Category: Gov Press Releases

An alliance of nations and states committed to moving the world from burning coal to cleaner power sources was launched today (16 November 2017) by more than 20 partners at COP23, the United Nations climate change talks.

The UK was one of the first countries to commit to ending unabated coal power generation by 2025. In July 2012, our generation profile still included 40% coal. In July this year, this fell to 2% and in April, the UK had its first full day when no coal was used for 135 years.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance plans to grow to 50 or more members by this time next year. Its ambition is to lead the rest of the world in committing to an end to unabated coal power. The members of the alliance commit to taking action such as setting coal phase out targets, committing to no further investments in coal-fired electricity in their jurisdictions or abroad.

Unabated coal is the generation of electricity from a coal plant without any treatment to reduce substantially the emissions of carbon dioxide. It emits twice as much CO2 as gas per unit of electricity.

The announcement comes as the UK government prepares to launch its flagship Industrial Strategy to get the economy firing while building on its strengths like clean growth and embracing the opportunities of technological change.

Claire Perry, Minister for Climate Change and Industry, said:

Reducing global coal consumption should be a vital and urgent priority for all countries and states. Unabated coal is the dirtiest, most polluting way of generating electricity.

The Powering Past Coal Alliance will signal to the world that the time of coal has passed. The UK is committed to completely phasing out unabated coal-fire power generation no later than 2025 and we hope to inspire others to follow suit.

Catherine McKenna, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, said:

Phasing out coal power is good news for the climate, for our health, and for our kids. Coal is literally choking our cities, with close to a million people dying every year from coal pollution. I’m thrilled to see so much global momentum for the transition to clean energy – and this is only the beginning.

The new coalition will work with businesses, civil society and governments to offer technical and practical help to accelerate the transition away from coal. However, it recognises that not all countries can completely phase out the use of unabated coal at the same rate.

To stay below the 2C target agreed as part of the Paris accord 2 years ago, OECD countries across the world need to phase out coal by 2030 and global use will need to reduce by two-thirds by 2040.

Today’s launch of the alliance comes after British Prime Minister Theresa May reiterated the UK’s commitment to phase out unabated coal by 2025 in a joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in September.

In its first meeting, the alliance agreed that transitioning away from coal-fired electricity is one of the most important steps the international community can take to meet the aims of the historic Paris agreement – at which the UK played a leading role 2 years ago.

The UK has already begun its transition away from coal, in part as a result of renewable energy sources becoming cost effective. Offshore wind, for example, is now half the cost it was 2 years ago. Since 1990, the UK has reduced its emissions by 42%, while growing our economy by 67%. This is in no small part due to the 85% reduction in coal use we’ve seen in that time.

However, domestic action alone is not enough. It is important that we restrict financing for coal projects abroad. The UK government announced in 2014 that it would end support for public financing of new coal-fired power plants overseas, except in rare circumstances. UK Export Finance has not supported a coal project since 2002.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a disqualification undertaking from Mr Muhammad Nazrul Haque effective from 3 November 2017. The disqualification prevents Mr Haque, from directly or indirectly becoming involved in the promotion, formation or management of a company until November 2023.

Mr Haque’s disqualification follows an investigation by the Insolvency Service which found that he had failed to ensure that relevant immigration checks were completed and documents retained. This resulted in the Home Office issuing a penalty notice for £20,000 for employing two illegal workers.

Kolkata Foods Limited and was placed into Liquidation on 12 December 2016 with an estimated deficiency to creditors in excess of £28,000.

Robert Clarke, Senior Investigator, with the Insolvency Service, said:

The Insolvency Service pursues directors who fail to pay fines imposed by the government for breaking employment and immigration laws. We have worked closely in this case with our colleagues at the Home Office to achieve this disqualification.

The public has a right to expect that those who break the law will face the consequences. If you fail to comply with your obligations then the Insolvency Service will investigate you.

A Home Office spokesperson said:

Illegal working is not victimless. It undercuts honest employers, cheats legitimate job seekers out of employment opportunities and defrauds the taxpayer.

Businesses should be aware that they have a duty to check that their staff have permission to work in the UK.

We are happy to work with employers who play by the rules but those who do not should know that they will not go under our radar.

Notes to editors

Mr Haque’s date of birth is 21 March 1972 and he resides in Didcot.

Kolkata Foods Limited (CRO No. 09009064) was incorporated on 24 April 2014 and traded as an Indian Restaurant from 222 Broadway, Didcot, OX11 8RS.

Mr Haque was a director from 24 April 2014 to Liquidation. The Company went into Creditors Voluntary Liquidation on 12 December 2016 with an estimated deficiency of £28,895.

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, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, 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

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

Measures that will help improve the road network’s resilience when there are interruptions to services across the English Channel are being set out by Highways England today (Wednesday 15 November).

The steps include a fresh look at options for holding large numbers of lorries at a site near the M20, and an interim solution that would hold freight traffic on the M20 while keeping the motorway open in both directions for other vehicles.

They follow the Government’s announcement today that it has withdrawn its July 2016 decision to approve plans for a lorry area at Stanford West.

Highways England project director John Kerner said:

The disruption that people in Kent suffered in summer 2015 underlines the need for long term improvements to how traffic is managed when cross-channel services are interrupted.

Improvements at the port, and changes we have made to traffic management on the A20 near Dover, have delivered real improvements and have also helped prevent Operation Stack from being implemented. Along with our partners we are better prepared than ever, but a better plan for dealing with more widespread disruption is still needed.

Now that the Government has withdrawn the decision to build a lorry area at Stanford West, we have been asked by the Transport Secretary to immediately develop both an interim and a permanent solution to reduce the local traffic impacts if there is cross-channel disruption.

Highways England is committed to delivering the Government’s aim of finding a solution that makes Operation Stack less disruptive for people and businesses in Kent, and the improvements we are taking forward will help to do just that.

Highways England have developed a number of options that, while continuing to hold HGVs on the M20, would allow non-port traffic to continue to travel in both directions reducing the levels of traffic disruption seen in Operation Stack. This could, for example, be through holding HGVs in the centre of the motorway rather than on the coastbound carriageway. Different technologies ranging from steel barriers to movable barrier systems could be deployed to deliver these solutions.

A decision on the interim option being taken forward will be made in early 2018, with delivery complete by March 2019.

The Transport Secretary has also tasked Highways England with starting the process to develop a permanent alternative to Operation Stack, incorporating a lorry park, through the normal planning process, including a full Environmental Impact Assessment.

Highways England is currently reviewing the scope, scale and location of potential solutions. The work will take into account changes since the original concept of the lorry park was promoted, in particular the UK’s exit from the European Union but also the need for ‘business as usual’ lorry parking in Kent. Specific investment decisions on both the longer-term and interim solutions will be subject to normal considerations of affordability and value for money. Highways England intends to consult on the options in early 2018 with a view to submitting a planning application in 2019.

The measures announced today build on significant progress that has been made in recent years.

Since the unprecedented deployment of Operation Stack in summer 2015, Highways England has installed new traffic lights and lane control at the end of the A20 dual carriageway on approach to Dover. The arrangements, known as Dover TAP, have helped to prevent Operation Stack being called on at least six occasions. Improvements to holding capacity made in the Port of Dover and at Eurotunnel’s Folkestone terminal have also had a positive effect.

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.

Penny Lane Kitchens Limited (PLK) installed kitchens and bedrooms and went into liquidation on 25 January 2016, owing £237,689 to creditors, including £138,082 in respect of unpaid tax.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy accepted a seven year disqualification undertaking from Mr Lane, which bars him from acting as a company director or from managing, or in any way controlling, a limited company from 1 November 2017 until 2024.

An investigation by the Insolvency Service found Mr Lane had failed to carry out his fiduciary duties as director of PLK having caused payments due to the company to be paid directly into his personal bank account without being recorded within PLK’s trading records.

Upon discovery of this fact, HM Revenue and Customs had determined that a further £67,405 was due in respect of undeclared Corporation Tax liabilities and that further penalties, interest, and charges totalling £138,646 were also due.

The Insolvency Service’s investigation further found Mr Lane had failed in his duty as a director to maintain, preserve or alternatively, deliver-up adequate accounting records. As a result, from 1 December 2014 onward, it was not possible to ascertain whether all of the money received, and paid out, by PLK had been accounted for. It was further not possible to establish whether the company had correctly accounted for its tax liabilities or whether there was further money due from Mr Lane in respect of his directors loan account.

Sue MacLeod, Chief Investigator of Insolvent Investigations Midlands and West at the Insolvency Service, said:

In investigating insolvent companies, the Insolvency Service always looks very closely at individuals who demonstrate a disregard for creditors and appropriate action is taken where wrongdoing is uncovered.

Directors have a duty to ensure that their companies maintain proper accounting records, and, following insolvency, deliver them to the office-holder in the interests of fairness and transparency. Without a full account of transactions it is impossible to determine whether a director has discharged his duties properly, or is using a lack of documentation as a cloak for impropriety.

Notes to editors

Colin Terry Lane’s date of birth is 6 September 1959 and he resides in Liverpool.

Penny Lane Kitchens Limited (company registration number 06431280) was incorporated on 19 November 2007 and traded from 374 – 376 Smithdown Road, Liverpool L15 5AN.

Colin Terry Lane was the sole director from 9 November 2007 to 25 January 2016 (the date of creditors voluntary liquidation).

Mr Lane’s seven year disqualification undertaking was signed on behalf of the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on 11 October 2017 to be effective from 1 November 2017.

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.

All public enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to:
Insolvent Investigations, Midlands and West, 4th Floor, Cannon House, 18 Priory Queensway, Birmingham B4 6FD. Tel: 0121 698 4000 Email: Adminteam.Midlands&west@insolvency.gsi.gov.uk

The Insolvency Service, an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), administers the insolvency regime, and aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community, including dealing with the disqualification of directors in corporate failures.

BEIS’ mission is to build a dynamic and competitive UK economy that works for all, in particular by creating the conditions for business success and promoting an open global economy. The Criminal Investigations and Prosecutions team contributes to this aim by taking action to deter fraud and to regulate the market. They investigate and prosecute a range of offences, primarily relating to personal or company insolvencies.

The agency also authorises and regulates the insolvency profession, 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

You can also follow the Insolvency Service on:

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

21 miles of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon are being upgraded to three lanes in each direction including a brand new 17-mile bypass south of Huntingdon, with four lanes in each direction between Bar Hill and Girton. The project will add additional capacity, boost the local and national economy and cut up to 20 minutes off journeys.

The 2,200 strong construction team is keeping to the project’s challenging timetable, with the improvements on track to open to traffic by the end of 2020.

More than a quarter of the project’s main construction work has been successfully completed: a total of 3 million hours have been worked, and 2.5 million cubic metres of soil (equivalent to 1,000 Olympic swimming pools) have been moved into position to create foundations for the road and junctions.

34 bridges and structures are being built as part of the scheme including the new 750-metre long River Great Ouse viaduct. One is already open to traffic, and on the others nearly 750 major components have been built.
David Bray, A14 project director at Highways England, says:

“This is a huge amount of progress, and we are well on the way to transforming journeys on this vital link between East Anglia and the Midlands, connecting businesses, communities and families.

“The improvements we are delivering between Cambridge and Huntingdon are vital for the local area and for the country’s economy. We set out to deliver world leading infrastructure improvements a year ago and this is exactly what we have been doing so far.

“We’ve been using innovative ways of working to speed up construction such as making our own concrete building parts on-site and using temporary bridges to move construction materials across site without having to use the main roads.

“And we’ve done all this while looking after the environment alongside the project – we plan to have a positive impact by the time we finish – and giving local people opportunities to find out more, get involved or get funding for relevant projects.”

The project’s ecology team has already created three of the 18 wildlife habitats which will be built as part of the scheme, covering a total of 271 hectares of new habitat by the time the scheme is completed.

The A14 Community Fund has allocated more than £110,000 to 16 local projects over the past year. Examples include a project to help people who have been out of work for a while to gain skills to get them closer to employment by growing plant plugs and looking after the natural environment locally. Another project seeks to encourage people to create poems and other pieces of creative writing about the A14 as a road within the local community. More than 2,000 people are estimated to benefit from the community fund projects so far.

Some 22 apprentices and 44 graduates have been recruited into the project team and 19 students have done work experience with the team too. The project’s skills team has also attended 80 local career events and visited 30 schools to promote science, technology, engineering and maths and talked to young people about careers in civil engineering.

The archaeology team is also making good progress, with 200 archaeologists working across the scheme currently. More than 25 settlements have been uncovered so far, including Iron Age, Roman, Saxon and Medieval villages. All excavation work will be completed by summer 2018 and people will be able to find out more over the coming months.

And the mobile visitor centre has visited 32 towns or events and welcomed over 2,400 visitors to keep people updated about the scheme and opportunities.

David continues:

“It’s exciting to see the pace of progress on such a big project”

“Every day there is something new to see: new bridge columns, the layout for a new part of the road, a new balancing pond near a future junction – it’s all happening on a giant scale and there will be even more to see over the coming months.”

Plans for next year’s construction schedule include: work starting on the Bar Hill junction and the widening of the Cambridge northern bypass between Histon and Milton; opening the Grafham Road bridge over the A1, the first of the new Girton interchange bridges and the new A1 between Alconbury and Brampton to traffic; and continuing the construction of the bridges for the Swavesey junction, the River Great Ouse viaduct and the bridge over the east coast railway. The completion timings of all these activities are still indicative at this stage and dependent on weather and other factors.

David adds:

“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the roads users and local residents who use or live near the A14 for their patience so far”

“We’re doing our very best to keep disruption to a minimum, which is no small feat when building 21 miles of new road – some of it around a very busy existing road – in record time!”

John Bridge OBE, chief executive of the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce, comments:

“The biggest barrier to growth and economic success [in Cambridgeshire], is well on the road to being dealt with. The business community is really delighted to see progress at last on the A14 and in particular, the very positive way that the scheme is being developed. Whilst there are some short term challenges which can be expected in a construction scheme of this size, the significant long term benefits will far outweigh any short term inconvenience.”

Fact box – achieved to date

Overview

• Over a quarter of the way through the project
• Construction compounds and haul roads have been built
• Work to build the new bridges, including the 750m River Great Ouse viaduct, is well underway
• The first side road bridge opened in September 2017, ahead of programme. The bridge (near Wood Green Animal Shelter in Godmanchester) will eventually carry the A1198 over the new A14 bypass
• Excavations on the project’s borrow pits, which provide some of the 10million m³ of material needed to build the road, are ongoing
• The A14 mobile visitor centre has visited 32 towns or events and welcomed over 2400 visitors to keep people updated about the scheme and opportunities
• More than 6 miles of haul roads have been created, removing the need for large lorries to use the road network, and are being used daily by 100 dump trucks
• Nearly 8 miles of narrow lanes have been installed on the A14 and A1, avoiding the need for lane closures during the day and keeping road capacity as it was previously.

Construction

• More than 2,500,000m³ of soil have been moved, a quarter of the total amount needed for the project
• 3,000,000 hours have been worked on the project since the start of construction
• 35,000m³ of concrete has been poured to make bridge parts and road foundations
• Just over 6 miles (10km) of haul road has been built
• 400 pieces of heavy plant, including 100 dump trucks, are used on-site every day
• 1 bridge has been completed and opened to traffic, 570 bridge piles have been installed,104 bridge piers constructed and 74 bridge beams placed
• Almost 26 of the 70 miles (112km) of utility services (such as gas, water, broadband) have been diverted away from the route of the new A14

Skills/employment

• The skills team has attended 80 local career events and visited approximately 30 schools to promote science, technology, engineering and maths and talk to young people about careers in civil engineering
• 19 young people have been welcomed in work experience programmes on the project. Further work experience opportunities are planned for Easter and summer 2018
• 22 apprentices and 44 graduates have been recruited
• 17 summer interns have been hosted on the project
• Six people have completed the A14 community fund funded Groundwork programme which aims to get people closer to work

Ecology and environment

• 3 of the 18 wildlife habitats to be built as part of the scheme have been created
• 5 barn owl boxes have been installed, with another 14 to install. All of the 5 boxes installed were used for nesting this year, and 3 of the birds successfully reared chicks
• In the last quarter, 3.2 million litres of water have been saved every month thanks to the efforts the project team is making to work sustainably across the project
• The miles needed to transport concrete have been reduced by having on-site concrete batching plants to make bridge or foundation parts, with the materials produced being used in the foundations and bridges across the scheme
• The project’s electricity comes from 100% renewable energy. This means the estimated 5,312,772 kWh of electricity required annually across all three compounds will be generated and provided by renewable sources, e.g. wind and solar
• 6 solar powered lighting towers are being used across the project. This is expected to save more than £23,000 and 97.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions

Legacy

• More than £110,000 out of the £400,000 fund has been allocated to 16 local projects under the A14 Community Fund, with more rounds to come between now and when the project completes. More than 2,000 people are estimated to benefit at some point from the approved projects
• So far, 3 pre-employment projects have been funded to support local unemployed people to access jobs on the scheme
• A heritage strategy has been funded to encourage leisure activities and tourism around the A14 corridor
• The project team is working with Cambridgeshire County Council to deliver additional pedestrian, cycle and equestrian routes around the scheme

Archaeology

• More than 200 archaeologists are working on the scheme
• More than 25 settlements have been uncovered so far, including: Iron Age, Roman, Saxon and Medieval villages
• All excavation areas will be completed by summer 2018

You can see a new fly-through simulation of the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme on the Highways England YouTube Channel.

For the latest information about the A14 Cambridge to Huntingdon improvement scheme, including job and training opportunities, visit the scheme website, follow @A14C2H on Twitter and like our Facebook page.

For more information about the A14 Community Fund and to apply, visit the Cambridge Community Foundation website.

To book the A14 Cambridge to Huntington mobile visitor centre to attend a public event for free, call 0800 270 0114 or email A14CambridgeHuntingdon@highwaysengland.co.uk.

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.

A group of independent panel members has found that the merger of Just Eat plc (Just Eat) and Hungryhouse Holdings Limited (Hungryhouse) does not raise competition concerns.

Just Eat and Hungryhouse are web-based food ordering platforms in the UK. They give restaurants the opportunity to reach a wider pool of people, as well as offer consumers the convenience of choosing from a large range of takeaway providers in one place.

As first indicated in the provisional findings, the group found that Hungryhouse presently provides limited competition to Just Eat because it is much smaller in size and offers too few unique restaurants. This makes it increasingly difficult for Hungryhouse to attract and retain consumers.

Furthermore, it found that the industry is evolving rapidly following the entry of platforms such as Deliveroo, UberEATS and Amazon, which also manage or facilitate delivery services on behalf of restaurants. These companies generally present a greater competitive challenge to Just Eat than Hungryhouse, and this is likely to grow as they expand.

In reaching its final conclusion, the group also took account of the fact that some customers may order directly from takeaway restaurants, either by telephone, through their websites or by walking in.

All information relating to this merger inquiry can be found on the case page.

Notes for editors

1. The CMA is the UK’s primary competition and consumer authority. It is an independent non-ministerial government department with responsibility for carrying out investigations into mergers, markets and the regulated industries and enforcing competition and consumer law.
2. The CMA began its initial investigation into the merger in March 2017. The CMA referred the case for in-depth investigation on 19 May 2017 and published its provisional findings on 12 October 2017.
3. Certain of the CMA’s functions in phase 2 merger inquiries are performed by independent inquiry groups chosen from the CMA’s panel members. The appointed inquiry group are the decision-makers on phase 2 inquiries. The members of the inquiry group are: Professor Martin Cave (Inquiry Chair), Katherine Holmes, John Krumins and Jayne Scott. The CMA’s panel members come from a variety of backgrounds, including economics, law, accountancy and/or business; the membership of an inquiry group usually reflects a mix of expertise and experience.
4. For more information on the CMA see our homepage or follow us on Twitter @CMAgovuk, Flickr and LinkedIn and like our Facebook page. Sign up to our email alerts to receive updates on merger cases.
5. Media enquiries should be directed to press@cma.gsi.gov.uk or 020 3738 6337.

FCO Spokesperson statement:

We are deeply concerned by the risk of a serious deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen. We call on all parties to ensure immediate access for commercial and humanitarian supplies to avert the threat of starvation and disease faced by millions of civilians. We call for the immediate resumption of UN flights and the reopening of Hodeidah port. The UK is the second largest donor to the UN’s Yemen Appeal, and UKaid has already provided food to almost 2m people and clean water to over 1m more. We must continue to offer this lifesaving assistance and that is why we call on all parties ensure that humanitarian workers are able to enter and exit the country and access all affected areas.

We share the concern of Saudi Arabia about the security threat posed by ballistic missiles, such as the one of 4 November. We understand the need to take action to stem the flow of sophisticated weaponry into Yemen, including the importance of effective monitoring and controls. Efforts to implement the arms embargo called for by UN Security Council Resolution 2216 must be increased by all states while ensuring that vital commercial and humanitarian supplies are able to reach vulnerable Yemeni people.

We believe that a comprehensive political solution is the only way to end the conflict and bring real stability to Yemen. We call on all parties to engage with the peace process.

The number of new homes delivered each year has been increasing since 2010, but the Prime Minister will say there is more we can do to build the homes the country needs.

Speaking ahead of a visit to a housing development in Barnet, North London today (Thursday 16 November), which coincides with the publication of new statistics on housebuilding, Theresa May said:

“For decades we simply have not been building enough homes, nor have we been building them quickly enough, and we have seen prices rise.

“The number of new homes being delivered each year has been increasing since 2010, but there is more we can do.

“We must get back into the business of building the good quality new homes for people who need them most.

“That is why I have made it my mission to build the homes the country needs and take personal charge of the Government’s response.

“Today I am seeing the work now underway to put this right and, in coming weeks and months, my Government will be going further to ensure that we build more homes, more quickly.

“This will be a long journey and it will take time for us to fix the broken housing market – but I am determined to build a Britain fit for the future.”

Later today Communities Secretary Sajid Javid will deliver a speech on housing at the Temple Meads Quarter in Bristol to reinforce the government’s approach to back housing of all tenures, including more social housing.

The Communities Secretary is expected to say:

“The generation crying out for help with housing is not over-entitled. They don’t want the world handed to them on a plate. They want simple fairness, moral justice, the opportunity to play by the same rules enjoyed by those who came before them.

“Without affordable, secure, safe housing we risk creating a rootless generation, drifting from one short-term tenancy to the next, never staying long enough to play a role in their community.

“Our Housing White Paper in February set out our broad vision. It described the scale of the challenge and the need for action on many fronts. Since then we’ve been putting it into action, laying the foundations for hundreds of thousands more homes.

“But there are many, many faults in our housing market, dating back many, many years. If you only fix one you’ll make some progress, but not enough. This is a big problem and we have to think big.”

He will announce that the Government is taking housing associations’ debt off the balance sheet, ensuring housing associations have a stable investment environment to build more homes.

This builds on the Government’s ongoing work to tackle the challenges in the housing sector including:

• Increasing the affordable housing budget by an additional £2 billion to over £9 billion, to deliver more homes at social rent and potentially leverage investment from housing associations and councils of up to £5 billion;
• Setting a long term rent deal for councils and housing associations in England from 2020 – helping support them build more homes;
• Creating the £3 billion Home Building Fund last year to build more houses across England. Over £1.7 billion has now been committed, and will mean over 100,000 new homes built across England;
• Publishing the Housing White Paper which set out the Government’s plans, including ensuring councils release more land for housing, and giving them new powers to ensure that developers actually build homes once they’re given planning permission to do so;
• Introducing schemes like Help to Buy to support people who are struggling right now – this has already helped over 130,000 more families with the deposit they need to buy their own home. We have now invested a further £10 billion in Help to Buy to help a further 135,000 households by 2021; and
• Meeting big and small developers, local authorities and housing associations to ask them to all play their part in increasing the number of homes being built. The Prime Minister and the Communities Secretary recently held a meeting with developers and housing associations in Downing Street to discuss actions needed to remove the barriers they are facing in building new homes.

Since April 2010, around 346,000 affordable homes have been delivered, including 240,000 for rent. More than twice as much council housing has been built since 2010 than in the previous 13 years.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

“The Prime Minister and Chancellor co-hosted a roundtable this afternoon with leading figures from the UK tech industry, ahead of a reception at Downing Street attended by entrepreneurs and innovators from across the country.

“The Prime Minister began by welcoming the huge contribution that the tech sector makes to the whole of the UK. She promised to listen to the industry’s views on what more Government can do to help it go from strength to strength.

“The Chancellor said Government would be ambitious as it works to make the most of the incredible potential of the tech sector, to break down the barriers facing entrepreneurs and to drive future growth.

“On Brexit, the Prime Minister said she had no doubt that the UK will remain a brilliant place to build a tech business after we have left the EU, and reiterated that she is determined to get the best deal for our country. There was agreement during the discussion on the need for Britain to take advantage of the opportunity of Brexit to be bold and ambitious in the action we’re taking to boost the tech sector.

“There was also consensus on the need to make sure we’re attracting the brightest and best talent to the UK. Eileen Burbidge, Chair of Tech City UK, welcomed the PM’s announcement of an increase in visas for tech talent as being exactly what the sector needs.

“There was a discussion on skills, and the need to ensure people of all ages and backgrounds have the digital skills to get ahead and take up the good, high-quality jobs on offer in the tech industry. And there was agreement on the importance of continued investment in infrastructure, including superfast broadband.

“Nick Sturge, CEO of Engine Shed, welcomed the new investment to expand Tech City UK into a nationwide network, which he said has the potential to raise the profile of regional tech hubs and entrepreneurs outside of London.

“Culture Secretary Karen Bradley closed the roundtable by reaffirming the Government’s ongoing commitment to supporting the sector and to maintaining this engagement through future meetings, to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of innovation and technology in the years ahead.”

Rare species like the marsh fritillary butterfly and willow tit bird have been given a conservation boost today, with Natural England officially recognising the Mid Cornwall Moors as one of the country’s most important wildlife sites.

Following a four-month public consultation, Natural England has confirmed the designation of the Mid Cornwall Moors as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), giving the area legal protection for its important wildlife and habitats.

This brings certainty and purpose to conservation work in Mid Cornwall, where the rich mix of heathland, woodland, and wildflower meadows provides a vital sanctuary for wildlife.

Wesley Smyth, manager of Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly team in Natural England, said:

This rich and diverse landscape of Mid Cornwall is home to an array of rare plants and insects, alongside one of the highest densities of willow tit breeding pairs in England.

That’s why we’ve designated this area as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, recognising its vital contribution to our natural heritage and helping its precious wildlife thrive for generations to come.

Natural England is working with landowners and local organisations, such as the Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation, to create the perfect conditions for the rare marsh fritillary butterfly. With further help from the Eden Project and Highways England, swathes of devil’s-bit scabious – the main food plant for the marsh fritillary caterpillars – have been grown and planted alongside the A30 road corridor.

Philip Hambly, Chairman of Cornwall Butterfly Conservation (CBC), said:

CBC have been working with Natural England in order to help protect the rare Marsh Fritillary butterfly in Mid Cornwall, and this confirmation of SSSI protection will help future conservation efforts. If we want to protect our rare species such as this, we must manage their habitats carefully and make sure that we are doing so on a landscape scale.

As part of the area’s newly-designated status, another project seeks to protect the habitat of the willow tit, which has virtually disappeared from large parts of the UK and whose national population has declined by an estimated 81% since the mid-1990s.

The Mid Cornwall Moors SSSI merges six former SSSIs that previously dotted the landscape around the A30 and east of Indian Queens. The new designation has extended those boundaries and protects around 50% more countryside, connecting important habitats and helping wildlife to withstand pressures from climate change.