Pulse.Assent

• Committee on Climate Change to advise on setting a date for net zero emissions target
• first-ever Green GB & NI Week launches – bringing society together to tackle climate change
• ‘Green collar’ jobs could reach two million by 2030, generating up to £170 billion in annual exports for UK businesses

To mark the launch of this nationwide week, Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry today (Monday 15 October) wrote to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) asking for advice on:

• setting a date for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions from across the economy, including from transport, industry and agriculture
• whether we need to review our 2050 target of cutting emissions by at least 80% relative to 1990 levels to meet international climate targets set out in Paris Agreement
• how emissions reductions might be achieved in industry, homes, transport and agriculture
• and the expected costs and benefits in comparison to current targets

This makes the UK one of the first in the G7 to formally explore setting an even more ambitious target than its current one. It follows a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), showing more rapid action is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to avoid devastating risks of climate change to health and global prosperity.

The UK is already a world leader when it comes to tackling climate change. We led the world with our Climate Change Act, and since 1990 we have led the G7 in cutting emissions while growing our economy on a per person basis. In 2017 we saw renewable energy generation at record levels, and we are among the world’s best in cutting our carbon intensity.

But the government is determined to do more and our first-ever Green GB & NI Week will celebrate the progress we have made while challenging governments, businesses and civil society to rise to the task.

During Green GB Week, Claire Perry will also highlight the economic opportunities of moving to an even greener, cleaner economy. There are already almost 400,000 jobs in the low carbon economy and this could quadruple to around 2 million, generating up to £170 billion of annual exports. This is why the government has put Clean Growth at the centre of its modern Industrial Strategy.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

On the global stage, the UK is driving forward action on climate change through our work at the UN and with our Commonwealth partners. To ensure that we continue to lead from the front, we are asking the experts to advise on targets for net zero emissions.

At home, we are growing an economy that is fit for the future. Over the last year, we’ve generated record levels of solar and offshore wind energy, and just last month I hosted the UK’s first zero-emission vehicles summit. For our first Green GB Week, we are asking businesses and consumers to work with us to consider what more they can do to protect our environment.

Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry said:

We’re a world leader when it comes to tackling climate change and cutting carbon intensity, but the evidence is clear – governments, businesses and communities must take further action to confront one of the greatest global challenges we’ve ever faced.

That’s why we’re asking the independent climate experts of the CCC for advice on a roadmap to a net zero economy, including how emissions might be reduced and the expected costs and benefits of doing so.

The case for tackling climate change is more stark than ever before. This Green GB Week, we need everyone – the government, businesses and communities – to renew their efforts to confront this global challenge head on while seizing one of the greatest industrial opportunities of our time.

Gareth Redmond-King, Head of Climate at WWF said:

Last week scientists from around the world said we had 12 years to tackle climate change. Governments can no longer shirk their responsibilities. It’s time to act and, crucially, embrace the opportunities a green economy presents. Done right, this could be the biggest economic opportunity in history, driving innovation, job creation and better living standards.

To mark the start of Green GB Week the government today unveiled a package of measures to help transform energy infrastructure to make it cleaner and greener, including:

• proposals for new laws for smart energy appliances like washing machines and electric heating, laying the groundwork for a smart and clean electricity system of the future with the ambition of making all new buildings smart by 2030
• opening the £18 million Heat Recovery Support scheme to help businesses become more energy efficient, which could save industry up to £500 million on their energy bills while making manufacturing firms more competitive
• launching a £320 million government fund in low-carbon heating for cities, appointing Triple Point Heat Networks Investment Management to it
• and in 2019 we will launch a competition to design the house of the future, more energy efficient, with quality affordable design and easily adaptable to help healthy ageing

Showing its leadership on the global stage, the government today also announced £106 million to encourage greener construction practices in developing countries to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions, creating opportunities for UK businesses to invest in new markets.

This comes just weeks after the government announced £160 million to help countries transition to cleaner, greener energy. This included £60 million to share the UK’s world leading expertise on energy market reform, green finance and climate legislation to help developing countries seize the opportunities of clean growth.

The week will see more than 100 events hosted around the country designed to promote the opportunities that come from clean growth and raise awareness of how businesses and the public can contribute to tackling climate change.

Polling commissioned for Green GB Week revealed 60% of 18 to 24 year-olds are interested in ‘green collar’ jobs in the environmental sectors of the economy, the equivalent of more than 3 million young people in the UK. When asked why they wanted to pursue a career in the green economy, two-thirds said it was because they wanted to help tackle climate change while 70% of those surveyed underestimated the number of jobs which could be created in the sector.

To help grow the sector, the government is creating the right conditions to ensure businesses can seize those opportunities through our modern Industrial Strategy. Our world-leading Clean Growth Strategy sets out how we’re investing more than £2.5 billion in low carbon innovation as part of the largest increase in public spending on science, research and innovation on over three decades.

The government has also earmarked more than half a billion pounds for emerging renewable technologies to give them the certainty developers need to invest while driving down costs for consumers.

Notes to editors

1. See Energy and Clean Growth Minister Claire Perry’s letter to the CCC.

2. Green GB & NI Week launched today, with a series of events planned around the country. Find out about Green GB Week.

3. A ‘net-zero’ target means emissions of greenhouse gases driven by human activity are balanced by methods of removing emissions from the atmosphere.

4. Last week the IPCC published its Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C which found that to meet the goals set under the Paris Agreement – to limit global warming to 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5˚C – globally we must increase our efforts to tackle climate change.

5. Our current 2050 target, set out in the Climate Change Act 2008, is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% relative to 1990 levels.

6. The UK is already committed to working with other countries to achieve global net zero emissions in the second half of the century, as set out in the government’s ambitious Clean Growth Strategy.

7. The government will today publish:

• the response to the CCC’s annual progress report to Parliament on reducing UK emissions
• a response to a consultation on setting standards for smart appliances

8. Tomorrow we will be publishing an update on the Smart Systems and Flexibility Plan.

9. The £106 million Market Accelerator for Green Construction is a collaboration between the UK and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to drive the financing and construction of more energy efficient buildings in developing countries:

• buildings account for around a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions and improving building design and construction will play an important role in avoiding climate change and meeting our Paris Agreement goals
• funded through the UK’s International Climate Finance – part of the UK aid budget – the Market Accelerator for Green Construction will mobilise up to $2 billion in public and private investment into new green construction
• by helping to build new clean growth markets in emerging economies and opening up opportunities for UK industry’s leadership, technical expertise and innovation, the Market Accelerator for Green Construction will create an international dimension to the Industrial Strategy Buildings Mission

Joint statement by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian of France and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of Germany:

Defending freedom of expression and a free press and ensuring the protection of journalists are key priorities for Germany, the United Kingdom and France. In this spirit, light must be shed on the disappearance of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, whose family has lost contact with him since October 2nd.

Germany, the United Kingdom and France share the grave concern expressed by others including HRVP Mogherini and UNSG Guterres, and are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness. There needs to be a credible investigation to establish the truth about what happened, and – if relevant – to identify those bearing responsibility for the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi, and ensure that they are held to account.

We encourage joint Saudi-Turkish efforts in that regard, and expect the Saudi Government to provide a complete and detailed response. We have conveyed this message directly to the Saudi authorities.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @Jeremy_Hunt and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

This follows extensive lobbying efforts from the UK and close partners.

The Foreign Secretary will be thanking eight Foreign Ministers today at Chevening for their support and determination in the global effort to end the use of chemical weapons for good.

Ministers from Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania will join the Foreign Secretary at his official residence, before heading to Luxembourg for meetings on Monday.

The Foreign Secretary will use this momentum to ensure specific individuals and entities responsible for the use and proliferation of chemical weapons across the world are listed under the new sanctions regime swiftly.

He will also tell counterparts at the FAC that discussions on a new cyber-related sanctions regime must now be accelerated.

The Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said:

For years there has been an international taboo on the use of chemical weapons but that is at risk now after Syria and Salisbury. We now need to redraw the red line that says that for anyone using these horrific weapons the price will always be too high.

These new sanctions are vital, but they are not the end of the story.

Further information

• Follow the Foreign Secretary on Twitter @Jeremy_Hunt and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Twitter @foreignoffice and Facebook

• Follow the Foreign Office on Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn

• Tech companies HP Inc. and Centrica Hive Ltd are the first companies to sign up to commit to the code.
• The code will ensure that businesses continue to strengthen the cyber security of their products at the design stage.
• The UK is leading global efforts to strengthen the security of smart devices and products.

In a world first, government has published new measures to help manufacturers boost the security of internet-connected devices such as home alarm systems, fridges and toys.

There are expected to be more than 420 million internet connected devices in use across the UK within the next three years and poorly secured devices such as virtual assistants, toys and smartwatches can leave people exposed to security issues and even large scale cyber attacks.

To combat this, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) set out plans in a ‘Secure by Design’ review to embed security in the design process of new technology rather than bolt it on as an afterthought.

As a result, a new Code of Practice [link to CoP] has been developed with industry to improve the cyber security of devices, encourage innovation in new technologies and keep consumers safe.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, David Lidington said:

Our National Cyber Security Strategy sets out our ambitious proposals to defend our people, deter our adversaries and develop our capabilities to ensure the UK remains the safest place to live and do business online.

Tech companies like HP Inc. and Centrica Hive Ltd are helping us put in place the building blocks we need to transform the UK’s cyber security.

I am proud to say the UK is leading the way internationally with our new Code of Practice, to deliver consumer devices and associated services that are Secure by Design.

Minister for Digital, Margot James, said:

From smartwatches to children’s toys, internet-connected devices have positively impacted our lives but it is crucial they have the best possible security to keep us safe from invasions of privacy or cyber attacks.

The UK is taking the lead globally on product safety and shifting the burden away from consumers having to secure their devices.

The pledges by HP Inc. and Centrica Hive Ltd are a welcome first step but it is vital other manufacturers follow their lead to ensure strong security measures are built into everyday technology from the moment it is designed.

Poorly secured devices can threaten individuals’ privacy, compromise their network security, their personal safety and could be exploited as part of large-scale cyber attacks. Recent high-profile breaches putting people’s data and security at risk include attacks on smart watches, CCTV cameras and childrens’ toys.

To make sure consumers are protected when using internet-connected devices and while manufacturers implement stronger security measures, Government and NCSC have worked closely with consumer groups and industry to develop guidance on smart devices in the home [link to consumer guidance].

The new Code of Practice outlines thirteen guidelines that manufacturers of consumer devices should implement into their product’s design to keep consumers safe.

This includes secure storage of personal data, regular software updates to make sure devices are protected against emerging security threats, no default passwords and making it easier for users to delete their personal data off the product.

Dr Ian Levy, the NCSC’s Technical Director, said:

With the amount of connected devices we all use expanding, this world-leading Code of Practice couldn’t come at a more important time.

The NCSC is committed to empowering consumers to make informed decisions about security whether they’re buying a smartwatch, kettle or doll. We want retailers to only stock internet-connected devices that meet these principles, so that UK consumers can trust that the technology they bring into their homes will be properly supported throughout its lifetime.

The Government has also published a mapping document [link to: Mapping document] to make it easier for other manufacturers to follow in HP Inc.’s and Centrica Hive’s footsteps. Further work is underway to develop regulation that will strengthen the security of internet-connected consumer products.

Implementing the Code of Practice can help organisations make sure that smart devices that process personal data are compliant with the stronger data protection laws which came into force in May. Failure to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) means firms could risk fines of up to £17 million or 4 percent of global turnover, for the most serious data breaches.

Seb Chakraborty, Centrica Hive’s Chief Technology Officer, said:

Meeting the privacy and data protection expectations of our valued customers is a priority.

We invest heavily in the security of our products and we are delighted to support Government in this global step forward, building strong security measures into devices at the point of design.

George Brasher, HP Inc. UK managing director, said:

Cyber-crime has become an industry and IoT ‘endpoint’ devices increasingly constitute the frontline of cybersecurity. At HP, we are reinventing the state of the art in device security to address modern threats.

Today we design our commercial products with security built-in not bolted on, not only designed to protect, but also to detect and self-heal from cyber-attacks. We are delighted to be joining forces with the UK Government in our shared ambition to raise the bar broadly in consumer IoT device security, starting with the connected printers we are all used to at home.

Alex Neill, Which? Managing Director of Home Products and Services, said:

Which? tests many internet-connected products and has already improved security on devices in more than 1 million UK homes including TVs, voice-activated assistants, smart thermostats, and wireless routers.

We welcome the Government taking a lead in tackling the growing issue of security in internet-connected products. Manufacturers of these smart devices must now show they are taking security seriously and sign up to the Code to better protect consumers who use their products every day.

Teg Dosanjh, Director of IOT, MDE & SmartThings, SAMSUNG, said:

As a global leader in connected technology, Samsung understands that privacy and security are of great importance to consumer trust in connected devices. We build market-leading cyber security into all our products and warmly welcome the Government’s desire to make connected devices as safe and secure as possible. We will continue to work with Government to develop these proposals and ensure the transformative potential of the Internet of Things is delivered safely for everyone.

This initiative is a key part of the Government’s five-year, £1.9 billion National Cyber Security Strategy which is making the UK the most secure place in the world to live and do business online.

Notes to editors

The Code of Practice for Consumer IoT Security was developed by DCMS in conjunction with the National Cyber Security Centre and with support from other Government departments, industry and academic partners. The project has been informed by an expert advisory group which included subject matter experts from industry, consumer organisations and academia.

The Government’s Digital Strategy includes the aspiration for the UK to remain an international leader in the development and uptake of IoT. The Government’s actions include the funding of research and innovation in IoT, including through three-year £30 million IoT UK Programme.

The Government’s Digital Charter is a rolling programme of work to agree norms and rules for the online world and put them into practice. In some cases this will be through shifting expectations of behaviour; in some we will need to agree new standards; and in others we may need to update our laws and regulations. Our starting point will be that we will have the same rights and expect the same behaviour online as we do offline.

Domestically, Her Majesty’s Government Procurement, via Crown Commercial Service, will be adjusted to ensure future negotiations with suppliers of IoT products used by government departments will employ the Code to ensure the safety of such devices

HP Inc. creates technology that makes life better for everyone, everywhere. Through our portfolio of printers, PCs, mobile devices, solutions, and services, we engineer experiences that amaze. More information about HP Inc. is available at http://www.hp.com/UK.

Centrica Hive commits to ensure that all new devices, those designed and manufactured from 1st January 2021, will adhere to the 13 guidelines set out in the Code of Practice for Security in Consumer IoT Products.

Centrica Hive began back in 2013 with their customers telling them they wanted comfort and convenience, and a thermostat they could control that was easy and simple to use. Today, with £500 million investment from parent company Centrica plc, the Hive range of connected products has grown its range and geographical market, into North America, Canada, UK, Ireland and most recently Italy, with more opportunities for global expansion.

Hive focuses on making everyday life a little easier, freeing people up to spend time doing the things they love. The range of Hive products and services now incorporates a suite of products (including motion sensors, plugs, light bulbs and cameras) all controlled from a central home hub that Hive call their ecosystem. Designed to work together, to offer affordable, easy to use solutions and make a difference in people’s lives. The total number of Hive connected home customers has reached one million worldwide with over two million products sold.

Code of Practice [link]

To make sure consumers are protected when using internet-connected devices and while manufacturers implement stronger security measures, Government and NCSC have worked closely with Information Commissioner’s Office, Get Safe Online, consumer groups, the British Retail Consortium and industry experts to develop consumer guidance [link] on smart devices in the home [link to guidance]. This work supports efforts by Action Fraud who highlight that consumers can report fraud or cyber crime to their organisation.

The guidance Centrica Hive currently provides, advises consumers on how they can correctly set-up and configure their devices securely.

The vast majority of new-build houses are to be sold as freehold in a move to tackle unfair practices in the leasehold sector and put cash back into the pockets of over-stretched house buyers.

Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP will tomorrow (15 October 2018) launch a consultation on plans to improve the leaseholder sector for would-be home owners, which will bring an end to the unjustified selling of new houses as leasehold.

The consultation will also propose that ground rents for new leases will be capped at just £10. On average leaseholders pay over £300 ground rent each year, with some paying as much as £700.

These measures will build upon comprehensive action by the government to make the housing market fairer for everyone.

This includes cracking down on rogue landlords so tenants have the quality of home they deserve, helping existing leaseholders who want to buy their freehold by working with the Law Society to make this process faster, fairer and cheaper, and ensuring tenants are not hit by unfair rental costs.

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

The government is committed to making the economy work for everyone by helping people with the cost of living.

Unfair ground rents can turn a homeowner’s dream into a nightmare by hitting them in the back pocket, and making their property harder to sell.

That’s why I’m taking concrete action to protect homeowners and end those unscrupulous leasehold practices that can cost tenants hundreds of pounds.

While leasehold generally applies to flats with shared spaces, a number of developers have been increasingly selling houses on these terms – placing further financial burdens on those looking to buy a house of their own through unnecessary surcharges like ground rent.

This can also mean selling their home is more expensive and take longer than selling a freehold property.

Under the government’s proposals, which are subject to consultation, the majority of new houses will be sold as freehold and future ground rents will be reduced to a nominal sum.

The consultation will also seek views on what are the appropriate and fair exemptions, such as shared ownership properties and community led housing to ensure consumers’ best interests are at the heart of the property market.

To further support leaseholders, ministers have also made it easier for them to form recognised tenant associations by reducing the minimum membership required. This will further empower those in leasehold homes to enforce their collective rights and hold landlords to account.

Further information

At present, leaseholders face significant barriers in getting tenants’ associations recognised. While many landlords are happy to engage with residents’ associations in their building, there is no legal requirement for them to do so unless the association is formally recognised.

Under the new rules, landlords will be required to provide contact information of eligible leaseholders to the secretary of the residents’ association within 4 months of the request, providing that leaseholders have expressly consented to their details being shared.

The move will help leaseholders act together to represent common interests and raise complaints with their landlords and agents for things such as service charges and management practices.

See more information on recognised tenant associations.

MHCLG statistics estimate there were 4.2 million residential leasehold properties in England in 2015 to 2016, of which 2.9 million – or around two-thirds – were flats.

The ‘Fixing our broken housing market’ white paper was published in February 2017.

The ‘Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market’ consultation took place between July and September 2017 and received over 6,000 replies, with the vast majority in favour of widespread reform.

Following the consultation, the government announced reforms to the leasehold system in England in December 2017.

The technical consultation on these reforms opens tomorrow (15 October 2018) and will run for 6 weeks. It is open to all including: leaseholders, freeholders, landlords, solicitors/ conveyancers, management companies, developers, local authorities, estate agents, investors/lenders.

Respondents will be able to respond by online survey form, email or written response.

The department will provide a response to the consultation following its conclusion.

In new measures announced today, the Government will make it easier for smaller community and commercial radio stations to broadcast on small scale digital radio multiplexes.

With more than 50% of all radio listening in the UK now on digital, the new lighter touch licensing regime means these small stations won’t be left behind by the growing shift from FM and AM to digital radio and will give more choice to millions of radio listeners across the UK.

Margot James, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries, said:

We are breaking down one of the main barriers in the transition of radio from analogue to digital, to secure long-term benefits for the UK’s smaller commercial and community stations and ensure a range of local content for listeners.

No one should be left behind by technological advances, so as part of our modern Industrial Strategy we will give small and local radio businesses affordable, practical access to digital radio networks to reach new and longstanding audiences.

The roll out of small scale multiplexes across the UK could help more than 450 existing small community or commercial radio stations go digital.

Since 2014, Ofcom have been supporting successful trials of small scale radio multiplexes in ten areas of the UK. These trial multiplexes now carry around 160 small radio services offering listeners in these areas a broader range of content and formats.

To put these small scale services on a proper long-term footing, the Government is revising the current legal framework for licensing radio multiplexes – originally drawn up in the mid-1990s.

The new framework will allow Ofcom to reserve capacity on new small scale multiplexes for community stations, helping them to go live on the Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) platform.

Ford Ennals, CEO, Digital Radio UK, said:

We welcome today’s announcement from DCMS supporting the future development and expansion of small-scale DAB. This is good news for radio and good news for listeners as the expansion of small-scale DAB gives listeners a wider range of smaller stations available on DAB and gives small local stations a path to a digital future.

Following the success of the fantastic range of unique and fresh local commercial and community services in the 10 trial areas we can expect to see many hundreds of local stations joining radio’s digital revolution across the UK.

Switch Radio is a community radio station that operates and broadcasts one of the trial multiplexes in Birmingham.

Dean Kavanagh, Head of Content and Technology at Switch Radio, said

Switch Radio welcomes the publication of the DCMS consultation response document. Small Scale DAB is a game-changing innovation that will drive real benefits for listeners and we are delighted that the government is actively supporting the progression of this technology from concept to delivery.

Small scale DAB has been able to provide not just an increase in the quantity of stations that listeners can receive, but also the variety of what is available. We look forward to the further developments that will undoubtedly stem from the publication of this consultation response.

This new streamlined structure for licensing small scale radio multiplexes comes at a time when DAB has greatly increased in popularity. Almost two-thirds of households have a DAB radio and only 43% of listening at home is on analogue. DAB coverage now reaches 90% of the UK.

The proposals will support the rollout of new digital-only radio networks within county areas, helping to expand the community radio sector. The Government will bring forward secondary legislation to make the necessary changes to the licensing regime in 2019.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

1. A small scale DAB radio multiplex is a more efficient way of transmitting compared to analogue and uses a low cost software-based approach that makes it particularly suitable for smaller radio stations. A multiplex consists of a number of DAB radio stations bundled together to be transmitted digitally on a single frequency to a specific geographic area.
2. Among the measures set out today in its response to the Small Scale DAB Licensing Consultation, the Government has stated it will:
   * Create a new category of small scale DAB multiplex licence for community radio stations – the C-DSP (Community – Digital Sound Programme) licence;
   * Place requirements on new small scale multiplex licences to make a certain proportion of capacity on small scale DAB multiplexes available to community radio stations holding new C-DSP licences.
3. DCMS-funded technical work by Ofcom to test the technology, including 10 field trials in Portsmouth, Aldershot, Brighton & Hove, Bristol , Norfolk, Manchester, Birmingham, Cambridge, Glasgow and London. These demonstrated the viability of using an open source software based approach to broadcasting on DAB at a small scale.
4. However, the temporary licensing arrangements for the 10 trials are not a suitable basis for the long-term licensing of small scale DAB radio multiplexes. To address this DCMS supported the successful passage of a Private Member’s Bill, introduced by Kevin Foster MP, through Parliament in early 2017. The Broadcasting (Radio Multiplex Services) Act 2017 gives the DCMS Secretary of State a power to modify through secondary legislation the provisions under existing broadcasting legislation that are concerned with the award of radio multiplex licences.
5. In its Communications Market Report 2018, Ofcom found:

• Nine in ten adults in the UK listen to radio every week for an average of nearly 21 hours a week, and 75% of all audio listening is to live radio;
• DAB coverage is now at 90% of the UK (BBC national DAB coverage is 97%), and almost two-thirds of households have a DAB set;
• Digital radio has enabled many more commercial stations to broadcast nationally, and the share of listening to national commercial stations has increased from 13.0% in Q1 2016 to 17.5% in Q1 2018. As a result of this, radio advertising revenues increased by 1% in real terms in 2017, compared to a 7.5% decline in television advertising revenues.

1. In its Media Nations 2018 report, Ofcom found:

• The total reported income for the community radio sector in 2017 was £11.9m, in line with 2016. Average station income was just under £51k;

• Overall reported sector expenditure for the community radio sector was £11.9m, up 1% in real terms since 2016;

• At home, only 43% of listening is on analogue, as DAB increases in popularity;

• Listeners in Berkshire have the highest proportion of listening digitally, at 60%