young people, who hold the key to unlocking the country’s economic growth.

Ms Mordaunt has set out a package of UK support which will help improve the quality of education in every primary and lower secondary school across the country. This includes making sure that girls move on to secondary schools and that disabled children can access education.

By giving the next generation the vital education and skills they need for the future, the UK is working with Tanzania to help their economy grow – giving millions of young people the chance to build the future they want to see for their country.

Ms Mordaunt also visited a family planning clinic to see how UK aid will be scaling up its provision of modern, voluntary and safe family planning methods. This will enable 800,000 women every year across Tanzania to have greater control over when and how many children they have.

The expansion of family planning access will not only prevent 6,200 maternal deaths, but allow women to make the most of their education and opportunities so that they can contribute to the growth of their societies and communities.

The International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said:

As Tanzania grows, it’s essential that young people and women are empowered to take control of their lives, education and health, fulfil their potential and play a role in the future prosperity of their country.

The resulting economic growth is opening up opportunities for UK business in the country, as we move towards a future of shared prosperity.

Also during her visit, Ms Mordaunt travelled to Dar es Salaam port to see how the UK is sharing expertise to help Tanzania crack down on organised crime and corruption which hold back development. This includes strengthening border posts to prevent trafficking of products from the Illegal Wildlife Trade.

Notes to Editors

• The UK is providing a family planning package (£55 million) which will scale up family planning services across rural and urban Tanzania, enabling women to safely plan their pregnancies. This will:
  • Reach around 800,000 women with modern, voluntary and safe family planning support every year and avert 6200 maternal deaths. This is an increase from the previous programme which reached 300,000 women a year
  • Reach the most marginalised and vulnerable women in Tanzania including those in refugee camps, youth and people with disabilities
  • Care for victims of sexual violence
  • Strengthen Tanzania’s family planning services so that it ultimately can provide these for its own people, for example by training staff
  • Work to increase the commitment of other donors, and to get the Government of Tanzania to step up its support
• The next phase of DFID Tanzania’s education programme (£41.6 million) will:
  • Work to reform Tanzania’s education system so it can ultimately be self-sustaining
  • Increase the quality of education in all primary and lower secondary schools in Tanzania, including reaching marginalised children such as those with disabilities
  • Support more girls to transition into secondary school, and improve teacher training.
• The UK will provide £8 million to share UK expertise to improve Tanzania’s criminal justice and legal systems to help tackle corruption which holds back development.

• studies have indicated the effectiveness of ‘Community Sentence Treatment Requirements’ in cutting reoffending
• scheme to be assessed ahead of potential wider rollout in England

Vulnerable offenders with mental health, alcohol and substance abuse issues are addressing the underlying cause of their offending, as part of a pioneering scheme announced by Justice Secretary David Gauke today (10 August 2018).

In 5 pilot areas, justice and health services have signed up to a new protocol that will help to divert relevant offenders away from frequently ineffective short-term custodial sentences and towards treatment that aims to tackle the root cause of their criminality.

Psychologists will be present in courts to assess offenders whose crime makes them eligible for a Community Order. Local panels comprising justice and health officials also ensure that Magistrates and Judges have the additional information they need to determine whether the offender should be required to receive treatment for their mental health, alcohol or drug issues.

The protocol dictates a new minimum standard of service and additional training has been provided to staff in the pilot areas to improve collaboration between the agencies involved.

This has increased confidence among sentencers – resulting in more ‘Community Sentence Treatment Requirements’ (CTSRs) being issued as part of sentencing in those areas. When used, CSTRs require engagement with local health services under the terms of the sentence. Failure to attend could represent a breach of that sentence.

The initiative brings together the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England to improve access to treatment programmes for offenders serving community sentences.

Research shows that around 29% of offenders who start Community Orders self-report having mental health problems and of those who are formally assessed, 32% were identified as having a drug misuse need and 38% an alcohol misuse problem.

A 2017 joint report by MOJ and Public Health England looked at the association between community-based drug and alcohol treatments and reoffending behaviour. The report showed that:

• among those that committed an offence in the two years before undergoing drug or alcohol treatment, there was a 33% reduction in the number of offences they committed in the subsequent 2 years
• the reduction for those engaging in alcohol treatment was especially striking, at 59%

A recently published study from MOJ found that when offenders were handed mental health treatment requirements as part of their sentence, they were significantly less likely to reoffend compared with similar cases where this was not the case. Despite this, the use of treatment requirements as part of community sentences remains very low.

Since the pilot sites went live at various points in late 2017 and early 2018 – in Birmingham, Plymouth, Sefton, Milton Keynes and Northampton – initial figures suggest that over 400 CSTRs have been given.

That means fewer short-term custodial sentences which are known to frequently be ineffective at turning vulnerable offenders away from crime. Adults released from custodial sentences of less than 12 months have a proven reoffending rate of 64.9%.

Secretary of State David Gauke said:

I am delighted to announce these sites in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Public Health England. We are all clear that we need to do more to support vulnerable offenders in the community.

I want to improve confidence in community sentences, and early evidence from these sites has shown that treatment requirements can have a significant impact in improving rehabilitation and addressing the underlying causes of offending.

We need to do more to raise awareness and increase confidence in treatment requirements and I look forward to exploring how these sites progress.

Minister for Mental Health and Inequalities, Jackie Doyle-Price, said:

All too often offenders are not able to access the support and treatment they need – this type of action could prove to be the turning point that helps to improve the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

We need to make sure services work together, not in silos, and this initiative is a vital step towards better information sharing and collaboration between health and justice agencies.

Once the results of the trial sites have been assessed, it is intended that the scheme will be rolled out more widely across England.

By putting treatment programmes at the core of community sentences, the project will enable increased use of these services, ultimately helping to reduce reoffending and improve rehabilitation.

The programme sets out a new minimum standard of service, while there has also been additional training and improved collaboration between agencies. This includes a steering group at each site to ensure the smooth running of the diversion process.

District Judge Richard Clancy, lead Judge at the Complex Case Court in Merseyside, said:

To have a trial scheme where the court has on-site psychologists capable of testing suitability of a defendant for a mental health treatment requirement, so that such a community order can be made by the Judge on the same day without need for adjournment, is a remarkable and innovative move which I fully support. This is an excellent joint venture, and I have seen first-hand how this allows us to ‘nip in the bud’ one of the major causes of crime.

Kate Davies, Director of Health & Justice, Armed Forces and Sexual Assault Services Commissioning at NHS England, said:

It is vitally important that vulnerable offenders get appropriate and timely support which we know reduces the likelihood of reoffending. By improving access to services and treatments, trailblazers are already showing what can be done, addressing rehabilitation with individual and personalised approaches head on.

By evaluating the sites, the government will be able to understand the effectiveness of the programme along with the clinical services required to increase the use of treatment requirements. In turn, this will help to improve commissioning of future services by highlighting positive outcomes.

The programme aims to reduce the number of vulnerable people who receive short-term custodial sentences by boosting judicial confidence in alternatives to custody, while ultimately ensuring public safety.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

“The Prime Minister and the President-elect of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, spoke this afternoon.

“The Prime Minister congratulated President-elect López Obrador on his election victory and said that the UK supports many of his priorities, including fighting corruption, poverty and inequality, as well as improving the rule of law.

“Both leaders agreed that they looked forward to building on a bilateral relationship which is both economically ambitious and addresses important issues such as the climate and protecting the rules-based international system.

“The Prime Minister said it would also be important for the two countries to secure continuity of existing EU-Mexico [Global Agreement] trade arrangements ahead of the UK leaving the EU.

“They both looked forward to working together in future, and to seeing the friendship between Mexico and the UK continue to grow.”

• New figures published today by the UK Space Agency reveal that the UK could compete in a high value market to launch an estimated 2,000 satellites by 2030
• On his first visit to the site of a new spaceport at Sutherland, Business Secretary Greg Clark said that the spaceport could be worth 400 jobs to local Scottish economy
• In July £31.5m of funding was announced to support the Sutherland spaceport. This is a key part of the Industrial Strategy to ensure the UK thrives in the commercial space age.
• Commercial vertical and horizontal launch demand is worth a potential £3.8 billion to the UK economy over the next decade and will support further growth of Britain’s space sector.

He commented that thanks to the UK’s location, planned regulatory framework, private sector strategy and space ecosystem, Britain has a competitive advantage to compete for a substantial share of a market for launching an estimated 2,000 small satellites by 2030.

During the visit the Secretary of State viewed plans for the spaceport site and held discussions with local people and businesses to hear their thoughts.

Figures released to coincide with his visit suggest that existing ‘rideshare’ small satellite launches (small satellites piggybacking on larger missions) are capable of meeting less than 35% of the total demand. This reveals a significant gap in commercial small satellite launch provision for which future UK spaceports are well placed to compete.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said:

“From our market leadership in small satellite construction to our world leading universities Scotland and the UK comes from a position of strength in the global space sector which will be turbo boosted by the first new spaceport and our Industrial Strategy.

“However, I want to make sure that this giant leap for the UK will also deliver on the ground, that’s why I’m here today to discuss benefits in local jobs, uplifting tourism and businesses, helping to bring prosperity to all.”

Low cost access to space is important for the UK’s thriving space sector which builds more small satellites than any other country, with Glasgow building more than any other city in Europe.

The Sutherland spaceport will be developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The HIE Board approved investment of up to £9.8m in the £17.2m facility. The agency earlier confirmed that the Sutherland spaceport was capable of supporting some 400 jobs. These would be a mix of new jobs as a result of activities at the spaceport, inward investment, and supply chain opportunities.

Roy Kirk of HIE is project director for the Sutherland Spaceport development said:

“Establishing the UK’s first spaceport in Sutherland is a fantastic opportunity for the Highlands and Islands, and for Scotland.

“The international space sector is set to grow very significantly in the coming years. We want to ensure our businesses are ready to benefit from the opportunities this will create.

“Establishing this launch site will create local opportunities, with around 40 high quality, skilled jobs in a fairly remote and rural part of Sutherland. Crucially, we believe it will also stimulate further related investment and business activity more widely across the Highlands and Islands and other parts of Scotland.

“We’ll be working to develop supply chain opportunities locally and across our region. We will also use the spaceport’s presence to attract and encourage further business activity and investment here in the longer term.”

Chris Larmour, Chief Executive of Orbex said:

“I don’t think anyone should underestimate the importance of what is being done here in Scotland. With Sutherland we will have continental Europe’s first spaceport. Britain already has a very strong satellite manufacturing capability and soon, with Orbex, there will be British rockets taking those satellites into orbit. This end-to-end capability is unique in Europe and will create a virtuous circle, leading to more investment, more business and more jobs.”

“As a great example of that, we are currently assessing locations in Scotland to house our rocket factory and Spaceflight Mission Control facility, which will become Orbex’s global headquarters. We hope to announce the location of our new facility within the next sixty days. From there, we will start the hiring process for 25 new jobs immediately, rising to around 130 jobs over time. We have progressed rapidly over the past three years. We are already testing the engine of our Prime rocket, we have secured £30 million in funding and we have signed up our first customer for twenty satellite launches. Very quickly, we expect the local economy and the wider British economy to start feeling the positive impact of this progress.”

Patrick Wood, Lockheed Martin’s UK Country Executive for Space, said:

“We are moving quickly with our teammates to establish detailed plans and infrastructure for this new launch capability. Lockheed Martin is already expanding our presence in Sutherland, and we’re searching for the first members of our team now. We are committed to fast and meaningful progress to deliver regular, reliable and responsible access to space for the UK, with the first launch slated for the early 2020s.”

Scotland is the best place in the UK to reach in-demand satellite orbits with vertically launched rockets. UK Space Agency has also previously announced a £2m scheme to support horizontal launch.

The UK Space Agency is driving the growth of the space sector as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy with major initiatives including the National Space Test Facility at Harwell, and the UK continues to be a leading member of the European Space Agency, which is independent of the EU.

A scheme allowing practising legal professionals direct entrance to courts without the need to be searched will be piloted by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) in five courts, with registration beginning in August and fast-track entry from September.

The Bar Council has led the development of an app for its members to use as ID, and Law Society members will benefit from the pilot, using approved photo ID.

While tightened security procedures introduced during the last year will continue, the ‘Professional Entry Scheme’ intends to ease queues to get into court buildings and allow easier and swifter access for legal professionals who come to court regularly.

The scheme will recognise the trusted status of legal professionals without compromising security and is supported by the judiciary.

Justice Minister, Lucy Frazer, said:

Courts and tribunals are the daily workplace for many trusted legal professionals. This pilot will make it easier for them to simply get on with their job.

Of course, we need to do this in the right way, without compromising the security of our courts. To ensure this pilot is a success we are working closely with the legal profession.

Chair of the Bar, Andrew Walker QC, said:

The Bar Council has worked hard with HMCTS to promote a scheme that enables barristers to avoid long delays and searches.

We are delighted that this has now led to a pilot of the Professional Entry Scheme. If the pilot is a success, then the new secure, easy to use ID app that we are developing should enable practising barristers to make the most of the scheme, wherever they practise.

Law Society President, Christina Blacklaws, said:

There is no doubt that easier access will benefit our members and we welcome this sensible initiative.

We have spoken to HMCTS officials about the delays practitioners can face in clearing security and we hope the pilot will pave the way for a permanent system of easier access.

In advance of the pilot, practising legal professions will need to register with their local court, agree to conditions of entry (which continue to include a list of prohibited items) and meet secure ID authentication requirements when they attend court. This includes identifying themselves as a legal professional and showing photographic ID, which will be checked by a court security officer against a registration list.

Random searches on a proportion of the participants in the pilot will be carried out to make sure the scheme is working as intended.

Legal practitioners will be invited to register with their local court from today, with fast-track entries predicted to open in early September.

If successful, the scheme will be extended nationally and could be grown to other professional groups. It will not be implemented at courts hearing terrorist or high security cases.

Mohammad Akbar (61) and Sheraz Ahmad (29) now of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, together ran Shiraz Food & Wine, a convenience store incorporated in August 2012 and located on the Hackney Road close to Hoxton in East London.

In December 2014 Shiraz Food & Wine was raided by Trading Standards, HMRC and the police, who found 351 bottles of illegal alcohol.

This was the largest seizure of illegal booze in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for many years and led to the store’s licence being revoked by the local authority. However, this caused a significant reduction in Shiraz Food & Wine’s turnover, eventually leading to the convenience store’s closure in 2016.

After the company went into liquidation, an investigation by the Insolvency Service discovered that Mohammad Akbar was the sole director of the company before the raids took place and failed to prevent Sheraz Ahmad from purchasing the illegal wine and spirits from a van driver before selling them in the store.

As a result, the Secretary of State accepted disqualification undertakings from both Mohammad Akbar and Sheraz Ahmad.

In his undertaking, Mohammad Akbar did not dispute that his inaction facilitated Sheraz Ahmad, who was not a shareholder or a formally appointed director, to cause Shiraz Food & Wine to trade with a lack of commercial probity.

And Sheraz Ahmad did not dispute in his undertaking that he caused Shiraz Food & Wine to trade with a lack of commercial probity.

Effective from 6 August, Mohammad Akbar is disqualified for 7 years and Sheraz Ahmad is banned for 11 years, and the pair cannot directly or indirectly be involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.

A spokesperson from Tower Hamlets Council said:

Whilst the potential health risks of fake alcohol are well known, businesses who sell cheap smuggled goods also create unfair competition for the majority of law abiding businesses in the borough.

Tower Hamlets Environmental Health and Trading Standards team works closely with our partners in HMRC and the Metropolitan Police to seize illegal product from the market place and take action against those who flout the law. This latest action by the Insolvency Service follows one such successful joint operation against shops that were found to be trading illegally and shows our ongoing commitment to protect residents and honest traders alike.

Anthony Hannon, Official Receiver at Public Interest Unit, said:

Sheraz Ahmad thought he could cut a few corners when he bought the illegal booze and Mohammad Akbar did nothing to stop him. But this could have led to serious consequences as there was no guarantee the alcohol was safe to sell to the public.

Thanks to the joint working with our colleagues from the various agencies involved, we have secured substantial bans for the two bosses, preventing them from setting up another business and possibly doing the same again.

Notes to editors

Shiraz Food & Wine Ltd (08171650) traded from 178 Hackney Road, London, E2 7QL.

Sheraz Ahmad is of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. At the time of the company’s trading he was of London E2. His date of birth is October 1988. He was appointed a director of Shiraz Food & Wine in October 2015 but when he bought the illegal alcohol he was not a shareholder or formally appointed director.

Mohammad Akbar is of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. At the time of the company’s trading he was of London E2. His date of birth is February 1957.

A disqualification order has the effect that without specific permission of a court, a person with a disqualification cannot:

• act as a director of a company
• take part, directly or indirectly, in the promotion, formation or management of a company or limited liability partnership
• be a receiver of a company’s property

Disqualification undertakings are the administrative equivalent of a disqualification order but do not involve court proceedings.

Persons subject to a disqualification order are bound by a range of other restrictions.

The Insolvency Service administers the insolvency regime, investigating all compulsory liquidations and individual insolvencies (bankruptcies) through the Official Receiver to establish why they became insolvent. It may also use powers under the Companies Act 1985 to conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into the activities of live limited companies in the UK. In addition, the agency authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, deals with disqualification of directors in corporate failures, assesses and pays statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay employees, provides banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds and advises ministers and other government departments on insolvency law and practice.

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available.

Contact Press Office

Media enquiries for this press release – 020 7674 6910 or 020 7596 6187

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Ministers recognise that supported housing is a vital service for some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, and last year consulted on possible alternative funding options.

Having listened to views from providers, stakeholders and councils, the government has decided housing benefit will remain in place to fund this accommodation.

Housing Minister, Kit Malthouse MP, said:

Protection of the most vulnerable has always been our primary concern, and following our consultation, the case for keeping supported housing in the welfare system became clear.

The sector also recognised that our aim of improving the quality of homes must be addressed, and we look forward to now working with partners to make sure we have strong measures in place.

Justin Tomlinson, Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance, said:

We are committed to ensuring that vulnerable people have access to the supported housing they need to live safely and independently.

We value the expertise of stakeholders and have listened carefully to their concerns during the consultation.

As a result we will continue to pay housing benefit for all supported housing –making sure safe homes are provided for those that need it most.

Alongside this, government has also today announced that it will work with providers, local authorities, membership bodies and resident representatives over the coming months to develop a robust oversight regime.

This work will ensure quality and value for money across the whole supported housing sector.

In addition, a review of housing related support will be undertaken to better understand how housing and support currently fit together.

Further information

Supported housing provides a home to some of the most vulnerable people across country. It gives people in crisis – such as those facing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence – a secure place to stay. It also provides a life-long home for those with learning and physical disabilities, mental ill-health and older people, providing independence.

Last year the government published proposals on new ways of funding supported housing. These models included grant funding for short-term provision, such as hostels and refuges, and a ‘Sheltered Rent’ for sheltered and extra care housing. Under the grant model, councils would have received funding and paid short-term supported housing rents at their discretion.

Now that government has opted to keep funding within housing benefit, this means residents will claim housing benefit as usual, with their rent normally being paid directly to their landlord.