Category: Gov Press Releases

For the first time, the UK Government will command a near 20-metre space at the four-day showpiece event in Builth Wells, giving rural industries and members of the public the chance to speak to Ministers and staff about what is important to them and find out more about how the UK Government delivers for people in Wales.

The Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns will host a ‘women in agriculture’ event at the UK Government stand on the showground, to celebrate the pivotal role women play as farmers & food producers in Wales.
Businesses will also be able to visit the Department for International Trade (DIT) Export Hub – a 32 tonne, 40ft long lorry with DIT’s regional International Trade Advisers on hand to set out the key steps that Welsh companies need to consider if they want to begin their exporting journey.

Secretary of State for Wales Alun Cairns said:

The Royal Welsh Show is Wales’ biggest agriculture event and the UK Government will be there in force – taking this excellent opportunity to engage with the industry, underline the importance of the rural economy to Wales and wider UK and show how determined we are to get a good deal for the sector in our EU exit negotiations.

We need to be bold and ambitious and maximise the opportunities Brexit brings. To achieve this it is vital that the UK and the Welsh Governments work together – as well as with businesses – to ensure our rural economy can continue to grow.

Attracting over 240,000 visitors every year, the show also provides an important platform for show-goers to find out how the UK Government is delivering for people in Wales– including on provisions for childcare, pensions, defence and business start-up support. I look forward to meeting businesses and members of the public over the course of the show, to hear about their priorities over the coming months and years.

The Welsh Secretary will be joined at the Show by Environment Secretary Michael Gove on Tuesday where they will host a reception at the UK Government stand to meet industry leaders, businesses and show-goers.

UK Government Environment Secretary Michael Gove said:

The Royal Welsh Show is a real highlight of the summer calendar. From delicious Welsh lamb to Snowdonia Cheese, I am very much looking forward to celebrating the best of Welsh farming, food and rural life.

As we leave the EU there will be more freedom for Wales to support its farmers and enhance its beautiful landscapes. We are working hand-in-hand with the Welsh Government ahead of the Agriculture Bill, so we can deliver a Brexit that works for Welsh farmers and consumers.

UK Government departments attending the Show include:

• The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) who will be promoting the GREAT campaign: Food is GREAT
• The DVLA who will launch their number plate eyesight campaign with interactive displays at the stand.
• The Department for International Trade (DIT) who will be on hand to provide exporting advice to industry at their export hub truck throughout the week
• The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) who will provide ‘dream job’ interactive activities for younger and older children and provide advice on the Access to Work scheme
• The Department for International Development (DfID) will bring humanitarian situations that they support all around the world to life with interactive displays of life-saving equipment at the stand.
• The Home Office will be on hand to provide advice on the EU Settlement scheme that will protect the rights of workers in Wales post EU Exit.

UK Government Minister in Wales Stuart Andrew will attend the show on Wednesday. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster David Lidington MP, the Leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom MP and Minister without Portfolio, Brandon Lewis will also visit the Showground over the course of the week.

Visitors to the show are encouraged to visit the UK Government area on Avenue C, LC217 at the showground to find out how Westminster is delivering for Wales.

Sam Gyimah, Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, today (Thursday 19 July) announced the appointment of Professor David Gann CBE as new Chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA). David will take up his post on 1 August 2018, taking over from Professor Roger Cashmore, who will complete his term as Chair at the end of July 2018.

UKAEA is responsible for leading the commercial development of fusion power and related technology. Nuclear fusion can play a big part in our carbon-free energy future. UKAEA manages the UK fusion programme at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), which is a global hub for scientific talent. In recent years UKAEA’s research has created emerging spin-out industries in areas such as robotics, material sciences and reactor design, reinforcing the UK’s position as a world-leader in fusion research and development.

The Chair of UKAEA is responsible for leading the Board’s strategy and ensuring that its objectives are achieved.

Minister for Research and Development Sam Gyimah said:

The UK is a world-leader in nuclear technology and innovation and I am delighted that Professor David Gann will be the new Chair of the UKAEA Board.

His extensive experience in growing businesses and academic institutions will be crucial to the continued success of our nuclear industry. I want to thank Professor Roger Cashmore for his outstanding service to UKAEA. His commitment and dedication to the mission since 2010 has been invaluable in our cutting-edge work towards commercial success in nuclear fusion.

Professor David Gann CBE said:

I look forward to working with the extraordinarily talented team at UKAEA, and with the wider science and technology community, with the UK positioned as a global leader in fusion technology, providing a future source of sustainable energy.

Coming from a highly collaborative academic institution, I am excited by the prospect of UKAEA enhancing its global ties with industry and academia. These are exciting times, with the UK’s expertise in atomic energy leading to innovation in a range of technologies in robotics and new materials, which also have a wider set of industrial uses.

Publication of UKAEA’s Annual Report

On Thursday 19 July UKAEA laid its 2017/2018 Annual Report before Parliament. This sets out UKAEA’s progress against its objectives.

UKAEA Annual Report and Accounts 2017/2018

More about Professor David Gann

David is Imperial College’s Vice President, leading on innovation, and is a member of Imperial’s President’s Board.

He has played a central role in substantial growth at Imperial College, notably in the new White City campus and new ventures such as ThinkSpace.

David is a chartered civil engineer with a PhD in industrial economics and was Deputy Principal at the Imperial College Business School. He retains roles as Professor of Innovation and Technology Management at Imperial College’s Business School. He is the author of 8 books on innovation, entrepreneurship and technology management, which have been published in 7 languages.

The government has clarified building regulations fire safety guidance, following recommendations made by Dame Judith Hackitt, and is seeking views on the revisions in a consultation launched today (Thursday 19 July).

The Secretary of State for Communities, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, has also said he will go further by conducting a full-scale review of the guidelines, known as ‘Approved Document B’, commencing in the autumn.

The technical review will assess, amongst other things, whether the underlying policy should be updated to reflect modern building practice, the latest understanding of fire risks and technical and scientific innovations.

Alongside the consultation and review of Approved Document B, the government has also announced a package of additional measures to strengthen safety:

• establishing a panel, made up of residents, to ensure proposed safety improvements are grounded in the experience of those who live in high-rise buildings
• Dame Judith Hackitt will chair a soon-to-be established Industry Safety Steering Group to drive the culture change needed to improve safety and hold industry to account
• working with a small group of organisations from industry to pilot safety improvements in line with Dame Judith Hackitt’s recommendations, demonstrating early leadership on building safety reform
• introducing a mandatory requirement on landlords in the private rented sector to ensure electrical installations in their property are inspected every 5 years

Secretary of State for Communities, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

There is nothing more important than ensuring people are safe in their own homes. That is why I am announcing a package of measures focused on improving building safety, having listened carefully to the concerns which have been raised.

Dame Judith’s report sets out the right framework to improve safety but I will not hesitate to go further than the recommendations where I deem it necessary. That is why I am going further than my original commitment to simply clarify the guidelines, by commencing an end-to-end technical review of the fire safety aspects of building regulations in the autumn.

Further information

During the summer, the government has:

Launched a consultation on banning the use of combustible materials in the external walls of high-rise residential buildings which are 18 metres and above. The consultation closes on 14 August.

Consulted on banning or restricting the use of ‘desktop studies’ from being used to assess the fire performance of cladding systems, unless our separate consultation demonstrates that they can be safely used. The consultation has closed and the government is reviewing the responses.

Made available £400 million to fund the removal and replacement of Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) cladding in the social sector. Local authorities and housing associations can apply here.

Announced further action to support local authorities as they work with building owners to remove potentially unsafe cladding on private sector high-rise residential buildings.

Approved Document B

Approved Document B is a part of the building regulations guidance in England covering fire safety matters within and around buildings.

The government is consulting on clarified guidance and has launched a consultation today. The government also intends to carry out a wider technical review, in line with standard practice. A call for evidence will be published this autumn seeking views on the technical issues contained within the document.

Additional information

Consultation on banning the use of combustible materials on the external walls of high-rise residential buildings

Consultation on restricting or banning the use of ‘desktop studies’ as a way of assessing the fire performance of external cladding systems

Further information on the government’s action plan to accelerate the remediation of private high-rise residential buildings with ACM cladding

The government is fully funding the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding by councils and housing associations, estimated at £400 million

Dame Judith Hackitt’s independent review of building regulations and fire safety was published in May 2018 and the government provided a response to her report on the same day.

The plans will protect around 8,000 personnel who would otherwise be negatively affected by the income tax hikes. Personnel will be compensated with an annual payment to make sure that all troops, regardless of where they are deployed or where their families are based, will pay the same income tax.

Following the announcement of Scottish Government’s tax changes, in March Mr Williamson ordered work to start on how the Ministry of Defence would mitigate the impact, following concerns that the changes could result in Scotland becoming a less attractive place for military personnel to be posted to.

The measures announced today will protect nearly three quarters of all armed forces personnel liable for Scottish Income Tax and will help with recruitment and retention, particularly as many of those affected are personnel with specialist skills, such as aircraft and submarine engineers.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

It is completely wrong for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces to be punished for serving in Scotland by unfair raids on their pay packets by the Scottish Government.

That’s why we have taken this urgent action to ensure that our troops are treated equally and fairly.

I’m proud that the UK Government recognises the sacrifices our Armed Forces make across the United Kingdom and the world, and that today we can reassure our service personnel that they will not be left hundreds of pounds out of pocket because of decisions taken by the Scottish Government.

The financial mitigation measures will:

• Be payable to all regular personnel who pay Scottish Income Tax, regardless of where in the world they are serving. Mitigation payments of between £12 and £1,500 will be paid.
• Cover personnel for tax year 2018/19 and will be a single payment made retrospectively
• The case for financial mitigation will be reviewed annually

The MOD will continue to review the situation each year and make decisions each tax year as to whether the difference between Scottish tax and tax elsewhere in the UK is sufficient to warrant financial mitigation. The annual cost to the MOD for Tax Year 2018/19 is expected to be £4 million.

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood said:

Scotland, and military personnel who have made Scotland their home, play a key role in our nation’s defence. Whether it’s working on our nuclear deterrent, protecting NATO airspace, or building local security expertise in the Middle East, Scotland-based troops are engaged right now in protecting the UK and its allies.

Scotland Secretary David Mundell said:

Our servicemen and women make a huge contribution to the communities and the economy of Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s decision to make Scotland the most highly taxed part of the UK means they would be unfairly penalised and it’s absolutely right that the UK Government has taken steps to address that.

Scotland plays an important role in UK Defence supporting over 10,000 industry jobs and is renowned for building the world’s finest warships including the UK’s new aircraft carriers and the Royal Navy’s state-of-art Type-26 frigates.

Scotland also benefits from £1.6 billion investment in local industry and an average of £290 expenditure per person each year. Some of the most important national defence capabilities including HM Naval Base Clyde, home to Britain’s nuclear deterrent and hunter-killer submarines and RAF Lossiemouth defending the UKs airspace with its three Typhoon combat aircraft squadrons and 51st Infantry Brigade.

A consultation on proposed planning reforms for exploratory shale gas development in England has been launched by the government today (19 July 2018).

Seeking views on early proposals looking at the principle of whether to designate exploratory drilling for shale gas resources as a new form of permitted development, it would mean that planning consent would not be required.

With the government committed to ensuring that strong safeguards are in place, any new permitted development right would have to abide by both environmental and site protection laws and would not apply to exploratory drilling in sensitive areas (such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty).

Exploratory drilling for shale deposits are treated separately to full hydraulic shale gas extraction, both will remain subject to strict planning and environmental controls.

The 14-week consultation, open until 25 October 2018, will make sure that those with an interest in shale development can have their say and input their views.

The government will then analyse the comments and issue its response later in 2018.

Background

A further consultation on any specific legislative reforms will follow the government’s response if these are required.

Government will also consult on whether developers should be required to undertake pre-application community engagement prior to submitting a planning application for shale gas development. This consultation will be launched in autumn 2018.

View the consultation document on Gov.uk

The consultation follows the publication of a written ministerial statement on the 17 May 2018, in which the government announced a range of measures to facilitate timely decision making on shale exploration planning applications.

The organising committee for the UK’s presence at Expo 2020 Dubai today announces the panel of experts that will decide the winning design for the UK Pavilion. From architects to artists, the 11 members are looking for a design concept that will create the most original, inspiring and memorable visitor experience possible.

Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton Dame Wendy Hall; Founder and Principal of AL_A Amanda Levete CBE; UK Space Agency director Rebecca Evernden and artist Idris Khan OBE are among the panel members, and will challenge all entrants from a creative and technical standpoint.

The theme of the UK Pavilion will be ‘Innovating for a Shared Future’ and will be built in the Opportunity District of the Expo site in Dubai. The winning design will be announced later in 2018. Led by the Department for International Trade (DIT), the UK Pavilion will host a business and cultural programme to promote the UK as a world-class destination for business, education and tourism.

Baroness Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, said:

Expo 2020 is a fantastic platform to promote Global Britain on the world stage. The UK Pavilion will demonstrate the best of British to millions of people, emphasising the high quality of the innovative goods and services produced by our world-leading businesses.

The UK has a proud history of building successful showcases at World Expos, and supported by this excellent panel, the government is confident that Expo 2020 will create even more terrific opportunities for UK companies.

Laura Faulkner, UK Commissioner and Project Director, Expo 2020 Dubai, said:

We’re delighted that such an esteemed, accomplished and varied panel are joining us to decide on the winning design of the UK Pavilion at Expo 2020.

Previous UK Pavilions at World Expos have attracted a significant number of visitors, with the Thomas Heatherwick-designed Seed Cathedral and Wolfgang Buttress’s Hive both going on to win a number of major awards.

The Pavilion will showcase the best of UK design, manufacturing, technology and much more throughout the 172 days of the Expo, and we look forward to announcing the winning design later this year.

Expo 2020 is taking place in Dubai from 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021. With 180 nations participating and an expected 25 million visitors, it is a global platform to promote UK international agendas and showcase the best of British innovation, creativity and global leadership. The focus in Dubai will be on space, technology, entrepreneurship, global and regional development and creative industries.

The judging panel comprises:

• Rebecca Evernden: Director of International UK Space Agency
• Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE FREng FRS: Professor of Computer Science and Executive Director of the Web Science Institute, University of Southampton
• Idris Khan OBE: Artist
• Amanda Levete CBE; Founder and Principal of AL_A
• Sarah Mann; Head of Architecture, Design & Fashion, British Council
• Jim MacDonald, Chief Executive, Architecture & Design Scotland
• Stephen Metcalfe MP, Member of the Science and Technology Select Committee
• Professor Sadie Morgan, Director, dRMM Architects
• Kathryn Parsons MBE, Founder and CEO, Decoded, UK
• Dr Mike Short CBE, Chief Scientific Advisor, Department for International Trade
• Laura Faulkner OBE: UK Commissioner and Project Director, Expo 2020 Dubai
• Christine Losecaat MBE, Client Creative Advisor, UK Pavilion, Expo 2020 Dubai (advisor to the panel)

In addition to creating a stand out pavilion, UK businesses are winning a significant amount of Expo 2020 related contracts, exceeding £1.3 billion to date, playing a major part in helping deliver Expo 2020 Dubai.

Media enquiries:

• Contact the DIT Media Team on 020 7215 2000 or email newsdesk@trade.gov.uk
• Follow us on Twitter @tradegovuk and @ukpavilion2020

The government agency responsible for managing England’s motorway and major A-road network won three awards at the TyreSafe Awards 2018. It scooped the prestigious ‘Safety in the Community’ category and Online and Social campaign for for its ‘Vehicle Checks’ campaign.

It was also presented with an Emergency Services Award which was a joint initiative to pilot tyre safety checks at the charity car wash events with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), The Fire Fighters Charity (FFC).

This is the first time the Fire Fighters Charity have introduced a theme to its charity car washes. The drivers and occupants of the vehicles going through the car washes received information and education about the importance of the tyres on their vehicle, how and when to carry out checks, and the consequences of unsafe tyres.

The national Highways England ‘Vehicle Checks’ campaign ran across television, radio and online platforms last summer and called on motorists to consider basic checks such as topping up oil, checking tyre pressures and ensuring there was plenty of fuel in the tank.

The campaign underlined the importance of checking the vehicle before setting off and drew comparisons with the high-level of safety placed on those travelling by plane.

By taking a humorous approach to the advert – which featured a pilot announcing he’d done no pre-flight safety checks whatsoever to the aeroplane – the ‘passengers’ quickly set about disembarking underlining the seriousness of safety checks before travelling.

Head of Road Safety at Highways England, Richard Leonard said:

These awards are testament to the evidence-based approach that marketing have taken since 2015 when our Health and Safety five-year plan was launched.

We work closely with TyreSafe to promote tyre safety. Our vehicle checks campaign focused on the six most important checks – two of which are tyre checks – that drivers can make to ensure they have safe journeys.

Head of Marketing at Highways England, Alison Holliday said:

We delivered four phases of this campaign during 2017/18 following a strategic review of the causes of breakdowns and collisions leading to people being killed and seriously injured on our network.

Persuading drivers to carry out vehicle checks before a long journey offered a high potential for change and the great creative approach taken in comparing the critical nature of aircraft checks to vehicle checks really caught people’s imaginations. Most importantly, the summer 2017 campaign led to a recorded drop in vehicles breaking down on our network. This is evidence that our vehicle checks campaign has contributed towards behaviour change.

Highways England has a target to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on its network by 40% before 2020 – so raising awareness of tyre safety can make a significant contribution to achieving this.
Each breakdown is a major inconvenience for driver and passengers. Even if no-one is hurt, the knock-on effect has the potential to cause congestion for thousands of other road users.

TyreSafe chairman, Stuart Jackson, said:

The diverse range of activities to engage communities in the tyre safety message and the breadth of organisations delivering them always makes this a hotly-contested category. However, this year’s winner stood out with the scale of its ambition and proven results.

Highlights included the significant reduction in breakdowns on the Strategic Road Network month-on-month during the campaign.

Some 48 per cent of the target audience saying they were more likely to perform vehicle checks having been exposed to the campaign. And 15 per cent of respondents have carried out vehicle checks prior to a recent journey having been exposed to the campaign.

Congratulations Highways England for the Vehicle Checks campaign, which claims this year’s Safety in the Community Award.

General enquiries

Members of the public should contact the Highways England customer contact centre on 0300 123 5000.

Media enquiries

Journalists should contact the Highways England press office on 0844 693 1448 and use the menu to speak to the most appropriate press officer.

Around 6,000 jobs are already supported by the project. Many of those are within the 2,000 businesses that have delivered work supporting the project, ranging from conducting the largest ground investigation programme in British history to the planting of over 7 million trees and shrubs.

HS2 Ltd Chairman, Sir David Higgins, is expected to say:

Britain invented the modern railway and it is right that, because of HS2, we have the opportunity once again to lead the world in this important sector.

As we move towards construction, we are already seeing thousands of people around the country working to bring Britain’s new railway to reality. We’re in the middle of the largest programme of early works that the UK has ever seen, leading to major construction next year; supporting jobs and businesses around the UK and building the skills base we need to export around the world.

On top of this, people only need to look to Birmingham and its booming economy to see the benefits that HS2 will bring right around the country happening already in the Midlands. Further proof that HS2 is more than just a railway.

Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, said:

HS2 will not only be the backbone of our national network, but a truly ambitious project that will drive huge economic growth right across the country.

It will create significant benefits for all, delivering improved connections between our major cities, introducing more seats and services for passengers, and creating thousands of new jobs and opportunities for people and businesses across the UK.

Sir David Higgins has been instrumental in laying the groundwork for the success of this vital project. As this report shows, before he steps down from the role of chairman, HS2 is already delivering on its incredible potential, with jobs and business opportunities already being created well before the first services are expected in 2026.

The HS2 programme will span over 15 years and then continue to provide direct economic benefits through operation and maintenance contracts once in operation. In addition to this, cities and regions across the UK are already seeing the benefit HS2 will bring, attracting new investment outside of London and the South East, beginning to rebalance the UK economy.

The report, HS2: Realising the potential, launched at an event in Leeds to an audience of over 100 business and civic leaders from across the country, also points to the transformation in rail travel that the new high speed trains will have on travel in the UK. HS2 trains will call at over 25 stations from London to Scotland, serving around 30 million people in regions representing over half of the UK economy.

Core Cities UK Vice Chair and Leader of Newcastle City Council, Cllr Nick Forbes, said:

Core Cities UK Leaders and Mayors believe HS2 is of enormous economic benefit to all our cities, even those not directly on the route. It will pay for itself many times over. And there is no reason why HS2 should be the end of the story, we believe it can be a first step towards high speed rail for the whole of the UK.

Ensuring that passengers can move around the country easily can help companies build a critical mass of skills, talent and expertise which is necessary to increase regional productivity. But passengers also need to have confidence in rail travel, knowing that their journey will be stress free and comfortable.

Passengers on the new high speed network will experience fast, reliable services, rivalling those of other high speed networks across the globe. Trains, stations and ticketing are being designed to revolutionise the user experience, ensuring that future generations of travellers will be catered for on HS2, with any delays to service on high speed lines no longer than an average of 30 seconds.

Sir David Higgins continued:

HS2 services will be unrecognisable to today’s commuters. A service that is dependable, if you’re travelling for work, attending a meeting, or seeing family and friends, the standard set by HS2 will be world class, with the stress of tickets, delays and other frustrations designed out of the system. HS2 will be judged, in the end, if it can be considered a railway for everyone.

Consumers are one step closer to cheaper energy bills as legislation to cap poor value energy tariffs completed its passage through Parliament yesterday (18 July 2018). Alongside this, the government has today announced its flagship energy efficiency scheme will help support more low income and vulnerable consumers.

The Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill will put in place a requirement on the energy regulator, Ofgem, to cap standard variable and default energy tariffs. The cap will tackle the amount consumers have been overpaying the Big Six energy suppliers, which the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found to be an average of £1.4 billion a year. Some consumers could save up to £350 a year on gas and electricity bills by switching suppliers.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

For far too long older people, hard-working families and those on low incomes have been subject to rip-off energy tariffs. Our energy price cap will protect households from unfair price rises in time for this winter when people can feel the pinch more acutely. We know that the cost of living is still a challenge for some families and today marks an important step in helping people to keep more money in their pockets.

Business and Energy Secretary Greg Clark said:

This Bill, which delivers on our manifesto promise, is a necessary intervention to protect millions of energy customers who have been stuck on poor value deals and hit by unjustified price rises for far too long. Switching will always save people money, but that doesn’t mean that customers should be punished for their loyalty.

The government also announced today that its flagship £6 billion home energy efficiency scheme will be entirely focused on upgrading over 1 million low income and vulnerable households for the next 3 and a half years. The Energy Company Obligation scheme, which requires energy companies to supply heating and energy efficiency measures, will be entirely focused on households in or at risk of fuel poverty while being expanded so that more companies will be included.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said:

This government is committed to building an energy market that works for all, while delivering clean, affordable energy. This cap coupled with our £6 billion energy efficiency scheme will help build a market that puts consumers at its heart and ensures that those most at risk of fuel poverty are protected. Energy suppliers now need to get on board, ditch their old practices and improve their efforts to deliver value, choice and excellent customer service.

Today’s announcements are part of a package of measures designed to deliver the government’s objective of clean, affordable and innovative energy, while tackling fuel poverty, as part of our modern Industrial Strategy. This includes the rollout of smart meters and initiatives to promote smarter and faster switching which can also help save households money.

Notes to editors

1. The cap will be in place from the end of 2018 until 2020 when Ofgem will recommend if the cap should remain on an annual basis up to 2023. Ofgem will review the level of the cap at least every 6 months while it is in place.
2. The latest league table from Ofgem comparing the default or standard variable tariffs of the 10 largest energy suppliers shows that these tariffs are still around £350 more expensive than the cheapest deals on the market.
3. The Warm Home Warm Home Discount provides 2 million low income households with £140 off their winter energy bills, a scheme BEIS recently announced that it will be extending to smaller energy suppliers who will have to offer this discount to their low-income and vulnerable customers. This move to bring greater fairness to energy prices will mean that 97% of the consumer energy market will be covered.
4. The safeguard tariff cap has also been extended to a further 1 million customers – so over 5 million customers are protected.
5. The Energy Company Obligation scheme places an obligation on larger energy suppliers (currently 15) to deliver heating and energy efficiency measures.

The Committee welcomes the steps announced by the Leader of the House to put in place independent processes for dealing with allegations of bullying and harassment. We are particularly pleased that the lay members of the House of Commons Standards Committee will have a greater voice in individual cases involving an MP. The 6-month review will be a welcome opportunity to see how this works in practice, and to review the findings of the independent inquiries.

Notes to Editors

1. Interview requests and media enquiries should go to Maggie O’Boyle on 07880 740627.

2. The independent Committee on Standards in Public Life advises the Prime Minister on ethical standards across the whole of public life in the UK. It monitors and reports on issues relating to the standards of conduct of all public office holders. To find out more about the Committee’s work click here.

3. The current members of the Committee are: Lord (Paul) Bew, Chairman, Rt Hon Dame Margaret Beckett DBE MP (Labour), Simon Hart MP (Conservative), Dr Jane Martin CBE, Dame Shirley Pearce DBE, Jane Ramsey, Monisha Shah and Rt Hon Lord (Andrew) Stunell OBE (Liberal Democrat).

4. You can follow the Committee on twitter @PublicStandards.